Drew Dowdell

Many electric vehicle manufacturers have been aggressive with financing and lease deals lately. With new car interest rates at the highest level they have been for years, financing an electric vehicle is starting to become the most cost-effective way to get into a new vehicle. Adding fuel to that fire, Ford announced new financing incentives today for Mustang Mach-E and Ford F-150 Lightning.  Mustang Mach-E All 2023 and 2024 Mustang Mach-E models can be financed for 0% interest up to 72 months if you have excellent credit. If you prefer to lease, a new $7,500 Red Carpet lease cash bonus is available from Ford until September 30th, along with a new 24-month lease option for those with commitment issues. An additional $600 off is available until September 9th if you pick one from dealer stock. The 2024 Mustang Mach-E gained range and charging speed, now up to 320 miles on rear-wheel drive cars. If you don't mind being a year behind with ten fewer miles of range, your dealer may be motivated to slash the price of leftover 2023 Mach-Es a bit further for you with another $2,000 off when financed. However, we suspect the dealership can find room for discounts even if you lease. Remember that the Mach-E no longer qualifies for tax credits as of January 1, 2024. F-150 Lightning On the F-150 Lightning, 2023 models are available at the same 0% for 72 months, while 2024 models can be had for 0% for 60 months or 1.9% for 72 months, and most trims of the F-150 Lightning qualify for the $7,500 tax credit. A 24-month lease option is available; however, without the $7,500 bonus cash that the Mach-E features, it isn't a good deal. With Ford being the number two electric vehicle manufacturer in the United States behind Tesla, Tesla owners can snag an additional $1,000 conquest bonus.  E-Transit The Ford Transit is the most popular work van in the country, so incentives are slim.  However, if you are in the market and can find a leftover 2023 Ford E-Transit on the lots, Ford is offering 0% interest for 60 months plus $7,500 bonus cash. Just keep in mind that Ford enhanced the E-Transit for 2024 and you will be limited to a range of 126 miles rather than the 159 miles of the updated model.  All three of Ford's current electric vehicle offerings are compatible with most of the Tesla Supercharger network, though you will need to use a complimentary Tesla adaptor provided by Ford. Ford access to the Tesla network is transparent with plug-and-go available through Ford's BlueOval charging network.  It will be interesting to see if other manufacturers follow suit with new electric vehicle incentives of their own. View full article

Today, Mazda announced that the Mazda CX-50 crossover would gain a hybrid powertrain in addition to the naturally aspirated 2.5-liter and turbo-charged 2.5-liter Skyactive-G engine lineup. This new hybrid powertrain, courtesy of Toyota, mates a 2.5-liter four-cylinder with three electric motors and a 1.5 kWh battery, and is estimated to achieve 38 mpg combined on regular fuel, though the EPA has yet to have its say. That's a substantial jump up from the 24 city / 30 highway / 27 combined the based gasoline model achieves. Mazda claims this could save drivers $575 a year in fuel costs and increase driving range by more than 100 miles. The system uses an integrated hybrid transmission and eAWD combined produce 219 horsepower and 163 lb-ft of torque. Mazda says the CX-50 Hybrid is rated for up to 1,500 lbs of towing capacity.  All hybrid models will receive a subtly restyled front facia, unique wheels, and a new optional red leather interior. The base CX-50 Hybrid Prefered starts at $35,390 (including a $1,420 destination charge) and comes with 17-inch wheels, a 10.3-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Alexa built-in, wireless phone charging, 8-speaker stereo, heated front seats, and a power tailgate. That equates to a $2,320 upcharge when selecting the hybrid powertrain. Moving up to the Premium trim costs $38,820 after destination and adds black roof rails, leather seating, a panoramic sunroof, an upgraded 12-speaker Bose system, and active cruise control with stop-and-go capability. The top-of-the-line CX-50 Hybrid Premium Plus stickers for $41,470 after destination charge, which upgrades the wheels to 19-inch, adds a powered front passenger seat, memory seat for the driver, cooled front seats, and a heads-up display. If the hybrid is too much of a price increase for you, the naturally aspirated 2.5 is up 1 mpg over the 2024 model, now at 25 city / 31 highway / 28 combined. The 2025 CX-50 gasoline models will arrive at dealerships next month, while the hybrid will join the lineup later in 2024. Trims: CX-50 2.5 S Select - $31,720 CX-50 2.5 S Preferred - $33,070 CX-50 Hybrid Preferred - $35,390 CX-50 2.5 S Premium - $35,420 CX-50 Hybrid Premium - $38,820 CX-50 2.5 S Premium Plus - $38,920 CX-50 Hybrid Premium Plus - $41,470 CX-50 2.5 Turbo Meridian Edition - $42,220 CX-50 2.5 Turbo Premium - $42,720 CX-50 2.5 Turbo Premium Plus - $44,720 * all prices include $1,420 destination Engines: 2.5-Liter Naturally Aspirated w/ 6-speed automatic - 187 Horsepower / 185 lb-ft of torque - EPA Estimated 25 city / 31 highway / 28 combined (87 octane) 2.5-Liter Turbocharged w/ 6-speed automatic - 265 horsepower / 320 lb-ft of torque - EPA Estimated 23 city / 29 highway / 25 combined (91 octane) 2.5-Liter Turbocharged w/ 6-speed automatic - 227 horsepower / 310 lb-ft of torque - EPA Estimated 23 city / 29 highway / 25 combined (87 octane) 2.5-Liter Hybrid eAWD w/ eCVT - 219 horsepower / 163 lb-ft of torque - EPA Estimated 30 city / 37 highway / 38 combined (87 octane)   View full article

Fisker announced yesterday that they would recall more than 11,000 units of their Fisker Ocean SUV worldwide due to a potential failure in the communications link of the battery management system. Fisker stated that the cabin water pump can lose communication with the local system bus, causing the battery management system to go into limp home mode. Fisker will replace the water pumps free of charge. This is the fourth recall issued on the Fisker Ocean since its release around June of 2023. Fisker filed for bankruptcy in June 2024 after burning through cash to bring the Fisker Ocean to market.  A series of component and distribution network delays slowed the rollout to customers. A series of highly negative reviews regarding the vehicle's software further dampened consumer interest. View full article

It took me most of the day because I'm not a coder, but the newsletter is now fixed. That should be the last stumbling block down!

Today, Nissan revealed the updated 2025 Nissan Rogue and introduced a new trim to the lineup called Rock Creek. Now, before you get out your overlanding gear, the Rock Creek is a rugged appearance package. Like many outdoorsy crossovers in this segment, the Rogue Rock Creek is probably best limited to compacted dirt trails. The Rock Creek comes with 235/65R17 Falken Wild Peak all-terrain tires, Hill Descent Control, a tubular roof rack, updated facia with red accents, and water-repellent leatherette seats. Additionally, the updated HD Intelligent Around View Monitor that all Rogues get for 2025 also includes an Off-Road View that can operate at speeds up to 12 miles per hour to help maneuver around obstacles.  A premium package for Rock Creek further adds a wireless phone charging mat, heated steering wheel, power passenger seat, motion-activated power liftgate, auto-dimming rearview mirror, and interior accent lighting. Rock Creek will be available in four colors: Everest White, Super Black, Boulder Gray, and Baja Storm. For 2025, optional on SL and Platinum, Rogue can be equipped with an updated ProPILOT Assist, now at version 2.1. This version allows drivers to take their hands off the wheel on single-lane highways while remaining attentive to their driving surroundings. With the available technology package, the 3D Intelligent Around View Monitor gains two additional camera angles: Front Wide View, which allows drivers to "see through" pillars and parked cars, and Invisible Hood View, which shows footage from underneath the vehicle. Rogue S, SV, and Rock Creek feature an 8-inch touchscreen with standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, while SL and Platinum move up to a 12.3-inch touchscreen with Google Built-in and wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.  Powering all 2025 Nissan Rogues is a 1.5-liter variable compression turbocharged 4-cylinder (VC-Turbo) that produces 201 horsepower and 225 lb-ft of torque mated to Nissan's XTronic CVT. The engine continuously adjusts its compression ratio to optimize for power or efficiency depending on driving conditions. The Nissan Rogue lays claim to the best-in-class gasoline-powered fuel efficiency rating.    View full article

Lucid filed a report with the NHTSA on July 1st, issuing an over-the-air recall for 2022 - 2023 Lucid Air sedans. According to the report, the over-the-air update was sent on June 24, 2024 and owners will receive an additional notification in the mail after August 15th. Lucid reports that the High Voltage Interlock Software could disconnect the contacts while the vehicle is in motion, causing a complete loss of drive power. The issue affects roughly 5,251 vehicles. Complaints about he Lucid Air on the NHTSA database matching this description date back to at least September 2022. View full article

Remember when that was a thing when manufacturers were porting the HVAC through ducts in the doors? GM did that on few models like the Bonneville and Aurora.. Probably some other

Check out the forum card list. I finally finished all of it. Every brand has their logo and an example car, and if you scroll down to the social and tech sections, those have been updated too. In the next couple of weeks we will be restarting our weekly newsletter. You'll know it's coming when I've got about a week's worth of news posted. Beyond the backlog of news I need to catch up on, I have a 3 page list of OpEds to produce and at least 10 reviews to write. It's going to be a fun summer. I've created a new birthday cake and will put it in the e-mail for members' birthdays tomorrow. The garage will need to be rebuilt before the next major upgrade of the software sometime next year. If you have pictures you'd like to save from there, please do. There will be several warnings before I disable it. The vendor that wrote the software went out of business and won't be producing the update for the next big version.

Okay, I haven't seen it happen on my end, and I was on a good bit yesterday.

Is that still happening?

@balthazar has not visited us in quite a while. I'm unsure he will answer.

If you haven't watched it, you should definitely check out Person of Interest (only available on Amazon Prime currently, with ads). The series started in 2011ish and run until 2016. But you'd think it was from today with all of the AI talk. If you're a Plex user and want to be friends on their, DM me and we can friend each other and you can stream from my Plex box.

Happy Birthday @Robert Hall!

That's likely the difference between the marketing people's wishful thinking and the engineering people's reality. While energy densities may vary between NMCs, the basic chemical reactions do not. All NMC batteries will have similar degradation profiles within the margin of error of different charging and usage profiles. Much of this particular battery chemistry advancement is done unless some headline breakthrough comes about.

Of course, all that goes out the windows on vehicles with LFP batteries, which are only standard range Teslas at the moment. But Ford and others will be using LFP for the next generation of low(er) cost EVs they plan to release. With LFPs, you can pretty much do whatever you want with regard to charging. They don't degrade from L3 charging as NMC batteries can. They don't mind being at 100% for extended periods. However, they don't have the energy density for long-range installations, so they'll likely end up being used in lighter and cheaper vehicles to counteract the range deficiency. To maintain the same range, an LFP in the Kia EV9 would need to be roughly 30% larger, and there likely isn't room for it.

So, two things: 1. Consistently charging to 100% on fast charging is where most of the damage happens. He is slow charging at home, so this isn't an issue. 2. Holding the vehicle at 100% for extended periods of more than a few days also causes damage. If the vehicle gets L2 charged to 100% overnight and then is used for commuting every day, there are very few negative effects. That said, two other things: 1. Letting the battery go towards zero is good for the battery and the software calibration. It won't harm things if you don't, but doing so keeps your range estimates accurate. 2. Those with short commutes do not need to charge daily on long-range EVs like this. Yes, it's neat that you can start every day at 100%, but each charge cycle is still a cycle, and there is an upper, though undefined, limit on the number of charge cycles the battery will take. Taking a more ICE-like approach of only charging when needed will extend battery longevity. Plugging it in only every few days when the SOC gets to ~20% is fine. Of course, if you know you have a longer trip coming, fill it up ahead of time just like you would with a gas car.

Rivian and Volkswagen have announced a joint venture initially worth $ 1 billion to create the next generation of software-defined vehicles for both companies. Future investments and loans adding up to an additional $4 billion will occur in 2025 and 2026. The venture will be equally owned and controlled by both companies to lower the cost per vehicle of both companies' vehicles. Rivian will contribute its electrical propulsion and battery expertise and license its software to the joint venture. The move gives Volkswagen access to Rivian's current EV propulsion designs to accelerate the rollout of VW Group vehicles. Rivian points out that this agreement does not cover areas such as chassis or non-propulsion-related component design. This means that the VW group's upcoming Scout brand will not feature badge-engineered Rivians. The investment will provide Rivian with some much-needed cash as it builds a new production facility in Georgia and gears up for the production of the Rivian R2 and Rivian R3. View full article

I’m 99% sure it’s coming, just not officially announced. It might be a 2026 model. They’ve already developed the powertrain for the China market and with Barra’s reversal on PHEVs in the US, it seems logical to not waste development dollars.