Author: EVAI

Once a year, Green Car Reports takes a closer look at the market’s best and brightest green vehicles—models that help assure a cleaner future for us. 

One of these will be named Green Car Reports Best Car To Buy 2025 on Jan. 6. Read on for a quick snapshot of each and a quick summary of our priorities, and then check back for a closer look at each of their credentials over the next couple of weeks. 

2025 Chevrolet Equinox EV

Sometimes it’s simple: The 2025 Chevy Equinox EV costs $34,995 for 319 miles of EPA range, in a vehicle sized and shaped like today’s most popular kind of family vehicle—a wagon-like crossover SUV. Even before the $7,500 EV tax credit, the Equinox EV amounts to a bargain for freeing your family of gas pumps and tailpipes. Quite simply, it’s on this list because it makes electric vehicles affordable to mass-market car buyers not in a niche commuter-vehicle form, but in one they might pack the whole family into. 

2025 Hyundai Kona Electric

Where have all the small-but-practical, urban-savvy EVs gone? The closest new entry we have in the U.S. market, this year is the Hyundai Kona Electric. It’s not a dedicated electric vehicle, but it might as well be one as it outshines the gasoline Kona in performance and drivability. With the base Kona Electric SE, Hyundai’s offering a modest 48.6-kwh battery pack that will still be plenty big for commuters, at 200 EPA miles, while SEL and Limited versions get a 64.8-kwh pack and a 261-mile range. Much-upgraded cabin trims plus meaningful cabin-tech updates amount to a car that’s easy to park but not short on amenities. 

2024 Porsche Macan EV

The Taycan, which was known as Mission E until it was almost ready for deliveries, started as a special project, set to face off with Tesla and reckon with a mostly fully electric future for this storied sports car brand. But now Porsche is carrying those smarts from its electric experiment into its top-selling model, the Macan SUV. With a new platform that learns from the Taycan’s original range and efficiency shortcomings, downsizes key components to save weight, and maximizes acceleration performance, charge rates, and brake regeneration—plus rear-wheel steering and an air suspension for some of the lineup—the Macan EV looks like the heart of Porsche and of high-performance luxury SUVs.

2025 Rivian R1S

We usually reserve our Best Car To Buy finalists to models that are completely new or extensively redesigned or reengineered. So why did we put the R1S on the list a couple years after it was first delivered to customers? It takes some looking past the mostly-carryover appearance of Rivian’s R1 models to get to why it’s here. It’s here because it’s better in every way. 

With re-engineered battery packs, motors, and body structure, plus an simplified electrical architecture, updated sensing suite, and flattened interface, these revamped electric trucks have earned a place. In everything from performance and ride and handling, the R1S does it better and a little more efficiently. It may not yet deliver the 800-volt or bidirectional charging Rivian had said was on the way—or any significant charging boost—but it innovates in manufacturability and a suite of tech it can scale up and use for its mass-market R2 and R3 models. 

2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz

Unless you’ve been living in a commune, disconnected from pop culture for decades, you’ve no doubt heard the news: VW brought back the Bus as an EV. It’s a smart move, as it lures you with hazy nostalgia from the 1960s counterculture icon, draws you into a thoroughly modern interior, and leaves you altogether in a different kind of family vehicle—the first U.S.-market electric minivan and, perhaps, the start of a new EV segment. 

All that said, there are many pros and cons to juggle. The ID.Buzz took a long time to get to the U.S., but it’s only arriving here in a long, three-row version with a much higher price tag. Despite a bigger battery that fumbles the flat floor, its EPA range numbers only span up to 234 miles. But with available all-wheel drive, relatively perky performance, and a decent interface, it covers all the functional bases without muting all the buzz.

2024 Kia EV9

How we decide Green Car Reports’ Best Car To Buy 

Amassed peer-reviewed papers and respected scientific sources agree that in the vast majority of typical use cases, electric vehicles are better for the environment. 

We know that assembling an electric vehicle, making the battery, and sourcing the materials for it adds to the vehicle’s carbon footprint. These impacts are offset versus gasoline models within a few years of the EV’s service life, but in looking at any EV we consider the size of the battery and whether it’s truly necessary for the purpose of the vehicle.

In averting tailpipe emissions, the effects on health for your community and household are immediate and positive.

Efficiency is the priority

Sure, range matters in an EV, but shorter-range models with smaller battery packs can be among the greenest picks in some households. With families making second (and third) vehicles fully electric too, who needs all that range in every vehicle?

Yes, we chose the reigning range champion, the Lucid Air, two years ago, but it wouldn’t have made it to the top had it not also been one of the most efficient EVs.  

2024 Tesla Model 3

Big market impact—now or long-lens

The Best Car To Buy needs to make a big impact (short- or long-term) on the market. That could be interpreted as going for volume and affordability, making a new segment of the market electric, or setting a new standard for efficiency or technology. It needs to be the best, but as we’ve seen in past Best Car To Buy winners, that can take many different forms. 

PHEVs on ice

Green Car Reports continues to cover the range of hybrid and plug-in hybrid technology in vehicles, and we respect that an all-or-nothing approach isn’t always the best way to electrify the fleet or to convince a mass market to choose more environmentally sound vehicles. For the greater good the next-best option is often better than not opting for a greener pick at all. 

Cutting out performance models working regulators’ loopholes with a charge port, plug-in hybrids remain an intriguing pick, especially when the charging infrastructure just won’t meet needs for weekend trips but drivers are dedicated to keeping zero-tailpipe-emissions for the commute. Efficiency-focused PHEVs are coming with 40, 60, or more miles of all-electric range. Will they convince a new type of shopper to plug in?

All that said, placing another internal combustion vehicle into service, as a potential emissions source for decades, carries with it a high bar for making our Best Car To Buy shortlist. And there simply aren’t any new ones this year making that cut.

Canadian electric school bus firm Lion Electric faces financial difficulties and is looking to be rescued, reports Bloomberg.

Lion on Sunday announced the layoff of 400 people, representing more than half of its workforce, and said it was suspending manufacturing at its U.S. factory in Joliet, Illinois. When the factory was announced in 2021, Lion said it would be the largest for medium-duty and heavy-duty electric vehicles in the U.S.

Lion is one of three companies—including Blue Bird and Thomas Built Buses—that have delivered the majority of U.S. electric school buses to date, amid a push to replace dirty diesel fleets spurred by state and federal incentives. 

Lion A Electric School Bus

Mach Capital, the investment arm of Canadian real estate developer Groupe Mach Inc., is in talks to provide additional funding to Lion, according to the report, citing an anonymous source familiar with the matter. In 2023, Groupe Mach and the Mirella & Lina Saputo Foundation were among a group of investors that bought more than $90 million (CAD).

The Canadian province of Quebec has also given Lion 192 million Canadian dollars. Economy minister Christine Frechette told Bloomberg and other media Monday that the provincial government was prepared to provide additional funding “if the business plan holds up, and if there are other players besides the public.”

Lion C Electric School Bus

Lion is one of a small group of manufacturers touting electric school buses as a replacement for diesel. In the U.S., that transition has accelerated recently with increased state and federal incentives. The EPA has begun distributing $5 billion in funding for electric school buses mandated under the Biden administration’s infrastructure law, awarding $965 million in 2022 and $1 billion earlier this year. But the future outlook isn’t so good.

While it has been assembling vehicles in the U.S., as a Canadian company Lion might be targeted by the incoming Trump administration, which is expected to place a 25% tariff on auto parts shipped across the border. It’s also unclear if Biden’s EV-friendly policies will survive under Trump. Both factors could make Lion’s electric school buses a lot more expensive for cash-strapped school districts.

Lacking basic safety equipment like seatbelt pre-tensioners and load limiters, the Neta V is becoming famous for all the wrong reasons.

Mercedes-Benz has launched the AMG PureSpeed as the first model in its new Mythos series of low-volume special editions The AMG PureSpeed is based on the SL 63 and shares that car’s 577-hp twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 Production of the AMG PureSpeed will be limited to 250 units worldwide Mercedes-Benz has formally introduced its Mythos series…

• Offers better power-to-weight ratio, only 220 pounds more than original Miata
• Required creative use of space to accommodate 42 kwh—and 150-mile range
• Electrogenic claims conversion is fully reversible

Electrogenic has launched an electric conversion kit for the Mazda MX-5 Miata, which the U.K.-based company claims will preserve the sports car’s nimble handling traits.

In a press release, the company claims a weight increase of only 220 pounds over the stock version, at 2,425 pounds, but with a 21% improvement in power-to-weight ratio and identical weight distribution (these comparisons are based on a first-generation NA Miata rather than newer models). Range for this fully electric Mazda MX-5 Miata is estimated at about 150 miles.

Electrogenic 3D-scanned a Miata and designed the battery setup to fit into whatever space was available. It managed to cram 42 kwh of battery modules into the small sports car, placing them under the hood where the gasoline inline-4 engine would normally be, and in the rear space normally occupied by the fuel tank. This leaves trunk space unchanged, while keeping mass as low in the chassis as possible, Electrogenic claims, adding that the conversion is entirely reversible.

Electrogenic electric MX-5 Miata conversion

Electrogenic electric MX-5 Miata conversion

Electrogenic electric MX-5 Miata conversion

A single electric motor produces 160 hp and 228 lb-ft of torque. The conversion retains the stock rear-wheel drive setup, and while Electrogenic notes that it can be applied to automatic or manual-transmission cars, actual drive is through a single ratio, as in most electric cars. Electrogenic claims a 0-60 mph time of around 6.0 seconds and a 115-mph top speed.

Electrogenic also includes a range-focused Eco drive mode and a Sport mode that provides more immediate throttle response. Regenerative braking is incorporated as well, with intensity ramped up in Sport mode.

Electrogenic electric MX-5 Miata conversion

Electrogenic electric MX-5 Miata conversion

Electrogenic electric MX-5 Miata conversion

Electric conversions for big SUVs have become rather common, as there’s a lot of space and they’re easy to get right for that reason. But Electrogenic has done some cool conversions over the years of some distinctive cars, including a Citroën DS and a classic Mini. And it even recently worked with Kia to mark its 80th anniversary with a restomod.

Up until now EV conversions have primarily been very specialized hobbyist projects, mostly for special-interest vehicles, and unless you really know what you’re doing in procuring used packs and parts, they can be expensive. But a California bill proposed last year sought to change that with a rebate for EV conversion projects. A few companies have attempted to build lower-cost conversion kits—France’s Transition One, for instance—but none with large-scale success yet.

Grille guards protect radiators while making vehicles look tougher, but Jeep is looking to give them another purpose. The Stellantis brand has designed a grille guard that folds down to serve as a bench. This was disclosed in a patent application submitted to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on April 28, 2023, and published by…

What kind of vehicle is the 2025 Honda HR-V? What does it compare to? The Honda HR-V is a small crossover SUV. It’s worth shopping against the Subaru Crosstrek, Volkswagen Taos, and Chevrolet Trax. Is the 2025 Honda HR-V a good SUV? Overall, yes. The 2025 Honda HR-V is a reasonable value, has a comfortable and flexible cabin, and offers…

Here in the United States, our selection of small, affordable electric vehicles is pretty small. (I’d argue that our selection of small, affordable cars period is small too and that’s a big part of the problem.) It’s likely to improve in the next few years with the rebooted Chevrolet Bolt EUV, Kia EV3 and a few others. But in Europe and the United Kingdom, buyers have a better range of choices right now than ever before. 

But which one is the best choice? The folks at the UK’s What Car? put three promising examples to the test and besides being valuable for any consumer looking to break up with gas and not go bankrupt in the process, their evaluation also says a lot about how the European automakers are squaring up against ones from China these days. 

The conders are the MG MG4, which is from a historically British brand now owned by China’s SAIC and a surprising sales hit in Europe; the BYD Dolphin, which is even cheaper than the MG4 and probably needs no introduction given BYD’s huge success in the EV world lately; and the Citroën e-C3, which I think is the most interesting car in this showdown.

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Why? Because the first two are from China and built with Chinese EV tech, while the Citroën is from Stellantis, made in Europe (Slovakia, if you’re curious) and it’s cheaper than the other two.

We’ve spent a lot of internet ink this year on how hard Europe’s automakers, Stellantis and Volkswagen in particular, are getting rocked by competition from Chinese newcomers. Generally, China’s EV and battery tech is far beyond the West and until tariffs get in the way they can be sold at far lower prices. So the e-C3’s inclusion in this video is a test of whether Stellantis can adequately hit back or not. 

First, let’s talk specs. The MG4 here is an entry-level SE model that starts at £26,995 (about $35,000 U.S. at current exchange rates) and it’s got a 50.8 kWh battery with up to 218 miles of range. The BYD Dolphin they test is £26,195 and uses the smaller available 44.9 kWh battery to get up to 211 miles of range.

Then there’s the Citroën, which undercuts the other two at £21,990 (about $28,000 U.S.) and this range-topping Max model has a 47.3 kWh battery good for 199 miles of range. All range figures are on Europe’s WLTP testing cycle. While those range figures aren’t super impressive to us road-trip-loving Americans, they fit the use case for many—if not most—European drivers whose primary goals are city driving and short trips. “Most of these cars will spend their lives puttering around towns and making short journeys,” one presenter even says after the spec rundown. 

But the best way to put them through their paces was still a 200-mile road trip. They do so under the same weather conditions, with the air conditioner on and all settings on automatic. The differences between the three become readily apparent. For starters, the MG and the BYD are built on dedicated EV platforms, while the Citroën uses a flexible “do-it-all” platform that can also accommodate internal combustion; this means it’s a bit more awkward in terms of packaging and cargo space.

The BYD seems to be the clear winner on software and infotainment with a bright, rotating screen, but it curiously only works with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in landscape mode. The Citroën is a bit more cramped and old-school-feeling than the others but it has a nice, upright driving position. Its software is “not particularly great,” however. The MG4 is the one to beat because it’s the current sales champ—inside it’s “acceptable but not special” and has some confounding climate control issues. But it’s probably the athlete of the trio, while the Citroën feels “lazy” and “gutless” by comparison. 

The Citroën is also the first to drop off to charge on the motorway, while the MG and the BYD are able to go the distance a bit longer before plugging in at 20%, as they agreed at the outset. 

During charging, the Citroën went from 17% to 80% in 38 minutes. The MG4 boasts a faster charging speed so it went from 4% to 80% in the same timeframe. And then BYD Dolphin in that spec isn’t a very fast-charging EV; it took a disappointing 52 minutes to go from 4% to 80%. However, the Dolphin was also the cheapest to charge and most efficient overall. 

So which one does WhatCar? recommend most? In the end, it’s the MG4—a car that’s received considerable praise in the automotive press and is proving to be a super-popular electric choice in the UK. It’s the best balance of price, range, running costs and charging here. They said at the outset that the MG would be the benchmark here, and in the end, it showed us why. 

But as they note in closing, the test was very close; it’s also proof that European automakers do have a shot at outpricing and outgunning their Chinese competition. And that’s a story we’ll be watching closely in 2025 and beyond.

Check out What Car?’s full test above for even more insights. 

Contact the author: patrick.george@insideevs.com

Next year, U-Haul will add a new trailer to its rental fleet that’s perfect for hauling race cars to and from the track. Called the Toy Hauler, this trailer measures just over 23 feet long and 8.5 feet wide. That creates 16 feet of usable deck space, and U-Haul included drive-over fenders to maximize use of that space. A 6,800-pound load capacity…

Porsche has opted not to use one-pedal driving in its current EVs, and that won’t change with electric sports cars due to replace the current gasoline 718 Boxster and Cayman.

It’s all about giving the driver more control and confidence, Porsche research and development boss Michael Steiner said in a recent interview with Autocar.

“If you ask any race driver, none would choose a one-pedal system because you should have control of recuperation and braking on the same pedal as seamlessly as possible,” Steiner said. “In cornering, if you don’t have the right feeling on the pedal, you don’t have trust in the stability of the car.”

2025 Porsche 718

Porsche’s current strategy, as seen in the Taycan and Macan Electric, taps into regenerative braking only with the brake pedal. This is more efficient, the automaker argues, because it makes better use of built-up kinetic energy for deceleration. Steiner reiterated that point here, while adding that Porsche’s approach gives the driver greater control and awareness.

“If you have all the braking on the brake pedal, then you as the driver can do the modulation you need—and also feel the reaction of the tarmac, steering, and things like that,” Steiner said. “So you can control the car with the brakes as well as the throttle and, in our view, this is superior to a system that does something you can’t control.”

Porsche Mission R concept

Announced in 2022 and due to arrive in 2025 as 2026 models, the 718 Boxster convertible and Cayman coupe will replace the gasoline equivalents as the entry points to Porsche’s sports-car lineup.

Spy shots from earlier this year show proportions similar to the gasoline 718 models, which may stick around alongside the EVs for a period of time, combined with styling elements from other electric Porsches. Some elements are expected to carry over from 2021’s Mission R concept, including a T-shaped battery pack filling the central tunnel and the space behind the seats, although it’s unclear if production models will match the concept’s 670 hp, which could be briefly boosted to 1,073 hp.