You might not know it to look at them, but these two cars—one Swedish, one Chinese—share underpinnings and a parent company. Volvo and its Chinese parent Geely are very serious about selling cars that plug in. Starting in 2016, the Swedish brand has included plug-in hybrid versions of pretty much every new vehicle it sells… Read more »
Posts By: John Voelcker
2022 Bolt EUV model that Chevy calls an SUV joins an updated Bolt EV priced from $31,995
For 2022, the Chevrolet Bolt lineup will expand from one to two models, with a new, so-called SUV version added alongside the original hatchback. Importantly, the Bolt siblings will take on a new role as the most affordable entries in a lineup of Chevrolet electric vehicles expected to grow significantly by 2025. Chevy dubs its… Read more »
2022 GMC Hummer EV: the biggest, baddest, butchest EV to hit the market?
The news that General Motors would relaunch the infamous Hummer name—as an all-electric truck no less—broke a few days before the high-dollar, high-visibility 2020 Super Bowl ad that introduced that vehicle to the world. After a succession of carefully staged events for media and the public, we now know that the 2022 GMC Hummer EV… Read more »
2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E first drive report
Ford’s first real EV turns out to be a serious contender from Day One, due to striking looks and universal name recognition. Sitting in the 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E as it fast-charged in a Walmart parking lot, a grinning middle-aged man approached. The Mach-E attracts attention—thumbs-up in traffic, stares on the highway—so we figured he… Read more »
GM teases future electric Chevy crossover and pickup, invests more in EVs
General Motors CEO Mary Barra said Thursday the company is accelerating its electric-vehicle efforts, pulling forward the schedule on many future launches, and expanding the number of EV models it sells globally to 30 by the end of 2025—a larger number than the dozen future EVs shown to journalists in a no-cameras presentation in March…. Read more »
Volkswagen ID.4 and Nissan Ariya bring EV drive to compact crossovers…chasing Tesla Model Y
Can new electric entries in a hugely popular segment convince US buyers to buy EVs from Nissan and VW as family vehicles? Two new battery-electric models from major global car brands are about to bring electric cars into a category where they’ve been notably absent: family crossover utility vehicles. The 2021 Volkswagen ID.4 and 2022… Read more »
Shoppers buy more EVs if they understand charging—and now there’s proof (exclusive first look)
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 »
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 »