Category: General

The NHTSA on Tuesday said it is opening an investigation into 2.6 million Tesla electric vehicles in the U.S. over reports of crashes involving the automaker’s Actually Smart Summon remote-driving feature.

Launched in September, Actually Smart Summon is the current version of the Smart Summon remote valet feature Tesla introduced in 2019. It’s designed to move cars short distances in and out of parking spaces, with drivers controlling vehicles remotely via the Tesla smartphone app while keeping them within line of sight. Releasing an app button stops the car.

Reuters reports that the NHTSA is opening a preliminary evaluation into the feature after four crashes. The regulator will then decide whether to upgrade the evaluation into an engineering analysis, and then potentially compel Tesla to issue a recall.

2024 Tesla Model 3 Performance

The NHTSA said it will assess Actually Smart Summon’s maximum speed, its use on public roads, and line-of-sight requirements, as well as potential connectivity delays related to using a smartphone for remote control. The investigation includes 2016-2025 Tesla Model S and Model X, 2017-2025 Model 3, and 2020-2025 Model Y vehicles.

The investigation was triggered by reports that vehicles failed to detect obstacles like posts and parked cars while being remotely operated, and that drivers had too little time to react before a crash.

2024 Tesla Model Y. – Courtesy of Tesla, Inc.

This new investigation comes after the NHTSA in October opened an investigation into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles equipped with the misleadingly-named Full-Self Driving system after reports of four crashes—including one in which a pedestrian was killed after being struck by a Model Y.

In addition to two investigations, Tesla has had to deal with the troubled launch of its Cybertruck—which has now been recalled seven times—and saw sales fall in 2024. But Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s close relationship with president-elect Donald Trump creates the possibility that the incoming administration won’t pursue these investigations further.

Mazda on Monday announced a new Japanese battery plant that will assemble cylindrical cells into modules and battery packs for use in a planned electric vehicle based on a dedicated platform.

Located in Iwakuni City, in Japan’s Yamaguchi Prefecture, the plant targets 10 GWh of annual production, Mazda said. Cells will be supplied by Panasonic under an agreement between the two companies announced in June 2023 and approved by Japanese regulators in September 2024.

2023 Mazda MX-30 EV

Mazda previously launched the low-range MX-30 in both all-electric and range-extended form, and is partnering with China’s Changan Automobile on the EZ-6 electric sedan. But Mazda said modules and packs assembled at this new plant are destined for “Mazda’s first battery EV that uses a dedicated EV platform,” which will also be assembled in Japan. This likely refers to the electric SUV scheduled to launch in 2027 that Mazda confirmed in November 2024.

The original announcement of the cell supply deal with Panasonic also mentioned North American production of cells, likely from a new factory in De Soto, Kansas. Mazda hasn’t offered an all-electric model since the withdrawal of the MX-30 from this market, but has said that it will adopt the Tesla NACS charging connector for any future EVs it might sell here.

Mazda electrification plans for current decade

Mazda has indicated that longer-range EVs aren’t the future, but the use of cylindrical cells could yield efficiency gains. It’s the chosen cell of Lucid and Tesla—the two range-leading EV brands—with Panasonic supplying both.

Other automakers are also looking at cylindrical cells. BMW is expecting major efficiency improvements from them in its upcoming Neue Klasse EVs, and General Motors has hinted at them as part of an overall strategy of cell flexibility.

Donut Lab, a subsidiary of Finland-based Verge Motorcycles, claims to have a motor with the highest power density of any such unit in the world.

At CES 2025, Donut Lab announced it had achieved this feat with donut-shaped motors designed to be integrated with a vehicle’s wheels and tires. This adds unsprung mass, which can make tuning for ride and handling difficult, but Donut claims this is minimized by the light weight of its motors.

The company plans to offer a family of five motors for different designs, including a 21-inch-diameter automotive version that produces 844 hp and 3,171 pound-feet. However, it also weighs 88 pounds—still a lot of unsprung mass. For the same weight, Donut Lab also has a 21-inch motor designed for semi trucks that produces 268 hp and 2,212 lb-ft.

Donut Lab electric motors

Moving down in size, a 17-inch motorcycle motor that weighs 46 pounds produces a claimed 201 hp and 885 lb-ft. There’s also a 12-inch, 17-pound scooter motor rated at 20 hp and 221 lb-ft. Donut Lab even has a 4.7-inch motor designed for drones that generates 4 hp and 14 lb-ft.

By extracting more power from a smaller package, Donut Lab believes it can lower the cost of manufacturing electric vehicles by using less material. To make that easier, it’s offering these motors as part of a complete platform including battery packs, control units, and software—although it hasn’t confirmed how these motors stand with respect to efficiency.

In-wheel motors are not new. Porsche recently reminded us that it’s been working on them for a long time—over a century, in fact. Even Ferrari has considered a type of in-wheel motors.

Donut Lab electric motors

But attempts to commercialize in-wheel motors have been mixed. They’re currently used in at least one Chinese-market sedan, but startups Lightyear and Lordstown Motors stalled before getting them into U.S.-market production vehicles. That leaves Aptera, which had initially seen in-wheel motors as an efficiency play for its electric 3-wheeler.

When it comes to conventional motors, Lucid has the lightest in a production EV, at about 68 pounds each. That automaker’s core propulsion technology is set to be used in future Aston Martin EVs.

Thomas Built Buses manufacturers most of the yellow school buses that populate U.S. roads—and an increasing number of them are electric.

The company on Tuesday unveiled its second-generation electric school bus. Dubbed the Saf-T-Liner C2 Jouley, it features a number of changes over the first-generation model that launched in 2017.

Key among those changes is an eAxle from Accelera, a division of diesel-engine manufacturer Cummins. Where the first-generation Jouley had a driveshaft connecting an electric motor to the axle, the eAxle arrangement packages the motor, a 2-speed gearbox, disc brakes and wheel hubs, and a rear differential in one unit.

This reduces weight and complexity, lowers maintenance costs by reducing the number of parts, and improves acceleration and torque by shortening the mechanical connection between the motor and wheels, Thomas Built claims.

Accelera eAxle for Thomas Built electric school buses

The new school bus also adopts an 800-volt electrical system from Proterra, primarily known for its electric transit buses. Thomas Built also made some changes to make maintenance easier, including a floor access panel for the high-voltage junction box, a component that previously required removing the bus’ battery packs to access. The body heating loop surge tank was also moved to the left side of the bus for easier access.

Thomas Built is already assembling a 219-inch wheelbase version that can accommodate up to 60 passengers. Other wheelbase options will be available later this year, the company said, adding that ditching driveshafts for the eAxle allows for shorter minimum wheelbases, improving maneuverability.

Electric school buses have come a long way since 2014, when the first one entered service in the U.S., with Oakland, California, boasting an all-electric fleet as of August 2024. They also got a big boost under the Biden Administration, which dedicated billions of dollars in funding for school districts to purchase them, a policy that could be reversed by the anti-EV Trump Administration.

• The Afeela 1, the EV from a joint venture between Honda and Sony, will arrive in 2026
• Base Afeela 1 EVs will cost $89,900 while the Signature trim costs $102,900
• Afeela is now taking $200 deposits, but it’ll only be available in California initially

Sony and Honda confirmed pricing for the first electric vehicle from their joint Afeela brand at this week’s CES 2025 in Las Vegas.

Now officially known as the Afeela 1, the electric hatchback will cost $89,900 in base Origin spec. A $102,900 Afeela 1 Signature grade is also available, adding 21-inch wheels and a rear-seat entertainment system. The pricier model will also arrive earlier. It’s expected to start deliveries in 2026, while buyers of the Origin will have to wait until 2027.

Afeela is now accepting reservations, requiring a $200 refundable deposit, but only in California. Another caveat is that software-enabled features such as driver assistance and voice recognition are subscription-based, and only complimentary for the first three years of ownership.

Afeela 1

The near-production ready version shown at CES 2025 looks similar to the prototype shown in 2024, with some changes such as added cameras at the front corners of the roof. They’re part of an array of 40 sensors aimed at enabling Level 3 automation on the SAE autonomy scale. This allows for eyes-off driving in some situations, but Afeela expects to only offer Level 2 capability initially, and will ship cars with driver-monitoring systems.

The innocuous looking hatchback measures 193.5 inches long, making it about two inches shorter than a Honda Accord, but with a wheelbase that’s almost seven inches longer. The interior features door-to-door screens and a yoke-style steering wheel to make them easier to view. Afeela also claims that 70% of the interior’s surface area is made from plant-based or recycled materials.

A sophisticated audio system leverages Sony’s 360 Spatial Sound Technologies for 3D sound. This, combined with the many screens, is aimed at making the car into a mobile lounge for watching videos or using apps that Afeela is engaging with third parties to develop. And yes, you can run PlayStation video games on the dashboard screen, as well as get game-inspired wallpapers for both the interior screen and a “media bar” that takes the place of a traditional grille.

Afeela 1

A standard dual-motor all-wheel-drive powertrain includes one 241-hp motor per axle. Afeela said it’s aiming for 300 miles of EPA range using a 91-kwh battery pack, and will offer NACS charging from the get-go. However, the peak DC fast-charge power rate is a fairly low 150 kw. The Afeela 1 can also charge at 11 kw using a Level 2 AC charger.

Sony’s interest in building an electric car goes back to the Vision S concept presented at CES 2020. It followed that up with the Vision S-02 SUV concept before announcing its partnership with Honda in 2022. The Afeela brand was announced a few months later, at CES 2023.

The Afeela 1 will be built in Ohio, where Honda is expanding two plants to accommodate production of EVs, including its own 0 Series models also due in 2026 and future EVs for the premium Acura brand.

• 77% of Americans indicated they’d wait up to 40 minutes for a charge to 80%
• Many current EVs meet that timeframe already
• More consumers prefer dedicated charging stations vs. gas stations with chargers

Long charging times and lack of available public charging stations have been cited as major roadblocks to EV adoption in countless studies and surveys, but a new survey of U.S. consumers conducted by Deloitte indicates that attitudes may be changing.

While it included about 31,000 responses from thirty different countries, the survey found that charge times may be what analysts called a “softening barrier” for U.S. consumers and EV adoption, with many appearing less interested in speeding up EV charging to match gasoline fill-ups. Of U.S. consumer surveyed, 77% said they were willing to wait up to 40 minutes to charge their car from zero to 80%—well within the DC fast-charging envelope of many current EVs.

Gravity EV charging center in New York City

While respondents said that fast-charging time was the most important part of the EV charging experience, a majority were able to wait 21-40 minutes for a charge. The location was also important, with 44% of respondents saying they preferred a dedicated EV charging station to a gas station with chargers, while only 15% preferred the opposite.

The study also underscored that many EV drivers don’t require frequent fast charging. Most (79%) of U.S. respondents intending to buy an EV said they planned to charge at home. That’s a figure close to what various studied have found for years—although 58% of the overall survey sample said they do not currently have access to a charger, which begs for more details. And 35% of U.S. consumers surveyed said they drive more than 60 miles from their home only once or twice per month, while a further 23% said they never go that far.

General Motors and ChargePoint EV fast charging

This paints a different picture than a Deloitte study published about a year ago, which concluded that EV charge times and cost could be holding shoppers back. Two years earlier, another Deloitte study found that two-thirds of Americans didn’t want an EV, primarily due to range and cost concerns.

If this study’s conclusions are accurate, though, EVs are set to exceed consumer expectations. The list of vehicles with especially short road-trip charge times is growing, and several companies, including Toyota, have teased that 10-minute charge times may be around the corner—potentially involving solid-state batteries.

The electric Ford Mustang Mach-E SUV outsold its gasoline coupe and convertible siblings in 2024.

Ford recently released its Q4 and year-end sales results, which showed 51,745 Mach-E sales and 44,003 gasoline Mustang sales. Those represented a year over year increase of 26.9% from 2023 for the Mach-E, and a decrease of 9.5% for the gasoline Mustang.

That’s despite the Mustang being the last of the V-8 pony cars after the discontinuation of the Chevrolet Camaro and Dodge Challenger at the end of 2023 (although some leftover inventory remained in 2024) and having its first full calendar year of production following a redesign.

2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse at Charlotte Motor Speedway, July 2023

Ford pointed to supply chain issues for the Mustang’s 2.3-liter turbo-4 engine, which kept inventory low throughout the second half of the year. This isn’t the first time. In mid-2021, Ford was building more Mach-E EVs than gasoline Mustangs, after reportedly choosing to prioritize the electric model in the midst of a global chip shortage.

The Mach-E has had strong sales from the get-go, though. In April 2021, shortly after its introduction, Ford said the electric SUV was moving quickly off dealer lots—an important metric in the auto industry. Ford also started delivering the Mach-E less than a year after the Tesla Model Y’s arrival, helping to quickly position it as an alternative, and has remained committed to true volume production from the beginning.

2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally

The Mach-E has also proven itself to be a solid effort. At its introduction, we felt the Ford was better looking and better to drive than the Model Y, which is why we named it Green Car Reports Best Car To Buy 2021. The Mach-E hasn’t been redesigned like its gasoline sibling, but for the 2024 model year it received some updates, including a new Rally grade.

Ford has taken a quite different path with the F-150 Lightning pickup truck, which shares not only a gasoline model’s badge but also its underlying structure. It recently paused production of that model, which managed reasonably good sales earlier in 2024, but remains a small fraction of overall F-150 sales.

• Pebble first showed its Flow electric travel trailer in 2023
• The Pebble Flow is expected to enter production early this year
• The Pebble Flow costs $109,500 and comes with a 45-kwh LFP battery pack

California-based startup Pebble on Monday unveiled a production-intent version of its Flow EV travel trailer, which it hopes to begin delivering to customers in the first half of the year.

First shown in 2023, the Pebble Flow uses a 45-kwh LFP battery pack and self propulsion to assist a tow vehicle, helping to counteract the substantial range loss EVs experience while towing, or the equivalent drop in fuel economy for gasoline and diesel vehicles, the startup claims.

Battery specs are unchanged from what Pebble previously discussed, but the company claims it has made changes to the drivetrain, which can also be used to align the trailer with a tow hitch and even maneuver it in and out of parking spaces using a remote-control function, as part of a smartphone app.

As before, Pebble claims the battery pack can also be used as a backup power source at campsites. It can be charged using conventional AC or DC connectors, as well as an integrated 1.1-kw solar array.

Pebble Flow EV travel trailer

Pebble made some design tweaks, including integrated taillights, aimed at improving both aerodynamics and ground clearance. It also increased the size of the Flow’s pass-through storage space, and added all-terrain levelers and a hitch receiver for accessories like bike racks.

Pebble Flow EV travel trailer

Changes were also made inside, including cabinets that flip up rather than down for easier access, side and rear windows that flip open to increase airflow, a bigger door opening, and increased storage space. A motorized awning has been added as well which, along with lights, stairs, and stabilizers, can be activated at the push of a button.

Pebble expects to begin production early this year, with the first customer deliveries following soon after. Customers can reserve a build slot with a $500 refundable deposit.

The first examples will be Founders Editions with all options included and available limited-edition colors for $175,000. Pebble didn’t break out of the cost of those version, but regular pricing starts at $109,500 for the basic version and $135,500 for a dual-motor version bundling remote control and other tech features. 

Pebble isn’t the only startup thinking along these lines. The Lightship AE.1 Cosmos Edition is another travel trailer with a built-in battery pack for supplementary propulsion—and a $250,000 starting price. Airstream unveiled an EV-friendly travel trailer concept in 2023, while Thor Industries—owner of the iconic trailer brand—has proposed a range-extended electric RV as an alternative.

Note — This story was updated with revised pricing from Pebble

• Genesis is giving the GV60 a mild refresh for 2026
• Genesis revealed the updated GV60 globally, but hasn’t detailed specs
• The revamped 2026 GV60 should arrive in the U.S. later this year

The Genesis GV60 is about to receive its first major refresh, which will include a new dashboard display and minimal styling changes.

Genesis revealed the updated GV60 in its home market of South Korea on Monday. Sales are expected to begin in that market later this quarter, and while U.S. launch timing wasn’t discussed, the refreshed GV60 is also expected to land here as a 2026 model.

As hinted at by spy shots of camouflaged prototypes, the styling changes are relatively small. The front fascia is new, while the headlights retain the same shape but receive new internals with smaller LED elements. A new five-spoke 21-inch wheel design will be available, and more exterior trim—such as the wheel arch cladding and the lower part of the rear fascia—is now body color.

2026 Genesis GV60

Inside, a 27-inch dashboard display occupies the same real estate as the previous interface, but Genesis eliminated the bezel that previously separated the instrument cluster and touchscreen elements. Other aspects of the imaginatively-designed cabin, such as the crystal-orb shifter, remain.

Genesis did not discuss specifications, but a bigger change may come in the form of an 84-kwh pack, replacing the 77-kwh pack currently used in single-motor rear-wheel-drive models and the 77.4-kwh pack used in dual-motor all-wheel-drive models. The bigger pack has already been implemented in the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6, which share the GV60’s E-GMP platform.

Also unannounced at this time, but expected as part of the GV60’s refresh, is a Magma performance model, the first of a new sub-brand competing against the likes of BMW M and Mercedes-AMG. Genesis showed a GV60 Magma concept at the 2024 New York auto show, and confirmed a production version later in the year.

2026 Genesis GV60

The Magma will likely surpass the 429-hp output of the current GV60 Performance. Genesis also offers a non-Performance all-wheel-drive variant rated at 314 hp. Rear-wheel drive models are rated at 225 hp, but offer the most EPA range of any current GV60 configuration, at 294 miles.

The GV60 arrived in the U.S. as a 2023 model and was a Green Car Reports Best Car To Buy 2023 finalist. The rear-wheel-drive powertrain was introduced for 2024, followed by a less-expensive all-wheel-drive version for 2025. Outside the U.S., the GV60 was also the first EV to offer wireless charging, although it’s unclear if that feature will make it here.

Porsche built its reputation with internal-combustion sports cars, but at the turn of the 20th century Ferdinand Porsche, whose son Ferry would later start the sports-car brand, tinkered with electric motors—including in-wheel hub motors.

The first electric-vehicle boom occurred at the turn of the 20th century, before internal combustion established itself as the dominant technology. And on Apr. 4, 1900, an EV that the then 24-year-old Porsche helped develop was unveiled at the Paris World’s Fair.

Having previously a complete electric car in 1898, Porsche designed electric motors to be integrated with the front hubs of a vehicle built by the Austrian firm of Jason Lohner & Co. in a period of only 10 weeks. Each motor generated 2.4 hp, which got the vehicle, known as a Lohner-Porsche, up to a top speed of 19.8 mph. Besides the motors, another notable innovation of the Lohner-Porsche was four-wheel braking—a rarity at the time.

Working with Ludwig Lohner, Porsche continued to develop hub motors, creating three sizes with outputs up to 11.8 hp for use in trucks and buses as well as passenger cars. These motors were intended for use with lead-acid batteries—typical of the time—that provided a claimed range of up to 31 miles.

Lohner-Porsche Semper Vivus hybrid

Porsche also designed an all-wheel drive electric race car named La Toujours Contente (French for “the one who’s always happy”), with one 13.8-hp motor powering each wheel. But the engineer’s hub motors saw the most use in hybrids—starting with the Lohner-Porsche Semper Vivus (Latin for “always alive”), which combined front hub motors with a gasoline engine.

Lohner and Porsche eventually applied the same hybrid layout to about 300 production vehicles, including 40 for the Viennese fire department, as well as assorted taxis and private passenger cars.

More than a century later, in-wheel motors are still attracting interest, although adoption for production vehicles has been slow. Chinese automaker Dongfeng claimed to be the first to use them in a fully-homologated passenger car in 2023, although they were also intended for the Lightyear 0 and Lordstown Endurance before production of both vehicle stalled.

Aptera is also including hub motors in what it claims will be a super-efficient 3-wheeler, and patent filings from Ferrari, Hyundai, and Toyota indicate they’re being studied by established automakers as well.