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April 29, 2022 – Ford is recalling nearly 253,000 Explorer SUVs from the 2020-2022 model years including hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and ST versions, rear-wheel-drive models with a 2.3-liter engine, as well as models built specifically for police use.
Due to a faulty design, an important part of the drivetrain could break and cause the vehicle to roll away even if the shifter is in Park. Ford says that drivers may notice a loud “grinding, binding, or clunking” noise if the drivetrain fails.
Ford will provide different repairs for the vehicles. Police vehicles will get parts of the driveshaft replaced with upgraded versions, free of charge, while the other vehicles will get a software update that will engage the parking brake automatically if the vehicle is put into Park.
via Consumer Reports
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April 24, 2022 – Nationwide data isn’t available yet for 2022, but car thefts are way up in some parts of the country. The increases are part of a years-long trend, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), which notes that nationwide car thefts were up 16.5 percent in 2021 relative to 2019 figures.
In Washington state, for example, local law enforcement reported that vehicle thefts are up 88 percent in the first three months of 2022 compared to 2021: 12,569 so far this year compared to just 6,692 in the first three months of the last year.
NCIB last released its statistics for the vehicles most likely to be stolen in the U.S. back in October of 2021, revealing full-size trucks from Ford and Chevrolet were the most stolen vehicles in 2020. The Honda Accord and Civic were the next most stolen vehicles on the list.
via Car and Driver
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May 1, 2022 – One of the most interesting features of the all-electric F-150 Lightning pickup is its ability to be used as backup power for your home.
For starters, you’ll need the Ford Charge Station Pro, which is a Level 2 home charging station that can charge the Lightning in eight hours. The Ford Charge Station Pro comes as-standard with the extended range F-150 Lightning but standard range customers will have to dish out an additional $1,310.
Next, you’ll need the Home Integration System, which consists of an inverter, transfer switch, and a battery that runs the system in the event of a power outage. The Home Integration System will switch your home power from the utility line to the Ford Intelligent Backup Power system in the F-150 Lightning. The Home Integration System will cost an additional $3,895.
via The Drive
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April 29, 2022 – If you’re thinking about swapping your internal combustion-powered car or truck for a new EV just to save money at the pump, make sure to do the math first – especially if your current ride is paid for.
If you tow earth-moving equipment or haul gravel for a living, you’re probably going to want a heavy-duty diesel-powered pickup, because today’s EVs aren’t going to cut it. Likewise, if you reside in an apartment and don’t have a parking space, much less a garage with a Level 2 charger, an electric vehicle may be a hard sell.
The Ford F-150 XLT-trim Lighting starts at $74,269 with a 320 mile range and estimated annual fuel cost of $1011. The conventionally powered Ford F-150 Lariat costs $56,020 with a 546 mile range and estimated annual fuel cost of $3028.
via CNET
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April 25, 2022 – The transition to net-zero emissions will need to be universal, involving all economic sectors and countries. In mobility, structural changes must accompany the technological transition. For consumers, upfront capital spending would increase, but the total cost of vehicle ownership would fall. New employment opportunities will open up, even as jobs are reallocated across activities.
As a result of these trends, companies throughout the mobility system—including OEMs, suppliers, manufacturers, and operators of EV-charging infrastructure—will face transition risks. But there will also be opportunities to introduce new products and service lines.
Consider capital spending on low-emission vehicles. In the net-zero scenario analyzed here, spending by companies and consumers on new vehicles—cars, trucks, buses, and two- and three-wheelers—would probably average $3.4 trillion a year for the next three decades. An additional $100 billion a year would go to new EV-charging networks and hydrogen distribution and fueling systems.
via McKinsey & Company
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By Fleet Management Weekly Staff
Like most government fleets, including cities all over the country, the city of Austin is pivoting towards electric vehicles.
The city’s Fleet Mobility Services manages a comprehensive full life cycle management program for approximately 7,000 vehicles and pieces of equipment across the entire city, including emergency services as well as city owned utilities: water, electric, refuse, and public works.
The Emerging Technology Division of the fleet department is working on a strategy of advanced automotive technology on multiple fronts, including alternative fuel programs, electric vehicles, telematics, and car sharing.
Thanks to a clear mandate from the city of Austin’s leadership on developing a BEV program, Fleet Mobility Services has plenty of momentum to make the transition to EVs
READ MORE
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April 29, 2022 – Sixteen states as well as several prominent climate activists sued the United States Postal Service this week over its plan to purchase 148,000 gas-guzzling delivery trucks over the next decade, alleging the agency failed to consider the environmental impact of its decision.
The states accuse the USPS of only performing a “cursory environmental review to justify the decision to replace 90 percent of its delivery fleet with fossil fuel-powered, internal combustion engine vehicles, despite other available, environmentally preferable alternatives,” the lawsuit reads. “In doing so, the Postal Service failed to comply with even the most basic requirements of [National Environmental Policy Act].”
In response, the USPS defended its practices, noting that it remains open to increasing its order for more electric vehicles in the future should additional funding become available to do so. Congress recently approved a $50 billion rescue package for USPS, which has lost more than $90 billion since 2007.
via The Verge
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