These were the top EV stories of 2023

Electrical autos stay the way forward for transportation on the finish of 2023, as they had been at first of the yr. But it surely was a yr of powerful inquiries to accompany huge market change, not simply as the large scales of provide and demand swung the opposite means, however as an business refocused.

Whereas 2023 marked the tip of supply-chain points that had dragged on by 2022, it additionally introduced the most important automotive labor strike in a era—with EVs on the core. 

From charging infrastructure reliability to EV import tariffs and setting requirements for battery supplies and inexperienced hydrogen, the Biden administration has grow to be on the middle of the EV economic system. It’s a strategic place that has despatched a lot of meant federal EV spending towards “crimson” states, as EVs grow to be much more of a nationwide political difficulty on this subsequent Presidential election yr.

As you mull that, and wait one other couple days to see our Finest Automobile To Purchase winner for 2024, learn on for Inexperienced Automobile Experiences greatest EV tales of 2023—the 5 subjects that produced a fancy tangle of twists and turns that can, in every of those conditions proceed effectively into 2024.

GM EVs get Tesla Supercharger entry in 2024

Everybody’s switching to Tesla NACS.

By the tip of the yr practically each automaker would have introduced a swap to the Tesla cost port for his or her future EVs?

That will have been very onerous to think about at first of 2023. However someway by later within the yr each different main automaker besides Stellantis has formalized it. 

After Tesla’s November 2022 attraction that different automakers use its connector, renamed NACS, there have been business rumors within the first quarter of the yr suggesting a number of area of interest automakers had been contemplating the shift to NACS. Initially they could have been onerous to take critically as NACS wasn’t but an actual charging normal. The true turning level—or leap of religion—got here in Could with a joint announcement from Ford CEO Jim Farley and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, committing to the Tesla port in future Ford EVs and an adapter permitting Supercharger entry in 2024. Quickly after that, the playing cards fell rapidly, with GM, Rivian, Volvo, and Polestar all following by the tip of June, with practically all the remainder in subsequent months.

All mentioned, NACS modified the narrative, though the connector itself was largely a crimson herring for what’s failing in public charging. What had been a grudging admission from automakers in 2022 that public charging was one thing Tesla was doing higher turned, amid an growing din of dissatisfaction with public charging, an opportunity for a contemporary begin. 

Ford F-150 Lightning augmented-reality expertise

EV pricing returned to Earth.

After value gouging galore in 2022—a few of it on the dealership—2023 turned the yr of the official EV value adjustment. Tesla was probably the most proactive about it, with across-the-board value cuts of as much as 20% introduced in January 2023. Costs on used Teslas additionally plunged as extra EVs hit the market. Amongst a number of different changes, Tesla once more minimize costs on the Mannequin Y and Mannequin 3 in October, however by the tip of the yr these pricing adjustments appeared to restabilize. 

Tesla wasn’t the one one, although. Fashions providing important MSRP cuts included the Hyundai Ioniq 6, Lucid Air, Ford Mustang Mach-E, and Ford F-150 Lightning—with the latter nonetheless not undoing all of its practically 50% markup on the base degree versus initially introduced pricing. 

As we shut out 2023, the takeaway of this unprecedented run-up isn’t but clear. Is the volatility of it nonetheless scaring away would-be patrons? 

Rivian Gauge View

Software program (virtually) killed the electrical automotive. 

Whereas the headline above would possibly overstate the scenario, it appeared at instances that if 2022 was the yr of supply-chain-induced drama, 2023 was the yr that overambitious software program rollouts may need probably held EV adoption again. 

We’d already seen the potential of over-the-air updates in including driving vary, bettering experience and dealing with and, in numerous circumstances, releasing Tesla from some in-person recall fixes. They’re the long run. 

But it surely wasn’t all rosy. In November, Rivian bricked the infotainment system in its R1S and R1T electrical vehicles, however fortuitously Rivian was in a position to abort the replace for many homeowners, and most of these affected acquired a fast over-the-air treatment. 

Because the yr closes, GM has paused Blazer EV deliveries over software program woes, and it looks like practically each over-the-air-capable mannequin getting into the market has a minimum of one function that hasn’t but been software-enabled. 

Little doubt shopper organizations are grappling with a query: Is shopping for an incomplete product the long run?

2024 Chevrolet Blazer EV RS

The EV tax credit score stays a large number.

From the EV leasing loophole to supply-chain necessities and the shift of the tax credit score to a dealer-based rebate system in 2024—all along with new household-income and price-cap necessities—there’s been lots of confusion concerning the EV tax credit score.

At a number of factors, delays in exact language from the Division of Treasury and in front-facing shopper data from the EPA have given EV buyers little means of figuring out whether or not the automobile they’re contemplating is eligible for a credit score or not. Sellers aren’t prepared both. 

Full steering from the Treasury governing 2024 wasn’t launched till December 1. That’s led to less-than-ideal conditions for patrons during which they need to depend on language like Tesla’s, suggesting that the Mannequin Y “doubtless” gained’t qualify in 2024, and to conditions during which GM, as an example, is scrambling to vary sourcing plans. 

And in December, when the EPA listed the $99,990 Tesla Cyberbeast as qualifying for $7,500 in 2023 (it’s neither out there in 2023 nor $80,000 or much less, amongst a number of considerations), even it appeared confused about what certified and why. 

GM and Pilot Firm’s EV charging community

Extra automakers—and retailers—get instantly concerned in charging.

In 2021 and 2022, automakers and retailers began scaling up their commitments towards charging infrastructure. Maybe spurred by the success of Tesla Supercharging, a Mercedes fast-charging community is beginning with America, and extra notably, a community funded by seven international automakers—tentatively, We Cost—is aiming to be the primary true rival in dimension and scope to the Tesla Supercharger community. Different highlights included first stations in a Pilot-GM community, the launch of a 7Charge community at 7-Eleven shops, the opening of a Volvo-Starbucks community, and a brand new community together with hundreds of Walmart and Sam’s Membership chargers and run by Walmart itself—in an obvious snub to Electrify America. 

With Wall Avenue curiosity in charging networks themselves beginning to fade, some have not too long ago noticed, commitments from automakers, retailers, and firms that see charging as a traffic-driver and image-booster could really be the long run—and an optimistic development which will proceed it doesn’t matter what the end result of subsequent yr’s Presidential election.