For almost a decade now, Tesla has been fighting state governments for the right to sell its vehicles directly to customers—something which has historically been prohibited in most US states. Texas is one of the states that still forbids direct sales, so residents have had to resort to a workaround some call the “Texas two-step.”… Read more »
Search Results Found For: "John Voelcker"
Ford says all its passenger vehicles in Europe will be electric by 2030, invests $1 billion in Cologne EV plant
A game of one-upmanship seems to be developing between America’s top two legacy automakers, and we’re cheering them on. In January, GM made a weaselly (but still significant) announcement of its “aspiration to eliminate tailpipe emissions from new light-duty vehicles by 2035.” A week later, Ford announced that it would double its planned investments in… Read more »
Is Ford’s increase in EV investment a shot across GM’s bow?
Ford’s Q4 2020 earnings report included an announcement that the automaker will increase its investments in electrification to at least $22 billion through 2025, nearly twice the previously-announced level (the company also committed an additional $7 billion to autonomous vehicle tech). As auto analyst John Voelcker pointed out, Ford’s figure tops GM’s announced investment of… Read more »
Porsche Taycan delivers electric luxury and performance
There are so many new EVs on the market or in the pipeline these days, in all form factors and all price ranges, that it’s becoming impossible to keep up with them. However, the Porsche Taycan stands out from the crowd for several reasons: it’s the flagship model of the Volkswagen Group, which is by… Read more »
Xpeng P7 review: The company’s making headlines, but how is the car?
Chinese automaker Xpeng is the most recent of a string of EV-makers to launch a headline-grabbing IPO. The company’s US stock-market debut (NYSE: XPEV) raised $1.5 billion off the bat, and the stock posted healthy gains on its first day. However, as John Voelcker writes in The Drive, the exploits of Xpeng and its Chinese… Read more »
Michael Dunne shares the latest Chinese EV news in the transport treehouse
The transport treehouse podcast is a good place to hear some of the world’s top EV experts talk about trends in the industry. Hosts Chelsea Sexton and Russell Frost are two of the most experienced EV journalists out there, and they have an ongoing stream of guests who have expertise in various aspects of the… Read more »
Lucid Air demonstrates 500-mile range
Lucid Motors has announced independent verification of a 517-mile range for its upcoming Lucid Air luxury sedan. The tests were conducted by FEV North America in Auburn Hills, Michigan, using the EPA’s Multicycle Test procedure. This appears to be a new record for a passenger EV, handily besting the 402-mile range of the 2020 Tesla… Read more »
Toyota RAV4 Prime PHEV boasts 42-mile electric range, $38k base price
Toyota has announced pricing for its upcoming RAV4 Prime. The PHEV version of the company’s popular small SUV is slated to go on sale this summer. The base SE version will start at $38,100, and the XSE variant will start at $41,425. The RAV4 Prime boasts an electric range of 42 miles, which compares favorably… 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 »
Aptera returns from the dead, unveils 1,000-mile EV
Long-time followers of the EV scene may remember Aptera, a startup that was founded in 2006, designed a unique three-wheeled two-seater EV, then went into liquidation in 2011. Now, Aptera is back. Three of the founders have bought back the intellectual property, and have spent many months working on an improved version of Aptera’s vehicle… Read more »