What It Takes To Relieve EV Range Anxiety

The automotive industry is going electric. But many Americans remain skeptical that they could make the switch to an electric car. America has spent a century building up the infrastructure to support endless nationwide road trips in gasoline-powered cars. Electric cars, with their limited range, make some buyers nervous.

Americans are more demanding than other drivers. That’s one conclusion from the 2022 Global Automotive Consumer Study, published last month (Jan 2022) by the professional services firm Deloitte.

Survey respondents were asked, “How much driving range would a fully charged all-battery electric vehicle need to have in order for you to consider acquiring one?” Americans averaged an answer of 518 miles.

We’re a demanding group. German drivers gave an average answer of 383 miles. Drivers in China, now the world’s largest car market by number of new cars registered, would buy in at just 258 miles.

That range is possible for a price. Exactly one car currently on the market could meet survey respondents’ range demands. The Lucid Air, a luxury sedan built by a California startup, has an EPA-certified range of up to 520 miles. The only configuration able to travel that distance, the Dream Edition, carries a starting price of $169,000. Or, rather, it did. Lucid has sold out of them for 2022.

That price tag is another hurdle the survey highlighted for EV sales. Respondents cited three main hurdles to changing their minds about EV adoption: range, lack of charging infrastructure, and the higher cost of EVs.

To get its results, Deloitte surveyed more than 26,000 consumers of driving age world-wide. Just 1,031 were American.

Credit: marketwatch.com

Tesla Model 3 Or Chevy Bolt? Price Creep Vs Price Crash

Chevy Bolt

Chevy is offering deals on 2021 Bolts that bring the price of the 259-mile-range EV to some of the lowest levels yet, while Tesla slowly raises the price on its best-selling Model 3.

In greater Los Angeles, 2021 Chevy Bolts are being priced close to $26,000, according to listings on TrueCar. The MSRP for the Bolt LT is typically about $37,000.

Meanwhile Tesla has upped the price of its least-expensive 2021 Model 3 Standard Range Plus to $39,990, a $3,000 price hike from $36,990 earlier in 2021.

Bolt vs Model 3

Price: The Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Plus now lists for $39,990 while the Bolt LT has dropped to as low as $26,000

Range: The Model 3 Standard Range Plus has an estimated range of 263 miles. The Chevy Bolt is rated at 259 miles.

MPGe: The Model 3 has a combined EPA-rated 134 MPGe*, the Bolt 118.

U.S. sales

The Model 3 was No.1 in EV sales in the U.S. for 2020, the Bolt was No. 3 (the Model Y was No.2)

Rydell Chevrolet, one of the largest Bolt dealers in the Los Angeles area, is showing a new 2021 Bolt Premier, the priciest trim, on their website as of May 29, 2021, priced under $30,000, a discount of more than $14,000 off the MSRP of $44,575.

TrueCar shows prices close to $26,000 for a new 2021 Bolt LT, the cheaper trim, roughly $11,000 off the MSRP.

That’s unusual for a new model year Bolt, which typically doesn’t see heavy discounting until late in the model year.

Why is this happening?

Chevy Bolt:

There is a major model year update coming for 2022 The existing Bolt is getting a makeover and Chevy is introducing the all-new Bolt EUV.

What’s different this time is, pricing on the upcoming Bolt is a lot lower, with the 2022 Bolt EV starting at $31,995. That’s roughly $5,500 off the MSRP for the current base model. And the slightly larger 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EUV, starts at $33,995.

The 2022 Bolts will include features such as adaptive cruise control and GM’s Super Cruise (hands-free-driving) tech, both firsts for the Bolt.

Model 3:

The Model 3 price hikes, on the other hand, are a mystery since Tesla doesn’t respond to media queries these days. And it should be noted that Tesla has also dropped the price of the Model 3 and Model Y. That happened earlier this year. That said, year to date, there has been a net increase.

NOTES:
*MPGe: how far a car will travel on the equivalent of one gallon of gas.

Credit: forbes.com

UPDATE: There may be additional promotions to lower the Bolt price another $1,000 or more. Check with area dealers. Also, used car prices have gone up recently so your trade-in could reduce your cost of a new Bolt EV even more. As of 5-30-21 there were 108 Bolts in stock within 100 miles of Oak Run.

Toyota’s Chief Says Electric Vehicles Are Overhyped

Toyota Motor Corp.’s leader criticized what he described as excessive hype over electric vehicles, saying advocates failed to consider the carbon emitted by generating electricity and the costs of an EV transition.

Toyota President, Akio Toyoda, said Japan would run out of electricity in the summer if all cars were running on electric power. The infrastructure needed to support a fleet consisting entirely of EVs would cost Japan between ¥14 trillion and ¥37 trillion, the equivalent of $135 billion to $358 billion, he said

“When politicians are out there saying, ‘Let’s get rid of all cars using gasoline,’ do they understand this?” Mr. Toyoda said Thursday at a year-end news conference in his capacity as chairman of the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association.

He said if Japan is too hasty in banning gasoline-powered cars, “the current business model of the car industry is going to collapse,” causing the loss of millions of jobs.

Advocates of EVs say they can be charged at night when electricity demand is low and, over time, can grow in tandem with other green technologies such as solar power.

Local news reports in early December said the Japanese government was about to announce a ban on the sale of new gasoline-powered cars starting in 2035, while it would still allow hybrid gas-electric cars. Such a ban would follow the state of California and countries such as the U.K.

But no announcement has come amid industry resistance. Officials at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said they haven’t made a decision on the future of gasoline cars.

In a country such as Japan that gets most of its electricity from burning coal and natural gas, EVs don’t help the environment, Mr. Toyoda said. “The more EVs we build, the worse carbon dioxide gets,” he said.

He said he feared government regulations would make cars a “flower on a high summit” - out of reach for the average person.

With models like the Prius, Toyota is a leader in hybrid cars, which combine a gasoline engine with an electric motor and can be refueled at traditional gas stations. It doesn’t sell pure battery EVs for the mass market in the U.S. or Japan, although it does have a model that runs on a hydrogen-powered fuel cell.

Credit: newsyfi.com

Tesla's Push For Service To Catch Up With Sales

Tesla has told staff that it is preparing a massive push to expand service capacity as it attempts to catch up to its rapid growth in sales.

Over the last few years, Tesla has been growing at a ferocious pace with deliveries and production capacity seeing important increases. Now the Tesla customer fleet has reached over 1 million cars.

Unlike most other automakers who rely on third-party franchise dealers to provide service to customers, Tesla owns its entire global service infrastructure, which it is trying to ramp up alongside sales and production.

In recent years, it hasn’t been able to keep up with Tesla’s growth. Over the last 12 months, Tesla’s deliveries grew almost 50% year-over-year, adding over a half million vehicles to its fleet. But over the same period of time, Tesla’s service centers grew by only 12% and its mobile service fleet by 8%.

Last year, Tesla made several statements about expanding service after CEO Elon Musk admitted a “foolish oversight” of Tesla’s service coverage and plans to open many more service centers around the world. Things moved slowly, but they started to ramp up last quarter with Tesla adding 20 new service centers in just a few months.

A source familiar with the matter has said that Tesla communicated to its staff that it plans to significantly ramp up service over the next year with at least one new service center opening per week in 2021. It means that Tesla plans to add over 52 new service centers in 2021. Tesla currently operates 466 service centers around the world.

Tesla president of automotive, Jerome Guillen, has also recently stated that he is on the lookout for real estate that the company can quickly turn into Tesla service centers. The new service centers are going to be located where Tesla is seeing strong demand for its vehicles and where they see service-center capacity already lacking.

New service centers also create more demand for Tesla. Musk has previously said that Tesla has found expanding service centers, and the Supercharger network are Tesla’s two best ways to bring in more customers.

This is good news. Service delays are a recurring complaint from Tesla owners in some markets where Tesla never seems to catch up to growing sales. On top of expansion in markets lacking a service center altogether, there are many markets in the same situation that need a new location to help lower the demand on existing locations.

Let’s hope that Tesla delivers on this goal of a new center every week next year. Tesla owners are going to need it if Tesla delivers what is expected to be ~800,000 new cars next year. That will push Tesla’s fleet to more than 2 million vehicles, meaning that the fleet will have doubled in less than two years.

Credit: electrek.co

Tesla Quietly Killed Its 'No Questions Asked' 7-Day Return Policy

The policy was intended as a display of confidence in the quality of its cars. Recent quality control issues might be to blame for the change.

Tesla has stopped offering its "no questions asked" 7-day return policy. CEO Elon Musk had touted the unique guarantee as a show of confidence in the quality of his company's products, but the change in policy comes at a time when the automaker is dealing with mounting complaints about the quality of some of its recent cars. The move does the exact opposite of instilling confidence.

The company's policy previously stated the following:

“Owning a Tesla vehicle means you are driving one of the most advanced, best performing and safest vehicles available. We are confident that you will feel great about your new vehicle, and so are giving you time to experience and enjoy your new Tesla. Subject to the terms and conditions of this policy, if you are unhappy with your vehicle, you may return it to us within seven (7) calendar days.”

There was always the caveat that the car must be returned with no damage and less than 1,000 miles on the odometer to get a full refund, so it wasn't exactly possible to do a coast-to-coast Cannonball Run with one of the cars anyway, if that's an idea you ever had.

According to Electrek, there isn't a new stated policy to replace the 7-day offer, and dissatisfied buyers will be referred to Tesla's service department if they want to return a vehicle. Tesla knows what it's selling, so why does it feel the need to walk back its generosity and bravado now?

Where's the confidence? Tesla has been running into a lot of quality-control issues with the new Model Y, including problems with the exterior paint and misaligned doors, not to mention the incident when the sunroof flew off one owner's car while he was driving down a highway. It's possible that the company hopes it can dissuade nervous customers from returning their vehicles for a refund when they have to actually speak to an employee.

The 7-day return policy was appreciated by customers exactly because of those issues, it can take multiple days of driving to actually identify problems like leaking windows. The company often identifies issues in its first cars to roll off the line and then fixes its manufacturing process to remedy them in later vehicles.

Tesla is obliged to fix faulty cars, but it's notoriously slow at completing such repairs and doesn't authorize third-party shops to fix its vehicles. Owners have reported waiting months or even up to a year for Tesla to complete requested repairs.

By offering a generous policy, customers were more willing to forgive Tesla for any issues. The company is lucky that other automakers have been so far behind in electric, but it can't afford to continue this way as they start to catch up.

Credit: inputmag.com

Also: Tesla previously offered a two- to four-year warranty on used Model S and X vehicles, but now only offers a warranty of one year or 10,000 miles over the original policy.

How The Industry Aims To Fix Electric Vehicle Range Anxiety

Automakers are investing billions into an electric-powered future. Last year, 143 new EV’s launched around the globe. Analysts predict record growth of EV sales in 2021, especially in Europe and China.

But, in the U.S., electric vehicles sales represented less than 2% of all autos sold in 2019, according to the Edison Electric Institute. Several hurdles remain for the market to really take off. One of the biggest is charging.

CNBC explores the current state of electric vehicle charging and how automakers like Tesla, GM and companies like ChargePoint and Electrify America are adding charging infrastructure to increase electric vehicle adoption.

Watch the video to learn more.

Direct link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpTOKKKGWV8

Credit: cnbc.com

VW ID.4 Electric SUV Sold Out On The First Day

VW announced that the first version of its ID.4 electric SUV sold out within 8 hours on the first day it opened orders. This is impressive, but, VW only planned to have “a few thousand First Edition models” for the US.

Finally on Wednesday, 9-23, VW fully unveiled the ID.4 after months of teasing. While it has been toned down from the concept with a more traditional design, the specs for the price point have impressed many and it is pushing all-electric vehicles to a wider market.

This version of the ID.4 started at $43,995 before incentives and will be delivered later this year. Now new buyers will have to turn to the $39,995 ID.4 Pro, which comes with fewer design enhancements and will be delivered in early 2021.

The vehicle is equipped with an 82 kWh battery pack (77 kWh of usable energy) that should result in about 250 miles of EPA range. An even less expensive version with a smaller battery pack with likely closer to 200 miles of range is expected to launch in 2022 after VW starts production of the ID.4 in the US. For now, the North American market will get ID.4 electric SUVs made in Germany.

Credit: electrek.co

Cheapest Electric Vehicles Will Come From Chinese Automaker

Chinese electric vehicle and parts manufacturer Kandi Technologies Group is officially bringing two EVs to the United States through its subsidiary Kandi America.

Kandi Technologies has been talking about bringing EVs to the United States for a couple of years. Now, two models are arriving as early as the end of 2020, beginning in a limited area in Texas. Both are priced under $30,000 before federal incentives.

The two models heading to the U.S. are Kandi's compact K27 vehicle that comes with a 17.69 kWh battery and a range of up to 100 miles, according to the automaker (although it's unclear if these are EPA estimates or another standard). 

The K27 starts at $20,499, and is eligible for the $7,500 federal income tax credit. That would put the K27 at just under $13,000, although, again, it's unclear if this includes the destination fee.

The larger K23 is also coming to the U.S. market. This small electric SUV has a 41.4 kWh battery and a driving range of more than 180 miles. The K23 starts at just less than $30,000, again, before applying federal incentives.

Both of those vehicles, even without the federal incentives, are less expensive than other EVs sold in the U.S., including the Tesla Model 3, Nissan Leaf, Hyundai Ioniq and Kia Kona EV, to name a few. The target is middle class U.S. consumers. It's a group that has had few affordable EV choices.

The two models clearly hit the affordability standard. The question is whether they will tick the other important boxes for customers here, a list that includes reliability and performance.

The vehicles will be sold by Garland, Texas-based Kandi America, the trade name of Kandi's wholly owned subsidiary SC Autosports, LLC. Sales will initially focus on the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Credit: techcrunch

Chevrolet Is Working On A Full-Size Electric Pickup Truck

GM has revealed its various brands’ electric vehicle plans in its 10th sustainability report, and one of the most notable projects is Chevrolet’s BET Truck. Apparently, Chevy is working on its first full-size electric pickup truck, and it will have the capability to run over 400 miles on a single charge. That’s pretty much all GM revealed about it, and as Autoblog notes, it’s unclear if the EV will be an electrified Silverado or a new model altogether.

A rumor went around last year that GM will release its first electric truck in 2021, but it’s unclear if it’s this particular model. It’s also not clear if the truck mentioned in the report will be one of the 20 electric vehicles GM vowed would be on the road by 2023. GM made the commitment to roll out a substantial number of EVs by mid-2020s a few years ago in hopes that its brands’ lineup will be mostly electric come 2030. Earlier this year, the automaker announced that it’s investing $2.2 billion into turning its Detroit-Hamtramck facility into its first assembly plant that’s completely devoted to EVs.

In addition to a full-size electric truck, GM has also revealed its other brands’ plans in the report. Chevrolet is releasing a mid-sized electric SUV and a Bolt with an SUV design. Cadillac is working on two different three-row luxury electric SUVs and the previously announced electric Celestiq Statement Vehicle. Finally, GMC is developing an electric Hummer, while Buick will release an electric SUV and compact utility vehicle.

Credit: engadget.com

Oregon's EV Goal and Colorado's Zero E Regulation

Oregon has a whopping 25,000 electric cars registered on the road, reaching the halfway point of the state’s goal of 50,000 registered electric vehicles by 2020.

All Oregon counties are pitching in to help push for this change with Multnomah, Washington and Clackamas representing about a third of Oregon’s electric drivers.

But, even the smaller counties are making their mark. Counties with fewer than 100K residents account for more than 3,000 of the states registered EVs.

“More Oregonians are choosing electric vehicles, and with 25,000 EVs on Oregon’s roads, we are gaining momentum,” said Janine Benner, Director of the Oregon Department of Energy. “We look forward to celebrating when we reach 50,000.”

Governor Brown was the one to sign off on the 50K by 2020 goal in 2017 with Executive Order 17-21.

a Nissan Leaf charges at a recharge station while parked in downtown Denver

Meanwhile, in Colorado the Air Quality Control Commission approved a new regulation on Friday, August 16, requiring that at least 5% of the vehicles sold in the state by 2023 emit zero pollution.

The rule applies to auto manufactures, not buyers. It's intended to boost the number of electric vehicles in a state struggling to control air pollution in heavily populated areas.

Credit: koin.com

EV charging expanding rapidly

Tech News and Views

Japanese automaker Nissan has recently revealed that for the first time, electric car charging locations have outnumbered gas stations in the UK. According to the car maker, there are 9,199 active EV charging stations in the country as of August, compared to 8,396 open gas stations.

Advantages of a Tesla Model 3

Tech News and Views

Many people ask me about the advantages of owning an electric car. I couldn't explain the advantages any better than the writer of the following, very long, but excellent article about the Tesla model 3.

Is the Tesla Model 3 worth buying? How long do Tesla cars last?
Rosario D'Souza, Ph.D. Computer Science & Statistics, Georgia Institute of Technology (1994)

I don’t like buying expensive things. What’s more, I positively hate buying hugely expensive things. When my wife says, “Honey, let’s buy this expensive dining table,” I ask, “What is wrong with the inexpensive one we have right now?” When she says, “Let’s buy a new set of bedroom furniture to replace this set that we’ve had for the past 22 years, I turn to her with a deadpan expression, and ask, “Why?”

Before I bought my spanking new Tesla Model 3, I owned two cars – a 1999 Honda Odyssey EX (with 140K miles) and a 2004 Honda Accord EX (with 70K miles). I was very happy with these cars, and had no intention of buying another. I watched Tesla from a distance, and always considered the Model X and Model S outside my modest budget.

In all these years, it’s not that I couldn’t afford to buy a new car. I could pay cash for one if I wanted to. But I saw no need to buy a new car – because they offered me nothing more than what my existing old cars already provided me.

Then one day, my wife said, “SRP (our local electric power company) is hosting an EV (electric vehicle) event. They will have all kinds of hybrids and EVs available for display and test drives.” You can see my wife has become incredibly smart when it comes to dealing with me. No more, “Let’s buy a ...” Instead, it has become a, “Let’s look at ...” And what man can resist test driving cool, new technology?

GM to go all electric

Tech News and Views

It's hard to believe, but according to CNBC General Motors has announced their entire line-up of cars will go electric.

gm-doesnt-expect-to-make-money-off-electric-cars-until-next-decade