Hybrid headlines 2024 Toyota Tacoma lineup, no EV yet

2024 Toyota Tacoma TRD ProToyota has revealed a new generation of its mid-size Tacoma pickup truck that, at last, improves pretty much everything about the lineup—and adds a hybrid—while remaining in a package that everyone will instantly identify as a Tacoma. The new Tacoma won’t quite satisfy everyone. Although with much more tech inside and more...

Apple Maps tracks Porsche Taycan energy use, shows charging stations

Apple Maps in Porsche TaycanDrivers of the Porsche Taycan no longer have to use the EV’s Charging Planner that’s part of its built-in navigation system. They can also now use Apple Maps, via their iPhone. With the CarPlay-based option, Apple Maps gains access to the Taycan’s real-time battery performance and state of charge, so that it can plot out your...

Toyota Prius Prime lease undercuts that of cheaper Prius hybrid

2023 Toyota Prius PrimeIf you choose to lease, the Toyota Prius Prime plug-in hybrid might cost significantly less to drive than the Prius hybrid—depending on where you live and which incentives Toyota might be factoring in. As partner site CarsDirect points out, the Toyota Prius Prime SE has a lease payment of just $435 a month, with $435 due at signing...

Mercedes-Benz confirms US-bound electric luxury van, potential RV

2026 Mercedes-Benz electric camper van teasedMercedes-Benz plans to introduce luxurious mid-size electric passenger vans for the U.S. and China for the first time, along with factory-built RVs, it revealed on Tuesday. The announcement was part of the company’s most comprehensive look yet at its next-generation “.EA” electric architectures. All of these Mercedes-Benz...

Review: 2024 Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid bridges the EV gap

2024 Porsche Cayenne E-HybridPorsche vehicles may be fast, but they’re not quick enough to outrun the rapid onset of emissions regulations. That’s why it revised all three powertrains in the 2024 Porsche Cayenne to run leaner, as well as meaner. But the performance brand had to make some difficult decisions on how and where its bestseller will be sold. This...

Ford revives hydrogen interest with E-Transit fuel-cell trial

Ford hydrogen fuel-cell E-Transit trial (UK)Ford last week announced that it’s started a research project that examines hydrogen as a potential energy source for its E-Transit commercial vans. The three-year trial project, based in the UK, will look at whether it can deliver “enhanced zero-emission-driving range for E-Transit customers with energy-intensive use cases.” The...

Honda puts off-key e:Ny1 badge on mainstream EV for Europe

Honda e:Ny1 EVHonda has found a lot of success in Europe with its Honda e hatchback. And now it’s adding a second EV to its Continental lineup with the e:Ny1. Honda calls the e:Ny1 “the logical next step on our electrification journey in Europe.” The small crossover appears positioned for the B-segment core of the Euro market, rivaling a...

Goodyear greens the carbon black in tires for Tesla Model 3

2023 Tesla Model 3Goodyear is greening its latest ElectricDrive GT tire that’s available as aftermarket replacement rubber for the Tesla Model 3—with carbon black that doesn’t depend on the combustion of fossil fuels. The new tires instead use carbon black from Monolith, made through methane pyrolysis and not requiring combustion, Goodyear says...

Volvo EX90 and Polestar 3 delayed by software issues

2024 Polestar 3Initial U.S. deliveries of the Polestar 3 and Volvo EX90 are likely to be delayed by months due to a software-related issue spanning these models’ shared platform, the two Swedish EV makers confirmed Thursday. The impact may be most significant for Polestar, as U.S. deliveries of the Polestar 3 electric SUV won’t start later this year...

Review: 2024 Volvo XC40 Recharge, C40 Recharge show less can be more

2024 Volvo C40 RechargeIt’s easy to miss the most important thing about the refreshed 2024 XC40 Recharge and C40 Recharge. These models, which I drove last week near Volvo’s Gothenburg headquarters, make the rear wheels the primary drive wheels for the first time in a Volvo in decades. Yet they don’t look much different than their 2023 equivalents...

Review: 2024 Volvo XC40 Recharge, C40 Recharge show less can be more

2024 Volvo C40 RechargeIt’s easy to miss the most important thing about the refreshed 2024 XC40 Recharge and C40 Recharge. These models, which I drove last week near Volvo’s Gothenburg headquarters, make the rear wheels the primary drive wheels for the first time in a Volvo in decades. Yet they don’t look much different than their 2023 equivalents...

Toyota teases future EV, plans three-row electric SUV by 2026

Toyota EV concept for 2026Toyota made a number of announcements that suggest it might be stepping up its electric vehicle strategy versus what has been previously announced. In an annual roundup of the company’s financial results presented on Wednesday, president and CEO Koji Sato stated that it plans to launch ten models ranging from luxury vehicles to compact cars...