Author: EVAI

*Update: A BMW spokesperson reached out to InsideEVs to dispel the rumor of a new 6 Series. We’ve updated the text after BMW issued this statement:

While as a matter of policy BMW does not comment on third-party speculation regarding future product development, given the attention recent stories have received, we feel it necessary to clarify that there are currently no plans to reintroduce the BMW 6 Series to the market for model year 2026, despite what is being widely reported in automotive media circles. Furthermore, BMW has made no official statement on the future of a successor to the BMW XM.

When BMW announced that it was launching a big and heavy plug-in hybrid SUV as its first dedicated M model since the mid-engined M1, the news got a lukewarm reception from fans of the brand, as did the XM when it was launched. A new report suggests BMW is dropping plans to launch a fully electric version of the XM, scrapping the model altogether and launching something much closer to its brand ethos.

According to a report by Automotive News, which quotes an unnamed supply chain insider, the electric XM codenamed G79 was expected to enter production at BMW’s US plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina, in 2028.

BMW will keep the XM plug-in hybrid in production until November 2028, and until then, it will probably receive a mid-lifecycle refresh to update its controversial design.

BMW will launch a new 4 Series coupe, which will most likely be built on the Neue Klasse platform, so it will only be available with electric power.

Not having several separate coupe models makes sense for BMW since these are fairly low-volume models. Mercedes-Benz did the same when it discontinued the C- and E-Class coupe models and replaced them with a single model, the CLE. However, Mercedes has no plans to make an electric version of the CLE because its platform doesn’t support it.

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BMW plans to end production of the XM plug-in hybrid in 2028 Plans for a full electric XM have been canceled, as well The twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V-8 and electric motor powertrain lives on in forthcoming M models BMW launched the XM plug-in hybrid SUV in 2022 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the M division. It’s the first M vehicle not…

• Certain used model year hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and EVs have higher-than-average problems
• Consumer Reports advises to stay away from the 2019-2022 Chevy Bolt and 2019-2021 Tesla Model S
• EVs often launch with new and complicated interfaces that frustrate owners

Used car prices have fallen 10% over the past year, with EVs seeing some of the biggest drops. But an unreliable used car can erode some of the savings from a low purchase price with heftier repair bills.

Consumer Reports on Monday highlighted used cars to avoid—with several hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and EVs among them. The list is based on data from the publication’s Annual Auto Surveys, in which owners report problems with their vehicles for specific model years. The model years of EVs listed here showed higher-than-average rates of problems.

2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV

Electrified vehicles—including hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and EVs—accounted for more than 20% of the 60 models flagged as particularly unreliable. These included the 2022 Rivian R1T and Chevrolet Bolt EVs from model years 2019-2022, as well as certain model years of Tesla Model S and Model X.

While not exactly a reliability issue, the Tesla Model S and Model X model years listed overlap with the introduction of a steering yoke that Consumer Reports previously described as a pain to use—and possibly a safety concern.

This follows a 2023 survey in which Consumer Reports found that vehicles that plug in are more trouble-prone. On average, EVs had 70% more problems than internal-combustion vehicles, while plug-in hybrids averaged 146% more problems than non-hybrids vehicles.

2022 Rivian R1T

Multiple studies have underscored that EVs are more trouble-prone than other vehicle types not necessarily because of their powertrains but often because of overly complex interfaces that automakers choose to adopt with them. Automakers’ impulse to push high-tech features alongside electric powertrains appears to be the issue.

Here are the used hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and EVs to avoid by make, model, and year, according to Consumer Reports.

Used hybrids to avoid

• 2020 Ford Escape Hybrid
• 2021-2022 Ford F-150 Hybrid
• 2020 Hyundai Ioniq
• 2019 Kia Niro

Used plug-in hybrids to avoid

• 2018, 2021-2022 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid
• 2022-2023 Volvo XC60 plug-in hybrid

Used EVs to avoid

• 2019 Audi E-Tron
• 2019-2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV
• 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5
• 2019 Hyundai Kona Electric
• 2022 Rivian R1T
• 2019-2021 Tesla Model S
• 2018, 2022 Tesla Model X
• 2021, 2023 Volkswagen ID.4

• The U.S. military is evaluating EV batteries from GM
• The military’s looking at how to handle its energy-storage needs
• The project may lead to pathways for domestically supplied energy storage

General Motors is supplying EV batteries for a military research project.

The automaker’s GM Defense subsidiary is providing Ultium battery hardware to the University of Texas at Arlington’s Pulsed Power and Energy Laboratory for a Defense Department-funded evaluation that “will help provide pathways and options for domestically supplied energy storage for use in future military platforms,” according to a GM press release.

General Motors Ultium batteries

The project will look at any design changes needed to make the Ultium hardware suitable to the military’s energy-storage needs. GM claims a high degree of modularity that can accommodate different chemistries and cell types for uses beyond the current EV applications. That fits with GM CEO Mary Barra’s 2023 statement that the automaker is flexible on battery cells, and could shift to cylindrical cells in the future.

GM was already looking at ways to utilize Ultium for stationary energy storage in the civilian world. The automaker is marketing an Ultium-based home backup power system, part of a new GM Energy business announced in 2022.

General Motors Ultium batteries

GM Defense previously supplied a prototype Ultium-based battery system for another Defense Department project, which also involved integration of a GM battery pack “into a light tactical vehicle,” the release noted.

In 2021, GM Defense president Steve duMont said in an interview that GM planned to build prototypes of an electric military vehicle based on the civilian GMC Hummer EV, using the civilian Hummer’s frame, motors, and battery system, but with stripped-down bodywork. That follows the template of GM Defense’s Infantry Squad Vehicle, which is based on the previous-generation Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 pickup truck.

Kia’s all-new EV3 electric crossover has the potential to become one of the most sought-after EVs in the United States after it lands here with an estimated starting price of around $30,000.

But with an MSRP that’s almost half that of the average transaction price of a new EV in the U.S., there must be some drawbacks. Or, at least that’s what legacy automakers accustomed us with over the years, with things like missing features, subpar infotainment systems and questionable design choices. So is Kia’s new affordable EV more of the same?

The 40-minute in-depth walkaround video from CarSceneKorea embedded at the top of this page seems to say otherwise.

As a reminder, the Kia EV3 is very similar in size to the Volvo EX30, the fate of which is currently unknown to U.S. customers, as the car is built in China and faces massive import tariffs. By contrast, the EV3 might be built in Mexico for the North American market, skirting heavy import fees and potentially making it eligible for the $7,500 federal tax credit.

So with that out of the way, let’s see what the Korean automaker’s entry-level mass EV offers. Design-wise, the EV3 is like the smaller brother to the rather impressive EV9 three-row SUV. It’s bulky and confidence-inspiring, but bear in mind that it’s still a subcompact crossover, so looks might be deceiving.

In South Korea, the electric hatchback is currently available in two trim levels, and the styling differences between them may exist when the car lands stateside. Both come with LEDs front and back, but the entry-level variant has three-module headlights and vertical-only taillights, while the upper trim comes with 12-module headlights and taillamps that extend onto the rear hatch.

The CCS charging port, located on the front-right, has a hinged cover for the DC charging pins, meaning that it won’t just dangle when you need to fast-charge the car. There’s also a small front trunk and the hood has gas struts, which are sometimes missing from other cost-conscious cars.

Inside, the EV3 has physical buttons for the heated, ventilated and memory seats located on the front door cards. There are also physical buttons and switches for the volume and aircon settings, while other often-used features can be accessed via haptic toggles. In Korea, Kia even offers a subscription that allows owners to set a sports-related theme on the infotainment system.

The two front seats have a lounge feature, which is quite rare in the subcompact segment. Furthermore, the front passenger seat has a secondary control panel toward the driver, making it easy to adjust its position while installing a baby seat in the back, for instance.

Speaking about the back seats, the split backrest reclines to make it more comfortable on long trips. Moreover, the floor is flat and there’s room under the front seats for the passengers’ feet.

But that’s not all, so make sure you check out the video at the top. Then, let us know what you think in the comments section below.

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• Volkswagen just bought a $5 billion stake in Rivian
• The cash infusion will help bring the smaller Rivian R2 to market
• The deal gives VW access to Rivian’s software and zonal electronics platform

The Volkswagen Group will invest up to $5 billion in Rivian, laying the groundwork for collaboration on future EVs, the two automakers announced Tuesday.

VW will initially invest $1 billion through an unsecured convertible note, pending regulatory approval and other conditions, according to a Rivian press release. That will be followed by additional investments of up to $4 billion, for a total of $5 billion.

Collaboration between VW and Rivian will include a joint venture “to create next-generation electrical architecture and best-in-class software technology,” the release said. Rivian’s software and zonal electronics platform are expected to form the basis for this joint venture, which VW and Rivian aim to launch before the end of the year. Both automakers aim to launch vehicles resulting from the joint venture in the second half of the decade.

Scout EV plant groundbreaking

VW will also “utilize Rivian’s existing electrical architecture and software platform” in the short term. A more specific timeline wasn’t given, but the release noted that “significant” work has been done over the past few months to validate the compatibility of Rivian’s electrical architecture and software with VW vehicles.

The two automakers also didn’t specify what VW vehicles might benefit from Rivian tech, but the obvious candidates are models from the new Scout EV brand that’s slated to build electric off-roaders at a $2 billion factory in South Carolina. Leveraging nostalgia for trucks made by International Harvester from 1960 to 1980, Scout has promised a lineup of pickup trucks and SUVs based on a “newly-designed all-electric platform.”

Rivian R2

Scout has released little other information on its vehicles and platform. According to a November report, VW was considering turning to Austria’s Magna rather than using its own engineering and development resources.

Green Car Reports reached out to Scout. A spokesperson declined to comment.

Scout CEO Scott Keogh said in a 2023 interview that Scout was aiming for a $40,000 starting price range, fairly close to the $45,000 base price Rivian is targeting for its R2 electric SUV due in 2026. The cash infusion from VW will likely help bring that model to market.