Growing numbers of motorists are being fined for driving into Scotland’s city-centres - according to new figures which call into question the value of the country’s controversial low emission zones.

LEZs have now been operating for two full years in Glasgow and for one full year in Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee.

Analysis by the Scottish Mail on Sunday of new published data reveals the massive impact on drivers - with more than 169,000 fines issued so far, worth in excess of £19million.

The stated aim of the LEZs is to improve air quality in city centres by banning older vehicles which, despite being otherwise legal and road-worthy, are deemed to create too much pollution.

When the schemes were introduced, it was anticipated the number of fines would gradually dwindle away as drivers either switched to public transport or upgraded to more modern, eco-friendly, cars.

As expected, each LEZ saw a rapid drop in breaches within the first few months of operation. However, over the past five months, the trend has reversed and the number of fines issued has actually risen steadily.

In January, across the four cities, 7,058 fines were issued. But by May the number had risen to 8,956.

The figures suggest the LEZs may not be as effective at reducing air pollution as council bosses had hoped.

Low Emission Zones, such as this one in Glasgow, have proved controversial

Meanwhile critics argue there are thousands of drivers who need to travel into city centres for work - but who simply cannot afford to upgrade to newer vehicles.

Opposition politicians have warned that if LEZs failed to improve air quality, they would simply become another tax on hard-pressed motorists.

Scottish Conservative transport spokesperson Sue Webber MSP said: ‘These figures prove what motorists already know – they’re being milked for cash because the SNP have gutted council funding.

‘You’d think low emission zones were about cleaner air – but in reality, they’re trapping drivers who have no other option.

‘Most Scots can’t just shell out for a new car to meet these rules. The nationalists are completely out of touch.

‘If SNP ministers are serious about getting Scots out of their cars, they should show some common sense for a change and deliver reliable and affordable public transport, instead of punishing motorists.’

Analysis by the MoS shows that a total of 169,329 LEZ fines have so far been issued across the four cities - worth an astonishing £19.1m.

The severity of penalties depends on how often a driver infringes the LEZ - from £60 for a single breach to a maximum of £960 if someone drives a non-compliant vehicle into the zone five or more times in a three-month period.

MSP Sue Webber said authorities should deliver reliable and affordable public transport, instead of punishing motorists

Incredibly, 6,787 of these maximum £960 fines have so far been dished out across the country.

Scotland’s first LEZ was set up in Glasgow in June 2023. Policed by a network of number-plate recognition cameras, it covers a square mile of the city centre between the River Clyde and the M8 motorway. As the country’s long-running LEZ, it has unsurprisingly issued the highest overall number of fines: 72,110 tickets - an average of 3,005 every month - worth a total of £7.1m.

Last September Glasgow City Council said the LEZ had made a ‘promising start’ at improving air quality. Pollution data covering the first six months of the LEZ suggested nitrogen dioxide levels in parts of the city centre had dropped by 20 per cent - but remained high in the busiest streets.

The council also revealed that, after operating costs, the scheme raised a surplus of around £750,000 in the financial year 2023/24 - which would be spent on planting trees and turning bus-stop roofs into havens for bees.

Edinburgh has so far issued the highest average number of LEZ tickets - 3,988 each month. The capital’s zone extends from Holyrood Park to Haymarket - and came into force in June 2024.

After a sharp drop last year in the first few months of the LEZ, the number of fines in the capital has risen steadily from 2,664 in January to 3,401 in May.

Last night Edinburgh City Council blamed the recent rise on tourists driving into the city - but said the scheme overall was delivering benefits.

Transport and environment convener Stephen Jenkinson, said: ‘Last year we joined Glasgow, Dundee and Aberdeen to implement and enforce an LEZ across the city centre, reaffirming our intentions to create a healthier, cleaner city for everyone.

‘Since then, I’ve been really encouraged to see the number of fines for non-compliant vehicles steadily decline, showing that people are getting used to the LEZ and making changes. 

The stated aim of the LEZs is to improve air quality in city centres by banning older vehicles

'Recent fluctuations may be down to an increased number of visitors over the months that attract more tourists and we’ll continue to monitor this.’

Meanwhile drivers in Aberdeen have been hit with the highest average value of fines - equating to £417,930 per month. 

The city’s LEZ, which also came into force in June 2024, is clustered around Union Street and the surrounding roads, covering an area of just half a mile squared.

Dundee’s LEZ is bordered by the A92 and the A991 inner ring-road and began at the very end of May 2023. It has so far issued the lowest average number of fines - just 1,292 per month.

Government agency Transport Scotland has said that despite the rises in recent months, the number of LEZ breaches was still significantly lower than last June when the scheme was first introduced in Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee.

A Transport Scotland spokesperson said: ‘In Edinburgh and Aberdeen, the number of PCNs issued in May 2025 was approximately half the number issued in June 2024. 

In Dundee, the figure was down by around two-thirds over the same period, while in Glasgow, there was a reduction of about one-third.

‘LEZs are already working to improve air quality. In Glasgow, where the LEZ has been enforced since 2023, air quality benefits are already being accrued with average nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels in the LEZ down approximately 20% compared to 2022.’

Tuesday, GM and Pilot Company, with the charging network EVgo, confirmed in an update that it’s been pushing ahead with its installation of electric vehicle fast-charging stations, with more than 130 locations now available in over 25 states. 

The three partners originally announced plans in 2022 to install up to 2,000 EV fast-charging stalls at 500 different travel center locations, where road-trippers can also enjoy lounges, free wi-fi, various food and beverage options, modernized restrooms, and 24/7 staffing. The GM-Pilot network, with CCS connectors up to 350 kw, now covers I-75 from Michigan to Georgia, as well as several other regional corridors in the South and Midwest. 

Pilot, GM, and EVgo build out EV fast-charging network

That was before the formation of the U.S. EV fast-charging network Ionna. That network has been backed by General Motors, BMW Group, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, and Stellantis from the time of its inception in 2023, with Toyota since joining. The proposed scale of that network—targeting 30,000 chargers by 2030, or roughly the same number Tesla has today—appears like it might be the first true rival to Tesla and its Supercharger network. Each piece of Ionna hardware can charge at up to 400 kw for one vehicle or split that for up to 200 kw for two vehicles and is plug-and-charge compatible.

GM and Pilot Company's EV charging network

Tuesday’s announcement and the deployment with Pilot and Flying J don’t encompass all that GM and EVgo are doing together. As part of plans to install 2,850 charging stalls together, GM and EVgo also last September revealed plans for gas-station-like urban “flagship” EV charging sites with 350-kw connectors, in major U.S.-metro areas starting in 2025. Meanwhile, GM and ChargePoint are rolling out 500 DC fast-chargers at up to 500 kw each, utilizing ChargePoint’s OmniPort adapter encompassing CCS and NACS standards. Both of those latter efforts will be co-branded with GM Energy. 

As a recent Consumer Reports survey suggested, drawing from good and bad feedback from thousands of charging sessions, users of third-party networks such as EVgo, Blink, and Shell Recharge encounter more than ten times the issues vs. Tesla and its Supercharger network. But with automakers more closely involved—like GM with these efforts—we look forward to seeing them smooth things over. 

The threat of auto tariffs affecting models made in Mexico and Canada has not abated. And as industry experts continue to suggest, there may be rocky times ahead for vehicle affordability. 

Although delayed, the auto-industry tariffs are coming soon, as are additional tariffs on China and the EU, President Donald Trump revealed Monday. 

“We’ll be announcing that fairly soon, over the next few days probably,” said Trump, as quoted by Politico. “And then April 2 comes. That will be reciprocal tariffs.”

According to the report, the U.S. imported $471 billion in automotive products in 2024, which includes $214 in passenger cars. 

Mexico builds many U.S.-bound EVs but buys few of them—and EVs are a very small portion of the nearly 1.1 million new cars sold in Mexico. A lack of significant charging infrastructure, combined with affordability, remain obstacles. 

That’s because EVs generally remain too expensive for that market—although Mexico has in recent months announced plans to develop its own EV supply chain as it’s also pushing ahead with a federally subsidized EV that might cost as little as $4,400.  

2025 Chevrolet Blazer EV

Under the Biden-era Inflation Reduction Act, tax credits of up to $7,500 stipulated requirements for North American assembly and sourcing, in policy that went along with the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) deal made during the first Trump term and closely following NAFTA policy that preceded it. Trump has separately indicated a desire to eliminate the EV tax credit, which a research group recently emphasized would have a devastating effect on U.S. manufacturing. 

Mexico currently builds hundreds of thousands of U.S.-bound vehicles annually—many of them affordable entry-level models. Automakers have already cautioned that tariffs on Mexico and Canada would lead to immediate price hikes in some cases, as well as the potential for some models to be pulled from the market.

According to a Reuters report from December, citing estimates from Wells Fargo, a 25% tariff on parts from Canada and Mexico would make vehicles more expensive, EV or not. Specifically, it might add $2,100 in cost to consumers for U.S.-assembled vehicles alone, while models made in Canada or Mexico could end up costing $8,000 to $10,000 more.

It could affect the viability of some of the domestic automakers as well. GM is relying on imports from Canada and Mexico for both profitable full-size trucks and various EVs. Mexico Business News noted that GM alone assembled more than 889,000 vehicles in Mexico, with about 653,000 of those shipped to the U.S. 

2025 Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally

As called out by the latest list from the federal government per American Automobile Labeling Act (AALA) labeling requirements, here's a rundown of the EVs, as well as the hybrid and plug-in models, currently made in Mexico and Canada respectively:

Ford Mustang Mach-E (EV)

Cadillac Optiq (EV)

Chevrolet Blazer EV

Chevrolet Equinox EV

Honda Prologue (EV)

Jeep Wagoneer S (EV)

2025 Ford Maverick XLT

Audi Q5 S line 55 e (plug-in hybrid)

Ford Maverick hybrid

Toyota Tacoma hybrid

2024 Dodge Charger Daytona

Dodge Charger Daytona EV

2025 Honda Civic Hybrid

Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid (plug-in hybrid)

Civic Hybrid 5-dr

Lexus RX350h

Lexus RX500h

Toyota RAV4 Prime (plug-in hybrid)

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Vaisala, a Finnish instrumented measurement firm, analyzed the effect of weather and road conditions on EV range across the Lower 48 states, looking at how these factors affected range at different times of the year. That analysis involved not only temperature by month, but also winds, rolling resistance from snow, air density, and solar radiation, among other factors.

States at lower latitudes, with hotter average temperatures, showed better results. The top five states for EV range, based on a median and across all local climatic conditions were Arizona, Florida, Texas, Georgia, and Louisiana. The bottom five were the more northern—and frigid—Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, North Dakota, and Minnesota.

Analysts also compared the median-range findings to rates of EV adoption in each state. Some of the states with the most ideal conditions for EVs have the lowest adoption, and vice versa. Further, California is a surprise; although tops in EV adoption, it doesn't actually have ideal conditions for maximizing range.

Florida, however, is second only to California in EV sales. And Texas ranks especially high in EV sales as well. Those two states—and some others with high EV adoption rates—don't have sales mandates or strong incentives for them, either.

The pattern here also doesn't follow the states that have adopted California's EV mandate, which tend to be in the colder, northern parts of the country where weather appears to affect EV range more. Although Connecticut and Maine, a couple of the most challenging states according to the data, have delayed adopting the mandate.

Affordable EVs? Widely available hybrids? A plug-in hybrid? As it emerges from financial upheaval, Nissan on Monday announced several intriguing product surprises relating to the North American market that altogether may bring a breath of fresh air to its U.S. lineup. . 

Firstly, the Leaf is definitely U.S.-bound, and it's coming here first. Nissan confirmed that the next-gen Nissan Leaf will launch initially in the U.S. and Canada—actually before Japan, and before Europe. It's due to be fully revealed this year, but it and a 2026 Nissan Rogue plug-in hybrid, which will use a version of the system in the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, will arrive in fiscal year 2025, meaning later in 2025 or by March 31, 2026. 

The timing announcement came at the same time as a first teaser photo of the next-generation Leaf. As anticipated it shifts to a more elevated seating position and a more crossover-like profile, closely cribbing the 2021 Chill-Out concept that Nissan itself said from the start was a hint of the next Leaf. Nissan more recently teased that the Leaf gets a Tesla NACS port in U.S. form, too. 

2026 Nissan Leaf teaser

Nissan has also said that the next Leaf will be liquid-cooled and load up on some of the technology from the excellent Ariya, and be more competitive in range and efficiency. With that, plus its stylish new look and what we have to assume will remain an attractive price, it will arrive just in time to take on the next-generation 2026 Chevy Bolt EV—which will shift to LFP batteries and, as a GM executive boasted last year, will be the most affordable U.S. EV. As of GM’s last update, the Bolt EV is also due later this year. 

In the same timeframe, by early 2026, Nissan will launch a new generation of its Sentra compact sedan, as well as a refreshed Pathfinder SUV. It hasn’t yet said if hybrid powertrains are in the works for either of these models.

Then in fiscal year 2026—meaning by March 31, 2027—Nissan will start making a completely new generation of the Rogue for the U.S. and Canada. This one will not only continue to take advantage of the plug-in hybrid powertrain in some versions of the Rogue but also, as it promised earlier this month, finally take advantage of Nissan’s e-Power series hybrid tech in other Rogue versions. 

Given previous remarks from Nissan executives, Green Car Reports expects the Rogue Hybrid to be a widely available volume model in the lineup, not a niche offering. 

Future Infiniti U.S. EV lineup

In early calendar year 2028 Nissan is expected to ramp up production of “an adventure-focused SUV”—at its Canton, Mississippi, plant, with an Infiniti electric SUV following later that year. Nissan notes that the Infiniti EV will be inspired by its Vision QXe concept that made its debut just before the 2023 Tokyo auto show and premiered a new Artistry in Motion design direction. At that time Infiniti said that the low-set QXe previewed a “sleek sedan” set to be made at Canton, so it’s unclear whether that’s still on the way or replaced by an SUV. 

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These are tough, societal questions without easy answers, and it involves a tangle of regulations, consumer habits, and the limits of affordable technology. But a Palo Alto, California–based micromobility startup being spun off by Rivian, called Also, looks like it aims to tackle them—and, from the sound of it, give American consumers a way to just say no to those super-size products. 

In a press release announcing the venture, which Rivian had previously kept under wraps, Rivian clarified that it maintains a “substantial minority stake” in Also and “expects opportunities for future collaboration, which may include selectively using some of Rivian’s retail footprint.”

With the spinoff of the company Also secures a $105 million investment from the VC fund Eclipse Ventures, and Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe will serve as its chairman and on its board of directors. 

Also, in a page about the company, says that it will launch its flagship product in early 2026 and will initially focus on the U.S. and Europe prior to global expansion. 

Rivian R3

That product will be part of an entire range of “exciting, small EVs,” according to Also, that will be built on a vertically integrated technology platform. With everything built for the platform in-house, including motors, batteries, electronics, and software, Also claims “a user experience that is unlike anything seen in these segments before.”

“Also is building an exciting range of electric vehicles that are efficient, sustainable, and delightful to use,” the company sums. 

In job postings, Also quantifies its product targets a little bit. “Our mission is to inspire everyone to ride also—replacing many local car, truck and SUV miles with ones on vehicles that are more affordable, more enjoyable and 10-50x more efficient.”

Road transportation is the leading contributor to global CO2 emissions, Also says, while 80% of car trips are 15 miles or less and half are under 6 miles. 

Rivian continues to also set its sights toward significantly smaller vehicles than its own flagship R1T electric pickup and R1S electric SUV. Its upcoming $45,000 R2 electric SUV is on the way in 2026, while it’s also working on smaller Rivian R3 and R3X rugged hatchbacks that are set to follow. All of this comes in addition to the $5.8 billion VW-Rivian joint venture that will result in a new Rivian-based zonal architecture for future VW Group EVs.

EVs got to 300 miles with the Tesla Model S in 2016. In the years since then there’s been no turning back—especially as fast-charging infrastructure has lagged, and adoption of EVs beyond California and the “smile” states has brought cold-weather range concerns. 

Now there’s a whole crop of EVs with U.S. EPA ratings topping 350 miles, including several that top 400 miles. In 2023, 270 miles was the median, and it may soon be 300 miles.

2024 Rivian R1T

You may also notice that there’s no shortage of trucks on this list. The gigantic Cadillac Escalade IQ has arrived, and big-battery Max Pack versions of Rivian's R1S and R1T electric trucks both top 400 miles. And more are on the way.  

Getting the top range on many of these vehicles comes at a steep price, too. GMC, for instance, makes the larger 205-kwh battery pack a $9,995 option on the Hummer EV 3X Pickup on top of its $106,945 base price. That results in “GM-estimated” EPA-cycle ratings of 381 miles, or 359 miles with the available Extreme Off-Road Package. Those are unofficial though as the huge battery pack throws the Hummer into the medium-duty truck weight category with commercial trucks. 

Not every EV offering well beyond 300 miles of range is expensive, and there are some noteworthy standouts. For instance, the 2025 Chevrolet Equinox EV is rated at 319 miles of range, and GM is now delivering examples that carry a $34,995 base price. 

2025 Chevrolet Equinox EV

We limited this list to vehicles that had official EPA range and efficiency ratings available at the EPA's FuelEconomy.gov site as of March 27, 2025, making exceptions for vehicles that are currently being delivered—like the Tesla Model 3 Long Range RWD. 

Likewise, to avoid repetition, we’re only listing the top-range model of each nameplate. It should be noted, for instance, that the entire Lucid Air lineup lands above 350 miles. 

Many of these vehicles achieve their range with huge battery packs that store enough energy to power houses (or commercial buildings) for days, and in pragmatic terms their battery packs cost (and weigh) as much as gasoline compact cars. 

If you’re thinking lean and green, this should definitely spark new questions about whether we need so much battery capacity and range, when many EVs are second or third cars tasked with daily commuting.

The list shows minimum price (including destination and mandatory fees) for that amount of range, as well as the curb weight and battery pack size for context. Generally, heavier vehicles mean a larger pack and more energy used.

All that said, here’s our list of the top twelve 2025 EVs with the most range. 

2024 Lucid Air

EPA range: 512 miles (19-inch wheels)
EPA combined efficiency: 3.8 mi/kwh
Curb weight: 5,204 pounds
Price: $112,400

2025 Chevrolet Silverado EV

EPA range: 460 miles
EPA combined efficiency: N/A
Curb weight: 8,800 pounds (est.)
Price: $97,895 for EV RST, $97,990 for EV Denali

2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ test drive review

EPA range: 460 miles
EPA combined efficiency: N/A
Curb weight: 9,100 pounds (est.)
Price: $129,990

2025 Lucid Gravity Grand Touring

EPA range: 450 miles (20-inch wheels)
EPA combined efficiency: N/A
Curb weight: 5,919 pounds
Price: $96,625

2025 Rivian R1T

EPA range: 420 miles (22-inch wheels)
EPA combined efficiency: 2.6 mi/kwh
Curb weight: 7,300 pounds (est.)
Price: $85,700

2025 Rivian R1S

EPA range: 410 miles (22-inch wheels)
EPA combined efficiency: 2.5 mi/kwh
Curb weight: 7,200 pounds (est.)
Price: $91,700

2024 Tesla Model S. - Courtesy of Tesla, Inc.

EPA range: 410 miles (19-inch wheels)
EPA combined efficiency: 3.6 mi/kwh
Curb weight: 4,560 pounds
Price: $81,630

2025 GMC Hummer EV

EPA range: Est. 381 miles (22-inch wheels, $9,995 Extended Range Battery)
EPA combined efficiency: 1.6 mi/kwh
Curb weight: 9,000 pounds (est.)
Price: $116,940

2925 Mercedes-Benz EQS

EPA range: 371 miles (21-inch wheels)
EPA combined efficiency: 2.8 mi/kwh
Curb weight: 5,600 pounds (est.)
Price: $128,500

2024 Tesla Model 3

EPA range: 363 miles (18-inch wheels)
EPA combined efficiency: 4.1
Curb weight: 4,054 pounds
Price: $44,130

2025 Hyundai Ioniq 6

EPA range: 342 miles (18-inch wheels)
EPA combined efficiency: 3.9 mi/kwh
Curb weight: 4,376 pounds
Price: $43,850

2025 Polestar 3

EPA range: 350 miles (21-inch wheels)
EPA combined efficiency: 2.8 mi/kwh
Curb weight: 5,720 pounds
Price: $68,900

--
This piece originally ran Nov. 17, 2024, before full model year 2025 availability in some cases. It's now been updated for that.

Among those considering the purchase of a new or used battery-electric or plug-in hybrid vehicle, or just curious about EVs, charging can still be the EV dealbreaker. 

Unless you don’t have a way to easily install or access home charging, your excuses are quickly disappearing, though. In 2024 public charging kept pace—or better—with the number of EVs on the highways. New EVs are charging quicker and more consistently in road trips; the options along the way have become more reliable; and with Tesla and other brands’ EVs all soon compatible with the same charge connectors, nobody’s excluded. 

That said, keeping EVs charged requires a different mindset than you might use in fueling up gasoline cars—even though seeing electricity as fuel isn’t off the mark. 

If you’re an EV newbie, or someone just feeling out EV ownership, you can look forward to a lifetime free of gasoline. But in order to enjoy it and shed the anxiety, you’ll have to break out of the running-on-empty and fill-’er-up mindsets of gasoline vehicles, replacing it with the charge-nightly-or-as-you-can approach you already use for smartphones or tablets.

Becoming comfortable with the routine of charging your EV—and when and where you need to plug in—is an important part of ownership. And it all comes back to what’s likely in your pocket or right next to you, if you’re not already reading this piece on it—your smartphone. 

Rivian adds Tesla Superchargers to trip planning app

Over time, some people learn to have confidence in the battery level of their phone, keep an eye on it, and simply plug it in when it gets down to 20% or 10%—the low battery warning—while others get in a routine to plug in every evening to charge up all or most of the way for the next morning, depending on settings. 

While EV batteries are bigger, and you can’t plug them in everywhere, keeping your EV charged up is all about what makes the best sense to you. Not everyone is going to come to the same conclusions, and that’s fine as EV ownership can fit all sorts of routines, as long as you first understand charging. 

With that starting point in mind, be forewarned: If you’re already an EV fan, much of this will be old hat. But to make the transition easy, Green Car Reports has rounded up some tips on how, where, and when how to charge up that new plug-in vehicle.

We’ve written this piece with the tech-curious newbies in mind—maybe not hitting all the fine details, but helping provide a lay of the land as you shift away from gasoline and toward charge ports and make sure all basics are in place. 

Tesla charging

Fundamentally, there are two types of charging, based on the format of the electricity—AC and DC. 

AC (alternating current) is what’s supplied to your home or what flows through a commercial electrical outlet—or the “destination chargers” that you might plug into for a few hours, or overnight. Whether you plug into it via a mobile connector or a wallbox, the actual charger that communicates with the battery and converts that AC current to DC (direct current) and is within the vehicle. 

The mobile connector or wallbox (sometimes called EVSE for the sake of tax credits, rebates, or electrical work) will test the circuit when you plug it in, to ensure that it's properly grounded and the current is strong enough to power the charger. Even though these connectors and wallboxes aren’t delivering the electricity in any different format than what the outlet provides, they are confusingly often called chargers. 

DC itself, on the other hand, is typically supplied by commercial charging-station hardware designed for fast charging (or very specific uses like home backup). Hardware delivers DC current to the vehicle, with two-way communication fine-tuning exactly what voltage and current the battery pack gets in real time to get the fastest charge without overheating the pack or damaging it. 

2023 Nissan Ariya at EVgo charging station

AC and DC charging breaks out into a range of rates, which leads to another way to describe the types of charging: Level 1 (L1), Level 2 (L2), and Level 3 (L3). 

Keep in mind that these levels are less relevant in Europe, but they persist in North America, because of the way our AC electricity is delivered. 

These roughly correspond to:

Level 1: Up to 2.4 kw
Level 2: 2.4 kw to 19.2 kw
Level 3: 24 kw and up

Fast charging today is shifting to refer to connectors capable of delivering 150 kw or more. Many charging station connectors remain limited to 50 kw, and some older hardware may only be capable of delivering 24 kw, but they still fall under what’s called L3. 

An L1 charging rate likely won’t be enough to keep a fully electric vehicle adequately charged up at home, unless commutes are short and it’s plugged in the vast majority of the time otherwise. But it might be fine for a plug-in hybrid. These tend to correspond with 120V AC delivery and thus are usually limited to 1.44 kw (120 volts x 12 amps — and we’ll get to why it’s 12A a bit later). Figuring in a reasonable 10% losses, you’re only putting about 1.3 kwh into the battery pack per hour—or about 5 miles of range per hour in more efficient EVs like the Tesla Model 3/Y or Chevy Bolt EV. 

Lucid Connected Home Charging Station

L2 is the easiest and best option to have for EVs, as it can provide a full overnight charge for nearly all EVs—all but those with the largest battery packs. These are typically wallboxes and essentially correspond with 240V AC delivery, and if you have a charging station installed at home, it will require the same type of wiring as an electric stove or clothes dryer. Tesla, for instance, points to up to 44 miles of range recovered per hour from its Wall Connector. 

EVs and plug-in hybrids have typically come with a “charging cord” allowing you to plug into 120V AC and get that slow L1 charging when needed. But those really weren’t used very frequently. So automakers have been switching toward 120V/240V mobile connectors, which are instead often optional on new EVs (and standard on a few premium-brand models) but do at an L2 rate add a very useful amount of range if you have access to a spare 240V outlet. Tesla’s mobile connector, for instance, is limited to 32 amps, which corresponds to up to 30 miles of range recovered per hour for the Model 3, according to the automaker. 

In the interest of simplification L3 and DC fast charging are one and the same. So keep reading for that. 

Subaru Solterra EV at Electrify America

Fast chargers deliver direct current to your battery pack, while communicating with your vehicle. By varying the voltage and current, and accommodating for details like battery temperature and ambient temp, fast chargers deliver as much power as your battery can handle at a given state of charge—up to the rated maximum of the connector, cord, and charging cabinet. 

That effectively means that if you choose a charging location and connector rated at or above your vehicle’s maximum, generally, the hardware will be able to charge your vehicle up in as little time as possible. 

But the cells need to be in an ideal temperature zone to hit that peak rate. So leading up to a fast-charge session (and in many cases linked to its route planner), your vehicle may precondition its battery pack—which means warm it up to the low end of the ideal zone. They’ll heat up more when charging. 

In a DC fast-charging session, the charge rate tends to slow as you approach about 80%. For this reason, automakers typically give fast-charging times from 10-80%—an ideal window to seek on long road trips. Unfortunately that’s only 70% of the range, so for instance to spend the least time charging you’ll need to stop about every 175 miles in a vehicle that can go 250 miles on a full charge at real-world highway speeds (which might correspond to an EPA range rating of 300 miles or more).

Under Canvas carbon-conscious camp with Rivian Waypoint chargers - Moab

Distilling AC and DC, L1, L2, and L3 down to some key points, what it amounts to for real-world use is that there are three key types of chargers at which to charge: 

2024 Volkswagen ID.4

We strongly recommend that you have, on the ready, a combination of methods to find your best charging-station options. So on your smartphone, install not just the official brand app for your vehicle but also an independent app focused on charging and route planning. 

Most of today’s EVs do come with some level of charger-savvy route planning that incorporates dynamic range estimates. Not all automaker apps and interfaces provide the tools for the quickest EV road trips, though. Independent EV charging apps we recommend for backing up your in-car interface and making sure you’re choosing the best stops along the way include Chargeway, PlugShare, and A Better Route Planner. Google Maps and Apple Maps do also now include some charger specs. 

You’ll then need to initiate the charging session—and pay for it, in many cases. Although in the case of Tesla, you’ll likely only need to plug in. For those with other EVs, Plug & Charge technology allows a similar level of convenience although it’s not yet working everywhere. In other cases you may need to provide a credit-card swipe or smartphone-based payment, but overall the days of separate cards, apps, fobs, and passkeys for each charging network are thankfully on the way to the history books—thanks in part to the federal government’s NEVI rules. 

Fisker Wallbox home charger

For all of these home chargers, whether they’re plugged into the appropriate socket or hardwired, the 80% rule applies—meaning that you shouldn’t be pulling a constant load that exceeds more than 80% of the max your circuit is wired for. So for instance, for a 50-amp circuit, you should be using a charger that won’t pull more than 40 amps. 

Some of today’s long-range EVs are capable of charging at up to 19.2 kw, which indicates an 80-amp charge connector, requiring (given the 80% rule) a 100-amp circuit. With 200-amp service for the entire house quite common today, and some smaller or older homes running on 125 amps or less, that’s an untenable amount to dedicate to EV charging without major (and costly) electrical upgrades. 

Circuit-breaker box showing 240-Volt circuit for electric-car charging station

To be perfectly pragmatic, a 40-amp circuit and 32-amp home charge connector will be just fine, and plenty adequate for most EVs—amounting to a charge power of up to 7.7 kw. Even for many longer-range EVs, that’s enough for a full charge in 10-14 hours if you’re near zero charge remaining.

But step up the circuit if you can. A 60-amp circuit and 48-amp charger, for instance, will get you added speed for some of the biggest electric trucks or longer-range EVs, and moving all the way up to 100 amps for the circuit and 80 amps for the charger may have advantages for some models. 

One final note: It likely makes far more sense to install a 100-amp circuit versus adding two separate 50-amp circuits, as there are dual chargers that will split available amps between EVs. But there are load-balancing and power-sharing options, too. Talk to your electrician. 

Electrify America DC fast-chargers - CCS and CHAdeMO

Some of today’s EVs come with one charge port, while others come with two. The reason behind this is related to AC and DC charging, but it’s a little more complicated than that. 

Most AC charging comes via the round J1772 charge port—the “J” plug that’s become near-universal over the past 15 years in EVs and plug-in hybrids. The same port spans L1 and L2 charging, up to about 19.2 kw. 

U.S. market EV charging connectors - via ChargePoint

CCS. The Combined Charging System, in the form Americans know it, is that same J1772 port, with two stout DC-charging prongs added just beneath, to enable Level 3 DC fast charging (or perhaps, in bidirectional charging setups, other slower kinds of DC power sharing). In the U.S., CCS arrived in late 2013. 

NACS. The North American Charging System, or J3400 as it was termed as an industry-wide standard in 2023, is an adoption and evolution of the Tesla charge port that’s been used since the introduction of the Model S in 2012. NACS is noteworthy for how it combines AC and DC charging together in the same compact charge port that some may simply find easier to use. 

CHAdeMO. Conceived in 2009 and 2010 by a group of Japanese companies, CHAdeMO was first rolled out for the U.S. in the 2011 Nissan Leaf. The only two new vehicles using the CHAdeMO port in 2024 are the Nissan Leaf EV and Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-In Hybrid. While the port and standard were ahead of the curve with bidirectional charging fully enabled starting in 2013, CHAdeMO was shunned in Europe. What’s also been rendering CHAdeMO moot is that the big, round port does not include AC/L2 charging—so in EVs the J1772 port needs to be included separately.

Tesla Supercharger

The future of American EV charging is NACS. Throughout 2023, starting with Ford, every single volume U.S. automaker committed to the Tesla-based NACS format for future EVs—and, in the meantime, access to the Tesla Supercharger network with CCS-NACS plug adapters. But many of these EVs that switch to that format aren’t due until later in 2025 or 2026, 

Get used to adapters. While the future is NACS, you may be perfectly fine with CCS for home charging for many years to come. If you rely on public charging, even on road trips, you’ll probably want to have an approved adapter on hand. 

WiTricity and Siemens wireless charging station

Cables and connectors might always remain a way of charging your EV, but they won’t be the only way. The technology for fully wireless vehicle charging—also known as inductive charging—has already arrived, and if you fast forward a few years into the future it’s quite likely some U.S. EV drivers won’t ever need to worry about remembering to physically plug in each night. 

The technology relies on a set of copper coils at either end—one in a pad on the garage floor, driveway, or parking space, the other at the bottom of the EV. The lower pad creates an oscillating magnetic field, which is then captured by the car’s coil and converted back to electricity. 

Why isn’t it everywhere? For one, it’s expensive, with the price tag of a complete wireless charging installation costing several times what a wallbox costs. When luxury EVs—and Tesla—adopt wireless charging, they’ll pave the way to economies of scale, and eventually public wireless charging stations that might make your road trip even easier.

Fast forward even farther into the future and dynamic inductive charging could mean that some EVs, on certain routes, might never need to stop to charge—as the tech might gradually charge your vehicle as you drive, through smaller embedded coils in the road.

Toyota RAV4 Prime - Electreon dynamic wireless charging

In most cases, today, EV charging involves energy flow in one direction—from the grid to your vehicle. But in the future there might be much more give-and-take to charging as EVs, home hardware, and your public utility, perhaps, embrace bidirectional charging. With it, called out as V2H (vehicle to home), V2G (vehicle to grid), V2X (vehicle to everything), EVs might send power out to campsites or construction sites, power homes during brownouts or blackouts, or help balance energy at different costs or different levels of demand. 

2022 Ford F-150 Lightning Intelligent Backup Power

Farther off, a range of companies, with different terms, technical differences, and proposed rules, have floated the idea of an “open market” for bidirectional charging—in small amounts, over wireless charging. For instance, maybe the grocery store borrows just a kilowatt-hour or two from most of the vehicles in the lot—wirelessly, based on your settings—and in return gives you a discount for lowering its use of more expensive grid electricity on a hot afternoon. 

Some forms of bidirectional charging are here right now. CHAdeMO has been fully compatible with bidirectional charging for more than a decade, with the right hardware and software, of course. CCS has also offered this capability for several years. General Motors has expanded bidirectional charging capability to the entire GM EV lineup and it’s readied a GM Energy ecosystem including energy storage. And at present, the Ford F-150 Lightning, Nissan Leaf, and Kia EV9 and EV6 are among the EVs that are compatible with at least some bidirectional hardware. In 2023 Tesla said that within about two years—that’s this year—all Teslas will get bidirectional charging functionality. 

charging etiquette note - DC fast charger, Olympia WA

The goal is for all of us just to get along. 

Green Car Reports has dug into this issue far more in the past, when driving an EV felt like an exclusive club of tech early adopters in the know. In 2025, it’s a very different scene than it was in say 2015—and the days of leaving passive-aggressive Post-It notes on vehicles or distributing zines to fellow EV drivers (I’ve seen both) are mostly left to stories of how it used to be. But some rules of politeness hold as much now as then. 

Don’t overstay your welcome. First and foremost, make sure that you don't occupy the space longer than it takes your car to recharge. You wouldn’t abandon your car at a gas pump when it’s not fueling, would you? Most charging networks charge idle fees if you remain plugged in, and charging spots aren’t there to provide parking.

Match EV and connector. If you can avoid it, don’t use a connector/charger rated at much higher power than your EV can take advantage of. So Chevy Bolt EV owners, please don’t use the 350-kw connectors, if you can avoid it, while the Lucid Air or Chevy Silverado EV drivers who can make full use of it wait.

Respect! Don’t unplug anyone’s vehicle until the charge is complete, even if it’s just to insert the five minutes of charging you need to get home. Most EVs have interlocks that let you choose whether or not releasing the charge port requires the key present, so make sure you know your vehicle. 

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The Pacifica Hybrid uses a planetary power-split system to juggle its 3.6-liter V-6 and a pair of electric motors, which can both be used as generators for propulsion. But in a patent filing submitted to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in July 2023, and published by that office Feb. 6, Stellantis claims such systems are not ideal for all applications.

Stellantis planetary gear transmission patent image

Stellantis planetary gear transmission patent image

In the filing, Stellantis notes that, when combined with the transfer cases commonly used with mechanical four-wheel-drive systems, a planetary-gear system can cause rough shifts between high and low range, difficulty engaging the low-range gear's splines while the vehicle is stopped, and difficult synchronizing shifts while in low range.

Problems like these likely contributed to the decision to use a different plug-in hybrid system in the Jeep Wrangler 4xe and Grand Cherokee 4xe plug-in hybrids. Those SUVs retain mechanical four-wheel-drive systems similar to their non-hybrid counterparts, along with 8-speed automatic transmissions. In that setup, one electric motor is integrated with the transmission, while a second, smaller motor-generator attaches to the engine's crankshaft.

2025 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe

Stellantis is essentially trying to split the difference by combining with 2-speed transfer case from a traditional four-wheel-drive system with a planetary-gear power split configuration. According to the filing, it aims to do that with a disconnect device that can uncouple the engine and electric motors from the driveline, using motor torque to synchronize the input and output shaft speeds of the transfer case.

Such a system could prove useful in future Jeep hybrid and plug-in hybrid models, helping to maintain their off-road capability while perhaps improving efficiency over the current 4xe system. Those current 4xe plug-in hybrids have generally sold well, and Jeep is reportedly considering hybrids without charge ports to sell alongside them in the U.S.

At least in some respects the answer includes all of the above. It’s complicated. 

Plug-in hybrids’ greater complexity is intended to pay off by greening the ownership experience for a specific kind of driver—those who can plug in most days for the commute but need a gas tank because of road-trip charging concerns.

Thus, PHEVs have an engine and, typically, a much larger battery than hybrids. If you don’t charge a plug-in hybrid, it will typically use a small portion of the battery with the engine and together function as a hybrid.

There’s much controversy over how often typical plug-in hybrid drivers actually plug in. A 2022 study from the International Council on Clean Transportation, tapping into U.S. data sources, found that plug-in hybrids are traveling 25-65% fewer electric miles than suggested by the EPA numbers on window stickers, and a European Commission study determined they were polluting more than assumed in real-world use. The EPA knows this and proposed a factor correcting for it in greenhouse-gas regulations, but given the latest EPA and CAFE standards, we’ll be seeing many more plug-in hybrids. 

2024 Toyota Prius Prime

What can you expect from the next generation of upcoming plug-in hybrids? Generally speaking, because of California regulations as well as better battery technology, they’ll offer more electric miles—potentially a lot more, in the order of 50-70 electric miles for some models. Today, the Range Rover SE Plug-In Hybrid offers 51 miles, while there are a few more above 40 miles: The Toyota Prius Prime is at 44 electric miles, the Toyota RAV4 Prime goes 42 miles, and the Volvo S60 Recharge and its V60 counterpart both go 41 miles. 

Future PHEVs will also aim to offer more of an electric-vehicle driving experience up front—meaning that as long as you have some charge in the plug-in battery, the gasoline engine will stay mostly off and out of the mix. And while there isn't a strict rule book on how PHEVs should be configured, many automakers see PHEVs evolving to make the electric side of the propulsion system the more powerful and essential one, not the gasoline engine.

While we wait for more of those plug-in hybrids, here are the new or significantly upgraded PHEVs for the 2025 model year, as well as those set to arrive before (or just past) the end of the calendar year.

2025 Honda CR-V e:FCEV

Honda’s first plug-in hybrid for the U.S. in a number of years is a California-only affair and it doesn’t have a gasoline engine under the hood. Instead, a 92.2-kw hydrogen fuel-cell stack takes the place of an engine and generator in the 2025 Honda CR-V e:FCEV, producing electricity to help keep the big 14-kwh battery pack charged and providing 174 hp and 229 lb-ft of torque at the front wheels. You can also plug in the e:FCEV and drive it 29 miles on a full charge—which, given the not-entirely-reliable hydrogen supply, is a good backup to have. 

2023 Hyundai Tucson Plug-In Hybrid

The 2025 Hyundai Tucson Plug-In Hybrid has received a sharper look, standard all-wheel drive, and a new infotainment screen influenced by the look inside the Ioniq 6 EV, all as part of a thorough refresh given to the whole Tucson lineup this year. 

Altogether there are enough changes for it to make this list, and yet its plug-in hybrid powertrain has not changed, with a 72-kw electric motor not allowing fully electric driving quite all the time, even with a full charge of the 13.8-kwh battery pack allowing 33 electric miles. A 7.2-kwh onboard charger means it can rejuice in less than two hours with a Level 2 home charger, though, and its powertrain makes a combined 268 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque and gets 35 mpg once there’s no plug-in charge left. 

2024 Jeep Gladiator

There’s been a lack of plug-in hybrid trucks in the U.S. market, and it was a bit unexpected to see Jeep step up as the first. The Gladiator plug-in hybrid has been confirmed for an arrival in calendar year 2025, with full details coming later this year. At minimum, look for the specs of the Wrangler 4xe, which has a 17.0-kwh battery pack, providing 21 electric miles. Its 2.0-liter turbo-4 and electric motor system, making a combined 375 hp and 400 lb-ft of torque, have already proven that off-road prowess won’t go away. 

2025 Mercedes-Benz GLC 350e plug-in hybrid test drive review

The latest addition to an accomplished midsize crossover family, the 2025 Mercedes-Benz GLC 350e sports a PHEV powertrain that mates a 2.0-liter turbo-4 engine with a 24.8-kwh battery pack (23.3 kwh usable) and an electric motor for a net 313 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque. The EPA rates the GLC 350e at 54 miles of electric range. Mercedes pegs its 0-60 mph time at 6.2 seconds, top speed at 135 mph as a hybrid and 87 mph in its electric drive mode—and offers a 60-kw fast-charge mode that allowed us to top off the battery in under an hour. Priced from $61,050, the GLC 350e plug-in hybrid gets a 11.9-inch touchscreen, a 12.3-inch digital display, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and touch-sensitive steering wheel controls.

2025 Ram 1500 Ramcharger

The upcoming 2025 Ram 1500 Ramcharger is, by our definition, a plug-in hybrid. That’s because to get the most out of this truck, with its “class-shattering unlimited battery electric range,” as the brand sensationally put it, you’ll need a full tank of gas. 

Yet it’s very different. The Ramcharger will be one of the market’s first plug-in series hybrids—meaning there won’t be any mechanical connection between the engine and drive wheels. With a 92-kwh battery pack, it should go a whopping 145 miles on electric-only battery power, then another 545 miles with the gasoline engine running as a generator, effectively functioning as a range-extender. The dual-motor propulsion system driving the truck with all-wheel drive will make a combined 663 hp and 619 lb-ft and, Ram says, will be fully up to the task for towing long distances.

Ram has said that the Ram 1500 Ramcharger will be a 2025 model, but it will arrive after the fully electric Ram 1500 REV that’s due in the fourth quarter of the year—so expect the Ramcharger at dealerships in early 2025.

Porsche is putting a lot of emphasis on its electric vehicles, including longer-range, improved versions of its standalone Taycan performance EV, the new Macan Electric, and the upcoming 718 Boxster EV. But that doesn't preclude Porsche from continuing to up its plug-in hybrid offerings. The noteworthy one for 2025 is its Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid, which rejoins the lineup as part of a family of redesigned third-generation Panameras.

As with other E-Hybrids, the internal-combustion engine is paired with a single electric motor and an 8-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. For 2025, expect well over the previous 20 miles on a charge from the larger 25.9-kwh battery pack; and together with the twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 the Turbo S E-Hybrid delivers a combined 771 hp good for 0-60 mph in 2.8 seconds and a top speed of 202 mph.

Volvo has refreshed the most important model in its plug-in hybrid lineup, the XC90. Set to arrive as a 2025.5 model to U.S. dealerships in Q1 2025, it adopts a new grille plus the EX90's sweeping interface overhaul inside—at least the screen portion of it, if not the switchgear. Cabin materials get a noteworthy upgrade, but inside or outside, dimensions haven't changed in any significant way.

The Swedish brand calls its latest XC90 T8 "an electric car with a backup plan," even though for the most part it's the opposite as of yet, providing as with many of today's other plug-in hybrids, the full driving experience once the gasoline engine starts. The 2025.5 Volvo XC90 T8 makes 310 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque from the gasoline engine plus 145 hp and 228 lb-ft in its electric drive mode, and Volvo anticipates 33 miles of fully electric driving by EPA standards.

Jeep this spring confirmed that it will add Wagoneer 4xe and Grand Wagoneer 4xe plug-in hybrids in 2025—unconfirmed as of yet whether for the 2025 or 2026 model year—with a version of the same “range-extended” plug-in hybrid system to be used in the Ramcharger. With the finesse of fully electric motor control at the wheels, it could conceivably boost the all-wheel-drive prowess of these big full-size SUVs. 

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The 2025 Ford E-Transit—an all-electric version of the automaker's Transit van—receives some new options while holding steady on pricing.

An E-Transit cargo van costs $51,000 before destination—about the same as a 2024 model. Ford also offers chassis cab and cutaway versions priced at $46,200 and $45,700 before destination, respectively.

2025 Ford E-Transit

New for 2025 are four option packages aimed at specific trades. These include electrician ($4,370) HVAC ($4,440), and general contractor ($2,900) packages, as well as a $3,300 folding-shelving package with large shelves intended for delivery services.

Ford introduced the E-Transit for the 2022 model year, and upgraded it with a bigger battery pack for 2024. Those changes carry over for 2025, meaning the E-Transit continues with an 89-kwh pack affording up to 159 miles of EPA-cycle range. That pack powers a single electric motor, which sends 266 hp and 317 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels.

2025 Ford E-Transit

Expect unchanged peak DC fast-charging power of up to 176 kw, allowing the E-Transit to replenish 67 miles of range in 15 minutes, using a 180-kw charger. The E-Transit can also make use of an 80-amp Level 2 AC wallbox for a 6-hour, 11-minute, full recharge, as well as export up to 2.4 kw with its Pro Power Onboard system, shared with the F-150 Lightning EV as well as hybrid versions of the F-150 truck.

The E-Transit competes against electric versions of some of the same vans the standard Ford Transit fights with for fleet sales, including the Mercedes-Benz eSprinter and Ram ProMaster EV. Rivian also recently opened up sales of its electric van, originally designed for Amazon, to all fleets. And General Motors leverages its EV architecture for the BrightDrop electric vans, which were recently folded into the Chevrolet brand.

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Airstream on Saturday unveiled its first all-electric travel trailer, which can use battery power to operate off the grid.

Called the Airstream Basecamp 20Xe, the trailer includes a 10.3-kwh battery pack and 3,000-watt inverter powering a 30-amp electrical system, providing onboard power for charging devices from built-in outlets, as well as running an optional air-conditioning system or microwave. A standard induction cooktop powered by a 110-volt outlet can be used inside or outside the trailer.

A 600-watt rooftop solar array provides supplementary power. The trailer also comes pre-wired for an additional 300 watts of solar-generating capacity, and includes a 20-pound propane tank that can be used for interior heating and hot water, as well as outdoor grilling. Heating can be done using only electricity, only propane, or a combination of the two.

An optional composting toilet helps conserve water, as does a recirculating feature that redirects cold water from the heater into the freshwater tank until it reaches the proper temperature. 

The trailer's 20-foot floorpan includes a dedicated sleeping space at the back and a convertible dinette up front. It's also equipped with standard 3-inch lift, chunky tires, and stone guards for off-road use, as well as storage space within its teardrop shroud bodywork.

Airstream eStream electric camping trailer

Missing from Airstream's announcement, however: There is no mention of using the battery pack to help propel the trailer and reduce the range loss of electric tow vehicles, or improve the fuel economy of internal-combustion tow vehicles, as with eStream concept Airstream, shown above, which was unveiled in 2022. That idea has been taken up by startups Pebble and Lightship for use in their luxury travel trailers, both of which are scheduled to start production later this year.

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Mercedes-Benz on Monday announced that its upcoming electric van concept will be called the Vision V.

We're still far away from the debut of this concept, which is expected to be revealed later this spring, but Mercedes has already teased that the Vision V will preview its Van.EA modular architecture for future electric vans. 

The first vans based on this architecture are scheduled to enter production in 2026, and Mercedes confirmed last October that prototypes were out testing. The automaker aims to offer these vans in a number of configurations, including a U.S.-bound electric luxury van and a potential RV, alongside basic passenger and cargo vans.

Unlike the current Mercedes-Benz eSprinter, which houses an electric powertrain in a fairly standard van shell, Van.EA was designed from the start to accommodate EVs—with high levels of modularity. Mercedes has said the platform is split into three main blocks, with front and rear blocks that can each house electric motors for single-motor or dual-motor configurations. Van.EA models are expected to be front-wheel drive in single-motor form.

Mercedes previously indicated that all of future vans would be based on the Van.EA architecture, but last month it reversed course, announcing a "second variant of the architecture" called Van.CA for internal-combustion models.

Van.CA and Van.EA models will share 70% of parts, and will be built on the same assembly lines, Mercedes said at the time. So while the balance of power may have shifted to EVs, with the combustion-engine architecture now derived from the electric architecture, instead of the other way around, it appears Mercedes is planning for more tailpipes than previously thought.

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Florida's politics are the polar opposite of California's. Yet the home state of President Trump is second only to California in EV sales.

That sales growth, leaving Florida solidly in the top position after California, based on cumulative EV registrations, was driven not by incentives but primarily by EV enthusiasm in the populous central region of Florida. More than 17,000 EVs were newly registered in the nine counties of Central Florida between November 2023 and November 2024, according to a recent examination of this sales trend by the Orlando Sentinel.

2025 Volkswagen ID.4

For the full year of 2024, Central Florida's EV registrations grew 15.2%, surging past the national average of 9.4%. And registrations in EVs in Orange County, where Orlando is, surged 46% year-over-year. It's an acceleration of a trend that's been going on for years now. Florida is an anomaly and, like Texas, it's posted relatively strong EV growth over the years without significant state incentives.

In 2023 and 2024 EV adoption continued to become more polarized by state. That may also be happening on a local level in Florida, which isn't as homogeneous as it appears.

The rest of the country tends to see Florida as full of retirees, but even by 2030, official state projections suggest that people aged 65 and up won't be the largest demographic group in the state. That leaves more room for Gen X and Millennials, who previous studies have shown tend to buy more EVs than Boomers, while the latter group controls policy decisions related to them.

And while the state government hasn't exactly been pro-EV, that hasn't stopped efforts to expand charging infrastructure in Florida. In 2022, Invisible Urban Charging (IUC) announced plans to install 6,000 chargers—doubling the number of chargers in the state. The chargers are primarily 80-amp Level 2 AC units for public spaces and housing developments, IUC said at the time.

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Hyundai and Kia likely won't have solid-state batteries ready for electric vehicles before the end of the decade, an executive said in an interview with Automotive News published Thursday.

"I don't think we can commercialize these batteries before 2030," Spencer Cho, head of global product planning for Kia, said Feb. 24 at the automaker's EV Day presentation in Tarragona, Spain.

The three brands under the Hyundai Motor Group umbrella, including Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis, are pooling efforts to develop solid-state batteries in-house, Cho said. But whether that will lead to commercially-viable tech is unclear.

2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9

"Once our engineers believe that we have credible technologies that we can bring, then we might produce them on our own, Cho said, adding that "there is a lot of uncertainty about the progress of solid-state batteries."

Hyundai has been proactive in developing its own LFP batteries that it can scale up for affordable EVs, independent of Chinese suppliers CATL and BYD, which today dominate the chemistry originally developed in the U.S. But the more conservative approach to solid-state batteries could leave the door open for a supplier stepping up ahead of Hyundai's own in-house effort. Korean supplier SK On, for instance, sounds more optimistic and it recently claimed solid-state battery "breakthroughs"—in two different variants that could be put into running prototypes by 2027 and 2029.

Genesis Neolun Concept - 2024 New York Auto Show

There's a handful of automaker-supported firms and startups working to develop the solid-state batteries, too. But among automakers themselves working on the tech, the major Japanese automakers appear more confident in it than Hyundai Motor Group. 

Nissan has pushed along with its own internal solid-state battery program and is hoping that they'll help revolutionize and simplify the EV—with smaller battery packs and less or no cooling needs. Honda, too, has its own solid-state program and sees them arriving before the end of the decade—and as potentially enabling affordable EVs by 2030. Toyota also still plans to ramp up solid-state batteries for production models later this decade.

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The 2025 Honda Prologue electric SUV receives range and power boosts for its second model year, but remains priced just under $50,000.

All versions still have an 85-kwh battery pack, but Honda claims a 12-mile increase for the longest-range single-motor front-wheel-drive models, to 308 miles on the EPA cycle. Honda also expects EPA ratings for dual-motor all-wheel-drive models to increase by 13 miles, to 294 miles, for EX and Touring grades. The dual-motor Elite grade, with its 21-inch wheels and higher equipment level, is now estimated at 283 miles—10 more than previously.

A new front drive unit increases the output of single-motor models by 8 hp and 7 lb-ft of torque, to 220 hp and 243 lb-ft. All-wheel-drive models see increases of 12 hp and 25 lb-ft, to 300 hp and 355 lb-ft of torque.

2025 Honda Prologue

The Prologue's peak DC fast-charging rate of 150 kw is unchanged, allowing to gain 65 miles in 10 minutes of charging or get from 20-80% in 35 minutes. An 11.5-kw onboard charger allows for an eight-hour full charge for at least some of the lineup, given a 48-amp wallbox on a 60-amp circuit.

Honda expects all 2025 Prologue models to remain eligible for the full $7,500 federal EV tax credit—assuming it doesn't go away. Even without the tax credit, the base single-motor Prologue EX's starting price of $48,850 (including a $1,450 destination charge) is just $55 higher than the 2024 model year when it was new. Touring and Elite grades start at $53,150 and $59,350, respectively. All-wheel drive is a $3,000 option on the EX and Touring, but standard on the Elite.

The Prologue is based on a General Motors platform, but in a first drive of the 2024 model we found it to be a good on-ramp for current Honda owners looking to embrace EVs. That should make it a good warm-up for Honda's in-house 0 Series EVs, the first of which are due to arrive in 2026.

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Massachusetts will give residents free bidirectional electric vehicle chargers if they participate in a statewide bidirectional charging demonstration program.

Run by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (CEC), the program aims to place bidirectional chargers at residences and with fleet operators to show the possibilities of using EVs to supplement the grid or provide backup power for homes and buildings.

Nissan Leaf and Fermata Energy FE-15 bidirectional charger – Photo by Fermata Energy

Participants with EVs capable of bidirectional charging will receive free charging equipment, with installation costs also covered, in exchange for sharing data on charger use and maintenance, as well as potentially providing feedback on the experience of using bidirectional chargers, according to an FAQ document for the program. EV owners will get to keep the chargers after the program is finished.

By the numbers of chargers, it's a relatively small program. The CEC plans to allocate 50-60 chargers for single-family homes, with an emphasis on environmental justice communities, and additional 30-40 chargers for commercial fleets across three to five sites, and 10-20 chargers for electric school buses across three sites.

Electric school buses with Zum bidirectional charging stations

Applications for the program open in April, with onsite assessments in July through December. The CEC did not list a definitive date for the start of charger installations, but said it's aiming to complete them by September 2026, with data reporting for the project wrapping up that December.

Numerous pilot programs and demonstrations have been conducted over the years around the ability of EVs to discharge power from their battery packs for other uses, but they've become more relevant as automakers like General Motors and Hyundai/Kia have begun building more vehicles with this capability. California has even floated a requirement for bidirectional charging capability in future EVs sold within its borders.

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Mercedes-Benz is testing prototype electric versions of its GLC-Class crossover in the Arctic, the automaker confirmed Monday in a press release.

About two weeks ago, Mercedes announced the electric GLC, along with electric versions of the C-Class and E-Class sedans, would arrive by 2027. They'll be among "dozens" of new or refreshed models the automaker plans to launch by that year.

With this release, Mercedes is now offering a first look at the electric GLC (under camouflage, that is) and confirming that it will be known as the GLC with EQ Technology. That's the naming scheme that Mercedes has used for electric variants of combustion models since launching its electric G-Class off-roader.

Mercedes-Benz GLC with EQ Technology prototype

A high-end version of the electric GLC will feature battery cells with anodes comprised of silicon oxide and graphite, Mercedes confirmed. Similar to chemistry previously discussed for the electric G-Class, it's expected to boost energy density and keep the battery pack at a manageable size.

The GLC EV will also incorporate 800-volt charging, with a peak DC fast-charging rate of 320 kw, and a rear drive unit with a 2-speed transmission. These features will debut on the 2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA EV, although it's unclear if the larger GLC will use that car's Mercedes Modular Architecture (MMA) platform.

Mercedes-Benz GLC with EQ Technology prototype

A dual-motor all-wheel-drive system will be offered, utilizing the front-motor disconnect feature that debuted on the EQE SUV to boost efficiency when the extra traction isn't needed. And perhaps in response to the criticism of brake feel in the earlier EQ models, Mercedes said the GLC EV will feature a braking system that combines the booster, master cylinder, and stability control unit into one module for "confident brake pedal feel that delivers precise and consistent feedback."

Mercedes hasn't confirmed the electric GLC for the U.S., but it would fill the same spot in the automaker's lineup as the 2020 Mercedes EQC—which itself was all set to appear in this market but never made it.

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Rivian will soon push paid software upgrades that unlock more range and power in dual-motor versions of its R1S electric SUV and R1T electric pickup.

A Dual Performance upgrade will be available as part of Rivian's 2025.06 software release, Wassym Bensaid, the automaker's chief software officer, said in a post on X (formerly Twitter). The $5,000 upgrade will increase output in base dual-motor models from 533 hp and 610 lb-ft of torque to 665 hp and 829 lb-ft, dropping the estimated 0-60 mph time from 4.5 seconds to 3.4 seconds.

2025 Rivian R1T

That performance setup was part of the plan since the launch of the updated 2025 R1S and R1T, which are also still available with tri-motor and quad-motor powertrains. Tri-motor models produce 850 hp and 1,103 lb-ft and get from 0-60 mph in 2.9 seconds, while quad-motor models are rated at 1,025 hp and 1,198 lb-ft, enough to shave 0.4 second off the twi-motor's 0-60 mph time.

The upgrade will be available on vehicles with the Standard+, Large, Large+, and Max battery packs, Bensaid said in the replies to the post, explaining that the base Standard Pack won't get the upgrade because it "can't reach same levels of performance." The Standard Pack switched to LFP cells as part of the 2025-model-year overhaul of the R1T and R1S, and LFP chemistry is generally less flexible in its power-delivery characteristics.

2025 Rivian R1T

A software update unlocking the full capacity of the Large+ Pack is "next on the roadmap," Bensaid said in another reply. The Large+ is a 141.5-kwh Max Pack that with usable capacity that's software-limited to match the 109.4 kwh of the Large Pack. Rivian began offering this option last year in an effort to meet demand for the Large Pack and get vehicles to customers sooner.

Rivian has been serious about pushing regular software updates. In December, it gave the infotainment system the ability to recognize owners' wheel and tire swaps, while promising native text messaging, as well as launch control for pre-2025 Rivian models.

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Nissan has been hinting for a long time that the next generation of its e-Power hybrid system will be ready for America. And after what might have been a completely different future with Honda, it appears those Nissan hybrids are finally firmly U.S.-bound. 

Nissan had already confirmed in October that it plans to launch e-Power in the U.S. and Canada by the end of fiscal year 2026—meaning before the end of March 2027. Then last month, the same day the Honda plans officially fizzled, Nissan confirmed that the Rogue, which is primarily a North American vehicle, will get Nissan’s third-generation version of e-Power (along with, globally, its Qashqai crossover and a minivan). And it started laying out more details about how the hybrid system will be expanded and evolved. 

The upcoming third-generation e-Power system is 20% more fuel-efficient and costs 20% less than the second-generation system, while providing better performance.

So expect Rogue Hybrid full details, including what we would expect to be a competitive price, to emerge during 2026—just as a 2026 Nissan Rogue plug-in hybrid based on the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV is also emerging. 

Nissan third-generation e-Power hybrids

The automaker had already put a lot of work into e-Power. Nissan originally launched the system in Japan in 2016 on the Note small hatchback. Then in its second generation Nissan managed to make the system 10% more fuel-efficient, while working on the refinement of the engine. As of last October it had sold more than 1.5 million vehicles with the system, and it was available in 68 markets.

As the company revealed back in 2021, it prioritized the development of a completely new engine for e-Power in its third generation, targeting 50% thermal efficiency from a new tumble-flow combustion concept. And as it highlighted in 2023, e-Power will incorporate new mapping and energy management tech to find the best zone for the engine in terms of engine revs, torque, and electrical output. 

Suffice it to say, U.S.-bound e-Power hybrids have been a long time coming. And as Infiniti hinted when abandoning e-Power-based plans in 2021, efficiency and drivability concerns were at the core of it. 

At a time when Toyota and Honda have reached about 50% hybrid sales for rival models in the U.S., the layout of e-Power has been part of the concern for holding the system back. Series hybrids typically struggle to produce efficiency gains on the highway, at near-steady-state conditions like those encountered often in America. 

Nissan X-Trail G e-4orce e-Power (Japan-spec)

Nissan X-Trail G e-4orce e-Power (Japan-spec)

Nissan X-Trail G e-4orce e-Power (Japan-spec)

I sampled the current second-generation e-Power system at its most refined point yet, in the Nissan X-Trail, in late 2023, when it was said to be in the product pipeline for the U.S., on an unconfirmed timeline. And even then, my takeaway was broadly that the system was every bit what it needed to be for U.S. urban driving—with plenty of questions remaining of what it might be like on the highway. 

The X-Trail is closest to the U.S.-spec Rogue in overall size and purpose. It’s also a decent comparison to the Honda CR-V Hybrid, Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, and Hyundai Tucson Hybrid, which a potential future Rogue Hybrid would face up against. 

For Japan, the X-Trail e-Power is badged the X-Trail G e-4orce—signalling that it’s a gasoline engine, and that it takes advantage of Nissan’s GT-R-derived all-wheel-drive dynamic control logic that made its American debut on the all-wheel-drive Nissan Ariya EV. 

Nissan X-Trail G e-4orce e-Power (Japan-spec)

Nissan X-Trail G e-4orce e-Power (Japan-spec)

In the Japanese-market form I drove (not all that much different than what’s sold in Europe), the X-Trail e-Power has a 1.5-liter direct-injection turbo-3, rated at 142 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque, and only driving a generator. The X-Trail e-Power delivers actual propulsion via two permanent-magnet motors— delivering up to 201 hp and 243 lb-ft in front or up to 134 hp and 144 lb-ft in back, but amounting to a combined system output of 211 hp, according to Nissan. In the somewhat smaller Qashqai (correlating to what used to be called Rogue Sport), a version of this same system outputs 188 hp. 

Nissan’s e-Power hybrid system is solely a series-hybrid layout, which means the gasoline engine starts and runs only to keep the battery pack charged and power flowing to the electric propulsion system—although for max power, the motors can draw simultaneously from both the generator and the battery. The 2.1-kwh lithium-ion battery in the X-Trail e-Power is a step bigger than any in this competitive set. 

In many respects, its city drivability felt a lot like Honda’s 2-motor hybrid system—with a strong, instantaneous launch feel including plenty of EV-like torque, with no interruptions to mechanically blend in torque from an engine. But unlike the Honda system, it doesn’t include the capability to engage the gasoline engine directly to the drive wheels under certain light-load cruising conditions, to boost mileage. The e-Power X-Trail offers an e-Pedal one-pedal drive mode for ramped-up regenerative braking, but I noticed that it simply didn’t provide as much real-world regen as an Ariya or Leaf (at least not in low-speed stop-and-go).

Nissan X-Trail e-Power - global spec.

It also, I should note, has two strong motors at the front and rear wheels, so if anything, versus the Honda hybrids, it should feel noticeably more athletic in the same way as a dual-motor EV. I simply didn’t get the drive route to give it that kind of exercise. 

Our drive was on a street loop around a business area in Tokyo that’s separated from the most bustling and congested portion of the city—affording a little flexibility in familiarizing ourselves with the setup. Just taking some of the corners of this relatively low-speed urban course quickly, the X-Trail e-Power felt rather heavy though, and very softly sprung. The curb weight of the X-Trail e-Power is 4,136 pounds, which adds up to about 200-300 pounds more than the CR-V Hybrid, RAV4 Hybrid, or Tucson Hybrid. But the X-Trail felt comparable to the current U.S. Rogue in overall cabin refinement road noise. It has a front strut, rear multi-link suspension setup, with four-wheel vented disc brakes, and the version I drove rode on 235/55R19 tires. 

While we didn’t get much past 40 mph, it was enough to tell me that the engine started without a quake and didn’t sound like it was straining or revving, and it was barely perceptible during light-duty city driving and even up to suburban speeds. 

Nissan e-Power hybrid system

How the series system behaves at those rapid U.S. highway speeds is a bigger question. Some reviewers in other markets have noted a cycling, or pulsing, issue with the second-gen e-Power setup that can become noticeable in steady highway driving or long grades—like what California drivers might encounter—so that may be one of the behaviors Nissan is attempting to purge in the U.S.-bound third-generation version.

The other question that hangs with us, after this news of the Nissan Rogue Hybrid officially confirmed, and Nissan’s continued bet on the series-hybrid layout, is whether the system can deliver impressive gas mileage for Americans. In Japan’s WLTC cycle, for instance, the X-Trail e-Power has a combined rating of 43.3 mpg, and claims 37.9, 48.1, and 43.0 mpg in city, suburbs, and highway drive cycles, according to Nissan. The RAV4 Hybrid in Japan, for instance, achieves 48.5 mpg in that combined test cycle, versus 40 mpg combined by the EPA for the 2025 Toyota RAV4. Apply that same factor to the X-Trail e-Power and you end up at about 36 mpg. 

Nissan e-Power hybrid badge

The non-hybrid 2025 Nissan Rogue AWD already does an EPA-rated 28/35 mpg city/highway, with 31 mpg combined. If Nissan can use all those third-gen improvements to manage 40 mpg or more from a Rogue Hybrid, while bringing that more EV-like driving feel it’s already delivered with the Ariya e-4orce and that I felt underneath it all in the X-Trail e-Power e-4orce, it will indeed be a strong rival to RAV4 Hybrid, CR-V Hybrid, the Subaru Forester Hybrid, and others in this essential heart of the market. 

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Honda and Acura electric vehicles will be able to use Tesla Supercharger stations starting this spring, Honda said Wednesday in a business update.

As with other non-Tesla brands, Honda and Acura EV owners will receive adapters that allow their CCS-equipped vehicles to plug into Tesla's NACS chargers. The automaker did not provide any further detail, so it's unclear whether any adapters will be provided for free, or how much they will cost if not.

2024 Acura ZDX

The Honda Prologue and Acura ZDX SUVs—the only all-electric models currently sold in the U.S. by their respective brands—are based on General Motors architectures and are manufactured by GM. But Honda handles charging matters independently, hence the delay between GM's rollout of Supercharger access in September 2024 and the Japanese automaker's scheduled rollout.

Besides Honda and Acura, the next few months will see a few other brands adding Supercharger access. Mercedes-Benz plans to open Supercharger access in February, followed by Kia later in the quarter, and Volkswagen, this summer. BMW, Genesis, Lucid, and JLR (comprising Jaguar and Land Rover) are currently listed as "coming soon" on Tesla's website, but specific timing has not been confirmed.

Honda 0 Saloon and 0 SUV prototypes

Honda is also one of the eight automakers backing the Ionna DC fast-charging network, which will offer both CCS and NACS connectors. The automaker said four Ionna charging sites—dubbed "Rechargeres"—are now in beta testing, with groundbreaking for a fifth site done in the last month.

The combination of Supercharger access and the Ionna network will support what is set to be a growing number of Honda and Acura EVs developed in-house and built at retooled facilities at Honda's traditional U.S. manufacturing base in Ohio. The first of these will be the Acura RSX compact SUV launching later this year, followed by the first Honda 0 Series models in 2026. Recently previewed at CES 2025, the 0 Series models will have native NACS ports.

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The Polestar 7 will be manufactured in Europe, and will mark the beginning of a move to a single common architecture for future vehicles, according to Polestar. The brand currently relies on an assortment of platforms shared with other brands under the Geely corporate umbrella, but has been emphasizing more bespoke engineering work for future vehicles, while further differentiating exterior design. 

"Polestar is known for its progressive design, with each car standing out and creating its own buzz—so too will Polestar 7," design boss Philipp Römers said in a statement.

Launch timing was not discussed, but Polestar was two other models already in its queue. The automaker reaffirmed that the Polestar 5 will start sales in the second half of this year. The four-door fastback looks to be a major technical leap for Polestar, with an 800-volt architecture for faster charging and huge battery cells for increased range.

Polestar 6 Concept AT 2024 Goodwood Festival of Speed

The automaker didn't provide any updates this time around, but in 2022 it confirmed the Polestar 6 roadster for production in 2026. The timing was still in effect last July, when Polestar showed the Concept BST, which hinted at a spicier version of the convertible sports car.

Ambitious plans to grow the model lineup are matched by ambitious plans to grow sales. Polestar said it aims to increase global sales volume 30%-35% between 2025 and 2027, aided by a 75% increase in retail spaces, while retaining its current hybrid model of direct sales with servicing handled by traditional dealerships. Polestar claimed a 5.3% increase in global sales in the fourth quarter of 2024, but a 37.2% increase in new orders during that period.

Owners of EVs from most non-Tesla brands must use an adapter to connect with Supercharger stations until the widespread rollout of new cars with NACS ports, a process that recently started with the 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 an is aided by the formalization of NACS as a true standard by the SAE in late 2023.

Ford EVs at Tesla Supercharger

Most automakers are also pushing software updates that allow their EVs to properly interface with Supercharger stations for plug-and-charge operation, as well as updates that allow Supercharger stations to appear on in-vehicle route planning and payment apps.

As with the original announcements of the switch to the Tesla charge port, Ford led the way in providing adapters to let customers fast-charge at Supercharger stations. That started in February 2024, with other automakers following later in the year and a few now confirmed for the first half of 2025. Here's where things stand now.

Automakers that have Supercharger access:

• Ford 
• Rivian
• General Motors
• Volvo
• Polestar
• Nissan

Automakers said to be getting Supercharger access "soon" according to Tesla:

• BMW
• Genesis
• Hyundai
• JLR
• Kia
• Lucid
• Mercedes-Benz

As Green Car Reports has pointed out before, Tesla's V4 hardware will likely be able to handle electric vehicles that charge at 800 volts at the full rate. But Tesla's V3 hardware—the majority of North American hardware available on the Supercharger network at this time—the limit is 400 volts, or maybe a little bit higher.

That creates a dilemma for automakers already selling vehicles with 800-volt charging, as those cars will charge slower at Tesla V3 Supercharger stations than they would at the most powerful CCS stations. But the more widespread deployment of V4 Superchargers will help solve that, along with the buildout of the Ionna fast-charging network backed by eight automakers that's expected to include both CCS and NACS connectors.

Customers who take delivery of a 2024 or 2025 Kia EV9 or a 2024 Kia EV6 from Sept. 4, 2024, will receive a free NACS adapter. All other Kia EV owners—including EV6 and EV9 owners who took delivery of their vehicles before the cutoff date, as well as all Kia Niro EV owners—will have to pay an undisclosed price for their adapters.

2024 Kia EV6 GT

Most major car brands have announced plans to adopt the NACS charge port, but only a handful have followed through with plans to offer adapters and Supercharger access. Of those, only General Motors is making all customers pay for adapters. But Kia is being stingier than Ford, which offered one free adapter per vehicle to all existing EV customers initially.

Kia plans to begin shipping adapters in early 2025, and plans to open up Supercharger access by the end of the first quarter. Originally Kia EV owners were to get access to the Supercharger network on January 15, but on the 15th the automaker modified that timeline. Kia's didn't specifically mention Tesla or Superchargers, only saying that customers will be able to charge at "more than 16,500 NACS DC fast chargers in the U.S." That number is based on the count of total NACS connectors by the Energy Department's Alternative Fuel Data Center (AFDC) as of September 2024.

2023 Kia Niro EV

Most other automakers—Stellantis being the only exception—were quick to mention Tesla in their announcements. Kia is one of the automaker partners in the Ionna North American fast-charging network, which has voiced its commitment to both the NACS and CCS standards. So perhaps Kia is looking to emphasize the idea of NACS connectors that aren't part of the Supercharger network in anticipated of Ionna's buildout.

Kia, along with sibling brands Hyundai and Genesis, announced NACS support. Hyundai has started building Ioniq 5 EVs with Tesla NACS charge ports, but Kia did not discuss a timeline for adding NACS ports to its vehicles.

This story was updated to reflect a new timeline for Kia EV access to Tesla's Supercharger network as of January 15..

The Chrysler Airflow concept unveiled in 2022 was to serve as the basis for a production electric SUV, but Mopar Insiders reported earlier this week that development work on this model had been suspended. That report cited an email to suppliers saying the program was "on hold until further notice" and that "any spending associated with this program should be suspended immediately."

Chrysler Airflow concept

A Stellantis spokesperson confirmed to Green Car Reports that the electric SUV "is paused for now as we assess the market and our customers’ needs and wants." This means the Chrysler brand will continue with just a single minivan—sold as both the Voyager and Pacifica, the latter available with a plug-in hybrid powertrain—in 2025, its 100th anniversary year.

A refreshed Pacifica is coming in 2026, the spokesperson confirmed, followed by a new crossover SUV and a third model based on the Halcyon concept, Chrysler CEO Christine Feuell confirmed in an interview earlier this month. Unveiled in 2024, the Halcyon is an electric four-door coupe that likely appeals to a smaller market than an SUV.

Chrysler Airflow concept

Chrysler initially said that it would launch an electric SUV based on the Airflow concept in 2025, but enthusiasm for the project seemed to wane quickly after that. In 2023, Feuell reportedly ordered a rethink that would have dropped the concept's styling and the Airflow name, which references a pioneering Chrysler model line from the 1930s that helped introduce aerodynamic design to the automotive industry.

Feuell told Green Car Reports in 2022 that Chrysler was also developing an electric minivan, and in an interview at the 2024 LA Auto Show last November, the CEO confirmed that this new model will bear the Pacifica name. It's slated to be introduced at some point after the refreshed version of the current Pacifica debuts in 2026.

The deal runs from 2027, when Vianode expects to begin producing synthetic graphite at a new North American plant, to 2033, according the companies. The material will be used in battery cells manufactured by the Ultium Cells LLC joint venture between GM and battery supplier LG Energy Solution.

2026 Cadillac Vistiq

China controls 95% of the global graphite supply, which has left Western automakers and governments looking to cultivate looking sources of the material, which has become more important for EV battery production, Reuters noted. China has also been designated by the federal government as a Foreign Entity of Concern, meaning vehicles with battery materials sourced from there don't qualify for a tax credit.

Vianode claims its new plant will be "IRA compliant," meaning battery materials produced there shouldn't interfere with qualification for the federal EV tax credit under current rules, defined by the Inflation Reduction Act, that specify North American sourcing of critical minerals. That's assuming the tax credit isn't killed off by the incoming Trump administration.

2025 GMC Sierra EV Denali

The plant will be located in either the U.S. or Canada, but a specific site has not been finalized, Vianode CEO Burkhard Straube said in an interview with Reuters. In its first planned phase, the plant is expected to produce 80,000 tons of synthetic graphite by 2030, enough to supply 1.5 million EVs. Vianode claims its manufacturing process comes with a 90% smaller carbon footprint than conventional methods.

GM made two other noteworthy changes to its battery plans last month. The automaker said it would sell its stake in the Ultium Cells LLC Michigan plant—one of three currently in operation—to LG, while simultaneously announcing plans to extend a technical partnership with that company to include prismatic cells. GM has for the moment standardized its EV hardware around pouch cells, but CEO Mary Barra said in 2023 that the automaker was flexible on battery-cell format.

Audi will launch more plug-in hybrids in the coming year, likely as a hedge against fluctuating EV sales.

The automaker launched several new models in 2024, with a restructured lineup creating a sharper delineation between internal-combustion and electric vehicles. Audi will continue building out that lineup in 2025, but with plug-in hybrids closing some of the gap.

2022 Audi Q5 55 TFSI e plug-in hybrid

"In 2025, we will continue our model initiative and renew key model families such as the Audi A7 and Audi Q3. Customers can look forward to numerous new plug-in hybrids as well," Audi CEO Gernot Döllner said in a press release detailing the automaker's 2024 sales results.

In a July 2024 interview with Autocar, Döllner said Audi still aims to have an all-electric lineup by 2033, but that there will be an extended "transition phase" to get to that point, with plug-in hybrids potentially helping to smooth that transition. These new plug-in hybrids could offer up to 62 miles of electric range, Autocar reported at the time. That's likely based on the more lenient WLTP testing cycle.

2022 Audi Q5 55 TFSI e plug-in hybrid

For now, the 2025 Audi Q5 plug-in hybrid is the only such model in Audi's U.S. lineup. Offering 28 miles of EPA electric range, we found it provided a reasonably harmonious blend of gasoline and electric propulsion when we first tested it as a 2021 model. A redesigned Q5 is scheduled to reach U.S. showrooms later this year, but so far Audi hasn't confirmed a new plug-in hybrid variant.

The Q5 and the discontinued Audi A7 plug-in hybrid were recalled in late 2024 due to fire concerns stemming from defective battery modules. The Q5 plig-in hybrid was also included in a 2023 recall of 240-volt Level 2 AC charging cables, alongside all-electric models from both Audi and Porsche.

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A brace of luxury brands are slated to get Tesla Supercharger access soon.

Tesla recently updated the NACS page on its website to show BMW, Genesis, Lucid, and JLR (incorporating Jaguar and Land Rover) on the "coming soon" list of automakers supporting the Tesla's Superchargers. Specific timing isn't listed, however.

After Ford kicked things off in 2023, most major EV brands announced plans to adopt the NACS standard. The SAE also finalized NACS as a true standard later in the year, an effort that was backed by the Biden administration, ensuring that more NACS connectors will be installed outside the Supercharger network, putting American on the path to a single fast-charging standard for electric vehicles.

2025 BMW i4

Ford, General Motors, Nissan, Polestar, Rivian, and Volvo have already rolled out Supercharger access and made arrangements for adapters that allow existing EVs with CCS ports to connect to Supercharger stations.

The 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 has been confirmed as the first EV from a major non-Tesla brand to be built with a NACS port, and Hyundai, which is the parent brand of Genesis, has said it will ship free adapters for its existing EVs later this quarter. Hyundai's other brand, Kia, said late last year that it would open up Supercharger access Jan. 15, but would only provide free adapters to customers who purchased certain models toward the end of 2024.

2025 Lucid Air Pure

Mercedes-Benz also confirmed earlier this month that it would launch Supercharger access in February. Unlike most other brands, this will require a dealership visit to install updated software (as opposed to an over-the-air update), in addition to an adapter.

While not shown on Tesla's website yet, Volkswagen is reportedly planning to rollout Supercharger access to its EV customers in June or July, with the later date due to a wait for adapters.

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The 2025 Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV sees a small price increase for the new model year, but few other changes.

After remaining unchanged for the 2024 model year, pricing for the entry-level rear-wheel drive EQS 450+ rises $850 to $106,400. All prices include a mandatory $1,150 destination charge that's unchanged for 2025.

This single-motor version generates 355 hp and 429 lb-ft of torque. An all-wheel drive EQS 450 4Matic version is also available, adding a front motor and an extra 161 lb-ft of torque (horsepower is the same) for $3,000 more. A dual-motor EQS 580 4Matic model also remains available, boosting output to 536 hp and 633 lb-ft of torque for a starting price of $129,350.

2025 Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV

The Maybach EQS 680 tops the lineup at $181,050, boasting 649 hp and 700 lb-ft of torque, and more opulent accoutrements inside and out. Those include available reclining rear seats with a center-armrest champagne cooler, two-tone paint, and a more traditional grille similar to what's been applied to the EQS sedan for 2025.

All EQS SUV models continue to use a 108.4-kwh battery pack. The rear-wheel drive EQS 450+ leads in EPA range, at 323 miles. That declines to 317 miles for the EQS 450 4Matic, 312 miles for the EQS 580 4Matic, and 302 miles for the Maybach version.

2025 Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV

Mercedes made some equipment changes. Four-zone climate control, soft-close doors, front headrest cushions, and a center airbag between the front seats are now standard, while automatic-closing doors and an air-control package with HEPA filtration are optional, along with a new Moonlight White Metallic paint color. New 22-inch wheel designs are also available for both the standard EQS SUV and the Maybach EQS SUV.

The Alabama-built EQS SUV arrived for the 2023 model year, and was good enough out of the box to make the Green Car Reports Best Car To Buy finalist list. It's one of four related models, along with the EQS sedan and the smaller EQE SUV and sedan, that formed Mercedes' first wave of dedicated EVs. They're set to be joined by a new generation of smaller models—starting with the 2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA.

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Ford is looking at ways to make electric vehicle battery packs easier to repair—especially as their cooling systems become more advanced—a patent filing indicates.

The document, which was published by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) Dec. 12, 2024, after being submitted by Ford Jun. 12, 2023, details how battery modules could be replaced without removing the entire pack from the vehicle. This could reduce repair costs and could be greener, potentially allowing some packs to be rehabbed with new modules rather than replaced.

Patent image of Ford battery pack designed for easier module replacement

Ford discusses retaining the common layout of a battery pack mounted under the floor, with multiple modules that in turn contain multiple battery cells. Electrical terminals with removable caps and spring-loaded connectors would allow modules to be removed as needed.

The patent filing also mentions immersion cooling, in which battery components are directly cooled by a non-conductive fluid that won't cause electrical shorts. Immersion cooling is a relatively new idea in EV development, as most modern EVs even with liquid cooling use the coolant outside modules and/or with a cooling plate. But this necessitates additional hardware that makes accessing battery modules more complicated.

Patent image of Ford battery pack designed for easier module replacement

Other automakers, such as Mercedes-Benz, have considered going the other way completely, toward air-cooling. The physical configuration of cells and modules is also being considered, with General Motors looking at different cell arrangements to maximize cooling and Canoo designing a structural battery pack with modules interconnected with the vehicle frame and cooling system.

It's new territory. Rimac is one of the only companies that has detailed a true immersion cooling system that thermally conditions each cell at multiple points (the Cybertruck might qualify for this description too, but Tesla has not yet detailed the system). Bringing such tech to the mass market may help Ford get a jump on others—even Tesla. 

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JLR is looking to use recycled content in seat foam to further lower the environmental impact of its future electric cars.

The automaker announced in November that it's working with chemical company Dow and seat specialist Adient to recycle polyurethane seat foam, a difficult task that means most of the material usually ends up in landfills, according to JLR. The automaker aims to start testing recycled seat foam in pre-production vehicles later this year.

Recycled foam will be one element of a "circular seat" made from material that can be easily recycled, which is estimated to halve the carbon dioxide emissions associated with production of current seats, according to JLR.

JLR tests recycled seat foam

Increased emphasis on reusing materials rather than discarding them, the foundation of what's called the "circular economy," is the focus of a dedicated JLR research lab. Researchers at this lab have found that a major obstacle to reuse is the difficulty of separating individual materials when a car is disassembled, either because of how their attached to each or because of mixed-material use in certain components.

Besides seats, other areas where Jaguar is looking to improve are front-bumper foam, where JLR is testing a new formulation with a reduced number of polymers for easier recycling, and aluminum body panels. In the latter case, JLR worked with suppliers to reuse scraps from the stamping process in new panels.

JLR tests recycled seat foam

JLR isn't the only automaker thinking along these lines. Over a decade ago, Ford began incorporating renewable materials—including recycled jeans—into sound insulation for its vehicles. In 2021, BMW showed a concept car based on the idea of a circular economy, which the automaker claimed was made from 100% recycled materials and was itself 100% recyclable.

Such efforts are especially important for electric vehicles, as their lack of "tailpipe" emissions makes emissions from production a more significant part of their overall carbon footprint. JLR aims to make its Jaguar brand all-electric within the next few years, starting with a six-figure GT car inspired by the Type 00 concept shown at the end of 2024, with electric Land Rover models planned as well.

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The 2025 Ford F-150 Lightning electric pickup truck carries over without major changes. For now at least, that includes pricing—remarkable, given the unpredictably of Lightning pricing since the truck's launch.

Ford substituted 2024's Avalanche paint color for Space White Metallic, but the least-expensive Lightning is still the fleet-oriented Pro model, which starts at $47,780 with the mandatory $2,095 destination charge.

2025 Ford F-150 Lightning

For non-fleet buyers, the lowest-price Lightning is the XLT, which still starts at $65,090 with destination. The Flash grade introduced for the 2024 model year is positioned above the XLT at $70,090 with destination, while the more luxurious Lariat and Platinum grades remain at $79,090 and $87,090, respectively.

All versions of the Lightning are still configured with dual-motor all-wheel drive and a crew cab with the same bed length, but with two battery options and outputs. Versions with the 98-kwh Standard Range pack make 452 hp while models with the 131-kwh Extended Range pack produce 580 hp, with 775 lb-ft of torque in either case. EPA range is unchanged at a maximum 240miles for the Standard Range pack and 320 miles for the Extended Range pack.

2025 Ford F-150 Lightning

Don't be surprised if current pricing changes, as it's fluctuated substantially in the past. In 2024 alone, Ford initially cut prices on top-trim versions, but increased prices for the rest of the lineup at the beginning of the year. It then essentially reversed itself a few months later with price cuts of up to $5,500.

Those cuts came after high prices hurt demand for the Lightning, something Ford initially tried to address with a production slowdown in late 2023. Production was then paused at the end of 2024 amid a reset of Ford's EV plans.

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Following its refresh of the Model 3, Tesla has released an updated version of the Model Y crossover, codenamed Juniper, though only for the Chinese market right now.

Deliveries in China and other Southeast Asian countries begin in March, but U.S. availability has not been announced yet. North American deliveries are anticipated to begin this spring, which would make the Model Y Juniper a late 2025 model.

This marks the first major update of the Model Y since it debuted in 2019. It's noticeable thanks to exterior styling changes that seem to have been inspired by the Tesla Cybercab, including a chiseled front end, small, angular headlights, and a thin light bar running across the leading edge of the hood. At the back, a continuous light strip unites the third brake light with the taillights.

2025 Tesla Model Y (China spec)

Inside, Tesla is claiming similar changes to the recent Model 3 update, codenamed Highland, introduced in 2023. These include a quieter cabin, ambient lighting and purging of control stalks. Heated and ventilated seats are now available as well, along with a touchscreen for rear-seat passengers.

While not detailed here, the updated Model Y is expected to benefit from suspension changes similar to the Model 3 which we found produced a more refined ride. We also saw better fit and finish in the refreshed sedan, something that will hopefully apply to the Model Y update as well.

For the Chinese market, Tesla also increased range and made the Model Y quicker. The base single-motor rear-wheel drive version now delivers 295 hp and gets from 0-62 mph in 5.3 seconds, compared to 5.9 seconds before. A 62.5-kwh battery pack delivers an estimated range of 368 miles on the Chinese test cycle, up from 344 miles before.

2025 Tesla Model Y (China spec)

The dual-motor all-wheel drive version, with a 184-hp motor at the front and a 260-hp motor at the rear gets from 0-62 mph in 4.3 seconds (compared to 5.0 seconds previously) and returns 446 miles of range on the Chinese test cycle (up from 428 miles) with a 78.4-kwh pack.

For reference, the U.S. Model Y lineup currently consists of single-motor and dual-motor Long Range variants and a dual-motor Performance grade. The Model Y Performance does 0-60 mph in 3.5 seconds, while maximum EPA estimated range of 337 miles is achieved in single-motor Long Range form.

Tesla sales fell in 2024, and it likely continued to lose market share as more EV competitors arrived. The Model Y has generally been the automaker's bestseller, so this update will be an important factor in arresting that decline.

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Tesla is recalling a small number of 2024 and 2025 Model S and Model X electric vehicles because their driver's-side airbags could tear during deployment—increasing the risk of injury to vehicle occupants.

The recall includes just 294 vehicles manufactured in a short window—Nov. 6, 2024, to Nov. 27, 2024. These vehicles may have received airbags that were damaged due to an assembly error by the supplier, according to the NHTSA.

2024 Tesla Model X

In combination with other factors—a deep fold in the airbag and positioning of the windshield heat diffuser—this could cause the airbag to tear when it inflates. A torn airbag may not perform properly during a crash, presenting a greater risk of injury, the NHTSA noted.

Tesla was made aware of this issue by the supplier, which discovered it during acceptance testing of airbags. The automaker told the NHTSA that it is not aware of any crashes, fatalities or injuries related to this issue, or any related warranty claims.

2024 Tesla Model S. - Courtesy of Tesla, Inc.

Tesla service centers will replace the airbag assembly, free of charge. Tesla expects to mail owner notification letters February 21. Owners can also contact the automaker's customer service department at 1-877-798-3752 for more information. Tesla's reference number for this recall is SB-24-20-001.

Because it involves hardware, this recall can't be addressed with a software update, as many Tesla recalls have been. Hardware-related recalls have become more common for the automaker thanks to the problem-plagued Cybertruck. It's sold well in the U.S., but that couldn't offset an overall decline in Tesla sales in 2024, on a global scale, after years of persistent double-digit gains.

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Scout Motors wants owners to be able to repair its electric trucks without visiting a dealership unless absolutely necessary. Now it's providing more detail on how it plans to make that happen.

When it unveiled concept versions of the Traveler SUV and Terra pickup truck last October, Scout claimed that approximately 80% of repairs could be performed without a dealership visit. In an interview with The Drive at CES 2025 this week, Scout Motors Strategy Director Ryan Decker said that will be made possible by components that are easy to remove for repair or replacement.

Scout Traveler concept

"Maybe things aren't glued, they're screwed, right? Things should be more easy to repair yourself," Decker said.

This approach was implemented during the design process, with Scout avoiding the "seamless and fused" look of many modern cars in favor of discrete bumpers and body panels that are more accessible, Decker explained, adding that easily-removable bumpers makes more sense for the Scout vehicles' intended off-road use.

Scout Terra concept

Decker also promised "transparent" repair guides and manuals that will be easily accessible to customers, avoiding what he called the "black box" nature of other EVs. Just the willingness to let customers work on their vehicles is a big difference from Tesla's initially-negative attitude toward independent repair shops and customization.

Like Tesla, though, Scout intends to rely on a direct-sales model instead of franchised dealerships. That's rankled franchisees of Scout's parent company, Volkswagen, in California, who claim the move violates the state's franchise laws because VW already relies on franchised dealerships for its other brands. For now, Scout is completing a $2 billion South Carolina factory with the aim of starting production in 2027.

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Reservations for Scout Motors' range-extended models are outpacing those for pure electric versions, CEO Scott Keogh said in an interview with Bloomberg at CES 2025 in Las Vegas this week.

The new Volkswagen Group brand plans to launch its Traveler SUV and Terra pickup truck in 2027 with a powertrain called Harvester that adds a gasoline engine acting as a generator to boost range. It's estimated to provide 500 miles on a combination of gasoline and battery power, as opposed to 350 miles for battery-only versions.

Scout Traveler concept

The Harvester models are attracting more reservations because of EV disinterest in "a portion of America" and concerns over lack of public charging stations, Keogh said, adding that the range-extended powertrain "gives us a 50-state vehicle" that can be sold in regions that are less EV-friendly. That perhaps includes red states like South Carolina, where Scout's factory is being built.

"The two challenges we see with electrification, charging infrastructure—and of course this takes that all off the table—and plus there's convenience," Keogh said. "I think with those two things, a range extender makes a lot of sense." The CEO added that the mix of all-electric or range-extended vehicles being produced can be easily adjusted to cover changes in demand.

Scout Terra concept

The VW Group announced Scout in 2022, reviving a name originally used on trucks manufactured by International Harvester from 1961-1980. As a brand under the control of the parent company rather than VW of America, Scout is attempting to implement a direct-sales model similar to other EV-only brands like Lucid, Rivian, and Tesla. But VW's franchised dealers are fighting that.

The Traveler and Terra pay homage to the original Scout trucks with retro styling, a body-on-frame architecture, and an emphasis on physical controls over touchscreens. But they're still expected to boast some software-based features, like pet and camp modes, comparable to the more tech-forward brands. A third model is also reportedly in the works, but timing is uncertain.

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Starting in February, Mercedes-Benz electric vehicles will be able to charge at 20,000 Tesla Supercharger stations in the U.S., the automaker announced Thursday.

Supercharger access will be enabled via a software update installed by dealerships—not over-the-air. Customers will be contacted by Mercedes to schedule this. The update will preserve the plug-and-charge capability offered in current Mercedes EVs, allowing drivers to charge simply by plugging in, and allow Superchargers to show up on the Mercedes app and infotainment systems.

Mercedes-Benz opens Tesla Supercharger access

Adapters cost $185 and will also be distributed through dealerships. They'll be available in the U.S. this quarter, Mercedes said, but Canadian drivers will have to wait until Q2. Pricing for that market will be confirmed at a later date. Between the U.S. and Canada, Mercedes expects drivers to have access to about 20,000 Supercharger stations.

Mercedes plans to build Tesla NACS ports into new vehicles for North American markets starting this year. So far the refreshed 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 is the only non-Tesla EV on sale with a NACS port—and it charges slower with it. That's because most Tesla Superchargers can't currently charge at 800-volt peak rates, which doesn't apply to 400-volt Mercedes EVs on the road today.

Mercedes-Benz opens Tesla Supercharger access

Mercedes joined the list of brands switching to NACS in July 2023, even as it was working on its own fast-charging network. The first location, featuring 400-kw DC fast chargers provided by ChargePoint, opened in Georgia in November 2023.

And it's part of the Ionna charging network joint venture, along with seven other automakers. Ionna aims for 30,000 chargers across North America, with the first site scheduled to open later this year.

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Volkswagen will rollout Tesla Supercharger access for its EV customers this summer, when adapters will be ready for current CCS-equipped vehicles.

"We get access to the network in June/July, when we have an official VW adapter," VW spokesperson Mark Gillies told PCMag at CES 2025 this week, adding that the automaker is still lining up suppliers to manufacture it. Note that this timeline only applies to the VW brand itself; Gillies could not speak to launch timing for other brands of the larger VW Group.

2025 Volkswagen ID.4

The three brands in the VW Group currently selling EVs in the U.S.—VW, Audi, and Porsche—announced Supercharger access and the eventual adoption of the Tesla NACS port in December 2023, alongside the new Scout brand. Scout isn't planning to deliver its first vehicles until 2027.

This made the VW Group brands among the last to confirm a switch to the NACS port, as nearly all major EV brands in the U.S. market have now done. But it's also one of the few non-Tesla brands that's already operating a sizable public charging network in the U.S.—in the form of Electrify America.

2025 Volkswagen ID.7

Electrify America was created as part of VW's diesel-emissions cheating settlement, committing the automaker to spend $2 billion on charging infrastructure. VW has said that Electrify America will work to add NACS connectors at its charging stations this year, while continuing to use CCS connectors.

When it first announced Supercharger access, VW said it would also begin selling vehicles with NACS ports in 2025. So far the only automaker to do that is Hyundai, with the refreshed 2025 Ioniq 5. But it charges slower with a NACS port compared to a CCS port.

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The NHTSA on Tuesday said it is opening an investigation into 2.6 million Tesla electric vehicles in the U.S. over reports of crashes involving the automaker's Actually Smart Summon remote-driving feature.

Launched in September, Actually Smart Summon is the current version of the Smart Summon remote valet feature Tesla introduced in 2019. It's designed to move cars short distances in and out of parking spaces, with drivers controlling vehicles remotely via the Tesla smartphone app while keeping them within line of sight. Releasing an app button stops the car.

Reuters reports that the NHTSA is opening a preliminary evaluation into the feature after four crashes. The regulator will then decide whether to upgrade the evaluation into an engineering analysis, and then potentially compel Tesla to issue a recall.

2024 Tesla Model 3 Performance

The NHTSA said it will asses Actually Smart Summon's maximum speed, use on public roads, and line-of-sight requirements, as well as potential connectivity delays related to using a smartphone for remote control. The investigation includes 2016-2025 Tesla Model S and Model X, 2017-2025 Model 3, and 2020-2025 Model Y vehicles.

The investigation was triggered by reports that vehicles failed to detect obstacles like posts and parked cars while being remotely operated, and that drivers had too little time to react before a crash.

2024 Tesla Model Y. - Courtesy of Tesla, Inc.

This new investigation comes after the NHTSA in October opened an investigation into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles equipped with the misleadingly-named Full-Self Driving system after reports four crashes—including one in which a pedestrian was killed after being struck by a Model Y.

In addition to two investigations, Tesla has had to deal with the troubled launch of its Cybertruck—which has now been recalled seven times—and saw sales fall in 2024. But Tesla CEO Elon Musk's close relationship with president-elect Donald Trump creates the possibility that the incoming administration won't pursue these investigations further.

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Mazda on Monday announced a new Japanese battery plant that will assemble cylindrical cells into modules and battery packs for use in a planned electric vehicle based on a dedicated platform.

Located in Iwakuni City, in Japan's Yamaguchi Prefecture, the plant targets 10 GWh of annual production, Mazda said. Cells will be supplied by Panasonic under an agreement between the two companies announced in June 2023 and approved by Japanese regulators in September 2024.

2023 Mazda MX-30 EV

Mazda previously launched the low-range MX-30 in both all-electric and range-extended form, and is partnering with China's Changan Automobile on the EZ-6 electric sedan. But Mazda said modules and packs assembled at this new plant are destined for "Mazda's first battery EV that uses a dedicated EV platform," which will also be assembled in Japan. This likely refers to the electric SUV scheduled to launch in 2027, which Mazda confirmed in November 2024.

The original announcement of the cell supply deal with Panasonic also mentioned North American production of cells, likely from a new factory in De Soto, Kansas. Mazda hasn't offered an all-electric model since the withdrawal of the MX-30 from this market, but has said that it will adopt the Tesla NACS charging connector for any future EVs it might sell here.

Mazda electrification plans for current decade

Mazda has indicated that longer-range EVs aren't the future, but the use of cylindrical cells could yield efficiency gains. It's the chosen cell of Lucid and Tesla—the two range-leading EV brands—with Panasonic supplying both.

Other automakers are also looking at cylindrical cells. BMW is expecting major efficiency improvements from them in its upcoming Neue Klasse EVs, and General Motors has hinted at them as part of an overall strategy of cell flexibility.

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At CES 2025 in Las Vegas on Monday, Toyota provided an update on its Woven City project that was first presented in concept form at CES 2020. 

Woven City serves as a test course for mobility—looking beyond cars and the traditional forms of mobility Toyota has produced.

Toyota reported that it has finished the initial buildings for Woven City In Shizuoka, Japan, and it has renovated a former manufacturing plant to serve as the manufacturing hub for the project. This Phase 1 of the project is set for an official launch in fall 2025. 

The facility is, true to its name, a city in the making, and it aims to test ideas, products, and services for mobility. It includes both Toyota and Toyota Group companies plus “external companies, startups, and individual entrepreneurs.”

Starting later this year, Woven City will serve as an incubator for ideas and will look for collaboration among inventors, plus feedback from residents and inventors. Phase 1 will accommodate about 360 residents, while there will be 2,000 or more residents for Phase 2 and beyond. 

Woven City will span capabilities ranging from software to manufacturing, and according to Toyota it “offers a unique environment equipped with the tools and services needed to tackle societal challenges and create future-focused value.”

Toyota Urban SUV Concept

Specifically, the range of products and services from Woven City might not be directly related to its current or upcoming car lineup, and they could run the gamut—ranging from applications with automated e-pallets to assisted-living solutions and robotic solutions that help cook or fold clothes.

Toyota hasn’t disclosed how much money it’s invested in the project, but it made Woven by Toyota (WbyT) a wholly owned subsidiary of the company in 2023. 

In addition to work with Eneos Corporation, Rinnai Corporation, and Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation, initial “inventors” at the Woven City include Daikin Industries, DyDo Drinco, Nissin Food Products, UCC Japan, and Zoshinkai Holdings. Longtime supplier Denso has also been involved. 

Toyota the automaker started in 1933, but the related Toyoda Loom Works was already by then well-established in weaving textiles, so Woven City is a nod to the company’s heritage.

Toyota i-Road electric urban mobility vehicle

Perhaps in a sign of the times, Toyota hasn't focused entirely on hydrogen for the project. While Toyota might not be making it the focal point for all things mobility-related—perhaps not as much, as of late, as Hyundai’s hydrogen vision—it hasn’t given up on its hydrogen vision and it dedicated a U.S. “hydrogen headquarters” for fuel-cell product development in 2024. 

Toyota also hasn’t said exactly how electrification, energy, or environmental considerations will play a role—although it almost certainly will, and it’s earned Japan’s first LEED for Communities Platinum certification. While Toyota ponders some of these deeper questions about mobility at the Woven City, it’s also pivoting toward the development of new engines but still debating internally when it sees the end for non-hybrid gasoline vehicles. 

2025 Toyota bZ4X

In a broad sense, what Woven City might provide is a sense of how vehicles might better fit modern society, with its denser living, aging population, and different work and commuting patterns. But as to how it will actually change vehicle software interfaces, interiors, or even the physical shape of vehicles and mobility itself, well, we have to let them get to work. 

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The electric Ford Mustang Mach-E SUV outsold its gasoline coupe and convertible siblings in 2024.

Ford recently released its Q4 and year-end sales results, which showed 51,745 Mach-E sales and 44,003 gasoline Mustang sales. Those represented a year over year increase of 26.9% from 2023 for the Mach-E, and a decrease of 9.5% for the gasoline Mustang.

That's despite the Mustang being the last of the V-8 pony cars after the discontinuation of the Chevrolet Camaro and Dodge Challenger at the end of 2023 (although some leftover inventory remained in 2024) and having its first full calendar year of production following a redesign.

2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse at Charlotte Motor Speedway, July 2023

Ford pointed to supply chain issues for the Mustang's 2.3-liter turbo-4 engine, which kept inventory low throughout the second half of the year. This isn't the first time. In mid-2021, Ford was building more Mach-E EVs than gasoline Mustangs, after reportedly choosing to prioritize the electric model in the midst of a global chip shortage.

The Mach-E has had strong sales from the get-go, though. In April 2021, shortly after its introduction, Ford said the electric SUV was moving quickly off dealer lots—an important metric in the auto industry. Ford also started delivering the Mach-E less than a year after the Tesla Model Y's arrival, helping to quickly position it as an alternative, and has remained committed to true volume production from the beginning.

2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally

The Mach-E has also proven itself to be a solid effort. At its introduction, we felt the Ford was better looking and better to drive than the Model Y, which is why we named it Green Car Reports Best Car To Buy 2021. The Mach-E hasn't been redesigned like its gasoline sibling, but for the 2024 model year it received some updates, including a new Rally grade.

Ford has taken a quite different path with the F-150 Lightning pickup truck, which shares not only a gasoline model's badge but also its underlying structure. It recently paused production of that model, which managed reasonably good sales earlier in 2024, but remains a small fraction of overall F-150 sales.

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The Genesis GV60 is about to receive its first major refresh, which will include a new dashboard display and minimal styling changes.

Genesis revealed the updated GV60 in its home market of South Korea on Monday. Sales are expected to begin in that market later this quarter, and while U.S. launch timing wasn't discussed, the refreshed GV60 is also expected to land here as a 2026 model.

As hinted at by spy shots of camouflaged prototypes, the styling changes are relatively small. The front fascia is new, while the headlights retain the same shape but receive new internals with smaller LED elements. A new five-spoke 21-inch wheel design will be available, and more exterior trim—such as the wheel arch cladding and the lower part of the rear fascia—is now body color.

2026 Genesis GV60

Inside, a 27-inch dashboard display occupies the same real estate as the previous interface, but Genesis eliminated the bezel that previously separated the instrument cluster and touchscreen elements. Other aspects of the imaginatively-designed cabin, such as the crystal-orb shifter, remain.

Genesis did not discuss specifications, but a bigger change may come in the form of an 84-kwh pack, replacing the 77-kwh pack currently used in single-motor rear-wheel-drive models and the 77.4-kwh pack used in dual-motor all-wheel-drive models. The bigger pack has already been implemented in the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6, which share the GV60's E-GMP platform.

Also unannounced at this time, but expected as part of the GV60's refresh, is a Magma performance model, the first of a new sub-brand competing against the likes of BMW M and Mercedes-AMG. Genesis showed a GV60 Magma concept at the 2024 New York auto show, and confirmed a production version later in the year.

2026 Genesis GV60

The Magma will likely surpass the 429-hp output of the current GV60 Performance. Genesis also offers a non-Performance all-wheel drive variant rated at 314 hp. Rear-wheel drive models are rated at 225 hp, but offer the most EPA range of any current GV60 configuration, at 294 miles.

The GV60m arrived in the U.S. as a 2023 model and was a Green Car Reports Best Car To Buy 2023 finalist. The rear-wheel-drive powertrain was introduced for 2024, followed by a less-expensive all-wheel-drive version for 2025. Outside the U.S., the GV60 was also the first EV to offer wireless charging, although it's unclear if that feature will make it here.

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The 2025 VW ID.Buzz EV hits all the right retro cues, and more importantly might change the shape of the future. 

It’s one of the most head-turning, attention-getting new vehicles available at any price. And that’s even before some people know or care that it’s electric. 

That simple thing alone, in how it unites us rather than divides us in this challenging year for positive momentum toward EVs, is among several reasons why the Volkswagen ID.Buzz is Green Car Reports’ Best Car To Buy 2025.

Full admission: This wasn’t an easy choice and it took some debate to get our team there. To earn our top award, a product needs to be completely new or extensively redesigned or reengineered. It needs to make a meaningful market impact—either right now, or in a long-lens sense. And it needs to accomplish the mission efficiently.

Among this year’s Best Car To Buy 2025 finalists, the very close runner-up deserves mention. GM’s made-in-Mexico Chevy Equinox EV has arrived at $34,995, and the 319-mile EPA range for that price point is noteworthy. But for what it is in battery size, space, and functionality, it’s no efficiency or charging standout, and it’s disconcerting that in recent months the top-selling model among GM’s modern EVs has been the one with a Honda badge—the Prologue. 

The ID.Buzz is flawed. It’s a completely new vehicle, but it’s taken a long time to arrive in America. And its MEB platform technology isn’t remarkably efficient and was laid out from the get-go to cut costs. Heck, it’s one of few production vehicles left at any price point with drum brakes. 

2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz

But in a long-term sense, it brings with it some important firsts: the first electric passenger van, and the first passenger EV with sliding side doors for the U.S. market. Up until now the only electric vans have been commercial vans—maybe with a passenger version worked in for airport shuttles. But for America there’s not even a commercial version of the ID.Buzz. 

VW struck a smart balance between retro and modern for the ID.Buzz. It’s a smile-maker and nostalgia machine from first take, but spend more time inside and around and you’ll find a deeper appreciation for it. Not only is it quiet, pleasant-riding, and reasonably nimble for a van; it also won’t drive you crazy with compromises for the sake of cuteness, in the way VW did with its New Beetle. The Buzz, instead, serves up just the right amount of retro-fun on the outside—especially borrowing the face of the original ‘50s and ‘60s air-cooled vans, and their two-tone looks—while its side profile and package itself says pragmatic Eurovan evolution and inside it’s thoroughly modern.  

But what along, strange trip it’s been. VW formally announced in 2017, at that year’s Monterey Car Week activities in California, that it would be bringing the I.D. Buzz to production, and at the time we took that to mean this would be a model catching first and foremost onto the waves of California VW Bus nostalgia. Seven years later it’s just reaching that market after being available in Europe for nearly two and a half years, and three and a half years after the U.S. arrival of the closely related ID.4 crossover. How was it not a priority?

2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz

For the U.S., the 2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz has evolved, and it only comes in a three-row form, measuring 195.4 inches long overall and riding on a notably long 127.5-inch wheelbase—about a 10-inch stretch versus the two-row version that Europe got starting more than two years ago. An overall height of 76.2 inches will clear most garages, and Its 6.1 inches of ground clearance should be just enough for unpaved trails on the way to hiking or camping, but there’s no air-suspension adjustability here or serious off-road claims. 

With that, the ID.Buzz has more power in the form arriving to the U.S.—282 hp in single-motor rear-wheel-drive form, or 335 hp combined in AWD form with dual motors—and it gets a larger 91-kwh (86-kwh usable) battery pack, good for up to 234 miles of EPA range. Road-trip charging stops shouldn’t keep you waiting very long, with a 10-80% charge in as little as 26 minutes (although there’s no bidirectional charging as of yet). The infotainment system is much improved and comes with a pretty well-integrated trip planner that can roll with changes of plans or new waypoints and smartly preconditions the battery pack for the quickest charge when needed. 

Our initial real-world driving results suggest that the ID.Buzz can outdo those EPA ratings with a light load and mild weather. Don’t expect it to keep up with all of today’s sporty electric crossovers; it drives heavy (AWD versions weigh nearly 6,200 pounds). But it’s a quiet, well-damped heft; and in dual-motor form its 6.0-second 0-60 mph time is by no means sluggish. 

2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz

Inside, there is a lot of flexibility and some great seats sized and contoured for adults. But a close examination starts to reveal some cracks in the packaging. Its tall console between the front seats can lift fully out of the vehicle, and a just-right seat height, plenty of bin storage, and an ace electrochromic glass roof in top versions helps the ID.Buzz hit all the right notes for being a great alternative to SUVs. But those in the back seat lack storage for odds and ends, and the ID.Buzz may fail the Americans’ Cupholder 101 course. Further, with an uneven floor and a lack of true fold-flat third-row seats of the sort you’ll find in gasoline minivans—or the Lucid Gravity, to show it’s possible in a three-row EV—it’s a mixed bag. 

The other question near and dear to us is this: Why is it so expensive, and why did it have to be this way? The ID.Buzz starts at $61,545, including the $1,550 destination fee, and it ranges up to $71,545 in AWD form for the top 1st Edition. 

The Buzz is based on the same Modular Electric Toolkit (MEB) architecture as the ID.4 originally destined for a million EVs a year by 2025. Seeing that VW has likened its transition to EVs to when it had to shift from air-cooled to water-cooled vehicles, it feels like a missed opportunity of the grandest scale. Here it is, one of the most iconic shoestring, frame-and-canvas mass-market vehicles in automotive history, and VW is marketing the modern iteration as a luxury niche vehicle, versus the likes of the Rivian R1S or loaded Kia EV9—when it could have been quite the $45,000 model driven by a mother lode of VW accessories and conversions for dealerships to delight over. 

To that, there may be many more electric vans on the way that allow such flexibility. The more we ponder the place of the ID.Buzz in the EV market, the more it feels like a turning point—one in which, much like the counterculture the original Bus came to symbolize, it challenges the shape of the future.

You can also read about the winners of the Best Car To Buy awards from our sister sites, The Car Connection and Motor Authority.

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Volkswagen on Friday reported some disappointing U.S. delivery numbers for the year for what had been set to be its mass-market electric vehicle. It sold 17,021 ID.4 EVs in the U.S. in 2024—down 55% versus 37,789 sales in 2023.

Partly, the issue was simply that the ID.4 lineup wasn't on sale for much of the year—first with a pause as refreshed 2024 models rolled in, then with a recall that stopped production and deliveries.

VW also on Friday confirmed that the ID.4 is back on track. It has enough replacement door handle hardware to restart deliveries of its ID.4 and fix a backlog of vehicles in dealer stock—and, within the next few weeks, to resume production at its U.S. plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

VW issued the recall of all 2021-2024 ID.4 models in September, amounting to 98,806 vehicles, as it ramped up a remedy for defective door handles that might cause the EV’s door to open unexpectedly. The recall effort has since been expanded to include 99,064 vehicles in the U.S. plus 20,790 vehicles in Canada. 

2024 Volkswagen ID.4

2024 Volkswagen ID.4

At that time, VW also issued a stop-sale for the ID.4, covering both new and pre-owned vehicles in dealer inventory, and it stopped production of the model in both Zwickau, Germany, and Chattanooga, Tennessee. 

Concerns focused on the design of the door handle itself, and a part that couldn’t effectively keep out water. According to recall documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), water could enter the door handle, reaching a printed circuit board and causing “communication issues” between the handle and control unit. That might result in a clicking noise that VW said in those documents was similar to what the door makes when it’s normally unlocked.

2021 Volkswagen ID.4 1st Edition

VW has already sent letters out to owners, and it’s shipping a redesigned door handle out to dealerships, which will be using them not only to perform the recall fixes but get deliveries of their own stock restarted once again. “The priority is to get existing cars repaired and to get cars that were sitting on dealer lots into the hands of customers,” said Volkswagen spokesperson Mark Gillies. 

Under the recall, dealers will inspect and replace the door handles as needed, and update vehicle software. VW stressed that under federal rules, the recall must be completed before delivery. 

2025 Volkswagen ID.4

2024 Volkswagen ID.4

2025 Volkswagen ID.4

The 2024 Volkswagen ID.4 is a top-seller and up until now received a series of meaningful improvements resulting in quicker acceleration and more range, plus speedier new infotainment hardware and a much-improved interface. The interface had especially soured the experience for some early adopters (it recalled 2021-2023 models for those screen issues). Considering the ride, handling, and packaging advantages this model has had all along, the '24 now feels like what it was supposed to be at launch. 

All 2024 VW ID.4 models have qualified for the full $7,500 EV tax credit—bringing the base $41,160 price effectively to $33,660 for some), while the 2025 VW ID.4 has missed the cut, as of yet. But the 2025 ID.4 gets ChatGPT functionality that sets the stage for a next-generation in-car voice assistant. 

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Ford is recalling about 20,000 plug-in hybrid SUVs due to a manufacturing defect that could cause battery cells to short circuit.

The recall encompasses 2020-2024 Ford Escape Plug-In Hybrids and 2021-2024 Lincoln Corsair Grand Touring plug-in hybrids, with 16,480 Fords and 4,004 Lincolns affected. These vehicles may have battery packs with cells manufactured in such a way that the separator layer between the cathode and anode is susceptible to damage, according to the NHTSA.

2023 Lincoln Corsair

Damage to the separator layer could lead to a short circuit, causing a loss of propulsion and, potentially, a fire, the NHTSA said. Other functions like steering, braking, and lights won't be affected by this type of short circuit, the safety agency noted, adding that drivers will see a "Stop Safely Now" message on the dashboard if a short circuit occurs.

Ford told the NHTSA that it is aware of four incidents of "battery thermal venting" related to this issue, the first three of which occurred on European-market vehicles, but is not aware of any related accidents or injuries. An investigation into these incidents led the automaker to conclude that changes in the cell manufacturing process allowed for small defects in the cathode and additional stress on the separator layer that led to damage.

2023 Ford Escape Plug-in Hybrid

Dealers will at first install a software update for the battery energy control module, but may replace battery packs if necessary. All work will be done free of charge. Ford expects to mail owner notification letters Jan. 20. Owners can also call the automaker's customer service department at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's reference number for this recall is 24S79.

The Escape and Corsair are closely related, and use similar plug-in hybrid powertrains incorporating a 2.5-liter inline-4 and 14.4-kwh battery pack. But the Ford is only available with front-wheel drive, while the Lincoln is offered with all-wheel drive exclusively, contributing to a 10-mile difference in EPA electric range, at 37 miles for the Escape and 27 miles for the Corsair. The latter is also Lincoln's only model with a plug, following the discontinuation of the larger Aviator Grand Touring plug-in hybrid.

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With megawatt charging slow to ramp up, General Motors appears to have an alternative solution to speed up charging for electric commercial vehicles.

This is discussed in a patent filing published by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) Nov. 26, 2024, although it was originally filed by GM about two years earlier. In the document, GM notes that medium-duty and heavy-duty electric vehicles require large battery packs that can be time-consuming to charge using conventional methods.

General Motors multi-port charging system patent image

GM's proposed solution involves equipping vehicles with multiple charge ports and dividing packs into smaller "subpacks" that can be connected in parallel. This allows individual subpacks charged from either a single charge port or both ports simultaneously, instead of charging the entire pack through a single port.

This solution is aimed at larger vehicles that would require bigger packs than the average passenger car (don't be led astray by the passenger car used in the filing's example, above), but GM's inclusion of medium-duty vehicles wouldn't leave out the GMC Hummer EV or the largest GMC and Chevrolet electric pickups, which do fall into that category based on weight.

General Motors multi-port charging system patent image

Megawatt charging was announced several years ago as a charging solution for electric big rigs, but it's been slow to roll out, partly because of the on-the-ground electrical realities. Tesla confirmed megawatt charging for the Cybertruck and Semi, but its Supercharger V4 tech hasn't truly yet arrived.

We're already seeing a number of different solutions to speed up charging based on what's currently available at the connector level. The GMC Hummer EV essentially uses 400-volt battery packs connected in parallel most of the time, albeit with just one charge port. Meanwhile, Porsche splits its 800-volt Macan battery pack into two 400-volt virtual packs to increase charging speed.

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Earlier this week we named five Green Car Reports Best Car To Buy 2025 finalists. 

The Chevrolet Equinox EV, Hyundai Kona Electric, Porsche Macan Electric, Rivian R1S, and Volkswagen ID.Buzz all made it to the final round. 

One of these will earn the annual distinction, and over the next week we’ll take a deeper look at why each one made the shortlist. But before then we’re taking a brief look here at what isn’t on that list, and why. 

First off, Best Car To Buy is an award given to vehicles that are completely new or substantially redesigned in the calendar year leading up to the event, and due to be widely available in the calendar year following the award. 

2025 Volvo EX90

To earn a spot on our final round, we needed access to the model for testing by our entire editorial group in October—and that eliminated at least two models we’d been expecting to have as finalists: the Volvo EX90 and Polestar 3. Both of these South Carolina–made EVs are among the year’s most important new vehicles.

That also meant the Tesla Model 3 Highland didn’t make the cut, because it proved too challenging for our extended editorial team to secure the same vehicle and specification. Deliveries of this substantially reengineered version of one of the most popular EVs ever started in January, and it definitely checks all the boxes, with a refined ride, more hushed interior, and far better fit and finish than original examples of the Model 3. In a full review of the 2024 Tesla Model 3 Highland, we found this model to offer all the efficiency and charging ease of its predecessor while being easier to live with. 

2024 Dodge Charger Daytona

For some models, it’s simply a matter of timing. The 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona EV and its V-8 sounds might be delivered before the end of the year, but we’ve only had very limited access to prototypes. And the Jeep Wagoneer S electric SUV and Ram 1500 REV electric pickup simply won’t make it here in time to be included. Neither will the Cadillac Escalade IQ and Cadillac Optiq. 

2025 Lucid Gravity Grand Touring

The same is largely the story with the Lucid Gravity, which is in production in Arizona and likely to be delivered in small numbers before the end of the year. But our time with this model has been limited to a short preview drive of a Gravity prototype, so it’s going on next year’s list, unfortunately.

2025 Volvo EX30

Another worthy contender for next year will the Volvo EX30, which the Swedish automaker has said that it will start delivering in the U.S. before the end of the year, after a false start and then a delay for this market of nearly a year. 

Next year's list will also likely include some plug-in hybrids once again. Due mostly to timing, and a lack of PHEVs we could agree qualified as fully new or reengineered, that's something we simply didn't have this year.

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Lexus has offered hybrid powertrains in its LS flagship sedan and LC flagship coupe for some time, and now it's adding one to those models' SUV counterpart.

The 2025 Lexus LX 700h is the first hybrid version of the Toyota luxury brand's flagship SUV and will cost $115,350 including a $1,350 destination charge when it arrives in the beginning of 2025.

The hybrid version of the LX is powered by a twin-turbocharged 3.4-liter V-6, with an electric motor sitting between it an the same 10-speed automatic transmission used in non-hybrid LX models. The LX hybrid also retains the standard version's off-road-focused four-wheel drive system, which includes a 2-speed transfer case.

This is a similar arrangement to the full-size Toyota Tundra pickup truck and Toyota Sequoia SUV, which share the LX's GA-F body-on-frame platform. But the Lexus SUV gets a 20-hp boost to 457 hp thanks to drinking premium fuel. Torque is the same across all three vehicles, at 583 lb-ft. Like the Toyota models, mpg wasn't a priority.

2025 Lexus LX 700h

Lexus will continue to offer the non-hybrid LX 600, with a standalone twin-turbo 3.4-liter V-6 producing 409 hp and 479 lb-ft of torque, for 2025. The automaker doesn't anticipate much difference in fuel economy between the two variants, estimating 20 mpg combined for the LX 700h and 19 mpg combined for the LX 600. Lexus also lists an 8,000-pound maximum towing capacity for both variants.

Of note is that Lexus chose to keep a conventional starter motor and alternator instead of relying on the hybrid system's electric motor and battery pack to supply power, as in its other hybrid models. Lexus said this was done to provide a backup in case of hybrid-system failure, which wouldn't be ideal in the remote areas the LX was designed to reach.

Other changes for the hybrid model include chassis reinforcements that Lexus claims improve overall rigidity and steering feel. The engine mounts and radiator support, were reinforced, and a new cross member and spare-tire installation make room for the rear-mounted battery pack. The 12-volt battery was also moved to the rear of the vehicle from its previous location in the engine bay, while it and the instrument panel received dedicated bracing.

2025 Lexus LX 700h

Hybrid models can also be had in the new-for-2025 Overtrail grade. This adds electronically controlled front and rear locking differentials, 18-inch wheels with 33-inch all-terrain tires, a front skid plate, and some model-specific styling features like gloss black exterior accents, an available Moon Desert paint color, and an interior theme called Monolith.

The hybrid model of the LX brings Lexus closer to offering a hybrid version of every vehicle in its U.S. lineup, which would be helpful should Toyota commit to ending pure gas-car sales in the U.S.—something chief scientist Gill Pratt recently said it's currently debating.

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Tesla sales and deliveries turned downward in 2024, after a seemingly unstoppable trajectory of double-digit gains for many years. 

Globally, Tesla delivered about 1,789,226 million vehicles in all of 2024, with production of about 1,773,443 million vehicles. Both of those figures are down versus the reported 1,808,581 deliveries and 1,845,985 vehicles made in 2023. 

That’s just over a 1% drop in deliveries in 2024 and a nearly 4% drop in production for the year. And it might have been worse without a rally in the fourth quarter. Tesla noted that it posted a delivery record for Q4, at 495,570 vehicles.

To compare, a year ago Tesla was touting some very different results. Its 2023 deliveries and sales grew 38% and 35%, respectively, over 2022. Tesla’s 2023 sales surge was strong, and its sales numbers exceeded 2022 numbers every single month of the year according to DOE data. That said, China’s BYD continued to edge up on Tesla on the global front in 2023.  

Tesla CEO Elon Musk at Cybercab event (screenshot) - Oct. 2024

In 2023, Tesla CEO Elon Musk became political and by extension so did Tesla in a way it never had been before. Even by April, reputational studies were showing a connection, as even more of the American car-buying public connected Tesla with Musk—suggesting that the world's richest man may be getting in the way of Tesla sales growth, especially in California, where it’s held more than a tenth of the new-vehicle market. 

Tesla’s share of the EV market shrank in 2023 despite price cuts, to around 50% of the U.S. EV market, and with 2024 EV sales expected to rise overall by about 20% versus 2023, it will certainly lose more of that in 2024. Tesla had continued those price cuts in 2024, with an April move that repositioned the Model Y below the Model 3, thanks to the federal EV tax credit that Musk has backed eliminating. 

The Model 3 and Model Y composed the vast majority of Tesla’s global total. Just 94,105 of its global production and 85,133 of its global deliveries were of “other models”—likely including the Model S, Model X, Cybertruck, and Semi. 

2024 Tesla Model Y. - Courtesy of Tesla, Inc.

As a footnote to this: It’s not yet clear whether Tesla saw sales sputter in the same way in the U.S., looking at the entire year. Through October they were down, however. Citing registration-based figures through that month, Automotive News tallied 499,870 sales through that month, versus 535,834 for the equivalent period in 2023. 

Tesla doesn’t report U.S.-market sales figures, which generally rely on state registration numbers and their commensurate lag. But we’ll have an idea on those, and whether Tesla managed to achieve U.S. sales gains for the year, within a few weeks. 

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