Which EV is the lowest-rated by the EPA in efficiency?
Which state is revamping its EV incentives toward low-income drivers?
That is our look back on the Week In Reverse—right here at Green Automobile Reports—for the week ending August 25, 2023.
A series of tech and styling improvements due within the 2024 Mercedes-Benz EQB EV will help make this compact yet boxy and spacious SUV—seating as much as seven—much more distinctive out there. Plug & Charge compatibility, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a brand new infotainment system are among the many upgrades.
Kia EV5
The Kia EV5 was officially revealed in China, but it surely appears to be a sweet spot within the vehicle market that will translate well across continents. The compact electric SUV borrows design cues from the larger EV9 but appears to measure up as a direct rival to gasoline best-sellers just like the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4—in addition to electric models just like the VW ID.4 and Nissan Ariya.
Volvo teased its first electric minivan, the EM90, as being “like a Scandinavian lounge on the move.” Although the model won’t be revealed until November, and it’s set for China at the least initially, the Zeekr 009 that sets the template for it suggests a product that is likely to be the type of long-awaited reinvention of the minivan Americans would concentrate to.
Teaser for 2024 Volvo EM90
Nissan has reportedly previewed a brand new “offensive” of electrical vehicles as a consequence of arrive around 2025, including a next-generation Leaf and a boxy counterpoint to the Ariya, along with the electrical Maxima substitute already as a consequence of be made in Mississippi. Nissan also again reportedly delayed its e-Power hybrid system a decade within the making—to a version of the Rogue not arriving until late 2026.
The EPA this week confirmed official efficiency and range figures for some versions of the GMC Hummer EV, and at as little as 50 MPGe combined for some versions, they’ve the bottom rating of any EV currently on sale. Put into context, that’s still significantly better in an emissions sense over the long term versus a 50-mpg gasoline automotive.
Vinfast VF 9
Vietnam’s Vinfast also revealed some EV range news: Its three-row VF 9 electric SUV, set to be made within the U.S., hits an EPA-cycle 330 miles of range. That’s higher than another upcoming three-row models just like the Kia EV9, although the VF 9’s starting price of $83,000 will limit its appeal next to established premium brands.
Honda and Acura within the U.S. have confirmed plans to adopt the Tesla North American Charging Standard (NACS) connector. The brands haven’t yet put out an official statement or timeline for the shift, because much regarding its next several EVs relies on GM.
2024 Acura ZDX
In its latest round of taking a look at the primary 90 days of car ownership, survey giant J.D. Power found that EV owners experience more quality issues, versus owners of gasoline models. That’s not due to propulsion system but due to all the extra tech typically packed into EVs—although EVs from Polestar and Genesis are top-showing exceptions.
In keeping with a study looking into data from the collision repair industry, crash repair stays dearer for EVs than for gasoline models. Take Tesla out of the calculation and the number improved, but those expensive battery packs likely proceed to skew the image.
2022 Rivian R1T IIHS crash testing
California has announced that it’s going to phase out its existing EV incentive program and as an alternative, under Clean Cars 4 All, introduce one which incentivizes low-income drivers replacing older, higher-polluting vehicles.
Researchers have shown an AI model to be useful in taking advantage of solar cells which might be put to make use of by an electrical motor—potentially boosting the range of a solar EV. Although purely on the research stage, it would help prove the economics around solar-supplemented EVs more viable.
Sono Sion production model
A recent Ford patent filing suggests that the corporate is considering a bidirectional EV charging adapter that would help make sense of multiple connected vehicles in fleets—letting them charge off one charging station, as an example, or discharging power during peak-price energy times. Because it’s only a patent, it’s only one possibility within the toolbox that Ford’s Pro fleet services might utilize in some unspecified time in the future in the long run.
Because the UAW hints that this round of contract negotiations won’t go as easily for automakers as within the recent past, and Trump talking points claim that Biden administration EV policy will “decimate” auto industry jobs, the low-paying EV battery plants supported with federal money have gotten an election flashpoint. Late within the week, that controversy was remedied with a 25% pay hike for workers on the GM-LG Ultium Cells plant in Ohio.
MINI Cooper SE Convertible (Euro spec)
And why can’t you discover convertible EVs or electric sports cars within the U.S.? Green Automobile Reports checked out a couple of of the the reason why you won’t discover a single fully electric drop-top passenger vehicle in the marketplace—and few if any hybrids of any kind offering up an open-air experience. It comes down mostly to the battery, and all of the puzzles it introduces.
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This Article First Appeared At www.greencarreports.com
