On today’s episode of Quick Charge, Hyundai doesn’t care if incoming President Trump kills the $7,500 Federal EV tax credit, California’s planning to offer an EV tax credit of their own, and there’s a massive new solar project in Texas prairie land.
We’ve also got Tesla hoping to meet its Q4 sales goals by throwing all the EV demand levers in China while, at the same time, looking to hire remote drivers for its so-called “autonomous” robotaxis.
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UK-based automotive design and engineering consultancy Contechs will run a new high-voltage systems engineering accreditation program in 2025 to train engineers for the electric mobility sector.
The initiative aims to address an 80% skills shortage of qualified electrical engineers in the automotive sector. It will be available to businesses and individuals from graduate to qualified engineer level.
The 22-week industry-accredited course, featuring extended reality (XR) and hands-on learning, uses the consultancy’s expertise in EV development and extensive partner network to form a curriculum led by industry leaders. There will also be a 10-week on-the-job mentoring phase, allowing businesses to provide professional support to qualified systems engineers in the workplace.
In addition to two assessment facilities at the Contechs headquarters in Warwickshire and Essex, the course will also offer remote physical assessment at participating clients’ offices or bespoke facilities across the UK, delivering lab vehicles to ensure hands-on learning and assessment is available for every client.
The new engineering program aims to train 600 accredited EE/EV systems engineers in its first year of operation for a range of industries, including automotive, aerospace, off-highway, rail and civil engineering. Contech plans to scale up further from 2026, incorporating the course into a university degree and expanding its availability to European, US and Asian clients in the future.
“Our program is not just about filling the skills gap; it’s about shaping the future of the industry,” said Ian Trueman, Electrical and Electrification Director at Contechs. “By training the next generation of high-voltage systems engineers, Contechs will accelerate the global transition to sustainable transportation.”
California will provide its residents with $7,500 rebates for electric vehicles if the incoming Trump administration eliminates the federal EV tax credit, Governor Gavin Newsom declared Monday.
Trump’s transition team has indicated that killing the federal EV tax credit is a priority, as it’s viewed as an easy target in a likely Republican-controlled Congress and could provide some cost savings to help offset trillions of dollars in soon-to-expire tax cuts the incoming administration is expected to renew.
2025 Volkswagen ID.4
If Trump does nix a $7,500 federal tax credit for EVs, Newsom aims to provide an equivalent amount to California residents with a revival of the state’s Clean Vehicle Rebate Project (CVRP), a press release said. That program, phased out in 2023, funded more than 594,000 vehicles and saved more than 456 million gallons of fossil fuels since its launch in 2010.
The proposed rebates “would include changes to promote innovation and competition” in the EV market and could be paid for out of California’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, which draws its money from the state’s cap-and-trade program.
2024 Nissan Ariya
It’s unclear if California might factor income into rebate qualification. Income and MSRP caps were added to the CVRP in its later years to limit the number of rebates going to the highest-income drivers. And in 2023 the California Air Resources Board (CARB)—which oversees the state’s EV incentive programs—said it would expand the Clean Cars 4 All program aimed at lower-income drivers as a replacement for the CVRP.
Also left out of this incentive would be all the other states that have opted to follow California’s Advanced Clean Cars II framework for vehicle emissions—and its mandate for plug-in vehicles.
The federal tax credit added income and MSRP caps as part of its revamp under the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which also made it an instant dealership rebate, but sourcing requirements that went into effect at the beginning of 2024 also limited the number of EVs that qualify.
Yet the IRA also left the so-called “leasing loophole,” which applies a $7,500 rebate toward leased EVs even if they wouldn’t otherwise qualify for a tax credit. That’s something unlikely to be revived by even California.
Source link by Green Car Reports
Author news@greencarreports.com (Stephen Edelstein)
#California #give #rebates #Trump #kills #tax #credit
An electric charging station in Brea, Calif. “Class 8 [internal combusion engine] vehicles and zero-emission vehicles are not “reasonably interchangeable,” the plaintiffs allege in the suit. (sanfel/Getty Images)
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Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers filed an antitrust suit against Daimler Truck North America, International Motors, Paccar Inc. and Volvo Group North America, alleging the original equipment manufacturers colluded in order to eliminate choice and raise truck prices.
The truck makers plus the Truck & Engine Manufacturers Association (EMA) are said to have harmed Nebraska consumers and freight companies by entering into a pact with the California Air Resources Board in July 2023, the Clean Truck Partnership.
Filed in Lincoln County District Court in Nebraska, the suit — filed in conjunction with the Energy Marketers of America and Renewable Fuels Nebraska — seeks to ensure an “honest marketplace” in the state for Class 8 internal combustion engine trucks.
In response to the suit, Jed Mandel, EMA President, told Transport Topics in an email: “While EMA is reviewing the online complaint, which we have not received formally, we can affirm at this time that the allegations are without merit, and we will defend ourselves accordingly.”
DTNA, International Motors, Paccar and Volvo Group North America declined to comment.
DTNA — owner of Freightliner, which accounted for 37.7% of all October Class 8 retail sales, and builds America’s most popular Class 8 tractor, the Cascadia — said it was aware of the suit but does not comment on ongoing litigation.
Class 8 ICE vehicles and zero-emission vehicles are not “reasonably interchangeable,” the plaintiffs allege in the suit, adding that electric trucks also cannot be put to the same uses as ICE trucks.
“This antitrust action challenges an industrywide conspiracy to completely phase out medium- and heavy-duty ICE vehicles,” according to the suit.
Today, our Office sued truck manufacturers for conspiring to force a transition to electric trucks. Read more here: https://t.co/IEm6rsPhQD @nebraskatrucker pic.twitter.com/xvsIgy564W
— Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers (@NEAttorneyGen) November 19, 2024
“The CTP is nakedly anti-competitive. It represents an industrywide commitment by companies to reduce their output of ICE vehicles and eliminate consumer choice, which will drive up prices for those same vehicles in Nebraska and elsewhere to subsidize the so-called ‘transition’ to ZEVs,” it added.
The CTP is a “classic antitrust violation,” Hilgers said in a statement, adding that it would raise prices, reduce output and increase costs for Nebraskans.
John Elliott of Load One demonstrates how onboard video combined with AI-enabled analytics can transform fleet safety. Tune in above or by going to RoadSigns.ttnews.com.
“Eliminating diesel-powered semi-trucks is practically impossible to accomplish and would impose enormous costs on Nebraska and Nebraska companies. That is why Nebraska sued California officials from issuing an anti-democratic regulation to eliminate diesel-powered semis in their state,” he said.
In May, Hilgers filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California alongside 16 other states seeking to block California’s Advanced Clean Fleets regulation.
The antitrust suit won support Nov. 20 from American Trucking Associations, which has criticized the pace of change required by California regulations, with President Chris Spear sending a letter to his peers at the truck makers named by the suit urging them to abandon the CTP.
.@TRUCKINGdotORG urges manufacturers to leave California Clean Truck Partnership #cagov #towinghttps://t.co/7YhSdKzySV
— California Safe Roads Coalition (@CASafeRoads) November 22, 2024
“As your customers and partners, we ask that you work with all members of the American Trucking Associations to forge a viable path forward,” he wrote. “Abandon the CTP and work with us and the incoming administration in Washington to reopen Greenhouse Gas Phase 3 and revise it with achievable, national standards that put our industry on a sustainable and successful path towards a zero-emissions vehicle future. We look forward to your partnership moving forward.
“By strong-arming our industry into unachievable targets and timelines void of operational and economic reality, the California Air Resources Board’s mad dash to zero has set our industry up for failure, sowing the seeds of another supply chain crisis.”
The .@oregoncatalyst reports that Oregon is poised to delay implementing California Air Resources Board HD electric truck regulations. Oregon gets it, while in California #towtruck manufacturing and sales will soon come to a screeching halt. https://t.co/uUxfHoKyQy
— California Safe Roads Coalition (@CASafeRoads) November 19, 2024
The CTP applies to Class 8 tractors as well as truck models weighing more than 14,000 pounds — Classes 4-7.
That group includes heavy-duty pickups from major manufacturers Ford, General Motors and Stellantis as well as models from Isuzu, which posted the highest Class 4 retail truck sales in the U.S. in 2023, according to Wards Intelligence data.
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As part of Zero Motorcycles’ new approach to affordability, the California electric motorcycle maker is increasingly relying on strategic partnerships in the industry to help lower costs and leverage production experience. Now we’re getting word that one of the company’s key partners, Hero MotoCorp, is closing in on its first Zero-enabled electric motorcycle model.
It’s giving a whole new meaning to “from Zero to Hero.”
Last year, Zero joined forces with India’s largest motorcycle maker, Hero MotoCorp, to develop a new electric motorcycle model. Zero obviously eyed Hero’s massive manufacturing footprint and decades of production experience, and it looks like that partnership is closer than ever to revealing the fruits of its labor.
“As far as EV motorcycles, as we have talked about, that we are developing in partnership with Zero Motorcycles. And that’s something that while we have not given out the timeline, but the work is in progress. And it will be coming in the middle-weight segment. I would say it’s in the advanced stage. We haven’t announced the timeline as yet, but we would be looking at something which would not be too far off,” explained Hero MotoCorp CEO Niranjan Gupta during the company’s Q2 earnings call with analysts.
While targeting the more sought-after middleweight market, Hero confirmed that the company would also produce a version for the more performance end of the motorcycling market.
Hero has massive production chops to its name, but the company is relatively inexperienced with electric two-wheelers. Hero has just two models of electric scooters currently available under its Vida brand, and no fully-fledged electric motorcycles of the style for which Zero is known.
Zero and Hero have yet to provide specifics about where such a motorcycle might land in the international market, but recent moves by the company could provide a few clues.
Last month, Zero announced that it had partnered with Chinese motorcycle maker Zongshen to produce its new Zero XE and XB electric motorcycles. The move comes as part of Zero’s recently announced “All Access” initiative, which is built around adding more affordable models to the Zero lineup. Priced at just US $6,494 and $4,195, the Zero XE and XB are the most affordable Zero bikes we’ve seen yet.
There’s more where those came from, too. Zero claims that it will have six unique models, all priced at under US $10,000, in the next two years.
Based on the advanced state of the Hero partnership bike, it’s likely that such a model could be revealed as part of Zero’s All Access program.
Zero XE and XB electric motorcycles showcased the company’s ability to leverage Asian partnerships
Fewer qualifying EVs in 2025 would mean less money flowing from taxpayers to EV buyers. This, in turn, would reduce the savings Republican lawmakers might expect from eliminating the 30D credit. The GOP is expected to aggressively seek spending cuts to help offset the costs of extending the 2017 tax package passed during the first Trump administration.
In October, the Treasury Department announced that it had paid out more than $2 billion for more than 300,000 EVs since the start of 2024 — a figure that could be expected to fall next year as fewer EVs remain eligible for the credit. Extending the 2017 tax cuts for 10 more years, by contrast, would add $4.6 trillion to the federal deficit, according to a May analysis from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.
There are some exceptions to the FEOC restrictions. Most notably, those rules don’t apply to the Inflation Reduction Act’s 45W credit for qualified commercial clean vehicles, which is available to companies buying EVs for business purposes or to lease them to customers. This exception has led to an increase in the number of customers leasing EVss compared to buying them directly — and it could be a target for lawmakers seeking to close what has been identified as a loophole in the law’s intent to shift supply chains outside China.
How EV tax credits help U.S. battery investments, from mining to manufacturing
The 30D credit isn’t the only Inflation Reduction Act policy supporting U.S. battery supply chain investment.
The 45X advanced manufacturing production tax credit is also an important boost. It’s designed to help make U.S.-produced minerals, components, and batteries financially competitive with those coming from China. Those credits amount to about 30 percent of the cost of battery cells and complete batteries as well as 10 percent of the value of the electrode active material and the critical minerals that go into batteries.
“The combination of the 45X tax credit and the 30D tax credit have had a measurable impact on investment in the United States,” said Albert Gore, executive director of the Zero Emission Transportation Association, a trade group that includes automakers, battery manufacturers, mining companies, charging manufacturers, and electric utilities.
The key word there is combination: The 30D tax credit provides the “demand signal” to EV, battery, and materials and minerals producers that are thinking about building a U.S. facility to take advantage of the 45X credit and other federal grants and loans, Gore said. The consumer tax credit provides these suppliers with some level of certainty that they’ll have customers to buy their products. That’s a big deal when it comes to trying to convince companies to invest billions of dollars to build factories in new or difficult markets.
These policies have driven joint ventures, co-investments, and offtake agreements between major automakers and companies investing in mining and processing battery minerals and materials in the U.S., he said.
These and other investments “are necessities for future qualification for the 30D credit,” Gore said. “If you take the 30D credit away, those powerful demand signals go away.”
Robbie Orvis, senior director of modeling and analysis at the think tank Energy Innovation, agreed that U.S. mining and processing investments could suffer if the 30D tax credit was repealed. Automakers “may have been willing to pay a premium to meet the criteria. But it’s so expensive and laborious to onshore those industries. Without the tax credit, they may not be willing to pay a premium.”
Meanwhile, many major automakers — under pressure worldwide to transition to EVs — have been pressing to retain the 30D credit.
A November report from E&E News cited an October letter to Republicans in Congress from the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, a trade group with members including Ford, General Motors, Stellantis, Honda, and Toyota, which asked lawmakers to retain tax credits that “support billions of dollars of investment and thousands of American jobs.”
Meanwhile, Elon Musk, a prominent Trump supporter and the CEO of Tesla, the country’s largest EV manufacturer, has expressed support for ending the 30D credit, claiming that his company can absorb the impacts. “Take away the subsidies, it will only help Tesla,” Musk posted in July on X.
Tesla has earned a profit for the past four years, although a significant share of its profits are derived from selling credits for the EVs it sells to other automakers under zero-emissions mandates in California and other states. Ford and General Motors, by contrast, have been losing money on their EV business lines.
“We’re at a really crucial point for EVs and batteries,” Orvis said. “Without a huge investment in innovation, driven by domestic demand, it is hard to envision Ford and GM and Stellantis successfully competing globally in the auto market.”
The U.S. cannot instantly create a domestic EV and battery industry that can compete with China, which has been building its EV and battery industry for a decade. But factories being built across the U.S. Southeast and Midwest may well rely on the EV tax credit to remain in place to justify the cost of trying to build up U.S. competitiveness in that field, Gore said.
Members of Congress representing people in communities hosting these factories are likely to want to “explore these issues more completely,” he said. “The clock is the enemy there. There’s some pressure to get some top-line numbers together to inform the tax package pretty soon.”
Volvo has been steadily applying its Scandinavian minimalist ethos to its EV lineup, as the all-new EX90 SUV is set to launch in the US. But the brand also wanted to significantly spruce up the EX90’s older sibling, the XC90 – the brand’s most popular vehicle since its debut and the de facto family car for hordes of Americans and Europeans. This month, Volvo invited Electrek to test-drive the revised XC90 on its home turf and experience its new and improved “electrified” functionality. Here’s how it went.
Introduced in 2003, the XC90 was the brand’s first foray into the SUV market. It has been modified in recent years as a hybrid and plug-in, but it’s still the company’s top seller, despite almost a decade since its last full redesign. For 2025, the XC90 comes in three variants: two mild hybrids, the B5 and B6, and a T8 PHEV – which the company says is one of the few plug-ins with a seven-seat option, giving drivers space to haul kids or gear on short daily trips with its limited 33 miles of electric range.
Of course, restyling the XC90 itself after all of this time sidesteps the brand’s original goal of 100% electric cars by 2030. That’s no longer the case, as Volvo has backtracked, as has Mercedes, with a new target of 90% electrified vehicles by the same date. Clearly, that’s not the same thing.
First-drive impressions – safe, comfortable, and very Volvo-esque
Mid-November, Volvo flew journalists out from the US, with me flying over from France to Copenhagen for four days of quality time with the new variants and meet-and-greets with designers, propulsion experts, and interior specialists. From Copenhagen, we paired up in twos for a full day and a half of driving from Denmark across the famed Oresund Bridge on the border between Sweden and Denmark (fans of the Swedish series The Bridge will know it well) to cruise around the mellow Swedish countryside, stopping by fishing villages, a chocolate factory, and into Malmö on a gloomy afternoon, as the sun started to set at 3:30 p.m.
The T8 plug-in – which we drove along with the B5 hybrid – is the brand’s most powerful and efficient of the XC90s, offering 310 horsepower with 295 pound-feet of torque and a 0-to-60 mph time of 5 seconds. It has an inline four-cylinder gas engine with an electric motor and 400-volt three-layer lithium ion 18.8 kWh battery with 14.7 kWh of usable energy. The fact that drivers can do most of their short daily drives on pure electric power is a plus, of course, but you need to put in the time to recharge it. Its 6.4 kW onboard charger takes five hours to go from empty to 100% charged (or 10 hours on an ordinary 120-volt outlet).
As for the test drive, rural southern Sweden is picturesque, but the course itself was flat, unvaried, and sparsely populated except for our roving caravan of some 20 beige SUVs. But we had plenty of time to tinker with the infotainment and the advanced driver assist systems – including loads of state-of-the-art bonuses like intelligent speed assist, pilot assist, parking assist, and a truly incredible head-up display. It also comes with five drive modes, including off-road, but this vehicle is about quiet luxury, not thrill rides.
Of course, testing the electric range was a short-lived experience, so after those 33 or so miles, we spent the rest of the day gas-guzzling via a high-performance four-cylinder petrol engine with advanced e-boost and turbo technology. Honestly, it was hard to feel the difference, and the transition from electric to gas was quick and unnoticeable despite trying out some fast acceleration (smooth as butter) and maneuvering. Plus the interior of the car feels like a cocoon – it’s so quiet. The refresh includes enhanced sound insulation and suspension, so it’s like you’re traveling in a safe, protective Scandi-bubble. And that’s Volvo’s goal.
Exterior refresh – lots of tweaks, new wheels, new color
Looking at the outside of the car, the new XC90’s exterior changes offer a fresh new take on the brand’s “Thor’s Hammer” T-shaped headlights, flanking a new asymmetric grille, layered with the Volvo trademark. The new front sheet metal has seen a few tweakments, with an overall cleaner, fresher look, while the rest of the profile looks relatively unchanged. Of course, a proper refresh comes with a new color and some new wheels, and there are new designs in 20-, 21-, and 22-inch sizes, along with a new red paint option called 739 Mulberry Red. While we tested the “Bright Dusk” T8, the deep Mulberry Red version was on view at a mid-drive event, and it was a nice surprise from the grays and beiges.
The driving experience – smooth, safe, and so very quiet
The most significant upgrade to the XC90 is to the interior, which has been revamped to accommodate an 11.2-inch infotainment screen complete with built-in Google apps. Volvo says it has a higher pixel density and faster response time than earlier versions. Both the EX90 and the XC90 get the latest version of Volvo’s Google-based infotainment system with a ton of updated menu items that, in theory, allow you to gain access to commonly used functions with fewer steps. But do people only want access to opening the glove box via the infotainment system? I guess that’s all part of the minimalism. While Volvo says it is as intuitive as a smartphone, there is a small learning curve if you’re not already familiar with it.
Stepping into the vehicle, comfort is clearly the focus, with Volvo touting it as an “upgraded Scandinavian living room.” It leans into a premium feel without any garish touches, relying on a rich, tasteful, unfettered design. It feels good. New to the XC90 are the tailored dashboard in grained charcoal vinyl and recycled textile decors. Two new stunning “responsibly produced” upholsteries are added, in new bio-attributed leather-free Nordico and recycled-textile Herringbone Weave. And just like the EX90, this vehicle gets the new Bowers & Wilkins speaker mesh for the instrument panel and door panels, and the sound quality of the system is rich and crisp.
Maximum towing capacity: up to 5,000 pounds when properly equipped
Fuel tank capacity: 18.8 US gallons
AC charging time 0–100%: 5 hours (240v, 16a)/10 hours (120v, 16a
On-sale date: end of 2024
Final thoughts on the XC90
The new facelift is pretty much that, loads of superficial changes to the interior and exterior, as well as a new user experience and a larger, faster touchscreen. Like the EX90, the focus is on a safe, comfortable, luxurious vehicle to haul kids and loads of gear around, with a few eco-Scandi touches that give it special appeal.
The XC90 competes in a crowded three-row midsize luxury SUV market against the Audi Q7, Lincoln Aviator, and Genesis GV80, among so many others. But saying that, plug-in hybrids like the XC90 T8 in the category are a rare breed, giving you the option to take your daily drives on pure electric before switching to fuel. But with a range of 33 miles, you of course won’t get very far. Plus while Volvo is pushing the seven-seat option, it seemed a bit tight to me, and only optional for kids or very quick trips, not big road trips.
Set to go on sale next month, prices for the B5 mild hybrids start at $58,450, with the XC90 T8 AWD plug-in seven-seater starting at $73,000. Owned by China’s Geely, Volvo tells me that all of its US-bound vehicles will be made in Sweden.
Volvo is targeting the US market for the XC90, followed by China, and thirdly Europe. Size-wise, I guess makes it good for loading up your car at IKEA – in Sweden, we certainly passed many an IKEA and it was tempting. With a pure electric range of 33 miles, I suppose you could make at least part of the trip before having to switch over to gas power. The whole concept is a bit of a conundrum, but Volvo says it is giving the people what they want – a plug-in hybrid that can go the distance – and it’s betting this vehicle will be a big winner for years to come.
Photos: courtesy Volvo
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Author Jennifer Mossalgue
#Review #Volvos #insanely #popular #XC90 #SUV #full #refresh
I was driving past a grocery store and noticed they had a station to test drive the Nissan Ariya a little north of Denver, Colorado. I stopped by and took it for a spin.
I drove the top-of-the-line all-wheel-drive Platinum trim. This has the power liftgate, heated and cooled leather seats, a premium Bose sound system, and the larger battery for almost 300 miles of range. It costs about $10,000 more than the base front-wheel-drive model with much less range. For many, the extra $10,000 is worth it; for others who live in areas without snow and who don’t mind charging more often, it isn’t.
It seemed similar to the top-of-the-line Chevy Equinox I drove earlier this year. I got to push the car to its limits on a roundabout and it was surprisingly neutral. It felt slightly more composed than the Equinox, but not as nice as the twice as expensive Polestar 3 I drove earlier. I found the acceleration was brisk, but there is a slight lag compared to my Tesla Model Y, which has instant throttle response. It also has creep that can’t be turned off, and the regen is quite mild. None of these things will bother a person coming from a gas car, but they could irritate a person coming from an EV.
I loved the heads-up display, and the interior materials felt more premium than in the Chevy or my Tesla, and nearly as nice as the Polestar! We at CleanTechnica have written a lot on the Ariya — see here for hundreds of articles that mention it.
I like to occasionally camp in my cars, so I like to test out the back area. It was a bit short, but it is easy to put something in that covers the gap between the front seats and the back seats if you want to camp back there. It seemed a bit wider than my Model Y, so more room for two people if you buy a mattress. I found the front seats comfortable, and the rear seats were surprising roomy for a large person like me (230 pounds and 6 foot 2 inches).
The person at the event said the top model leases for $299 a month (in Colorado, where there is a $5,350 lease credit plus the $7,500 federal tax credit). As you can see above, there are some very aggressive lease deals in Colorado. $29 a month for a Nissan Leaf would be a great city car, while the $119 Ariya with all-wheel drive is a great deal, especially as the Ariya is expected to get access to most Tesla Superchargers by the end of this year!
At the end of the test drive, they asked me to take a 2 minute survey and gave me a $10 gift card to the grocery store. There was no pressure to buy at this time.
Tesla Is Also Rolling Out The Discounts
As you can see in the above video, Tesla is expected by my friend Dennis to offer a wide range of incentive between now and the end of the year in hopes of making their sales targets. They may get an extra boost from people who want to get the $7,500 federal tax credit before it is potentially cancelled. Some of the things Dennis predicts are listed below. Some of those discounts are available today, some will likely come in the next few weeks, and some will probably not come at all.
3 to 6 months of free supercharging
Free transfer of free Supercharging from existing vehicle
Free FSD for up to 3 years
Leasing discounts as low at $199 a month on the Model 3 and $299 a month on the Model Y
0% financing for up to 72 months
Inventory discounts of up to $8,000 in selected locations
Of course, we know Tesla will likely announce enhanced and more affordable options next year, so be aware of that so you don’t have buyer’s remorse when something better comes along.
Conclusion
Now is a great time to buy or lease an electric vehicle. Chevrolet, Kia, and Hyundai are also offering a lot of promotions. Of course, there will always be something better coming in the future, but with the tax credit policy more uncertain than ever, this might be the best deal you will find in a while.
If you want to take advantage of my Tesla referral link to get Reward Credits, here’s the link: https://ts.la/paul92237 — but as I have said before, if another owner helped you more, please use their link instead of mine. If you want to learn more about Tesla’s new referral program (August 2024), Chris Boylan has written an excellent article on it.
Disclosure: I am a shareholder in Tesla [TSLA], BYD [BYDDY], Nio [NIO], XPeng [XPEV], NextEra Energy [NEP], and several ARK ETFs. But I offer no investment advice of any sort here.
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Source link by CleanTechnica Reviews Archives
Author Paul Fosse
#Test #Drive #Nissan #Ariya #amp #Marvel #YearEnd #Deals
Climate research firms expect the prices of lithium, a key raw material in an EV battery, to plummet in the coming years.
This trend will likely keep second-life batteries in service years after they are first introduced, thanks to technological improvements.
Battery replacements are rare. Even then, replacements are poised to cost as much as, or even lower than replacing a combustion engine by 2030.
The high-voltage battery is the lifeblood of an electric vehicle. However, concerns about the long-term health of an EV battery and the potential high cost of replacing it, especially on a used model, may deter many buyers from going electric. However, a silent revolution is underway in the world of battery manufacturing. That revolution is focused on increasing the energy density of batteries and improving their durability, all of which is poised to impact their replacement costs and second-life values, as per a new report from battery health and data start-up Recurrent.
Battery replacements are rare. Automakers generally offer a warranty of eight years or 100,000 miles on the pack. Most modern batteries can last twice as long and go double the distance, according to Recurrent. And that’s a conservative estimate. Tesla owners frequently report driving over 200,000 miles in their EVs, that too with minimal degradation. There’s even a 1.2 million-mile Model S out there that has undergone four battery replacements—bringing the average replacement mileage to a whopping 300,000 miles.
Most of us won’t go to such extremes. But in the rare case that you do require a replacement for whatever reason, how much will it cost in the future? Assuming the industry continues to proliferate at the same pace, Recurrent has an answer: astonishingly low!
Citing data from climate research firm RMI, Recurrent estimates that cell prices could reach $35 per kWh by the end of the decade. This would translate to pack prices of $50 per kWh, bringing the replacement cost of a 100 kWh battery to $4,500–$5,000, or about $3,375 for a 75 kWh pack. These estimates put EV battery replacement costs on par with replacing an internal combustion engine. J.D. Power says engine replacement can cost between $4,000 for a four-cylinder unit and more than $10,000 for a high-performance one. How those prices evolve down the line remains to be seen.
Photo by: CATL
As of today, replacing an EV battery can cost anywhere between $5,000 to $16,000, depending on the size of the pack and the vehicle’s make and model. In most cases, you never even have to think about this for new cars. It’s okay for most used EVs too, but experts recommend checking the health of a used pack before putting your money down.
Recurrent further said that owners may be able to offset battery replacement costs by reselling their used packs. As of today, a service shop usually keeps the used pack if it’s replaced. It will then be refurbished or sold to another company to repurpose it for energy storage, backup power, or other uses. However, industry experts expect the used EV market to grow substantially down the line, with millions of used EV owners who may be able to negotiate the sale of their own packs if replacement is required. Recurrent projects this will offset the price of a new pack by a further $10-20 per kWh, depending on the size, chemistry and health.
Naturally, all this circles back to the bigger picture: lithium prices are falling rapidly and EVs are poised to reach price parity with gas cars. Goldman Sachs said in October that lithium prices are on track to plummet from $149 per kilowatt hour in 2023 to just $80 per kWh in 2026. This 50% drop would help BEVs reach ownership cost parity with gas cars in the U.S. within the next couple of years, that too “on an unsubsidized basis.” But Goldman expects the EV landscape next year to largely depend on how the regulatory environment takes shape under the Trump administration.
But that won’t deter long-term adoption. “We think we’re going to see a strong comeback in demand in 2026 purely from an economics perspective. We believe 2026 is when a consumer-led adoption phase will largely begin,” the report concludes.
All this is to say that the rare scenario of you requiring to replace your battery pack doesn’t spell doom for the whole EV ownership experience. The lifespan of a modern battery is already great and seems on track to improve further. If replacement is required, experts say it may not cost as much as it does today in the future. And even then, there are clear ways to offset those replacement costs, as degraded packs may find multiple use cases in their second life.
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Tesla and Rivian have been embroiled in a lawsuit in which the former accused the latter of having stolen battery technology by poaching Tesla employees.
It sounds like the two automakers are finally about to settle the lawsuit, which has been going on for 4 years.
In 2020, Tesla filed a lawsuit against Rivian over allegedly stealing trade secrets by hiring former Tesla employees and encouraging them to bring documents. Rivian has denied the allegations.
When Tesla filed the lawsuit, it wasn’t clear what trade secrets Tesla was claiming Rivian had stolen. However, we noted that the employees listed in the lawsuits were two recruiters, an EHS manager, and a manager of Tesla’s charging networks.
The automaker claimed that these employees brought “documents consisting of highly sensitive trade secret, confidential, and proprietary engineering information” when they went to work for Rivian.
A year later, Tesla expanded the lawsuit, claiming more specifically that Rivian was “stealing the core technology for its next-generation batteries.”
At first, the companies tried to settle out of court, but it didn’t work out, so the lawsuit was moved to court last year.
Over a year later, we now learn that Tesla had notified the court that it expects to file to get the lawsuit dismissed after reaching a conditional agreement with Rivian. The company didn’t disclose the details of the settlement (via Bloomberg):
Tesla didn’t disclose specifics about the agreement in a court filing, but told a California state judge that it expects to seek dismissal of the case by Dec. 24 upon satisfactory completion of the terms.
Neither Tesla nor Rivian have commented on the reported settlement.
While Tesla has claimed that it somewhat open-sourced its patents, we have previously noted that it’s not exactly the case. Tesla claims to let other companies use its patented technology as long as they themselves don’t sue them over patent rights.
And in this specific case, Tesla alleges that Rivian has specifically hired employees to steal technologies. Again, Rivian has denied the allegation.
Electrek’s Take
The terms are unknown, but in similar cases, it often involves things like some level of access to make sure that no proprietary technology is being used or has been used.
The lawsuit is not exactly clear, but based on the timeline and the allegations of “next-gen batteries”, Tesla could have been talking about its 4680 battery cells, although those are cells. It could also be the structural battery pack.
Rivian is expected to use a taller 4695 battery from LG Energy Solutions for its next-generation vehicles.
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