U.S. Treasury Bows to Industry Pressure On EV Tax Credit Scheme

The United States Department of the Treasury appears to have caved after receiving sustained pressure from the auto lobby, modifying how vehicles are classified in the updated EV tax credit scheme in a manner designed to make more vehicles eligible. Rather than leaning on Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards, the Treasury has said it will instead use the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Fuel Economy Labeling standard to determine when a vehicle is an SUV, pickup, sedan, or van.

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QOTD: Range Anxiety

Hyundai announced today that the maximum range in the Ioniq6 will be a tick over 360 miles.

Not bad!

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Suzuki Jimny May Soon Become Electrified

If you’re into tackling off-road challenges on a budget or have an unhealthy amount of nostalgia for the Suzuki Samurai that was taken from us in the 1990s, you were probably disheartened to learn that the Jimny (which is what the Samurai is called globally) wouldn’t be coming to North America. Suzuki had already exited our market and the logic at the time was that a super-small ORV probably wouldn’t see a lot of takers in the land where full-sized pickups reign supreme. While Europe was given access to the Jimny, sweeping emission laws have spelled trouble for the K15B engine it uses there. However, Suzuki now seems to have figured out how to get around that problem and indirectly announced on Thursday that the model would eventually become an EV. 

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Study: Electric Cars Cost More to "Fill up" Than Gas

A Michigan-based think tank has claimed that it now costs less to drive an internal combustion vehicle 100 miles than to charge up a comparably all-electric vehicle using home charging. Though this claim comes with a few caveats, starting with acknowledging that this only applies to “midpriced” vehicles based on the national average for fuel and electricity rates.

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Sen. Manchin Proposes Bill to Force Treasury to Finalize EV Tax Credit Guidance

Despite the United States having an entirely new EV tax credit scheme under the so-called Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), there’s nobody adhering to it right now. That’s because the Treasury Department decided to delay issuing specific guidance on battery matters until March, nullifying any restrictions based on content requirements. While this means more automakers have been able to take advantage of government subsidies, it also means they haven’t been required to follow any of the stipulations outlined in the IRA for 2023.

Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) believes this is unacceptable and has advanced legislation that would effectively force the U.S. Treasury to do its job.

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EV Resale Values Are a Mystery

Have you ever thought about the resale value of electric vehicles? I admit I haven't thought about it as much as I probably should have. Apparently, I am not the only one who is a bit clueless about it -- it's a market mystery.

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Ford Cutting Over 1,000 Jobs in Germany as Company Pivots to EVs

Ford is reportedly preparing to lay off a minimum of 1,000 German employees as it prepares to manufacture two battery-electric models developed under Volkswagen’s MEB platform. The partnership is old news, as is Ford wanting to pivot toward all-electric vehicles. However, everyone seems surprised that the decision would be accompanied by job cuts – despite countless reports having predicted that the global push toward EVs would mean far-fewer automotive jobs in the years to come.

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Norwegian Cruise Ship Company Says Electricity and Water Don’t Mix

Passengers seeking space for their electric vehicles on vessels operated by Havila Voyages out of Norway are about to find themselves left ashore. The company is taking the advice of a risk analysis firm and refusing to board any electric, hybrid, or hydrogen vehicles on its ships.

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Opinion: Political Stunts Remain as Tiresome as Ever

Earlier this week, we covered legislation introduced in Wyoming that would ban the sale of EVs in that state.

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GM Exploring Small Ultium-Based Electric Pickup

Despite what automakers and your fragile ego tell you, owning the largest full-size pickup you can find does not make you cooler or more interesting. However, it does make you more likely to be frustrated while parking and waiting in line at your third fuel stop of the week. Ford and Hyundai offer small-truck solutions with the Maverick and Santa Cruz, respectively, and now it’s General Motors’ turn.

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Used Car of the Day: 2012 Fisker Karma

And now, for something a little different. You don't see used Fisker Karmas for sale too often.

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Shell to Acquire Volta’s EV Charging Network for Roughly $169 Million

Volta Inc. has announced a merger agreement under which Shell USA would acquire Volta in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $169 million (USD). The big get here is Volta’s electric-vehicle charging network that doubles as a media board that can display advertisements, public service, announcements, and whatever else Shell might want people to see.

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QOTD: What Tech is Best for Decarbonization?


A new federal report suggests that EVs, not hydrogen-fueled vehicles, are the way to go, at least when it comes to the passenger-vehicle fleet. Trucks, however, might be best served by hydrogen.

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Citroën CEO Claims Electrification Will Kill Boxy SUVs

Citroën CEO Vincent Cobée is under the impression that sport utility vehicles are about to become extinct. “The world of SUVs is done,” he remarked in an interview with Auto Express, claiming that the aerodynamics of electrified vehicles – designed to maximize efficiency – will probably put an end to flat-faced SUVs.

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BMW Boss Claims American Politics Won’t Change EV Strategy

Last week, BMW Group CEO Oliver Zipse reportedly claimed that political agendas would not influence its electrification plans. Though the entire discussion was prompted by exactly that, forcing the automaker to address supply chain logistics that likely prohibited it from qualifying for the United States' rejiggered EV subsidy scheme


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QOTD: Are Futuristic Interiors Hurting EV Adoption?

I just turned in an Audi Q4 loaner, and its interior tech was a bit -- futuristic. From its ability to turn off the radio only when your butt left the seat after parking to its shifter to its oddly-shaped steering wheel, the car's cabin is meant to give off an impression of being tomorrow's future today.

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Study: America Allegedly Needs to Quadruple EV Chargers by 2025

The United States is in the midst of expanding its electric vehicle charging network to ensure there’s sufficient charging capacity for the planned deluge of EV sales. Companies are even getting government money earmarked within the so-called Inflation Reduction Act to ensure that the Biden administration’s lofty environmental goals are maintained. However, a recent report by S&P Global Mobility has suggested the U.S. is nowhere near on pace to meet projected EV demand. 

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Peugeot Inception Concept Bows With Wild Looks

Yes, we know – this is (yet another) concept vehicle that bears little to no reality toward anything its namesake will ever build. And it’s being hawked by a brand with precisely zero consumer presence in this country. So what is it doing on the landing page of our site?


Because just look at the thing! That’s why!

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Watts Up: EV News of the Week January 6, 2023

Happy New Year, TTAC! We’re less than a full week into 2023 and there’s already a ton of EV and EV-adjacent news to cover that I was struggling to figure out where to start — that is until Stellantis took the wraps off the new Ram Revolution BEV concept truck at CES last night!

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Ram Aims to Start a Revolution at CES

The Ram Revolution Concept is here. Ram took the wraps off its competitor to the Ford F-150 Lightning and Chevrolet Silverado EV at the 2023 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas today.

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New IRS Guidance Opens the Door to Tax Credits for Leased EVs That Bypass Final Assembly Rules

Tax credits for electric vehicles have never been the easiest to understand, and the changes recently made with the Inflation Reduction Act have caused even more confusion. The legislation rebooted the federal EV tax credit, bringing new requirements on final vehicle assembly and raw materials sourcing. Though at first, it appeared the new rules would exclude EVs from some of the country’s most popular automakers, the IRS released more guidance that seems to leave a small loophole open for hopeful buyers seeking a credit.

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Study: Auto Execs Are Becoming Less Optimistic About EV Adoption

Automotive executives are reportedly scaling back their expectations for EV adoption, according to an annual survey conducted by KPMG International. Last year, professionals working at the top of the industry reported that they believed (on average) that over half of all new vehicles sold in the United States by 2030 would be battery-electric. But their faith in electrification appears to be evaporating, with most respondents suggesting that particular goal is no longer achievable. 

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Canada to Mandate 100 Percent EV Sales by 2035

The Canadian government will mandate the sale of EVs by the middle of the next decade. That's the message from the country's Environment minister Steven Guilbeault in new regulations his office announced earlier this week.

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Buick Requiring Dealers to Invest at Least $300K to Go EV

Buick has big EV plans, and its dealers will be paying a big cost if they want to stay with the brand.

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U.S. Treasury Stalls EV Tax Credit Guidance

On Monday, the United States Treasury Department said it will issue proposed guidance for the updated EV tax credit scheme in March of 2023. However, the Inflation Reduction Act (H.R. 5376) directed the department to finalize its recommendations before 2022 was over by setting a December 31st deadline. While it sounds like bad news for automakers, the delay may actually work to their advantage by delaying new mineral and battery component requirements that may have made vehicles using foreign-sourced batteries ineligible.

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Watt's Up for the Week of 12/16/2022

As the best-selling vehicle in the U.S. and very nearly a brand (if not an entire economy) unto itself, major news about the Ford F-series pickup is almost always going to be the most significant automotive news of a given week – but, while there is huge F-150 news this week, the Blue Oval brand is going to have to take a back seat to this shocker: For the first time in well over a decade, the cost of making an EV battery has gone UP.

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Report: EV Enthusiasm Faces Challenges

Reuters is out with a report today showing that while the industry continues to make a strong effort to transition to electric vehicles, the ride won't be smooth, especially for investors.

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Popular YouTuber Complains That Ford Lightning Winter Range Is Too Small

Hoovie's Garage, aka Tyler Hoover, is a popular YouTube influencer, and he's claiming he's "done" with his Ford F-150 Lightning, which he owns with a friend, because the range in the winter isn't good enough.

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Turn Down for Watt: EVs May Lower Power Rates – Report

In what is – for this addled author, at least – a mind-bending concept, a recent study by an outfit called Synapse Energy Economics suggests the adoption of electric vehicles may actually lower the cost of electricity.


That sound you hear is the B&B tripping over seized engine blocks and rusty Panther chassis cross members as they race to the comment section.

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U.S. Preps $2.5 Billion for GM Electric Vehicle Battery Venture With LG

With the United States having successfully passed the Inflation Reduction Act over the summer, the financial floodgates have been opened for battery suppliers. Despite often being framed as a massive infrastructure package that would also help tamp down U.S. inflation, the bill also included numerous items from the Biden administration’s climate agenda setting aside billions for industries vowing to go green. This includes the joint venture between General Motors and LG Energy Solution – which will receive $2.5 billion in loans to build three new lithium-ion battery factories.

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Watts Up: EV News of the Week, December 11, 2022

Despite what brands like Toyota or Honda would have you believe, there is a legitimate distinction between electrified vehicles that run on gasoline and fully electric vehicles. That said, it’s a distinction that’s tough to explain to the sort of normies who think of Priuses (Prii?) as “electric” cars – and, since the normies out-number the car enthusiasts by a wide margin, the biggest news of the week has to be the leaking of Chevy’s first ever “electric” Corvette.

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Hyundai Looks South to New Georgia Battery Plant

Hyundai is the latest major automaker to announce a major electric vehicle battery production facility in the United States. Ford, General Motors, and others have already broken ground on new facilities, and Hyundai is joining them with an up to $5 billion investment in Bartow County, Georgia.

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Range Extended: Volkswagen Auto Group Announces MEB+ Platform

Volkswagen Auto Group has plans to extend the range of its Modular Electric Drive System (MEB) platforms for electric vehicles.

The plan is not only to increase the range but also cut charging times -- and the platform will be renamed to MEB+.

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Watts Up: EV News of the Week for December 2, 2022


The biggest EV news of the last week has to be the official start of Tesla Semi deliveries, which were perfectly timed (intentionally or not) to drown out the news that the electric car brand had been forced to slash prices in both China and the US in the face of reduced site traffic and waning approval for the brand as-a-whole.

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Ford’s EV Requirements for Dealers Are Totally Unacceptable, Say Connecticut Legislators

Connecticut legislators from both sides of the political fence appear to be less than thrilled with Ford about the deadline it’s imposing on dealerships vying to sell all-electric vehicles. Blue Oval wants retailers to make sizable investments to install on-site charging stations and retrain their staff on how to service EVs. For some stores, this means doling out over one-million dollars just to have the privilege of selling the latest models coming from the Ford Motor Company.

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Chatting LA and EVs on the Latest TTAC Podcast

The latest episode of the TTAC podcast is here!

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Report: Middle America Just Isn’t Having EVs

Depending upon where you live, battery electric vehicles are either gradually becoming commonplace or rarer than a two-dollar gallon of gasoline. A new study from S&P Global has helped illustrate the current regional phenomenon, with an accompanying report that suggests it won’t be lasting forever due to the industry pivoting to build more mainstream EVs while the United States expands its charging network.

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Indonesia is Suffering the Consequences of China's EV Explosion

Electric vehicle naysayers love to talk about the environmental impact of mining raw materials for batteries. While those arguments are often rooted in some degree of truth, they’re generally made as the only argument and are levied without much evidence for support. Though it’s true that mining and processing nickel, cobalt, lithium, and other materials is awful for the environment, we’re learning more about the geopolitical and financial implications of the practice. 

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Polestar's Upcoming Roadster Will Take Cues From the Porsche 911

You won’t read about it on any automaker’s website or sales materials, but nearly every major car company buys and studies its competitors’ products. Spy photographers sometimes catch companies like Ford benchmarking a Chevy Camaro or new Silverado pickup truck to gain insights into how they compare to a Mustang or F-150. Electric vehicles have democratized performance and speed, making them more accessible across a broader range of cars, so it’s not surprising to see Polestar testing a Porsche 911 to prepare for its own sports car launch in 2026.

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QOTD: Is Ford CEO Jim Farley Right?

Today is one of those days in which I pose a QOTD based on an earlier news story -- as if you all aren't already arguing in the comments.

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Ford Boss Jim Farley Claims That EV Manufacturing Will Require 40 Percent Less Labor

Ford CEO Jim Farley warned last week of "storm clouds" for auto workers as the eventual transition to electric vehicles will require fewer workers -- 40 percent fewer, according to Farley.

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EV Startups Are Torching Cash to Keep Up With Rising Costs and Inflation

Startup electric automakers are facing a series of crises that could cripple them financially and make it hard to grow in any meaningful way in the future. Inflation and incredible jumps in raw materials costs have led companies like Rivian and Lucid to lose staggering sums of money over the last year. 

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Scouting Party: Revived Scout Brand Launches Website, Teases Front End

As a follow-up to our news on the same earlier this summer, Volkswagen has its sights on reviving the Scout brand name as its moniker for off-road EVs. Today we get a kinda-sorta look at the first model’s front end, along with a few other tidbits from their freshly launched website.

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GM Electric Car Lineup Will Be Profitable in 2025, Says CEO

General Motors has an important investors meeting coming up this week and the keystone item will be explaining how profitable its planned shift toward electric vehicles will eventually be. Details of GM's presentation have leaked and, if the claims are true, leadership should be spending a substantial portion of November 17th explaining exactly how EVs will become money-makers for the business by 2025.

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Volvo Teases EV SUV for 2023 Launch

Volvo is currently launching the EX90 electric SUV -- this may explain a sudden influx of social-media posts I've seen from Sweden over the past few days -- and apparently, the brand snuck a news nugget into its presentation.

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Electric Porsche Boxster Spied

Porsche has already said the 718 Boxster and Cayman are going electric.

Now a prototype has been spotted out on the road.

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Japan Issues Warning, Asks U.S. for Flexible EV Tax Credit Scheme

Over the weekend, the Japanese government issued a formal complaint suggesting that the United States’ updated tax credit scheme for electric vehicles could prohibit future investments from the Land of the Rising Sun. Complaints were reportedly directed to the Treasury Department and revolved around the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act and how it seemed at odds with previous efforts to build trade between America and Japan. But things are always a bit more complicated than that and we cannot overstate the relevance of Japanese auto lobbying groups that want the most favorable regulatory terms they can negotiate.

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Audi Teases New E-tron Models Ahead of Reveal

You're not alone if you find Audi’s EV naming convention confusing. Understanding the differences between various e-tron, e-tron GT, and Sportback models is more complicated than it should be, and unfortunately, things are unlikely to get easier as new models roll out. Audi recently teased new Q8 e-tron and Q8 Sportback e-tron models that are essentially renamed versions of the standard e-tron. We don’t know the pricing or release date details yet, but the two EVs debut on November 9, so we don’t have long to wait. 

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Ford Dealers Fight Model E Sales Plans

Ford's plan to divide its dealers by type of combustion system -- Ford Blue for internal-combustion vehicles, Ford Pro for commercial, and Ford Model E for battery-electric vehicles -- has hit a snag.

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Lucid to Introduce Less Expensive Air Pure EV

It's possible to spend a quarter-million dollars on a new Lucid Air Sapphire Edition, and even the “normal” Grand Touring trim starts at $154,000. Since almost nobody can afford an EV that costs five times the median income in this country, Lucid decided to come up with an “affordable” version of the Air. Called the Pure, the new entry-level trim starts at a still-expensive $87,400 before options, taxes, and destination. Lucid will introduce the car at an online event on November 15, prior to the Los Angeles auto show.

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Watts Up: EV News of the Week For November 4, 2022

The big news this week, for just about everyone who exists in and around the automotive industry, was SEMA. The world’s largest automotive trade show has, once again, descended on Las Vegas and brought with it thousands of vendors and exhibitors, each vying to outdo the others with increasingly wild displays of automotive excess.

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Opinion: Cadillac is Making a Mistake With the Ultra Luxurious 2024 CELESTIQ, a $300,000-plus Liftback

As we just reported, Cadillac has just released some more information about their upcoming flagship, the elegantly named and always capitalized CELESTIQ. Set to arrive for the 2024 model year, Cadillac promises its new halo five-door will be unlike any EV ever built previously, and single-handedly restore Cadillac to its former “Standard of the World” status. I really don’t think so.

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This Is The Chevy Volt's Post-Crash Safety Protocol

TTAC has received the following protocol, developed by GM in the wake of the June Volt fire at a NHTSA facility in Wisconsin, from a GM source and has confirmed its legitimacy with a second GM source. Though the procedure may be refined based on the findings of NHTSA’s latest round of tests, it gives a good picture of what GM currently does to ensure the safety of Volt driver and passengers as well as rescue workers, towing company workers and salvage yards. And, I have to say, it puts some of my fears about this safety scare to rest. It hadn’t occurred to me that GM’s Onstar system could provide opportunities to respond to crashes in real-time, and apparently the system provides a wide variety of data with which GM’s “corporate SWAT team” can tailor its response to any Volt crash event. Hit the jump for the full procedure.

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EPA Considering Tougher Emission Rules for Big Trucks

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will reportedly consider adopting new emissions rules for large trucks after Congress passed fresh incentives designed to accelerate the national adoption of zero-emission vehicles.

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Report: Nobody Can Build Enough Electric Vehicles

Automakers have been having trouble building much of anything since 2020 began, thanks to a comprehensive breakdown in logistics. But the hype around electric vehicles has made them even trickier to build now that they’re starting to represent a more meaningful portion of the market. Ironically, the industry’s desire to see EVs become more popular seems to be backfiring as nobody seems capable of keeping up with demand.

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EV Sales Are Up, But So Are Lithium Prices

With electric vehicle sales on the rise and the Biden administration allocating $900 million to address the insufficient charging infrastructure – one of the biggest obstacles EVs have to contend with – it seems like alternative energy automobiles may indeed become the future of driving. However, there is one problem even a firehose of money and mounting regulatory pressure can’t address. 

Despite massive investments from both government and private entities, EVs need batteries, and the raw materials required aren’t getting any easier to obtain. Lithium values continue to rise and have recently reached an all-time high that’s setting the stage for pricier electric vehicles. While this wouldn’t be so bad by itself, EV prices jumped dramatically this year and have continued to do so at a pace that has overshadowed their combustion-reliant counterparts. 

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Faraday Future FF 91 Fancily Flails for Journalists at Monterey

Faraday Future was keen to show off its EV crossover during high-profile events at Pebble Beach a couple weeks ago. Nearly ready for production, Faraday says customers who have ordered the FF 91 could receive their vehicles by end of year. Given the CUV is so far along in its development, journalists were allowed to ride along in the super luxurious (and expensive) FF 91. Unfortunately, it didn’t go well.

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Couple Learns the Hard Way How the Future of Motoring is Paved With Discontinued Batteries

A couple’s recent experience in Florida highlighted an issue that’s bound to become more prevalent as the motoring world leans into its EV future. After experiencing some issues they took their Chevrolet Volt to a dealer in Cape Coral, Florida. It turned out the Volt had a battery issue, and it could be fixed for $29,842. Welcome to the future.

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Gas War: Pro-EV California Declares State of Emergency, Ask Residents to Use Less Electricity


Just days after the California Air Resources Board (CARB) finalized its plan to ban internal combustion engines by 2035, Governor Gavin Newsom issued a state of emergency due to an overtaxed energy grid. Citizens are now being asked to ration their power usage while the government tries to figure out new protocols for dealing with the matter. This includes asking the owners of all-electric vehicles to hold off on charging them. However, people are starting to wonder what this ultimately means with respect to the proposed future where the state has effectively mandated all residents to drive EVs.

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Gas War: California Finalizes Combustion Ban Plan

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) is supposed to vote on stricter rules that will ban the sale of new gasoline-powered cars by 2035 later today. But we already know what the results will be because the organization is about as mentally homogeneous as a eusocial insect colony and is strongly supported by the state government. So let’s cut to the chase and hear what California has to look forward to before seeing what kind of combustion bans are taking place in other parts of the world.

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  • ToolGuy This might be a good option for my spouse when it becomes available -- thought about reserving one but the $500 deposit is a little too serious. Oh sorry, that was the Volvo EX30, not the Mustang. Is Volvo part of Ford? Is the Mustang an EV? I'm so confused.
  • Mikey My late wife loved Mustangs ..We alway rented one while travelling . GM blood vetoed me purchasing one . 3 years after retirement bought an 08 rag top, followed by a 15 EB Hard top, In 18 i bought a low low mileage 05 GT rag with a stick.. The car had not been properly stored. That led to rodent issues !! Electrical nightmare. Lots of bucks !! The stick wasn't kind to my aging knees.. The 05 went to a long term dedicated Mustang guy. He loves it .. Today my garage tenant is a sweet 19 Camaro RS rag 6yl Auto. I just might take it out of hibernation this weekend. The Mustang will always hold a place in my heart.. Kudos to Ford for keeping it alive . I refuse to refer to the fake one by that storied name .
  • Ajla On the Mach-E, I still don't like it but my understanding is that it helps allow Ford to continue offering a V8 in the Mustang and F-150. Considering Dodge and Ram jumped off a cliff into 6-cylinder land there's probably some credibility to that story.
  • Ajla If I was Ford I would just troll Stellantis at all times.
  • Ronin It's one thing to stay tried and true to loyal past customers; you'll ensure a stream of revenue from your installed base- maybe every several years or so.It's another to attract net-new customers, who are dazzled by so many other attractive offerings that have more cargo capacity than that high-floored 4-Runner bed, and are not so scrunched in scrunchy front seats.Like with the FJ Cruiser: don't bother to update it, thereby saving money while explaining customers like it that way, all the way into oblivion. Not recognizing some customers like to actually have right rear visibility in their SUVs.