MyOpinion

California is all in on an electric future, planning to ban the sale of gas and diesel powered cars starting in 2035. To get ready for this brave new world some police departments started with buying a few Teslas. These departments immediately ran into serious problems using the vehicles as cruisers, such as a lack of charging infrastructure, inadequate interior space, expensive and lengthy retrofitting processes, interference from advanced driver safety assistance systems and more.

But there is an obvious option here: Don’t use a Tesla. The Fort Bragg Police Department told SFGate using a F-150 Lightning as a patrol vehicle makes a lot more sense.

“Tesla isn’t the right answer in the law enforcement market currently for electric adoption,” Police Department Chief Neil Cervenka told SFGate. “But there might be better options.”

Global sales of fully electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles rose by an annual 30.5% in September, as China surpassed its record numbers recorded in August and Europe resumed growth, market research firm Rho Motion said on Tuesday.

Gains in the U.S. market have been slow and steady in anticipation of the Nov. 5 election, which makes it difficult to predict future trends in the country, data manager Charles Lester told Reuters.

DHL says that it was able to confirm that the Tesla Semi is capable of 500 miles on a single charge with a full load.

But more importantly, DHL confirmed that it achieved an efficiency of 1.72 kWh/mile on average during its two-week trial:

During the trial, the trial vehicle averaged 1.72 kWh/mile operating at speeds exceeding 50 mph (80 km/h) on average for over half its time on the road. The result exceeded our expectations and even Tesla’s own rating. That’s exactly what Tesla has been predicting, and in fact, Tesla says that it now does a little better with 1.6 kWh per mile.

kWh per mile means that this is the amount of energy it needs to travel a mile. Considering that 1.7 kWh of electricity can cost as low as $0.15, it opens up the opportunity to greatly reduced the cost of operation of semi trucks.

Electric vehicle sales hit a new record in the U.S. in Q3, driven by attractive lease deals, financing offers and a growing appetite for affordable models among American car buyers. Despite all the political noise around EVs and negative headlines in financial papers, automakers are having a moment selling their battery-powered cars.

According to car trading and market insights firm Cox Automotive, automakers sold an estimated 346,309 EVs in the third quarter, a 5% increase from the second quarter. EVs accounted for 8.9% of the total auto sales—the highest ever on record—marking an increase from 7.8% during the same period last year.

"With improving infrastructure, far more choices, and excellent deals to be had, the team expects further growth in the months ahead," Cox Automotive analysts wrote. "A 10% share is well within reach.

The newest midsize crossover in Stellantis’ European lineup is available in five or seven-passenger configurations with either mild hybrid ICE or BEV drivetrain configurations – but that’s not the interesting part. The interesting part is this: whether you go with gas or electric, the price you pay remains the same. (!) Price parity, in the context of EVs, basically means that it would cost the same to buy an electric version of a car as an internal combustion version. Whether or not making parity a priority makes sense (and there are plenty who would argue that it doesn’t), there is still a persistent belief that EVs cost more than comparable gas cars.

Well, they did, anyway. The new Vauxhall Frontera is a mid-size crossover set to launch in the UK later this year with a £23,495 price tag (approx. $30,705) for the ICE version … and £23,495 for the BEV.

Robotaxi dreams are based on provable falsehood. There can never be a reduction of vehicles to ⅓ of present taxis/cars. The lies could be dispelled if people only understood the basics.

This little side trip from EVs to robotaxis is a disaster and a distraction and has nothing to do with reducing global warming or improving the environment.

Instead, we should be discussing real solutions to transport and why we are oil addicted and overly car dependent. But that is for another future discussion. First the myth has to be broken and the spell car centrism has on minds has to be undone. The answer is not more cars, any kind of car. That discussion is way too large for a single article and deserves a much longer explanation.

Analysts expect nearly a 40% decline in EV battery prices between 2023 and 2025, and for EVs to "reach breakthrough levels in terms of cost parity" with internal-combustion vehicles in some markets as early as next year—without subsidies. That's due to lower materials cost and the effect of a current stagnation in EV sales allowing supply to catch up with demand, according to the analysis.

Battery prices will continue to fall significantly through 2025 and more or less level off after that, analysts predict. And that could allow EVs to reach larger market shares more quickly. Goldman analysts now predict that EVs could reach 50% market share in the U.S. by 2030, and 68% in the European Union by that year.

The Cybercab reminds me in shape and utility of nothing so much as the original Google autonomous test car, the boob on wheels, but without the nipple of lidar. It’s a devolution to two-passenger blob, and equally useful. I was derisive of Google’s approach vs Tesla’s almost a decade ago, and I’m still of the opinion that Tesla has the right approach to autonomy across useful geographical areas instead of narrowly bounded urban areas obsessively mapped to centimeter-scale regularly by surveying cars. That Tesla’s journey has taken longer and will take longer still is somewhat a symptom of the weird challenge we have where we require autonomous cars to be perfect, but allow deeply imperfect humans to text and drive. But as a physical vehicle, the Cybercab is a devolution.

Clearly getting a family to school is not remotely something that was considered with this vehicle. No, the kids are supposed to each get their own Cybercab to go to their own schools, while the parents get their own Cybercabs to get to their jobs and Pilates classes. This is the top 20% of America’s view of utopia, where everyone in the family has their own car, even if they are too young to drive.

However, there’s one current silver lining to the USA’s requirement that everyone have their own car. 95% of the time, these cars are just sitting parked somewhere, and not congesting city streets. Cybercabs, by contrast, are always congesting city streets, even when they have no passengers as they drive to where passengers are likely to be, or drive to where they have been summoned, or drive to someplace else where they are conveniently located to be summoned. Cybercabs would be on the street almost constantly. While there would be fewer vehicles overall, they would be on the streets a much greater percentage of the time.

General Motors on Tuesday served up some fresh details about the next-generation 2026 Chevrolet Bolt EV at its Investor Day. Notably, GM President Mark Reuss said the new Bolt will cost about as much as the now-discontinued 2023 model, while also being profitable for the company.

"The 2026 Bolt will offer the same value as the original Bolt and much more. And it will be a money maker for us. Think about that," Reuss said.

The new Bolt will go on sale in late 2025 as a 2026 model, he said. While the final price isn't set in stone, Reuss said the new Bolt will cost only "slightly" more than the 2023 Bolt EUV crossover, which started at $28,795.

Uber held its second Go-Get Zero event on Tuesday to highlight some of the company's sustainability efforts. First and foremost, it says that there are now enough EV drivers using the service to make an EV-only option available (the current Uber Green includes hybrids). The all-electric Uber Green option, which will cost about the same as an UberX, will initially be available in 40 cities and the company plans to expand this over time.

Shoppers in need of an adventurous and zero-emission ride have slim pickings. To enjoy off-road credibility and an electric powertrain, they need deep pockets or a big driveway, as the key players in this space include the Ford F-150 Lightning , Chevy Silverado EV , GMC Hummer EV , and the Rivian R1S and R1T . Even the Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally is a pricey rally warrior, emphasizing performance rather than off-road confidence.

With a lower price tag and a few noteworthy compromises, this is the space the 2024 Subaru Solterra will hopefully find an audience. It’s cheaper than those other vehicles and a bit more manageable to drive than a large truck or SUV while including a few off-road-oriented features to appeal to the right crowd. However, it has a few limitations that make it difficult to recommend to any EV shopper.

The Subaru Solterra launched in the latter half of 2023 to some stern words from Driving editor Andrew McCredie, who noted the Subaru EV was lacking in a few areas. The most significant criticism from our editor was the way the Solterra charges. Subaru implemented conservative fast charging limitations on its new EV to prevent battery degradation. For 2024, many of these restrictions have been lifted.

The starting price for the 2024 Subaru Solterra is $59,340, while the Luxury Package adds $4,500 ($63,840 MSRP), and the Technology Package adds $7,000 ($66,340 MSRP). The automaker notes that the Solterra is eligible for $5,000 in incentives, but so are many of its competitors.

The current top picks in the segment include the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6 , which offer more range and power for a similar price. The Kia EV6 , Mustang Mach-E , Nissan Ariya , Chevrolet Blazer and Tesla Model Y are all worth mentioning as well, alongside the mechanically similar Toyota bZ4X .

Final thoughts about the 2024 Subaru Solterra

Lacking a competitive edge in power, range and recharge times, the Solterra may struggle to find a foothold in this crowded segment, but at least it’s loaded with safety equipment and it’s spacious. The main draw of the 2024 Solterra is that it’s capable off-road and more accessible than some of the other rugged electric trucks and SUVs, providing this electric Subaru with a dedicated but niche fanbase.

Rebadging is just part of the business. When two disparate companies want to share technologies or save costs, they team up to build similar vehicles with different badges, and market each one to their respective audiences. And apart from a few outliers (remember the Aston Martin Cygnet?), modern rebadging usually proves successful for both brands.

The problem with badge engineering though, is that sometimes the two products are too similar. They share virtually everything: Powertrains, technology, dynamics, etc. The only differences are the way they look and the badges on their backsides. With the Prologue, I was worried Honda’s new EV would feel too much like a Chevy—and in many ways, it does. But in this case, that's actually a good thing.

Starting at $48,795 for a base EX model with front-wheel drive, the Prologue isn’t the cheapest option in the segment by a long shot. That honor goes to the Ford Mustang Mach-E at $42,985 (and it has standard rear-wheel drive). For the Prologue Elite, prepare to dish out at least $59,295 before options. The $455 Sonic Gray Pearl brings the as-tested price to $59,750.

That’s a pretty penny to pay for a badge-engineered Honda. Thankfully, GM’s Ultium platform makes the Prologue an excellent proposition thanks to its serene ride, sumptuous cabin, and superb powertrain. And for my money, it looks better than the Blazer.