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☆ I've tested 19 electric cars. There are 4 huge reasons you should consider buying one.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Tim Levin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

I've driven electric cars from Tesla, Audi, Porsche, Hyundai, Kia, Volkswagen, Rivian, and more. EVs are quick, fun, and quietThe 2022 Kia EV6 GT-Line. Tim Levin/InsiderAlmost all EVs, from budget Chevys to sporty Audis, have more pep in their step than comparable gas cars. The 2022 Kia EV6. Tim Levin/InsiderSince electric cars lack bulky components like an engine and transmission, automakers enjoy lots of flexibility to add extra interior room for people and stuff.

☆ How Rivian went from Wall Street darling to another struggling EV startup
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Alexa St. John | Nora Naughton | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Another Rivian customer told Insider they placed a reservation last July. A Rivian spokesperson told Insider that timing is "based on a number of factors, including delivery location, configuration and original preorder or reservation date." The Rivian spokesperson told Insider Scaringe's language refers to "how we deliver over the long term." An employee laid off in Rivian's first round of cuts last summer told Insider it felt like growing pains many other companies have experienced. Are you a current or former Rivian employee, Rivian vehicle owner, or Rivian order-holder?

☆ After driving 22 electric cars, these are the 3 I'd steer clear of
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-19 | by ( Tim Levin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

I've gotten behind the wheel of 22 different electric vehicles. I've enjoyed most of them, but I'd steer clear of three EVs if I was in the market for one. The GMC Hummer EV, Nissan Leaf, and ElectraMeccanica Solo have their pros, but they don't fit my personal needs. While my experiences have overall been positive, three vehicles stand out as ones I'd steer clear of. 2023 Nissan Leaf.

☆ Just How Good for the Planet Is That Big Electric Pickup Truck?
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Elena Shao | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +11 min

But as electric vehicles have bulked up, they have also faced new questions over their environmental and safety impacts. Less emissions per mile More emissions per mile Electric vehicles Vehicle SIZE, BY WEIGHT: Heavier vehicles tend to have higher emissions. Take the Ford F-150 pickup truck compared with the electric F-150 Lighting. The same beeswarm chart as in the previous graphic, but Ford F-150 Lightning and Ford F-150 gas-powered models are highlighted. Larger batteries have also added significant weight to many big electric vehicles, anywhere from hundreds to thousands of pounds.

☆ Ram reveals its electric truck during Super Bowl and it looks nothing like the concept
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Ram revealed the production version of its electric pickup in a Super Bowl commercial, and it turns out that it looks much like today’s internal combustion powered Ram 1500 truck, instead of the futuristic concept unveiled just last month. But the Ram Rev, due out in late 2024, looks almost exactly like the gas-powered Ram 1500 pickup except for its headlights and taillights. The Ram 1500 Revolution concept truck offered an extra long cab containing a third row of seats, something not found in other trucks. That’s a feature that will be available in General Motors’ Chevrolet and GMC electric trucks which were revealed last year. The Ram 1500 Rev has distinct headlights and taillights from other Ram pickups.

☆ Electric Ram pickup debuts in Super Bowl ad that pokes fun at rivals, sex-drug commercials
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-12 | by ( Michael Wayland | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Ram's 2023 Super Bowl ad debuts the production version of the Ram 1500 REV electric pickup that is expected to go on sale late-next year. DETROIT – Stellantis will air a 60-second Super Bowl ad for its Ram brand to indirectly take shots at the current all-electric vehicle market, specifically pickup trucks. "Are you excited about buying an electric vehicle but worry that it could leave you ... The ad debuts the production version of the Ram 1500 REV electric pickup that is expected to go on sale next year. Online reservations for the electric pickup, which debuted as a concept in January, also open Sunday.

☆ Former Wall Street darling Rivian suddenly has a lot to prove
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( Alexa St. John | Nora Naughton | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

☆ From a road-trip disaster to a face-melting rip in the world's quickest supercar, these are my biggest lessons from driving 20 electric cars
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Tim Levin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

I've tested 20 electric cars, SUVs, and pickup trucks from Tesla, Ford, Porsche, Polestar, and more. But electric cars are quick, convenient, fun to drive, and quiet. Hours behind the wheel taught me some important lessons about range, charging, and our electric future. Charging can be more convenient than getting gasRecharging an electric car takes a whole lot longer than filling up on gas. The best ones offer spacious interiors and clever storageToday's electric cars typically use what's known as a skateboard platform, which is basically what it sounds like.

Ford sold 91 million shares of the EV startup in 2022, according to the filing. Ford's sale of the shares was worth about $3 billion in total proceeds, the company said, a substantial gain on its $1.2 billion investment in Rivian. Ford, as of the end of last year, still owned about 11 million of its initial 101.9 million shares of Rivian. Ford first invested in Rivian in 2019, before the EV maker went public. But as a result of that initial investment, Ford was among the largest stakeholders in the company upon Rivian's blockbuster IPO in 2021, with a 12% stake.

☆ Electric cars are too expensive because Americans insist on having more car than they need
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Alexa St. John | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

But Americans love SUVs and trucks, and they're going to have to pay for them in the near term. A lot of prospective EV buyers just haven't yet found the types of EVs they're looking for. They don't necessarily need more luxury electric sedans — they want the trucks and SUVs they're used to. A recent study found most car-buyers don't want to spend more than $50,000 to go EV, but they also want electric trucks and SUVs that inherently cost more. Bigger vehicles are often just more expensive, largely because they require bigger batteries — the most expensive part of these new EVs.

☆ Rivian to lay off 6% of its workforce as EV price war concerns grow
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( John Rosevear | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Workers inspect a Rivian R1T electric vehicle (EV) pickup truck on the assembly line at the company's manufacturing facility in Normal, Illinois, US., on Monday, April 11, 2022. Electric truck maker Rivian Automotive said it is laying off 6% of its workforce in a bid to conserve cash as it braces for a possible industry-wide price war. In an email to employees that was seen by CNBC, CEO RJ Scaringe said improving the company's operating efficiency must be a "core objective." Rivian went public via a successful initial offering in late 2021, raising nearly $12 billion. Rivian had about $13.8 billion in cash remaining as of the end of September, after posting losses of $5 billion through the first three quarters of 2022.

☆ Tesla's slowing sales, shrinking margins in focus in EV price war
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Akash Sriram | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Net profit is set to increase at its slowest rate in three years, according to Refinitiv estimates. Reuters GraphicsThere are some early signs that the price cuts are working, with Chinese EV makers XPeng and Seres (601127.SS) slashing prices of their EVs in response and data showing a surge in Tesla's China sales. There was also an uptick in U.S. orders for Tesla vehicles in December after the company rolled out the cuts, according to YipitData. WALL STREET SENTIMENT* Of the 42 analysts covering the company, 25 rate the stock "buy" or higher, 12 rate it "hold" and five rate it "sell" or lower. Tesla's shares, which have more than halved in the past 12 months, closed at $143.75 on Monday.

☆ Analysis: Tesla's price cuts promise more pain for money-losing U.S. EV startups
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Akash Sriram | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Tesla's move will "strengthen their ... competitive advantage over other automakers," CFRA Research analyst Garrett Nelson said. 'GAME OF THRONES' FOR EV STARTUPSBoth Rivian and Lucid have yet to turn a profit. Reuters GraphicsStill, Rivian had $13.8 billion in cash at the end of the third quarter - the most among the U.S. EV startups. "It's a 'Game of Thrones' battle for EV startups and they face some dire options over the next 12 to 18 months if they do not succeed in their financial targets," said Wedbush Securities analyst Daniel Ives. Rivian sells its R1T pickup truck at a starting price of $73,000 while its R1S SUV starts at $78,000.

☆ The used electric car market is starting to take off as prices slowly drop
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Alexa St. John | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

At first glance, today's product pipeline might not paint a good picture for the future of the used EV market. "If what we've produced in the last couple of years has been a rich mix, when that goes into the used market, that keeps used prices elevated as well," Dziczek said. Overall declines for used vehicle prices also generally apply to used EVs. Used EVs remain more expensive than used gas-cars, and many might not yet qualify for the used EV tax credit based on its price cap. Dealers are starting to feel incentivized to drop used EVs priced close to the cap to just below it.

☆ I've driven 19 electric cars. Here are 4 reasons you should consider buying one (that have nothing to do with the environment).
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Tim Levin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Ram 1500 Revolution BEV electric concept pickup truck Stellantis"This is a vision, or a glimpse, into the future of Ram Trucks," Ram CEO Mike Koval Jr. told CNBC. The electric Ram truck is expected to enter an increasingly crowded segment of electric pickups that already includes the GMC Hummer EV, Ford F-150 Lightning, Lordstown Endurance and smaller Rivian R1T. Ram 1500 Revolution BEV electric concept pickup truck StellantisKoval said Ram isn't worried about being late to the segment. Ram 1500 Revolution BEV electric concept pickup truck StellantisThe design of the concept electric Ram pickup appears to be more of a lifestyle pickup rather than a traditional work truck, but executives said the production vehicle will serve both purposes. "The TRX (a performance version of the Ram 1500) has that in spades," Gilles told CNBC.

☆ Ram unveils electric truck concept with seats in the bed
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The Ram 1500 Revolution concept truck, unveiled Thursday at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, provides an early look at several features Ram’s future electric truck could have, including a rear passenger cabin wall that folds away, leaving the truck cab fully open into the cargo bed. Designers plan to use the "tuning fork" light design seen inside and outside the Ram Revolution concept in production versions of the truck. The concept truck has doors that open outward from the center with no pillar in the middle. The Ram 1500 Revolution concept has two electric motors, one powering the back wheels and one for the front, giving it all-wheel-drive. The electric Ram truck won’t go on sale until some time in 2024.

☆ Stellantis CEO delivers a technology statement with a Ram truck
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Joseph White | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The electric "Ram 1500 Revolution," unveiled at CES in Las Vegas, is a one-of-a-kind show vehicle meant to whet appetites for a production model due in 2024. It will arrive after rivals' offerings in one of the most important segments of the North American electric vehicle market. The real electric Ram truck will launch more than two years after the smaller Rivian (RIVN.O) R1T electric pickup and Ford's (F.N) F-150 Lightning electric truck. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has said the long-delayed Cybertruck will launch this year from a factory in Texas. ($1 = 0.9479 euro)Reporting by Joe White in Las Vegas Editing by Matthew LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ The race to make electric cars cheaper is making electric cars more expensive
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-01 | by ( Alexa St. John | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Electric cars aren't exactly the most affordable right now. The world of batteries influences your EV's price tagAutomakers are pouring more than $515 billion into all-electric lineups over the next several years. Mercedes is only making newly launched cars electric starting in 2025. Scaling up will inherently make electric cars less expensive over time. But, driving costs back down, he says: "The lithium prices will trigger more supply to enter the market."

☆ Electric vehicle sales hit a tipping point in 2022
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Bloomberg includes plug-in hybrids in its count of “electric vehicles,” but a large majority are purely battery-powered models. It’s unclear exactly why 5% seems to mark the point where EV sales really take off. The Mustang Mach-E, which hit the market in in 2021, was the first electric vehicle to take a notable chunk of Tesla’s still-dominant EV market share. The act, passed this year, changes the rules around which electric vehicles are eligible for consumer tax credits. Given their popularity and already high sales, incentive rules could help push EV sales significantly higher.

☆ Ford F-150 Lightning named MotorTrend Truck of the Year, the second electric pickup in a row
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —The Ford F-150 Lightning was named MotorTrend’s 2023 Truck of the Year on Tuesday, making it the second electric pickup in a row to win that award. MotorTrend’s panel of judges lauded the F-150 Lightning as “the best-riding, best-handling, and best-driving F-150 yet.” Unlike other versions of the F-150, the Lightning has independent rear suspension instead of a solid axle connecting the back wheels. It’s also another sign that electric power is making its mark among America’s most popular type of vehicle. The Ford F-150 Lightning has a large storage area under the hood instead of a gas engine. The F-150 Lightning was a unanimous winner among the MotorTrend’s seven jurists.

☆ Electric Ford F-150 Lightning named MotorTrend's truck of the year
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( Michael Wayland | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

DETROIT — The electric Ford F-150 Lightning was named MotorTrend's 2023 truck of the year Tuesday, topping traditional pickups with internal combustion engines from General Motors , Stellantis and Toyota Motor . The F-150 Lightning is a pivotal product for both Ford Motor and the U.S. automotive industry. It's the first mass-market electric pickup truck for mainstream buyers and widely viewed as a test of widespread EV adoption. "While some vehicles change the world by being radically different, others, like the Ford F-150 Lightning, change it by being different where it counts and familiar where it helps," MotorTrend said in a press release. Other finalists for MotorTrend's truck of the year were the 2022 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 2022 GMC Sierra 1500, 2023 Ram 2500 and 2022 Toyota Tundra.

☆ I tested the coolest electric SUV you can buy. Take a full photo tour of the Rivian R1S, which has 3 rows and 316 miles of range.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-03 | by ( Tim Levin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

Set the R1S to Rock Crawl or All Terrain mode and jack up its ground clearance to the max — 15 inches — and the R1S makes light work of treacherous boulders, water crossings, and impossibly steep grades. The Rivian R1S. Tim Levin/InsiderRead our review of the Rivian R1T here.

☆ How to play the beaten-up EV stocks from here — Evercore ISI sees one doubling next year
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Michelle Fox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Electric vehicle stocks have had a tough year, but don't count them out just yet, according to Evercore ISI. Analyst Chris McNally said the past year has been a much-needed expectation reset for nascent EV players, such as Fisker , Rivian Automotive , and Lucid Group . Each has separate, premium "go-to-market" niches within the growing EV market, he said. "Then we would begin to see vertical integration & branding advantages take charge," McNally wrote. Lucid Lucid epitomizes an aspirational EV, McNally said.

☆ Finance influencers who hyped up FTX and BlockFi are facing angry fans
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Jordan Parker Erb | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

In the case of finance influencers who hyped up FTX and BlockFi to their subscribers, the result is a lot of unhappy, skeptical former fans. As prominent crypto platforms topple, financial influencers face anger and skepticism. On YouTube, financial influencers have built loyal followings by sharing financial advice and actively promoting companies like FTX and BlockFi. As the companies crumble, those influencers are facing skepticism and backlash from fans. Apple's App store has become an imitation of its former self.Apple used to carefully curate its App store, helping developers gain visibility and customers find what they needed, writes Michael Gartenberg.

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