Author: EVAI

Tim Kuniskis, the executive perhaps most influential in spreading horsepower around Stellantis’s U.S. brands, is stepping down from his role as the head of Dodge and Ram. Stellantis, the parent company of both brands, announced on Friday that as of June 1, Chrysler brand head Christine Feuell will take on the lead at Ram. Matt McAlear, currently…

Consumer interest in EVs has decreased compared to last year, according to a new J.D. Power study.

On Thursday, J.D. Power released the results of its 2024 U.S. Electric Vehicle Consideration study. For the first time since the study’s launch in 2021, analysts saw a decline in consideration of EVs by new-car shoppers.

Of those car shoppers surveyed, 24% said they were “very likely” to consider purchasing an EV, down from 26% a year ago. The share of respondents who said they are “overall likely” to consider purchasing an EV also decreased, from 61% in 2023 to 58% this year.

2024 Nissan Leaf

One of the main factors behind diminished EV interest was affordability. In statement, J.D. Power executive director of EV intelligence Stewart Stropp cited “the continued shortage of affordable vehicles” as one of the “main roadblocks” to getting more consumers behind the wheel of an EV.

The lack of affordable EV models is causing consideration to drop among the Gen Z and Gen Y buyers who are otherwise most excited about EVs. The share of Gen Z and Gen Y buyers “very likely” to consider an EV was down 2 and 5 percentage points year over year, respectively. However, that still leaves 24% of Gen Z and 32% of Gen Y respondents that are “very likely” to consider one—the two highest ratios amount generational demographics.

High interest rates and inflation—which also impact affordability—were two other factors in the decline in EV interest, according to J.D. Power. And while incentives can help make EVs more affordable, 40% of respondents said they did not have a solid understanding of such incentives. The drop in tax credit availability for many models likely hasn’t helped, either.

2024 Volkswagen ID.4

Charging also remains an issue. Among respondents said they were “somewhat unlikely” or “very unlikely” to consider an EV, 52% cited lack of charging station availability as a reason. This figure increased 3 percentage points year over year. A previous J.D. Power study also found that charge times, as total ownership costs, may be holding shoppers back from EV purchases.

The study also found that drivers with long commutes are less likely to consider EVs. They might potentially benefit the most from them in ownership costs, but with lower gas prices and increased charging anxiety, those who drive the most daily miles are shying away from EVs, according to J.D. Power. Instead we’ve seen that Americans all too often buy vehicles for the one trip or scenario they might only need once a year.

Even as gas prices rise again and charging networks grow and become more reliable, the dearth of affordable EV models may soon become the true issue without more market entries.

After a few years of slow rolling, megawatt charging for electric commercial trucks is arriving in a substantial way.

WattEV this week announced the opening of a solar-powered charging station for medium-duty and heavy-duty commercial trucks in Bakersfield, California. Announced in 2021, it’s the fourth station WattEV has opened, following three other California locations positioned near major trucking hubs and routes.

The Bakersfield station has three Megawatt Charging Standard (MCS) 1,200-kw chargers connected to its solar array, WattEV said in a press release. These can reduce the charge time for 300 miles of range to just 30 minutes, WattEV claims. The 119-acre site also has 16 dual-cord 360-kw chargers connected to the grid, as well as 15 single-cord 240-kw Combined Charging Standard (CCS) chargers.

ChargePoint EV charger with megawatt connector and cable

ChargePoint this week also announced support for the MCS. A compatible cable and connector will be available on the company’s Power Link 2000 stations, delivering up to 1.2 megawatts, according to a ChargePoint press release. The MCS is also designed for bidirectional charging, with an output of up to 3 megawatts, as well as marine and aviation charging applications, the company noted.

These announcements indicate that megawatt charging infrastructure development is finally picking up speed. The first megawatt-charging-ready station for electric semis opened in 2021, in Portland, Oregon, while megawatt charging was formalized as a standard in 2022.

Electric Island – Daimler Trucks North America and PGE – Portland OR

This may be just the start. A utility-based project helping to lay out and site these high-power stations kicked off in 2020, helping to pave the way for a network along the West Coast’s I-5 corridor. Truck maker Daimler is also planning a $650 million U.S. charging and hydrogen network for big rigs.

With refueling times for hydrogen fuel-cell semi trucks estimated at 20 minutes or more, megawatt charging creates a closer competition between fuel-cell and battery-powered trucks in the effort to decarbonize commercial vehicles—along with cause to wonder if the time for hydrogen fuel-cell semis has already come and gone.

Five of six automakers tracked by Plante Moran in its annual supplier Working Relations Index study improved their scores, even as changes in electrification plans and tensions over pricing continue to be a pain point.

Which EV charging network remains slated for growth, with nearly the entire team laid off?

How will EV tires last longer while tapping into more renewable materials?

This is our look back at the Week In Reverse—right here at Green Car Reports—for the week ending May 17, 2024.

In a first drive of Mercedes’ electric G-wagen, we found it to be a better, more precise off-roader than the gasoline model—outshining the combustion versions even before the EV’s party-trick zenith called G-Turn.

2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz

Volkswagen has confirmed standard features and trim levels for its U.S.-bound 2025 VW ID.Buzz electric vans, but pricing and EPA range might remain months away, closer to when these models are expected to arrive for first deliveries. Expect colors and interior trims for the longer three-row ID.Buzz versions that America gets. 

The 2025 Kia EV6 has made a global debut with a larger battery pack and potentially a range boost of 10% or more—plus styling updates that appear to bring this trendsetting electric crossover in alignment with details from Kia’s latest EV9 and upcoming EV3. Also, the 2025 Kia Sorento Hybrid three-row SUV lineup earns up to 36 mpg, and it’s getting refreshed styling inside and out, without any price hike. A similar update applies to the plug-in hybrid. 

2025 Kia Sorento plug-in hybrid

California EV startup Aptera is ending crowdfunding for its three-wheel EV after June, it announced late Wednesday. More funding is still needed to get its Launch Edition solar EV to production, although it says it plans to bring the vehicle to market “at scale” in 2025.

Subaru is bringing back the Crosstrek Hybrid, according to a report, and it will likely arrive soon after the upcoming 2026 Subaru Forester Hybrid. Meanwhile, it appears that three out of the four EVs that Subaru announced last year will be collaborations with Toyota.

Honda 0 Saloon concept

Honda has confirmed that it plans to make two million EVs annually by 2030. And, as part of a presentation outlining all that it hopes to achieve with EVs in the second half of the decade, it also revealed plans for a new generation of Honda all-wheel-drive hybrids coming soon. 

Mitsubishi provided a rough idea of what its future U.S. lineup might look like for 2026 and beyond. Two models will bring the brand into new market segments, it says, and Mitsubishi EVs, hybrids, and plug-in hybrids are on the way. It didn’t provide any update on the reported Mitsubishi electric pickup to be shared with Nissan, though. 

Mitsubishi D:X concept

The world debut of Sony’s new in-vehicle entertainment app is in the Vinfast VF 8 electric SUV, the Vietnamese automaker announced Friday. Vinfast will initially offer the feature, called Ridevu, as complimentary, including a library of movies, and streaming to other passenger devices. The interface serves as an early preview of what’s in store in Sony’s upcoming Afeela EV conceived with Honda.

The Biden administration effectively quadrupled the tariff on Chinese EVs, accompanying tariff hikes on EV batteries, solar cells, and critical minerals. It expands beyond just EVs, however, to steel and aluminum and semiconductors, but it omitted the language from challenger Donald Trump singling out imports from Mexico as an issue. And coincidence or not, the same morning the tariff hikes were announced, China’s BYD Shark plug-in hybrid pickup made its debut in Mexico. As the first completely new BYD to debut outside China, the sub-$55,000 pickup with 62 electric miles provided a political statement even if not intended. 

BMW Vision Neue Klasse X concept

BMW is sticking to the EV targets it announced several years ago—50% fully electric sales by 2030, not including hybrids or plug-in hybrids. That said, BMW CEO Oliver Zipse wouldn’t set an end date for internal combustion, emphasizing that the company “will stay flexible—even well into the 2030s.”

Ford is recalling some Maverick and Escape hybrids, as well as some Lincoln Corsair plug-in hybrids, over an issue that could leave these vehicles in limp mode. It’s a software fix but requires a trip to the dealership. 

2024 Ford Maverick

Michelin might be the top tire maker in the world, but it sees a future in which you won’t need to buy as many tires. That’s because in addition to radical innovations like airless tires and million-mile retreads, future EV tires with sustainable materials will last longer.

In Q1, U.S. EV market share fell, while EV sales levels remained significantly up on a year-over-year basis. With that as the top-level takeaway of an update from the DOE’s Energy Information Administration, the backstory suggested some complicated dynamics, as a glut of luxury EVs sits in a sagging luxury market, affordable EVs remain scarce as affordability challenges remain, and Tesla managed only slight U.S. sales gains.

Tesla Supercharger

And Tesla’s Supercharger network is set to grow by “thousands” of chargers in 2024, attested CEO Elon Musk, despite a recent round of layoffs that essentially purged the entire division behind the highly successful charging network. It will spend “well over” $500 million on its Supercharger network this year, he said in a post on X, with that investment independent of operating costs.

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Rivian could add a deployable roof-top canopy to the list of accessories for its EVs, if a recent patent filing is any indication. The automaker filed a patent application titled “Canopy with Deployable Structure” with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in early 2023; that application was published by the USPTO on May 14…

The CEO and co-founder of the U.K. automated-driving startup details a fundraising round that includes investment from SoftBank, Nvidia and Microsoft. Further, he explains the company’s ChatGPT-like approach to utilizing AI in the traffic realm.

Icon is back with another Ford Bronco restomod, this time with retro two-tone blue paint. The 1968 BR Old School Edition maintains the appearance of a 1968 Bronco, but nearly everything on it is new or modified for higher quality. That starts with the chassis, a bespoke piece that was powder coated for added durability. The bodywork also has a…

Aston Martin’s Vantage sports car has been thoroughly overhauled, gaining new styling, a much-improved interior, and plenty of extra horsepower in the process. Find out what it’s like to drive in our in-depth review. We also tested the updated 2025 Mercedes-Benz G-Class this week, including in the new G 580 with EQ Technology electric grade. It…

Those who’ve owned or leased a Chevrolet Bolt EV from the 2017 through 2022 model year are likely eligible for an amount ranging from $700 to $1,400, as part of a $150 million settlement amount against GM and LG Energy Solution. 

The Michigan class-action case is the consolidated version of eight class-action cases filed in various U.S. District Courts vs. GM in late 2020 and early 2021 and, in settlement documents posted by CBS, lays out eligibility and amounts. 

According to the settlement, Bolt owners who installed diagnostic software that temporarily affected these models’ driving range are eligible to get $1,400, provided they installed it by Dec. 31, 2023, while those who owned or leased a Bolt prior to the remedy can claim $700. 

2021 Chevrolet Bolt EV

The $1,400 amount is the same that GM offered to pay 2020-2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV and EUV owners in October 2023, in exchange for the installation of diagnostic software limiting capacity (and range) to 80% of the original over a period of 6,200 miles. That was considered an early settlement amount and required signing a legal release. 

The class action settlement also excludes customers who opted for a buyback from GM, which was on the table for some customers early on in the diagnosis and recall process. But it doesn’t exclude drivers who already got a new battery.

The 2021 recall effort eventually spanned all of the roughly 140,000 Bolt EV and Bolt EUV vehicles in North America, after two specific manufacturing battery defects in cells supplied by GM partner LG led to at many fires. GM said that it would replace all battery modules in 2017-2019 Bolt EVs. Some of those owners of earlier Bolt EV models got a completely new pack, resulting in more range than they originally had. 

2020 Chevrolet Bolt EV review update – Portland OR

Bolt EV drivers were inconvenienced. For many months before a recall remedy was announced, GM asked Bolt EV drivers to park 50 feet away from other vehicles—a challenge for many of its drivers, who tend to live in urban areas. It also instructed customers to set their vehicles to a maximum 90 percent state of charge, charge their vehicles more frequently and not allow range to drop below 70 miles, and park their vehicles outside immediately after charging.

The incidents were generally when the vehicles were parked and nearly fully charged but still hooked up to a charger, not when they were being driven. 

LG eventually agreed to pay GM $1.9 billion for the issue—effectively covering the cost of the recall itself, but not other factors like reputation. 

A new-generation Chevy Bolt EV is set to replace the Malibu at GM’s Kansas plant, likely arriving later in 2025. It’s expected to make a switch to GM’s Ultium EV platform and will be GM’s first U.S. product to use lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery cells on that platform.