Ford on Tuesday revealed a fully electric Ford Explorer that it says is the first in a new wave of “bold, iconic electric vehicles that are steeped in Ford’s American roots.” It’s not quite what you might think, though. The electric Explorer that was revealed isn’t due to ever be sold in the U.S.—although Ford… More…

A lack of standards for repair and replacement of EV battery packs may lead to higher insurance premiums, according to a recent Reuters report (via Automotive News). Battery packs can represent up to 50% of an EV’s price tag, often making it uneconomical to replace them, according to the report. And while there is no standard procedure for… More…

Kia just revealed the 2024 EV9 electric SUV in production-ready form, but the automaker on Monday revealed a smaller electric SUV concept. Called the EV5, the concept previews a “production model destined initially for Chinese market later this year,” according to Kia. Note the use of the word “initially,” which hints that the EV5 is coming to… More…

The Ariya e-4orce is one of a growing cohort of dual-motor electric crossovers offering up all-weather traction and 0-60 mph times of less than five seconds. But as the e-4orce badging hints, it’s gone about its priorities in an entirely different way. Across the market, these dual-motor models have their tradeoffs and aren’t always… More…

Unprecedented EV sales and a lack of funding to keep pace with them have put Oregon EV and plug-in hybrid rebates on hold. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) recently announced that it is temporarily suspending the state’s Clean Vehicle Rebate Program due to projections showing that it will be oversubscribed by late spring. April… More…

Thorough planning of EV charging station placement, specifically with a greater emphasis on workplace charging, could cut the need for more power plants, according to a new MIT study. Published in the journal Cell Reports Physical Science, the study uses data from New York City and Dallas to counter the narrative that an influx of electric cars… More…

The global market for internal-combustion vehicles peaked in 2017 and is now in “structural decline,” Bloomberg New Energy Finance declared in a recent report. Combustion-vehicle sales in 2022 were down almost 20% from the 2017 peak, according to BNEF. In 2017, 86 million internal combustion passenger vehicles were sold globally—including… More…

The BMW Neue Klasse family of EVs debuting in 2025 will feature a panoramic head-up display. BMW showed the display, dubbed Panoramic Vision, Wednesday during its annual business conference. In what the company claims is an industry first, the display will span the windshield and show information to both the driver and front passenger, unlike… More…

Convenience store chain 7-Eleven has ambitious plans for EV charging. The company on Thursday announced 7Charge, an EV charging network that it aims to make one of the largest in North America. The plan includes DC fast-charging stations at 7-Eleven locations in the U.S. and, eventually, Canada, with access via a proprietary app. While light on… More…

EV owners are much less satisfied with their home charging experience than at the same time last year, according to new results from the survey giant JD Power. The reason, it’s suggested, is satisfaction with the cost of charging, which declined versus the same study last year by about 30 points. Much as satisfaction with gasoline vehicles… More…

Tesla is being sued by customers who claim the automaker has unlawfully monopolized replacement parts and repair services. Two class action lawsuits (via Transport Topics) were filed Tuesday and Wednesday in San Francisco on behalf of two California residents who own Model S EVs. The plaintiffs allege that Tesla has violated antitrust laws by… More…

Volkswagen on Wednesday unveiled a concept car providing the first real look at a promised affordable EV due to be unveiled for the European market in 2025. The Volkswagen ID.2all concept previews a future production model that will have a base price of 25,000 euros (about $26,500 at today’s exchange rates) and will utilize a new variant of the… More…

The Biden administration on Tuesday opened applications for the first round of $2.5 billion in funding for EV charging infrastructure under a community grant program. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law enacted in November 2021 includes $7.5 billion to help fund a national EV charging network, with the goal of building 500,000 EV charging stations… More…

EV fires tend to get a lot of attention, but the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) warns that EVs’ added weight—and the damage it can inflict on other road users—is the real safety concern. “Fifty-five EV crash tests and zero fires later, I’m still worried about these batteries, but for a more mundane reason than… More…

Volkswagen has chosen a Canadian site for the first EV battery factory of its new PowerCo business unit outside Europe. Located in St. Thomas, Ontario, the factory is expected to start producing battery cells in 2027, according to a VW press release. It will be the third PowerCo battery plant globally, along with plants in Salzgitter, Germany, and… More…

The Porsche Cayenne will get an all-electric variant, with a new flagship electric SUV positioned above it, Porsche confirmed Monday in its 2022 financial results presentation. The electric Cayenne will be included in a redesign marking the model’s fourth generation. Porsche did not discuss specific launch timing, but it said the next-generation… More…

Hertz this week announced plans to nearly triple its EV rental fleet in the heart of America’s oil industry. The rental giant plans to bring 2,100 EVs to Houston, as well as an “EV fast-charging hub” at Houston Hobby airport that will serve both ride-hailing drivers and the general public, according to a company press release. This adds to Hertz’s… More…

Mitsubishi on Friday announced a medium-term product plan that will see the automaker launch 16 vehicles globally over the next five years, nine of which will be electrified. Among those models will be an electric pickup truck. The automaker sees the 2023 to 2025 period as a “turning point to a major transition era,” with an increased focus on… More…

The 2023 Lexus RZ electric crossover competes not just against rivals ranging from Nissan through the automotive alphabet to Mercedes, but to electric vehicle startups such as Lucid, Rivian, and Tesla that have raised the bar for electric luxury. So how are Lexus and parent company Toyota positioning the RZ 450e to compete? In a word… More…

Seven states and the District of Columbia led the nation in plug-in car registrations in 2022, each with more than 10 per thousand people, according to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Along with D.C., the seven states with the most plug-in car registrations were California, Hawaii, Washington, Oregon, Vermont, Colorado, and Nevada. That’s… More…