Many auto brands can be described as EV laggards, but Lexus has gone beyond that, and positioned itself as an active EV opponent. Although Lexus has been producing a wide range of hybrids for years, it has aired not one, but at least two ad campaigns that ridicule plug-in vehicles. A third campaign made such… Read more »
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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 »
Retooling a shuttered factory to build electric trucks: Q&A with Lordstown Motors CEO Steve Burns
Will Ohio’s Voltage Valley energize a new era for the US auto industry? Big things are happening in the Mahoning Valley area of northeastern Ohio. The region, which centers on the city of Youngstown, was a booming center of steel production until the 1970s. Since then, like many other industrial hubs, the area has suffered… Read more »
Solid-state battery tech: What’s close to commercialization, and what’s still years away?
With a fresh round of funding, Wildcat Discovery Technologies is busy expanding its facilities, building up its battery team and doubling down on promising solid-state research projects. We asked the energy storage experts to help clear up the hype around solid-state batteries. Whenever Charged needs to better understand the complexities of the latest and greatest battery… Read more »
California proposes to enact zero-emission mandate for commercial vehicles
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has released the final draft of the Advanced Clean Trucks standard. The latest proposal, which is stronger than previous drafts, is the first in the nation that would create a zero-emission mandate for trucks. The proposed rule would require automakers to sell a certain percentage of zero-emission trucks each… Read more »
New Munro report compares 10 leading EV motors
Munro & Associates analyzed and compared 10 leading EV motors to develop a comprehensive side-by-side comparison in its latest report. Designed to help automakers and suppliers to effectively expand and compete in new EV markets, the 437-page report features detailed analyses and comparisons of the motors used in the Tesla Model 3, BMW i3, Chevrolet… Read more »
Daimler becomes the latest automaker to abandon hydrogen-powered passenger cars
Mercedes-Benz has ended its development of fuel cell-powered passenger cars, saying that they would be too expensive—around double the cost to produce of comparable battery-electric vehicles. The company has been working on fuel cell technology for over 30 years. Mercedes says it will wind down production of the GLC F-Cell, which was developed in a… Read more »
Annual Consumer Reports Auto Issue goes electric
Automobiles have long been a frequent topic for Consumer Reports, and over the past few years, the popular magazine has slowly been getting used to the idea of EVs. The consumer advocate has had a couple of historic exchanges with Tesla—in 2013 it gave Model S an important seal of approval, awarding the new EV… Read more »
BMW reveals details of hydrogen fuel cell powertrain system
Different automakers have different visions of the low-emissions future, to say the least. Just a few days after the Volkswagen Group released an article explaining why it has abandoned hydrogen fuel cells in favor of battery-electric powertrains, BMW has “reaffirmed its ongoing commitment to hydrogen fuel cell powertrain system technology.” Unlike VW, BMW is leaving… Read more »
Trump administration guts air pollution standards
As expected, the Trump administration has announced a rollback of federal fuel economy regulations, a move that some estimate will increase annual US carbon emissions by as much as 25 percent, as well as increasing fuel costs for consumers and putting the US auto industry at a competitive disadvantage. The administration says weakening the standards… Read more »