Author: EVAI

Ford on Wednesday said it plans to launch more hybrids and cut back on a previously announced battery-electric vehicle as it adjusts to the changing landscape for electrified vehicles.

The automaker said its changed roadmap is aimed at lowering prices, particularly for EVs whose buyers today are more cost conscious compared to the early adopters of previous years.

The new roadmap is also aimed at capitalizing on increasing demand for hybrids. A direct consequence of this will be a reduction in investment in EVs from about 40% of Ford’s annual capital expenditures at present to 30%.

3-row electric SUV out, midsize electric truck in

New EVs in the pipeline are confirmed by Ford to include a commercial van to be built in Ohio starting in 2026, followed by mid- and full-size pickup trucks in 2027. A previously announced three-row SUV originally planned for launch in 2025 has been canceled. Ford said it invested $400 million thus far in the three-row SUV, and that the final cost of its shifted product plan could reach up to $1.5 billion.

The midsize truck will be based on a new low-cost EV platform that Ford said was developed by a “skunkworks” team in California, and is set to feature the automaker’s BlueCruise automated driver-assist feature. The platform will be used for multiple vehicles, including passenger and commercial vehicles, starting with the midsize truck.

The full-size truck, code-named Project T3, will serve as the replacement for the F-150 Lightning. It will be built in Tennessee and has previously been referred to by Ford CEO Jim Farley as the “Millennium Falcon of pickup trucks.” The full-size truck was originally planned for launch in 2025, but Ford on Wednesday said delaying it will enable the automaker to benefit from lower-cost battery measures and other cost advantages while also giving the market more time to adjust to EVs.

Cheaper batteries are key

A specific lower-cost battery measure Ford will adopt is building cheaper lithium iron phosphate type batteries in the U.S., meaning they’ll qualify for for Inflation Reduction Act benefits. Ford also said on Wednesday it will move production of batteries for the Mustang Mach-E from Poland to the U.S. That suggests the vehicle will stick around and should also remain eligible for Inflation Reduction Act tax credits.

Ford also plans new hybrids, especially in bigger segments where the automaker said battery costs remain challenging. Ford specifically mentioned three-row SUVs that would offer hybrid powertrains, potentially covering the segments of the Explorer and Expedition.

Ford also hinted at a hybrid option for its next-generation F-Series Super Duty, which the automaker said would offer a range of propulsion options.

Ford plans to given an update on its electrification plans in the first half of 2025.

Swedish battery firm Northvolt is shutting down a research and development facility working on lithium-metal batteries in California and moving all development work to its R&D hub in Vasteras, Sweden, the company said Tuesday.

Northvolt had been conducting some development work on lithium-metal battery technology—an alternative to the currently prevalent lithium-ion chemistry—through wholly Cuberg, a wholly-owned subsidiary in the San Francisco Bay Area the company acquired in 2021.

Rendering of Northvolt Six battery factory in Quebec, Canada

In what the company calls a “strategic move,” Northvolt plans to move the lithium-metal development work to Sweden, where it will continue alongside research projects into other battery chemistries, including lithium-ion and sodium-ion.

“By centralizing our efforts, we are better equipped to deliver the next generation of energy solutions to meet the growing demands of the global market,” Northvolt chief development officer Sami Haikala said in a statement.

Artist’s impression of Volvo and Northvolt battery plant planned for Gothenburg, Sweden

Northvolt in June lost a BMW battery contract valued at roughly $2 billion, after reportedly failing to deliver batteries on time. The contract specified that Northvolt would start making batteries for BMW this year. The company also announced a joint-venture battery plant with Volvo in 2022 that’s expected to make batteries for an upcoming all-electric version of the Volvo XC60 SUV. That plant is scheduled to open in 2025 and aims to make enough batteries to supply 500,000 EVs annually.

Northvolt currently makes batteries in Europe exclusively, but in 2023 announced a $5.2 billion Canadian EV battery plant, to open by 2026. The plant’s Canadian location checks one of the boxes for qualification for the revamped federal EV tax credit under new rules enacted by the Biden administration.

The 2024 model year was the last for Infiniti’s Q50 compact sedan, leaving the brand with a lineup consisting of SUVs only for 2025. The Q50 arrived for the 2014 model year and ushered in Infiniti’s Q naming strategy. However, it saw few updates over the years and some rivals, like the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, have even been redesigned twice over…

Ford drops plans for a battery-powered, three-row SUV A new midsize EV truck will be introduced in 2027, with other body styles to come A new battery-powered full-size truck also will be introduced in 2027 The Mustang Mach-E will get U.S.-sourced batteries More hybrid SUVs are on the way Ford says it will cancel a planned electric three-row SUV…

BMW in recent years has launched entry-level race cars based on the M2 and other 2-Series Coupe models, and the automaker is currently working on a new one that it plans to have ready in time for the 2026 motorsports season. Teaser photos released on Tuesday point to the car being based on the latest M2 which BMW introduced for the 2023 model…

• The 2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz will cost $61,545
• Single-motor models will have 234 miles of range, dual-motor models have 231 miles of range
• The ID.Buzz will arrive in U.S. dealers later this year

The two most pressing pieces of the VW Bus’s return have finally been revealed.

On Wednesday, Volkswagen said the 2025 ID.Buzz will cost $61,545 including a $1,550 destination charge and have up to 234 miles of range when it arrives later this year. Those numbers aren’t for the same vehicle.

Initially the ID.Buzz will be offered in three trim levels including Pro S, Pro S Plus, and launch-only 1st Edition. Rear-wheel drive will be standard while a dual-motor model with all-wheel drive will be available, but only on Pro S Plus and launch-only 1st Edition. Every U.S. ID.Buzz will feature three rows of seats with seating for six or seven passengers and a 91-kwh battery pack.

2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz

Base Pro S models cost $61,545, have a single-rear motor with 282 hp and 234 miles of EPA-rated range. The rear-wheel-drive only model comes standard with a second-row bench seat with seating for up to seven passengers. Only three monotone colors, including Candy White, Deep Black Pearl, and Metro Silver, will be offered with the choice of Copper or Moonlight interior colors. Standard 20-inch aluminum wheels fill the wheels with LED lighting defining the front and rear ends.

Every ID.Buzz will have a 12.9-inch touchscreen infotainment system and 5.3-inch digital gauge cluster. The front center console is removable. Eight 45-watt USB-C ports and a 12-volt trunk outlet keep things charged along with a 150-watt 110-volt passenger seat outlet.

2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz

Pro S Plus models cost $65,045 with the single 282-hp rear motor. Opting for the dual-motor model for all-wheel drive increases output to 335 hp and increases the price to $69,545 and drops EPA-rated range to 231 miles. The three monotone color options from the base model carry over, but for $995 the color palette opens to a variety of two-tone options. The interior can be optioned in Cooper, Moonlight, or Dune colors. The extra coin adds a head-up display and surround-view camera system along with a 700-watt Harmon Kardon sound system with 14 speakers. Single-motor Pro S Plus models a second-row bench seat is standard for hauling seven passengers while captain’s chairs are optional. Opting for the dual-motor powertrain makes the second-row captain’s chairs standard.

The launch-only 1st Edition model costs $67,045 in single-motor form and $71,545 for the dual-motor powertrain. Every 1st Edition features a Dune interior and five two-tone exterior color options. The 1st Edition models sport a specific 20-inch wheel design, roof rail cross bars, and badging throughout along with heritage-inspired floor mats. Single-motor models will have a second-row bench seat while dual-motor models will have captain’s chairs.

• The first school district in the U.S. to use all electric buses will be Oakland, California
• The buses, bidirectional chargers, and software management platform will be supplied by Zum
• The buses will feed up to 2.1 GW of power back into the grid when not being used

Zum, a transportation-services company that provides electric buses and charging stations to school districts, claims to have launched the first 100% electric school bus fleet in the U.S.

The company said that it is providing 74 electric school buses, bidirectional chargers, and a software management platform to the Oakland Unified School District of Oakland, California. The EVs will replace all internal-combustion buses in the district’s fleet, and will be able to feed up to 2.1 GW of power back into the grid when not transporting students, according to Zum.

While electric school buses are not a new idea, more than 90% of the nation’s nearly 500,000 school buses are still powered by fossil fuels, releasing 8.4 million tons of greenhouse gases annually, according to Zum. Most of those buses have diesel engines, creating an additional health hazard to students regularly exposed to exhaust fumes.

Electric school buses with Zum bidirectional charging stations

Use of electric school buses to support the grid, known as “vehicle-to-grid” (V2G) applications, requires extensive support from regulators and utilities, Zum noted. Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), whose service area the Oakland Unified School District is located in, also provided 2.7 MW of load to charge electric buses, the release added.

Zum aims to put 10,000 school buses capable of bidirectional charging into service, a fleet that could supply 300 GWH of power to electricity grids annually, the company claims. It’s currently working with the San Francisco Unified and Los Angeles Unified School Districts—which have bus fleets three and six times larger Oakland’s new electric fleet, respectively—to electrify their school buses.

Zum provides the vehicles but does not manufacture them. A handful of companies make electric school buses, including Lion Electric, which in 2021 announced plans for an Illinois plant to build them and other commercial vehicles. And in 2022 the EPA announced nearly $1 billion in grants for school districts looking to purchase these buses.

The Coulter Motor Co. case saw further debate among the Federal Trade Commission over the validity of the agency bringing discrimination claims using the FTC Act’s unfair practices language.

• Korean brands build on EV momentum

• UAW threatens to strike Stellantis

• GMC’s off-road luxury Yukon

• GM cuts 1,000 software jobs

• Average dealership profit slipped 33%

Karma on Friday unveiled the Ivara concept at The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering, one of the premier events of 2024 Monterey Car Week that ran last week in California.

Joining it on Karma’s stand were the previously revealed Kaveya sports car and Gyesera sport sedan. The Kaveya was shown in Monterey with a revised interior that Karma said represents the design planned for production.

The Ivara is an SUV with a sleek, almost coupe-like design, and is slated to spawn a production version by the end of 2027. It seats four and features design elements that Karma said will feature on its future lineup.

Karma said the Ivara is being developed to offer the choice of battery-electric and plug-in hybrid powertrains. Karma didn’t say what PHEV technology it plans to use, though it’s likely to be a series plug-in hybrid setup similar to what the company already offers in its Revero sedan.

2020 Karma Revero GT with available Sport package

The Revero features a pair of electric motors at the rear axle delivering a combined 536 hp, and a BMW-sourced turbocharged 1.5-liter inline-3 sitting up front and serving purely as a generator for the battery. Karma estimates a range of 80 miles using the battery alone, and more than 360 miles with the gas engine employed.

The company previously planned to only launch electric vehicles beyond the Revero, though cooling demand for EVs means Karma is now likely to to add more PHEV powertrains.

Karma Gyesera

The Gyesera is also likely to offer a PHEV powertrain. The sedan was originally planned to launch this year as an EV, though speaking with Automotive News (subscription required) at the reveal of the Ivara, Karma chief Marques McCammon hinted that the Gyesera may be modified to fit a PHEV powertrain.

“We’ve listened to the market and we’re leveraging our flexibility,” he said. “You’ll see some changes in the Gyesera platform that the market will respond well to.”

Marques McCammon

The Kaveya for now will be offered with a battery-electric powertrian only. The sports car is on track for launch in 2026 and is promised with up to 1,000 hp. The starting price will be around $300,000, Karma has previously said.

Karma at Monterey Car Week said the Kaveya will be a true software-defined vehicle (SDV) featuring technology developed with Intel. An SDV is essentially a vehicle equipped with software and hardware that allow it to receive over-the-air updates, potentially throughout its entire lifespan.

Karma Kaveya

Karma is the company born out of the remains of the original Fisker Automotive that went bankrupt in 2013, and its first and sole model currently available is the Revero, a heavily updated version of the former Fisker Karma. The company only a few years ago planned to offer luxury vehicles alongside commercial vehicles, though it now plans to focus exclusively on luxury vehicles with a high level of personalization.

It wants to position itself as an American ultra-luxury brand, not unlike Duesenberg more than a century ago. Production of the new Karmas will be handled at the company’s plant in Moreno Valley, California, where the Revero is built.