Colorado rule gives Tesla an advantage over Rivian, Lucid, other EV makers

Rivian R1SSeveral automakers are trying to emulate Tesla, not just by offering electric cars, but by eschewing traditional franchised dealerships. But in at least one crucial EV market, Tesla may have an easier time doing that than other automakers. Only Tesla is allowed to sell electric cars directly to customers in Colorado, but a new bill working its way...

GM adds real-time charging-station smarts—via app—to Chevy Bolt EV

Chevrolet Bolt EV charging at EVgo stationGM plans the reveal of a Cadillac electric vehicle for April, the first full look at a GMC-branded Hummer EV in May, and more details about its electric-vehicle underpinnings in March. Ahead of that EV push, GM is clearly covering its bases for current drivers of the Chevrolet Bolt EV—as well as, perhaps, those future products. Through the...

VW backs expansion of “plug and play” battery-buffered fast chargers

Volkswagen ID Buzz concept, 2017 Detroit auto showThe installation costs and large footprint of current DC fast-charging stations has slowed their deployment, but Volkswagen has a plan to speed things up. The German automaker has partnered with energy-infrastructure company E.ON to develop a more streamlined fast-charging setup. What Volkswagen describes as a "plug and play" setup will allow...

Fuel-tank issue for 2019-2020 RAV4 Hybrid: Toyota still investigating

2019 Toyota RAV4 HybridToyota continues to investigate an issue that can prevent drivers of its top-selling U.S. hybrid, the 2019-2020 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, from filling their tank up completely. The issue, which was first reported by Automotive News back in December, was identified by a wide range of complaints from various sources—including several logged at...

Yamaha enters the business of electric-car motors—just not whole EVs

Yamaha 35-kw prototype electric motor for automotiveYamaha wants to enter the electric-car business, but not by developing entire vehicles. Instead, the Japanese firm announced that it will sell a permanent-magnet synchronous motor to interested companies. The motor can be tuned to develop anywhere from 35 kilowatts to 200 kw (47 horsepower to 268 hp), according to a Yamaha press release. Yamaha...

VW compact pickup sidelined for US, could come back all-electric

Volkswagen Amarok Power conceptVolkswagen does not plan to bring a pickup truck to the United States anytime soon, but If it did, that truck would probably be electric, according to one of the automaker's top executives. VW currently sells small pickups in other markets, but the U.S. market is dominated by the Detroit Three automakers, with Nissan, Toyota, and Honda maintaining...