Ascend Elements Opens EV Battery Recycling Facility in Georgia

PublishedMarch 30, 2023

Ascend Elements celebrated the grand opening of its first commercial-scale lithium-ion battery recycling facility at the end of March.

Located in Covington, GA, the $50 million Base 1 facility is North America's largest electric vehicle battery recycling facility. As demand for EVs increases, lithium-ion battery recycling is becoming an increasingly important part of the EV battery materials supply chain.

The facility began partial operations in August 2022 and now has an annual capacity to process 30,000 metric tons of used lithium-ion batteries and manufacturing scrap---equal to 70,000 EV batteries per

Partnership to Provide Consumers with Data on Used EV Battery Health

Written by Auto Remarketing Staff
Published March 29, 2023

J.D. Power said March 29 it is collaborating with connected vehicle analytics and infrastructure company Motorqto provide insights to the auto industry based on connected vehicle data.

And this partnership kicks off with used electric vehicles---specifically, data to measure EV battery health.

The companies will use data from actual vehicles and work with OEMs to help EV owners and shoppers compare a used EV’s current battery health with its prior status when new.

J.D. Power will provide a validation to vehicles meeting a pre-determined battery

Lucid to Lay Off 1,300 Employees as Part of Restructuring Plan

Written by Maria Merano, Teslarati
Published March 29, 2023

On March 27, Lucid Group, Inc.announced plans to lay off 18% of its workforce---about 1,300 employees, including executive positions. The news comes after Lucid released its fourth quarter and full year (FY) 2022 financial results in February.

Lucid plans to lay off workers to cut costs while initiating its restructuring plans. According to a regulatory filing, the layoffs will be completed by Q2 2023. The EV company expects to incur between $24 million and $30 million in expenses, mostly for severance payments, employee benefits and stock-based compensation.

Lucid CEO and

Tesla Facing Lawsuit in 2019 Deaths of California Couple 

Written by David A. Wood, CarComplaints.com
Published March 29, 2023

A TeslaModel 3 wrongful death lawsuit alleges a defective Autopilot system caused the deaths of two California residents.

Plaintiffs Becky Edwards and Tamara Neuhaus, the children of Davidand Sheila Brown, the couple killed in the Tesla Model 3 crash, contend their parents "reasonably believed the Tesla Model 3 was safer than a human-operated vehicle."

David Brown believed this based on Tesla's alleged claim the "self-driving safety components engineered into the vehicle and advertised by

Lucid Air Recalled for Glitch Causing Electric Motor to Shut Down

Written by Maria Merano, Teslarati
Published March 28, 2023

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recalled 637 2022-2023 LucidAir sedans with issues in their contactor switches.

“Lucid USA, Inc. is recalling certain 2022-2023 Air vehicles. The electrically activated contact switches that transfer energy to the drive motors may unexpectedly open, cutting off power to the electric motors,” the NHTSA said.

The NHTSA recommended Lucid update the software of all the affected sedans and replace the contractor switches for free.

Lucid is expected to contact Air owners affected by the recall via mail by

MA Agency’s Budget Request to Focus on Clean Energy Plan

Written by Dave Fidlin, The Center Square
Published March 28, 2023

The multi-pronged series of short- and long-range goals in place in Massachusetts’ clean energy and climate plan will serve as a bedrock for one agency’s fiscal year 2024 budget, according to officials.

The Legislature’s Joint Committee on Ways and Means on March 27 held a lengthy series of hearings on the state’s upcoming fiscal year 2024 budget---the first under Gov. Maura Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll. The session was held at an offsite location, the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.

Much of the hearing focused on anticipated spending

Ford Expects $3B Loss on Tax-Subsidized EV Venture in 2023

Written by Scott McClallen, The Center Square
Published March 28, 2023

Michigan taxpayers bet $1.6 billion in subsidies on Ford Motor Company's new BlueOval electric vehicle battery plant in Marshall, but Ford expects to lose $3 billion on its EVs this year, it recently told investors.

John Mozena, president of the Center for Economic Accountability, a nonprofit organization for transparent economic development policy, told The Center Square in an email the major financial loss “[H]ighlights the dangers of turning taxpayers into speculative investors through so-called ‘economic development’

South Carolina Approves $9M Grant for Lithium Hydroxide Facility

Written by T.A. DeFeo, The Center Square
Published March 28, 2023

The South Carolina Coordinating Council for Economic Development approved a $9 million Rural Infrastructure Fund grant for Chester County.

The money will help the county cover infrastructure improvements, mitigation costs and site preparation related to Albemarle Corp.’s plan to build a "Mega-Flex" lithium hydroxide processing facility near Richburg, SC.

The council also awarded job development credits for this project.

A South Carolina Department of Commerce spokesman previously told The Center Square the value of JDCs depends on the wage rate

Survey: Tesla Cybertruck Not a ‘Real Truck’

Written by Simon Alvarez, Teslarati
Published March 27, 2023

In late February, a study conducted by AmericanTrucksrevealed about six out of 10 truck owners did not consider the TeslaCybertruck a “real truck.”

This was not surprising, as the Cybertruck is different compared to other pickups on the market, and much of its real-world capabilities are yet to be proven.

While electric sedans and SUVs have become a common sight on American roads, the electric pickup truck market is still in its infancy. Today, only a few electric trucks are available, like the RivianR1T, FordF-150 Lightning and GMCHummer EV. The

Self-Driving Cruise Chevy Bolt Rear-Ends Municipal Bus in San Francisco

Written by Iulian Dnistran, InsideEVs
Published March 27, 2023

A driverless ChevroletBolt operated by GM’s Cruiserobotaxi company was involved in a light accident March 23 in San Francisco, where it rear-ended a municipal bus in the right lane of the road.

Photos of the crash were posted on Twitterby several users, including @d_bau13 and @BrokeAssStewart (via @realpaintedladies_sf on Instagram), and judging by the images, the San Francisco Muni bus sustained minor damage, while the electric Chevy Bolt seemed to be in rougher shape.

Cruise replied to one of the tweets by saying there was

Tesla's Safety Score 2.0 Updates Make System Fairer for Insurance

Written by Steven Loveday, InsideEVs
PublishedMarch 27, 2023

Teslais making major changes to its Safety Score system, primarily because the technology help determine individual premiums for its in-house auto insurance.

The company's somewhat unique Safety Score technology has gone through multiple tweaks since its first release, and it appears Tesla may be using it much more going forward.

For those unaware, Tesla's Safety Score debuted as a way to help the company decide which of its beta testers would get early access to new releases of the Full Self-Driving beta capability.

Tesla's longer-term plans for its Safety

LGES to Quadruple Investment in AZ Battery Plant to $5.5B

Written by Maria Merano, Teslarati
Published March 27, 2023

LG Energy Solution plans to increase its investment in an Arizona battery plant from $1.4 billion to $5.5 billion due to strong demand for EVs, which is increasing the need for battery cells.

The LGES battery plant is located in Queen Creek, AZ. The South Korean battery manufacturer plans to build two manufacturing facilities in Arizona. One facility will start making cells for EVs by 2025. The second facility will produce energy storage systems beginning in 2026.

The Arizona plant will be able to produce 27 GWh of 2170 cylindrical battery cells for EVs and 16 GWh of LFP

Ford's Future EV Mega Factory in Tennessee Taking Shape

Written by Tom Moloughney, InsideEVs
Published March 24, 2023

Construction at Ford's new electric truck and battery manufacturing mega campus, BlueOval City, in West Tennessee is on track and projected to begin production in 2025.

InsideEVstoured the facility, currently just a massive construction project, and spoke with Ford reps about its progress.

The 3,600-acre site covers nearly 6 square miles of land and will create 6,000 new jobs, providing a huge boost to the local economy. To prepare the local workforce, the vast majority of which have never worked in the automobile manufacturing industry, Ford announced the introduction

South Carolina Becomes Battery Hotbed with $1.6B in Investments

Written by William Johnson, Teslarati
Published March 23, 2023

With the growth in demand for EVs, the need for lithium-ion batteries to fuel them has also grown, provoking many automakers to invest in battery production and lithium extraction as they look to ramp production dramatically in the coming years. Now, South Carolina has become a hotbed for lithium-ion battery production, thanks to massive investments from two leaders in the battery industry.

The first and significantly larger investment comes from Albemarle, the world’s largest lithium extraction and refining company, which announced it will invest $1.3 billion into a new

Volkswagen to Become Global EV Battery Supplier, Invest in Mining

Written by Steven Loveday, InsideEVs
Published March 22, 2023

Recently, Volkswagen Group's new CEO Oliver Blume suggested the company's electric vehicle partnership with Fordis "intensifying." This is interesting since Ford has said it doesn't intend to rely on VW over the long term. Now the largest automaker in Europe has plans to become a global EV battery supplier, selling cells to Ford and others.

Batteries are the most expensive part of an EV. We've been told for years the cost of battery cells and EV battery packs would come down. While they have, there's also a growing demand for them, which can push costs

Detroit Unveils Parking Department's 100% EV Fleet

Written by William Johnson, Teslarati
Published March 22, 2023

The City of Detroit unveiled its first department fleet to be comprised of only electric vehicles.

America’s Motor City purchased 48 ChevyBolts to be used by the Municipal Parking Department's parking enforcement workers. According to the city, each driver drives an average of 150 miles every day, making the Bolt's 259-mile range perfectly adequate. Furthermore, thanks to the low upfront cost of the Bolt compared to other EVs, its fuel savings will become evident quickly following the purchase.

The city also installed a massive 25-stall charging station.

“This is our first

31% of Americans Still Won’t Consider EVs: Poll

Written by Simon Alvarez, Teslarati
Published March 22, 2023

A new poll revealed 31% of Americans still would not consider electric vehicles when purchasing their next car, while just over one-third would consider it.

The U.S. is currently in a serious EV push, as President Joe Biden wants 50% of all new vehicles sold in 2030 to be either battery-electric or plug-in hybrid cars.

A recent seven-day poll from Reuters/Ipsos, which concluded March 20, revealed 34% of respondents were open to the idea of purchasing an electric car, while 31% responded they were not considering it. The survey also indicated Democrats were more

Ford F-150 Lightning Lot Fire Leads to Recall of 18 Trucks

Written by Stephen Rivers, CarScoops
Published March 21, 2023

Fordis recalling 18 units of its F-150 Lightning truck over fears they might spontaneously catch on fire. The danger is directly related to one truck that unexpectedly went down in a blaze on a Ford holding lot in February. The Blue Oval has since said it’s fixed the potential problem.

On Feb. 14, it was reported Ford shut down production and

Tesla Cybertruck Production Fakes Making the Rounds

Written by Joey Klender, Teslarati
Published March 21, 2023

As TeslaCybertruck production nears, fake images of the vehicle being manufactured and rolling off production lines are being shared on the internet. If you see these images, be aware they have been doctored.

The Cybertruck is more than three years past its initial unveiling in November 2019. Tesla CEO Elon Musk confirmed production will begin this summer. Volume production is slated for 2024, but early-stage pre-production betas have been built and are being shown off at any of the company’s events.

However, crafty images of the Cybertruck being manufactured are

Scratched EV Battery? Insurers May Have to Junk the Whole Car

Written by Nick Carey, Paul Lienert and Sarah Mcfarlane, Reuters
Published March 21, 2023

For many electric vehicles, there is no way to repair or assess even slightly damaged battery packs after accidents, forcing insurance companies to write off cars with few miles---leading to higher premiums and undercutting gains from going electric.

And now those battery packs are piling up in scrapyards in some countries, a previously unreported and expensive gap in what was supposed to be a "circular economy."

"We're buying electric cars for sustainability reasons," said Matthew Avery, research director at automotive risk intelligence

Oregon’s EV Incentive Program Running Out of Money

Written by Joey Klender, Teslarati
Published March 21, 2023

Oregon’s electric vehicle incentive program---widely publicized for bringing the price of a TeslaModel 3 well below $30,000---is being suspended for a year starting in May, because it is running out of money.

According to a new report from Oregon Live, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality’s Clean Vehicle Rebate Program has paid out more than $71 million to help buy or lease roughly 25,000 EVs in the past five years.

In February, it was reported the incentives had pushed Model 3 prices from nearly $44,000 to between $26,990 and $28,390, making the

IIHS VP Makes Safety Suggestions Based on Future of Heavy EVs

Written by Steven Loveday, InsideEVs
Published March 20, 2023

In late 2022, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) did a simulation to assess whether its crash test equipment could handle a large and heavy EV. The equipment fared just fine, but the testing stirred up conversations about future safety concerns thanks to the EVs' heavy battery packs.

The IIHS used an old gas-powered FordF-150 pickup truck and loaded it up until it weighed a whopping 9,500 pounds. The heavy pickup was then put through the organization's series of crash tests. While the tests were successful and the equipment unharmed, IIHS Vice President

Some Ford Dealers Leaving EV Sales Program

Written by Joey Klender, Teslarati
Published March 20, 2023

Forddealers are beginning to push back and drop out of the Model e EV sales program, launched by the Detroit-based automaker last year in hopes of encouraging dealerships to carry, sell and deliver EVs. It has not gone according to plan for some.

Ford saw success when it first launched the program, reporting about two-thirds of U.S. dealerships decided to opt in.

The program features two tiers. The first is called Certified, and gives Ford locations the ability to service the company’s electric cars and does not require as much of an initial cost---$500,000. However, there was a limit on the

Rhode Island’s DRIVE EV Program Encourages Sustainable Transport

Written by Joey Klender, Teslarati
Published March 16, 2023

Rhode Island is offering new incentives to encourage the purchase of electric vehicles with its new DRIVE EV program.

The program, which pushes for both individual and fleet EV purchases, offers rebates based on a consumer’s choice to drive a sustainable powertrain. It is one of the newer programs in the country, and can be combined with federal incentives to drive further savings on electric vehicles.

DRIVE EV offers rebates of up to $2,500 for car buyers who purchase or lease a new fully-electric or fuel-cell EV, and $1,500 for used electric vehicles, as well as for new plug-in

Electrify America Launches Its 1st EV Fast Charging Station in Hawaii

Written by Steven Loveday, InsideEVs
Published March 16, 2023

Electrify America opened its first fast charging station in Hawaii, which means the network is now present in 47 states plus the District of Columbia.

The new charging station is in Pearl City on the island of Oahu and features four 150-kilowatt chargers. Because it is an island, there was no need to install the 350-kW chargers.

A map on Electrify America's website indicates there are two more charging stations planned on Oahu, one in Kapolei and one in Honolulu. There is no info about the other islands.

According to the company, its network is the largest

Honda Prepares U.S. Manufacturing Plants for EV Production

Written by Mark Kane, InsideEVs
Published March 16, 2023

Hondaannounced several crucial steps to establish an EV Hub in Ohio, where the company intends to produce its next-generation all-electric cars.

The Japanese manufacturer intends to invest some $700 million to re-tool several of its existing auto and powertrain plants in the state, to support the introduction of EVs based on the new Honda e:Architecture, scheduled for 2026.

The main focus of the plan is the Marysville Auto Plant, where Honda began auto production in America in 1982, which will be Honda’s first auto plant in the U.S. to transition to making EVs.

The

Rivian Issues 2nd Airbag-Related Recall in a Month

Written by Joey Klender, Teslarati
Published March 16, 2023

Rivianis recalling 2022-2023 R1S all-electric SUVs to confront potentially improper securing of the side curtain airbags, the second issue related to airbags in the past month.

Rivian issued the recall March 9, affecting only 30 units of the R1S SUV. The issue stems from fasteners responsible for securing the right and left side curtain airbags, which could be improperly secured.

“The potentially affected vehicle production began on Oct. 28, 2022, when Rivian Automotive, LLC started to build vehicles with the suspect side curtain airbag fastenings and ended on Jan. 21, 2023, when

Rising Rates Short Circuit EV Home Charging Satisfaction

PublishedMarch 16, 2023

The growing electric vehicle marketplace has encountered rising electricity rates due in part to the recent U.S. inflationary period, resulting in lower satisfaction with home charging, according to the J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Electric Vehicle Experience (EVX) Home Charging Study, released March 16.

More than two-thirds (68%) of EV owners use a Level 2 permanently mounted station, but their overall satisfaction declined 12 points year over year to 740 (on a 1,000-point

U.S. Starts $2.5B Funding Program to Develop EV Charging Infrastructure

Written by Dan Mihalascu, InsideEVs
Published March 14, 2023

The White House opened applications March 14 for a $2.5 billion funding program to expand EV charging and alternative fueling infrastructure in America's urban and rural communities.

Created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law signed in 2021, the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) program provides $2.5 billion over five years to eligible applicants, which include states, cities, local agencies and tribes.

The first round makes available up to $700 million from fiscal years 2022 and 2023 funding to strategically deploy publicly accessible EV chargers and hydrogen,

Tesla Accused of Monopolizing Repairs, Parts in Consumer Lawsuit

Written by Simon Alvarez, Teslarati
Published March 15, 2023

Teslais facing a lawsuit from customers who allege the company’s monopoly in maintenance, repair services and replacement parts has led to high prices and long waiting times. 

On March 14, a class action antitrust lawsuit was filed in San Francisco federal court on behalf of Virginia M. Lambrix, the owner of a Tesla Model S. In the lawsuit, Lambrix said owners of conventional cars have several options for maintenance and repairs. They can even perform repairs and maintenance themselves. The complaint said traditional car repairs can also use OEM parts or