Market experts are carefully watching a drop in lithium prices—and what impact that could have on EV costs—according to a new Bloomberg report. Lithium's benchmark price in China—the world's largest new-car market and a center for battery production—is down about 80% from its November 2022 record high, the report noted... Could a glut of lithium supply spur an EV price war?
Market experts are carefully watching a drop in lithium prices—and what impact that could have on EV costs—according to a new Bloomberg report. Lithium's benchmark price in China—the world's largest new-car market and a center for battery production—is down about 80% from its November 2022 record high, the report noted... 
Chinese automaker Geely—parent company of Volvo, Polestar, and Lotus—has signed an agreement with Nio to use the latter's battery-swapping tech in the Chinese market. Under the agreement, the two companies "co-develop two battery swapping standards for private cars and commercial vehicles," promote adoption of the technology, and scale... 
Hyundai and Kia on Wednesday unveiled a new EV motor design that splits the difference between conventional motors and in-wheel motors. Dubbed the Universal Wheel Drive System—or Uni Wheel for short—this design moves motors closer to the wheels but not into them. That's made possible by a planetary gear set with a central sun gear... 
The reliability of electric cars and plug-in hybrids is improving, but they still remain more trouble-prone than cars without plugs, according to a new Consumer Reports survey. On average, EVs had 70% more problems than internal-combustion vehicles, the survey found. Electric cars, electric SUVs, and electric pickups are all among the... 
Following substantial increases in 2022, EV battery prices are falling again, according to new analysis from Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF). Lithium-ion battery pack prices have fallen 14% this year to a record low of $139 per kwh, BNEF reported this week. This was driven by decreases in raw-material and component prices, as well as... 
Lotus has long produced fast cars. Now it's also producing fast chargers. The automaker on Tuesday unveiled fast-charging hardware it claims to have developed in-house, including a liquid-cooled DC charger capable of up to 450 kw. It's designed to be used with a Lotus-developed power cabinet and 600-amp charging unit in a setup Lotus claims can... 
Nissan will build a Leaf replacement, as well as electric versions of two popular crossovers, in the U.K. for European sales. The Leaf replacement, along with electric Juke and Qashqai crossovers, will be built at Nissan's Sunderland factory—long the automaker's hub for European production—and will be inspired by three recent concept... 
The Volkswagen Group's Scout EV brand may outsource development of its upcoming electric pickup truck and SUV to Magna, according to a new report. VW has given Magna Steyr, the division of the automotive supplier that builds the rugged G-Class for Mercedes-Benz in Graz, Austria, an order worth $492 million to develop the models, Automotive News... 
SAE International finalized methodology this past week for an important hardware component of EV wireless charging systems. The organization announced a single wireless charging standard—officially J2954—in 2020. As part of the finalization process of that standard, the organization has settled on a methodology for hardware that aligns... 
Tesla has updated its billing policy with a "congestion fee" aimed at increasing throughput at its Supercharger DC fast-charging stations. According to the Supercharger fees page on Tesla's website, updated earlier this week, users will now be charged $1 per minute to charge above 90% capacity. Tesla notes that this applies to "busy" stations... 
The U.S. EV market grew significantly in the first half of 2023, but the average EV buyer still has very strong credit, a new study found. The study, conducted by credit giant TransUnion with S&P Global Mobility, found that high average credit scores for EV buyers remained the norm between the second quarter of 2022 and the same period in... 
Stellantis and battery supplier CATL on Tuesday signed a memorandum of understanding that could pave the way for more affordable EVs in Europe. The non-binding memorandum outlines the supply of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery cells and modules by CATL to Stellantis for European production within an unspecific timeframe. The two companies are... 
A recently-surfaced Ferrari patent application hints at in-wheel motors for future performance road cars. In a filing published by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) Nov. 2, 2023, filed the previous April, the Italian performance automaker appears to be working to integrate motors together with friction brakes, as part of a... 
Honda this week provided a few more details about its next-generation fuel-cell module, at the 2023 European Hydrogen Week in Brussels. Co-developed with General Motors, the new module was first shown at the 2023 Tokyo auto show, and it has already been confirmed for use in North America. Honda has already confirmed a Europe-bound energy storage... 
Cadillac's EV lineup will further expand with a compact SUV called the Optiq. In a brief announcement Friday, the General Motors luxury brand confirmed the Optiq as the "entry point for Cadillac’s EV lineup in North America," sitting below the Lyriq. Further details will come next year, meaning the Optiq is likely to launch as a 2025 model... 
Aerodynamics are an important consideration in modern EVs. Lowering aerodynamic drag improves efficiency, allowing for more range from a given battery-pack size. But it bears emphasis: This is far from a new obsession. A new exhibit curated by Audi in Germany highlights an earlier era of aerodynamic experimentation. In the 1930s, engineers at the... 
Toyota and battery-recycling firm Redwood Materials on Thursday announced an expansion of their previous agreement that will see Toyota source battery materials from Redwood for future battery production. Toyota announced plans to work with Redwood on recycling of battery materials in June 2022. But it's now confirming plans to also source... 
At the 2023 Los Angeles auto show, Subaru announced that the Forester compact crossover SUV will get a hybrid powertrain option for the first time. Subaru briefly mentioned the Forester Hybrid during the reveal of the redesigned sixth-generation Forester, which goes on sale next year as a 2025 model with gasoline-only power. The Forester Hybrid is... 
Cold weather affects the range of each EV model differently, but a new report found that some perform better than others. Recurrent creates battery health reports for used EVs, and has used the same data to study cold-weather range loss. This isn't the first time the company has published a report on the effects of cold weather on EV range, but... 
Mercedes-Benz on Wednesday unveiled the first of a planned network of charging stations that the automaker claims will be the fastest in the U.S.—and it represents a template for the form and function of future stations on the network. Located at Mercedes' headquarters in Sandy Springs, Georgia, near Atlanta, this first location features...