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Are plug-in hybrids an on-ramp to fully electric vehicles, or undue cost and complexity? Are they something consumers asked for, or something created by bureaucrats and regulators? At least in some respects the answer includes all of the above. It’s complicated. Plug-in hybrids’ greater complexity is intended to pay off by greening the ownership experience for a specific kind of driver—those who can plug in most days for the commute but need a gas tank because of road-trip charging concerns. Thus, PHEVs have an engine and, typically, a much larger battery than hybrids. If you don’t charge a plug-in hybrid,…
Among those considering the purchase of a new or used battery-electric or plug-in hybrid vehicle, or just curious about EVs, charging can still be the EV dealbreaker. Unless you don’t have a way to easily install or access home charging, your excuses are quickly disappearing, though. In 2024 public charging kept pace—or better—with the number of EVs on the highways. New EVs are charging quicker and more consistently in road trips; the options along the way have become more reliable; and with Tesla and other brands’ EVs all soon compatible with the same charge connectors, nobody’s excluded. That said, keeping…
William Li spoke about the reception of Nio’s share placement and said that the company’s autonomous driving chip and operating system are open to the entire industry. He also commented on the cooperation with CATL on battery swap and BYD’s 1-MW flash charging technology. (Nio founder, chairman and CEO William Li was interviewed by local media on the sidelines of the China EV 100 Forum in Beijing on March 29, 2025. Image credit: China EV 100 Forum) Nio (NYSE: NIO) founder, chairman and CEO William Li today spoke to local media in Beijing on the sidelines of the China EV…
Sierra EV Denali stands out with a GM-estimated 460 miles Midgate setup allows flexibility for items nearing 11-feet long Versatility from air suspension, rear-wheel steering, Super Cruise “I’ve been on that route, and it’s not one for a full-size pickup—let alone one weighing nearly 9,000 pounds.” That was what I noted, partly in disbelief, to my co-driver as we were shown into a 2025 GMC Sierra EV and sent off to wind up through narrow Bay Area Redwood highways and stretches of Skyline Boulevard. Memory served well about the roads; the route included some undulating ribbons of asphalt on ridges…
Stellantis may be looking to adapt planetary gear hybrid systems—like the one currently used in the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid plug-in hybrid minivan—to more rugged vehicles, a patent filing indicates. The Pacifica Hybrid uses a planetary power-split system to juggle its 3.6-liter V-6 and a pair of electric motors, which can both be used as generators for propulsion. But in a patent filing submitted to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in July 2023, and published by that office Feb. 6, Stellantis claims such systems are not ideal for all applications. Stellantis planetary gear transmission patent imageStellantis planetary gear transmission…
For 2025, dozens of EV variants top 300 miles of range The top dozen contains pickups, SUVs, crossovers, sedans, and a hatchback Standouts like Lucid Air and Hyundai Ioniq 6 manage market-leading range without huge battery packs Less than a decade ago, 300 miles seemed like the holy grail for EV driving range. Now, even as the overdue reality of plentiful charging infrastructure and speedy roadside charging begins to take shape, some new EVs promise 500 miles of range. EVs got to 300 miles with the Tesla Model S in 2016. In the years since then there’s been no turning…
Next-generation Nissan Leaf will launch first in U.S. and Canada, be fully revealed this year Rogue Hybrid and Rogue PHEV are on the way over the next two model years A broader range of U.S.-made Nissan and Infiniti EVs starts to arrive in 2028 Affordable EVs? Widely available hybrids? A plug-in hybrid? As it emerges from financial upheaval, Nissan on Monday announced several intriguing product surprises relating to the North American market that altogether may bring a breath of fresh air to its U.S. lineup. . Firstly, the Leaf is definitely U.S.-bound, and it’s coming here first. Nissan confirmed that…
Spinoff starts with $105 million VC investment, Rivian maintains “substantial minority stake” Products to be affordable, vastly more efficient than today’s cars or SUVs In-house-built for core components, may share sales space with Rivian Flagship product coming in early 2026 Do we really need a new generation of EVs that are bigger and heavier than equivalent gasoline trucks and SUVs, and the so-called segment creep that continues to make each successive U.S.-market vehicle larger than predecessors? These are tough, societal questions without easy answers, and it involves a tangle of regulations, consumer habits, and the limits of affordable technology. But…
Auto-industry tariffs coming in April, may bring immediate price hikes Mexico makes many U.S.-bound EVs, buys few of them EV tax credit still potentially applies to models made in Mexico and Canada The threat of auto tariffs affecting models made in Mexico and Canada has not abated. And as industry experts continue to suggest, there may be rocky times ahead for vehicle affordability. Although delayed, the auto-industry tariffs are coming soon, as are additional tariffs on China and the EU, President Donald Trump revealed Monday. “We’ll be announcing that fairly soon, over the next few days probably,” said Trump, as…
Extreme temperatures can affect electric vehicle range, but the extreme heat of the South is nothing to offset the extreme cold in other parts of the U.S., according to new findings. Vaisala, a Finnish instrumented measurement firm, analyzed the effect of weather and road conditions on EV range across the Lower 48 states, looking at how these factors affected range at different times of the year. That analysis involved not only temperature by month, but also winds, rolling resistance from snow, air density, and solar radiation, among other factors. EV range based on climate in U.S. states (via Vaisala) States…