It takes a lot of energy to build an electric vehicle – so are EVs actually cleaner than their gas-guzzling counterparts?
According to a new report by
@BloombergNEF
, the answer is a resounding yes.
US electric vehicles have now zipped past a major milestone: 1 million battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) sold in a single year.
While doubts remain about US demand for going fully electric, this year’s sales suggests that a rising number of consumers are willing to make the jump.
NEWS: Tesla Model Y jumps to 2nd in new vehicle registrations in the US, overtaking Toyota RAV4.
Through the third quarter of 2023, Experian reports, 2.5% of all newly registered vehicles were Model Ys.
Source:
Electric vehicle sales in the U.S. were up 54% for the first three quarters of 2023 over 2022; they hit 1 million annual sales back in September, with 1 million fully electric sales around the corner when November data comes in
I had thought this might be a possibility. In order to have consumers qualify for a tax credit, Hyundai would need to have final assembly for EVs in North America -- and so it seems they're going to push up the timeline: (h/t
@grossdm
)
Big news: The US passenger electric vehicle market has reached a key milestone. According to preliminary data from
@BloombergNEF
, 1 million electric vehicles have been sold in the US this year.
Results coming in now from
@Ford
- their overall US car sales were up 1% YoY, but EV sales were up 61% YoY (outpacing hybrids at 56%).
Ford sold around 24,000 EVs in the quarter, outpacing
@GM
slightly (by about 2k units).
Ever wondered when the US would finally hit one million annual EV sales? We at BNEF have exciting news: That moment has almost arrived! According to our data, the US reached about 965,000 EV units sold in the first eight months of 2023.
Anyone who works in the US automotive industry, EV industry, or in policymaking should taken ten minutes and read
@GaytonaUSA
's new piece for
@InsideEVs
on Chinese EVs.
It's a barn burner. And arguably a warning about the cost of inaction.
North America's EVs and car batteries have garnered over $103 billion in investments since the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, according to
@BloombergNEF
. It was
@Toyota
's announcement yesterday that the company will invest $8 billion...
Senator Manchin was the 50th vote for the Inflation Reduction Act, and billions of dollars in investment in clean energy, clean transportation. Complicated legacy, but still worth noting that one of climate policy's biggest twists was that he and
@SenSchumer
reached a deal at all
To the West Virginians who have put their trust in me and fought side by side to make our state better – it has been an honor of my life to serve you. Thank you. My statement on my political future:
One of the last IRA EV policy "shoes" just dropped - the one that consumers will probably like: rules around point-of-sale rebate which will kick off on January 1. The policy means that low- and moderate-income consumers will no longer have to wait a year
Wow
@Ford
April EV sales are up by 129% YoY (which may be a statement on where they were in '23).
Mach-E sales up by 204% (currently growing by more than double YTD). The E-Transit is another one that looks good, and even the F-150 Lightning up by 57%.
On
@WindhorstESPN
pod, One of the guests says, "Ironically, I think the Nets are a team that are very happy about today's trade... hey, all of these are on a short window. The picks that they gave up to get KD extend beyond the short window. Suns go all in for 3/4 years..."
According to
@Reuters
and
@theinformation
apparently
@Tesla
is cutting their ENTIRE supercharging team (that report to Rebecca Tinnucci) and policy team (in a time of major EV policy).
Don’t see how either helps Tesla or frankly the U.S. EV transition.
Electric vehicles continue to be doomed, this time with help from
@Honda
and its $11 billion investment in new facilities in Canada to produce EVs for North America:
Our revised view finds that US EV sales will hit 23% of passenger car sales by 2025 and 52% by 2030. Changes to the market will be smaller in the next few years, but steeper declines in upfront EV cost will be driven later this decade by battery and EV tax credits in the IRA
@bricey16
@Redistrict
“Oh no the Dems are building a good bench and can run candidates for Senate/Governor/House in the future...” this is just ridiculous. Great problem to have.
@lowkell
@CillizzaCNN
Rob Quist was a worse candidate if he needed a token D there; also where’s Ed “lost VA by 9 percent and egged on racial strife” Gillespie on the list?
Finally, EV numbers from
@GM
via
@InsideEVs
and it's very impressive.
According to the report, the automaker had its best EV month in May - EVER - in the US and Canada with over 3k
@Cadillac
Lyriq sales and 9k units sold in the US and Canada.
Betsy DeVos defending end of federal support for Special Olympics: "It's a private organization. I love its work, have personally supported its mission. But given budget realities, govt cannot fund every worthy program, particularly ones w/robust support from private donations”
Wondering what the big US automakers are up to on the EV front? The country's top EV manufacturers showing their hands as they release big new targets for the coming months.
The timing is significant. For the first time in years, there are potential openings in the country’s...
The US is fast approaching 1 million annual all-electric car (BEV) sales, according to
@BloombergNEF
. This follows the milestone of 1 million annual EV sales – including plug-in hybrid electric vehicles – achieved in September.
Another solid month for
@Ford
EV sales - increasing by 64.7%, inching past their hybrid sales increase (64.5%).
Pretty positive F-150 Lightning month of > 3k units sold and the Mach-E continues strong sales at 4k. E-transit up too.
Belvidere is the location of a Stellantis plant that had been idled since February. As a part of the
@UAW
contract,
@Stellantis
agreed to re-open the plant and also invest in building a new battery facility there.
inbox: "On Thursday, November 9th, the President will travel to Belvidere, Illinois. The President will deliver remarks and meet with UAW autoworkers, UAW President Shawn Fain, and Governor J.B. Pritzker to highlight his commitment to delivering for working families"
@Hyundai
-
@Kia
has posted a banner year for its US electric vehicle sales. According to a new
@BloombergNEF
piece, the two automakers accounted for more than 8% of the passenger EVs sold in the country in 2023, outpacing both
@GM
and
@Ford
.
It’s interesting to see US dealers arguing consumers aren’t interested in EVs (and arguing for weaker fuel economy standards), all the while marking up the price of the seeming popular
@Kia
EV9. Despite the automaker’s wishes to not markup. Via
@InsideEVs
:
This is a big deal - and a story that has been working towards a conclusion for months. The EU has agreed to end the sale of vehicles with an internal combustion engine from 2035 onwards. Instead, only new zero-emission vehicles (mostly battery electric vehicles) can be sold
NEW: The EU reached a deal to effectively ban new combustion-engine cars from 2035, a move that will reshape transportation and mark a significant step on the path to reduce carbon emissions
Sharing the article for my timeline. Huge news from
@USPS
. They’ll only purchase zero-emission vehicles after 2026 and up their EV ambitions, aiming to purchase 66,000 electric trucks over the next five years. Props to
@jacobbogage
who broke the story.
SCOOP: USPS will electrify delivery trucks by 2026 in climate win for Biden
USPS had recently pledged to go 40% EV. This new purchase plan now gets it to 75% by 2026, and all electric afterward.
Huge, huge news for USPS and Biden climate agenda.
Electric cars scored another win at yesterday's Super Bowl. Electric vehicles trumped internal combustion engine vehicles with three ads to one, despite all the debate around EVs in the US.
It's been a tough month of news in the US EV transition. And I think there's been a lot of bad news to wrap your heads around. But the full picture is still pretty complex, and US automakers stepping too far back at this moment may be ceding valuable time and ground.
After years of hype,
@Rivian
has finally unveiled its R2 SUV – and at the appealing price point of $45,000. The vehicle, which Rivian plans to launch in the first half of 2026, is a critical step on the company's path to capturing the mass market.
Via
@ElectrekCo
:
@Hyundai
Motor Group (w/
@Kia
) has accounted for 10% of the US EV market during the first seven months of 2024. This puts it past
@Ford
and
@GM
.
I know this is the type of news that can get lost in the shuffle. But let's not forget that the tension between electric vehicles and labor has been a big story over the past year.
Now the
@UAW
workers at the
@UltiumCells
plant ratified a new deal:
A whopping 23% of all of California’s car sales in 1Q 2023 were electric according to
@CNCDA
in their latest quarterly outlook. This EV thing keeps on moving faster and faster (2022 EV share was around 19-20% depending your source) …
Pretty big news from
@RedwoodMat
& former Tesla co-founder JB Straubel - new facility in South Carolina, a $3.5 billion investment in battery recycling and re-manufacturing of the critical minerals used in EV batteries (i.e. nickel, copper, lithium).
Introducing Redwood South Carolina! Just outside of Charleston, we will recycle, refine, and manufacture, initially, 100 GWh of battery materials on over 600 acres, creating more than 1,500 jobs in the Palmetto state.
@POTUS
Biden speaking at the Stellantis plant now, which was idled since February. Talks about the billions in new investment, including adding a battery factory in Belvidere
"I hope we have a group that wants to lean into it and step right through the door. That's the only way we're going to make it out the other side. I look forward to more games like these. The next time we're in a game like this, it'll be better"
- Jacque Vaughn
Not sure if
@ZachLowe_NBA
has Nets sources but he said on his new pod — re Dame to Nets. “I think Nets front office would have a frothy internal debate about whether going all in for Dame is worth it.”
Just 13 electric vehicle models now qualify for the US clean car tax credit, after the federal government released guidance relating to "foreign entities of concern" late last year.
That's a significant drop from the 25 models eligible in 2023, but customers need not fret.
The Chinese EV maker BYD is considering setting up a plant in Mexico, the head of the company's local subsidiary has told Nikkei, as the automaker seeks to establish an export hub to the U.S.
Well, this seems like a biggie. Via
@WSJ
- 7 auto companies coming together to make a charging joint venture that will produce NACS and CCS capable chargers (
@GM
@Honda
@BMW
among them):
Interesting EV/IRA tax credit takeaways from
@Ford
latest corporate earnings. The company notes that it expects to meet the critical minerals credit requirement ($3,750) on certain Mach-E and Lightning models
Point of sale will be a big deal for US EV transition... helping to lower upfront cost for many who can't wait a year (or have the tax burden) for $7,500. Two key things though:
1) Enough EVs have to qualify for credit on Jan 1 so that policy is noticed
2) Website's gotta work
Listen: the Nets are a bad team. It’s time for them to be sellers. And anyone who isn’t core should be sold off. And by core I mean figure out who that is. The GM and the coach should be on the hot seat. And fans deserve better than radio silence from the entire FO
When it rains, it pours... another critical EV unveiling, this time from
@GM
. It was announced previously but the company showed off the Chevy Equinox EV, aiming for the $30,000 price-point. Piece by
@DavidWelch47
:
This is a must read to understand a major risk to taking too long to transition to EVs in the market. Japanese automakers are pulling back from China, due in-part to their lack of competitive BEV models:
There have been a lot of questions about our
@BloombergNEF
report on lifecycle emissions of electric vehicles and gas cars. Now, we've got a public post on the BNEF blog, showcasing more of the report (and some pretty charts). Check it out:
Woj said “both Miami and Phoenix” don’t have enough. Brooklyn is even more determined after recent trades for Gobert. Not just the picks, brooklyns want 4-5 picks, swaps and all star level players, complex deals. Brooklyn knows they have time on their side
@NetsDaily
Been saying this all year, but it feels like
@Rivian
is just a few quarters of execution away from crossing through the "EV valley of death." Not a guarantee, but the data this year has shown improvement. 2024 gonna be a big year to watch for them
For weeks, I had people telling me that Dame would want to come to Nets and it wouldn't be costly. Now same people are telling me that Nets should outbid the Heat when we have less stars. Come on guys, take this as a blessing. Get younger, get smarter, be patient.
Thought this was a good auto piece by
@JackEwingNYT
on what happens when a factory actually transitions from ICE and produces only electric vehicles. Enter
@VW
at Zwickau. Things did not go nearly as poorly as expected.
There's no question about it:
@Stellantis
is the king of US plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs).
Pretty startling statistics: 50% of all Jeep Wrangler sales in 1Q were PHEVs.
This comes as Stellantis prepares to bring more BEVs to the US:
When people ask me about Chinese EVs coming into the US, I point out consistently that they are already here.
And there's a popular one coming out later this summer with a starting price around $35,000 or so in the form of the
@volvocars
EX30 👇🏻
As Chinese EVs face obstacles entering US and EU markets through the front door, I’m closely watching their efforts to enter through side doors.
Geely is the most interesting case, using its ownership of Volvo and Polestar to sell Chinese-made EVs to US and EU markets. Polestar
It's finally here!
@USTreasury
and
@ENERGY
have updated the list of eligible EVs for 2024, following the 'foreign entities of concern rule." I'm sure we'll do full analysis for
@BloombergNEF
, but you can find the list here (and quick thoughts to follow):
SCOOP: Brian Deese is back and advising
@KamalaHarris
on econ policy. The news comes the same week she plans to start rolling out her policy proposals.
Meet key players to the Harris policy team, who could return to the White House👇
Story w/
@beccpicc
Following the
@theinformation
's bombshell report on layoffs of
@Tesla
's charging team, I had a few additional thoughts:
1) What does this all mean for other automakers who are all in process of switching over to the North American Charging Standard (NCAS) that Musk pushed for?
Not sure how
@Ford
will successfully drive customers towards their EVs with only two fully electric cars on the market in the US -- and no major changes since 2022. It's fair to push for more hybrids, PHEVs, but can't blame consumers for not buying EVs if you offer nothing
SHORT CIRCUIT:
@Ford
is delaying the rollout of an electric three-row sport utility vehicle by two years, extending the layoff of thousands of Canadian workers.
@UniforTheUnion
is 'extremely disappointed' $F
@annecronin
@RickClough
via
@business
Now that the EPA's long-awaited auto emissions rules are finally here, some are wondering if plug-in hybrids are the way of the future.
@BloombergNEF
's take? Pure battery EVs are at no risk of losing their lead in the race to electrify passenger cars.
Nice read by
@bypatrickgeorge
on
@GM
’s now shipping Chevrolet Equinox EV. This is has been one of my most anticipated U.S. EV models this year.
More importantly, this is the EV launch GM has to get right. A mass market EV, in a critical segment.
Between the
@GM
sales news,
@Rivian
refresh and general
@Hyundai
and
@Kia
updates, feels like it’s been the best week for US EVs in months if not this year?
In the wake of a bad tax vote, recalling
@JasonKander
speech from last year's election night on how politics is about what you do after a loss and not just the good times. Hoping we have more good nights soon, but 2018 is only 11 months away and we're just getting started
Nets fans. I feel your pain. But let’s make it simple: a team that losses to Portland twice, the Wizards, Charlotte and more just isn’t gelling. There are some flashes, but bad teams find a way to lose. And the Nets are (currently) bad
My honest
@BrooklynNets
assessment — think Nets need to take a page from the
@nyknicks
. Shocking but true. Need to unclog some of the lanes for assets. Knicks traded some well regarded vets (I.e. Burks) to ease up rotations and let younger guys compete.
And just like that, the
@UAW
- "Big Three" strike is (tentatively) over. Big implications for the automakers, unionworkers, US EVs, etc... chapter is now closed (for these guys at least)*
*pending ratification of the contracts
A few quick stats for folks:
* 1 in 4 cars (25%) sold last year in California were already EVs
*
@BloombergNEF
includes battery-electric and plug-in hybrids under EVs
* In 2027, China and Europe EV share of sales will outpace US hitting 60% and 41% respectively (US is at 29%)
BNEF is projecting that 1 in every 3 cars sold in the US will be electric in just three years
In just 6 years it accelerates to 1 in every 2 cars
Ignore the noise. The future is ⚡️
The reason OEMs have to continue to push forward with EVs is risk of not transitioning can be vast. Toyota and other Japanese OEMs have had major challenges in China's heavily competitive EV market. Add this to the pile of risk of failing to transition:
On a lifecycle basis, electric cars are already cleaner than gas cars by some margin. In the US and Europe, it now takes less than five years for a battery-electric vehicle to reach the emissions "breakeven" point with internal combustion engine vehicles (US is ~2 years).
Really interesting data from
@USTreasury
on the use of the “point of sale” EV rebate. Around 90% of qualifying consumers for the credit have used it, compared to wait for next tax time. That’s pretty impressive given the policy went into effect in January.
Great article from
@ElectrekCo
on what potential consumers in the US should do about their EV purchase depending on the automaker they're looking to purchase from. Some benefit from buying now, others waiting & OEMs are handling this: (h/t Alex Haring)
I'd add to
@JesseJenkins
point and say that the EV train has clearly left the station. China's auto market is huge for legacy OEMS (and now could shrink rapidly) + China EV exports are likely to continue rising. It will be bumpy, but autos gotta adapt or lose market share
This may be one of the most world changing trends in energy and climate playing out right now. China's auto market moves about 26-27 million new vehicles each year, almost twice as large as the US market. China is such a HUGE lever in global emissions and oil demand.
@codykeenan
I didn’t have the exact same experience as a Senate intern but also had
@SenJohnMcCain
kindly greet me and other interns in an elevator. Was a surreal experience for me, though this shows he greeted many kindly. Thanks for sharing your story
Bad EV news out of
@Ford
as they reduce Lightning production again. With Mach-E being four years from a refresh, and lessening Lightning demand, hard to see their EV growth in a major way till 2025.
Lost amongst the news yesterday is an important milestone: the first EV assembled in the U.S. by
@Hyundai
-
@Kia
has begun: the EV9. (H/t
@JesseJenkins
)
And it begins...
@Ford
EV drivers (Mach-E/Lightning) now have access to 15,000
@Tesla
superchargers in the US (about 9 months after the initial announcement by
@jimfarley98
)
Honestly,
@Rivian
R2 looks great. Size is a lot better for New York City streets and still maintains a sleek enough interior. They’ve just gotta produce it.
Pictures from the showing (in Meatpacking, NYC.) it’s still here till tomorrow.
Great 🧵by
@colinmckerrache
putting the global EV transition in global context... I think the second chart may be the most shocking (especially if the EV-only automaker trend continues driven by
@Tesla
and
@BYDCompany
)
Lots of headlines written about how EV demand is faltering. Is it?
Global EV sales are on pace for a record year. Heading for around 14 million sold, up 36%.
One last thought following the
@Tesla
call (for the US EV market) and 2024 being a transition year.
In 2025, we've got major companies with either new EV platforms (
@Tesla
,
@Ford
,
@BMW
) coming online or new facilities ramping up in the US (
@Rivian
,
@Hyundai
, etc.)
Governor
@AndyBeshearKY
gives a shout out to the two battery plants that are being built in Kentucky in his victory speech (
@Ford
Blue Oval for those keeping track)