Mercedes EV recall, Ford battery swapping, charging infrastructure lag: Today’s Car News

Many of Mercedes’ EVs get recalled. Ford may be thinking about battery swapping with a new twist. And why is the federal EV charging network taking so long to take form? This and more, here at EV kind of cars. 

Mercedes-Benz has recalled nearly 15,000 EVs over a software issue that may lead to a shutdown of the high-voltage system. It amounts to a bug in the vehicles diagnostic system and no fault of the battery, but the issue requires a trip back to the dealership for an update. 

According to a recent patent application, Ford is considering EV battery swapping via drive-up docking stations. If this system based on smaller modules ever becomes reality—for fleet vehicles, perhaps, or other types of mobility—it would be very different than the full-pack replacements that companies like Nio and Ample do today. 

And why is the $7.5 billion federal EV charging network that was funded in 2021 moving so slowly? To date only eight stations in six states have opened, according to a report, and it’s largely because states are taking the lead but have to face a “patchwork of public and private utilities, regulators, and bureaucracies. 

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