Category: General

Sales of expensive full-size pickup trucks from the Detroit Three automakers fell in the first quarter of 2024 which, as a Bloomberg report explains, could negatively impact those automakers’ EV plans.

Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis have been cashing in on high-end versions of full-size pickups, piling on features like bigger touchscreens and massaging leather seats to push transaction prices into the six-figure range. It’s these highly profitable models that bankroll EVs, giving automakers the cash to invest in EV development and manufacturing.

But sales of big pickups fell in the first quarter, Bloomberg notes. Sales of Stellantis’ Ram pickups fell 15%, while sales of Ford’s bestselling F-Series trucks fell 10%. Ford also hasn’t shipped any electric F-150 Lightning pickups since February 9 due to an undisclosed issue.

2024 Chevrolet Silverado 1500

High sticker prices haven’t deterred pickup shoppers, but high interest rates, along with increased competition from smaller vehicles like compact SUVs and sedans, might at least at the moment be eroding interest, according to Bloomberg.

Full-size trucks have been the cornerstone of the Detroit automakers’ business plans in recent times. Smaller models like the Ford Maverick, which starts in the $20,000s and include a hybrid version, may be a sensible pick for many households compared to an F-150.

Shoppers might be waiting for innovation beyond new, more luxurious pickup trim levels. GM, for instance, is reportedly at work on plug-in hybrid pickups, and Ram will roll out an extended-range plug-in pickup in the next year. 

More all-electric trucks are also on the way, and the advantages of going electric for pickups could be even more pronounced for these vehicles than for regular passenger cars. In 2022 the Union of Concerned Scientists said electric pickups emitted less CO2 than the average gasoline truck no matter where in the U.S. they were plugged in.

2025 Ram 1500

And it is possible that some pickup shoppers might be starting to get the message on EVs. Another 2022 study cranked through the numbers, estimating that electric pickups could replace nearly half of gasoline ones currently in service—with an ownership cost advantage.

The Biden administration just made a series of changes in a final fuel economy calculation, making it easier for automakers to produce and sell more large pickups and SUVs. So regulations won’t threaten U.S. automakers’ obsession with big trucks for the time being.

The 2025 Mercedes-Benz EQS electric sedan gets a number of updates for its third model year. The refreshed EV arrives at U.S. dealerships later this year, with pricing to be revealed closer to that time.

A new 118.0-kwh battery pack for all models represents a 9% increase from the 108.4 kwh usable capacity in current models. Mercedes promises increased range, but didn’t not publish any updated EPA estimates. The EQS currently achieves a maximum 352 miles in single-motor rear-wheel drive EQS 450+ form, so that alone puts 400 miles within reach if other efficiency gains tackle a few more percent improvement.

Mercedes also touts new regenerative braking software that enables greater energy recovery, as well as changes to brake components intended to improve pedal feel—one of our most significant review criticisms of the EQS. This comes after the EQS, along with the smaller EQE, got retuned braking last year, along with heat pumps.

2025 Mercedes-Benz EQS

A fake grille and a hood ornament give the EQS a more traditional look closer to gasoline Mercedes sedans like the S-Class. The EQS has from the start offered an S-Class luxury experience while forging its own design direction—and hatchback body style—so it’s odd to see it trying to replicate the S-Class look.

Inside, an Executive Interior Package increase comfort for rear-seat passengers with features like rapid-heating seats, neck and shoulder heating, and pneumatic adjustment of rear-seat depth. Mercedes made the massive Hyperscreen display standard on the EQS for 2024.

This EQS refresh had been announced by Mercedes CEO Ola Källenius as part of a February update that delayed some of the company’s EV targets, with internal-combustion models staying in its lineup “well into the 2030s.”

2025 Mercedes-Benz EQS

Mercedes expedited the development of the EQS in 2017, and it arrived several years earlier than originally planned. Mercedes has since launched the EQS SUV and sedan and SUV versions of the EQE—all based on the same EVA 2 architecture. These other models will get similar updates in the near future, according to the automaker.

The automaker’s next MMA platform will underpin multiple compact and midsize EVs due to start arriving later this year. Previewed with the Concept CLA-Class last year, MMA emphasizes efficiency and includes some notable improvements over the EVA 2 platform—like an 800-volt electrical architecture.

Charging company Voltpost is preparing to roll out its lamppost EV chargers in major U.S. metro areas like New York, Chicago, and Detroit.

The company on Thursday announced that it had “imminent plans” to deploy its chargers in these areas this spring. The Level 2 chargers are added to existing lampposts, with charging sessions and payment managed through a mobile app.

Each installation has 20 feet of retractable cable and can accommodate two to four charge ports. The ports are designed to route the cable at a 90-degree angle to the car’s charging socket, keeping it out of the way of traffic and pedestrians.

Voltpost claims it can install a charger in just one to two hours at a fraction of the cost of other curbside charging stations. These lamppost chargers also avoid the need to dig trenches for electrical cables and get construction permits, the company notes.

Voltpost streetside EV charger with app and charge connector

The chargers will employ the Open Charge Point Protocol (OCCP), and no matter which automaker app or charging app you use, it’s quite possible you’ll see them included soon. “Voltpost is pursuing an open charging distribution strategy to maximize interoperability and offer a frictionless customer experience,” said its CEO Jeff Prosserman, to Green Car Reports. “This includes integration with partner apps including, but not limited to, Google Maps, Apple Maps, Android Auto and CarPlay.”

Streetlight-based charging has already been proposed as a solution for EV drivers who live in apartments or don’t have dedicated parking. And there’s some indication Voltpost and other proponents may be onto something. New York City began installing some streetside chargers in 2021, and they are now seeing a 72% utilization rate, according to Charged EVs.

Voltpost curbside EV charger

Voltpost isn’t the only company with an innovative design for streetside chargers. Others include a design that tucks away inside the sidewalk during the day, and just adding sockets to street light poles, and letting drivers figure out the cable.

Shell and Ubitricity did a massive rollout of on-street chargers in the U.K., but no such effort has been made in U.S. big cities as of yet. Some cities have resorted to installing Level 2 streetside EV charging by request. But piecemeal in this way, it’s expensive.

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with additional reporting by Bengt Halvorson

Ford is cutting prices on some 2024 F-150 Lightning electric pickup trucks by up to $5,500, CarsDirect reports, citing a bulletin sent by Ford to dealerships.

Effective April 5, the XLT Standard Range grade gets a $2,000 price cut, bringing its base price down to $65,090 with the mandatory $2,095 destination charge. The Lariat Extended Range gets a $2,500 price cut, to $79,090 with destination.

2024 Ford F-150 Lightning

The Flash Extended Range— a new-for-2024 model positioned between the XLT and Lariat—gets the biggest price cut of $5,500, meaning it now starts at $70,090 with destination. Prices for the base Pro Standard Range and range-topping Platinum Extended Range are unchanged at $57,090 and $87,090, respectively, again with destination included. Models with an MSRP below $80,000 also qualify for the full $7,500 federal EV tax credit, CarsDirect notes.

This seems like a reversal of sort for Ford, which has resisted lowering Lightning prices across the lineup despite fluctuating demand. In January, the automaker cut prices on top-trim versions, but added thousands to the MSRPs of the rest of the lineup.

2024 Ford F-150 Lightning Flash

In December, when it was clear that prices were slowing Lightning demand, Ford opted to slow production rather than lower the price of the truck. That was one of the early signals that Ford wasn’t aiming to ramp up EV production as urgently as it had previously indicated.

However it’s apparent that the lower prices Ford set for remaining 2023 stock of the Mustang Mach-E have put some spark in the sales of that model. Ford on Tuesday confirmed that it’s holding 2024 Mustang Mach-E pricing near those price points. Maybe such a price adjustment for Lightning will do the same. 

Rimac will provide next-generation battery packs for BMW EVs, the company announced Tuesday in a press release.

Full details will be revealed at a later date, but Rimac anticipates “the establishment of sophisticated automated production lines for batteries” at its headquarters near Zagreb, Croatia, with “significant portion” of the site dedicated to the project.

Rimac started with founder Mate Rimac’s conversion of an old BMW to electric power, leading to the development of its first supercar, the Concept_One, a decade ago. So in some respects this is a BMW fan’s return to the fold.

Rimac campus

“This marks a pivotal moment in the growth of Rimac Technology, from humble beginnings to a major long-term partnership with one of the greatest automotive brands in the world,” Mate Rimac said in a statement.

Rimac has gained the most attention as a builder of supercars. In 2022 it started production of the Nevera, the successor to the Concept_One, and the year prior the Rimac car brand was merged with Bugatti to form Bugatti Rimac, a joint venture of the parent Rimac Group and Porsche.

But Rimac is also a supplier of electric powertrain components, including key components for the Koenigsegg Regera plug-in hybrid supercar. Hyundai also used to be allied with Rimac, although the South Korean automaker later went its own way.

Rimac Nevera top speed run

Rimac has also tapped into some of the energy management smarts in its electric supercars for its own line of energy storage tech, announcing a Rimac Energy division in 2023.

BMW has suggested that it plans to emphasize EV affordability with its upcoming Neue Klasse EVs launching in 2025. It will be interesting to see whether the partnership with Rimac plays into that.

The 2024 Fiat 500e is a small electric three-door hatchback that looks remarkably similar to the previous Fiat 500, sold in the U.S. from the 2012 through 2019 model years. This one’s offered only as a battery-electric vehicle (hence the “e”), at least for the moment. But Fiat plans to market it as a fashion accessory as much as a small practical, short-range EV. 

We drove the 500e through Miami traffic for three hours last week, giving us a chance to sample one of its strong points: quick cut-and-thrust urban driving. While it has nowhere near the rocket-ship acceleration offered by some EVs, it’s peppy enough—and small enough to sneak into spaces even compact SUVs can’t manage.

Sadly, we weren’t able to test whether the new 500e retains the entertaining and delightful handling of its predecessor, the 2013-2019 500e, which was sold only in California and Oregon. Miami is entirely flat and remarkably congested. We got exactly one big sweeping turn on a ramp over a freeway; it did fine. But until we get it into some proper hills and twisties, we can’t fully review its driving behavior.

Overall, the 500e is a fun little EV at a reasonable price: The ‘Red’ base model starts at $34,095. Its EPA-rated range of 149 miles may put off some shoppers who should consider it more seriously. Given its small size and its range, Fiat execs are realistic when they say the new 500e “didn’t come to be a sales leader”—meaning it may be rare in some regions of the country. Instead, the car will “test and learn what Fiat wants to be in the U.S.”

2024 Fiat 500e

2024 Fiat 500e

2024 Fiat 500e

Instantly, obviously a Fiat 500

The new 2024 Fiat 500e is instantly, identifiably a Fiat 500. Slightly larger than the previous generation—2.4 inches longer, 2.2 inches wider—it shares the same upright-coupe profile and short, stubby nose. The front end has the same “moustache” shape, though the round headlights are actually a semi-circle in the front panel with a lit arc cut into the hood to finish the shape. Larger wheels with fairly low-profile tires, now 17 inches vs the previous model’s 15 inches, keep the little Fiat proportional but add more of an adult feel. 

Inside, the interior is largely shades of black plastic, with a repeating Fiat logo in the gray seat inserts. Most of the plastics are hard, not soft-touch, though textured to make them a bit more stylish. Red plastic on the dash of our red test car recalled the metal dashboard of the original 500, updated for safety regulations that didn’t exist 60 years ago. 

2024 Fiat 500e

A 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster is standard, as is a 10.3-inch central touchscreen display with a UConnect 5 radio. The drive mode and radio volume controls are on the center console.

The 2024 Fiat 500e will never replace a family SUV, but it’s not meant to. It makes a perfectly good second car, commuter car, or perhaps primary vehicle for a single driver or couple living in tight urban quarters. 

500e range and acceleration: Fit for the city

The battery capacity is 42 kilowatt-hours (37 kwh usable), using Samsung cells made in Poland. It powers an 87-kilowatt (117-horsepower) motor driving the front wheels, with quoted torque of 162 lb-ft. The new 500e has no front trunk; the space under the hood is occupied by the 12-volt battery, charging gear, the power electronics, and of course the motor. 

2024 Fiat 500e

It’s fairly obvious Fiat could drop a transverse engine and transmission into the space if it chooses to. Rumors suggest it will. But for now, the 2024 500 is electric-only.

There’s no “Start” or “power” button; the car is ready to move once the driver its down and has buckled the seat belt. Park, Reverse, Neutral, or Drive are selected using flat black buttons on the lower edge of the central dash (below a convenient phone charging pocket). One “surprise and delight” feature of which Fiat is very proud: below 20 mph, the car broadcasts the mandatory pedestrian alert sound. But the first time it exceeds 20 mph, it plays a custom musical theme Fiat calls “The Song of 500”. It was hard to hear even with the windows open (driving next to a solid concrete wall helps reflect it back), but it’s definitely there.

Fiat quotes a 0-to-60-mph acceleration time of 8.5 seconds, but the 0-to-30-mph time that may be more useful in urban jousting is just 3.1 seconds. In general, it’s entirely suitable for urban use—though we can’t help but wonder about an Abarth version that might be a lot punchier and more fun. There’s nothing to say on that front today, Fiat execs said firmly. Top speed is 94 mph.

2024 Fiat 500e

It has three driving modes: Normal, Range, and Sherpa. Normal makes the EV behave like a combustion-engined car, with low regenerative braking. 

Then there’s Range, which boosts regen and allows one-pedal driving down to a stop—if you have a lot of space. We found the 500e’s regenerative braking quite gentle. It took some practice to learn when to lift off to get the car to slow itself down to a stop; the first few times, it decelerated in such a leisurely way, we stomped on the brake to avoid the car ahead. It’s entirely learnable, but more powerful EVs have more powerful regen—which isn’t the case here.

Finally, the Sherpa mode equates to an Eco mode, reducing power from 87 kw (117 hp) to 67 kw (90 hp), switching off all heating and cooling (you can switch it back on), and capping maximum speed at slightly more than 50 mph. Sherpa mode isn’t as bad as you might imagine, as long as you drive it aggressively—and don’t need to go more than 50 mph.

Sherpa mode might have been fine for the entire route Fiat had us drive with the 500e, which was entirely in urban traffic, covering just 30 miles, and up to just 50 mph. Over that distance, I brought the 100% battery charge down to 81%, and the range estimate, which had been 119 miles at the start of the trip, was 116 miles after the trip. This is, of course, the best driving conditions for making the most of the 500e’s range.

While the performance is adequate, the car excels in tight spaces. With a turning circle of just 31.5 feet, it’s easy to sneak into small parking spaces. And with a curb weight of only 2,950 pounds (50 pounds lighter than the last, smaller 500e), it doesn’t feel massive behind the wheel.

2024 Fiat 500e

2024 Fiat 500e

2024 Fiat 500e

500e seats two adults, two tiny people, and one drink

Getting into the 500e is a matter of squeezing the electric release underneath the door “handle” slot. Novices have to learn that to exit the car, they have to press the round button on top of the door arm-rest to release the electric latch. Once inside, drivers will find they sit high enough over the battery pack that they feel less vulnerable than they would in a lower-slung car of the same size. Stellantis’ head of interior design, it turns out, is 6’8”—and he fits into the 500, meaning there’s plenty of headroom. 

The rear seat has a cupholder in the middle of the lower cushion, underscoring the car’s (nominal) four-seater designation. While its rear seat is larger than the last generation’s, that’s relative: You still won’t fit four American-size adults inside for anything short of punishment.

The upright seating and good outward visibility over the short, beveled nose give the car more presence from inside than it may have on the street. Only when looking at the small sun visors or the tiny little “modesty panel” to cover a 5-inch slot showing the contents of the load bay is the 500e’s small size reinforced. The rear seatbacks don’t fold flat, though; they just tilt forward.

2024 Fiat 500e

One major flaw in the new 500e interior: There’s only a single cup holder, which folds down into the tunnel from the base of the console. If you’re carrying a passenger who also has a cup of coffee, one of you is out of luck. The Fiat team assured us they’re well aware of this and are working on a fast fix. Still, it seems a foolish oversight, since the previous 500e had two of them—and that Fiat has had four years since the European version was released to address this.

Neither the NHTSA nor the IIHS has yet rated the 2024 Fiat 500e for crash safety, and given its likely low volume, those ratings may not emerge for some time if ever. The new Fiat has seven airbags, and a raft of automated driver-assistance systems including automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, and blind-spot and pedestrian alerts. 

The 500e’s adaptive cruise control will work down to 0 mph once you learn it; the car reads and displays speed-limit signs; and it will also read and display other traffic signs when cruise control is engaged. Fiat promises “Level 2 ADAS” on the “Inspired” trim levels—meaning some level of active lane control together with that, providing the driver remains attentive—but we weren’t able to test those models, so we can’t weigh in on how it works.

2024 Fiat 500e

Special edition “drops”—like sneakers

The base Fiat 500e model for 2024 is the ‘Red’ trim. Available in red, white, and black as actual exterior colors, the ‘Red’ label refers to a charity tie-in that supports Product Red, which raises money to fund research into HIV and AIDS.. Aside from exterior color, the 500e ‘Red’ model only offers a single option: Goodyear summer tires or Pirelli all-season tires. 

Fiat has leaned into the idea of the electric 500 as a fashion accessory and style icon. According to Fiat’s North American brand head, Aamir Ahmed, the company will announce a “drop” of a limited edition version two or three times each year, available only for a short period—echoing the model used successfully for high-fashion sneakers and other goods. Video ads featuring Spike Lee, Giancarlo Esposito, and other icons reinforce the style approach.

The first two special editions are “Inspired by Beauty” (in Rose Gold) and “Inspired by Music” (the Tuxedo Black one, which adds a seven-speaker JBL audio system with audio characteristics of four ‘virtual venues’ built in). They can be ordered today, with deliveries in the third quarter. 

The ‘Red’ edition of the 2024 Fiat 500e carries a base price of $32,500 plus a mandatory $1,595 delivery fee, for a bottom-line sticker price of $34,095. “Inspired” versions add $3,500 to that. Its closest competitor is the Mini Cooper SE, also a three-door hatchback, with a range of just 114 miles. With the Chevrolet Bolt EV range now defunct, the Kia Niro EV and Hyundai Kona Electric are slightly pricier, but both offer four doors and ranges of more than 200 miles.

2024 Fiat 500e

Small car, big charging

Despite a smallish battery, the 500e can fast-charge at up to 85 kilowatts, so charging from 0 to 80 percent can take as little as 35 minutes under ideal circumstances. The more likely home charging via an 11-kw Level 2 station takes six hours for a charge from 0 to 100 percent. On a standard 120-volt wall socket, the 500e will charge from 5 to 100 percent in 37 hours. The charge port is on the right-rear corner, and the charging cord is housed under the cargo-bay floor.

Fiat will offer buyers the choice of either a Level 2 charging station (the buyer pays to install it) or $600 of free charging via networks that are part of the Stellantis Free2Move system (although participating networks for the U.S. haven’t yet been announced). 

No heat pump is available, though the cabin is small enough that resistance heating may not be as power-hungry as in larger vehicles. Heated seats are offered, but not a heated steering wheel.

2024 Fiat 500e

All 2024 Fiat 500e cars are built at the company’s Mirafiori factory outside Turin—as shown in a molding inside each door’s interior arm-rest, which says “Made in Torino” with a silhouette of an original 500. That means they do not qualify for a U.S. federal purchase incentive, though leasing the car restores the full credit. The 500e still qualifies for many state and local incentives.

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Fiat provided airfare, lodging, and meals to enable Green Car Reports to bring you this first-person drive report.

Ford on Tuesday confirmed lasting price cuts on the Mustang Mach-E lineup, along with 20% faster road-trip charging and a boost in range in some cases. 

The automaker has also substituted in a new in-house-designed motor unit and thermal changes that altogether will make top-performance versions quicker than the Tesla Model Y Performance, Ford claims. 

The 2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E now goes up to 320 miles in its rear-wheel-drive form with the 91-kwh (usable) Extended Range battery pack, according to Ford, in numbers that haven’t yet been confirmed with the EPA, or up to 250 miles with the 72-kwh Standard Range pack. Mach-E GT versions are at 280 miles for 2024, and the Mach-E Rally is expected to come in at 265 miles. 

2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E

When equipped with the larger pack, the 2024 Mach-E can now get from 10-80% in just 36.2 minutes according to Ford, which is 8.8 minutes quicker than when the Mach-E was launched. The smaller Standard Range pack comes in at 32.3 minutes and a 5.7-minute improvement. 

In February, Ford cut Mach-E prices by thousands—on remaining 2023 models. While it made clear then that those prices wouldn’t carry over to 2024 models, it’s essentially held the line on them, adjusting those new, much lower prices upward only slightly for 2024. 

The most affordable Mach-E in the lineup is the Select with the Standard Range battery, at $41,890, while the Premium model in Standard Range form starts at $45,890. 

The entry point for the all-wheel drive is the Select Extended Range AWD, or the Premium Standard Range AWD, both at $48,890. The Premium range tops out with the combination of the bigger pack plus AWD, at $51,890. 

2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E

Sporty GT versions of the 2024 Mach-E cost $55,890. The Performance Upgrade costs $995 as a standalone option, or $745 when bundled with a wheel-and-tire upgrade.  

The previous range-leading California Route 1 model appears to have dropped out of the lineup for 2024. 

The high-performance, rugged-rally-themed Mustang Mach-E Rally lands at $61,890—about $5,000 less than originally anticipated—including the larger battery and all-wheel drive. That model, expected to arrive later this spring, rides an inch higher than the GT model and gets minor appearance changes to suit the mission.

Performance is much improved thanks to the new rear motor. With the Performance Upgrade option, the Mach-E enables an additional 100 lb-ft of torque from the new motor unit, thanks to “innovative powertrain thermal modeling and control algorithms,” and allows a 0-60 mph time of 3.3 seconds and a quarter-mile time of 11.8 seconds at 114 mph—which beats the Tesla Model Y Performance, according to Ford. 

GT models with the Performance Upgrade, as well as Rally versions, produce 480 hp plus 700 lb-ft of torque, according to Ford, up from 600 lb-ft in the GT otherwise. Performance and output numbers for the rest of the Mach-E lineup have improved significantly, too. For instance, Ford quoted a 0-60 mph time of 6.3 seconds for the 2023 Mach-E Select with the smaller pack, but for 2024 it can do that dash in 5.6 seconds. Even the entry points for AWD, the Extended Range Select versions, are listed at 4.1 seconds to 60 mph.

2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E GT

2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E GT

2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E GT

Ford first announced the Performance Upgrade for the Mach-E back in January, while previewing a Bronze Appearance Package for the 2024 Mach-E GT, including 20-inch bronze-painted alloy wheels, a bronze mesh grille, and more. It’s now detailed that it will cost $1,995 extra on the GT, and that it also includes Ford Performance front seats, active damping, and Brembo front brake calipers—items that were previously only included with the much higher-priced Performance Edition. 

Ford also touts that it’s now including more than 15,000 Tesla Superchargers through its aggregated BlueOval Charge Network and the use of complimentary Tesla charging adapters. EV Routing functionality now works together with Google Maps via Android Auto or Apple Maps via Apple CarPlay. 

2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E

2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E

2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E

While Ford makes clear that the substantially new hardware enables some of the improvements, Ford has also said that Mach-E improvements will involve both that and over-the-air software updates, and with plans to “reengineer” the Mach-E it wouldn’t save improvements for a mid-cycle refresh. Green Car Reports has reached out to Ford to clarify whether any of these better numbers will be accessible to those with 2023 or earlier Mach-E vehicles.