Build it and they still will not come.
Per the Detroit News, Ford Motor Co. on Thursday said it will delay the launch of new three-row electric vehicles in Ontario, adjust the timing of its next-generation electric truck and will offer hybrid powertrain across its entire internal combustion engine lineup in North America by the end of the decade.
Executives of the Dearborn automaker have admitted that they and the industry got the adoption growth timeline for EVs wrong after a leap in sales amid a global microchip shortage and limited inventories that skewed expectations on capacity for EVs and batteries. With greater availability of all vehicles, the majority of customers are showing they aren’t ready for EVs because of how expensive they are, the lack of accessible and reliable charging infrastructure and how fast they take to charge up.
This should not be a surprise to anyone. Based on my lifestyle and driving habits, an EV is not in the cards for me. There is not enough range for my lifestyle and the infrastructure is not there to support my driving habits.
What is going on in Ann Arbor with recent knifing incidents?
Per the Detroit News, police are searching for a man who allegedly wielded a weapon and held it to another person’s throat in an Ann Arbor store this week.
Officials said the incident happened at about 8:40 p.m. Monday in a Target store on State Street near the University of Michigan’s campus. Campus police released the information in a crime alert Tuesday to university students and staff.
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A woman is in stable condition after a man slashed her with a knife in Ann Arbor on Wednesday, police said. Officers were called at 8 a.m. to the 2200 block of Fuller Road for a report of a stabbing on a bus, authorities said. Police found a woman with a wound to her chest and medics took her to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
According to investigators, a 21-year-old man and the victim, a 25-year-old woman, bumped into each other on the bus. The man pulled out a knife and slashed the woman across her chest, police said. He then ran away, but officers found the man near the scene and arrested him.
Police also are working to learn if the suspect was involved in other assaults involving a knife in the city last week and Monday.
No more undefeated teams in the MLB
With the Tigers loss to the Mets in the second game of their double header today, there are no more undefeated teams in the MLB. Going into today, the Tigers were the only undefeated team.
The Tigers are now 5-1 heading into their home opener tomorrow at 1:00 PM against the Oakland A’s. Opening Day in Detroit is a major holiday for Detroiters. With the Tigers’ hot start and their ace Tarik Skubal on the mound the atmosphere will be electric.
With that said, do not bet on the Tigers to win tomorrow. There is an unwritten rule in professional baseball, hockey, and basketball, never bet on the home team when the team is just returning from a long road trip. The Tiger players have not been home in Detroit since spring training started in February.
Solar Eclipse
I have had the solar eclipse marked on my calendar since the first of the year. The weather in Petoskey for Monday calls for rain in the morning with partly cloudy skies in the afternoon. Hopefully, everything will go well, and I will be able to see the effects of the eclipse.
Solar eclipses have always been a big event to me. It brings back memories of my childhood. The first memory is of my dad, having us in the backyard looking at the eclipse using camera film rolls, and some other contraption using a hole in cardboard.
The last solar eclipse I recall occurred while I was golfing at Radrick Farms. I remember walking up the sixth fairway being amazed at how dark it was even through it was around 2 pm.
I brought two pairs of sunglasses with me, which I used to take quick glances at the sun. I cannot tell you how I golfed that day, but I can remember the solar eclipse and how cool it looked.
A great weekend for sports. No blog on Friday.
There will be no blog on Friday. I will be watching the Tigers during the afternoon and watching the two NCAA women’s semifinal games in the evening.
The first weekend in April has always been a great weekend for sports. There is the men’s final four on Saturday with the championship game on Monday. In the last few years, I have added the women’s final four on Friday, with the championship game on Sunday to my viewing pleasure. Don’t be surprised if this year’s television ratings for the women’s championship game surpass the men’s game if Iowa and South Carolina make it to the finals.
The Tigers will be on TV against Oakland all three days. As a bonus, the Red Wings who are fighting to make the playoffs are playing Friday evening and Sunday afternoon.
Have a great weekend. I know I will.
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Quote of the Day: “I don’t have a lot of patience for us getting the forecast wrong, but the reality is we all sort of got it wrong.” Marin Gjaja, chief operating officer of Ford’s Model e EV division, recently told The Detroit News,
Orchid of the Day: Malachi Flynn of the Detroit Pistons for scoring 50 points in last nights loss. This is an incredible feat, especially since he was coming off the bench as a non-starter, and he averages less than 6 points per game.
Second Orchid of the Day: Chauncey Billups, former Detroit Piston from the 2004 NBA Championship team. Per the Detroit News, Billups will be named to the Hall of Fame in an announcement this weekend.
Onion of the Day: Taylor James Johnatakis, a Washington state man who used a megaphone to orchestrate a mob’s attack on police officers guarding the US Capitol, was sentenced on Wednesday to more than seven years in prison.
Question of the Day: Video of the Day: Will the South Carolina women’s basketball team finish the season undefeated and hoist up the National Championship.
Video of the Day: Terry Fator at his best. Thank you Dan for introducing me to him.