California might require bidirectional charging capability in EVs

Hyundai HomeThe California legislature has introduced a bill that would mandate bidirectional charging capability for all new EVs sold in the state beginning in 2027. First spotted by Charged EVs, SB 233 has passed the California Senate Energy Committee and now heads to the Senate Transportation Committee April 25 for further consideration. If enacted, the...

Utah EV charging costs rise in July, to subsidize lower gas prices

Porsche Taycan chargingUtah EV drivers will soon pay more to charge their vehicles, all to subsidize lower gas prices. In July, gas prices in Utah are set to drop thanks to lower gas taxes, which are set to decrease from 16.5% to 14.2%, but EV drivers will be paying a 12.5% tax to use commercial charging stations. These measures are part of House Bill 301, which was...

MG Cyberster revealed: Another electric convertible not US-bound

2024 MG CybersterMG is returning to its roots with an electric sports car, but it's not coming to the U.S. Unveiled at the 2023 Shanghai Auto Show, the MG Cyberster is a small two-seat convertible similar to the sports cars that popularized the British marque during its glory days from the 1940s up to the 1960s. The Cyberster, however, is electric. It's also...

CATL announces very energy-dense battery for passenger aircraft

CATL unveils battery for electric aircraftChina's CATL, the world's largest battery supplier by cell capacity made, is pushing for greater energy density in order to make electric passenger aircraft feasible. The company on Wednesday unveiled a "condensed battery" with a claimed energy density of 500 watt-hours per kilogram that is due to enter mass production soon. That energy...

Volvo EX90 Excellence is an all-electric limo, for China first

2024 Volvo EX90 ExcellenceVolvo unveiled a more plush version of the 2024 EX90 electric SUV at the 2023 Shanghai Auto Show. Sporting two-tone paint and 22-inch wheels, the EX90 Excellence is aimed at wealthy Chinese buyers with personal chauffeurs. It has four seats instead of the standard EX90's seven, with a pair of individual seats in the second row with heating and...

Land Rover sets electric SUV architecture, Jaguar electric GT

2024 Land Rover Range Rover VelarJaguar Land Rover (JLR) on Wednesday announced an $18.7 billion investment over five years that will fund the first electric Land Rover and Jaguar's long-awaited second EV. JLR confirmed in a press release that it will begin taking orders for an all-electric Range Rover model later this year. Under the brand's current product plan, Range Rover has...

All 2023 VW ID.4 models qualify for top $7,500 EV tax credit

2023 Volkswagen ID.4All 2023 Volkswagen ID.4 models will qualify for the highest $7,500 federal EV tax credit amount under the latest rules, VW confirmed Wednesday in a press release. Local assembly of U.S.-market ID.4 crossover SUVs, as well as local battery sourcing, help allow the ID.4 to qualify for the full credit amount. New rules introduced Tuesday require...

Tesla prices drop again, base Model 3 now at $41,380

2023 Tesla Model 3Tesla has introduced another round of price cuts, the sixth time it has done so this year. Lower pricing appeared on Tesla's website late Tuesday, ahead of the company's first quarter earnings announcement later Wednesday. It brings the Model 3's base price down to $41,380 with the mandatory $1,390 destination charge, down $2,000 versus the...

Nissan Arizon is an electric SUV concept conceived for China

Nissan Arizon conceptNissan on Monday unveiled an electric SUV concept aimed at the Chinese market. Revealed at the 2023 Shanghai Auto Show, the Nissan Arizon concept was designed by a Chinese team "to serve as a multifunctional partner for China’s drivers," according to a press release from the automaker. It's built on the global CMF-EV platform, though, so it...

Ineos confirms electric SUV to be built by Magna in 2026

Ineos Grenadier production starts at plant in Hambach, France - October 2022Ineos Automotive, the company behind the old school Grenadier off-roader, will launch an electric SUV, to be built by Magna at the latter's Graz, Austria, factory starting in 2026. This new EV "will deliver world-class off-road capability," and will be tested on Austria's Shöckl mountain near Magna's factory, Ineos said in a press release...

Tesla Model Y cost now dips below average new vehicle, EV or not

Tesla Model YAfter multiple price cuts this year, the Tesla Model Y now costs less than the average new vehicle in the U.S.—EV or not. That's the conclusion of a recent Bloomberg article that compared Tesla Model Y price cuts to average new vehicle prices in 2023. The base price of the Model Y has decreased 24% since January, the steepest price cut of...

Toyota is looking at plug-in hybrids powered by low-carbon fuels

2021 Toyota RAV4 PrimeToyota is partnering with ExxonMobil to research plug-in hybrids powered by low-carbon fuels. A short video recently released by the two companies discusses collaborative efforts to reduce emissions, including low-carbon fuels being developed by ExxonMobil that the company claims have the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 75%...

Zeekr X tackles Model Y with sub-$30,000 price, tech twists

2023 Zeekr XChinese automaker Geely's Zeekr brand this week unveiled its third model, a nearly Tesla Model Y-sized crossover that will sell for less than $30,000 in its home market. The Zeekr X follows the 009 van and the 001, a hatchback based on a concept originally badged for Geely's Lynk & Co. brand, in the all-electric Zeekr brand's lineup...

Battery firm: Faster-charging cells could cut EV cost and weight

StoreDot sample batteriesStoreDot claims its fast-charging battery tech will allow automakers to design EVs with smaller battery packs—saving cost and weight. The argument seems to be that, by enabling what the company calls "extreme fast charging," allowing more frequent recharges with less inconvenience, automakers won't need to rely as much on larger battery...

Toyota confirms fuel-cell, plug-in hybrid versions of Crown

Toyota Crown familyThe Toyota Crown lineup is due to expand with hydrogen fuel-cell and plug-in hybrid powertrains, as well as multiple body styles, Toyota confirmed Wednesday—although it hasn't yet confirmed what is coming to the U.S. The Crown returned to the U.S. for the 2023 model year with hybrid powertrains and a raised-sedan body style Toyota now refers...

EPA tailpipe emissions rules for 2027-2032: EVs not mandated

2023 Ford F-150 LightningThe EPA on Thursday proposed a new phase of tougher emissions standards for model years 2027 to 2032 that would trigger a massive increase in the sales of EVs—but not technically mandate them. The proposed standards aims for fleet average emissions of 82 grams of CO2 per mile by the 2032 model year, a 56% reduction in emissions from the...

Poll: Nearly half in US support EV incentives, fewer to buy them

2023 Kia EV6 GTPublic support for EV incentives and charging infrastructure is strong, but Americans aren't necessarily buying EVs for themselves, according to a new poll. Conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and the University of Chicago's Energy Policy Institute (EPIC), the poll showed significant support for measures to...

VW plans 25 EVs qualifying for $7,500 tax credit by 2030

2023 Volkswagen ID.4Volkswagen plans to sell 25 all-electric models in the U.S. by 2030, all of which will qualify for the full $7,500 federal tax credit under new Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) rules, the top U.S. executive of VW said in an interview with Bloomberg (via Automotive News Europe). "We have a great opportunity in the U.S.," VW Group of America CEO Pablo...

BYD active suspension bows with dancing U9 electric sports car

BYD Yangwang U9Chinese automaker BYD recently demonstrated a new active suspension system for future EVs in dramatic fashion—with a jump. From the car itself. The system, formally known as the BYD DiSus Intelligent Body Control System, is similar to active suspension systems like Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control and Mercedes-Benz Magic Body Control. BYD...

EPA might ensure 60% EV sales by 2030, align with California

U.S. production of Genesis Electrified GV70 in AlabamaThe EPA is expected to propose stricter emissions rules that would ensure more than half of new cars and trucks sold in the U.S. are electric, The New York Times reports. The proposal would not mandate a specific percentage of EV sales, but would set emissions limits so stringent that it would essentially force automakers to ensure that EVs...