Author: EVAI

The industry must be willing to take a disciplined approach to sales, inventory management and pricing.

• GM still plans to only sell EVs for its light-duty passenger vehicles by 2035
• The automaker’s backed off its current EV sales targets
• GM expects to be the first U.S. automaker outside of Tesla to turn a profit on EVs

General Motors still aims to eliminate tailpipes from its light-duty passenger vehicles by 2035, CEO Mary Barra said in an interview with The New York Times.

GM announced the all-electric pledge in 2021 as a key part of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2040. Barra said at the time that about 75% of GM’s carbon impact comes from the tailpipe emissions of the vehicles it sells. The 2035 target would see that go down to zero for light-duty vehicles, while still leaving GM an opening to continue selling heavy-duty trucks with internal-combustion engines.

2025 Chevrolet Blazer EV

The first steps toward that goal were predicated on the rollout of GM’s new EV battery and propulsion system, until recently branded Ultium. That hasn’t gone smoothly, but GM is still committed to ditching tailpipes, Barra said, adding that the automaker is on track to start making EVs profitable by the end of the year. It would be the first U.S. automaker to do so outside Tesla, which has made money solely off EVs sales since 2021 after profiting for years on sales of emissions credits.

That optimistic outlook assumes issues GM has had so far in its EV ramp-up will be short-term. Barra said the automaker has largely solved the production issues that got this ramp-up off to slow start and have led to the delay of of some EVs, while touting the supposedly imminent arrival of the $35,000 version of the Chevrolet Equinox EV that will be a key affordability play until a new Bolt EV arrives as a 2026 model.

2025 Chevrolet Equinox EV

Barra said earlier this year that GM will miss a target, announced in 2022, to have production capacity for one million EVs by 2025, claiming the market is “not developing.” But there’s still time between now and 2035 for that development to take place. And while Barra has expressed surprise that EVs have become political, she said GM won’t change course regardless of which party wins the presidency in November—despite the proudly anti-EV stance of the Republicans.

GM is still making changes, though. The automaker earlier this month pulled the plug on the Ultium name for its EV batteries and related components, and is moving ahead with plans to adopt lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cells to lower costs.

Thirty percent of those surveyed said they were likely to take out an auto loan if rates came down.

Kia is recalling 14,163 EV9 electric SUVs because their digital instrument clusters could go blank while the vehicles are being driven.

The vehicles, a mix of 2024 and 2025 models, received an over-the-air software update in August that may have introduced a software logic error, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. This can cause instrument-cluster screens to go blank intermittently, preventing the driver from seeing the speedometer, odometer, and turn signal indicators.

2024 Kia EV9

The “underlying system functionality” of these indicators is not affected, the NHTSA noted, but because the software issue prevents the information from being seen by the driver, it’s a safety issue. Screen failures that block vital information or controls fall into the safety realm, which is also why Tesla was forced to recall 135,000 vehicles in 2021 to fix faulty touchscreens that could cause loss of the rearview camera display and other functions.

Kia first became aware of the issue after a series of customer complaints, but told the NHTSA that it was unaware of any crashes, injuries, or fatalities related to the issue.

2024 Kia EV9

The automaker will push another over-the-air update to address the issue, but customers can also take their cars to dealerships to have the software updated. Kia plans to mail owner notification letters Oct. 31. Owners can also contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542 for more information. Kia’s reference number for this recall is SC326.

This is the second recent recall for the EV9, which debuted for the 2024 model year offering up to 304 miles of range on less than 100 kwh of battery capacity, and pricing that topped out at $75,395 to land underneath the federal EV tax credit cap. The other recall addresses a remote parking system issue in 12,400 models equipped with that optional feature.

Startup Anomaly Labs screens car dealers’ finance office sales pitches to real-life consumers and uses AI customers for managers to role-play and improve.

BMW is working on a new generation of its entry-level customer race car based on the M2 coupe, and prototypes are currently being evaluated, including in the grueling races of the Nürburgring Endurance Series. One of the prototypes, still wearing camouflage gear, was snapped during its participation in a four-hour race held over the weekend…

Hyundai developing holographic windshield display with Germany’s Zeiss Technology enables augmented reality displays to span width of windshield Production planned to start in 2027 In the not too distant future, head-up displays will be able to present a whole lot more than the tiny window of static information we’re used to today. Hyundai is one…

JM Family Enterprises CEO Brent Burns will retire and be succeeded by President and COO Dan Chait. Chait will remain president when he becomes CEO on Jan. 1, JM Family announced.

For a few years now, the Dacia Spring has won over many Europeans thanks to its formula focused on practicality and an accessible list price.

A strong rival for the Spring has arrived in the form of the Leapmotor T03, a Chinese city car that recently debuted on the European market with decent numbers in terms of range and an equally tempting list price. Let’s compare them to understand how they stack up.

Exteriors

At 3.62 meters (almost 12 feet) long and just 1.58 meters (just over 5 feet) wide (nearly identical figures to the Spring), the Leapmotor is the right size for moving around the city. The style is rather simple, with round headlights that remind us of a Mini and a more voluminous rear area with horizontal lights joined in the center by black molding.

The wheels are also small, measuring just 15 inches, and only three paint colors are available: Bright White, starry silver, and Ice Blue. The contrasting black roof is also present.

Updated last spring and measuring 3.70 meters (just over 12 feet) long, the Dacia Spring features a more squared look and styling elements that remind us of the brand’s most recent models, such as the Duster and the Bigster.

At the front, we find the new Y-shaped light signature and reshaped bumpers. Depending on the trim, you can add black and white inserts.

There are no more roof bars (which benefits aerodynamics), and at the back, we find the “Dacia” writing set inside a black band connecting the new LED headlights. Six exterior colors are offered, including the new Safari Beige and Brick Red choices.

Interiors

The Leapmotor’s cabin is minimalist and modern. The dashboard features an 8” instrument cluster screen and a 10.1” infotainment display (which lacks Apple CarPlay and Android Auto) positioned low down. The air conditioning vents are well-integrated into the design, while the upholstery is mostly hard plastic, apart from the center area of ​​the door panels.

The seats are made of fabric and have a pleasant design, with headrests integrated into the seat. There is good space for both front and rear passengers, with the T03 being approved for four people. The trunk has a minimum capacity of 210 liters, with the possibility of folding down the rear seats and thus increasing the available space to 508 liters.

The early 2024 restyling added several goodies to the interior of the Spring (also approved as a four-seater). The instrumentation is completely digital and includes a 7” screen. At the same time, the richer models feature a second 10” display for the infotainment system (which integrates Android Auto and Apple CarPlay in all trims except the base one).

For the basic versions, a smartphone holder allows devices of any size to be fixed horizontally. The choice of colors for the upholstery and materials has also been expanded. Inside the cabin, white, mass-dyed elements have been introduced, designed to resist scratches and stand out visually as storage compartments.

The Y-shaped graphic design characterizes the central air vents, which are available in white or copper finishes depending on the chosen version. The steering wheel is height-adjustable and the gear lever offers a B mode to manage regenerative braking.

Among the new features are accessories installed via the “YouClip” supports, including cup holders, rechargeable lights, and smartphone holders (with or without wireless charging).

The Spring’s rear cargo area boasts more room, with a minimum volume of 308 liters (over 1,000 liters with the rear seats folded down).

Engines

The T03 has a 95-hp (70 kW) front-wheel drive motor paired with a 37.3 kWh lithium-ion battery. Leapmotor claims a combined WLTP range of 265 km (165 miles), rising to 395 km (245 miles) in city use. AC charging is 6.6 kW and DC charging is 45 kW.

Dacia offers two different motors. The base model has a 45 HP unit (0 to 100 km/h acceleration in 20 seconds), while the more powerful one has 65 HP. Both have a maximum speed of 125 km/h (78 mph), and the battery is always 26.8 kWh, with a declared WLTP range of 225 km (140 miles).

AC charging reaches up to 7 kW, with the possibility of reaching 30 kW in DC (but only as an option on the 65 HP version).

Prices

The Leapmotor’s starting price is 18,900 euros ($20,500). The equipment is quite complete, including 15” alloy wheels, a 10.1” instrument panel, automatic climate control, parking sensors and rear camera ra, panoramic, roof, and level 2 driving assistance system.

However, the base price for the 45 HP version of the Spring is 17,900 euros ($19,415). Standard equipment includes the 7” instrument panel, Media Control with DAB radio, Bluetooth and USB connection, manual climate control, rear parking sensors, rear camera, and driver attention monitoring system.

Jeep on Monday announced pricing for its 2025 Grand Cherokee which is already available at dealerships nationwide. The range starts with the Laredo with rear-wheel drive, which for 2025 is priced from $38,830, or $1,000 less than the comparable 2024 model. Adding four-wheel drive costs $2,000. It’s worth noting the 2024 Grand Cherokee includes a…