It’s official. Starting on Leap Day owners of Ford EVs will be able to plug into any of more than 15,000 Tesla Superchargers. That roughly doubles the number of public chargers that they previously had access to. With “charger anxiety” seen as one of the biggest obstacles to widespread EV adoption, Ford is hoping this will help up boost demand for its all-electric products. To make it even easier, Ford will begin shipping free Tesla adapters to its owners starting late next month.
While the rate of growth may be slowing, EV sales hit a record 1 million last year as more and more Americans find them to be acceptable alternatives to conventional, gas-powered vehicles. But “charging anxiety” has become one of the key factors slowing EV growth, according to industry analysts. And a new J.D. Power study concludes that “Public charging isn’t just bad, it’s getting worse.” That said, most owners are ready to buy another EV when it’s time to trade in, especially those with the top-ranked BMW i4.
Elon Musk, Tesla’s CEO, revealed the company plans unveil its second-generation roadster by the end of this year with deliveries starting next year. The Roadster was the first-ever Tesla vehicle, and its replacement was slated to arrive four years ago. Details at Headlight.News.
They may still represent only a small share of the new car market but electrified vehicles are becoming increasing desirable, according to Consumer Reports. Hybrids, plug-in hybrids and all-electric models make up seven of the models in the non-profit publication’s 2024 10 Top Cars list. For the first time, that includes a Tesla product, the Model Y, thanks to the automaker’s increasingly ubiquitous Supercharger network. Meanwhile, BMW and Subaru topped the CR Brand Report Card rankings.
Rivian announced it will slash both its corporate staff and production this year after reporting more than $1.5 billion in losses for the final three months of 2023. Even as it prepares to unveil an entirely new family of battery-electric vehicles, CEO RJ Scaringe warned the nascent automaker “is not immune” to the headwinds battering the U.S. EV market after four years of record growth. Separately, EV startup Lucid also forecast flattening sales after reporting worsening losses.
Honda is finally getting into the EV game, the automaker getting ready to roll its first long-range model into U.S. showrooms in the coming weeks. The name is an appropriate one, the 2024 Honda Prologue set to become the first in a planned family of EVs set to debut later this decade. While future models will be developed in-house, however, the Japanese automaker took a shortcut with Prologue, turning to its longtime Detroit rival, General Motors for help. Headlight.News has the back story — and a first review of the 2024 Honda Prologue.
Stellantis will adopt the Tesla-style North American Charging Standard. The parent of brands including Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram was the last holdout among major automakers to go with the NACS plug. It means owners will have access to a substantial wider network of plugs and formalizes Tesla’s Superchargers as the de facto winner in the charging battle. Tesla, meanwhile, is taking steps to prevent the embarrassing charger failures many owners ran into during a recent Midwest cold snap.
When Tesla delivered its first Cybertruck during a livestreamed event last November, CEO Elon Musk made a point of talking about just how tough and “literally bulletproof” the electric pickup is, even showing a video of it being raked by gunfire. Rust, however, may be Cybertruck’s Achilles Heel. Reports by some members on Cybertruck owner forums indicate the panels on their trucks have begun showing corrosion. The extent of the problem is uncertain, as is the cause. But, if it proves to be more than a rare fluke it could cause serious problems for Tesla, as Headlight.News reports.
Chevrolet is rapidly ramping up its battery-electric vehicle lineup, with a mix of products soon to include the Chevy Equinox EV. With deliveries slated to begin “in coming months,” the bowtie brand has released range and other information about the all-electric compact crossover. But the Equinox EV won’t be as affordable as had originally been signaled. Get the details at Headlight.News.
Distracted driving catches blame for about 10% of all U.S. highway fatalities, according to government data, but if driver’s texting and chatting on their smartphones hasn’t become a serious enough problem, the situation could soon get even worse. Federal regulators...
Tesla and Rivian have gotten the scissors out again, cutting prices on their new offerings. The reductions are temporary for Tesla while Rivian’s cuts are designed to help offset being ineligible for part of the $7,500 federal tax credit. Get the details at Headlight.News.
A group of seven major automakers officially launched Ionna — aimed at becoming an EV charging network to rival the Tesla Supercharging system — and, in the process, give motorists more confidence they’ll be able to charge up their battery-electric vehicles wherever they travel.