autoevolution
 

Gustavo Henrique Ruffo

EV Expert
editor photo
Motoring writer since 1998, Gustavo wants to write relevant stories about cars and their shift to a sustainable future.

Got any tips? Feel free to contact him through his LinkedIn profile or Threema: R6F4J872.

Gustavo knew he would make a living with writing. The options were a career in law and journalism. After a quick research, he learned that law professions would help him earn ten times more than a reporter. Knowing how it feels to be broke, he took no effort in going to law school.

Having grown up reading anything about cars his father would put in his hands, he started driving late: Gustavo wanted to buy his first car before learning to drive. But life is funny, and his law internships demanded him to have a driver’s license so that he could go to courts driving company cars. That was the only fun he had in the world of legal affairs.

In the third year of college, dying of boredom, he took part in a journalism training course. Loving cars was what landed him his first job as a motoring writer. But he also fell in love with journalism and how powerful it can be when things are not right in the world.

The profession was as unstable and low-paying as predicted, which eventually became a problem. That made him try to go back to the legal world working as a trainee. Ironically, it was at Ford, where he missed his days as an automotive journalist. That drove him back to newsrooms and made journalism turn into a professional refuge: he could always count on it.

Accepting that the life of a reporter is full of ups and downs – aren’t them all? – Gustavo fully accepted he was a journalist. That helped him earn a few prizes, work in multiple places, visit almost every major auto show in the world, meet a bunch of nice people, and feed his family while working with what he loves. He thanks for that privilege every single day.

At autoevolution, he found the right environment for journalism at its best: it can be fun to have a purpose.
Hyundai Charges €103,764.17 ($113,139) to Replace Fuel Cells in 2016 ix35 FCEV
Hyundai Charges €103,764.17 ($113,139) to Replace Fuel Cells in 2016 ix35 FCEV

15 Aug 2023, 23:20 UTC · By: Gustavo Henrique Ruffo / Early adopters are necessary to test new technology and eventually see it go mainstream. At the same time, these guys sacrifice themselves for the privilege of being the first ones to try that tech. Till Westberg's story is a cautionary tale a...

 
BEV Range Discussion: Two Recent Episodes Show How Urgent It Is
BEV Range Discussion: Two Recent Episodes Show How Urgent It Is

15 Aug 2023, 09:09 UTC · By: Gustavo Henrique Ruffo / Some people marvel at coincidences, while others believe they do not exist: these events would be God's way of calling your attention to something important, which would eliminate the random effect that defines them as coincidences. Whatever y...

 
Nikola Will Recall All Tre BEV Trucks It Ever Sold Due to Coolant Leak
Nikola Will Recall All Tre BEV Trucks It Ever Sold Due to Coolant Leak

12 Aug 2023, 18:43 UTC · By: Gustavo Henrique Ruffo / A blaze on June 23 destroyed five Tre BEV trucks at Nikola's headquarters in Phoenix. At first, the company said it suspected foul play because of a vehicle parked nearby that left soon after the fire started. However, Electrek revealed that R...

 
BEV Range Discussion – We Need to Talk About the Way Automakers Establish Them
BEV Range Discussion – We Need to Talk About the Way Automakers Establish Them

12 Aug 2023, 09:54 UTC · By: Gustavo Henrique Ruffo / Internal combustion engine (ICE) cars have fuel tanks and their reserves. The latter is the bottom 10% to 15% main reservoir capacity. Older vehicles warn about reaching the reserve by turning a warning light on, while onboard computers inform the ...

 
High Weight Will Make You Bid Farewell to a VW ID. Buzz California – At Least for Now
High Weight Will Make You Bid Farewell to a VW ID. Buzz California – At Least for Now

11 Aug 2023, 20:36 UTC · By: Gustavo Henrique Ruffo / When Volkswagen revealed the ID. Buzz, people saw it as the successor of the VW Bus (the T1 and T2). However, the electric MPV only shares the nostalgic styling and being an RWD with the first Transporter. Fans of the new vehicle who were hoping to...

 
BYD's Path Toward 5 Million NEVs Relies Heavily on LFP, Blade Batteries, and Planning
BYD's Path Toward 5 Million NEVs Relies Heavily on LFP, Blade Batteries, and Planning

11 Aug 2023, 11:47 UTC · By: Gustavo Henrique Ruffo / I have written more than once about how Tesla established the battery electric vehicle (BEV) model that all automakers follow nowadays and how that standard may be flawed. The company was the first one to use thousands of ternary cells to create a ...

 
BMW i7 Protection Proves Current BEVs Are Not Meant to Receive Armor
BMW i7 Protection Proves Current BEVs Are Not Meant to Receive Armor

10 Aug 2023, 11:35 UTC · By: Gustavo Henrique Ruffo / On May 19, I published an article about companies that armor Tesla vehicles. Clearly, being bullet-proof was not all these battery electric vehicles (BEVs) needed to offer. The added weight significantly reduced their ranges, which is also a safety...

 
Buy a $25,000 Tesla to Get the $4,000 Used BEV Incentive, Risk Spending $20,000 More
Buy a $25,000 Tesla to Get the $4,000 Used BEV Incentive, Risk Spending $20,000 More

8 Aug 2023, 14:36 UTC · By: Gustavo Henrique Ruffo / The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) had more than just the $7,500 tax credit for new battery electric vehicles (BEVs). Advocates of these cars also celebrated the $4,000 tax credit for used BEVs that cost up to $25,000: it would promote clean mobilit...

 
Are Amprius Silicon Anode Cells Getting Less Energy-Dense? Find the Answer Here
Are Amprius Silicon Anode Cells Getting Less Energy-Dense? Find the Answer Here

7 Aug 2023, 18:00 UTC · By: Gustavo Henrique Ruffo / In March, I used Amprius silicon anode cells as an example of how far lithium-ion cells were from mature battery technologies. In other words, a cell with twice as much gravimetric energy density as the most used ones in battery electric vehicles (...

 
Nikola Will Begin Delivering Its Fuel Cell Trucks in September, But With Another CEO
Nikola Will Begin Delivering Its Fuel Cell Trucks in September, But With Another CEO

6 Aug 2023, 14:22 UTC · By: Gustavo Henrique Ruffo / Nikola had the help of Biagi Bros to validate its fuel cell truck. Things have apparently gone well enough for series production to start on July 31. Customers will receive the first Tre FCEV units in September. Too bad that Michael Lohscheller wil...

 
Volkswagen's Platform-Purchasing Deals Subvert Old Automotive Paradigms
Volkswagen's Platform-Purchasing Deals Subvert Old Automotive Paradigms

4 Aug 2023, 17:48 UTC · By: Gustavo Henrique Ruffo / Volkswagen started its EV push by suggesting that its first dedicated battery electric vehicle (BEV) platform would be sold to smaller companies willing to make this sort of car. In a way, the German automaker expected to repeat what happened with ...

 
First Class Action Against Tesla's Unreal Range Readouts Disputes More than Just That
First Class Action Against Tesla's Unreal Range Readouts Disputes More than Just That

4 Aug 2023, 07:39 UTC · By: Gustavo Henrique Ruffo / On July 27, Reuters published an investigation revealing that Elon Musk ordered Tesla's software engineers to always present the best possible range these cars could have. That led customers to complain their vehicles were not delivering what ...

 
Investigation Shows EU and Political Fears Prevented Shutting Down Autopilot in Germany
Investigation Shows EU and Political Fears Prevented Shutting Down Autopilot in Germany

3 Aug 2023, 19:25 UTC · By: Gustavo Henrique Ruffo / We already know that Elon Musk tried to make Autopilot and Full Self-Driving (FSD) look better than they really are for years. He repeated Tesla would sell robotaxis more than once. The Tesla CEO also dictated a misleading text in an edited video c...

 
Tesla Model 3 and Model Y Are Under NHTSA Investigation Due to Steering Control Loss
Tesla Model 3 and Model Y Are Under NHTSA Investigation Due to Steering Control Loss

1 Aug 2023, 17:26 UTC · By: Gustavo Henrique Ruffo / Tesla has a new preliminary evaluation (PE) going on with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). After receiving "twelve complaints alleging loss of steering control and power steering," the safety regulator decided t...

 
Fremantle Highway Reinforces the Questions Felicity Ace Raised About BEV Transportation
Fremantle Highway Reinforces the Questions Felicity Ace Raised About BEV Transportation

31 Jul 2023, 20:38 UTC · By: Gustavo Henrique Ruffo / On February 16, 2022, a fire broke out inside the Felicity Ace. This roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) cargo ship was carrying 3,965 cars from the Volkswagen group to the US. Several battery electric vehicles (BEVs) were also inside, which made captain Jo&at...

 
More-Than-Million-Mile Model S Helps Clarify What is Wrong with Tesla's Motors
More-Than-Million-Mile Model S Helps Clarify What is Wrong with Tesla's Motors

31 Jul 2023, 18:02 UTC · By: Gustavo Henrique Ruffo / When Hansjörg von Gemmingen achieved 1 million miles with his Model S, he said he would buy a Lucid Air. It seemed he was bidding farewell to Tesla, which has done very little for this record-breaker instead of learning from everything that we...

 
Elon Musk Made Unreal Allegations About Range – Is It OK if It Is for the Mission?
Elon Musk Made Unreal Allegations About Range – Is It OK if It Is for the Mission?

31 Jul 2023, 10:55 UTC · By: Gustavo Henrique Ruffo / Early Model 3 owners answered a Bloomberg survey in 2019 and again in 2023. The main difference Bloomberg noticed was the perception people had about Elon Musk. Among the spontaneous comments on the Tesla CEO in the latest survey, one caught my att...

 
Neocarbonix Will Have a Tailor-Made Electrolyte Made by E-Lyte
Neocarbonix Will Have a Tailor-Made Electrolyte Made by E-Lyte

29 Jul 2023, 08:53 UTC · By: Gustavo Henrique Ruffo / The last time I spoke about Neocarbonix, the solution Nanoramic had developed to create composite electrodes was supposed to reach the market in 2023. So far, it has received a $3.6-million contract and a strategic investment from GM Ventures to ev...

 
Survey Shows Tesla's Main Enemies Are Elon Musk, Service Centers, and Brand Perception
Survey Shows Tesla's Main Enemies Are Elon Musk, Service Centers, and Brand Perception

28 Jul 2023, 11:20 UTC · By: Gustavo Henrique Ruffo / In 2019, Bloomberg did a survey with Model 3 owners to understand how their experiences with Tesla's first high-volume car were going. At the time, the electric sedan had been on the streets for only around two years and was selling like hotca...

 
QuantumScape QSE-5 Has a Prospective Launch Customer – Volkswagen, Anyone?
QuantumScape QSE-5 Has a Prospective Launch Customer – Volkswagen, Anyone?

27 Jul 2023, 21:42 UTC · By: Gustavo Henrique Ruffo / Until very recently, QuantumScape only talked about the commercial presentation of its first cell as a target. That changed in its last letter to shareholders, which was about Q2 2023 results. We now have a name for the first solid-state platform&#...

 

Stories by Gustavo Henrique Ruffo