Author: EVAI

There are many parts to any car, thousands in fact, but some of the systems that control what your car does and how it does it can be more important than others. The transmission is one of the most important, as without it, the power from the engine could never reach the wheels, and your car wouldn’t be much use. If you’re wondering what…

What kind of vehicle is the 2025 Lexus ES? What does it compare to? The 2025 Lexus ES is a midsize luxury sedan available with all-wheel drive, a V-6 engine, or a hybrid powertrain—but not all three. Shop it against the Acura TLX and Cadillac CT5, as well as high-end versions of the all-hybrid Toyota Camry. Is the 2025 Lexus ES a good car?…

Maserati and Vita Power teamed up to create the Tridente boat Tridente sports 600 hp and 31 to 43 miles of range The electric Tridente boat costs $2.6 million Maserati has partnered with Vita Power to create a luxury boat, called the Tridente. The boat costs 2.5 million Euros, which is about $2.6 million at current exchange rates. What is the…

• The three-row electric crossover SUV can lose up to 3% of charge while parked, initially
• Features such as Apple CarPlay and front cross-traffic alerts will activate later with a software update
• Plug & Charge and bidirectional charging initially won’t be available either

Production of the 2025 Volvo EX90 electric SUV started earlier this month in South Carolina, but the first vehicles will be delivered without certain software-based features—and with an unresolved battery-drain issue.

Volvo sent an email to customers, first spotted by a Motor1 reader, stating that vehicles will initially lack Apple CarPlay and some promised safety features, front cross-traffic alerts with forward automatic emergency braking, a feature designed to detect obstacles crossing the vehicle’s path, and functionality for the EX90’s built-in lidar unit.

In addition, while the first vehicles will feature adaptive cruise control and Volvo’s Pilot Assist highway-driving system, they will initially lack a planned feature that automatically reduces speed for curves.

2025 Volvo EX90

Vehicles will also initially use some energy while parked to keep the core computer powered up. Volvo claims this will be less than 3% of battery capacity over 24 hours, and will stop if the vehicle is parked without charging for more than 72 hours. Plug & Charge and bidirectional charging will also be disabled at launch.

The missing features will be added free of charge with future over-the-air updates, which will also add a light theme for the central touchscreen and digital instrument cluster. A Volvo spokesperson added that the requirement to use battery power to run the core computer while parked will also be addressed with a future update.

Unveiled in November 2022, the EX90 was originally scheduled for first deliveries in early 2024, but was held back due to software issues that apparently weren’t completely resolved. Volvo now plans to deliver the first U.S. customer cars in the second half of this year.

2025 Volvo EX90

The same software-related delay also affected the Polestar 3, which is slated to start production alongside the EX90 in South Carolina in August. It’s unclear if the Polestar will also ship with missing features.

The two SUVs share a platform, but the Polestar is a two-row model while the EX90 is sold in three-row form with either a second-row bench or captain’s chairs. Those configurations are priced from $77,990 and $78,490 with destination, respectively, meaning at least some of the lineup will likely land under the $80,000 federal EV tax-credit price cap.

Volvo this week also confirmed that the entry-level 2025 EX30 will be delayed. Instead of arriving in the U.S. this summer as originally planned, deliveries of the small electric crossover have been delayed to 2025. This will allow Volvo to source vehicles for the U.S. from Ghent, Belgium, rather than China as originally planned—which avoids possible new tariffs on China-made vehicles.

A quick look at the top automotive stories of the week as determined by reader interest.

• CDK begins restoration of DMS systems 

• Chinese brands’ market share 

• Hyundai enters $25,000 ev fray 

• Luxe cars stolen via text 

The race to bring affordable and actually usable EVs to the market is heating up in Europe, with more and more big automakers rolling up their sleeves and doing everything in their power to launch sub-$25,000 models as soon as possible.

Now, two of the biggest carmakers from South Korea and China want to send their best battery-powered urban EVs to Europe to battle local competitors such as the Chinese-built Dacia Spring and French-built Citroen e-C3.

Welcome, then, to the specs comparison between the brand-new Hyundai Inster, which was revealed just a couple of days ago, and the BYD Seagull, which has seen massive success in its home country, selling over 200,000 units in its debut year, and has its sights set on the European market starting next year.

It’s worth noting that neither EV is coming to the United States, soon or probably ever. The U.S. market is dominated by big vehicles and road-tripping machines. These subcompacts for Europe make plenty of sense for customers who live in big cities and rarely need to get out of town or use a rail system when they do. Plus, while Hyundai is having a moment in the U.S., harsh new tariffs on Chinese-made cars will keep BYD out for some time.

But both the Inster and the Seagull are important machines globally, and they say a lot about where the electric market is headed next—smaller, more affordable, but still high-range and high-tech. We know that BYD is already a powerhouse in the EV world. As good as the Koreans are, do they have what it takes to keep up? Let’s find out. 

Dimensions

Both the Inster and the Seagull are categorized as A-segment cars in Europe, but their wheelbases are arguably comparable to vehicles one step above. Think Chevrolet Bolt EV or the defunct gas-powered Ford Fiesta.

This means that, even though they have a small footprint, their interior is bigger than you’d expect. With that said, out of the two pint-sized EVs, the Hyundai Inster inches ahead when it comes to size, being longer, taller and with a more generous wheelbase than its Chinese rival.

The Inster also offers a bigger trunk of up to 12.3 cubic feet with the two sliding rear seats in their most forward position. On the other hand, the BYD seagull is four inches wider than its Korean rival, which could help with shoulder room inside.

Battery and range

Driving range is one of the most, if not the most important figures prospective customers look at when researching EVs. But in the car world, it depends on what market you’re looking at, as you might stumble across some impressive but rather unrealistic numbers.

Case in point: the BYD Seagull has a maximum advertised range of 252 miles on a full charge, but that’s on the very lenient Chinese test cycle which is known to produce figures that are nearly impossible to reach in the real world.

That said, the WLTP ratings for the Hyundai Inster aren’t exactly real-world material either, but they’re a bit closer to what one might expect on the road. Looking at the battery capacity figures might be a better metric to understand how far a car could go on a full charge.

The BYD Seagull can be specced with either a 30-kWh or a 39-kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery pack rated at roughly 400 volts, whereas the Hyundai Inster is offered with a 42-kWh or a 49-kWh nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) unit rated between 266V-310V.

In theory, the Inster should offer more driving range in the real world, with Hyundai quoting a projected WLTP rating of up to 220 miles for the Long Range version with 15-inch wheels.

Performance

When talking about affordable city cars, you can’t expect supercar-like performance specs, and it’s no different with the two pint-sized EVs. You rarely, if ever, need to sprint to 60 miles per hour in an urban area, but if numbers make or break your day, you should know that the Inster beats the Seagull once again, with a 0-62 mph sprint in 10.6 seconds for the Long Range version, which comes with a 95 horsepower front motor. By contrast, the 74 hp BYD needs 13 seconds to get to 62. In the top speed department, Hyundai’s entry-level EV again comes up on top, with up to 93 mph for the Long Range version.

Features

Nowadays, customers want more of everything, even when looking at budget EVs. This means that the driving range isn’t the only deciding factor and that a car needs to have a healthy list of amenities to attract prospective buyers.

On paper, the Hyundai Inster gets ahead of the BYD Seagull once again. The Korean EV boasts two 10.25-inch screens, a heat pump, a wireless smartphone charger, vehicle-to-load and a comprehensive advanced driving assistance systems list as standard. By comparison, the China-market BYD Seagull doesn’t have V2L or a heat pump in its home market.

Furthermore, the Seagull has a single 10.1-inch central display for the infotainment and only the most expensive trim offers a wireless smartphone charger. Both EVs have a foldable rear bench, but the Inster’s can be split 50/50, while the Seagull’s is a single backrest.

That said, it’s unclear at the moment if the European version will carry over the Chinese version’s trim levels. At home, the Seagull starts at the equivalent of roughly $12,000, while the European version is expected to cost double, but that includes the value-added tax (VAT) and import tariffs.

Price

The cheapest new EV on sale in the European Union is probably the refreshed Dacia Spring, which starts at around €16,000 ($17,200). For this kind of money, you get a no-frills urban runabout with just 44 hp and a WLTP range of about 140 miles.

With that said, both Hyundai and BYD will likely aim toward a slightly higher price segment once the Inster and Seagull hit European streets later this year and early next year, respectively.

Neither the Seagull nor the Inster have official pricing, but company officials went on record saying that the sweet spot would be somewhere around the €20,000 ($21,500) mark. That would be 25% more than the Dacia Spring, but looking at the spec sheets of all three cars, the Spring is the most basic one out of the bunch, with the least powerful electric motor and the least driving range. On the other hand, it comes with a frunk, which neither the Inster nor the Seagull have, and vehicle-to-load.

Which car is destined to be the real winner in the EV subcompact space? Let us know what you think.

• Report suggests Ferrari will offer an annual subscription for its EV battery warranty
• The subscription would cost about $7,500 per year
• It would include battery replacements after eight years

Ferrari plans to launch its first electric vehicle next year, and the company may offer an extended warranty for the battery to ease concerns of buyers looking to make the switch from gas to electrons. It could also establish a new source of revenue for the company.

Citing people familiar with the matter, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday that Ferrari is readying a battery extended warranty for both its future EVs and hybrids.

Per the report, the warranty would be offered in the form of an annual subscription costing around 7,000 euros (approximately $7,500). It would cover all aspects of maintaining the battery, as well as defects related to the battery.

It would also include regularly scheduled battery replacements after eight years, ensuring there’s no major loss in performance over the life of the vehicle. This is vital for Ferrari, whose cars are often kept on the road for decades.

Ferrari SF90 XX Stradale

Ferrari’s cars currently include a standard three-year factory warranty. For hybrid models, this warranty extends to five years, covering the battery and related components. According to Bloomberg’s sources, Ferrari’s EVs will also receive this standard level of coverage.

Most automakers with EVs are offering warranties around eight years for the battery, including pure-play EV companies like Rivian and Tesla.

Ferrari hasn’t said much about its first EV, apart from it debuting in late 2025 and starting volume production the following year. It’s thought to be a low-slung SUV, like the V-12-powered Purosangue, and will cost more than $500,000, according to a report earlier this month from Reuters. Such a price will make it one of the most expensive Ferraris that is not in limited production.

Ferrari e-building

Production of the EV, and future EVs from the automaker—a second is thought to already be in the works—will be handled at a new plant dubbed the E-Building located next to Ferrari’s existing plant in Maranello, Italy. The plant’s flexible production system means gas, hybrid, and electric vehicles can be built there, allowing Ferrari to adjust the mix depending on demand.

The additional capacity provided by the plant will allow Ferrari to increase its annual production to approximately 20,000 vehicles, up from the current 14,000.

The findings of a report by AlixPartners suggest that even as the U.S. enacts trade policies to protect the domestic market, Chinese automakers continue their steady march to global dominance.

• Genesis has updated its midsize sedan with a long-wheelbase model
• Luxury touches include power door closers and airline-style rear seats
• U.S. versions will be 2026 models, with prices to come

Genesis has revealed an updated version of its Electrified G80 just two years after the battery-powered midsize sedan first went on sale.

The car made its formal debut on Thursday at the 2024 Busan auto show in Korea, and will be available in the U.S. as a 2026 model. This points to an arrival in showrooms sometime next year.

The current Electrified G80 is already an impressive sedan, and rather than mess with the winning formula, Genesis focused on further refining the sedan, as well as dialing up the luxury features.

The key update is a wheelbase that’s about 5.1 inches longer, which results in more legroom for rear-seat passengers. Genesis also made changes to reduce noise, vibration, and harshness levels.

2026 Genesis Electrified G80 (Korea spec)

There are also new options normally reserved for luxury sedans in much pricier segments than the $80,000-bracket in which the Electrified G80 sits. These include a pushbutton system for closing the doors, as well as a rear-window curtain, and executive-style seats with leg rests.

Other changes include a new 27-inch display combining a digital gauge cluster and infotainment system, a revised front fascia, new dish-style 19-inch wheels, an electronically controlled charging port cover, and headlights with micro-lens array technology. This uses thousands of tiny lenses that help focus the light emitted from an LED, resulting in a brighter, cleaner light.

Genesis hasn’t mentioned any change to the powertrain. The current Electrified G80 comes with a dual-motor all-wheel-drive powertrain rated at 365 hp. The sole battery is an 87.2-kwh unit. The EPA’s range estimate for the car is 282 miles.

Genesis said U.S. specifications for the 2026 Electrified G80 may differ and will be announced at a later date.