Author: EVAI

Do EVs need a breakthrough in battery energy density before they make environmental sense?

And which luxury EV is bringing back the appearance of an internal combustion grille? Will fake tailpipes come next?

This is our look back at the Week In Reverse—right here at Green Car Reports—for the week ending April 12, 2024.

In a first drive of the 2024 Fiat 500e electric car, Green Car Reports found that this fashion accessory and short-range EV remains a good fit for the city—with many of the same limitations as the first-generation 500e sold on the West Coast. 

2024 Fiat 500e

The 2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E boasts more range and faster charging—as well as quicker acceleration for much of the lineup—at a price thousands less than when the 2023 Mach-E arrived a year ago. The Mach-E now offers up to 320 miles of EPA range, according to Ford. Top-performance Mach-E GT versions with the Performance Upgrade are also now capable of outperforming the Tesla Model Y Performance, Ford claims. 

2025 Mercedes-Benz EQS

The big 2025 Mercedes-Benz EQS hatchback is getting an extensive refresh for the new model year, including more battery capacity and driving range, improved brakes, and a limousine-like rear seating package. A grille that attempts to mimic that of the gasoline S-Class is also part of the revamp. 

Ford is also already reversing course on recent F-150 Lightning price hikes. It’s cut 2024 F-150 Lightning prices by up to $5,500—with the recently introduced Flash version offering the biggest price cut and several mid-range models cut by thousands. 

Honda Saloon Concept – 2024 CES

Honda touted the flexibility being built into its Ohio EV hub, which might build hundreds of EVs a day or a mix skewing heavily to hybrids, depending on demand. Included in the buildout for the brand’s next-generation EVs are 31-foot-tall, 6,000-ton die-cast machines that outdo those used at Giga Texas. 

Kia last week detailed plans for its shift toward EVs and electrified powertrains through the decade, and it hasn’t budged in its target of 1.6 million Kia EV sales annually by 2030. But it does now see about 800,000 annual hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and fuel-cell sales by then—making electrified vehicles 58% of its mix in 2030.

Voltpost streetside EV charger

A significant number of U.S. curbside EV chargers appears to soon be on the way. Voltpost announced plans to roll out its lamppost-based EV chargers in major U.S. metro areas including New York, Chicago, and Detroit. These Level 2 AC chargers will have 20 feet of retractable cable and a supporting app, and installation costs a fraction of what siting and installing a separate charger would. 

Toyota had previously suggested that it would stop selling diesels in passenger vehicles. But it continues to sell diesel SUVs across most regions, even in Europe. And in recent remarks an Australian executive for the company insisted that diesel “is not going to die off anytime soon,” and hinted that diesel might be paired with hybrid powertrains “particularly for heavy vehicles.”

Rimac C_Two electromagnetic-emissions testing

Rimac announced that it will help BMW with next-gen EV batteries, as the company that started with a BMW EV conversions, and then a supercar maker, now also shifts roles to a high-tech supplier.

Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares last week claimed that EVs need a “breakthrough” in battery-cell energy density before they make sense from an environmental standpoint versus combustion vehicles—partly because of all the extra weight and raw materials. That stands in stark contrast to the overwhelming majority of academic papers and calculations from everyone ranging from environmental organizations to automakers, suggesting that EVs in their present state of tech pay off quickly in CO2 and overall environmental impact.

PSA Group CEO Carlos Tavares and GM CEO Mary Barra

With a bill signed into law last week, New Jersey is marking up EV ownership with an additional $1,000 upfront fee that applies on top of other existing registration fees. While it effectively replaces the role of the gas tax for EVs in funding road maintenance, it could amount to a disincentive toward the state’s adoption of California’s EV mandate and its goel to hit 50% EV sales by 2027 and 100% by 2035. 

Despite long-held plans to align with California emissions standards, Connecticut and Maine have delayed adopting California’s EV sales mandate with recent decisions. EV advocates, concerned this will push out adoption of the rules to later in the decade, point to misinformation campaigns from fossil-fuel-funded groups. 

Ford, GM, and Stellantis have been relying on sales of expensive full-size pickup trucks to effectively bankroll the EV push. But now, will sagging sales due to high interest rates impact the future EV product rollout?

2025 Ram 1500 Tungsten

Electric passenger cars plus electric trucks of all kinds could add up to 65% of today’s total grid demand by 2050, noted a study out this week from the Natural Resources Defense Council and EPRI, which represents utilities. But according to the study, efficiency improvements to EVs could pay off big by reducing that load, cutting costs for all Americans and not only those who are driving an EV by then. 

And according to polling results out this week from Gallup, American EV ownership is growing, yet fewer car shoppers are considering EVs who don’t already own one. Gallup found these results to be increasingly tied to political affiliation and noted, as various other studies have, that older Americans are less likely to buy (and consider) EVs.

 _______________________________________

Follow Green Car Reports on Facebook and Twitter

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.