In what would be a major strategy shift, Toyota is considering a dedicated EV platform similar to what other automakers have to compete more effectively with Tesla, The Asahi Shimbun reported this week. However, Toyota doesn’t plan to deploy this platform until 2027 or 2028, when it believes consumer demand for EVs will be sufficient to warrant… More…

Audi has saved the most intriguing—and arguably, more American—of its four sphere concepts for last: an electric pickup. Well, sort of. The Activesphere concept is “a master of metamorphosis,” as Audi puts it—a coupelike hatchback with an elongated roofline, in which the entire rear section folds horizontally, then… More…

Audi has saved the most intriguing—and arguably, most American—of its four sphere concepts for last: an electric pickup. Well, sort of. The Activesphere concept is “a master of metamorphosis,” as Audi puts it—a coupelike hatchback with an elongated roofline, in which the entire rear section folds horizontally, then… More…

In a potentially significant shift for the Detroit automaker, General Motors is considering cylindrical battery cells for future EVs, according to TheElec, a battery-focused South Korean trade publication. GM has favored pouch cells supplied by South Korean supplier LG Energy Solution, but could switch to the 4680-format cylindrical cells used by… More…

Tesla has a number of other future products under development, it teased on Wednesday, as part of its quarterly update for investors. And while there’s no guarantee we’ll get an update on persistent rumors like the affordable Model 2, some of those upcoming products may be revealed as part of a March 1 Investor Day. With scaled-up Semi… More…

Tesla has confirmed a $3.6 billion expansion of its Nevada battery “Gigafactory” that the company claims will supply over one million EVs annually. The investment will add 3,000 new jobs and two new factories at the Sparks, Nevada, site, Tesla said in what reads as a press release—with a few more details confirmed as part of Tesla’s… More…

Uber is working with unnamed automakers to design EVs customized for its ride-hailing and delivery services, according to The Wall Street Journal. Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi confirmed the project last week at an event hosted by the paper, but declined to say which automakers the company was working with. Ride-hailing could have seats that allow… More…

California’s Lucid Motors on Wednesday confirmed that it’s supplying the standard front drive unit for “the world’s leading single-seater electric racing series.” Yes, that’s Formula E for the rest of us. And it’s an exciting tie-in to a production EV, as details continue to trickle out on sourcing of… More…

Polestar has announced a comprehensive drive-system refresh for its Polestar 2 hatchback that boosts range and efficiency. It includes new motors, a slightly larger battery pack for some versions and, probably to put it best, a change in priorities. Amid a comprehensive refresh for its drive system, Polestar is switching its single-motor models… More…

Ford has filed a patent application for a new type of EV charging connector based on a magnetic coupling. In the application, which was filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) November 1, 2022, Ford describes using magnetic attraction to secure a charging connector with a charge port embedded in a vehicle’s bumper. It… More…

Increased use of renewable energy will help reduce electricity generation from coal and natural gas power plants, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) in turn making EVs cleaner. The EIA forecasts that wind and solar will together account for 16% of total electricity generation in 2023, up from 14% in 2022 and 8% in 2018… More…

Netherlands-based Lightyear on Monday announced that it is halting production of the Lightyear 0 solar EV, which it has claimed to be the first production solar car in the world, and instead aiming toward the production of its mass-market, $40,000 Lightyear 2 solar EV due in 2025. “In order to safeguard our vision, we had to decide to… More…

Tesla last week outlined some of the details that distinguish its heat pump system that’s now included throughout its vehicle lineup. The electric vehicle maker claims that its design performs well in very cold weather, where other heat pumps fall short. Depending on the exact situation, Tesla claims, its cars might be using as little as a… More…

New federal EV tax credit rules have set price caps that are narrowing the field of qualifying EVs, but a leasing loophole is already opening up a much wider field eligible for federal subsidies. The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) re-upped the federal EV tax credit of up to $7,500 for qualifying vehicles. It added price caps of $55,000 for cars and… More…

Aptera on Friday detailed the Launch Edition configuration of its 3-wheeled EV, which the company hopes to begin producing by the end of 2023. The company claims now to have over 40,000 reservations for the vehicle, the first 5,000 of which will be Launch Edition models. While Aptera has shown multiple powertrain and range options, Launch Edition… More…

Hertz is beginning the rollout of what the company claims is North America’s largest EV rental fleet in Denver, and showing how it plans to continue that rollout nationwide. The company on Thursday announced Hertz Electrifies, a public-private partnership model aimed at bringing EVs to rental customers and rideshare drivers in major cities, along… More…

General Motors is said to be considering adding a compact electric pickup to its lineup, as one of several models that might be priced at less than $30,000. That’s according to a report Thursday from Automotive News, which claims to have seen the pickup at GM’s “affordable EV design studio” in Warren, Michigan. Automotive… More…

Elaphe and McLaren are partnering to marry the former’s in-wheel motor tech with the latter’s racing expertise. At the recent 2023 CES in Las Vegas, the two companies announced an “in-wheel propulsion system” using Elaphe’s in-wheel motors and inverters from McLaren Applied Technologies to create “highly efficient and hyper-responsive electric… More…

Volta, a charging company distinguished by its partly free, partly ad-supported EV charging, announced Wednesday that it will be acquired by oil giant Shell. The two companies have signed a “definitive merger agreement” under which Shell will buy Volta in an all-cash transaction that values the charging company at $169 million, according to a… More…

SUVs are supplanting traditional sedans, hatchbacks, and wagons in sales, but the head of Citroën believes EVs could reverse that trend. “The world of SUVs is done,” Citroën CEO Vincent Cobée said in a recent interview with Auto Express (via InsideEVs). That’s a bold prediction considering that SUVs have accounted for 50% of all… More…