Tesla has pulled the heavy weaponry when it comes to financing to boost sales during its regular end-of-quarter push.
Tesla has regularly introduced price cuts and incentives at the end of every quarter in order to boost sales and lower inventory.
It helps quarterly financial results look better as Tesla has already spent the money to build those vehicles and if they are not delivered by the end of the quarter, they end up in its “inventory” without generating any revenue.
Recently, Tesla introduced, or reintroduced, incentives across its entire EV lineup except for the Cybertruck.
For example, the automaker implemented a new referral program, which basically result in a $1,000 discount on new cars.
Lately, Tesla has been subsidizing financing on its vehicles as a incentive.
Now, the automaker has introduced zero down payment on Model 3 and Model Y vehicles, which can be combined with much lower APR:
If you put an ‘excellent’ credit rating in Tesla’s online configurator, you get a 5.59% interest rate, but if you choose the new “promotion” credit rating, Tesla is offering 0$ down payment and APR at 2.49%.
With a small down payment, you can get the rate down to 1.99%.
The promotion is running until September 30, which coincides with the end of the quarter.
Electrek’s Take
This might be Tesla’s biggest promotion of the year. Compared to current interest rates, 2% is basically free money and the fact that nothing is due at delivery should attract a lot of people.
I would expect that it will help Tesla clear its US inventory this quarter.
However, as we have previously reported, sales are flat in China and way down in Europe.
Therefore, it is still unclear if Tesla can grow sales this quarter. The automaker delivered 444,000 vehicles last quarter and 435,000 vehicles in Q3 2023.
Tesla is currently tracking to have its first year with a reduction in EV deliveries in a decade.
Investors will also be tracking profit margins as this new referral program and the subsidizing of financing should negatively impact margins.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
Source link by Electrek
Author Fred Lambert
#Tesla #pulling #heavy #financing #weaponry #endofquarter #push
“Electrifying the fleet—a practical resource for fleet managers” describes the savings fleet managers can expect from electrifying their fleets. REA estimates that a typical fleet can expect to save around £1,500 annually per light commercial vehicle (LCV) driving 15,000 miles a year; or £3,500 annually for a rigid heavy goods vehicle (HGV) driving the same distance.
The report also outlines current UK policy targets and available incentives. By the end of 2024, 10% of new van sales in the UK must be zero-emission vehicles; this mandate will increase to 58% by 2029, 70% by 2030, and 100% by 2035. For HGVs, all new models sold in the UK must be zero-emission by 2040. To support these targets, the UK government offers various Plug-in Grants, including up to £2,500 for small vans, £5,000 for large vans, £16,000 for small trucks, and £25,000 for large trucks.
The new report emphasizes the benefits of smart charging, which can significantly lower costs—and reduce the need for costly grid upgrades—by enabling fleet managers to schedule charging during off-peak times when electricity prices are lower.
Numerous case studies are highlighted in the report, showcasing successful fleet electrification projects by REA members, including Drax’s deployment of EV charging infrastructure for SES Water and Mer’s installation of 200 chargers for IKEA.
SB1221 also requires that zonal decarbonization projects be cost-effective, she said: Whatever the utility spends on the project must be less than the cost of the pipeline investments they’re avoiding.
At the same time, the customers being asked to commit to switching to all-electric heating and appliances have to be compensated for the extra cost of making that switch and paying the electric bills that will result, she said. And the law requires utilities to target communities that are most likely to face economic harm from being stuck paying for increasingly expensive gas service.
Under the bill, the California Public Utilities Commission has until July 2026 to establish the program. That gives some time to work through these details, Velez said. But the first step in identifying the likely targets of the program will come in mid-2025, when California’s major gas utilities — PG&E, Southern California Edison, and San Diego Gas & Electric — must provide maps to the CPUC with the location and cost of planned gas-distribution investments overlaid with information on “disadvantaged communities, tribes, and other priority decarbonization zones,” she said.
Southern California Gas and SDG&E, which are both owned by Sempra, haven’t yet developed those maps, she noted. But PG&E has created one as part of its ongoing work on gas-to-electric switching, which includes its first “zonal electrification” pilot that will electrify about 1,200 state university–owned housing units.
“In theory, then, PG&E can hit the ground running with proposing larger-scale pilots,” Velez said. Menten agreed that PG&E has “literally hundreds of projects they could move forward that hit that cost-effectiveness criteria.”
But Menten cited one provision of SB1221 that she fears might dissuade utilities from bringing pilot projects forward: the way it treats the cost of heat pumps and other electric-powered equipment that utilities will likely need to subsidize for participants. Under the bill, utilities are barred from treating these costs as a capital expenditure on which they earn guaranteed rates of profit.
An early version of the bill would have authorized the CPUC to use its discretion in determining “where capitalization makes sense and where it doesn’t,” Menten said. But in a legislative session dominated by attempts to pass regulations to contain rising utility rates, that language was stripped from the bill before its passage.
“Ultimately it’s better for ratepayers to not have that capitalization,” she said. But by asking a utility to forgo the profits it would have earned from pipeline investments in exchange for a zonal electrification alternative, “you’re asking the utility to choose to not make money.”
Menten noted that these pilot projects are small in scope — SB1221 limits them to no more than 1 percent of a utility’s customers — and that any larger-scale policies that emerge from them would be able to revisit the question of how gas utilities might recover foregone profits.
On the other hand, SB1221 makes it possible for utilities to propose pilot projects but doesn’t require them to do so, she noted. The absence of a capital-recovery structure for the equipment going into homes and businesses could be “a disincentive under the current regulations for utilities to bring this forward.”
Another challenge lies in working with residents of targeted neighborhoods to make sure they’re willing partners in electrification, she said. At her previous job with community energy provider Ava Community Energy, Menten worked on a California Energy Commission–funded project that engaged with communities in the San Francisco Bay Area to gauge their interest in and capacity for switching from gas to electric.
The final report from that project noted that “residents have concerns regarding home electrification including upfront costs, lack of familiarity with electric equipment, and increases in electricity costs. Significant outreach and education, along with upfront funding and potentially bill guarantees, will be key to project success.” Only one project ended up going forward as part of that program.
Menten highlighted other issues, ranging from how to handle “ghost homes” — homes that are either vacant or occupied by people who decline to engage in the process — to forming partnerships with “trusted messengers” like community and faith groups.
“These are block-by-block projects,” she said. “You really need to understand the dynamics of each block.”
EVs with 300 lb-ft of torque or more are associated with higher insurance loss
Higher EV curb weights and torque-to-weight ratio add to the correlation
This signals insurers need smarter rates that navigate EVs’ different risks
Electric vehicles are so often lauded for their loads of “instant torque” and strong, quick acceleration. Some brands even go so far as to claim quicker EV acceleration adds to safety.
But as a broad analysis of insurance industry data points out, many of those high-output EVs may also be the ones linked to the continued surge in EV insurance costs.
2025 Porsche Taycan Turbo GT Weissach package
“Our data has also shown that the extra torque delivered by the powerful EV motors (is) positively correlated with their loss cost,” said Xiaohui Lu, LexisNexis vice president of global business development, to Green Car Reports.
Specifically, EVs with more than 300 lb-ft of torque correspond with higher insurance loss cost, based on LexisNexis’ internal analysis of insurance claims across EV brands (it declined to say where top-selling EV brand Tesla stands) and across insurers. And factoring in EV curb weight and the correlation between torque-to-weight ratio, the link is even more pronounced.
The data set itself isn’t enough to say whether having so much output and acceleration on tap emboldens drivers and leads to more aggressive driving behaviors, or whether there is anything inherently less safe about high-power EVs.
It’s also hard to make a comparison to models in the gasoline-powered fleet, as such vehicles with more than 300 lb-ft of torque are far less statistically common, and they tend to be in niche performance models, so there may as well be a distinct difference in the types of people who are buying them. But apples to apples, gasoline vehicles don’t demonstrate such an abrupt risk threshold.
2024 GMC Hummer EV SUV
It’s complicated—not just EV drivers but repair costs and more
Correlation does not imply causation, and insurers will simply need to get a deeper understanding on why high-torque EVs are potentially spiking rates for everyone else.
“While torque contributes to the higher insurance loss cost of electric vehicles, it is important not to view these numbers solely through the lens of torque,” underscored Lu. “For instance, higher torque vehicles often have higher prices, more expensive repair costs, and sometimes even higher daily mileages, all of which are also linked to increased insurance loss costs.”
Nissan e-Pedal one-pedal driving mode
The one-pedal driving mode on some EVs is one such example that might conceivably be spurring fender-benders, at least among newbies. “Our data show a distinctive learning curve for the drivers newly switched from ICE vehicles to EVs,” Lu added about risk factors.
According to data from the firm released back in June, EVs cost much more to insure, looking across the board, with a 17% higher claim frequency and 34% higher claim severity versus what it considered to be “traditional segments” of the vehicle market, with both the number of paid claims and the payment amount of claims rising faster than those figures for the market at large.
More EVs in the risk pool didn’t fix things
Some had hypothesized that the relatively small sample set of EVs was part of the problem. But in 2023, U.S. EV sales skyrocketed 54% versus 2022, to 1.4 million, bringing a 40% boost in the overall number of EVs insured—3.9 million vehicles including EVs and PHEVs. And those soaring numbers of EVs in the fleet only extended the trends of higher claims and higher costs.
More involved collision repair for even light EV damage is partly responsible for the higher cost, industry data has shown, as is the higher weight of EVs and corresponding higher levels of vehicle damage—especially to other vehicles.
2024 Tesla Model 3 Performance
Those factors amount to an “escalating profitability challenge” for all EV insurers, according to the firm. As we’ve pointed out recently, the soaring cost of battery replacement may be partly linked to those challenges. And with rates still surging for EVs, it appears smart that Tesla created its own insurance in an effort to keep costs down and competition up.
According to the insurance-funded Highway Loss Data Institute, Teslas don’t crash more often than other vehicles, but the consequences are more expensive.
Popular AWD EVs as high-risk?
Lu also emphasizes that its data points out that some EVs do offer lower loss rates and costs, and there are drivers who do use electric propulsion for safer driving, so it’s up to insurers to navigate this new world and come up with smarter, more competitive rates.
All-wheel drive has a reputation for adding safety, but it hasn’t proven true in the way it’s implemented so far for EVs. Unfortunately, as the data accumulates, that may mean insurers not treating all Model Ys or Ioniq 5s or EV6s the same, and treating the strong-selling, higher-power AWD versions of many popular EVs as higher-risk performance models.
Source link by Green Car Reports
Author news@greencarreports.com (Bengt Halvorson)
#quicker #EVs #accidentprone #Insurance #data #suggests
Charged is hosting a virtual conference on EV engineering that’s free to attend, and it starts today. The conference includes live webinar sessions with interactive Q&As and on-demand webinars. View the daily session schedule online here.
All of the live sessions will be recorded and available to view after the broadcasts. The recorded videos can be accessed on each session’s registration page.
Monday, September 16th Session Topics:
10:15 am EDT Accelerating Inverter Development: Advanced Testing Strategies For Efficiency And Speed Join Us
10:30 am EDT Accelerating Vehicle Electrification With Virtual Prototypes Join Us
11:00 am EDT Driving Innovation: Trends in EV Battery Pack Design and Donaldson’s Response to Market Evolution Join Us
11:45 am EDT Achieving 3000x Faster BMS Calibration leveraging Advanced Simulation and NOVONIX UHPC Join Us
Source link by Charged EVs
Author Charged EVs
#Todays #engineering #webinar #schedule #Monday #Sep #16th
Curbside charging is emerging as the solution to the problem of charging EVs in dense urban neighborhoods. Curbside chargers are common in Europe, and a few companies are beginning to bring them to the US.
Curbside charging represents a different application from the sort of public charging that we’re used to seeing in US parking lots—curbside chargers need to be compact and fit into urban streetscapes, and they need to be able to take advantage of a variety of power sources.
Enter Beam Global, which has seen a lot of success with its solar-powered off-grid EV charging solution. The company has just launched a new product aimed squarely at the curbside EV charging market. The new BeamSpot is a streetlight replacement that combines solar and grid electricity with Beam Global’s proprietary integrated batteries to provide both lighting and curbside EV charging.
Last year, Beam Global acquired Amiga DOO, a European manufacturer of streetlights, helping Beam to develop the BeamSpot product and bring it to market in both Europe and the US.
Using existing streetlight foundations and circuits to power EV charging stations makes a lot of sense, but streetlights generally don’t have enough power to energize light bulbs and simultaneously charge EVs. BeamSpot, a replacement for existing streetlights, combines multiple sources of renewable energy and onboard battery storage, enabling EV charging to be provided without requiring upgraded utility connections, trenching, construction, easements or complex permitting—and without taking up additional real estate on sidewalks or in parking lots.
Beam Global estimates that there are some 304 million streetlights around the world—a massive market opportunity to integrate BeamSpot EV charging infrastructure, especially in densely populated areas.
“We believe our BeamSpot product line will solve real problems both in America and in Europe: expanding access to charging where people need it most, at the curb on the street and in parking lots,” said Desmond Wheatley, CEO of Beam Global. “BeamSpot charging stations minimize the need for disruptive construction and electrical work while providing access to charging where people live, shop, dine, work and play. And because BeamSpot generates and stores renewable energy it will add robust capacity and reduce the threat from blackouts.”
The 2024 Volkswagen Golf GTI 380 S is a one-year special edition model available exclusively to North America. The Golf, now in its eighth generation, debuted in 1983, replacing the Rabbit. It’s a driving purist’s car with a great reputation among enthusiasts.
What makes it a ‘special edition’ is Volkswagen has announced the third pedal will become a memory with the end of production of the 2024 Golf GTI 380 S. The Golf will continue to be built past 2024, but all future models will have the semi-automatic transmission. We are not selling the quick-shifting automatic short, but let’s get real here—it isn’t a manual.
The last lap?
Let’s cut right to it because if the 6-speed manual is the primary reason you are considering buying it, then don’t sit on your hands much longer!
Strap in. Feel the engine rumble. Engage the clutch. Try to stop smiling.
The 2024 Golf GTI 380 S hatchback needs to be driven; nay, wants to be driven. Which is exactly what we did for one fun-filled week, tackling Southern California freeways and mountain roads. Hey, Volkswagen, please reconsider and don’t take this one away!
Turbocharged Enthusiasm
Low-end torque and pulling power
The Golf GTI 380 S, has an intercooled turbocharged 2.0-liter inline 16-valve 4-cylinder engine putting out 241 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque. The front wheels are driven through a smooth, slick-shifting 6-speed manual that has a very forgiving clutch. If you are looking for more umph and traction, the 2024 Mk8 Golf R with 315 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque comes standard with 4Motion all-wheel drive.
Maximum torque for the GTI 380 S is at 1,750 rpm, but that doesn’t begin to tell the performance story. The torque band is wide as you go through the gears, with 2nd through 4th where the acceleration fun and responsiveness lies. Our 0-60 times were a respectable 5.1 seconds, but straight line speed will not be the pacing item for owning a Golf GTI 380 S or what makes it so much fun.
The core of the GTI
Launching in first is only the gateway to the 2-3-4 gear sequence wringing out performance that is wonderful between 3,500 and 6,000 rpm. Go find sweeping corners or tight twisties to test this gear sequence and torque. Note: Pay no attention to the upshift/downshift read-out on the dash gauge, as it wants you to shift so as to take the fun out of driving in high revs.
The clutch is smooth and forgiving; the transmission has short throws. Volkswagen engineers have made it possible from a standing start, at slow speeds and on flat roads, to gently release the clutch without pressing on the accelerator pedal. This helps with smooth launches making dumping the clutch and stalling the engine hard to do. The forgiving clutch at low speeds also comes in handy when stuck in stop-and-go rush hour traffic, as the fewer times needing to depress the left pedal, the less stress and fatigue on your leg.
Fuel economy estimates by the EPA are 23 city/34 highway/27 combined miles per gallon. Because of driving aggressively much of the time, over 231 miles we averaged 25 mpg. But in one 110-mile highway run and another of 85 miles at 65 mph, we averaged 33.7 mpg. Fuel economy numbers reported by Clean Fleet Report are non-scientific and represent the reviewer’s driving experience. Your numbers may differ.
Driving Experience: Stay Away from a Straight Line
The 3,137-pound Golf GTI has a light and agile feel with a surefooted driving experience, that begins with the Bridgestone Potenza S005 235/43R summer performance sport tires mounted on 19-inch aluminum-alloy wheels. This hot hatch sticks to the ground!
Ready for the challenging roads
The well-weighted progressive variable-ratio electric-power assist steering provided accurate turning, with the leather-wrapped steering wheel having a good, solid feel. The driving modes of Comfort and Sport have different steering weight and throttle response, while Custom allows the driver to set those to their liking.
The four-wheel independent multi-link sport suspension, with electronic stability control, has front struts and coil springs with coil springs, telescopic dampers and an anti-roll bar on the rear delivering a smooth, solid ride. The torque-sensing limited slip differential with an electronic differential lock aided in providing for precision handling.
Search out esses with left-right sweepers that will demonstrate the ease and flow of the handling. There is no herky-jerky correcting of the steering wheel, or as Volkswagen calls it, “steering corruption,” only smooth transitions to easily find the apex. There was good lateral stability in the chassis in part because the stamped steel body uses high-strength, hot-formed steel. The tight turning radius of 38.1 feet made most three-point turns unnecessary.
The stops were straight and true with the Golf’s standard four-wheel anti-lock braking system, power assisted front vented and rear solid discs, with electronic brake pressure distribution and electronic stability control. The red calipers poking out from the multi-spoke gloss black aluminum-alloy wheels looked sharp.
How to summarize the handling of the Golf GTI? It is a sport hatchback with a balanced suspension for handling and ride comfort that can only be topped for handling and performance in the Volkswagen line-up by its sibling, the Golf R that has all-wheel drive, more horsepower and torque, but comes at a higher price.
Sport Interior
The 2024 Golf GTI comes in three trims—S, SE and Autobahn. Clean Fleet Report drove the Golf GTI 380 S, the one-year special edition where practicality and performance meet.
All about the driver
The heated sport front seats have manual adjustments, but power recline. Covered in a black durable cloth, the Titan Black and plaid design had red stitching and accents, with red embossed “GTI” on the integrated headrests. The seats were comfortable, supportive and grippy, especially when cornering. There is an impressive amount of seat travel that will accommodate tall drivers. Without a sunroof, there is plenty of head room. The shoulder belts were height adjustable so they don’t cut across your neck.
The rear seats two adults, three in a pinch, where they get USB ports and adjustable climate vents. Leg, head and shoulder room was good, and the fold down center console has cup holders and opens for long item pass-through. The utility of a hatchback comes into play with 19.9 cubic feet of cargo storage with the rear seats upright that grows to a useful 34.5 cubic feet with the 60:40 split rear seat laid flat. There is a nifty system to hold up the rear cargo deck cover that reveals the 125/70/70 temporary use tire.
The three stainless steel pedal covers, plus the dead pedal, and the carpeted front and rear floor mats were nice touches.
Digital Cockpit
The 10.25-inch configurable digital information display includes round speedometer, tachometer and boost gauges with a black background, white lettering and red accents that matched the red stitching on the leather-covered steering wheel and shifter. The ball-style shifter has a nice grip and is situated perfectly in the center console where it shares space with the electronic parking brake piano switch.
Mood lighting available
Taking center stage of the dash is the 8.25-inch color touchscreen that handles the rear view camera and the seven-speaker audio system with AM/FM/HD radio, with four USB C ports and app connection interfaces. SiriusXM is not available. Also part of the MIB2 infotainment system is Bluetooth for telephone and streaming music and wireless phone charging. The SE and Autobahn trims have a 10-inch display.
A combination of knobs, switches and touch controls on the center screen or on the multi-function steering wheel work the radio and single zone climate system.
Other conveniences are power windows, keyless access, push button start/stop, rain sensing windshield wipers, power adjustable and folding heated side mirrors with puddle lamps, rear window wiper and washer, electronic parking brake, hill hold, anti-theft system, a tire pressure monitoring system, trip computer display and multi-color ambient cabin lighting.
All Golf models are equipped with Volkswagen’s CarNet connected car technology that provides a seamless link between the car and an iPhone, Android smartphone or computer, to as Volkswagen says, “keep you connected with your car even when you’re apart.”
Classic Golf design
Iconic Design
The iconic exterior is classic Golf, with Volkswagen designers not going the route of adding unnecessary scoops, vents or an overly large front grille. The Golf GTI is true to itself as a compact hatchback that delivers a pure joy of driving. Clean Fleet Report’s test car, was painted in a very attractive Atlantic Blue Metallic with a black roof.
The sleek LED head and daytime running lights squint from the far edges of the fenders, sitting above the five LED fog light pattern on the lower fascia. The sculpted and gently sloped hood leads to a strong but subtle body line, the line that runs the side of the car from front to back. The flat roof has a color-keyed shark fin antenna that sits just before the small hatch window visor. Horizontal LED tail lamps, a VW badge that flips-up to reveal the rear view camera, and the bold “GTI” badge in red all reside above the twin chrome-tipped exhaust pipes peaking-out from under the rear fascia.
Driver Assistance and Safety
Room to haul
In addition to six airbags, all 2024 Volkswagen Golf models come withIQ Drivethat uses front and rear radar, a front camera and several ultrasound sensors to collect data enabling semi-automated driving assistance. Other Advanced Driver Assist Systems (ADAS) are Travel Assist, forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, blind spot monitor, rear traffic alert, adaptive cruise control and lane keeping assist. Travel Assist also allows for brief amounts of time where the driver’s hands are not touching the steering wheel. Emergency Assist will bring the Golf to a stop if no driver activity is monitored.
The Intelligent Crash Response System turns off the fuel pump, unlocks the doors and switches on the hazard lights in case of an accident. If there is an accident, the brakes are automatically applied by the automatic post-collision braking system so the car does not continue moving, resulting in a secondary accident. This technology’s value helps insure an incapacitated driver is not injured further by their car striking another object.
Pricing and Warranties
The 2024 Golf GTI 380 S comes in three trims with these base prices, including the mandatory $1,225 destination fee.
380 S $33,910
380 SE $38,710
380 Autobahn $42,050
The Golf comes with these warranties:
New Vehicle (Fully transferable) – Four years/50,000 miles
Scheduled Maintenance – Two years/20,000 miles
Roadside Assistance – Three years/36,000 mile
Corrosion Perforation – Seven years/100,000 miles
Observations: 2024 Volkswagen Golf GTI 380 S
Volkswagen’s former marketing slogan of Farfegnugen, or “driving enjoyment,” perfectly embodies the 2024 Golf GTI 380 S.
Fun and left-foot exercise
It is okay to shed a tear, play taps, doff your hat, place hand-on-heart or maybe even lament a bit knowing the 6-speed manual will no longer be offered in future Volkswagen Golf GTIs.
If your left leg needs a workout, or enough-is-enough of sitting back and not being an active participant in the performance of a car, get down to your local Volkswagen dealer and checkout the Golf GTI 380 S.
The base 2024 Golf GTI, with the 7-speed automatic, is only $720 less than the GTI 380 S with the 6-speed manual transmission. The savings don’t equal the fun being lost. Assuming you actually enjoy driving.
Dollar-for-dollar the GTI 380 S is an absolute blast to drive as it does more than expected. The Golf GTI holds its own against competing rivals like the Hyundai Veloster N, Toyota GR Corolla, and the Honda Civic Type Si.
Make sure to opt-in to the Clean Fleet Report newsletter (top right of page) to be notified of all new stories and vehicle reviews.
Story and photos by John Faulkner.
[See image gallery at cleanfleetreport.com]
Some of our rare manual adventures:
Flash Drive: MPG Drive Day
Road Test: 2024 Honda Civic Hatchback
Flash Drive: 2024 Ford Mustang EcoBoost & Coyote 5.0 V8
Road Test: 2023 Volkswagen Golf GTI S
Road Test: 2022 Subaru BRZ Limited
News: 2023 Honda Civic Type R
Road Test: 2021 Chevrolet Camaro TS 2.0L Turbo
Road Test: 2021 Toyota Corolla Hatchback XSE
Road Test: 2019 Hyundai Veloster Turbo R-Spec
Disclosure:
Clean Fleet Report is loaned free test vehicles from automakers to evaluate, typically for a week at a time. Our road tests are based on this one-week drive of a new vehicle. Because of this we don’t address issues such as long-term reliability or total cost of ownership. In addition, we are often invited to manufacturer events highlighting new vehicles or technology. As part of these events we may be offered free transportation, lodging or meals. We do our best to present our unvarnished evaluations of vehicles and news irrespective of these inducements.
Our focus is on vehicles that offer the best fuel economy in their class, which leads us to emphasize electric cars, plug-in hybrids, hybrids and diesels. We also feature those efficient gas-powered vehicles that are among the top mpg vehicles in their class. In addition, we aim to offer reviews and news on advanced technology and the alternative fuel vehicle market. We welcome any feedback from vehicle owners and are dedicated to providing a forum for alternative viewpoints. Please let us know your views at publisher@cleanfleetreport.com.
The post Road Test: 2024 Volkswagen Golf GTI 380 S Special Edition first appeared on Clean Fleet Report.
Source link by Clean Fleet Report
Author John Faulkner
#Road #Test #Volkswagen #Golf #GTI #Special #Edition
After a successful pilot program, FedEx is expanding its electric delivery fleet with the purchase of 15 Workhorse W56 electric step vans.
Designed specifically to meet the demanding needs of commercial-scale last-mile delivery operations, the Workhorse W56 offers an efficient eAxle electric drivetrain, regenerative braking, and lightweight composite body panels to deliver superior efficiency, lower operational costs, and a reduced air pollution compared to diesel. The company believes these features make the W56 perfectly suited for the kind of stop-and-go delivery routes customers like FedEx, UPS, and (let’s face it) Amazon operate.
“FedEx is cultivating a strong roster of electric vehicle models that can meet the demands of our network,” says Pat Donlon, Vice President, Global Vehicles, FedEx. “In joining our fleet, the electric Workhorse W56 will be part of our story as we aim to transition our global parcel pickup and delivery fleet to all zero-tailpipe emissions vehicles by 2040.”
That fleet won’t just be cleaner – it’ll be much more efficient. According to the company’s press release, the W56 achieved an impressive 31 MPGe during FedEx’ real-world delivery route testing. That compares favorably to the national average fuel economy of 7 MPG for similar diesel delivery trucks, demonstrating significantly lower energy consumption per mile. Based on an average of 31,875 miles driven per vehicle per year, Workhorse says FedEx will be able to avoid an estimated 607 metric tons of harmful tailpipe emissions annually.
Electrek’s Take
Workhorse electric delivery van logo; via Workhorse.
Sharp readers will recall that UPS made headlines when it ordered 1,000 Workhorse delivery vans way back in 2018, and the company is still working to make good on that order following the completion of its Union City, Indiana manufacturing complex. Dubbed “Workhorse Ranch,” the company says its remodeled facility will be ultimately capable of building and painting 5,000 Workhorse vehicles per year on one shift.
We’re well into Q3 2024, obviously, but I don’t want to be seen as unreasonably harsh on Workhorse. Heck, a few quarters here or there seems downright reasonable on a Tesla Semi timeline – I just think a bit of historical context is needed whenever we talk about startups like this. Head down to the comments and let me know if you agree.
The 2024 Chevrolet Blazer EV should make shopping lists
We dig the Blazer EV’s design, efficiency, and build quality
Blazer EV rear seat comfort varies by person, and the iOS app needs a redo
Unlike soap-bar-styled EVs eking out that extra range the Chevy Blazer EV charts its own distinctly American path.
The2024 Chevrolet Blazer EVsports a different, eye-catching design that is wrapped around a spacious, well-built cabin. After recently living with one for a week and taking it on a road trip, we found it to be surprisingly efficient. But with a rear seat that won’t fit everyone perfectly, an uneasy range meter, and an underwhelming iOS app, it’s not perfect.
Based on this extended drive, here are the pros and cons of the 2024 Chevrolet Blazer EV.
2024 Chevrolet Blazer EV
Pro: Chevy Blazer EV has Camaro-like style
It’s as if designers rolled a Camaro into the studio and just said, “yes.” As in, all of it. Thankfully, they skipped the gun-slit greenhouse. The front end is distinct with the LED daytime running lights emphasizing the Blazer EV’s width. The taillights keep it in the family and are related to the latest Traverse and Equinox. Both have light shows that can be on while charging. The taillights are charge indicators and the bars “fill up” as the battery charges. The curved front and rear fenders also show Camaro influence. Overall, it’s sharp, and distinctive.
2024 Chevrolet Blazer EV
Inside, there’s a lot going on. My Dad got in and exclaimed: “This is cool! It’s…a bit like the Batmobile. There should be flames that come out of the vents.” My RS tester had a red interior, and it was a lot to take in visually. There are shiny chrome bits, vents with twisty bits, a real volume knob and climate control buttons. It feels normal in a way that fits in with Chevy’s ICE models.
2024 Chevrolet Blazer EV
Con: Rear seat comfort varies by person in the Chevy Blazer EV
With the front seat positioned properly for my 5-foot-10 build I slid comfortably into the rear seat without issue. There was plenty of leg, knee, foot, and headroom and the outboard seats felt comfortable. However my mother and wife both commented without prompting that the rear seat was uncomfortable. The rear seatback design has child seat LATCH anchor points integrated into the lower portion—rather than recessed between the cushions, as in most vehicles. This splits the lower portion of the seatback and hits some people in an uncomfortable position low in the back. My wife also found the rear seat seat belt mounting point hit her in an uncomfortable position on her neck. The center rear seat is sunken and narrow and it’s not going to be comfortable for anyone.
2024 Chevrolet Blazer EV
Pro: Chevrolet Blazer EV impresses with efficiency
For larger EVs such as this, the bar for excellent efficiency is 3.0 mi/kwh. Around town in mixed suburban driving the Blazer EV had no issuesaveraging 3.0 mi/kwhdespite paying no heed to efficiency and just driving as one would normally. On two highway 200-plus-mile road trips the Blazer EV averaged 2.7 and 2.5 mi/kwh respectively with the cruise control set at over 70 mph, ambient temps hovering in the mid to upper 70s, and the climate control set to 68 degrees Fahrenheit. Strong wind and rain lowered the efficiency on the latter.
2024 Chevrolet Blazer EV
Con: The Blazer EV has trouble guessing its range
Pay attention to thebattery state of charge–just like you would a gas gauge–and don’t put as much stock in the range display in the Blazer EV. While previous GM EVs including the Chevy Bolt EV were right on the mark, range seemed more of a wild guess in this Blazer EV, and consistently the range display would say the Blazer EV could go further than it would be able to (this might have had to do with how it had recently been driven). Interestingly, integrated Google Maps for navigation realized this and told me when I would need to charge to reach my destination—despite the range meter saying I’d make it.
2024 Chevrolet Blazer EV
Pro: Chevy Blazer EV feels well built
Build qualitywas solid with everything feeling well screwed together. The panel gaps were tight, the doors closed with a solid thunk, and everything I touched, clicked, twisted, or grabbed didn’t wiggle, creak, or feel cheap.
2024 Chevrolet Blazer EV
Con: Chevy’s iOS app feels behind
Software-defined vehicles present an opportunity to be controlled remotely with a smartphone. Chevrolet’s iOS app, which is the same app as the Cadillac and GMC app with a different skin, feels a full iteration behind what you’ll find from Rivian, Lucid, or Tesla. Open the app and it will say when it was last updated. Spoiler: It’ll be a little while ago—usually 30 to 50 minutes. That’s not the car’s current status. Is it charging? Is it locked? Pull down from the top of the screen to refresh the app and it’ll take minutes, not seconds to retrieve the actual status. And executing a command, like starting or unlocking, takes seconds and feels too slow.
The Chevy iOS app aside, the Blazer EV feels like a taste of the Bowtie’s future. A familiar and normal future that happens to be powered by batteries and not gasoline. It’s appealing and should be onFord Mustang Mach-EandTesla Model Ycross-shopping lists.
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2024 Chevrolet Blazer EV RS AWD
Base price: $58,590, including $1,395 destination fee
Price as tested: $60,710
Drivetrain: 288 hp combined, dual-motor AWD
EPA range: 279 miles
The hits: Sharp design inside and out, efficiency, solid build quality
The misses: Rear seat comfort for some, range meter is guessometer, iOS app experience
Source link by Green Car Reports
Author news@greencarreports.com (Joel Feder)
#Test #drive #Chevrolet #Blazer #balances #efficiency #style
Sometime this month, Norway will have more electric cars on its roads than petrol-only vehicles, according to an analysis of Norwegian government data.
The analysis comes courtesy of Bilbransje24, a Norwegian auto industry publication. It used data from Norway’s Road Traffic Information Council (Opplysningsrådet for Veitrafikken, OFV).
Norway releases detailed monthly information about auto sales in the country, which has been helpful for those of us tracking the EV market in the most EV-obsessed country in the world. It set another world record with 94% EV new car market share in August.
Norway has long been a standout, with the highest level of EV market share of any country and an aspiration to end sales of new gas cars by 2025, while other countries and regions focus on a relatively weak 2035 target.
But it even managed to basically meet that 2025 aspiration early, with non-electrified vehicles only making up a single-digit percentage of sales in the country as early as 2021. Some countries even abruptly stopped ICE vehicle sales with only a few days notice as sales continued to drop.
As is the case with most technologies, the last few percent is always a struggle, but we think getting down to single digits might as well be a win (for reference, California’s 2035 “ban” on gas cars still allows up to 20% of vehicle sales to be PHEVs, which do have a combustion engine in them).
And the combined effect of so many years of extremely high EV sales, and extremely low gas-car sales, means that we’ve seen the installed base of gas vehicles shrink as the installed base of EVs continues to rise. And now, finally, those lines have crossed.
There are more electric cars than petrol-only cars on Norway’s roads (as of… today?)
As of the end of last month, there were 751,450 electric cars in service in Norway and 755,244 petrol-only cars, each making up about 26% of the cars on the roads.
Given that EVs are selling at a rate of about ~10,000 vehicles per month, and petrol-only cars are selling at a rate of about…. zero (okay, maybe a few hundred) per month, that means these lines will cross around the middle of this month. So… just about now.
This does leave out one powertrain type though, diesel, which was quite popular in Norway throughout the 2000s and early 2010s. Diesel’s installed-based crossed that of petrol-only vehicles in late 2014, and they have remained the most common vehicles on Norwegian roads since then. There are just over a million diesel vehicles in Norway (that number will drop below a million at the end of this month), so diesel-only still reigns supreme on Norwegian roads, ahead of EVs.
But EVs are growing, and growing more rapidly than diesel ever did. And both petrol-only – which EVs just advanced ahead of – and diesel-only vehicles are dropping in popularity. “Peak diesel” was reached in 2017, though today they make up 35% of Norway’s cars. Peak petrol-car sales were reached in Norway in 2005.
Each of these numbers leave out hybrids, which make up a smaller amount, both plug-in and otherwise. There are around 208k plug-in hybrids and 156k non-plug-in hybrids on the roads in Norway now. The installed base of plug-in hybrids became larger than that of non-plug-in ones back in 2019.
And the installed-base of diesel and petrol vehicles don’t get driven as often as newer, more efficient EVs do, so the disparate travel distances have resulted in an outsized effect on motor fuel sales in the country. Last year, Electrek did an analysis of how Cratering motor fuel sales in Norway show the death spiral that can end oil.
As usual, Norway is showing the rest of the world how this should all work.
Meanwhile, most countries aren’t even close to havingnew EV sales eclipse new gas car sales, and Norway is already out here with more EVs on the road than gas cars.
For all the complaints and protestations of impossibility, the Nordic countries have by and large left gas behind. All have high EV penetration, led by Norway, and there have not been any of the widespread problems that fossil fuel propaganda constantly tries to convince you that high EV use would lead to.
Maybe instead of listening to ignorant clowns who are committed to increasing harm and costs, we should just take a look at how one of the happiest nations in the world has transformed its transportation system for the better, and take a few notes.
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Source link by Electrek
Author Jameson Dow
#electric #cars #gas #cars #Norways #roads
