Category: General

A concept car previewing the design direction of Jaguar’s upcoming electric-vehicle lineup leaked Monday ahead of its official debut.

The Jaguar Design Vision concept was due to be unveiled Monday night at Miami Art Week, but images were posted online ahead of that on the CocheSpias Instagram page. Those images show a two-door fastback coupe with a somewhat more angular appearance than current Jaguar models, but with a long hood that nods to classic Jag sports cars like the E-Type.

The concept also lacks a rear window, like the Polestar 4, with a camera system likely aiding rear vision. A slat motif is repeated at the front and back, and even the roof, although it’s unclear if this serves a functional purpose such as cooling or is merely for decoration.

Jaguar Design Vision Concept leak – Photo via CocheSpias Instagram page

The interior features an oval steering wheel and a divider between the seats, but seems to lack screens, suggesting that relevant information will be projected onto the windshield itself.

Many of the Design Vision concept’s features are expected to show up on the first of Jaguar’s upcoming EVs, a a low-slung grand tourer the automaker has already shown testing with camouflage. The production version, which could have four doors instead of two, is scheduled to debut in 2025 sporting a six-figure price tag and more power than any previous Jaguar road car, with deliveries starting the following year.

Jaguar Design Vision Concept leak – Photo via CocheSpias Instagram page

The grand tourer will be one of three models comprising Jaguar’s electric reboot, announced in 2021. In the meantime, Jaguar has been discontinuing most of its current gasoline models, as well as its first EV, the I-Pace, leaving only the F-Pace SUV in showrooms until the new electric models arrive. An SUV and a more traditional-looking sedan are expected to follow the first model.

All three will be based on a new platform called JEA (Jaguar Electrified Architecture) and will feature North American Charging Standard (NACS) ports to give drivers access to Tesla Supercharger stations.

The potential high cost of EV battery replacements is a major worry for new-car shoppers, but that likely won’t be the case for long, according to battery-analysis firm Recurrent.

Recurrent, which produces battery health reports for used EVs, predicts that plummeting new-battery prices will make replacing a battery pack cheaper than repairing a gasoline engine by the end of the decade.

2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5

Whether it’s a gasoline engine, a battery pack, or any other component, repairs don’t make financial sense if they exceed the value of a car. Battery replacement costs are already trending away from that, according to Recurrent. They now represent 75% of the value of a $15,000 used car, down from 100% in 2020, the company estimates, adding that by 2030 battery replacements will be equivalent to 30% of the value of a $15,000 used vehicle.

This is being made possible by declining costs for new EV batteries. As Recurrent notes, Goldman Sachs predicted earlier this year that average battery prices would reach $80 per kwh in 2026—almost 50% lower than 2023. With the exception of a bump in 2022 due to high raw material prices, that’s generally been the trend since the start of the modern EV era. The U.S. Department of Energy has estimated that EV battery costs have dropped 90% since 2008.

2025 Kia EV6

Recurrent assumes that these trends will continue, and that by 2030 there will be a robust market for used EV batteries that could allow owners to offset some of the cost of replacement. Growth of so-called second-life applications such as stationary energy storage could allow EV owners to negotiate the sale of their vehicles’ used packs, potentially lowering the effective price of new packs by $10-$20 per kwh, Recurrent predicts.

Lower costs could not only help make used EVs more affordable, but might keep more of them in circulation. A 2023 report found that it’s more common to replace battery packs than repair them, which, at current battery prices, could lead to relatively new vehicles being “totaled” by insurance companies over minor damage and higher insurance premiums for those that remain.

Kia is recalling 62,872 EV6 electric vehicles because onboard charging control units could become damaged and trigger a reduced-power driving mode.

The recall covers 2022-2024 models, which have integrated charging control units that may become damaged by certain electrical loads, preventing them from charging the vehicles’ 12-volt batteries, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

2024 Kia EV6

Failure of 12-volt battery charging causes the vehicle to enter a fail-safe mode, which will gradually reduce power if the vehicle continues to be driven. If this condition occurs, drivers will hear warning chimes and see dashboard warning lights, according to the NHTSA.

The remedy involves updating the charging control unit’s software, as well as inspection of the unit and its fuse, with replacement as needed. All of this work will be performed by dealerships free of charge to owners. Kia expects to mail owner notification letters Dec. 13. Owners can also contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542 for more information. Kia’s reference number for this recall is SC327.

2024 Kia EV6

Some of the recalled vehicles were involved in a previous recall for the same issue, but will still need to have the new recall work completed, the NHTSA confirmed. That recall also included EVs from the related Hyundai and Genesis brands, some of which are also being recalled a second time to address this issue.

The EV6 arrived for the 2022 model year and was a Green Car Reports Best Car To Buy 2023 finalist. For 2025, it gets a number of updates including bigger battery packs, a North American Charging Standard (NACS) port, and revised styling. Kia will also build U.S.-market vehicles at its West Point, Georgia, factory.

The revamped 2025 Audi E-Tron GT range receives performance improvements, bigger battery packs, and a simplified lineup, along with a $126,795 starting price that makes the entry point for this model $18,800 higher than it was with the outgoing 2024 model.

That higher 2025 price, which includes the mandatory $1,295 destination charge, buys the new S E-Tron GT that becomes the entry-level model. Its standard dual-motor all-wheel drive powertrain is rated at 670 hp, compared to 523 hp than the previous base model. That quickens 0-60 mph acceleration by 0.6 second, according to Audi, to 3.3 seconds with launch control.

The S E-Tron GT is available in both Premium Plus and Prestige grades, with the latter costing $137,095 with destination. The high-performance RS E-Tron GT returns as well, but is now available only in a new Performance guise priced at $168,295 once destination is factored in.

2025 Audi RS E-Tron GT

RS E-Tron GT Performance models produce 912 hp, compared to 647 hp for the previous RS E-Tron GT. Audi estimates 0-60 mph in 2.4 seconds when using launch control. A push-to-pass function also adds 94 hp in 10-second bursts at speeds above 19 mph. It’s the most powerful and quickest-accelerating Audi production car to date.

All models use a 105-kwh battery pack shared with the updated 2025 Porsche Taycan, the Audi’s platform-mate. Despite a 12% increase in capacity over the previous 93.4-kwh pack, Audi claims a 25-pound weight reduction. EPA-estimated range for the S E-Tron GT is 300 miles on 20-inch wheels, a substantial improvement over the 249 miles of the 2024 Audi E-Tron GT.

Charging power also increases from 270 kw to 320 kw, reducing the time for a 10%-80% charge from the previous 21.5 minutes to 18 minutes, according to Audi. The maximum energy recoverable under regenerative braking also increases from 290 kw to 400 kw, with up to 0.45g of deceleration possible through regeneration alone, Audi claims.

2025 Audi RS E-Tron GT

Audi’s emphasis on under-the-skin improvements while keeping the basic exterior package the same mirrors the approach taken with the Taycan for 2025. In a first drive, we found the 2025 Taycan makes good on its mission, adding more real-world range and charging usability while maintaining the poise and high-speed stability that were its standout attributes.

So we’re eager to get back behind the wheel of the refreshed E-Tron GT, which in its initial form emphasized touring comfort over the Taycan’s sharpness. It shouldn’t be long, as 2025 E-Tron GT models are now available to order in the U.S., with production staying in Böllinger Höfe, Germany.

With Fisker Group still in bankruptcy, the Fisker Ocean electric SUV is the subject of yet another recall, this time for a fault that could cause vehicles to roll away.

The recall encompasses 7,745 vehicles, representing all 2023 and 2024 Oceans produced for the U.S., according to a disclosure on Monday from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). A braking-system issue may allow these vehicles to roll in drive and reverse with zero accelerator-pedal pressure, the safety regulator said, adding that some customers also reported an inability to shift into park.

2023 Fisker Ocean

Fisker told the NHTSA that it is aware of one injury related to this issue, which the company believes affects 100% of the vehicles in the recall population. It’s also an issue that should have already been addressed.

Fisker released a free over-the-air (OTA) software update on Mar. 11, 2024, adding an automatic-hold feature that activates when the brake pedal is depressed while stationary, and holds vehicles in place even when the brake pedal is released. This is listed as the remedy to this recall, perhaps because not all vehicles received the update. Owners can contact Fisker customer service at 1-844-347-5371 for more information.

2023 Fisker Ocean

The Ocean has been involved in multiple recalls addressing everything from regenerative braking issues to doors that don’t open, but getting recall work done has become more complicated since the company declared bankruptcy in June.

In September, Fisker said that it would continue providing free software updates, but that owners would have to pay at least some of the cost of recall repairs. The Fisker Owners Association (FOA) has worked to identify shops willing to service and fix Oceans as the company’s bankruptcy proceedings continue.

The 2025 Lexus RZ electric crossover is now $11,200 less expensive than last year thanks to a new entry-level grade.

In this nameless trim level, the single-motor front-wheel-drive RZ 300e costs $43,975 with the mandatory $1,175 destination fee. That’s down from $55,175 for the 2024 RZ 300e Premium grade, which was the entry-level version for 2024.

The RZ 300e is still available in Premium trim for 2025, with prices of $48,175 and $49,415 with 18-inch and 20-inch wheels, respectively. The single-motor model is also available in high-end Luxury spec for $53,905.

2025 Lexus RZ

With the new entry-level grade, the dual-motor all-wheel drive RZ 450e now starts at $48,675—an effective price cut of $11,200 from the 2024 model. The RZ 450e Premium costs $52,875 with 18-inch wheels and $54,115 with 20-inch wheels, while the Luxury grade costs $58,605.

Single-motor RZ 300e models are still rated at 201 hp, while dual-motor RZ 450e models continue with 308 hp enabling 0-60 mph in a Lexus-estimated 5.0 seconds. RZ 300e models have a 72.8-kwh CATL battery pack, while RZ 450e models have a 71.4-kwh pack from Prime Planet Energy, a joint venture of battery supplier Panasonic and Lexus parent Toyota.

2025 Lexus RZ

EPA-estimated range still maxes out at 266 miles for RZ 300e models equipped with 18-inch wheels. That drops to 224 miles with 20-inch wheels. RZ 450e models continue to offer 220 miles of range with 18-inch wheels and just 196 miles with 20-inch wheels. But Lexus has prioritized features, not range, since the RZ arrived as a 2023 model.

While it has sold the UX 300e crossover in Europe since 2020, the RZ is the only all-electric Lexus currently sold in the U.S. Lexus is expected to launch another, larger electric crossover in 2026, previewed by the LF-ZL concept shown last year, on the way to becoming an all-electric brand by 2030.

JLR will buy back 2,760 2019 Jaguar I-Pace electric SUVs due to a fire risk that the automaker and safety regulators have determined has not been adequately addressed in previous recalls.

These vehicles—from the first model year of Jaguar’s sole EV—were included in multiple recalls to address the potential for overheating battery packs, the most recent in late August. At the time, Jaguar said it was looking for another solution to the overheating issue after diagnostic software installed as a remedy in previous recalls proved inadequate.

2019 Jaguar I-Pace S

Jaguar now plans to buy back the affected vehicles, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Until that can be done, interim precautions announced with the August recall remain in place.

Owners are still advised to park and charge their cars outside and away from structures, and are being told to have dealers install updated battery module control software limiting capacity to 80%, which will be done free of charge. This was explained in owner notification letters mailed Oct. 18 and Nov. 6, 2024. Owners can call Jaguar customer service at 1-800-452-4827 and mention recall number H514 for more information.

2019 Jaguar I-Pace S

Jaguar initially issued a broader recall of I-Pace electric vehicles for fire risk last year, followed by another small recall earlier this year of just 258 vehicles—all 2019 models. The automaker found these vehicles had a higher propensity for short-circuits within their battery cells, and eventually opted to replace entire packs.

Jaguar is going all-electric, but the I-Pace won’t be a part of that plan. The automaker will abandon its first electric model in favor of three new EVs based on a clean-sheet architecture, with styling previewed by a concept car making its public debut Dec. 2.

• Kia hasn’t yet confirmed EV3 or EV4 for the U.S.—but we might get both
• Unclear if EV3 arrives, whether Niro EV would continue
• Kia PV5 WKNDR electric camper van is a test for U.S. interest

The future of compact EVs for Kia in the U.S. could be as simple as this: It doesn’t have to be an either/or.

And that might mean that U.S. EV shoppers could get the more interesting compact EV market that America has been largely missing out on—thanks to the possibility of Kia’s EV3 and EV4. 

In October 2023, at its Kia EV Day event, the brand revealed the upright EV3 compact electric crossover, which is close to the same size as the Volvo EX30, and the somewhat longer, lower EV4 compact electric hatchback. At the same event, it also showed a production version of the EV5 electric crossover, which is sized closely with the Kia Sportage, Honda CR-V, and Toyota RAV4. 

While Kia was quick at that time to say that the EV5 was not U.S.-bound, it left the door open for the EV3 and EV4. 

Kia EV4 concept

The production EV4 is expected to bow globally within the next few months. But Kia has already, since last year’s event, shown the production-bound EV3, with deliveries of it starting earlier this month in Europe. Amid that, there hasn’t yet been a U.S.-market confirmation for either the EV3 or the EV4. 

Last week, at the Los Angeles auto show, Green Car Reports asked Kia America chief operating officer and executive vice president Steven Center which of these two EVs we might see.

“We may see both,” replied Center. “And I think that’s just a matter of segment management.”

Center elaborated that these are two quite different EVs, referring to the EV4 as an electric equivalent to the K5 sedan, and the EV3 as “sort of a Soul EV.”

2023 Kia Niro EV

Whether that means borrowed time for the Kia Niro EV, which Kia opted to bring to the U.S. instead of the current Soul EV, Center wouldn’t say for sure—but he hinted that Niro EV is built on an internal combustion platform, and it’s the second-generation of a vehicle that was conceived when the company’s E-GMP EV platform didn’t exist. 

Center also noted that at some point soon, Kia will have two lines of vehicles—an internal combustion line, including hybrids and plug-in hybrids, and one that’s pure EV. 

Meanwhile, the number of U.S. Kia EV models will continue to grow over the next year, confirmed Center. Whether that means EV3, EV4, PV5, or something else completely—or a reference to the higher-power Kia EV9 GT also revealed at the show—rest assured it’s not sidelining its EV push in 2025. 

Kia PV5 WKNDR concept

Kia PV5 WKNDR concept

Kia PV5 WKNDR concept

For a tease of what that something else might be, Kia showed what we interpreted as a wild card at the LA show. Its upcoming PV5 electric van may primarily be focused toward commercial use and future robotaxis, the company has said up until now. But the recent debut of the PV5 WKNDR electric camper van concept at the annual SEMA show in Las Vegas earlier this month, together with its prominent display at the LA auto show, beg another question. 

Is the brand getting ready to pitch the electric vans in the U.S. as compact, activity-focused alternatives to the Volkswagen ID.Buzz—or, perhaps, even more in line with the original ethos of the cult-favorite Honda Element?

Kia America vice president for marketing Russell Wager replied to GCR, also at the LA auto show, that PV5 remains confirmed only for Korea and Europe, and the purpose behind the SEMA concept was to test American customers’ reactions to “more of an overlander concept.”

“So we’re still evaluating what that means, potentially, for the U.S. market,” said Wager.

• VW sees no need for multi-speed transmissions in EVs
• It tested a manual transmission for performance EVs
  
• More efficient EVs might be more expensive, VW says

It seems Volkswagen won’t be following Porsche or Mercedes-Benz.

On Thursday at the 2024 Los Angeles auto show Kai Grünitz, head of global research and development for Volkswagen, told Green Car Reports that the automaker doesn’t see a need for 2-speed transmissions in EVs.

Grünitz said that “today there is no plan to produce it,” but the executive quickly noted that’s “because there’s no demand from the customer side,” for multi-speed transmissions in EVs.

Grünitz then said that “there’s no reason to invest in that” if there’s no demand from customers.

“To be honest, when you look for example to ID.7, it’s one of the most efficient cars,” Stefan Voswinkel, head of product communications for VW, added.

“We are best in class in that segment,” Grünitz said, referring to the VW ID.7, which has been delayed indefinitely for the U.S. and, like other EVs using VW’s MEB architecture for EVs, uses a single-speed reduction gear. 

Grünitz noted there are other possibilities to reduce or to increase efficiencies outside of multi-speed transmissions, and it’s “most important coming from the engine side,” he said.

“There are a lot of little screws you can use to improve efficiency without going to the transmission,” Grünitz said.

2024 Volkswagen Golf GTI 380

This is all despite the fact that Grünitz admitted Volkswagen’s created a manual transmission for EVs, and that he’s tested it—and didn’t like it. While that unit would have been for an enthusiast vehicle like an electric GTI, the executive said he likes the smoothness of EVs that comes with a single-speed transmission.

The upcoming 2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class, the first vehicle from the automaker to arrive on the next-generation MMA platform, will use a 2-speed transmission. Mercedes executives noted that efficiency is the new currency. “Hopefully it will become a new currency,” said Grünitz. “I think it’s not today.”

Grünitz said no one is really talking about efficiency. When pressed on the topic because Lucid, among other automakers, is quite vocal about the topic, Grünitz noted it’s not being discussed at the consumer level, and asked: “Why don’t we see these discussions at our customers?”

Grünitz noted before his handlers pulled him away that making vehicles even more efficient would make vehicles more expensive.

• Kia says Tasman pickup revealed in Oct. isn’t for U.S. market
• Brand hasn’t decided on a U.S.-bound Kia electric pickup
• Push toward more hybrids and PHEVs may show the direction in a truck

Kia is still considering a pickup for the U.S., but whether that amounts to a gasoline-fueled truck or an EV remains to be determined, according to two top U.S. executives for the brand at the Los Angeles auto show last week.

In either case, that pickup won’t be the Tasman, which was revealed in October and is intended initially for Australia, Africa, and the Middle East.

The Tasman, an old-style body-on-frame gasoline midsize pickup with a live rear axle and an available diesel engine, has a polished cabin look but otherwise fits the mold of a workhorse. 

“Tasman is not for this market,” Kia chief operating officer and executive VP Steven Center said on Thursday to Green Car Reports in an interview at the show. But that doesn’t mean there might be a different gasoline truck that’s a possibility, the executive explained. 

2025 Kia EV9

Meanwhile, the Kia electric pickup previously confirmed as under development, and sharing some of its underpinnings with the EV9, isn’t a shoo-in for America either. 

“We still haven’t decided we’re bringing it,” top Kia America marketing executive Russell Wager said in a separate LA show interview, adding that the electric truck remains “a possibility.”

The hesitation may have something to do with how such a truck would be positioned. In 2022, when the brand first confirmed the Kia electric pickup project globally, Wager told Green Car Reports that in order for it to make sense for North America such a model would need to be positioned as an upscale electric truck, not a high-value model with a low price. 

Kia EV teaser

Factor in what’s increasingly looking like a market saturation of high-price fully electric pickup entries, and it may be easy to see why Kia’s cautious in this area. The high-end electric truck market has grown and includes models from Ford, Chevrolet, GMC, Rivian, and Tesla—with upscale electric trucks from Ram and VW’s Scout brand also on the way. 

Further clouding the picture was a piece of news from the South Korean business publication Pulse that broke last week around the time of our LA auto show interview: Hyundai Motor Group and General Motors are reportedly pursuing the joint development of an affordable pickup truck for Latin America, and perhaps beyond. Under the memorandum of understanding this is built on, GM and Hyundai are also collaborating on EV and hydrogen tech, and sourcing, but it’s unclear whether the pieces might fit together. 

The answer, for Kia and a U.S-bound pickup, may lie somewhere in the middle, between a fully electric truck and a throwback like the Tasman—and perhaps involving a long-rumored product related to the Hyundai Santa Cruz, from its corporate cousin. Kia plans to add more plug-in hybrids and hybrids to the lineup—with more models, sales volume, and electric range, even perhaps a modest EV layout with a range extender. Any of those options might give Kia and its customers some of the up-front value the truck market is missing right now.