A game of one-upmanship seems to be developing between America’s top two legacy automakers, and we’re cheering them on. In January, GM made a weaselly (but still significant) announcement of its “aspiration to eliminate tailpipe emissions from new light-duty vehicles by 2035.” A week later, Ford announced that it would double its planned investments in… Read more »
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Is Ford’s increase in EV investment a shot across GM’s bow?
Ford’s Q4 2020 earnings report included an announcement that the automaker will increase its investments in electrification to at least $22 billion through 2025, nearly twice the previously-announced level (the company also committed an additional $7 billion to autonomous vehicle tech). As auto analyst John Voelcker pointed out, Ford’s figure tops GM’s announced investment of… Read more »
AMCI’s real-world testing offers a metric to compare EV charging speeds
Reading PRs for new EVs, one might get the impression that charging speed is the most important metric there is. Unfortunately, automakers’ charging speed promises don’t amount to much. How fast a particular EV charges on a particular day depends on so many factors—battery state of charge, preconditioning, even ambient temperature—that the charging times quoted… Read more »
Goodyear introduces ElectricDrive 2 for EVs
Goodyear Tire & Rubber has unveiled the latest tire in its ElectricDrive family. The Goodyear ElectricDrive 2, an all-season EV tire, is designed to maximize EV performance–it features improved rolling resistance and long tread life, according to the company. It has an aerodynamic sidewall and a compound lower aerodynamic drag. The tire features SoundComfort technology,… Read more »
2023 Toyota bZ4X: Japan’s largest carmaker joins the EV race
Facing off against compact crossover EVs from Ford, Hyundai, Kia, Nissan, Volkswagen, and of course Tesla, the Toyota badge on the nose of the bZ4X may be enough for many buyers. The 2023 Toyota bZ4X electric SUV made its public debut Wednesday at the Los Angeles auto show, one of several EVs unveiled at a… Read more »
Volkswagen ID.4 and Nissan Ariya bring EV drive to compact crossovers…chasing Tesla Model Y
Can new electric entries in a hugely popular segment convince US buyers to buy EVs from Nissan and VW as family vehicles? Two new battery-electric models from major global car brands are about to bring electric cars into a category where they’ve been notably absent: family crossover utility vehicles. The 2021 Volkswagen ID.4 and 2022… Read more »
First Drive: For 2025, updated Hyundai Ioniq 5 adds XRT “off-road” model to growing lineup
It’s still the Ioniq 5 you know and love, with some useful tweaks plus hot-rod and XRT versions. The Hyundai Ioniq 5 crossover utility vehicle is now a familiar site in regions where electric cars are popular. Entering its fourth model year in North America, the square-edged hatchback gets some minor updates to styling, inside… Read more »
Tesla scores a $5-million order from Baltimore for a fleet of EVs
From its early days, Tesla captured the imagination of car consumers, but when it comes to the fleet market, the company’s record has been more mixed. In January, rental giant Hertz announced plans to sell thousands of the Teslas it had purchased a couple years earlier, and replace them with gas-guzzlers. Competitor Sixt faced a… Read more »
Is it true that only 13 EVs currently qualify for a US tax credit?
Sometimes public policy gets skewered on the horns of a dilemma. The Buy American provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act are aimed at protecting US jobs (and national security) by making EVs with substantial amounts of battery components from “nations of concern”—namely China—ineligible for tax credits. That’s a worthy goal, but to a certain extent… Read more »
GM’s rosy year-end figures obscure the fact that legacy automakers are in deep trouble
Duplicitous doublespeak has become de rigueur dialect in the auto industry. “We remain committed to an all-electric future,” says GM as it announces a rollback of its electrification plans. “We strongly believe in EVs,” say auto dealers as they support efforts to slow the EV transition. “The greatest responsibility for us as a company is… Read more »