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Big electric trucks won't save the planet, says the NYT

When The New York Times decides that an issue is an issue, be prepared to read about it at length. Rarely will a week passes these days when the esteemed news organization doesn’t examine the realities, myths and alleged benefits and drawbacks of electric vehicles, and even The Atlantic joins in sometimes. That revolution, marked by changes in manufacturing, consumer habits and social “consciousness,” may in fact be upon us. Or it may not. Nonetheless, the newspaper appears committed to presenting to the public these pros and cons. In this recently published article titled, “Just How Good for the Planet Is That Big Electric Pickup Truck?”—wow, thatÂ’s a mouthful — the Times focuses on the “bigness” of the current and pending crop of EVs, and how that impacts or will impact the environment and road safety. This is not what news organizations these days are fond of calling “breaking news.” In October, we pointed to an essay in The Atlantic that covered pretty much the same ground, and focused on the Hummer as one particular villain, In the paper and online on Feb. 18, the Times' Elana Shao observes how “swapping a gas pickup truck for a similar electric one can produce significant emissions savings.” She goes on: “Take the Ford F-150 pickup truck compared with the electric F-150 Lightning. The electric versions are responsible for up to 50 percent less greenhouse gas emissions per mile.” But she right away flips the argument, noting the heavier electric pickup trucks “often require bigger batteries and more electricity to charge, so they end up being responsible for more emissions than other smaller EVs. Taking into consideration the life cycle emissions per mile, they end up just as polluting as some smaller gas-burning cars.” Certainly, itÂ’s been drummed into our heads that electric cars donÂ’t run on air and water but on electricity that costs money, and that the public will be dealing with “the shift toward electric SUVs, pickup trucks and crossover vehicles, with some analysts estimating that SUVs, pickup trucks and vans could make up 78 percent of vehicle sales by 2025." No-brainer alert: Big vehicles cost more to charge. And then thereÂ’s the safety question, which was cogently addressed in the Atlantic story. Here Shao reiterates data documenting the increased risks of injuries and deaths caused by larger, heavier vehicles.

Ford promises 12 new global performance vehicles through 2020

Ford just keeps rolling out the big announcements today. We've already told you about the next-gen Focus RS coming to the US and the upcoming Sync 3 infotainment system. And this latest one should perk up the ears of racing fans or anyone who enjoys an enthusiastic drive (basically, all Autoblog readers). The Blue Oval says it has "more than 12" new performance vehicles on the way globally through 2020. Unfortunately, the only one that the automaker confirms at the moment is the Focus RS, but recent rumors might suggest a few others. Ford reportedly has the Shelby Mustang GT350R, next-gen F-150 Raptor and a Ford GT successor all on the way, all of which could possibly debut at the Detroit Auto Show in January. The future GT might even take the company back to racing at Le Mans. Speaking of motorsports, Ford is also blending its performance vehicle and racing efforts worldwide into a unified entity by combining SVT, Team RS and Ford Racing into a new organization called Ford Performance. It's responsible not just for excelling on the track but also for developing aero improvements, electronics, powertrain and lightweight tech for the Blue Oval's vehicles. "Our new global Ford Performance team ties together racing, performance vehicles and parts. It will allow us to more quickly introduce products and accessories that meet the needs of customers around the world on-road and on the track," said Raj Nair, Ford group vice president, Global Product Development, in the company's press release. The automaker thinks this market might be booming, especially among younger buyers. For example, recent data shows Millennials buy ST models at twice the rate of the rest of Ford's cars. Scroll down to read the Blue Oval's full announcement of the new division and the plan to get excited about things to come. FORD DRIVING PERFORMANCE INNOVATION TO NEW LEVELS; MORE THAN 12 VEHICLES COMING FROM NEW GLOBAL TEAM Ford bringing more global performance vehicles to customers worldwide; more than 12 new performance vehicles through 2020 – including Focus RS – to be available globally Ford uniting regional performance engineering and racing teams as one global team under Ford Performance, delivering more new vehicles and parts, more quickly Ford will deliver more than 12 new performance vehicles for global enthusiasts through 2020, as the company announced today its new global Ford Performance team.

Autoblog Podcast #327

New York Auto Show, Jim Farley interview, 2014 Chevrolet Silverado fuel economy, Ford fuel economy app challenge
Episode #327 of the Autoblog Podcast is here, and this week, Dan Roth, Zach Bowman and Jeff Ross talk about this year's New York Auto Show, Chevrolet's latest assault in the pickup truck fuel economy battle, and Ford's reward for developing a better fuel economy app. Dan also has an interview with Ford's Jim Farley about the future of Lincoln. We wrap with your questions and emails, and for those of you who hung with us live on our UStream channel, thanks for taking the time. Keep reading for our Q&A module for you to scroll through and follow along, too. Thanks for listening!
Autoblog Podcast #327: