Author: EVAI

Morgan’s newest flagship model is the Supersport The Supersport introduces an updated CXV platform but retains its predecessor’s powertrain Pricing in the U.K. starts at 85,000 British pounds (approximately $110,000) Morgan, the historic British sports car marque renowned for blending classic design with modern engineering, has unveiled its new…

Next-generation Mercedes-Benz electric vans will be able to charge faster thanks to an 800-volt electrical architecture and a 22-kw AC onboard charger.

Those are two of the details confirmed by Mercedes Thursday as the automaker was cold-weather testing these new vans in Arjeplog, Sweden, a popular spot in the Arctic Circle for such testing.

Prototype for Mercedes-Benz electric midsize van based on Van.EA platform

Current electric vans like the eSprinter are derived from internal-combustion models, but Mercedes is taking an electric-first approach with its next generation of vans. Electric models will be based on a new architecture called Van.EA, with combustion models using a derivative of that architecture called Van.CA.

In addition to more powerful charging, the Van.EA models will be available with four-wheel steering and all-wheel drive—features that are common on the automaker’s electric passenger cars but that haven’t been offered on its electric vans. All-wheel-drive models are expected to have dual motors, and single-motor models will be configured for front-wheel drive, instead of rear-wheel drive, as in the current eSprinter.

Prototype for Mercedes-Benz electric midsize van based on Van.EA platform

Mercedes plans to offer the typical array of work vehicles, plus a more luxurious model that will be previewed by a concept dubbed the Vision V. Production is scheduled to start next year.

Expect more commingling of Mercedes’ electric and internal-combustion model lines. The next-generation 2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class will be offered with all-electric and 48-volt mild-hybrid powertrains. Mercedes also recently confirmed electric versions of the larger C-Class and E-Class sedans, as well as the GLC-Class crossover. A prototype electric GLC was also recently tested in Arjeplog.

Ford is again recalling 2021-2022 Mustang Mach-E electric vehicles because of an issue with a key propulsion-system component that could cause a loss of drive power.

The core issue is that battery main contractors can overheat after DC fast-charging or when the driver floors it too many times in a row. That can lead to “arcing and deformation of the electrical contact surfaces, which can result in a contractor that remains open or a contractor that welds closed,” according to the NHTSA.

2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E

The same issue led Ford to halt Mach-E deliveries in June 2022. Under that campaign, Ford delivered an over-the-air fix containing revised software for two control modules. It then issued a second recall that involved physical replacement of some electrical components in a Mach-E vehicles with the extended-range battery pack.

This third recall covers a small subset of vehicles—234—that did not receive the correct software remedy under the first recall. Ford told the NHTSA that, although successful installation was recorded, the correct software may not in fact have been install on these vehicles. Ford added that it’s unaware of any crashes or injuries related to these vehicles remaining in circulation without the software fix.

2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E

In previous recalls, Ford said contractor failure can lead either the vehicle not starting after it’s cycled off, or to the vehicle displaying “Stop Safely Now” and coasting to a stop—although power brakes, steering, and accessories will remain functional.

Owners will have to take their cars for dealerships to have the correct software installed, free of charge. Ford plans to mail owner notification letters on April 14. Owners can also call Ford’s customer service department at 1-866-436-7332 for more information. Ford’s reference number for this recall is 25S14.

Once car shoppers get an electric vehicle, the odds are very low of them returning to any kind of model that relies on a gas pump. 

That’s one of the conclusions of J.D. Power’s 2025 U.S. Electric Vehicle Experience Ownership Study, which asked 6,164 owners of EVs and plug-in hybrids from model years 2024 and 2025 about their first year of ownership. Those respondents were surveyed from August through December 2024.

Of the EV owners surveyed, 94% said they were likely to consider purchasing another EV as their next car. And only 12% said they were likely to consider replacing their EV with a vehicle with an internal-combustion engine—including a hybrid or plug-in hybrid.

2025 Ford Mustang Mach-E (Premium with Sport Appearance Package)

Overall, despite all the policy and messaging suggesting a pivot away from EVs, the study found EV satisfaction on the upswing, after two years in which owners were particularly unhappy with areas including the tech and interface, and public charging.

Among mass-market EV owners, satisfaction was up 86 points year over year, to 725 points on a scale of 1,000. J.D. Power attributes that to continued charging infrastructure buildout and the number of EV brands embracing the NACS charging standard and giving their customers access to the Tesla Supercharger network.

The study also showed greater satisfaction among plug-in hybrid owners. The average score for premium plug-in hybrids—a new subset considered in this year’s study—was 741, higher than mass-market EVs, and only 15 index points lower than premium EVs. That’s a significant improvement in the overall picture for plug-in hybrids compared to previous J.D. Power studies.

2025 Kia Niro EV

The shift away from Tesla is skewing sales results that otherwise show significant gains among EV sales for most other brands, and despite Tesla’s nosedive, overall EV sales may gain 3% of market share this year.

In places like Florida or Texas, whether those states have favorable EV policy or not, this very high rate of owners looking to trade in for another EV is especially good news.

Volkswagen is recalling more than 177,000 new Atlas three-row and related Atlas Cross Sport five-seat crossover SUVs for a heightened fire risk, the NHTSA disclosed Monday. The engine cover may have been improperly installed in 2024 and 2025 models, and it could come loose and contact hot surfaces that could cause it to melt and trigger a fire…

Mopar has unveiled the ’25 Ram 1500 RHO custom truck Production is limited to 250 examples Pricing starts at $88,730, including destination Mopar is back with another exclusive, factory-built special edition, continuing its tradition of high-performance, custom-styled vehicles. The latest in this long-running series is the Mopar ’25 Ram 1500 RHO…

Limited resources mean Volvo may skip redesigning its wagons, according to CEO To boost sales, Volvo may introduce new variants of other body styles Current V60 and V90 wagons may live on with updates There was a time when Volvo was widely recognized as a station wagon brand, especially in the latter part of the past century thanks to models like…

• “Real-world validation testing” completed on inboard-motor setup
• Aptera switched to the layout, instead of in-wheel motors, for its future solar EV
• Per-mile energy consumption remains in line with previous layout

Aptera last week announced that it had completed the first round of “real-world validation testing” of its solar-assisted three-wheeled electric vehicle—after effectively starting over on some aspects of its powertrain.

An Aptera press release said the company had completed this first round of testing—primarily focused on aerodynamics—at a proving ground in the Mojave Desert. But as Aptera said with 2022 Aptera performance preview video, it did lots of real-world dynamic testing and validation, looking at handling, dive, lift, and high-speed stability with the original in-wheel motor configuration.

But this latest round of tests is the first using electric motors in the conventional inboard position, Aptera co-founder and co-CEO Steve Fambro clarified in a statement to Green Car Reports.

Aptera with Elaphe motors

“As we complete the first round of validation with our new in-board powertrain, we’re seeing strong results that align with our efficiency and performance targets,” Fambro said, in a response to a question about how the inboard motors are measuring up. “While we can’t offer a direct comparison—since Aptera never had a production-intent vehicle with in-wheel motors—our initial testing with our in-board powertrain confirms that we continue to achieve Aptera’s signature ultra-efficiency, with energy consumption per mile remaining in line with our expectations.”

Aptera only completed its first production-intent vehicle last October, combining the new inboard powertrain with other production-spec elements for validation testing. That included coast-down tests, in which vehicles are allowed to coast to a stop to measure aerodynamic drag and driveline energy losses. Aptera claimed one of its production-intent vehicles took three minutes to coast from 60 mph to a complete stop. That’s a positive sign for high aerodynamic efficiency.

Aptera’s release said the company also conducted aerodynamic “tuft testing,” in which material is applied to areas such as the wheel fairings to visually check airflow, and a highway drive cycle measuring energy consumption over hundreds of miles. It plans to conduct range and charging tests next, once more production-spec parts are available and panel fit is further dialed in.

Aptera production-intent vehicle

Dropping in-wheel motors, which was reportedly a cost-related move, was surprising as Aptera had banked a lot of its image and innovation on the tech. Aptera’s Chris Anthony had explained to Jay Leno that engineers could get 30% more regenerative braking than from an induction motor this way, because of in-wheel motors’ greater leverage with magnets away from the axis.

Aptera wants to be more than a niche firm, and it’s mentioned again in recent months that it aspires to build a million vehicles by 2033—amid finances that appear so thin that it might be limited in how many more prototypes it can build.

Just a few days after official deliveries began, this Xiaomi SU7 Ultra driver missed a turn on a race track.

Stellantis is experimenting with multi-speed transmissions to improve the efficiency of electric vehicles, a recently surfaced patent filing indicates.

Published by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) Feb. 27, 2025, but originally filed by the automaker in 2023, the patent application deals specifically with adding a second forward gear to the drive modules in which electric motors are often packaged for use in EVs.

Stellantis EV transmission patent image

The document focusing mainly on how the transmission would shift between the two gears. Stellantis discusses using magnetic fluid, which is currently used in certain adaptive dampers. This fluid contains ferrous metallic particles, which react to magnetic fields. This could be used to move the shafts holding individual gears into position in a more efficient manner versus conventional hydraulically-actuated clutches, Stellantis claims.

While this may just be a case of patent writers trying to cover their legal bases, the document also refers to “electrified vehicles” rather than just EVs, including hybrids and plug-in hybrids like Stellantis’ Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid and Jeep 4xe models. A separate 2-speed gearbox for an electric motor as part of a hybrid system isn’t unheard of; Mercedes-Benz employs this complex arrangement in some of its current AMG performance plug-in hybrids.

Stellantis EV transmission patent image

This is the second recent Stellantis patent filing related to a multi-speed transmission for use with electric motors. The first was published by the USPTO in January 2024, but was focused on off-road use and involved a different gear-actuation mechanism.

The Porsche Taycan remains the most prominent use of a multi-speed transmission in a production electric car. Mercedes is slated to use one in future EVs as well, and Lucid has patented one of its own. Volkswagen has indicated that it won’t be going this route, however, while Honda has designed a manual transmission—complete with clutch pedal—as it looks for ways to win car enthusiasts’ approval of its upcoming 0 Series EVs.