Fiat 500e review, F-150 Lightning price cut, diesel hybrids, curbside EV chargers: Today’s Car News

Do EVs want a breakthrough in battery vitality density earlier than they make environmental sense?

And which luxurious EV is bringing again the looks of an inner combustion grille? Will pretend tailpipes come subsequent?

That is our look again on the Week In Reverse—proper right here at Inexperienced Automobile Reviews—for the week ending April 12, 2024.

In a first drive of the 2024 Fiat 500e electrical automobile, Inexperienced Automobile Reviews discovered that this vogue accent and short-range EV stays an excellent match for town—with most of the identical limitations because the first-generation 500e offered on the West Coast. 

2024 Fiat 500e

The 2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E boasts extra vary and sooner charging—in addition to faster acceleration for a lot of the lineup—at a value hundreds lower than when the 2023 Mach-E arrived a 12 months in the past. The Mach-E now affords as much as 320 miles of EPA vary, in response to Ford. Prime-performance Mach-E GT variations with the Efficiency Improve are additionally now able to outperforming the Tesla Mannequin Y Efficiency, Ford claims. 

2025 Mercedes-Benz EQS

The massive 2025 Mercedes-Benz EQS hatchback is getting an intensive refresh for the brand new mannequin 12 months, together with extra battery capability and driving vary, improved brakes, and a limousine-like rear seating package deal. A grille that makes an attempt to imitate that of the gasoline S-Class can be a part of the revamp. 

Ford can be already reversing course on current F-150 Lightning value hikes. It’s cut 2024 F-150 Lightning prices by up to $5,500—with the just lately launched Flash model providing the most important value reduce and several other mid-range fashions reduce by hundreds. 

Honda Saloon Idea – 2024 CES

Honda touted the flexibility being built into its Ohio EV hub, which could construct lots of of EVs a day or a combination skewing closely to hybrids, relying on demand. Included within the buildout for the model’s next-generation EVs are 31-foot-tall, 6,000-ton die-cast machines that outdo these used at Giga Texas. 

Kia final week detailed plans for its shift towards EVs and electrified powertrains via the last decade, and it hasn’t budged in its goal of 1.6 million Kia EV sales annually by 2030. Nevertheless it does now see about 800,000 annual hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and fuel-cell gross sales by then—making electrified automobiles 58% of its combine in 2030.

Voltpost streetside EV charger

A big variety of U.S. curbside EV chargers seems to quickly be on the best way. Voltpost introduced plans to roll out its lamppost-based EV chargers in main U.S. metro areas together with New York, Chicago, and Detroit. These Stage 2 AC chargers can have 20 ft of retractable cable and a supporting app, and set up prices a fraction of what siting and putting in a separate charger would. 

Toyota had beforehand urged that it will cease promoting diesels in passenger automobiles. Nevertheless it continues to promote diesel SUVs throughout most areas, even in Europe. And in current remarks an Australian government for the corporate insisted that diesel “just isn’t going to die off anytime quickly,” and hinted that diesel might be paired with hybrid powertrains “significantly for heavy automobiles.”

Rimac C_Two electromagnetic-emissions testing

Rimac introduced that it’s going to help BMW with next-gen EV batteries, as the corporate that began with a BMW EV conversions, after which a supercar maker, now additionally shifts roles to a high-tech provider.

Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares final week claimed that EVs need a “breakthrough” in battery-cell energy density earlier than they make sense from an environmental standpoint versus combustion automobiles—partly due to all the additional weight and uncooked supplies. That stands in stark distinction to the overwhelming majority of educational papers and calculations from everybody starting from environmental organizations to automakers, suggesting that EVs of their current state of tech repay rapidly in CO2 and total environmental influence.

PSA Group CEO Carlos Tavares and GM CEO Mary Barra

With a invoice signed into legislation final week, New Jersey is marking up EV ownership with an extra $1,000 upfront charge that applies on prime of different present registration charges. Whereas it successfully replaces the position of the gasoline tax for EVs in funding highway upkeep, it might quantity to a disincentive towards the state’s adoption of California’s EV mandate and its goel to hit 50% EV gross sales by 2027 and 100% by 2035. 

Regardless of long-held plans to align with California emissions requirements, Connecticut and Maine have delayed adopting California’s EV sales mandate with current selections. EV advocates, involved this can push out adoption of the principles to later within the decade, level to misinformation campaigns from fossil-fuel-funded teams. 

Ford, GM, and Stellantis have been counting on gross sales of pricy full-size pickup trucks to effectively bankroll the EV push. However now, will sagging gross sales on account of excessive rates of interest influence the longer term EV product rollout?

2025 Ram 1500 Tungsten

Electrical passenger automobiles plus electrical vans of all types might add as much as 65% of right this moment’s whole grid demand by 2050, famous a research out this week from the Pure Assets Protection Council and EPRI, which represents utilities. However in response to the research, efficiency improvements to EVs could pay off big by lowering that load, reducing prices for all People and never solely those that are driving an EV by then. 

And in response to polling outcomes out this week from Gallup, American EV possession is rising, but fewer car shoppers are considering EVs who don’t already personal one. Gallup discovered these outcomes to be more and more tied to political affiliation and famous, as varied different research have, that older People are much less doubtless to purchase (and think about) EVs.

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