Sales of big pickups help bankroll EV push, but they’re sinking

2024 Ford F-150Sales of expensive full-size pickup trucks from the Detroit Three automakers fell in the first quarter of 2024 which, as a Bloomberg report explains, could negatively impact those automakers' EV plans. Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis have been cashing in on high-end versions of full-size pickups, piling on features like bigger touchscreens...

2025 Mercedes-Benz EQS gets more range, better brakes, and a fake grille

2025 Mercedes-Benz EQSThe 2025 Mercedes-Benz EQS electric sedan gets a number of updates for its third model year. The refreshed EV arrives at U.S. dealerships later this year, with pricing to be revealed closer to that time. A new 118.0-kwh battery pack for all models represents a 9% increase from the 108.4 kwh usable capacity in current models. Mercedes promises...

Voltpost rolls out curbside US EV chargers: Here’s how they look

Voltpost streetside EV chargerCharging company Voltpost is preparing to roll out its lamppost EV chargers in major U.S. metro areas like New York, Chicago, and Detroit. The company on Thursday announced that it had "imminent plans" to deploy its chargers in these areas this spring. The Level 2 chargers are added to existing lampposts, with charging sessions and payment managed...

Ford reverses course, cuts F-150 Lightning prices by up to $5,500

2024 Ford F-150 Lightning FlashFord is cutting prices on some 2024 F-150 Lightning electric pickup trucks by up to $5,500, CarsDirect reports, citing a bulletin sent by Ford to dealerships. Effective April 5, the XLT Standard Range grade gets a $2,000 price cut, bringing its base price down to $65,090 with the mandatory $2,095 destination charge. The Lariat Extended Range gets...

Rimac will help BMW with next-gen EV battery packs

BMW Vision Neue Klasse X conceptRimac will provide next-generation battery packs for BMW EVs, the company announced Tuesday in a press release. Full details will be revealed at a later date, but Rimac anticipates "the establishment of sophisticated automated production lines for batteries" at its headquarters near Zagreb, Croatia, with "significant portion" of the site dedicated...

Connecticut and Maine delay adopting California EV mandate

2024 Chevrolet Equinox EVConnecticut and Maine have delayed adoption of California's EV sales mandate, leaving EV advocates to retrench, reports Energy News Network. On March 20, Maine's Board of Environmental Protection voted 4-2 against adopting California's Advanced Clean Cars II rules, which accompany the state's planned ban on sales of new gasoline cars in 2035 and...

Toyota says diesels aren’t dead, might pair with hybrid tech

2024 Toyota Land CruiserDiesel engines may still have a future at Toyota, in some markets at least. In a recent interview with Australian publication Drive, Toyota Australia sales and marketing boss said diesel is "not going to die off anytime soon," adding that it remains viable as part of hybrid powertrains, "particularly for heavy vehicles." That likely won't be the...

Kia keeps to EV goals but plans to enhance hybrid lineup

Kia EV4 conceptKia remains committed to an ambitious EV sales goal, but plans to keep hybrids and plug-in hybrids as part of its product mix, the automaker announced Friday in a presentation to investors. Kia still targets 1.6 million global EV sales annually by 2030. That's the same goal the automaker stepped up to in 2023, versus a previous target of 1.2...

New Jersey marks up EV ownership with additional $1,000 fee

2022 BMW i4 M50New Jersey is introducing an additional registration fee for EVs. Starting July 1, drivers will pay an upfront fee of more than $1,000 on top of existing registration fees. Governor Phil Murphy signed a law last week renewing New Jersey's transportation trust fund that adds an annual fee set at $250 this year, and rising $10 over the remaining...

Stellantis CEO claims EVs need battery breakthrough to be green

2025 Ram 1500 REVAutomakers must reduce EV battery weight by 50% in the next decade in order to make electrification truly green, Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares said Wednesday during the automaker's Freedom of Mobility Forum. As Reuters reports, Tavares said that making a battery pack for an EV with a "decent range" of 250 miles currently takes, on average 1,000...