Revival of Lancia starts in Europe with Ypsilon urban EV

2024 Lancia YpsilonStellantis on Wednesday unveiled the redesigned Lancia Ypsilon hatchback—the historic Italian brand's first EV. This marks the beginning of a revival of Lancia, which has produced classics like the Aurelia, Fulvia, Stratos, and Delta Integrale, but has been largely ignored by Stellantis and predecessor Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA). The...

Study: EV drivers want gas-station perks at charging stops

First Electrify America indoor charging station opens in San FranciscoWhen it comes to charging stations, EV drivers want the same amenities drivers currently get at gas station, a new AutoPacific study found. The AutoPacific EV Consumer Insights Study asked over 7,200 "future EV acceptors," defined by the consulting and market-research firm as "those who either intend to purchase or will consider purchasing an EV...

2025 Honda CR-V Fuel Cell plug-in power-sharing feature previewed

2025 Honda CR-V Fuel CellThe 2025 Honda CR-V Fuel Cell will include a plug-in power-sharing feature, the automaker revealed with a short video that also offers the best look yet at the crossover's design. The video shows a camouflaged CR-V Fuel Cell being used to power a coffeemaker at a roadside stop. In what some automakers term vehicle-to-load, or V2L, it's plugged...

Report: Electric Kia Stinger successor called EV8 in production plan

2023 Kia StingerAn electric successor to the sporty Kia Stinger looks due to launch in 2026 under the name EV8, according to source material revealed via Korean Car Blog. A proper enthusiast's car sporting a rear-wheel drive platform and sleek hatchback styling, the Stinger was launched for the 2018 model year and discontinued after the 2023 model year. But a...

Stellantis adopts SAE J3400—yes, the Tesla charge port

Dodge Charger Daytona ConceptStellantis is the latest automaker to adopt Tesla's North America Charging Standard (NACS) port for EV fast charging—but the automaker's announcement of it, made Monday, downplayed any connection to Tesla to a point that EV shoppers and longtime Tesla fans alike might find absurd. A Stellantis press release doesn't mention Tesla or NACS at...

Study: EVs and plug-in hybrids remain more trouble-prone than hybrids

2024 Audi e-tron GTEVs and plug-in hybrids average more problems than hybrids and gasoline cars, J.D. Power found in its 2024 Vehicle Dependability Study. The study, which is based on owner-reported issues with vehicles within the first three years of ownership, showed an average 256 problems per 100 vehicles for EVs and 216 for plug-in hybrids. That's higher than...

Safety experts: EVs are too heavy for US guardrails

2022 Rivian R1TEVs tend to weigh more than comparable internal-combustion models, which may require a rethink of highway guardrail designs, according to a new University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) study. For it, researchers conducted what they claim are the first-ever crash tests specifically looking at EVs and guardrails. The tests showed that guardrails...

Electrify America’s flagship urban EV charging station is indoors

First Electrify America indoor charging station opens in San FranciscoElectrify America on Wednesday unveiled its first indoor charging station, which the charging network says will serve as a template for future sites in urban areas. Located in San Francisco's South Market neighborhood, two blocks from the Bay Bridge, the new "flagship" site has 20 chargers providing up to 350 kw of power, according to Electrify...

GM taps ex-Tesla battery chief to deliver cheaper EVs sooner

2022 GMC Hummer EV pre-production at Factory Zero plant in Detroit, MichiganGeneral Motors has hired former Tesla battery-development boss Kurt Kelty as its new vice president of batteries. In this newly-created position, Kelty will be tasked with bringing together GM's development resources "to more quickly deliver profitable, lower-cost, higher performing electric vehicles to customers at scale," and will report...

BMW i5 electric wagon is a beauty, but it’s not US-bound

2025 BMW i5 TouringBMW is launching a wagon version of the all-electric i5—but it's not coming to the U.S. The BMW i5 Touring, as it's formally known, launches in Europe this May. Like the i5 sedan, it will be sold alongside internal-combustion BMW 5-Series models. But there are currently no plans to bring any of the 5-Series Touring models to the U.S. market...

US Choice Hotels will soon add thousands of Tesla chargers

Tesla chargingThe Choice Hotels chain plans to add Tesla EV chargers at locations across the U.S. The company, which runs Radisson, Cambria, Comfort, Country Inn & Suites, and Quality Inn hotels, said in a press release Tuesday that it had reached an agreement with Tesla to add four or more of the automaker's Universal Wall Connector Level 2 chargers at...

Toyota ups investment in Kentucky plant set to make 3-row electric SUV

Toyota Motor Manufacturing KentuckyToyota on Tuesday announced an additional $1.3 billion investment in its Georgetown, Kentucky, assembly plant to prepare for production of a 3-row electric SUV. This additional money, which brings the plant's total investment to nearly $10 billion, "supports the previously announced future BEV assembly at Toyota Kentucky," according to a company...

Waffle House hosts federal EV fast-chargers, bucks gas-station trend

Rendering of EnviroSpark EV chargers at at Waffle HouseThe first new EV charging site in Tennessee funded through the Biden administration's National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program bucks the trend of co-locating chargers with gas pumps. Installed by Atlanta-based charging infrastructure firm EnviroSpark, the new chargers are being hosted by a Waffle House restaurant in Lakeland...

Aptera claims enough crowdfunding to make solar EV

Aptera Sol alpha prototypeAptera claims to have raised enough money in a recent crowdfunding campaign to start production of its solar-assisted three-wheeled EV, but the company is still far from assured of success. The company on Friday announced the completion of its Accelerator Program, which allowed those investors contributing $10,000 or more to secure one of the...

NADA aims to turn car dealers into EV experts in 90 minutes

2024 Cadillac LyriqThe National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) has launched a certification program it claims can turn car salespeople into EV experts in just 90 minutes. Called ElectrifIQ, the program aims to prepare dealers to address common consumer questions, relating to things like charging times and costs, total cost of ownership, and available...

Survey: Dealers think Biden is moving too fast on EVs

2024 Kia EV6 GTDealers think the Biden administration's EV policies are forcing the auto industry to move ahead of market demand, according to a new Automotive News survey. The publication's 2024 Dealer Outlook Survey compiled responses from 208 U.S. car dealers and dealership managers. Nearly 83% of those surveyed said the federal government was pushing too...

Volvo ends Polestar funding, as EV startup struggles

2024 Polestar 3 prototypeVolvo will stop funding Polestar and is considering a move that could give parent Geely greater control of the EV brand, Reuters reported Thursday. The news comes after Polestar announced that it missed already-reduced 2023 delivery targets. The brand's shares are also down 83% since it went public in June 2022 via a merger with a special purpose...

US plug-in hybrid sales hit a record high in 2023

2023 Toyota Prius PrimePlug-in hybrids reached record sales in 2023, with more than 250,000 vehicles sold, or about 20% of total plug-in vehicle sales, according to the Department of Energy. Last year saw strong sales for EVs as well, which surpassed one million units for the first time. The combined market share of hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and EVs rose to 16.3% of...

Daimler, Navistar, Volvo ally for heavy-duty truck charging

Volvo VNR Electric semi truckThree of the largest commercial truck manufacturers have joined forces on charging infrastructure. Daimler Trucks North America, Navistar, and Volvo Group North America on Wednesday announced Powering America's Commercial Transportation (PACT), described in a joint press release as a "coalition focused on education and advocacy for accelerating...

EV sales near 8% of US new vehicle market

2024 Hyundai Ioniq 5EV sales will reach 8.0% of the total U.S. new vehicle market this month, S&P Global Mobility has predicted. The market share of EVs won't increase dramatically over the previous month, as automakers, dealers, and consumers digest new federal tax credit rules brought on by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) that went into effect with the start...