Author: EVAI

Rolls-Royce is celebrating the year of the dragon on the Chinese zodiac calendar The automaker has revealed special-edition Phantoms with dragon motifs throughout The cars are the first special editions in the Phantom nameplate’s centennial year This year is the Year of the Dragon on the Chinese zodiac calendar, and Rolls-Royce is celebrating with…

General Motors on Wednesday signed a multi-year agreement with Norway’s Vianode for supply of synthetic graphite anode material for electric vehicle batteries.

The deal runs from 2027, when Vianode expects to begin producing synthetic graphite at a new North American plant, to 2033, according the companies. The material will be used in battery cells manufactured by the Ultium Cells LLC joint venture between GM and battery supplier LG Energy Solution.

2026 Cadillac Vistiq

China controls 95% of the global graphite supply, which has left Western automakers and governments looking to cultivate looking sources of the material, which has become more important for EV battery production, Reuters noted. China has also been designated by the federal government as a Foreign Entity of Concern, meaning vehicles with battery materials sourced from there don’t qualify for a tax credit.

Vianode claims its new plant will be “IRA compliant,” meaning battery materials produced there shouldn’t interfere with qualification for the federal EV tax credit under current rules, defined by the Inflation Reduction Act, that specify North American sourcing of critical minerals. That’s assuming the tax credit isn’t killed off by the incoming Trump administration.

2025 GMC Sierra EV Denali

The plant will be located in either the U.S. or Canada, but a specific site has not been finalized, Vianode CEO Burkhard Straube said in an interview with Reuters. In its first planned phase, the plant is expected to produce 80,000 tons of synthetic graphite by 2030, enough to supply 1.5 million EVs. Vianode claims its manufacturing process comes with a 90% smaller carbon footprint than conventional methods.

GM made two other noteworthy changes to its battery plans last month. The automaker said it would sell its stake in the Ultium Cells LLC Michigan plant—one of three currently in operation—to LG, while simultaneously announcing plans to extend a technical partnership with that company to include prismatic cells. GM has for the moment standardized its EV hardware around pouch cells, but CEO Mary Barra said in 2023 that the automaker was flexible on battery-cell format.

• Acura’s second EV will be the RSX
• The RSX will be a fastback crossover SUV built in Ohio
• The RSX will feature Honda and Acura’s next-gen operating system called Asimo

Acura will add a second electric SUV to its lineup this year, this time designed in-house, and once again recycling a name from the brand’s past.

The automaker announced Wednesday that its next electric vehicle will be called the RSX, a name previously attached to a sporty coupe sold in the U.S. from model years 2002 to 2006. The original RSX was actually the fourth-generation Acura Integra, and was sold under that name in other markets. Acura has since brought back the Integra name in the U.S. for a gasoline compact hatchback, freeing up the RSX name for other uses.

Acura explained the use of the RSX name as being appropriate thanks to the coupe-like styling of the new electric SUV—inspired by the Acura Performance EV concept first shown during 2024 Monterey Car Week. A teaser image of a camouflaged prototype, released ahead of the start of public-road testing, does indeed show sleeker-than-average styling.

The new RSX joins the Acura ZDX, a larger electric SUV that recycles the name of a short-lived gasoline model that was one of the first “SUV coupes.” But where the ZDX is based on a General Motors architecture, the RSX is slated to be the first production model based on a dedicated EV platform that will also underpin the Honda 0 Series EVs from Acura’s parent brand.

In addition to the EV architecture—which is designed for slimmed-down packaging—the RSX will also mark the production launch of a new operating system called Asimo for future Acura and Honda EVs. Named after the humanoid robot that provided trade-show entertainment starting in the early 2000s, it’s intended to enable more sophisticated infotainment and driver-assist features.

The electric Acura RSX is scheduled to enter production in Ohio later this year. Honda has long had a presence in the Buckeye State, but it’s retooling and reconfiguring facilities there to build large numbers of EVs. That includes not only the RSX and future Honda 0 Series models (the first of which is scheduled to arrive in 2026) but also the Afeela 1 from the Sony Honda Mobility joint venture.

• The tiny Telo MT1 electric truck will be available with solar panels
• The solar panels will add 1-2 kwh of energy to the battery per day
• Aptera, which hasn’t yet delivered its electric three-wheeler, will supply the solar panels

The tiny Telo MT1 electric pickup truck will be able to recoup some range from the sun thanks to solar panels supplied by another electric-vehicle hopeful: Aptera.

Telo on Wednesday announced plans to offer Aptera-supplied solar panels in three kits. These include a rooftop option that integrates panels with the cab, a solar tonneau cover, and a solar camper shell. The panels can generate up to 200 watts at peak sunlight, adding 1-2 kwh of battery charge per day, according to Telo.

This should help improve the efficiency of what California-based Telo already claims is the world’s most efficient electric truck.

Unveiled in 2023, the MT1 also contrasts current electric pickups with compact proportions. At just 152 inches long, it’s about the same length as the outgoing Mini Cooper SE two-door hatchback.

Telo electric truck with solar panels from Aptera

Telo asserts that the MT1 is not toy truck, though. It promises seating for five adults and a 60-inch bed with a mid-gate for accommodating longer items—including a 4×8 sheet of plywood or 9-foot surfboard. Telo is also targeting up to 350 miles of range with an optional Long Range pack and 6,600-pound towing capacity with an optional 500-hp dual-motor powertrain. The Standard pack and base single-motor rear-wheel-drive powertrain deliver 260 miles and 300 hp, respectively.

Solar panels will be available for pre-order later this year, but Telo is now accepting pre-orders for the truck itself for $152. Pricing is set at $41,250 for the single-motor version and $46,019 for the dual-motor version, plus $3,980 for the bigger battery pack. Telo said a prototype truck is currently being built, but hasn’t said when it expects to start customer deliveries.

Aptera has said that integrated solar panels will minimize the need for charging of its high-efficiency three-wheel EV, but has struggled to get that vehicle into production. After announcing a 400-mile Launch Edition version in 2023, Aptera confirmed in October 2024 that it had only just completed the first production-intent vehicle, taking it a step closer to an actual salable vehicle but still not quite there.

A redesigned Aston Martin Vantage Roadster reaches showrooms in Q2 2025 The luxury convertible sports car matches its coupe counterpart’s 656 hp A weight increase of only 132 pounds was required to implement the convertible roof Aston Martin launched a redesigned Vantage coupe last year, and late on Tuesday, the automaker unveiled the car’s…

Rolls-Royce is celebrating its Phantom nameplate’s centennial The nameplate is the oldest still in use, though it hasn’t been in continuous use over the years Rolls-Royce has launched eight generations of the Phantom and the next may be an EV Rolls-Royce’s Phantom nameplate dates back to 1925, although it hasn’t been in continuous use throughout…

Car shoppers continue to prioritize fuel economy, according to the latest survey from Consumer Reports 96% of respondents said fuel economy was at least somewhat important when considering what vehicle to purchase Respondents believe the burden is on automakers more so than the government to increase fuel economy A majority of Americans support…

A brace of luxury brands are slated to get Tesla Supercharger access soon.

Tesla recently updated the NACS page on its website to show BMW, Genesis, Lucid, and JLR (incorporating Jaguar and Land Rover) on the “coming soon” list of automakers supporting the Tesla’s Superchargers. Specific timing isn’t listed, however.

After Ford kicked things off in 2023, most major EV brands announced plans to adopt the NACS standard. The SAE also finalized NACS as a true standard later in the year, an effort that was backed by the Biden administration, ensuring that more NACS connectors will be installed outside the Supercharger network, putting American on the path to a single fast-charging standard for electric vehicles.

2025 BMW i4

Ford, General Motors, Nissan, Polestar, Rivian, and Volvo have already rolled out Supercharger access and made arrangements for adapters that allow existing EVs with CCS ports to connect to Supercharger stations.

The 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 has been confirmed as the first EV from a major non-Tesla brand to be built with a NACS port, and Hyundai, which is the parent brand of Genesis, has said it will ship free adapters for its existing EVs later this quarter. Hyundai’s other brand, Kia, said late last year that it would open up Supercharger access Jan. 15, but would only provide free adapters to customers who purchased certain models toward the end of 2024.

2025 Lucid Air Pure

Mercedes-Benz also confirmed earlier this month that it would launch Supercharger access in February. Unlike most other brands, this will require a dealership visit to install updated software (as opposed to an over-the-air update), in addition to an adapter.

While not shown on Tesla’s website yet, Volkswagen is reportedly planning to rollout Supercharger access to its EV customers in June or July, with the later date due to a wait for adapters.

The 2025 Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV sees a small price increase for the new model year, but few other changes.

After remaining unchanged for the 2024 model year, pricing for the entry-level rear-wheel-drive EQS 450+ rises $850 to $106,400. All prices include a mandatory $1,150 destination charge that’s unchanged for 2025.

This single-motor version generates 355 hp and 429 lb-ft of torque. An all-wheel-drive EQS 450 4Matic version is also available, adding a front motor and an extra 161 lb-ft of torque (horsepower is the same) for $3,000 more. A dual-motor EQS 580 4Matic model also remains available, boosting output to 536 hp and 633 lb-ft of torque for a starting price of $129,350.

2025 Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV

The Maybach EQS 680 tops the lineup at $181,050, boasting 649 hp and 700 lb-ft of torque, and more opulent accoutrements inside and out. Those include available reclining rear seats with a center-armrest champagne cooler, two-tone paint, and a more traditional grille similar to what’s been applied to the EQS sedan for 2025.

All EQS SUV models continue to use a 108.4-kwh battery pack. The rear-wheel-drive EQS 450+ leads in EPA range, at 323 miles. That declines to 317 miles for the EQS 450 4Matic, 312 miles for the EQS 580 4Matic, and 302 miles for the Maybach version.

2025 Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV

Mercedes made some equipment changes. Four-zone climate control, soft-close doors, front headrest cushions, and a center airbag between the front seats are now standard, while automatic-closing doors and an air-control package with HEPA filtration are optional, along with a new Moonlight White Metallic paint color. New 22-inch wheel designs are also available for both the standard EQS SUV and the Maybach EQS SUV.

The Alabama-built EQS SUV arrived for the 2023 model year, and was good enough out of the box to make the Green Car Reports Best Car To Buy finalist list. It’s one of four related models, along with the EQS sedan and the smaller EQE SUV and sedan, that formed Mercedes’ first wave of dedicated EVs. They’re set to be joined by a new generation of smaller models—starting with the 2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA.

Nissan has unveiled an R32 Skyline GT-R converted to run on battery power The 62-kwh battery was taken from a former Leaf RC race car concept The goal of the project was to deliver a similar driving sensation to the original gas-powered car Whether Nissan launches its next-generation R36 GT-R with an electric powertrain remains to be seen, but the…