Author: EVAI

Are plug-in hybrids an on-ramp to fully electric vehicles, or undue cost and complexity? Are they something consumers asked for, or something created by bureaucrats and regulators? At least in some respects the answer includes all of the above. It’s complicated. Plug-in hybrids’ greater complexity is intended to pay off by greening the…

What’s in a name? The Escalade IQ is smarter, it turns out A big battery delivers 460 miles of range Cadillac delivers a big price, too: $129,990 For all its red-carpet appearances and secret-service duties over the past generation, the Cadillac Escalade has not been particularly cutting edge. It’s prospered in a prosperous world where…

Santa Fe Hybrid strikes the best value in base SEL trim with AWD for $40,975 It’s only $500 more than a similarly-equipped gas-only model But second-row captain’s chairs only come with the top Calligraphy model One strong reason the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid won our Best Car To Buy 2025 award was because of its value. Sure, its boxy Land…

Mild design tweaks don’t change the off-road Ram trucks’ capabilities Ram Power Wagon still has no direct competitor 2025 Ram Power Wagon costs $74,235 and Rebel HD costs $70,740 The competition woke up and realized there’s room to play in the heavy-duty off-road sandbox. But Ram doesn’t want to give an inch of a segment it has defined…

Stellantis may be looking to adapt planetary gear hybrid systems—like the one currently used in the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid plug-in hybrid minivan—to more rugged vehicles, a patent filing indicates. The Pacifica Hybrid uses a planetary power-split system to juggle its 3.6-liter V-6 and a pair of electric motors, which can both be used…

The Santa Fe gains hybrid power, 36 mpg combined It outdoes the Toyota Highlander Hybrid and Kia Sorento, and looks like a Land Rover The Hybrid model costs only $500 more than the gas-only Santa Fe A three-row crossover SUV with a hybrid powertrain may be nothing new, but packaged with a blocky Land Rover look and an interior that puts the…

• Next-generation Nissan Leaf will launch first in U.S. and Canada, be fully revealed this year
• Rogue Hybrid and Rogue PHEV are on the way over the next two model years
• A broader range of U.S.-made Nissan and Infiniti EVs starts to arrive in 2028

Affordable EVs? Widely available hybrids? A plug-in hybrid? As it emerges from financial upheaval, Nissan on Monday announced several intriguing product surprises relating to the North American market that altogether may bring a breath of fresh air to its U.S. lineup. . 

Firstly, the Leaf is definitely U.S.-bound, and it’s coming here first. Nissan confirmed that the next-gen Nissan Leaf will launch initially in the U.S. and Canada—actually before Japan, and before Europe. It’s due to be fully revealed this year, but it and a 2026 Nissan Rogue plug-in hybrid, which will use a version of the system in the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, will arrive in fiscal year 2025, meaning later in 2025 or by March 31, 2026. 

The timing announcement came at the same time as a first teaser photo of the next-generation Leaf. As anticipated it shifts to a more elevated seating position and a more crossover-like profile, closely cribbing the 2021 Chill-Out concept that Nissan itself said from the start was a hint of the next Leaf. Nissan more recently teased that the Leaf gets a Tesla NACS port in U.S. form, too. 

2026 Nissan Leaf teaser

Nissan has also said that the next Leaf will be liquid-cooled and load up on some of the technology from the excellent Ariya, and be more competitive in range and efficiency. With that, plus its stylish new look and what we have to assume will remain an attractive price, it will arrive just in time to take on the next-generation 2026 Chevy Bolt EV—which will shift to LFP batteries and, as a GM executive boasted last year, will be the most affordable U.S. EV. As of GM’s last update, the Bolt EV is also due later this year. 

In the same timeframe, by early 2026, Nissan will launch a new generation of its Sentra compact sedan, as well as a refreshed Pathfinder SUV. It hasn’t yet said if hybrid powertrains are in the works for either of these models.

Then in fiscal year 2026—meaning by March 31, 2027—Nissan will start making a completely new generation of the Rogue for the U.S. and Canada. This one will not only continue to take advantage of the plug-in hybrid powertrain in some versions of the Rogue but also, as it promised earlier this month, finally take advantage of Nissan’s e-Power series hybrid tech in other Rogue versions. 

Given previous remarks from Nissan executives, Green Car Reports expects the Rogue Hybrid to be a widely available volume model in the lineup, not a niche offering. 

Future Infiniti U.S. EV lineup

In early calendar year 2028 Nissan is expected to ramp up production of “an adventure-focused SUV”—at its Canton, Mississippi, plant, with an Infiniti electric SUV following later that year. Nissan notes that the Infiniti EV will be inspired by its Vision QXe concept that made its debut just before the 2023 Tokyo auto show and premiered a new Artistry in Motion design direction. At that time Infiniti said that the low-set QXe previewed a “sleek sedan” set to be made at Canton, so it’s unclear whether that’s still on the way or replaced by an SUV. 

• Spinoff starts with $105 million VC investment, Rivian maintains “substantial minority stake”
• Products to be affordable, vastly more efficient than today’s cars or SUVs
• In-house-built for core components, may share sales space with Rivian
• Flagship product coming in early 2026

Do we really need a new generation of EVs that are bigger and heavier than equivalent gasoline trucks and SUVs, and the so-called segment creep that continues to make each successive U.S.-market vehicle larger than predecessors? 

These are tough, societal questions without easy answers, and it involves a tangle of regulations, consumer habits, and the limits of affordable technology. But a Palo Alto, California–based micromobility startup being spun off by Rivian, called Also, looks like it aims to tackle them—and, from the sound of it, give American consumers a way to just say no to those super-size products. 

In a press release announcing the venture, which Rivian had previously kept under wraps, Rivian clarified that it maintains a “substantial minority stake” in Also and “expects opportunities for future collaboration, which may include selectively using some of Rivian’s retail footprint.”

With the spinoff of the company Also secures a $105 million investment from the VC fund Eclipse Ventures, and Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe will serve as its chairman and on its board of directors. 

Also, in a page about the company, says that it will launch its flagship product in early 2026 and will initially focus on the U.S. and Europe prior to global expansion. 

Rivian R3

That product will be part of an entire range of “exciting, small EVs,” according to Also, that will be built on a vertically integrated technology platform. With everything built for the platform in-house, including motors, batteries, electronics, and software, Also claims “a user experience that is unlike anything seen in these segments before.”

“Also is building an exciting range of electric vehicles that are efficient, sustainable, and delightful to use,” the company sums. 

In job postings, Also quantifies its product targets a little bit. “Our mission is to inspire everyone to ride also—replacing many local car, truck and SUV miles with ones on vehicles that are more affordable, more enjoyable and 10-50x more efficient.”

Road transportation is the leading contributor to global CO2 emissions, Also says, while 80% of car trips are 15 miles or less and half are under 6 miles. 

Rivian continues to also set its sights toward significantly smaller vehicles than its own flagship R1T electric pickup and R1S electric SUV. Its upcoming $45,000 R2 electric SUV is on the way in 2026, while it’s also working on smaller Rivian R3 and R3X rugged hatchbacks that are set to follow. All of this comes in addition to the $5.8 million VW-Rivian joint venture that will result in a new Rivian-based zonal architecture for future VW Group EVs.

• Auto-industry tariffs coming in April, may bring immediate price hikes
• Mexico makes many U.S.-bound EVs, buys few of them
• EV tax credit still potentially applies to models made in Mexico and Canada

The threat of auto tariffs affecting models made in Mexico and Canada has not abated. And as industry experts continue to suggest, there may be rocky times ahead for vehicle affordability. 

Although delayed, the auto-industry tariffs are coming soon, as are additional tariffs on China and the EU, President Donald Trump revealed Monday. 

“We’ll be announcing that fairly soon, over the next few days probably,” said Trump, as quoted by Politico. “And then April 2 comes. That will be reciprocal tariffs.”

According to the report, the U.S. imported $471 billion in automotive products in 2024, which includes $214 in passenger cars. 

Mexico builds many U.S.-bound EVs but buys few of them—and EVs are a very small portion of the nearly 1.1 million new cars sold in Mexico. A lack of significant charging infrastructure, combined with affordability, remain obstacles. 

That’s because EVs generally remain too expensive for that market—although Mexico has in recent months announced plans to develop its own EV supply chain as it’s also pushing ahead with a federally subsidized EV that might cost as little as $4,400.  

2025 Chevrolet Blazer EV

Under the Biden-era Inflation Reduction Act, tax credits of up to $7,500 stipulated requirements for North American assembly and sourcing, in policy that went along with the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) deal made during the first Trump term and closely following NAFTA policy that preceded it. Trump has separately indicated a desire to eliminate the EV tax credit, which a research group recently emphasized would have a devastating effect on U.S. manufacturing. 

Mexico currently builds hundreds of thousands of U.S.-bound vehicles annually—many of them affordable entry-level models. Automakers have already cautioned that tariffs on Mexico and Canada would lead to immediate price hikes in some cases, as well as the potential for some models to be pulled from the market.

According to a Reuters report from December, citing estimates from Wells Fargo, a 25% tariff on parts from Canada and Mexico would make vehicles more expensive, EV or not. Specifically, it might add $2,100 in cost to consumers for U.S.-assembled vehicles alone, while models made in Canada or Mexico could end up costing $8,000 to $10,000 more.

It could affect the viability of some of the domestic automakers as well. GM is relying on imports from Canada and Mexico for both profitable full-size trucks and various EVs. Mexico Business News noted that GM alone assembled more than 889,000 vehicles in Mexico, with about 653,000 of those shipped to the U.S. 

2025 Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally

EVs from Mexico

As called out by the latest list from the federal government per American Automobile Labeling Act (AALA) labeling requirements, here are the plug-in models currently made in Mexico:

Ford Mustang Mach-E (EV)

Cadillac Optiq (EV)

Chevrolet Blazer EV

Chevrolet Equinox EV

Honda Prologue (EV)

Jeep Wagoneer S (EV)

Audi Q5 S line 55 e (plug-in hybrid)

2024 Dodge Charger Daytona

EVs from Canada

Dodge Charger Daytona EV

2025 Honda Civic Hybrid

Hybrids from Canada

And here are the hybrids, including several plug-in hybrids, made in Canada:

Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid (plug-in hybrid)

Civic Hybrid 5-dr

Lexus RX350h

Lexus RX500h

Toyota RAV4 Prime (plug-in hybrid)

Extreme temperatures can affect electric vehicle range, but the extreme heat of the South is nothing to offset the extreme cold in other parts of the U.S., according to new findings.

Vaisala, a Finnish instrumented measurement firm, analyzed the effect of weather and road conditions on EV range across the Lower 48 states, looking at how these factors affected range at different times of the year. That analysis involved not only temperature by month, but also winds, rolling resistance from snow, air density, and solar radiation, among other factors.

EV range based on climate in U.S. states (via Vaisala)

States at lower latitudes, with hotter average temperatures, showed better results. The top five states for EV range, based on a median and across all local climatic conditions were Arizona, Florida, Texas, Georgia, and Louisiana. The bottom five were the more northern—and frigid—Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, North Dakota, and Minnesota.

Analysts also compared the median-range findings to rates of EV adoption in each state. Some of the states with the most ideal conditions for EVs have the lowest adoption, and vice versa. Further, California is a surprise; although tops in EV adoption, it doesn’t actually have ideal conditions for maximizing range.

EV range based on climate in U.S. states (via Vaisala)

Florida, however, is second only to California in EV sales. And Texas ranks especially high in EV sales as well. Those two states—and some others with high EV adoption rates—don’t have sales mandates or strong incentives for them, either.

The pattern here also doesn’t follow the states that have adopted California’s EV mandate, which tend to be in the colder, northern parts of the country where weather appears to affect EV range more. Although Connecticut and Maine, a couple of the most challenging states according to the data, have delayed adopting the mandate.