The reliability of electric cars and plug-in hybrids is improving, but they still remain more trouble-prone than cars without plugs, according to a new Consumer Reports survey. On average, EVs had 70% more problems than internal-combustion vehicles, the survey found. Electric cars, electric SUVs, and electric pickups are all among the... Reliability survey: Vehicles that plug in are more trouble-prone
The reliability of electric cars and plug-in hybrids is improving, but they still remain more trouble-prone than cars without plugs, according to a new Consumer Reports survey. On average, EVs had 70% more problems than internal-combustion vehicles, the survey found. Electric cars, electric SUVs, and electric pickups are all among the... 
SAE International finalized methodology this past week for an important hardware component of EV wireless charging systems. The organization announced a single wireless charging standard—officially J2954—in 2020. As part of the finalization process of that standard, the organization has settled on a methodology for hardware that aligns... 
Toyota on Tuesday announced an expansion of its planned North Carolina battery plant to accommodate additional volume for EVs and plug-in hybrids. A new investment of nearly $8 billion will add eight EV and plug-in hybrid battery production lines to the two previously announced, Toyota said in a press release. Toyota previously announced that the... 
EVs and plug-in hybrids accounted for 25.4% of California new car sales in the second quarter of 2023, reports electric vehicle advocacy group Veloz. The actual number of vehicles with charge ports sold was 125,939, representing a new quarterly record for California, which typically leads the U.S. in plug-in car sales. The Q2 total was a 59%... 
Mazda on Friday afternoon revealed that its MX-30 lineup will not be returning for U.S. sales after the 2023 model year. For longtime Mazda fans, that piece of news also means that Mazda’s Wankel rotary engine won’t be coming back to America anytime soon. The MX-30 EV arrived for first deliveries in late 2021, and with its 100-mile EPA... 
Plug-in hybrid tech continues to be something that neither automakers nor regulators can completely agree on. Some, like Toyota, Volvo, BMW, and others see them as a smart, effective bridge technology to EVs while others, including GM and Honda see them, at least for now in the U.S., as an unnecessary complication in the shift to EVs. In light of... 
Ford on Wednesday confirmed that the F-150 Lightning electric pickup truck and Lincoln Aviator Grand Touring plug-in hybrid SUV will be eligible for the full $7,500 federal tax credit going forward, while all of its other current EVs and plug-in hybrids will be eligible for smaller amounts. Following the release of guidance from the U.S. Treasury... 
Despite more stringent standards, a number of electric cars and plug-in hybrids were recognized with Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) Top Safety Pick awards for 2023. The IIHS strengthened requirements in a number of areas in 2023, and as a result only 48 models received awards, compared to 65 for 2022 (including eight EVs). Of that... 
Mazda on Friday revealed its rotary range-extended version of the MX-30 electric vehicle, called the Mazda MX-30 e-Skyactiv R-EV. The MX-30 R-EV would offer a far greater range than the MX-30 EV’s 100 EPA miles. But as Mazda USA suggested earlier in the week, this model that was previously confirmed for the U.S. may have been delayed or... 