Free Republic

BERLIN – The shift away from cars with dirty combustion engines is running into a new hurdle: Drivers do not want to buy used electric vehicles (EVs), and that is undermining the market for new ones, too. In the US$1.2 trillion (S$1.6 trillion) second-hand market, prices for battery-powered cars are falling faster than for their combustion-engine cousins. Buyers are shunning them due to a lack of subsidies, a desire to wait for better technology, and continued shortfalls in charging infrastructures. A fierce price war sparked by Tesla and competitive Chinese models are further depressing values of new and used cars...

A top Maine state environmental agency delayed a highly-anticipated vote to approve a sweeping electric vehicle (EV) mandate amid a storm that caused widespread power outages. The Maine Board of Environmental Protection (BEP) announced that it had indefinitely postponed the meeting, which was slated for Thursday afternoon, until further notice following the storm. Democratic Maine Gov. Janet Mills, who has pursued an aggressive green energy agenda, declared a state of emergency this week, an action that closed state government offices. "Governor Janet Mills declared a State of Civil Emergency for 14 Maine counties following a significant wind and rain storm...

The Biden administration is more interested in pet projects, unsustainable green schemes, and ideological revenue redistribution than in the core functions of government.. The Biden administration is so obsessed with making electric vehicles (EVs) work as part of its green agenda that it’s taking money away from seniors — namely, drug savings under Medicare. Unsurprisingly, it has also failed to advertise that fact. The news of EV and green energy subsidies flew under the radar until a poll conducted in Arizona alerted voters there to the scheme. Fully three-quarters of Arizona voters polled (76 percent) said they didn’t know the...

My father-in-law paid for college in North Dakota with an old pickup and an industrial battery, jump-starting dead cars in the winter for 20 bucks a jump. In the era of electric vehicles, maybe someone needs to come up with a smart alternative, unlike this EV owner in Denmark. 👇 PIX11 News @PIX11News · Follow A toaster placed under an electric vehicle to warm up its battery likely caused a fire that destroyed the car and damaged a nearby house in Denmark, police said, Toasters apparently get a little too warm and can set the car on fire. Yep, a...

Hertz is slowing down plans to include more electric cars in its fleet. The firm said EVs have higher repair costs and have depreciated significantly. Hertz said it would buy 100,000 Teslas in 2021. Embracing electric cars is proving much more complicated than Hertz anticipated. The car-rental giant is hitting the brakes on a wide-ranging plan to integrate more electric vehicles into its fleet as it runs into challenges, such as high repair costs and depreciation. Hertz isn't giving up on EVs entirely, but it's starting to take a more measured approach. "Our in-fleeting of EVs will be slower than...

EV owners report far more problems with their cars and trucks than owners of gas-powered vehicles, according to a new survey. Vehicles in the burgeoning electric vehicle segment, from model year 2021 through 2023, encountered 79 percent more problems than those with combustion engines, according to a Consumer Reports survey of more than 330,000 car owners. The research said EV owners most frequently reported troubles with battery and charging systems as well as flaws in body panels and the fit of interior parts. It noted that EV manufacturers are still learning to construct new types of vehicles, and suggested that...

Electric vehicles (EVs) have vastly more problems that arise than gas-powered cars, a new report of American consumers reveals. The survey from Consumer Reports, which asked owners of about 330,000 vehicles about issues they faced over the last year, found that EVs have almost 80 percent more problems than gas-powered cars using traditional combustion engines. Most problems consumers face with EVs, the report suggests, are long charging times, a lack of charging stations in general, issues with the lithium-ion battery, outer and interior parts not fitting precisely, and engine failures.

Electric vehicles are significantly less reliable than conventional cars powered by gas or hybrid vehicles, according to a new survey from Consumer Reports. The annual car reliability survey by Consumer Reports found that EVs are 79 percent more likely to have problems than conventional cars. Consumers reported that electric drive motors, charging and EV batteries had the most common issues associated with EVs, according to the survey. Jake Fisher, senior director of auto testing at Consumer Reports, noted that there may be “growing pains” among EVs because they are based on new technology or are being manufactured by new upstart...

Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway unloaded its entire $850 million worth of General Motors (GM) stock last quarter, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing.

Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm made $1.6 million from an electric car company the Biden administration boosted that just went bankrupt. Proterra, an electric bus and battery company that President Joe Biden touted as a success of his green energy initiative, filed for bankruptcy in August. Last week, it finally sold its embattled battery business at a rock-bottom price as part of the bankruptcy proceeding. The rise and fall of Proterra demonstrates once again that politicians should refrain from betting taxpayers’ money on business ventures to advance their political agenda. According to the Wall Street Journal, Proterra has sold only 550...

Ford Motor Company and China’s Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. (CATL) are already cutting jobs and financial investment at an Electric Vehicle (EV) battery plant set for Marshall, Michigan. In February, Ford announced the collaboration with CATL — China’s premier battery supplier — to build a $3.5 billion plant in the small community of Marshall that executives said would create 2,500 jobs.

The state Environmental Improvement Board split 3-2 and the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Air Quality Control Board voted unanimously Thursday night to adopt the rule. Dubbed the Advanced Clean Cars and Trucks rule, it aligns with California's standards and is part of the larger effort to cut planet-warming greenhouse gases as well as ground-level ozone and particulates that can cause respiratory problems. The rule calls for 43% of new cars and light-duty trucks delivered to New Mexico to be electric models by 2026 and 82% by 2032. At the same time, 15% to 20% of new, heavier-duty commercial trucks delivered to...

General Motors (GM) faces an unprecedented EV crisis as CEO Mary Barra unexpectedly halts EV production and scraps most electric plans. This abrupt move has reverberated across the automotive landscape. The primary reason? A significant lack of demand. Dealerships are overwhelmed with nearly 92,000 unsold EVs, posing a daunting challenge.

A new study found that fueling electric vehicles costs roughly $17 per gallon. In its paper "Overcharged Expectations: Unmasking the True Costs of Electric Vehicles," the Texas Public Policy Foundation stipulated that the hidden costs of fueling EVs drastically outweigh its low upfront fueling costs. The hidden costs come from an increased burden on the energy grid exerted by charging stations, and an enormous amount of federal subsidies. ... "Federal policy is also pushing EVs over hybrid vehicles, even though hybrids offer a far more efficient way to improve fuel economy and reduce emissions," it reads. "They use a much...

President Biden’s signature climate law has stimulated a surge of investment in electric vehicle production across the country, including tens of billions of dollars on battery plants across the South and new assembly lines near the Great Lakes. Based on early evidence, it is succeeding at a goal that economists have long considered difficult and costly: using the power of government to rapidly grow a new industry. That growth could prove crucial for the other side of the electric vehicle equation: enticing more consumers to buy them. That’s because Mr. Biden’s law effectively hitches the future affordability of electric vehicles...

Are EV's a scam?! Ford CEO just abandoned electric cars, leaving the entire auto industry SHOCKED and CONFUSED! Ford is losing nearly 36,000 dollars on each EV they built, and could now close their doors forever! Why? Because customers are REJECTING Ford’s EVs! With nearly 92,000 EVs sitting unsold on dealer lots, scammy dealer markups to fool the middle class, and 35,000 vehicle recalls just a couple of weeks ago, Ford is in a huge crisis!

FRANKFORT, Ky. (KT) – Gov. Andy Beshear took to social media on Friday to respond to news reports that production at one of two electric vehicle (EV) battery plants planned for Hardin County has been delayed because of concerns about demand. The plants are being built by BlueOval SK, a joint venture between Ford Motor Co. and South Korean partner SK Innovation. “First, the full project is still on. Construction is continuing on both of those battery plants,” said Beshear in a video posted on social media. “The two biggest battery plants on planet Earth and all of the hundreds...

Aerodynamics play a pivotal role in the automotive industry, with its importance becoming even more pronounced in the era of electric vehicles. Efficient aerodynamics are crucial for several reasons, and first and foremost, they impact a vehicle's energy efficiency, which is paramount for EVs. Put simply, streamlined design reduces drag, allowing battery-powered cars to overcome resistance more easily and travel further on a single charge. This leads us to the machine you see depicted here. It is Chery’s latest electric concept, which apparently has a drag coefficient of 0.168. The Aero prototype has been developed using AI simulations and Chery...

Shark Tank” star Kevin O’Leary said Tuesday that clean energy funds and stocks are dropping because investors realized that clean energy companies can not make a profit. Several stocks and exchange-traded funds in the “clean energy” sector, including Enphase Energy, the Invesco Solar ETF, the iShares Global Clean Energy ETF and the First Trust Global Wind Energy ETF have seen substantial drops in their share prices in the last year. .. Joe Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act, spends $370 billion to combat climate change and is loaded with green energy provisions, including a $7,500 tax credit for electric vehicles,...

Electric vehicles hit another sales record—but manufacturers are losing money. Experts blame government interference in the free market. Though electric vehicles hit another sales record, high production costs and a dwindling new customer base have spawned increasing corporate losses, forcing electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers to scale back on their plans to expand the market. Some experts believe these problems are a result of government interference in the business of industrial policy. The Oct. 12 report from Kelley Blue Book revealed that sales of electric vehicles hit another record in the third quarter of 2023, accelerating past 300,000 batter-powered vehicles "for...