E-Mobility

After officially unveiling the EV9 in March of this year, Kia has started shipping the first production units of its seven-seater all-electric SUV in Korea, indicating that production is on-track. US and European shipments of the Kia EV9 are set to start sometime in the coming months of 2024, and at least some of the US trims will qualify for federal EV tax incentives.

There has apparently been a spell of 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 owners have experienced total power loss to the electric drive in their vehicles. 30 owners complained to the NHTSA about a "loud pop" followed by a sudden loss of power. The NHTSA has launched an investigation into the complaints, and the agency estimates that 39,559 vehicles are affected by the issue. Hyundai has indicated that it is working with the NHTSA during the investigation.

The Xiaomi Electric Scooter 4 Go appears to be about to launch in the EU. An EU Declaration of Conformity, Bluetooth listing and retailers in Hungary and Poland have provided details about the kick scooter. The new model has a 250W engine and can travel up to 18 km (~11 miles) on a single charge.

Ducati has unveiled the new E-Enduro Powerstage RR Limited Edition e-bike. The model is the company's first full-carbon electric mountain bike, with a 250W Shimano motor and 630Wh battery. Other features include Ohlins suspension, an integrated LCD and smartphone connectivity.

The Stromer ST7 Alinghi Red Bull Racing Limited Edition e-bike has been unveiled. The electric bicycle has a 940W motor for a top assistance speed of 45 kph (~28 mph) and up to 260 km (~110 miles) range on a single charge. Other features include an accompanying smartphone app with GPS location tracking.

Tesla is the only EV maker that will be able to meet US police departments' vehicle needs and its Model Y or upcoming Cybertruck can be retrofitted to serve as a police car just like the usual Dodge, Ford, or Chevy. A Tesla Model Y journey to a Model PD has now been detailed, complete with the cage and Windows computer inside.

Since its release, Model S Plaid owners have been testing their vehicles against all manner of supercars, with generally impressive results. This time, the Model S Plaid faced off against a top-spec Koenigsegg Agera RST, with 1,360 hp, and a supercharged Suzuki Hayabusa motorcycle that produces 380 hp. The three vehicles competed in both a standing 1/4 mile and rolling-start 1/2 mile test, with results that highlight the strengths of an all-electric drivetrain very well.

Just like the all-electric Porsche Taycan and the very efficient Mercedes EQS, the upcoming Aehra Sedan targets very affluent buyers and is scheduled to hit the market in 2026 for prices starting at around US$170,000.

The new side repeaters that come with Tesla Hardware 4.0 are more power-efficient than the current Hardware 3.0 generation. They can't be plugged in place of a HW3 indicator, though, as a direct parts comparison shows new cameras, wiring harness, and different connectors.

A report analysing automotive trends has revealed that, in the period between January and April, the Tesla Model Y saw more new sales than any vehicle except the Ford F-150. Teslas were also the only electric vehicles to make it into the top 20 when it came to new vehicle registrations, defying the US trend towards massive SUVs and pickup trucks.

Citroën brand CEO, Thierry Koskas, has confirmed that it will be bringing a new, affordable EV to the market in 2024. The vehicle in question is the e-C3 — a small crossover hatchback based on the C3 design. While the €25,000 pricing of the e-C3 is attractive, the lack of a US launch and a somewhat underwhelming range estimate put a damper on the celebrations.

Hyundai has introduced a cash rebate on the 2023 Ioniq 6 SE and SEL trims in an effort to bring down the price to compete with Tesla's cheaper offerings. The discount brings the starting price of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 to just US$36,600. The rebate only applies to cash offers, but Hyundai still offers a US$7,500 incentive discount on lease deals. The price cut makes the Ioniq 6 cheaper than the Tesla Model 3 — as long as you ignore the federal tax rebates, that is.

Fast-charging electric cars are few and far between in the US still, and the latest charging speed test pits those eligible for federal tax credit against premium EVs. The more expensive electric vehicles won the charging speed test by a large margin.

A recent brand reputation survey has seen Tesla drop over 50 spots — from 12th to 62nd overall — and beating only Chrysler in the automotive space. A closer look reveals that Tesla's electric vehicles and charging network don't seem to be why the carmaker's reputation has suffered. Despite the rising popularity of electric vehicles, the only automotive company to make it into the top ten was Toyota — a company that makes one of the least convincing EVs to date.

The Mercedes-Benz partner in solid-state battery development - ProLogium - will be demonstrating a new technology called Large-Footprint Lithium Ceramic Battery that can double the volumetric energy density of the Model Y's 2170 pack. The LLCB battery will be sampling with OEMs later this year.

Volkswagen has announced that its third-gen Tiguan will be available as a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) for the first time. The SUV will also make the switch to an automatic gearbox and options such as massaging seats and new headlights to also feature in the next Tuareg. The new Tiguan will also have a revamped interior, a new infotainment system with a ~15-inch display included.

While scoffing at Tesla Model Y-style structural battery packs that can't be easily repaired or replaced, the EU just ratified the set of EURO 7 emissions standard rules that will demand durable, sustainable, and longer-life EV batteries. Europe may also investigate the Chinese EV brand influx for dumping and unfair competition.

TELO claims its upcoming electric pickup truck is the ultimate gear- and people-hauler that packs pickup truck practicality into city proportions. It purports to have the bed size of a Ford F-150 while delivering 350 miles of range and fitting into the same proportions as a Mini Cooper — and not even the Countryman. The short overhangs that make it look a bit like a panel van should also make it a hoot off-road.

Gazelle has launched its Esprit C7 HMS e-bike in the UK and EU. The electric bicycle has a 40 Nm motor with three assistance modes and up to 120 km (~75 miles) range with the standard removable battery pack. Other features include a display showing your speed and remaining battery charge, an integrated LED headlight and hydraulic disc brakes.

Polestar has finally revealed details regarding the US release of the Polestar 2 electric fastback, and while there is a little disappointment to be had in the form of a price increase, upgraded motors, increased range, and recent OTA software updates make it sting less. While the base price and specs almost make it a viable challenger for the Tesla Model Y, missing out on federal tax incentives hurts Polestar's viability as a Tesla alternative — unless you plan on leasing, that is.

It appears as if the long wait is finally over, and those who put up their hard-earned cash to reserve a Tesla Cybertruck can finally get a glimpse at what they paid for. A camo-wrapped Cybertruck prototype has been spotted, indicating that the design is final. It appears that many of the issues that were still present at the previous Tesla Investor Day sighting have been resolved, but the presence of a round steering wheel is bound to raise some eyebrows. The Cybertruck should head into early production any day, now.

While brands like Ford and GM have hopped on-board the NACS train, there are a number of EV industry players that have either entirely rejected the notion of adopting NACS or are holding off for the time being. Stellantis appears to be one of the latter, stating that it is evaluating the standard at the moment, but has no announcements to make. Stellantis's adopting NACS could give RAM's upcoming electric pickup a much firmer shot at competing with the Cybertruck on more even footing, given the consumer sentiment around the NACS vs CCS debate.

Toyota teased the specs of its next generation of electric vehicles coming in 2026, and they'd apparently be able to cover 600+ miles on a charge thanks to new high-density batteries. Not only that, but Toyota will have cheap $25,000 EVs along for the ride, as well as electric cars powered by all-solid-state battery.

A massive heatsink and expensive Xilinx chip mark Tesla's Hardware 4.0 radar teardown which also confirmed that the radar is not something to write home about and likely there to assist with more mundane duties rather than FSD. On the plus side, the Tesla Model S/X with HW4 finally got the new Park Assist feature meant to compensate the lack of USS parking.

An engineering report centring on an early CyberTruck design was leaked, revealing that the electric pickup truck started life with elementary automotive design flaws, from a leaky cabin to shoddy brakes and terrible steering. An automotive engineer commented that the oversights were "astounding," and that the flaws in the design were rudimentary design challenges that every car manufacturer should have solved easily.

The man who designed signature vehicles for Ferrari, Maserati, or BMW, is of the opinion that Tesla's Cybertruck is one of the ugliest vehicles he has ever laid eyes on. He blames the digital transition of design schools and aiming at shock value for some of the current questionable car designs.

New ambient lighting, ventilated seats, and a sound system upgrade may be in store for the Tesla Model 3 Highland refresh that will be released later this year. The car already leaked out with new headlights and taillights, and it will have slightly longer body equipped with HW4 camera set.

After BYD took apart Corollas in days past to see how they are made, it's now Japan's turn to learn about making electric vehicles from China. The largest Japanese publishing house will issue a rather pricey BYD Seal disassembly and surface manual with preface saying that is how the 'future EV leader' does cars.

Cheap sodium-ion batteries without expensive lithium are making industry inroads despite the falling prices of lithium carbonate. The electric vehicle battery spinoff of the world's second largest EV maker BYD will build its first factory for mass production of the novel sodium-ion chemistry.

Tesla electric vehicles proved to be some of the most efficient in terms of power draw again, regardless of the weather outside. The Model S managed to notch just a 20% range drop from freezing temps in the winter to the EV-perfect weather test.

Despite scoring both Ford and GM as adopters of its open-source North American Charging Standard, Tesla will still have to ensure CCS support at its Supercharger stations if it wants federal money. The nationwide EV charging network that the government is building has a US$7.5 billion budget.

Perhaps Alfa Romeo wasn't on the internet for the Boaty McBoatface incident of the mid-2010s, or maybe it was, and it's looking for some extra-spicy free publicity. The Italian car-maker posted a teaser for its upcoming compact electric vehicle online and asked the audience to suggest a name for its new vehicle. Speculation points to the Jeep Avenger as a platform partner for the as-yet-unnamed Alfa Romeo EV.

All automakers only have a 3-5 years window to figure out electric vehicles and make it on the other side unscathed during the transition, according to Tesla's biggest competitor. For BYD, the hard part is over and it only sees growth on the horizon, while its CEO says full self-driving will never happen.

There is a new electric vehicle sales runner-up after the leader China, and it is the United States which surpassed Germany to become the world's second biggest EV market. China still holds the lion's share of sales with 56% of the total, but the US is growing at a much faster pace.

Just a few days after Ford announced that it would be adopting Tesla's North American Charger Standard (NACS), General Motors has joined the blue oval, revealing that it will soon start replacing CCS ports with NACS hardware. Ford's adoption of the standard drew some scrutiny from industry players, but this move by GM is likely to put pressure on other EV makers to do the same.

After seeing the Model 3 Highland redesign in black and white colors under the test mule camouflage, now it's time for the blue version to show up. It has been spotted under cover again, but with different wheels than what has appeared on the Highland so far.

Just, as previously rumored, Tesla's Gigafactory in Mexico may start production of its cheapest Model 2 in July or August of 2024. That's the timeframe Tesla is pushing its Chinese component suppliers for while they expand to Mexico, in order to qualify the EVs made there for federal subsidies.

Zero Motorcycles has announced that it will extend its Go Electric Incentive until July 15. As part of the promotion, which aims to fill the gap left by the lack of federal tax incentives to promote electric motorcycle adoption, Zero Motorcycle customers get up to US$4,500 cash back or a significantly more affordable financing deal.

After months of teasing, Volvo has finally taken the wraps off its EX30, revealing an affordable electric compact crossover SUV that's barely larger than a VW Golf and packs a wallop off the line. An attractive starting price and startling 0–60 times are sure to make Volvo's smallest SUV to date a particularly attractive buy for a fair few prospective EV buyers.

The redesigned 'Highland' Model 3 will not only come with larger body and new, more aggressive looking headlights, but the turn signals and the tail lights have been reworked, too. Moreover, the new FSD Hardware 4.0 camera kit has also been confirmed in spy shots of the sides.

A member of the Rivian subreddit posted an image on Reddit of the burnt-out husk of an R1T after it seemingly mysteriously caught fire at an Electrify America charging station in Mill Valley, California. Rivian has responded to the incident, stating that the company is looking into what may have caused the fire, but it denies that the source of the fire was the high-voltage battery pack.

A Norwegian automotive outlet has put 32 electric vehicles through a real-world range test in good weather, covering a range of driving scenarios, from coastal to mountain driving to highlands highways. While Tesla's Model S Long Range AWD had the longest legs, the test becomes far more interesting when you compare WLTP range to the real-world results.

Tesla has issued a recall for its Model Y steering wheel to address potentially loose steering wheel assembly bolts. This isn't the first time Tesla has had issues with the steering assembly. An instance of the steering wheel detaching almost immediately after delivery went viral on Twitter a few months prior, launching an NHTSA investigation. This latest recall is, however, unrelated to the viral posts that sparked the NHTSA investigation — this time, the retention hardware is there, it's just not torqued to spec.

E for Electric on YouTube has released a two-year experience owning a Volkswagen ID.4, explaining that, although there are a number of truly beneficial aspects of the electric SUV, some of the drawbacks are untenable. After having owned the ID.4 for two years, these persistent issues ultimately led him to sell the car, and the industry move towards the software-defined vehicle means that these types of glitches are only going to become more common.

Tesla has managed to hit the 40% minimum of critical battery minerals threshold so that even the cheapest Model 3 now qualifies for the full $7,500 amount of Biden's new EV tax credits. While Elon Musk claimed so over the weekend, the US government just made the RWD Model 3 eligibility official.

Research seems to suggest that, although federal EV tax incentives and lower cost of ownership are attracting buyers to the electric vehicle market, many EV owners only buying an additional electric vehicle instead of replacing an ICE one. EV charging infrastructure is still seen as a major barrier to entry, despite expanding charger availability and a tendency for owners to charge at home.

The average selling price of a Tesla car could fall each quarter in the next few years while it keeps its profit margins intact. This is thanks to the generous green energy subsidies in the Inflation Reduction Act that would benefit Tesla and Panasonic the most.

Volkswagen North America CEO Pablo Di Si has issued a shot across the bow, warning against price gouging and excessive dealership markups on its upcoming US-bound ID. Buzz electric minivan set to launch in 2024. The CEO emphasised that the vehicle is an important launch for VW, and that the company cannot afford to drop the ball in this case.

After Ford and Tesla announced a collaborative effort to bring the Tesla's NACS charging hardware to Ford's future electric vehicles, a handful of EV charging providers have made their stances clear. Not everyone is on-board with the NACS port as a universal solution, though. Detractors of Ford's adoption of Tesla's charging standard point to concerns of safety and an industry moving away from truly open standards.