Rivian EVs’ software update makes towing an all-terrain experience

Rivian R1T towing Rivian service vanThrough its latest software update officially rolling out beginning Monday to its R1S electric SUV and R1T electric pickup, Rivian is introducing an overhaul to its drive mode interface plus a “reimagined towing experience” that makes modes accessible (and useful) during towing. The changes, which are part of release 2023.38.0, bring a...

2024 Kia EV6 Long Range gets lower price with Light trim

2023 Kia EV6 GTThe 2024 Kia EV6 gets a new trim that gives buyers more range at a lower price. News of the 2024 EV6 Light Long Range was originally found by Green Car Reports' partner side CarsDirect, citing a dealership order guide, but GCR has since confirmed the new model's arrival with Kia USA. The Light Long Range will cut the price of the EV6's larger...

Toyota electric sports car, crossover EV concepts previewed

Toyota FT-Se conceptToyota on Monday teased two fully electric concept cars that appear to make a fresh, coordinated design statement and may hint at production models in the works for later in the decade. Both concepts, headed for a Tokyo auto show debut later this month, play to the transition of mobility to “a lifestyle partner closely aligned with each...

Do engine block heaters boost mpg, reduce cold-weather emissions?

2020 Dodge Charger GT AWD kicks up snow at the Winter Driving Encounter in Winter Park, CO. All vehicles become less efficient in cold weather. In a recent study, researchers in freezing Finland focused on whether engine block heaters could help increase efficiency in internal-combustion vehicles. Conducted by the University of Eastern Finland and Tampere University, the study, published in the journal Applied Energy, produced some...

$8B hydrogen hubs might cut some fossil-fuel use in trucking

Hyundai Xcient Fuel CellThe White House on Friday announced funding for seven regional hydrogen hubs, a major step toward scaling up hydrogen production for transportation uses. The seven regional hubs—Mid-Atlantic, Appalachian, California, Gulf Coast, Heartland, Midwest, and Pacific Northwest—will get $7 billion in funding under the Bipartisan Infrastructure...

Review: 2024 Lexus TX 550h plug-in hybrid is the lone star of TX

2024 Lexus TX 550h+The 2024 Lexus TX is exactly what it needs to be—almost, in one of its versions. It’s a big, boxy three-row SUV with adult-size space in all rows, wide-opening doors, loads of flat-folding cargo versatility, and low lift heights—plus a TX 500h hybrid version, as well as an available TX 550h+ plug-in hybrid version that can go up...

Tesla’s share of US EV market has shrunk despite price cuts

Tesla chargingAmid a growing U.S. EV market, both the average price of a Tesla and the automaker's market share decreased substantially in the third quarter of 2023, new data from Kelley Blue Book shows. EV transaction prices were down overall in Q3. In September, the average price paid for an EV was $50,683, down from $52,212 in August and down from more than...

Toyota aims toward solid-state EV battery production with partnership

Toyota solid-state battery prototypeToyota is partnering with Japanese oil company Idemitsu Kosan to move solid-state EV battery tech closer to production. The partnership will progress through three phases, the two companies said in a joint announcement Thursday. The first phase will focus on development sulfide solid electrolytes (the solid electrolyte is where solid-state...

2024 Kia EV9 range: 3-row EV tops 300 miles on less than 100 kwh

2024 Kia EV9Kia on Thursday confirmed final EPA range estimates for its 2024 EV9 electric SUV—and they’re better than originally targeted. The 2024 Kia EV9 will return up to 304 miles of EPA range with its 99.8-kwh battery pack, Kia revealed, in the EV9 Light Long Range. And the base EV9 Light, with its 76.1-kwh battery, will return 230 miles...

Aptera shows solar EV is closer to production, omits timeline

Aptera Sol alpha prototypeAptera this week gave an update on its solar-assisted EV, but still hasn't provided a firm timeline for production. The Aptera 3-wheeler uses integrated solar panels to boost range up to 1,000 miles in some versions, with enough power to outrun some sports cars, Aptera has claimed. It can also be charged conventionally, and Aptera was the first...

Lexus concepts preview transformation “into a battery EV brand”

Lexus teaser for 2023 Tokyo auto showLexus will unveil multiple concept cars at the 2023 Tokyo auto show which the automaker claims will preview a shift toward EVs. At the show, Lexus will "debut its next-generation battery electric vehicle concept model lineup, with the aim of transforming into a battery electric vehicle brand by 2035," according to a press release from Lexus parent...

Kia details EV5 and previews affordable EVs, none yet US-bound

Kia EV Day, October, 2023Kia on Thursday hosted its first Kia EV Day outside of Seoul, where the South Korean company shared specifications on its EV5 electric compact crossover, which was revealed in August, and unveiled two electric concept vehicles. All three vehicles will make it to production, and they are intended to make Kia electric vehicles accessible to more...