Special Alpina B8 GT marks transition to BMW takeover
Posted in Reviews Speed

Special Alpina B8 GT marks transition to BMW takeover

2025 Alpina B8 GT Hommage Burkard BovensiepenAlpina has unveiled the B8 GT Hommage Burkard Bovensiepen The tuned BMW 8-Series Gran Coupe packs 625 hp and will hit 62 mph in only 3.3 seconds Alpina plans to build just 99 examples German performance marque Alpina agreed in 2022 to have its brand acquired by BMW in a deal that will see BMW take over production of Alpina vehicles at the end of…

Electric pickup trucks: A complete guide
Posted in Reviews Speed

Electric pickup trucks: A complete guide

2025 GMC Sierra EV DenaliElectric pickup trucks may not have the massive towing capacity of heavy duty diesel trucks, but for virtually every other purpose they are superior to gas- or diesel-powered trucks: they’re cleaner, quieter, quicker, more fun to drive, more tech-forward, and in many cases more capable. On the downside, they’re usually more expensive and towing…

For Sale, Maybe: A Six-Wheel Van That Launches A Flying Car
Posted in Design Speed

For Sale, Maybe: A Six-Wheel Van That Launches A Flying Car

CES has a long history with flying cars. But the CEO of Xpeng AeroHT says the company is serious. Can they pull it off?

Honda and Acura EVs gaining Tesla Supercharger access this spring
Posted in General

Honda and Acura EVs gaining Tesla Supercharger access this spring

Honda and Acura electric vehicles will be able to use Tesla Supercharger stations starting this spring, Honda said Wednesday in a business update.

As with other non-Tesla brands, Honda and Acura EV owners will receive adapters that allow Tesla’s NACS connectors to plug into their CCS-equipped vehicles. The automaker did not provide any further detail, so it’s unclear whether any adapters will be provided for free, or how much they will cost if not.

2024 Acura ZDX

2024 Acura ZDX

The Honda Prologue and Acura ZDX SUVs—the only all-electric models currently sold in the U.S. by their respective brands—are based on General Motors architectures and are manufactured by GM. But Honda handles charging matters independently, hence the delay between GM’s rollout of Supercharger access in September 2024 and the Japanese automaker’s scheduled rollout.

Besides Honda and Acura, the next few months will see a few other brands adding Supercharger access. Mercedes-Benz plans to open Supercharger access in February, followed by Kia later in the quarter, and Volkswagen, this summer. BMW, Genesis, Lucid, and JLR (comprising Jaguar and Land Rover) are currently listed as “coming soon” on Tesla’s website, but specific timing has not been confirmed.

Honda 0 Saloon and 0 SUV prototypes

Honda 0 Saloon and 0 SUV prototypes

Honda is also one of the eight automakers backing the Ionna DC fast-charging network, which will offer both CCS and NACS connectors. The automaker said four Ionna charging sites—dubbed “Rechargeries”—are now in beta testing, with groundbreaking for a fifth site done in the last month.

The combination of Supercharger access and the Ionna network will support what is set to be a growing number of Honda and Acura EVs developed in-house and built at retooled facilities at Honda’s traditional U.S. manufacturing base in Ohio. The first of these will be the Acura RSX compact SUV launching later this year, followed by the first Honda 0 Series models in 2026. Recently previewed at CES 2025, the 0 Series models will have native NACS ports.

Italdesign Quintessenza hides 1,000-hp of Elaphe in-wheel electric motors
Posted in Reviews Speed

Italdesign Quintessenza hides 1,000-hp of Elaphe in-wheel electric motors

Italdesign Quintessenza conceptElaphe has a new in-wheel electric motor that can be used for hybrids or EVs Elaphe previewed the motor at 2025 CES in the Italdesign Quintessenza concept car The motor delivers a continuous 268 hp and peak 342 hp Legendary Italian design house Italdesign, now owned by the Volkswagen Group, showcased an updated version of its Quintessenza concept…

Which automakers have Tesla Supercharger access?
Posted in General

Which automakers have Tesla Supercharger access?

  • Tesla’s opened its Supercharger network to non-Teslas
  • Ford and Rivian were the first non-Teslas to plug in
  • Access takes an automaker-provided adapter or Tesla Magic Dock
  • In most cases there are software components and it’s more than just an adapter

By the end of 2024, nearly ever major EV brand selling cars in the U.S. had signed on to offer Tesla Supercharger access, and eventually adopt the automaker’s NACS port for future EVs. But the rollout has proceeded at different speeds for each brand.

Owners of EVs from most non-Tesla brands must use an adapter to connect with Supercharger stations until the widespread rollout of new cars with NACS ports, a process that recently started with the 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 and is aided by the formalization of NACS as a true standard by the SAE in late 2023.

Ford EVs at Tesla Supercharger

Ford EVs at Tesla Supercharger

Most automakers are also pushing software updates that allow their EVs to properly interface with Supercharger stations for plug-and-charge operation, as well as updates that allow Supercharger stations to appear on in-vehicle route planning and payment apps. With these updates in place, Tesla’s Magic Dock adapter at many Supercharger stations may work in lieu of a separate automaker-provided adapter.

As with the original announcements of the switch to the Tesla charge port, Ford led the way in providing adapters to let customers fast-charge at Supercharger stations. That started in February 2024, with other automakers following later in the year and a few now confirmed for the first half of 2025. Here’s where things stand now.

Automakers that have Supercharger access:
Ford
Rivian
General Motors
Volvo
Polestar
Nissan

Automakers said to be getting Supercharger access “soon” according to Tesla:
BMW
Genesis
Hyundai
JLR
Kia
Lucid
Mercedes-Benz

As Green Car Reports has pointed out before, Tesla’s V4 hardware will likely be able to handle electric vehicles that charge at 800 volts at the full rate. But Tesla’s V3 hardware—the majority of North American hardware available on the Supercharger network at this time—the limit is 400 volts, or maybe a little bit higher.

That creates a dilemma for automakers already selling vehicles with 800-volt charging, as those cars will charge slower at Tesla V3 Supercharger stations than they would at the most powerful CCS stations. But the more widespread deployment of V4 Superchargers will help solve that, along with the buildout of the Ionna fast-charging network backed by eight automakers that’s expected to include both CCS and NACS connectors.

Electric Chrysler SUV development halted
Posted in General

Electric Chrysler SUV development halted

Stellantis has halted development of what was to be the first electric vehicle for its Chrysler brand, shifting focus to other electric models.

The Chrysler Airflow concept unveiled in 2022 was to serve as the basis for a production electric SUV, but Mopar Insiders reported earlier this week that development work on this model had been suspended. That report cited an email to suppliers saying the program was “on hold until further notice” and that “any spending associated with this program should be suspended immediately.”

Chrysler Airflow concept

Chrysler Airflow concept

A Stellantis spokesperson confirmed to Green Car Reports that the electric SUV “is paused for now as we assess the market and our customers’ needs and wants.” This means the Chrysler brand will continue with just a single minivan—sold as both the Voyager and Pacifica, the latter available with a plug-in hybrid powertrain—in 2025, its 100th anniversary year.

A refreshed Pacifica is coming in 2026, the spokesperson confirmed, followed by a new crossover SUV and a third model based on the Halcyon concept, Chrysler CEO Christine Feuell confirmed in an interview earlier this month. Unveiled in 2024, the Halcyon is an electric four-door coupe that likely appeals to a smaller market than an SUV.

Chrysler Airflow concept

Chrysler Airflow concept

Chrysler initially said that it would launch an electric SUV based on the Airflow concept in 2025, but enthusiasm for the project seemed to wane quickly after that. In 2023, Feuell reportedly ordered a rethink that would have dropped the concept’s styling and the Airflow name, which references a pioneering Chrysler model line from the 1930s that helped introduce aerodynamic design to the automotive industry.

Feuell told Green Car Reports in 2022 that Chrysler was also developing an electric minivan, and in an interview at the 2024 LA Auto Show last November, the CEO confirmed that this new model will bear the Pacifica name. It’s slated to be introduced at some point after the refreshed version of the current Pacifica debuts in 2026.

Acura RSX returning as electric crossover
Posted in Reviews Speed

Acura RSX returning as electric crossover

Acura RSX EVAcura’s second EV will be the RSX crossover It enters production in late 2025 at the Honda EV Hub plant in Ohio It will share a platform with Honda’s 0 Series EVs, which will also be built in Ohio Acura will revive its RSX nameplate later this year for an electric crossover, the automaker has confirmed. The original RSX, badged as a Honda Integra…

2026 Honda CR-V TrailSport arrives soon as part of refresh
Posted in Reviews Speed

2026 Honda CR-V TrailSport arrives soon as part of refresh

2026 Honda Passport TrailSportThe Honda CR-V will be updated for the 2026 model year Among the updates will be a rugged CR-V TrailSport model The smaller Honda HR-V will also be updated for the 2026 model year An updated Honda CR-V debuts later this year as a 2026 model, and Honda has confirmed it will gain a rugged TrailSport model. Honda made the announcement on Jan. 15…

Kia EVs gain Tesla Supercharger access in Q1, adapters in early 2025
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Kia EVs gain Tesla Supercharger access in Q1, adapters in early 2025

  • Those who purchased a Kia EV after Sept. 4 will get free NACS adapters in 2025
  • Kia hasn’t said how much the adapters will cost for everyone else
  • Kia EVs will be able to charge at Tesla Superchargers before the end of the first quarter

Kia on Tuesday modified its rollout plan for Tesla North American Charging Standard (NACS) adapters and access to the Tesla Supercharger network.

Customers who take delivery of a 2024 or 2025 Kia EV9 or a 2024 Kia EV6 from Sept. 4, 2024, will receive a free NACS adapter. All other Kia EV owners—including EV6 and EV9 owners who took delivery of their vehicles before the cutoff date, as well as all Kia Niro EV owners—will have to pay an undisclosed price for their adapters.

2024 Kia EV6 GT

2024 Kia EV6 GT

Most major car brands have announced plans to adopt the NACS charge port, but only a handful have followed through with plans to offer adapters and Supercharger access. Of those, only General Motors is making all customers pay for adapters. But Kia is being stingier than Ford, which offered one free adapter per vehicle to all existing EV customers initially.

Kia plans to begin shipping adapters in early 2025, and plans to open up Supercharger access by the end of the first quarter. Originally Kia EV owners were to get access to the Supercharger network on January 15, but on the 15th the automaker modified that timeline. Kia’s didn’t specifically mention Tesla or Superchargers, only saying that customers will be able to charge at “more than 16,500 NACS DC fast chargers in the U.S.” That number is based on the count of total NACS connectors by the Energy Department’s Alternative Fuel Data Center (AFDC) as of September 2024.

2023 Kia Niro EV

2023 Kia Niro EV

Most other automakers—Stellantis being the only exception—were quick to mention Tesla in their announcements. Kia is one of the automaker partners in the Ionna North American fast-charging network, which has voiced its commitment to both the NACS and CCS standards. So perhaps Kia is looking to emphasize the idea of NACS connectors that aren’t part of the Supercharger network in anticipated of Ionna’s buildout.

Kia, along with sibling brands Hyundai and Genesis, announced NACS support. Hyundai has started building Ioniq 5 EVs with Tesla NACS charge ports, but Kia did not discuss a timeline for adding NACS ports to its vehicles.

This story was updated to reflect a new timeline for Kia EV access to Tesla’s Supercharger network as of January 15.