Electrek

Legacy automakers are still selling millions of gas guzzlers, but if we were to spin some good news out of that, the Environmental Protection Agency reports that emissions levels have now dropped to “record lows” and vehicle fuel economy is now at a “record high.” But what does it really mean?

The US’s electric micro-car market is rather limited compared to Europe and Asia, but the Dutch company Squad Mobility hopes to change that. The startup has announced that its solar-powered EV is now available for pre-order ahead of US entry.

Volvo has begun prototype production of its next-generation luxury electric sedan, possibly called the ES90. The V551, as it’s internally known, will be built in China. This information comes via a leak from Volvo’s own internal board, with a photo of the V551 team proudly kneeling next to a giant “CONFIDENTIAL TOP SECRET” sign below a banner with the text “Volvo Cars V551 First VP Car Celebration.” Seems like pretty solid confirmation to us!

Tesla’s new electricity retail program, Tesla Electric, has erased this homeowner’s electricity bill and paid him $1,000 in 2023.

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Affordable EVs are on the way. Hyundai plans to launch a cheaper electric vehicle, the IONIQ 2, that will sit below the popular IONIQ 5 SUV.

The City of Dundee in Scotland planned and paid for an EV charging hub on a former gas station site, and they pretty much thought of everything.

Tesla has secured a new credit union partner to help reduce monthly electric car payments amid elevated interest rates.

An affordable Lucid (LCID) electric car? Lucid has already started developing its high-volume EV lineup, poised to rival the Tesla Model Y and Model 3.

Waymo has released a report saying that its Waymo Driver self-driving vehicles outperform human drivers significantly, leading to much fewer crashes and injuries when compared to benchmark human drivers.

Days after Chinese automaker NIO showcased the massive range potential of its incoming 150 kWh solid-state batteries, their manufacturer, WeLion, shared some insight on when consumers can expect to see the technology roll out in mass quantities. This could herald a new era of EV mobility with safer cars that charge faster and drive farther.

End-of-the-year clearance has arrived on Aventon e-bikes starting from $600. The deals offer the best prices yet on some older models before new stock hits for 2024 and come joined by price cuts on Greenworks electric tool bundles, as well as portable power stations and tons of other Green Deals.

Head below for other New Green Deals we’ve found today and, of course, Electrek’s best EV buying and leasing deals. Also, check out the new Electrek Tesla Shop for the best deals on Tesla accessories.

The EV race is heating up as BYD looks to catch Tesla in global sales into the end of the year. Its newest electric SUV, the Song L, is aimed directly at Tesla’s sweet spot in the Model Y. The new BYD Song L scored over 8,000 orders in its first three days on the market.

A solar electric truck climbed the world’s highest volcano using solar power alone – and set a new world record for altitude for an EV.

Nearly half of Buick dealers took buyouts from GM this year instead of committing to selling and servicing EVs.

The teams are set, and the race locations are now locked. Infant electric boat racing league, E1, sits a month and a half away from its inaugural season and has shared the 2024 race calendar that begins in Saudi Arabia en route to a finale in a newly announced location – Hong Kong.

Hyundai Mobis, Hyundai’s largest supplier, will unveil its latest EV tech at CES next month. The leading global supplier is teasing its first transparent display screen using holographic tech. It will also introduce its future mobility vehicle for the first time.

Three days before NIO pulls the sheet of its highly anticipated executive flagship ET9 sedan, some of the Chinese automaker’s higher-ups have shared some juicy details pertaining to the EV’s architecture and upgradability. Here’s what we’ve learned.

A fire at GM’s Factory Zero EV plant Tuesday night caused the automaker to halt production. No employees or firefighters were injured, but the building was evacuated as a precaution. The fire was non-vehicle related.

The Biden administration is worried about the “imminent wave” of Chinese battery factories being built in Mexico, which could further intensify the trade war between the US and China.

Tesla has reportedly decided not to give stock-based compensation to employees as part of their annual performance review.

I want to preface this story with a caveat: Lemons exist (and I don’t mean the fruit). Sometimes, you just get a bad car. And generally speaking, I have a very empathetic view toward the job of vehicle software engineers. The functions that customers expect their vehicles to perform have grown immensely in the past 10 years, going from basic command and control interfaces to fully featured smartphone operating systems with multiple applications and always-on internet connectivity. Building that into a product as complex and long-lived as a car isn’t easy!

VanMoof’s epic fall from grace and eventual bankruptcy was one of the most talked about electric bike stories of the year. But as it turns out, we’re far from the final chapter. New management has a plan to resurrect the company and do right by its enormous customer base.

Global e-scooter company Bird, an early pioneer of shared micromobility, has seen better days – it has confirmed that it is filing for bankruptcy for its service in the US, while keeping its Canadian and European operations intact for the time being.