Author: EVAI
Ionna’s first charging station reimagines the gas station
Owners of electric vehicles in North America can look forward to a new DC fast-charging network, one backed by eight major automakers. The network will be run by the new company Ionna which was established in 2023 by seven automakers: BMW, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz, and Stellantis. Toyota joined Ionna as an eighth member…
First Ionna station flips gas station into EV “Rechargery”
Ionna on Thursday broke ground on its first EV fast-charging site which, symbolically, will be on land once occupied by a gas station.
The inaugural location in Apex, North Carolina, includes one of the town’s first gas stations, which will be restored and incorporated into the new “Rechargery,” according to a press release. The site will include 10 covered parking bays “accessible” to both Combined Charging Standard (CCS) and North American Charging Standard (NACS) connectors capable of up to 400 kw of power, the release said.
The site will also include amenities such as a “driver’s lounge” with food and beverages, bathrooms, and wifi, as well as “outdoor and pet-friendly amenities,” according to Ionna. The dedicated-site format, with covered parking and amenities, is also being adopted by startup Rove, which plans 20 amenity-packed charging sites in California. Electrify America has also opened an indoor EV charging station the company claims will be the prototype for future urban sites.
Ionna was announced in 2023 as the first potential rival to the Tesla Supercharger network. It’s backed by seven automakers, including an undisclosed amount from BMW Group, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz, and Stellantis. Ionna plans aims to establish a minimum of 30,000 high-power EV fast chargers, strategically located throughout North America to facilitate long-distance journeys, with the full network completed before 2030.
Ionna said it will “facilitate seamless integration” with participating automakers’ charging apps, allowing for reservations, payment, route planning, and navigation to its charging sites, as well as “transparent energy management” and other features.
Not every major automaker has joined the Ionna project, though. General Motors is partnering with EVgo on 400 fast-charging stops slated to open in major U.S. metropolitan areas beginning in 2025. These will feature canopies and security cameras, but GM hasn’t discussed amenities like those to be offered by Ionna.
Toyota reportedly delays US EV production to 2026
Toyota’s U.S.-built EVs might be coming a year later than planned.
On Tuesday, Nikkei reported the start of production a new three-row electric SUV at a plant in Kentucky won’t take place until 2026.
In 2023 Toyota announced production of the electric three-row SUV would start in 2025.
The delayed production is attributed to the slowing of EV sales, according to Nikkei.
The Kentucky plant was said to be getting a $1.3 billion investment to prepare it for EV production.
Nikkei reported that Toyota adjusted the vehicle’s design and that played a factor in pushing the start of production.
Plans to produce Lexus electric SUVs in the U.S. have been canceled, according to Nikkei. Electric Lexus SUVs will now be produced in Japan and shipped to the U.S. market.
In 2023 Toyota announced it would step up its electric lineup with 10 new EVs ranging from luxury vehicles to compact cars and commercial vehicles. These models would be “mainly in the United States and China,” according to the automaker.
The EV lineup was to get Toyota to the company’s target of 1.5 million battery electric sales by 2026 as a “base volume.” Yet as of 2021 Toyota anticipated that 85% of its U.S. vehicles sold in 2030 would still have tailpipes.
Nikkei reported that Toyota’s scaled back its EV sales ambitions with a new target of 1 million EVs. That represents about 10% of Toyota’s current annual sales.
Toyota spokesperson Scott Vazin told Reuters the automaker plans to introduce five to seven EVs in the U.S. over the next two years.
Tesla recalls 27,185 Cybertrucks due to rearview camera image delay
The Tesla Cybertruck has been recalled, yet again.
The National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) posted a recall campaign for the Tesla Cybertruck on Sept. 26. The recall encompasses 27,185 2024 Cybertrucks that have rearview cameras with image delay issues.
The recall notice posted by the NHTSA notes that the image transmitted by the rearview camera to the in-cabin display may be delayed. That delay violates federal law due to presenting safety issues.
The NHTSA said the issue stems from the system not completing its shutdown process before being commanded to boot back up. If a driver puts the electric truck in reverse and begins backing up before the system completes the shutdown and boot-up process, the proper image may not appear within the allotted two seconds of putting the vehicle in reverse. This falls under FMVSS 111, S6.23 standards.
Trucks with the issue may not display the image streamed by the rearview camera for up to six to eight seconds while in reverse. The display under these conditions would appear blank.
Trucks built between Nov. 13, 2023 and Sept. 14, 2024 that were or are operating with specific software logic for the low-voltage hardware are affected.
Tesla became aware of the issue on Sept. 12 and performed an internal assessment that concluded on Sept. 19. The automaker determined that the noncompliance exists and a recall would be performed. As of Sept. 25 Tesla is aware of 45 warranty claims and consumer-related issues regarding the issue, but no collisions or injuries have been reported.
Beginning Sept. 19 Tesla began rolling out an over-the-air (OTA) software update that will remedy the issue and ensure the rearview camera displays properly with a two-second response time.
Tesla will mail recall notifications to affected Cybertruck owners shortly after Sept. 30.
This issue marks the fifth recall for the Cybertruck, which has been on sale less than a year. Those recalled ranged from a busted wiper motor and loose trim to “trapped” accelerator pedals.
Mazda recalls over 77,000 Miatas because of faulty airbags
Mazda has issued a recall of its current-generation MX-5 Miata because of airbags that may be deployed with excessive force during a crash. The recall affects all MX-5 Miatas built from the 2016-2023 model years, of which 77,670 examples are in the U.S. According to the recall notice published by the NHTSA on Sept. 18 (recall campaign number…
Ford slashes BlueCruise pricing while adding one-time purchase option
Ford has reduced subscription pricing for BlueCruise automated driver-assist system BlueCruise still comes with 90-day complimentary trial period Ford offering customers a one-time purchase option for BlueCruise for the first time Ford is making it easier to access BlueCruise, by slashing pricing for the hands-free driving system for highways…
2024 Kia EV9 recalled for remote parking system issue
After quickly winning critical acclaim in its initial model year, the 2024 Kia EV9 has been recalled due to a software issue with the remote smart parking system in some of these EVs.
The recall affects 12,400 EV9 GT-Line and Land models that have the feature, which allows the SUV to be maneuvered in and out of spaces remotely, with the driver standing outside the car and holding a button on the key fob. In the affected vehicles, software may miscalculate stopping distances, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
2024 Kia EV9
This condition, which is due to a logic error in the vehicles’ integrated electronic brake control software, can occur after the parking assist system makes repeated stops at or less than approximately 2 mph, according to the NHTSA, which noted that increased stopping distances can increase the risk of collisions.
The remedy is a free software update of the integrated electronic brake software. While some automakers, particularly Tesla, have used over-the-air updates to address recalls, this one has to be done at a dealership.
2024 Kia EV9
Kia plans to mail owner notification letters instructing owners of when to schedule dealer appointments October 18. Owners can also contact Kia customer service at 800-333-4542 for more information. Kia’s reference number for this recall is SC324.
The three-row Kia EV9 is a favorite for its roomy, versatile interior and especially speedy road-trip charging, while it tops 300 miles of range on less than 100 kwh of battery capacity—altogether a what helped it earn our Green Car Reports Best Car To Buy 2024 award. EV shoppers also seemed quite keen on the EV9 at its launch, which predictably led to price gouging by dealers.
Electric Mercedes supercar reportedly set as SLS EV replacement
- Mercedes-Benz is reportedly working on an electric AMG supercar
- The electric supercar would be the SLS AMG Electric Drive’s successor
- The 2023 Vision One-Eleven concept might have previewed the new supercar
Mercedes-Benz’s AMG performance division is planning an electric supercar that could serve as a successor to the SLS AMG Electric Drive, reports Autocar.
Unveiled at the 2012 Paris auto show, the SLS AMG Electric Drive was a limited-production derivative of the gasoline SLS AMG sports car. It replaced the standard car’s 6.2-liter V-8 with four electric motors, which produced a combined 740 hp and 737 lb-ft of torque—much more than the gasoline version.
Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Electric Drive
While it had impressive specs, the SLS AMG Electric Drive was more of an early electrification experiment than a fully-realized product. Mercedes originally planned to build 100 cars, but only nine were actually produced, according to a 2021 RM Sotheby’s auction listing for one of those cars.
In both gasoline and electric forms, the SLS featured gullwing doors as an homage to the classic Mercedes-Benz 300 SL of the 1950s. According to Autocar, the new electric supercar could take the retro theme even further, taking design inspiration from the Vision One-Eleven, an EV concept unveiled in 2023 as a modern tribute to the Mercedes-Benz C111 series of prototypes from the 1970s.
Mercedes-Benz Vision One-Eleven concept
The Vision One Eleven served as a showcase for axial-flux motors developed by Yasa, a U.K. company Mercedes acquired in 2021. They’ll likely be used in the production supercar as well, according to Autocar, although configuration and output are still unclear. Yasa previously said one motor could deliver 489 hp.
Autocar also reports that the supercar will have cylindrical battery cells with silicon-anode battery tech from U.S. firm Sila. The company, which counts Mercedes as an investor, claimed a 20% range boost from its silicon anodes in 2023. Mercedes previously confirmed plans to use Sila’s silicon anodes in a longer-range version of the electric G-Class SUV, due later in the decade.
Prototype for first EV fully developed by Mercedes-Benz AMG
The supercar will use the EV-specific modular platform dubbed AMG.EA that will debut in an upcoming electric replacement for today’s AMG GT 4-Door, according to the report. Based on the Vision AMG concept revealed in 2022, the four-door is expected to arrive in 2025 or later.
AMG has already produced more powerful versions of existing Mercedes EVs. But an all-electric supercar will help prove that this combustion-engine brand can truly master performance EVs.