Cost misconceptions may be behind waning EV interest

2024 Kia EV9Consumer interest in EVs is lagging, and cost is partly to blame, according to a new Ipsos study. Despite factors like increased choice of EV models and a revamped federal tax credit ushered in by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), interest in EVs has essentially leveled off, the study suggests. In 2022, 49% of respondents said they were...

Ford Maverick and Escape hybrids recalled for engine failure

2023 Ford MaverickFord is recalling 125,322 newer hybrid and plug-in hybrid models over the potential for engine failure that could cause engine fires. It's an expansion of a recall from last July that now includes 2023 models. Ford issued a stop-sale order to dealers for new in-stock vehicles in the recall population. The expanded recall affects 2020-2023 Ford...

EV charging stations with Tesla connectors could tap federal funds

Tesla chargingThe White House is offering subsidies to charging stations that use Tesla connectors, as long as they also include Combined Charging Standard (CCS) connectors, Reuters reported Friday. The report follows an announcement by General Motors this week, and Ford a couple of weeks earlier, that they would adopt the Tesla connector, which Tesla recently...

Lucid and Fisker are both preparing to sell vehicles in China

Lucid Air SapphireLucid and Fisker in the past week separately announced plans to sell vehicles in China soon. The head of Lucid's China operations confirmed to Reuters Thursday that the automaker was planning to enter the Chinese market. The Reuters report also cited an anonymous source with knowledge of Lucid's plans, who said the automaker plans to sell imported...

Jeep Wrangler 4xe, top-selling PHEV, gets a price cut for 2024

2024 Jeep WranglerThe updated 2024 Jeep Wrangler 4xe plug-in hybrid gets a price cut for the new model year. First noticed by CarsDirect, the price cut comes as other Wrangler variants get a price increase, which is typical for a refreshed model like the 2024 Wrangler. But Jeep is also adding a new base Sport S trim level for the 4xe below the carryover Willys...

Porsche Mission X previews electric sports cars, 900V charging

Porsche Mission X conceptPorsche on Thursday unveiled the Mission X, an electric suoercar concept that could preview a future production model. "As a design study, not offered for sale, with production to be decided in due time, the Mission X is a glimpse into what the sports car of the future could look like," a Porsche press release declared. The automaker sees the...

Charging blunts benefits of electric ride-hailing, study finds

Ford Drive - Uber pilot program with Mustang Mach-EUber and Lyft have pledged to electrify their ride-hailing fleets by 2030, but a new University of Michigan study argues that it won't make much of a difference. Replacing all current ride-hailing vehicles with EVs would eliminate tailpipe emissions, but the overall benefit to society would still be slight—just 3% per trip on...

GM’s Buick Proxima EV concept for China is a gullwing flagship

Buick Proxima conceptGeneral Motors on Monday unveiled a new Buick EV concept for China. The Buick Proxima is the product of GM's China Advanced Design Center in Shanghai, which has pivoted to focus on EVs, according to a press release. A flagship sedan built on a dedicated EV architecture, it sports gullwing doors that are typical concept-car fare, but will likely...

PHEV drivers don’t plug in so often, and EPA is adjusting to it

2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xeIf plug-in hybrid drivers don't charge their vehicles often, they're effectively driving gasoline cars with added battery weight that doesn't necessarily help reduce emissions. Now the EPA is adjusting for that. As explained in an International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) blog post, a proposed EPA regulation released April 12 would...

Base Tesla Model 3 now also qualifies for $7,500 tax credit

2023 Tesla Model 3The base Tesla Model 3 now qualifies for the full $7,500 federal EV tax credit, joining other Model 3 variants. On Friday, Tesla fans noted that, when building a base Model 3, Tesla then indicated that it was eligible for a $7,500 credit. At that time, the EPA FuelEconomy.gov list of qualified vehicles indicated that model and some of the lineup...

Sub-$40,000 EVs can’t yet be profitable, says GM CEO

GM CEO Mary BarraGeneral Motors CEO Mary Barra said in a conference Friday that EVs selling for less than $40,000 can't be profitable just yet. It's an unexpected statement from the head of an automaker that's been fairly optimistic about affordable EVs. As reported by Reuters, Barra told conference attendees that EV battery costs are still too high to build...

Lexus LBX hybrid bows for Europe, doubles down on “self-charging”

2024 Lexus LBX (Europe spec)Lexus on Monday revealed a hybrid subcompact crossover for the European and Japanese markets—one that's being marketed with the same controversial "self-charging" language that the Toyota luxury brand has used for hybrids in the past. The 2024 Lexus LBX is the brand's smallest model yet. At 165 inches long, it's a foot shorter than the Lexus...

Colorado’s revamped credit incentivizes smaller, cheaper EVs

2023 Nissan LeafColorado has revamped its EV tax credit, with a new approach that incentivizes cheaper EVs. HB 1272, which was passed by the Colorado legislature and signed by governor Jared Polis in May, re-ups a tax credit for light-duty electric vehicles that was originally $5,000. As originally enacted, it dropped to $4,000 in 2020, $3,500 in 2021, and $2,000...

2024 Alfa Romeo Tonale PHEV rated at 33 electric miles—and 29 mpg

2024 Alfa Romeo TonaleThe 2024 Alfa Romeo Tonale plug-in hybrid achieves an EPA-rated 33 miles of electric range with an efficiency rating of 77 MPGe combined, as well as 29 mpg combined fuel economy, the automaker announced Wednesday. While Alfa Romeo is traditionally a performance brand, it claims the Tonale plug-in hybrid is "the most efficient plug-in hybrid C-SUV...

Report: GM and Stellantis paid record fuel economy fines

2017 Chevrolet SilveradoGeneral Motors and Stellantis paid a combined $363 million in penalties for failing to meet U.S. Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) requirements for recent model years, Reuters reported Friday. The record amount includes $235.5 million paid by Stellantis for 2018 and 2019 model-year fuel economy shortfalls and $128.2 million for GM covering...

Fisker Ocean EV hits 360-mile EPA range, US deliveries start June 19

2023 Fisker Ocean prototypeFisker on Thursday confirmed a 360-mile EPA-rated range for its Ocean electric SUV, and said it plans to start U.S. deliveries the week of June 19. The range figure is better than the 350 miles that Fisker estimated at the introduction of the Ocean, in November 2021. It applies to the Ocean Extreme model, which uses a 113-kwh battery pack, with...

EV cost parity may not arrive until 2030, suggests Ford CEO

2023 Ford F-150 LightningEVs may not achieve cost parity with gasoline cars until after 2030, Ford CEO Jim Farley said Wednesday. Speaking at an investor conference, Farley said that, for most automakers, EVs will remain more expensive to manufacture than internal-combustion cars until the end of the decade, reports Reuters, adding that this counters analysts' prediction...

2019-2024 Jaguar I-Pace recalled over battery fire concern

2022 Jaguar I-PaceBattery fire concerns have prompted a recall of nearly 6,400 Jaguar I-Pace electric SUVs from throughout the model's production run. Jaguar on Wednesday said the battery energy control module software will be updated, and battery modules will be replaced if necessary, in 6,367 vehicles from model years 2019 to 2024 free of charge, according to...

US and Canada collaborate on EV charging corridor

Porsche Taycan chargingThe U.S. and Canada on Tuesday announced plans for a joint EV charging corridor connecting the two countries. Christened the Binational EV Corridor, the project aims to place EV fast chargers approximately every 50 miles between Kalamazoo, Michigan, and Quebec, City, Quebec, Canada, according to a U.S. Department of Transportation press release. A...

Yes, wiper fluid is a source of harmful vehicle emissions

Carbon fiber windscreen wipersA new study from the American Chemical Society provides a reminder that tailpipes aren't the only source of harmful vehicle emissions. The study suggests that wiper fluid could be a significant source of emissions, one that will become a bigger part of the vehicle fleet's overall carbon footprint as EV adoption increases. That's because wiper...