Audi has confirmed U.S.-market details for its 2022 Audi E-Tron S and E-Tron S Sportback models, set to arrive at dealerships this fall. In their U.S. form, the performance-oriented three-motor versions of the E-Tron make up to 496 horsepower and 718 lb-ft of torque. The two rear motors operate independently of each other to allow more precise and… More…

Tesla’s second annual Impact Report, released earlier this month, underscores a reality that can’t be emphasized enough: Electric car fires are rare. The electric car maker notes, as CEO Elon Musk has for years, that the frequency of EV fire headlines can be deceiving. There were almost 190,000 vehicle fires in the U.S. in 2019, and… More…

Rivian battery supplier Samsung SDI is considering a new battery plant near the EV hopeful’s Illinois factory, local NPR affiliate WGLT reported last week. The report cites United States Senator Dick Durbin, who said Normal, home to Rivian’s ex-Mitsubishi assembly plant, is a “finalist” for a planned Samsung battery factory. Durbin met virtually… More…

The NHTSA has opened a formal safety probe into Tesla Autopilot after a series of crashes involving emergency vehicles, Reuters reported Monday. The probe covers an estimated 765,000 vehicles from model years 2014 to 2021, including Tesla Model S, Model X, Model 3, and Model Y EVs, according to the report. The agency said that since January 2018… More…

Camper manufacturer Colorado Teardrops this last week revealed a small-footprint teardrop-style camping trailer that’s configured to get over the hurdle of dramatically lower range while towing with an electric vehicle—by carrying extra batteries to recharge the EV along the way. The model, called Boulder, packs a generous 75 kwh of… More…

A one-off Mini Concept that made its debut on Thursday explores an idea that cars, especially small urban electric cars like the Cooper SE, could be a lot simpler and thus more sustainable. Called the Mini Strip, the car is a collaboration with fashion designer and bicycle enthusiast Paul Smith, and “showcases inspirational ideas for a more… More…

Earlier this week the Senate voted to place price and household-income caps on the federal EV tax credit, as part of the $3.5 trillion budget framework currently undergoing negotiations. The non-binding amendment introduced by Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) proposed tax credits for vehicles costing more than $40,000, and for households with more… More…

With an expanded series of 2022 Polestar 2 models that will arrive later in 2021, Polestar is positioning itself to become more than a niche premium electric-car performance brand. The 2022 Polestar 2 Single Motor, a front-wheel-drive version, has the same 78-kwh battery pack as existing models but earns an estimated EPA range of 265… More…

The West Coast Electric Highway—a network of charging stations spanning three states—is now almost 10 years old, and at least some of it is getting an upgrade. Charging-network operator EV Charging Solutions (EVCS) plans to upgrade Oregon’s 44 charging stations along the route with new hardware, and add three more, with funding from… More…

The fastest-selling used cars in the United States in July 2021 were all EVs, according to iSeeCars.com analysis of used-car sales for vehicles from model years 2016 to 2020. The Tesla Model 3 topped the charts, at an average 15.7 days to sell, while the average transaction price across model years was $46,982, according to the analysis. Even… More…

General Motors on Wednesday confirmed that its upcoming Chevrolet Silverado electric pickup will offer four-wheel steering, as well as gigantic 24-inch wheels, in its production form. Chevrolet released a video that shows the truck turning with both the front and rear wheels turning in the opposite direction to reduce the truck’s turning circle… More…

The electric vehicle maker Rivian is reportedly focusing on Texas—and the Fort Worth area—for its second electric vehicle factory, codenamed Project Tera. According to Bloomberg, citing documents it obtained as part of an economic presentation made Tuesday, the Rivian factory might potentially create 7,500 jobs by 2027 and would be… More…

Nissan is considering a compact electric pickup truck, according to a recent Automotive News report. While such a vehicle seems far from reality, it would give Nissan something different for the emerging electric-truck market. The automaker is merely studying the idea of a compact pickup, according to the report, which cited anonymous sources… More…

In coordination with Monterey Car Week, Audi has revealed an electric roadster concept called Skysphere. This flexible concept is the first of three “sphere” concepts, with the Grandsphere and Urbansphere to follow. As Audi teased last month, all three are developed by Audi’s Artemis team, which took form in 2020 and aims to… More…

Why was Tesla left out last week? That question became something of a distraction on Thursday, when President Biden announced tighter emissions rules and more electric vehicles in the near future, framed in the context of more manufacturing jobs and the made-in-America laser focus that’s been a hallmark of his. White House press secretary… More…

Off-road “safari” builds are all the rage for internal-combustion cars, and now the trend seems to be spreading to EVs as well, with two very different post-apocalyptic EV remixes appearing this week. The first is the Kia Soul EV Boardmasters Edition, built to promote the Kia-sponsored Boardmasters 2021 surfing and music festival in Cornwall… More…

With Biden fuel economy rules revealed late Thursday, the EPA expects that “strong hybrid” powertrains will make up just 5% of new sales in 2026, and plug-in hybrids and battery electric vehicles combined will make up just 8% then. For the past three years, plug-in vehicles have amounted to about 2% of U.S. light-duty sales, although… More…

Nissan on Thursday announced an “intention” to make battery-electric cars account for more than 40% of its United States sales by 2030, with additional sales from other electrified models, such as hybrids and plug-in hybrids. That represents a more aggressive target than that unveiled by the Biden Administration that overshadowed it the same day… More…