NOS
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News from the NOS•today, 21:24
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Lucas Waagmeester
Correspondent from the United States
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Lucas Waagmeester
Correspondent from the United States
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Those looking for confirmation can find it this weekend in Detroit: the future of the American auto industry is electric. From small startups to giants like Ford and General Motors, all on the floor of the annual auto show City of engines aims for electrification. The automotive industry is still in the beginning of a great metamorphosis, but it has clearly made its choice.
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For years, the industry has struggled. Stricter environmental regulations have been seen as a cost item and a lot of pressure has been put in place to push legislation further into the future. Until last month, California introduced the most stringent legislation to date: from 2035, a gasoline-powered car can no longer be sold in the state. To everyone’s surprise, there was silence. The auto industry is over.
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Indeed; most of the brands themselves are more in a hurry. “Our first all-electric model will roll off the production line in 2025,” said Christine Feuell, Chrysler CEO. “And by 2028, our entire collection will be electric.”
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The past year has been one of the most dramatic for the industry since the invention of the automobile, says electrification expert David Cooke. “For years, automakers were just thinking and preparing, but now suddenly we see difficult goals that also immediately become concrete,” said the Ohio University researcher. “It’s going really fast now.”
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Outlets and ice cooler
And concrete it is. New models that still have a combustion engine are invariably in second place at the show. At the center of the stands of all major brands are the new EV models. From city cars to SUVs, minivans, small trucks, sports cars and even a good pick of the very popular pickup in America.
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“This is a big change, especially for the typical pickup truck driver,” confirmed Ford Representative Tyler Smith. The Ford F-150 pickup has been the best-selling car in America for years. “This is a classic piece of cultural heritage, you’d rather not tinker with it.” However, now the F-150 Lightning ahead of us, the EV model. “It does exactly what the normal model does and more,” advises Smith.
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This is a car with multiple sockets, useful for installation or mechanical work that can immediately charge their power tools. It also has an ice cooler, where the engine used to be. The car was deliberately designed in such a way that it is almost indistinguishable from an old F-150. “And it works,” says Smith, “orders are rushing, we can’t deliver anymore.”
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Correspondent Lucas Waagmeester reviewed the latest electric models at the Motor Town auto show:
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“Are Americans willing to embrace an electric pickup?”
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There is immediately a roadblock on the road to the electric vehicle revolution. If the reversal goes too fast, the industry will outdo itself. “This really requires a completely new infrastructure,” said researcher David Cooke. A car factory will change beyond recognition. “The whole chain has to change. From the new raw materials to the production process. From where the minerals for the batteries are located, to the production of all the parts for the series production of these vehicles.”
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That’s exactly what President Biden’s climate plans are aimed at. Because, obviously, the electrification of the American vehicle fleet will produce great benefits in reducing CO2 emissions. Both Biden’s previous infrastructure law and last summer’s climate law contain important incentives for the industry.
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For example, tax credits go to consumers who buy an electric vehicle, and the industry can receive a subsidy, as long as the production takes place in America. At least seven battery plants are currently under construction across the country to meet future demand for automotive batteries.
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Pull and drag
“The government is investing more money than ever in new technologies,” Cooke said. “This will not transform the entire sector, but it will attract businesses and investors.” During a visit to the Auto Show last Wednesday, Biden announced that an additional $ 900 million will be devoted to the installation of charging stations. “It gives the guarantee to the industry: the government is behind this change with its weight,” said Cooke.
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The speed of that change surprised everyone. Order books are filling up everywhere, many new models of electric vehicles will not be available until 2023 or 2024. “It will take a few years to convert this industry,” says Cooke, “but the change in mindset is immense. First you had to pull. and drag and ask for attention, now they come to us and want to know everything. It’s going now. Really happening.
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