Plug-in hybrids top 20% of Volvo’s US sales

2021 Volvo S60Volvo's plug-in hybrids are steadily gaining market share. As part of its monthly sales recap, the automaker announced Monday that plug-in hybrids accounted for 20.8% of its United States sales in May. The number was even higher in California, where plug-in hybrids accounted for 47.7% of Volvo's U.S. sales in May. The national sales figures mean...

Lexus plans US-market plug-in hybrid in 2021, battery electric in 2022

Lexus LF-Z Electrified conceptLexus will begin launching its first mass-market plug-in hybrid later this year, followed by a dedicated battery-electric model in 2022, the automaker said last week in a press release announcing two million global electrified-vehicle sales. Plug-in hybrid and battery-electric models are part of a larger "Lexus Electrified" plan. Announced in...

BMW X5 plug-in hybrid is shod with sustainably sourced natural rubber

BMW X5 xDrive45e with FSC-certified Pirelli P-Zero tiresThe BMW X5 xDrive45e plug-in hybrid SUV will offer tires made from sustainably-sourced natural rubber starting in August, the automaker announced last week in a press release. BMW claims the special 22-inch Pirelli P-Zero tires also include wood-based rayon as a strengthener and are the first to receive certification from the Forest Stewardship...

Toyota thinks 85% of its new US vehicles will have tailpipes in 2030

2019 Toyota RAV4 HybridToyota electric vehicles are arriving in the U.S. market in 2022. While that itself stands as a surprise pivot for the brand, which was as recently as 2019 saying that there was essentially “no demand” for EVs at U.S. dealerships, hold your horses. On Wednesday the company provided a better picture of exactly how committed to EVs it...

Plug-in models nearing 1 of 10 new-vehicle sales in California

Tesla Model YPlug-in vehicles—including battery-electric cars, plug-in hybrids, and hydrogen fuel-cell cars—are nearing one in 10 new-car sales in California, according to a periodic update from industry group Veloz, referring to the latest data from the state. Californians purchased 59,000 plug-in cars in the first quarter of 2021, accounting for...

Off-road lift kit for Jeep Wrangler 4xe is a plug-in hybrid first

2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xeLike its gasoline and diesel counterparts, the 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe will get a number of accessories under the Jeep Performance Parts banner, including a lift kit. Designed to raise the height of the body to increase clearance for off-roading, this is the first lift kit offered for a plug-in hybrid and, to the best of our knowledge—not...