Feb 3, 2020 - Energy & Environment

Electric vehicle ads make up fraction of overall spending despite Super Bowl splash

Ben Geman, author of Generate

Screenshot from Audi's Super Bowl ad for the e-tron Sportback

Last night's Super Bowl featured splashy electric car ads for Audi's e-tron Sportback, GMC's Hummer and Porsche's Taycan.

Why it matters: The ads are the latest sign of the growing volumes of electric models becoming available or in the offing, but the New York Times notes that just 0.3% of the $8.6 billion that the auto industry spent on local and national advertising last year promoted electric vehicles.

  • They note the figure does not include local dealership ads or social media campaigns.

What's next: The Times notes that "some companies are already signaling a shift in emphasis in the years ahead."

  • Audi plans to devote half its global market budget to EVs this year, compared to 10% in 2019.

Go deeper: Sluggish sales throw the future of electric vehicles into uncertainty

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Bob Herman
15 mins ago - Health

Trump administration buys 100 million doses of Moderna's vaccine

A volunteer in Moderna's vaccine clinical trial receives a shot. Photo: Paul Hennessy/NurPhoto via Getty Images

The U.S. government has agreed to buy 100 million doses of Moderna's experimental coronavirus vaccine for $1.5 billion, or $15 per dose.

Why it matters: The Trump administration, through Operation Warp Speed, has now bought initial batches of vaccines from Moderna, GlaxoSmithKline and Sanofi, Pfizer, Novavax, Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca before knowing whether they are safe and effective. The federal government also appears to own some of the patent rights associated with Moderna's vaccine.

Alexi McCammond
Updated 49 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Political world reacts to Biden tapping Kamala Harris as running mate

Sen. Kamala Harris and Joe Biden at a campaign event in March. Photo: JEFF KOWALSKY/AFP via Getty Images

Democrats from across the party — including some of the women on Joe Biden's vice-presidential shortlist — are championing his historic appointment of Sen. Kamala Harris as his running mate.

What they're saying: "Joe Biden nailed this decision," former President Barack Obama wrote in a lengthy statement. "By choosing Senator Kamala Harris as America’s next vice president, he’s underscored his own judgment and character. Reality shows us that these attributes are not optional in a president."

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Axios
Updated 2 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios

  1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 4:30 p.m. ET: 20,166,415 — Total deaths: 738,266 — Total recoveries: 12,388,925 — Map.
  2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 4:30 p.m. ET: 5,124,050 — Total deaths: 164,329 — Total recoveries: 1,670,755 — Total tests: 62,513,174 — Map.
  3. States: Florida reports another daily record for deaths — State testing plans fall short of demand.
  4. Axios-Ipsos poll: 1 in 2 has a personal connection to COVID-19.
  5. Business: Moderna reveals it may not hold patent rights for vaccine.
  6. 🏈 Sports: Big Ten scraps fall football season.
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