Report: EV inventories are swelling, and prices may drop soon

Polestar staging at Volvo dealershipDespite strong sales, dealership EV inventories are growing, according to data from Cox Automotive (via Automotive News). EVs are approaching 7% of the U.S. new car market, and they're on track to surpass sales of one million units in the U.S. for the first time this year, Cox Automotive estimates. But the data also show that EVs aren't flying off...

Speedy Audi compact EV project taps brand’s NSU heritage

Audi EP4 concept based on the NSU Prinz 4Audi has turned a vintage car from one of its predecessors into a speedy EV concept. Revealed Saturday, the concept updates and electrifies an NSU Prinz 4, which entered production in 1961. Dubbed EP4 (Electric Prinz 4), the project was undertaken by apprentices at Audi's plant in Neckarsulm, Germany, to mark 150 years of manufacturing at the...

Fisker points to suppliers in slow production ramp of Ocean EV

2023 Fisker Ocean pre-production at Magna Steyr plant in Graz, AustriaFisker is pointing to supplier issues as the reason behind a slow production ramp-up of its Ocean electric SUV. The company on Friday reported that just 1,022 Oceans were produced in the second quarter at contractor Magna's facility in Austria. This included a mix of customer cars and vehicles intended for "marketing and engineering purposes," a...

Mercedes-Benz shifts to Tesla charging port for North America

Mercedes-Benz AMG EQE sedan at Tesla Supercharger stationMercedes-Benz on Friday announced that it will adopt the Tesla charging port for future EVs and a planned charging network in North America. Just as with the other brands that have committed so far—Ford, GM, Rivian, Volvo, and Polestar—Mercedes will offer an adapter in 2024 to allow owners of current EVs to use the Tesla Supercharger...

Mercedes-Benz shifts to Tesla charging port for North America

Mercedes-Benz AMG EQE sedan at Tesla Supercharger stationMercedes-Benz on Friday announced that it will adopt the Tesla charging port for future EVs and a planned charging network in North America. Just as with the other brands that have committed so far—Ford, GM, Rivian, Volvo, and Polestar—Mercedes will offer an adapter in 2024 to allow owners of current EVs to use the Tesla Supercharger...

GM has issues with EPA rules seeking 50% EVs by 2030

2024 Cadillac LyriqGeneral Motors on Wednesday said it would have trouble complying with proposed emissions rules that would require vastly greater EV sales over the next decade. As reported by Reuters, GM said in comments to the EPA that there are six state and federal regulations that "could require each automaker to exceed 50% EVs in at least a dozen vehicle...

GM has issues with EPA rules seeking 50% EVs by 2030

2024 Cadillac LyriqGeneral Motors on Wednesday said it would have trouble complying with proposed emissions rules that would require vastly greater EV sales over the next decade. As reported by Reuters, GM said in comments to the EPA that there are six state and federal regulations that "could require each automaker to exceed 50% EVs in at least a dozen vehicle...

NHTSA reopens investigation into Tesla unintended acceleration

Tesla SuperchargerThe National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has reopened an investigation into alleged Tesla unintended acceleration in response to a petition. The investigation covers nearly every Tesla Model S, Model X, Model 3, and Model Y built, encompassing around 1.8 million vehicles in the U.S. It's a reversal of an earlier decision by the...

Fiat shows 600e and tiny Topolino for Europe, 500e EV still US-bound

2024 Fiat 600eFiat on Wednesday revealed two more EVs—one smaller, and one larger, than the reborn 500e the automaker has confirmed for U.S. sales starting in early 2024. The Fiat 600e is a small crossover with a name that references the classic Fiat 600 of the 1950s. The five-door 600e is presented as a more practical alternative to the three-door 500e...

Stellantis details platform for mid-size EVs, starting with Europe

Stellantis STLA Medium platformStellantis on Wednesday revealed some technical highlights of its STLA Medium platform, one of four dedicated EV platforms in development for future electric models. The automaker revealed its STLA platform strategy two years ago this month, unveiling STLA Medium alongside the STLA Small, STLA Large, and STLA Frame platforms, but up until now it...

French postal vans will test Michelin airless tires

Michelin Uptis airless tire on French postal vanMichelin will test airless tires on French postal vans, providing more real-world experience with tire designs that could be beneficial to EVs. La Poste, the French postal service, plans to fit Michelin Uptis airless tires to 40 delivery vans by 2024, according to a Michelin press release. Three vehicles should already be in service by the time...

GM acquires more smarts for EV battery health

GM electric pickup silhouette  -  from 2020 Ultium platform previewGeneral Motors has acquired Israel-based battery startup ALGOLiON for an undisclosed amount, with the aim of developing new ways to track EV battery health. ALGOLiON has developed software that uses data from EV battery management systems to help identify anomalies in individual cells, which could provide early detection of thermal runaway events...

Rivian made progress ramping up EV production in Q2

2023 Rivian R1TRivian built 13,992 vehicles and delivered 12,640 vehicles in the second quarter of 2023, the automaker reported Monday. These new Q2 numbers are up significantly versus the 9,395 vehicles made and 7,946 delivered in the first quarter. And they show that Rivian isn't falling much farther behind on deliveries. A Rivian press release said these...

Supplier claims a third more winter EV range with thermal tech

Porsche Taycan ZF EVbeat prototypeAutomotive supplier ZF recently unveiled a Porsche Taycan prototype with a number of new components that the company claims can boost cold-weather range by up to a third. The key to this is what ZF calls a central thermal management system that handles temperature control for both the powertrain and cabin. This is based around a central...

Dealer markups of hybrids can erase ownership cost advantages

2023 Toyota Prius PrimeDealer markups on hybrid cars—plug-in or not—are getting steeper, which could cancel out the decrease in ownership costs afforded by their increased fuel efficiency. CarsDirect reports that one California dealership has added a $10,995 markup to the redesigned 2023 Toyota Prius Prime plug-in hybrid, bringing the advertised price from...

Electrify America adding Tesla connectors; no confirmation on 800V charging

Electrify America upscale charging conceptsElectrify America on Thursday announced that it will add Tesla connectors to its charging network in the U.S. and Canada. The company said in a press release that it will continue to provide Combined Charging Standard (CCS) connectors, while also adding the Tesla connector, branded by Tesla as the North American Charging Standard (NACS) as an...

Federal study lays out US charging needs by 2030

Porsche Taycan chargingStricter emissions standards, automaker EV goals, and increasing consumer demand for EVs will create more need for public charging infrastructure, which a new study from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) aims to quantify. The NREL estimates that current regulatory and industry trends will lead to 30 million to 42 million EVs on U.S...

GM details hardware for using EVs as home power backup

2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV with GM Ultium Home energy systemGeneral Motors on Wednesday detailed its first bidirectional vehicle-to-home (V2H) charging hardware, allowing EVs to serve as a home backup power source. The Ultium Home V2H Bundle includes an AC home charger, dubbed the PowerShfit Charger, that allows vehicles to discharge power from their battery packs, along with an Enablement Kit that adds an...

2024 Nissan Leaf: Only new EV with CHAdeMO returns unchanged

2024 Nissan LeafThe 2024 Nissan Leaf enters the new model year unchanged, and as the last fully electric vehicle in production using the CHAdeMO connector for DC fast charging. Pricing starts at $29,235 with the mandatory $1,095 destination charge, up $340 from the 2023 model year. As with the previous model year, the Leaf lineup includes two grades, the base...

SAE plans to standardize the Tesla NACS connector

Tesla chargingTesla calls its charging connector the North American Charging Standard (NACS), but as more automakers move to adopt it, a major industry group aims to make NACS a standard in more than just name. SAE International on Tuesday announced plans to standardize the Tesla connector. This will help ensure that any manufacturer or supplier outside of...