Equinox EV details, Lucid Air price cut, Kia hybrid minivan, EV9 markups: The Week in Reverse

Which automaker revealed a far-out idea EV however skipped the auto present?

And when did Republicans flip towards EVs?

That is our look again on the Week In Reverse—proper right here at Inexperienced Automobile Studies—for the week ending February 16, 2024.

The 2024 Chevy Equinox EV will qualify for the $7,500 EV tax credit score and stays as a consequence of begin at $34,995 with a 319-mile vary, GM confirmed at the beginning of the week. However that entry mannequin gained’t arrive first; a “well-contented” 2RS mannequin will lead the lineup, which appeared to get a value reduce for high trims. And dual-motor AWD and different variations are on the best way later within the 12 months. 

Lucid reduce costs on the 2024 Air lineup. Affecting all however the top-performance, tri-motor Sapphire model, the very long-range, fast-charging electrical sedan prices as much as $8,000 lower than it did yesterday. And the Lucid Air now undercuts the Tesla Model S—in case you don’t require all-wheel drive. 

Chrysler revealed the Halcyon Concept EV, powered by lithium-sulfur batteries, permitting an extended driving vary and really quick charging—allegedly, 200 miles of vary with a five-minute cost—and incorporating in-the-road dynamic wi-fi charging. The large, butterfly-door sedan is strictly concept-car territory, however the Chrysler model plans to have an all-electric portfolio by 2028 and in the present day its solely plug-in product is the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid. 

 

VW’s Scout Motors electric truck brand has damaged floor on a $2 billion plant in South Carolina that might finally make 200,000 EVs yearly. The trendy Scout lineup will embrace each electrical pickups and SUVs, though expertise and platform particulars haven’t but been disclosed.

Honda teased some modest styling modifications for its upcoming hydrogen fuel-cell CR-V. In a video, Honda reveals that the brand new mannequin, which does have a cost port, may even be capable to provide power-sharing for equipment and extra. 

Stellantis, the mum or dad of Jeep, Dodge, Chrysler, Fiat, and extra, is pushing forward to revitalize the historic Italian model Lancia—inside a couple of years, as an all-EV model. The brand new Lancia Ypsilon urban EV revealed Wednesday marks the start of that revival—as a consequence of prolong throughout Europe, with a crossover and bigger hatchback due later within the decade.  

Kia is reportedly pushing forward with a fully electric Stinger successor, called EV8. The high-performance EV would possibly arrive in 2026, get Kia’s largest battery pack but, and function a flagship automotive for the model by way of each vary and efficiency.

In keeping with a report from Japan, the three way partnership between Sony and Honda plans to observe its electrical Afeela sedan with two different fashions for the model centered round apps and media—an SUV, and an affordable, Civic-sized EV. Whereas the Afeela sedan stays as a consequence of arrive in 2026, the compact EV could not arrive till 2028. 

The highest Kia advertising govt within the U.S., on the Chicago auto present the place it launched the 2025 Kia Carnival Hybrid minivan, famous that plug-in hybrids are misunderstood—and a tougher promote given all of the misconceptions. However given evolving attitudes about hybrids and plug-in automobiles, Kia’s staying out there because it sees PHEVs turning into a “no brainer.”

In keeping with the most recent survey on automobile dependability from the survey large J.D. Energy, EVs and plug-in hybrids remain more trouble-prone than hybrids. It seems tires have been known as a part of dependability, although, and so they do put on out quicker on EVs.

Chrysler mum or dad Stellantis confirmed that it’s adopting the proposed customary SAE J3400—sure, past the jargon, that’s the Tesla charge port. Because the final main automaker to undertake the Tesla customary, additionally known as NACS, Stellantis isn’t flaunting all some great benefits of Tesla Supercharger entry as different automakers have.

Researchers on the College of Nebraska-Lincoln have performed what they declare are the first-ever crash tests looking at EVs and guardrails, and the outcomes aren’t so nice. With in the present day’s EVs weighing rather more than passenger vehicles and lightweight vehicles that typical freeway guardrails have been designed for a number of a long time in the past—much more in some instances than the heavy-duty pickups which might be additionally more and more frequent—outcomes recommend the necessity to reduce weight from EVs and rethink some freeway fundamentals. 

A survey of 1000’s of “future EV acceptors” level to conventional gas-station facilities like vacuums, automotive washes, and tire-pressure instruments as essentials for EV charging stations. That’s positively totally different than a spread of latest templates for next-generation EV charging, which have as an alternative emphasised lounge features

EV curiosity will increase with EV expertise. That’s among the many findings of a latest Client Studies survey asking American customers about contemplating electrical automobiles—underscoring {that a} lack of EV experience may be holding back adoption. It additionally underscored that environmentalism is top-of-mind for comparatively few American customers.

Fiscal-hawk sorts used to see EVs as an incredible thought, for vitality independence and all types of different causes. When did Republicans turn against EVs? As a political advisor just lately underscored, it is sophisticated—and all of the heel-digging vs EVs does not really replicate constituencies.

Because the March 7 debut of the Rivian R2 approaches, the EV maker teased a primary element in regards to the R2 lineup’s design and styling—most notably, that it appears to be like poised to maintain the R1 lineup’s polarizing but distinctive entrance lighting scheme.

And Kia sellers are at it once more, marking up the EV9 electric SUV by $7,000 or extra, regardless of efforts from Kia to reel in value gouging earlier within the 12 months. With EV9 manufacturing as a consequence of ramp up at larger charges in Georgia, and a few dealerships sticking to MSRP, there’s hope of getting one for its correct value quickly. 

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