For your edification, a terrific trio of EV news bites
For your edification, a terrific trio of EV news bites
From pickups to sports cars to vans, proof that the EV space keeps speeding up
(A native of England, Matthew Diebel is a veteran journalist who has worked at NBC News, Time, USA Today and News Corp., among other organizations. Having spent his childhood next to one of the world's fastest bodies of water, he is particularly interested in tidal energy.)
Sometimes there are mornings when news about a particular business segment just seem to gush. And so it has been over the past couple of days in regard to electric vehicles. To save you a long search, here are a trio of EV stories that caught our eye:
First up, Ford (F) announced in a press release that from today (Tuesday) it will begin regular day-to-day production of its much-anticipated F-150 Lightning EV pickup truck, for which advance orders were snapped up almost immediately. Not only that, but the Dearborn, Mich.-based auto giant is also now aiming to triple the amount of the vehicles being produced at its storied River Rouge plant while it builds a much larger electric vehicle production complex in Tennessee. After 200,000 customers made reservations for the Lightning before Ford cut off taking preliminary orders in December, it had planned to build 40,000 Lightnings annually, but surging demand for the much-lauded cargo carrier — a version of America’s best-selling vehicle — led to it up its target to 150,000 a year.
You’ve seen them: gentlemen of a certain age trying to recapture their youth as they grin smugly behind the wheel of a low-slung Chevy Corvette, its V8 rumbling or roaring at their command. Well, now their pricey playthings are set to go quiet. Not because their wives have hidden the keys, but due to a General Motors (GM) plan to have an all-electric ’vette in dealer showrooms in the not-too-distant future, according to a LinkedIn post by GM president Mark Reuss. First, though, it seems a hybrid version will be introduced next year, maybe even equipped with four-wheel drive, a Corvette first.
And finally, a quirky yet laudable Guinness World Record. It comes courtesy of BrightDrop, a GM subsidiary that builds commercial electric delivery vans, and FedEx (FDX), which in January signed an agreement with BrightDrop reserving priority production for 2,000 of its Zevo 600 models. The record? That FedEx driver Stephen Marlin steered to the greatest distance traveled by an electric van on a single trip as he drove 258.85 miles from New York City carrying goods to a Washington, D.C., branch of Mom’s Organic Market, a retail chain that sells organic produce, raw foods, sustainable seafood, natural remedies and cosmetics. “This accomplishment is a perfect example of the extraordinary efforts taken to make a difference for the environment and a fitting way to commemorate Earth Day 2022,” said Andy Glass, adjudicator for Guinness World Records.
We’ll raise a glass of all-natural carrot juice to all three.