Aptera solar EV will be first to get Openpilot driver-assist tech

Aptera announces Openpilot integrationAptera will integrate the Openpilot driver-assistance system with its electric three-wheeler, giving the vehicle, which is classified as an autocycle, tech similar to passenger cars. Openpilot will add adaptive cruise control, lane centering, and forward-collision warnings, along with a driver monitoring system that ensures drivers will remain...

LG plans $5.5B Arizona battery plant as largest in America

Lucid Air battery cellsLG Energy Solution on Friday announced a $5.5-billion battery manufacturing complex in Queen Creek, Arizona. The company claims the plant will be the largest battery-making investment in the U.S. to date. The complex will consist of two manufacturing facilities—one for 2170-format cylindrical battery cells for EVs, and another for pouch-type...

Tesla Model 3 leads a nosedive in used EV prices

2019 Tesla Model 3Used car prices have fallen sharply over the past year, led by the Tesla Model 3, according to new analysis from iSeeCars. Overall used car prices are down 4.7% from September and 8.7% from a year ago, according to the analysis, which is based on the average listing prices of over 1.8 million 1-5-year-old used car sales in Feb. 2022 and...

Rivian adds compatible Tesla Superchargers to its navigation app

2023 Rivian R1TRivian has added locations of compatible Tesla Superchargers to its navigation app, allowing R1S and R1T drivers to more easily find the Superchargers Tesla is opening up to EVs from other manufacturers. The interface adds Tesla Supercharger locations both to the in-vehicle navigation and the mobile app. Rivian provided this excerpt (below) from...

Dongfeng claims world’s first passenger cars with in-wheel motors

Dongfeng Fengshen E70Chinese automaker Dongfeng has launched a production model with in-wheel motors from supplier Protean Electric. In press releases, Protean claims the Dongfeng Fengshen E70 is the "world's first fully homologated passenger car" equipped with two ProteanDrive in-wheel motors. A conventional inboard motor drives the front wheels, while the in-wheel...

Qiantu K50 electric sports car revamped for US as Mullen GT

Mullen GTRSMullen Automotive still plans to bring the Chinese-developed Qiantu K50 electric supercar to the U.S., but now under a different name and with a different assembly location. The U.S. version of the K50 will henceforth be known as the Mullen GT and GTRS, Mullen announced Monday in a press release. The company said it had also revised the styling of...

Why Mexico builds many US-bound EVs but buys few of them

Ford Mustang Mach-E assembly - MexicoMexico will soon build large numbers of EVs, but most will go north to the U.S. rather than being sold domestically. The reason behind it isn't a culture clash or a lack of concern for the environment. It's a matter of economics and practicality. EVs remain too expensive for most Mexicans, and lack of charging infrastructure makes them less...

Hyundai robot could ease EV charging, tackle mobility barriers

Hyundai charging robotHyundai believes automated charging robots could help make EV charging easier and more accessible. The automaker on Tuesday released a short video showing its prototype robot charging an Ioniq 6 sedan. Hyundai showed the design of the robot in a computer-generated video last year, but this time it's showing a working version that's been undergoing...

Report: EV battery repair hurdles may inflate insurance premiums

2023 Tesla Model Y in the IIHS side impact testA lack of standards for repair and replacement of EV battery packs may lead to higher insurance premiums, according to a recent Reuters report (via Automotive News). Battery packs can represent up to 50% of an EV's price tag, often making it uneconomical to replace them, according to the report. And while there is no standard procedure for...

Kia EV5 electric SUV concept taps solar panels, swivel seats

Kia EV5 conceptKia just revealed the 2024 EV9 electric SUV in production-ready form, but the automaker on Monday revealed a smaller electric SUV concept. Called the EV5, the concept previews a "production model destined initially for Chinese market later this year," according to Kia. Note the use of the word "initially," which hints that the EV5 is coming to...