Safety probe examines Chevrolet Bolt EV fire complaints

2019 Chevrolet Bolt EVThe National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has launched a safety probe in response to owner reports of fires in Chevrolet Bolt EV electric cars. Two owner-submitted reports—one each for a 2018 and 2019-model-year Bolt EV—allege that the cars caught fire under the rear seat while parked and unattended, according to an...

Corn farmers concerned California EV push will sink ethanol sales

Uber self-driving prototype in San FranciscoFarmers are reportedly worried about the effect an accelerated transition to electric vehicles—such as California’s recently announced ban on gas-vehicle sales by 2035—might have on an already fragile U.S. market for corn ethanol. The Trump administration funneled what the New York Times described Monday as “an...

InoBat claims 20% range boost by 2023, Gigafactory by 2025

InoBat Auto batteriesSlovakia-based battery startup InoBat Auto announced Friday that it will introduce an electric-car battery with greater energy density than anything else currently on the market. The battery will allow for a 20% boost in range for "current best-in-class" electric vehicles by 2023, the startup said in a press release. InoBat plans to produce its...

Analysis: EVs will triple their market share in Europe during 2020

2020 BMW i3Pushed by stricter European Union emissions standards, electric cars are set to triple their market share in Europe this year, according to a new report from advocacy group Transport & Environment (T&E). European EV sales have surged since this January 1, when new emissions standards kicked in, the group noted. Based on sales through the...

2021 Honda Accord Hybrid: 48-mpg sedan goes quicker, gets tech upgrades

2021 Honda Accord HybridHonda has announced some significant performance upgrades to the Accord Hybrid’s powertrain for the 2021 model year, while preserving its 48-mpg combined rating. At face value, the Accord Hybrid gets output numbers in line with the new CR-V Hybrid. Specifically, system output climbs to 212 horsepower and peak torque to 232 pound-feet, from...

REE Automotive shows its 3 modular EV platforms in motion

REE Automotive skateboard platform track testingIsraeli startup REE Automotive on Tuesday released a video showing its modular skateboard EV platform in action. The videos show three different versions of the platform, designed to underpin different types of commercial vehicles. REE previously said the platform was flexible enough for use in everything from taxis to delivery vans. REE isn't the...

2021 Toyota RAV4: 40-mpg Hybrid becomes the norm, as lineup expands

2021 Toyota RAV4 HybridToyota has announced the addition of yet another trim level to its RAV4 Hybrid lineup for the 2021 model year. The RAV4 Hybrid XLE Premium starts at $33,675, after the $1,175 destination charge, and it sits between the XLE and XSE and in the most popular portion of the lineup. All the RAV4 Hybrid versions achieve an EPA-rated 40 mpg combined, 41...

Amazon shows Rivian electric delivery vans it will use starting in 2021

Amazon electric delivery van designed by RivianAmazon on Thursday revealed the Rivian electric delivery van it plans to start using in 2021. The e-commerce and logistics giant announced last year that it had ordered 100,000 electric vans from electric-truck hopeful Rivian. Amazon, which is also a Rivian investor, plans to have 10,000 of these vans in service by 2022, and all 100,000 on the...

Study: Americans’ interest in EVs has grown during pandemic

GM and EVgo expand major-metro fast chargingThe global coronavirus pandemic hasn't stopped interest in electric cars, according to a new Ipsos study. In the United States and China, interest in electric cars has actually increased over the course of the pandemic, according to the study. Analysts attribute that to greater familiarity with electric cars. Consumers who are more familiar with...

Volvo XC40 Recharge rated for range, fails to top Model Y

2021 Volvo XC40 RechargeIn terms of size and versatility, as well as pricing and features, the 2021 Volvo XC40 Recharge might be the closest rival yet to the Tesla Model Y. But that doesn’t extend to driving range. On Wednesday evening the EPA again updated some of its fuel economy ratings for vehicles, including an official range rating of 208 miles for the XC40...