How China Built BYD, Its Tesla Killer
The leading Chinese electric vehicle company, with origins as a battery maker, has posted two years of million-car growth in sales.
Safety experts: EVs are too heavy for US guardrails
EVs tend to weigh more than comparable internal-combustion models, which may require a rethink of highway guardrail designs, according to a new University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) study. For it, researchers conducted what they claim are the first-ever crash tests specifically looking at EVs and guardrails. The tests showed that guardrails... Refreshed Porsche Taycan, Kia hybrid minivan, cheaper Ford and GM EVs: The Week in Reverse
Which EV brand rolled out lower-priced versions of its electric pickup and SUV? Which hotels are soon getting Tesla wallbox chargers? This is our look back at the Week In Reverse—right here at Green Car Reports—for the week ending February 9, 2024. In a first drive of the 2024 Mercedes-Benz eSprinter electric van, we saw how businesses... Ionna EV charging network rivals Tesla, first US stations in 2024
EV road trips might soon be getting a little bit easier, thanks to thousands of highway fast-chargers, on the way starting this year from a network called Ionna. Ionna, as it’s called, is an EV charging network jointly backed by seven automakers, including an undisclosed amount from BMW Group, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Kia... Lower-priced Rivian EVs, GM taps Tesla Giga alum, urban charging template: Today’s Car News
GM put someone with a Tesla Gigafactory resume in charge of ramping up batteries for affordable EVs. Electrify America takes it indoors for urban charging. And Rivian rolls out lower-cost versions of its electric trucks. This and more, here at Green Car Reports. Rivian on Thursday released details for the cheaper R1T and R1S Standard pack versions... Electrify America’s flagship urban EV charging station is indoors
Electrify America on Wednesday unveiled its first indoor charging station, which the charging network says will serve as a template for future sites in urban areas. Located in San Francisco's South Market neighborhood, two blocks from the Bay Bridge, the new "flagship" site has 20 chargers providing up to 350 kw of power, according to Electrify... Rivian Standard pack R1S, R1T arrive: Up to 315 miles, no LFP yet
Rivian on Thursday revealed long-awaited Standard and Standard+ versions of its R1T pickup and R1S SUV—essentially ready to be delivered now, with what appears to be a $3,100 price drop, and likely qualifying for the same EV tax credit as other versions. They arrive with a twist: They’re not powered by the LFP battery pack or the new... GM taps ex-Tesla battery chief to deliver cheaper EVs sooner
General Motors has hired former Tesla battery-development boss Kurt Kelty as its new vice president of batteries. In this newly-created position, Kelty will be tasked with bringing together GM's development resources "to more quickly deliver profitable, lower-cost, higher performing electric vehicles to customers at scale," and will report... Why the Cost of Biden’s Climate Law Keeps Going Up
Forecasters say the president’s clean-energy incentives will be more effective than they had originally expected, in part because of new federal regulations.
BMW electric wagon, Kia Carnival Hybrid minivan, Tesla chargers at hotels: Today’s Car News
Thousands of hotels will be getting Tesla destination charging. BMW sport wagon fans looking to go electric will have to wait longer. And Kia is adding a hybrid minivan to its lineup. This and more, here at Green Car Reports. With the addition of the 2025 Kia Carnival Hybrid minivan, families will have another high-mpg family choice with three... 2025 Kia Carnival Hybrid minivan adds mpg but not AWD in refresh
Kia on Thursday added a hybrid version of its Carnival minivan, as part of a mid-cycle revamp that brings technology upgrades and somewhat more SUV-inspired styling. The 2025 Kia Carnival Hybrid will be powered by a 1.6-liter turbo-4 gasoline engine, with a 54-kw (72-hp) electric motor at the input shaft of an 6-speed automatic transmission... BMW i5 electric wagon is a beauty, but it’s not US-bound
BMW is launching a wagon version of the all-electric i5—but it's not coming to the U.S. The BMW i5 Touring, as it's formally known, launches in Europe this May. Like the i5 sedan, it will be sold alongside internal-combustion BMW 5-Series models. But there are currently no plans to bring any of the 5-Series Touring models to the U.S. market... US Choice Hotels will soon add thousands of Tesla chargers
The Choice Hotels chain plans to add Tesla EV chargers at locations across the U.S. The company, which runs Radisson, Cambria, Comfort, Country Inn & Suites, and Quality Inn hotels, said in a press release Tuesday that it had reached an agreement with Tesla to add four or more of the automaker's Universal Wall Connector Level 2 chargers at... China Deflation Alarms Raised by Falling Prices for Food and Cars
In addition to consumer price declines in January, wholesale prices fell last month, and have been down in every month since October 2022.
Ford low-cost EV platform, hybrids; Toyota US EV plant; 2025 Porsche Taycan: Today’s Car News
The Porsche Taycan boasts better numbers all around. Toyota adds to its Kentucky EV plans. And before its Gen 2 EVs have launched, Ford starts touting its Gen 3 EV project that could face Tesla and China on cost. This and more, here at Green Car Reports. Ford CEO Jim Farley, during the company’s Q4 2023 earnings call Tuesday afternoon, noted... Ford CEO: Hybrids will play “increasingly important role” alongside EVs
In the same quarterly investor call where Ford emphasized a pivot toward more affordable EVs, Ford on Tuesday also suggested that hybrids will remain an important and growing part of its vehicle lineup for many years. Referring to a “new market reality” with respect to EVs, Ford emphasized that it anticipates aggressive growth on... Toyota ups investment in Kentucky plant set to make 3-row electric SUV
Toyota on Tuesday announced an additional $1.3 billion investment in its Georgetown, Kentucky, assembly plant to prepare for production of a 3-row electric SUV. This additional money, which brings the plant's total investment to nearly $10 billion, "supports the previously announced future BEV assembly at Toyota Kentucky," according to a company... How Ford’s F-150 Lightning, Once in Hot Demand, Lost Its Luster
Some buyers said the electric Lightning did not meet expectations, and Ford has slashed its production plans for the pickup because sales are lagging.
Ford seeks smaller, lower-cost EVs to rival $25,000 Tesla, China
Is Ford shifting its electric vehicle efforts away from large EVs like the F-150 Lightning, and focusing on translating the ethos of the Model T into the EV era? Taken at face value, remarks from Ford CEO Jim Farley made Tuesday suggest that may be the case. During the company’s Q4 2023 earnings, Farley and top executives summed that the... 2025 Porsche Taycan: More range, 18-minute charging, 2.3-second 0-60
Porsche appears to be keeping all that’s great about its leading-edge Taycan electric sports car, while teasing out more of the numbers that matter: range, efficiency, and acceleration. The 2025 Porsche Taycan starts with a larger battery pack. Versions with the Performance Battery Plus now have a gross capacity of 105 kwh—up from 93...