Here are the eight fully electric Top Safety Pick vehicles for 2022

VW ID.4  -  IIHS crash-testing, September 2021Eight electric cars were among the 65 models recognized with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's (IIHS) highest Top Safety Pick+ award for 2022. Released Thursday, the list includes the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y, Volvo XC40 Recharge and C40 Recharge, Volkswagen ID.4, and Audi E-Tron and E-Tron Sportback. Note that the C40 Recharge and...

Study: Product means more than gas prices in stoking EV demand

2020 Tesla Model YElectric vehicle demand appears to be past a critical inflection point, and there’s some evidence that it’s driven by product, not traditional aspects like gas prices. The arrival of the Tesla Model Y had a whole lot to do with it. The consulting firm AutoPacific has for many years, as part of a bi-monthly study of 500 U.S. vehicle...

2023 Mini Cooper SE holds the line on $30,750 price and 114-mile range

2023 Mini Cooper SE Resolute EditionAfter some upgrades for the previous model year, the 2023 Mini Cooper SE carries over with only minor changes. The $29,900 base price and $850 destination charge are both unchanged for 2023, Mini USA confirmed Thursday—meaning the $30,750 Mini maintains its position as the lowest-priced EV in the United States after the Nissan Leaf. The Mini...

Tesla tops study of home charging experience—again

2022 Tesla Model 3Tesla topped J.D. Power's second annual U.S. Electric Vehicle Experience Home Charging Study, released Thursday. The study measures EV owners' satisfaction across Level 1 portable, Level 2 portable, and Level 2 permanently-mounted home charging stations. Tesla was ranked highest for Level 2 permanently-mounted stations, the only category that is...

2023 Toyota bZ4X electric SUV will include a year of free fast-charging

2023 Toyota bZ4X at EVgo charging stationToyota announced Thursday that its first widely available electric vehicle, the upcoming bZ4X electric SUV, will come with one year of unlimited complimentary charging at all EVgo public fast-charging locations. EVgo claims to be the only charging network powered by 100% renewable energy. It operates 800 public DC fast-charging locations, as well...

Could wind-and-solar towers charge EVs, stabilize the grid?

Change Wind  -  Wind and Solar tower, for charging/grid bufferingWind and solar-powered charging could further lower the environmental impact of electric cars; but one New York-based company wants to combine them in one electricity-generating device that could be used for EV charging stations or wherever grid-buffering might help keep blackouts at bay. Change Wind Corporation has developed the Wind & Solar...

Tesla settles with the EPA over Clean Air Act violations

Tesla factory, Fremont, CaliforniaOn Tuesday the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a settlement with Tesla over paint-related Clean Air Act violations at its Fremont, California, plant. The total cost of the penalty for violations spanning nearly three years is $275,000, or the retail equivalent of about four base Model Ys. Tesla delivered about 936,000 vehicles...

2022 Volkswagen ID.4 range boosted, now up to 280 miles

2022 Volkswagen ID.4The 2022 Volkswagen ID.4 is getting a range boost, VW announced Tuesday in a press release, including a series of EPA-estimated figures that haven't yet been officially posted. The estimates do point to a significant range improvement. VW said the base rear-wheel drive 2022 ID.4 Pro has a 280-mile range—20 miles more than the 2021 model. The...

Mazda CX-60 plug-in hybrid SUV will debut new platform, interior theme

Mazda CX-60 teaserMazda will unveil a plug-in hybrid SUV based on a new platform March 8. The Mazda CX-60 will be the first model to use a new rear-wheel drive platform, according to a UK press release from the company. Hinted at for several years now, the new platform is a big departure from the front-wheel drive platforms used by all of Mazda's current SUVs...