Report: VW in talks with Foxconn to make Scout electric SUVs

Teaser for Scout SUV conceptVolkswagen is in talks with Foxconn to build electric pickup trucks and SUVs for its Scout brand, according to a recent Reuters report. VW said in May that it would reintroduce the Scout name, which originated with the classic International Harvester Scout, one of the earliest SUVs. While that first Scout was just one model, VW envisions an entire...

Hyundai, battery supplier SK ally to meet US EV sourcing rules

Hyundai N Vision 74 ConceptHyundai and battery supplier SK On are partnering to meet the new battery sourcing requirements of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The IRA continues the $7,500 federal EV tax credit, but to qualify for the full amount, it stipulates that EVs and their battery packs must be assembled in North America, and certain minerals used in batteries must...

Ford has made 150,000 Mustang Mach-E electric SUVs

150,000th Ford Mustang Mach-E builtFord on Wednesday confirmed that it’s already produced 150,000 of its Mustang Mach-E electric crossovers. The milestone highlights how much Ford has already accelerated production of the popular electric vehicle, which executives originally suggested was bound for 25,000 to 30,000 U.S. sales annually—with a total achievable volume of...

Mercedes electric vans may raise the efficiency bar, test suggests

Mercedes-Benz eSprinter range and efficiency testMercedes-Benz has revealed some very encouraging efficiency news for its upcoming eSprinter electric vans, set to be built in South Carolina later in 2023—and for the carbon footprint of the companies they’ll be serving. The automaker recently conducted a real-life cargo-delivery-van range and efficiency run with the eSprinter, and it...

Chevy FNR-XE electric sedan concept takes Ultium to cars

Chevrolet FNR-XE Concept  -  GM ChinaGM’s Ultium has reached China, with the Chevrolet FNR-XE Concept EV revealed last week. The concept, which was developed in Shanghai, was shown as part of GM’s Tech Day for China. It’s the first concept for China that wraps in GM’s battery and propulsion architecture for scaling up EVs with local SAIC-GM resources. On a...

First US-bound Vinfast EVs shipped for December delivery

Vinfast VF 8Vietnamese automaker Vinfast reported last week that it had shipped its first batch of 999 VF 8 electric SUVs for the U.S., with the first deliveries due before the end of the calendar year. The EVs departed Hai Phong, Vietnam, Nov. 25 for what is scheduled to be a 20-day voyage to California, where they'll be offloaded and sent to customers...

Caterpillar shows how to scale up EVs—with mammoth mining truck

Caterpillar 793 electric mining truck prototypeAs automakers aim to produce more electric cars and trucks, Caterpillar has shown that battery-electric powertrains can scale up to something much larger. The company recently demonstrated a mammoth electric mining truck at its Green Valley, Arizona, proving ground to representatives of mining companies that are looking to reduce greenhouse gas...

Electric truck survey: Millennials can’t wait for Toyota Tacoma EV

Toyota Pickup EVMost electric pickups currently in the works are big, full-size trucks. But a new electric truck survey from Autolist indicates there could be significant demand—particularly among Millennials—for something smaller. The Ford F-150 Lightning topped the rankings as most popular electric truck for the second year in a row in this annual...

Report: Return of VW e-Golf possible after EV flagship delay

2019 Volkswagen e-GolfA delay for Volkswagen's Project Trinity EV flagship could mean a return of the VW e-Golf, according to a recent from German newspaper Handelsblatt (Automotive News Europe). Production of the e-Golf, which shared a platform with gasoline and diesel versions of the compact hatchback, ended in December 2020 to make room for ID-family models based on...

See the most formative Tesla vehicles together in LA exhibit

2019 Tesla Cybertruck Prototype (Petersen Automotive Museum)Tesla introduced the long-range electric vehicle, created a fast-charging network that enabled it to replace gasoline vehicles for many Americans, then ramped up EV mass-production to levels never before seen. Less than 20 years into the company’s existence there’s no official Tesla museum that fans of the brand can flock to. But for...

A Prius plus this could power your home through a blackout

PlugOut-5 inverter for Toyota/Lexus hybridsSome new EVs boast the ability to serve as an emergency home power source. But what if you could do the same with your existing hybrid? PlugOut Power has been selling such hardware for nearly 10 years, and it claims to have been the first commercial aftermarket high-voltage inverter that provided V2L or V2H. Under its previous name ConVerdant...

This tool reveals future road-trip EV fast-charging routes

Ford F-150 Lightning at Electrify AmericaThis Thanksgiving weekend, as families take to the highways to visit friends or family, EVs are more likely than ever to be part of the dinner conversation. Product is a big part of it. With the introduction of electric trucks like the F-150 Lightning and even off-road-capable SUVs like the Rivian R1S, and affordable options like the Chevrolet...

LG Chem plans $3B EV battery material plant in Tennessee

2022 Bolt EV assembly - battery marriageLG Chem announced Tuesday that it’s planning a mammoth cathode material plant in Tennessee that will aid U.S. domestic electric vehicle battery production. According to LG, the plant will be the largest of its kind in the U.S., and once running at capacity it will be able to produce 120,000 tons of the cathode battery material—enough...

Mobile hydrogen stations may support Hyperion fuel-cell supercar

Hyperion Hyper:Fuel Mobile StationWith little hydrogen infrastructure available, Hyperion Motors plans to deploy mobile hydrogen stations to support its XP-1 fuel-cell supercar. The Hyper:Fuel Mobile Stations, which can also be equipped with DC fast-chargers for battery-electric vehicles, will be quicker to deploy than conventional infrastructure, and can be repositioned as needed...

Mazda boosts EV target to 40% by 2030, plans new hybrid system

2022 Mazda MX-30Mazda is now aiming to make EVs account for as much as 40% of its global sales by 2030, and plans to introduce a new hybrid system before then, according to an update of the automaker's medium-term business plan. "We estimate Mazda’s EV ratio in global sales to rise to a range between 25% and 40% as of 2030," a company press release said...

Test drive: 2022 Toyota Prius leads with the mpg numbers

2022 Toyota Prius NightshadeThe hybrid-vehicle landscape is changing quickly. The Prius lineup did get a Prius AWD-e all-wheel-drive version and a much better Prius Prime plug-in hybrid in its current and outgoing version, but it remains a pared-down family, with the Prius C and Prius V long gone. Further, direct aero-efficiency rivals like the Chevy Volt and the Honda...