1 big thing: A second life for EV batteries

B2U Storage Solutions' Sierra facility in Lancaster, Calif. 

2. Google's ChatGPT rival

A sample of how LaMDA results will start showing up in Google Search. Image: Google

3. Washington turns hostile on crypto

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The electric car boom means we'll soon be awash in used EV batteries — but even if they're no longer powering cars, they can still be useful in other ways, Alex reports today.

Today's newsletter is 788 words ... 3 minutes.

Big thanks to What's Next copy editor Amy Stern.

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Whats Next

deepBlue

The next decade of big, sweeping changes will unfold in cities and communities where new technologies like 5G, AI and drones are transforming how we work, live and play together.  What’s Next will guide you through the revolution.

Axios What's Next

1 big thing: Look ma, no pilot

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2. Microsoft prez calls for AI dialogue

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3. Citrus crisis strikes Florida

4. CEOs go radio silent on America's tragedies

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5. 🌩️ Lightning round

Autonomous commercial flight could arrive sooner than you think — but plenty of challenges remain, Alex reports today.

Would you climb aboard a self-flying plane? Give us a shout at whatsnext@axios.com.

Today's newsletter is 1,030 words ... 4 minutes.

1 big thing: The EV revolution hinges on equitable charging

2. A tale of two cities

3. Cities are working on solutions

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4. How EV charging works

Illustration of a hand holding an EV charger. 

The once-in-a-generation transition to electric vehicles is shifting into high gear — but many Americans are at risk of being left behind, largely because chargers haven't been equally distributed.

Today, we're diving into the EV charging gap and what's being done to fix it.

We'd love to hear your thoughts — give us a shout at whatsnext@axios.com.

Today's newsletter is 1,194 words ... 4½ minutes.

1 big thing: Humanities revival

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2. ChatGPT or not?

A screenshot of OpenAI's tool for detecting machine-written text. 

3. Resurrecting the dodo

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4. 🗺️ Legalization nation

5. One fun thing: SETI, meet AI

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English, history, and a host of other non-STEM fields are showing signs of a comeback, Jennifer reports today.

Axios is hosting our second annual What's Next Summit on March 29 in Washington, D.C., spotlighting the innovations, trends and people that are breaking boundaries and shaping our world. 

Interested in attending? Request an invite here. 

Today's newsletter is 1,115 words ... 4 minutes.

1 big thing: Electric road trip

Illustration of a road sign with a lightning bolt on it

2. Southwest CEO: "We have a lot of work to do"

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3. "Lagoon communities" make a splash

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Joann is setting off on a 2,700-mile electric road trip this week — and she'll have plenty of dispatches from the drive to share.

Before she gets underway, the three of us are headed to an Axios company event — so our newsletters will be shorter than usual for a few days.

This Wednesday, we'll have a deep dive on electric vehicle equity that we can't wait for you to read.

Today's newsletter is 872 words ... 3 minutes.

National

The electric vehicle (EV) movement is growing nationwide, but people who live in apartments, low-income neighborhoods and rural areas without easy charging access could get left behind.

Why it matters: If the benefits of cleaner transportation — better air quality, less noise, lower energy costs — don't flow equitably to all Americans, EV adoption is likely to stall, limiting the country's ability to achieve its climate goals.

In a first of its kind study, University of Michigan researchers found that the lowest-income U.S. households would keep experiencing the highest transportation energy burdens even if all gas-powered cars were replaced with EVs.

"We identified disparities that will require targeted policies to promote energy justice in lower-income communities," lead author Jesse Vega-Perkins said in a release, pointing toward charging subsidies and better public transportation.

Where it stands: With most EVs priced like luxury cars, early adopters have typically been wealthy people who live in single-family homes where it's relatively easy to install a home charger.

When more affordable cars like GM's $30,000 plug-in Chevrolet Equinox hit the market in 2024, access to public charging will become more important — especially for those who don't have a private garage or driveway.

A recent Axios analysis found that public chargers are easier to find in whiter, wealthier neighborhoods.

What's happening: The federal government is aiming to spur more investment in public charging with $7.5 billion allocated over five years under the 2021 infrastructure law.

The package includes $5 billion for highway chargers and $2.5 billion for other community charging sites.

The feds' goal is to install 500,000 EV fast-chargers across America, starting along interstate highways.

Once a reliable nationwide charging network is established — meaning plugs every 50 miles along major highways — states can use leftover funds to install chargers in other places, including disadvantaged neighborhoods, multi-family buildings, and rural or tribal areas.

Between the lines: Equity is supposed to be a focus of the program, even for highway chargers.

An executive order signed by President Biden in 2021 requires that 40% of the overall benefits of federally funded programs go to disadvantaged communities.

Yes, but: That doesn't mean 40% of all charging infrastructure must be installed in disadvantaged communities.

Rather, it means each state must identify, prioritize and measure the total benefits that flow from federally funded EV charging infrastructure, including job growth and more.

What they're saying: "It’s good that Uncle Sam is writing big checks to do what the private sector hasn't done on its own," John Gartner, senior director of the Center for Sustainable Energy, tells Axios.

His nonprofit helps states manage EV charging programs, like California's new $30 million rebate project to offset the cost of installing chargers in disadvantaged communities. 

Reality check: Installing more public chargers doesn't fully address inequity issues because it's more expensive to charge at a public station than at home.

Residents of single-family homes have access to low-cost, off-peak rates from their regulated utility. Users of public chargers, however, must pay whatever fee the operator chooses — often double or more the cost of home charging.

The average price of electricity in the U.S. is 16 cents per kilowatt-hour, while public charging rates can be anywhere from 30 cents to 60 cents per kilowatt-hour. 

While recharging your EV at home might cost about $10, it's likely to cost $20 or $30 at a public charger, based on typical rates and figures.

What's needed: States should update building codes to provide metered EV charging access for all residents of multi-family homes, advocates say.

"If electricity is more expensive for cars of people living in apartments, they'll be slower to adopt, whether rich or poor," says Marc Geller, co-founder of Plug In America.

"You can't rapidly electrify if everyone doesn't get to participate."

The electric car revolution hinges on equitable, affordable charging

If the benefits of cleaner transportation don't flow equitably, EV adoption is likely to stall.

Electric vehicles

The <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="electric vehicle" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/energy-environment/electric-vehicles" data-vars-content-id="77fa5b56-d110-43b7-87c8-6d5239d84cb6" data-vars-headline="The electric car revolution hinges on equitable, affordable charging" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/energy-environment/electric-vehicles" target="_self">electric vehicle</a> (EV) movement is growing nationwide, but people who live in apartments, low-income neighborhoods and rural areas without easy charging access could get left behind.Why it matters: If the benefits of cleaner transportation — better air quality, less noise, lower energy costs — don&#x27;t flow equitably to all Americans, EV adoption is likely to stall, limiting the country&#x27;s ability to achieve its climate goals.

Ominous forecasts about the impact of climate change serve as the backdrop for the world — led by U.S. lawmakers and companies — to debate big action on the problem, which could upend energy systems and our way of life.

Energy & Environment

Understanding how charging works is important for anyone who drives an electric vehicle (EV), but the process breeds anxiety for many. We're here to help. 

Why it matters: Plugs vary (depending on the car) and chargers have different power levels (which affects charging time). 

It can all be overwhelming, and education is an important step toward charging equity.

Of note: Teslas use a proprietary network, which makes charging pretty straightforward. The tips below are for non-Tesla drivers.

Charging is easiest if you can top off at home and you don't drive long distances.

Just plug the cord that comes with your car into a standard 120-volt outlet overnight and you'll get about 40 miles of range — enough for most daily driving.

Recharging from empty this way, however, would take at least a day and a half.

A better option for EV owners: Install a so-called Level 2 charger at home.

It uses the same 240-volt household connection as your clothes dryer. 

You might need some electrical prep work first. Expect to pay anywhere from $500 to several thousand dollars.

Your electric bill will go up, of course. But at least you won't need to buy gas. 

By the numbers: The average price for residential electricity is about 16 cents per kWh. It's higher in some places, such as the Northeast and Hawaii.

A full Level 2 recharge takes around 6-8 hours, and adds about $10 to your home's electric bill.

Level 2 chargers are also available at many offices, shopping centers and hotels — often as a free courtesy.

Think of these as a place to top off your car's battery as you would your phone when a plug is available. 

On a road trip, you're going to want to charge a lot faster — but you'll need to do some planning.

Networks with fast chargers, like Electrify America, EVGo, ChargePoint and Blink, are proliferating — but they're still not as common as gas stations.

These chargers can get you back on the road in 20-40 minutes, depending on your car and the charger's maximum output.

Some chargers max out at 24 kilowatts, while newer models are capable of up to 150 or even 350 kilowatts. The higher the power, the faster the charging speed — in theory, at least.

Reality check: Even the industry's fastest-charging cars, such as the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6, rarely charge at their maximum possible speed.

The status of your battery and whether other drivers are using the same charging station can cause slowdowns.

EVs sometimes limit their power intake to avoid frying their batteries.

The bottom line: Set your expectations low and you won't be disappointed.

Go deeper: Pack up the electric car, honey! We're hitting the road

What electric car buyers need to know about charging

Axios' quick guide to understanding electric vehicle (EV) charging.

Understanding how charging works is important for anyone who drives an <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="electric vehicle" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/energy-environment/electric-vehicles" data-vars-content-id="97f2ae60-6b42-47f7-9dd6-27bc2189e356" data-vars-headline="What electric car buyers need to know about charging" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/energy-environment/electric-vehicles" target="_self">electric vehicle</a> (EV), but the process breeds anxiety for many. We&#x27;re here to help. Why it matters: Plugs vary (depending on the car) and chargers have different power levels (which affects charging time).

Generate

Axios Generate

Ford said Monday morning it's lowering prices for the Mustang Mach-E.

Why it matters: The price war has begun amid growing competition in the EV market.

“We are not going to cede ground to anyone," Marin Gjaja, a top Ford EV executive, in a statement.

Driving the news: Ford is cutting 2023 Mach-E prices from $600 to $5,900, depending on the configuration and battery.

Ford is the No. 2 U.S. EV seller, far behind Tesla but looking to gain ground. 

Last year, Mach-E sales grew 45% to well over 39,000 units and Ford also said it's now "significantly" increasing production. 

Catch up fast: Ford's move comes two weeks after Tesla cut prices by up to 20% on the Model 3 sedan and Model Y crossover.

The Vietnamese startup VinFast has also cut prices as it seeks a beachhead in the U.S. market.

The intrigue: Look for companies to bring the price of more models under the eligibility cap for U.S. consumer purchase subsidies.

Ford's move boosts the number of Mach-E versions under the $55,000 ceiling. It's $80,000 for SUVs and designations of what's-what are controversial.

The big picture: Market leader Tesla and Ford bring strengths and weaknesses to the competition.

The 120-year-old Ford actually has a newer EV lineup. In addition to the Mach-E, Ford got into the pickup market faster with the electric F-150 that arrived last year.

But Tesla has more room to maneuver on prices. Its profit margin is vastly higher than the legacy automakers, and Tesla last week also vowed to improve its overall business cost structure.

"We believe our margins will remain healthy and industry-leading over the course of the year," CEO Elon Musk told analysts on an earnings call.

What we're watching: The intra-GOP politics of EVs. On Saturday, former President Trump used a South Carolina campaign event to bash EVs as he seeks the 2024 GOP nomination. 

Yes, but: Red states like Georgia and Tennessee are increasingly home to EV and battery manufacturing with the support of GOP politicians — including South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster.

"In the last several months, McMaster and several businesses announced billions of dollars in investments from the electric vehicle industry," The State newspaper's coverage of Trump's rally noted.

Ford cuts Mustang Mach-E prices amid EV competition

Ford is the No. 2 U.S. EV seller, far behind Tesla but looking to gain ground.

Illustration of Benjamin Franklin in a car's rear view mirror, with a dollar-symbol air freshener.

Economy & Business

The Biden administration's plan to jump-start a domestic supply chain for electric vehicles (EVs) is on track to shatter expectations.

The big picture: Democrats offered carmakers new tax credits as an incentive to scale up domestic battery manufacturing — and they're racing to take advantage.

Some experts say the value of those tax credits may be four times higher than Congress' budget experts anticipated.

Why it matters: This is what President Biden and congressional Democrats wanted — to seed a domestic EV supply chain and reduce America's dependence on China, while accelerating the transition to cleaner transportation.

Companies announced more than $73 billion in planned U.S. battery plants in 2022 alone, according to Atlas Public Policy.

Details: The Inflation Reduction Act, passed last year, is loaded with goodies for consumers and carmakers to spur EV sales.

The most lucrative incentive offers battery manufacturers a tax credit of $35 per kilowatt-hour for each U.S.-made cell, which slices their production costs by a third.

Example: If a manufacturer produces 70-kWh batteries for 1 million vehicles, its total credits would be worth $2.45 billion a year.

By the numbers: When the bill was being debated last summer, the Congressional Budget Office projected the tax credits would add up to about $30.6 billion over 10 years (including credits for solar and wind manufacturing).

The actual total will almost surely be much higher, thanks to a surge of new battery plants across the country. 

One estimate, prepared by Benchmark Mineral Intelligence for Axios, pegs the cost of the battery rebates at $136 billion over 10 years — and Tesla has already announced new plans that will drive the number even higher.

Between the lines: This will add up to big money for automakers. If they pass those savings on to consumers, it could drive down the cost of new electric cars and spur sales.

Tesla alone expects to earn up to $1 billion in battery tax credits this year. 

In a recent earnings call, CEO Elon Musk said the value of such credits could become "very significant" and potentially "gigantic" in future years.

Tesla's Nevada plant, for example, will soon be able to produce 100 gigawatt-hours of battery cells, and that could grow to 500 gigawatt-hours in the future. At an annual production rate of 500 gigawatt-hours, the credits would be worth a staggering $17.5 billion per year.

The big picture: Other companies also stand to reap huge credits as they ramp up domestic battery production, including General Motors and Ford Motor and their Korean joint venture partners, such as LG Energy and SK On.

Ford expects more than $7 billion in tax breaks from 2023 to 2026, with CEO Jim Farley predicting a "large step-up in annual credits" starting in 2027 during a recent earnings call.

GM chief financial officer Paul Jacobson told reporters that the automaker will earn about $300 million this year, with the credits eventually being worth $3,500 to $5,500 per vehicle.

What they're saying: "We have already seen hundreds of billions of dollars in new private sector investments across clean energy industries, including batteries, electric vehicles and solar panels," said White House assistant press secretary Michael Kikukawa in a statement to Axios.

"No one should be surprised that the historic Inflation Reduction Act will lead to an explosion in new EV plants that will showcase how American workers are the finest in the world."

The bottom line: The battery production tax credits are just one of many U.S. policy initiatives intended to accelerate the transition to electric vehicles — but they're clearly among the sweetest.

Editor's note: This story has been corrected with the current corporate name of SK On, which was spun off from parent company SK Innovation in 2021.

Scoop: Biden's EV surprise

The White House's plan to jump-start a domestic supply chain for electric vehicles is on track to shatter expectations.

Illustration of a battery icon with hundred dollar bills as the bars indicating that it's full. 

The Biden administration&#x27;s plan to jump-start a domestic supply chain for <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="electric vehicles" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/01/17/electric-car-ev-chargers-neighborhood-disparity" data-vars-content-id="f511bc19-65c6-440f-be26-f3f322d959ca" data-vars-headline="Scoop: Biden&#x27;s EV surprise" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/01/17/electric-car-ev-chargers-neighborhood-disparity" target="_self">electric vehicles</a> (EVs) is on track to shatter expectations.The big picture: Democrats offered carmakers new tax credits as an incentive to scale up domestic battery manufacturing — and they&#x27;re racing to take advantage.

People are increasingly curious about electric cars. Before they buy, though, most want to know whether they can drive one on a long road trip. 

What's happening: My husband Bill and I are sick of winter in Michigan, and decided we'd rather work remotely in Florida for the month of February.

We'll drive to the Sunshine State and back — 2,700 miles or so — in a Kia EV6 on loan from the automaker's press fleet. 

Bill will do the first leg of the trip solo, since I'm in Washington, D.C. this week for Axios' annual staff retreat.

After we meet up in D.C., we'll take our time getting to Florida. 

That's partly by design: We've been warned by other electric vehicle (EV) road trippers to expect delays and build in extra time for charging.

Why it matters: If Americans are going to switch to electric cars, they want charging to be as convenient and seamless as filling up the gas tank.

But U.S. public charging infrastructure is spotty, which is why the federal government is investing $7.5 billion in new charging stations, mostly along highways. 

Even though most people will do their daily charging at home, they want the security of knowing there are abundant highway chargers for that rare road trip.

Worth noting: If we were driving a Tesla, our trip would likely be a lot easier. 

Tesla has the fastest, most reliable and extensive charger network.

Its SuperChargers recognize your car and automatically bill you — no fumbling with credit cards or phone apps.

Other charging networks and carmakers are just beginning to roll out similar plug-and-charge features.

How we prepared: Unlike some other EVs, such as the Mercedes EQE, the EV6 doesn't have a built-in charging planner in its navigation system. 

So we downloaded several route-planning apps — A Better Route Planner, PlugShare and Chargeway — to guide us toward the best charging stops.

Enter a destination and the car you're driving, and the apps suggest where to charge along your route.

They predict the car's battery level, and also advise how long it will take to recharge and be on your way again.

We also set up accounts with all the major charging networks, including Electrify America, EVGo and Chargepoint to speed the billing process.

The bottom line: Every road trip is an adventure, but this one promises to be even more so. 

Let me know what you're most curious about, at whatsnext@axios.com. I'll share updates in the coming days and weeks. 

Pack up the electric car, honey! We're hitting the road

We're about to embark on a 2,700 mile electric vehicle road trip.

People are increasingly curious about electric cars. Before they buy, though, most want to know whether they can drive one on a long road trip. <ul><li>I&#x27;m about to find out.</li></ul>

From the Valley to D.C., Big Tech players like Facebook, Google and Amazon are under more scrutiny than ever as new technology develops and privacy and antitrust concerns grow in lockstep with companies’ ambitions.

Joann Muller

Stories

What electric car buyers need to know about charging

The electric car revolution hinges on equitable, affordable charging

Pack up the electric car, honey! We're hitting the road

Scoop: Biden's EV surprise

Ford cuts Mustang Mach-E prices amid EV competition

Newsletter editions

🔌 The EV charging gap

🔋 EV batteries' second act

🚗 EV road trip

✈️ Look ma, no pilot

📚 Humanities comeback