New-car salespeople have simple motivations: They want to spend the least time selling you a new car for the highest possible commission. You buy a new car every five years or so; they sell up to 25 cars a month. They make money on the difference in knowledge. That makes electric cars a problem: they… Read more »
Posts By: John Voelcker
BMW X3 PHEV—finally worth plugging in
One of a coming wave of low-volume luxury plug-in hybrid SUVs, the 2020 BMW X3 xDrive 30e offers 18 miles of electric range—and the ability to use it in the real world. The 2020 BMW X3 xDrive 30e is the first conventional plug-in hybrid model from BMW that’s actually worth plugging in. It’s one of… Read more »
GM to fund expansion of EVgo fast-charging network for electric cars
General Motors announced Friday that it would partner with the EVgo charging network to add an additional 2,700 fast-charging stations by 2025. The announcement comes a week before it unveils the 2022 Cadillac Lyriq electric luxury SUV, the first of up to a dozen new battery-electric vehicles it says it will offer in North America… Read more »
COVID-19 vs EVs: What happens?
EVs may experience minor hiccups, but they shouldn’t suffer much more than the rest of the auto industry. It’s the question everyone has to ask: How will the Covid-19 pandemic affect my business? For those in the electric-car world, the question is more pointed: Will the pandemic hurt the growth of electric vehicles over the… Read more »
Seven future electric pickup trucks. Maybe.
Over the first 10 years of their existence, most modern battery-electric cars have been compact hatchbacks or Teslas. While a few are marketed as crossover utility vehicles, none have been the full-size pickup trucks that make up a huge and very profitable segment of US vehicle sales. That’s about to change. What follows is a… Read more »
GM shows 12 future EVs, new Ultium battery system
General Motors opened the doors of its Design Center Wednesday to show off a promised lineup of future electric vehicles to be sold in North America by Chevrolet, Cadillac, GMC, and Buick—a dozen vehicles all told, part of the 20 new EVs by 2023 it promised more than two years ago. Sadly, the journalist-only event… Read more »
2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E: An electric crossover with “the soul of a Mustang”
It’s almost enough to make you think Ford plans to offer electric cars shoppers may actually want to buy. The extended debut of the 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E electric SUV culminated in its formal unveiling in an aircraft hangar last November, just before the start of media days at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The… Read more »
2020 Taycan: The Germans respond to Tesla with an excellent new Porsche and a valiant EV effort
Probably no manufacturer felt as stunned and threatened as Porsche by the 2012 arrival of the Tesla Model S – and the acclaim that followed. The German brand enjoyed an unparalleled reputation as the maker of fast, sleek, and pricey sports cars, and had lately expanded into high-end SUVs and then sedans. In early 2013,… Read more »
2020 Porsche Taycan Turbo S drive review: The most enjoyable EV I’ve ever driven
Even experienced auto writers approach driving high-performance cars with caution. If you mostly test mass-market cars, as I do, trepidation may creep in: Will I be able to do this car justice? Will it be manageable on the road? Are there special steps I should take to avoid damaging a car that costs six figures?… Read more »
2020 Lincoln Aviator Grand Touring: Review of the brand’s first plug-in hybrid
The PHEV adds more power, more torque and better performance – with little mention of a plug. It’s a brutal truth: in key coastal markets like California and the Northeast, the Lincoln brand has all but vanished from any discussion of luxury vehicles. In fact, Lincoln execs admit it outright. Like crosstown rival Cadillac, Lincoln… Read more »