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Nissan Leaf is the first electric car to top 400,000 sales
Nissan just reached an important milestone in electric car history -- though it likely won't be alone for long. The Leaf has become the first EV to top 400,000 sales, crossing that mark slightly over eight years since its December 2010 debut. Demand has been accelerating over that period too, The company was celebrating 200,000 sales back in December 2015. In other words, roughly half of all Leaf owners bought their car in the past three years.
Polestar wants you to buy and unlock your car with your phone
Add Polestar to the ranks of automotive brands that are basing their car experiences around your phone. The company has launched a Polestar Explore app for Android and iOS as part of a larger strategy to handle virtually everything from your phone. You can read about the Polestar 2, configure it, pre-order it and eventually buy or subscribe to it without having to visit a website or (gasp) show up at a retail location. And when your phone can also serve as a key, you're effectively set -- you might not need physical interactions besides tapping on your phone's glass or grabbing your car's door handle.
Honda wants all of its European cars to be hybrids or EVs by 2025
Honda is coming to the Geneva Motor Show with more than just a pre-production electric car on its hands. The automaker has announced intentions to make all of its European car sales "electrified" (that is, hybrid or pure EV) by 2025 -- a big step up from the goal it set in 2017, when it expected 66 percent by 2025. The transition to electric powerplants has "gathered pace considerably" since two years ago, Honda's Tom Gardner said. The company pointed to its full hybrid tech (such as the two-motor system in the CR-V Hybrid) as a major factor on top of all-electric machines like the e Prototype.
Kia goes wild with displays on its 'Imagine' concept EV
Kia threw around words like "emotion" and "surprise" to describe its latest concept EV, but the first thing I felt when seeing it was "confusion." On the outside, "Imagine by Kia" is a handsome, muscular C-class crossover that, if anything, is a bit conservative for a concept car. Inside, however, the interior fried my brain with its faceted seats, mirrored surface and bizarre array of 21 angled screens on the dashboard.
US agencies investigate fatal Tesla Model 3 crash in Florida
American safety officials are looking into the circumstances surrounding another fatal Tesla crash. Both the NTSB and the NHTSA have confirmed that they're investigating a collision between a Model 3 and a semi truck in Delray Beach, Florida on March 1st. According to the police report, the truck was turning left to enter a main thoroughfare when the Model 3 crashed into the semi's trailer, shearing off the car's roof and killing the driver. It's not certain if Autopilot was active, although the Model 3 kept traveling for more than 500 yards before coming to a stop.
Tesla will unveil the Model Y crossover on March 14th
Tesla is following up a very busy February with an even more hectic March. Elon Musk has announced that his brand will unveil the long-promised Model Y crossover at the LA Design Studio on March 14th. On top of that, you can expect the first "v3.0" Supercharger station to switch on March 6th at 8PM Pacific. Musk didn't provide more clues beyond that, but you might already have an idea as to what to expect.
Piëch's electric coupe charges to 80 percent in five minutes
For many would-be electric car buyers, slow charging is frequently a major obstacle -- even Porsche's promise of 15 minutes for 250 miles is agonizingly long when you're in a hurry to get home from work. The upstart brand Piëch (created by Toni Piëch, a descendant of VW's Ferdinand Piëch) might just eliminate that hurdle with its just-unveiled Mark Zero. The electric sports coupe uses "special" battery cells that can handle high currents without a risk of overheating, allowing it to reach an 80 percent charge in an extremely speedy four minutes and 40 seconds. It might not take much longer to top up your EV than it would to fill the gas tank in a conventional car.
Hyundai’s Kona EV is the car you didn't know you were waiting for
The gas-powered Hyundai Kona is a great little crossover. It's inexpensive, it's fun to drive, it's got distinctive styling and it has room for you, your friends and some of their stuff. Then Hyundai went and made an EV version of the tiny SUV and it's a better vehicle in almost every way. But, more important, it's the electric car that a lot of folks have been waiting for.
Honda shows the near-final version of its compact electric car
Honda's Urban EV concept is nearly ready to hit the road in earnest. As teased in January, the automaker has unveiled a Honda E Prototype that "previews" the production version of its city-oriented electric car. This refined version unsurprisingly includes less concept car flash (don't count on a display hiding in the front grill), but it's largely true to the spirit of the 2017 design with a glass-covered charging port on the front and cameras replacing the less aerodynamic rear view mirrors.
SEC says Elon Musk violated settlement with tweet
Elon Musk might be in hot water with regulators mere months after he reached a settlement over a financially relevant Twitter post. The US Securities and Exchange Commission has asked a judge to hold Elon Musk in contempt for allegedly violating the settlement by tweeting that Tesla would make "around 500k" cars in 2019. Musk was supposed to get approval from Tesla before social network posts that would include vital info, but the SEC claimed he directly shared "inaccurate and material" data with more than 24 million people.
Citroen's tiny EV concept is an alternative to bikes and scooters
Many automakers are designing vehicles for an era beyond car ownership, but Citroen is taking things one step further: it's envisioning a car that you'd use in place of bikes and scooters. Its newly introduced Ami One Concept is a compact (8.2ft long), all-electric "urban mobility object" that you'd use for short hops around downtown areas. The two-seater would have just a 62-mile range and a 28MPH top speed, but it would be easy to access and drive with a QR code on the handle replacing a key. You wouldn't even need a driver's license in some countries, Citroen said.
Amazon and GM may invest in Rivian's electric pickup trucks
Rivian might be attracting some big money just a few months after unveiling its electric pickup truck and SUV. Reuters and Bloomberg sources say Amazon and GM are in discussions to invest in Rivian in an agreement that would value the EV startup between $1 billion and $2 billion. They would have minority stakes in the company, but this would still represent a big boost for an automaker whose first vehicle won't roll off the assembly line until 2020.
Tesla allegedly 'gutted' Model 3 delivery team with recent job cuts
When Tesla laid off 7 percent of its full-time staff in January, it might have dealt a serious blow to one division in particular. Reuters sources claim Tesla dismissed 150 of the 230 Las Vegas workers involved in delivering Model 3 units to North America buyers. Reportedly, the cuts are a response to tapering demand -- there are "not enough deliveries" to justify having that many people on hand, one tipster said. There are other delivery people in other locations, but this would still represent a significant cut.
Nikola will unveil electric versions of two semi-trucks in April
Nikola seems to have cracked the nut on how to build fully electric semi-trucks. It revealed its Nikola Two and Nikola Tre will be available in electric configurations as well as hydrogen. Nikola does plan to keep working on hydrogen trucks, so it's not fully switching to electric any time soon. It says hydrogen's cheaper for long-haul drives, and the startup expects to see 50 times as many orders for hybrids as its electric semi-trucks. However, it claims EVs are particularly useful for "inner cities and non-weight sensitive applications."
Arcimoto starts taking orders for its three-wheeled EV
Arcimoto has started taking orders for its three-wheeled electric vehicle. The Fun Utility Vehicle (FUV) Evergreen Edition will set you back $19,900 before tax credits and rebates, which is a far cry from Arcimoto's target of $11,900, though it aims to push down the price over time.
Lyft adds the option to request EVs or hybrids
After committing last year to making rides and the company itself totally carbon neutral, Lyft plans to add thousands more electric vehicles to its network in 2019. What's more, you can specifically request an EV or hybrid when hailing a ride through the new green mode.
Elon Musk: Model 3 price now starts at $35k -- after incentives
If you visit Model 3's "Design Your Car" page, you'll notice that it looks a bit more affordable than before. Tesla has lowered its price across versions by $1,100, so you can now get the mid-range battery option for $42,900 before incentives. Meanwhile, the car's long-range version now costs $49,900, while the performance option will set you back $60,900 before savings. Elon Musk said that means Model 3 now has a starting price of $35,000, though that's after you apply tax credits and fuel savings -- you'll have to wait a bit more for a Tesla car with a $35,000 base price. "We're doing everything we can to get there," Musk tweeted. "It's a super hard grind."
Gocycle's GX ebike is a fast-folding Brompton alternative
Want an electric bicycle that also folds down for easy storage and transportation? Until now, you've had to pick between the iconic Brompton, head-turning Hummingbird and a range of capable but less stylish options from companies like Raleigh, Carrera and Tern. Today, though, there's a new challenger called the Gocycle GX, a bike that the company claims can be broken down and rolled along the floor in less than 10 seconds. That's on par with the Hummingbird and should ensure you don't cause a scene hopping out of a taxi or crowded train station.
Polestar will reveal its first all-electric car on February 27th
Polestar was hyping up its first all-electric car even before its first car of any kind was ready, but now it's finally prepared to show its hand. The company has announced that it's revealing the Polestar 2 through a live online event on February 27th at 7AM Eastern. Sorry, that means no in-person looks -- it's ostensibly to "eliminate the environmental impact" of flying people in from all over the planet, which wouldn't jive with a car that's all about eco-friendliness.
Tesla's latest acquisition means better batteries for its future cars
EV owners know what it's like to live with range anxiety, but Tesla's latest investment might make those travel concerns easier to live with. Earlier today, the company confirmed its plans to purchase San Diego-based Maxwell Technologies in a $218 million deal that should see the electric car maker produce more efficient, longer-lasting batteries for its vehicles.