The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) unveiled a revised rule that would effectively give automakers more flexibility with pending EPA rules for model years 2027 to 2032—and more time to ramp up EV sales compared to an earlier proposal. The final rule for Petroleum-Equivalent Fuel Economy Calculation released late Tuesday softens what had been… Read more…

Among the new features of the Toyota C-HR plug-in hybrid recently launched in Europe is an efficiency-boosting trip planner that could be useful to Toyota’s U.S. plug-in hybrid customers. Called Predictive Efficient Drive, this feature analyzes traffic conditions and learns the driver’s behavior and regular routes to maximize use of electric mode… Read more…

Rivian will begin shipping free North American Charging Standard (NACS) adapters to customers in April, giving them access to over 15,000 Tesla Supercharger fast-charging stations across North America, the automaker announced Monday. Compatible Supercharger sites will be added to roughly 16,000 pubic chargers customers already have access to… Read more…

Fisker has paused production of its Ocean electric SUV for six weeks as it seeks to draw down inventory and secure additional financing. To the funding point, Fisker confirmed Monday that it has secured “a financing commitment from an existing investor” of up to $150 million. The company has about 4,700 vehicles in inventory worth about $200… Read more…

I step on the brake with my left foot, press the accelerator to the mat with my right—then, slip off on the left. Motors whirl to life as they whorl out warp-speed forward thrust. Traffic cones fly by in the side windows like mailboxes on a country road until I let off the pedal and let “B” mode’s regenerative braking lasso… Read more…

Former President Donald Trump has announced that he would apply a tariff of 100% to cars built in Mexico by Chinese companies for U.S.-market sale—effectively double the previous tariffs he had seeked to apply. In a Saturday campaign speech in Dayton, Ohio, Trump said that over a period of 30 years Mexico has taken away 34% of the automobile… Read more…

VW has made things right, just in the nick of time. Ahead of the arrival of the much, much anticipated ID.Buzz electric van and the aero-savvy, road-trip-ready VW ID.7 hatchback, Volkswagen has set the stage with a wholesome family-ready EV that delivers in nearly every aspect. It’s a stage that the brand set years ago. Well before the… Read more…

The Mercedes-Benz Vision EQXX has completed another efficiency run—this time in the Arabian desert. The EQXX has managed two previous long trips on a single charge—previously covering 746 miles from Stuttgart, Germany, to the Silverstone racetrack in the U.K. on the second trip. The focus of this third trip, in which the EQXX covered… Read more…

Gen X and Millennials tend to buy more EVs than Baby Boomers, but the older generation is still in control of EV policy, a pair of recent studies show. Experian’s fourth quarter 2023 Automotive Market Trends report, released Thursday, noted that 9.4% of new vehicles purchased by Gen X in 2023 were electric. Gen X purchased the most new vehicles of… Read more…

Nissan and Honda on Friday disclosed that they’re considering a “strategic partnership in the fields of vehicle electrification and intelligence.” As of yet, the companies have only committed to a feasibility study for the idea, but such a partnership would aim to combine strengths and accelerate carbon-neutrality and safety… Read more…

Chinese automaker Nio is partnering with battery supplier CATL for research into longer-life EV batteries, including for use with Nio’s battery-swapping service. The two companies “will jointly carry out discussions, make technological breakthroughs and innovation, and promote product applications,” according to a Nio press release, with CATL… Read more…

In a life cycle assessment of the Volvo EX30 electric vehicle released Thursday, the automaker underscored that its upcoming compact EV has the lowest carbon footprint of any electric Volvo yet. The team behind the EX30 analysis looked at two EX30 versions—one with the 69-kwh lithium nickel cobalt manganese oxide (NMC) battery pack, the… Read more…

BMW is relying on Shell Recharge Solutions to offer customers streamlined access to EV charging stations across multiple networks. The automaker on Wednesday announced an agreement with Shell Recharge Solutions that it claims will provide access to more than 100,000 public chargers through the My BMW app. These chargers are not only part of… Read more…

The Biden Administration on Monday sketched out plans for EV charging and hydrogen dispensing along major U.S. freight corridors. The National Zero-Emission Freight Corridor Strategy was developed by the administration’s Joint Office of Energy and Transportation with input from the Department of Energy (DOE), Department of Transportation (DOT)… Read more…

Volvo is looking to quicken EV charging times by relying on software rather than upgrades to batteries and other hardware. The automaker on Monday announced a partnership with U.K.-based Breathe Battery Technologies to access that company’s “algorithm-enabled charging software” with its battery management systems—with the goal of optimizing… Read more…

The 2025 Polestar 3 will arrive for first deliveries in the U.S. in the second quarter of 2024, at a starting price of $74,800, and it’s now available to configure and order, the company announced Tuesday. At launch, the entire 2025 Polestar 3 lineup will have dual-motor all-wheel drive, with an output of 489 hp and 620 lb-ft of torque, and… Read more…

Big-box stores and fast-foot chains offer large parking lots perfect for EV charging, but most lag in offering charging to customers, according to a new Consumer Reports study. Consumer Reports surveyed 270,000 retail locations controlled by 75 major retail and fast-food chains—brands like Costco, Ikea, Walmart, and Target—and found… Read more…

Three Senate Democrats from car-manufacturing states on Thursday urged the Biden administration to increase tariffs on Chinese EVs, bringing bipartisan pressure to dissuade Chinese automakers from selling their products to the U.S. In a letter first reported by Reuters, Senators Gary Peters and Debbie Stabenow of Michigan and Sherrod Brown of Ohio… Read more…

Rivian on Thursday delivered what was expected—the R2 electric SUV. And then it stole the R2’s stage with products that fans, investors, and EV shoppers didn’t know they needed: the Rivian R3 and R3X. A short time after the reveal, I noted that while plenty of fans were checking out the R2, there was a frenzy around the R3. And… Read more…

GM announced Friday that it’s dropping prices by up to $6,520 on its 2024 Chevrolet Blazer EV, while resuming sales and deliveries of the model to customers. The Blazer EVs once again reaching customers have been given “significant software updates,” according to Chevrolet. Examples of the updates include new gauge-cluster… Read more…