Wednesday, September 04, 2024

Volvo backtracks on 2030 EV-only pledge

Another automaker is adjusting its near-term electric vehicle target. Volvo is scaling back on its 100% EV pledge by 2030. The company said stronger government support is needed to advance the transition. Volvo was one of the first automakers to set a 100% EV sales goal by 2030. The announcement was made over three years ago in March 2021.

Posted by sitzkrieg at 09:40 PM | 12 COMMENTS | permalink

Comments

Yup.

EVs are not gaining the traction that many auto manufactorers had hoped for.


imo, the huge problem with EVs is the relative cost compared to gas-powered vehicles.

Then there are the recharging problems. (yes, multiple problems)

#1 | Posted by LampLighter at 2024-09-04 09:46 PM

To wit...

Ford Pulls Back Further From EVs With $1.9 Billion SUV Pivot (August 21, 2024)
www.bnnbloomberg.ca

... Ford Motor Co. is recalibrating its electrification strategy yet again, canceling plans for a fully electric sport utility vehicle in a shift that may cost the carmaker around $1.9 billion.

In addition to scrapping an all-electric three-row SUV that already had been delayed, Ford will further postpone a next-generation electric pickup and reduce spending on EVs to 30% of its annual capital expenditures, from about 40% previously. The automaker also announced Wednesday it's shaking up battery-sourcing plans, citing the need to better compete with lower-cost Chinese competitors.

The actions amount to further pullback by Chief Executive Officer Jim Farley, who initially accelerated Ford's shift to EVs when he took over the top job almost four years ago. The automaker incurred significant costs spooling up production as industry sales growth began to taper off, leading Ford to forecast that its EV unit will lose as much as $5.5 billion this year.

Farley is now betting Ford can deliver EVs that are priced on par with traditional vehicles, including a battery-powered midsize pickup truck due to debut in 2027, and turn a profit on these models within a year after they launch. ...

[emphasis mine]

Yeah, why would I want to pay so much more for an EV with all the downsides of owing an EV vehicle?

#2 | Posted by LampLighter at 2024-09-04 09:50 PM

#1 | Posted by LampLighter

The "charging" issue is WAY bigger than the cost issue. A significant portion of the population who would otherwise benefit greatly from an EV are prevented from doing so because of the impracticality of overnight charging for anyone not living in a "single family" type of property.

#3 | Posted by Angrydad at 2024-09-04 10:45 PM

@#3 ... The "charging" issue is WAY bigger than the cost issue. ...

Yeah, aside from the cost issue you mention, my concern is the following...

When I drive to visit relatives in western New York, I usually stop in the Syracuse area to refill the gas tank.

Such refilling takes a few minutes.

If I had an EV, such refilling would be measured in hours, not minutes.

That is not acceptable for me.


#4 | Posted by LampLighter at 2024-09-04 11:05 PM

@#3 ... the impracticality of overnight charging ...

And then there is the whole, whoa, ~this power usage overnight has not been planned for~ aspect.

The electrical grid is not design for usage overnight.

#5 | Posted by LampLighter at 2024-09-04 11:10 PM

OK, even this cheer-leading article seems to express concerns...

3 Things Utilities Can Do to Prepare the Power Grid for More Electric Cars (April 17)
www.evconnect.com

... Can the power grid actually handle that many electric cars?

In simplest terms, yes, it can.

But the deeper answer is a bit more complicated. The capacity is there, but to truly handle this new surge in EV grid demand, it will take planning on the part of utility companies across the U.S. ...


So, their answer really seems to be ~no, the utilities cannot handle to lewd without changes.~

And I would agree with that assessment.



#6 | Posted by LampLighter at 2024-09-04 11:17 PM

@#6

So, their answer really seems to be ~no, the utilities cannot handle to lewd without changes

--- should be ---

So, their answer really seems to be ~no, the utilities cannot handle the load without changes

(aside: sometimes I have to wonder if there is some evil force inherent in the spell-checking algorithms. But I digress ...)


                                :)

#7 | Posted by LampLighter at 2024-09-04 11:20 PM

I knew what you meant lol. Text to speech often struggles with my authentic frontier gibberish.

#8 | Posted by sitzkrieg at 2024-09-05 08:05 AM

As the OEMs pull back, so do the politics.

"In a lengthy 'fact-check' email last week that covered several issues, a campaign spokesperson included a line saying that Harris 'does not support an electric vehicle mandate,'" report Alex Thompson and Ben Geman of Axios, "suggesting she changed her previous position, without elaborating."

#9 | Posted by sitzkrieg at 2024-09-05 09:47 AM

__________
EVs are not gaining the traction that many auto manufactorers had hoped for.

Make that : EVs are not gaining the traction that many politicians / governments demanded to be built (fleet fuel economy avg), mandated to be bought (Zero-emission / "Green Fleet" by 203x) and subsidized to be sold.
__________

#10 | Posted by CutiePie at 2024-09-05 03:46 PM

#4 | POSTED BY LAMPLIGHTER AT 2024-09-04 11:05 PM | FLAG:
Then you definitely do not want to visit there in the wintertime as that would relly slow up the charging.

NOTE: In mid 80s after departing the Philippines, I was assigned to Griffiss AFB [not closed] which was at Rome, NY near Syracuse and our house had a one car garage so mine was always parked outside. The winter temps were so low that I had to have installed a oil hearer which had a plug end at the cars grill which I needed to plug in every evening so that I could get the car started in the mornings, which quite often the daytime temp was zero degrees [not even figuring in wind chill factor which often put it into the minus numbers]. By the second winter there also added a battery heater].

Could not imagine anyone living there would want an EV.

#11 | Posted by MSgt at 2024-09-06 03:48 PM

which quite often the daytime temp was zero degrees

Oh, boo hoo. You had a POS car.

#12 | Posted by REDIAL at 2024-09-06 04:28 PM

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