#EVs

I am testing an EV this week -- one of several EVs that doesn't have AM radio.

I gotta say I miss it.

Ford told investors and analysts today that it expects its electric-vehicle unit to lose $3 billion this year, but that news isn't nearly as dire as it might sound at first glance.

Yesterday we noted that charging EVs in public, at least in the UK, costs more than charging EVs via home chargers.

Today, we're wondering -- how do you charge your EV?

In a shocking -- pun and sarcasm intended -- twist, an analysis performed in the UK suggests that it costs $1,800 USD more a year to charge an EV in public than at one's home.

Following news that Volkswagen was far more enthusiastic about establishing battery plants in North America than in Europe, we have confirmation on the location of the automaker’s next cell manufacturing facility. It will be located in St. Thomas, Ontario. Despite scattered assumptions that VW’s recent praise of the Biden administration’s EV incentive scheme would signal another factory based in the United States, setting up shop in Ontario should still satisfy regional supply chain needs to manufacture electric cars under the provisions outlined in the USMCA.

We posted yesterday about the J.D. Power survey which ranked electric vehicles based on the ownership experience. While that post detailed vehicles which sat atop the podium, we’ll now flip the script and write about models which brought up the rear.

Volkswagen is reportedly pausing plans to build a battery plant in Eastern Europe so it can prioritize construction in the United States. Though the situation could be more accurately described as VW notifying EU officials that the U.S. is offering an estimated €10 billion in US incentives as part of the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

It’s not the first time something like this has happened. Volkswagen similarly delayed decisions on where to build a battery plant in December of 2022, telling EU leadership that the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia all looked good – but that it wanted to consider its options. This time around, it’s being a little clearer by stating that the U.S. is offering sweeter subsidies and tax incentives than what’s available to Europe.

Mr. Guy wrote yesterday about how Ford F-150 Lightning owners are using their trucks for so-called "truck stuff" as much, if not more, than owners of internal-combustion engine F-150s are.

A frequent remark about EV pickups is an argument that thanks to the limitations of electric motors and their attendant batteries, trucks powered by electrons can’t do the same amount of work as their gas-powered twins.

Turns out, if Ford’s findings are any indication, some EV pickup owners are actually using their workhorses more frequently than ICE owners. 

The United States Postal Service (USPS) has announced an order for over 9,000 all-electric vans from the Ford Motor Company – presumably to help settle some of the drama surrounding the selected replacement for the venerable Grumman LLV.

Creating a bit of hype for the launch of their all-electric large crossover, Kia has dropped a teaser video for their upcoming EV9. If the shadowy images are any indication, there’s little chance of owners losing it in a parking lot.

The European Union is reportedly finding itself in a difficult position ahead of prospective bans on vehicles utilizing internal combustion engines. Germany has threatened to block the agreement, pulling what can only be described as the classic switcheroo in exchange for favorable conditions.

German manufacturers are attempting to market synthetic fuels as a viable and environmentally sound alternative to standard gasoline or diesel. Regulators influenced by the automotive sector are now pressing for the EU to make special exceptions for so-called “electrofuels” before the combustion ban can be finalized – with Italy likewise suggesting it would reject the emission rules everyone agreed to last year.

Alfa Romeo will reportedly be electrifying with Giulia sport sedan with the top-trim Quadrifoglio boasting 1,000 horsepower according to CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato.

Alert readers may recall a series of hiccups that have befallen the all-electric Ford F-150 Lightning so far this year, including a battery fire in a truck that was parked in a holding pen near company facilities. Ford is obviously working feverishly to fix any problems. One roadblock on the road to repair might involve words this author rarely gets to type: Industrial espionage.

The European Union has taken earlier and more drastic steps to stem the tide of climate change than many other parts of the world. Fuel economy and emissions standards are stricter there, and yesterday, the EU announced the passage of its most restrictive gas vehicle policies yet. The updated law bans selling new internal combustion vehicles starting in 2035.