Fisker unveils ‘world’s most sustainable vehicle’ as electric vehicle competition heats up
The manufacturer, which makes electric buses and trucks, has filed to raise $150 million with its IPO.
A long-awaited moment for staunch Roe opponent Thomas
WASHINGTON – Judge Clarence Thomas said at his Supreme Court confirmation hearings in 1991 that he hadn’t given that much thought to whether Roe v. Wade was correctly decided. But Justice Clarence Thomas took only months to reach a conclusion: the landmark 1973 ruling guaranteeing a woman’s right to abortion should be discarded. Subscribe to The Post Most newsletter for the most important and interesting stories from The Washington Post. “The power of a woman to abort her unborn child” is not a

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Robb Report
Mercedes-Benz’s New Vision EQXX Concept EV Will Have a Bonkers Range of 621 Miles, COO Says
The fully electric concept will make its public debut at CES in January.
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Engadget
Nissan to invest $17.6 billion in EV development over the next five years
Nissan will invest 2 trillion yen ($17.6 billion) over the next five years developing new EVs and battery technology.
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Audi E-Tron facelift said to bring a lot more range
Autocar says it spoke to “sources inside Audi” who divulged that the Audi E-Tron is getting ready for the second half of its life with a facelift and technology upgrade slated to appear next year. The most welcome change will be a new-generation battery, more efficient motors with greater energy recuperation, and new electronics that work together to increase range by nearly 50%, going from 259 miles on the European WLTP cycle to 373 miles. Autocar outlet reports that an Audi exec said the changes are to “further increase [the] competitiveness” of the brand’s first mainstream electric vehicles.
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Source : https://finance.yahoo.com/news/fisker-unveils-worlds-most-sustainable-vehicle-as-electric-vehicle-competition-heats-up-141734654.html
Nissan Shows Future EV Concepts Including a Cute Pickup Truck
Ambitious electric-vehicle plans also call for solid-state batteries by 2028 and for EVs to make up 40 percent of U.S. sales by 2030.

- Nissan has shared a comprehensive plan for future electric vehicles.
- Four EV concept cars comprise a pickup truck, a convertible sports car, and two crossovers and preview future electric models.
- Nissan also says it will be producing solid-state batteries by 2028, which will reduce cost dramatically.
Nissan is the latest automaker to share its far-reaching future plans for electric vehicles, and we’re excited to see four new concept cars that give a good idea of some of the 15 new EV models that will arrive by 2030. A small pickup truck called the Surf-Out concept is perhaps the most noteworthy of these, but a convertible sports car called the Max-Out also piqued our interest. A boxy crossover called the Hang-Out is also included, while another small SUV concept called the Chill-Out looks to be the closest to production.
While it’s difficult to gauge the exact dimensions, the Surf-Out appears to be a small pickup truck that could slot into the lineup below the mid-size Frontier. It has a futuristic look with interesting lighting setups front and rear and a minimalist interior with a huge screen spanning the width of the dashboard. Nissan says it has some amount of off-road capability thanks to an e-4ORCE all-wheel-drive setup and it also features some sort of onboard generator.
This convertible is the sportiest of the four concepts, with a low-slung stance and an emphasis on performance. Nissan says that it is lightweight and has a low center of gravity. The two seats are configurable and can flatten into the floor to transform the interior space.
This boxy small SUV strikes us as a spiritual successor to the Nissan Cube. It has a low floor and a tall roof, making for a lounge-like, spacious interior. The four seats rotate and move around in several different configurations, including one that creates a movie-theater-like space that appears to use a projector and a giant screen at the rear of the cabin. Like the other concepts, it has an e-4ORCE all-wheel-drive setup and ProPilot driver-assitance technologies.
The least futuristic of the concepts, the Chill-Out appears to foretell a production model that isn’t too far down the road. It looks somewhat like the Ariya but slightly smaller, and Nissan says it rides on the company’s CMF-EV platform. We expect this to arrive sooner rather than later as a subcompact EV crossover slotting in below the Ariya in terms of size and price.
Look for more news to come from Nissan in the near future about these big plans for EV models. Other claims include a new battery plant set to open in the U.S. by fiscal year 2025 and for EVs to make up 40 percent of the company’s U.S. sales by fiscal year 2030.
Tesla fans should reframe the issue of the $4,500 incentive for electric cars made by unions

The US Senate is now discussing the Build Back Better Act, which includes a much-needed reform of the federal EV incentive. Tesla fans are furious about the $4,500 additional incentive for electric cars made by unions.
They see it as one more attack by the Biden administration on Tesla, but they should reframe the issue to highlight the fundamental problem with the new policy.
Over the last year, Tesla fans have complained that the Biden administration has been unfairly treating Tesla.
It started when Tesla wasn’t invited to an EV announcement at the White House earlier this year.
But the true perceived slight was the new reform to the federal EV tax credit.
Tesla fans and the EV community in general have been calling for a reform for a long time since the incentive was poorly designed in the first place.
The limit of 200,000 US deliveries per manufacturer put companies who invested early in volume production of electric cars at a disadvantage.
Tesla and GM were the first to hit the limit, and now EV buyers don’t have access to the incentive when they buy their electric vehicles.
The main goal of reforming the program was to remove the limit, and that’s what they did in the Build Back Better Act.
The section about the federal EV incentive replaces the limit of deliveries per manufacturer with an industry-wide timeline of 10 years to take advantage of the incentive.
This is especially good for Tesla and GM electric vehicle buyers who regain access to the $7,500 tax credit. However, lawmakers made a few, more controversial changes in the version that has now passed the House.
The main change is that they are adding a $4,500 incentive for electric vehicles built at factories where workers are unionized, on top of the $7,500.
Here’s the exact language in the bill:
The amount credit allowed for a qualified vehicle is increased by $4,500 if the final assembly of the vehicle is at a facility in the United States which operates under a union-negotiated collective bargaining agreement.
Tesla fans have perceived this as another “attack” on the automaker by the administration since Tesla is currently the only automaker producing EVs in volume in the US at a non-unionized factory.
The bill is now being discussed in the Senate, and the additional incentive to unions is expected to be a controversial point that might change by the time the bill becomes law.
Reframing the problem
Tesla fans have been pushing back hard against the union clause in the bill, which they see as unfair.
I think they are right, but I think they should move away from focusing on it being a slight against Tesla by the Biden administration, and instead, focus on what makes it fundamentally wrong. The main problem is that the clause doesn’t really do what it aims to do.
In a speech about the reform, President Joe Biden said that the goal was to “grow auto jobs with good pay and benefits.”
By introducing the $4,500 extra incentive for EVs coming out of union factories, Biden assumes that it will incentivize the market to buy vehicles from automakers who have factories staffed with workers with “good pay and benefits.”
But that’s not the requirement in the legislation. Being unionized is the requirement, and that doesn’t necessarily accomplish that.
Here’s a simple hypothetical situation that shows how the incentive is flawed.
Let’s say you have automaker A making electric vehicles out of a unionized factory. The buyers of those electric vehicles have access to the $4,500 additional incentive as per the current version of the bill.
Now you have automaker B making electric vehicles out of a factory where workers are not unionized, but they have comparable pay and benefits to employees working in automaker A’s unionized factory.
Under the current version of the bill, automaker B achieves the actual goal of having auto jobs with good pay and benefits, but buyers of the vehicles made by those workers are being penalized simply because the workers didn’t achieve those conditions through a union.
Now let’s say that the workers at automaker B’s factory are presented with an opportunity to unionize, and because of their situation, they decide to vote against it since they are satisfied with their situation and they don’t want to pay union dues.
In this very plausible situation, which many of Tesla proponents argue is the automaker’s situation, the clause is actually failing to incentivize good-paying auto jobs and actually penalizes them.
What’s the solution?
Now, this is not an anti-union argument. Unions, if well-organized and led by honest people wanting to do good, can have a positive impact.
However, the way this legislation is worded fails to achieve what the Biden administration claims that they want to achieve.
That should be the focus of the opposition of the union clause, and not it being an attack on Tesla or anyone else.
Personally, I think the clause could be removed altogether since $7,500 is a big-enough incentive to accelerate EV adoption, especially if it becomes a point-of-sale incentive in 2023 as it is currently supposed to become.
But if you absolutely want an extra incentive for good-paying auto jobs with good benefits, you can make a clause that achieves just that.
You simply have to replace the language about the electric vehicles “being assembled at a factory operating under a union-negotiated collective bargaining agreement” with “being assembled at a factory where workers receive pay and benefits at or above the industry average.”
It would be up to the companies and workers to see if they can achieve that by themselves or with the help of a union.
Source : https://electrek.co/2021/11/29/tesla-fans-reframe-issue-4500-incentive-electric-cars-made-unions/
Nissan, Burned by Experience, Shuns Bold EV Forecasts
Car maker sees uncertainty in U.S. but more rapid shift to battery-powered vehicles in Europe, China
TOKYO— Nissan Motor Co. was once the world’s loudest proponent of electric cars, but these days it is one of the more sober voices.
On Monday, the Japanese car maker said it would spend about $17.5 billion on 20 new battery-powered models, aiming to have half its sales come from electric cars or hybrids by 2030.
The Simplified History Of The Electric Car

Despite popular belief, the inception of the electric car dates back to the 19th century. In fact, EVs reached their prime at 33% of all vehicles on the road before World War I. However, after the mass adoption of the internal combustion engine car, gasoline-powered car sales spiked.
It then wasn’t until the 1990s when mass-produced EVs made a comeback. From there on out, electric cars began to materialize into what they’re known as today.
Late 1800’s and Early 1900s
In the late 1800s, electric car brands such as Baker Motor Vehicles and Detriot Electric were the leading players. In this timeframe, consumers found EVs as more compelling options to internal combustion vehicles in cities due to the lack of a noxious exhaust and a far easier driving experience. These early EVs used lead-acid batteries, and the majority of charging was done at home.
However, once gasoline-powered cars became more mainstream, specifically with Henry Ford’s first moving assembly line, gasoline cars could easily undercut the price of electric vehicles. For the next several decades, EVs were as obscure as the artist behind Somebody That I Used to Know.
Late 1900s
After nationwide gasoline shortages and the formation of then-governor Reagan’s California Air Resource Board (CARB), a spark for the redevelopment of electric cars ignited.
In the 1990s, GM released the well-known EV1 electric coupe as a lease-only option. Early EV1s used a 137 horsepower induction motor and an 18.7kWh lead-acid pack providing around eighty miles of range, according to the EPA. Eighty miles was decent, but lead-acid batteries come with significant drawbacks, specifically regarding their memory effect.

Later models were produced with a 26.4kWh NiMH pack, delivering over 140 miles on a single charge. Even with the larger battery, the EV1 still weighed less than 3,000 lbs, giving it a higher power-to-weight ratio than a 2nd Generation Chevrolet Volt.
While the EV1 was the most prominent, other vehicles spawned due to increased pressure from CARB. Some interesting examples include the Ford Ranger EV, Toyota RAV4 EV, and the Nissan Altra, the first electric car to use a lithium-ion battery pack.

While many of these vehicles were revolutionary for their time, they were short-lived. After a judiciary rollback of CARB’s requirements, automakers decided to stop manufacturing their EVs due to significant costs in the manufacturing domain.
2000s and 2010s
When the legacy automakers relocated assets away from the EV phase, a small Silicon Valley startup was just getting started. In 2008, Tesla released the first 200+ mile EV called the “Roadster.” Tesla’s Roadster cost just under $100,000 and could accelerate to sixty in about four seconds. Unlike nearly every electric car prior, the Roadster was sporty, fast, and cool.

Two years later, Nissan began delivering the Nissan Leaf, another revolutionary electric car at the time. While the Leaf was not exactly as “cool” as a Tesla, it was an incredibly practical daily driver. It cost just over $25,000 with the federal tax credit and could travel 73 miles.
In December 2016, Chevrolet began deliveries of the Chevrolet Bolt EV, the first affordable long-range electric car. The Bolt EV only cost $30,000, including the federal tax credit, but, more importantly, it could go 238 miles on a single charge.

Source : https://insideevs.com/features/549726/electric-car-history/
Investors Are Charging Up Electric-Vehicle Stocks
Considering an electric car? The Build Back Better bill could save you thousand
Drivers across the U.S. have good reason to watch the negotiations over the Build Back Better Act, the latest version of which contains substantial tax breaks for owners of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles.
The incentives go up as high as $12,500 and, perhaps equally important, could greatly simplify the process of getting an income tax credit for buying a car. The bill also would go a long way toward putting some electric vehicles on level ground with gas-powered cars on price. Experts say that could spur wider adoption of EVs — a key element of President Biden’s plan to decarbonize the transportation sector.
While Democratic lawmakers continue to negotiate the $1.75 trillion measure, here’s what the latest version of the bill would provide EV owners:
- A credit of up to $7,500 for an electric or plug-in hybrid vehicle, defined as a car with a battery capacity of at least 40 kilowatt-hours and a gas tank, if any, under 2.5 gallons.
- An additional $500 credit for a car with a battery pack made in the U.S.
- An additional $4,500 credit for cars assembled at a unionized U.S. plant. (Currently only plants owned by GM, Ford and Stellantis qualify.)
Starting in 2027, only cars assembled in the U.S. that have. a battery of at least 50 kWH would qualify for the base $7,500 credit.
Notably, the credit can also be claimed by car dealers on taxpayers’ behalf, allowing car sellers to build the tax break into their sticker prices. And it’s refundable, meaning that taxpayers can qualify for it even if they have no tax liability — an improvement on current tax incentives for green cars.
Tax credit for used cars and two-wheelers
The Build Back Better Act for the first time also would makes used cars eligible for a tax credit, with EV buyers netting up to $4,000 for buying a used electric or plug-in hybrid vehicle. (Either the buyer or the seller of the used car can apply for the credit.)
The bill also contains a credit for electric motorcycles or three-wheeled vehicles, up to $7,500 or half the machine’s price. There is also a credit for fuel-cell vehicles.
Price and income limits
To qualify for tax credits under the BBB, EVs need to fall under a price limit. Vans, sports utility vehicles or pickup trucks need to be under $80,000 to be eligible for the credit; for all other cars, the price limit is $55,000. That means luxury EVs like the Porsche Taycam or the forthcoming electric Hummer wouldn’t qualify for the credit.
conventional automobiles — about $10,000 more, according to Kelley Blue Book data. Over a car’s lifetime, an EV owner would save $4,600 on maintenance costs and thousands more on fuel costs, a Consumer Reports analysis found.
Still, the upfront costs are a big hurdle for many car buyers, who cite price as their main consideration. Buyers become more likely to consider EVs when their cost falls, according to the analysis.
Source : https://www.cbsnews.com/news/build-back-better-bill-electric-car-tax-breaks/
Here’s where Tesla and other EVs ranked in this year’s Consumer Reports reliability survey
- Electric vehicles made their largest showing ever this year in the Consumer Reports Auto Reliability Report.
- Complex bells and whistles hurt the reliability ratings of some electric vehicles.
- Tesla came in second to last overall, with the Model S, X and Y all reporting problems, but Consumer Reports put the Model 3 in the middle of the pack and still recommends it.
Lexus was rated the most reliable automaker in Consumer Reports’ 2021 Auto Reliability Report, followed by Mazda and Toyota, while Jeep, Tesla and Lincoln were at the bottom of the list.
The report, which was released Thursday, focuses on what went wrong with owners’ cars in the last 12 months, and uses that data to predict how reliable the forthcoming models from major automakers will be.
Consumer Reports surveyed owners of more than 300,000 vehicles from model years 2000 to 2021, and used that data to make predictions about 269 different 2022 model year vehicles. The report encompasses 28 automakers and 144 models with an established history.
Battery-powered electric vehicles comprised a bigger segment of the list this year than ever before, and their reliability ratings varied widely, while gas-electric hybrids were among the most reliable vehicles overall.
Consumer Reports rated 11 fully electric models from eight brands, including five fully electric SUVs, according to Jake Fisher, senior director of auto testing at Consumer Reports.
“The whole market is going towards a full EV fleet. We’re very interested to see what this means in terms of reliability,” Fisher said.
Overall, Toyota’s luxury Lexus brand reclaimed its top spot in the reliability survey after Mazda overtook it a year ago, marking the first time in 15 years that a Toyota brand had not been No. 1.
Mazda ranked second in this year’s survey, followed by the main Toyota brand.
Domestic brands such as Chrysler, Chevrolet and Ford had average reliability, while others such as Ram, GMC and Jeep were below average. Ford’s luxury Lincoln brand ranked last at 28th, behind Tesla.
Going electric
Reliability ratings for EVs varied widely.
The Tesla Model X and Audi E-tron ranked dead last in this segment for reliability, while the Kia Niro EV ranked “well above average reliability.” The Nissan Leaf and newer Ford Mustang Mach-E scored “above average reliability.”
High-end electric SUVs were among the least reliable vehicles in the survey overall.
“There’s no reason fully electric cars can’t be as reliable or even more reliable than traditional vehicles with internal combustion engines,” Fisher said. “It’s how they implement the technology.”
Electric drivetrains weren’t the problem. Instead, Fisher blamed unnecessary high-tech bells and whistles.
“For EV introductions, there is a tendency to just add so much tech that is not necessary,” Fisher said.
The reliability rankings stand in stark contrast with Consumer Reports’ satisfaction survey, where Tesla topped the 2020 list, followed by Lincoln. Tesla’s success with customers has put pressure on other automakers to surprise and delight consumers with features from the entertaining to the serious, Fisher suggested. Elon Musk’s electric car company pioneered over-the-air software updates that can give owners’ cars new navigation features such as “waypoints” or deliver a recall fix without a dealership visit.
But introducing more software, hardware and features adds complexity, and that can hurt reliability, Fisher said.
Tesla
Tesla’s low standing primarily stemmed from issues with the company’s Model S, X and Y vehicles from 2019 through 2021 model years. The Tesla Model 3, which Consumer Reports continues to recommend, showed average reliability.
Commonly reported issues from Model Y owners included defective sensors that had to be replaced, problems with heat pumps, air conditioning, body panels that didn’t line up and water leaks in the trunk due to missing seals, according to Fisher. Owners also reported a variety of electrical and hardware issues with the higher-priced, and less-popular, Model S sedan and Model X falcon-wing SUV.
Older models typically fare better in reliability, as companies tend to make tweaks and redesigns to solve known problems, while sticking with the same parts and suppliers.
But Tesla deviates from this approach, Fisher explained. “At almost random times during the year Tesla will switch major components, suppliers or sensors and other units. The more you change, the greater the chances you’re going to have some problems.”
While electric vehicles showed middling reliability, hybrid and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, which blend electric vehicle components and traditional internal combustion engines, were among the most reliable models.
“What stood out is that the most reliable was actually compact hybrids and plug-in hybrids,” Fisher said. “This may be counterintuitive. They are probably the most complex when it comes to the powertrain.”
Popular hybrids such as the Toyota Prius and Honda Insight have been on the market for several years and manufacturers have identified and solved previous reliability issues.