Toyota Mirai gets deepest discount yet—amid hydrogen shortage

2019 Toyota MiraiHydrogen fuel-cell vehicles aren’t exactly cheap to own or run—if you take them at face value. The two modest fuel-cell models you can currently purchase (versus lease) both carry luxury-vehicle prices: a base $59,430 for the 2019 Toyota Mirai and a base $59,345 for the eco-focused Hyundai Nexo Blue. Trade-in or resale value remains an...

Tesla open to third party apps for its big center screens

Consumer Reports Tesla Model 3 Navigate on Autopilot prepares to pass on left [CREDIT: CR]Just like any other big screen, the one that floats in the middle of every Tesla's dashboard (horizontal or vertical), runs software that anyone could, theoretically write. As it stands now, Tesla controls everything that goes into the screen, including apps such as Slacker and TuneIn that are available to listen to in Teslas. Tesla owners have...

Audi E-tron recalled for battery seal, potential “thermal event”

2019 Audi E-tronAudi confirmed Monday that it is recalling 1,644 E-tron electric SUVs, including 544 vehicles that have been delivered to customers, due to an issue with the battery pack’s seal that it says could lead to “a short circuit or thermal event.” Audi is not aware of any such shorts or thermal events, it says, insisting that the move...

Rivian CEO confirms auxiliary batteries, truck-to-truck charging

Rivian R1T electric pickup conceptThe U.S.-based startup electric automaker Rivian is already showing plenty of signs that it's doing things differently than Tesla. While Tesla CEO Elon Musk discusses potential features of the company's new cars on Twitter, Rivian has held back on boasting about some of its most innovative ideas. The latest, according to a wide-ranging new...

Illinois drops proposed $1,000 EV registration fee to $100

Illinois state capitol [CREDIT: Wikimedia Commons - Daniel Schwen]The Illinois legislature has backed away from a proposed $1,000 registration fee targeted at electric cars that was met with scorn and opposition from automakers and electric-car advocates. Instead, the legislature imposed a new registration fee of $248 on electric cars as part of a sweeping measure to build income for the state's highway funds...

Illinois drops proposed $1,000 EV registration fee to $248

Illinois state capitol [CREDIT: Wikimedia Commons - Daniel Schwen]The Illinois legislature has backed away from a proposed $1,000 registration fee targeted at electric cars that was met with scorn and opposition from automakers and electric-car advocates. Instead, the legislature imposed a new registration fee of $248 on electric cars as part of a sweeping measure to build income for the state's highway funds...