Automotive Engineering - February 2024 - 2

EDITORIAL
EDITORIAL
Bill Visnic
Editorial Director
Bill.Visnic@sae.org
Sebastian Blanco
Editor-in-Chief
sebastian.blanco@saemediagroup.com
EV confidence
Anti-EV voices are having their day. It's
easier than ever to find people pointing
out ongoing charging infrastructure
problems or a notable decline in
EV sales. The criticisms are valid and
the challenges are real. Recent rosy
predictions are easy to find and dismiss,
such as GM's statement in late
2022 that it would be able to produce
more than a million EVs a year in North
America by 2025. In 2023, GM sold
around 75,000 EVs in the U.S. You can
see how those numbers make easy
targets for naysayers.
I'm not saying there aren't problems
looming in our EV future. There are.
Sales will rise and fall during the shift
to EVs. Some people will
love their EVs, while others
try the models available
today and realize
they'd rather have an ICE
or PHEV. And don't get
me started on charging
infrastructure.
EVs are not for everyLiving
with
an EV opens
up a world
of new
possibilities.
one. Not yet, anyway. But
despite the headlines, there's no reason
to lose confidence in the overall EV trajectory
that's been underway for the
last dozen years or so. We should pay
reasonable attention to worrying headlines
- even more so to the underlying
facts and figures - but we can't let
them distract from what's actually happening
in the industry. Just ask the engineers
and development teams busy
working on the constant and impressive
technological improvements. Magna's
improved e-motor or NACS' rapid acceptance
by the industry, to cite two
examples from this issue. You'll find
much more in our ongoing daily reporting
at sae.org. This month - and every
month - our pages are full of proof
that the EV transition won't be stopped.
Delayed? Sure. Different than expected?
Obviously. Denied? No way. I'm confident
about that.
2 February 2024
I've been test-driving EVs for more
than 15 years, but it was only a year
ago that I finally purchased my own.
Living with an EV opens up a world of
new possibilities, as well as new problems.
But one of the changes I didn't
fully expect was another variation on
the idea of confidence. The simplicity
of my Chevy Bolt EV created a subtle
but important change in how I feel behind
the wheel every day. An internalcombustion
engine will still move a car,
obviously, but everyday drivers in everyday
situations can feel more confident
in an EV. Driving an EV gives you
confidence that it will dart where you
want it to dart. The instant torque, the
ease with which you can
pass an average ICE vehicle,
can be revolutionary.
When you live with it
every day, something
shifts inside.
Advocates have long
called initial reactions to
this power the " EV grin, "
and it's an important factor
in the EV discussion. This is especially
true for younger people who
might be entering their driving lives
with equal exposure to gas and electrons
as a power source. Along with
learning the rules of the road, driver's
training programs work to instill a sense
of confidence in new drivers. EVs can
provide them that confidence sooner
and more reliably. We'll see how that all
plays out, but you can guess by now
what I'm confident will happen.
A separate note: After my first editorial
as EIC was published in the
December 2023 issue, a reader responded
with some kind words. Polite,
direct feedback - positive or otherwise
- is absolutely appreciated. If you've
got something to share, my email's
open. I'm confident it will be a good
discussion.
Sebastian Blanco, Editor-in-Chief
AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING
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Automotive Engineering - February 2024

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