J. D. Power APEAL Study: High Gas Prices Impact Ownership Satisfaction
J.D. Power just released the findings from its annual APEAL study, which ostensibly asks new vehicle owners about how satisfied they are with various facets of their new vehicle’s look and feel.
It seems, however, that the real key finding this year is that new owners are likely to be less satisfied than in previous years with their new car due to increased fuel costs, despite how excited they were to purchase the vehicle in the first place.
“The most important factor leading to the industry decline this year is owners’ perception of their vehicle’s fuel economy,” said David Amodeo, director of global automotive at J.D. Power.
"The study was fielded as fuel prices were experiencing a meteoric rise, and that pinch at the pump is conveyed in lower vehicle satisfaction, Battery-electric vehicles have not been negatively affected by the increase in fuel costs but do have issues related to battery range and charging time.”
The downturn in overall new vehicle satisfaction this year represents the first time since 2014 that this indicator has declined.
Ford F-150 Lightning Real-World Range and Fast-Charging Test: How Far and How Fast?
July 22, 2022 - The first time a new electric vehicle owner drives far enough that they need to charge in the middle of a trip, they face two hard truths: EVs almost never achieve their advertised ranges when it really matters, and even the fastest charging stations are slow compared to a gas pump.
According to Ford, the Lightning can cover 230 miles with the standard battery and up to 320 miles in XLT or Lariat trim with the optional extended-range battery. A real-world range testing achieved 255 miles, or 15 percent less than its EPA-rated 300 miles.
The Lightning added 74 miles after 15 minutes of charging and extended that to 133 cumulative miles after 30 minutes. With 45 minutes on the clock, the Lightning had gained 189 miles of range, and after an hour of charging, the electric truck had put on 214 miles of range.
Rivian CEO Plans Wide Range of Electric Commercial Vehicles
July 24, 2022 - Rivian is planning a broader range of electric commercial vehicles in a variety of shapes and sizes, and expects to be building millions of EVs a year at multiple plants after 2030.
"We're thinking about many other aspects of the commercial space outside of last-mile delivery (including) cargo and work vans," Chief Executive R.J. Scaringe said. "We've had a whole host of discussions with other customers." He didn't identify the other potential customers.
Scaringe said Rivian also is planning a smaller family of commercial vehicles, which could share some components with the company's upcoming R2 electric crossover, due to start production in 2025 at a new $5 billion Georgia plant. That series will be built on a new platform with "a smaller footprint, a smaller form factor" than the EDV-700 that's being shipped to Amazon.
Why US Roads Became So Dangerous and What to Do About It
July 23, 2022 - 2020 and 2021 saw the biggest spike in over 50 years to a total of almost 43,000 traffic fatalities per year, turning the roadway fatality clock back to 2002. In short, something's not working as well as it did.
"The United States has chosen not to develop automotive safety standards that are designed to protect pedestrians, both in terms of testing and (vehicle) requirements," says Yonah Freemark, senior research associate at the Urban Institute. European autos are rated on pedestrian impact in a collision, where US car safety ratings focus primarily on how well the car protects those inside of it.
Listen to Yonah Freemark's conversation with CNET's Brian Cooley to hear what he believes could bend the curve of US road fatalities, perhaps to new lows that vehicle technology itself might never deliver.
Popular Pickups Fail IIHS Seat Belt Reminder Test
July 19, 2022 - Out of 10 pickups recently evaluated by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for effective seat belt reminders, only one — the Toyota Tundra crew cab — earns a good rating, while five are rated poor.
“National belt use observations show that people driving or riding in pickups are less likely to buckle up than occupants of other vehicles, so effective reminders are especially important for these vehicles,” says IIHS President David Harkey.
To earn a good rating from IIHS, a seat belt reminder system must generate an audible signal and visual alert on the dashboard display, overhead panel or center console when the vehicle is moving at least 6 mph and the system detects an unbelted occupant in the driver or passenger seat or the unfastening of a second-row belt that was previously buckled.
