Electric Vehicles

North America Electric Car Market by Propulsion Type (BEV, FCEV, PHEV, HEV), Power Output (Less Than 100kW, 100 kW to 250 kW), End Use (Private, Commercial), and Geography – Forecast to 2028

Redding,  California, Oct. 18, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — According to a new market research report titled “North America Electric Car Market by Propulsion Type (BEV, FCEV, PHEV, HEV), Power Output (Less Than 100kW, 100 kW to 250 kW), End Use (Private, Commercial), and Country—Forecast to 2028’’, published by Meticulous Research®, the North America electric car market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 35.2 % from 2021 to 2028 to reach $329.57 billion by 2028. By volume, this market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 18.7 % from 2021 to 2028 to reach 2.9 million units by 2028.

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Electric cars utilize one or two electric traction motors for propulsion instead of a conventional transmission unit solely powered by an internal combustion engine. Traction motors are powered by rechargeable battery packs or through an internal combustion engine that charges the vehicle’s battery pack. Such types of vehicles are known as hybrid electric vehicles. In battery electric vehicles, the battery pack is recharged by plugging into a charging station connected to the national power grid. Electric cars are increasingly being used for private transportation and shared mobility services. The major factors driving the North American electric car market include supportive government policies and regulations, the rising deployment of EV charging stations by shared mobility operators, and increasing investments in the EV ecosystem.

Moreover, the decrease in battery prices and growing fleet electrification targets of governments across the region provide significant opportunities for the growth of the electric car market. However, the lack of charging infrastructure in developing countries is expected to restrain the growth of this market to some extent. In addition, the range limitations of electric vehicles and a lack of fast-charging infrastructure are major challenges for the growth of the North American electric car market. Increasing investments in R&D for smart charging systems is a major trend that may support the growth of this market.

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The Impact of COVID-19 on the North America Electric Car Market

The COVID-19 pandemic has adversely hit many economies around the globe. To control the spread of this disease and avoid the related consequences, governments across the globe announced partial or complete lockdowns, impacting numerous manufacturing and service industries, including the electric cars industry.

In North America, the U.S. was severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic leading to significant damages in terms of life, resources, and economy. The adoption of electric cars had declined in the first & second quarters of 2020, while a slight growth was witnessed post the second quarter. Consumer behavior has changed significantly since the pandemic. People have reduced the use of shared mobility services and public transport services to reduce the risk of infection. Moreover, due to remote working arrangements in most of the industries, the total miles driven have also decreased in 2020. Hence, these factors have negatively affected the adoption of electric cars.

However, leading investors have planned to double their investments in autonomous vehicles that can positively impact the electric cars market in the forecast period. For instance, in March 2020, Waymo, Google’s self-driving car project, raised $2.3 billion from investors such as Silver Lake, Andreessen Horowitz, and AutoNation. In November 2020, California authorized paid robotaxi services by Waymo, One ride-hailing service in the state. In January 2019, Magna, a Canada-based auto supplier, partnered with Waymo to build a factory to manufacture self-driving cars in southeast Michigan. The facility produces autonomous versions of the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivan and Jaguar’s I-PACE electric SUV with Level 4 autonomous driving.

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The North American electric cars market is segmented based on propulsion type, power output, end use, and geography. The study also evaluates industry competitors and analyzes the market at the country level.

Based on propulsion type, the hybrid vehicle segment is estimated to account for the largest share of the North American electric cars market in 2021. The large market share of this segment is mainly attributed to the increase in stringent automotive emission regulations, consumer demand for low fuel consumption vehicles, high investments by automotive OEMs, and low cost of hybrid vehicles. However, the fuel cell electric vehicles segment is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period.

Based on power output, the less than 100 kW segment is estimated to account for the largest share of the North American electric cars market in 2021. The large share of this segment is mainly attributed to the increasing demand for light electric cars, increasing implementation of electric cars for shared mobility services, low battery prices, and increasing investments by electric vehicles startups. However, the 100 kW to 250 kW segment is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period.

Based on end use, the private use segment is estimated to account for the largest share of the North American electric car market in 2021. The large share of this segment is mainly attributed to increasing consumer demand for fuel efficiency, various initiatives by governments to promote sales and manufacturing of electric cars, decreased battery costs, and rising fuel prices. However, the commercial use segment is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period.

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Based on country, the U.S. is estimated to account for the larger share of the North American electric car market in 2021 both by value and volume. The large share of this country is mainly attributed to the wider availability of electric car models, the growing number of mass-premium buyers shifting from fuel-based vehicles to electric vehicles, rising adoption of electric cars, and increasing investments by automotive OEMs. The U.S. has always been at the forefront of innovative technologies adoption, including electric cars globally. Various automotive OEMs announced huge investments in 2020 for the development of electric mobility ecosystems in the U.S. For instance, Tesla invested $1 billion in Austin, Texas, to build a Gigafactory. The factory will produce Cybertruck EVs by the end of 2021. Volkswagen invested $800 million in its Chattanooga, Tennessee plant to upgrade the plant for EV production. The upgradation of the plant was initiated in August 2020. In September 2020, GM and Honda signed a memorandum of understanding to jointly develop Honda electric cars with GM’s Ultium batteries. Such developments are expected to support the growth of the electric cars market in the U.S. during the forecast period.

The key players operating in the North America electric car market are Tesla, Inc. (U.S.), General Motors Company (U.S.), Ford Motor Company (U.S.), Rivian, LLC (U.S.), Bollinger Motors Inc. (U.S.), Alcraft Motor Company Ltd., (U.K.), Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. (Japan), NIO Inc. (China), AB Volvo (Sweden), and Groupe Renault (France) among others.

To gain more insights into the market with a detailed table of content and figures, click here: https://www.meticulousresearch.com/product/north-america-electric-car-market-5216

Scope of the Report:

North America Electric Cars Market, by Propulsion Type

North America Electric Cars Market, by Power Output

• Less Than 100 kW

• 100 kW to 250 kW

North America Electric Cars Market, by End Use

• Private Use

• Commercial Use

North America Electric Cars Market, by Country

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The French car industry will be the recipient of €4 billion of France’s €30 billion plan to revive its flagging industrial economy – but only if they spend it on electric vehicles and public transport.

That will give Renault – once the world leader in electric vehicles – and Franco-Italian group Stellantis a leg up to catch the big-spending German and Chinese car industries and Tesla in the EV fight.

French President Emmanuel Macron last week announced the France 2030 plan to steer France’s industries into more modern areas like green energy, semiconductors, robotics and EVs.

Macron has set a target of two million French-built EVs and plug-in hybrids by 2030 and a transition to full electrification.

“I want us to look ahead and see our weaknesses and strengths,” Macron said. “We need the country to produce more.

“We need an industrial response to the challenge of the new mode of transport.

“We need to focus on disruptive innovation technologies on new vehicles,” Macron said.

The move is a huge boost to the plans of Renault CEO Luca de Meo, who has launched an electric-vehicle production hub in northern France.

Stellantis, Renault’s former domestic rival and now Franco-Italian-American powerhouse, will also benefit, with the cash incentives set to boost its gigafactory plans with French energy company Total.

Three gigafactories are in various stages of development or construction in France, which has a history of supporting the French car industry via subsidies to customers.

It tipped €8 billion indirectly into the industry during the darkest days of the Covid-19 pandemic, allowing customers up to €10,000 off the price of a new EV, as well as directly loaning Renault €5 billion to shore up its losses.

The French Government maintains a 15% share of Renault, which would see calls of conflict-of-interest in other economies, but not France. Renault also owns a 44% stake in Nissan and, through that, a controlling interest in Mitsubishi as well.

De Meo, who has already shown Renault’s new 5 EV, has told his unions and senior managers that a sub-€20,000 EV was crucial for the brand’s fortunes in Europe.

It’s Zoe is the reigning European EV sales leader from 2020, but the French EV makers have been swamped by the big-spending Volkswagen Group in the last year and have fallen behind the Germans.

Stellantis was born out of a merger between Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and the PSA Groupe, controls the Peugeot, Citroen, DS, Opel, Fiat, Lancia, Maserati, Jeep, Chrysler, Alfa Romeo, Ram, Abarth, Mopar, Dodge and Vauxhall brands. It currently offers EVs under its Peugeot, Citroen, Fiat, Opel and Vauxhall brands, but has plans to electrify almost every other brand.

EVs had an eight percent share of the French car market for the first half of the year, according to Matthias Schmidt’s EV market report, which was right on the western Europe average. Germany climbed to 11% and Austria to 10%. Norway remained Europe’s EV leader, with a 57% share.

Ford’s real-estate scouts began their search early this year by looking at 85 potential locations across more than a dozen states. Ford’s checklist included a large empty property, so Ford could move quickly without having to clean up or retrofit an existing facility; cheap and reliable energy derived from renewable sources; access to rail and interstates; and reasonably close proximity to Ford’s other assembly plants, said

Lisa Drake,

Ford’s operations chief for North America and the point person on the site selection.

The team fairly quickly narrowed the list to just a few that had the unbroken expanse of land needed. The nearly 6-square-mile site in rural, sparsely populated Haywood County, Tenn., about 40 miles northeast of downtown Memphis, was flat with stable soil, ideal for a battery plant, which won’t tolerate even minute shifts in topography. And the property sat atop the Memphis Sand Aquifer, which could be used to generate geothermal power.

“When we heard that, our eyes sort of lit up,” Ms. Drake said.

Tennessee has stepped out in front in large part because of yearslong efforts by state leaders and the federal Tennessee Valley Authority, which provides power to the region. The state promoted its extensive workforce-training programs, a right-to-work law and proposed $500 million in incentives. The TVA offered inexpensive, relatively reliable energy and at least $100 million in power upgrades and other incentives, according to state and TVA officials.

Energy costs were a big consideration for the battery factories because of the immense amount of electricity they use: five times more than Ford’s typical assembly plant, Ms. Drake said. TVA officials said they charge some of the lowest industrial energy rates in the country.

About eight years ago,

Lamar Alexander,

who was a Tennessee senator at the time, talked with then-Gov.

Bill Haslam

and pushed the idea of electric-vehicle production. The two Republicans were thrilled at the growth of the state’s auto-manufacturing sector.

Nissan Motor Co.

’s first U.S. plant in Smyrna, Tenn., which opened in 1983, has been followed by large manufacturing operations for auto supplier

Denso Corp.

, GM and Volkswagen.

Hundreds of suppliers followed. Thousands of Tennesseans were employed in vehicle manufacturing.

But Mr. Alexander worried the next wave would bypass Tennessee.

“Everything was going fine,” Mr. Alexander said he thought at the time. “But what about the next 40 years, the next 20 years?”

Mr. Alexander told Mr. Haslam to lobby auto makers to dramatically expand electric-vehicle production in the state.

“Lamar told me, ‘I think that’s the next big opportunity,’” Mr. Haslam said in an interview. “We should have the inside track because of all the automotive production, so we clicked in on that.”

Current Tennessee Gov.

Bill Lee,

also a Republican, had his economic team assess the property and make upgrades to the wastewater and water infrastructure as well as other improvements to attract a large company like Ford. The TVA, which will provide energy for the complex, also marketed the property and earlier this year joined the state in pushing for Ford to take it over.

Ford officials wanted to make sure that the region would have enough workers for the plant and that the state would provide a robust worker-training program. The state has committed to setting up workforce-development facilities at the Ford/SK site, part of a statewide effort to train and educate more Tennessee workers for modern industry.

The influx of investment in the South comes at the expense of traditional automotive strongholds, including Ford’s home state of Michigan. Michigan Gov.

Gretchen Whitmer

has said the state wasn’t given a real opportunity to land the investment.

Ms. Drake said Michigan could have been in consideration if it had a large, shovel-ready site like the one in Tennessee. She said that the company will be investing in more electric-vehicle projects in the U.S. and that Michigan could be in the running.

Auto makers are spending more than $300 billion globally by mid-decade to transition their lineups, consulting firm AlixPartners LP estimates, including on massive battery factories and on new and revamped assembly plants.

Volkswagen is nearing completion of an $800 million expansion of its decade-old assembly plant in Chattanooga, where next spring it is scheduled to start production of its new ID.4 electric SUV.

GM in the past year decided to double down on Tennessee as a base of electric-car production. The Detroit auto maker is spending $2 billion to overhaul its assembly plant in Spring Hill, Tenn., south of Nashville, for electrics, starting with a plug-in Cadillac SUV due out by late spring. GM and joint-venture partner LG Energy Solution are spending another $2.3 billion on a battery plant being built in Spring Hill and set to open in late 2023.

The influx of investment into Tennessee, along with two Ford-SK battery plants planned for neighboring Kentucky, targets the middle of so-called auto alley, a section of auto-factory concentration stretching from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico, said James Rubenstein, a geographer at Miami University in Ohio who writes extensively about the car industry.

“Access to water and low-cost energy are important micro factors that make the mid-South attractive,” he said. “The macro factor is being smack in the middle of auto alley.”

Write to Cameron McWhirter at cameron.mcwhirter@wsj.com and Mike Colias at Mike.Colias@wsj.com

The electric car revolution has swept through Norway, transforming the country’s car market.

Only 10 years ago, diesel cars accounted for 75 per cent of new sales in Norway.

Today they make up just 2.3 per cent.

In Australia, less than 1 per cent of cars sold in 2020 were electric.

So what’s driving Norway’s boom, and what lessons can Australia take from it?

Today on Please Explain, Europe correspondent Bevan Shields joins Bianca Hall to discuss Norway’s transition to electric vehicles and what ’80s pop group A-ha had to do with it.

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This article picked by a teacher with suggested questions is part of the Financial Times free schools access programme. Details/registration here.

Specification:

Click to read the article below and then answer the questions:

How green is your electric vehicle?

• Making an EV produces how much more CO2 than making a ‘combustion model’ according to a Chinese study?

• Where is lithium predominantly mined?

• What is the carbon footprint of lithium extraction?

• If you charge your EV in a country using coal power it is equivalent to burning two-thirds of a tank of gasoline. So what is the solution to making EVs part of the low carbon solution that lots of people seek?

Richard Allaway, International School of Geneva/geographyalltheway.com

A debate in Congress over whether cars built by unionized workers should receive incentives that non-union-built vehicles can’t get could have big consequences for South Carolina, which has the lowest percentage of organized labor in the U.S. and is home to a major car builder with the world’s most ambitious electrification goals.

Legislation working its way through the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate would extend by five years a $7,500 tax credit for consumers who buy an electric vehicle.

On top of that, the House proposal would give consumers an additional $4,500 credit if the electric vehicle is built by union labor.

It’s that second part that has Gov. Henry McMaster worried.

“We are deeply concerned that Congress is considering legislation that not only discriminates against certain American workers but also undermines the efforts by automotive manufacturers to grow the electric vehicle market and meet broader climate goals,” McMaster said in an Oct. 12 letter to leaders in the House and Senate.

McMaster added the Palmetto State is home to three manufacturers banking on electric vehicles for their futures — BMW in the Upstate, Mercedes-Benz Vans in North Charleston and Volvo Cars in Ridgeville. The trio has invested a combined $12.5 billion in the state and account for 70,000 direct and indirect jobs, he said.

None of the South Carolina plants is a union shop.

Volvo would seem to have the most to lose. The Sweden-based and Chinese-owned automaker has vowed that all of its new cars will be battery-powered by 2030.

Volvo currently builds the S60 sedan at its Ridgeville campus off Interstate 26, and will add a next-generation XC90 SUV to the production line in a couple of years. It also will build an electric car for sister brand Polestar starting in 2022.

“It is essential that the U.S. government pursue policies that encourage and develop the U.S. electric vehicle market via consumer incentives available to all manufacturers,” a Volvo spokesperson said.

The company added that the proposed legislation — part of President Joe Biden‘s “Build Back Better” budget bill — would circumvent efforts to fight climate change by limiting consumer choice and, thus, adoption of EVs.

Anders Gustafsson, president and CEO of Volvo Cars USA, was among a dozen auto executives who signed a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi opposing the incentive plan, which would also make tax credits available only for U.S.-assembled cars after five years. Sebastian Mackensen, president and CEO of BMW of North America, and Mercedes-Benz USA‘s Dimitris Psillakis also were among the signees.

Dan Kildee, a Democrat representative from Michigan, is a key supporter of the House tax incentive proposal.

“My hometown of Flint was the birthplace of the labor movement and helped put the world on wheels.” Kildee said in a written statement. “Now, through my work in Congress, I’m working to ensure that American auto workers can put the world on electrified wheels.”

A separate version in the Senate would provide up to $5,000 in tax credits — $2,500 for union-built vehicles and another $2,500 if it’s assembled in the U.S. — on top of extending the existing $7,500 credit.

More cars would be eligible under the Senate version because it caps the sticker price of qualifying vehicles higher than the House plan. The House also has a $500 bonus credit if the vehicle’s battery is made in America.

Not surprisingly, the measure is being applauded by union leaders.

The proposal “would go a long way to support good paying union jobs in the EV auto sector that President Biden has championed,” Ray Curry, president of the United Auto Workers, said in a written statement. “For too long, U.S. tax credits meant to create good paying American jobs have subsidized products not made in the United State or at substandard wages.”

A report by Autos Drive America, a group of foreign-owned carmakers advocating for free trade, shows 52 EV models are eligible for U.S. tax credits. Only six would be eligible under the Senate proposal and two if the House version is adopted.

“The U.S. auto industry has committed billions to increase consumer use of green vehicles,” said Jennifer Safavian, president of Autos Drive America. “You don’t reduce climate change by making over 90 percent of EVs ineligible to receive the credit.”

Electric vehicles accounted for 3.6 percent — or roughly 160,000 — of all vehicles sold in the U.S. during the second quarter of this year, according to a report by McKinsey & Co. The group expects about half of U.S. car sales will be for electric vehicles by 2030.

The proposed legislation is part of Biden’s $3.5 trillion spending package intended to address climate change, public education, health care and other economic and social issues. Democrats are trying to pare the spending to about $2 trillion to make the package more palatable to centrist Democrats, whose support is needed to pass the bill. 

Reach David Wren at 843-937-5550 or on Twitter at @David_Wren_

KEARNY MESA (KUSI) – The “Little Giant” became the world’s fastest electric vehicle on Oct. 1, 2021 when it reached 353.87 MPH in the National Electric Vehicle Category 3.

The win made Team Vesco extremely proud at the Bonneville Salt Flats’ SCTA World Finals.

Owner Rick Vesco collaborated with Oceanside’s Revolt Systems, owned by Eddy Borysewicz, and Moon Buggy Engineering, owned by Trenton Wonsley, to create the Little Giant.

Both Borysewicz and Wonsley joined KUSI’s Dave Stall on Good Morning San Diego to discuss the details of this feat of engineering.

• General Motors is bullish about electric cars, spending billions of dollars on their development.
• Under CEO Mary Barra, a team of engineers and project leads are making it all possible.
• These are the 12 people driving the EV charge at GM.

After a century dedicated to gas-powered cars, General Motors has made it clear it’s all in on electric power. 

GM is dedicating $35 billion to electric and self-driving vehicles through 2025, and says it won’t sell any gas-powered cars, SUVs, or light pickups after 2035. Earlier this month, it set one of its biggest goals yet: doubling revenue to $280 billion by the end of the decade, driven largely by new electric models. 

But making good on those promises requires that GM go into battle without the armor on which it’s relied for decades: a nearly unmatched depth of knowledge about how to design, build, and sell cars. That expertise won’t cut it for the new generation of vehicles. Designs have changed. So have materials, wiring, supply chains, tires. Building the EVs of the future means solving new challenges like battery chemistry, infrastructure, and even sales. 

Certainly, CEO Mary Barra and her C-suite are striving to make the transition. But their efforts would matter little if they couldn’t count on teams of engineers, project managers, and program leads figuring out this new kind of car business at a furious pace.  

Here are 12 of the little-seen people leading the GM’s charge into an electric future.

GM

Tim Grewe, director, electrification strategy 

Batteries will be crucial to GM’s electric future, and Tim Grewe oversees battery cell production and company strategy surrounding the shift away from gas-powered engines. He’s been in the role for two of the nearly 22 years that he’s spent at the company. He was previously executive chief engineer and program manager leading GM electrification strategy. 

Grewe was the technical lead who created the Ultium Cells joint venture between GM and South Korean battery manufacturer LG Chem, according to his LinkedIn bio. The $2.3 billion partnership, which includes jointly operating a battery factory in Lordstown, Ohio, bolsters the automaker’s battery development as it seeks to make good on its aggressive EV promises.  

“We need to make better batteries that cost a lot less,” Grewe said earlier this month.

Travis Hester, chief EV officer 

Travis Hester was named chief EV officer nearly one year ago. In the role, he heads the automaker’s EV growth operations, some of which includes charging infrastructure. As with batteries, getting infrastructure right is critical to an automaker’s EV future, as EVs are only as good as their charging offerings. 

“There’s a lot more to EV adoption than just buying the vehicle and just having a large connected network,” Hester said earlier this year. “Our mission is to help every single person get over whatever anxiety they have and help them into an EV in the most convenient way possible.” 

Tom Gallagher, plant director, Ultium Cells LLC

Tom Gallagher’s role in the Ultium Cells JV is critical in GM’s bid to strengthen its battery development. 

Gallagher is responsible for day-to-day manufacturing operations management. He spent one year as plant director in Lordstown; before that, he served in other plant and manufacturing shop roles with the automaker, according to his LinkedIn.

GM

Mei Cai, director of battery cell systems research, GM R&D

Mei Cai is leading GM’s next generation battery chemistry efforts. She’s been with the automaker for 21 years, according to her LinkedIn.

GM placed an emphasis on batteries when it announced earlier this month that it plans to build a battery cell center to work on reducing the cost of EV batteries and bolstering vehicle range. The center will open in southeast Michigan mid-next year. 

Cai was recently named Technologist of the Year by Women of Color magazine for her role in advancing battery cell manufacturing and contributions to GM’s Ultium battery chemistry.

BrightDrop

Liz Rojewski, director of engineering, BrightDrop 

GM launched BrightDrop, its electric delivery and logistics business, at the start of this year with the vision of applying the automaker’s expertise in electrification and fleet management to efficient first-to-last-mile goods movement. 

As director of engineering for the unit, Liz Rojewski has led the venture’s development of new projects, including that of the EP1, an electric pallet that can move goods over short distances.

The division has also developed an electric delivery van, the BrightDrop EV600, which is powered by GM’s Ultium battery platform. BrightDrop’s first customer, FedEx, will receive 500.

Rojewski was previously program engineering manager for autonomous engineering for the Cruise Origin, the driverless shuttle developed by GM’s electric, self-driving technology startup. 

Alex Keros, director, charging infrastructure development

Alex Keros is responsible for executing GM’s approach to electric vehicle charging. 

In addition to developing EVs, the automaker has been working to ramp up its role in charging them. GM announced Ultium Charge 360 in April, a “holistic charging approach” that integrates charging networks, GM mobile apps, and other services related to juicing up owners of GM electric vehicles. The company has a partnership with charging network provider EVgo to install more than 2,700 fast chargers across the country through 2025, among other major plays in the charging space.

Prior to this role, Keros served as smart cities chief of Maven, GM’s urban mobility brand and car sharing service, which shut down last year. Keros joined GM in 2007.

Mike Lelli, senior manager, battery cell advanced technology group

A veteran of General Motors for 36 years, Mike Lelli is currently the senior manager of the automaker’s battery cell advanced technology group. 

“My group is responsible for the technology roadmap relative to all these different spaces within the cell,” Lelli told TechCrunch earlier this year. “We work in all of these spaces simultaneously to reduce costs.”

For example, the automaker announced a partnership with SES (formerly SolidEnergy Systems) in March in an effort to improve the energy density of lithium-ion batteries. 

Lelli has been a key member of the automaker’s shift toward electrification in recent years. Prior to his current role, he served as chief business and strategy architect working on improving the battery cost structure for EVs, according to his LinkedIn. He was also vehicle chief engineer of the electric Chevrolet Bolt. 

Gerard Connell, director, EV retail strategy 

Gerard Connell is overseeing the automaker’s EV retail strategy.

As GM seeks to sell 30 new all-electric models globally by 2025, its approach to retailing will be key. Currently, only about 2 percent of new vehicle sales in the US are electric, but automakers and startup manufacturers alike are racing to find ways to convince consumers to ditch the pump for the plug. 

With some nascent players going direct to consumers instead of using the traditional dealer model, and others considering subscription models, the way cars are sold is changing. It will require legacy companies to assess how their play in the landscape changes as well. 

Connell was previously director of sales and marketing for OnStar and connected services.

GM

Jamie Brewer, executive chief engineer, battery electric vehicles 

Jamie Brewer leads the team that develops and manages the automaker’s EV projects. 

Most notably, Brewer helped lead engineering of the Cadillac Lyriq, the brand’s first all-electric vehicle. Cadillac plans to have an all-electric lineup by 2030. 

The $59,995 Lyriq SUV sold out in minutes last month. It will deliver more than 300 miles of range.

Brewer has held a number of other roles at GM, including chief engineer of launch vehicle remediation, and director and global bill of materials leader, according to her LinkedIn. 

“History will look back at this point in time and say this was a major inflection point for the automotive industry, and I think that General Motors is at the forefront of it,” Brewer told CBS Local earlier this year. 

Kelly Helfrich, EV grid integration and strategy manager

Kelly Helfrich oversees EV grid integration and strategy at GM.

“The tools are there, the range is there and the charging rates are there to make people more comfortable, and it’s only going to get better from here,” Helfrich said earlier this year, when she was manager of electric vehicle charging and infrastructure.

In that role, she led strategy development and execution of vehicle grid integration initiatives. She’s also been manager of electric vehicles at Maven, according to her LinkedIn.

Jeff Morrison, executive director, global electrification and battery systems engineering 

A veteran of GM for 15 years, Jeff Morrison now oversees battery systems engineering and global electrification. He is responsible for the automaker’s EV hardware development, which includes electric motors, chargers, and battery cells, modules, and packs. Morrison also leads vehicle electrical components and systems engineering, and overall EV driving performance, according to a SAE bio. 

Morrison was previously executive director of a number of areas, including global purchasing and supply chain, program management; electrical systems and advanced product purchasing; and global purchasing, strategic planning and development, according to his LinkedIn. He’s also been a director of areas such as logistics, powertrain purchasing, and global chassis purchasing. 

GM

Fiona Meyer-Teruel, system lead, battery system electronics

At GM since 2016, Fiona Meyer-Teruel joined its team focused on electrification in 2018.

“I really like where electrification is going right now,” Meyer-Teruel told Automotive News last year. “GM’s vision of zero crashes, zero emission and zero congestion — I really like that emission part because I think there’s so much we can do there.”

She has had a hand in GM’s wireless battery management system, which can monitor the health and temperature of individual battery cells wirelessly, thus reducing vehicle weight, increasing vehicle range, and making software updates easier.

Meyer-Teruel is a graduate of Stanford University.

A recent national survey conducted by CarMax found that 55.9% of car owners said they are “likely” to buy an electric vehicle or hybrid as their next car purchase.

“For most people, the top benefit of hybrid and electric vehicles wasn’t personal: It’s for the environment,” the report reads. Some 68.4% of respondents said their main incentive for buying an electric car was the environmental benefit. There are other incentives, including rebates, lower cost per mile and less maintenance.

Alexandra Kelley, writing for thehill.com, stated, “While both U.S. infrastructure and consumer enthusiasm need to see further growth, 89.5% of car owners believe hybrid vehicles are becoming more popular and a whopping 91.8% believe sustainable cars will outnumber traditional gas-powered vehicles by 2050.”

President Joe Biden has set a new target for the U.S. to reduce 50%-52% of its greenhouse gas pollution by 2030. To help meet that goal, his administration wants half of new U.S. vehicle sales to be electric by 2030. Regulators are also tightening emission standards for all cars and trucks.

“The importance of these new vehicle emission standards is hard to overstate,” said Dan Lashoff, director of the World Resources Institute. “Along with the infrastructure investments currently under consideration in Congress, these standards will be among the most impactful measures that the Biden administration can take to address the climate crisis.”

If you are a part of the 55.9% of those likely to make a hybrid or electric car your next new car purchase, how do you decide? Should you get a hybrid, go electric or get a plug-in, and what is the difference?

Here is the run-down.

A hybrid is 100% gasoline-fueled, but also relies on an electric motor that can at times power the car to delay the use of the gasoline engine and save fuel. When you are stopped at a stop sign, or coasting, the electric motor acts like a generator and stores that energy in a small battery where it is immediately used the next time you accelerate. This extra energy improves your gas mileage. As a result, hybrids have better mileage when driven in town than on highways.

In contrast, an electric car (EV) has a large battery and an electric motor powerful enough to provide adequate range and performance without an engine or gas tank.

The third alternative is a plug-in hybrid (PHEV). A PHEV is a hybrid with a much larger battery that is recharged, like an electric car, via an external power source. It works a lot like an electric car in that, when the battery has a charge, the gasoline engine is dormant. When the battery is down, it works like a hybrid. PHEVs lack the range of most fully electric cars, but are easy to charge and provide the ease of finding a gas station when you are traveling.

Increased mileage means less fossil fuel emissions. A hybrid such as the popular Prius gets over 50 miles per gallon, but uses fossil fuel and still spews out emissions, albeit less than a conventional vehicle. Many small gas-powered cars get at least 35 miles per gallon.

Electric cars are an entirely different animal. There are no emissions at all. There is no gas engine. Range on a charge will vary, but many new electric cars have a range in excess of 200 miles. Arguably, there may be emissions generated in producing that electricity. But, you can bet there are enormous added emissions involved in getting the gas you are putting into your car, from drilling, pumping, refining to transporting.

According to a Sierra Club report, the CO2 emissions from well to gas pump can range from about 3.35 pounds per gallon to 6.7 pounds per gallons, including the equivalent of other global warming gases, such as methane. Add to that the 4.6 metric tons of CO2 the average gasoline car emits each year.

Many environmentalists consider hybrids and PHEVs transitional. If you can afford it, the best bet is solar on your home’s rooftop that produces the electricity that charges your electric car. If you mostly drive in town, a good hybrid is convenient and will increase your gas mileage.

As for me, I am looking at the new PHEVs, at least until all those much-needed charging stations get built. I do have solar on my roof and can get up to the equivalent of 100 miles per gallon with some PHEVs. You just have to remember to charge it.

Judith Polich, a longtime New Mexico resident, is a retired attorney with a background in environmental studies and is a student of climate change. She can be reached at judith.polich@gmail.com.

“AN electric car I’m excited to drive.”

Blimey. I don’t say those words often.

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But the new EV from Seat’s sporty splinter brand, Cupra, has been on the back of my mind since it was announced.

The Cupra Born, on paper at least, tickles many of my happy spots.

It’s nippy, looks aggressive but doesn’t cost silly money.

All of Cupra’s key points, except this time they’re applied to an EV, the brand’s first.

You could say the Cupra Born is an electric hot hatch, or it is when you spec it with the right battery.

Because for all my excitement, the Born is still based on the Volkswagen ID 3 — a car that is as excellent at being practical and cheap to run as it is at being a soulless milk float where driving dreams go to be electrocuted to death.

If you spec your Born with the entry 45kWh battery, you’re basically buying a better-looking ID 3, with a 150hp motor and sleepy 8.9-seconds 0-62mph time. It’s still a very polished EV, but hot hatch it ain’t.

But the 58kWh version prod­uces 204hp.

You can buy an ID 3 with the same shove but what it doesn’t offer is Cupra’s optional “e-boost” button which surges power to 231hp and means it does 0-62mph in 6.6 seconds.

That’s only two tenths slower than the Golf GTI.

HOT HATCH

Hot hatch EV, then.

Of course, there’s more to it than that.

The Born sits 30mm lower than the ID 3, has its own Cupra suspension setting and a variable ratio steering system that alters how fast it turns according to the driving style and roads.

Thanks to the battery being housed in the belly of the car, it also has 50:50 weight distribution and a very low centre of gravity, plus it’s rear-wheel drive — things even the best hot hatch can’t claim.

The good news is, the Born is an exciting car to drive.

It’s got the typical point-and-squirt chops that all EVs have but also feels lively in corners.

It’s light on its feet — surprising given EVs are heavy thanks to the lardy battery and motors — and when provoked the back end will kick out into oversteer.

If you don’t want to stab the accelerator mid-apex to look like a hooligan, then the Born darts from corner to corner with composure, and before you know it, you’re having fun in an electric car which isn’t made by Tesla or costs £60,000-plus.

It does the boring stuff well too.

It’s quiet and calm around town, and even on 20in wheels, it soaks up potholes and bumpy stuff nicely.

Inside, you can spot recycled switchgear from the ID 3, which means it has those annoying haptic feedback buttons on the steering wheel.

But Cupra has worked hard to distinguish it from its drearier cousin.

There are bucket seats and plenty of textured “3D” trim coating places like the dashboard.

What else to tell you . . . oh, it has its own 12in infotainment system, which is probably because the ID 3’s system feels about as advanced as one of those Casio calculator watches from the Nineties.

The entry 45kWh model ­promises a range of up to 211 miles, while the 58kWh model does 260 miles.

A long-range version using a 77kWh battery has legs for 335 miles.

Finally, the Born ­supports 125kW charging which means you can top up 62 miles of range in just seven minutes.

That’s if you can find a rapid charger in the wild, though.

Last time I saw one of those that wasn’t already plugged into a Tesla, I saw Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder holding hands and discussing holiday plans.

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