#ElectricVehicles

Honda has sent us a brief on its hopes and plans for the near future.

Not surprisingly, there's a fair amount of optimism and some gestures toward EV plans.

While the automotive sector is habitually discussing how electric vehicle adoption will be spurred on by the country building a more robust charging infrastructure, nobody seems to be talking about how to make charging profitable enough to sustain itself. As of now, government subsidies are helping to ease the financial burden of installing EV charging stations. But their long-term viability is being undermined by the fact that most people prefer charging at home.

The Specialty Equipment Marketing Association, or SEMA, represents thousands of aftermarket and automotive parts companies, giving it a unique level of sensitivity to changes in emissions, safety, and other vehicle regulations. Recent changes to EPA regulations could bring a seismic shift in the automotive market, making a significant portion of new vehicle sales electric early next decade. SEMA’s President recently shared the organization’s thoughts on the issue, which are predictably skeptical of the changes.

The Ohio-based Lordstown Motors has reportedly resumed assembly and delivery of its all-electric Endurance pickup this month, after having to pause production in February to address quality concerns.

With the guidance having come in on the United States’ updated EV tax credit scheme, outlined in the so-called Inflation Reduction Act, we now have a pretty good idea of which electric vehicles still qualify. Stringent content requirement stipulations have certainly culled the roster, however, and helped explain why the automotive sector didn’t have any issues with the government taking its sweet time in making decisions regarding content quotas.

There are only about a dozen models that qualify for the full $7,500 tax credit after April 18th, with a few more being eligible for a partial credit of $3,750.

We've been covering the Volkswagen ID.7 in the lead-up to today's unveiling, and now we have the official deets.

Volkswagen has introduced their new APP550 drive unit that’s assumed to be powering the ID.7 we reported on earlier in the week. Though the Chinese specs seem a little modest. We're thinking the electric motor will be reserved for higher-trimmed EVs and/or Western markets.

Word on the street is that the Biden administration is about to propose some of the toughest emission rules the United States has ever seen in a bid to spur electric vehicle adoption. As things currently stand, the U.S. is assumed to be the very last developed nation to fully embrace EVs. But the White House seems to think the premise can be combated via a stringent regulatory framework.

Of course, the government and supportive media outlets are trying to drive home the point that these are not the same as the vehicle mandates being pushed in other countries (and some states like California) that would legally require people to buy electric in the coming years — even if the end result is functionally the same.

If a plan from the nation’s largest retailer takes flight, the chargers one will find at Walmart won’t just be for small devices in the electronics department. The company hopes to install EV fast chargers at nearly all its stores across the country.

On Wednesday, Ford Motor Co. celebrated the fact that its entire electric-vehicle lineup would still be eligible for consumer incentives under the so-called Inflation Reduction Act federal tax credit scheme. But it downplayed that some of those models won’t be eligible for the maximum amount due to stricter EV sourcing requirements pertaining to battery components and critical minerals.

While we already covered the powertrains the 2024 Kia EV9 will receive, its North American premiere at the New York International Auto Show has given us more to chew on.

General Motors has done something that I think might be a bit dumb. It also had me checking the calendar to make sure it was for real.

While the Kia EV9’s existence isn’t news, the manufacturer has released the all-important details regarding powertrains and they really span the gamut.

From the sound of things, you’ll be able to have the standard version of the all-electric SUV optioned to be unsatisfyingly slow or surprisingly quick. It all depends on how much you’re willing to spend and your sensibilities as a driver. However, news has also broken that Kia is developing a high-performance GT model that’s slated to arrive in 2025.

I am testing an EV this week -- one of several EVs that doesn't have AM radio.

I gotta say I miss it.

Ford told investors and analysts today that it expects its electric-vehicle unit to lose $3 billion this year, but that news isn't nearly as dire as it might sound at first glance.