Author: EVAI

Maserati has revealed the GranCabrio 490 The new entry-level model of the GranCabrio lineup packs 483 hp Prices will be revealed in March and order books open in April Maserati’s GranCabrio has gained a third powertrain option, establishing a new entry point for the convertible grand tourer. On Friday, Maserati unveiled the GranCabrio 490 and…

Rivian is recalling 17,260 electric vehicles from model year 2025—including both the R1T pickup truck and R1S SUV—because their headlight low beams may fail to illuminate when the vehicles are started in cold weather.

Between Apr. 29, 2024, and Feb. 03, 2025, Rivian built 2025-model-year vehicles with “incorrectly configured headlamps,” that used the wrong parts from a supplier, according to the NHTSA. Any fault that prevents headlights from illuminating violates Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, triggering a recall.

Should drivers not notice that their headlights aren’t working, they’ll also see a dashboard warning message saying “Low beam lights not working. Service low beams soon,” according to the NHTSA. Ignoring that warning and driving in reduced-visibility conditions increases the risk of a crash.

2025 Rivian R1S California Dune Edition

Rivian told the NHTSA that it is not aware of any crashes related to this issue, though. Nor is the automaker aware of any related injuries.

To address this issue, Rivian will replace the headlight control modules on affected vehicles free of charge. This will be done at the company’s service centers, as Rivian does not sell vehicles through franchised dealerships.

Rivian plans to notify owners of the recall by mail starting Mar. 28. Owners can also call the automaker’s customer service department at 1-888-748-4261 for more information. Rivian’s reference number for this recall is FSAM-1612.

2025 Rivian R1T

The 2025 models included in this recall mark the most substantial revamp of the R1 family since its launch. While they may not look different, nearly all of the components and technology details within them have been changed for the better. That includes proliferation of Rivian’s in-house-designed drive units throughout the lineup, along with heat pumps, and LFP battery cells for the base Standard Pack.

Rivian also rolled out active-matrix headlights with adaptive low beams, although it’s unclear if their functionality is related to this recall. It’s also tried to patent heated headlight lenses that could be used on future EVs.

BMW on Thursday released further details about the tech going into its next-generation Neue Klasse electric vehicles, including new nuggets on motors and energy management.

The automaker will employ what it calls the Energy Master, a central control unit mounted on the battery pack that manages both low- and high-voltage electricity flow, controlling everything from the power supply for the motor (or motors) to onboard systems running on low voltage. Its hardware and software was developed completely in-house, BMW claims, adding that the unit will be over-the-air updatable like other vehicle systems.

BMW Vision Neue Klasse X concept

BMW also confirmed that it will use more compact, cost-efficient induction motors at the front wheels. That’s an about-face versus in the i4, i5, i7, and iX, which use special current-excited synchronous motors, or electrically excited synchronous motors (EESM), as BMW calls them. BMW is sticking with the EESM design for the rear wheels.

As BMW has noted multiple times in the past, the Neue Klasse will be built on an 800-volt platform, with a 30% boost in range and 30% faster charging. And this new family of EVs will switch to cylindrical batteries with a 20% boost in energy density, installed directly into the pack, which will itself reinforce the body structure.

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

BMW has taken years to tease out all the technical changes that are due for these EVs, yet there remain technical details it hasn’t covered in releases. When it announced the switching of battery formats in 2022, BMW said that it might be able to cut battery costs by 50% by using LFP chemistry in some models; but it still hasn’t yet specified which Neue Klasse models might use that. 

These models also don’t have official names or confirmed alphanumeric badging. Previewed by sedan and SUV concepts in 2023 and 2024, respectively, the Neue Klasse has been in pre-production since November, according to BMW. But that first Neue Klasse EV, now being built in Hungary, hasn’t yet been fully revealed either. For the U.S., vehicles are poised to be sourced from Mexico.

Polestar continues to refine its Polestar 3 electric midsize SUV, introducing a series of updates aimed at enhancing functionality and the overall user experience. Deliveries of the Polestar 3 began last summer, and the Swedish performance EV brand remains committed to continuous improvement. The latest updates, announced on Thursday, include…

What kind of vehicle is the 2025 Mercedes-Benz G-Class? What does it compare to? The latest version of the G-Class wears 1970s-chic style, but it’s thoroughly modern underhood if still somewhat archaic in its suspension tech. Compare it to the Land Rover Defender and Range Rover, plus the Ineos Grenadier. Is the 2025 Mercedes-Benz G-Class a…

The Kia EV3 electric subcompact crossover is getting a GT performance flagship The new EV3 GT is likely powered by a dual-motor all-wheel-drive powertrain Peak output may lie close to 300 hp Engineers from Kia have been spotted testing a prototype for the GT version of the EV3 electric subcompact crossover. GT is the designation Kia uses for…

The 2025 Volvo EX90 electric SUV is now undergoing its first recall, but it’s one that won’t require a dealership visit.

Volvo is recalling a relatively small number of 2025 EX90 SUVs–just 2,061—because a software issue could impair headlight operation, reducing visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.

2025 Volvo EX90

The EX90 has shutters that open to reveal the headlights. The lighting elements seen when the headlights are not in use are actually daytime running lights. Incorrect software could send a signal to the headlights to perform a “reference run” while driving, causing the shutters to close over the low beam or high beam elements, according to the NHTSA.

If this erroneous signal, which originates in the onboard low power control (LPC) unit, is sent, drivers may see a message on the dashboard in addition to experiencing reduced illumination of the road ahead.

2025 Volvo EX90

For the most part, these vehicles are already fixed. Volvo has determined that this software error is limited to vehicles made from the start of production until Jan. 31, 2025. Newer vehicles received updated software, which also was already pushed to the recalled vehicles in an over-the-air (OTA) update beginning Feb. 11, according to filed recall documents. Customers can still have the update performed at a dealership if they want, though, and it will be free of charge in either case.

Owners will be notified by mail after the fact, starting Apr. 3, and can also call Volvo’s customer service department at 800-458-1552 for more information. Volvo’s reference number for this recall is R10298.

Such issues—and resolutions—are part and parcel with the EX90, the first Volvo truly designed as a software-defined vehicle. While we generally liked the way the finished product drove, that future got off to a rocky start thanks to a delay and some issues at launch. The EX90 arrived without certain software-based features, as well as a battery-drain issue Volvo promised to fix with an OTA update.

• The 2026 CLA-Class will be offered as a full battery electric vehicle and a mild-hybrid
• New electric models differ from the EQ series due to platforms that can accommodate a range of powertrains
• AMG performance division will also debut its first series of electric vehicles

Mercedes-Benz will launch all-electric versions of three of its most popular models within the next two years.

During a presentation of its 2024 financial results Thursday, the automaker said the C-Class and E-Class sedans, as well as the GLC-Class crossover, would get all-electric derivatives as part of a new-product push that will see “dozens” of new or refreshed models launch globally by 2027.

That rollout starts later this year with the 2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class compact, which will be offered with all-electric and 48-volt mild-hybrid powertrains. The CLA EV is slated to debut numerous improvements over current-generation Mercedes EVs, including an 800-volt electrical architecture and a more clever regenerative braking system.

2025 Mercedes-Benz E-Class

Those improvements will be shared with other compact models based on the new CLA’s Mercedes-Benz Modular Architecture (MMA). They’ll likely be among the other models debuting over the next couple years, adding different body styles alongside the CLA, which is expected to remain a coupe-like sedan similar to the current generation.

While Mercedes’ current strategy centers on dedicated electric models (the EQB compact crossover being a notable exception), the CLA EV marks a shift toward offering the same vehicle with multiple powertrains—one that appears to be accelerating with the forthcoming C-Class, E-Class, and GLC-Class EVs.

Mercedes also promised “a string of launches” for its AMG performance division that will include the first EVs based on the new AMG.EA dedicated architecture. The first of these performance EVs, a fastback sedan that could replace the current AMG GT 4-Door Coupe, is scheduled to arrive this year, with an AMG electric SUV following sometime after that.

2025 Mercedes-Benz GLC Class

And the first of Mercedes’ next-generation electric vans is scheduled to launch in 2026. They’ll be based on yet another new platform, dubbed Van.EA. Mercedes recently reversed course and said it would also develop new combustion vans based on a companion platform as well.

Not all of Mercedes’ new and refreshed models will be electric, though. The automaker also confirmed a substantial update for its flagship S-Class sedan for next year, but didn’t mention an electric version. And last year the automaker delayed an EV sales target that would have seen it go all-electric (in at least some markets) by 2030, saying internal-combustion engines would stick around well into the next decade.

Kia on Wednesday previewed the exterior design of its PV5 electric van that’s expected to start production later this year.

The automaker showed basic passenger and cargo versions of the PV5, with other versions as well as conversion possibilities to be detailed at the 2025 Kia EV Day event in Tarragona, Spain, on Feb. 24. Kia also plans the full reveal of its EV4 sedan and hatchback at that event.

Kia PV5

The midsize PV5 is one of several flexible electric vans designed for various commercial applications that Kia calls its Platform Beyond Vehicles (PBV). They were previewed by concepts at the 2024 Consumer Electronics Show (CES), and much of the styling of those concepts seems to have carried over to the production PV5 variants.

Both the passenger and cargo versions of the PV5 feature the same distinctive headlights and cab-forward profile as the concepts, plus angular wheel arches with a bit of SUV-like cladding. Kia is saving the interiors for next week’s EV Day, where it will also discuss other potential versions, perhaps including a production version of the PV5 WKNDR camper van concept shown at the 2024 SEMA show.

Kia PV5

If the engineering hews as closely to the concepts as the design, the PV5 will differ significantly from current EVs. There was no mention of a skateboard platform when the concepts were revealed, but instead interchangeable upper bodies, secured to the chassis via magnetic couplings, that allow the same vehicle to serve different roles.

Kia has set up a dedicated factory for its PBV business that’s due to start production in South Korea later this year, and has confirmed a market launch for that country and Europe. Last November, Kia America vice president for marketing Russell Wager told Green Car Reports that the automaker was still evaluating the PV5 for the U.S.

Honda Civic Hybrid costs about $4,000 more than the Elantra Hybrid Honda Civic Hybrid can be had in sedan and hatchback body styles The Elantra Hybrid Blue gets up to 54 mpg combined Toyota may be the unquestioned leader in hybrid vehicle sales, but Honda and Hyundai have an answer for that dominance. Hybrid versions of the Honda CR-V compact…