The global auto industry will need fewer employees in the future. That’s evident from the tens of thousands of jobs axed in 2019 for a host of reasons. The world’s manufacturing regions that survive (and thrive) in the 2020s will be the ones that embr…
Author: Bradley Berman
Honda CEO says ‘There will be no dramatic increase in EV demand’
Honda CEO Takahiro Hachigo wants to plot a new course for the Japanese automaker. He plans to simplify the product line, overhaul the production process, and re-align engineering resources to work on new technologies such as driver-assist features. Ho…
Rivian files patent to autonomously transport kids, keep ’em inside, text you if things go wrong
Electric-truck startup Rivian continues to rake in 10-figure investments and mass-scale orders. That’s even before the company fully disclosed its plans for autonomy. And now a June patent application discovered by Teslarati reveals that Rivian vehicl…
GM pushes feds to approve Chevy Bolts with no steering wheel
It’s been nearly two years since GM provided images of a next-generation Bolt EV that lacks a steering wheel or pedals. All of a sudden, in the past couple weeks, top GM execs have been talking up its electric hatch as a self-driving platform. Now Reu…
2020 Ford Escape Plug-In will offer ‘30+’ miles of EV range, sell below $30,000 after incentives
A Ford dealer guide distributed this week revealed the starting price of the 2020 Ford Escape Plug-In Hybrid as $34,235, including destination. Ford says that the Escape Plug-in Hybrid will have “30-plus” miles of all-electric range. The Escape PHEV w…
2020 Democratic candidates: Where each stands on electric cars
The quest for the Democratic presidential nomination will heat up in 2020. So it’s a good time to look at what the leading candidates say about electric vehicles. We focus on the leaders: Biden, Buttigieg, Sanders, Warren, and Yang. Here’s a sampling …
What if dealers got big bonuses for selling EVs? Europe is trying it
Imagine walking into a traditional car dealership and having the salesperson take you straight to the EVs. When you ask about the gas cars with lower price tags, the dealer explains that electric cars have a lower total cost, among many other benefits…
Volkswagen ID3 has ‘massive’ software problems, as company begins year of EV introductions
Germany’s Manager Magazine reports today that Volkswagen is struggling with software problems for its ID3 all-electric car. According to the report, the ID3 will be built for months with an incomplete software architecture that could affect up to 20,0…
New Ford and Rivian patents rethink pickup features in EV age
New patent applications are flowing for upcoming all-electric pickups. The future electric F-150’s front trunk can be accessed without opening the hood. It will have multiple battery-storage compartments, creating the possibility of individual motors …
Meet the Georgia Republican politician pushing hard for EVs
Tim Echols wants his fellow Republicans to wake up to the benefits of electric vehicles. Echols, a member of Georgia’s Public Service Commission, is not happy that his state quashed state-based EV tax credits in 2015. That led to a nearly 90% drop in …
