“EV’s – Electric Vehicles”

Hertz, one of the four largest car rental companies in the world, is replacing its CEO after the company reversed its bet on electric vehicle (EV) rentals over increasing costs.

Stephen Scherr will step down as Hertz Global Holdings Inc.’s chief executive officer and member of the company’s Board of Directors effective March 31, the company announced Friday. Scherr led Hertz for just over two years after spending nearly three decades at Goldman Sachs.

Scherr’s resignation comes as the car rental company struggles with the higher repair costs and low demand for EV rentals.

h/t Mauser

Drivers in Ontario looking to switch gears to an electric vehicle may consider hitting the brakes on the idea following the release of a new report on the cost of ownership.

The University of British Columbia study(opens in a new tab) found that it’s actually cheaper to own an EV than an internal combustion engine vehicle (ICEV) in some parts of the country, and Ontario is far from the top of the list.

EV’s are costly anywhere, the study is a weak attempt at propaganda.

I’ve been writing about electric vehicles since 2011.  EV cheerleading never stops. They’re inevitable! We’ll have 500,000 chargers coast to coast any minute now (the federal government has built approximately two)! By 2030, 50% — or more — of all vehicles on the road will be EVs!  EVs will save the planet! Ve haf vays to make you buy EVs!  And eat bugs!  Don’t forget about the bugs!

When a Leaf turns into a ‘brick’: Juno winner describes EV catastrophe

The owner of a Nissan Leaf electric car says his experience has been a cautionary tale for others who might make the leap to electric vehicles.

And though Brian Sanderson has paid 417 Nissan, the dealership that’s been servicing the car, almost $10,000, he said the bills aren’t even the most heartbreaking part of his experience.

“It’s cruel because I don’t want to be part of the ‘let’s slam electric vehicles’ crowd,” said Sanderson, a professional musician who, along with his instrumental chamber rock ensemble Esmerine, has won four Juno Awards.

I have no idea why the CBC thinks being a Juno winner has a bearing on this story.

DETROIT — The buzz around electric vehicles is wearing off.

For years, the automotive industry has been in a state of EV euphoria. Automakers trotted out optimistic sales forecasts for electric models and announced ambitious targets for EV growth. Wall Street boosted valuations for legacy automakers and startup entrants alike, based in part on their visions for an EV future.

Now the hype is dwindling, and companies are again cheering consumer choice. Automakers from Ford Motor and General Motors to Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, Jaguar Land Rover and Aston Martin are scaling back or delaying their electric vehicle plans.

h/t DS

It is all beginning to look a bit like the Volkswagen scandal: you remember, when regulators caught out the German car company for installing software which detected when diesel engines were in test mode and adjusted performance so that it flattered emissions figures.

A test by What Car magazine has revealed that the official figures for the range of electric cars over-estimates their real-life range by around a third. Vehicles were driven around a test track in Bedfordshire until they ran out of juice.

Tests to find out the range of electric cars are flawed and give a misleading indication of battery life, motorists have been warned.

Steve Huntingford, the editor of What Car? magazine, said official laboratory tests have “inadequacies” and need overhauling so that drivers have “realistic information and won’t be left disappointed” after buying an electric vehicle (EV).

In real-world winter conditions, EV ranges have been found to fall by more than a third compared with official test results.