Car shoppers’ lack of experience with EVs is still holding back adoption, a new Consumer Reports survey suggests. The nationally representative survey of 9,030 American consumers—80% of whom said they owned a non-hybrid gasoline vehicle—was conducted in late June and July 2023. Seven in 10 respondents expressed some level of interest… Read more…

Price gouging has already hit one of the most anticipated new EVs of the year—the 2024 Kia EV9. CarsDirect reports that national dealer inventory data currently shows EV9 markups of up to $7,000 over MSRP. One dealership confirmed to the website that every EV9 on its lot had a $7,000 markup, in fact. Another advertised what was effectively a… Read more…

Sony Honda Mobility is planning an electric SUV and affordable compact car in addition to its previously-shown sedan, according to a new Nikkei Asia report. The SUV will launch in 2027, followed by the compact car in 2028, the report said. Sony and Honda announced in 2022 that the sedan will be unveiled in 2025 under the Afeela brand name, with… Read more…

As of Thursday morning, the starting price of the 2024 Lucid Air Pure is just $71,400, reflecting a price cut of $7,500—significantly undercutting the most affordable current version of the Tesla Model S for those who don’t require all-wheel drive. Meanwhile, mid-range Lucid Air Touring models have been cut $8,000, to $79,400; and top… Read more…

Stellantis on Wednesday unveiled the redesigned Lancia Ypsilon hatchback—the historic Italian brand’s first EV. This marks the beginning of a revival of Lancia, which has produced classics like the Aurelia, Fulvia, Stratos, and Delta Integrale, but has been largely ignored by Stellantis and predecessor Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA). The… Read more…

EV bashing has become a regular Republican position and talking point, but it hasn’t always been this way. In a recent InsideEVs article, Detroit-based Republican and campaign consultant Mike Murphy discussed the results of a poll of 600 voters on EVs. Like many other current political issues, it shows a deep partisan divide, in this case with… Read more…

When it comes to charging stations, EV drivers want the same amenities drivers currently get at gas station, a new AutoPacific study found. The AutoPacific EV Consumer Insights Study asked over 7,200 “future EV acceptors,” defined by the consulting and market-research firm as “those who either intend to purchase or will consider purchasing an EV… Read more…

An electric successor to the sporty Kia Stinger looks due to launch in 2026 under the name EV8, according to source material revealed via Korean Car Blog. A proper enthusiast’s car sporting a rear-wheel drive platform and sleek hatchback styling, the Stinger was launched for the 2018 model year and discontinued after the 2023 model year. But a… Read more…

Stellantis is the latest automaker to adopt Tesla’s North America Charging Standard (NACS) port for EV fast charging—but the automaker’s announcement of it, made Monday, downplayed any connection to Tesla to a point that EV shoppers and longtime Tesla fans alike might find absurd. A Stellantis press release doesn’t mention Tesla or NACS at… Read more…

As Chevrolet revealed last fall, the 2024 Equinox EV will eventually arrive with a $34,995 starting price, including the $1,395 destination fee—in a form that achieves an EPA-rated 319 miles. GM confirmed again Monday that all versions will qualify for the $7,500 EV tax credit—meaning that the effective base price for eligible buyers… Read more…

Kia has already ushered in several new EVs over the past model year. Looking ahead to the next year, it will solidify some new decisions about its range of hybrids and plug-in hybrids for the brand, in addition to additional EVs on the way. Russell Wager, Kia America’s vice president of marketing, told Green Car Reports at the Chicago auto show… Read more…

EVs and plug-in hybrids average more problems than hybrids and gasoline cars, J.D. Power found in its 2024 Vehicle Dependability Study. The study, which is based on owner-reported issues with vehicles within the first three years of ownership, showed an average 256 problems per 100 vehicles for EVs and 216 for plug-in hybrids. That’s higher than… Read more…

EVs tend to weigh more than comparable internal-combustion models, which may require a rethink of highway guardrail designs, according to a new University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) study. For it, researchers conducted what they claim are the first-ever crash tests specifically looking at EVs and guardrails. The tests showed that guardrails… Read more…

EV road trips might soon be getting a little bit easier, thanks to thousands of highway fast-chargers, on the way starting this year from a network called Ionna. Ionna, as it’s called, is an EV charging network jointly backed by seven automakers, including an undisclosed amount from BMW Group, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Kia… Read more…

Electrify America on Wednesday unveiled its first indoor charging station, which the charging network says will serve as a template for future sites in urban areas. Located in San Francisco’s South Market neighborhood, two blocks from the Bay Bridge, the new “flagship” site has 20 chargers providing up to 350 kw of power, according to Electrify… Read more…

Rivian on Thursday revealed long-awaited Standard and Standard+ versions of its R1T pickup and R1S SUV—essentially ready to be delivered now, with what appears to be a $3,100 price drop, and likely qualifying for the same EV tax credit as other versions. They arrive with a twist: They’re not powered by the LFP battery pack or the new… Read more…

General Motors has hired former Tesla battery-development boss Kurt Kelty as its new vice president of batteries. In this newly-created position, Kelty will be tasked with bringing together GM’s development resources “to more quickly deliver profitable, lower-cost, higher performing electric vehicles to customers at scale,” and will report… Read more…

BMW is launching a wagon version of the all-electric i5—but it’s not coming to the U.S. The BMW i5 Touring, as it’s formally known, launches in Europe this May. Like the i5 sedan, it will be sold alongside internal-combustion BMW 5-Series models. But there are currently no plans to bring any of the 5-Series Touring models to the U.S. market… Read more…

The Choice Hotels chain plans to add Tesla EV chargers at locations across the U.S. The company, which runs Radisson, Cambria, Comfort, Country Inn & Suites, and Quality Inn hotels, said in a press release Tuesday that it had reached an agreement with Tesla to add four or more of the automaker’s Universal Wall Connector Level 2 chargers at… Read more…

Toyota on Tuesday announced an additional $1.3 billion investment in its Georgetown, Kentucky, assembly plant to prepare for production of a 3-row electric SUV. This additional money, which brings the plant’s total investment to nearly $10 billion, “supports the previously announced future BEV assembly at Toyota Kentucky,” according to a company… Read more…