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The Biden administration would like to spend $15 billion to increase the national electric-vehicle charging network to half a million stations by 2030.While Congress argues that point, the national network continues to grow, thanks to private companies and regional government initiatives.But the charging stations get built mainly in more populous areas, causing gaps that will be a problem going forward.President Joe Biden has announced a plan to spend $174 billion to make it easier for Americans to choose electric vehicles. Biden wants $15 billion of that money to go toward building a national network of 500,000 charging stations by 2030. The day after Biden’s announcement, Representatives Andy Levin and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez—both Democrats—announced that they had revised their existing bill on electric vehicle infrastructure so that it would align with Biden’s new plan. Republicans oppose Biden’s plan. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) called it a “mandatory rush” toward EVs (it’s not—Biden has declined to back a California proposal that would ban the sale of gas cars by 2035).

Whether or not Biden’s plan can weather the slings and arrows of a bitterly divided Congress, an EV charging network is popping up across the country, driven by efforts from private companies and various government initiatives. But where will all those chargers go?That depends on what’s used to determine the optimal charge station layout, according to Mehrnaz Ghamami, an assistant professor in civil and environmental engineering at Michigan State University. Ghamami led a team of researchers who developed a plan to optimize Michigan’s EV charging network for inter-city trips and trips within high-traffic urban environments. The study’s goal was to plan a network for 2030, which meant the team had to consider both the existing capabilities and adoption rate of EVs and charging networks and the potential for future higher adoption rates, higher-capacity batteries, and the wider availability of fast chargers. The state also directed the team to plan chargers with “uniform distribution throughout the state, for equity purposes,” not just in areas where road traffic or EV adoption are already high.

Electrify America

The resulting charging maps imagine a network of chargers splayed at roughly even intervals across the state, with clusters around the state’s population centers, where dozens or even hundreds of chargers will be necessary to support the higher number of EV owners and the lower likelihood that those owners will be able to charge their EVs at home. Ghamami says her team faced some criticism for planning stations in remote areas, but “the infrastructure needs to be there, and users need to be educated about these vehicles” before they’ll feel comfortable purchasing one. “The state wanted to build the chargers, and the demand will follow,” she says.But not every government or charging network is prioritizing equitable placement of charge stations. If you look at a map of existing chargers in the United States, there are often (depending on the station provider) big gaps in the middle of the country, especially in the upper Midwest and through the Rockies. That could be a signal that some of the biggest network providers, including ChargePoint and Electrify America, have so far focused on putting chargers where lots of people (and EVs) already go. That’s the technique the city of London is using to build out its network in advance of a 2033 deadline that will mandate a zero-emissions taxi fleet. That plan used mapping data from current taxi trip patterns combined with data on the capacity of the electrical grid to start building a fast-charging network based around established travel patterns. That may mean that parts of the city that don’t currently see high taxi traffic will be left out of the charge station boom and could theoretically make for an out-of-date network as neighborhoods and their traffic patterns change over time.London’s strategy of working with electricity providers is one we’ll have to think about on this side of the pond, too. Ghamami says her team’s next act is a study on how to distribute the energy demand of charging stations, for example by using large batteries to store energy so that the electrical grid isn’t overwhelmed on high-traffic days. Grid failures aren’t only a risk in rural or remote areas—Ghamami says that in Michigan, portions of the grid in danger of being overloaded by a growing EV charging network are split between low-population areas and higher-density zones with outdated electrical infrastructure.And, of course, no amount of planning will create a robust charging network if no one wants to build the stations. The installation of new charging stations often involves partnerships among two or more parties, often some combination of state and local governments, electrical utilities, a charging company, and a private company interested in the business it can get from drivers waiting for their cars to charge. But Ghamami says Michigan’s government sometimes can’t find willing partners to shoulder even a third of the cost of installing a planned station, and an analysis from consulting firm AlixPartners found last year that a fast-charging station asking the market rate for electricity could take 20 to 25 years to make back its initial investment.Those are the administrative challenges that await the Biden administration’s EV infrastructure plan, should it ever be signed into law. And that first hurdle will likely be enough to occupy the interested parties in Congress for quite some time.The bill that Reps. Levin and Ocasio-Cortez hope will turn into funding for a network of fast-chargers isn’t new. They first proposed a version of it in February 2020, but it never emerged from its subcommittee. With a new President who has been vocal about his interest in EVs, Levin and Ocasio-Cortez are trying again with a more aggressive bill. But there’s no sign that Republicans are more willing to compromise on legislation than they were last year. What is the standard to guide states and charging networks on the best layout for burgeoning networks in the meantime? “Nationwide?” Ghamami said. “I don’t think there is one.”

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A new survey conducted last month by Automotive News about the global chip shortage finds that almost everyone in the auto industry thinks it’s a big problem.Today, according to the survey, 53 percent of respondents said they source their chips from outside the U.S., and 55 percent are looking for alternative chip sources outside the country.Changes are happening, of course, from temporary production pauses and a shift to models that are either in high demand or require fewer chips. The auto industry is fully aware just how bad the current chip shortage is. Anecdotally, this has been clear for a while. Ford CEO Jim Farley, for example, recently said that the chip shortage is “perhaps the greatest supply shock” he’s ever seen. Automotive News used that quote in a new survey of automakers and suppliers called Examining the Global Chip Shortage, which gives us plenty of survey data to back up the feeling that this is a big, big deal.

Perhaps the most surprising number in the survey is that only—yes, only—93 percent of respondents said that they think the chip shortage will have a severe impact on the auto industry. The survey was conducted a month ago, before recent estimates put the shortage’s impact on the auto industry at $110 billion in lost revenue this year. But even in January, the estimates were around $50 billion, which apparently wasn’t severe enough for 7 percent of respondents.There’s also the feeling that the chip shortage will stretch out for most of the rest of the year. Almost three-quarters of respondents, 72 percent, said they expect the chip shortage crisis to impact the industry for at least six months.Just a reminder that the shortage of the chips, used in cars, computers, and other products, was caused by worldwide demand for electronic goods that intensified because of the coronavirus pandemic, along with inadequate planning in the supply chain and weather problems. As the New York Times pointed out, a new vehicle can have up to 100 of these semiconductor chips on board; they’re used (and needed) in components from touchscreens to transmissions.

While there have been efforts to start making more semiconductors in the U.S., newly proposed plants will take time to build and start producing chips. The survey provides us with some insight into where automakers and suppliers are getting their chips now: 53 percent get them from outside the U.S. today and 55 percent are looking to source chips from outside the U.S. in the future. Forty-eight percent said they’d rather buy chips from domestic suppliers.Survey respondents were somewhat uncertain about which segments of the industry will be most impacted by the shortage. Half (49 percent) said it will be the automakers, while 30 percent believe dealers and retailers will be hardest hit, and 23 percent said it will be the suppliers.If there are bright spots to be found in the numbers, they lie in the way the industry is adapting to the situation. Almost half, 42 percent, of automaker and supplier respondents said they have already changed, or will implement changes, to the ways they mitigate supply chain risk, and 26 percent said they have found alternate sources for the chips they need. That means 74 percent of the industry, as of mid-April, hadn’t yet found a solution to the shortage itself, but there are other ways of mitigating the mess. As we’ve previously reported, many automakers—38 percent, in the survey—have at least temporarily stopped some manufacturing. Another third, 32 percent, have shifted production to vehicles or components that are less impacted by the shortage, and almost half, 46 percent, have prioritized making high-demand products.The survey was conducted in mid-April of 475 Automotive News subscribers and readers, which the publication said represent a “diverse sample of automotive professionals who represent various companies and levels and areas of expertise across the industry.”
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With many Americans starting to head back into the office and facing a drive to work again, the Window Shop team decided to look at the perfect cars for commuting. Despite the hype around the shortage of used cars, our budget of $20,000 provided a variety of vehicles from which to choose. Now, before you start picking apart our choices, the challenge never stated exactly what the commute would be. We left that part up to each shopper, but we did mention that the average time it takes for folks to get to work is just under 30 minutes. Now an employee of our sister publication Road & Track, senior editor John Pearley Huffman decides that getting there, absolutely getting there is the most important part of a commuter car. So, he picks a low-mileage 2009 Honda Accord that he promises will never make you late or absent. Meanwhile, Mr. Practicality senior editor Joey Capparella doesn’t pick a normcore car with a reputation for reliability. Instead, Capparella goes for driving enjoyment with his 2014 BMW 228i. Quicker than all the others with a zero-to-60 time of 4.9 seconds, Capparella’s choice has more than a few of us wishing we’d thought of a 2-series. Still, since it’s a modern BMW, he’s dinged for potential reliability issues. Reliability certainly wasn’t on the mind of contributor Jonathon Ramsey when he decided that a V-12 BMW 760Li with over 100,000 miles would be just the thing for his commute. A lover of the finer things, Ramsey’s choice is so far out there that we have to now wonder if he’s trolling us.The remaining shoppers, deputy testing director K.C. Colwell and deputy editor Tony Quiroga make better choices than Ramsey. Colwell chooses a futuristic plug-in hybrid with a carbon-fiber composite body on top of an aluminum frame while Quiroga, dreading a bumper-to-bumper slog chooses his car for its powerful audio system. Of course, random trivia is sprinkled throughout the bickering and then finally a winner is crowned. Enjoy the show.

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Mazda is discontinuing the 6 mid-size sedan for the U.S. market.The 2021 model year will be its last and it won’t return for 2022.A future Mazda 6 is rumored to be on its way with a new rear-wheel-drive platform and an inline-six engine.Mazda will no longer offer the 6 mid-size sedan in the U.S. after the 2021 model year. The current third-generation 6 has been around since 2014 and will not be available for 2022, meaning Mazda is the latest automaker—following Ford, Chrysler, and a few others—to exit the popular family-sedan segment.

While this is the end of the road for now, it doesn’t necessarily mean that Mazda is done with mid-size sedans forever. Rumors persist that Mazda will launch a new sedan model on the company’s new rear-wheel-drive platform that could utilize its new inline-six engines. When asked about the potential for a future rear-wheel-drive Mazda 6, a company spokesperson told C/D, “We cannot share details of future products at this time.”The cancellation announcement does call into question whether this new model will once again utilize the 6 nameplate, as Mazda could introduce a new moniker to reflect the sedan’s new mission. If it comes to fruition, we likely won’t hear more about this new Mazda sedan for a while longer, as it’s expected to arrive sometime in 2022 as a 2023 model.In the meantime, 2021 Mazda 6 sedans will remain on sale at dealerships until inventory runs out.
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Mazda is dropping the CX-3 from its lineup after the 2021 model year.The CX-3 is smaller and older than the newer CX-30, which is similar in size and price.2021 CX-3s should remain in inventory for a little while longer.The sun will set on Mazda’s smallest crossover, the CX-3, after the 2021 model year. We’re not too surprised to hear this, as Mazda essentially replaced this older model with the newer CX-30 recently. The two compete alongside each other in the subcompact-crossover segment, and the CX-30 is more powerful, more spacious, and more upscale than the dated CX-3.

While the CX-30 is based on the compact Mazda 3, the CX-3 was based on the tiny subcompact Mazda 2, which meant it was considerably smaller inside than many of its competitors. It debuted for 2016 and has received only minimal updates over the years. Mazda reduced its lineup to a single trim level recently, marking the beginning of the end for this model.We wonder if Mazda may eventually rename the CX-30 to CX-3 as a result of this change. This would provide more consistency in the brand’s SUV lineup, as other models have single-digit monikers including CX-5 and CX-9.
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Few inventions have changed society as much as the automobile. From the earliest days of horseless carriages to the 21st century’s promise of autonomous cars, the modern era has been shaped and defined by the rise of the car. A new two-part History Channel documentary takes a look at the history of some of the greatest and most enduring car companies in automotive history, and how the people behind them changed the world. Plus, you’ll get to see two Road & Track editors on the show.

The Cars That Built the World is a two-part documentary that features R&T deputy editor Bob Sorokanich and senior editor Chris Perkins. Accompanied by familiar faces from around the automotive world, Perkins and Sorokanich dive into the backstories behind the greatest minds and most influential innovations in automotive history. From the very first Benz Patent-Motorwagen to the glory years of the postwar American car industry, the humble roots and magnificent success of Porsche to the unexpected rise of Honda and Toyota, The Cars That Built the World gives you a deep look at the immensely talented, fiercely competitive innovators who brought the automobile to the masses. War intrigue, racing grudges, engineering breakthroughs, and pure unbridled drive—every tale is packed with excitement and drama.You’ll hear stories you never before knew, like how Soichiro Honda got his start working for Toyota, and how the very first automotive road trip was undertaken in secret by the free-spirited wife of Germany’s first carmaker. And you’ll get inside some of the biggest rivalries in automotive history: Bentley versus Rolls-Royce, Daimler versus Benz, Toyota versus Honda. The two-night documentary premiers on Sunday, May 23, at 9 p.m. ET/PT, with the second installment airing on Monday, May 24, at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Tune in and learn how the automobile became the indispensable device that it is today.

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The 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning electric pickup made its debut on Wednesday night in Dearborn, Michigan, but even before President Biden’s spin in it on Tuesday, Car and Driver got the opportunity to take a ride and check out the new truck. Here are some early impressions.The first thing we noticed, while cruising at 75 or 80 mph, was that there is just a whiff of wind noise penetrating the aluminum cabin. Impressive, considering this EV has the aerodynamics of a thick two-by-eight Lego brick. Tire noise, too, is absurdly low for rolling stock in size XL. I guess it makes sense that the Lightning isn’t loud. After all, it isn’t named “Thunder.”

When the F-150 Lightning goes on sale, however, it has the potential to make a ton of noise. Even if the headline-grabbing $40K-plus price is just for a “commercial base” truck, there are still going to be a metric crap ton of takers for a $55K EP—that’s for “electric pickup”—that can get to 60 in about five seconds, or even quicker if you spend more and get the big battery. We felt it, and while the big pickup masks its speed with relative silence and pickup height, there is no denying what two electric motors with a combined 775 pound-feet of torque feels like off the line. The truck will go 105 mph, a governor set due to tire limitations, not driveline hardware. Those tires, size 275/50R-22, wrap around dorky-looking but aero-friendly wheels, which in addition to a blocked-off grille are the only exterior hints that this isn’t a normal F-150. Behind those wheels is a fully independent suspension, something no F-150 has ever had, no matter how sporty Ford’s SVT division could make the Lightnings that came before.

Ford

Among other dynamic advantages, the independent rear suspension (IRS) also reduces the unsprung mass, and for a stick-axle pickup, that’s usually a substantial amount of weight. The semi-trailing-arm IRS didn’t sag inappropriately with a 6000-pound trailer on the bumper. Granted, this was probably the trailer equivalent of a corner-weighted Le Mans prototype, because we didn’t so much as hear the ball-and-hitch interaction while climbing a moderate grade. Nevertheless, the motors didn’t seem stressed, either. At least, there is no audible increase in powertrain noise when load increases like you’d get with an engine. No one has ever said, “Jeez, look at that truck. I bet it handles like a car.” But the Lightning has potential to change that. In addition to the IRS, this EP will have the lowest center of gravity (CoG) ever measured for a half-ton pickup. The 1800-pound-plus battery and both motors live between the rails of a strengthened ladder frame, and above that is the aluminum body Ford spent so much money launching in 2015. And not only will the CoG be low, it will be further aft, too. Ford may have to pay Easy Spirit a royalty, but it could launch an ad campaign around “Looks like a boot, feels like a sneaker,” and it wouldn’t be lying. There was almost no body roll during moderately paced S-turns on a wide-open proving ground oval, a maneuver in a normal pickup that would make passengers feel like they were on the final voyage of the Golden Ray. Ford engineers point out that starting lighter with the aluminum body really helped with developing the Lightning and that it’s about 1000 pounds heavier than the gas equivalent, or about 6500 pounds at the curb. But even off-road, on a two-track, there is little sense that the Lightning is dragging around that much heft. The battery case is essentially one giant skidplate that can take fairly significant hits. How hard? Well, if we were going slower, the truck may have high-centered itself, but momentum kept us moving and unstuck. In off-road mode the accelerator mapping gets a bit longer at tip-in, affording the driver a little more control over the pace at low speed.

Ford

While it is clear the Lightning isn’t supposed to carry its namesake’s performance torch, it inadvertently might, because of the impressive performance numbers it can generate and the underpinning hardware. When the Lightning goes on sale in about a year, there will be a lot more electric-truck options, from Rivian, GMC, and maybe even Tesla. This truck felt finished. While we’re sure Ford isn’t waiting around for the competition to catch up, the buzz those others are currently making may very well be drowned out by some unobtrusive wind noise.

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Acura has released pricing for the new Type S version of the TLX sedan.It starts at $53,325 and offers a single option: summer tires.That starting price is higher than the Audi S4’s but lower than the BMW M34oi’s.Those who want the added power, performance, and prestige of the 2021 Acura TLX’s Type S version will have to pay a hefty premium for it. The V-6–powered Type S starts at $53,325, which is around $13,000 more than a four-cylinder TLX with all-wheel drive.

The Type S comes standard with a 355-horsepower turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6, a 10-speed automatic transmission, and all-wheel drive. There’s only a single option available: $800 for a set of Pirelli P Zero summer tires and lightweight five-spoke 21-inch wheels to replace the standard all-season rubber. The Type S also comes standard with many features that are optional on the base TLX, such as navigation, a premium audio system, cooled front seats, and rain-sensing windshield wipers.Acura says that the Audi S4 and BMW M340i are the TLX Type S’s closest competitors, and the pricing bears that out. It fits in neatly between the cheaper S4, which starts at $50,945, and the more expensive M340i, which starts at $55,695 with rear-wheel drive or $57,695 with all-wheel drive. It’s also between the two in terms of power output, as the Audi’s turbo V-6 provides 349 hp and the BMW’s turbo inline-six provides 382 hp.Type S models will reach dealerships June 23, and Acura says it will only produce 2000 units of the 2021 model year TLX Type S. We assume the Type S will be available more widely for the 2022 model year, which should arrive later this year.
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