Fisker on Wednesday revealed a new interior sketch of its Pear Urban EV, as well as more information about the layout and features of this compact electric vehicle, which is anticipated to be delivered in 2024. The company now calls the Pear—technically an acronym for Personal Electric Automotive Revolution—a “sporty… More…
Category: Greencarreports
High cost of coal and natural gas could make EVs, US grid cleaner this summer
Anticipated price hikes for coal and natural gas could lead to increase use of renewable energy in electricity generation, making both the grid and EVs cleaner, according to new United States Energy Information Administration (EIA) analysis. EVs get cleaner along with the grid, and the EIA expects the grid mix to lean more toward renewable sources… More…
California study of fast-chargers finds poor reliability, many “nonfunctioning”
A University of California Berkeley study of EV fast-chargers points to serious reliability issues for charging infrastructure in the nation’s biggest EV market. The study (via Automotive News) looked at 181 DC fast-charging sites in the greater Bay Area, covering 657 individual chargers. Of that total, 72.5% were found to be functional, which is… More…
Even misrepresented, Michigan Senator makes case for electric car amid record gas prices
According to the reporting from Fox News, one of the most popular news organizations in the U.S., a Michigan Senator bragged about driving an expensive electric car to Washington, D.C., while avoiding gas stations amid historic prices. Not true. In remarks made Tuesday alongside testimony from Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, Senator Debbie… More…
Solid Power sets up solid-state pilot production ahead of testing by Ford, BMW
Solid-state battery startup Solid Power on Monday announced installation of a pilot production line for battery cells—a big step toward delivering cells to automakers for testing. Solid Power plans to produce cells for internal testing first, but plans to deliver cells to investors BMW and Ford for evaluation before the end of the year, the… More…
Polestar 3 first look: US-made performance electric SUV due for production in early 2023
Sweden’s Polestar has shown a first undisguised image of its electric performance SUV, called the Polestar 3. The Polestar 3 will be sized (and priced) to serve as an electric counterpoint to the Porsche Cayenne—so its most direct current rivals will include the BMW iX M60, the three-motor Audi E-Tron S, and the Tesla Model X Plaid… More…
More than three out of four Volvos sold in California have a charge port
Of all Volvos sold in California last month, 77% were plug-in hybrids or EVs, the automaker said Thursday in a press release announcing its May 2022 North American sales. That’s an increase of 6% over the previous month, demonstrating the continued appetite for plug-in cars in California. Nationally, plug-in hybrids and EVs—which… More…
Polestar adds referral program, but it’s not like Tesla’s
Polestar announced last week that it’s launching its own referral program to incentivize owners to promote the brand’s EVs to others. A customer referral program was wildly popular for Tesla, but times have changed, and you won’t find anything so lucrative as the $1,000 incentives and free cars for top referrers that Tesla at one point offered… More…
Report: California drought will increase CO2 cost of the electricity EVs plug into
A California drought will increase the carbon footprint of electricity used to charge EVs, according to a new report from the Energy Information Administration (EIA). The drought has cut the state’s hydropower generating capacity nearly in half compared to normal conditions, forcing California to rely on more carbon-intensive sources for a greater… More…
Ford CEO anticipates EV price war, shakeout to favor China, and industry consolidation
Ford CEO Jim Farley sees the automotive industry “headed to a huge price war,” with the idea of “democratized EVs” coming soon. The comments were made within a conversation with analyst Toni Sacconaghi, as part of Bernstein’s 38th Annual Strategic Decisions Conference held earlier this week. In it, Farley took a few… More…
2022 Mercedes EQB electric SUV starts at $55,550, optional third-row seat
The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQB electric SUV will start at $55,550 when it arrives at United States dealerships this summer. That price, which includes a mandatory $1,050 destination charge, buys the lower-level EQB 300 4Matic model. Mercedes will also offer an EQB 350 4Matic version in the U.S. starting at $59,100 with destination. Each version will… More…
Survey finds EV shoppers want wireless charging as an option
Wireless charging firm WiTricity claims most EV shoppers want wireless charging as an option, and it has survey data to prove it. The company on Thursday released results of a company-commissioned survey of 1,053 Americans, nearly half of which already own an EV, and the others intending to purchase an EV within the next two years. Of those… More…
Fortnite creator bringing sharper interfaces to upcoming Volvo EVs, starting with flagship model
The next generation of Volvo electric cars will get sharper infotainment interfaces from an unorthodox source. Volvo announced Wednesday that it will partner with Epic Games—the studio behind “Fortnite”—to use Epic’s Unreal Engine in upcoming cars. This will enable “unparalleled high-quality graphics,” Volvo promised in a press… More…
2023 Chevy Bolt EV: $6,000 price drop for lineup as GM aims to prioritize affordability
Chevrolet has announced that its 2023 Bolt EV and EUV cost less than equivalent 2022 Bolt EV and EUV models. The 2023 Chevy Bolt EV starts at $28,595, including destination charges, while the Bolt EUV starts at $28,195. That’s a price drop of $5,900 for the Bolt EV and a drop of $6,300 for the Bolt EUV—reductions that hold for both the… More…
Buick Wildcat concept shows design direction for Electra EV series arriving in 2024
Buick on Wednesday revealed a concept that it says previews “an expressive vision of the brand’s new design direction” as it transitions to fully electric by the end of the decade. And it also confirmed that upcoming Buick EVs—including the first one to arrive in North America in 2024—will carry the Electra name, as… More…
DeLorean Alpha5 EV takes the gullwing sports car to the Future
The rebooted DeLorean Motor Company has revealed its new electric sports car, the Alpha5. And while it carries on the name and gullwing layout of the original DMC-12 that took Marty McFly Back to the Future, it travels to a different era entirely. The Alpha5 will accelerate to 155 mph, according to the company, and it will sprint to 60 mph in 3.0… More…
Report: BMW likely planning a shift to cylindrical battery cells in next-generation EVs
BMW will reportedly be switching to prismatic cells for its next-generation EV platform due around 2025. The news accompanies recent confirmations of an agreement for a potentially large-scale supply agreement signed between the Chinese battery giant CATL and BMW. According to Reuters sources, the shift to cylindrical cells, rather than the… More…
Star Wars and electric vanlife converge in ID.Buzz show cars
Volkswagen has rolled out two ID.Buzz electric vans steeped in Star Wars—and part of a collaboration with Lucasfilm and the recent debut of the “Obi-Wan Kenobi” series on Disney+. Like the series, the ID.Buzz is arriving later than originally anticipated. Production versions of the VW electric van won’t come to the U.S… More…
Lake Michigan EV touring route takes form with open Rivian Waypoints chargers
Do the electric vehicles or the chargers come first? While on the West Coast the chicken-or-the-egg dilemma was on the side of the chargers—with projects like the West Coast Electric Highway that warmed the public up to the idea more than a decade ago—the Great Lake State and traditional heart of the auto industry has waited until the… More…
Tell your friends about EVs: Study suggests automakers still aren’t getting the word out
Electric vehicles make a lot of sense for the pragmatic aspects: their ownership costs and environmental advantages. But once you’re in one, everything changes. As results from J.D. Power’s U.S. Electric Vehicle Consideration Study indicate, a lot of American consumers still need to simply get a ride in an EV. The firm, in the study… More…