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Capitol Electric Vehicle Day - Atlanta, GA
Georgians, mark your calendar for Tuesday, January 29, 2019, for the 2nd Capitol Electric Transportation Day at the Georgia Capitol! Join electric vehicle owners and enthusiasts to share information about electric vehicles with legislators.
For more information or to register, click here.
North Carolina EV License Plate
EV enthusiasts in North Carolina are working to get a new "Drive Electric" license plate adopted, which can be displayed on ALL vehicles, not just EVs. The DMV and General Assembly will consider adopting the new plate if 500 (paid in advance) applications are received by February 8, 2019! The application must be snail mailed to Advanced Energy who is coordinating the process. Click here for the application and instructions.
Electric Vehicles
Ford Motor Co. has announced plans to launch a full battery-electric F-150 and Super Duty pickups but didn’t offer a timeline. The automaker has also confirmed the launch of the hybrid F-150 and an unnamed "Mustang-inspired" battery electric SUV - both due to hit the market in 2020.
The Audi e-tron quattro will be here by June, and the Mercedes-Benz EQC is planned for early 2020. Meanwhile, both automakers are planning to introduce smaller electric SUVs in the near future, and we may see a sneak peek of them at the Geneva auto show in March.
Fort Lauderdale is considering bringing in an on-demand, electric car service that will shuttle passengers short distances for free. This intracity transit solution that neighboring cities have already adopted would free up roadways and ease congestion and parking concerns.
Infrastructure
Toyota and Panasonic are setting up a 51%/49% joint venture to research, manufacture and sell batteries for EVs. The investment amount has not been disclosed.
A Reuters analysis of 29 global automakers found that they are investing at least
$300 billion in EVs, with more than 45% earmarked for China. The article includes a prominent infographic that helps visually describe the supply flow of the investments. It also includes a summary of each of the major automakers' EV investments.
Policy
Consumers consistently overestimate the cost and underestimate the benefits of buying an electric car. Citing research that shows too few Americans are educated on key selling points like range, the article suggests automakers need to prioritize EV production and policymakers need to spur the buildout of EV charging stations to shift public opinion.
CarGurus Senior Manager of Customer Insights discusses the findings of their recent electric vehicle study.
Governor Jared Polis signed an executive order supporting a transition to zero-emission vehicles. This includes a recommendation to adopt the zero-emission vehicle mandate already implemented by California and 9 other states. This action will result in Colorado consumers having more EVs to choose from.