At the 2023 Munich auto show, Mercedes-Benz unveiled a concept car previewing future efficiency-focused EVs. The Mercedes-Benz Concept CLA-Class borrows the name of a current internal-combustion model but shows off the engineering of the Mercedes-Benz Modular Architecture (MMA) that will serve as the basis for four compact EVs in multiple body... Mercedes EV concept touts efficiency focus, 800V drive system
At the 2023 Munich auto show, Mercedes-Benz unveiled a concept car previewing future efficiency-focused EVs. The Mercedes-Benz Concept CLA-Class borrows the name of a current internal-combustion model but shows off the engineering of the Mercedes-Benz Modular Architecture (MMA) that will serve as the basis for four compact EVs in multiple body... 
The redesigned 2023 Toyota Prius and Prius Prime plug-in hybrid have received the highest Top Safety Pick+ award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). To qualify for the award, vehicles must earn top "Good" scores in the IIHS' driver-side small overlap front, passenger-side small overall front, and original moderate overlap front... 
At the Munich auto show this week, Mini is showing the first two of what it claims will be part of a full lineup of EVs. The duo debuting at the show includes a redesigned version of the Mini Cooper hatchback and a first-ever all-electric version of the Mini Countryman crossover. Both are expected to reach the U.S. for the 2025 model year... 
Fisker on Thursday released more details of its Pear urban EV, which was first shown at the automaker's recent Product Day event, ahead of an additional showing at the Munich auto show this next week. With a targeted base price of $29,900 before the incentives, the Pear will be offered with two battery options allowing 180 miles or 320 miles of... 
Rivian claims its R1T electric pickup truck gets up to 410 miles of EPA range with the largest 180-kwh Max pack, according to Rivian, and it appears to be on track for fall deliveries. The automaker on Wednesday posted EPA range estimates for R1T Max pack models on X (formerly known as Twitter), with the highest 410-mile range applying to trucks... 
Despite professed support for EVs, many automakers are quietly fighting proposed EPA emissions rules that would require expanded EV sales, according to the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC). The EPA this spring proposed tailpipe emissions rules for 2027-2032, setting a goal of reducing emissions by about 56% in 2032 compared to 2026... 
EVs—particularly Teslas—are stolen less than internal-combustion cars, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's (IIHS) Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI). The HLDI published its annual list of most-stolen and least-stolen vehicles Thursday, based on the frequency of insurance claims for whole vehicle theft for... 
Hyundai on Wednesday provided more details on the mid-cycle refresh of its Sonata mid-size sedan—including the Sonata Hybrid—for the 2024 model year. As previewed by Hyundai in March, the refresh takes the current-generation Sonata, which arrived in early 2020 in Sonata Hybrid guise, in a different styling direction from the... 
The U.S. Department of the Treasury missed its deadline to release guidance defining what kind of hydrogen production will qualify for maximum tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The agency had a year from the passage of the IRA last August to release this guidance, which will help producers determine how to net tax credits of up... 
DC fast charging makes EV road trips practical, but owners are cautioned that frequent fast-charging can also cause battery degradation. That isn't necessarily the case, a new study has found. Recurrent, which produces battery health reports for used EVs, studied fast charging on over 12,500 Tesla vehicles in the U.S. Cars that were fast-charged... 
EVs have surpassed at least 5% of new car sales in 23 countries, according to a new Bloomberg report. Much of that sales growth has happened in the past year, according to the report. Five more countries have 5% EV sales—which Bloomberg analysts consider a tipping point for mass adoption—than a year ago. And median EV sales were up 55%... 
Audi has promised a range of around 300 miles for at least one variant in the 2024 Q8 E-Tron lineup—and it has now confirmed that number for Sportback versions of the crossover EV. The EPA has published official range ratings for the Q8 E-Tron, which replaces the former Audi E-Tron SUV and E-Tron Sportback. The Q8 E-Tron Sportback, a... 
Hyundai is recalling 2021-2023 Elantra Hybrid compact sedans for a software issue that could cause unintended acceleration. The recall population totals 37,997 vehicles, but just 1% are expected to have the fault, according to NHTSA recall documents. The affected cars were built between Dec. 15, 2020, and Jul. 29, 2023; a production change... 
Texas is launching a "virtual power plant" pilot program that will reward Tesla Powerwall owners for using their in-home battery packs to support the grid. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), which operates the state's electricity grid, was directed to begin developing the pilot program in 2022 by the Public Utility Commission of... 
EV owners experience more problems with their vehicles than owners of comparable internal-combustion cars, according to a new study, but the problem isn't the powertrains. Published Thursday, the J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Tech Experience Index (TXI) Study focuses on the user experience of automotive tech features, things like infotainment systems... 
A next-generation Nissan Leaf is among three new EVs recently previewed to dealers, according to an Automotive News report published Thursday. The automaker will launch a new EV "offensive" around 2025 with the goal of launching 19 all-electric models globally by 2030, dealers were reportedly told. For the U.S., that will include the new Leaf, an... 
It's more expensive to repair an EV—especially a Tesla—after a collision, but also more likely that the car can still be driven while waiting for repairs, according to a new auto damage study from a company that provides tech for the auto insurance and collision repair industries. That firm, Mitchell International, sifted through... 
California announced this week that it will recast a major EV incentive program to focus on middle- and low-income drivers. In late 2023, the California Air Resources Board (CARB)—which oversees the state's EV incentives and emissions rules—will expand the existing Clean Cars 4 All program statewide as a replacement for the Clean... 
With AI now the technology of the moment in Silicon Valley, researchers have applied it to the problem of solar power for EVs, using a virtual model to govern when power from a solar array is used to drive motors or charge battery packs. As documented in a recent conference paper, researchers from Odisha University of Technology and Research in... 
Honda and its Acura luxury brand will join a growing cadre of automakers adopting Tesla's North American Charging Standard (NACS) connector. The news was confirmed via Autoblog, citing Honda's top U.S. executive, but details remain to be worked out. "It is quite important," American Honda Motor Co. CEO Noriya Kaihara said in an interview with...