Illinois
In freezing temperatures, the batteries of electric vehicles can be less efficient and have shorter range, a lesson many Tesla drivers in Chicago learned this week. New York Times
U.S.
Uber can't force its drivers to go electric, but various incentives have helped it boost EV uptake in the last few years. Axios
Virginia
Virginia Senate Democrats on Jan. 16 defeated for a third straight year Republican efforts to repeal an electric vehicle mandate that aims to reduce carbon pollution through the adoption of California's stringent rules for vehicle emissions. A Senate committee voted down three GOP-sponsored bills that would have rolled back the so-called "clean cars" legislation first passed and signed into law in 2021. The Associated Press
U.S.
There have been quite a few headlines in the past two days about Tesla owners in Chicago stuck at charging stations for hours waiting to charge their batteries or, worse, having to have their cars towed away when the batteries died or wouldn't charge. There's truth in the reports -- batteries take longer to charge in single-digit temperatures, and owners have had cars towed. But all vehicle batteries, even those in ICE-powered cars, suffer in cold weather -- as can fluids like oil and diesel, hardware like door handles and locks, and electronic components, without taking the proper steps. Autoblog
U.S.
This new set of funds offers 24 recipients in 20 states grants to upgrade, replace, or repair existing EV charging infrastructure, and relieve some of the common frustrations drivers have when rolling up to an out-of-service charging port. Electrek
U.S.
As more models qualify for tax credits and automakers work on battery technology, consumers can test drive a bevy of models. Inside Climate News
U.S.
Rather than create years-long backlogs, utilities should first consider advanced software solutions for EV charging optimization that can provide the asset-level insights they need to maximize EV uptake within the constraints of today's distribution grid. North American Clean Energy
U.S.
For nearly a week, frigid temperatures from Chicago to northern Texas have made life painful for electric-vehicle owners, with reduced driving range and hours of waiting at charging stations. On Jan. 15, television reporters found Teslas that were running out of juice while in long lines for plugs at a Supercharger station. The temperature hit a low of minus 9 Fahrenheit. Experts acknowledge that cold weather can be hard for EVs, but they say with some planning and a little adjustment, owners should be able to travel pretty much as normal. Fortune
U.S.
Price limit on SUVs higher than for light-duty vehicles. Clean Technica
U.S.
With extreme winter weather impacting roads across the country, many electric vehicle drivers have reported a drop in battery life. Because Oregon is among the states with the most EV owners, AAA's Oregon/Idaho Division is informing drivers about the potential effects of cold temperatures. AAA recently pointed KOIN 6 News to a 2019 study which found that temperatures below 20 degrees reduce driving ranges by 41%, due to the HVAC system that's used to heat a vehicle's interior. As a result, researchers discovered that EV owners spend an additional $25 on charging for every 1,000 miles that they drive. KOIN-TV
U.S.
The company, which once said EVs would account for a quarter of its rental fleet by 2025, is selling some 20,000 electric vehicles and replacing them with gas-powered cars. Utility Dive
U.S.
The price of home charging an electric vehicle in the U.S., on average, is equivalent to $1.41 per gallon. Canary Media
U.S.
The cold temperatures are turning up the heat on Elon Musk and his electric vehicles. As record-breaking gusts crept into Chicago in the coldest temperatures seen in the Windy City since 2019, Tesla owners have been having difficulties charging their cars. Musk didn't account for different climates when designing his Silicon Valley-based cars in San Francisco and Austin. As climate-change intensifies and EVs are adopted in colder metros, this oversight becomes more glaring. Fortune
Illinois
It's been years since the city of Chicago has had a prolonged period of cold weather like this, and some residents are learning the hard way that electric vehicles have difficult coping with the frigid conditions too. NBC Chicago
U.S.
A small share of motorists burns about a third of America's gasoline, a study found. Switching to electric vehicles would make a huge dent in climate-warming emissions. New York Times
New York
To mitigate the situation, Tesla announced that it implemented its new "congestion fee" at the local Supercharger station in New York. Electrek
Mississippi
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves is asking legislators for $350 million in incentives for a proposed factory that would manufacture electric vehicles batteries and employ about 2,000 people in Marshall County. The Republican governor on Jan. 16 declined to name the company that plans to spend $1.9 billion to build the facility in northern Mississippi. It would be the second-largest corporate investment in state history. The Meridian Star
Michigan
General Motors says its electric vehicles hold up in the Detroit cold because they're built specifically for this kind of weather. Metro Detroit will be enduring the bitter cold for the rest of the week and it's going to cause problems for drivers in more ways than one - especially for people with electric vehicles. WJBK
International
Climate czar John Kerry said Wednesday that President Joe Biden's policies promoting electric vehicles and other aspects of his transition to green energy have faced attacks from people engaged in "disinformation." Kerry also cited difficulties and delays in permitting and deploying renewable technologies as a reason for some of the pullback on a transition to renewables. Washington Free Beacon
International
Here are some of the companies developing these kind of batteries. EV market leader Tesla, an industry outlier, has not detailed any solid-state development plans. Rappler
International
An open-ended fund managed by the infrastructure arm of Dutch pension fund asset manager PGGM has become the largest shareholder in Electra, an operator of electric vehicle charging infrastructure in Europe. IPE Real Assets
International
All of us -- governments, automakers and businesses -- must keep our ambitions high. If we are to hit our collective goals, and avoid the worst impacts of climate change, now is the time to speed up, writes Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi. Fast Company
International
Worldwide, according to Bloomberg, there are 280 million electric mopeds, scooters, motorcycles and three-wheelers compared with just 20 million passenger EVs. Looking back in five years, we may conclude that electric cars were made for American suburbia and for almost nowhere else, writes Financial Times journalist Simon Kuper. The Financial Times
International
Electric vehicles fail at a lower rate than gas-powered cars in the extreme cold, according to a road assistance service in Norway. Electric vehicles often get bad press about their performance in the cold. Just yesterday, we reported on dead Tesla vehicles piling up at supercharger stations across Chicago. It now looks like the extreme cold conditions have affected the chargers themselves rather than the vehicles, according to local sources. But it mainly gets attention because it's a new technology and it fails for different reasons than gasoline vehicles in the cold. Electrek
Wisconsin
Electric vehicle charging stations could spring up at gas stations and grocery stores throughout Wisconsin, after the state Senate passed a proposed bill Jan. 16. The bill, which passed by a 30-2 vote, would ease restrictions on businesses that install chargers and impose a tax on electricity sold to electric vehicle owners. The measure would also make Wisconsin eligible for nearly $80 million in federal funds for the installation of charging stations and other electric vehicle infrastructure. Here's what to know. ABC Return to Top |