Stellantis may simplify EVs by dropping onboard charger, inverter

Stellantis rendering showing proposed direct AC charging systemStellantis claims to have made significant progress in eliminating two major hardware components from EVs: the onboard charger and power inverter. As spotted by Autoblog, the automaker has said a four-year research project with French battery company Saft and the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) has yielded a prototype battery...

2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ reveal set for Aug. 9 in NYC

2025 Cadillac Escalade IQThe electric luxury SUVs are coming and one iconic nameplate is preparing to enter the chat. On Tuesday, General Motors announced the 2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ will debut in New York City on August 9 as it teased the electric SUV's front lighting signature. The electric Escalade will have some styling cues in common with the gas-powered model. The...

Rivian CEO explains why spectacular Tank Turn mode is a no-go

Rivian Tank Turn in actionThe glorious Tank Turn feature that Rivian showed off way back in December 2019 got a lot of truck and off-road enthusiasts talking, for good reason. The mode showed off the possibility of using all four of the electric motors in Quad Motor R1T and R1S electric trucks to rotate the vehicle around and around in essentially the same space, given a...

Hyundai Ioniq 5 goes sideways with e-Corner tech, in-wheel motors

Hyundai Mobis e-CornerHyundai’s affiliate technology supplier, Hyundai Mobis, has shown its e-Corner modular steering and propulsion system for EVs in real-world testing, and it’s just released a bit more about what the system will allow dynamically. Put simply, it could dramatically change the maneuverability of electrified urban vehicles, driven or not...

Saab braintrust created Emily GT electric car, now mothballed

NEVS Emily GT prototype - Photo credit: Plint/ProteanAn electric sedan prototype developed by failed Saab savior NEVS has surfaced in the wake of the company's shutdown. NEVS bought the remains of Saab after the Swedish automaker went bankrupt in 2011. It once planned to launch a series of four electric vehicles for China, all built on the Phoenix platform that was going to underpin the...

BYD active suspension bows with dancing U9 electric sports car

BYD Yangwang U9Chinese automaker BYD recently demonstrated a new active suspension system for future EVs in dramatic fashion—with a jump. From the car itself. The system, formally known as the BYD DiSus Intelligent Body Control System, is similar to active suspension systems like Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control and Mercedes-Benz Magic Body Control. BYD...

Aptera solar EV will be first to get Openpilot driver-assist tech

Aptera announces Openpilot integrationAptera will integrate the Openpilot driver-assistance system with its electric three-wheeler, giving the vehicle, which is classified as an autocycle, tech similar to passenger cars. Openpilot will add adaptive cruise control, lane centering, and forward-collision warnings, along with a driver monitoring system that ensures drivers will remain...

Hyundai robot could ease EV charging, tackle mobility barriers

Hyundai charging robotHyundai believes automated charging robots could help make EV charging easier and more accessible. The automaker on Tuesday released a short video showing its prototype robot charging an Ioniq 6 sedan. Hyundai showed the design of the robot in a computer-generated video last year, but this time it's showing a working version that's been undergoing...

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...

Here are the EVs and plug-in hybrids with top IIHS safety ratings

2023 Top Safety Pick awards by the IIHSDespite more stringent standards, a number of electric cars and plug-in hybrids were recognized with Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) Top Safety Pick awards for 2023. The IIHS strengthened requirements in a number of areas in 2023, and as a result only 48 models received awards, compared to 65 for 2022 (including eight EVs). Of that...