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In late 2012, a young upstart car company called Tesla Motors beamed out a software update to its earliest sedans. When tethered to a WiFi or 3G internet connection, Model S owners could download a tweak to their music player and some other features. It was a minor change, but one with profound reverberations that continue to this day. That marked arguably the first time a car company treated a vehicle like a modern tech product—one designed to adapt and improve over time thanks to new, software-enabled capabilities. Previously, new features came with new models or mid-life updates to cars,…
Scout starts building its EV manufacturing home. Many Americans still have no experience with EVs. And how much more than MSRP would you pay for a Kia EV9? This and more, here at Green Car Reports. Kia dealers are at it again, marking up the EV9 electric SUV by $7,000 or more, despite efforts from Kia to reel in price gouging earlier in the year. With EV9 production due to ramp up at higher rates in Georgia, and some dealerships sticking to MSRP, there is hope of getting one for its proper price soon. EV interest increases with EV experience.…
When the Volkswagen Group unleashes the first Scout Motors electric trucks and SUVs in 2026, those vehicles will aim for the heart of America like no Golf or Tiguan could ever do. The Scouts are said to be rugged, “heritage-inspired” EVs that pay homage to one of the godfathers of the off-roading world. Given how popular retro SUVs like the Ford Bronco and Land Rover Defender are, the brand seems poised to be a hit—if the specs and price are right. Those things remain unknown. But at the Scout Motors’ factory groundbreaking in South Carolina yesterday, we asked Scout President and…
Scout Motors on Thursday announced it has broken ground on a $2 billion plant in South Carolina that could eventually produce up to 200,000 EVs per year. The facility in Blythewood, “near major cities and talent hubs,” is also near the ports of Charleston and Savannah, and it’s possible that a portion of the plant’s output will be exported. Scout is sticking to the late-2026 production start that it revealed last year. Scout revives a brand formed around nostalgia for trucks made by International Harvester from 1960 to 1980—and the brand appears to have brought an entire collection of vintage…
This year, General Motors will have to prove that it’s capable of ramping up production of its Ultium-based electric vehicle portfolio, which includes names like the Cadillac Lyriq, Chevrolet Equinox EV, and GMC Hummer EV. That’s what Mary Barra, the CEO of the American auto giant said yesterday during a Wolfe Research investor conference, quoted by Automotive News. But the push for more EVs might be hindered by what customers want–an approach we’ve heard from Toyota before, and one that’s like a double-edged sword. Get Fully Charged GM pulls a Toyota Although General Motors remains committed to electric vehicles, CEO…
The EPA’s standards to curb carbon emissions from power plants are crucial to addressing climate change. Strong and comprehensive rules are needed to address this major source of carbon pollution.Power plants are the nation’s second-largest source of carbon emissions after transportation, and, after years of delay, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed new standards to address this pollution. The EPA says it plans to finalize those standards in April 2024. For years, NRDC has led the charge for these rules to curb power plant pollution.Linked below are important public comments, reportss, mapping resources, and blogs that explain the…
LG Energy Solution (LGES), one of the world’s largest manufacturers of lithium-ion batteries for EVs, is expected to soon launch new high-capacity cylindrical battery cells. According to Naver (via Drive Tesla Canada), LG Energy Solution CEO Kim Dong-Myung announced that the new 4680-type cylindrical format (diameter of 46 mm and height of 80 mm) is coming “soon”—as early as in August 2024. Get Fully Charged 4680-type cells are bigger and better The new 4680-type are the largest cylindrical cells for EVs. A bigger form factor allows for improved energy density and lower manufacturing cost per energy unit. An additional benefit…
Car shoppers’ lack of experience with EVs is still holding back adoption, a new Consumer Reports survey suggests. The nationally representative survey of 9,030 American consumers—80% of whom said they owned a non-hybrid gasoline vehicle—was conducted in late June and July 2023. Seven in 10 respondents expressed some level of interest in buying or leasing an EV, with 38% saying they would seriously consider an EV if they were getting a new vehicle today. But EV interest increased with EV experience, the survey found. Consumer Reports developed an EV experience index on a scale of 0 to 4 based on…
Images of what appears to be the all-new Rivian R2 SUV have made their way online ahead of the EV’s official debut on March 7. The Californian startup’s third model will arguably be its most important product, carrying a price tag of around $40,000 to $60,000. The first photo was posted on the r/Rivian subreddit last night, showing what looks to be a white R2 SUV next to a green R1S and a couple of Rivian DC fast chargers. However, the commenters on that thread pointed out that the rear of the white EV looks strange and that it could…
In January, new passenger car registrations in Germany amounted to 213,553, up 19% year-over-year. That’s the best January since 2020 (246,300). Plug-in electric car sales also increased last month, which is a good sign after four consecutive months of a year-over-year decline in late 2023. Get Fully Charged German plug-in car market Germany is Europe’s largest car market and plug-in electric cars are no exception. In 2023, almost 700,000 new plug-in cars were registered in Germany, including over 524,000 all-electric. In January, the total new plug-in electric car registrations amounted to 36,868, up 37% year-over-year. The market share improved to…