2025 Mercedes GLC 350e PHEV brings fast charging, long electric range

2025 Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class (GLC 350e)A new plug-in hybrid version of the Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class crossover SUV is coming to the U.S. for the 2025 model year, the company confirmed this past week. Called the GLC 350e, the plug-in hybrid is scheduled to reach showrooms in the second half of the year, with pricing to be announced closer to that time. It's based on the current-generation...

BMW previews future electric SUV with faster charging, more range

BMW Vision Neue Klasse X conceptBMW continues to preview its next-generation EVs with a new concept car, while also providing a bit more detail on some of the engineering for these new models, which are due to start production next year. The BMW Vision Neue Klasse X is an electric SUV that forecasts a model due to start production in Debrecen, Hungary, in 2025. It follows the...

Hyundai, Kia, Genesis recall 147,000 US EVs over 12V battery issue

2024 Hyundai Ioniq 5Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis are recalling nearly 150,000 EVs in the U.S. over an electronics issue that may cause 12-volt batteries to lose charge while driving. The recall population includes 98,878 Hyundai and Genesis EVs from model years 2023 and 2024—including the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Hyundai Ioniq 6, Genesis GV60, Genesis Electrified GV70...

GM considers odd EV battery cell shapes for better cooling

General Motors Lego-like battery cell patent imageAs it seeks to address production issues with its current Ultium battery cells, General Motors may be considering something even more complex. First spotted by Motor1, a recently filed GM patent application discusses battery cells with Lego-like shapes meant to accommodate cooling channels. Instead of building battery modules out of a solid mass...

Shell is shedding some gas stations in favor of EV charging

Shell logoShell plans to eliminate some of its current gas stations while putting further emphasis on EV charging. "We are upgrading our retail network, with expanded electric vehicle charging and convenience offers, in response to changing customer needs," Shell said in its 2024 Energy Transition Strategy report (via Yahoo! Finance). That includes plans to...

Shell is shedding some gas stations in favor of EV charging

Shell logoShell plans to eliminate some of its current gas stations while putting further emphasis on EV charging. "We are upgrading our retail network, with expanded electric vehicle charging and convenience offers, in response to changing customer needs," Shell said in its 2024 Energy Transition Strategy report (via Yahoo! Finance). That includes plans to...

Test drive: 2024 Lexus RX 450h+ half-steps into future

2024 Lexus RX 450h+One of the most important vehicles in the Lexus lineup, the RX, finally plugs in. The 2024 Lexus RX 450h+ plug-in hybrid arrives on the scene with 37 miles of electric range from the Toyota RAV4 Prime’s powertrain, in a more eye-catching and softer-to-the-touch package. As I found in a recent drive of the RX 450h+, this translates to a...

Will Toyota Prius Prime gain EV route planning smarts?

2024 Toyota Prius PrimeAmong the new features of the Toyota C-HR plug-in hybrid recently launched in Europe is an efficiency-boosting trip planner that could be useful to Toyota's U.S. plug-in hybrid customers. Called Predictive Efficient Drive, this feature analyzes traffic conditions and learns the driver's behavior and regular routes to maximize use of electric mode...

DOE rule may encourage more plug-in hybrids, fewer EVs

2023 Kia Niro plug-in hybridThe U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) unveiled a revised rule that would effectively give automakers more flexibility with pending EPA rules for model years 2027 to 2032—and more time to ramp up EV sales compared to an earlier proposal. The final rule for Petroleum-Equivalent Fuel Economy Calculation released late Tuesday softens what had been...