2025 Genesis GV60 gets less expensive base AWD model

2025 Genesis GV60The 2025 Genesis GV60 receives minor changes and a minor price increase for its third model year on sale in the U.S., Genesis announced last week. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are now available, along with a new Capri Blue exterior paint color. The 19-inch-wheel option for all-wheel-drive models has also been broken out into its own…

Fratzonic: EVs have to sound like something, but does it have to be ICE?

2024 Dodge Charger DaytonaThe 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona electrifies a hallowed muscle-car nameplate. And it features an elaborate sound generator to replicate the exhaust noise of the V-8 that will not be offered in the new Charger. Unveiled in March, the Daytona is the all-electric version of the redesigned Charger, which will also be sold with a gasoline...

EV battery costs dropped 90% in last 15 years

Mercedes-Benz Alabama battery factoryThe average price of a lithium-ion battery pack for a light-duty EV has decreased 90% over the past 15 years, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) estimates. In 2023, the DOE estimates pack prices averaged $139/kwh on a usable-energy basis for production at scale, meaning at least 100,000 units per year. That's still not quite at the magical...

2025 Nissan Leaf is now cheaper than Versa economy car

2025 Nissan LeafThanks to incentives, the 2025 Nissan Leaf is now the automaker's cheapest model regardless of powertrain type, reports CarsDirect, undercutting the gasoline Versa economy car. The base 2025 Nissan Leaf S starts at $29,280 with destination, but through September 3 it's eligible for $7,500 in NMAC Special APR cash, which is essentially a rebate...

2025 Volvo EX90 price hiked $3,300, still missing features

2025 Volvo EX90The 2025 Volvo EX90 now costs $81,290 The updated pricing includes a $3,300 price increase due to material costs The 2025 Volvo EX90 is in production in South Carolina The 2025 Volvo EX90 has gotten $3,300 more expensive ahead of the planned start of U.S. deliveries later this year, reported Automotive News. Volvo's website now lists the base...

VW ID.Buzz conversion vans brings good vibes into electric era

Volkswagen ID.Buzz.Box by Peace VansA camper conversion of the VW ID.Buzz is in the works Deliveries of the VW ID.Buzz conversion van will begin in November The camper conversion is being done by a third-party independent of VW A Seattle-based company is offering Volkswagen ID.Buzz camper van conversions that channel the grooviness of VW Microbus hippie-mobiles. Peace Vans, which...

PHEVs and EVs outsold gas-powered cars in China in July

BYD Shark plug-in hybrid pickupElectric cars and plug-in hybrids outsold non-hybrid internal-combustion cars in China—the world's largest new-car market—in July, reports Reuters. Sales of plug-in cars increased 37% last month from the same period a year earlier, reaching a record 50.7% market share, according to the report, which cites data from the China Passenger...

NACS or CCS: ChargePoint EV chargers follow Tesla Magic Dock

ChargePoint Omni PortAs automakers and charging networks move to adopt the Tesla North American Charging Standard (NACS) for EV fast charging, ChargePoint is releasing new hardware that combines Tesla and non-Tesla connector types. The ChargePoint Omni Port can accommodate NACS and Combined Charging Standard (CCS) connectors, as well as the SAE J1772 connector for AC...

Nissan testing paint technology to lower cabin temps

Nissan tests cool paint technologyA new type of paint could lower vehicle cabin temperatures Lower cabin temperatures could reduce EV energy consumption The paint might make it to production, but on a special-order basis Nissan is testing paint that could help lower cabin temperatures and reduce energy use from air conditioning. The paint incorporates "metamaterial," a composite...

Tesla Electric partners with SunRun to bolster Texas grid

Sunrun battery and solarTesla customers will soon use home energy-storage systems to support the Texas power grid. A partnership between Tesla Electric, a retail electricity provider operated by the automaker's Tesla Energy, and solar company SunRun announced Tuesday is enrolling customers a program that will use Tesla Powerwall battery packs to supplement the grid...