Author: EVAI

This is the first of the two ongoing investigations into Ford’s BlueCruise driving assistance system.

• Buick designs to bring in more sales?

• Volkswagen aims for better quality

• CarMax Q4 net income falls

• Corvette’s new ZR1

The EPA is moving to rid waterways of cancerous PFAS chemicals, but the auto industry still relies on some of them for crucial components and materials, including those used in EVs.

Sales of expensive full-size pickup trucks from the Detroit Three automakers fell in the first quarter of 2024 which, as a Bloomberg report explains, could negatively impact those automakers’ EV plans.

Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis have been cashing in on high-end versions of full-size pickups, piling on features like bigger touchscreens and massaging leather seats to push transaction prices into the six-figure range. It’s these highly profitable models that bankroll EVs, giving automakers the cash to invest in EV development and manufacturing.

But sales of big pickups fell in the first quarter, Bloomberg notes. Sales of Stellantis’ Ram pickups fell 15%, while sales of Ford’s bestselling F-Series trucks fell 10%. Ford also hasn’t shipped any electric F-150 Lightning pickups since February 9 due to an undisclosed issue.

2024 Chevrolet Silverado 1500

High sticker prices haven’t deterred pickup shoppers, but high interest rates, along with increased competition from smaller vehicles like compact SUVs and sedans, might at least at the moment be eroding interest, according to Bloomberg.

Full-size trucks have been the cornerstone of the Detroit automakers’ business plans in recent times. Smaller models like the Ford Maverick, which starts in the $20,000s and include a hybrid version, may be a sensible pick for many households compared to an F-150.

Shoppers might be waiting for innovation beyond new, more luxurious pickup trim levels. GM, for instance, is reportedly at work on plug-in hybrid pickups, and Ram will roll out an extended-range plug-in pickup in the next year. 

More all-electric trucks are also on the way, and the advantages of going electric for pickups could be even more pronounced for these vehicles than for regular passenger cars. In 2022 the Union of Concerned Scientists said electric pickups emitted less CO2 than the average gasoline truck no matter where in the U.S. they were plugged in.

2025 Ram 1500

And it is possible that some pickup shoppers might be starting to get the message on EVs. Another 2022 study cranked through the numbers, estimating that electric pickups could replace nearly half of gasoline ones currently in service—with an ownership cost advantage.

The Biden administration just made a series of changes in a final fuel economy calculation, making it easier for automakers to produce and sell more large pickups and SUVs. So regulations won’t threaten U.S. automakers’ obsession with big trucks for the time being.

The 2025 Mercedes-Benz EQS electric sedan gets a number of updates for its third model year. The refreshed EV arrives at U.S. dealerships later this year, with pricing to be revealed closer to that time.

A new 118.0-kwh battery pack for all models represents a 9% increase from the 108.4 kwh usable capacity in current models. Mercedes promises increased range, but didn’t not publish any updated EPA estimates. The EQS currently achieves a maximum 352 miles in single-motor rear-wheel drive EQS 450+ form, so that alone puts 400 miles within reach if other efficiency gains tackle a few more percent improvement.

Mercedes also touts new regenerative braking software that enables greater energy recovery, as well as changes to brake components intended to improve pedal feel—one of our most significant review criticisms of the EQS. This comes after the EQS, along with the smaller EQE, got retuned braking last year, along with heat pumps.

2025 Mercedes-Benz EQS

A fake grille and a hood ornament give the EQS a more traditional look closer to gasoline Mercedes sedans like the S-Class. The EQS has from the start offered an S-Class luxury experience while forging its own design direction—and hatchback body style—so it’s odd to see it trying to replicate the S-Class look.

Inside, an Executive Interior Package increase comfort for rear-seat passengers with features like rapid-heating seats, neck and shoulder heating, and pneumatic adjustment of rear-seat depth. Mercedes made the massive Hyperscreen display standard on the EQS for 2024.

This EQS refresh had been announced by Mercedes CEO Ola Källenius as part of a February update that delayed some of the company’s EV targets, with internal-combustion models staying in its lineup “well into the 2030s.”

2025 Mercedes-Benz EQS

Mercedes expedited the development of the EQS in 2017, and it arrived several years earlier than originally planned. Mercedes has since launched the EQS SUV and sedan and SUV versions of the EQE—all based on the same EVA 2 architecture. These other models will get similar updates in the near future, according to the automaker.

The automaker’s next MMA platform will underpin multiple compact and midsize EVs due to start arriving later this year. Previewed with the Concept CLA-Class last year, MMA emphasizes efficiency and includes some notable improvements over the EVA 2 platform—like an 800-volt electrical architecture.

Charging company Voltpost is preparing to roll out its lamppost EV chargers in major U.S. metro areas like New York, Chicago, and Detroit.

The company on Thursday announced that it had “imminent plans” to deploy its chargers in these areas this spring. The Level 2 chargers are added to existing lampposts, with charging sessions and payment managed through a mobile app.

Each installation has 20 feet of retractable cable and can accommodate two to four charge ports. The ports are designed to route the cable at a 90-degree angle to the car’s charging socket, keeping it out of the way of traffic and pedestrians.

Voltpost claims it can install a charger in just one to two hours at a fraction of the cost of other curbside charging stations. These lamppost chargers also avoid the need to dig trenches for electrical cables and get construction permits, the company notes.

Voltpost streetside EV charger with app and charge connector

The chargers will employ the Open Charge Point Protocol (OCCP), and no matter which automaker app or charging app you use, it’s quite possible you’ll see them included soon. “Voltpost is pursuing an open charging distribution strategy to maximize interoperability and offer a frictionless customer experience,” said its CEO Jeff Prosserman, to Green Car Reports. “This includes integration with partner apps including, but not limited to, Google Maps, Apple Maps, Android Auto and CarPlay.”

Streetlight-based charging has already been proposed as a solution for EV drivers who live in apartments or don’t have dedicated parking. And there’s some indication Voltpost and other proponents may be onto something. New York City began installing some streetside chargers in 2021, and they are now seeing a 72% utilization rate, according to Charged EVs.

Voltpost curbside EV charger

Voltpost isn’t the only company with an innovative design for streetside chargers. Others include a design that tucks away inside the sidewalk during the day, and just adding sockets to street light poles, and letting drivers figure out the cable.

Shell and Ubitricity did a massive rollout of on-street chargers in the U.K., but no such effort has been made in U.S. big cities as of yet. Some cities have resorted to installing Level 2 streetside EV charging by request. But piecemeal in this way, it’s expensive.

—
with additional reporting by Bengt Halvorson

The Milano could become Alfa Romeo’s best-selling model because the small crossover segment is Europe’s largest, and continues to grow.

Ford is cutting prices on some 2024 F-150 Lightning electric pickup trucks by up to $5,500, CarsDirect reports, citing a bulletin sent by Ford to dealerships.

Effective April 5, the XLT Standard Range grade gets a $2,000 price cut, bringing its base price down to $65,090 with the mandatory $2,095 destination charge. The Lariat Extended Range gets a $2,500 price cut, to $79,090 with destination.

2024 Ford F-150 Lightning

The Flash Extended Range— a new-for-2024 model positioned between the XLT and Lariat—gets the biggest price cut of $5,500, meaning it now starts at $70,090 with destination. Prices for the base Pro Standard Range and range-topping Platinum Extended Range are unchanged at $57,090 and $87,090, respectively, again with destination included. Models with an MSRP below $80,000 also qualify for the full $7,500 federal EV tax credit, CarsDirect notes.

This seems like a reversal of sort for Ford, which has resisted lowering Lightning prices across the lineup despite fluctuating demand. In January, the automaker cut prices on top-trim versions, but added thousands to the MSRPs of the rest of the lineup.

2024 Ford F-150 Lightning Flash

In December, when it was clear that prices were slowing Lightning demand, Ford opted to slow production rather than lower the price of the truck. That was one of the early signals that Ford wasn’t aiming to ramp up EV production as urgently as it had previously indicated.

However it’s apparent that the lower prices Ford set for remaining 2023 stock of the Mustang Mach-E have put some spark in the sales of that model. Ford on Tuesday confirmed that it’s holding 2024 Mustang Mach-E pricing near those price points. Maybe such a price adjustment for Lightning will do the same.