Auto journalist’s Blazer EV road trip turns into a software nightmare
I want to preface this story with a caveat: Lemons exist (and I don’t mean the fruit). Sometimes, you just get a bad car. And generally speaking, I have a very empathetic view toward the job of vehicle software engineers. The functions that customers expect their vehicles to perform have grown immensely in the past 10 years, going from basic command and control interfaces to fully featured smartphone operating systems with multiple applications and always-on internet connectivity. Building that into a product as complex and long-lived as a car isn’t easy!
But a recent story from one auto journalist borrowing a Blazer EV paints a pretty damning picture of GM’s software, a company that has already faced major criticism over its decision to remove Android Auto and CarPlay functionality.
Kevin Williams over at InsideEVs recently took a Blazer EV out on loan from GM on a road trip that would require multiple stops at DC fast charging stations to complete. We really liked this car on our first drive, the most “mass market” Ultium platform EV from GM yet — and we were pretty optimistic about the infotainment stack, too. But there’s a big difference between a first drive event under controlled conditions with engineers on-hand and an unsupervised vehicle loan.
I don’t want to beat around the bush too much here, so here’s what you need to know about what happened.
- The Blazer EV’s infotainment OS (powered by Android Automotive) all but completely died multiple times on this journalist’s drive. As in, very concerning screen flashing which then culminated in a totally black display. No apps, no navigation, no charge routing. Bizarrely, the software was able to be revived — temporarily! — by things like incoming calls, but the OS would crash again on the trip.
- When plugged into an Electrify America charge station in Wytheville, Virginia, the Blazer EV briefly fast charged before going into charge fault limp mode. This limits the vehicle’s charge rate (5kW max, it seems), power, and top speed — not to mention illuminates a bunch of concerning warning lights on the dash. At this point, Kevin no longer felt comfortable trying to complete the trip and drove the car to a local Chevy dealer, leaving it there for GM to retrieve.
I recommend you read InsideEV’s full story, linked above, too — it gives you a better sense of how this all unfolded over the course of the day or so (28 hours total) that Kevin had the car.
The most interesting thing I noted outside the story here is that one commenter said that the specific Electrify America charge station Kevin used had also put their Hummer EV into limp mode. This isn’t terribly surprising: Ultium-platform EVs and Electrify America stations seem to be particularly prone to fighting for some reason. But here’s that comment.
Like I said in the comments in the post announcing your road trip, watch out for those EA chargers. I also had to leave my Hummer at the Wytheville GMC/Chevrolet dealer over Thanksgiving for the service dept. to clear a corrupted charge session courtesy of that very EA station. To say I was annoyed at having to put my wife and child in a hotel in Wytheville while a family member drove through the night to pick me up so I could get one of our ICE vehicles from home and drive back through the night/morning to end up with 2 hours of sleep those two days would be putting it mildly. And a month earlier when an EA station in Columbia, SC required another unplanned overnight stay, but at least then I was alone. The truck itself has been great. I haven’t experienced any of the infotainment issues the Blazer did in this trip over my 5500 miles in the Hummer. It’s been perfect besides EA’s stations fluctuating current and tripping software protections requiring service visits to clear. There’s been no lasting damage so at least the truck is protecting itself…I just wish it didn’t lock out any attempts to charge afterwards. FWIW Wytheville GMC cleared the codes and I’ve driven almost 1000 miles since using Circle K and Chargepoint DC chargers without issue. I mostly charge at home anyway.
Now, whether you blame Electrify America or GM for the issues here, to me, is not really the point. The point is that experiences like this one have a deeply chilling effect on the confidence of consumers considering an EV. I have no doubt that GM would be happy to lay the blame for the limp mode experiences like this one at the feet of a “malfunctioning” or otherwise improperly configured charging station. I also wanted to include the entire comment, given that this person overall seems to be happy with their GM Ultium vehicle, and that these experiences seem to by far be the exception, not the rule. But when you have to stay in a hotel — twice — because your car pops up an error message necessitating a dealer visit after using a particular brand of charge station, that’s not what I’d call great UX.
The infotainment issues suffered by Kevin while driving the Blazer EV, though, seem totally unrelated to the charging problems. And given how much people today rely on in-vehicle navigation to get around safely — and doubly so given GM Ultium cars don’t have Android Auto or CarPlay as a backup — this is pretty concerning. No doubt, GM will continue to issue software updates and fixes to the Blazer EV as more vehicles are sold and it collects more data on bugs and crashes, that’s the unfortunate reality of deploying a complex piece of software as part of a hardware product in today’s day and age. This experience will, hopefully, be a relative rarity. But we know that even companies generally thought of as leaders in vehicle software can still seriously screw up that software — look at Rivian’s OTA debacle just last month.
The biggest concern Kevin’s experience raises is that carmakers seem unprepared for the reality of deploying heavily software-dependent products to customers who demand a “just works” experience similar to that of their smartphones and tablets. While technology like OTA updating makes responding to problems easier, it’s far from a panacea, and updates can and do go wrong. The role of vehicle software is more important than ever and, I believe, will become the greatest differentiator between vehicle manufacturers in the coming decades. Customers will learn of carmakers’ reputation for software just as they have for maintenance and mechanical reliability, and stories like this one are going to be a big part of defining that customer preference narrative.
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On today’s fact-checking episode of Quick Charge, we’ve got a showdown brewing between California Governor Gavin Newsom and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, an updated 650 hp Kia EV6 GT that’s ready to take on the world, and some sweet deals on battery-powered goodies.
We’ve also got new electric buses at UCLA that are powered by inductive current in the road itself, and a massive new solar project on a site more famous for coal than clean. All this and a little bit of fact-checking on some fresh musky nonsense – enjoy!
Today’s episode is sponsored by BLUETTI, a leading provider of portable power stations, solar generators, and energy storage systems. For a limited time, save up to 52% during BLUETTI’s exclusive Black Friday sale, now through November 28, and be sure to use promo code BLUETTI5OFF for 5% off all power stations site wide. Learn more at this link.
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Read more: E-quipment highlight | Palfinger FLS 25 eDRIVE truck mounted forklift.
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![Dodge Charger EV is even cheaper to finance than the gas model with 0% APR [Update]](https://i0.wp.com/electrek.co/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/08/Dodge-Charger-EV-prices-1.jpeg?resize=1200,628&quality=82&strip=all&ssl=1)
The world’s first electric muscle car is finally here, and Dodge is already sweetening the deal for buyers. The Dodge Charger Daytona EV is launching with 0% APR, making it even cheaper to finance than the outgoing gas-powered model. Lease prices for the electric Charger start as low as $549 per month, but the Hellcat-like Scat Pack model may be an even better deal.
Dodge Charger EV launches with 0% APR offer
The first all-electric Dodge Charger has arrived, and surprisingly, it’s already becoming more affordable. In March, Dodge unveiled the Charger Daytona EV, kicking off “the next generation of Dodge muscle.”
According to Dodge brand CEO Tim Kuniskis, the electric Charger “delivers Hellcat Redeye levels of performance.” That’s for the Scat Pack model, which comes with a Direct Connection Stage 2 upgrade kit straight from the factory.
The upgrade delivers up to 670 hp and 627 lb-ft of torque for a 0 to 60 mph sprint in just 3.3 seconds. It can also cover a quarter mile in around 11.5 seconds.
In comparison, the 807 hp Dodge Charger SRT Redeye Jailbreak edition, powered by a Supercharged 6.2L HEMI SRT V8 engine, takes 3.6 seconds to get from 0 to 60 mph.
With a Stage 1 upgrade, the base R/T trim has up to 456 hp and 404 lb-ft of torque, good for a 0 to 60 mph time in 4.7 seconds.
Dodge opened orders for the 2024 Charger Daytona EV in September, starting at $59,995. The High-performance Scat Pack trim starts at $73,190.
According to a new dealer note viewed by online auto research firm CarsDirect, all 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona EV models are now eligible for 0% APR financing for up to 72 months.
| 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona EV trim | Horsepower | 0 to 60 mph time | Starting price |
| Dodge Charger Daytona R/T | 496 hp | 4.7 seconds | $59,995 |
| Dodge Charger Daytona Scat Pack | 670 hp | 3.3 seconds | $73,190 |
The offer makes the electric Dodge charger even cheaper to finance than the outgoing 2023 Dodge Charger at 5.9% APR for the same 72 months. However, this is an individual offer and cannot be combined with other deals. Based on CarsDirect analysis, the 0% APR offer is limited to the Northeast, Southern, and Central US regions.
Dodge is also offering a $1,000 loyalty bonus for Stellantis (Jeep, Dodge, Ram, Chrysler) lessees that trade in for the electric Charger.
Update 11/26/24: The 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona EV launches with lease prices starting at $549 for 36 months. With $4,999 due at signing, the effective rate is $688 per month (10,000 miles per year).
Although it may not seem cheap, it’s a pretty good deal for a $60,000 electric muscle car. According to CarsDirect analysis, the outgoing Challenger R/T has an effective cost of at least $853 per month. And that’s with an MSRP of just $43,235. The EV model is nearly $20,000 more on paper but significantly less to lease than the aging 2023 model.
Meanwhile, the Scat Pack model may be an even better deal. With a lease money factor as low as 0.00006 on a 24-month lease, the Scat Pack trim is surprisingly lower than the lease rate of 0.00027 for the base R/T model.
It also has a higher residual value. On a 24-month lease, the Scat Pack trim has a 59% residual compared to the R/T’s 54%. With both trims eligible for a $7,500 lease incentive, the high-performance model could be an even better deal.
With the $7,500 EV tax credit incentive, eligible customers can save up to $8,500 on the 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona EV. You may want to act fast, as these deals expire on December 2, 2024.
Jeep, another Stellantis brand, launched lease prices at just $599 per month for its first luxury electric SUV last week, the Wagoneer S. Jeep’s electric Wagoneer is also available with 0% financing.
Ready to check out the world’s first electric muscle car for yourself? We can help you get started today. You use our link to find deals on 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona models at a dealer near you.
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During the first three quarters of 2024, renewables increased their output by almost 9% year-over-year, and solar is still leading the charge, reports the US Energy Information Administration (EIA).
Solar’s massive growth
According to the EIA’s “Electric Power Monthly” report, which includes data through September 2024, solar power generation (including both utility-scale and rooftop installations) shot up by 25.9% compared to the first nine months of 2023.
Utility-scale solar grew even faster – up 30.1% – while small-scale solar (mostly rooftop) increased by 16.2%. Combined, solar contributed more than 7% of the total electricity generated in the US so far this year.
Zooming in on September, utility-scale solar generation grew by a whopping 29% compared to September 2023, and rooftop solar climbed by 14.2%. Combined, solar generated 7.5% of the nation’s electricity that month.
Small-scale solar made up nearly 30% of all solar generation from January to September and provided 2% of the country’s electricity. Interestingly, small-scale solar is now producing almost double the electricity of utility-scale biomass, and over five times that of either geothermal or petroleum-based power.
Wind and renewables mix
Wind power also saw strong growth so far this year. From January to September, wind output was up 6.6% compared to last year. Wind still holds the top spot among renewables, making up 9.9% of US electricity generation in the first nine months of 2024.
The combined contribution of wind and solar provided 17% of the US’s electricity for the first three-quarters of 2024. Altogether, renewables – including wind, solar, hydropower, biomass, and geothermal – supplied 24% of US electricity in that period, compared to 22.8% during the same time last year.
The numbers show that renewables are growing much faster than traditional energy sources. For example, in the first nine months of 2024, renewables grew by 8.6%, which is more than double the growth rate of natural gas (4.1%) and almost seven times that of nuclear (1.3%). Even in September alone, renewable power generation was up 7.9% compared to September 2023, making up 21.3% of total electricity generation that month.
Other notable trends
From January to September, wind generated 76.4% more electricity than hydropower, and solar surpassed hydropower by 27.2%. In September alone, wind and solar produced 73.5% and 65.9% more electricity, respectively, than hydropower, due to drought conditions, particularly in the Pacific Northwest.
For the first nine months of 2024, wind and solar together produced 14.5% more electricity than coal and came close to catching up with nuclear power’s share of electricity generation (17% compared to nuclear’s 17.6%). This growth has solidified renewables’ place as the second-largest source of electricity generation in the US, behind natural gas.
Ken Bossong, executive director of the SUN DAY Campaign, which reviewed the EIA’s data, put it simply: “Renewable energy sources now account for a quarter of the nation’s electricity. Any attempt by the incoming Trump Administration to undermine renewables would have serious negative impacts on both the country’s electricity supply and the economy.”
Read more: US solar and wind growth defies expectations – a decade in numbers
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