As the State of Michigan continues to push electric vehicles on Michiganders and the auto industry, Jeep has issued the recall of nearly 200,000 plug-in SUV hybrids due to fire hazards, ABC 7 Detroit reported.
Along with the recall, Jeep is telling customers to stop charging their Wranglers and Grand Cherokees built in the past two years, and to park outdoors and far away from flammable things, as the cars can apparently catch fire while the ignition is off.
In total, Stellantis, the corporation which manufactures Jeeps and recently announced that it may lay off up to 50% of its North American workforce, recalled 194,000 vehicles, 154,000 of which are in North America.
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One Stellantis estimate suggests that the spontaneous combustion problem afflicts 5% of its Wranglers manufactured between 2020 and 2024, and its Grand Cherokees manufactured between 2022 and 2024.
The announcement is just the latest trouble in a long string of issues plaguing the EV industry that Michigan Democrats are propping up with billions of dollars in incentives and tax abatements.
For instance, Ford nixed its EV SUV plan last month, and also announced that its EV truck line would be delayed because of difficulties to turn profits on EVs despite massive subsidies.
“With pricing and margin compression, we’ve made the decision to adjust our product and technology roadmap and industrial footprint to meet our goal of reaching positive (earning before interest and tax) within the first 12 months of launch for all new models,” Ford CFO John Lawler said in a statement.
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Further, as Michigan’s failing power grid struggles to keep up, millions of Michiganders might be out of luck as the state continues to push EVs onto its citizens to the tune of two million registered EVs in the state by 2030 while changing the state’s entire fleet of 15,000 cars over to EVs by 2040.
One year ago, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer pledged to transition the state to 100% clean energy by 2040. The bills would double the state’s current renewable mandate from 15% to 30% by 2030, doubling again to 60% by 2035, before attaining 100% by 2040.
Sen. Thomas Albert, R-Lowell, noted at that time that those aggressive goals were unattainable.
“The Democrats’ climate agenda is moving too far too fast, and ignores important consequences,” Albert said in a statement. “Michigan already has energy that costs too much and a supply grid that fails too often. This misguided plan would make things even worse for families and businesses at a time they can least afford it. Energy transition should happen more naturally and seamlessly – not through forced and rushed government mandates.”
Meanwhile, on the national political scene 2024 Democratic Presidential candidate Kamala Harris is pushing behind the scenes for EV mandates across the nation.