The Bolt EV gets a price drop. The Biden administration may be letting more ethanol out to fuel pumps. Volvo EV interfaces will get snappier. And the company most invested in wireless charging claims that customers want it as an option. This and more, here at Green Car Reports.
Chevrolet has announced a big price drop for the 2023 Chevy Bolt EV and EUV—of about $6,000 for the entire lineup. It helps make room for the upcoming Equinox EV and make good on the brand’s commitment to EVs ammid an ongoing battery recall. EV tax credit aside, that makes the Bolt EV the lowest-priced EV for the U.S. market for model-year 2023, so far.
Could more ethanol help lower gas prices? Ahead of a June 3, rulemaking deadline, the Biden administration might retroactively expand the blending of ethanol into the nation’s pump gasoline. Ethanol interests claim that the conversion of 33% of all E10 (10% ethanol) gasoline to E15 could potentially displace 100% of gasoline made from Russian oil—although plenty of environmental and regulatory barriers remain to keep that from being viable nationwide.
The wireless charging firm WiTricity claims that the majority of EV shoppers or owners want wireless charging as an option. In a company-sponsored survey, it found the feature to top other premium features like self-driving capability or premium audio. WiTricity didn’t yet name its price point for the hardware, however.
And Epic Games, the creator of “Fortnite,” is putting its Unreal Engine for graphics into upcoming Volvo EVs with sharper interfaces—like a flagship Volvo to be revealed later this year. Volvo says it’s the first European brand to use the system, but it’s already employed by the GMC Hummer EV’s “moonshot” interface.
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