Why are electric vehicles as a group so prone to problems, according to a respected study?
What could the EPA Supreme Court ruling mean for your electric vehicle’s carbon footprint?
Here’s our look back at the week inside out – right here at Green Car Reports—for the week ending July 2, 2022.
We brought you a first review of the 2023 Cadillac Lyriq and found this electric SUV to be a good start in steering the GM luxury brand towards a full portfolio of electric vehicles. Even in single-engine form, we found it to be an impressive performer, especially in its ride and handling.
Cadillac Lyriq 2023
The Hyundai Ioniq 6 electric sedan unveiled this week continues the stunning design of the Prophecy concept car and the detail-oriented approach of the Ioniq 5 crossover. But don’t expect them to look anything close. With class-leading aero, efficiency and range, it might be the Tesla Model 3’s strongest rival yet.
Earlier this week, Volkswagen unveiled the ID.Aero concept which, true to its name, is a highly aerodynamic sedan. The spacious US-bound Aero is expected to be built on the MEB platform, shared with the ID.4 and upcoming ID.Buzz minivan, and could return around 300 miles of EPA range judging by its results WLTP.
Volkswagen ID.Aero Concept
It appears that recent sales of Toyota electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid models have been enough to push the automaker past the 200,000 cumulative sales that trigger a phase-out of the electric vehicle tax credit for Toyota and Lexus. That would leave buyers less than three months to buy a BZ4X or RAV4 Prime, among other models, and be able to claim $7,500, taxes permitting — and unless, of course, members of Congress
One of survey giant JD Power’s seminal studies, its annual IQS, found that electric vehicles are more prone to problems than their internal combustion counterparts. But it’s not the fundamentals of EVs that are to blame; it’s all the weird stuff – new interfaces, unique hardware, and other new connected car tech that automakers are packing into it.
Lion C Electric School Bus
We’ve also taken a look at what it’s like to drive a big electric school bus from Lion Electric, which is one of many companies looking to transform the big yellow bus experience. It is an ideal format for the adoption of electric vehicles, due to their relatively short journeys, predictable downtime and diesel emissions which keep children away from them.
With an investment from German conglomerate Siemens – a “triple digit” amount – plus additional investment from VW, Electrify America secured its first funding boost beyond its original plan. Will this help it become a viable alternative to the Tesla Supercharger network?
Rivian announced Monday that its first three DC fast-charging sites will open this week, in California and Colorado, as part of what it calls the Rivian Adventure Network. Each will allow R1T or R1S riders to gain up to 140 miles of range in 20 minutes, according to the company.
GM and EVgo extend fast charging for large metros
GM is adding Plug and Charge capability to its entire line of electric vehicles, starting with the EVgo charging network. And yes, that includes the Chevy Bolt EV and EUV. The convenience of creating separate redundant apps, cards or keyfobs is already supported by Ford, Mercedes, Porsche, Lucid and VW, among others.
The Chevrolet Silverado EV electric pickup is already in the final stages of testing and validation, it seems, based on some teaser photos released by GM this week. Will the Silverado EV arrive before its early 2023 due date and follow the accelerated schedule that GM managed to execute for the Cadillac Lyriq and GMC Hummer EV?
2024 Chevrolet Silverado prototype
An issue affecting tire pressure monitoring has resulted in the recall of certain F-150 Lightning electric pickups. A live fix for the Lightning is on the way, and if you check your pressures the old-fashioned way, you can’t go wrong.
Cylindrical 2170-size battery cells for Aptera’s “never-charged” electric vehicle, supporting a range of up to 1,000 miles, will come from China’s EVE Energy, the company confirmed this week. This is in addition to a recent confirmation that it will use wheel motors from Elaphe in the production version.
Comparison between 4680 and 2170 – Panasonic
CATL’s latest cell-to-pack technology delivers more power and energy in bulk than Tesla’s 4680 in pack form, the company boasted this week, with more details about the system released. . Focused on prismatic cells, it uses a “disruptive” water-cooling design to accommodate future more energy-dense cells and 10-minute DC fast charging.
UK enthusiasts looking to turn their Land Rover work vehicles into electric SUVs can now do so with an EV conversion kit. Versions for Jeeps, Broncos and other classic SUVs could hit the mark the same way in the US
The Hyundai Ioniq 5 has been named an IIHS Top Safety Pick+, based on certain crash test results and top safety ratings. That’s a good sign for the Kia EV6 and Genesis GV60, as well as the upcoming Ioniq 6, which are all built on the same platform.
Hyundai Nexo
Hyundai has reportedly delayed the upcoming Nexo hydrogen fuel cell vehicle. With the development of a luxury Genesis fuel cell model already on hold, this has led to speculation as to whether there is a bigger change as Hyundai pushes harder on battery electric models while saving money. fuel cells for larger formats.
Neither electric vehicle efficiency nor upstream emissions from power generation for electric vehicles are directly included in US vehicle emissions standards. Is this a lost opportunity as we push all vehicles towards greater efficiency?
2023 Toyota bZ4X at the EVgo charging station
And let’s not forget the other big regulatory story this week. We looked at the EPA Supreme Court ruling and what it means for your electric vehicle’s carbon footprint. Electric cars are only as clean as the grid they plug into, and after the defeat of this free market approach to regulating carbon emissions, the future is far less certain.
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