Over the past week, charging attempts for electric-vehicle drivers in California might have been thwarted—and everyday life interrupted—by rolling blackouts in some parts of the state. Those were due, governor Gavin Newsom said Monday, to some "gaps" in reliability amid the state's transition to renewable energy. The blackouts not only... California relies on diesel generators, as it steers trucks away from diesel
Over the past week, charging attempts for electric-vehicle drivers in California might have been thwarted—and everyday life interrupted—by rolling blackouts in some parts of the state. Those were due, governor Gavin Newsom said Monday, to some "gaps" in reliability amid the state's transition to renewable energy. The blackouts not only... 
The 2021 Lexus ES 300h hybrid sedan gets a handful of changes for the new model year, including a new, more compact, lithium-ion battery pack. Switching from nickel-metal hydride to lithium-ion chemistry allowed for a 4.7-inch reduction in the height of the pack, Lexus said in a press release Thursday. That, along with a more compact cooling... 
Prices for 2021 Volvo plug-in hybrid models—nearly rebadged Recharge T8, or Recharge Plug-In Hybrid—are substantially lower than 2020 models, according to an early order guide obtained by CarsDirect. The biggest price reduction is on the S60 plug-in hybrid sedan, because it gets a new entry-level trim level. Dubbed R-Design Expression... 
Shortly after Lucid Motors CEO Peter Rawlinson confirmed plans for an electric SUV to follow the automaker's Air sedan, a prototype appears to have been spotted by an eagle-eyed Twitter user. Photos of an SUV, accompanied by a Lucid Air, on California public roads were posted by Twitter user Coast Redwoods on Friday and Saturday. The SUV's... 
The advantages between leasing versus buying electric cars are currently blurred by some especially strong sales incentives. The Nissan Leaf is currently eligible for 0% APR financing for 72 months, plus a $500 financing bonus. Nissan is also offering a $4,000 rebate in August, which is $1,000 more than last month, and the most seen to date... 
Electrify America is adding DC fast-charging stations at Love's Travel Stops, bringing charging to locations where drivers are already likely to stop on long road trips. The deal will add charging stations at seven locations—with a total of 28 connectors—in six states by 2021, Electrify America said in a press release Tuesday. All... 
A Hyundai Kona Electric went more than 600 miles in a closed-course test, but only when driven at slow speeds with all accessories turned off. The result, which Hyundai claims is a range record for a vehicle with this size battery pack, is more than double the Kona Electric's 258-mile EPA-rated range. It shows how much range can be extracted from... 
Electric cars don't just save the environment, they also save lots of money, according to a new Northwestern University study. The United States could save up to $70 billion annually if electric cars replaced 75% of current internal-combustion cars, and were paired with increased renewable-energy electricity generation, the study found. Even if... 
As European automakers ramp up production of electric cars, a new company aims to supply them with batteries. French startup Verkor plans to open a battery factory in its home country in 2023, with an initial annual production capacity of 16 gigawatt-hours, before expanding to 50 gigawatt-hours at a later date, according to Automotive News Europe... 
As Mercedes-Benz takes tentative steps toward an electrified future, it will first exorcise a ghost from its diesel-powered past. On Thursday, the automaker announced that it will pay $2.2 billion to settle a diesel-emissions cheating scandal in the United States. The settlement addresses claims involving emissions-control systems on 250,000... 
FreeWire Technologies is demonstrating a more flexible alternative to conventional fast-charging stations at an ampm convenience store in Lodi, California. The company announced Thursday that it had installed a Boost Charger station, which uses a battery buffer to "boost" onsite power, at the store. While conventional DC fast-charging stations... 
Chinese battery maker CATL is looking to boost the range of electric cars by packing batteries into vehicle frames, according to a Reuters report published Wednesday. Distributing battery cells throughout a car allows for more total cells, increasing energy-storage capacity and thus range. This will allow future electric cars to achieve a 500-mile... 
Volkswagen previously confirmed that it will build electric cars for the North American market at its Chattanooga, Tennessee, factory. On Wednesday the automaker said it also plans to do some engineering work there, too. An existing Engineering and Planning Center in Chattanooga will soon get a "high-voltage laboratory" for testing battery cells... 
The first all-electric Bentley production model, due in 2026, could set new standards for sustainability. Bentley announced earlier this month that it is undertaking a research project to develop an "e-axle" that is fully recyclable, and eliminates the rare-earth magnets used in many current production electric cars. Wearing the bizarre acronym... 
Rivian is making steady progress toward the start of production of its electric pickup trucks and SUVs, a video released by the company Tuesday showed. In the roughly three-minute video, Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe provides a walkthrough of the company's Normal, Illinois, factory. Formerly owned by Mitsubishi, the factory has been outfitted with... 
In some electric cars, the hardware that keeps occupants cool does the same for the battery pack. The air-conditioning condensers for EVs are for more than just cabin comfort, in many cases, supplier Mahle noted in a recent press release. They help keep the battery cool during driving and are especially important during higher-power fast-charging... 
South Korea may exclude Tesla from the list of automakers that qualify for electric-car subsidies as the California transplant racks up sales, The Korea Herald reported Sunday. Between January and June, Tesla accounted for 43% of 209.2 billion won ($176 million at current exchange rates) in subsidies, according to the report. That will likely push... 
Nikola has yet to deliver even one of its promised hydrogen fuel-cell semi trucks, but on Monday the company announced an order for 2,500 battery-electric garbage trucks. The trucks will go to waste-disposal company Republic Services, in what Republic claims to be the first large-scale commitment to fleet electrification in its industry. On-road... 
Electric vehicle enthusiasts prefer EVs that weren't designed to have full-sized gasoline powertrains. While Mazda seemed to hint that the MX-30 would be exclusively an electric vehicle—or perhaps one with a range extender—the idea of an EV that doesn't have a gas-burning counterpoint that looks nearly the same seems lost on Mazda... 
The 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E electric SUV will take advantage of the system integration experience of transmission and drive-system supplier BorgWarner to free up interior space. BorgWarner is supplying its Integrated Drive Module (IDM), which includes a thermal-management system and gearbox, packaged with "motor and power electronics from other...