2021-2022 VW ID.4 gets long-awaited software upgrade

2023 Volkswagen ID.4Volkswagen is preparing to release a software upgrade for easy ID.4 electric crossovers aimed at improving infotainment system performance, while adding some new features. The upgrade will roll out to 2021 ID.4 models first, followed by certain 2022 ID.4 models, Volkswagen of America said in a press release earlier this week. Owners will be...

EV battery cost soared in 2022, hampering EV affordability

Mercedes-Benz Alabama battery factoryEV battery costs have soared in 2022 due to rising raw material and battery component prices, according to a Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) report. The volume-weighted average for lithium-ion battery pack prices reached $151/kwh this year, a 7% increase over 2021, according to the report. It marks the first time average pack prices have...

GM aims for rural EV drivers with vast Level 2 charging network

2023 Chevrolet Bolt EUV Redline EditionGeneral Motors is about to undertake what it claims is the largest deployment of Level 2 EV chargers in North America. The automaker this week announced the official launch of its Dealer Community Charging Program with the installation of the first charging stations in Wisconsin and Michigan. GM aims to install up to 40,000 Level 2 chargers in the...

Battery change boosts 2023 Nissan Leaf efficiency, slightly

2023 Nissan LeafThe Nissan Ariya will soon arrive at the company's U.S. dealerships, but it won’t be the only EV featured at them. The other, of course, is the Nissan Leaf. The Ariya crossover isn’t replacing Leaf: Nissan lowered the Leaf’s price a couple years ago, seemingly to make room for the Ariya. The 2023 Nissan Leaf sees some feature...

Polestar 2 offers permanent performance boost over the air—for $1,195

2023 Polestar 2Polestar is offering an over-the-air software update that boosts output of dual-motor versions of the Polestar 2—for a one-time $1,195 fee. The new software increases output by 68 hp and 15 lb-ft of torque to 476 hp and 502 lb-ft, Polestar said in a press release. This reduces the manufacturer-estimated 0-60 mph time to 4.2 seconds, but...

Toyota sees hydrogen-combustion Corolla Cross as EV alternative

Toyota Corolla Cross H2 ConceptToyota believes hydrogen combustion engines could be a viable alternative to EVs, and it's demonstrating the concept with a prototype version of its Corolla Cross. On Tuesday, the automaker unveiled the hydrogen-combustion Corolla Cross H2 Concept, saying in a press release that the vehicle would begin testing in northern Japan this winter. It...

Used EV depreciation: Do long-range models hold more value?

2020 Hyundai Kona ElectricUsed EV prices are dropping, but long-range models appear to be holding their value better, according to Automotive News. As analysts try to fit used-car value metrics to the growing population of used EVs, J.D. Power is applying a "pretty significant deduct" to the residual value of any model with a range below 275 miles, which the firm considers...

Toyota rolls out C-HR plug-in hybrid, plans six bZ EVs for Europe

Toyota C-HR Prologue conceptToyota on Monday teased a plug-in hybrid version of its C-HR subcompact crossover and confirmed more all-electric bZ models for Europe. The Toyota C-HR Prologue Concept shown Monday previews a next-generation model scheduled to debut in the near future. Toyota said in a press release that this new model is engineered to support a plug-in hybrid...

Hyundai N performance EV brand teases hydrogen fuel cell tech

Hyundai N Vision 74 ConceptHyundai's N performance division is preparing to launch its first battery-electric cars, but it's considering performance fuel-cell vehicles as well. Hyundai released a short video Friday showing off the development process for its N vehicles and teasing the first production electric N model, the Ioniq 5 N, a sportier version of the Ioniq 5...

DHL is getting 2,000 Ford electric vans, smarts to manage them

DHL Express - Ford E-TransitFord announced Monday that its Ford Pro unit will deliver 2,000 electric delivery vans to Deutsche Post DHL Group worldwide, by the end of 2023. Nested behind this is a piece of news that signals a far greater impact over the long term: The deal includes an memorandum of understanding (MOU) for future vehicles, plus DHL’s implementation of...

AAA expands EV offerings with mobile charging, trip planning

AAA mobile EV chargingMore than a decade after launching a mobile EV charging pilot program, AAA is launching a second, larger-scale program that will offer mobile charging to members in 14 U.S. metropolitan areas. The new pilot program offers mobile charging for free to AAA members in the following cities: San Francisco; Indianapolis; Philadelphia; Orlando; Nashville;...

Tesla confirms megawatt charging tech for Cybertruck, Semi

Tesla Semi aeroTesla confirmed that it plans to use a new immersive cooling method for its Supercharger V4 charging cable, capable of handling up to 1 megawatt. “It’s going to be used for Cybertruck, too,” Tesla CEO Elon Musk said on Thursday night. The tech upgrade is coming to Superchargers next year, he added. Tesla didn’t confirm that...

Will EPA’s plan for broadened biofuels delay EV adoption?

2022 Ford E-Series Flex-Fuel  -  E85 compatibleThe EPA is preparing to set new standards that broaden biofuels incentives and could provide cleaner electricity for EV charging. But the proposal faces criticism from some environmental groups who claim it inadvertently supports the market for internal combustion engines instead. The agency on Thursday released proposed Renewable Fuel Standard...

Canoo delivers electric Light Tactical Vehicle to US Army

Canoo Light Tactical Vehicle (LTV)Canoo on Thursday announced deliver of a prototype truck to the U.S. Army, which shows what a production off-roader from the EV startup could look like. Called the Light Tactical Vehicle (LTV), the electric truck fulfills a contract awarded to Canoo in July 2022, according to a company press release. The single prototype is being used for analysis...