Jaw-dropping video shows electric vehicle struck by lightning with a driver inside — plus, 3 more auto stories you need to know this week
Tesla is plotting its longest-range Model 3 variant, Ford announced its electric “Model T” moment, and a new surge in American EV sales — here’s all that and all the other news you need to know about clean machines right now.
What happens when lightning strikes a moving EV?
A BYD Song Plus was driving in China when lightning struck it. The widely shared video of the event is certainly dramatic, but the driver was just fine, and the EV did not — contrary to what a popular internet myth might have predicted — explode.
In fact, you can see the wipers continue to run as if nothing happened, and other than some marks on the roof, a mechanic reported that there was no damage at all. As far as the lightning was concerned, the car was just the same as any other kind of car and traveled around the edges like a Faraday cage.
Tesla’s longest-range EV is coming — but maybe not to America
Tesla’s new, long-range Model 3 is on the way, but for now, only in China. American buyers will have to wait for its maximum range of 515 miles, as Tesla hasn’t announced a rollout plan for the U.S.
Ford’s big bet? A $30K EV Truck
Ford CEO Jim Farley has come out swinging with the company’s new “Model T Moment.”
The automaker recently announced that a “universal electric vehicle platform” is the culmination of three years’ work and a reported $5 billion investment plan.
First off, the low-cost EV production line will be a mid-sized pickup (the apparent vehicle of choice for EV makers right now), featuring LFP (lithium iron-phosphate) battery cells with an estimated cost of just $30,000.
The last-minute rush to buy a cheap EV is having a big impact on sales
The end of the $7,500 federal tax credit for certain new EV models is approaching fast, with the incentive set to expire on Sept. 30. Now, that timeline has sparked a rush to buy. Americans bought 130,100 new EVs in July, the second-highest monthly tally on record, trailing only approximately 136,000 in December. The July figures represent a 26.4% increase from June and a nearly 20% increase from the same time last year.
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