Auto sales in Europe continued their upward trajectory in May, rising for the 10th month in a row.
New-car registrations increased 18% to 1.12 million vehicles, with battery-electric vehicle deliveries soaring 66%.
Category: Electric Vehicles (EVs) (Page 2 of 2)
Reuters »
Quality of new vehicles sold in the United States is declining as factors such as growing use of technology and lower build quality of certain parts are making the models more “problematic”, according to automotive consultant J.D. Power.
Build quality of certain parts such as audio systems and cup-holders have resulted in quality issues, the report said, which collected data from 93,380 purchasers and lessees of 2023 model-year vehicles.
The enormous loan — by far the biggest government backing for a US automaker since the bailouts in the 2009 financial crisis — marks a watershed moment for President Joe Biden’s aggressive industrial policy meant to help American manufacturers catch up to China in green technologies.
The new factories that will eventually supply Ford’s expansion into electric vehicles are already under construction in Kentucky and Tennessee through a joint venture called BlueOval SK, owned by the Michigan automaker and South Korean battery giant SK On Co. Ford plans to make as many as 2 million EVs by 2026, a huge increase from the roughly 132,000 it produced last year.
The cell plants VW is setting up in Germany, Spain and Canada will underpin its shift away from the combustion engine. The automaker has earmarked €20 billion ($22 billion) worth of investment through 2030 to try and turn its one-year-old battery unit PowerCo into a behemoth with 20,000 workers and enough capacity for 3 million EVs a year. VW on Wednesday mapped out a renewed profit push, with Chief Financial Officer Arno Antlitz telling reporters the company remains open to eventually selling shares in PowerCo.
NPR »
Riyadh aims to collaborate, rather than compete, with Beijing, while ignoring the western’s concern over the two countries’ growing ties, as it looks to diversify its economy away from oil.
Tourism is a pillar of Saudi Vision 2030, and China ranks very high globally as a source of tourists.
Al Jazeera | Reuters | Al Jazeera | The Guardian
Al Monitor » “Saudi Arabia aims to diversify economic partnerships, decrease dependency on traditional allies, such as the United States, and sees China as a crucial market for oil exports,” Soliman told Al-Monitor. “Riyadh also seeks greater Chinese investment in non-oil sectors and expertise in infrastructure, technology, and renewable energy.”
The share of electric vehicles in sales of new passenger vehicles is set to more than double globally in the next few years — to 30% in 2026. Their penetration in some markets will be even higher, with EVs reaching 89% of sales in the Nordics, 52% in China and 42% in Europe. Our latest near-term EV sales outlook is brighter than what BNEF published last year, mostly due to policy changes in the US, where a major investment push sparked by the Inflation Reduction Act will help more than triple the share of EVs in new sales, to 28% by 2026.
The genie is out of the bottle. AI will be used and misused, a tool and a weapon. The threats and opportunities will grow. Many will be harmed in the name of progress.
However, the U.S. based Council on Foreign Relations is leaving that question open »
Some experts believe this increasingly powerful technology could lead to amazing advances and prosperity. Yet, many tech and industry leaders are warning that AI poses substantial risks, and they are calling for a moratorium on AI research so that safety measures can be established. But amid mounting great-power competition, it’s unclear whether national governments will be able to coordinate on regulating this technology that offers so many economic and strategic opportunities.
Tesla has failed to adequately protect data from customers, employees and business partners and has received thousands of customer complaints regarding the carmaker’s driver assistance system, Germany’s Handelsblatt has reported, citing 100 gigabytes of confidential data leaked by a whistleblower.
In Italy, Stellantis is cutting jobs and being accused of skimping on janitorial work. In the US, it’s offering buyouts to scores of staff and has idled a Jeep factory.
In Canada, the carmaker halted construction of a new battery facility, pending more government aid. And in the UK, it’s warned Parliament that post-Brexit trade rules and other issues could doom the country’s EV manufacturing prospects.
NY Times » As a result, the air is cleaner, the streets are quieter and the grid hasn’t collapsed. But problems with unreliable chargers persist.
Battery-powered two-wheelers will outsell traditional bikes in Germany for the first time in 2023, according to projections from the country’s industry group. They’re already dominant in the mountain bike category, where nine in ten bicycles are powered by a motor.
Global temperatures are expected to surge to record-breaking levels in the next five years and breach the 1.5-degree Celsius (2.7-degree Fahrenheit) threshold set out in the Paris climate agreement, according to a report by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
The Guardian | Radio Free Asia | NY Times | Fast Company | Axios | RFi
Residents in better-off areas are also breathing easier: PM2.5 emissions fell a median of nearly 0.7 kilograms per year in those census tracts, four times the median reduction in disadvantaged communities. Researchers found that PM2.5 pollution actually rose in 17% of disadvantaged areas, which are home to 39% of California’s fossil fuel power plants. Those communities also experienced smaller reductions in other air pollutants in contrast to wealthier areas, according to the analysis of 8,057 census tracts in California.
“These communities receive far fewer rebates and therefore see substantially less air quality improvement as a result of decreased tailpipe emissions,” said Jaye Mejía-Duwan, the study’s lead author and a PhD student in UC Berkeley’s environmental science, policy and management program. Mejía-Duwan said low-income neighborhoods often bear the brunt of increased power plant pollution that results from charging EVs located in distant wealthier areas.
This product, the Yotta REV, is a deployable EV charger that is entirely powered by solar. These rapidly deployable chargers can be installed in 48 hours, use bifacial solar modules, and are grid optional. The REV is designed for year-round use and in all weather climates. Shipped in a standard shipping container, it has a vast amount of potential for deployment overseas in areas that experience large-scale power outages.
- 89% enjoy driving their EV more than their ICE vehicle.
Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) »
The survey of over 16,000 EV owners from coast to coast found their top concern is the availability of public charging. More than four out of every 10 (44%) EV drivers say that this is a worry even after experiencing EV ownership. Significantly, EV owners say they spend 30% of their time charging outside the home.
Further, a significant minority lack confidence in taking road trips in their EV. More than one-third of those surveyed (36%) don’t have the confidence to drive their EV on a long road trip, and most EV drivers (67%) still own a gas vehicle, which they are more likely to use for longer journeys.
The survey asked respondents to rate their level of pre-purchase concern against their actual experience as EV drivers, in several categories. The survey found that while none of the concerns disappeared completely, they did significantly decline. Worries about range fell 37 percentage points to 30%, cold-weather performance concerns dropped 25 percentage points to 33%, and fears about battery degradation fell 41 percentage points to 13%.
The survey also found satisfaction rates among EV drivers in Canada are extremely high. An overwhelming majority (97%) say they will purchase another EV when it comes time to replace their existing one. Almost nine in ten (89%) say they enjoy driving their EV more, 95% say their EV is more affordable, and 92% say their EV is a quieter ride than their gas vehicle.
The rise can be attributed to overseas shipments of new-energy vehicles (NEV), the report notes. NEVs surged 110% to 248,000 units, year over year, according to China Association of Automobile Manufacturers data.