Gas prices due to drop in 2024, as EVs plug into cleaner energy

Gas pumpThe cost of gasoline and the carbon footprint of EVs could both fall in the new year. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) expects combined electricity generation from solar and wind to exceed coal for the first time in 2024. Solar alone is expected to increase 39% from 2023 thanks to continual increases in generating capacity...

2024 Mercedes EQS and EQE get heat pump, retuned braking, more range

2024 Mercedes-Benz EQEMercedes-Benz is making a number of changes to its EQE and EQS electric SUV and respective sedan/hatchback models for the 2024 model year, including updates to improve range and a new braking system that could address a common complaint about earlier models. In the EQS and EQE, Mercedes tuned its regenerative braking for efficiency, opting for...

Vinfast EV sales pivot to dealer model, starting in North Carolina

2023 Vinfast VF 8Vinfast will use franchised dealerships to sell cars in the U.S.—starting in the state where the company also plans to build a factory. While Vinfast already has a few company-operated showrooms, its first franchised dealership opened this week in Cary, North Carolina, in partnership with the Leith Automotive Group. As of Thursday, the...

EPA: Hybrids and EVs helped offset more polluting trucks and SUVs

2021 Toyota RAV4 HybridIncreased production of hybrids and EVs has helped offset the shift toward larger vehicles in the new-car market, according to a comprehensive annual update from the EPA. The 2023 EPA Automotive Trends Report, released last week, showed that automakers significantly ramped up hybrid and EV sales from model years 2017 to 2022. During that time...

Nio ET9 flagship EV debuts super-fast charging and battery swapping

Nio CEO William Li introduces the Nio ET9Chinese automaker Nio recently unveiled its new flagship EV—a large sedan called the ET9. Measuring 209.6 inches long (with a 127.9-inch wheelbase), 79.3 inches long, and 63.7 inches tall, the ET9 is just over a foot longer than a Lucid Air. It's taller as well, but the Lucid is wider. And both cars emphasize fast charging. Nio opts for 925...

Report: China leads in EV recycling, creating a circular economy

Volkswagen battery recyclingChina is leading the U.S. and Europe on EV battery recycling, according to a new Bloomberg report, and it may add to China's EV advantages in the future. The battery-recycling business in China is booming, according to the report, which cites data from consultancy Circular Energy Storage showing that "the nation dominates when it comes to...

EV tax credit shifts to rebate Jan. 1, and not all dealers are ready

Mercedes-Benz dealership in New York CityMany U.S. car dealerships have not registered to begin offering the federal EV tax credit at the point of sale when that option becomes available Jan. 1. More than 7,000 dealerships have registered with the IRS to offer tax credits of up to $7,500 as point-of-sale rebates, the U.S. Treasury Department said Friday. But there are nearly 17,000...

US government sets a high bar for clean hydrogen handouts

Toyota Project Portal 2.0 fuel cell-powered semi-trailer truckThe Biden administration on Friday outlined requirements for a hydrogen-production tax credit—with tight restrictions aimed at ensuring the hydrogen produced really helps lower emissions. Known as the Clean Hydrogen Production Credit, the tax credit was created as part of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) to help spur large-scale production...

Audi and Porsche have a safer mobile charging cable for EV, PHEV models

2024 Audi e-tron GTAudi and Porsche are conducting a recall of 240-volt Level 2 AC charging cables for EVs and plug-in hybrids. The recall covers 93,196 Audi vehicles in the U.S. from model years 2019 to 2024, including the E-Tron and E-Tron Sportback, Q4 E-Tron and Q4 E-Tron Sportback, and E-Tron GT EVs, as well as the Q5 plug-in hybrid. Porsche is recalling 41,345...

Report: US considers hiking China EV tariff above 25%

2022 Xpeng G9The Biden administration is considering raising tariffs on Chinese EVs above 25%, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday. The administration has left in place Trump-era tariffs on roughly $300 billion of Chinese goods, but is now considering additional tariffs, according to the report, which cited anonymous sources familiar with the matter...

2024 Lexus RZ 300e arrives with 266-mile range, lower price

2024 Lexus RZLexus is adding a less-expensive, longer-range version of its RZ electric crossover for the 2024 model year. Called the RZ 300e, the new variant gets a single-motor front-wheel drive powertrain and 72.8-kwh CATL battery pack, versus the dual-motor all-wheel drive powertrain and 71.4-kwh pack from Prime Planet Energy (a joint venture of Panasonic...

2025 Lexus UX 300h hybrid gets more power, higher mpg

2025 Lexus UX 300hThe Lexus UX hybrid crossover gets a boost in power and fuel economy for the 2025 model year, along with a change in badging from UX 250h to UX 300h. It's still fundamentally the same design that was introduced for the 2019 model year and refreshed for 2022, but now with some changes to the hybrid system. This is the same planetary system used in...

Toyota Crown PHEV aims for electric miles, home backup capability

Toyota Crown Sport PHEVThe Toyota Crown is getting an all-wheel-drive plug-in hybrid variant in Japan. Known as the Toyota Crown Sport PHEV, the new model was unveiled Monday. It's based on the Japanese-market Crown Sport crossover SUV unveiled in October. It's one of multiple Crown body styles, including the high-riding Toyota Crown hybrid sedan that's available now in...

Nio ET7 goes 650 miles on 150 kwh with semi-solid-state battery

Nio ET7A Nio ET7 with the automaker's new 150-kwh battery pack traveled 650 miles on a single charge, the company claims. This was achieved by a group of drivers, including Nio founder and CEO William Li, on a 14-hour trip between the Chinese cities of Shanghai and Xiamen, according to a company press release. Nio claims the trip used 97% of the car's...

Biden and VW back Tesla EV charging connector, now a standard

VW, Audi, Porsche, and Scout commit to NACSTesla's North American Charging Standard (NACS) DC fast charging connector is now living up to its name, becoming a true standard rather than just a hardware design. SAE International on Tuesday released the technical information for standardization of the NACS connector. Known as SAE J3400, the finalized standard comes just six months after the...

2024 Chevrolet Blazer EV is eligible for $1,000 Costco discount

2024 Chevrolet Blazer EVCostco members can get up to $1,000 off the purchase or lease of a 2024 Chevrolet Blazer EV through Jan. 2. According to CarsDirect, the Blazer EV was added to General Motors' year-end Costco rebate promotion last Friday. The program runs nationwide, but only for shoppers who have been Costco members since Oct. 31 of this year. The Blazer EV isn't...

Report: Canada set to reveal EV mandate for 2035

2024 Hyundai Kona ElectricOn Tuesday, Canada is set to unveil the framework for an EV mandate for 2035, local media outlets are reporting. The mandate, known as the Electric Vehicle Availability Standard, will gradually step up the amount of "zero-emission vehicles" until they account for 100% of new-car sales in Canada, the Toronto Star reported Sunday. It reportedly...

DOE: Those with free EV fast-charging plug in for nearly twice as long

2023 Nissan Ariya at EVgo charging stationIt seems EV drivers who get free fast charging are taking full advantage of it. Those that fast charge for free stay plugged in nearly twice as long as those that pay, according to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Analysis of data from 2.4 million charging sessions over a three-year period, from Jun. 30, 2020, to Jun. 30, 2023, showed that the...

France looks local, excludes China with new EV incentive

2024 MG 4 XpowerFrance's revamped EV incentives favor European-made EVs and exclude those from China, a list of qualifying vehicles shows. Reuters reported Thursday that 65% of EVs sold in France will still qualify for a rebate of up to 7,000 euros (approximately $7,600) under new rules that went into effect Friday. The list includes the Tesla Model Y...

US EV sales are growing, but so is the gasoline fleet

Volkswagen ID.4 built at ChattanoogaU.S. EV sales are growing, but not enough to offset gasoline cars. That's because sales of those vehicles are growing faster, according to a new report. Experian's Automotive Market Trends report for the third quarter of 2023 showed that while electric cars now account for a larger share of the U.S. vehicle fleet than they did a few years ago, the...