December 14, 2023

V8-level performance from the Range Rover Electric, new Scout innovation center, Tesla receives land-use permits for a new Mexico gigafactory, Tesla recalls and robots, and so much more.

Have a great Thursday!

"Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it."

-Charles R. Swindoll

Kia EV9

I received a note from the Kia dealership that our EV9 will be available for pickup on 2/29.  As more time goes by, I start to wane on my decision.  

$70k is a lot for a car.  $70k is a lot for a Kia.  

Top 10ish EV News Stories Powered by EV.Careers

1. A waiting list has opened for the Range Rover Electric, set to be the "quietest and most refined Range Rover ever," offering performance comparable to a flagship Range Rover V8 and surpassing other luxury electric SUVs in towing, wading, and all-terrain technology.

2. Scout Motors Inc. is establishing its Scout Innovation Center in Novi, Michigan, to house its growing Product, Design, and Engineering teams, with a focus on designing and engineering all-electric trucks and rugged SUVs on a newly designed all-electric platform.

3. Tesla has received land-use permits from Mexico’s federal environment ministry to build a gigafactory in Nuevo Leon, with the state government estimating the cost of the project to exceed $5 billion.

4. Ford Motor will cut planned production of its all-electric F-150 Lightning pickup roughly in half next year, with average volume of around 1,600 F-150 Lightnings a week at Ford’s Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn, Michigan.

5. Electric vehicle owners in Pennsylvania could face a yearly flat fee, currently proposed at $290, to contribute to road and bridge maintenance.

6. Tesla recalled over 2 million vehicles in the US to fix a defect with Autosteer, a feature of its Autopilot system, after NHTSA found it could increase the risk of crashes due to driver misuse.

7. Maine environmental regulators will decide on adopting California-style regulations to limit the sale of new gas-powered vehicles, aiming for 82% of new vehicles sold to be considered zero emissions by the 2032 model year, and the proposal is set to go into effect for 2027 vehicles if approved.

8. ATC Drivetrain, a remanufacturer of automotive drivetrain technology, plans to invest $7.9 million in building an electric vehicle-focused facility in Holland, Michigan, aiming to add up to 163 jobs over five years.

9. A pilot program in the Sacramento City Unified School District, starting in January 2024, will offer students at John F. Kennedy High School a zero-emission automotive career pathway, focusing on electric and hybrid vehicles to prepare them for EV technician roles.

10. The latest robot from Tesla, Optimus.

11. Starting January 1, 2024, the list of vehicles eligible for a federal EV tax credit of up to $7,500 may change due to stricter rules regarding where EVs are made, battery components and minerals' origin, cost, and buyer income.

Recall

The sky is falling.  The sky is falling.  Tesla has issued a recall of 2 million vehicles.  This will likely be the end of Tesla as we know it. 

Tesla has a recall.  It’s not the first manufacturer to have one and it certainly won’t be the last.  Why is it that when an EV company has a recall, it seems to be a huge story?  We had the same issue a few months back with a Rivian recall that was a simple fix.

According to the NHTSA, there were 932 recalls last year affecting nearly 31 million vehicles. Recalls happen.  The best part about the Tesla recall, it’s fixed with an OTA update.

This recall is based on people abusing the Autosteer feature.  Maybe we need a driver recall…

Electric Macan

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