Which automakers have started offering weekly EV rentals for Uber drivers?
Which upcoming EVs will get a single-screen interface like the Tesla Model 3/Y?
Here’s our flashback in Week In Reverse—here at Green Car Reports—for the week ending June 2, 2023.
The Volkswagen E-bus has been a long time coming, and VW is finally getting a look at the VW ID 2025 this week. American Buzz will be able to buy, in an extended three-row version. With seating for seven people, a bigger battery, more power, and available all-wheel drive, it’s no longer a match for compact crossovers, but it channels all the same nostalgia.
2025 Volkswagen ID. Buzz
Toyota confirmed a three-row electric SUV for US production starting in 2025. The model will use batteries from North Carolina battery centers and is expected to be built on the next generation of software, electronics and body/chassis platforms.
Volvo has teased that its upcoming EX30 crossover EV will be simple in interface — with a single, Tesla-like screen layout taking care of everything. That helps free up space for a dash soundbar, more storage and, perhaps, a feeling of peace of mind. But we’ll have to wait until June 7th for all the details.
Volvo EX30 interior and interface
Fisker confirmed the EPA’s 360-mile range rating for the Ocean electric SUV. That rating applies to the Ocean Extreme, which uses a 113-kwh battery pack, though it’s likely that it applies to the launch edition of Ocean One as well. Fisker also said Ocean Extreme has all the necessary certifications for US shipments, which will begin June 19.
The base 2023 Kia EV6 Light returns to the US lineup—sort of. Priced at $43,925, and offering 220 miles of range from a single-motor rear-drive layout and a modest 58-kwh battery pack, the 2023 EV6 Light could be just what many budget-conscious EV households still want. But according to Kia it’s limited to 10 western states.
Kia EV6 2022
Startup Atlas E-Mobility announced plans last week to build Africa’s first designed and engineered EV. It aims to start building EVs in Morocco in 2026 for Africa, Europe and the Middle East, with a wider release in 2027.
Another EV startup, Aehra Italia, has revealed more about its vehicle architecture, and it stands out from some of the other premium electric vehicles. It talks about excellent dynamic performance, but with an emphasis on efficiency over all-out performance, plus maximum “battery sustain and improvement”. It revealed an SUV last October and plans to reveal a sedan in June.
Ford is offering Uber drivers flexible leases of the Mustang Mach-E EV starting at $199 a week. That’s a better deal than Hertz is offering on the Model 3 for Uber drivers, and Uber says it will earn an additional $1 for drivers for each electric ride.
The 2019-2024 Jaguar I-Pace has been recalled due to a battery fire issue. In nearly 6,400 potentially affected vehicles, battery control software will be updated to help monitor the situation and change parameters, and battery modules will be replaced if necessary. While the problem appears as overheating, the automaker has yet to reveal a description of the root cause of the problem.
2023 Jaguar I-Pace
The US and Canada have announced plans for a joint binational EV charging corridor that will link the two countries—effectively spanning each country’s traditional auto industry hubs, from Kalamazoo, Michigan, to Quebec City, Quebec, and maintaining infrastructure at a legal 50 mile interval.
A study examining car care products serves as a reminder that tailpipe emissions aren’t the only thing we need to pay attention to. Yes, wiper fluid is also a dangerous source of vehicle emissions.
Ford CEO Jim Farley said Wednesday that, for most automakers, EV vs. ICE won’t happen in 2025. EVs will still be more expensive to manufacture than petrol models well into the end of the decade. But future generations of EVs will achieve this with major simplifications and, most likely, continued battery cost increases.
Even those who understand that dealer franchises have become the backbone of regional and small-town economies may come as little surprise that dealers anticipate spending $5.5 billion on EV-related infrastructure.
Rivian Tank Bring the action to life
And in an Instagram Q&A session just before the holiday weekend, Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe explained why the jaw-dropping Tank Round mode doesn’t happen in production trucks. The maneuver, which would have run the Quad Motor version’s left and right motors in opposite directions—with sophisticated electronic controls, of course—didn’t come for a simple reason: It didn’t tread lightly.
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