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...

2025 Volvo EX30 EV bows at $34,950, 275 miles, available AWD

2025 Volvo EX30Small-car lovers who lament the lack of affordable electric compact cars may get a jolt of energy from Volvo’s reveal on Wednesday of its EX30. The fully electric small SUV is a key piece of its lineup as it transitions to all-EV—one that will start at $34,950, likely not including destination, with available dual-motor all-wheel...

These hybrids have AWD, top 40 mpg, cost less than $30,000

2023 Toyota Prius PrimeSpoiler alert: They’re all Toyotas. Let’s say you live in a northern climate and need all-weather traction for a snowy winter commute. And while your parking situation doesn’t leave you a place to plug in, you want to keep it as green and efficient as possible. All-wheel-drive hybrids are an underrepresented vehicle type for some...

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...

VW Bus delay: Why did VW ID.Buzz take so long to come to the US?

2025 Volkswagen ID.BuzzRemember the line from "Titanic" when Rose is an old woman and she asks, "It's been 84 years?" With the debut of the U.S-spec Volkswagen ID.Buzz that moment feels oddly familiar. Why did it take so long for the VW Bus to return despite concepts teasing us since 2001? Why did production of the two-row ID.Buzz start in Europe a year ago, and the...

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...

2025 VW ID.Buzz electric van gets 3 rows, AWD in US version

2025 Volkswagen ID.BuzzVolkswagen has provided a first look at the long-awaited U.S.-bound ID.Buzz electric van—finally, in the form Americans will be able to buy. What have we been waiting for? U.S. versions of the 2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz, VW says, will be made in the same Hanover, Germany, factory but they’ll have a third row of seats. They’ll be...