Honda inks charging-network deals for Prologue and Acura ZDX

2024 Honda PrologueHonda on Thursday announced deals with two major charging networks in preparation for the launch of the Honda Prologue and Acura ZDX electric SUVs in early 2024. Agreements with EVgo and Electrify America will give Honda and Acura EV drivers "single-app access" to charging stations on both networks, according to a Honda press release. Prologue and...

2024 Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid blacks out, still gets 42 mpg

2024 Toyota Corolla Cross HybridThe 2024 Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid gains a new Nightshade Edition grade, but keeps its impressive fuel economy. A crossover that borrows underpinnings and a name from the ubiquitous Corolla sedan and hatchback, the Corolla Cross made its debut for 2022, but it arrived as a hybrid for 2023. So changes are minimal for 2024, encompassing an updated...

Mercedes EQS EV may soon allow hands-free, eyes off the road

Mercedes-Benz Drive PilotA limited number of U.S. Mercedes-Benz EV drivers will soon have access to Drive Pilot, a driver-assistance system that Mercedes claims will let drivers take their eyes off the road in certain situations. Drive Pilot promises to advance self-driving capability because it's what Mercedes claims is an SAE Level 3 system offering "conditionally...

Survey: EV battery production can cloud sustainability picture

Stack of Rivian battery cellsEVs produce no "tailpipe" emissions, but the environmental impact of battery production has car shoppers concerned about EVs' overall carbon footprint, according to a new Ipsos survey. Of the consumers surveyed, 73% said they were concerned about how EV battery production might affect the planet. Further, 74% said they were concerned about the...

Ubitricity plans to add 1,050 more EV charge points at UK lampposts

Ubitricity electric-car charging cordUbitricity, a charging network operator owned by oil giant Shell, is expanding the rollout of lamppost EV chargers in the U.K. The company recently announced that it had been appointed by the governments of the Richmond and Wandsworth borough of greater London to install 1,050 public EV chargers, evenly divided between the boroughs. These 5-kw...

Analysis: EVs will top two-thirds of global car sales by 2030

BMW iX production  -  DingolfingEV sales will accelerate rapidly over the next few years, topping two-thirds of global car sales by 2030, the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) predicts. In research presented ahead of Climate Week NYC, analysts predict that EV sales will increase at least sixfold by 2030 to a market share of 62% to 86% of new car sales. In China, the world's largest...

Toyota recasts hybrids without charge ports as “hybrid EVs”

2023 Toyota Prius LimitedHybrid cars have combustion engines but, unless they are plug-in hybrids, not EV charge ports. A new Toyota marketing campaign appears to downplay the difference. Announced Monday, the new "Electrified Diversified" campaign emphasizes the variety of options available from Toyota, encompassing battery-electric, hydrogen fuel-cell, plug-in hybrid...

2025 Audi Q4 E-Tron EV updates suggest range boost, sportier tuning

2024 Audi Q4 E-Tron (European spec)The Audi Q4 E-Tron, the automaker's entry-level EV, is slated to get an update that includes increased range, faster charging, and sportier suspension tuning—in the European market, at least. The changes will roll out for the 2024 model year in Europe, according to an Audi press release. Audi couldn't yet confirm whether the U.S. version of...

China updates its EV charging standard, claims cross-compatibility

ChaoJI GB/T charging connectorChina, the world's largest new-car market and the largest market for EVs, will continue with its own national DC fast-charging standard. On September 12, China's State Administration for Market Regulation and National Administration approved three key aspects of ChaoJi-1, the next-generation version of the GB/T standard currently used in the...

UK delay of ban on gas models irks automakers, climate groups

Vauxhall Vivaro-eThe U.K. government on Wednesday said it would delay a ban on the sale of new gasoline and diesel cars by five years—irritating both automakers and environmental groups. In 2018, the U.K. introduced a Road to Zero program that would require 50% plug-in vehicles by 2030 and 100% by 2040. Then in 2019 it moved to tighten that rule, instead...