🔋😘❓ EV popularity is growing in the US. According to EY's annual Mobility Consumer Index, interest in EVs is surging in the US, with nearly half of prospective car buyers considering plug-in models over the next two years.
Some people are buying them, mainly from Tesla. Hyundai has nudged past GM for second place in US EV sales. Tesla's dominance persists with a roughly 300K vehicle lead.
Some people are cool with making their own... Ampere EV is pioneering vehicle conversion with its Atom Drive Battery Module. It is an innovative, space-efficient solution for EV transformation, promising longevity and safety.
🪜🛻🪜 Two steps forward, one step back? In Q2 2023, Ford Motor Company reported a 10% increase in sales to 531,662 units in the US. However, despite this overall growth, the company's EV sales slipped by 2.8% over the same period, a downturn in the otherwise buoyant US electric car market.
Ships in the night... This dip came despite a strong performance from Ford's F-150 Lightning, which saw sales rise by 118.7% to 4,466 units in Q2. Conversely, the Mustang Mach-E experienced a 21.1% YoY sales drop.
A going away party by any other name. Ford recently secured a record $9.2 billion loan from the Department of Energy's Loan Program Office to bolster domestic battery production. Amid these transitions, Ford ended production of the Fiesta as part of its move towards an electric future.
🤖⚡️🚌 Do androids take the electric bus? This month, Volkswagen plans to test autonomous versions of its ID Buzz electric microbus in Austin, Texas, ahead of a commercial launch in 2026. The self-driving tech is developed in-house with partner Mobileye following Volkswagen's withdrawal of funding for Argo AI.
Coming soon to a street near you? The trial will expand to four more US cities over the next three years. In this pursuit, Volkswagen has formed a new subsidiary, Volkswagen ADMT, which former Argo employees staff.
📢💰👯 A discount with extra steps. Tesla has launched a global "Refer and Earn" program, incentivizing customer referrals with benefits such as $500 cashback and three months of its Full Self-Driving feature for US customers purchasing Model 3 or Model Y.
New record. The program aims to boost sales in key markets, including the US, China, Germany, and France, amid a more competitive global EV market. This strategy, coupled with price cuts and US federal credits, aided Tesla in achieving a record number of vehicle deliveries in Q2.