Where this week did GM introduce a new electric car?
Which automaker turned to technology used by cryptocurrencies for keeping track of raw materials?
This is our look back at the Week In Reverse—right here at Green Car Reports—for the week ending November 15, 2019.
Teaser for Ford Mustang Mach-E debuting at 2019 Los Angeles Auto Show
We finished off the week here with a first look at the Ford Mustang Mach-E, which was made part of the Mustang family just earlier this week, then unexpectedly revealed by Ford with a live product page discovered by users of an enthusiast forum for the Mach-E. With that, we have a good picture of the 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E, as well as how it compares vs. the Tesla Model Y.
There were more announcements about manufacturing than we typically get in a week. Volkswagen broke ground on a huge plant expansion in Tennessee that will assemble mass-market EVs. And back at the start of the week we reported that electric-car hopeful Lucid has at last started work on its assembly plant in Arizona.
Artist's impression of Lucid's proposed plant - Photo credit: The Verge
Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced that the company has chosen Berlin as the location for its European Gigafactory. That may have been a moment of redemption for Germany, if the common sentiment is anything like the gist of an editorial we linked to last weekend—that tech companies have taken the lead from the country’s automakers.
Three years ago the Sierra Club did a survey on the electric vehicle shopping experience. This year it did so again, expanding to all 50 states, and found the same issues on dealership sales lots.
Consumer Reports found that the Trump administration’s proposed fuel economy and emissions rules—whether that means a freeze or a modest tightening each year—will cost motorists more over years of ownership. And the Union of Concerned Scientists took Ford to task over the mediocre fuel economy of its smallest vehicle, the Ecosport.
And we all knew this, but sometimes it takes a study: Workplace charging isn’t just about the employees.
Hyundai Road Noise Active Noise Control
In tech news, Hyundai boasted that it has developed the world’s first active noise control for vehicle cabins that’s focused on road noise. Volvo also reported that it’s turned to a blockchain-based program for tracing controversially sourced raw materials, like cobalt.
The EPA’s proposed rules that require disclosure of full data sets could have widespread effects on air pollution regulation, among many examples. But the more smog-prone E15 gasoline approved for wider distribution earlier this year, which contains more ethanol typically from corn, hasn’t seen much of a boost at the pump—because of costly pump retrofits, state laws, and consumer pushback.
2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV - IIHS passenger-side small overlap front test
The 2019 Chevy Bolt has been named an IIHS Top Safety Pick, after a slight tweak to its headlights. And the Chevrolet Menlo electric car was introduced for China; it’s intriguing, but not a possibility for the U.S.
Volvo’s plug-in hybrid SUVs, the XC90 T8 and XC60 T8, got modest range and mpg boosts with a slightly larger battery pack.
Mercedes-Benz G-Class Experience Center
Daimler’s plans to go big on electrification include an all-electric Mercedes G-wagen.
And we found what’s quite possibly the best electric-car lease of 2019: just $79 a month for a 2019 Hyundai Ioniq—if you’re lucky enough to live in the Northeast, and to find a qualifying car.
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