Despite Warnings, Many People Treat Partially Automated Vehicles as Self-Driving
A new study from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety shows regular users of Cadillac Super Cruise, Nissan/Infiniti ProPILOT Assist and Tesla Autopilot were more likely to perform non-driving-related activities like eating or texting while using their partial automation systems than while driving unassisted.
More worrying, 53 percent of Super Cruise users, 42 percent of Autopilot users and 12 percent of ProPILOT Assist users said that they were comfortable treating their vehicles as fully self-driving.
“These results from frequent users of three different partial automation systems once again drive home the need for robust, multifaceted safeguards,” said IIHS Research Scientist Alexandra Mueller, the lead author of the study and main architect of the Institute’s upcoming safeguards rating program.
GM and Ford are Getting Chips Into Their Cars That Need Them
General Motors reportedly worked through three quarters of its backlog of 95,000 cars and trucks awaiting chips in the third quarter of 2022, while Ford moved in the opposite direction. Its backlog doubled from 20,000 to 40,000 cars over the period.
The financial results both companies reported last week show the importance of being able to get those vehicles to dealerships and into customers’ hands. GM’s net income rose 37 percent from a year earlier to $3.3 billion, and its revenue surged to a third- quarter record, partly as a result of those shipments.
The silver lining is that at least Ford, like its crosstown rival, expects to have cleared its backlog before 2022 ends. Executives from both companies agree that silicon is flowing a little more readily than it was about this time in 2021.
This Oil Giant and Hertz are Building a Massive Fast-Charging Network for EV Rentals Starting at LAX
Bp Pulse is teaming up with Hertz to build a network of EV fast chargers in high-demand locations such as airports. The project aims to accelerate EV adoption by providing charging solutions where they are most needed.
The first planned site of the partnership is at a Hertz location near Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), serving as a hub primarily for ride-hail and taxi fleets. A $2 million grant from the California Energy Commission (CEC) will partially fund the project near LAX, with Bp Pulse in charge of installation and infrastructure management.
The development of the new EV charging hub is designed to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles while providing the necessary infrastructure to ease the transition. Bp aims to roll out 100,000 EV chargers by the decade’s end through its BP Pulse division.
GOP Seizes on Voter Hesitancy to Attack EVs
On social media, in political ads and at campaign rallies, Republicans say Democrats’ push for battery-powered transportation will leave Americans broke, stranded on the road and even in the dark.
Many of the attack lines are not true - the auto industry itself has largely embraced a shift to EVs. Political analysts say the GOP messaging exploits voter hesitancy on EVs that may have put Democrats on the defensive at a time when Americans are especially feeling a financial pinch.
“There’s still lots of selling to do before EVs catch on with the American people,” said Jim Manley, a Democratic strategist and longtime staffer to the late Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev. He described early Democratic messaging suggesting that EVs were an immediate solution to rising gasoline prices as a mistake. “That creates an opening for Republicans in this election, which begins and ends with the economy and inflation.”
What Does The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) Mean to You?
By Maria Neve, Vice President, Electrification and Sustainability at Wheels Donlen
The adoption of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is generating a lot of excitement among electric vehicle enthusiasts; however, it is also raising many questions for businesses who were looking to expand their EV footprint.
The good news is that the 200,000-vehicle cap per manufacturer has been lifted. Previously, federal tax credits were capped at 200,000 vehicles per manufacturer.
Also, prior to this bill, there was an IRS tax credit for installation of charging stations for both businesses and residences. The new law increases the maximum credit from $30,000 to $100,000 per location.
These incentives, along with any potential state incentives, are meant to close the gap between the cost of a new EV, versus an ICE vehicle. The credit will apply to any vehicles placed in service after Dec. 31, 2022, through the year 2032.
