Electric Cars
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Tesla made well over 500,000 vehicles in 2020, thanks to its Shanghai factory, and rolled out a new model in a pandemic.
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Like Tesla Autopilot, Fisker driver assistance tech won't use lidar
Fisker Intelligent Pilot won't count lidar sensors as part of its initial component set, although like Tesla it will offer cameras, ultrasonic sensors, and radar.
Stephen Edelstein -
Fisker electric pickup: Super-efficient "radical" truck coming in late 2023?
An electric truck from Fisker might offer a countertake to the Tesla Cybertruck, with an edgy design but focus on efficiency.
Bengt Halvorson -
Ford Mustang Mach-E: Green Car Reports’ Best Car To Buy 2021
The Mustang Mach-E is the first non-Tesla SUV to hit 300 miles, and with pony-car heritage cues it takes electric cars somewhere new.
Bengt Halvorson -
Chinese-built Tesla Model 3 ranks high in quality survey
The Tesla Model 3 was rated second best in a J.D. Power quality survey from the Chinese market—a much better result than vehicles from Tesla's California plant.
Stephen Edelstein -
With electric trucks and SUVs coming, is it time to reevaluate what a green car means?
Going fully electric is good, but do the plus-sized battery packs of upcoming electric trucks still make them worth pointing to as green picks?
Bengt Halvorson -
The Polestar 2 electric car was engineered partly in Sweden and is made in China; with emphases on sustainability and performance, it's intriguing but expensive.
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2021 Nissan Leaf gets no major changes
It's a carryover year for Nissan's original electric car, while the company preps for an Ariya in its future.
Stephen Edelstein -
2020 hindsight: What did Leaf, Volt, and other best green cars of 2010 teach us?
Ten years later, plug-in hybrids like the Chevy Volt are still struggling to achieve that model's functionality and popularity, but the Nissan Leaf was the start of something big.
Bengt Halvorson -
Pedestrians beware: Update enables Tesla owners to create their own horn sounds
A software update gives Tesla owners the ability to change their horn sounds for those outside the car, including fart sounds.
Stephen Edelstein -
Startup aims to be a Carfax for EVs, with battery health reports
With a connected-services account, Recurrent will track your battery's condition, providing a bill of health that could boost trade-in or resale value.
Stephen Edelstein -
Lexus details dual-motor drive tech for future hybrids and electric cars
A dual-motor, all-wheel-drive system called DIRECT4 aims for sportier driving dynamics and could propel both hybrids and EVs later this decade.
Stephen Edelstein -
Apple is planning to launch an electric car in 2024 with radical new battery tech, Reuters reported Monday. Despite an apparent slowdown in what is sometimes referred to as "Project Titan," the iPhone maker is moving ahead with plans for a complete car that will be sold to consumers, according to the report, which cited anonymous sources familiar with the matter. The key feature of the revived "Apple car" will reportedly be batteries using a previously-unseen "monocell" design, according to the report. This would involve larger individual cells in the battery pack, freeing up space by...
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VW is launching ID.4 electric SUV on up-front value and ownership costs, not tech potential
Initial ownership-cost numbers will be emphasized as VW positions the ID.4 electric vehicle as an alternative to gasoline and hybrid rivals.
Bengt Halvorson -
$3,000 DIY electric Mini Cooper is a fun exception among conversions
With some used parts as well as some off-the-shelf ones, Rich Benoit built an electric Mini Cooper for less than $3,000, not counting very many labor hours.
Stephen Edelstein -
Survey: 7 out of 10 Americans see an EV in the future, want more vehicle choices and charging
Respondents in a Consumer Reports survey want more EV choices, and about half said that there aren't enough charging stations for electric cars.
Stephen Edelstein -
Canoo's $33,000 electric delivery van aims for efficiency and ownership costs
The van uses the same "skateboard" platform as the Canoo passenger vehicle revealed last year, with an estimated range of up to 230 miles.
Stephen Edelstein -
Report: Toyota CEO claims EVs worsen CO2 emissions, pushes back on proposed ICE bans
Toyota is far from bullish about the potential of electric vehicles over the next few years—at least in its home market of Japan.
Bengt Halvorson -
Lithium-ion battery pack prices have again fallen at a faster rate than might have been anticipated years ago. That will result in more affordable EVs, sooner.
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Hyundai Kona Electric and Nexo fuel-cell SUV recalled for brake issue
A potential issue with the brake booster could cause Kona Electric and Nexo models to exhibit reduced braking power; the solution is a software update.
Stephen Edelstein -
VW is testing a DC wallbox good for bi-directional charging, smart grid uses
The wallbox could help electric cars serve as a backup power source for homes, or as a way to integrate battery-electric vehicles with the grid.
Stephen Edelstein -
Lordstown Endurance electric pickup will spawn electric RV project with Camping World
The companies plan to build a Class C electric RV based on the skateboard chassis and platform of the Lordstown Endurance electric pickup.
Bengt Halvorson -
Mercedes-Benz confirms two electric SUVs for Alabama production in 2022
The Alabama factory will build an SUV variant of the previously-teased EQS electric luxury sedan, as well as a second electric SUV called EQE, beginning in 2022.
Stephen Edelstein -
First drive review: 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E electric SUV redefines the pony car
The Mach-E is the first non-Tesla to be able to hit 300 miles of range in some forms; we take a first drive in a Premium 4X version rated at 270 miles.
Bengt Halvorson