Road-trip fast-chargers for EVs are growing at a record pace. EV factories in the Southeast may inadvertently be creating more pollution for all ratepayers. And saving seconds with soap may have initiated an in-person recall of thousands of Cybertrucks. This and more, here at Green Car Reports.
“Trapped” accelerator pedals are prompting a Tesla Cybertruck recall that, based on recall documents, may have been spurred by a production workaround on the assembly line. Tesla is recalling nearly 4,000 Cybertrucks for the issue but acted quickly, with a reengineered component already introduced.
While U.S. electricity demand has remained flat, or declined, in recent years, that’s not the case around EV battery plants—and new EV factories may be causing additional pollution, according to a recent report. Biden administration policy has greatly incentivized the growth of EV assembly plants and battery plants, and for labor reasons most of those have been sited in the American Southeast. That’s caused a spike in electricity demand, leading utilities to shift their power mix toward natural gas and away from renewables.
And U.S. fast-charger growth is accelerating in recent months, despite a leveling of sales and demand. Just in the first quarter of the year the total number of fast-chargers is up nearly 8%, fueled by the Biden administration’s NEVI program—now amounting to one fast-charger for every 15 U.S. gas stations.
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