Green Car Journal’s 50th Issue Explores Electrification’s Realistic Road Ahead

Many assumptions are being made about EVs, banning gas cars, and the willingness of drivers to give up their familiar rides. This issue takes a closer look.

LOS ANGELES, CA, USA, April 18, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Earth Day brings heightened awareness of environmental issues in all areas of life, with no greater focus today than that directed at the cars we drive, the carbon emissions and pollutants they create, and the impact of those emissions on the natural world.

This has brought a rush to mitigate the motor vehicle’s impact on global warming through widespread measures aimed at radically decreasing their carbon emissions. One important example is the auto industry’s greater emphasis on electrification – battery electric vehicles (BEVs), hybrids, and plug-in hybrids – that now give consumers greater choice in the vehicles they drive and the environmental impact they wish to have. These vehicles are covered in depth in Green Car Journal’s new 50th issue that can be read as a digital edition through GreenCarJournal.com.

Popularizing these models through high-profile promotions and advertising has contributed to greater public awareness of their environmental and societal benefits. Plus, substantial state and federal incentives continue to support the transition to electrification. Still, there are problems. So much emphasis has been placed on battery electric vehicles that the realities of the market, pervasive infrastructure challenges, and an array of potential consequences have been ignored. These are now emerging in real time.

“We should all be concerned about carbon emissions, but we should also be smart” said Ron Cogan, editor and publisher of Green Car Journal and GreenCarJournal.com. “Rushing headlong into what initially appear to be obvious solutions can bring unexpected challenges, which we’re seeing now in the slowdown of consumer interest in purchasing battery EVs. That doesn’t mean we should stop aggressively pursuing BEVs. But it does signal that greater thought must be given to devising more strategic solutions, ensuring we are looking far enough ahead and considering all possibilities and outcomes.”

Today, some automakers are pulling back on their timelines for expanding EV production lines, lowering previously announced EV production volumes, or delaying the construction of battery plants that would supply the batteries for expanding EV sales. Many are also lowering – sometimes drastically – the suggested retail price for their BEV models due to price pressures from competing automakers striving to move a growing EV inventory. While slashed EV prices may be a good thing for consumers, this presents yet another challenge for automakers struggling to make their EV operations profitable.

Then there’s the move to ban the sale of new gas cars, light trucks, and SUVs in California and other states by 2035. Can this be done? Green Car Journal explores this in the piece, “Stop and Rethink the Road Ahead.”

The issue’s thought-provoking content includes colorful features on electrified vehicles such as RAM’s Ramcharger, a series-hybrid electric pickup expected to offer a 690 mile range; the affordable 42 mpg Ford Maverick hybrid pickup; and the new electric Dodge Charger Daytona, the world’s most powerful muscle car. Adding to the issue’s electrification focus is the feature, “Why We Want to Plug In,” and an introduction to the magazine’s long-term test of the Toyota Prius Prime, Green Car Journal’s 2024 Green Car of the Year©. “Going Hybrid on a Budget” provides an overview of 10 affordable hybrids achieving 37 to 57 mpg. Mitsubishi also shares its vision for a carbon neutral future through its presentation, “Mobility in a Modern World.”

Of special interest is the issue’s focus on hydrogen, an additional and intriguing path to a zero carbon future. Coverage is headlined with the feature presentation, “Hydrogen Ahead.” Additional features include a driving impression of Honda’s new hydrogen hybrid CR-V e:FCEV, a perspective on hydrogen from California Hydrogen Business Council president and CEO Katrina Fritz, and a look back at Green Car Journal’s test drive of the hydrogen Mazda RX-7 RE.

About Green Car Journal
Green Car Group has focused on the increasingly important intersection of automobiles, energy, and environment since 1992. Over the years Green Car Journal has achieved critical acclaim with 16 International Automotive Media Awards and two Folio: Eddie awards for editorial excellence. In addition to the magazine and GreenCarJournal.com website, Green Car Journal has been recognizing environmental leadership over the past 19 years through its highly-regarded Green Car Awards™ that were first presented at a Los Angeles press conference in 2005.

Ron Cogan
Green Car Journal
rjcogan@greencargroup.com