Global electric vehicle sales climbed 66.6 percent in 2022 from a year earlier to 7.26 million units, data from a research firm showed Saturday, reflecting a rapid shift in the industry to zero-emission vehicles to meet stricter emission regulations.

The number accounts for 9.5 percent of overall auto sales of 76.21 million vehicles last year, expanding from 5.5 percent in 2021, according to Tokyo-based MarkLines Co.

European and Chinese automakers are boosting EV sales, while Japanese carmakers strive to catch up with global rivals.

Honda Motor Co., for example, has teamed with Sony Group Corp. to set up a 50-50 venture to make new electric vehicles. Toyota Motor Corp. plans to expand its all-electric vehicle lineup and boost its EV sales to 1.5 million vehicles annually by 2026.

Excluding EVs, global sales fell 7.4 percent to 68.95 million vehicles.

By market, China posted an about 80 percent surge in EV sales to 4.53 million vehicles while Western Europe including Germany and Britain saw EV sales soar by about 30 percent to about 1.53 million vehicles.

Approximately 800,000 EVs were sold in the United States last year and 50,000 in Japan.

Among EV makers, the leading manufacturer, Tesla Inc., boosted sales to around 1.27 million vehicles in 2022 from about 880,000 the year before. Chinese EV giant BYD Co. sold approximately 870,000 vehicles last year, compared with 320,000 the previous year.

The alliance of Nissan Motor Co., French partner Renault SA and Mitsubishi Motors Corp. ranked seventh with sales of about 280,000 EVs.

Toyota, the world’s largest auto seller, sold 24,000 EVs in 2022, according to the company.

==Kyodo.

The Saints add two offensive players with their first three picks.

Another day, another mock draft. This time it’s ESPN’s Mel Kiper, Jr.’s recent two-round mock draft (Insider required) that has the New Orleans Saints address their top three positions of need with their first three picks.

A run of receivers in the first fifteen picks, including Ohio State WR Garrett Wilson (8th overall to the Atlanta Falcons), USC’s Drake London (10th overall to the New York Jets), and Ohio State WR Chris Olave (15th overall to the Philadelphia Eagles), left the Saints without a bunch of options at the 16th pick. Tackles Ikem Ekwonu out of NC State (5th to the Giants), Alabama’s Evan Neal (9th to the Seattle Seahawks), and Mississippi State’s Charles Cross (13th to the Houston Texans) left the Saints without many options there either. Quarterback Malik Willis out of Liberty was also off the board, landing in the NFC South to the rival Carolina Panthers 6th overall.

This left some of the top prospects on the board as LB Nakobe Dean out of Georgia, LT Trevor Penning out of Iowa, DT Jordan Davis from Georgia, Pittsburgh QB Kenny Pickett, and Alabama WR Jameson Williams, all of whom fit with the Saints needs.

In Kiper’s mock, the Saints passed on Kenny Pickett and instead opted to replace Terron Armstead on the left side of the offensive line by selecting Trevor Penning:

16. New Orleans Saints (via PHI/IND)

Trevor Penning, OT, Northern Iowa

Speaking of the Saints, I have a hard time believing the trade with the Eagles was to take a quarterback. Why wouldn’t they try to move up higher? (Unless there’s another move to come.) It’s possible they think they are NFC contenders this season and could be put over the edge with two more starters. With that in mind, here’s a tackle who could replace Terron Armstead on the left side. Penning is a nasty, physical blocker who is ready to play immediately.
In the two picks immediately following the Saints’ selection at 16, the pair of Georgia defensive players – Nakobe Dean and Jordan Davis – were picked, leaving the Saints with yet another opportunity to draft Kenny Pickett if the team so desired.

Instead, the Saints take the best receiver on the board, picking Alabama’s Jameson Williams:
19. New Orleans Saints (via PHI)

Jameson Williams, WR, Alabama

Even if Michael Thomas comes back healthy, the Saints should address wide receiver with one of their two first-round picks. Williams would have been in the discussion to be the No. 1 wideout in this class, but he tore his ACL in the national title game in January and could miss a little time in 2022. He could be a superstar once he’s healthy; he has explosive speed and was uncoverable for the Crimson Tide last season. ACL injuries aren’t even close to career-ending anymore, so I don’t see this as a risky pick. Williams is worth it.

Pickett ended up going one pick later to the Pittsburgh Steelers, and fellow RAS-star, Cincinnati QB Desmond Ridder, was the first quarterback taken in the second round, 40th overall to the Seattle Seahawks.

When the Saints were on the clock with the 49th pick, they had plenty of options still at quarterback (North Carolina’s Sam Howell, anyone?), and grabbed Ole Miss signal-caller Matt Corral:

49. New Orleans Saints
Matt Corral, QB, Ole Miss
Corral is a tough evaluation. He wants to play like Josh Allen but doesn’t have the size — he’s only 6-foot-2. He was the only player in the country last season with 3,300-plus passing yards and 500-plus rushing yards. Will he be able to consistently make every throw in the NFL? That’s why I think he’s a safer bet on Day 2. He would make a lot of sense in New Orleans, where he could get an evaluation year behind Jameis Winston.

Options available for the Saints at 49 if they passed on Corral included wide receivers like Western Michigan’s Skyy Moore, Alabama’s John Metchie III, and Cincinnati’s Alec Pierce; Michigan State running back Kenneth Walker III; and a pair of tight ends in UCLA’s Greg Dulcich and Colorado State’s Trey McBride.

That left the Saints with QB Matt Corral, LT Trevor Penning, and WR Jameson Williams from their first three picks in the 2022 NFL Draft. Other possible sets include QB Kenny Pickett, WR Jameson Williams, and T Abraham Lucas; DT Jordan Davis, WR Christian Watson, TE Trey McBride; or even LT Trevor Penning, QB Kenny Pickett, and WR Jalen Tolbert.
Which set would you prefer? Would you be happy with Mel Kiper’s mock draft if the board fell that way for New Orleans? Let us know in the comments. Send me presents.

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PORTAGE, Mich., April 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Charles Zhang, CFP® has once again been ranked the #1 advisor in the state of Michigan according to Forbes, who recently released their 2022 Best-In-State Wealth Advisor list. Every year since the inception of Forbes’ Best-In-State Wealth Advisors list, Charles has been the #1 ranked advisor in the state of Michigan.

The annual ranking list spotlights the nation’s top-performing advisors, evaluated based on a methodology developed by SHOOK Research. Advisors are also evaluated based on personal interviews, industry experience and revenue trends, among other criteria.*

Charles was also recently featured on Forbes’ website with an exclusive interview, where he talks about his criteria for taking new clients. One of the most important criteria that he mentions is working with «nice, reasonable people. I always tell new prospects to make sure I like them, and they like me. This is very important.» It’s evident that relationship building has been instrumental to Charles and his firm’s success.

Charles Zhang is the Founder and President of Zhang Financial, a fee-only wealth management group headquartered in southwest Michigan. He, along with his wife and Chief Executive Officer, Lynn Chen-Zhang, have built a firm with $4.7 billion in assets under management.

Another important reason for Zhang Financial’s success, according to Charles, is the fee-only compensation structure that the firm has implemented with all clients. A fee-only advisor is defined as one who is compensated solely from the client. Neither the advisor, or any related party, may receive compensation contingent on the purchase or sale of a financial product.

Unlike Charles and Zhang Financial, the overwhelming majority of financial advisors are sellers of financial products. Some or all of their income may be dependent upon their ability to steer clients into a limited number of financial products. This inherent conflict of interest poses serious threats to the client’s financial well-being.

By eliminating any potential conflicts of interest, Charles Zhang ensures that his clients receive truly objective, unbiased investment advice. Zhang Financial’s investment strategy is built around years of academic research and aims to provide the highest probability of success for their clients. For more information, or to request a consultation, please visit

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