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EV Drivers Love Their Cars by Rick Laezman

William Attardi on August 21, 2026

The market for electric vehicles may experience its ups and downs, but owner satisfaction remains unphased. In fact, it couldn’t be much higher. According to the results of the “2026 Annual EV Driver Survey” releasedby the nonprofit Plug In America, “EV drivers love their vehicles. It covered such aspects as loyalty, consumer confidence, charging and the experience of purchasing or leasing. Overall, they point to a group of consumers that are extremely happy with the product they have acquired, with 94.3% of EV drivers saying that they are likely or very likely to acquire another EV for their next vehicle. This is great news for electrical contractors who install EV charging infrastructure. EV Drivers Love Their Cars – Electrical Contractor Magazine  

(My son and I own a Tesla and we agree…)

IEA: Global EV Sales Headed for Another Record Year Despite the Early Stumble by Michelle Lewis

William Attardi on May 23, 2026

According to the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) new Global EV Outlook, electric car sales are expected to hit 23 million in 2026, making up nearly 30% of all new cars sold worldwide. That comes after EV sales topped 20 million in 2025, up 20% year over year, with 1 in 4 new cars sold globally now electric. The IEA says global EV sales momentum is continuing despite the ongoing energy crisis tied to the war in the Middle East. And in many places, rising fuel prices are actually making EVs look even more attractive to buyers. The IEA said nearly 90 countries posted year-over-year EV sales growth in March, and around 30 countries set monthly records.  The report projects the global EV fleet could grow from nearly 80 million vehicles today to as many as 510 million by 2035. IEA: Global EV sales headed for another record year despite the early stumble | Electrek

Batteries on Wheels: How Your EV Could Also Power Your Home

William Attardi on April 1, 2026

Vehicle-to-home technology is gaining traction, with over 630,000 bidirectional electric vehicles on US roads, allowing owners to use car batteries to power homes during outages and save on energy costs. General Motors plans to make all new EVs bidirectional by this year, and a UK trial found that 78% of V2H users saved at least approximately $525 on their energy bills.  Batteries on wheels: How your EV could also power your home | Reuters

 

GM Drove a Chevrolet Silverado EV More Than 1000 Miles on a Single Charge

William Attardi on August 6, 2025

General Motors just revealed that its employees recently took a 2026 Chevrolet Silverado EV on a ridiculous 1,059.2-mile trek across Metro Detroit without stopping for a battery top-up. That journey has now secured a EV range world record for the brand, besting Lucid’s 749-mile journey earlier this year. The truck in question is a Silverado EV in Work Truck spec with the Max Range battery pack, which provides 205 kWh of juice. The automaker says that the truck’s hardware and software were entirely untouched and representative of a customer vehicle.  GM Drives Chevrolet Silverado EV 1059 Miles On a Single Charge

GM to invest $4 Billion to Shift Some Production from Mexico to the US

William Attardi on June 11, 2025

Shares of General Motors rose before the opening bell after announcing plans to invest $4 billion to shift some production from Mexico to U.S. manufacturing plants as the automaker navigates tariffs that could drive prices higher. President Trump signed executive orders in April, relaxing some of his 25% tariffs on automobiles and auto parts, a significant reversal as the import taxes threatened to hurt domestic manufacturers. GM said late Tuesday that the investment will be made over the next two years and is for its gas and electric vehicles.  GM to invest $4 billion to shift some production from Mexico to the US | AP News

General Motors Unveils New Futuristic Concept, Which Is a Corvette in Name Only

William Attardi on April 14, 2025

It’s a beautiful vision of an all-electric, wide hypercar, but it has nothing to do with the Corvette mark. One of three General Motors will unveil over the next year, each from a different design studio. It’s a beautiful supercar — low and wide with a classic mid-engine bubble-cockpit profile — but you’d never know it’s a Corvette. The front fin lights recall the design codes of GM’s premium label, Cadillac. The wrap-around windshield borrows from Koenigsegg and Saab. The porous aero elements mirror other electric hypercars like the Lotus Evija and Porsche Mission X, while the split between smooth upper aero and aggressive lower carbon elements appears on countless modern supercars. General Motors Unveils New Futuristic ‘Corvette’ Concept | The New York Sun

Deals on Leases Drive EV Market by Christopher Otts

William Attardi on January 13, 2025

Toyota Motor’s only electric vehicle widely on sale in the U.S. starts at about $37,000. But practically nobody plunks down that much for the mid size SUV, named bZ4X. “Almost everyone leases the car,” Toyota U.S. sales chief David Christ said in a re cent interview. “You’d be a fool not to.” The Japanese-made SUV, which qualifies for a $7,500 federal subsidy only if it is leased, illustrates a broader shift in the way car companies are marketing electric cars to consumers, with more-afford able monthly payments and no long-term commitment. People who leased the Toyota in 2024 paid $445 a month on average, compared with $717 for those who financed the car through a purchase loan, according to credit bureau Experian. WQWLtBjXe8K8Ki1Y3MfL-WSJNewsPaper-1-13-2025.pdf

It’s Back to School – How Some of Our Most Acknowledged Universities Got Their Name – Who were the true visionaries who would donate half of their estate to sculpting the minds of the future. These stories are monuments to history and culture. Let’s take a stroll through academia’s memory lane and uncover the origins of these storied university names!

  1. Ah, Harvard! The Ivy League giant was once a small college in the Massachusetts Bay Colony settlement called New Towne. But where did “Harvard” come from? Enter John Harvard, a clergyman who, in 1638, decided to bequeath half his estate and his library (a whopping 400 books!) to the fledgling college. Grateful for this generous gift, they promptly named the institution after him.
  2. A gem of New Haven, Connecticut, Yale is another Ivy League powerhouse known for its prestigious law and drama schools. It owes its name to Elihu Yale, a wealthy merchant who, in 1718, donated a modest shipment of goods (including portraits, books, and textiles) to a struggling collegiate school. Those goods were auctioned off, raising a much-needed £562 –a small fortune at the time.
  3. Dartmouth is renowned for its beautiful rural setting, nestled in the picturesque town of Hanover, New Hampshire. It was named after the Earl of Dartmouth, William Legge, a British nobleman who supported the college’s founding –despite never actually setting foot in America!
  4. Brown, this Rhode Island Ivy University, known for its open curriculum and emphasis on student choice, was founded with a mouthful of a name – the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. It was renamed in 1704 for Nicholas Brown, Jr., a prominent merchant whose family donated generously to the school.
  5. Perched atop a hill overlooking Ithaca, New York, Cornell is celebrated for its diverse academic programs and its stunning natural surroundings. Founded by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, this university was unique for its commitment to practical education, allowing students the freedom to choose their own course of study. It was a revolutionary notion at the time, which would guide a curricular reform across the country.
  6. Located in the heart of Silicon Valley, Stanford is renowned for its entrepreneurial spirit and its close ties to the tech industry. But this California powerhouse has a touching origin story. Leland Stanford, Jr., the founder’s son, tragically died young from typhoid fever. His father Leland Sr., railroad magnate and former state governor, and his mother Jane, founded the university in his memory, ensuring his legacy lived on through the pursuit of knowledge.
  7. This North Carolina research giant, known for its strong medical and law schools, underwent a bit of a name change in its history. Originally called Trinity College, it was renamed Duke University in 1924 after James Buchanan Duke, a tobacco and electric power industrialist who founded the American Tobacco Company. He established The Duke Endowment, to which he donated throughout his life and left half his estate after his death.
  8. Nestled in Nashville, Tennessee, Vanderbilt is a renowned research university with a vibrant campus life. It owes its name to “The Commodore,” Cornelius Vanderbilt, a shipping and railroad magnate, who provided the initial gift to establish the university.
  9. Texas businessman William Marsh Rice provided the initial funding for this Houston university, but did not live to see its opening. He was murdered by his valet as he slept, in a plot to forge the man’s will. Despite the unfortunate circumstances, Rice University flourished through the years, becoming an institution known for its strong engineering and science programs.
  10. Who was Harvard named after? Origin of university names