Choosing leather lowers EV carbon footprint, suppliers suggest

2022 Lucid Air Grand TouringSustainability concerns are leading some automakers to switch from leather upholstery to synthetic alternatives. So a group of leather suppliers are making their case. The trade group, called One 4 Leather, claims that leather upholstery made from cow hides has a lower carbon footprint than synthetic materials. That's in part because, the argument...

Tesla led in 2023 global EV sales, but BYD outsold it in Q4

BYD SealTesla and Chinese automaker BYD were the two global contenders for most EV sales in 2023. Tesla ultimately sold more EVs over the entire year, but BYD pulled ahead of the U.S. automaker in the fourth quarter. On Tuesday, Tesla said it delivered 1.8 million vehicles in 2023, including a record 484,507 in Q4, which represents October through...

Kia EV9: Green Car Reports Best Car To Buy 2024

Kia EV9: Green Car Reports Best Car To Buy 2024The 2024 Kia EV9 fits the form that many American households seek in a family vehicle, made fully electric but without a luxury price tag. That plus leadership in all aspects of charging make it Green Car Reports’ Best Car To Buy 2024. Until now, no non-luxury EV has truly fit these needs—family-sized for America, with a third row...

Which 2024 EVs qualify for the $7,500 EV tax credit?

2023 Tesla Model Y  -  Courtesy of Tesla, Inc.The list of electric vehicles qualified for the EV tax credit in calendar year 2024 has been released. And as expected, it’s very short. Noteworthy Tesla omissions include most of the Model 3 lineup (the Performance version is the only one that now qualifies), as well as the Model X Plaid and the entire Model S lineup. And as anticipated by...

Cummins faces $1.7B fine for diesel Ram pickup emissions cheating

2019 Ram 2500 Heavy DutyEngine manufacturer Cummins will pay a $1.67 billion fine for emissions cheating with diesel engines in Ram pickup trucks. The fine settles a case brought by the U.S. Justice Department and the State of California claiming Cummins violated the Clean Air Act by installing so-called defeat devices that allowed its Diesel engines to cheat emissions...

Gas prices due to drop in 2024, as EVs plug into cleaner energy

Gas pumpThe cost of gasoline and the carbon footprint of EVs could both fall in the new year. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) expects combined electricity generation from solar and wind to exceed coal for the first time in 2024. Solar alone is expected to increase 39% from 2023 thanks to continual increases in generating capacity...

These were the top EV stories of 2023

Hyundai at Tesla SuperchargerElectric vehicles remain the future of transportation at the end of 2023, as they were at the start of the year. But it was a year of tough questions to accompany vast market change, not just as the massive scales of supply and demand swung the other way, but as an industry refocused. While 2023 marked the end of supply-chain issues that had...

EVs under $40,000: What’s coming in 2024 and 2025

Kia EV4 conceptIs demand for affordable EVs low? Look at the surge of interest over future models like the Chevy Equinox EV and its more than 200,000 “hand-raisers,” or the Fisker Pear or Volvo EX30, all of which are due to start well under $40,000, and you’d be mistaken to say that electric cars are by nature a premium-price market, or that...

2024 Mercedes EQS and EQE get heat pump, retuned braking, more range

2024 Mercedes-Benz EQEMercedes-Benz is making a number of changes to its EQE and EQS electric SUV and respective sedan/hatchback models for the 2024 model year, including updates to improve range and a new braking system that could address a common complaint about earlier models. In the EQS and EQE, Mercedes tuned its regenerative braking for efficiency, opting for...

Vinfast EV sales pivot to dealer model, starting in North Carolina

2023 Vinfast VF 8Vinfast will use franchised dealerships to sell cars in the U.S.—starting in the state where the company also plans to build a factory. While Vinfast already has a few company-operated showrooms, its first franchised dealership opened this week in Cary, North Carolina, in partnership with the Leith Automotive Group. As of Thursday, the...

EPA: Hybrids and EVs helped offset more polluting trucks and SUVs

2021 Toyota RAV4 HybridIncreased production of hybrids and EVs has helped offset the shift toward larger vehicles in the new-car market, according to a comprehensive annual update from the EPA. The 2023 EPA Automotive Trends Report, released last week, showed that automakers significantly ramped up hybrid and EV sales from model years 2017 to 2022. During that time...