WANADA Public Policy Day, Guelcher on Chevy, EVs on ICE

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We are in DC for the WANADA Public Policy Day and can’t wait for the conversations ahead of us. Our good friend Andy Guelcher of Mohawk Chevrolet chats up what’s coming for Chevy and it seems it is questionable on how EVs handle ice.

Show Notes with links:

• In an Auto News interview Andy Guelcher, Chairman of the Chevrolet National Dealer Council discusses the  resurgence in vehicle supply, with the Trax subcompact crossover leading demand. along with Chevrolet's ambitious plans for 2024, including EV transitions. Dealers are experiencing improved days' supply, beneficial for consumers, following pandemic and microchip-related challenges.
  • Chevrolet is planning major redesigns and launches, including the Traverse, Equinox, Tahoe, Suburban, and new electric models.
  • Guelcher expressed Chevy Dealer optimism for 2024, citing strong market positions and the balance of EV and combustion engine models.
  • "The cadence of products and the refreshes are coming, and they're going to come so fast [in 2024], it's going to be mind-blowing," said Guelcher.
  • When asked about ongoing concerns about a potential shift toward DTC sales: “Marissa West, 24 hours into her new job as the president of North America for GM, reached out to myself and a number of other dealers in a format of get-to-know calls, reiterating how important we are to the partnership. And I think that speaks volumes for Chevrolet and General Motors and [what] the next decade or more looks like.”

• In the chilling grip of extreme cold, electric vehicles (EVs) are sparking a debate: more resilient than gas cars, yet not without their icy challenges as ‘Tesla Graveyards’ are popping up in Chicago.
  • In Norway, where 1 in 4 cars is electric, data shows EVs fail at a lower rate than gas vehicles in extreme cold. Viking, a road assistance service, responded to 34,000 calls in early 2024; only 13% involved EVs.
  • However, in Chicago, a recent cold wave left several Tesla cars stranded at Supercharger stations, unable to charge in temperatures dropping to 2°F (-19°C).
  • The issue in Chicago might stem from owners not preconditioning their Tesla batteries, essential for efficient charging in cold weather.
  • Despite these incidents, EVs generally perform better in cold conditions compared to traditional gas cars, but the technology still has room for improvement.

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