Ford F-150 Lightning, heavy Hummer EV, Chevy Bolt EUV deliveries, Kia EV6: The Week in Reverse

Will the U.S. get new point-of-sale incentives for electric vehicles? 

Which California EV startup announced a price for its first vehicle, originally to be offered by subscription only?

This is our look back at the Week In Reverse—right here at Green Car Reports—for the week ending May 21, 2021.

The top story of the week was without a doubt the debut of the 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning electric pickup. With a base price of $39,974 and a range in some versions of up to 300 miles, there’s a lot of real tough-truck substance to win over truck people. Plus, while Ford didn’t get specific about production volume, it made a serious commitment to battery production with a pending joint venture with cell supplier SK Innovation. 

In addition to considering the F-150 Lightning vs. the Rivian R1T, we also followed up with Ford to find out whether the company considered in-wheel motors for the F-150 Lightning. And we looked at the Lightning’s home power-backup capabilities; does it make the Powerwall redundant?

Tesla CEO Elon Musk confirmed that versions of the Model Y made in Texas will get the more energy-dense 4680 cells. That’s a surprise, as the automaker continues to tackle ramp-up of the cells in amounts adequate enough to support production of two upcoming models: the Semi and Cybertruck. And we looked at the longstanding similarities between Apple and Tesla—and why they’re not coincidental. 

2022 Kia EV6

The 2022 Kia EV6 electric crossover was rolled out in U.S.-spec. With an expected range of up to 300 miles, it will be offered in all 50 states, and reservations start June 3.

On Monday, GM confirmed that 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EUV and Bolt EV models are shipping out to dealerships, about a month earlier than originally anticipated.  

Canoo Lifestyle Vehicle

The startup Canoo has given its Lifestyle Vehicle, due in 2022, a price tag of $34,750—although there are plenty of questions about how that might fit into a supposed LA launch and subscription model. 

The GMC Hummer EV SUT will weigh more than 9,000 pounds, with a GVWR of 10,400 pounds. Will that allow the automaker to skip some safety features or to make more gas and diesel HD trucks?

2022 GMC Hummer EV

Faraday Future is aiming to get its long-anticipated FF91 electric luxury car to market next year, with a SPAC this year, and it teased another new feature that brings seamless video-call capability to the back seat. 

The electric pickup wasn’t the only piece of news from Ford. It announced that it’s rolling out a series of new features with its over-the-air updates for the Mustang Mach-E electric car—and soon, other models. Amazon Alexa connectivity and a sketchpad are two examples with the updates, now termed Power-Up.

Harvard researchers are claiming that their solid-state battery solution for EVs will last 10,000 fast-charges or more. Although so far it’s still a “proof of concept design” facing all the hurdles of taking it from specific laboratory conditions to production. 

Fisker Ocean Popemobile

Sharp will supply interface components for upcoming Fisker electric vehicles. The partnership follows a joint agreement announced earlier in the month between Fisker and iPhone maker Foxconn. Fisker also at the end of the week announced that it will build a fully electric Popemobile, based on the Ocean electric SUV, for delivery next year. 

President Biden is proposing point-of-sale incentives as part of his emphasis on electric vehicles as the future and the EV supply chain as key infrastructure. But a fact sheet revealed this week seemed to keep details close—or to save them for Congress to debate. 

USPS Next Generation Delivery Vehicle – Oshkosh Defense

With an $8 billion provision recently advanced by a House of Representatives committee, the United States Postal Service fleet still might transition to all-electric delivery trucks.

And a big electric truck stop in California intends to offer 25 megawatts of solar-supplemented charging—but no gasoline or diesel.

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