GM plug-in hybrids, Ford supercharger adapters, Canoo USPS vans: The week in reverse gear
Which automaker CEO considers electric vehicle acceleration a safety feature?
Which very exclusive luxury electric vehicle was recalled this week?
This and more here at Green Car Reports.
GM announced this week that it is ready to do so bring some plug-in hybrid models back to the North American market. It’s shocking that many long-time EV fans may have a dual view, as GM has for years resisted the idea of bringing back the technology it once championed with its vaunted Chevy Volt – on the grounds, among other things, that This affects its ability to vertically integrate its EV battery and propulsion plan.
2024 BMW i5
BMW added two further plug-in variants of the 5 series for the 2025 model year. A 2025 BMW 550e plug-in hybrid could significantly increase electric range compared to the previous generation, while the BMW i5 xDrive40 adds a mid-range all-wheel-drive model between the base model i5 eDrive40 and the high-end rear-wheel drive model -Performance i5 M60 xDrive.
Ford will provide adapters for current and newer electric vehicles, including the Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning for charging on the Tesla Supercharger network, the automaker announced this week. And as Ford pointed out, they’re free and coverage extends through the 2021 model year.
Ford electric vehicles at the Tesla Supercharger
Recent study results from Deloitte suggest that range is no longer the issue stopping buyers from owning an electric vehicle. In the USA, The cost and charging time of electric vehicles were the biggest concernsabout the same level as reach – although the study included around 27,000 consumer responses from 26 countries around the world, underscoring that each market’s issues are slightly different.
The U.S. Postal Service announced last week that it would purchase six copies Electric transporter from the startup Canoo for its delivery fleet. The Canoo LDV 190 vans are scheduled to be delivered to the USPS by the end of this quarter and will join the Ford E-Transits already in use – part of 21,000 “commercial standard vehicles” as the USPS waits until 2028 for a purpose-built electric vehicle , which costs billions.
USPS Canoo LDV 190 delivery truck
Ford added fleet Discounts for the Mustang Mach-E, as well as a program that allows dealers to use inventory as rental cars. This all appears to be in the interest of boosting sales amid flagging demand for the model – although Ford has announced that a Mach-E Rally model and a more powerful version of the GT are on the way.
A very simple problem is triggering the recall of one of the most exclusive electric luxury cars – the 2024 Rolls Royce Specter. A straightforward inspection and repair of a potentially faulty ground wire connection can resolve vehicles installed late last year in a particular window. This affects fewer than 40 US cars that have already been delivered and just 107 that have arrived in the US, which Rolls-Royce aims to be all-electric by 2030.
2024 Rolls Royce Specter
According to a new survey by the industry magazine Automotive News Traders say Biden is moving too quickly on electric vehicles. The survey reportedly found that dealers are particularly concerned about proposed EPA emissions regulations and have surprisingly little interest in even signing up for the electric vehicle tax credit as a point-of-sale rebate. Given the very small share of 208 dealers out of the nearly 17,000 franchised new car dealers, you might not want to take the shocking backlash against electric vehicles as seriously as the percentages suggest.
Volvo Cars is ends financing of Polestar, with parent company Geely likely to gain more direct control through the move as the start-up electric vehicle brand struggles to meet delivery targets and launch an ambitious lineup of high-performance electric vehicles. The move could make Volvo sales easier in the future, Reuters suggested.
2024 Polestar 3 prototype
The three truck makers, which account for about 70% of U.S. medium- and heavy-duty truck sales, have done so have joined forces in the charging infrastructure for large devices. Daimler Trucks North America, Navistar and Volvo Group North America want to address what they say is a bottleneck to the widespread adoption of electric trucks through a coalition called PACT.
There has been no dip in plug-in vehicle sales, according to several electric vehicle sales forecasts and summaries released this week. S&P Global Mobility forecasts steady growth in the market share of electric vehicles over the next few months Electric vehicles are expected to account for 8.0% of the U.S. vehicle market this month. At the same time, Sales of plug-in hybrids in the USA reached a record high in 2023, with PHEVs accounting for approximately 20% of total plug-in vehicle sales.
Dodge Charger Daytona concept
And it goes very quickly EV acceleration a safety feature? Last week, the CEO of Stellantis, who recently confirmed that powertrains can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 2.0 seconds, made comments suggesting he believes it. Whether this has a positive effect on efficiency and range is another question – as is some basic physics and whether risk-takers are looking for faster cars.
______________________________________
