Volkswagen used this week’s Munich auto show to preview an affordable electric car starting at 20,000 euros (about $24,000 at current exchange rates), and based on a pared-down version of its MEB platform. Unveiled in concept form as the Volkswagen ID.Life, and likely to be badged ID.2 in production, the new model features a crossover-like body… More…

Toyota on Tuesday outlined a battery-development push aimed at slashing costs and increasing battery lifespan. The automaker plans to spend $13.5 billion on battery development through 2030, with the goal of reducing battery cost per vehicle by 50% over the Toyota bZ4X, the electric crossover the automaker plans to launch next year, CTO Masahiko… More…

At the Munich auto show, Mercedes-Benz on Sunday confirmed a few key pieces of information about how the 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQB will arrive in U.S. spec—although pricing and driving range remain variables that might or might not see this luxury EV fitting into some American driveways starting next year. The EQB will be offered in the U.S. in… More…

Munich-based Sono Motors, which is working to bring its solar-supplemented Sion electric car to market for Europe, revealed last week that it is developing its own AC wallbox that will allow the car to be used as a mobile power bank or external home energy storage. While most other such units use the DC fast-charging connector, the Sion unit will… More…

Shell and Ubitricity earlier this week announced plans to install 50,000 on-street EV charging stations in the United Kingdom by the end of 2025, greatly improving access to charging for drivers in urban areas. Shell-owned Ubitricity has designed charging hardware that can fit into streetlight posts, providing charging access to street-parked cars… More…

Mercedes-Benz on Sunday revealed its next fully electric luxury car, set to follow the introduction of its 2022 Mercedes EQS flagship and arrive in the U.S. next spring. As the EQS is the electric S-Class equivalent, the 2023 Mercedes EQE is the electric E-Class equivalent. In prototype form it measures 196.6 inches long, 77.2 inches wide, and… More…

Mercedes-Benz has revealed the EQG Concept, a fully electric SUV based on its G-Class luxury off-roader. The G-Class, or Geländewagen, is steeped in tradition and heritage, and its boxy profile, tenacious off-road abilities, and sheer celebrity appeal make this a very noteworthy vehicle to rethink as all-electric—and a pedigreed… More…

The U.S. EPA on Friday posted official efficiency and range ratings for the Rivian R1T electric pickup and R1S electric SUV, and they both handily top 300 miles. The Rivian R1T has been rated at 314 miles of range by the EPA, and the R1S earns a 316-mile rating. According to the EPA, for the R1T that equates to 73 MPGe and 332 miles in city… More…

Different priorities will apply to the sedans of the future, especially fully electric sedans built without provision for engines and equipped with advanced autonomous driving modes. Audi revealed its Grandsphere concept Thursday ahead of its official bow next week at the Munich auto show, and it shows how the brand is designing future dedicated… More…

California environmental agencies plan to launch what they claim will be the largest deployment of heavy-duty electric commercial trucks in North America thus far. The South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD), California Air Resources Board (CARB), and California Energy Commission (CEC) will fund deployment of 100 electric trucks under… More…

Tesla CEO Elon Musk on Wednesday confirmed delays for one of the company’s most-anticipated new vehicles. The second-generation Tesla Roadster has been delayed to 2023, Musk confirmed via Twitter. It’s also unlikely that we’ll see Cybertruck production start on schedule. Musk said chip shortages were the problem, claiming they were holding up the… More…

Hyundai’s Genesis luxury brand on Wednesday in Korea revealed some ambitious plans for taking the brand fully electric. The “blueprints for electrification,” as the brand puts it, are focused around a “dual electrification strategy” in which all new vehicles from the brand from 2025 on will be either battery electric… More…

The Hyundai Ioniq 5 will be used as an autonomous “robotaxi” beginning in 2023 as part of an ongoing autonomous-driving venture, the automaker announced Tuesday in a press release. The project is under the auspices of Motional, the joint venture launched by Hyundai and automotive supplier Aptiv last year. Motional will in turn partner with Lyft on… More…

Subaru confirmed Tuesday that its Solterra electric SUV will go on sale in the U.S. in mid 2022, and revealed a few more pictures of the upcoming model. Those pictures included a peek inside to show a new interface different from that of any current Subaru. The Solterra is due to be built on a new all-electric vehicle architecture that Subaru is… More…

Karma Automotive is looking to make the improbable leap from luxury cars to commercial trucks. The California-based company announced Monday that it will offer engineering and contract-manufacturing services to fleet customers under the “Powered by Karma” banner. The plan is to offer modular electrified powertrains for a variety of applications… More…

Owners of 2017-2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV models have had to contend with a reduced driving range for many months, as GM attempted to find a remedy for a battery related fire issue that culminated with a plan to replace all battery modules. Now GM has confirmed that it’s stepping up by offering a significant range boost for those earlier Bolt EVs. In… More…

It’s still unclear if Tesla will be able to sell cars directly to customers in Texas when a local factory opens, but the company is now looking to become an electricity supplier in the Lone Star State. The automaker filed an application with the Public Utilities Commission of Texas August 16 to become a “retail electric provider” (REP), through a… More…

The electric vehicle startup Alpha Motor Corporation posted a video this week that showed the “launch” of its Alpha Wolf electric pickup concept. In it, Joshua Boyt and Jay Lijewski appear together on stage, riffing on ideas the way we’ve seen Silicon Valley types and executives do in a wide range of product debuts. No titles are… More…

The electric vehicle maker Rivian confirmed Friday that it is planning to pursue an initial public offering (IPO) this fall, aiming for a valuation that’s roughly 350 times that of Tesla’s IPO in 2010. Rivian confirmed Friday that it has submitted its S-1 registration to the U.S. SEC. Bloomberg noted that Rivian would seek roughly an… More…

As it undertakes a massive recall of Chevrolet Bolt EV electric cars due to alleged defects in battery cells, General Motors is talking up the benefits of multiple battery suppliers for future EV production. In an interview with Bloomberg released Thursday, GM CEO Mary Barra indicated the automaker would continue using LG as a battery supplier… More…