Electric Vehicles Weather Summer Of Discontent: J.D. Power Exclusive
While it is true EV sales are down 15% year-to-date, according to the most recent analysis from the Valuation Services group at J.D. Power, the category actually outperformed internal combustion engine sales, which suffered a 23% decline so far this year.
This positive eight-percent difference points to a few key trends that are lifting the prospects of EVs over the mid-to-long-term horizons.
Taken together, the emergence of high-quality EV offerings from a variety of new players is combining with maturing infrastructure, rising consumer confidence and compelling tax incentives to lay the foundation for a very interesting 2021.
Read the article at Inside EVs.
In Case of Electric-Car Fire, Half of Fire Departments Are Unprepared
According to the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), half of U.S. fire departments are not prepared to deal with an electric-vehicle fire and have no post-crash protocols in place.
Training first responders to safely put out an EV fire is important as the number of EVs increases, and 31 percent of fire departments report they don't have any kind of specific training for their firefighters to deal with hybrid or electric vehicles,
Putting out different kinds of fires requires different strategies, and a burning gas tank is not the same as burning lithium-ion battery cell pouches. The USFA says EV fires "can exceed 5000 degrees Fahrenheit" and "applying water or foam may cause a violent flareup as the water molecules separate into explosive hydrogen and oxygen gases."
Read the article at Car and Driver.
Creating A Powerful Ecosystem To Sustain Competitiveness
The potential to create value sometimes entails creating a completely new industry, one in which companies that have never interacted before come together.
Three developments in the global environment are particularly significant in favoring ecosystem strategies: the fact that customers are increasingly demanding solutions and experiences rather than products, the rising knowledge content of many products and business activities, and new opportunities being created by advances in information and communications technologies.
Few ecosystem leaders have succeeded by coming up with a new value proposition internally, designing their ideal ecosystem, and then determinedly trying to build it. Most started with a broad idea of where the potential for new value might lie, and then talked to possible customers or piloted a product, service, or putative platform to engage them.
Read the article at Strategy +Business.
Consumer Reports, IIHS Issue List Of New Vehicles Recommended For Teens
Parents shopping for a safe and reliable 2020 model for their teen driver can consult a new list of recommended vehicles compiled by Consumer Reports (CR) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
The recommended 2020 vehicles range in price from $22,000 to $37,000. All of them are winners of the IIHS TOP SAFETY PICK or TOP SAFETY PICK+ award, meaning they have good ratings in all six of the Institute’s crashworthiness tests, advanced or superior ratings for front crash prevention, and acceptable- or good-rated headlights.
“It can be tempting to buy a tiny, bare-bones model for a teenager,” says IIHS President David Harkey. “But we know that teenagers are among the riskiest drivers, so it’s important not to skimp on safety. Spending a bit more for state-of-the-art crash protection and crash avoidance features is a worthy investment in your child’s future.”
Read the article at IIHS.
Mobility, Shared Vehicles and EVs in the Time of COVID-19
The focus on mobility and shared vehicles is certainly on pause as priorities have shifted during the pandemic, but it is recommended to have a plan in place for when this pause ends.
