patrick.net

http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=25556

The station features the only fast charger in the region with dual capability to accommodate most types of EVs manufactured by domestic and foreign automakers. It is believed to be one of the worlds first commercial installations of certified DC fast-charge hardware that meets the new industry standard. It is also one of the first fast-charge stations in the U.S. installed by a utility and the first that SMUD will open in the area in 2014.

http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1112106_heres-how-mazdas-hcci-engine-works #energy

The pathetic appeal to emotions that both EV manufacturers and their owners is starting to get tiring. If you want to drive a vehicle powered by electricity, hydrogen, corn oil, fucking bananas, thats your prerogative. But lets not pretend our vehicle purchases are turning the tide of anything.

Electricity for much of the US and world is powered through coal, its just a switch to another equal pollutant. The batteries and materials used in EVs are full of heavy metals, not to mention that when the batteries in an EV combust they fill the air with pollutants, burning heavy metals that fire departments cant extinguish. Lastly, theres not enough data on current EVs to determine their shelf life, given the materials and amount of electronics, i imagine the shelf life of an EV will be significantly shorter than that of an ICE vehicle.

Given all of that, you will still be subject to the bitching and moaning of bugmen and babies who have never changed their oil in their life. The sheer panic that these people attempt to spread and their ever changing timeline of ecological destruction is obnoxious. These arent folks who attempt to clean up India or China(our leading polluters) but they want to concentrate on stripping you of your ability to choose.

The government is only too happy to comply too. The more that bloodsucking government can entangle themselves in transportation, the more control they have over you and your movement. The government gives companies like Tesla "Credits" that they can sell to ICE manufacturers who dont develop EVs, or dont develop them to the point that the government wants. This allows failing EV companies, like Tesla, to stay afloat even though they cant run a business efficiently. Honestly this type of behavior is more akin to a villain from an Ayn Rand novel, both with the governments overreach and with the behavior of many EV owners in general.

Last year, Patrick Anderson went electric: He got a Porsche Taycan EV in dark blue.
Anderson, who is CEO of East Lansing-based economic consulting firm Anderson Economic Group, loves the zippy acceleration and "exciting" features the car offers. He also gets satisfaction in knowing that driving an EV benefits the environment, he said. 

But Anderson's joy comes with a dark side.
"They are a wonderful driving experience. But at the same time, they're an enormous burden in time and in energy in finding chargers and getting them charged," Anderson said. "And you’re not really saving much in terms of charging costs ... you may be paying more.”

Costs to drive an EV compared with a gasoline car are detailed in a report Anderson Economic released Thursday called "Comparison: Real World Cost of Fueling EVs and ICE Vehicles."
The study has four major findings:
There are four additional costs to powering EVs beyond electricity: cost of a home charger, commercial charging, the EV tax and "deadhead" miles.
For now, EVs cost more to power than gasoline costs to fuel an internal combustion car that gets reasonable gas mileage. 
Charging costs vary more widely than gasoline prices. 
There are significant time costs to finding reliable public chargers – even then a charger could take 30 minutes to go from 20% to an 80% charge.

Anderson has worked with the auto industry for 20 years and given the industry's transition to EVs, the group decided to do the studies to assess the likelihood consumer will adopt the cars.

...

"Part of the strength of the analysis is we’re showing the real-world costs that EV drivers face," Anderson said. "You typically have to go to a commercial charger and commercial charger rates are two, three or four times that of residential charger rates."

Then, there are the "deadhead miles" car owners spend driving around trying to find a commercial charger. Even charging at home on a Level 1 or Level 2 charger is time consuming and expensive. 

...

Anderson's report considers four costs beyond the cost of residential electricity when calculating how much it costs to drive an EV: 

- Cost of the residential charger
- Cost of commercial electricity
- An annual EV tax
- Deadhead miles to get to a fast charger

Given all of that, the conclusion is EVs cost more to "fuel" than gasoline cars that get reasonable gas mileage, Anderson said. It all depends on how the car is used and how much commercial charging is involved. 

A mid-priced internal combustion car that gets 33 miles per gallon would cost $8.58 in overall costs to drive 100 miles at $2.81 a gallon, the study found. But a mid-priced EV, such as Chevrolet Bolt, Nissan Leaf or a Tesla Model 3, would cost $12.95 to drive 100 miles in terms of costs that include recharging the vehicle using mostly a commercial charger.
On a yearly basis, assuming the mid-priced cars traveled 12,000 miles, it would cost  $1,030 to drive an internal combustion car and $1,554 to drive an EV. 
For luxury cars that get 26 miles per gallon and use premium gas at $3.25 a gallon, the cost to drive an internal combustion car 100 miles is $12.60. The cost to drive a luxury EV, such as a Taycan, Tesla Model S or X or Jaguar I-Pace, is $15.52 to travel 100 miles. That is using mostly commercial chargers. 
“That’s apples to apples and includes the extra EV taxes, the commercial charging and the home charging and the allowance of driving to a gas station, which, for most Americans, is very short compared to driving to a commercial charger for an EV owner," Anderson said.

The study differs from some reports that show it's cheaper to drive an EV than a conventional car. For example, a 2018 study from the University of Michigan's Transportation Research Institute found the average cost to operate an EV in the U.S. was $485 per year compared with a gasoline-powered vehicle at $1,117. Anderson said most studies include only the cost of residential electricity and don't factor in the four other costs that this study does.

...

Charging costs vary much more for EVs than gasoline prices, too, by 100% or more from month-to-month or week-to-week, Anderson said. 
"Even if you drive to the most expensive gas station, your varying price won’t be as great as that," he said.

“That’s going to be a big surprise to a lot of drivers," Anderson said, adding that many commercial chargers will also require the EV driver to enroll and sometimes pay a $20 fee, but that might be reimbursed with charging.
Also, don't plan on ever having a 100% charge on your EV, he said. 
"It’s very difficult to charge it up to 100%," Anderson said. "The chargers slow down and the manufacturers warn you not to do it because there is additional burden on the battery system when you get your vehicle above a 90% charge.”

That means if the vehicle advertises a range of 240 miles on a full charge, a driver in reality will get considerably less on, say, an 80% charge, he said.
For new EV drivers these costs, time constraints and other considerations are often a surprise, Anderson said.
“Unlike their reliable gas cars that have 300 or 400 miles of range that can be filled up at a number of gas stations in our country, you have to think about what available chargers you have and plan it out," Anderson said. "It’s more than range anxiety, it’s a burden of constantly monitoring the charging status.”
The Anderson report lists about two dozen sources in its research, which relied on consumer experiences and costs for drivers that go beyond government data on fuel economy and electricity prices. Anderson said it did stopwatch measurements of the time required to refuel gasoline cars and EVs, recorded customer experiences on reliability of chargers, charging time and costs. It used consumer reports from actual EV drivers, including those posted on forums for Taycan and Tesla drivers, Reddit and applications serving EV drivers such as PlugShare and ChargePoint.

https://apple.news/AAlPx0L7ZRPikqoXmgfQntg

https://energycommerce.house.gov/posts/chair-rodgers-on-biden-s-new-epa-tailpipe-proposals-it-will-make-new-vehicles-unaffordable

Washington, D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) released the following statement on the Biden administration’s announcement of two new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rules to make vehicles even more expensive for Americans.
“Just like his ban on natural gas stoves in our kitchens, this is another example of how President Joe Biden is using his so-called 'climate agenda' to dictate how people live their lives. The Environmental Protection Agency will make cars unaffordable by following California’s lead towards a complete ban on gas powered vehicles. With these proposals, people will be forced to pay more for a car they can’t afford—insurance alone for EVs is nearly 26 percent higher than combustion-engine vehicles. This will hurt low-income families the most, while also making us more reliant on China for critical materials necessary for electric vehicles. It’s a lose-lose for American families and for American security.”

It has long been my assertion, well scientific fact! That if a community or multi unit building had every residents there, buy electric cars and install charging stations, it would blow the transformer and crash the grid for the whole neighborhood. Then the companies that are going to accommodate them, can you just imagine the petty rules, and elitist merits, that companies will allow or not allow their employees to use the limited charging stations at the office?
People seem to think or envision a future where a charging station is in front of every parking space. That will never be the case.
Next issue is the fires that are going to burn out of control, at work, at home, in the garage, there will be carnage. Especially with cheap Chinese battery operated devices. I don't expect EVs to be any different, than the fires caused by those hoverboards, that were a fad 5 years back. Now you never ever see them, they were a menace.
At least the price is right for a failed experiment, people wont be getting tax dollars to piss away on a Fait accompli.
I give it another 5 years, and EVs will be an embarrassing footnote to History.

https://www.breitbart.com/asia/2023/11/03/auto-industry-analyst-china-is-the-ev-godzilla-poised-to-smash-everything-in-its-path/

How ever if it's a success and everything Im saying turns out to be nonissues. Then at least these dumped Chinese EVs will end the subsidies, and elitist status symbol that Tesla and other US EV models has become. They will be forced to make EVs that people can buy without a check from the government.

We Didn’t Start the Fire . . .
By eric -January 17, 2024



Putting out an EV fire is the other problem. One arising from the problem that EVs can – and do – catch fire spontaneously, which is a new problem.

It was once the case that a car didn’t catch fire unless someone else ran into it – or it ran into something else – at a speed high enough to puncture the gas tank and cause the sparks (from mashing metal) needed to ignite the leaking gas.

Cars didn’t just catch fire – while parked – unless someone put a lit rag in the gas filler neck.

EVs, on the other hand, can – and do – catch fire when parked. Maybe not often, but that is beside the point. People don’t often get AIDs, either. But it’s prudent to avoid situations where AIDs might be acquired.

https://youtu.be/itGeAq9rBeY?si=mppfpcgsXAeqJ_6Q

Just so, it is prudent to avoid situations that might lead to your house catching fire. As by leaving an EV parked in the garage. Or even in the driveway, for that matter – as EV fires burn extremely hot and are extremely difficult to extinguish.

This brings up another problem:Dealing with EV fires.

And paying for it all.

EV battery fires are not like ordinary fires, which can be extinguished with water and – once extinguished – are extinguished. EV battery packs are not only susceptible to spontaneous combustion, they are capable of spontaneous re-ignition. They also cause the emission of extremely toxic gasses – as opposed to the innocuous gas (carbon dioxide) arising from the burning (in an engine) of gasoline. We breath in C02 (along with oxygen and nitrogen) with every breath we take – with no harmful effects.

Breathe in some of the gasses emitted by an EV fire and see what it does to your health.

Ask a fireman about that.

They use heavy duty gear – including self-contained breathing systems – to avoid breathing the emissions of EV battery fires. Because they’d die if they didn’t.

And they have special, expensive additional equipment to deal with EV battery fires that can only be suppressed rather than extinguished. For example (as in the video above) a special blanket to wrap the EV in, so as to try to dampen the fire. The soldering hulk is then dragged onto a flatbed and convoyed – with escorts – to the junkyard, where it must be set as far away from the other junk that’s already there, in order to prevent the smoldering hulk from catching all of that on fire, too.

EVs can also catch fire – and keep burning – when exposed to water.

https://youtu.be/MocjA8G2saI?si=ByJZISnz_5Dy4VGD

Under water.

You can probably guess who’s going to pay for all of this.

Expect your property tax bill to go up (again) in order to provide the fire department in your town/county with the additional equipment it needs to deal with the problem of EV battery fires – arising from the EV problem of spontaneous combustion. In addition to the problem of EVs catching fire when struck in an accident, which they are more prone to because all that’s needed to start a runaway reaction is damage to the battery pack.

A spark – the second necessary factor in a gasoline fire – is not necessary for a conflagration.

Expect something else, too.

Expect your insurance – both car and home – to increase, even if you do not own an EV or park one anywhere near your home. The costs generated by those who do own them will be transferred over to you, just the same as the cost of throwing away an otherwise-repairable car that is an economic throw-away due to the cost of replacing multiple air bags relative to the value of the car, itself, is already reflected in the costs were forced to pay for the insurance we’re required to buy.

In addition to what we’re (effectively) forced to buy when we buy a new car equipped with the air bags we’re required to buy as part of the deal. It’s interesting to note that these “safety” devices also have a tendency to catch fire spontaneously – as when their “inflator” system spontaneously triggers and the bag blows up in the victim’s face.

The air bag risk can be reduced but never eliminated. Just the same as regards EV battery pack spontaneous combustion.

It is interesting that such risks are considered acceptable by the very same people who often insist that any risk they regard as “too risky” must be ameliorated by any means they say necessary, no matter how much it costs.

And no matter how little the gain.

MolotovCocktail says

Tesla (TSLA.O) faces a proposed class action claiming it speeds up odometers on its electric vehicles so they fall out of warranty faster, saving Elon Musk's company from having to pay for repairs.
The plaintiff Nyree Hinton alleged that Tesla odometer readings reflect energy consumption, driver behavior and "predictive algorithms" rather than actual mileage driven.
He said the odometer on the 2020 Model Y he bought in December 2022 with 36,772 miles on the clock ran at least 15% fast, based on his other vehicles and driving history, and for a while said he drove 72 miles a day when at most he drove 20.
Hinton, a Los Angeles resident, said this caused his 50,000-mile basic warranty to expire well ahead of schedule, leaving him with a $10,000 suspension repair bill that he thought Tesla should cover.
"By tying warranty limits and lease mileage caps to inflated 'odometer' readings, Tesla increases repair revenue, reduces warranty obligations, and compels consumers to purchase extended warranties prematurely," the complaint said.

RWSGFY says

caused his 50,000-mile basic warranty to expire well ahead of schedule, leaving him with a $10,000 suspension repair bill that he thought Tesla should cover."By tying warranty limits and lease mileage caps to inflated 'odometer' readings, Tesla increases repair revenue, reduces warranty obligations, and compels consumers to purchase extended warranties prematurely," the complaint said.

How in the flying fuck do you need suspension work at 50k miles?? $10k is a full rebuild, like take the axels off and put new ones on. I just did my suspension at 220k miles and it was $800. I sniff bull shit in this story.

I dislike EV's, but if they're not getting 50k miles out of a suspension they're shit cars. And if it cost $10k, get fucked. I get the point is the odometer, but that means the suspension goes under 50k miles? Am I right? That's a shit car.

RWSGFY says

He said the odometer on the 2020 Model Y he bought in December 2022 with 36,772 miles on the clock ran at least 15% fast, based on his other vehicles and driving history

Too easy to check. Just take the vehicle to a measured mile. Or even easier, start at a mile marker on the interstate and drive 10 miles and see how the mileage markers compare to the odo.

HeadSet says

RWSGFY says
He said the odometer on the 2020 Model Y he bought in December 2022 with 36,772 miles on the clock ran at least 15% fast, based on his other vehicles and driving history

Too easy to check. Just take the vehicle to a measured mile. Or even easier, start at a mile marker on the interstate and drive 10 miles and see how the mileage markers compare to the odo.

Probably have to do 100 miles at least to prove anything. Either way everything is all digital now so an odometer being off for a warranty wouldn't shock me. I like DOGE, don't care for Tesla and am indifferent with Musk. If true he's really backing himself into a corner. He's gotta do some damage control at this point at least for shareholder (I'm not one unless it's in a fund).

EBGuy says

Well, this will be interesting. Per press release, Walmart will be testing BrightDrop vans in several dense urban areas AND northwest Arkansas. Per the google:
Northwest Arkansas has a significantly lower population density compared to Austin, Texas. Northwest Arkansas has a population density of 174 people per square mile, while Austin has a density of 3,006.36 people per square mile. So I guess we'll be getting our test case...

In other news:

General Motors has temporarily paused production of BrightDrop electric vans at its CAMI Assembly plant in Ontario, Canada. This halt is scheduled to last from May to October 2025 due to weak demand and inventory adjustments

https://gcaptain.com/photos-car-carrier-morning-midas-catches-fire-with-electric-vehicles-off-alaska/

Off the subject a bit, evidently Musk is freaking out that Trump et. al want to get rid of the tax credit=subsidy for electric battery cars.

clambo says

Off the subject a bit, evidently Musk is freaking out that Trump et. al want to get rid of the tax credit=subsidy for electric battery cars.

Nah, he's on record saying he doesn't want these.

RWSGFY says

Nah, he's on record saying he doesn't want these.

Yup. Has he recently changed his tune, clambo ?

I'm guilty of not really paying much attention to what Musk is saying about things, so if he is against tax credits (corporate welfare) for battery cars that's fine.

clambo says

I'm guilty of not really paying much attention to what Musk is saying about things, so if he is against tax credits (corporate welfare) for battery cars that's fine.

You are the one who said, "evidently Musk is freaking out that Trump et. al want to get rid of the tax credit=subsidy for electric battery cars."

Al_Sharpton_for_President says

Not sure what your point is, or why the ODO is in kilometers. Getting a quarter million miles (402k kilometers) out of a car sounds like a good deal for the original owner.

HeadSet says

Not sure what your point is, or why the ODO is in kilometers. Getting a quarter million miles (402k kilometers) out of a car sounds like a good deal for the original owner.

I think the point is the resale is trash. I wouldn't buy one. A new battery is due and you've essentially got a $22-25k car at least. I'd just get a new hybrid for $30k that's the same size and has similar features. If you're into acceleration and that stuff you're a common retard. You don't need that stuff.

You can also get a used hybrid for around the same amount with 60-80k miles. Full EV is stupid.

WookieMan says

I think the point is the resale is trash.

Yes, but the resale on any car with 250k miles on it is "trash."

HeadSet says

WookieMan says

I think the point is the resale is trash.

Yes, but the resale on any car with 250k miles on it is "trash."

Agree and disagree. Can make an ICE vehicles run another 50-100k miles for $2-4k. Ain't doing that with an EV. It will be $10k and you still have to do tires and brakes. Manufacturers oil changes have gone way up. Might only need 2 a year unless it's a commercial vehicle. Oh the horror.

Still have to pay the electric. The MFT taxes are coming in some form in the near future. EV's I think have reached peak saturation. Factor in subsidies potentially going away, they're toast. It was never a viable option regardless of the fun to drive thing everyone is attached to. Start from A get me to B and that's a car. 0-60 in 2.5 seconds is stupid.

Guy in car is praying, but gets in accident anyway. Who wanted him dead?

Pretty much the only reason you need NOT to buy EV. You know they chip these things, and probably most lithium battery items with chips, for remote detonation. Even without DEW, you could firebomb an entire suburb with lithium batteries in the stuff the homeowners already bought.

WookieMan says

How in the flying fuck do you need suspension work at 50k miles?? $10k is a full rebuild, like take the axels off and put new ones on. I just did my suspension at 220k miles and it was $800. I sniff bull shit in this story.

Talk to @socal2. He's our resident Tesla fluffer here. Make him own this bullshit.

Ceffer says

Pretty much the only reason you need NOT to buy EV. You know they chip these things, and probably most lithium battery items with chips, for remote detonation. Even without DEW, you could firebomb an entire suburb with lithium batteries in the stuff the homeowners already bought.

But, but the EV fluffers here on PatNet have repeatedly told us EVs don't spontaneously combust anymore than ICE vehicles do!

MolotovCocktail says

But, but the EV fluffers here on PatNet have repeatedly told us EVs don't spontaneously combust anymore than ICE vehicles do!

Problem with EV's is you can't put the fire out. If fast enough and you have a semi or commercial vehicle driving by you can put the fire out with their extinguisher for an ICE car and salvage it most likely. EV's, get the s'mores ready to fire up for the next two hours.

I have a lithium battery for the golf cart. It legit scares me. I don't park it in the garage (now, nice to have). Unless running an ICE vehicle will not just combust. That's an argument that can never be won. I don't charge the cart overnight, only during the day when I'm around. EV lovers will say it's rare. I don't care, I know my Armada is not going to just start on fire parked in the driveway or garage. The cart is fun, but you have to use caution with these batteries.

MolotovCocktail says

WookieMan says

How in the flying fuck do you need suspension work at 50k miles?? $10k is a full rebuild, like take the axels off and put new ones on. I just did my suspension at 220k miles and it was $800. I sniff bull shit in this story.

Talk to socal2. He's our resident Tesla fluffer here. Make him own this bullshit.

Yeah - don’t buy cheap Communist Chinese EVs.

Millions of Teslas on the road over the last 10 years, where are all the fire stories? God knows that the Leftist anti-Elon media would trumpet every negative safety report against Tesla if they could.

BTW - my wife reluctantly told me the other day how much she absolutely loves her new Tesla and can’t stand driving anything else.

We looked at getting solar before the incentives expire this year, but the numbers don’t work even with high energy costs in California.

With SDG&E’s EV plan, we are currently spending about $300/month on electricity for a family of 4 and that includes charging two Teslas. We were easily spending $200/month for fuel with our old cars.

socal2 says

Yeah - don’t buy cheap Communist Chinese EVs.

Millions of Teslas on the road over the last 10 years, where are all the fire stories? God knows that the Leftist anti-Elon media would trumpet every negative safety report against Tesla if they could.

BTW - my wife reluctantly told me the other day how much she absolutely loves her new Tesla and can’t stand driving anything else.

That has nothing to do with the point I referenced and you know it.

Explain the odometer scam, @socal2

Acura Kills ZDX After Just One Year As Massive Discounts Fail To Save It

The brand's first electric vehicle didn't take off the way Acura hoped and won't return after pausing for the 2025 model year

Acura confirms to Carscoops that ZDX production is over.

The move follows the end of Acura and GM’s EV program.

It’s sister model from Honda is not affected by this decision.

It’s official: Acura’s first all-electric SUV is dead. The brand chose to skip the 2025 model year after its joint venture with GM was cancelled in late 2023.

Now, the Japanese automaker has confirmed to Carscoops that the ZDX will not return, with production ending immediately. The ZDX lasted just over a year, with assembly having kicked off in March 2024.

The decision also happens to line up with the federal $7,500 EV tax credit winding down in just a matter of days, and comes right after Nissan announced it would also scrap the Ariya EV.

More: Nissan Is Dropping The Ariya EV After 2025

“To better align our product portfolio with the needs of our customers and market conditions, as well as our long-term strategic goals, we can confirm the Acura ZDX has ended production,” an Acura spokesperson told Carscoops.

Setting the Stage for What’s Next

Although the model has reached the end of the road, Acura stressed that the ZDX still laid important groundwork for what comes next. “ZDX has played a valuable role for the Acura brand, and will provide a foundation we will build on next year with the arrival of the all-electric Acura RSX, which will be produced at the EV Hub in Ohio in the second half of 2026, as well as with hybrid-electric Acura models now in development,” the spokesman added.

As for current owners, Acura promised that “customers will continue to receive full product support through our dealer network, including service, parts, and warranty coverage.”

The news first emerged earlier today through Car Dealership Guy News, which cited an internal memo distributed to Acura dealers. Until now, though, it had not been formally confirmed.

The ZDX was based on GM’s Ultium platform and shared bones with the Cadillac Lyriq and Chevrolet Blazer EV, as well as the Honda Prologue. Ultimately, it never really took off. Incentives topped $30,000 off MSRP at times and then, Acura skipped 2025 altogether. Suffice it to say, this news isn’t all that shocking.

When the partnership between GM and Honda ended in late 2023, the two brands said it was a mutual decision. “After studying this for a year, we decided that this would be difficult as a business, so at the moment we are ending development of an affordable EV,” said Toshihiro Mibe, CEO of Honda. Despite the death of the ZDX, the brand is clearly pushing forward on some of its EV plans. The all-electric RSX will arrive in the latter half of 2026.

What About The Prologue?

Carscoops can also confirm that the Honda Prologue will continue on. Essentially, it serves as Honda’s primary EV offering until its next-generation electric architecture arrives. The Prologue has enjoyed steadier demand and certainly plays a role in the brand’s long-term EV-only strategy.

https://www.carscoops.com/2025/09/acura-kills-zdx-after-massive-discounts-fail-to-save-it/#Echobox=1758727972

MolotovCocktail says

socal2 says

Yeah - don’t buy cheap Communist Chinese EVs.

Millions of Teslas on the road over the last 10 years, where are all the fire stories? God knows that the Leftist anti-Elon media would trumpet every negative safety report against Tesla if they could.

BTW - my wife reluctantly told me the other day how much she absolutely loves her new Tesla and can’t stand driving anything else.

That has nothing to do with the point I referenced and you know it.

Explain the odometer scam, socal2

Well?

Like offshore...and increasingly onshore...wind and the Ivanpah solar farm, EV market share is shit w/o subsidies.



https://www.cnbc.com/2025/09/30/ford-ceo-jim-farley-ev-incentives.html

GM takes a $1.6 billion hit from a faltering U.S. electric vehicle market

Washington scrapped subsidies for EV buyers last month, and many U.S. manufacturers have been forced to pare back production plans.

The impact of falling government support for electric vehicles – and slower-than-expected take-up – was brought into sharp focus Tuesday, as General Motors said it will lose $1.6 billion from pulling back its production plans.

The Detroit automotive giant was one of the first to go big on EVs, announcing in 2021 that it would phase out gas and diesel cars globally by 2035. The announcement came shortly after former President Joe Biden took office pledging to boost EV sales. At one point it was planning to spend $30 billion on EVs by this year, including an all-electric lineup further down the track.

Now, things look very different. President Donald Trump ended federal tax credits that helped American buyers afford to buy expensive U.S.-made electric cars last month, while Chinese automakers have pulled off one of the fastest industrial takeovers in modern history by building about 70% of the world's EVs this year.

GM said Tuesday that about $1.2 billion of the charges were down to adjusting its EV capacity, but added that plans to address its manufacturing footprint are “ongoing”. That means it is “reasonably possible” that more costs could be on their way.

The other $400 million is down to cancelled contracts and settling other commercial arrangements linked to its EV investments, it said. Shares were down 1.6% in premarket trading.

“Following recent U.S. Government policy changes, including the termination of certain consumer tax incentives for EV purchases and the reduction in the stringency of emissions regulations, we expect the adoption rate of EVs to slow,” GM said in the filing.

GM said last month that it plans slower output of the Chevrolet Bolt, and is also scaling back producing its Cadillac Lyriq and Vistiq, saying at the time that it is “making strategic production adjustments in alignment with expected slower EV industry growth and customer demand.”

Ford has also cut investment, dropping models and taking a $1.9 billion charge last year. Chief executive Jim Farley recently said the market will be “way smaller than we thought.”

https://qz.com/gm-cuts-ev-plans-warning-of-slower-market-ahead

Funny money fiat and regulations and monopolies can do an awful lot of damage.