Northvolt cutting costs, undergoing strategic review

Volvo and Northvolt partner on battery development and productionSwedish battery maker Northvolt is undertaking a strategic review that could lead to job losses as the company aims to cut costs and scale back ambitious expansion plans, Reuters reported Monday. "No final decisions have been made on the precise nature of any (workforce) resizing," Northvolt said in a statement to Reuters. The company has decided...

VW recalling 99,000 ID.4 EVs because doors could open unexpectedly

2024 Volkswagen ID.4Volkswagen is recalling 98,806 of its ID.4 electric vehicles due to defective door handles that could cause doors to open unexpectedly. The recall includes 2021-2024 models assembled in both Zwickau, Germany, and Chattanooga, Tennessee, which may have door handles that can't effectively keep out water. VW believes less than 1% of the affected...

Italy says Europe’s 2035 gas-engine ban is “absurd”

Ferrari e-buildingItalian officials want the European Union to review a plan to end sales of new internal-combustion cars by 2035 earlier than scheduled, reports Automotive News. "The ban must be changed," Italian energy minister Gilberto Pichetto Fratin told Automotive News Europe on the sidelines of the TEHA business forum in Cernobbio, on the shores of Italy's...

Toyota EV plans: Tenfold boost by 2026, solid-state batteries

Toyota FT-Se conceptToyota now aims for a million or more EVs in 2026, down from 1.5 million It plans to start making next-gen batteries in Japan in 2026, including solid-state cells At an eventual 9 gigawatt-hours annually, the advanced batteries are likely only for niche models EVs Toyota will ramp up EV production to at least one million units in 2026, and will...

Hyundai Ioniq 5 N gets free charger, or some free charging

2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 NMore so than almost any other previous EV, the 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N targets driving enthusiasts. Many of those enthusiasts may also be new to EVs and charging, so Hyundai is offering some options to help get them started. For customers who purchase or lease a new Ioniq 5 N, Hyundai is providing a ChargePoint Home Flex Level 2 charger for free...

Volvo won’t chase last bit of ICE business, but PHEVs will evolve

2025.5 Volvo XC90 and 2025 Volvo EX90Volvo might end gas models sometime after 2030 even if demand still exists Charging infrastructure, slower EV adoption are behind new timeline Volvo PHEVs will keep evolving toward EV, with smaller engines too Although Volvo last week walked back plans to sell only plug-in vehicles by 2030, relaxing the electrified target to 90% by then, its...

DOE: Small SUVs halve lifetime GHG emissions as EVs vs. gas

2025 Volkswagen ID.4A small electric SUV with 300 miles of range produces 52% fewer life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions than a comparable gasoline vehicle, according to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Greenhouse gas emissions from production and distribution are currently around double that of gasoline production and distribution, the DOE notes, but that's more...

GM’s Endurance Mode will be for EV racing

NASCAR electric race car prototype - Photo via BcompGeneral Motors is looking to patent an "Endurance Mode" to help electric race cars go the distance. Not to be confused with a certain ill-fated electric pickup truck, Endurance Mode is designed to emphasize range over outright pace, according to a GM patent application published by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on Aug. 22...