REUTERS
"Industry pain abounds as electric car demand hits slowdown"
By Nick Carey and Joseph White
January 30, 2024
Jan 30 (Reuters) - While automakers and suppliers are betting big on future demand for electric vehicles, a near-term global slowdown is causing pain, including bankruptcies, scrapped initial public offerings and production cuts.
Investment in capacity and technology development has outrun actual EV demand, boosting pressure on companies to cut costs.
"It's true, the pace of EV growth has slowed, which has created some uncertainty."
"We will build to demand," General Motors CEO Mary Barra said on an earnings call Tuesday.
GM previously cut EV production targets due to the slowing demand, but Barra told analysts GM was "encouraged" by industry forecasts that EV sales in the United States are forecast to rise at least 10% this year from about 7% in 2023.
Ford also previously cut EV production due to a growth rate that is rising more slowly than previously expected.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk underscored the near-term struggles, warning last week of a sharp slowdown in sales growth this year.
With margins falling amid price cuts, shareholders erased $80 billion from Tesla's stock valuation the following day.
"There's no doubt that the limitations - EV charging and the lack of battery resiliency at low temperatures - are causing consumer anxiety," said Tim Piechowski, portfolio manager with ACR Alpine Capital Research, which owns GM shares.
"The reality is that the adoption curve will be slower and there will be pushback to regulators about fuel economy," he added.
"It'll just be a longer ramp than perhaps was initially anticipated."
That slower pace was underscored this month as companies pull back on prior plans.
On Monday, France's Renault ditched plans to list its EV business Ampere because of sluggish stock market conditions.
The company had said the IPO could be worth up to 10 billion euros.
MUDDY WATERS FOR THE ECONOMY
Suppliers are affected, too.
China's CATL on Tuesday forecast 2023 profit growth sharply lower than the previous year as it grappled with slowing demand and stiff competition.
CATL, the world's largest EV battery maker, faces challenges from smaller rivals and slowing demand in China, the largest EV market.
China's second-ranked EV battery maker BYD on Monday forecast its 2023 net profit rose at a far slower pace than 2022, while last week Korean battery maker LG Energy Solution predicted slowing growth in the global EV market this year.
"Global EV momentum is stalling."
"The market is over-supplied vs demand," Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas said in a recent research note.
Albemarle, the world's largest producer of key EV battery material lithium, said this month it was cutting jobs and capital spending in response to slipping prices.
A report put the job cuts at 4% of its workforce.
Meanwhile, German EV sales, including plug-in hybrid models, fell 16% last year and are forecast to drop another 9% in 2024, including a 14% decline for pure battery EVs, according to German auto association VDA.
"Subsidies have run out and at the same time, we are in muddy waters across the economy."
"Consumers' propensity to buy is not particularly pronounced," VDA chief economist Manuel Kallweit said.
Still, German production of EVs is forecast to increase by 19% this year to 1.45 million, with much of the output destined for export, VDA said.
EV demand in Europe has weakened and the region's carmakers face competition from Chinese rivals.
Those feeling the pain hardest in the sector seem to be the EV startups.
Britain's Arrival on Monday said it received a delisting and stock trading suspension notice from the Nasdaq.
Lordstown Motors, Proterra and Sweden's Volta Trucks have gone bankrupt as a tough economy weighs on demand and hinders access to capital.
Polestar last week said it planned to cut about 15% of its workforce, or 450 people, due to the challenging market.
The long-term is where automakers are placing their bets with EVs, even as they still benefit from strong demand for internal-combustion engine (ICE)-powered vehicles.
"We know the EV market is not going to grow linearly," GM CFO Paul Jacobson said Tuesday.
"We are prepared to flex between ICE and EV production."
Reporting by Nick Carey in London and Joseph White in Detroit, additional reporting by Victoria Waldersee in Berlin and Ilona Wissenbach in Frankfurt, writing by Ben Klayman; Editing by Nick Zieminski and David Ljunggren
https://www.reuters.com/business/autos- ... 024-01-30/
ELECTRIC VEHICLES
Re: ELECTRIC VEHICLES
The Telegraph
"The electric vehicles farce has reached a shambolic new low"
Story by Ross Clark
7 FEBRUARY 2024
When the electric vans startup Arrival announced that it was seeking to focus its business on the US market, it seemed like a good move.
Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act was offering massive subsidies for the green industries of tomorrow; the market would surely surge, and Arrival’s fortunes with it.
They did not.
The “British Tesla” as it was once known, which was valued at over £10 billion on the Nasdaq at one point, has seen its UK arm enter administration.
It follows that other darling of green industrial policy, Britishvolt, which collapsed last year (it was later bought by Recharge Industries).
It has been clear for a long time now that electric vehicles have run up against one of those concrete blocks the automotive industry uses in crash tests.
In spite of huge subsidies over the years, and a tax regime which continues massively to favour owners of electric cars over petrol and diesel ones, the motor industry still struggles to shift its wares.
Last year, for the first time, the market share for pure battery-powered cars fell back for the first time, from 16.6 per cent in 2022 to 16.5 per cent in 2023.
Private buyers lost interest a while ago, and now fleet buyers are losing faith too: the US arm of car rental firm Hertz recently announced it was planning to sell off a third of its electric vehicle fleet and reinvest in petrol.
In a sane world, this would be a signal for manufacturers to cut back production.
Unfortunately, the Government thinks otherwise, and since 1 January manufacturers have been under a mandate to make sure that at least 22 percent of the vehicles they sell are zero emission, a proportion that is due to rise to 80 percent by 2030. Fail, and they face stiff fines.
Given that people don’t want to buy these cars, it’s causing a considerable headache.
The preferred solution of the car industry, of course, is simple: ask the Government for more taxpayer-funded handouts.
Industry figures are already complaining that grants for plug-in cars, which at their height offered bungs of up to £4,000 per vehicle, were phased out in 2022.
They should consider, however, that electric cars continue to enjoy substantial fiscal incentives.
Buy a litre of petrol and around half of what you pay is tax; charge your EV at home and all you pay is 5 percent VAT.
Electric cars won’t even be liable for road tax until next year – after years of using the roads for free.
If your industry has this many state-mandated advantages over its competitors and still can’t persuade people to buy, the answer isn’t to double down on your lousy product, and beg the Government to save you.
It’s to stop making bad cars nobody wants to drive.
As for the state, it’s time for it to step back and stop throttling the sector with ridiculous rules.
How many times will we have to learn the lesson that governments waving massive subsidy cheques make for awful investors?
Throwing yet more money at the electric vehicle industry won’t make the vehicles better.
They’ll keep being expensive, slow to charge, excessively heavy, and lacking in range compared to their far superior petrol peers.
The Government should end this farce.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/news/th ... r-BB1hRtGU
"The electric vehicles farce has reached a shambolic new low"
Story by Ross Clark
7 FEBRUARY 2024
When the electric vans startup Arrival announced that it was seeking to focus its business on the US market, it seemed like a good move.
Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act was offering massive subsidies for the green industries of tomorrow; the market would surely surge, and Arrival’s fortunes with it.
They did not.
The “British Tesla” as it was once known, which was valued at over £10 billion on the Nasdaq at one point, has seen its UK arm enter administration.
It follows that other darling of green industrial policy, Britishvolt, which collapsed last year (it was later bought by Recharge Industries).
It has been clear for a long time now that electric vehicles have run up against one of those concrete blocks the automotive industry uses in crash tests.
In spite of huge subsidies over the years, and a tax regime which continues massively to favour owners of electric cars over petrol and diesel ones, the motor industry still struggles to shift its wares.
Last year, for the first time, the market share for pure battery-powered cars fell back for the first time, from 16.6 per cent in 2022 to 16.5 per cent in 2023.
Private buyers lost interest a while ago, and now fleet buyers are losing faith too: the US arm of car rental firm Hertz recently announced it was planning to sell off a third of its electric vehicle fleet and reinvest in petrol.
In a sane world, this would be a signal for manufacturers to cut back production.
Unfortunately, the Government thinks otherwise, and since 1 January manufacturers have been under a mandate to make sure that at least 22 percent of the vehicles they sell are zero emission, a proportion that is due to rise to 80 percent by 2030. Fail, and they face stiff fines.
Given that people don’t want to buy these cars, it’s causing a considerable headache.
The preferred solution of the car industry, of course, is simple: ask the Government for more taxpayer-funded handouts.
Industry figures are already complaining that grants for plug-in cars, which at their height offered bungs of up to £4,000 per vehicle, were phased out in 2022.
They should consider, however, that electric cars continue to enjoy substantial fiscal incentives.
Buy a litre of petrol and around half of what you pay is tax; charge your EV at home and all you pay is 5 percent VAT.
Electric cars won’t even be liable for road tax until next year – after years of using the roads for free.
If your industry has this many state-mandated advantages over its competitors and still can’t persuade people to buy, the answer isn’t to double down on your lousy product, and beg the Government to save you.
It’s to stop making bad cars nobody wants to drive.
As for the state, it’s time for it to step back and stop throttling the sector with ridiculous rules.
How many times will we have to learn the lesson that governments waving massive subsidy cheques make for awful investors?
Throwing yet more money at the electric vehicle industry won’t make the vehicles better.
They’ll keep being expensive, slow to charge, excessively heavy, and lacking in range compared to their far superior petrol peers.
The Government should end this farce.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/news/th ... r-BB1hRtGU
Re: ELECTRIC VEHICLES
REUTERS
"Waymo robotaxi accident with San Francisco cyclist draws regulatory review"
Reuters
February 7, 2024
Feb 7 (Reuters) - A driverless Waymo car collided with a cyclist in San Francisco on Tuesday causing minor injuries and the incident is being reviewed by the state's auto regulator.
Waymo, Alphabet's autonomous driving unit, said by email on Tuesday it called the police to the scene and that it was also contacting relevant authorities about the incident.
The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) is reviewing the incident and has no further comment at this time, it told Reuters by email on Wednesday.
Waymo said its vehicle was at a complete stop at a four-way intersection when a large truck turned into the intersection.
At its turn to proceed, the Waymo car moved forward.
However, the cyclist was behind the truck and not visible as they crossed into the Waymo vehicle's path.
When the cyclist was fully visible, the Waymo's vehicle braked heavily, but wasn't able to avoid the collision, the company said.
A San Francisco Fire Department spokesperson said by email on Tuesday that a 911 call was made reporting the collision and the cyclist was not transported to the hospital.
They said the San Francisco Police Department was investigating the incident.
The San Francisco Police Department told Reuters on Wednesday that it was investigating the cause of the collision.
Waymo has sought to expand its driverless service in Los Angeles, where it is now testing rides and allowing new rides only by invitation.
But robot car companies have run into resistance from some lawmakers and citizens who fear the vehicles are as yet unproven and pose a safety risk.
GM's Cruise self-driving car unit revealed probes by the U.S. Justice Department and Securities and Exchange Commission last month, after an accident in which one of its robotaxis struck a pedestrian and dragged her 20 feet.
Last year, more than two dozen unions urged U.S. auto safety regulators to open an industry-wide probe into driverless vehicles, deeming them "unsafe and untenable in their current form" due to a high number of crash incidents.
Reporting by Disha Mishra and Gnaneshwar Rajan in Bengaluru; Additional reporting by Mrinmay Dey, Abhirup Roy and Surbhi Misra; Editing by Savio D'Souza
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/driver ... 024-02-07/
"Waymo robotaxi accident with San Francisco cyclist draws regulatory review"
Reuters
February 7, 2024
Feb 7 (Reuters) - A driverless Waymo car collided with a cyclist in San Francisco on Tuesday causing minor injuries and the incident is being reviewed by the state's auto regulator.
Waymo, Alphabet's autonomous driving unit, said by email on Tuesday it called the police to the scene and that it was also contacting relevant authorities about the incident.
The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) is reviewing the incident and has no further comment at this time, it told Reuters by email on Wednesday.
Waymo said its vehicle was at a complete stop at a four-way intersection when a large truck turned into the intersection.
At its turn to proceed, the Waymo car moved forward.
However, the cyclist was behind the truck and not visible as they crossed into the Waymo vehicle's path.
When the cyclist was fully visible, the Waymo's vehicle braked heavily, but wasn't able to avoid the collision, the company said.
A San Francisco Fire Department spokesperson said by email on Tuesday that a 911 call was made reporting the collision and the cyclist was not transported to the hospital.
They said the San Francisco Police Department was investigating the incident.
The San Francisco Police Department told Reuters on Wednesday that it was investigating the cause of the collision.
Waymo has sought to expand its driverless service in Los Angeles, where it is now testing rides and allowing new rides only by invitation.
But robot car companies have run into resistance from some lawmakers and citizens who fear the vehicles are as yet unproven and pose a safety risk.
GM's Cruise self-driving car unit revealed probes by the U.S. Justice Department and Securities and Exchange Commission last month, after an accident in which one of its robotaxis struck a pedestrian and dragged her 20 feet.
Last year, more than two dozen unions urged U.S. auto safety regulators to open an industry-wide probe into driverless vehicles, deeming them "unsafe and untenable in their current form" due to a high number of crash incidents.
Reporting by Disha Mishra and Gnaneshwar Rajan in Bengaluru; Additional reporting by Mrinmay Dey, Abhirup Roy and Surbhi Misra; Editing by Savio D'Souza
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/driver ... 024-02-07/
Re: ELECTRIC VEHICLES
TheStreet
"Tesla electric vehicle rival files bankruptcy, begins liquidation"
Story by Daniel Kline
12 FEBRUARY 2024
There's a reason very few new automakers have been launched over the past 40 or so years.
Building and selling cars takes a tremendous amount of infrastructure.
When you add in having to create not just a new design, but a new method of powering your car, you see why big auto has generally been a closed club.
Tesla, of course, has crashed that party, becoming the first startup electric vehicle manufacturer to operate at scale.
You can credit that to the genius and drive of Elon Musk.
It may have been lost in his recent conversion to a conspiracy-theory-embracing, far-right internet troll willing to say anything so people pay attention to him, but Musk has been the leading entrepreneur of his time.
He has been a serial disruptor willing to take on industries that have a scale that generally gives them a moat against all competitors.
Building a car company from scratch has generally been impossible but building one to sell EVs, a product where demand has always been suspect, was impressive even if Musk's recent actions have taken attention away from his accomplishment.
Big Auto has generally crushed any upstarts simply because of scale.
Tesla's case, however, continually looks like an outlier as multiple EV companies have failed and others, like Lucid, have struggled to meet production goals.
Now, a once-hopeful player in the EV space, which once had a $13 billion valuation, has filed for bankruptcy, or at least the British equivalent of it, without selling a single car.
Arrival EV maker enters bankruptcy (administration)
Arrival, which has a decade of history, has entered administration, the British version of a bankruptcy filing.
In theory, the move only impacts the company's assets in the United Kingdom, but that's functionally the entire company.
Instead of making just passenger cars, Arrival sought to build a large van, a bus, and a car that was being positioned for use by ride-hailing companies like Uber and Lyft.
The company's XL Van, which sort of looked like a more-cheaply-made version of the Mercedes Benz Sprinter, appeared to be its signature product.
The company had bold goals, according to its website.
"At Arrival, we are reinventing both the design and production of electric vehicles for end-to-end sustainability."
"Only true innovation of both products and processes can deliver the radical impact we need to combat the worst effects of the climate crisis," it shared.
That was a big goal for a company that never sold an actual vehicle.
The company, which listed its stock on the Nasdaq, had recently been informed that it was being delisted.
What's next for Arrival?
After a promising start, which included backing from Hyundai and United Parcel Service placing orders for its delivery van, it appears that Arrival will be sold for parts.
"Simon Edel, Alan Hudson and Sam Woodward of EY-Parthenon’s Turnaround and Restructuring Strategy team were appointed as joint administrators (the 'Administrators') of Arrival UK Ltd and Arrival Automotive UK Limited (the 'Companies'), both subsidiaries of Arrival," the company shared in a press release.
It appears that the company's 170 workers in the UK will lose their jobs.
"The Administrators are now exploring options for the sale of the business and assets of the Companies, including the electric vehicle platform, software, intellectual property and R&D assets, for the benefit of creditors," the company continued.
Arrival has been bleeding cash since 2021, and despite taking in $50 million in new money in 2023, it has run out of money before it sold a single vehicle.
The filing follows a number of other EV companies that have gone bankrupt.
That includes another British company, battery maker Britishvolt; Proterra, another EV battery maker; Sweden's Volta Trucks, and Lordstown Motors, which intended to make EV pickup trucks.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/compani ... 4163&ei=19
"Tesla electric vehicle rival files bankruptcy, begins liquidation"
Story by Daniel Kline
12 FEBRUARY 2024
There's a reason very few new automakers have been launched over the past 40 or so years.
Building and selling cars takes a tremendous amount of infrastructure.
When you add in having to create not just a new design, but a new method of powering your car, you see why big auto has generally been a closed club.
Tesla, of course, has crashed that party, becoming the first startup electric vehicle manufacturer to operate at scale.
You can credit that to the genius and drive of Elon Musk.
It may have been lost in his recent conversion to a conspiracy-theory-embracing, far-right internet troll willing to say anything so people pay attention to him, but Musk has been the leading entrepreneur of his time.
He has been a serial disruptor willing to take on industries that have a scale that generally gives them a moat against all competitors.
Building a car company from scratch has generally been impossible but building one to sell EVs, a product where demand has always been suspect, was impressive even if Musk's recent actions have taken attention away from his accomplishment.
Big Auto has generally crushed any upstarts simply because of scale.
Tesla's case, however, continually looks like an outlier as multiple EV companies have failed and others, like Lucid, have struggled to meet production goals.
Now, a once-hopeful player in the EV space, which once had a $13 billion valuation, has filed for bankruptcy, or at least the British equivalent of it, without selling a single car.
Arrival EV maker enters bankruptcy (administration)
Arrival, which has a decade of history, has entered administration, the British version of a bankruptcy filing.
In theory, the move only impacts the company's assets in the United Kingdom, but that's functionally the entire company.
Instead of making just passenger cars, Arrival sought to build a large van, a bus, and a car that was being positioned for use by ride-hailing companies like Uber and Lyft.
The company's XL Van, which sort of looked like a more-cheaply-made version of the Mercedes Benz Sprinter, appeared to be its signature product.
The company had bold goals, according to its website.
"At Arrival, we are reinventing both the design and production of electric vehicles for end-to-end sustainability."
"Only true innovation of both products and processes can deliver the radical impact we need to combat the worst effects of the climate crisis," it shared.
That was a big goal for a company that never sold an actual vehicle.
The company, which listed its stock on the Nasdaq, had recently been informed that it was being delisted.
What's next for Arrival?
After a promising start, which included backing from Hyundai and United Parcel Service placing orders for its delivery van, it appears that Arrival will be sold for parts.
"Simon Edel, Alan Hudson and Sam Woodward of EY-Parthenon’s Turnaround and Restructuring Strategy team were appointed as joint administrators (the 'Administrators') of Arrival UK Ltd and Arrival Automotive UK Limited (the 'Companies'), both subsidiaries of Arrival," the company shared in a press release.
It appears that the company's 170 workers in the UK will lose their jobs.
"The Administrators are now exploring options for the sale of the business and assets of the Companies, including the electric vehicle platform, software, intellectual property and R&D assets, for the benefit of creditors," the company continued.
Arrival has been bleeding cash since 2021, and despite taking in $50 million in new money in 2023, it has run out of money before it sold a single vehicle.
The filing follows a number of other EV companies that have gone bankrupt.
That includes another British company, battery maker Britishvolt; Proterra, another EV battery maker; Sweden's Volta Trucks, and Lordstown Motors, which intended to make EV pickup trucks.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/compani ... 4163&ei=19
Re: ELECTRIC VEHICLES
REUTERS
"US issues $135 million in advance EV tax rebates since Jan 1, Treasury says"
By David Shepardson
February 14, 2024
WASHINGTON, Feb 14 (Reuters) - The U.S. government has reimbursed auto dealers for about $135 million in advance point-of-sale consumer electric vehicle tax credit payments since the start of the year through Feb. 6, the Treasury said on Wednesday.
Prior to 2024, U.S. auto buyers could only take advantage of the $7,500 new electric vehicle credit or $4,000 used EV credit when they filed tax returns the following year.
Starting Jan. 1, consumers can transfer the credits to a car dealer at the time of sale, effectively lowering the vehicle’s purchase price.
The Internal Revenue Service has received more than 25,000 time of sale reports, including more than 19,500 - or 78% - with advance payment requests and approximately $135 million has been paid to dealers since Jan. 1, Treasury said in disclosing the previously unreported figures.
"One month into implementation of this provision, there is strong demand for this new upfront discount, which will continue momentum in growing this industry in the United States," Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo said in a statement.
The advance payment requests include 17,500 for new EVs and 2,000 for used vehicles.
More than 11,000 U.S. auto dealers have registered for the program, including more than 8,000 registered for advanced payments.
In January, many EVs lost eligibility for tax credits after new battery sourcing rules took effect, including the Nissan Leaf, some Tesla Model 3s, Chevrolet Blazer EV, Cadillac Lyriq, Ford Mach-E and Ford E-Transit.
The Treasury issued guidelines in December aimed at weaning the U.S. electric vehicle supply chain away from China.
The number of EV models qualifying for U.S. EV tax credits fell on Jan. 1 to 19 from 43, but since then Volkswagen regained eligibility for versions of its ID.4 EV.
Consumers must attest they meet income limits to qualify for the tax credit at time of purchase or they will need to repay the government when filing their taxes.
For new vehicles, the adjusted gross income limit is $300,000 for married couples and $150,000 for individuals.
The August 2022 Inflation Reduction Act law reformed the EV tax credit, requiring vehicles to be assembled in North America to qualify for any tax credits, eliminating nearly 70% of eligible models.
It also created a used EV tax credit, lifted 200,000-vehicle manufacturer caps on credits, imposed income and vehicle price restrictions and extended credits to leased vehicles.
Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Lincoln Feast.
https://www.reuters.com/business/autos- ... 024-02-14/
"US issues $135 million in advance EV tax rebates since Jan 1, Treasury says"
By David Shepardson
February 14, 2024
WASHINGTON, Feb 14 (Reuters) - The U.S. government has reimbursed auto dealers for about $135 million in advance point-of-sale consumer electric vehicle tax credit payments since the start of the year through Feb. 6, the Treasury said on Wednesday.
Prior to 2024, U.S. auto buyers could only take advantage of the $7,500 new electric vehicle credit or $4,000 used EV credit when they filed tax returns the following year.
Starting Jan. 1, consumers can transfer the credits to a car dealer at the time of sale, effectively lowering the vehicle’s purchase price.
The Internal Revenue Service has received more than 25,000 time of sale reports, including more than 19,500 - or 78% - with advance payment requests and approximately $135 million has been paid to dealers since Jan. 1, Treasury said in disclosing the previously unreported figures.
"One month into implementation of this provision, there is strong demand for this new upfront discount, which will continue momentum in growing this industry in the United States," Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo said in a statement.
The advance payment requests include 17,500 for new EVs and 2,000 for used vehicles.
More than 11,000 U.S. auto dealers have registered for the program, including more than 8,000 registered for advanced payments.
In January, many EVs lost eligibility for tax credits after new battery sourcing rules took effect, including the Nissan Leaf, some Tesla Model 3s, Chevrolet Blazer EV, Cadillac Lyriq, Ford Mach-E and Ford E-Transit.
The Treasury issued guidelines in December aimed at weaning the U.S. electric vehicle supply chain away from China.
The number of EV models qualifying for U.S. EV tax credits fell on Jan. 1 to 19 from 43, but since then Volkswagen regained eligibility for versions of its ID.4 EV.
Consumers must attest they meet income limits to qualify for the tax credit at time of purchase or they will need to repay the government when filing their taxes.
For new vehicles, the adjusted gross income limit is $300,000 for married couples and $150,000 for individuals.
The August 2022 Inflation Reduction Act law reformed the EV tax credit, requiring vehicles to be assembled in North America to qualify for any tax credits, eliminating nearly 70% of eligible models.
It also created a used EV tax credit, lifted 200,000-vehicle manufacturer caps on credits, imposed income and vehicle price restrictions and extended credits to leased vehicles.
Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Lincoln Feast.
https://www.reuters.com/business/autos- ... 024-02-14/
Re: ELECTRIC VEHICLES
Moneywise
"Just another debacle’: Ford cut production of its electric pickup — the same truck Joe Biden drove to push EVs in America. Former Chrysler CEO said infrastructure is 'not there'"
Story by Jing Pan
14 FEBRUARY 2024
The launch of Ford's electric pickup, the F-150 Lightning, was a significant event, even drawing commendation from President Joe Biden, who expressed his admiration for the vehicle's speed after test driving it in 2021.
“This sucker’s quick,” Biden remarked, impressed by the vehicle's performance.
However, despite the ongoing increase in electric vehicle adoption in America, the journey for the F-150 Lightning has not been as seamless as anticipated.
Matching production to customer demand
Last month, Ford announced that it would reduce production of its electric pickup truck, and explained that the decision aligned with the objective of “matching F-150 Lightning production to customer demand.”
The reduction takes effect April 1.
This development led Bob Nardelli, the former CEO of Chrysler, to voice criticism towards the Biden administration's advocacy for electric vehicles.
“I think this whole EV is just another debacle in a long list of issues for this administration,” he said in an interview with FOX Business.
He added, “At one point last year [Ford] had over 100 days of inventory."
"So Jim Farley had no choice but to cut production."
"He had all that working capital tied up."
"The dealers were upset because they weren't moving products.”
To be sure, Ford managed to sell 24,165 F-150 Lightning trucks in 2023, which marked a 55% increase from 2022.
However, the majority of Ford's pickup truck customers still preferred models equipped with an internal combustion engine, as evidenced by the company's total sales of 750,789 F-Series vehicles for 2023.
From range anxiety to charging anxiety
Nardelli also highlighted the challenges associated with the transition to EVs, specifically the issue of charging infrastructure.
“You look at the recent debacle we've seen with the weather where people can no longer get their cars charged."
"Their batteries go dead overnight because they're trying to automatically keep them warm so they can accept the charge,” he said.
“So the infrastructure is just not there."
"We've moved from range anxiety to charging anxiety.”
Nevertheless, there are efforts underway to expand the charging infrastructure.
Tesla, for instance, has established a global network of more than 50,000 Superchargers, which the company claims can add up to 200 miles of range in a mere 15 minutes.
Ford customers are set to benefit from these developments, too.
Last year, Ford announced that, starting in spring 2024, its EV customers will gain access to more than 12,000 Tesla Superchargers across the U.S. and Canada.
This initiative complements the already existing network of more than 10,000 DC fast-chargers included in the BlueOval Charge Network.
Moreover, the government is contributing to addressing this issue.
Specifically, the Biden administration's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law — with an investment of $7.5 billion in EV charging infrastructure — which aims to establish a national network of 500,000 EV chargers.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets ... 987b&ei=20
"Just another debacle’: Ford cut production of its electric pickup — the same truck Joe Biden drove to push EVs in America. Former Chrysler CEO said infrastructure is 'not there'"
Story by Jing Pan
14 FEBRUARY 2024
The launch of Ford's electric pickup, the F-150 Lightning, was a significant event, even drawing commendation from President Joe Biden, who expressed his admiration for the vehicle's speed after test driving it in 2021.
“This sucker’s quick,” Biden remarked, impressed by the vehicle's performance.
However, despite the ongoing increase in electric vehicle adoption in America, the journey for the F-150 Lightning has not been as seamless as anticipated.
Matching production to customer demand
Last month, Ford announced that it would reduce production of its electric pickup truck, and explained that the decision aligned with the objective of “matching F-150 Lightning production to customer demand.”
The reduction takes effect April 1.
This development led Bob Nardelli, the former CEO of Chrysler, to voice criticism towards the Biden administration's advocacy for electric vehicles.
“I think this whole EV is just another debacle in a long list of issues for this administration,” he said in an interview with FOX Business.
He added, “At one point last year [Ford] had over 100 days of inventory."
"So Jim Farley had no choice but to cut production."
"He had all that working capital tied up."
"The dealers were upset because they weren't moving products.”
To be sure, Ford managed to sell 24,165 F-150 Lightning trucks in 2023, which marked a 55% increase from 2022.
However, the majority of Ford's pickup truck customers still preferred models equipped with an internal combustion engine, as evidenced by the company's total sales of 750,789 F-Series vehicles for 2023.
From range anxiety to charging anxiety
Nardelli also highlighted the challenges associated with the transition to EVs, specifically the issue of charging infrastructure.
“You look at the recent debacle we've seen with the weather where people can no longer get their cars charged."
"Their batteries go dead overnight because they're trying to automatically keep them warm so they can accept the charge,” he said.
“So the infrastructure is just not there."
"We've moved from range anxiety to charging anxiety.”
Nevertheless, there are efforts underway to expand the charging infrastructure.
Tesla, for instance, has established a global network of more than 50,000 Superchargers, which the company claims can add up to 200 miles of range in a mere 15 minutes.
Ford customers are set to benefit from these developments, too.
Last year, Ford announced that, starting in spring 2024, its EV customers will gain access to more than 12,000 Tesla Superchargers across the U.S. and Canada.
This initiative complements the already existing network of more than 10,000 DC fast-chargers included in the BlueOval Charge Network.
Moreover, the government is contributing to addressing this issue.
Specifically, the Biden administration's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law — with an investment of $7.5 billion in EV charging infrastructure — which aims to establish a national network of 500,000 EV chargers.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets ... 987b&ei=20
Re: ELECTRIC VEHICLES
WTEN Albany
"Battling EV car fires with blankets and boxes"
Story by James De La Fuente
15 FEBRUARY 2024
CAPITAL REGION, N.Y. (NEWS10) — First responders are raising new concerns over the challenges of fighting fires from electric vehicles (EV).
It stems from an incident over the weekend that prompted first responders to use a tool that hasn’t been used in this type of a situation before.
After an electric vehicle rolled over near Crossgate’s Mall on Sunday, a type of blanket was used to keep the Tesla battery from catching fire.
But, as NEWS10’s reporter James De La Fuente found out; it’s not the only option being used to control what could be a dangerous fire.
Electric cars come with their own set of unique problems, and that’s where these blankets come in.
“If that vehicle did reignite it’s a way to contain that fire and not allow it to spread to any other vehicles or exposures that would be present around that vehicle,” said Victor Graves, Fire Protection Specialist for the Office of Fire Prevention and Control.
He explains how the quick process works,
“First thing, they’re going to do is the vehicle fire will be put down with a handline to make it save it to approach."
"Once that’s done, they’re going to deploy the blanket to set it up to set it up for the windows at their backs to help push the smoke away."
"Once they do that they’re going to spread the blanket out and the blanket is designed to be deployed by a minimum of two firefighters eventually just grab it over the top of the vehicle once the vehicle is covered at that point they’re going to go around and Tuck the blanket in under the vehicle for the purpose of the suppression of the vapors and the suppression of oxygen going inside there."
"Once it’s on and tucked inside the vehicle is the safe as we can make it at that point,” said Graves.
The price for battling electric car fires can be high.
Fire officials say it can take tens of thousands of gallons of water just to put out an EV fire.
And then, there’s the blankets.
They cost about eleven hundred dollars apiece and can be used once.
However, Joe Ernst, owner of KJ Sterns Towing created another option.
“We call it BIBS."
"(B)urn (I)solation (B)ox (S)ystem,” said Ernst.
Ernst has a patent pending on his box.
Instead of suppressing the flames, it allows the fire to safely burn itself out.
“The venting on the bottom allows the flame to go straight up and it takes the heat away from the side walls."
"So, we actually put the vents in and we actually did our tests."
"We had the vents on one side and no vents on the other side."
"The non-vented side was extremely, it was twice the temperature of the vented side,” said Ernst.
Fire officials say BIBS can also protect anything else from catching fire.
The cost for a BIBS is about $30,000, and Ernst says they last a lot longer.
“I would say 20 years easily,” said Ernst.
According to Kelley Blue Book 8.1 % of all new cars purchased in 2023 were electric.
That equates to 1.2 million U.S. buyers choosing to go electric, last year.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/battl ... 6730&ei=26
"Battling EV car fires with blankets and boxes"
Story by James De La Fuente
15 FEBRUARY 2024
CAPITAL REGION, N.Y. (NEWS10) — First responders are raising new concerns over the challenges of fighting fires from electric vehicles (EV).
It stems from an incident over the weekend that prompted first responders to use a tool that hasn’t been used in this type of a situation before.
After an electric vehicle rolled over near Crossgate’s Mall on Sunday, a type of blanket was used to keep the Tesla battery from catching fire.
But, as NEWS10’s reporter James De La Fuente found out; it’s not the only option being used to control what could be a dangerous fire.
Electric cars come with their own set of unique problems, and that’s where these blankets come in.
“If that vehicle did reignite it’s a way to contain that fire and not allow it to spread to any other vehicles or exposures that would be present around that vehicle,” said Victor Graves, Fire Protection Specialist for the Office of Fire Prevention and Control.
He explains how the quick process works,
“First thing, they’re going to do is the vehicle fire will be put down with a handline to make it save it to approach."
"Once that’s done, they’re going to deploy the blanket to set it up to set it up for the windows at their backs to help push the smoke away."
"Once they do that they’re going to spread the blanket out and the blanket is designed to be deployed by a minimum of two firefighters eventually just grab it over the top of the vehicle once the vehicle is covered at that point they’re going to go around and Tuck the blanket in under the vehicle for the purpose of the suppression of the vapors and the suppression of oxygen going inside there."
"Once it’s on and tucked inside the vehicle is the safe as we can make it at that point,” said Graves.
The price for battling electric car fires can be high.
Fire officials say it can take tens of thousands of gallons of water just to put out an EV fire.
And then, there’s the blankets.
They cost about eleven hundred dollars apiece and can be used once.
However, Joe Ernst, owner of KJ Sterns Towing created another option.
“We call it BIBS."
"(B)urn (I)solation (B)ox (S)ystem,” said Ernst.
Ernst has a patent pending on his box.
Instead of suppressing the flames, it allows the fire to safely burn itself out.
“The venting on the bottom allows the flame to go straight up and it takes the heat away from the side walls."
"So, we actually put the vents in and we actually did our tests."
"We had the vents on one side and no vents on the other side."
"The non-vented side was extremely, it was twice the temperature of the vented side,” said Ernst.
Fire officials say BIBS can also protect anything else from catching fire.
The cost for a BIBS is about $30,000, and Ernst says they last a lot longer.
“I would say 20 years easily,” said Ernst.
According to Kelley Blue Book 8.1 % of all new cars purchased in 2023 were electric.
That equates to 1.2 million U.S. buyers choosing to go electric, last year.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/battl ... 6730&ei=26
Re: ELECTRIC VEHICLES
REUTERS
"Biden's drive for EVs collides with Detroit's profit machines"
By Joseph White
February 15, 2024
Feb 15 (Reuters) - The Biden administration and automakers are in the final stages of negotiating over ambitious new rules to accelerate the electric-vehicle transition that could cost Detroit's automakers billions and fuel an election-year clash over climate policy.
The White House could enact proposed Environmental Protection Agency regulations as soon as March that would mandate dramatic reductions in tailpipe emissions.
The administration proposal would require boosting U.S. EV market share to 67% by 2032 from less than 8% in 2023.
General Motors, Ford and Stellantis — the European parent of U.S.-based Ram and Jeep - have warned they cannot profitably transition their truck-heavy U.S. fleets that quickly, according to a Reuters analysis of automakers’ sales data and a review of comments to regulators.
The United Auto Workers, which represents about 146,000 workers at the Detroit Three, has endorsed Biden for re-election.
But the union has told the administration its drive for EVs puts jobs at risk.
Automakers endorsed an earlier administration target to boost EVs to 50% of new vehicle sales by 2030.
Groups representing auto dealers have joined in criticism of more ambitious targets, citing the slowdown in EV sales growth.
The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, which represents the Detroit Three and other established automakers, said the proposals could expose U.S. automakers to $14 billion in fines for failing to hit the CO2 targets.
Elon Musk and Tesla, the U.S. EV market leader, have countered that the Biden proposals should be even tougher.
In comments on the EPA proposal, Tesla advocated rules that would push EVs to 69% market share by 2032, and 100% by 2035.
Biden administration officials, industry representatives and environmental groups have been meeting this month, according to White House records.
Volkswagen of America chief Pablo Di Si told Reuters earlier this month "the government has been receptive in listening to us...I hope we'll see some modification."
The impending rules also have implications for Biden’s re-election campaign.
Michigan, home to thousands of UAW members who build Detroit-brand trucks and SUVs, is a pivotal state in the contest to capture the White House.
Former President Donald Trump has made bashing EVs a key campaign strategy — branding them as a job-killing “hoax” and a capitulation to China.
Ford, GM and Stellantis, in written comments to the agency, have urged the administration to reduce potentially costly conflicts among overlapping regulations administered by the Transportation Department, Energy Department and the state of California.
Those conflicts could result in "added costs for OEMs that will impact jobs, capital investments, and ultimately the success of the transition" to EVs, GM wrote.
GM indicated in public comments that new emissions rules should allow for a slower ramp up of EV sales toward the 2032 goal.
But GM also said Energy Department proposals to reduce emissions credits generated by EV sales "will result in disproportionately higher compliance costs for GM and the Detroit 3."
Stellantis criticized the EPA in its written comments for "completely ignoring the market benefit of plug-in hybrid electric vehicle" technology.
The automaker plans a plug-in hybrid Ram pickup and currently sells Jeep and Chrysler plug-in hybrid models.
"In a consumer environment that strongly favors light trucks, Stellantis introduced plug-in hybrid technology – a decision that is resonating in the U.S.," the company said in a statement Wednesday.
The EV price war launched by Tesla last year amplified Detroit's concerns.
“You will have a bloodbath” as legacy automakers struggle to absorb high EV investment and production costs, Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares told reporters in February.
LAGGING BEHIND
U.S. electric-vehicle market share trails far behind that of Europe and especially China, where 29.9% of vehicles sold in January were EVs or plug-in hybrids.
Non-union Tesla dominates U.S. electric-vehicle sales.
The unionized Detroit automakers trail far behind, with EVs accounting for only 4% of Ford’s total sales and 3% of GM deliveries.
Stellantis plans to launch eight battery-electric vehicles in the U.S. by the end of 2024, including an all-electric Ram pickup and two Jeep EVs.
The problem for Detroit brands in meeting Biden’s proposed emissions curbs is their outsized reliance on their largest and least efficient vehicles: mid- and full-sized pickups and truck-based SUVs.
Such vehicles account for 46% of GM’s sales and 59% percent of those at Ford, a Reuters review of their 2023 sales by model shows.
Those figures do not include the automakers’ smaller, car-based crossover SUVs.
The Ram and Jeep brands exclusively sell pickups and SUVs and accounted for 77% of Stellantis' U.S. sales last year.
INCENTIVE TO POLLUTE
As Detroit pushes back, environmental groups are countering that a climate emergency demands an even stricter mandate for all-electric fleets by 2035.
The Biden administration regulations, if enacted, would mark an abrupt and painful change for Detroit after years of regulations that have incentivized the automakers’ focus on trucks and SUVs by giving these models easier emissions targets to meet.
The rules enabled automakers to build more of the large, heavy, powerful vehicles many U.S. customers wanted and would pay premium prices to own.
All told, pickup trucks, sport utility vehicles, and car-based crossovers accounted for 79% of light vehicle sales in the U.S. market last year. In 1975, 80% of vehicles sold in the United States were sedans, according to the EPA.
The agency, in a statement to Reuters, said the average fuel economy of all U.S. vehicles would be 18% higher than the 26 mpg 2022 average if the fleet had the same ratio of cars to trucks as it had 50 years ago.
Gasoline engines today are far more efficient than those of the 1970s.
But automakers have used efficiency gains to provide customers more horsepower or larger vehicles, EPA data show.
Detroit’s automakers now have the lowest average fuel economy among 14 major manufacturers in the U.S. market.
All three fall short of the industry average 26.9 MPG the EPA projects for 2023 models.
“Improvements to gasoline power technology have been wasted on moving to larger and more powerful vehicles,” said David Cooke of the environmental group Union of Concerned Scientists.
TOUGH ROAD AHEAD
Biden’s proposals could require the Detroit automakers to undertake extensive product or technological overhauls to comply.
GM had eschewed hybrids for the U.S. market as a waste of resources.
In February, however, GM Chief Executive Mary Barra said GM is now working on plug-in hybrids for the U.S. market in response to rising sales of hybrids.
Both Ford and GM have struggled to sell their full-sized EV pickups.
Ford in January cut 2024 production of the F-150 Lightning to one shift, reversing earlier plans to accelerate to three shifts daily.
GM’s new Silverado EV sold just 461 copies last year.
Reporting by Joseph White in Detroit and David Shepardson in Washington; Written by Joseph White. Editing by Brian Thevenot and Anna Driver
https://www.reuters.com/business/autos- ... 024-02-15/
"Biden's drive for EVs collides with Detroit's profit machines"
By Joseph White
February 15, 2024
Feb 15 (Reuters) - The Biden administration and automakers are in the final stages of negotiating over ambitious new rules to accelerate the electric-vehicle transition that could cost Detroit's automakers billions and fuel an election-year clash over climate policy.
The White House could enact proposed Environmental Protection Agency regulations as soon as March that would mandate dramatic reductions in tailpipe emissions.
The administration proposal would require boosting U.S. EV market share to 67% by 2032 from less than 8% in 2023.
General Motors, Ford and Stellantis — the European parent of U.S.-based Ram and Jeep - have warned they cannot profitably transition their truck-heavy U.S. fleets that quickly, according to a Reuters analysis of automakers’ sales data and a review of comments to regulators.
The United Auto Workers, which represents about 146,000 workers at the Detroit Three, has endorsed Biden for re-election.
But the union has told the administration its drive for EVs puts jobs at risk.
Automakers endorsed an earlier administration target to boost EVs to 50% of new vehicle sales by 2030.
Groups representing auto dealers have joined in criticism of more ambitious targets, citing the slowdown in EV sales growth.
The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, which represents the Detroit Three and other established automakers, said the proposals could expose U.S. automakers to $14 billion in fines for failing to hit the CO2 targets.
Elon Musk and Tesla, the U.S. EV market leader, have countered that the Biden proposals should be even tougher.
In comments on the EPA proposal, Tesla advocated rules that would push EVs to 69% market share by 2032, and 100% by 2035.
Biden administration officials, industry representatives and environmental groups have been meeting this month, according to White House records.
Volkswagen of America chief Pablo Di Si told Reuters earlier this month "the government has been receptive in listening to us...I hope we'll see some modification."
The impending rules also have implications for Biden’s re-election campaign.
Michigan, home to thousands of UAW members who build Detroit-brand trucks and SUVs, is a pivotal state in the contest to capture the White House.
Former President Donald Trump has made bashing EVs a key campaign strategy — branding them as a job-killing “hoax” and a capitulation to China.
Ford, GM and Stellantis, in written comments to the agency, have urged the administration to reduce potentially costly conflicts among overlapping regulations administered by the Transportation Department, Energy Department and the state of California.
Those conflicts could result in "added costs for OEMs that will impact jobs, capital investments, and ultimately the success of the transition" to EVs, GM wrote.
GM indicated in public comments that new emissions rules should allow for a slower ramp up of EV sales toward the 2032 goal.
But GM also said Energy Department proposals to reduce emissions credits generated by EV sales "will result in disproportionately higher compliance costs for GM and the Detroit 3."
Stellantis criticized the EPA in its written comments for "completely ignoring the market benefit of plug-in hybrid electric vehicle" technology.
The automaker plans a plug-in hybrid Ram pickup and currently sells Jeep and Chrysler plug-in hybrid models.
"In a consumer environment that strongly favors light trucks, Stellantis introduced plug-in hybrid technology – a decision that is resonating in the U.S.," the company said in a statement Wednesday.
The EV price war launched by Tesla last year amplified Detroit's concerns.
“You will have a bloodbath” as legacy automakers struggle to absorb high EV investment and production costs, Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares told reporters in February.
LAGGING BEHIND
U.S. electric-vehicle market share trails far behind that of Europe and especially China, where 29.9% of vehicles sold in January were EVs or plug-in hybrids.
Non-union Tesla dominates U.S. electric-vehicle sales.
The unionized Detroit automakers trail far behind, with EVs accounting for only 4% of Ford’s total sales and 3% of GM deliveries.
Stellantis plans to launch eight battery-electric vehicles in the U.S. by the end of 2024, including an all-electric Ram pickup and two Jeep EVs.
The problem for Detroit brands in meeting Biden’s proposed emissions curbs is their outsized reliance on their largest and least efficient vehicles: mid- and full-sized pickups and truck-based SUVs.
Such vehicles account for 46% of GM’s sales and 59% percent of those at Ford, a Reuters review of their 2023 sales by model shows.
Those figures do not include the automakers’ smaller, car-based crossover SUVs.
The Ram and Jeep brands exclusively sell pickups and SUVs and accounted for 77% of Stellantis' U.S. sales last year.
INCENTIVE TO POLLUTE
As Detroit pushes back, environmental groups are countering that a climate emergency demands an even stricter mandate for all-electric fleets by 2035.
The Biden administration regulations, if enacted, would mark an abrupt and painful change for Detroit after years of regulations that have incentivized the automakers’ focus on trucks and SUVs by giving these models easier emissions targets to meet.
The rules enabled automakers to build more of the large, heavy, powerful vehicles many U.S. customers wanted and would pay premium prices to own.
All told, pickup trucks, sport utility vehicles, and car-based crossovers accounted for 79% of light vehicle sales in the U.S. market last year. In 1975, 80% of vehicles sold in the United States were sedans, according to the EPA.
The agency, in a statement to Reuters, said the average fuel economy of all U.S. vehicles would be 18% higher than the 26 mpg 2022 average if the fleet had the same ratio of cars to trucks as it had 50 years ago.
Gasoline engines today are far more efficient than those of the 1970s.
But automakers have used efficiency gains to provide customers more horsepower or larger vehicles, EPA data show.
Detroit’s automakers now have the lowest average fuel economy among 14 major manufacturers in the U.S. market.
All three fall short of the industry average 26.9 MPG the EPA projects for 2023 models.
“Improvements to gasoline power technology have been wasted on moving to larger and more powerful vehicles,” said David Cooke of the environmental group Union of Concerned Scientists.
TOUGH ROAD AHEAD
Biden’s proposals could require the Detroit automakers to undertake extensive product or technological overhauls to comply.
GM had eschewed hybrids for the U.S. market as a waste of resources.
In February, however, GM Chief Executive Mary Barra said GM is now working on plug-in hybrids for the U.S. market in response to rising sales of hybrids.
Both Ford and GM have struggled to sell their full-sized EV pickups.
Ford in January cut 2024 production of the F-150 Lightning to one shift, reversing earlier plans to accelerate to three shifts daily.
GM’s new Silverado EV sold just 461 copies last year.
Reporting by Joseph White in Detroit and David Shepardson in Washington; Written by Joseph White. Editing by Brian Thevenot and Anna Driver
https://www.reuters.com/business/autos- ... 024-02-15/
Re: ELECTRIC VEHICLES
REUTERS
"Waymo recalls 444 self-driving vehicles over software error"
By David Shepardson
February 15, 2024
Feb 15 (Reuters) - Alphabet's Waymo unit has recalled 444 self-driving vehicles after two minor collisions in quick succession in Arizona because a software error could result in them inaccurately predicting the movement of a towed vehicle.
All of the vehicles are in the company's possession and had software updates last month.
Waymo said in a filing Thursday with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that in December one of its autonomous vehicles operating in Phoenix, Arizona made contact with a "pickup truck being towed backwards and at an angle relative to the towing vehicle."
The towing vehicle was "improperly traveling straight in the middle shared turn lane and the pickup truck being towed was partially occupying the travel lane immediately to the right of the middle shared turn lane."
The Waymo AV was in the same travel lane as a portion of the towed pickup truck when the front left of the Waymo AV made contact with the pickup truck, the company said.
Waymo said that several minutes later "a second Waymo AV made contact with the same off-angle towed pickup truck, which had continued after the first contact and was still occupying multiple lanes."
The two events were both at low relative speeds.
Neither collision resulted in injuries, Waymo said.
Waymo met with NHTSA on the issue on four separate occasions starting on Dec. 15 and most recently last week.
Waymo said it "carefully considered points raised by NHTSA in these discussions."
Waymo’s Safety Board said due to the unique characteristics of the collisions that it "warranted submitting this report to NHTSA to fulfill relevant notification obligations."
The recall announcement comes days after a crowd vandalized and set fire to a Waymo self-driving car using a firework in San Francisco, marking the most destructive attack so far on driverless vehicles in the United States.
California lawmakers and labor unions rallied on Monday to call for laws to not allow autonomous trucks without human drivers, amid rising safety concerns after accidents.
Separately, NHTSA said electric automaker Lucid Group recalled 189 of its Air vehicles to fix a software issue that could have resulted in loss of drive power.
Waymo and Lucid did not respond to Reuters requests for comment.
Reporting by David Shepardson in Washington, Shubham Kalia, Yuvraj Malik and Arsheeya Singh Bajwa in Bengaluru; Editing by Arun Koyyur and Keith Weir
https://www.reuters.com/technology/waym ... 024-02-15/
"Waymo recalls 444 self-driving vehicles over software error"
By David Shepardson
February 15, 2024
Feb 15 (Reuters) - Alphabet's Waymo unit has recalled 444 self-driving vehicles after two minor collisions in quick succession in Arizona because a software error could result in them inaccurately predicting the movement of a towed vehicle.
All of the vehicles are in the company's possession and had software updates last month.
Waymo said in a filing Thursday with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that in December one of its autonomous vehicles operating in Phoenix, Arizona made contact with a "pickup truck being towed backwards and at an angle relative to the towing vehicle."
The towing vehicle was "improperly traveling straight in the middle shared turn lane and the pickup truck being towed was partially occupying the travel lane immediately to the right of the middle shared turn lane."
The Waymo AV was in the same travel lane as a portion of the towed pickup truck when the front left of the Waymo AV made contact with the pickup truck, the company said.
Waymo said that several minutes later "a second Waymo AV made contact with the same off-angle towed pickup truck, which had continued after the first contact and was still occupying multiple lanes."
The two events were both at low relative speeds.
Neither collision resulted in injuries, Waymo said.
Waymo met with NHTSA on the issue on four separate occasions starting on Dec. 15 and most recently last week.
Waymo said it "carefully considered points raised by NHTSA in these discussions."
Waymo’s Safety Board said due to the unique characteristics of the collisions that it "warranted submitting this report to NHTSA to fulfill relevant notification obligations."
The recall announcement comes days after a crowd vandalized and set fire to a Waymo self-driving car using a firework in San Francisco, marking the most destructive attack so far on driverless vehicles in the United States.
California lawmakers and labor unions rallied on Monday to call for laws to not allow autonomous trucks without human drivers, amid rising safety concerns after accidents.
Separately, NHTSA said electric automaker Lucid Group recalled 189 of its Air vehicles to fix a software issue that could have resulted in loss of drive power.
Waymo and Lucid did not respond to Reuters requests for comment.
Reporting by David Shepardson in Washington, Shubham Kalia, Yuvraj Malik and Arsheeya Singh Bajwa in Bengaluru; Editing by Arun Koyyur and Keith Weir
https://www.reuters.com/technology/waym ... 024-02-15/
Re: ELECTRIC VEHICLES
REUTERS
"US to soften tailpipe rules, slow EV transition through 2030"
By David Shepardson
February 19, 2024
WASHINGTON, Feb 18 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden's administration is set to ease proposed yearly requirements through 2030 of its sweeping plan to aggressively cut tailpipe emissions and ramp up electric vehicle sales, two sources told Reuters on Sunday.
Automakers and the United Auto Workers had urged the Biden administration to slow the proposed ramp-up in EV sales.
They say EV technology is still too costly for many mainstream U.S. consumers and that more time is needed to develop the charging infrastructure.
The Environmental Protection Agency in April 2023 proposed requiring a 56% reduction in new vehicle emissions by 2032.
Under the initial EPA proposal covering 2027-2032, automakers were expected to aim for EVs to constitute 60% of their new vehicle production by 2030 and 67% by 2032 to meet stricter emissions requirements.
Under the revised final regulation expected to be made public as soon as next month, the EPA will slow the pace of its proposed yearly emissions requirements through 2030.
The new pace is expected to result in EVs accounting for less than 60% of total vehicles produced by 2030, the sources said.
The UAW, which endorsed Biden in January even as Republican Donald Trump argues that Biden's vehicle rules threaten auto jobs, says the EPA proposal should be revised to increase stringency "more gradually" and occur over a "greater period of time."
The Alliance for Automotive Innovation (AAI), a trade group representing General Motors, Ford Motor, Stellantis, Toyota, Volkswagen and others, last year called the initial EPA proposal "neither reasonable nor achievable" and urged "adopting requirements for 40 to 50% (electric, plug-in electric and fuel vehicles) in 2030."
EVs accounted for about 8% of sales in 2023.
AAI CEO John Bozzella said on Sunday that the next few years are critical for the EV market.
"Give the market and supply chains a chance to catch up, maintain a customer’s ability to choose, let more public charging come online, let the industrial credits and Inflation Reduction Act do their thing and impact the industrial shift," Bozzella said.
The New York Times reported the EPA plans earlier and said the revised proposal ramps up requirements from 2030 through 2032.
An EPA spokesperson said the proposal remains under interagency review and that it plans to finalize a rule that is "readily achievable, secures reductions in dangerous air and climate pollution and ensures economic benefits."
White House climate adviser Ali Zaidi, who has held talks with automakers on tailpipe rules, said in a statement Sunday the United States is "harnessing the power of smart investments and standards to ensure U.S. workers will lead, not follow, the global auto sector."
The Alliance for Automotive Innovation met with the White House and EPA last week to discuss the proposal, while Tesla officials had a separate White House meeting on Feb. 9.
Volkswagen of America chief Pablo Di Si told Reuters earlier this month "the government has been receptive in listening to us...I hope we'll see some modification."
The EPA is also expected to address other concerns raised by automakers including a proposal to drastically reduce particulate matter from gas-powered vehicles, which the industry has argued would effectively require gasoline particulate filters on every gas-powered vehicle.
Automakers also object to the EPA plan to largely eliminate the use of "enrichment" - a strategy to boost performance and prevent engine damage from hot exhaust gases - which they say would bar them from using some engines.
Automakers have also sounded the alarm over the Energy Department's proposal to significantly revise how it calculates the petroleum-equivalent fuel economy rating for EVs in the Transportation Department's Corporate Average Fuel Economy program, saying it would sharply boost fines for not complying.
The Energy Department sent its revised proposal for final rules to the White House for review on Feb. 9.
The Transportation Department's separate proposal to boost CAFE requirements is expected later this spring.
Reporting by David Shepardson and Jasper Ward in Washington and Joseph White in Detroit; Additional reporting by Jeff Mason in Washington; Editing by Deepa Babington, Matthew Lewis and Diane Craft
https://www.reuters.com/business/autos- ... 024-02-18/
"US to soften tailpipe rules, slow EV transition through 2030"
By David Shepardson
February 19, 2024
WASHINGTON, Feb 18 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden's administration is set to ease proposed yearly requirements through 2030 of its sweeping plan to aggressively cut tailpipe emissions and ramp up electric vehicle sales, two sources told Reuters on Sunday.
Automakers and the United Auto Workers had urged the Biden administration to slow the proposed ramp-up in EV sales.
They say EV technology is still too costly for many mainstream U.S. consumers and that more time is needed to develop the charging infrastructure.
The Environmental Protection Agency in April 2023 proposed requiring a 56% reduction in new vehicle emissions by 2032.
Under the initial EPA proposal covering 2027-2032, automakers were expected to aim for EVs to constitute 60% of their new vehicle production by 2030 and 67% by 2032 to meet stricter emissions requirements.
Under the revised final regulation expected to be made public as soon as next month, the EPA will slow the pace of its proposed yearly emissions requirements through 2030.
The new pace is expected to result in EVs accounting for less than 60% of total vehicles produced by 2030, the sources said.
The UAW, which endorsed Biden in January even as Republican Donald Trump argues that Biden's vehicle rules threaten auto jobs, says the EPA proposal should be revised to increase stringency "more gradually" and occur over a "greater period of time."
The Alliance for Automotive Innovation (AAI), a trade group representing General Motors, Ford Motor, Stellantis, Toyota, Volkswagen and others, last year called the initial EPA proposal "neither reasonable nor achievable" and urged "adopting requirements for 40 to 50% (electric, plug-in electric and fuel vehicles) in 2030."
EVs accounted for about 8% of sales in 2023.
AAI CEO John Bozzella said on Sunday that the next few years are critical for the EV market.
"Give the market and supply chains a chance to catch up, maintain a customer’s ability to choose, let more public charging come online, let the industrial credits and Inflation Reduction Act do their thing and impact the industrial shift," Bozzella said.
The New York Times reported the EPA plans earlier and said the revised proposal ramps up requirements from 2030 through 2032.
An EPA spokesperson said the proposal remains under interagency review and that it plans to finalize a rule that is "readily achievable, secures reductions in dangerous air and climate pollution and ensures economic benefits."
White House climate adviser Ali Zaidi, who has held talks with automakers on tailpipe rules, said in a statement Sunday the United States is "harnessing the power of smart investments and standards to ensure U.S. workers will lead, not follow, the global auto sector."
The Alliance for Automotive Innovation met with the White House and EPA last week to discuss the proposal, while Tesla officials had a separate White House meeting on Feb. 9.
Volkswagen of America chief Pablo Di Si told Reuters earlier this month "the government has been receptive in listening to us...I hope we'll see some modification."
The EPA is also expected to address other concerns raised by automakers including a proposal to drastically reduce particulate matter from gas-powered vehicles, which the industry has argued would effectively require gasoline particulate filters on every gas-powered vehicle.
Automakers also object to the EPA plan to largely eliminate the use of "enrichment" - a strategy to boost performance and prevent engine damage from hot exhaust gases - which they say would bar them from using some engines.
Automakers have also sounded the alarm over the Energy Department's proposal to significantly revise how it calculates the petroleum-equivalent fuel economy rating for EVs in the Transportation Department's Corporate Average Fuel Economy program, saying it would sharply boost fines for not complying.
The Energy Department sent its revised proposal for final rules to the White House for review on Feb. 9.
The Transportation Department's separate proposal to boost CAFE requirements is expected later this spring.
Reporting by David Shepardson and Jasper Ward in Washington and Joseph White in Detroit; Additional reporting by Jeff Mason in Washington; Editing by Deepa Babington, Matthew Lewis and Diane Craft
https://www.reuters.com/business/autos- ... 024-02-18/