Audi has revealed pricing, equipment, and range information for U.S. versions of its all-electric overture for the masses, the Q4 E-Tron lineup due late this year. The compact Audi EV will start at just $44,995, including the mandatory $1,095 destination charge. That’s for the single-motor rear-wheel-drive version, badged the Q4 40 E-Tron. The Q4… More…
Category: Greencarreports
Rivian details membership program for electric trucks’ charging access, connectivity
As it begins customer deliveries of the R1T electric pickup truck, Rivian has revealed more details of its subscription program for charging and other ownership perks. Per the company’s website, the Rivian Membership includes unlimited LTE connectivity access, as well as unlimited free charging, including DC fast-charging on what the company calls… More…
Volkswagen ID.4 earns Top Safety Pick+ to pave way for VW’s mass-market EVs
The 2021 Volkswagen ID.4 earned a Top Safety Pick+ from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the non-profit safety agency confirmed Tuesday. It’s the highest safety rating awarded by the IIHS and considered to be the most rigorous safety testing in the industry. With the ID.4 lineup awarded that accolade, assuring a robust set of safety… More…
NTSB chief calls Tesla Full Self-Driving “misleading and irresponsible,” amid city-driving beta test
The new head of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) called out Tesla’s use of “Full Self-Driving” branding for its non-autonomous driver-assistance tech in a recent interview with The Wall Street Journal. NTSB boss Jennifer Homendy called the Full Self-Driving name “misleading and irresponsible,” saying that consumers pay more… More…
Chevy Bolt EV battery recall: Replacements could start in October, new diagnostic software soon
The Chevrolet Bolt EV and EUV electric cars remain on a production pause, but GM confirmed Monday that battery production is again underway. Production has resumed at LG battery plants in both Holland and Hazel Park, Michigan, the automaker said, as LG understands the nature of two manufacturing defects that have been the root cause of Chevrolet… More…
Ford considers “purpose-built electric police vehicles,” offers Mach-E electric car for testing
Police cars are a significant chunk of Ford’s fleet business, and now the company is taking steps to make them electric. Ford on Friday said it is “exploring all-electric, purpose-built law enforcement vehicles” as part of its overall $30 billion investment in electrification through 2025. For now, the Ford Mustang Mach-E will serve as a testbed… More…
Crowdfunded Eli Zero micro-EV starts shipping to EU dealers; US plans for 2022
The crowdfunded Eli Zero electric car has started shipping to European Union dealerships, and the company plans to follow that up with a United States launch in 2022. Unveiled at the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the Zero is classified as a neighborhood electric vehicle (NEV) in the U.S., and as a “light quadracycle” in the EU. The… More…
Range life: The 8 EVs EPA-rated for 300 miles or more
This week, Tesla lost its lead position in electric vehicle range, held since the 2012 arrival of the Model S. The Model S delivered 265 EPA miles back then, passed the 300-mile barrier in 2016, and now achieves 405 miles in Long Range form. But Silicon Valley rival Lucid Motors has rolled into the scene with its Air sedan, rated last week by the… More…
Tesla Model S steering yoke is a pain and possible safety concern, says Consumer Reports
Testers at Consumer Reports recently got their hands on the Tesla Model S steering yoke, and first impressions aren’t good. The publication, which purchases all of its test vehicles, recently received a new Model S equipped with the yoke which, in addition to its unusual shape, replaces conventional controls for the turn signals, windshield… More…
GM asks Chevy Bolt EV drivers to park 50 feet from other vehicles, due to fire risk
As it works to replace battery modules in Chevrolet Bolt EV models to address battery-fire concerns, General Motors is asking owners not to park within 50 feet of other vehicles or on the open levels of parking garages, Bloomberg reported Wednesday. The automaker started a recall, which now encompasses all of the roughly 140,000 Bolt EV and Bolt… More…
Ford F-150 Lightning electric trucks already produced, first deliveries still due for spring 2022
The Ford F-150 Lightning electric pickup isn’t due until spring 2022, but Ford on Thursday confirmed that the first pre-production examples of the Lightning are already being built at the factory that will make consumer-bound versions next year. The pre-production F-150 Lightning trucks will be used for real-world testing, Ford says… More…
Xpeng P5 electric sedan starts around $25,000, leads in driver-assistance tech, aims for Europe
Chinese automaker Xpeng has released pricing information for its third electric car, the P5 sedan. While the P5 is destined for Europe in addition to Xpeng’s home market, it’s unlikely to reach the United States. In China, the P5 is available in six trim levels ranging from 157,900 yuan to 223,900 yuan, Xpeng said in a press… More…
Lucid Air electric car: 520-mile EPA range rating ousts Tesla from top spot
The U.S. EPA has posted official efficiency and range estimates for the 2022 Lucid Air electric luxury sedan. Its 520-mile range rating establishes a new record, surpassing that of the highest-range Tesla by more than 100 miles. It is the longest-range EV ever rated by the EPA, Lucid emphasizes. It’s not the most efficient, though, in terms of… More…
Rivian is making R1T electric trucks for customers, hasn’t detailed first deliveries yet
Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe tweeted Tuesday that the company had built its first customer R1T electric pickup truck. However, while Rivian also confirmed that it has met regulatory requirements to begin deliveries, it hasn’t provided any detail on how that will play out. Regulatory approvals aren’t going to affect this process. Rivian confirmed to… More…
Tesla co-founder’s company focuses on “less sexy” key for US-made EVs: Battery materials
As United States battery manufacturing increases to support greater EV production, battery materials could become a potential choke point. It’s this “less sexy” element that Tesla co-founder J.B. Straubel aims to address with his new company, Redwood Materials. As detailed in a recent Bloomberg profile, Straubel aims to move more of the… More…
Dual-motor VW ID.4 AWD models earn up to 249 miles of range
Volkswagen on Tuesday revealed EPA range and efficiency estimates for the all-wheel-drive versions of its ID.4 electric crossover, which it says are the market’s lowest-priced fully electric models with AWD. Adding dual-motor all-wheel drive to the EV, which adds a motor/inverter to the front wheels, drops the expected range by about 10… More…
Elio Motors pivots to 150-mile Elio-E EV, gasoline version still not canceled
Last week Elio Motors put a price on a 150-mile, fully electric version of its high-efficiency, three-wheeled car: $14,900. That’s a different format—and price—than the original Elio, which still hasn’t arrived 12 years after its original announcement and 9 years after its originally anticipated arrival date. Call the… More…
2022 Volvo XC40 Recharge earns higher EPA range and efficiency vs. 2021
Recently-published EPA range and efficiency ratings for the 2022 Volvo XC40 Recharge electric crossover show increases over the 2021 model. Volvo hasn’t confirmed any changes to range or efficiency for the 2022 XC40 Recharge, which largely carries over from its 2021 debut. However, the EPA’s Fueleconomy.gov website shows 223 miles of range, with… More…
Affordable, all-electric: The 5 lowest-priced new EVs in the US
Falling battery costs will soon help make EVs cheaper than combustion models—not just in overall ownership costs, but in up-front sticker price. But if you’re looking only for the lowest-priced new EVs on the market, without driving range a top priority, the options are surprisingly limited. Most of the new EVs being introduced are… More…
BMW i Vision Circular concept rethinks the compact EV under a circular economy
To truly minimize a car’s environmental impact, automakers need to do more than eliminate tailpipes. Unveiled earlier this week at the Munich auto show, the BMW i Vision Circular concept feature not only an electric powertrain, but also sustainable construction. The compact EV is based on the idea of a “circular economy,” where materials are… More…