Why is the electric VW Bus taking so long to arrive in America? Alfa Romeo’s new plug-in hybrid points toward EVs but doesn’t wow on mpg. GM and Stellantis pay fuel economy fines. And Colorado ramps up its state EV credits and looks to affordability. This and more, here at Green Car Reports.
Colorado is incentivizing smaller, cheaper EVs with its latest state electric vehicle incentives, which were re-upped and boosted in May. With a $5,000 credit, plus an additional $2,500 on tap for vehicles with an MSRP under $35,000, they’re among the most generous EVs incentives among U.S. states.
The Alfa Romeo Tonale plug-in hybrid goes 33 electric miles, according to its EPA ratings as confirmed by the automaker this past week—although as a hybrid it only returns 29 mpg. How does it fit into the plug-in hybrid landscape?
According to federal documents referenced in a recent report, Stellantis and GM recently paid record fuel economy fines—a combined $363, for shortfalls that in GM’s case go all the way back to 2016.
And why was the VW ID.Buzz delayed years for the U.S.? Despite concepts teasing the idea of a modern Bus since 2001, and the concept previewing this design originating seven years ago, America will wait more than a year more for its VW electric van. As executives outlined to Green Car Reports last week, focus groups were partly why; so was a need to leap past VW’s software and interface woes.
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