As Gas Prices Went Up, So Did the Hunt for Electric Vehicles

First Up 04/11/22

As Gas Prices Went Up, So Did the Hunt for Electric Vehicles

Thinking about buying an electric car? You’re not alone. With gas prices painfully high and a series of climate reports underscoring the urgency of moving away from burning fossil fuels, more Americans are expressing interest in electric vehicles. The New York Times reports Google searches related to electric cars have skyrocketed, reaching a record number last month. On the automotive classifieds website Cars.com, searches for electric vehicles increased 43 percent from January to February and a further 57 percent from February to March. And automakers are ready with encouragement: Almost all of the car commercials during the Super Bowl in February featured electric vehicles. But the journey to actual purchases that put more electric vehicles and fewer gas-powered vehicles on roads in the United States has two major roadblocks: the supply of cars and infrastructure to charge them. With the United States, like most countries, struggling to find the political will to make the drastic changes needed to limit climate change, there is no question that more people switching to electric vehicles would be a positive step. Click here for the full story.

Drivers Don’t Understand How Adaptive Cruise Control Works, Says Study

There is often danger in the gap between what we believe and what is true. According to a new study from AAA, that’s particularly true for drivers who are new to adaptive cruise control. According to research by the group, people whose vehicles have ACC and were not taught how to use it properly end up having more confidence in the system than is warranted. That can lead them to believe things that are dangerously untrue. Carscoops reports Some drivers with no formal training on how to use ACC were found to believe that the system would react to or stop for a stationary object in their lane, such as construction cones or other obstacles. Some also believed that the system would provide steering inputs that could keep them in their lane when, in fact, that is a different system. Others were inclined to believe that the system was safe to use in all weather conditions, which is also untrue. Click here to learn more about the study’s findings.

Nissan Says it is Overcoming Solid-State EV Battery Challenge

The engineering guru leading Nissan's quest for solid-state batteries wants to disabuse people of the notion that solid state is inherently safer than today's lithium ion packs. True, next-generation solid-state batteries don't have a flammable liquid electrolyte. But they do cram in a lot more energy, and that could make for some unpleasant fireworks if something goes haywire. "Energy density is double, so you have a potential bomb that's more dangerous," said Kazuhiro Doi, corporate vice president in charge of advanced battery research at the Japanese automaker. "If a big accident occurs, it could become much more catastrophic than with today's batteries." But Doi insists Nissan Motor Co. can now lick that safety problem and other key issues that make solid-state batteries difficult to deliver. Automotive News reports his team has been racing to solve conundrums as Nissan tries to deliver on its pledge to bring the lightweight, compact, energy-dense batteries to market in just six years. Click here for the full story.

Industry-Watchers Scale Back 2022 U.S. Sales Forecasts

Citing continuing low-vehicle inventory, a couple of prominent forecasters cut their 2022 U.S. light-vehicle sales forecasts to 15.3 million from the 16-million range. Automakers may not be in any hurry to rebuild inventory, since factories and dealers are making so much more money at lower volume, says Charlie Chesbrough, senior economist and senior director-industry insights, for Cox Automotive. “This is a seller’s market,” Chesbrough says at a webinar hosted by AIADA. He’s scaled back his 2022 U.S. light-vehicle forecast to 15.3 million, from 16 million. Wards reports that would be the lowest total since 2013 at about 15.6 million, when industry sales were still climbing back from the Great Recession. Cox Automotive’s Chesbrough says U.S. new-vehicle inventory is barely 1 million cars and trucks, down 57 percent vs. year-ago. At the same time, Cox Automotive says average new-vehicle transaction prices recently reached 103 percent of manufacturer’s suggested retail price. Click here for the full story.

Honda Dealership Finds Hybrid Roles Help Lift Customer Satisfaction

As an automotive finance veteran of nearly 30 years, Sue Wilke opposed the hybrid model of individual dealership employees managing both sales and finance and insurance. "I was a hundred percent against it," Wilke, finance director and sales manager of Lompoc, Calif.-based RocketTown Honda, told Automotive News. She recalled an encounter with Cindy Merry, finance director of a dealership group in Alaska that has thrived for years with a hybrid format. "I told her, 'You're crazy,' " Wilke said. Then COVID-19 struck in March 2020. RocketTown was forced to adopt appointment-only sales and lay off a sales force of about 10 people. But when conditions improved in 2020 and RocketTown Honda needed to add staff, it seemed sales personnel wouldn't have enough volume to earn a decent living, Wilke said. The dealership switched to a hybrid format as it brought back three of its staffers throughout 2020. Now, Wilke is a believer. "To be honest, customers like it better," Wilke said. She credited the hybrid model for helping the dealership rank high among Honda's network in customer satisfaction. Click here for the full story.

 

Around the Web

Los Angeles to Electrify City’s Entire 10,000-Vehicle Fleet {Bloomberg}

The 10 Worst Cars We Want to Own [Jalopnik}

2022 Kia EV6: A Stylish Alternative to Tesla [WSJ]

Mini Readies New Convertible for ’23 Model Year  [The Detroit Bureau] 

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