Author: EVAI

Hyundai and Kia are looking to combine battery-pack cases with vehicle structural components for greater packaging efficiency.

In a patent filing published by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on Nov. 14, 2024, and first submitted by the automakers to that agency Oct. 26, 2023, Hyundai and Kia discuss having a vehicle’s floor double as the upper panel of a battery pack case. This would make better use of available space, allowing more modules to be fitted, the automakers argue.

Hyundai and Kia battery case floor patent image

This would more closely integrate the battery pack with the vehicle’s structure, several major components of which would attach to the floor panel that also serves as the upper battery case panel. These include side sills and cross members, with some of the latter potentially blended with the floor panel by using an extrusion fabrication method.

Battery modules would be placed underneath the floor, potentially in voids not occupied by crossmembers, with front and rear barriers protecting the pack and integrated with the side sills, the automakers say in the filing.

Hyundai and Kia battery case floor patent image

Other companies have also explored structural battery packs. Tesla outlined its own design at its 2020 Battery Day, claiming at the time that a structural battery would offer a 10% mass reduction, a potential 14% range increase, and 370 fewer parts with battery cells essentially incorporated as part of a honeycomb against the underside of the vehicle floor. Startup Canoo made structural batteries part of its unique skateboard platform, but retained modules while still claiming a 90-pound weight reduction.

Last year, Chinese startup Neta Auto said it was working with battery supplier CATL to ditch battery packs and integrates cells directly with a vehicle’s chassis, taking CATL’s cell-to-pack tech one step further. Beyond that, researchers have also looked at using body panels as batteries, although the various structural battery pack concepts are likely closer to production.

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Electric vehicles improved in the 2025 J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Study but plug-in hybrids got worse.

Released Thursday, the annual study focuses on the rate of problems with new vehicles, as reported by owners, with scores assigned based on problems per 100 vehicles. The new results are based on problems experienced by the original owners of vehicles going back to the 2022 model year. The sample included 34,175 responses from owners gathered from August through November of 2024.

EVs improved by 33 problems per 100 vehicles compared to the previous year’s study, while plug-in hybrids saw an increase of 26 problems per 100 vehicles compared to last year, when EVs were found to be the most trouble-prone vehicles.

2024 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid

The gap between EVs and gasoline vehicles also narrowed significantly, J.D. Power noted, now standing at 223 problems per 100 vehicles and 200 problems per 100 vehicles, respectively. Plug-in hybrids were the most problematic, at 242 reported issues per 100 vehicles. Hybrids fared the best; such models without a plug experienced the fewest problems, at 199 per 100 vehicles.

In a previous study, J.D. Power underscored that the powertrains aren’t to blame for all these issues; rather it’s been all the other tech that debuts in EVs. The 2025 Vehicle Dependability Study indicates that tech-related issues are becoming more prevalent across the auto industry, with software connectivity issues among the most frequent owner complaints, and just 30% of owners saying that they saw improvements after over-the-air updates.

2022 Audi Q5 55 TFSI e plug-in hybrid

That contributed to a worse performance, as averaged across the entire industry, in this year’s study. The industry as a whole saw problems per 100 vehicles increase by 6%, averaging 202 problems per 100 vehicles.

But EVs continue to perform more poorly than other vehicles in these studies. J.D. Power also noted a higher rate of owner-reported problems for EVs, compared to the industry average, in its 2024 Initial Quality Study. Consumer Reports’ annual reliability survey in late 2023 found that vehicles that plug in, overall, are more trouble-prone—and it noted that especially applies to plug-in hybrids.

• Modern EVs don’t suffer the extreme-temp range loss—or degradation—that earlier models did
• Heat pumps and battery heaters have made a difference, as have new battery chemistries
• Automaker testing is part of it, as Nissan points to in Ariya EV

Electric vehicle batteries perform best and last longest in a specific temperature window, but modern EVs are still equipped to deal with temperatures much hotter or colder than that ideal.

As Nissan explained in a recent press release, that’s largely down to equipping vehicles with thermal-management hardware—and validating that hardware with thorough testing.

The Nissan Ariya crossover uses liquid cooling to keep its battery pack at the optimal temperature during hot weather, and a battery heater in colder temperatures. The Ariya also has a heat pump to minimize cold-weather range loss—something the popular Tesla Model Y and Model 3 also have.

Nissan Ariya cold temperature testing

Like most other major automakers, Nissan tests new vehicles in climate-controlled chambers to monitor extreme temperatures. Such a chamber at Nissan’s Detroit-area technical center is capable of temperatures ranging from -40 degrees Fahrenheit to 176 degrees Fahrenheit, the automaker claims.

In a 24-hour “cold soak” test conducted in 2024, an Ariya was parked in the chamber with a 17% charge at -4 degrees Fahrenheit. After a full day had passed at that temperature, without the car being plugged in or using its battery heater, Nissan claims the charge level was unchanged.

Owners might want to leave a car plugged in, of course, both to charge and to pre-heat the cabin without drawing down the pack. Since they’re not waiting for the waste heat from a combustion engine, EVs inherently warm their interiors faster, too, Nissan notes.

Nissan Ariya security patrol vehicle used at automaker’s Arizona proving ground

Very high temps are a consideration nearly every automaker has allowed for in modern EV development, too. Nissan also uses Ariya SUVs for the security patrols at its proving ground near Phoenix, Arizona, to keep prying eyes away from new models circling test tracks out in the desert. In 2023, Nissan replaced gasoline Armada and Frontier patrol vehicles with a pair of Ariya EVs, which have since covered more than 30,000 miles at the site, where summer temperatures can exceed 115 degrees Fahrenheit. They’re part of a fleet of 10 Ariyas at the facility.

This more thorough testing in extreme temperatures—and wider use of heat pumps and other related hardware—appears to be paying off. Recurrent, which gathers EV driving data to compile battery health reports for used vehicles, found that 20 popular models are now averaging 80% of peak range in freezing temperatures, compared to ideal conditions. That’s based on data from over 18,000 vehicles in the U.S., according to Recurrent. 

As with previous studies, Recurrent found that each model performs differently, but that all models surveyed can deliver over 100 miles of range when the thermometer needle drops below freezing. Yes, that even includes the base 149-mile Nissan Leaf. The heat pump-equipped Tesla Model X and Model S performed best, and heat pumps overall averaged a 10% improvement in cold-weather range.

Nissan itself is a good example here for how far EVs have come in adding thermal systems and accommodating for extremes. The original Nissan Leaf EV lacked active thermal management, and its first cells suffered from excessive range reduction in the cold and accelerated degradation from the heat. That was partly solved in 2015 with a new cell chemistry, but as it’s shown here all the advantages built into the Ariya may be worth their added complexity. 

It’s also important to remember that whatever range loss owners encounter in cold weather is temporary. Long-term battery degradation is accelerated in hot weather, although research done last year by Geotab suggests that for most new EVs, battery degradation shouldn’t really be a concern—even if you follow habits that had been frowned upon with earlier EVs, like frequent fast-charging.

Honda and Nissan on Thursday terminated a memorandum of understanding under which the two automakers had been discussing a merger, but plan to continue collaborating.

The memorandum was signed by the two automakers in December as the first step toward a merger targeted for 2026. The decision to terminate it comes after discussions by each automaker’s management team and various stakeholders that “considered the surrounding market environment, the objectives of the business integration, and the management strategies and structures post-integration,” a joint statement said.

2024 Nissan Ariya

When talks started, both automakers had discussed transferring their shares to a joint holding company, in which Honda would appoint the majority of directors and a CEO. But Honda later proposed making Nissan a subsidiary. A report earlier this month indicated that this was jeopardizing the planned merger. Such a structure would diminish Nissan’s decision-making authority, and had reportedly caused the automaker to withdraw from negotiations.

Both companies agreed to cease merger talks in order to “prioritize speed of decision making and execution of management measures in an increasingly volatile market environment heading into the era of electrification,” the statement said. But the two automakers will continue working together.

Honda 0 Saloon prototype

“Nissan and Honda will collaborate within the framework of a strategic partnership aimed at the era of intelligence and electrified vehicles,” the statement said. The automakers signed a memorandum of understanding for a strategic partnership covering EVs, hybrids, and software in March 2024 that will continue to move forward, Nissan indicated.

The merger would’ve been a lifeline for Nissan, which has been struggling with declining sales globally, particularly in the U.S. and China. Nissan also owns 34% of Mitsubishi, and the two automakers collaborate as part of an alliance with Renault, but Mitsubishi was reportedly planning to stay out of the proposed merger with Honda.

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Stellantis is now taking orders for all three versions of the Ram ProMaster EV electric van family, with deliveries to begin in the second quarter of this year.

When it announced the ProMaster EV just over a year ago, Ram said it would be offered in a delivery van configuration and two cargo van options. The delivery van went on sale as a 2024 model; now the two cargo options are arriving for the 2025 model year.

The cargo models include a standard 12-foot cargo length with an extended 13-foot length optional, both with a 159-inch wheelbase. This front-wheel-drive van has a single electric motor producing 268 hp and 302 lb-ft of torque in both cargo models, as well as the delivery van.

2025 Ram ProMaster EV Cargo Van

A 110-kwh battery pack, below the center of the vehicle to maintain a flat cargo floor, delivers an estimated 164 miles of range in the cargo vans and 180 miles in the delivery van. Ram also claims a maximum payload of 3,020 pounds for cargo vans and 2,876 pounds for the delivery van, with volume unchanged versus equivalent internal-combustion models.

Prices start at $58,490 for the cargo models and $71,990 for the delivery van. That means the 2025 Ford E-Transit remains the lowest-priced electric van, at a starting price of $53,095. But at only slightly more for more range and battery flexibility, the ProMaster also appeals on value.

And it significantly undercuts the $82,900 base price of the Rivian Commercial Van 500 recently announced, with similar range. That van is similar in design to the one Rivian once sold exclusively to Amazon; following the end of that exclusivity deal, Rivian is now opening electric van sales to all fleets.

2025 Ram ProMaster EV Cargo Van

2025 Ram ProMaster EV Cargo Van

2025 Ram ProMaster EV Cargo Van

The Rivian is based on an EV-specific platform, but the ProMaster EV and gasoline ProMaster share underpinnings. That’s also the case for the Ford E-Transit and current Mercedes-Benz eSprinter—although a family of standalone Mercedes electric vans is on the way within two years. General Motors has also designed electric vans from scratch, even marketing them under the separate BrightDrop brand for some time, before folding it into Chevrolet.

• Bigger battery packs bring an inflated carbon footprint
• Solution is higher efficiency and reeling range in to a real-world 300 miles
• Six upcoming Neue Klasse EVs will follow this philosophy

BMW aims to grow its electric-vehicle momentum with its next-generation Neue Klasse family of vehicles, but it won’t be doing that with big battery packs.

“You can’t make battery packs bigger and bigger because then BEVs don’t make sense anymore,” BMW chief development officer Frank Weber said in an interview with Automotive News Europe published Monday, arguing that chasing ever-bigger range numbers with ever-larger battery packs would lead to a penalty in the form of an inflated carbon footprint.

Bigger battery packs could indeed lead to more emissions from their manufacture—plus a range of farther-reaching consequences. One 2022 study suggested heavier EVs would also mean increased particulate emissions from tires wearing down more quickly under the added weight of those packs. They’ll also strain the supply chain, which has been shown to be fragile over the past few years.

BMW Vision Neue Klasse concept

“Improving efficiency is much more important than ever-larger batteries,” Weber said. “And this is exactly what we are doing with the Neue Klasse, which makes efficiency leaps of up to 20%, depending on the model.”

At a certain point, increased range is also unnecessary, Weber said, noting that current BMW EV customers are happy with 250 to 310 miles of range “under real-world conditions.” BMW is finding that this amount of range allows customers to complete most trips without charging, Weber, said, adding that BMW still is aiming for a 30% range boost over its current models with the Neue Klasse.

Those comments echo what Green Car Reports and a rather small group of automakers have emphasized for years—that range is a red herring, and that no one needs a 500-mile EV. But now that philosophy is being applied to what BMW has promised will be a large family of fairly high-volume models.

Pre-production example of first BMW Neue Klasse electric vehicle at plant in Hungary

BMW plans to launch six Neue Klasse EVs within the next two years, Weber told Automotive News Europe. The first of those models, an electric crossover SUV, is expected to start production later this year. The first vehicles will be built in Hungary, but BMW has said factories in Germany and Mexico will build Neue Klasse models as well.

Those models will reverse BMW’s current trend of basing EVs on existing gasoline vehicles, although Weber pointed out that they’ll still share elements with other BMW models, such as the new dashboard display the automaker unveiled last month at CES 2025. During media roundtables at that show, Weber also said the upcoming EVs will set the design template for future gasoline BMW models.