NHTSA opens investigation into Model Y steering wheel detachment

2023 Tesla Model Y  -  Courtesy of Tesla, Inc.It’s no yoke. The Tesla Model Y is being investigated for instances of steering wheels falling off while the vehicles were in motion. Two recent reports made to the safety agency reported “complete detachment of the steering wheel from the steering column while driving,” the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)...

NHTSA investigating Tesla Model Y steering wheel detachment

2023 Tesla Model Y  -  Courtesy of Tesla, Inc.It’s no yoke. The Tesla Model Y is being investigated for instances of steering wheels falling off while the vehicles were in motion. Two recent reports made to the safety agency reported “complete detachment of the steering wheel from the steering column while driving,” the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)...

Optimized air suspension could aid EV range, protect batteries

Hyundai Mobis air suspension systemHyundai claims a new air suspension system will have many benefits for EVs, from maximizing range to protecting battery packs from damage. The system was developed by Hyundai Mobis, the automaker's mobility-tech supplier, which previously demonstrated a hardware set called "e-corner" that lets vehicles turn on a dime. Air suspension isn't as...

2023 Nissan Ariya recalled because steering wheel might detach

2023 Nissan AriyaCertain 2023 Nissan Ariya electric SUVs are being recalled because their steering wheels might detach. Nissan is advising owners to check their cars and contact a dealership immediately if the steering wheel appears loose. The recall covers 1,063 vehicles, although Nissan claims in the recall report that only 0.18% (roughly 2 of this set) might be...

2024 Hyundai Kona Electric gets more range, roomier interior

2024 Hyundai Kona Electric (global)Hyundai revealed global specs for the next-generation Kona Electric, on its way to the U.S. as a 2024 model, and most notably this model is getting sharper-looking and larger inside—with a longer range to boot. The new Kona Electric is 171.5 inches long, 71.9 inches wide, and 62.0 inches tall overall, and it rides on a 104.7-inch wheelbase...

Fisker teases $29,900 Pear EV; Ocean deliveries start soon

Fisker PEAR renderingFisker Inc. last week revealed another glimpse of its compact Pear EV due to start at $29,900, as well as a little more information about the upcoming urban-focused electric vehicle. It introduced the Pear—short, it said, for "Personal Electric Automotive Revolution"—last year with a few obscured renderings and sketches, which made...

Lordstown stalls on Endurance electric truck yet looks to future

2023 Lordstown EnduranceWith production of its Endurance electric pickup truck stalled by a recall, Lordstown Motors appears to be moving on to a next-generation vehicle platform developed in close collaboration with Foxconn. The next platform is "becoming a greater portion of our company's focus," Lordstown's fourth-quarter 2022 financial results presentation said...

Tesla Model S and Model X prices cut again by up to $10,000

2023 Tesla Model S  -  Courtesy of Tesla, Inc.Over the weekend, Tesla again cut prices on its Model S sedan and Model X SUV. The company already lopped $10,000 off the price of the Model S in January, as part of sweeping price cuts across the entire lineup; now it’s cut another $5,000. With this, an even greater cut applies to Model X prices; they're now $10,000 lower than they were...

2024 Mercedes-Benz eSprinter plugs electric vanlife into daily work

2024 Mercedes-Benz eSprinterMercedes-Benz recently revealed its new generation of eSprinter electric vans. It’s made efficiency and flexibility among the core focus points so that it can position the lineup for far more than last-mile deliveries, and a future in which vans—and vanlife—with gas and diesel engines will be on the retirement path. The company...

The SUV market is fueling global oil demand, clouding CO2 targets

2022 GMC YukonA strong SUV market is leading to higher oil demand today, and may make future carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions targets harder to achieve, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). New IEA analysis found that global CO2 emissions from SUVs reached nearly 1.1 billion tons in 2022, overshadowing increased sales from electric cars. SUVs are...

VW’s Scout confirms $40,000 electric SUV, plans $2B South Carolina plant

Teaser for Scout Motors electric SUV and pickup truckVolkswagen's new Scout Motors EV division on Friday confirmed that its first model will be a $40,000 electric SUV to be built at a new $2 billion factory near Columbia, South Carolina. Scout, which plans to build rugged EVs inspired by the classic International Harvester Scout SUV produced from 1960 to 1980, said in a press release that the...

US EV trip lengths are way up, nearly equaling gasoline trips

Volkswagen ID.4 built at ChattanoogaThe average length of trips done in electric vehicles has been going up, and it may equal internal-combustion vehicle trip lengths within the next 18 months, according to new analysis. It's an indication more buyers might be directly replacing gasoline models with EVs, and that range anxiety may be waning. These conclusions come from UK-based data...