XC90 Recharge review, Polestar 3, Rivian R3, EV tax credit update: The week in reverse gear
Which automakers are considering a partnership that could include electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles and software?
Which automaker has said it is aiming for longer lifespan for its future electric vehicle batteries?
This is our review of Week In Reverse – here at Green Car Reports – for the week ending March 15, 2024.
In one Volvo XC90 Recharge 2024 test reportGCR noted that this already attractive Swedish SUV package offers more electric range, more power and more refinement, making it now a near-ideal choice for families who aren’t always sure where they’ll plug in on the road.
2025 Polestar 3
The The 2025 Polestar 3 will start at $74,800 Polestar confirmed earlier this week when it would arrive in the US in the second quarter of 2024. That’s significantly less than this model was originally supposed to cost, and it’s more competitive than the Volvo EX90, BMW iX and Audi Q8 E-Tron.
With the recent addition of the Volkswagen ID.4 to the list, we have revised and updated our summary 2024 electric vehicles are eligible for the $7,500 electric vehicle tax credit. Compared to last year, the list is still not long due to much stricter regulations on battery components and critical minerals, but it is growing.
2024 Volkswagen ID.4
Honda and Nissan are studying a Partnership that could apply to electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles and software. While the wording remains preliminary, such a solution could help both automakers with electric vehicle affordability.
According to a study released last week by Consumer Reports, many are Retailers aren’t doing much to support EV charging. Large retailers in particular, with their large parking lots, could do more, CR says, while pointing out that “dollar” discounters have done virtually nothing to support electric vehicles.
In a lifetime CO2 analysis released Thursday, Volvo reported that the LFP version, which is not offered in the U.S., is More environmentally friendly choice of the EX30 range. Looking at the package alone, the battery in the NMC version offered in America has almost twice the carbon footprint while offering 35% more capacity.
2025 Volvo EX30
China’s Nio and CATL have Ally for longer lasting EV batteriesas well as the use of Nio’s battery swapping technology. This is partly because Nio fears that batteries will last as long as vehicles – although Nio reports that the batteries used in battery replacements last a dozen years or more.
An electric charge – and magnets –could help curb brake dust emissions in heavier vehicles, including trucks and electric vehicles, where emissions have become an issue.
2024 Toyota Prius
More than A third of Toyota Prius owners get another one, found the used car retail giant in a data survey that examined data for the entire year of 2023. The Prius emerged at the top as the brand name with the highest level of loyalty. This is even more remarkable considering that buyers prefer four-door SUVs the most, depending on the type of vehicle at the time of trade-in.
A number of federal agencies in the Biden administration laid out plans for major action this week zero-emission freight transport corridors. In a first phase from 2024 to 2027, charging and hydrogen delivery centers will be set up to serve as logistics points. In the second phase from 2027 to 2030, some of these hubs will be connected. After that, two further phases are planned, as the USA aims for 100 percent zero emissions from these vehicles by 2040.
Volvo announced a charging partnership with Breathe Battery Technologies to access its software-based algorithms to optimize electric vehicle charging rates. It sees the potential to speed up fast charging on the go by 30% with the technology without changing the battery or charging hardware.
2022 BMW i4 eDrive40
BMW adds public chargers from Shell Recharge Solutions Access to more than 100,000 charging points via its My BMW app, which now bundles a total of five different charging networks without the need for separate accounts or apps. The company also plans to add access to Tesla Superchargers in 2025 and is one of the partners in the Ionna network, which is currently taking shape.
On the other hand, a New York Times report revealed how some automakers make money by selling driving data collected by apps that claim to help make drivers safer and more efficient. Instead, they report drivers to a central database drives up insurance premiums for electric vehicles without much context or justification as to why.
BYD seal
Will a US tariff increase on Chinese electric vehicles keep them out? Given bipartisan pressure to stop Chinese automakers from selling their products in the U.S. and potentially stop them from manufacturing in Mexico the electric vehicles they export to the U.S., it may be time to take action — if Congress agrees Agreement can be reached on how exactly this should be done.
And over the weekend we took a closer look at the design of its R2 electric SUV and Rivian’s surprise R3 compact EV family together and examined how these small electric vehicles could fit. Could the R3 and R3X revitalize a stagnating small car market?
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