Preview drive: Volkswagen ID.7 hatchback shows why aero rules for EVs

Volkswagen ID.7 prototype (Euro spec)Obsessive wind-tunnel work—of the sort that used to be reserved for racing and supercars—has become an essential in building modern electric vehicles like the Volkswagen ID.7. Aero can go a long way toward accelerating EV adoption. It isn’t just the key to more miles of range and better efficiency. It helps keep battery packs...

Review: 2023 Mercedes EQE 350+ 4Matic SUV surfs the electric wave

2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE 350+ SUVOff the coast of Portugal near Lisbon, a vast underwater canyon tosses up some of nature’s fiercest waves at the cliffs at Nazaré. Surfers set records here on dizzying curls that can unleash thousands of kilojoules of energy. In 2020, Sebastian Steudtner rode an 86-foot wave for nearly half a minute toward the Praia do Norte on surf...

Wireless battery management could add EV range, downsize packs

LG Innotek wireless battery management systemLG Innotek, a unit of battery supplier and electronics giant LG, has introduced a wireless battery management system (BMS) it claims will boost EV range. Introduced in February, and first spotted by Charged EVs, the system is the first to marry wireless battery management with 800-volt electrical architecture, LG Innotek claims. The company aims...

GM BrightDrop electric trucks are headed to Ryder rental fleet

Ryder plans to acquire 4,000 BrightDrop electric vans through 2025Ryder will be the latest customer for General Motors' BrightDrop electric vans. The rental company on Monday announced plans to acquire 4,000 BrightDrop vans through 2025, with the first 200 to be ordered this year, according to a company press release. The first vehicles will be 2023 BrightDrop Zevo 600 models heading to rental fleets in...

Do latest Tesla sales numbers suggest more price cuts?

2023 Tesla Model Y  -  Courtesy of Tesla, Inc.Did a big Tesla price hike help the world’s biggest maker of only electric vehicles get back on track with sales and growth? The short answer by the numbers appears to be: yes and no. Tesla on Sunday reported that it delivered 422,875 vehicles over the first quarter of 2023. While that total was 4% higher than the previous quarter and 36%...

2024 Audi Q8 E-Tron starts at $75,495, EPA range to 300 miles

2024 Audi Q8 E-TronThe 2024 Q8 E-Tron starts at $75,495 with destination, Audi confirmed, and it suggested that the Q8 E-Tron will have at least one version capable of a 300-mile EPA range. In addition to the base Q8 E-Tron with conventional SUV bodywork, the lineup includes a Q8 Sportback S-Line E-Tron model with a more coupe-like Sportback body style and $78,895...

Fisker Ocean tops Model Y in range: 440-mile rating for Europe

2023 Fisker OceanThe Fisker Ocean hasn't received official EPA range ratings for the U.S., but Fisker last week announced a 440-mile range rating for the electric crossover on Europe's WLTP testing cycle. WLTP figures are generally higher than U.S. EPA ratings, so the Ocean will likely receive a lower range rating on this side of the Atlantic. For now, the Ocean...

Review: 2023 Hyundai Ioniq 6 sedan marries form and function

2023 Hyundai Ioniq 6By the numbers, the 2023 Hyundai Ioniq 6 electric sedan outpaces the Tesla Model 3, improves on the related Hyundai Ioniq 5, and matches the Lucid Air as the most efficient electric car on sale in the U.S. In the data age where we are ruled by algorithms, the favorable numeric data of the Ioniq 6 is impressive. Yet Hyundai’s latest sedan is...