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[As hosts Jack Nerad and Chris Teague take Labor Day weekend off, this is the repeat of a popular episode that originally aired in July. Jack and Chris will be back with an all-new episode next week.]
While many claim the future is electric, statistics indicate the present day is ICE. Further evidence of that came this week with reports that inventories of newly introduced electric vehicles are piling up on dealer lots and in manufacturer inventories. While this is a cloud for many in the industry, it might represent a silver lining for all those who have been hankering for an electric vehicle, but either couldn’t find one at all or were unwilling to pay well beyond the suggested list price to get one. So this could be an excellent time to buy a Ford F-150 Lightning pickup truck, a Ford Mustang Mach-E crossover, a Kia EV6 small utility, a Lucid Air luxury sedan, or a Cadillac Lyriq SUV, among many others.
While, according to Experian data, EV registrations rose 68 percent in the January-to-May timeframe, some vehicles that were in short supply last year are much more available right now. EVs have risen from four percent market share in 2022 to seven percent share now, but the influx of new electric models could be flooding the marketplace with more choices than carbuyers can process.
How do Americans feel about electric cars? A lot of people have opinions, but J.D. Power has data from real consumers. And our special guest this week, Stewart Stropp, executive director of EV intelligence at J.D. Power will tell all about it in his interview with Host Jack Nerad.
In the road test segment, Host Jack Nerad will evaluate the pluses and minuses of the Infiniti QX80 full-size luxury SUV. The QX80 isn’t the freshest vehicle in the segment, but it checks most of the boxes a luxury SUV needs to check. And compared to others in the class, it could be an excellent buy.
Co-Host Chris Teague will test another three-row SUV this week, the 2023 Hyundai Palisade. The likable midsize crossover SUV has been a popular choice since its introduction as a 2021 model, and it’s even better for 2023.
Self-driving cars have always seemed to be about 10 years away, but we might be getting closer if the National Highway Traffic Administration rules favorably on a request from General Motors. The Detroit-based automaker has asked to be allowed to test its self-driving technology on public roads, and now it is waiting for an answer. NHTSA says that a ruling might be forthcoming soon, and we’ll have the details.
Fans of big SUVs — and that’s most Americans — will be happy to learn that Volvo has just introduced a battery-electric three-row, seven-seat vehicle. We’ll give you the details on the 2024 Volvo EX90 later in this segment. All that and much, much more will be there for you in this edition of America on the Road.
America on the Road is brought to you by Driving Today.com, Mercury Insurance, YourTestDriver.com, and EMLandsea.com , the publisher of Nerad’s latest book, Dance in the Dark, which is available HERE on Amazon.com
