Automotive Industry Hot Topics with Center for Automotive Research President and CEO, Alan Amici

On a bi-weekly basis, Center for Automotive Research (CAR) welcomes our audience to decompress with our President and CEO, Alan Amici, as he covers and shares his thoughts on the latest Hot Topics happening in the automotive industry. While the biweekly newsletter primarily covers three topics, this feature story previews one of the topics covered on October 3, 2022. If you would like access to the full newsletter for better insights into critical industry issues you and your organization are facing, sign up for our mailing list here.

 

HOT TOPICS WITH CENTER FOR AUTOMOTIVE RESEARCH CEO 10/3/2022

 

EV Charging

• Federal money is now headed to states for building up fast EV chargers on highways
• Hertz, BP team up to build EV charging network
• It’s common to charge electric vehicles at night. That will be a problem.
• EV charge points in Britain are now nearly as expensive as gasoline, research shows
•  

Alan’s thoughts:

One of the challenges facing EV adoption in the US is getting some traction as federal funding has been released to states for charging station deployment. Installation of DC fast chargers along interstate highways will be prioritized, providing some range anxiety relief to early adopters. Of course, it is not simply a matter of installation, as any charge-seeking driver has experienced the disappointment of arriving at a charging station only to find it inoperative. Maintenance and upkeep will be essential. We’re seeing signs that the private sector is also getting on board with charging station deployment – see Hertz-BP arrangement. I expect many other private companies to follow as EV sales grow.

Another challenge is the potential stress on the national electric grid, referenced in a recent Stanford study. Today, utility companies incentivize home charging at night. But renewable energy, such as solar, provides energy during the day. As demand grows, I expect the market to settle into incentivized regional and climate-specific rates. Just as the technology for batteries and charging stations will evolve, our grid capacity and storage/delivery systems will improve.

I recently discussed the other challenges that lie ahead in the shift to electrification, including charging infrastructure, in an opinion piece with the Detroit News. I welcome Hot Topics readers to view the article HERE>>>.

 

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