GM has released its Q4 sales numbers, showing Ultium still ramping steadily, but overall EV sales are down as its best-selling model, the Bolt, winds down as Chevy takes it off the market in its best year of sales ever – leaving GM with only 3.1% EV share, well below the US average.
In Q4, GM sold a total of 19,469 EVs in Q4, a small decrease from last quarter’s total of 20,092, and a significant increase from Q4 2022 which had 16,266 EV sales.
After quite a bit of difficulty getting Ultium off the ground, GM’s new battery platform is finally seeing significant ramps in production. Both Lyriq and Hummer EV sales grew, and Blazer and Silverado EV finally saw deliveries of cars to the public, though still in small numbers.
Hummer EV had an impressive quarter, particularly considering how ridiculously excessive it is, with 2,028 in Q4 ’23, almost doubling last quarter’s sales of 1,167 units, and up from just 72 in Q4 of last year.
The Lyriq saw similar growth, as GM sold 3,820 Lyriqs, up from 3,108 in Q3 and from 86 (yes, 86) in Q4 of 2022.
So while we’re not yet seeing large volume deliveries of Ultium-based EVs, we are at least seeing significant ramping of deliveries each quarter now. Hopefully this means the kinks are getting ironed out at GM, and the floodgates can really open as the more mass-market models come into play.
One of those potentially more mass market models (at least, when the base model becomes available – as of now, it’s hard to justify the $56k base price when compared to the Lyriq) is the Blazer EV, which had its first customer deliveries in Q4. 463 Blazers were delivered to customers, marking the start of the model’s availability. But this number would have been affected by a temporary stop sale on the model related to software issues, which resulted in a recall today.
The Silverado EV also started deliveries to customers, but only the work truck version is available so far. It sold in similar numbers, with 443 units delivered in its first quarter of availability.
But the real mass market model, the Equinox EV, isn’t out yet. So we’ll have to see how the ramp goes on that, when it shows up later this year.
However, overall EV sales were down for GM, primarily due to one model: the Chevy Bolt. The Bolt had a down quarter, going from 15,835 units sold in Q3 to 12,551 in Q4 (also down from 16,108 in Q4 ’22). But this wasn’t because people aren’t interested in it – it was because GM ended Bolt production in December.
This is part of a planned phaseout of the Bolt so GM can focus on Ultium, including an upcoming Ultium-powered Bolt, but it also means that Chevy ended production on the Bolt during its absolute best year yet.
Previously, the Bolt’s best year sold 38,122 units in 2022. But in 2023, the last year of its existence, Chevy sold 62,045 Bolts – a 63% improvement. And now it’s done, so we won’t get to see how far up that line could have gone.
But if you’re still interested in a Bolt – and you should be, because it’s an excellent vehicle – you can still get one from Chevy in the next weeks and months. And it’s a better deal than ever now that the US EV tax credit is now easier to get for low-income buyers and available upfront as well, making it possible to get a Bolt for under $20k off the lot. If you’d like, you can use our links to contact your local dealers about the 2023 Chevy Bolt EV or 2023 Chevy Bolt EUV, and see if they have any in stock before it goes away for good.
Finally, GM delivered 164 BrightDrop vans, up from 35 last quarter.
Electrek’s Take
19,469 EVs represents 3.1% of GM’s 625,176 overall sales in Q4, which is well below the US average of about 8% EV market share (based on Q3 numbers). GM has claimed for years that it is “all-in” on EVs, but it is currently well behind the pack in US EV sales.
GM employees told us at the Blazer EV drive event that they’re certainly feeling the internal pressure to get more EVs out quickly, but looking at these numbers, it seems like there must not be nearly enough pressure. So we’re here to provide a little more.
If GM truly was “all-in” on EVs, then it should be bringing the average up, not pulling the average down. Even if you ignore the all-EV startups (a newer one of which, Rivian, is almost matching GM in sales), big automakers like Hyundai, VW and Volvo are all bringing the average up, along with several luxury brands (including one GM brand, Cadillac, and Hummer which is all-EV now). Why can’t the rest of your brands bring the average up too, GM?
GM is one of the largest automakers in the world, and largest in America, and therefore is more responsible for the pollution choking all of our lungs than almost anyone else.
GM’s current complacency on EVs is not only not good enough, but it is actively bad, because a vast majority of the company’s sales are of polluting vehicles. Every gas vehicle GM sells this year will continue to pollute the air for a decade or more, exacerbating climate change and causing political and social instability.
If GM was leading the charge for EVs, if it was above the average instead of below it, if it was making more high-volume EVs after years of promises and getting them into customers hands in volume, then our words would not be as harsh. We’re sure that many GM employees are trying – but the numbers show that it is clear the company as a whole is not trying hard enough. 3% is pathetic. At least be average, GM.
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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.
New episodes of Quick Charge are recorded, usually, Monday through Thursday (and sometimes Sunday). We’ll be posting bonus audio content from time to time as well, so be sure to follow and subscribe so you don’t miss a minute of Electrek’s high-voltage daily news!
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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
2024 Dodge Charger Daytona prices and specs (excluding a $1,995 destination fee)
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.
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.”
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