Author: EVAI

An all-electric version of the Porsche Cayenne SUV will be revealed later this year, CEO Oliver Blume said in a Q&A following the announcement of the automaker’s 2024 financial results Wednesday.

“We are going to present it to the world for the first time at the end of the year,” Blume said, adding that the reveal will take place on the West Coast.

Electric Porsche Cayenne prototype

Porsche confirmed the electric Cayenne almost exactly two years ago, although it had been mentioned as a possible addition to its product pipeline prior to that. Like the smaller electric Porsche Macan, the Cayenne will share a name with current gasoline and plug-in hybrid versions of that SUV, but is expected to ride on a separate, EV-specific architecture.

Those current non-hybrid and plug-in hybrid models will be sold alongside the electric Cayenne for the rest of the decade perhaps into the 2030s as well, Porsche said last summer. Again, the strategy follows the electric Macan, which is being sold alongside outgoing-generation gasoline models for the time being.

Electric Porsche Cayenne prototype

Porsche has walked back its electrification goals amid what the automaker has said are slow EV sales. It previously expected 50% of its global sales to be EVs and plug-in hybrids by this year, and planned to begin winding down gasoline car sales in 2026 with the discontinuation of the gasoline Macan and 718 Boxster and Cayman sports cars, on its way to 80% EV sales by 2030.

More recently, Porsche has said it will continue combustion-engine development longer than planned. The automaker reported 27% EV and plug-in hybrid sales for 2024, and now expects those models to account for 33%-35% of its global sales in 2025, with 20%-22% being all-electric.

Toyota and EVgo on Tuesday announced the opening of new DC fast-charging stations for underserved communities.

Located in Baldwin Park and Sacramento, California, the fast chargers are part of Toyota’s Empact plan for making electric vehicles more accessible to communities not reached by previous infrastructure projects, such as those in urban areas with limited off-street parking and higher population density in multi-family dwellings.

Toyota and EVgo Empact EV fast-charging stations for underserved communities

Situated in “amenity-rich areas” with nearby grocery stores, restaurants, shopping malls, and other places one might drive to, the charging stations can serve up to eight vehicles each and feature 350-kw chargers exclusively, according to a Toyota press release. That’s well beyond the sub-150-kw peak of the current Toyota bZ4X, but various other brands already offer EVs that can take advantage of that level of charging power.

In the past EVgo has partnered with General Motors to focus on urban EV ownership—and these locations appear sited at least in part for some of the same reasons. It’s unclear if this Toyota installation applies any California money made available for charger installations in underserved communities. The state is pushing ahead with charger buildout despite the Trump Administration’s attempt to freeze federal funds.

Toyota and EVgo Empact EV fast-charging stations for underserved communities

Toyota has touted some big plans for fast charging through the implementation of solid-state batteries. The automaker said in 2023 that future solid-state batteries could be charged from 10-80% in 10 minutes or less—likely taking advantage of that higher peak power. It’s still planning to commercialize them later this decade, but likely in low volumes.

Toyota is also funding the Ionna network with seven other automakers. Ionna opened its first location in 2024, and aims for 30,000 charging connectors across North America by 2030.

The 2025 F1 season gets underway this weekend with the Australian Grand Prix The season includes five rookie drivers and will be run over 24 races The season is also the first for Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari After the long winter break, the Formula 1 World Championship returns this weekend with the Australian Grand Prix at Melbourne’s Albert Park…

• VW’s unified EV cell format brings cell-to-pack battery design
• Cuts costs, sets stage for cell-to-body and simplified EVs
• Means EVs with more range and energy density, perhaps lower weight
• LFP and NMC chemistries on the same format, maybe solid-state, sodium-ion

Volkswagen’s vision of where it might be by the end of the decade with electric vehicles has evolved in recent years. But simplification is the keyword, and its plans to focus on a single EV battery cell format go right along with that. 

This week, in a technology update held just before the company’s Volkswagen Group Annual Conference, the global automaker and its battery-making PowerCo startup shared a closer look at how these unified cells will be packaged in upcoming EVs from VW, Audi, Cupra, and several of its other brands, in the near future. 

As these unified cells arrive—soon, but on a timeline not yet detailed, especially for U.S.-market EVs—they’ll bring a new battery pack layout, packaging the cells directly into the pack. This allows more energy density, as well as a lighter pack, said VW officials, and the approach allows VW to be more flexible with versions for different models and markets.

Current MEB battery pack layout

VW EVs set to move on from modules

Today’s electric vehicles built on VW’s MEB EV foundation, including the ID.4 and ID.Buzz, incorporate shoebox-sized modules of pouch cells integrated into the battery case (above). But as VW outlined this week, the next-generation battery arriving as soon as late this year for Europe will have the cells directly mounted into the battery housing—essentially in four rows spanning longitudinally along the battery case in the example shown (pictures of the demonstration case weren’t allowed). 

The battery pack case evolves somewhat to accommodate the cell-to-pack layout, with the mechanical ribs that act as attachment points for the modules reduced while reinforcements have been added elsewhere. 

Current MEB battery pack layout with module-to-pack

Battery pack layout with cell-to-pack

Cooling has been completely reworked for the new cell type and arrangement. The flat faces of the cells allow easier temperature control, and the housing on the outside has been completely reworked—with the most noteworthy change appearing to be a pattern of narrow cooling channels over a top plate. It’s not unlike the cooling approach to be used in Honda’s 0 Series EVs (although those will have modules). 

At the cell level VW will not only monitor cell voltage but also temperature. The battery management system remains of the wired (versus wireless) type. 

2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz

Potentially more range in MEB models—like ID.Buzz?

Officials also said that there’s potential for longer packs with “way bigger energy content” versus the current capacity—maxed out at 91 kwh (or 86 kwh usable) with the pack in the Euro-market ID.7 and U.S.-market ID.Buzz, currently the two longest MEB vehicles.

Green Car Reports reads that as a pretty strong suggestion the Buzz could gain more range within the next few model years, as it simply needs it in order to match its road-trip mantra—although VW officials wouldn’t say so much. 

Although Volkswagen confirmed the battery strategy as on the way for its ID.2 and ID.1 EVs arriving in Europe over the next couple years, it suggested that the non-extended-length demonstrator we saw compared roughly to the 82-kwh (77-kwh usable) pack in today’s ID.4.

Officials emphasized that exact figures for battery capacity, energy density, weight, and more will be released at the IAA Mobility 2025 auto show, set to be held in September in Munich. As shown, the preliminary pack is 400-volt, but more details about that and charging are also forthcoming at IAA. 

2024 Volkswagen ID.4

At the core: EV cost-cutting

As for these cells themselves, they’re a key piece in VW making a move to lower cell costs and enable more affordable EVs. 

“The unified cell format built according to our own global and uniform technology standard will be the basis for massive economies of scale in cell and battery systems,” said Michael Steiner, head of research and development for the Volkswagen Group, at the event. 

Steiner said that EV batteries still account for more than a third of EV cost—so the cells represent competitiveness not just on cost but on performance versus vehicle weight.

Development of the unified cell format was done at VW’s Center of Excellence for Battery Cells in Salzgitter, Germany. The facility oversees battery strategies, development, and purchasing, and it has a responsibility for nearly all aspects of battery technology. 

The unified cell format aims to reduce the complexity of battery systems and cells, and that also goes to optimize battery costs and enable lower entry prices for volume segments of the market. It’s also part of an effort to coordinate the technology needs for China, Europe, and North America. 

VW Power Day – battery types

Flexible chemistry, from LFP to sodium-ion to solid-state

It also permits the adoption of multiple chemistries with the same cell format, allowing for a volume NMC (nickel manganese cobalt) cell along with LFP (lithium iron phosphate). And it can not only accommodate the cell types VW has developed on its own but also next-generation sodium-ion or solid-state chemistries. A 2024 agreement between PowerCo and the solid-state battery tech firm QuantumScape, for instance, allows PowerCo to make up to 40 gigawatt-hours of solid-state lithium-metal cells annually, with the option to double that to 80 gigawatt-hours. The companies involved haven’t detailed a timeline 

They’re also almost here—the NMC ones, that is. VW presented its plan for the unified cell format four years ago this month. It promised then, in 2021, that it would ramp up production of these unified cells around 2025, in a small volume at first, and it’s delivered exactly that. 

VW unified cell format

PowerCo says it has already produced over 100,000 cells and successfully tested them. That’s at its location in Salzgitter; PowerCo has two other production locations in the works, in Valencia, Spain, and in St. Thomas, Ontario (Canada). Valencia and Ontario are both due to ramp up in 2026.

Volkswagen has already said that its Salzgitter factory will have a target volume of 40 gigawatt-hours per year—enough for approximately 500,000 EVs. And altogether, the three factories are due to produce up to 200 gigawatt-hours of cells annually. The unified cell is bound for 80% of VW Group EVs by 2030.

VW EV platforms and E/E architectures

How it all fits together: SSP + SDV + …cell-to-body?

VW is in the midst of massive change, as it embarks on a master plan that aims, over the next few years, to consolidate a range of different platforms and several electrical and electronics architectures down to a single modular Scalable Systems Platform (SSP) plus a software-defined vehicle approach that will utilize Rivian’s zonal architecture and reconceive everything from how zones are defined to the vehicle interface itself. 

Neither the production-bound ID.Every1 (below), previewing a sub-$25,000, nor the production-bound, sub-$30,000 ID.2all, which is coming before that, are U.S.-bound. The ID.1 is set to use “elements” of the Rivian-derived zonal architecture, mated with a number of MEB components carried over. 

Volkswagen ID.Every1

SSP will arrive in full form in the ID Golf, which is due around 2028, VW says. That’s still a far-off possibility for the U.S., although SSP will soon after that propagate to a wide range of models, types, and brands from the whole group. 

And the next stop, VW’s battery people say, is cell-to-body tech—in EVs that were designed from the start to incorporate battery cells directly into the body. VW’s SSP will reportedly enable this, although it’s yet unclear whether some or all vehicles on the platform will offer it and when. 

What also still remains uncertain is how quickly VW intends to migrate its internal combustion models to a similar modular and software-defined approach, especially now that it might focus more on hybrids or plug-in hybrids for North America.  

And in the meantime, how quickly it migrates its current MEB EVs like the ID.4 and ID.Buzz to this seemingly incremental battery-format makeover could end up providing a big boost to their range, and appeal. 

2026 CLA splits into electric, hybrid models EV: 85.5-kwh battery, 2-speed transmission, single or dual motors Hybrid: turbo-4, electric motor, 8-speed dual-clutch Prices—and cars—come later in 2025 We’ve seen it in spy photos, and sat in the front right seat for a sneak preview of its performance. Now it’s time to take the…

• Battery-electric CLA 250+, CLA 350 arrive first
• Non-PHEV CLA hybrid coming in a year
• EVs have 800-volt architecture, 320-kw max charging

Mercedes-Benz will kick off the replacement of all its global small cars this year—and when they do, all the models coming to the U.S. will sport some sort of electrification. But some will be more electric than others.

Battery-electric CLAs will be the first of the new generation of compact cars to arrive late in 2025. They’ll be followed by a CLA hybrid about a year after that, with replacements for the GLA-Class hatchback and GLB-Class yet to come. 

Not part of the current plan: plug-in hybrids.

Instead, the MMA componentry will be BEV-first, said Christoph Starzynski, Vice President Product Strategy and Product Steering Mercedes-Benz Cars, while a non-plug-in hybrid will follow. 

It’s a strategy that has been in the works since the MMA program, Starzynski told Green Car Reports. The blend of EV and ICE models was the way MMA “was always planned as a platform or architecture,” he said during a recent roundtable in Sindelfingen, during a press preview of the new range.

2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class

CLA EV: An 85.5-kwh core, with a motor or two

While the revamped CLA-Class grows larger and more technologically complex, it’s drawn closer to a few new nameplates in the EV space. Some aging products aside, the cars the CLA now competes with most directly include mass-market machines like the Toyota Prius and the Hyundai Ioniq 6.

With rivals like those, the 2026 CLA had to have an efficient battery at its heart. For the past few years, Mercedes has been maturing its EV technology with a series of concepts, starting with the recent EQXX concept. 

Both a single-motor and a dual-motor CLA will be offered. The CLA 250+ rear-drive, single-motor sedan rides atop an 85.5-kwh (usable) lithium-ion battery pack. It’s rated at 268 hp, and Mercedes predicts a 0-60 mph time of 6.6 seconds.

With a second 107-hp motor in front, the CLA 350 4Matic will offer all-wheel drive and a quicker acceleration time of 4.8 seconds. The front motor will be decoupled when not in use, for better efficiency, an effort that’s in concert with a heat pump and a low 0.21 coefficient of drag.

The 800-volt architecture of the CLA permits a charge rate of up to 320 kw, which could return 186 miles of range in 10 minutes on a DC fast charger. No estimates have been published for home Level 2 charging via its 11-kw onboard inverter. Based on WLTP ranges, it’s likely the most CLA 250+ will carry at least a 300-mile EPA rated range—perhaps much higher.

2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class

The CLA will benefit from a reworked regenerative braking system that avoids the pitfalls of that on the EQE and EQS cars. Instead of moving the pedal in response to regenerative braking, it will read the pressure applied to the pedal and blend regen and friction braking for a more smoothly combined force.

The CLA EV will have four regen modes—including a one-pedal drive mode. It’s “not something I’m a fan of,” Starzynski said, but customers wanted it.

With its 800-volt design, the CLA presents a question for charging in the U.S., where 400-volt Tesla stations are the most commonly available. Mercedes cars will be able to access the Ionna charging network that it’s a partner in, but Starzynski did not confirm how Mercedes would handle the compatibility of those 400-volt charging stations. 

“If we see a market demand for 400 volts in the United States when the car hits the market,” he said, “then we will also find a solution.”

2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class

2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class: Gas-electric hybrid, minus the plug

Starzynski said the BEV-first design has resulted in a better ICE vehicle than might have been developed. That ICE hybrid arrives about a year after the battery-electric CLA sedan. In it, a 1.5-liter 4-cylinder will be mated to a 1.3-kwh battery pack, and to a 27-hp front motor integrated with an 8-speed dual-clutch automatic. No performance numbers or fuel-economy figures have been mooted, but Starzynski confirmed the CLA hybrid would be able to rely on its hybrid battery to allow the car to cruise on battery power alone at speeds of up to 60 mph.

The CLA hybrid will have electric drive range—just “not something you can certify,” Starzynski said—but there are no plans to come up with a “third way” solution for the car.

As a BEV or HEV, but not a PHEV, the CLA will remain one of the only, if not the only, Mercedes model to do so. A plug-in hybrid in this price and size class wouldn’t be a good choice, he suggested. In larger vehicles that require a more powerful drivetrain, plug-ins are a good “bridging scenario,” he explained. Given the possible cost and range trade-off, customers haven’t been clamoring for a CLA-sized PHEV—but for vehicles such as the GLC 350e plug-in hybrid now on sale in the U.S., the bridge to full-BEV driving is “definitely a strategy we want to keep.”

2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class

2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class styling, space, and tech

The 2026 CLA—both electric and hybrid models—get lots of stars in their visual language in this generation. With a more pronounced wedge in its stance, the CLA EV wears 142 tiny three-pointed stars on its face, a big lighted one front and center, and more in the headlights and taillights. 

The wide-screen technology inside counts as another star, by any measure. A trio of digital displays marry under a pane of glass to create the “Superscreen,” a companion to the more expansive Hyperscreen in today’s EQE and EQS cars. The overpowering presence of the displays in the compact CLA might play better on the GLB SUV replacement yet to come—it’s a high-cowl, SUV-like dash shape, period—but the new interface plays well no matter who’s in the audience. It’s an immersive experience dubbed MB.OS, and it permits drivers to reorder apps on the home screen as they see fit, to swipe through screens like on a tablet, and to go full-screen with Apple CarPlay if they prefer that environment.

2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class

MB.OS factors in Google map data through a Mercedes-coded look and feel that even integrates lighting and voice quality to soothe the driver. If the voice-command system recognizes a tersely worded request, it can match the energy by dialing the car’s lighting from a cool blue to a vivid red, for example. 

All CLAs will sport a bundle of safety features including adaptive cruise control. A Level 2 driver assistance setup will come as an option, aided by an in-car network of eight cameras, five radar sensors, and 12 ultrasonic sensors, as well as over-the-air updates. 

Prices will be confirmed closer to the on-sale date, later this year. For comparison, the current CLA 250 costs $45,550. Expect more of everything, especially price—especially in the current EV-unfriendly political climate. 

Mercedes-Benz paid for travel so that we could bring you this first look of the 2026 CLA-Class.

One of the most popular small luxury cars has come in for a reinvention. This time, the Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class has grown bigger, has gained more technology—and now, it’s driven by batteries. What kind of vehicle is the 2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class? What does it compare to? It’s a compact sedan with a rakish profile and a choice…

Once hyped as a potential cornerstone for an expanded European battery industry, Swedish battery maker Northvolt on Wednesday announced that it was filing for bankruptcy in its home country.

“Like many companies in the battery sector, Northvolt has experienced a series of compounding challenges in recent months that eroded its financial position, including rising capital costs, geopolitical instability, subsequent supply chain disruptions, and shifts in market demand,” the company said in a press release. “Further to this backdrop, the company has faced significant internal challenges in its ramp-up of production.”

Rendering of Northvolt Six battery factory in Quebec, Canada

In recent months, Northvolt has made several attempts to shore up its financial position, including filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the U.S. and cutting costs throughout its business. However, the company said it was not able to secure the additional funding it needed to continue operating.

In accordance with Swedish law, a court-appointed trustee will now oversee the sale of Northvolt’s business and assets in order to settle the company’s outstanding financial obligations.

Volvo and Northvolt partner on battery development and production

Northvolt opened its first battery factory in Sweden in 2021, and that year claimed to be making cells with 100% recycled nickel, manganese, and cobalt. Battery-supply deals with BMW and Volvo soon followed, as well as plans for additional factories, stoking hopes that Northvolt could grow into a local competitor to established battery firms serving European automakers.

But that first plant never reached full production capacity, Reuters reported last year, around the time that BMW nixed its battery-supply deal with Northvolt, estimated to be worth about $2 billion. Layoffs followed, along with the resignation of CEO Peter Carlsson.

Just in time for the 2025 Formula 1 season-opening Australian Grand Prix this weekend, Apple has updated its Apple Sports iOS app to include support for F1. This follows the app’s recent addition of NASCAR support ahead of last month’s Daytona 500, further expanding its reach across major motorsports. Launched in 2024, the Apple Sports…

• Participation can All 2025 GM EVs eligible soon; a mix of 2024 and 2025 models eligible now
• Additional incentives if owners opt to suspend charging during high-load times
• Could help lay groundwork for future V2G program

General Motors electric vehicle owners in certain parts of California could receive a $4,500 discount on home-backup power hardware as part of a pilot program with utility Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E).

Announced Thursday, the program aims to evaluate the use of the bidirectional charging capability built into many new GM EVs to help power homes, and potentially help support the grid, applications known as vehicle-to-home (V2H) and vehicle-to-grid (V2G), respectively. Discounted hardware will be one of the participation incentives for GM EV-owning PG&E customers.

The program will provide “incentivized pricing for qualifying GM Energy home energy products” to customers within PG&E’s service area, which includes Northern and Central California, the release said.

Cadillac Escalade IQ and GM Home Energy suite

GM first detailed the hardware it’s using for home power backup in 2023, based around a particular wallbox it calls the PowerShift Charger, plus an Enablement Kit with inverter and “dark start” battery. Then last fall it rolled out its PowerBank home energy storage—although for now this hardware can’t be mixed and matched with hardware on other ecosystems like Tesla.

The automaker has said that all of its latest EVs, previously badged Ultium, are bidirectional-capable, with expanded capabilities to be potentially rolled out via software updates in the future. It expects all 2025-model-year EVs to be eligible for the program “soon,” but so far is only confirming the 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV, 2024 Chevrolet Blazer EV, 2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV, 2024 GMC Sierra EV, and both 2024 and 2025 Cadillac Lyriq models.

Participants can also earn additional incentives by opting into “planned backup power events” and staying enrolled through the end of the program. Participating EV owners must also be registered in PG&E’s Emergency Load Reduction Program, and can earn additional incentives by choosing to stop charging their EVs during coordinated times as well.

Cadillac Lyriq and GM Home Energy suite

GM and PG&E will collect data on participants’ charging patterns to “evaluate the potential for bidirectional technology to provide value to customers, support grid resiliency, and help scale bidirectional technology programs in California,” the release said. While the focus is on using EVs to provide home backup power for now, it could help lay the groundwork for using EVs to support the grid.

Ford has offered a bidirectional system for the F-150 Lightning for several years, although it’s focused on home backup and not the grid aspects highlighted with this announcement. The only manufacturer-approved V2G charger enabled now, beyond pilot programs, is the Fermata FE-20 for the Nissan Leaf.