Cars Clips: January 17, 2024

 

 

House

 

House Republicans Urge EPA To Reconsider Biden ‘Rush-To-Green’ Agenda — “House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington and Environment, Manufacturing, & Critical Materials Subcommittee Chair Bill Johnson of Ohio want the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to stop bypassing Congress to advance the Biden administration’s ‘rush-to-green’ agenda. McMorris Rodgers and Johnson sent a letter to EPA Administrator Michael Regan on Friday that highlights ‘deep concerns’ with a Sept. 28 memo directing all agency enforcement and compliance offices to prioritize and address climate change. The EPA cites President Joe Biden’s executive order 14008 in January 2021, ‘Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad,’ which states that climate considerations are an essential element of all U.S. domestic and foreign policy as well as national security. But Republicans say the EPA’s climate enforcement and compliance strategy appears to target ‘disfavored industries or businesses’ and notes that Congress did not authorize economic sanctions for normal operations.” [School Transportation News, 1/16/24 (-)]

 

‘How Is It Good?’: Josh Hawley Grills Energy Official On Biden’s EV Push ‘Enriching’ China — “Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri on Thursday questioned a top Department of Energy(DOE) official about whether a Biden electric vehicle (EV) policy that benefits China was ‘good’ for the U.S. Hawley grilled Deputy Secretary of Energy David M. Turk during a hearing by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee about which countries benefited from the Biden administration’s push for EVs. The Biden administration proposed regulations in April that would require as many as two-thirds of new light-duty vehicles sold in the United States to be EVs after 2032. ‘Let’s talk a little bit about who’s really benefitting from this administration’s climate agenda and these draconian electric vehicle mandates,’ Hawley said. ‘So, Mr. Turk, you’ve already alluded to this, I know you already know the answer to these questions. Currently, one nation accounts for 60% of the world’s election vehicle production, and that nation is…’” [The Daily Caller, 1/11/24 (+)]

 

 

 

$7,500 At Stake: Dealers Face Challenges In New Fed Program For EV Tax Credits — “Kevin Kroll is excited to own his first electric vehicle, and the new Chevrolet Bolt EUV he wants is in stock at the dealership — but he’s been waiting for two weeks to take it home. The Bowman Chevrolet dealership in Clarkston where he’s purchasing the Bolt is awaiting approval to offer the new point-of-sale clean-vehicle tax credit. It’s administered by a new Internal Revenue Service system launched Jan. 1 to allow dealers to provide the up-to-$7,500 federal tax credit on qualifying electrified vehicle sales when customers make their purchase. Doing so allows customers to reap the benefits of the subsidy on their monthly vehicle payment instead of later on their annual tax return. It’s meant to give a boost to EV sales that are missing industry expectations, despite their continued growth. Some dealers, though, report glitches in the new program. They detail issues with registration, transactions not going through the system, the potential for delayed reimbursement and poor communication about the process. Several dealers said they still are granting the discount on the vehicles to customers but worry delayed reimbursements could pinch their cash flow.” [The Detroit News, 1/16/24 (=)]

 

Now You Can Claim Your Tesla EV Federal Tax Rebate Online — “As of January 1, 2024, the federal EV tax credit has become a point of sale rebate. Go to the dealer, agree to purchase an electric or plug-in hybrid electric car that qualifies for the federal EV incentive, and shazam! That $7500 incentive (or $3750 incentive in some cases) gets deducted immediately from the price you pay. Technically what is happening is you sign a form assigning your entitlement to the dealer, the dealer pays you, and the Treasury Department reimbursed the dealer within three days. But Tesla doesn’t have any traditional dealers, so how does that work? The answer is ‘Pretty well.’ Now when you order your shiny new Tesla online, the company asks if you would like to get your rebate upfront and if you say yes, all it takes is a click of the mouse. Tesla takes care of all the rest. (We’ll get into what cars qualify in a minute.)” [Electrek, 1/16/24 (+)]

 

The Real Crime With The Us EV Tax Credit — Pushing Larger Vehicles — “This kind of automobile favoritism is nothing new in the US. However, I’m having a tough week, and another update on the US EV tax credit has just pushed me over the edge. As Steve Hanley wrote earlier today, ‘Also be aware that the maximum sales price of a sedan or wagon may not exceed $55,000 and the maximum sales price of an SUV or light duty truck may not exceed $80,000. For the very latest information about whether that vehicle you crave is eligible, plug its VIN number into fueleconomy.gov to get the definitive answer.’ Now, one may argue: But, yeah, larger vehicles cost more, so they should have a higher threshold/max price to qualify for the EV tax credit. So what! If the limit is about not giving money away to rich people who don’t need it, what does it matter how big the vehicle is or how it’s classified? Is the max price in place to not throw taxpayer money away at rich people, or is it in place for some other reason? But that’s not even the worst part.” [CleanTechnica, 1/16/24 (~)]

 

 

 

Federal Highway Admin. (FHWA)

 

21 States Urge Court To Block Feds' Highway GHG Rule — “A coalition of Republican-led states asked a Kentucky federal judge to block the U.S. Department of Transportation’s recently finalized Greenhouse Gas Emissions Rule, which requires all states to set declining targets for on-road carbon dioxide emissions and report them no later than Feb. 1. In a motion filed Friday, Florida, Ohio and Kentucky, among 18 other states, urged the court to maintain the status quo and block the new rule’s implementation while their case remains pending, saying the rule’s ‘imminent deadline makes a preliminary injunction necessary’ and all the factors weigh in favor of such action, given the states’ likelihood of success. The new rule, which was promulgated by the DOT’s Federal Highway Administration in early December, notably stems from its January 2017 predecessor that similarly required states to establish targets regarding a measure of on-road carbon dioxide emissions. The 2017 iteration, however, was later repealed in 2018 under the Trump administration, before being reintroduced in 2022 by the Biden administration following its declaration of a ‘climate crisis.’” [Law360, 1/16/24 (=)]

 

Biden Admin Announces New Grants For EV Charging Network — “Back in December 2021, the Biden Administration released an action plan for EV charging networks that aimed to beef up those offerings in a big way and eliminate one of consumers’ biggest apprehensions when it comes to buying all-electric vehicles. Those plans were later approved for all 50 U.S. states, and the administration opened up applications for what is officially known as the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) Discretionary Grant Program last March. Since then, the Biden Administration has added another $15.5 billion in funds to those efforts, and also allocated $100 million to repair broken or malfunctioning chargers. Now, new grants for the growing EV charging network in the U.S. have been announced, too.” [Ford Authority, 1/16/24 (+)]

 

 

 

Six Things At Risk If The Supreme Court's Guts Chevron Deference — “2. Vehicle Standards – President Joe Biden has set an ambitious goal for electric vehicles to make up at least 50 percent of vehicle sales by 2030, an order of magnitude greater than national EV sales levels today. Reaching that will require federal investments in battery research and domestic production, as well as a significant expansion of charging infrastructure. Federal vehicle regulations are another key part of the puzzle. Both EPA and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have advanced multiple regulations regarding tailpipe emissions and fuel economy that the agencies say will have the effect of significantly ramping up electric vehicle sales. Opponents have invoked the ‘major questions’ doctrine over intermediate rules from the agencies governing vehicles through model year 2026, arguing that the increasing amounts of electrification automakers are projected to achieve amounts to a major economic policy. But in arguments last September, the judges voiced skepticism and hinted that they saw it as a logical continuation of prior EPA emissions rules. If Chevron deference is overturned, that judicial calculus could change. A less deferential review could allow judges to find that a rule that would seriously ramp up electric vehicle sales goes beyond the agencies’ legal authorities. And without regulations backing up its other actions, the Biden administration would be all but guaranteed to miss its aggressive sales target.” [Politico, 1/17/24 (+)]

 

 

 

Atlas Technologies Holding BV

 

Lightyear Shelves Solar EV Plans, Hires Executives To Spearhead Solar Systems For Other Oems — “Star-crossed startup Lightyear has finally thrown in the towel on attempting to bring its long-promised solar EVs to market – at least one donning its own badge and design language. The startup’s founding CEO, Lex Hoefsfloot, has been replaced as the born-again startup pivots toward solar panel development to be implemented on other companies’ vehicles. That, frankly, is just not as sexy. It’s been an exciting yet disappointing seven-year journey for Lightyear. Like many startups, the solar EV company demonstrated some inspiring and potential industry-changing technology, only to fall short due to a lack of funds. We at Electrek have covered much of that journey, including the evolution of Lightyear’s original solar EV concept into the Lightyear 0, and were even present for that seemingly pivotal, now less-relevant milestone in Finland, when the flagship SEV began production… briefly.” [Electrek, 1/16/24 (=)]

 

BYD Co.

 

BYD Sea Lion 07 Electric SUV Specs Revealed Ahead Of Official Launch, Will Rival Tesla Model Y — “BYD’s answer to the Tesla Model Y is expected to begin rolling out in the first half of the year. Ahead of its official launch, the BYD Sea Lion 07 electric SUV’s specs have been revealed. BYD Sea Lion 07 specs leak ahead of official launch BYD unveiled the Sea Lion 07 in November at the 2023 Guangzhou International Auto Show. As its first mid-size urban SUV, the Sea Lion 07 is expected to rival Tesla’s best-selling Model Y. The EV’s design is led by former Audi and Lamborghini designer Wolfgang Egger. That said, BYD’s new electric SUV includes a blend of both iconic designs into a sleek EV built for the modern era. BYD’s Sea Lion 07 is part of the brand’s Ocean series, where it will lead a new sub-brand of EVs. At 4,830 mm long, 1,925 mm wide, and 1,620 mm tall, the Sea Lion 07 is slightly smaller than the recently launched BYD Song L. Tesla’s Model Y, at 4,760 mm long, 1,921 mm wide, and 1,624 mm tall, will be a direct competitor in China.” [Electrek, 1/16/24 (+)]

 

China’s BYD Launches AI-Powered Smart Car Technology To Better Compete With Rivals — “KEY POINTS BYD launched its AI-powered smart car system on Tuesday to better compete with rivals on advanced technologies such as automated parking. The firm said that the Xuanji system ‘perceives changes inside and outside the vehicle in milliseconds’ thereby ‘enhancing driving safety and comfort.’ The company plans to invest 5 billion Chinese yuan ($701.8 million) to build the world’s first all-terrain professional test drive sites in cities across China.” [CNBC, 1/17/24 (=)]

 

BYD Plans $14 Billion Investment In Smarter Car Features — “BYD Co., the world’s largest maker of electric vehicles, will invest 100 billion yuan ($14 billion) to develop smart-car features, its founder and chief executive officer said Tuesday. Wang Chuanfu didn’t give a specific time frame for the investment or more details. The move comes as the Chinese carmaker tries to narrow the gap with rivals making vehicles with driver-assistance systems and other advanced technology. BYD plans to introduce what it calls Navigation on Autopilot, which will allow drivers to take their hands off the wheel and feet off pedals in certain scenarios. The system requires drivers to touch the steering wheel every 15 seconds and will come installed in cars that cost more than 300,000 yuan. It also will be available as an upgrade option for vehicles priced at over 200,000 yuan. BYD didn’t say whether drivers will be responsible for crashes if they occur.” [Bloomberg, 1/16/24 (=)]

 

Exclusive: BYD To Stop Making Pouch Batteries For Its Hybrid EVs On Leakage Concerns — “China’s BYD plans to end production of the pouch-type batteries used in its best-selling hybrids as the automaker seeks to address durability concerns and the risk that they could leak, said three people familiar with the matter. The world’s top seller of battery-powered cars last month began converting production lines for pouch-type cells in two of its factories situated in Shaanxi and Zhejiang provinces to produce prismatic batteries instead, said one of the people, who had direct knowledge of the matter. It is still making pouch-type cells at a third factory in Qinghai province to minimise disrupting production of its hybrid vehicles, which accounted for almost half of its global sales last year, but plans to switch that too and completely stop using pouch cells by early 2025, the person said. BYD, which is backed by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway (BRKa.N), opens new tab, did not respond to requests for comment.” [Reuters, 1/17/24 (=)]

 

Cummins, Inc.

 

Cummins Faces Shareholder Suit After $2B Clean Air Act Deal — “Engine manufacturer Cummins Inc. faces an investors’ proposed class action alleging it concealed unlawful emissions control devices in certain engines, eventually leading to a record $2 billion settlement with federal and state regulators over alleged violations of the Clean Air Act. In a complaint filed Sunday in Los Angeles federal court, Cummins investor Tom Baker took aim at Cummins with claims that the company failed to disclose that engines it made for certain Ram-branded trucks used defeat devices, also known as auxiliary emission control devices, to allow the engines to bypass emissions tests in violation of the Clean Air Act. In his suit, the investor cited company statements about investigations made during Baker’s proposed class period. Baker characterized those company statements as suggesting the regulator questions were focused only on ‘model year 2019 RAM 2500 and 3500 trucks.’” [Law360, 1/16/24 (=)]

 

Cummins To Spend $2 Billion In ‘Defeat Device’ Settlement — “Cummins must recall more than 600,000 Ram 2500 and Ram 3500 pickup trucks equipped with its diesel engine as part of a record-setting $1.675 billion settlement deal with the Environmental Protection Agency and the California Air Resources Board. That proposed settlement was first announced last month. The government said Cummins violated the Clean Air Act and California law by installing software ‘defeat devices’ on hundreds of thousands of diesel engines in Ram trucks that allegedly circumvented emissions testing and certification requirements. On Jan. 10, more details on the settlement were released as the engine maker signed consent decrees. In the settlement, Cummins denies the allegations in the complaints and does not admit any liability in connection with them. In a statement, the company said it ‘has seen no evidence that anyone acted in bad faith and does not admit wrongdoing.’ On top of the $1.675 billion civil penalty, Cummins will spend more than $325 million to remedy the violations, as well as:” [Heavy-Duty Trucking, 1/16/24 (+)]

 

Ford Motor Co.

 

Ford Mustang Mach-E Among Top Ten Best Selling EVs Of 2023 — “Though demand didn’t quite match expectations last year – prompting Ford to push back some of its planned EV investments – all-electric vehicle sales continued to rise in 2023, regardless. In fact, FoMoCo set new quarterly and annual sales records for its EVs last year, and across the entire U.S., all-electric vehicle sales also set a new record after American’s purchased nearly 1.2 million of those types of models. The Ford Mustang Mach-E enjoyed a pretty stellar 2023 as well, as the crossover managed to rank among the top 10 best-selling EVs last year, according to new data from Cox Automotive. By recording 40,771 sales in 2023, the Ford Mustang Mach-E ranked as the fourth-best-selling EV last year, behind the Tesla Model Y (394,497 units), Tesla Model 3 (220,910 units), and Chevy Bolt (62,045 units), as well as ahead of the Volkswagen ID.4 (37,789 units), Hyundai Ioniq 5 (33,918 units), Rivian R1S (24,783 units), Ford F-150 Lightning (24,165 units), Tesla Model X (23,015 units), and BMW i4 (22,583 units).” [Ford Authority, 1/16/24 (+)]

 

Ford Expects To Begin Building The Electric Explorer In June, Second EV By The End Of 2024 — “Ford is gearing up to build the first electric Explorer models in Europe this summer. The first Ford Explorer EVs are now expected to reach customers in August. Ford also expects to begin production of its second EV in Europe by the end of 2024. After delaying the launch of its all-electric Explorer, Ford wants to begin production in June. That’s about eight months later than expected. Ford unveiled the electric version of its best-selling SUV in Europe last March. The electric SUV is the first EV spawned from a partnership with Volkswagen in 2020 to use its MEB platform. Ford says the electric Explorer ‘combines German engineering with striking American style.’ The Explorer will be the first EV built at Ford’s upgraded Cologne factory. Ford invested about $2 billion to upgrade the facility to build electric vehicles.” [Electrek, 1/16/24 (+)]

 

Hyundai Motor Corp.

 

2024 Hyundai Ioniq 6 Undercuts Tesla Model 3 By More Than $9,000 — “New incentives can make the 2024 Hyundai Ioniq 6 much cheaper than the newly updated Tesla Model 3, according to CarsDirect. A dealer bulletin shows that all versions of the 2024 Ioniq 6 are eligible for $7,500 in ‘retail bonus cash’—a rebate that can essentially be applied only to purchases, and not with Hyundai’s current low-interest financing, CarsDirect notes. But for those purchasing rather than leasing, the rebate drops the Hyundai’s base price from $38,615 to $31,115. On the other hand, the revised Model 3, internally called the Highland, arrives soon in the U.S. and starts at $40,380 including destination. Updates include refreshed styling, more convenience features, and what Tesla claims is a quieter cabin. Hyundai and sibling brand Kia combined now rank second in EV sales after Tesla, meaning the two Korean brands are ahead of other established automakers like Ford and General Motors. So it appears that the company wants to stay very competitive on price. Hyundai already gave the Ioniq 6 a $4,100 price cut for 2024, versus 2023. The Ioniq 6 does not qualify for the $7,500 federal EV tax credit, but neither do the two Model 3 Highland variants released so far.” [Green Car Reports, 1/16/24 (+)]

 

Hyundai Gives Ioniq 6 A $4,500 Price Advantage Over Tesla Model 3 — “The Hyundai IONIQ 6 is one of the hottest new electric cars on the market. In fact, it’s a top contender for the 2023 CleanTechnica Car of the Year award in both the USA and Europe! So, it stung a bit to find out the car wouldn’t qualify for the US EV tax credit under new rules in 2024 that exclude cars with batteries built in certain places, like China. It doesn’t even qualify for the half-credit. It’s one of the best electric cars on the market, but it’s a little hard to recommend or consider buying when you know you can get a different EV and get a $7,500 discount from Uncle Sam Joe. Hyundai had a solution: offer a $7,500 discount of its own. (Now, don’t get me started on how Hyundai can magically cut $7,500 off the price to make up for the US government not doing so. I find that both confusing and frustrating. Nonetheless, from a consumer perspective, it’s great news!) The note that Hyundai dealers received is that every version of the 2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 was eligible for a $7,500 Retail Bonus Cash (i.e., discount). That means a base IONIQ 6 with an MSRP of $42,450 can cost you just $34,950.” [CleanTechnica, 1/16/24 (+)]

 

Mercedes-Benz Group AG

 

Mercedes-Benz Set A New Electric Car Sales Record In Q4 And 2023 — “Mercedes-Benz Cars reports 514,000 global car sales during the fourth quarter of 2023 (down 4% year-over-year). The total sales in 2023 amounted to 2,043,800 units, just 0.2% more than in 2022. Despite the fact that the overall business is not growing, Mercedes-Benz managed to increase its plug-in car sales. In Q4, all-electric car sales of Mercedes-Benz and Smart (an all-electric brand) amounted to 66,200 (up 24% year-over-year), or about 12.9% of the total volume. That’s a new record, both in terms of volume and share.” [Inside EVs, 1/16/24 (+)]

 

Mercedes-Benz Isn't Sure Solid State Batteries Are Really Worth It — “It’s a cold, snowy day here in my northeastern slab of the U.S., which means that EV owners are probably experiencing a bit of decreased range in the blistering weather today. Too bad we don’t have the benefits long-promised by solid-state batteries, am I right? Well, that might not be as important as the industry originally thought, at least not according to Mercedes-Benz. Welcome to Critical Materials, your daily briefing on all things EV and tech. Today, we’re talking about those solid-state batteries, plus Tesla’s absolutely hellacious first few weeks of 2024, and Fisker’s federal probe into the 2023 Ocean. So put on your sweater and crank up the heat, because we’re getting ready to sweat this one out.” [Inside EVs, 1/16/24 (=)]

 

Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance

 

Renault 2023 Sales Return To Growth With Focus On Top Models, Markets — “Renault (RENA.PA), opens new tab on Wednesday reported a 9% increase in annual global sales volumes for 2023, returning to growth after four consecutive years of decline and the French automaker said it was poised to continue performing well in 2024. In morning trading, Renault shares were down 1.9%, alongside other European automakers whose shares were hit after Tesla (TSLA.O), opens new tab slashed prices of its Model Y electric cars in Germany. Renault had seen its volumes drop nearly 6% in 2022, a year plagued by semiconductor chip shortages, after setting a sales record of 3.88 million vehicles - cars and vans - in 2018. Renault’s sales slump was exacerbated by its exit from the Russian market. To boost sales, Renault shrank its vehicle range and refocused under CEO Luca de Meo on its most profitable markets and models. ‘We are regaining our attractiveness (...) our design is improving, and we also see this in our conquest rates,’ Fabrice Cambolive, Renault brand general manager told reporters. ‘The plan is to continue at this same level of performance’ in 2024.” [Reuters, 1/17/24 (=)]

 

Rivian Automotive, Inc.

 

How EV Maker Rivian Plans To Halve The Carbon Footprint Of Its Vehicles By 2030 — “EV maker Rivian has pledged to introduce a vehicle with half the carbon emissions footprint of its original models by 2030, according to its inaugural ‘impact’ report, released Jan. 12. Rivian’s emissions reduction strategy will lean heavily on increasing the recycled materials it uses to produce its pickup trucks, SUVs and commercial vans — such as the ones it supplies to e-commerce giant Amazon. This is the company’s first environmental impact disclosure, so there are no past-year comparisons for its results. Rivian isn’t officially part of the Science Based Targets initiative, although Rivian CSO Anisa Kamadoli Costa told GreenBiz the company is following the ‘same goals.’ ‘We are committed to always operating with a full awareness of the challenge,’ said Kamadoli Costa in the report.” [GreenBiz, 1/16/24 (+)]

 

Future Rivian EV: Half The Carbon Footprint Of Its R1S By 2030 — “In addition to being less expensive than the current R1T pickup truck and R1S SUV, Rivian believes its upcoming R2 EV will have a smaller carbon footprint as well. And looking beyond the initial R2, Rivian intends to keep cutting the footprint of its vehicles. As noticed by The Verge, the company said in its first environmental impact report that its goal is to launch EVs ‘with half the lifecycle carbon footprint’ of its 2022 R1 models by 2030. Rivian aims to accomplish that in part through increased use of recycled materials for manufacturing new vehicles. The company set targets of 70% recycled content in steel and aluminum parts by 2030, as well as 40% recycled and bio-based content in polymer materials by that date. Rivian also plans to use 100% renewable energy to power its facilities by 2030, and plans to ‘support’ the creation of 2 gigawatts of renewable energy projects to help decarbonize its charging network.” [Green Car Reports, 1/16/24 (+)]

 

SAIC Motor Corp.

 

China's SAIC Set To Add 14 Vehicle Vessels To Boost Exports — “SAIC Motor Corp (600104.SS), opens new tab plans to add 14 vehicle vessels in the next three years to its fleet of carriers as the state-owned Chinese automaker aims to boost sales in overseas markets, it said on Wednesday. SAIC-owned Anji Logistics operates 31 carriers that have been shipping vehicles produced by Chinese automakers including Dongfeng (600006.SS), opens new tab, Yutong Bus (600066.SS), opens new tab and Great Wall Motor (601633.SS), opens new tab as well as SAIC’s own brands to South East Asia, Mexico, South America and Europe, the company said. SAIC, which sold 1.2 million vehicles out of China in 2023, aims to increase its sales in overseas markets to 1.35 million units in 2024, China’s The Paper reported. It aims to sell 1.5 million vehicles outside its home market in 2025, the newspaper said, citing Vice President of SAIC Motor International Zhao Aimin. The automaker also plans global sales of its two premium electric vehicle brands, IM Motors and Rising Auto, the report said.” [Reuters, 1/16/24 (=)]

 

SAIC-General Motors-Wuling

 

GM's Baojun Yep Plus Is The Electric Blazer We Should've Gotten — “SGMW, a not-at-all awkward acronym of Chinese joint venture SAIC-General Motors-Wuling, just released a series of photos of the cutest little forthcoming off-roader called the Baojun Yep Plus. Maybe the grass is greener on the other side of the world, but wow, it is very unfortunate that we’re yet again missing out on a cute, usable, fashionable, and reasonably priced EV. For years, people criticized GM for using names like Blazer and Trailblazer without the retro-SUV looks to back things up. Weirdly, the Baojun Yep Plus goes there in ways GM’s American SUVs still haven’t. As a whole, the Yep Plus is sharp looking, even if it looks like a Ford Bronco Sport crossed with a Land Rover Defender. However, unlike the Defender and Bronco Sport, the Yep Plus is a petite vehicle; at a total length of about 158 inches (3996 mm), the Yep Plus is three inches or so shorter than the pretty tiny Ford Ecosport. Or, for those familiar with other cars around the world, it is nearly identical in length to the newly-launched Suzuki Jimny 5-door. Think, Geo Tracker, but brand new, and fully electric.” [Inside EVs, 1/16/24 (=)]

 

Stellantis NV

 

Stellantis Names Carlos Zarlenga, Head Of Mexican Operations, To Lead North America — “Stellantis will have a new leader for its key North American region beginning Feb. 1, someone who has been credited with leading a turnaround when he oversaw a region for rival General Motors several years ago. Carlos Zarlenga, president of Stellantis Mexico, who is also a former executive at General Motors and GE, has been picked to replace Mark Stewart as chief operating officer. Stewart has been COO of North America since 2018, which was before the merger that created Stellantis in 2021. … ‘In the very demanding North American market with many obstacles to overcome in order to foster the performance of the Company, Carlos Zarlenga is the best leader among our talent pool to replace Mark Stewart and to drive the change in our business model towards electrification in the region. Carlos Zarlenga has demonstrated his ability to bring together and unite diverse teams and to deliver the expected results,’ Tavares said.” [Detroit Free Press, 1/16/24 (+)]

 

Former GM Executive Carlos Zarlenga Becomes Stellantis North America COO — “Former GM South America President and CEO Carlos Zarlenga has been appointed as the new Chief Operating Officer of Stellantis North America. Effective February 1st, 2024, Zarlenga is set to replace Mark Stewart as COO of Stellantis North America in an effort to further solidify Stellantis’ performance in the North American market. ‘In the very demanding North American market with many obstacles to overcome in order to foster the performance of the company, Carlos Zarlenga is the best leader among our talent pool to replace Mark Stewart and to drive the change in our business model towards electrification in the region,’ Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares was quoted as stating. ‘Carlos Zarlenga has demonstrated his ability to bring together and unite diverse teams and to deliver the expected results. I would like to thank Mark Stewart for his contribution to this role after a three-year cycle, corresponding to the date of creation of Stellantis and I wish him the best in his new position.’” [GM Authority, 1/16/24 (=)]

 

Tesla, Inc.

 

Musk Demands Bigger Stake In Tesla As Price For A.I. Work — “Elon Musk, the chief executive of Tesla, stunned investors by demanding that the company’s board give him shares worth more than $80 billion if it wants him to continue developing products based on artificial intelligence. In the latest demonstration of his disregard for conventional ways of communicating with investors, Mr. Musk said late Monday on X, the social media site he owns, that he needed to own 25 percent of Tesla to avoid takeovers and have enough control of the company as it develops robots and other artificial intelligence technology. If his demands are not met, Mr. Musk said, he would pursue unspecified ventures outside of Tesla. In addition to electric cars, Tesla has been developing a humanoid robot called Optimus, and uses artificial intelligence to develop self-driving technology, a cornerstone of the company’s strategy. Those businesses belong to Tesla, and Mr. Musk could not simply walk away with them.” [The New York Times, 1/16/24 (=)]

 

Musk Wants 25% Voting Control At Tesla Before Fulfilling AI Goal — “Tesla (TSLA.O), opens new tab CEO Elon Musk said he would be uncomfortable growing the automaker to be a leader in artificial intelligence and robotics without having at least 25% voting control of the company, nearly double his current stake. Musk said on Monday in a post on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, that unless he got stock in the world’s most valuable automaker that was ‘enough to be influential, but not so much that I can’t be overturned,’ at Tesla, he would prefer to build products outside of the electric-vehicle manufacturer. Musk’s warning about developing AI and robotics outside Tesla unless he gets more voting control could infringe on his duties as CEO, governance experts and analysts said. He has long touted Tesla’s partially automated ‘Full Self-Driving’ software and its prototype humanoid robots, but the electric-vehicle maker generates most of its revenue from its automotive business.” [Reuters, 1/16/24 (=)]

 

Musk's Warning About Tesla Stake Raises Governance Questions — “Elon Musk’s warning about developing AI and robotics outside Tesla unless he gets more voting control could infringe on his duties as CEO and raise questions about the automaker’s valuation, governance experts and analysts said. The outspoken billionaire said on Monday he would be ‘uncomfortable’ building Tesla into a leader in the technologies unless he has about 25% voting control at the company. ‘Enough to be influential, but not so much that I can’t be overturned. Unless that is the case, I would prefer to build products outside of Tesla,’ he said on his X social media. Shares of Tesla (TSLA.O), opens new tab rose about half a percent to $219.91. The move marked an abrupt turn for Musk, who has long touted Tesla as an ‘AI/robotics company’ due to its partially automated ‘Full Self-Driving’ software and prototype humanoid robots.” [Reuters, 1/17/24 (=)]

 

Special Electrek Podcast: Is Elon Musk Blackmailing TSLA For $100B, Admitting To Conflicts Of Interest? — “This is a special episode of the Electrek podcast in which we dive into Elon Musk’s comments from last night requesting a 25% stake in Tesla in order to advance AI at the company, which he himself described as an AI/robotics company. The Electrek podcast is generally live every Friday at 4 PM ET, but we are making a special episode today to discuss a strange situation. If you want a primer before the podcast, you can read my article from last night: Elon Musk complains about his smaller stake in Tesla after wasting it on buying Twitter. In a new tweet, Musk seems to admit to a serious conflict of interest and possibly even a breach of fiduciary duty toward Tesla shareholders.” [Electrek, 1/16/24 (=)]

 

Elon Musk Implies He'll Leave Tesla Without More Control, Bigger Stake — “Even for Elon Musk, who summarily rejects the rules other CEOs play by, this one was an extraordinary move to make out in the open. On Monday, Musk took to X to, essentially, demand more control of Tesla from the carmaker’s board. ‘I am uncomfortable growing Tesla to be a leader in AI & robotics without having ~25% voting control. Enough to be influential, but not so much that I can’t be overturned,’ he said in a post on the social media platform, which he owns. Musk, Tesla’s longtime CEO who oversaw its growth from a shaky startup to a global powerhouse worth several times more than any legacy competitor, insinuated he’d step back or find something else to do without more voting power: ‘Unless that is the case, I would prefer to build products outside of Tesla.’” [Inside EVs, 1/16/24 (=)]

 

Tesla Cuts Model Y Prices In Germany After China Price Cuts — “Tesla Inc (TSLA.O), opens new tab has slashed prices of its Model Y cars in Germany, where it lost the spot as top electric vehicle seller to Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE), opens new tab in 2023, a week after the carmaker reduced its Model 3 and Model Y prices in China. Tesla reduced prices for Model Y Long Range and Model Y Performance by 5,000 euros to 49,990 euros ($54,340) and 55,990 euros respectively, representing a discount of 9% and 8.1% compared to the previous prices. It also cut the price of Model Y rear-wheel drive models by 1,900 euros, or 4.2%, to 42,990 euros, according to data on its website. In 2023, Volkswagen overtook Tesla as the largest seller of EVs in Germany, taking a 13.5% share of the market compared to Tesla’s 12.1%, according to figures from the German federal motor authority KBA.” [Reuters, 1/17/24 (=)]

 

Tesla Slashes Prices Across Europe On Model Y — “Tesla has slashed the prices of its Model Y across Europe this morning, after it reduced prices of its Model 3 and Model Y prices in China to undercut BYD, according to CNBC. In Germany, Tesla reduced the price of its Model Y Long Range by €5,000 to €49,990 ($54,340), a discount of 9%. It also cut the price of its Model Y Performance by €5,000 to €55,990, an 8% discount. The automaker joined Volkswagen and BYD in reducing prices after the government ended EV incentives, according to Automotive News Europe. But compared to BYD’s drastic 15% cuts, Tesla is taking a more measured approach. German drivers can also get the Model Y for €42,990 – €1,900 less than the previous price. The Model Y was Germany’s top-selling BEV in 2023, with some 45,800 new car registrations. However, Tesla lost its No. 1 position as the country’s best-selling BEV brand to Volkswagen. VW reports BEV sales of 70,628 units last year, a 12% increase, compared to Tesla’s 63,685, a 9% drop.” [CleanTechnica, 1/17/24 (=)]

 

Tesla Slashes Car Prices Across Europe After Similar Cuts In China — “KEY POINTS Tesla has trimmed prices for its Model Y cars across Europe, not long after announcing similar price cuts for its Model 3 and Model Y vehicles in China. Tesla cut prices of its Model Y cars in Germany by as much as 8.1%, according to data from its website, while in France, the Netherlands, and Norway the company has made similar cuts. Tesla shares were down 1.6% in U.S. premarket trading.” [CNBC, 1/17/24 (+)]

 

Tesla Charging Network: All The Upcoming Compatible EVs — “People who drive diesel- or gas-powered vehicles can pull up to almost any fuel pump and fill their tanks without having to think twice. It’s not that simple for EV drivers. That’s because electric vehicles currently have one of several different charge ports, from the oddball CHAdeMO to the more common Combined Charging System (CCS) and Tesla’s proprietary North American Charging Standard (NACS). Tesla’s NACS charge port and the company’s extensive network of Superchargers are largely considered the gold standard, and it appears other automakers are ready to make Tesla’s system the industry standard. In May 2023, Ford was the first to agree to team up with Tesla and adopt the NACS plug; then the dominos started falling, with several other automakers recently announcing agreements with Tesla. The engineering group SAE International also announced that it will standardize the NACS connector. With other automakers—and charging networks—expected to adopt Tesla’s plug, we’ve compiled a list of them as well as those we’ve heard are in talks to join. We’ll update this list as new agreements are confirmed or if we hear of more potential deals.” [Car and Driver, 1/16/24 (+)]

 

Toyota Motor Corp.

 

A Cheap Toyota EV? Not Right Now, The Company Says — “If you were waiting for a smaller, cheaper Toyota electric car, you may have to keep waiting. Toyota has no current plans to launch a cheap EV despite demand building. Toyota says no small, cheap EV is in the works Although many automakers, including VW, Stellantis, and Kia, have revealed plans to launch low-cost EVs under $30,000 (£25,000), Toyota says not so fast. Toyota’s European product development boss, Andrea Carlucci, told Autocar that battery costs make a cheap EV unlikely. When asked why Toyota has no plans to address the market, Carlucci said there’s a ‘premium attached to electric cars.’ He explained that there needs to be a ‘substantial shift in the cost of batteries’ before a cheap Toyota EV can be made at scale. Carlucci said Toyota ‘cannot achieve that level at the moment.’ He added that the Urban Crossover will be the cheapest EV in the near future. Toyota revealed the Urban electric SUV, saying the concept is a ‘close-to-production’ design for the new EV coming this year.” [Electrek, 1/16/24 (=)]

 

Mazda Adopts Tesla’s North American Charging Standard — “Mazda’s announcement that it will adopt Tesla’s North American Charging Standard beginning in 2025 is presently relevant to an exceptionally small number of people. Like other agreements nearly every other brand in the U.S. has reached with Tesla, this one will have Mazda installing NACS charging ports on its new EVs starting in 2025. The NACS port on the vehicle and the plug that connects to it are significantly smaller than the Combined Charging System equipment brands other than Tesla have been fitting to their vehicles. Additionally, Tesla’s Superchargers make up the majority of the existing DC fast-charging network, which is a critical piece of infrastructure for long-range EV travel. However, having discontinued the electric MX-30 after the 2023 model year (and only a few hundred sales, all of which were in California), Mazda currently sells no EVs in the U.S. There is the plug-in hybrid version of the CX-90, but if you’re on a road trip and need to add range in a hurry, gas pumps trounce even the fastest EV charging stations.” [Cars.com, 1/16/24 (=)]

 

Mazda Announces NACS Adoption – Its Many EVs Are Going To Flood Tesla Superchargers — “Mazda is the latest automaker to announce that it will adopt NACS, Tesla’s open-source charging standard. It’s going to Mazda’s very few EVs access to Tesla Superchargers. Virtually all automakers selling electric vehicles in North America have announced that they will adopt Tesla’s NACS connector in future electric vehicles to take advantage of the Supercharger network. Most of them have said that the rollout will take the form of an adapter in 2024, followed by a direct integration in new electric vehicles starting in 2025. Mazda was one of the last few automakers to have yet to announce NACS adoption, but it wasn’t a big concern considering Mazda has so few electric vehicles in the North American market.” [Electrek, 1/16/24 (+)]

 

Mazda Adopts Tesla’s North American Charging Standard (NACS) — “Japanese carmaker Mazda has announced that it will be adopting Tesla’s North American Charging Standard for its upcoming battery electric vehicles. Mazda’s EVs that would be equipped with Tesla’s NACS standard are expected to be launched in North America from 2025 onward. Mazda announced its NACS adoption in a press release. As noted by the automaker, the company’s adoption of NACS would provide its customers with a broader range of charging options. It would also provide drivers of Mazda battery electric vehicles (BEVs) with a reliable and expansive network of over 15,000 Superchargers in North America.” [Teslarati, 1/16/24 (=)]

 

Volkswagen Group (VW)

 

Sub-$22,000 Volkswagen Id.1 To Debut By 2027: Report — “Volkswagen is working on an entry-level, small, and affordable electric car that should see the light of day as a series-production model before 2027, according to the British automotive publication Autocar. The battery-powered city car, which could carry the name ID.1, is slated to be priced below $22,000 or €20,000, slotting under VW’s upcoming ID.2 hatchback which was previewed by the ID.2all concept and is set to wear a price tag of about $27,500 (€25,000) when it hits the European market in the second half of the decade. This is good news for wannabe EV buyers on the Old Continent and represents a healthy change toward cheaper, simpler battery-powered cars, as not everybody wants, needs, or can afford an EV that costs over 40 grand.” [Inside EVs, 1/16/24 (+)]

 

Volkswagen Taps French Company For Solid State Batteries — “Volkswagen has been trying to develop solid-state EV batteries with US startup QuantumScape for years, pouring millions into the startup, with the dream that VW Golf EVs would zip along with long ranges and charge in minutes, but that hasn’t happened – not yet anyway. Now Reuters reports that the automaker is in talks with France’s Blue Solutions. According to an anonymous source who spoke to Reuters, VW and Blue Solutions aim to finalize a joint development agreement in the coming months. Currently, Blue Solutions produces solid-state batteries for Daimler electric buses, but the deal should help the company adapt the technology for passenger cars. Whether or not they can do any faster than QuantumScape, we’ll have to see. Still, from the looks of it, VW is hoping to widen its options in pushing the technology further in the hopes of giving EVs longer ranges and shorter charging times than lithium-ion batteries. Blue Solutions, owned by French conglomerate Bollore, says it is working on a battery for passenger cars with a charging time of 20 minutes and planned to construct a gigafactory to build it by 2029.” [Electrek, 1/16/24 (=)]

 

Porsche Macan EV Does 298 Miles On A Charge At An Average Over 60 Mph — “If the performance is repeatable, there’s good news ahead for the battery-electric Porsche Macan and anyone who buys it. The automaker took two prototypes to Southern California and put Edmunds writer Brian Wong in the driver’s seat of one of them. The plan: A very unscientific out-and-back range test at 70 miles per hour. Wong intended to leave his hotel, hit the highway, drive east at 70 miles per hour on L.A. freeways for as long as possible, and when the battery state-of-charge indicator got close to the halfway mark, turn around and drive back to the hotel at 70 mph. If successful, he’d reach the valet stand at the end of the ride ‘with close to 0 miles remaining but not so close that I’d risk running the battery dry,’ having achieved an average speed of at least 40 mph. Wong didn’t cite a potential range number, and when he asked for predictions from the Porsche engineers riding with him, they said they didn’t know, since, ‘This isn’t something we’ve really done before.’” [Autoblog, 1/16/24 (+)]

 

 

 

LG Corp.

 

LG Chem Sees Battery Industry Still Robust Despite Slowdown — “LG Chem Ltd. sees the battery industry growing as much as 25% this year, delivering strong returns even as global demand eases from previous highs, according to its chief executive officer. ‘Those businesses are growing still by leaps and bounds even though people are talking about some slowdown,’ Shin Hak Cheol said in an interview with Bloomberg Television at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. ‘It is still very robust growth that we are looking at,’ he said, referring to the production of cathodes, separators and additives. The company, which also runs petrochemicals and healthcare businesses, is the parent of LG Energy Solution Ltd., which provides batteries to electric-vehicle makers General Motors Co. and Tesla Inc. In its latest earnings report, the unit missed analyst estimates for fourth-quarter profit amid weaker demand for EVs.” [Bloomberg, 1/16/24 (=)]

 

LG Is About To Start Mass-Producing A Ton Of Fast Chargers In Texas — “LG Electronics has officially opened its first EV charger production factory in the U.S., with plans to capture a significant part of the expanding market. The new 5,500-square-meter facility, located in Fort Worth, Texas, will produce chargers for the North American market on a mass scale, with an expected annual capacity of more than 10,000 units. The initial production includes AC charging points (11 kilowatts), but the main topic is DC fast chargers, which will enter production in the first half of this year. LG intends to start with 175-kW chargers, and later in 2024 add a 350-kW model. Only a few other companies are preparing for a similarly high or higher scale of DC fast charger production, including Tritium in Tennessee, and ABB in South Carolina, to name just a few.” [Inside EVs, 1/16/24 (+)]

 

Northvolt AB

 

Big In Finance: $5 Billion For Batteries — “🔋 Northvolt, the Swedish battery firm, this morning announced $5 billion in debt financing to expand its production and recycling plant there, Ben writes. Why it matters: The company called it the ‘largest green loan raised in Europe to date.’ Participation from the European and Nordic Investment Banks — alongside commercial firms — shows how the bloc is keen to build a regional supply chain as EVs grow. Driving the news: The agreement also features ‘certain guarantees combined with direct funding’ from the Swedish National Debt Office, the Export-Import Bank of Korea and others. Today’s announcement includes refinancing of a $1.6 billion debt package in 2020. Catch up fast: Northvolt has offtake contracts with customers including BMW, Scania, Volvo and Volkswagen. The bottom line: Via the WSJ, the deal is ‘accelerating a race to build more batteries outside China and take advantage of a tidal wave of clean-energy subsidies.’” [Axios, 1/16/24 (=)]

 

Northvolt Secures A Landmark $5 Billion To Make Batteries — “Swedish lithium-ion battery producer Northvolt has raised an additional $5 billion, firmly locking in its position as one of Europe’s best-funded startups and recipient of the largest-ever green loan from the EU. The company is adding that cash to its pot of $13 billion in equity and debt to expand operations across the world. Northvolt is looking to build and expand battery plants across Sweden, Poland, Germany, the United States, and Canada. The $5 billion will be used to expand its first cell production site in Sweden currently under construction and expand its recycling plants. Group CEO Peter Carlsson described the deal as ‘an important step in Europe’s energy transition.’ The new loan comes from the backing of 23 commercial banks, as well as the European Investment Bank and the Nordic Investment Bank.” [Electrek, 1/16/24 (=)]

 

 

 

Hertz Corp.

 

Hertz Reverses Course On Electric Vehicles — “Dive Brief: Hertz has begun selling some 20,000 electric vehicles from its U.S. rental fleet, according to a Jan. 11 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, representing about a third of the company’s total electric vehicles. The company will spend a portion of the proceeds from EV sales on the purchase of internal combustion engine vehicles ‘to meet customer demand,’ the filing states. Other factors influenced Hertz’s decision as well. The company cited ‘expenses related to collision and damage, primarily associated with EVs,’ in its SEC filing along with higher depreciation ‘as residual values for vehicles generally fell throughout the quarter greater than previously expected.’” [Utility Dive, 1/16/24 (=)]

 

Hertz's Tesla Liquidation Sale Likely Means More Depreciation For Used EVs — “Electric vehicles were already considered unappealing by a section of the car-buying public. Now their image could take another hit as rental giant Hertz dumps 20,000 of them, mainly Teslas, for gas-powered cars. Hertz, the largest U.S. fleet operator of EVs, has blamed the sale on high repair costs and weak demand for the vehicles it offers on rent. Analysts and industry experts believe the move will affect the second-hand market for EVs and dissuade buyers who are already rethinking big purchases due to higher borrowing costs. ‘The larger impact of Hertz EV fire sale is the perception hit to the technology,’ said Karl Brauer, analyst at used-car aggregator iSeeCars.com. ‘Mainstream consumers are already hesitant to buy an EV, and this news only supports their concerns.’ The higher costs associated with repairing EVs stem from a lack of sufficient expertise in dealing with such vehicles and challenges in getting the replacement parts as they are still very new, industry experts said.” [Autoblog, 1/16/24 (=)]

 

Hertz Makes ‘Agile’ Decision To Shift Strategy And Sell EVs, Teslas — “KEY POINTS Hertz announced last week that it would be selling roughly a third of its fleet of electric vehicles, or roughly 20,000 cars that are predominately Teslas. That signaled a further reversal away from the car-rental company’s previously stated goal of converting at least 25% of its entire fleet of cars to EVs by the end of 2024. Weakening demand, declines in consumer spending and a more competitive EV market have led several automakers to cut plans to produce more EVs and prices of existing cars.” [CNBC, 1/14/24 (=)]

 

Op-Ed: Hertz, Tesla And The Perils Of CEO Groupthink — According to Allysia Finley, “Readers might have heard that lower maintenance costs are a major electric-vehicle advantage. As Hertz discovered, the opposite it true. Even minor accidents can require batteries to be replaced, which can cost $20,000. Many EV parts aren’t readily available, so cars have to sit in the shop for weeks. The bigger problem is that Americans don’t want to plan trips around the locations of electric-vehicle charging stations—often to discover later that the chargers are broken. Nor do they want to download multiple apps to charge at different stations, or worry about their battery range degrading in cold temperatures. These are the same reasons most Americans haven’t warmed up to electric cars. A Deloitte Global Automotive Consumer Survey last week found that 67% of U.S. consumers said they would prefer an internal-combustion engine for their next vehicle purchase. Only 6% said they favored a battery-powered EV—down from 8% last year. Electric vehicles simply aren’t practical for most Americans and won’t go mainstream until they are. This inconvenient truth has finally dawned on corporate execs and investors who were drinking the same punch as Hertz in 2021.” [The Wall Street Journal, 1/14/24 (-)]

 

Sixt SE

 

SIXT Drops Tesla, Buys 250,000 Rental Cars From Stellantis — “After dropping Tesla, global rental car giant SIXT says it will buy up to 250,000 vehicles from Stellantis for its fleets in North America and Europe. The multi-billion euro deal will see Stellantis delivering EVs, PHEVs (and gas cars, smh) to SIXT starting this quarter, and it will carry on over the next three years. However, SIXT says it still plans to electrify as much as 90% of its vehicles in Europe by the end of the decade. SIXT says it will take delivery of Stellantis brands, including ‘Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Citroën, Dodge, DS Automobiles, Fiat, Jeep, Lancia, Opel, Peugeot, Ram, Vauxhall and Maserati.’ It will add ‘city cars to SUVs to vans and trucks (including 7- and 9-seaters)’ into its rental fleet. Konstantin Sixt, Co-CEO of SIXT, said it enables the company to accelerate its growth strategy ‘after already achieving global revenue growth of almost 20% in the first nine months of 2023. This ambition applies to European countries, but of course, also to the US, the largest rental market in the world and the most important growth market for our company.’” [Electrek, 1/16/24 (~)]

 

Stellantis, Rental-Car Company Sixt Make Deal For Up To 250,000 Vehicles — “Stellantis NV has signed a ‘multi-billion euro agreement’ with rental-car company Sixt SE that could buy up to 250,000 vehicles for its fleets in North America and Europe over the next three years. Deliveries of the vehicles could start in the first quarter of 2024 with sale projections for this year to be determined, though flexible based on demand. The volume will range from small city cars to SUVs, vans and trucks. They’ll include traditional internal combustion engine vehicles as well as electric vehicles, with Sixt seeking to have at least 70% of its vehicles electrified in Europe by 2030. Sixt also will leverage Mobilisights, Stellantis’ data-as-a-service business, to manage its fleet more efficiently. ‘This partnership with SIXT enables current and potential Stellantis brand customers to immerse themselves in our newest offerings with the most advanced propulsion, vehicle connectivity and thoughtful comfort,’ Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares said in a statement. ‘It’s the ultimate test drive and a critical checkpoint for us in the upcoming years as Stellantis transforms into a sustainable mobility tech company.’” [The Detroit News, 1/16/24 (~)]

 

Uber Technologies, Inc.

 

Exclusive: Uber Steps Up Efforts To Get Drivers Into Teslas — “Uber is working with Tesla to encourage its drivers to switch to electric vehicles (EVs) as part of its broader goal to be emissions-free in the U.S. and Canada by 2030, the ride-hailing company tells Axios exclusively. Why it matters: Uber can’t force its drivers to go electric, but various incentives have helped it boost EV uptake in the last few years. Still, Uber needs to do more to accelerate the shift and meet its climate commitment. Driving the news: The new effort is happening on two fronts: Uber has begun sharing data with Tesla about where its drivers do most of their trips, starting in New York City. That will help demonstrate where charging infrastructure is most needed. It’s also offering drivers incentives of up to $2,000 on the purchase of a Tesla Model 3 or Model Y, and is hosting test drive events at select Tesla stores to expose drivers to the EV experience.” [Axios, 1/16/24 (+)]

 

Uber Says It's Working With Tesla To Boost EV Adoption Among Drivers — “Uber (UBER.N), opens new tab is working with Tesla (TSLA.O), opens new tab to promote use of electric vehicles by its drivers in the United States as it works towards becoming emission-free in U.S. and Canadian cities by 2030, the ride-hailing platform told Reuters on Tuesday. Uber is offering its drivers exclusive purchase incentives of up to $2,000 for Tesla’s Model 3 and Model Y, apart from existing federal tax credits. ‘We know from listening to Uber drivers that the cost of ownership and access to convenient charging are the top two barriers preventing them from going electric, and we are ... (working with) Tesla to tackle both of these issues,’ said Andrew Macdonald, senior vice president of mobility and business operations at Uber.” [Reuters, 1/16/24 (+)]

 

Uber And Tesla Work Together To Push More Drivers To Opt For EVs: Report — “It appears that Uber and Tesla are working together to encourage ride-hailing drivers to opt for electric vehicles. The effort is reportedly part of the ride-hailing giant’s goals to be emissions-free in the United States and Canada by the end of the decade. Uber has been putting in a lot of effort to make electric vehicles more attractive to its drivers. The company’s partnership with Hertz, for example, allows Uber drivers to rent electric cars like Tesla Model 3 sedans at a discount. As noted in an Axios report, however, Uber is still looking to do more to accelerate its drivers’ adoption of zero-emissions cars. Uber and Tesla’s collaboration is happening on two fronts. For one, the ride-haling company has started sharing data with the electric vehicle maker about where drivers do most of their trips. This data should help Tesla plan out where to build its next wave of charging locations, including those that could offer overnight destination charging.” [Teslarati, 1/16/24 (+)]

 

 

 

United Auto Workers (UAW)

 

UAW's Fain Blasts Stellantis For Firing Hundreds Of Temps, Vows To Visit VW This Weekend — “United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain called Stellantis’ recent move to fire some 539 temporary employees ‘heinous’ and ‘shameful,’ vowing to fight back to protect those workers at the Detroit Three. Fain made the comments Tuesday evening during a Facebook Live speech where he also told some 1,100 viewers that the union will be sending Vice President Chuck Browning, who headed labor negotiations with Ford Motor Co., to Volkswagen’s factory in Chattanooga, Tennessee, this weekend for some ‘mass meetings’ to promote unionizing the facility. Fain said it now has 2,000 signatures from workers at that Volkswagen plant seeking to join the union. As of December, the Chattanooga plant had about 5,500 employees, according to Volkswagen’s website.” [Detroit Free Press, 1/16/24 (+)]

 

UAW Union Efforts ‘Gaining Traction’ At Mercedes-Benz’s Largest US Plant — “Dive Brief: Employees at the Mercedes-Benz assembly plant near Tuscaloosa, Alabama, are attempting to form a union with the United Auto Workers, the union said Wednesday. Over 30% of the plant’s employees — more than 1,500 workers — have signed union authorization cards, according to the UAW. It’s part of a colossal union drive covering nearly 150,000 autoworkers employed by at least 13 companies.” [Manufacturing Dive, 1/16/24 (=)]

 

 

 

EV Batteries & Charging

 

The U.S. Is Deploying 125 New EV Chargers Every Single Day — “Major countries across the world are seeing a massive shift to electric vehicles taking place right now. It’s happening quite rapidly, too. In the U.S., a number of federal incentives and grants are being put in place to help push the infrastructure so desperately needed to handle the number of new EVs expected to hit the road over the next few years. And the power of capitalism is showing how motivating money can be, because, over the past year, the U.S. has seen 125 new chargers online every single day. As of today, the U.S. has 169,330 chargers across 65,015 locations across the nation. This is up substantially—70%—since the Biden administration took office and began pushing efforts to bolster the number of chargers (as well as EVs) on the road.” [Inside EVs, 1/16/24 (+)]

 

How The US Can Emerge From Its EV Charging Woes — “We at BloombergNEF expected 2023 to be a big year for electric vehicle charging in the US. Instead, installations of public chargers dropped by almost a third from the year before. The 27,600 connectors installed in the US was just 13% of the total added in Europe. China installed about eight times as many connectors every quarter than the US did all year. A dearth of federal funding isn’t the problem. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that President Joe Biden signed in November 2021 established two programs that would dole out a total of $7.5 billion toward sorely needed EV charging infrastructure. What isn’t helping is how slowly that money is being distributed. Just over $790 million — or about 11% — of those funds have been disbursed. Another major factor in the debility of the US charging infrastructure rollout is the difficulty companies have had challenging Tesla’s dominance in the country.” [Bloomberg, 1/16/24 (+)]

 

Firefighters Get Ready For The Next EV Fire — “Area first responders attended a special training session on electric vehicles at the Michael E. Grant Regional Fire School off of Ella Grasso Boulevard. The session took place Saturday morning. Jason Emery, a battalion commander from Waterbury and a member of the National Fire Protection Association spoke about how to handle the unique aspects of fires in electric vehicles, a growing problem for first responders. The event was sponsored by Greater New Haven Clean Cities in collaboration with the CT Fire Academy and the National Fire Protection Association. Why? ’Electric vehicles require specific fire extinguishing procedures, and there is currently a nationwide training gap for first responders dealing with electric vehicle fires, especially electric school buses. In addition to the growing popularity of electric cars, school districts have also begun implementing electric school buses in Connecticut. This week, DATTCO was awarded $33 million by the Clean School Bus Program to expand their fleet of electric buses in Connecticut and Massachusetts. Government initiatives and incentives will accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles, and our first responders must be well-prepared and aligned with these upcoming changes.’” [New Haven Independent, 1/15/24 (~)]

 

EV Surface Infrastructure

 

EV Owners More Likely To Install Rooftop Solar On Homes — “Owners of electric vehicles (EVs) are more likely to add solar panels to their homes, a new behavioral study analysis from the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) concluded. The study, funded by the DOE’s Vehicle Technologies Office, was based on a survey of 869 households in the San Francisco Bay Area, first in 2018 and then revisited in 2022. It found that around a quarter of EV owners also own a solar photovoltaic system, while only 8% of people who didn’t own EVs had adopted distributed solar. EV owners might have a tendency to also install solar since solar panels could help offset the energy costs of charging their vehicles at home, Shivam Sharda, a computational research scientist at NREL’s Center for Integrated Mobility Sciences, and lead author of the study, said.” [PV Magazine, 1/12/24 (+)]

 

EV Sales & EV Transition

 

What EV Sales Slump? Commercial EV Deployments Are Soaring! — “Despite all the doom, gloom, and wishful thinking from the anti-EV crowd, the numbers paint a narrative of swift expansion in the commercial EV and ZEV (Zero-Emission Vehicle) markets. CALSTART’s latest figures reveal a remarkable 250% growth in the zero-emission heavy truck market. While the challenge of long-haul trucking remains for BEV semi trucks, several commercial fleets have effectively implemented zero-emission trucks (ZETs) in regional delivery or drayage roles. As anticipated, California maintains its position as the leader in heavy ZET deployments across the United States. However, with ‘just’ 3,075 ZETs deployed to date, according to the latest CALSTART report, California represents less than 20% of the total US ZET deployments. Jessie Lund, CALSTART’s deputy director of truck technology and one of the named authors of CALSTART’s comprehensive ‘Zeroing in on Zero-emission Trucks’ report, expressed some surprise at that fact. ‘The fact that ZETs have already been deployed in every state, while surprising,’ Lund said, ‘speaks to a strong market for battery-electric trucks.’” [Electrek, 1/16/24 (+)]

 

Future Electric Vehicles: The EVs You'll Soon Be Able To Buy — “Electric cars are the future, and each year we’ve seen automakers add more EVs to their lineups. Everyone is working on electric vehicles, from well-established existing manufacturers to new names such as Lucid, Canoo, and Rivian. We’ve compiled a list of every electric vehicle, from concept to production, that isn’t available yet but will be soon.” [Car and Driver, 1/16/24 (+)]

 

Are You A Super Driver? Some States Want To Help You Go Electric. — “The key to cutting emissions from cars and light trucks that are heating the planet could lie with the nation’s super drivers, the small percentage of American motorists who drive, on average, about 110 miles per day. If more of those drivers switched to electric vehicles from gasoline-powered models, it would make a major dent in greenhouse gases from transportation, which have so far been slow to decline, according to a new analysis published on Wednesday by Coltura, an environmental nonprofit group based in Seattle. While the average American driver travels about 13,400 miles per year, people who buy electric vehicles today tend to drive them less than that, limiting the climate benefits of switching to a cleaner car. By contrast, the top 10 percent of motorists in the United States drive an average of about 40,200 miles per year and account for roughly one-third of the nation’s gasoline use. Persuading more of these ‘gasoline superusers’ to go electric would lead to a much faster reduction in emissions, the Coltura report found.” [The New York Times, 1/17/24 (+)]

 

Op-Ed: Government Support For Electric Vehicles Is Good For Everyone — According to Jessika E. Trancik, “Switching to an electric vehicle is one of the most impactful changes that an individual can make to reduce their personal contribution to climate change, and making that choice is becoming easier. That’s because with each year, companies are offering more electric vehicles models at various price points, including more affordable ones, and charging stations are becoming more widely available. But despite the momentum in the private sector, the transition to electric vehicles still needs government policy. Policy will largely determine how rapid, smooth, and widely beneficial the transition will be. Tax rebates for consumers at the point of purchase and investment in charging infrastructure are particularly important, and both have been included in the U.S. government’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL).” [Newsweek, 1/13/24 (+)]

 

Op-Ed: EVs Are Cheaper Than Ever. That’s Bad For EV Owners — According to David Fickling, “Here’s some good news for electric cars: They’re cheaper than ever. Here’s some bad news for electric cars: They’re cheaper than ever. If this sounds like a paradox, it shouldn’t. On Friday, Tesla Inc. cut prices in China for its best-selling Model 3 sedan by 5.9%, lowering the starting price to 245,900 yuan ($34,300). That pushes the cost of a new vehicle below $35,000 — a fabled level that Elon Musk has been promising since 2016, but (mostly) has failed to deliver. Just hours earlier, one of the biggest buyers of Model 3s announced a sudden change to its electric-vehicle strategy. Hertz Global Holdings Inc. will sell a third of its US EV fleet and buy gasoline-powered vehicles instead, in what looks like the start of a dramatic reversal to the aggressive electrification policy it pursued in recent years.” [Bloomberg, 1/15/24 (-)]

 

EV Winter Performance

 

Drivers Say Electric Vehicle Batteries Perform Worse Amid Cold Weather — “This brutal cold isn’t just hard on our bodies, it can kill your car, or make it impossible to fire it up in the first place. It’s especially tough for folks with electric vehicles. In weather like this, Jonathan Rosenberg from Edina says he needs to get behind the wheel of his Tesla with a plan. ‘When you get really cold weather and some high winds, you definitely get some significant loss of range for sure,’ he said. ‘Maybe even over 25% I would say.’ Rosenberg was charging his car at the Tesla supercharging station in St. Louis Park Tuesday. ‘It definitely dies a lot faster,’ said Savanah LeFlore, who was also charging. This happens to electric vehicles because the chemical reactions powering the battery slow down. Keeping the heat on inside the car also takes up battery life.” [CBS News, 1/16/24 (=)]

 

Dead Cars Surround Chargers As Teslas Struggle In Frozen Weather "It’s A Disaster. Seriously." A deep freeze has gripped Chicago, with temperatures plunging to an Arctic minus 32 degrees Fahrenheit over the weekend. As a result, Tesla owners are becoming deeply frustrated with their vehicles not being able to charge or hold a charge, even after a trip to a Supercharger. As local news station Fox 32 reports, dozens of owners are lining up at supercharging stations in the Windy City. Some owners are even leaving their vehicles behind, turning some public charging stations into ‘car graveyards.’ The news isn’t exactly a vote of confidence for the carmaker, highlighting a glaring drawback of electric vehicles. And it’s not just Tesla: EV batteries drain much faster in freezing temperatures, which can greatly affect performance.” [The Byte, 1/16/24 (-)]

 

Chicago EV Charging Fiasco Appears To Pierce Proponents’ Claims About Performance In Bitter Cold — “Electric vehicle drivers in the Chicago area have recently struggled to charge their vehicles amid frigid temperatures, contradicting the assertions of some EV proponents suggesting that fears about performance in inclement conditions are overblown. Dozens of EV drivers reportedly lined up at EV charging stations to juice up their vehicles in Oak Brook, Illinois, but the bitter cold that has blanketed the area made that task effectively impossible, according to Fox 32, a local media outlet. Several organizations that promote EVs—a product that the Biden administration is pushing aggressively as part of its climate agenda—have previously suggested that concerns over diminished EV and battery performance in cold weather are inflated, but the experiences of drivers in Oak Brook seem to belie that notion. ‘Nothing. No juice. Still on zero percent,’ Tyler Beard, who had been attempting to recharge his Tesla at an Oak Brook Tesla supercharging station since Sunday afternoon, told Fox 32. ‘And this is like three hours being out here after being out here three hours yesterday.’” [The Daily Signal, 1/16/24 (-)]

 

Electric Vehicle Mandates Are Coming, But Are EVs Even Practical In Cold-Weather States? — According to Andrew Weiss, “In the lot of Eau Claire, Wisconsin’s, local Ford dealership, dominated by an impressive lineup of F-150 pickup trucks and SUVs, I asked the salesman, Joe, about buying an electric vehicle. It turns out that not many EVs are sold in Eau Claire. Joe told me that he typically sells about one or two electric vehicles for every 100 gasoline-powered cars. Since there were only a couple EVs he could point to on the lot, we went inside to see an electric sedan, a 2023 Ford Mach E. It was far more than I could afford, but I inquired about how it performs. Joe said it can take over 40 hours to charge with a standard 120V three-prong wall outlet. Upgrading to a faster charger, the 240V outlet, is costly and requires new electrical wiring to the garage in most cases. This can be difficult or impossible for people who have old homes, rent their homes, or simply can’t afford it.” [The Daily Signal, 1/16/24 (-)]

 

TV: Jesse Watters Primetime (Audience: 3,199,060) — “Everywhere in America is cold. Do what I do. layer up, long sleeve shirt, vest, shell, jacket. If you want to stay warm, don’t drive Tesla. Drivers are stranded in Chicago, an expensive junkyard. we have dead robots out here. >> Dead Teslas in Oakbrook. The scene mirrors at other charging stations around the Chicago area. >> This is crazy, a disaster. With temperatures falling into negative double digits, the ports have stopped charging. >> Jesse: Tesla graveyard, you are praying for global warming. You want to buy electric, do your thing, I don’t care. Know what you are getting yourself into. I like reliability. I know there is a gas station I know there is a gas station around the bend and my car won’t turn into an ice sickle. Kevin owns an Audi. what happened? >> The Audi ran out because chargers were operating correctly when I was returning from a vacation which did not end well when I got back. The car is fine, we did get it charged and I picked it up and got it back home. I think it comes down to the charging system and infrastructure and less on the vehicles and more just are we ready for this consumer adoption that may or may not be ahead of us, we’ll see. >> Jesse: You are driving back from vacation, much needed. You pull into this charging station to get your EV juiced up and the place is a snowball and nothing works. What did you think at that second? >> Well, I was frustrated and honestly, this is not the first time it’s happened. Many times where a number of charging stations are not operational, either credit card readers not working or malfunctioning for different reasons. It is something that has to get worked out, it is an ongoing issue and not just when it is cold, it is when it is warm. A lot of questions around infrastructure that we’re going to have to figure out and get fixed. >> Jesse: When you are trading in your EV for something internal combustion? >> Yeah. well, I have another car. >> Jesse: okay. >> A nice engine. >> Jesse: Bumper sticker that says my other car works. Yeah, you could say the other car works. I do love the Audi, the EV experience is great, this is a setback that is not going to bode well for manufacturers of EV’s and we have to get it figured out if we’re going to continue with consumer adoption and into the commercial segment, which I actually work in and really does -- it has me concerned about that segment.” [FNC (Fox News), 1/16/24 (=)]

 

TV: Your World With Neil Cavuto (Audience: 3,003,849) “>> Neil: We’ve been telling you about the cold. If you’re an EV owner, it’s problematic. A lot of the charging stations are not working. You can have it connected for hours and no charge. Same thing with the cars. The range has been cut substantially in half we’re told. It is a mess. Charlie Gasparino has been saying this is sort of the outside noise that we hear for a lot of the electric vehicle producers and what they worry about the most is like this, right? >> Right now, the major auto manufacturers are imploring the Biden Administration to cut back on some of its decarbonization efforts, which all but force them to build these EVs. the reason why is because even when the weather is nice, they’re not selling. they’re inefficient. Sometimes you can’t get electricity in California. Even in the summer. They’re expensive. Average people don’t want to buy them. What you’re seeing now, the worst-case scenario. It happens a lot. There’s winters in the US no matter how much they talk about global warming. we have one right now. When winter comes, they’re a mess. It’s a wake-up call. It’s interesting. All of the stuff involving woke capitalism, all of the downside of it is -- we’re seeing it play out in front of us every day. whether it’s DEI, Somebody that is incompetent or ESG mandates imposed on big auto manufacturers that force them to create essentially manufacture vehicles that don’t work well. Something has to happen here. These things just don’t work when the weather is bad and they don’t work that great when the weather is good. >> Neil: They work well, but the point is -- the middle ground is the hybrid vehicles that do both. You cover your base there’s. certainly shouldn’t be mandated. Let the market decide and average people decide --” [FNC (Fox News), 1/16/24 (-)]

 

TV: Outnumbered (Audience: 1,584,803) “>> Emily: Tesla owners might be having second thoughts about electric cars. EV batteries need to warm up to accept a fast charge and charging stations are filling up with frozen Teslas. Owners desperately trying to get a charge. A lot of snow cones around, Leslie. >> Leslie: I lived in Chicago, Buffalo, Cleveland, I’m from Boston, I live in Los Angeles. I know cold. I can tell you this, as a kid, I remember the battery is dead because it is cold. We didn’t have a garage at my house. this can happen with gas vehicles, not just electric vehicles. Weather can affect gas and electric and that does happen. >> Emily: She is right, you know that because you drove a ‘70 Chevelle and there is no way around the charge for the Tesla vehicle and our gas engine vehicles you get around it and run the engine. >> Doug: We actually talked about this before. We have now a plug-in hybrid, I’m not opposed to new technology. There has been a push in California and other places within 10 years you will have all electric vehicles and pushing it on people and like teens, when you say push, I will push away. This is a problem they have not fixed. >> Emily: We remember when Secretary of Transportation talked about what might be happening with electric vehicles, we have that and we’ll play it for Harris. >> I don’t know a lot of people who think Americans will still be driving that old technology that combustion technology. >> Americans like it. >> Big question is ->> You are not going to meet a lot of people that go back after they have gone electric, that tells you something.” [FNC (Fox News), 1/16/24 (-)]

 

EV Drivers Struggle To Keep Batteries Charged Amid Winter Freeze — “The winter freeze is impacting drivers across the country, but some electric vehicle owners are facing an additional handful of problems as they deal with long lines at charging stations and reduced battery life. A station with 20 Tesla Superchargers in Skokie, Illinois, was full almost all day on Monday, with drivers waiting nearby for spots to open up. Some drivers dealing with the long lines said they were concerned about becoming stranded if their batteries ran out while they waited. What are some of the hidden costs of electric vehicles? One Tesla driver said he was grateful just to find a station after he drained his car battery searching for an open spot. ‘I saw my battery was getting low, 20 to 25%. Went to the gas station, there was a long line,’ Tesla driver Wes France said.” [The Hill, 1/16/24 (+)]

 

Electric Vehicles: ‘Dead Robots’ In The Chicago Cold — “This cold thing just keeps happening. Oslo last week, Chicago this week. Extraordinary. Completely unexpected. WGN9 (Chicago): Darryl Johnson, an Uber driver, said he waited hours just to get to a charger, only to wait even longer while it charged. But the frustrations continued even after he left after he found his battery draining faster than normal. ‘It’s horrible it takes two hours the wait an hour it takes two hours to charge, then the charge leaves really quickly, so now you’re back at the charger twice a day,’ Johnson said. According to the Associated Press, a 2019 study of five EVs by AAA found that cold temperatures can temporarily reduce EV range by more than 40% when drivers use interior heaters. The AAA study found that in 20-degree weather, the average driving range fell by 12% when the car’s heater was not used and the range fell by 41% when it was used. Several cars had to be towed at a charging station in Rolling Meadows on Sunday night after batteries died while drivers were waiting for open spots. . . .” [National Review, 1/16/24 (-)]

 

Electric Car Owners Confront A Harsh Foe: Cold Weather — “With Chicago temperatures sinking below zero, electric vehicle charging stations have become scenes of desperation: depleted batteries, confrontational drivers and lines stretching out onto the street. ‘When it’s cold like this, cars aren’t functioning well, chargers aren’t functioning well, and people don’t function so well either,’ said Javed Spencer, an Uber driver who said he had done little else in the last three days besides charge his rented Chevy Bolt and worry about being stranded with a dead battery — again. Mr. Spencer, 27, said he set out on Sunday for a charging station with 30 miles left on his battery. Within minutes, the battery was dead. He had to have the car towed to the station. ‘When I finally plugged it in, it wasn’t getting any charge,’ he said. Recharging the battery, which usually takes Mr. Spencer an hour, took five hours.” [The New York Times, 1/16/24 (=)]

 

How Freezing Temperatures Are Affecting Electric Vehicles — “Electric vehicle drivers are reporting trouble charging their cars as an Arctic blast sweeps much of U.S. The big picture: Not only does charging take longer in freezing temperatures, some electric vehicle owners are surprised to find how much their car’s driving range is compromised by winter weather. Driving the news: Long lines and issues charging EVs have been reported in areas like Chicago that are experiencing bitterly cold weather. Tesla driver Brandon Welbourne told CBS News Chicago that a charge that should take 45 minutes was taking two hours. ‘I’ve been here for over five hours at this point and I still have not gotten to charge my car,’ he said. How it works: While all cars are less efficient in the cold, electric vehicles are impacted more because the energy it takes to both power the vehicle and warm the cabin lowers its driving range, according to analysis firm Recurrent. A Recurrent analysis of 18 popular EV models found that, on average, their range dropped to around 70% in freezing conditions. EV owners in colder climates therefore must adjust their driving and charging habits in the winter. Cars parked outside in the extreme cold conditions are especially vulnerable. Of note: Some EV manufacturers have been adding heat pump technology to reduce the impact.” [Axios, 1/16/24 (=)]

 

Here’s Why Electric Cars Don’t Go As Far In The Cold — “With temperatures bottoming out across the country, electric vehicle drivers are probably noticing their driving range plummeting. Here’s why it keeps happening – and there’s more to it than you might think. Tests by the consumer advocacy group Consumer Reports showed that EV driving range dropped by about 25% in highway cruising, on average, in sub-freezing weather, compared to days with warmer outside temperatures. There are two main reasons for the drop in driving range, or how far the car can go before recharging: The battery, and the driver. Both human beings and EV batteries work best within a similar temperature range, which is roughly in the mid-60s degree to mid-70s Fahrenheit, said Andy Garberson, head of marketing for EV battery research company Recurrent. Batteries operate through chemical reactions with electrons and ions moving from one side of the battery to the other. When it gets too cold, all sorts of chemical reactions slow down, including those taking place in a battery. That means driving range is reduced.” [CNN, 1/16/24 (=)]

 

How To Make Sure Your Car Starts In Freezing Temperatures And Other Expert Tips — “With cold temperatures, ice and snow descending across the U.S., your first instinct before driving anywhere may be to let your car heat up. But that might not be a great idea, according to experts at AAA. The engine only needs about the time it takes you to fasten your seat belt to ensure lubricating oil makes its way across the engine’s vital parts. ‘Driving the car normally and avoiding hard acceleration brings the engine to a warmer temperature faster, and also reduces wear and exhaust emissions,’ Cliff Ruud, managing director of Automotive for AAA, previously told USA TODAY. ‘Naturally, a little longer idle time is OK in the winter while you clear snow and ice from the windshield and other car parts.’ With arctic air from Canada bringing subfreezing temperatures and placing 68 million Americans under a winter weather advisory Tuesday, here’s what else to know about driving in the cold.” [USA Today, 1/16/24 (+)]

 

Elon Musk Seeks More Sway Over Tesla Ahead Of AI Advancements — “Tesla TSLA 0.47%increase; green up pointing triangle Chief Executive Elon Musk has gone public with a demand for another big pay package, saying he wants more shares and greater control over the electric-car company as it expands further into robotics and artificial intelligence. On Monday, Musk gave board members what amounts to an ultimatum, saying he feels uncomfortable making Tesla a leader in those two areas without controlling roughly 25% of the company. ‘Unless that is the case, I would prefer to build products outside of Tesla,’ Musk wrote on the social-media platform X. The billionaire currently owns about 13% of Tesla, according to FactSet, making him the company’s largest shareholder. If he were to exercise all vested options, his stake would rise to about 20.6%, according to the company’s 2023 proxy filing. Musk’s social-media comments come after he reduced his stake in Tesla by selling more than $39 billion of the carmaker’s stock in 2021 and 2022, at least partly to help pay for his purchase of X, then known as Twitter.” [The Wall Street Journal, 1/16/24 (=)]

 

How Does Cold Weather Affect Electric Vehicles? — “Electric vehicle owners have a lot to think about when temperatures plunge in the winter beyond ensuring the heat is running in the car. Cold weather can take a toll on these vehicles, specifically the battery range. To determine the effectiveness of EV batteries in cold weather, AAA conducted a test to see how they perform in these conditions. Robert Sinclair, a AAA spokesperson, described the test to FOX Weather, explaining that when electric vehicles operated in 20-degree temperatures, the range fell 41%. However, when the Norway Automobile Association conducted a similar test, EV range fell only 20%. He also noted that non-electric car batteries are impacted by cold weather. Sinclair explained to FOX Weather that cold weather impacts the chemical reaction in the lithium-ion battery, which powers an electric vehicle, and it also affects a lead-acid battery that starts the engine in a gas-powered car.” [WTTG-TV, 1/16/24 (=)]

 

They Drove From The Arctic To The South Pole — In An Electric Car — “Scottish adventurers Chris and Julie Ramsey wanted to prove their electric SUV was as rugged and reliable as a conventional car. To do it, they decided to take it on a drive. That drive started in March on the frozen waters of the Arctic Circle near the North Pole. It ended in December, about nine months and approximately 20,000 miles later, at the south pole in Antarctica. The Ramseys say the globe-trotting expedition is the first of its kind done in an electric vehicle, or a car of any kind. It took them through a carefully plotted route down North and South America that wound through frozen snowscapes, mountain roads and dense cities, where they hunted for charging stations along the way. The couple, who in January returned home to Aberdeen, Scotland, told the Washington Post they hoped their feat could inspire other adventurers and any consumers considering electric vehicles.” [The Detroit News, 1/16/24 (+)]

 

 

 

California

 

Sacramento To Install New Electric Vehicle Charging Stations In Southern Part Of The City — “Twelve new electric vehicle chargers are coming to three public locations in the southern part of Sacramento. The Sacramento City Council on Tuesday approved a budgetary adjustment and the construction contract for the first phase of its ‘Sacramento EV Blueprint’ project. By this summer, 12 electric vehicle charging stations with two charging handles on each will be installed at the Colonial Heights Library on Stockton Boulevard, Belle Cooledge Library on South Land Park Drive, and the Sam & Bonnie Pannell Community Center on Meadowview Road. ‘The whole goal is to expand access to clean mobility options in disadvantaged communities throughout the city,’ said Rachel Patten, a sustainability analyst with the city’s Office of Climate Action and Sustainability. She described those communities as areas experiencing economic stress or environmental pollution. Eventually, a total of 34 EV chargers will be installed at 13 libraries and community centers across the city.” [KCRA-TV, 1/16/24 (+)]

 

Colorado

 

Boulder County Awarded $4.9M For Electric Vehicle Charging Stations — “Boulder County plans to add about 100 electric vehicle charging stations in the next three years. The U.S. Department of Transportation awarded the money after a two-year effort to make it happen. The county will add public chargers in neighborhoods with lots of apartments and condos, rural areas and mobile home communities. ‘I have a mile left on my car and it would be nice to go fully electric all the way home,’ said Caitlin Durling, who drives an electric vehicle. Durling said she would still be able to make it back to her house in her hybrid. ‘I am like, I don’t know, maybe four miles south of here,’ said Durling. She’s just glad she was able to find a charger this time. That’s not always the case – which can get frustrating. ‘Oh yeah for sure,’ said Durling.” [KUSA-TV, 1/13/24 (+)]

 

Connecticut

 

CT Wins $14.6M Federal Grant For EV Charging Stations — “The state will receive a $14.6 million federal grant to expand its network of electric vehicle charging stations in seven communities. The grant will support the following investments: Barkhamsted – Two dual port Level 2 chargers at Barkhamsted Town Hall Bridgeport – 12 DCFC chargers at Brewport at 225 South Frontage Road; and 12 DCFC chargers at Boca Oyster Bar/Steelepointe on 10 East Main St. East Hartford – Two dual port Level 2 chargers at Silver Lane Plaza Groton – Two dual port Level 2 chargers at the Groton Public Library Hartford – 12 DCFC chargers at the Library Parking Lot on 166 Sheldon St.; 12 DCFC chargers at the MAT Garage on 55 Chapel St.; and two dual port Level 2 chargers at the Sheldon Lot on 141 Sheldon St. New Haven – 12 DCFC chargers at the Wilbur Cross Athletic Fields Parking Lot; and 12 200kW on-street chargers at Wooster Square Stamford – 12 DCFC chargers at the Bedford Street Parking Garage and 12 DCFC chargers at the Summer Street Parking Garage There are 726 other publicly accessible charging locations in Connecticut.” [Hartford Business Journal, 1/12/24 (+)]

 

24 EV Charging Stations Coming To Cross, Wooster Square — “Wilbur Cross and Wooster Square are going electric — or, at least, readying to keep electric cars going. That’s because the State Department of Energy and Environmental Protection has awarded New Haven with 24 electric vehicle charging stations, including 12 direct current fast chargers for the Wilbur Cross Athletic Fields Parking Lot and 12 200kW on-street chargers for Wooster Square. New Haven was one of seven municipalities to win that equipment after the U.S. Department of Transportation awarded Connecticut DEEP a $14.6 million grant through its Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Grant Program. ‘We only get one planet, so it’s our duty and responsibility to do our part to sustain it for future generations to come,’ Mark Boughton, senior advisor to the governor on infrastructure, stated in a Thursday release announcing the grants.” [New Haven Independent, 1/12/24 (+)]

 

Florida

 

Proposed Florida Bill Could Block Local EV Charging Station Rules To Prevent Local Regulations — “An effort to prevent local governments from regulating electric vehicle charging stations started to move through the Florida Senate on Tuesday as part of a wide-ranging package dealing with the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The Senate Agriculture Committee voted 4-1 to approve the bill (SB 1084), which would limit regulation of EV charging stations to the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, which oversees pumps at gas stations. Committee Chairman Jay Collins, R-Tampa, said the bill would clarify a ‘patchwork’ of requirements that businesses face across the state involving charging stations. But Sen. Lori Berman, D-Boca Raton, said cities and counties need to have a say in where charging stations can be located.” [Action News Jax, 1/16/24 (=)]

 

Idaho

 

Boise, Idaho Falls To Receive $6.2 Million To Install Electric Vehicle Chargers — “The city of Boise is being awarded $3.2 million to install electric vehicle chargers. The money will go toward installing about 100 level-two charging ports across about 20 sites, and at least four DC fast chargers across 2-4 sites, according to a Thursday news release from the U.S. Department of Transportation. ‘From my time working at the local level, I know that finding electric vehicle charging in a community is different from finding charging along highways,’ said U.S. Transportation Deputy Secretary Polly Trottenberg. ‘USDOT is proud to make an investment that will provide Americans with convenient, straightforward charging options in their communities.’ The Boise site is one of 47 projects in 22 states and Puerto Rico totaling $623 million in investments toward building out electric vehicle charging infrastructure, the release said.” [Big Country News, 1/16/24 (=)]

 

Illinois

 

Frigid Temperatures Cause Headaches For EV Owners — “Cars had to wait in line to charge because owners said they were seeing reduced battery capacity thanks to the prolonged frigid temperatures. However, some vehicles waited in line too long and had to be towed because the batteries drained as the temperatures barely got above zero, WMAQ reported. Drivers who waited in line at one charging location shared their concerns about running out of power while waiting. ‘I saw my battery was getting low 20 to 25%. Went to the gas station there was a long line,’ Tesla driver Wes France told WGN. Instead of waiting in line, he went to a shopping center looking for a place to plug in, but that charging station was not working. At that point, he was down to 5% and had to get his Tesla towed to a charger.” [WFTV-TV, 1/16/24 (-)]

 

It's So Cold, Teslas Are Struggling To Charge In Chicago — “The Arctic air gripping much of the U.S. put Tesla drivers in Chicago into a pickle on Monday. Many of the cars sat in long lines at Supercharger stations, their owners saying the cold sapped the electric vehicles’ normal ability to charge — and keep a charge. In some cases, tow trucks were called to move the cars, in scenes that were relayed by local TV news. The Tesla owners’ plight became an emblem of the misery extreme cold is inflicting on wide sections of the U.S. (more on that below). ‘I’ve been here for over five hours at this point and I still have not gotten to charge my car,’ Tesla driver Brandon Welbourne told CBS News Chicago, as car horns blared nearby. ‘A charge that should take 45 minutes is taking two hours.’ Other drivers spoke about how the cold seemed to drain their batteries more quickly than normal. On Monday, the local National Weather Service office recorded a rise to 1 degree Fahrenheit at Chicago-O’Hare Airport at 1 p.m. local time, adding, ‘This means that Chicago’s climate site spent about 35-36 hours below 0°F.’” [WFTV-TV, 1/16/24 (-)]

 

Maine

 

Maine Receives $15 Million From Biden Admin To Install EV Chargers Across The State — “The Maine Department of Transportation (Maine DOT) announced Thursday that Maine will be receiving a $15 million taxpayer-funded grant from the Biden Administration to install electric vehicle (EV) chargers throughout the state. The funding for the Maine DOT’s ‘Recharge Maine Project’ comes from the federal government’s Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) Discretionary Grant Program, a new $2.5 billion initiative included in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This newest batch of grants, which were awarded to forty-seven projects throughout the country, totaled $622.57 million and were spread across twenty-two states, as well as Puerto Rico. According to the project narrative published by the Maine DOT, they intend to install 520 Level 2 chargers and 34 DC Fast chargers across 132 locations statewide.” [Maine Wire, 1/16/24 (+)]

 

Minnesota

 

Minnesota's EV Charging Stations Increasing As Part Of VW Settlement Investments — “As part of a settlement over Volkswagen fraudulently reporting emissions outputs of its vehicles, Minnesota is set to increase its electric vehicle (EV) charging stations throughout Greater Minnesota in the coming years. From 2024 to 2027, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) says it will spend a portion of $14 million on increasing Minnesota’s EV charging network by more than 2,500 miles. In 2016, the German carmaker was found to have cheated on emissions standards, violating the federal Clean Air Act by selling cars that emit air pollution over the legal limit. Later that year, Volkswagen agreed to pay $14.9 billion over 10 years as part of the fraud settlement. The bulk of the money will be allocated to automobile buybacks, but $2.7 billion will be dispersed among states to local governments and private companies. Of that, Minnesota will see an estimated $47 million that must be spent by 2027.” [KMSP-TV, 1/16/24 (+)]

 

New Mexico

 

New Mexico Gets $68 Million Grant For EV Charging Stations Expansion — “New Mexico’s goal to expand the number of public EV charging stations got a big boost on Thursday as the US Department of Transportation announced $68 million in grants to build new stations on I-10 and in Taos and Santa Fe County. … Santa Fe County is being awarded about $3.3 million which will make significant strides in the County’s commitment to sustainable transportation. The investment will result in the expansion of the county’s EV charging network, featuring 33 chargers across 13 sites, including senior centers, community centers, and public facilities encompassing DC fast chargers and level 2 charging stations. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham says the grants will help New Mexico in her goal to being a leading state in clean energy. ‘This is the place that has been leading in electrifying and having charging stations and clean fuel, clean cars and setting the standard,’ she said. ‘The first year of my administration, with the help of the people you see here but so many others… who have been working diligently to make sure that we have a robust response to the climate crisis and we build a clean economic future that’s bold for everybody in the state.’” [KSFR-Radio, 1/16/24 (+)]

 

New York

 

Driving An Electric Vehicle On Long Island: The Highs And Lows Of Powering Up — “Gary Kabol couldn’t be happier with his all-electric Jaguar for driving around Long Island, including day trips to Montauk and even New York City. But Kabol, of East Quogue, wouldn’t dream of trying to take it on a 300-mile trip to Ithaca, despite a vehicle range of more than 200 miles. ‘We couldn’t take it because I said we’re going to be stopping and I’m afraid I won’t find a charging station,’ said Kabol, a real estate broker in Westhampton Beach who has driven with the heat or AC off to conserve battery life. ‘A lot of the time you find a place and it’s not working and then you have to have it towed.’ Long Island leads the state in electric vehicle ownership, with just about 50,000 EVs and plug-in hybrids registered — and the percentage of EV car sales nationally continues to grow, with a projected 4 million expected on U.S. roads by this summer, according to research firm J.D. Power. But bumps in the road that have dragged on the EV market for more than a decade continue to worry potential buyers and nag many current owners, chief among them the lack and inconsistency of publicly available EV chargers.” [PV Magazine, 1/13/24 (~)]

 

Virginia

 

In Senate, Va. Democrats Kill Republican Attempts To Roll Back Vehicle Emissions Law — “A Democratic-controlled Senate committee on Tuesday voted down three proposals from Republican legislators attempting to decouple Virginia from California’s vehicle emissions standards and revert to following federal standards. The vote signals that Democrats, who recently secured narrow majorities in both the House and the Senate, are standing by a climate-focused law they passed in 2021 that began transitioning the state to California’s more stringent system, which will ban the sale of new gas-powered vehicles beginning in 2035. ‘We know as a society we have a problem,’ said Sen. Barbara Favola, D-Arlington, as she motioned to kill the bills. The three bills rejected by the Senate Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources Committee on party-line votes were carried by Senate Minority Leader Ryan McDougle, R-Hanover, Sen. Richard Stuart, R-Westmoreland, and Sen. John McGuire. Several House Republicans have introduced similar bills, which are likely to meet the same fate in the House Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources.” [Virginia Mercury, 1/16/24 (=)]

 

Wisconsin

 

Wisconsin Senate Passes Bills Clearing The Way For Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Across State — “Wisconsin lawmakers took another step Tuesday toward creating a network of electric vehicle charging stations across the state, passing a pair of bills that would make it easier for businesses to operate the stations and free up nearly $80 million in federal construction aid. The Senate passed both Republican-authored bills 30-2 with no debate. The legislation now goes to the Assembly. A host of groups have registered in favor of the bills, including 7-Eleven, Inc., the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, Kwik Trip, Inc., and environmental group Clean Wisconsin. No organizations have registered against the bills. The first bill would exempt businesses that set up charging stations from regulation as public utilities and require anyone running a charging station to obtain a permit from the state Department of Revenue” [Associated Press, 1/16/24 (+)]

 

Clean Wisconsin Supports State Legislature Effort To Expand EV Charging Infrastructure — “While electric vehicle ownership continues to grow across the country, some organizations think the Badger State still has some catching up to do with other states. That’s why Clean Wisconsin is one organization supporting Assembly Bill 846 and Senate Bill 791, which are under consideration by the Wisconsin State Legislature. The proposals address charging station challenges. What You Need To Know The Wisconsin State Legislature is considering bills to update its eletric vehicle charging policy The proposal would change how people pay to charge their electrical vehicles, from time spent charging to per kilowatt hour used Clean Wisconsin said that simple change would make the state eligible for $78 million in funding to expand EV charging infrastructure” [Spectrum News 1, 1/12/24 (++)]

 

City Of Medicine Gets Another Charge In Electric Vehicle Industry — “North Carolina’s City of Medicine has been given another charge in the electric vehicle industry from government tax dollars traced back to the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021. Durham leaders are welcoming $4.8 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation to install fast-charging electric vehicle plugs in historically disadvantaged communities within one mile of Interstates 40, 85, 885 and U.S. 70. The grant is part of $623 million announced by the Biden administration on Thursday from the $2.5 billion Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Discretionary Grant Program. Mayor Leonardo Williams, in a city government video posted to YouTube on Friday, said, ‘Durham has sustainability goals and this grant is significant because it allows us to address that very specific purpose. We’re going to be able to invest in our underserved communities.’” [The Center Square, 1/15/24 (+)]

 

What To Know About A Proposed Wisconsin Tax On Electric Vehicle Chargers — “The number of electric vehicles registered in Wisconsin has exploded in recent years. Electric vehicle charging stations could spring up at gas stations and grocery stores throughout Wisconsin, after the state Senate passed a proposed bill on Tuesday. The bill, which passed by a 30-2 vote, would ease restrictions on businesses that install chargers and impose a tax on electricity sold to electric vehicle owners. The measure would also make Wisconsin eligible for nearly $80 million in federal funds for the installation of charging stations and other electric vehicle infrastructure. Here’s what to know about the proposed expansion of charging stations and what happens next with the bill:” [ABC News, 1/16/24 (+)]

 

Washington

 

Grant To Bring EV Chargers To Ilwaco, Raymond — “New electric vehicle charging stations are coming to Pacific County, courtesy of federal funds that will invest more than $40 million into EV infrastructure in western Washington. Four grants totaling $41.2 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation were announced by several members of Washington’s congressional delegation last week, including the 3rd Congressional District’s Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez. The funds will go toward the installation of charging stations for EVs across the region, as well as create a shared charging hub to service electric trucks that are hauling cargo to the ports of Seattle and Tacoma. Specifically, a grant for $14.6 million will go to Energy Northwest — a public power company created by the Washington State Legislature in the 1950s — to install more than 50 charging stations to largely rural and disadvantaged communities, including Ilwaco and Raymond. EV chargers will also be installed at sites in Forks, Sequim, Quilcene, Shelton, Kamilche, Longview, Kalaloch and Port Ludlow. ‘As electric vehicles become increasingly widespread, rural communities need to remain front of mind so they aren’t left behind,’ said Perez in a statement. ‘Today’s investments in fast charging infrastructure in Ilwaco, Longview and Raymond are a step in the right direction to give more choices to folks living in rural areas.’” [Chinook Observer, 1/15/24 (+)]

 

 

 

Europe

 

European EV Scepticism Could Derail Massive Sales Targets — “Europeans are cooling to the charms of electric vehicles as unexpected disadvantages drown out noisy hyperbole from EV evangelists. EV sales are expected to return to the fast lane by 2025. That’s not a surprise because the EU plans to eliminate the internal combustion engine competition with ever-tightening curbs on carbon dioxide, culminating in a complete ICE ban by 2035. Meanwhile, the current weakness in EV sales wasn’t helped by Germany’s decision to end subsidies on December 18. Germany is Europe’s biggest market with about 25% of sales. Potential buyers are finding that many of the promised benefits of buying an EV don’t make it into the real world. A big cut in prices might convince them. Experts reckon EV sales will more than quadruple by 2030. Calling that a revolutionary goal seems an understatement. According to Matt Schmidt of Schmidt Automotive Research, EV sales in Western Europe will briefly stagnate in 2024, ending the year at 1,935,000 compared with 1,899,700 in 2023 for a market share of 16.4%. Charged by tightening European Union CO2 rules, EV sales will zoom in 2025 to 2.6 million (20%), and on to 9.2 million or 65% by 2030.” [Forbes, 1/16/24 (~)]

 

 

 

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