Kia may be the auto brand with the biggest disconnect between perception and reality in the US today. It makes stylish, modern vehicles – passenger cars plus a growing range of crossover utilities – packed with advanced features. It’s a legitimate competitor to Toyota, Honda, and others. But ask the average buyer if he or… Read more »
Many readers are surprised to learn that Charged is headquartered not in California, but in St Petersburg, Florida. Once a sleepy retirement center nicknamed “God’s Waiting Room,” nowadays “The Burg” is a hipster hotspot, replete with art galleries, craft breweries and vegan eateries. Another distinction that places St Pete in the avant-garde: it’s an EV… Read more »
As a company, Hyundai often sets goals that slightly exceed those set by competing automakers. The engineers who designed the Ioniq Hybrid and Plug-In hatchbacks were told that the new vehicles had to beat the fuel-efficiency ratings of the Prius hybrid and Prius Prime plug-in hybrid. So it is with the Hyundai Kona Electric. We… Read more »
The all-electric underpinnings that the VW Group will use to build dozens of EVs A few weeks before the end of 2019, if all goes according to plan, the first Volkswagen I.D. Neo electric car will roll off the assembly line at the company’s plant in Zwickau, Germany. Different versions will offer ranges from 160… Read more »
While much of the EV policy conversation focuses on state legislatures and public utility commissions, local government has an important role to play too. Cities and counties are where the rubber meets the road, so to speak, and local policies can go a long way towards increasing EV adoption. In last November’s midterm elections, thousands… Read more »
Any new plug-in vehicle from a maker that hasn’t previously offered one is cause for excitement, even if volumes are low at first. So I approached my six-day test of the new plug-in Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid with anticipation. Sure, its rated 17-mile electric range is below the curve, but at least it’s a start –… Read more »
A new generation of EVs is beginning to appear on the roads, and these cars have what it takes to compete head-to-head with fossil fuel vehicles. They offer more than enough range to cover anyone’s daily commute, and thanks to vast new charging networks such as Electrify America and Europe’s Ionity, they are increasingly able to… Read more »
As anyone who follows the EV scene has surely noticed, auto dealerships are widely considered to be a major bottleneck on the road to EV adoption. Sales staff tend to be poorly informed about plug-in vehicles, and many dealerships make little effort to present them to buyers as an option. In the worst cases, salespeople… Read more »
Cummins is a huge presence in the diesel engine market around the globe. The company designs, manufactures and sells billions of dollars’ worth of diesel engines (and some engines powered by “alternative fuels” such as natural gas). Ranging from 2.8 to 95 liters, the company’s engines are found in nearly every type of vehicle and… Read more »
Honda sneaks into third place in the PHEV race It’s ironic that Honda, which has long been known for the fuel efficiency of its vehicles, has been a laggard on the long road to electrification. The Japanese automaker launched its Insight Hybrid in 1999, shortly after Toyota introduced the Prius, but sales have been modest… Read more »