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Electric Electric cars Emissions eMobility eV Plug-In Hybrids

DOE rule may encourage more plug-in hybrids, fewer EVs

2023 Kia Niro plug-in hybridThe U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) unveiled a revised rule that would effectively give automakers more flexibility with pending EPA rules for model years 2027 to 2032—and more time to ramp up EV sales compared to an earlier proposal. The final rule for Petroleum-Equivalent Fuel Economy Calculation released late Tuesday softens what had been...
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Electric Electric cars eMobility eV Plug-In Hybrids

Report: GM nixed electric vans, is rushing plug-in hybrid pickups

GM electric pickup silhouette  -  from 2020 Ultium platform previewGeneral Motors has cancelled plans for more electric vans and a Ford Maverick-sized electric pickup trucks as it undertakes a "crash program" to launch plug-in hybrid pickups, Autoweek reported Tuesday. The automaker has nixed electric replacements for the ancient Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana vans based on the BrightDrop electric delivery van...
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Electric Electric cars eMobility eV Plug-In Hybrids

Which 2024 EVs qualify for the $7,500 EV tax credit?

2023 Tesla Model Y  -  Courtesy of Tesla, Inc.The list of electric vehicles qualified for the EV tax credit in calendar year 2024 has been released. And as expected, it’s very short. Noteworthy Tesla omissions include most of the Model 3 lineup (the Performance version is the only one that now qualifies), as well as the entire Model S lineup. And as anticipated by automakers in recent...
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Electric Electric cars eMobility eV Plug-In Hybrids

EV tax credit shifts to rebate Jan. 1, and not all dealers are ready

Mercedes-Benz dealership in New York CityMany U.S. car dealerships have not registered to begin offering the federal EV tax credit at the point of sale when that option becomes available Jan. 1. More than 7,000 dealerships have registered with the IRS to offer tax credits of up to $7,500 as point-of-sale rebates, the U.S. Treasury Department said Friday. But there are nearly 17,000...
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charging Electric Electric cars eMobility eV Plug-In Hybrids

Audi and Porsche have a safer mobile charging cable for EV, PHEV models

2024 Audi e-tron GTAudi and Porsche are conducting a recall of 240-volt Level 2 AC charging cables for EVs and plug-in hybrids. The recall covers 93,196 Audi vehicles in the U.S. from model years 2019 to 2024, including the E-Tron and E-Tron Sportback, Q4 E-Tron and Q4 E-Tron Sportback, and E-Tron GT EVs, as well as the Q5 plug-in hybrid. Porsche is recalling 41,345...
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Electric Electric cars eMobility eV Plug-In Hybrids

Reliability survey: Vehicles that plug in are more trouble-prone

2021 Audi Q5 plug-in hybridThe reliability of electric cars and plug-in hybrids is improving, but they still remain more trouble-prone than cars without plugs, according to a new Consumer Reports survey. On average, EVs had 70% more problems than internal-combustion vehicles, the survey found. Electric cars, electric SUVs, and electric pickups are all among the...
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charging Electric Electric cars eMobility eV Plug-In Hybrids

Wireless charging aligns for automated use in EVs, plug-in hybrids

WiTricity and Siemens wireless charging stationSAE International finalized methodology this past week for an important hardware component of EV wireless charging systems. The organization announced a single wireless charging standard—officially J2954—in 2020. As part of the finalization process of that standard, the organization has settled on a methodology for hardware that aligns...
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Electric Electric cars eMobility eV Plug-In Hybrids

One of four new California vehicles has a charge port

2023 Toyota Prius PrimeEVs and plug-in hybrids accounted for 25.4% of California new car sales in the second quarter of 2023, reports electric vehicle advocacy group Veloz. The actual number of vehicles with charge ports sold was 125,939, representing a new quarterly record for California, which typically leads the U.S. in plug-in car sales. The Q2 total was a 59%...
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Electric Electric cars eMobility eV Plug-In Hybrids

Mazda MX-30 EV cut from US lineup, rotary version too

2023 Mazda MX-30 EVMazda on Friday afternoon revealed that its MX-30 lineup will not be returning for U.S. sales after the 2023 model year. For longtime Mazda fans, that piece of news also means that Mazda’s Wankel rotary engine won’t be coming back to America anytime soon. The MX-30 EV arrived for first deliveries in late 2021, and with its 100-mile EPA...
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Electric Electric cars eMobility eV Plug-In Hybrids

EV models outnumber PHEV choices for the first time since 2014

2023 Toyota Prius PrimePlug-in hybrid tech continues to be something that neither automakers nor regulators can completely agree on. Some, like Toyota, Volvo, BMW, and others see them as a smart, effective bridge technology to EVs while others, including GM and Honda see them, at least for now in the U.S., as an unnecessary complication in the shift to EVs. In light of...