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It’s been a week since the most politically-charged Thanksgiving week in four years, and the results are in: people are buying more EVs, and they’re not afraid to hit the road in their new, battery-powered conveyances. The automotive and EV charging industry analysts report that DC fast charging sessions were up nearly 50% compared to the same week last year.

If you were to look across the Thanksgiving table ask your racist uncle (you know the one) what he thought of EVs, odds are he’d repeat some tired old trope about range, infrastructure, or the grid. As ever, some of his concerns probably were incredibly valid 2-3 years ago, but the real-world data is showing again and again that battery electric cars are ready and able to meet the vast majority of Americans’ everyday driving needs – and now, the data experts at Paren are showing that EVs are ready for road trips, too!

“It is a really positive story,” reports Loren McDonald, chief analyst at Paren. “Despite the narrative from some corners that we aren’t going to have enough chargers, our data shows that the charging infrastructure is keeping pace with the growth in demand and session activity. And reliability is making progress too.”

From the report:

Image via Paren; courtesy Loren McDonald.

We analyzed data across public fast charging “travel” stations (excluding locations such as dealerships and requiring four or more ports) for Thanksgiving week, Monday through Sunday. Black Friday 2024 saw a 54% increase in charging sessions compared to 2023, while Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving had the lowest year-over-year (YoY) increase in sessions at 39%. The overall average YoY increase for the week was 48%.

PAREN

Despite the growth, there doesn’t seem to be a shortage of chargers or the sort of long wait times that plagued early adopters of EVs years ago. In fact, actual utilization rates declined compared to last year, due to a 50% increase in the number of new fast charging ports and the faster charging speeds possible in newer EVs.

Paren’ analysis also seems to indicate that drivers’ concerns about whether or not they’ll be able to find open, working chargers when they need them — a condition the company calls, “charger anxiety” — may be overblown, if only just.

The company’s proprietary EV charger reliability index was up 3.4% compared to last year, reaching 85.5% and signaling an improving charging experience overall for EV drivers.

The Paren Reliability Index incorporates multiple factors, but is a measure of whether a driver was able to initiate and complete a successful charging session. While many charge point operators (CPOs) claim “uptime” rates meeting or exceeding the 97% National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) minimum requirement, that metric typically only captures whether the charging system was turned on, and not whether a driver was actually able to complete a charging session due to anything ranging from hardware and software issues to broken connectors, cut cables, or payment processing issues.

You can check out Paren’s Thanksgiving data dive in more detail at their site.

Electrek’s Take

I’ve known Loren McDonald for a number of years, and he’s been good enough to work with me in several capacities and smart enough to find me a little annoying. More significantly, though, he is almost always right, and the first person to beat himself up when his projections are off by 1-2% while everyone else’s are off by 10-20.

Earlier this year, the data firm Loren founded, EV Adoption, was acquired by Paren – and both Loren and Paren’s co-founder, Bill Ferro, visited me on Quick Charge to talk about it. I’ve included the episode, above. Enjoy!

SOURCE | IMAGES: Paren.

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Mercedes-Benz EVs to get Tesla Supercharger access in February

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Mercedes-Benz EVs to get Tesla Supercharger access in February

From February 2025, US Mercedes-Benz EV drivers will be able to charge their cars at over 20,000 Tesla Superchargers in the US and Canada.

Drivers based in Canada will gain access to the Tesla Supercharger network later in 2025.

Authorized Mercedes-Benz dealerships will provide a free software update for compatible vehicles to ensure smooth and easy Plug & Charge operation at Tesla Superchargers. Customers with vehicles in scope
will be contacted directly to schedule their software update.

The Mercedes me Charge service will integrate drivers into the Tesla Supercharger network, enabling easy Plug & Charge functionality when they charge at Superchargers. Mercedes me Charge also offers public charging at Mercedes-Benz High-Power Charging, IONNA, Electrify America, EVGo, ChargePoint, and more.

Mercedes me Charge gives drivers charger locations, real-time charger availability, status, and pricing for all in-network charging points through both the Mercedes-Benz app and the MBUX infotainment system. Charging can also be initiated via the Mercedes-Benz app or the MBUX infotainment system.

Tesla Superchargers will be integrated into Mercedes-Benz’s “Navigation with Electric Intelligence”. This feature automatically navigates drivers to the most efficient, time-saving route, including transparent charging stops and charging times.

“The fast-growing network of charging points available in Mercedes me Charge will now expand to over 110,000 public charging points across the United States and Canada, providing Mercedes-Benz drivers with an industry-leading charging experience whenever and wherever they choose to charge,” said Franz Reiner, chairman of the board of management at Mercedes-Benz Mobility AG.

Mercedes says a North American Charging Standard NACS to CCS1 adapter for current CCS1-compatible EVs will be available at authorized Mercedes-Benz dealerships for purchase in the US for $185 in Q1 2025. Customers will be notified when adapters are available to purchase. They’ll be available from Canadian dealerships in Q2 2025, with pricing to be confirmed closer to market introduction.

The German automaker says it will introduce NACS ports in its EV lineup beginning in 2025.

Read more: The latest US EV sales and charger growth – in numbers


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Model Y Juniper refresh spied uncamouflaged for first time in winter testing

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Model Y Juniper refresh spied uncamouflaged for first time in winter testing

Tesla’s Model Y “Juniper” refresh has been spotted for the first time undergoing winter testing in China, in anticipation of an imminent reveal.

The refreshed Model Y has been expected for some time, and is expected to include many of the improvements of the 2023 Model 3 refresh. The headline features of that vehicle are a new front-end, more efficiency, and a quieter cabin. But there were a lot of other interior improvements as well (and one big de-provement, the deletion of steering column stalks).

And we know that it’s coming soon, because there have been plenty of sightings and leaks lately, though all have been camouflaged to hide front and rear end design changes.

In October, Chinese social media said the refresh was about to enter trial production, and just days later we saw a photo of the refreshed Model Y outside the Shanghai factory. Then last month, we heard that mass production would start in Shanghai in January, so we can expect that very soon as well.

And while Tesla said in 2024 that there’s no Model Y refresh coming “this year”, 2024 is over now, and there have been plenty of recent indications that the refresh is imminent.

Well, now that time has apparently come, and photos were posted today of the vehicle undergoing uncamouflaged winter testing in Northeast China.

As expected, the refresh gets rid of the “duck lips” of the previous Model Y, just as Tesla did with the Model 3 refresh, and as camouflaged photos have suggested. The rear end also matches previous leaks we’ve seen, with a sleeker rear end and use of the “TESLA” text badging rather than the Tesla logo (which is also not present on the rear of the Model 3 refresh).

The front end is a more dramatic redesign than the Model 3, though, which gained a lower nose but still retained traditional headlights. The Model Y goes further with a Cybertruck-like light bar across the whole front end, rather than the distinct headlights of the Model 3.

Social media rumors also suggested that an official unveil is imminent, so we may find out more within days. Stay tuned.

What do you think of the look of the Model Y Juniper?


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Tesla board members officially settle excessive compensation case for nearly $1 billion

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Tesla board members officially settle excessive compensation case for nearly  billion

A judge has officially approved a settlement in a case brought by Tesla shareholders against board members who will now have to return stock, cash, and give up on stock options worth a total of nearly $1 billion.

Let me start this article with a quote from Tesla CEO Elon Musk:

Tesla will never settle a case where we’re in the right, and never contest a case where we’re in the wrong.

Today, Chancellor Kathaleen McCormick approved a settlement agreement between Tesla and all its board members from 2017 to 2020 and the Police and Fire Retirement System of the City of Detroit on behalf of Tesla shareholders over what the shareholders believed to be excessive compensation.

The agreement was first reported in July 2023, but it is only now being officially approved and we learn a few more details.

Shareholders believed that members of Tesla’s board were compensating themselves excessively with hundreds of millions of dollars between 2017 and 2020 when the average compensation of a board member of a S&P500 company is just north of $300,000.

Under the settlement, the board members agree to return to Tesla $277 million in cash, $459 million in stock options and to forgo $184 million worth of stock options awarded for 2021-2023.

That adds up to nearly $1 billion.

The board members include Kimbal Musk, Elon’s brother, Brad Buss, Ira Ehrenpreis, Antonio Gracias, Stephen Jurvetson, all close friends of Elon Musk and people who have financial dealings with Musk outside of Tesla, Linda Johnson Rice, Kathleen Wilson-Thompson, Hiromichi Mizuno and Larry Ellison, the co-founder of Oracle Corp and also a close friend of Musk.

As part of the settlement, Tesla or the board does not admit to any wrongdoing.

Musk didn’t take compensation as part of the board, but he is embroiled in a similar case over his own $55 billion CEO compensation package, which was rescinded by the same judge after she found that it wasn’t negotiated or presented to shareholders in good faith.

The board members who received this “excessive compensation” also happened to be the one who “negotiated” Musk’s CEO compensation package.

The case is heading to the Delaware Supreme Court, as reported earlier today.

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