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 »
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Kia EV9 and Volvo EX30: Are they 2024’s most important EVs?
One’s a three-row midsize SUV under $60,000; the other’s a compact hatchback that starts in the mid-30s. Now we’ve driven both. Choosing “best of” or “most important” new cars is always dicey, and doubly so with electric vehicles. New entries are announced virtually every month, and picking the 2025 models that will be most important… Read more »
What is this EV mandate that auto dealers are kvetching about?
Since the advent of modern EVs, auto dealerships have been seen as an impediment to faster EV adoption—and that image doesn’t appear likely to change any time soon, even though annual US EV sales cracked the one-million mark in 2023. Over 3,800 US auto dealers recently signed on to an open letter to President Joe… Read more »
What does President Biden’s support for unions mean for the EV industry?
The relationship between labor unions and e-mobility is a complex one. In Germany, fears that the transition to EVs would result in job losses contributed to the fall of VW CEO Herbert Diess. Here in the US, EVs were a major issue in the recent United Auto Workers strike—autoworkers feared that the Big Three would… Read more »
Battery makers seem to be okay with an EV production slowdown
The news that GM, Ford and other automakers plan to slow down production of EVs in response to slower sales growth (EV sales grew by only 50 percent last quarter) was like an early Christmas for the various varieties of EV-haters. For most of us in the EV industry, it was more like a visit… Read more »
As others cry the blues, Hyundai announces record profit, keeps EV plans on track
While some legacy automakers whine that they can’t make a profit on EVs, and others cling to 20th-century tech such as hybrids and hydrogen, Hyundai is getting on with the business of selling EVs—and making a tidy profit, thank you. Hyundai Motor, which includes the Hyundai, Kia and Genesis brands, recently posted third-quarter financial results…. Read more »
Earthling Automotive is training the next generation of EV technicians
Earthling Automotive, an independent EV service and repair shop in San Francisco, has expanded its EV knowledge program in response to the urgent need to train automotive technicians in the aftermarket. As EV adoption accelerates, “aftermarket repair shops need to be prepared to service EVs safely and at competitive prices, as consumers look for service… Read more »
As 2023 wanes, legacy automakers fall farther behind Tesla and BYD
Ever since Tesla’s 2003 founding, industry observers (and even the company’s own execs) have been predicting that the giant global automakers would respond to the new company’s challenge, produce their own compelling EVs, and surpass (or perhaps even acquire) the upstart. Two decades later, that scenario seems more unlikely than ever. As Tom Randall writes… Read more »
Kentucky imposes monthly tax on free public EV charging
The IRA and BIL are spurring a massive wave of investment in EV plants and EV charging infrastructure, and so far, the lion’s share of this investment is flowing to red states. Many industry observers expect the influx of cash and jobs to blunt opposition to EVs in red-state legislatures. This equation doesn’t seem to… Read more »
MAHLE helps develop thermal management system for ProLogium’s solid-state EV batteries
Solid-state EV batteries may not represent the Holy Grail (despite the credulous gushings of mainstream media pundits), but they are expected to deliver improved safety, energy density and lifespan compared to current lithium-ion battery technology. Taiwan-based startup ProLogium Technology and automotive supplier MAHLE have signed an MoU for the development of a thermal management system… Read more »