Hydrogen has long held promise in delivering environmentally conscious power for transportation, homes, and life in general, but it’s been a long road. There are reasons. Holding hydrogen back has been its high cost, a near-complete lack of pipelines and fueling infrastructure, and the environmental impact of sourcing this amazingly clean fuel. At the same time, driving continuing interest is the very real benefit of moving on from hydrocarbons and transitioning to this energy source not only for hydrogen vehicles, but also for use as civilization’s primary fuel source. Let’s dive deeper to examine hydrogen’s story.
Why hydrogen? That’s easy. Hydrogen is the simplest and most abundant element on the planet, and in fact, in the universe. Hydrogen, with oxygen, makes up water (H2O) and is also found in nearly all organic compounds. Hydrogen is so highly combustible it has served as a primary rocket fuel, including in the U.S. Space Shuttle program. Hydrogen is also being explored by NASA for hydrogen hybrid fuel cell/gas turbine engines for commercial aviation and other missions.
More importantly to us here on Earth, hydrogen burns in air without carbon emissions and its only byproducts are water vapor and oxides of nitrogen (NOx), the latter because air contains nitrogen. When used to create electricity through an electrochemical fuel cell, there is no combustion and thus no unwanted emissions at all, just heat and water vapor. This is the high-profile environmental calling card of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. It’s also a growth market, with Research and Markets projecting the hydrogen fuel cell vehicle market growing from $8.21 billion this year to $20.49 billion in 2030. Overall, all this would appear to make hydrogen an ideal fuel for our time.
Ah, but things are not so simple. Pure geologic ‘white’ hydrogen does exist in its natural gaseous state but has been considered rare, found deep in the earth and deemed economically and logistically unrealistic as a resource. So, while we may be surrounded by hydrogen, the fact that it’s typically bonded with other elements means it must be separated to yield the ideal fuel we seek.
Today most hydrogen is created by steam reforming natural gas, a thermo- chemical process that extracts hydrogen from methane. The resulting product is known as ‘grey’ hydrogen because of the carbon created and a less-than-ideal over- all environmental impact. When steam reforming is combined with carbon capture and storage it’s known as ‘blue’ hydrogen, with the process considered low carbon or carbon neutral since the carbon created is sequestered from the atmosphere.
A more environmentally compatible way of creating hydrogen is by electrolyzing water. This electrochemical process strips water’s two hydrogen atoms from its oxygen atom to produce hydrogen gas. Electrolysis requires significant electrical energy so where this energy is sourced is paramount. If the electrolytic process uses electricity from renewable sources like solar, wind, or hydroelectric power, this is known as ‘green’ hydrogen. That color designator changes to ‘pink’ hydrogen if the electricity comes from nuclear energy. Color palette aside, today’s challenge is to devise the most efficient, low cost, low carbon, and environmentally positive ways to source clean hydrogen to help drive us to a zero carbon future.
Not so long ago, hydrogen generated serious interest among most of the auto industry’s major players as it competed with the commercialization of other alter- native fuels, most notably alcohol fuels, natural gas, propane autogas, and electricity. We’ve all seen battery EVs surge ahead with many breakthroughs, product commitments, and not inconsequentially, enormous government funding. But that doesn’t mean hydrogen is down and out.
There have been many hydrogen vehicles developed and fielded in relatively small numbers over the past three decades. While some early models like Honda’s FCX were available in limited numbers to consumers, most others were exclusive to fleets, destined for field trials, or introduced as driveable prototypes or concepts. Among these zero-emission fuel cell vehicles were the Ford Focus FCV, GM HydroGen3 and Sequel FCEV, Hyundai Tucson FCEV, Mercedes-Benz F-Cell, Nissan Xterra FCV, Toyota FCHV, and VW Touran HyMotion. Taking another approach, models like the Mazda RX8-RE and BMW Hydrogen 7 sedan burned hydrogen in their internal combustion engines, nearly emissions-free with the exception of minimal NOx.
Efforts to commercialize hydrogen vehicles continue, though in ways different than what was seen in the recent past. There are fewer automakers making hydrogen a priority these days, though the ones that are involved count for a lot. Toyota, Honda, and Hyundai – and to a lesser extent GM and BMW – are seriously in the game on the light-duty side. Among the most notable hydrogen models are today’s Toyota Mirai and Hyundai Nexo hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, and in our recent past the Honda Clarity Fuel Cell sedan that was with us for a few short years until 2022.
Truck makers like Freightliner, Hyundai Motor, Volvo Trucks, and Nikola are also involved on the commercial end of the spectrum. Because of government regulations and the realities of the
market, it may be that hydrogen big rigs powered by fuel cells are destined to lead the way. As hydrogen power gains momentum in the commercial space, larger commercial trucks transporting weighty loads will likely be fueled with liquid hydrogen, rather than the gaseous hydrogen used by light-duty consumer and commercial vehicles. The reason is simple: hydrogen stored as a liquid in a cryogenic state (-253 degrees C) offers much greater energy density than gaseous hydrogen, which means more fuel can be carried on board for greater driving range.
A coordinated strategy involving hydrogen vehicles and fueling opportunities has always been required since one can’t exist without the other. Government has taken a lead role in providing grants and financial incentives for hydrogen fueling over the years and energy companies have stepped up to the plate, to a limited degree. We’ve seen automakers work hand-in-hand with energy giants like Shell and Chevron as limited rollouts of hydrogen vehicles have taken place exclusively in areas where hydrogen stations are available. There have also been coordinated efforts in developing hydrogen fueling along major highway corridors to support hydrogen commercial vehicles.
Hydrogen vehicles hold a distinct advantage over EVs since they can be refueled in about the same amount of time as a gas vehicle. However, they face a significantly greater challenge in finding a place to fill up. After Shell recently closed down seven public access H2 stations in California, this left just over 50 public hydrogen stations in the entire country, all of these in the Golden State with the exception of a single station in Hawaii. Shell continues to operate commercial hydrogen stations in California.
Innovations continue apace even amid these challenges. Though Honda’s Clarity FCV is behind us, this automaker is continuing on its hydrogen journey with a new plug-in hydrogen CR-V e-FCEV built in Ohio. The CR-V e-FCEV is being leased for $459 per month with a $15,000 hydrogen fuel credit. There’s other evidence of a growing emphasis on hydrogen power, like the hydrogen fuel cell joint venture between Honda and GM that aims to manufacture fuel cells at scale in Michigan to drastically lower their cost. Toyota is also assembling fuel cell modules at its Kentucky manufacturing plant for heavy-duty truck customers. Plus, major automotive suppliers are accelerating their activities with hydrogen vehicle systems and components.
Hydrogen’s potential is illustrated in interesting ways at Toyota’s port facility in Long Beach, California, where a FuelCell Energy Tri-gen system uses renewable biogas to create up to 1200 kg per day of hydrogen, 2.3 megawatts of renewable electricity, and 1400 gallons of water to support the automaker’s port operations. Hydrogen created here supplies a nearby heavy-duty fueling station for zero emission drayage operations and fuels Mirai FCEVs arriving at the port.
One of the most important pushes for hydrogen in recent times comes from $8 billion in funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law supporting the creation of regional clean hydrogen hubs. The focus at seven designated hubs includes hydrogen production and distribution, with hydrogen created by electrolysis and other means combined with carbon capture. The aim is to produce three million metric tons of clean hydrogen annually. Establishing hubs strategically located across the country will serve to create an interconnected hydrogen ecosystem that will expand nationally in an effort to support a growing hydrogen economy.
As always, technologies evolve and new innovations come to light. Such is the case with hydrogen, as a new frontier is being explored that could exploit potentially vast reserves of ‘white’ hydrogen recently discovered on multiple continents, including North America. Trapped in geologic fields like oil and natural gas, this source of naturally occurring hydrogen can be extracted in similar ways and has the potential to provide massive amounts of low carbon hydrogen in the future.
Using the most abundant element in the universe to power our vehicles and lives is a compelling proposition, especially considering its ability to do so through fuel cells that produce only water vapor as a byproduct. That’s why so many scientists, engineers, companies, and governments are hard at work addressing hydrogen’s commercial challenges. Whatever direction hydrogen power takes in the years ahead in response to changing administrations and shifting clean energy strategies, trust that it will remain of interest as a potential answer to low- or no-carbon mobility. It promises to be an interesting journey
When GM officially ended its EV1 electric car program in 2003 and recalled all its leased-only models, there was a feeling that it had given up on EVs. That wasn’t the case. There were rumors early on that another electric vehicle program was in the works and more evidence of this emerged just a few short years later. This article, which shares early details on the concept that would lead to the production Chevrolet Volt, is presented from our archives just as it appeared in Green Car Journal’s Winter 2006 issue. While there’s more to the Volt’s story since this electric vehicle was also discontinued in 2019 – much to the chagrin of a great many Volt owners who universally loved this vehicle and its innovative electric drivetrain – that story will have to wait for another time.
Excerpted from the Winter 2006 Issue: General Motors is back in the electric car business. First, the company announces a plug-in hybrid version of the Saturn Vue at the L.A. Auto Show. Now, GM has turned up the juice by unveiling the Chevrolet Volt, an “EV range-extender” concept car that makes petroleum an even smaller part of the equation. In fact, with its 40 mile pure electric range – which GM says covers more than half of all Americans’ daily commute to work and back – the Volt may eliminate the need for gasoline altogether for some drivers.
Central to the Volt concept is the new E-flex System, which GM says represents a rethinking of automotive propulsion that places primary focus on electric drive. Plugging in to a 110-volt outlet for about six hours will fully charge the car’s lithium-ion batteries. When the batteries run out after 40 miles of electric-only driving, a 1.0-liter,three-cylinder turbocharged engine runs at constant speed, turning a generator that replenishes the batteries. That engine could be replaced in future iterations of the concept with powerplants that run on pure ethanol (E100) or biodiesel, or even with a fuel cell running on hydrogen...thus the “flex” in the E-flex System.
In the Volt, the gas-powered engine gets about 50 mpg while it’s working to sustain the batteries. Some quick math reveals that overall fuel economy would be a staggering 150 mpg for a 60-mile drive. Run the engine on E85 ethanol, as the Volt is capable of doing, and even more gasoline use is displaced. Importantly, the Volt is able to do all this without compromising utility, which is a significant problem that plagued the truly wonderful but now infamously defunct GM EV1. The Volt will easily seat four passengers and their luggage, accelerate to 60 mph from a standstill in under 8.5 seconds, and cruise for 640 miles without refueling.
The Volt is about the size of the compact Cobalt and based on a similar vehicle architecture, yet with a much more athletic stance. The styling is sharp, edgy, and distinctively Chevrolet. One interesting feature is a transparent roof and beltline courtesy of glazed polycarbonate material from GE Plastics. The plug-in recharging ports are tastefully integrated into the front quarter fenders on either side of the vehicle.
Unfortunately, the Volt is being held back by the same culprit that actually killed the electric car the first time around: battery technology. GM admits that it is still waiting on a technological breakthrough to produce a large, production-ready lithium-ion battery pack.
GM thinks that could happen by 2010 or 2012, though we’ve been through times of optimistic predictions like this before when battery breakthroughs just didn’t come. Still, we’re crossing our fingers on the battery issue and it’s nice to see the General all charged up again.
Pickup truck manufacturers seem to be in a constant state of one-upmanship, with each new vehicle claiming to have ‘best in class’ capability, whether it’s power output, towing capacity, or some other work-related feature. So it isn’t all that surprising to hear Stellantis call its upcoming RAM 1500 Ramcharger ‘class-shattering.’ But if this new EV pickup hits the range figures RAM claims, that will be no brag.
The 1500 Ramcharger is one of two electrified pickups RAM is set to offer, with the Ramcharger coming first in 2025 and the RAM 1500 REV following next year. While the REV is a conventional battery-electric vehicle, the Ramcharger goes in a different direction, with a relatively modest 92 kWh battery pack augmented by a 130-kW generator and an onboard 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 gasoline engine.
There is no path for the engine to directly drive the wheels. Instead, the generator converts the engine’s mechanical power to electrical power. That electricity can then either charge the battery or be routed to the truck’s front and rear electric drive modules (EDMs), which can tap both the generator and the battery pack for maximum power. Stellantis rates that output at 663 horsepower and more than 615 lb-ft torque, power that will enable the Ramcharger to hit 60 mph in 4.4 seconds.
Now, here comes the class-shattering part: The target range for the Ramcharger’s battery/generator combo is up to 690 miles, far outlasting the Chevrolet’s Silverado EV’s 492 miles of range and the Ford F-150 Lightning’s 320 miles.
With those performance targets, the Ramcharger will also lead the EV pickup class in towing and payload capacities, critical metrics for any pickup buyer regardless of powertrain. Tow capacity will max out at 14,000 pounds, while payload capacity will reach up to 2,625 pounds. Those ratings handily beat the Silverado EV (10,000/1,300 pounds) and the Lightning (10,000/2,235 pounds). They’re also higher than the 2025 RAM 1500 powered by the new, gasoline-fed 3.0-liter Hurricane I-6 (11,580/2,300).
The Ramcharger is built on Stellantis’ new STLA Frame, a body-on-frame architecture that positions the liquid-cooled battery pack beneath the floor at the center of the truck. Power delivery is split between a 250-kW front EDM (with an automatic wheel disconnect for free-wheeling under certain conditions) and a 238-kW rear EDM that can be fitted with an optional electronic locking differential. Pre-configured software offers the driver a choice of five driving modes to suit conditions – auto, sport, tow, snow, and off-road. Ramcharger rides on a fully independent suspension that includes a standard four-corner air suspension system with five height modes ranging from entry-exit to a choice of two off-road settings for extra clearance.
Though Stellantis has said the Ramcharger has “zero need for a public charger,” that functionality was not ignored. The pickup’s charge port accommodates Level 1 and 2 AC charging and DC fast charging. Up to five miles of range per minute can be added with 400-volt DC fast charging at up to 175 kW. The electrical system was also engineered with vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-home bi-directional charging capability. On-board electrical power can be tapped via an electrical panel in the bed that can provide up to 7.2 kW of mobile power and through 115-volt outlets in RamBox storage bins in the bedsides.
The Ramcharger’s exterior was designed with styling cues that echo conventionally powered RAM pickups, but with enough EV-only touches to set it apart from the rest of the fleet. Likewise, the interior is laden with high-tech hardware, including a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a configurable, full-color head-up display in front of the driver. The passenger position gets its own 10.25-inch screen with controls for navigation and an HDMI plug to connect devices. The center of the dashboard is home to either a 12- or 14.5-inch touchscreen loaded with the automaker’s new Uconnect 5 infotainment system.
Ordering the range-topping Tungsten trim level adds a Klipsch Reference Premiere audio system, its 1,228-watt output and 23 speakers making the system, as Stellantis points out, best in class. Among the safety features built into the Ramcharger is an autonomous drive assist system that includes Level 2-plus Hands Free Highway Assist. Autonomous parallel and perpendicular parking is also available.
The decision to revive the legacy Ramcharger SUV nameplate long-ago discontinued by Dodge and bring it back as an electric RAM pickup is a strategic move by Stellantis. With its electric motors driven by both battery and engine-generator electric power, the 2025 Ramcharger may well be a pickup enthusiast’s dream, providing a more environmentally positive EV driving experience while delivering the kind of full functionality and range expected by truck buyers everywhere.
The latest generation Prius Prime – now rebadged as the Prius Plug-In Hybrid for 2025 – has been a welcome change of pace from Toyota. Sleek, stylish, and unexpectedly fast, the debut of an all-new model in 2023 presented an unexpected departure from the pedestrian Prius stylings of old.
Don’t get us wrong: The Prius has always been a game-changer in its own right with its supreme efficiency and leading eco-consciousness. But it never was a model appealing to performance-focused auto enthusiasts or one drawing admiring looks from passers-by…until now.
Since we began our long-term test of a fifth generation Prius Prime XSE last year, we’ve found this hatchback’s overall driving experience to be just as we had hoped. While today’s Prime is similar to the previous generation with notable high efficiency and plug-in capability, there’s a world of difference that makes the model so much more compelling. First, there’s the styling. We don’t know what prompted Toyota to let its designers have at it with such a huge change in looks and an all-new ethos, but we do know what to say in response: “Thank you very much…great job!”
Beyond its now compelling appearance is the model’s newfound embrace of performance. The previous Prime used a 1.8-liter four-cylinder delivering 95 horsepower, augmented by its electric motor’s 71 horsepower. The new Prime ups the ante by nearly 100 horsepower, delivered by a 150 hp 2.0-liter engine and 161 hp electric motor. This extra power is immediately noticed and appreciated, especially during freeway driving when changing lanes and overtaking slower cars is a necessity. Plus, the extended range provided by the larger 13.6 kWh battery in this plug-in hybrid is a welcome addition, increasing electric driving range from some 25 miles to 44 miles of all-electric driving. EPA estimates the Prime XSE at an overall driving range of about 550 miles.
One of the things that often fascinates drivers is a plug-in hybrid’s ability to seamlessly blend the efficiencies of battery and hybrid drive during journeys beyond the Prime’s all-electric range. For example, on a recent roundtrip 600 mile drive down the California coast on the southbound 101 freeway, we experienced a peak combined 86.9 mpg during one segment of the trip after starting with a full charge. On the drive back and without having a charged battery, our mpg readings settled closer to 45 mpg while experiencing bouts of traffic and construction on the various highways heading back north.
On another 200 mile round-trip drive from California’s Central Coast to the Central Valley, our fuel economy remained an impressively stable 55 mpg on hybrid power alone. At times, driving conditions had degraded from a relatively clear evening and slowly gave way to dense fog. Despite the heavy fog conditions, the robust suite of technologies provided by Toyota’s Safety Sense 3.0 helped ensure a smooth and safe experience during this challenging drive with low visibility.
The assistive driving features on the Prius Prime have been indispensable on many drives taken during the past year. While many Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 systems are available, our favorites would be Proactive Driving Assist and the Traffic Jam Assist.
Adaptive cruise control typically feels more reactive than proactive, but the addition of features with the appropriately named Proactive Driving Assist helps make unfamiliar roads feel safer. Proactive Driving Assist complements Dynamic Radar Cruise Control and is a key component of the Toyota Safety Sense 3.0. Working in tandem with this system means that PDA is able to assist with breaking into curves, provide steering input to help keep you centered in the lane even during mild corners, and provide obstacle anticipation assist all at once.
Traffic Jam Assist is indispensable during drives with stop and go traffic, which was common during our drive down the California coast as we approached larger metro areas. This feature does require Toyota’s Drive Connect subscription to use, but I did find it worthwhile if stop and go traffic is a common experience. TJA operates at typical traffic jam speeds under 25 mpg and engages a host of other features, including hands free steering, acceleration, and braking during heavy traffic. Recording is also an option with Traffic Jam Assist as an added (but hopefully unneeded) feature during bumper to bumper traffic where collisions are statistically more likely. Recording is implemented during crash or crash-like events.
These driver assist features, in addition to the entire Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 suite, add comfort and an enhanced sense of safety during our frequent drives. Overall, longer drives feel less arduous with Prius Prime, which means we can focus on enjoying the road ahead and being behind the wheel of an entirely satisfying vehicle that’s comfortable and a joy to drive.
It’s clear the rise of electric vehicles (EVs) has redefined the auto industry from a product point of view. But it has also forced automakers to innovate in how they connect with shoppers. The divergence in approaches between legacy automakers and startups like Tesla reveals a key insight: selling EVs isn't just about the product; it's about understanding fundamentally different customer bases.
In their early days, EVs were perceived simply as vehicles with a novel propulsion system –an evolution from hybrid technology to fully electric zero-emission powertrains. However, battery-electric pioneers like Tesla treated the EV as a new kind of vehicle to be sold in a new kind of way. By shedding legacy design constraints and conventional distribution schemes, the car was reimagined as a software-defined product. Tesla's over-the-air (OTA) updates, which enable real-time improvements and new feature rollouts, exemplify this approach.
The idea of OTA updates shifted the paradigm from static vehicles to dynamic platforms, much like smartphones. For early adopters, the concept of a car as a constantly evolving tech product resonated deeply. These customers are drawn to the novelty, the innovation, and the sense of participating in a beta-testing community. For better or worse, the Tesla model embraced the spirit of technological experimentation.
Startups like Tesla have excelled at capturing the early adopter market, but moving into the mainstream presents significant hurdles. One of the primary challenges is service accessibility. The direct-to-consumer model has some advantages but lacks the extensive service infrastructure that legacy automakers have built over decades. Traditional automakers, through their dealership networks, provide customers with nearby service centers, which startups struggle to match.
Another challenge is quality. Early Tesla models faced criticism for build quality issues, such as panel gaps and inconsistent paintwork. While early adopters might overlook such flaws in exchange for innovative features, mainstream buyers demand high standards of craftsmanship.
Legacy automakers face a different set of challenges as they enter the EV space. For these manufacturers, EVs represent not just a new propulsion option but a shift in how they must engage with customers. Unlike startups, legacy automakers are accustomed to serving a loyal customer base that values simplicity and convenience.
These companies must find ways to educate mainstream buyers about EV technology. Many consumers are unfamiliar with the requirements of EV ownership. Setting up a home charger is beyond the ken of many consumers and battery maintenance doesn’t compute. Dealerships, which have traditionally been transactional in nature, need to evolve into hubs for education and support. Legacy automakers also need to prioritize hassle-free ownership experiences. While startups emphasize cutting-edge features like OTA updates, traditional manufacturers must ensure that every aspect of EV ownership – charging, service, and reliability – is as seamless as possible.
The EV market now sits at a crossroads, appealing to two very different customer groups. On one side are the early adopters and tech enthusiasts who value cutting-edge technology. These folks, often drawn to startups like Tesla or Rivian, are excited by the innovation that EVs offer. They appreciate the concept of a vehicle as a gadget on wheels, offering frequent updates and technological advancements post-purchase. For this group, glitches or minor inconveniences are often forgiven, as they see themselves as pioneers in the tech ecosystem.
On the other side are the mainstream consumers who represent the bulk of car buyers. These customers prioritize reliability, convenience, and value. For them, a car is a practical tool, not a project. They are accustomed to the seamless service and hassle-free experience provided by legacy automakers. Mainstream buyers expect their vehicles to simply work, with minimal interruptions to their routines.
Some factors that currently limit EV adoption are common to both buyer groups. Purchase price remains a significant factor, since EVs still come at a premium compared to internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. Charging infrastructure is another major hurdle. Startups and legacy automakers alike must find ways to make charging faster, easier, and more reliable.
Automakers must adopt new strategies and address consumer concerns to accelerate EV adoption. Encouraging households to make their second vehicle an EV is one such approach. For many consumers, this offers a low-risk entry point into EV ownership while retaining an ICE vehicle for long trips or emergencies. By positioning EVs as complementary rather than replacement vehicles, automakers can attract hesitant buyers.
In addition, automakers need to invest in the EV ecosystem. This means improving charging infrastructure, expanding service networks, and ensuring that software and hardware support systems are reliable and easy to use. Battery innovation will also play a key role in the future of EVs. Advances in battery technology, such as solid-state batteries, promise greater range and faster charging, addressing two of the most significant concerns among potential buyers.
Finally, automakers must focus on reducing costs to eliminate the price premium associated with EVs. As production scales and battery costs decline, EVs will become more competitive with ICE vehicles, making them accessible to a broader audience.
The transition to electric vehicles is a monumental shift, akin to the adoption of automobiles themselves more than a century ago. Success will depend on the ability of automakers to not only produce innovative vehicles but also to understand and cater to the evolving needs of their varied customers.
Startups must learn to address the practical concerns of mainstream shoppers, while legacy manufacturers must embrace innovation and adopt a customer-first mindset. By addressing infrastructure challenges, prioritizing quality, and offering competitive pricing, the industry can bridge the gap between early adopters and the mass market.
The journey to widespread EV adoption will be challenging, more so with potential cuts to the Inflation Reduction Act based customer subsidies. However, with thoughtful strategies and collaboration, automakers can mitigate the challenges involved in the transition to a cleaner, more sustainable future.
Srini Rajagopalan is managing director and practice leader of automotive advisory & analytics at J.D. Power.
We’ve always liked concept cars, those capture-the-imagination harbingers of the future that tantalize the senses and get us to thinking what driving might look like in the years ahead. No, not the trivial ones that explore nonsensical designs that will, and should, never come to pass. We’re talking hand built concepts that push us to consider their attendant innovations and eye-candy design, and of course their possible production intent. Mazda’s Iconic SP is one such concept.
Presented in a vivid Viola Red to accentuate the car's shape and bodylines, the Iconic SP's bold design, execution, and vision get the blood pumping as one imagines life behind the wheel of this sleek and sinewy sports car. Now, according to reports, this concept may well be heading toward reality. Color us intrigued.
Unveiled at the Japan Mobility Show last year, the Iconic SP clearly illustrates that Mazda still knows how to tantalize the senses with iconic sports car design. Most notably, it did this in the past with its RX-7 and its continuing favorite, the ever-popular Miata. Both of these models created a sensation with buyers from the start. While the RX-7 is now a part of automotive history (with the RX-8 never catching on in the same way), the Miata remains as a cornerstone sports car for the masses that’s popular on the street and on the track for amateur racing.
With the Iconic SP, Mazda leans far forward with this lightweight sports car’s low-slung stance, sensuously flowing lines, and exotic scissor doors. While the concept clearly suggested the potential for a future model at its unveiling, we would imagine its more complex scissor doors could fall by the wayside in a production model as a nod to cost, manufacturability, and mainstreaming this sports car for a larger audience. It’s not that intriguing door designs like this can’t be done. It has been in many instances throughout the automotive timeline with variations on models the likes of the BMW i8, Tesla Model X, Lamborghini Countach, and many others. It’s just that it isn’t likely in the scheme of things.
Worth noting is that Mazda aims the Iconic SP in a green direction with the concept’s scalable two-rotor Wankel engine said to exclusively generate electricity to augment battery power for the car’s electric motors. Heading in this direction seems a natural since series hybrids, or extended range electric vehicles, are increasingly seen by automakers as an attractive option to battery electric vehicles at this point in time.
That said, this isn’t a sure thing. Rumors are flying about from seemingly credible sources that point to different, and perhaps multiple, propulsion strategies. Those include parallel hybrid and all-electric notions of how the car should be motivated. That powertrain vagary makes sense this early in the game since a production Iconic SP – should one actually come to pass – will certainly address the needs and whims of the market closer to a launch date.
Interestingly, Mazda has teased the potential for running the car’s front midship rotary engine on a zero-carbon fuel like hydrogen, something this automaker has experimented with for some time, including with the RX-8 RE developmental vehicle that Green Car Journal editors drove in earlier years. Clearly, offering a variant of this sports car on zero-carbon hydrogen would make the equation all the more compelling.
More people around the world recognize Arnold Schwarzenegger as the ‘Terminator’ rather than California’s 38th governor, a high-profile role he filled from 2003 to 2011. A prolific actor and world-class bodybuilder who achieved the titles ‘Mr. Universe’ and ‘Mr. Olympia’ many times over, Schwarzenegger was nominated for the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports by President George H. W. Bush in 1990. Clearly, public service agreed with him. When the Republican ‘Governator’ successfully ran for office in a recall election against then-Governor Gray Davis in 2003, his chances for turning around a state in financial turmoil were widely debated. What occurred during his tenure was strong leadership and a surprising knack for championing both business and the environment. This interview 18 years ago by Green Car Journal editor Ron Cogan shares former Governor Schwarzenegger’s strong views on hydrogen, electric vehicles, alternative fuels, and the need to mitigate air pollution and carbon emissions.
This article shares a 2006 interview of Governor Schwarzenegger by editor/publisher Ron Cogan and is presented as it originally ran in Green Car Journal’s Spring 2006 issue.
Ron Cogan: Air pollution has represented one of California’s epic challenges. How would you say the state’s air quality is doing today?
Gov. Schwarzenegger: “California has made great strides to improve air quality in the past 20 years. There are far fewer Stage One smog alerts, for example, than there were just five or 10 years ago. But so much more remains to be done. That’s why in my Action Plan for California’s Environment, I pledged to reduce air pollution by 50 percent by the end of this decade, and we’ve worked hard to achieve that goal. In my first year in office, we put $140 million a year of permanent funding into the Carl Moyer program and more money into the Breathe Easier campaign, two programs that take the most polluting cars, trucks, and buses off the road and put clean, alternative fuel vehicles in their place. We’ve also put state government on an ‘energy diet’ with my Green Buildings Initiative because electricity generation is another source of air pollution. And in my Strategic Growth Plan, I made air quality a component of our state infrastructure – right up there with roads, mass transit, water projects, and schools.”
RC: Your most high-profile vision for California’s transportation future involves hydrogen. Why this fuel?
Schwarzenegger: “Hydrogen is fantastic because the only emission from the tailpipe is water. It is also a fuel that we can produce in California, instead of relying on oil from foreign countries. In fact, we can make hydrogen from solar power and water; we can make it from biomass that comes from our farms; we can make it from waste materials. It’s the best hope we have to make California and the United States energy independent and end our oil addiction.”
RC: Have you gained the support you were expecting for this hydrogen effort from auto and energy companies?
Schwarzenegger: “Absolutely. They are my partners in the Hydrogen Highway Network and we couldn’t do it without the car companies, the energy companies, the environmental groups, our amazing California universities, and my team at CalEPA. As I always say, we get much more done when we all work together.”
RC: What about political support?
Schwarzenegger: “That’s been fantastic too. The members of the Legislature are my partners and the Hydrogen Highway is a great example of how we can get great things done for the people of California when we work together. And may I add, that we have all enjoyed driving the hydrogen cars that are being demonstrated throughout the state right now.”
RC: How much do you expect a hydrogen fueling infrastructure to cost the state?
Schwarzenegger: “Thanks to the 200 partners who helped us draft the blueprint for the Hydrogen Highway Network, the state is actually investing a very small amount compared to the terrific investments being made by energy companies, automakers, local air districts, the federal government, and many other partners.”
RC: What financial impact would you expect hydrogen vehicles, and the supporting industries surrounding a growing hydrogen vehicle fleet, to have on the state?
Schwarzenegger: “California is already the center of the hydrogen technology revolution. Just like Silicon Valley is to computers, we will see more and more hydrogen businesses starting up or expanding in our state and that’s great for our economy.”
RC: Other states are also striving for hydrogen leadership. How can California stay ahead and attract hydrogen-related business?
Schwarzenegger: “By continuing our partnerships and implementing the vision of the Hydrogen Highway. That’s what was missing from the efforts in every state. No one wanted to build fueling stations without vehicles; and no one wanted to mass produce hydrogen vehicles without a network of fueling stations. We’ve solved that problem and that’s why everyone is coming to California to start the hydrogen economy.”
RC: We’ve heard before that California’s Zero Emission Vehicle mandate had a direct influence on development of Partial Zero Emission Vehicles and on hybrids. Do you see a value in mandates like this?
Schwarzenegger: “Each advance stands on the shoulders of what came before. Hydrogen vehicles will benefit from battery electric car technology and so many other innovations that started right here in California.”
RC: How important are extremely low emission hybrids to our transportation mix?
Schwarzenegger: “Very important. When I visited Japan, Prime Minister Koizumi and I talked about how he was ‘greening’ the government fleet there, both to clean up air pollution and to get more out of limited fuel supplies. We’re doing the same thing here, which is why I launched the ‘Flex Your Power at the Pump’ campaign to educate drivers about how to save as much as 15% of their fuel, which saves money and spares the air.”
RC: What about other alternative fuels like ethanol and natural gas?
Schwarzenegger: “These fuels are important too, because we must end our addiction to oil and while hydrogen vehicles are not yet affordable for everyone, right now you can go out and buy flex fuel vehicles or vehicles that run on natural gas and biofuels.”
RC: You’ve called for substantial reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. What kind of changes will be required for motor vehicles to contribute their share to these reductions?
Schwarzenegger: “We know that vehicles contribute as much as 50 percent of the greenhouse gases, so they will have to make big reductions. That’s why I’ve said all along that I support California’s landmark greenhouse gas reduction law (AB 1493 Pavley) and will defend it in court from the challenges that we know are coming.”
RC: How do you stand on cleaning up school buses?
Schwarzenegger: “My budget each year has provided money to scrap the dirtiest, oldest buses and replace them with cleaner vehicles. I’ve seen the studies that show how bad the air quality is inside those old buses and we must protect our children.”
RC: How important is it to focus on non-road vehicles and other sources to address air pollution?
Schwarzenegger: “Of course, that’s important too. That’s why I appointed Bob Sawyer as Chair of the California Air Resources Board, because he’s the leading scientist on these matters and I know that with our other Board members and the great staff at CARB, we will win the battle against air pollution, no matter what the source.”
RC: California uses an enormous amount of gasoline and diesel fuel. How can the state decrease its vulnerability to price spikes and possible motor fuel shortages?
Schwarzenegger: “We need to expand the use of biodiesel in California and get more of our trucks and buses running on natural gas and other cleaner fuels. Of course, if we reduce our demand for gasoline that also allows refineries to produce more diesel, which reduces the potential for shortages. But the key thing is to move away from petroleum and towards hydrogen and other clean fuels.”
RC: If there was one thing you could do to improve air quality or energy diversity during your time as Governor, what would it be?
Schwarzenegger: “I’d say the key thing is to make sure every Californian understands that each of us is responsible to solve these problems of air pollution and oil addiction. Each of us can walk more or ride a bike, take a bus, drive a fuel-efficient car, promote energy efficiency in the workplace, and take other measures to improve air quality and reduce our dependence on oil. And of course, as soon as hydrogen cars are in the showrooms – within the next few years – I hope everyone will buy them and start driving on California’s Hydrogen Highway!”
It’s the 1990s and you’re looking to drive something different. Imagine piloting a car that was as technologically advanced as a Lamborghini Diablo was fast, and more exclusive in numbers than that decade’s Ferrari F40. Now picture it with a GM emblem on its hood. In your mind’s eye, you’re behind the wheel of the legendary EV1, the first mass produced electric car of our modern age.
This is the car that started it all. While many automakers pursued electric vehicle development programs in the 1990s, it was GM’s Impact concept car, and then the production EV1 that followed, that literally set the modern EV field in motion.
GM turned to efficiencies-focused AeroVironment in California to develop an advanced electric vehicle unlike any other. When it debuted this car, the Impact prototype, at the 1990 LA Auto Show, the mission was to generate excitement. And that it did, courtesy of the Impact’s show-stopping teardrop-shaped plastic body, aluminum spaceframe, and a revolutionary electric propulsion system created by AeroVironment engineer and EV pioneer Alan Cocconi.
The electric EV1, based on the Impact concept but highly refined beneath the skin, emerged at Saturn dealers six years later. The EV1 was special, it was silent, and it was fast. Without the engine braking effect of a gas engine and with its regenerative braking setting adjusted accordingly, after lifting off the throttle it seemed to coast forever in a relatively friction-free state. Overall, it was seductive to drive, and if your mind wandered you could imagine piloting the era’s F-14 Tomcat on the street… and that doesn’t happen every day. We know, because we spent a year driving an EV1 on the roads and highways of California, one of the select areas where the EV1 was available.
The EV1 came to market with a slew of all-new technologies that are common today, from low rolling resistance tires to regenerative braking and keyless ignition. Accelerating from 0 to 60 mph took about eight seconds. The Gen 1 model had an estimated 50 to 95 mile driving range on its advanced lead-acid batteries.
Later, GM introduced Gen 2 EV1s with more advanced and power dense nickel-metal-hydride batteries that enabled an EV1 to travele an estimated 75 to 140 miles. Energizing both Gen 1 and Gen 2 batteries was handled with a unique charging paddle that transferred electrical energy via magnetic induction, without a hard connection between the paddle and car.
During its short lifetime, only 1,117 EV1s were built and these were leased only, with no purchase available. Leasing was a nod to GM’s need to maintain ultimate ownership over highly advanced and extremely expensive-to-produce vehicles, using all-new technology, that were being fielded in a limited way to feel out the market. Initially offered at a lease cost of $640 per month with financial incentives that brought this down to $480, the EV1’s lease terms evolved over time to be as low as $349.
Ultimately, this chapter of GM’s continuing electric vehicle story ended abruptly. The program was discontinued in 2002 and all EV1s were required to be returned at their end-of-lease, either making their way to the crusher or donated as inoperable examples to museums and other institutions, never to be seen on the highway again.
There’s no doubt that plug-in hybrids loom large on the minds of drivers today. One might assume this is a recent phenomenon given the constant media attention today. But really, this has been an ongoing area of interest for quite some time. In fact, some 17 years ago, Green Car Journal technical editor Bill Siuru penned a feature offering an overview of this interest. This article from our archives is worth sharing today since it not only indicates the reasons why plugging in is such a positive thing, but considering the interest at the time, it also illustrates the surprisingly long time it has taken to reach where we are today. Other revelations are included here, like the potential for vehicle batteries to be used for V2G (vehicle-to-grid) and V2H (vehicle-to-home) energy, and of course Volvo’s growing commitment to its electrified future. Here, we present this article from Green Car Journal’s fall 2007 issue.
Excerpted from Fall 2007 Issue: The tremendous interest in plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) is driven by many things, from a desire for greater fuel efficiency to decreasing emissions, achieving long-term reductions in fuel cost, and promoting energy diversity so we’re much less dependent on imported oil. Each of these is important to our future. Together, they make a compelling case for the PHEV that bears further exploration.
Plug-in hybrids could provide most of the environmental and fossil fuel-savings benefits long promised by battery electric vehicles (BEVs), but not yet delivered. Also called grid-connected hybrids, PHEVs overcome the biggest challenge of BEVs – insufficient range. With all-electric range of up to 60 miles, under most driving scenarios a PHEV can be a true zero-emission vehicle (ZEV), just like a BEV. In reality, however, plug-in hybrids offer much more since gasoline-electric hybrid power is ready to take over from all-electric drive once battery energy is depleted.
Initially, aftermarket suppliers like EnergyCS in California and Hymotion in Canada developed PHEV retrofit kits for popular hybrids like the Toyota Prius, Ford Escape Hybrid, and Mercury Mariner Hybrid. These have been quite expensive and aimed exclusively at fleets because of cost. Major automakers have now joined in. General Motors’ much-publicized Chevy Volt will be a PHEV with an all-electric range of 40 miles. According to GM, 75 percent of all commuters drive 40 miles or less to and from work. A plug-in Saturn Vue hybrid, in the works and possibly available in advance of the Volt, could double the fuel economy of any current SUV and provide some 10 miles of electric-only propulsion. Toyota, Nissan, Ford, and several other manufacturers have PHEVs in the works, as well.
While most hybrid cars, SUVs, light trucks, and PHEVs unveiled to date are parallel hybrids, several have followed a different approach with a series hybrid configuration. One of the latest is the Volvo ReCharge Concept. The ReCharge series hybrid uses an internal combustion engine solely to drive a generator for producing electricity that powers the vehicle’s electric motors. Essentially, the ReCharge is a battery electric vehicle with an internal combustion engine for range extension. This drive configuration allows the 1.6-liter, four-cylinder Volvo Flexifuel engine to operate in its optimum rpm range for best fuel economy and minimum emissions. An added advantage when not directly connecting an internal combustion engine to the wheels is much more design flexibility.
In this instance, the ReCharge uses four individually controlled electric drive motors for all-wheel drive. Individual wheel motors also allow optimum weight distribution and maximizing both traction and mechanical efficiency. Since a transmission is no longer needed, mechanical gear friction is reduced substantially. The ReCharge can run on battery power alone for just over 60 miles and also operate its engine on biofuels like E85 ethanol, all the while retaining the sporty performance of the Volvo C30 sport coupe on which it is based. For a 93 mile (150 km) drive starting with a full charge via an ordinary electric outlet, it will use less than three-quarters of a gallon of fuel, which equates to almost 125 mpg. A driver would rarely need to fill up the tank if driven less than 60 miles daily.
PHEVs offer us more than just emissions reduction and increased efficiencies. They also have the unique ability to supply large amounts of electrical power for uses other than just propulsion. This feature is being exploited in the plug-in hybrid Trouble Truck Project by a consortium consisting of the Electric Power Research Institute, Eaton, Ford Motor Co., and California’s South Coast Air Quality Management District. Trouble trucks, used by utility repair crews, are typically operated in residential neighborhoods. Since their internal combustion engines are left idling to power buckets, power tools, lights, and accessories, emissions and noise occur at job sites as a matter of course. Providing power through a PHEV’s battery and electrical system means continuous engine operation is no longer needed.
These PHEV trouble trucks use Eaton’s parallel pre-transmission hybrid system with either a Ford 6.8-liter V-10 gasoline engine or 6.0-liter V-8 diesel engine. Along with reducing consumption and emissions while traveling to and from worksites, the PHEV trouble trucks provide engine-off cab air conditioning and standby AC electrical generating capacity, including 5 kW of exportable power for at least six hours to power equipment. PHEV trouble trucks based on Ford’s F-550 truck chassis are used by Southern California Edison, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, and Pacific Gas & Electric. This project will later expand to 50 Ford F-550-based trucks and E-450-based vans for utility and public fleets. Since the F-550 and E-440 chassis are widely used as shuttle buses, urban delivery trucks, cable service trucks, and even motorhomes, there’s every potential that volume production could reduce per-vehicle cost. In fact, PHEV technology could find a home in high-end motorhomes where, perhaps in conjunction with solar panels, it could replace noisy and polluting generators typically used to power on-board electrical components while parked.
PHEVs can produce so much electricity that excess energy could be supplied to the electrical grid using vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology. V2G allows two-way sharing of electricity between PHEVs, BEVs, and the electric power grid. With V2G, an electric or plug-in hybrid vehicle not only could be plugged in for battery recharging, but under certain conditions could also send electricity back from the batteries to the grid. For instance, vehicles could store electrical energy generated during off hours for use during peak power demands. This would eliminate the need for utilities to buy expensive overcapacity electricity on the spot market or fire up older, and high-polluting, fossil fuel ‘peaker’ generating plants. To encourage consumers to participate in a V2G program, utilities could pay motorists for the use of their PHEV or BEV, or owners could sell back energy to the utility when demand is highest.
In what’s called V2H – or emergency home backup – a PHEV could be used for emergency power. For instance, the PG&E demonstrator supplies 9 kW hours of electricity and the average home uses about 2.5 kW of electricity an hour, which means that hours worth of backup power is available if needed. Volvo says the ReCharge Concept’s efficient generator, essentially an Auxiliary Power Unit (APU), is powerful enough to supply an entire house with electricity. Thus, with minor modifications it could be used in case of a power failure.
Like the BEV, the practicability and affordability of the PHEV is governed by battery technology and cost. Its greater all-electric range capability requires larger, heavier, and much more expensive battery systems to store additional electric energy. Plug-in hybrid Dodge Sprinter vans have a 14 kW-hour nickel-metal-hydride or lithium-ion battery system that provides 20 miles of electric-only power. In contrast, the Prius uses a 1.5 kW-hour battery pack for normal gasoline-electric hybrid operation. Ordinary hybrids require batteries that supply short bursts of electrical boost with a nearly constant state-of-charge to ensure battery longevity. PHEV batteries must provide this high power burst while additionally handling full charge to deep discharges like a BEV. Another concern focuses on whether enough electric power will be available should PHEVs become extraordinarily popular. However, a study by the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory says the nation’s existing electric power grid could support up to 180 million PHEVs.
All this is unfolding, now. Technology marches on, costs diminish through efficiencies, and interest drives further development...all good things that should bring the plug-in hybrids we desire to our highways sooner than later.
Cheap to own and cool to customize, mini-trucks from the likes of Chevy, Dodge, Ford, Isuzu, Mazda, and Toyota once offered a great way to get around on the cheap. They were light-truck-functional and fun. There was even a custom mini-truck culture that developed around these small pickups with customized examples everywhere, mini-truck clubs nationwide, and enthusiast magazines focused on reporting the latest mini-truckin’ trends.
It’s been decades now since the mini-truck phenomenon faded and these pint-sized trucks largely disappeared from our highways. But that doesn’t mean right-sized trucks aren’t a really good idea in an era of ever-bigger, heavier, and brawnier pickups on our roads. Without a doubt, full- and mid-size pickups fill a crucial need for a wide array of business and commercial needs, which makes them the perennially best-selling vehicles on the market. At the same time, their five-passenger cabins and diverse capabilities also make them attractive for a huge number of personal-use drivers who own pickups entirely for pleasure, recreation, and for occasionally hauling loads, towing trailers, or carrying gear. Clearly, smaller pickups that fulfill these needs could provide an attractive option while saving gas, carbon emissions, and cash.
That’s the aim of Ford’s Maverick, a compact pickup larger than the mini-trucks of old yet smaller than its mid-size brethren like the Ford Ranger, Chevy Colorado, or Toyota Tacoma. Maverick features pleasant exterior styling that appeals to any age buyer. It also has a strong work ethic and is equipped to do the job with its 54.4-inch long bed, 1500-pound payload capability, and 2,000 pound tow rating in base form. Check a few additional boxes on the order form and that tow rating jumps to 4,000 pounds.
Ford did a lot of things right when it introduced the Maverick three years ago. Built on a unibody platform with an eleven inch shorter overall length than even the mid-size Ranger pickup (38 inches shorter than the F-150) and a 40-foot turning diameter, the Maverick was designed brawny enough to warrant pickup-lover attention while also being small enough to be perfect for the city. It’s also great for the open road with the model’s hybrid engine delivering a combined 37 mpg EPA rating (42 city/33 highway) and over 500 miles of range.
Today, Ford has again flipped the powertrain script for the 2025 Maverick. When the all-new 2022 Maverick was introduced, it was the super-efficient 2.5-liter hybrid powertrain that was standard fare, featuring 191 horsepower, a variable speed transmission, and available exclusively in front wheel drive. Buyers could optionally choose a 2.0-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder delivering 250 horsepower and 277 lb-ft torque, backed by an 8-speed automatic transmission and available with either front or all-wheel drive. The EcoBoost choice was more powerful but less efficient, scoring an EPA combined rating of 25 mpg (22 city/29 highway).
Following its debut year, Ford made the EcoBoost engine standard with the hybrid available as a higher priced option. Now, recognizing the popularity of hybrid power, Ford has once again made the hybrid powertrain standard for 2025 Maverick buyers. Maverick hybrids are also now available with either two- or four-wheel drive capability.
The 2025 Maverick comes in five trim levels – XL, XLT, Lariat, Tremor, and Lobo – that start at $26,395 to $36,835 for the first three trims and run upward to $39,895 to $42,000 for the highest-end Tremor and Lobo. The latter two are high-performance specialty variants that champion a pair of popular customization themes, both powered exclusively by the more powerful EcoBoost engine.
Tremor is outfitted for rigorous off-road duty with underbody protection, special suspension tuning for handling uneven road surfaces, all-terrain tires wrapped around 18-inch aluminum alloy wheels, Hill Decent Control, and additional drive modes including Mud/Rut and Sand. Maverick’s latest Lobo variant lends sport truck appeal to the pickup with a lower ride height, torque vectoring, and street performance-tuned suspension, shocks, and steering. It also offers a “Lobo” drive mode intended for closed course driving. Its street performance image in enhanced with a black-painted roof, 19-inch black wheels, painted bumpers, and a unique front fascia.
While the Maverick is an affordably priced truck, it still provides a wide array of standard comfort, safety, and convenience features. Among these are a 13.2-inch center touchscreen, an 8-inch digital instrument cluster above the steering wheel, Ford SYNC 4 with connected navigation and enhanced voice recognition, Apple Car Play/Android Auto connectivity, and on-board 5G WiFi. All Mavericks are also now equipped with Ford’s Co-Pilot360 technology suite. This provides pre-collision assist with automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping aid, a rear view camera, and auto LED high-beam headlamps.
Optionally available are items like a wireless phone charger, power locking tailgate, and 110-volt cab and bed outlets. Additional driver assist options include adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, cross-traffic alert, lane centering with evasive steering assist, and Pro Trailer Hitch Assist. New-for-2025 is a 360-degree camera that enables a split view of what’s immediately behind and ahead of the vehicle along with cross-traffic views.
In the end, the Maverick reinforces what everyone in Texas already knows: Just because you don’t need a truck every day doesn’t mean you might not want one. The Ford Maverick not only speaks to this desire but also makes owning a pickup more appealing for a great many buyers with its more compact form, high efficiency, and approachable cost of entry. The addition of off-road and sport truck choices expands the Maverick’s compelling nature even further.
About that “first car” thing? Look, we know it’s a truck. But at a starting price of just over $26,000, the Ford Maverick really is the perfect first – or entry-level – car for anyone looking for some pretty cool transportation…and it comes with a highly functional truck bed as a bonus!
There’s a continued disconnect between what the broader automotive industry sees from growing, albeit slowly, EV sales and how U.S. dealers view this class of vehicles. At CDK, we wanted to uncover if anecdotes about a lack of enthusiasm on the retail level were real and to test our own hypothesis that it could be largely driven by where the dealers were located.
Why is geography so important? One word, or place: California.
More EVs are sold in California than anywhere else in the country. Nearly one-third of all battery electric vehicles (BEVS) in the first half of 2024 were sold in the Golden State. And the state of Washington is a major player too. That means dealers in those states likely view the technology much differently than clearly those in more rural areas but also populous areas in states from Michigan and Ohio to Tennessee and South Carolina.
In CDK’s Dealers Face the EV Transition white paper, the map is broken down not just regionally but at a subregional level. That allowed us to look at what’s happening on the ground for dealers, their sales teams, and what store leadership sees as the impact on their bottom line.
It was plain to see that Pacific shoppers were the most interested in EVs at 55 percent while the mid-Atlantic states of Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey saw far, far less interest at just 10 percent. That might seem counter to popular thinking, but dealers sell cars in every town, and from the suburbs on out, cars are a way of life that’s hard to change. The least interest came from West South Central – Arkansas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Texas at 3 percent. Yes, even though a lot of EV sales happen in Texas, dealers across the state and surrounding states aren’t feeling electric love from customers.
These results came before recent retreats from automakers on their EV plans. Dealer networks are the frontlines when it comes to sales and service, and leadership wasn’t rosy on how EVs would impact their bottom line.
Nearly three-quarters (73 percent) of dealers think EVs will have some negative impact on their bottom line with 53 percent saying they’ll have a negative impact on both their front and back end gross. Only 7 percent see EVs as having a positive financial impact.
Despite this pessimism, nearly three out of five dealers (59 percent) have already started transitioning their stores to sell and service EVs. Only 11 percent remain steadfast against EVs in the near future, saying they don’t plan any changes to adjust for selling and servicing EVs. But as we noted in our white paper: “Most of these EV-resistant dealers are generally smaller operators, with 75 percent saying they own one to two rooftops, and 89 percent are located in rural areas.”
With all these fluctuating conditions, the key stat of the white paper may actually not be as negative as it seems at first glance. When asked if they were optimistic or pessimistic about the EV transition, most (65 percent) fell into the pessimism camp with 19 percent being optimistic and the rest (16 percent) being neutral. The fact that the pessimism number comes below the number of dealers forecasting lower profits is a tiny sliver of a silver lining.
The thing to remember is that we’re indeed in a transitional period, shifting an entire national fleet of cars from something familiar (and often nostalgic) to an electric future that hasn’t made its case in every corner of the country. The nation’s car dealers are pragmatists and offer an unvarnished view of what they see in showrooms every day.
David Thomas is Director of Content Marketing at CDK Global, a leading provider of cloud-based software to dealerships and original equipment manufacturers across automotive and related industries.
The automotive field is at a crossroads. It’s clear that buyers want more environmentally positive choices and this has driven enormous interest in electric vehicles on the part of consumers, government, and the auto industry. Some drivers are ready to go all-in with battery electric vehicles. Others prefer to ease into electrification with a hybrid or plug-in hybrid. It’s all good because that means we’re heading in the right direction. Green Car Journal’s annual Green Car Awards™ honor new, or nearly new, models that stand out as champions of environmental achievement and lead us in that more positive direction.
Honoring the best and the brightest of these vehicles, Green Car Journal has awarded nine prestigious 2025 Green Car Awards™ to environmentally positive models from Chevrolet, Dodge, Fiat, Ford, Mitsubishi, Toyota, Volvo, and Volkswagen. Six award winners are powered exclusively by batteries, two are gas-electric hybrids, and another champions plug-in hybrid power, illustrating the outstanding diversity of electrified choices available to new car buyers today.
Rising to the top to claim the coveted title of 2025 Green Car of the Year®, Toyota’s all-new generation Camry sedan is a stylish, highly efficient, and tech-rich evolution of Toyota’s popular mid-size sedan. The new Camry is available in front- or all-wheel drive and exclusively powered by Toyota’s fifth-generation Toyota Hybrid System, which delivers up to a combined 51 mpg and a driving range of 663 miles. Finalists and recipients of the 2025 Green Car Product of Excellence award are the Honda Civic Hybrid, Honda CR-V e:FCEV, Tesla Model 3, and Volkswagen ID. Buzz.
The iconic VW ID. Buzz, Volkswagen’s battery electric homage to the storied VW Microbus of an earlier era, is honored with Green Car Journal’s 2025 Green Van of the Year award, capping off its yearslong journey to VW showrooms. The ID. Buzz is powered by single or dual motors with 282-330 horsepower, seats up to seven, and features a driving range up to 234 miles. Finalists and recipients of the 2025 Green Car Product of Excellence award are the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid, Kia Carnival, Mercedes-Benz Sprinter EV, and Toyota Sienna.
Capturing the 2025 Urban Green Car of the Year award is the fashionable and oh-so-cool Fiat 500e, marking back-to-back 2004/2005 wins for this diminutive electric vehicle. Fiat's 500e is unique among its peers as the ultimate right-sized electric city car that's Italian-chic, nimble, fun, and highly maneuverable in urban environs and elsewhere due to its modest footprint. Finalists and recipients of the 2025 Green Car Product of Excellence award are the Hyundai Kona, MINI Countryman SE ALL4, and Nissan Kicks.
The Ford Maverick compact pickup is the magazine’s 2025 Commercial Green Truck of the Year. Maverick makes for a compelling work truck with its efficiency, reasonable price of entry, and welcome functionality like a 1500 pound payload rating, FlexBed storage system, and 110-volt outlets. Its hybrid engine option gets up to 42 city mpg, which makes it ideal for tradesmen and municipalities. Finalists and recipients of the 2025 Green Car Product of Excellence award are the Bollinger B4, Chevrolet Silverado EV Work Truck, Ford F-150 Lightning, and Isuzu NRR EV.
The all-new Dodge Charger Daytona powers its way to recognition as Green Car Journal’s 2025 Performance Green Car of the Year. This brand’s first ell-electric model features an appealing muscular design, zero-emission electric drive with up to 670 horsepower, and the kind of image and muscle car performance that has long been a signature of the brand. Finalists and recipients of the 2025 Green Car Product of Excellence award are the Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally, Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, Porsche Macan EV, and Tesla Model 3 Performance.
Taking 2025 Luxury Green Car of the Year honors is Volvo’s EX90, this automaker’s new electric flagship SUV. Along with its captivating design and all-electric operation, the U.S.-built EX90 features a high-tech cabin, a premium interior, three row seating, and a pair of twin-motor options delivering 402 to 510 horsepower. It features an electric driving range of 308 miles. Finalists and recipients of the 2025 Green Car Product of Excellence award are the Acura ZDX, Cadillac Optiq, Genesis Electrified GV70, and Polestar 3.
Honored as the 2025 Green SUV of the Year is the Chevrolet Equinox EV, a mainstream electric SUV offering a sporty design, a fun-to-drive nature, and an affordable point of entry for a great many buyers interested in going electric. It offers up to 319 miles of battery electric driving range in its standard front-wheel drive configuration. Dual motor all-wheel drive is also available. Finalists and recipients of the 2025 Green Car Product of Excellence award are the Dodge Hornet, Honda Prologue, Hyundai Santa Fe, and Kia EV9.
Mitsubishi’s Outlander PHEV takes the magazine’s 2025 Family Green Car of the Year honor, the third time this automaker’s flagship plug-in hybrid model has been distinguished with this award. Its combination of attractive style, three row seating, Super All-Wheel Control for navigating all driving conditions, and PHEV operation make it ideal for family-friendly use as an EV around town or a hybrid on longer drives. Finalists and recipients of the 2025 Green Car Product of Excellence award are the Kia Carnival, Lexus TX 550h+, Mazda CX-90 PHEV, and Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid.
Chevrolet BrightDrop earns the magazine’s 2025 Commercial Green Car of the Year award with its battery-powered BrightDrop 400 and 600 commercial vans. Now a Chevrolet product sold and serviced through Chevrolet’s commercial vehicle network, these electric vans aim at zero-emission delivery and feature a 159 to 272 mile electric driving range, depending on model and battery configuration. Finalists and recipients of the 2025 Green Car Product of Excellence award are the Ford E-Transit, RAM ProMaster EV, Mercedes-Benz Sprinter EV, and Rivian Delivery Van.
VW’s iconic Beetle and Transporter were signature vehicles on the roads of America because, for a time some six or seven decades back, they were virtually everywhere. They were also underpowered and pretty utilitarian, though that didn’t stop them from getting the love from adoring fans. That same love is soon to befall the all-new VW ID. Buzz.
The Transporter of old – known by many here as the VW Microbus, or just the VW Bus – never achieved the sheer volume of its cousin the Beetle (aka Bug). Still, it has an enduring place in the hearts of Americans who see the occasional restored VW Bus on the road or at the beach, harkening back to a simpler time when affordable and adorable vehicles were available to everyone.
When VW debuted its ID. Buzz electric microbus concept in the States seven years back, an instant cult following emerged. People wanted this, and they wanted it bad. We could see why after experiencing an up-close-and-personal tour of the production model last year in Southern California. We have to say…we liked what we saw.
Comparable in size to VW’s Atlas Cross Sport, the ID. Buzz is visually stunning and showcases modern stylings with futuristic elements, but doesn't lose that vintage essence shared by the VW Buses of old. One such homage to its ancestry is the model’s vibrant color palette that optionally contrasts with white splashes on both the interior and exterior. Keeping things modern is standard IQ.Drive with adaptive cruise control, a digital dash with a 12.9 inch infotainment center, plus USB and wireless charging options for all your electronic devices.
Inside is an inviting cabin with three rows of seats that can accommodate up to seven. Front seats feature standard heating, cooling, and massage features, while the second row comes with heated seats. Both rear rows are fully foldable, with the rearmost row entirely removable to create additional space for adventures. The ID. Buzz features a pair of power sliding side doors, sliding windows in the cabin, an optional sunroof that can be darkened, and a spacious rear hatch. Three interior color ‘worlds’ are available including mid-century modern-vibed Copper, moody dark themed Moonlight, and coastal-themed Dune.
Two power choices are available for the ID. Buzz, with a rear-mounted electric motor offering 282 horsepower or dual motors producing 330 horsepower. A 91 kWh lithium-ion battery energizes both versions. The rear-drive ID. Buzz features an EPA estimated 234 mile driving range with the all-wheel drive two-motor variant delivering a 231 mile range. It’s worth noting that the ID. Buzz comes with the ability to tow via a manually-retractable tow hitch that’s cleverly hidden behind the rear bumper when not in use.
Three versions of the ID. Buzz will be offered at launch including the entry-level Pro S at $59,995; the Pro S Plus at $63,495 to $67,995; and the 1st Edition at $65,495 to $69,995. The higher figure for the latter pair comes with dual motor all-wheel drive. Fans of this iconic electric microbus/van will find the ID. Buzz hitting North American highways later this year.
In the ever-evolving world of battery technology, the safety of lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries has become a paramount concern, especially as the demand for electric vehicles (EVs) and renewable energy storage systems surges globally. Epsilon Advanced Materials (EAM), a leader in the production of high-quality battery materials, is at the forefront of addressing these safety challenges. Through innovative solutions and a deep commitment to sustainability, EAM is enhancing the performance of lithium-ion batteries and significantly reducing risks associated with their use.
EAM’s journey is rooted in a vision of decarbonizing economies and driving the transition to cleaner energy technologies. It all began when an entrepreneur with a passion for sustainability crossed paths with a battery engineering scientist who had developed an exceptional battery material in his backyard. This meeting of minds sparked the creation in 2018 of EAM, a company dedicated to perfecting the art and science of advanced battery materials. Since its inception, EAM has sought to lead the way in providing innovative battery solutions that meet the demands of a rapidly changing world.
EAM’s approach to battery safety is through its focus on synthetic graphite anode materials. These materials are designed to improve fast charging performance, a feature that is increasingly important as consumers demand quicker charging times for their EVs. Traditional battery materials can struggle to handle the higher currents involved in fast charging, leading to stress on the battery and an increased risk of overheating. However, EAM’s synthetic graphite anode material is engineered to handle these higher currents with less stress, significantly reducing the risk of overheating and enhancing the overall safety of the battery.
Another key factor in the safety of Li-ion batteries is the direct current internal resistance (DCIR), which represents the resistance to current flow within the battery. Higher resistance can generate heat, which in turn increases the risk of thermal runaway – a dangerous situation where the battery can overheat uncontrollably. EAM’s synthetic graphite-based anode material boasts lower DCIR, meaning it offers less resistance to current flow. This reduction in resistance provides better heat management within the battery, minimizing the chances of thermal runaway and ensuring safer operation even under high-stress conditions.
In addition to these advancements, EAM’s synthetic graphite anode material also offers superior cycling stability compared with natural graphite. Over time, battery materials can degrade, leading to unwanted reactions within the battery that can generate heat and compromise safety. EAM’s material, however, degrades less over time, maintaining its stability and reducing the likelihood of these unwanted reactions. This enhanced cycling stability not only extends the lifespan of the battery but also ensures that it operates safely throughout its life cycle.
EAM’s commitment to safety and innovation is further demonstrated by its plans to open a state-of-the-art battery materials and components plant in North Carolina in 2026. This $650-million facility will be a significant step forward in the domestic production of battery materials, including both natural and synthetic graphite anodes. With a targeted annual production capacity of 60,000 tons of anode materials by 2031, the plant could eventually supply enough materials for up to 1.1 million electric vehicles in the U.S.
The decision to establish this manufacturing plant in Brunswick County, NC is strategic, as this location will be part of a burgeoning EV battery hub in the state, positioning EAM to play a critical role in the U.S. battery supply chain. This move is particularly timely given recent developments in the global graphite market. China, which dominates synthetic graphite production, has recently curbed exports of the material, leading to concerns about supply chain stability and rising costs. By developing a domestic source for synthetic graphite, EAM is not only reducing reliance on imported Chinese materials but also bolstering the U.S. battery industry against potential supply disruptions.
EAM’s U.S.-made battery components and materials are expected to qualify for incentives under the Inflation Reduction Act and related U.S. legislation aimed at building domestic supply chains for EVs and batteries. This support from the U.S. government underscores the importance of EAM’s work in ensuring that the next generation of batteries is not only high-performing but also safe and sustainable.
As EAM continues to innovate and expand, its focus remains firmly on the safety and sustainability of Li-ion batteries. The company’s advanced materials and cutting-edge technologies are setting new standards for battery safety, ensuring that as the world shifts towards cleaner energy and electric mobility, the batteries powering this transition are as safe as they are efficient. EAM is not just meeting the challenges of today’s battery industry but is also anticipating and addressing the needs of tomorrow. Through its commitment to innovation, safety, and sustainability, EAM is playing a key role in shaping the future of energy storage and electric mobility.
Sunit Kapur is Chief Executive Officer of Epsilon Advanced Materials, a global battery material manufacturer focused on sustainable battery solutions.
Today’s developments surrounding EVs are not a surprise. They were predictable, an awakening of sorts, to the realities of personal mobility needs and the true desires of a driving public amid a significant and sustained push toward electrification.
Unsold inventories of battery EVs at dealer lots, significant price cuts to move metal, and a rethinking of strategies are just part of today’s electric vehicle universe. We are seeing this new reality across the automotive spectrum as companies previously committed to being “all-in” for EVs – from Ford and GM to Volkswagen and Volvo – reassess the way forward.
Yes, interest in battery electric vehicles has grown substantially in recent years. EV sales have captured a larger slice of the new car market than might have been imagined in just the recent past and that percentage has been growing faster than before. This should rightfully be celebrated by EV enthusiasts. An impressive expansion of the zero-emission EV market should also be celebrated because of the considerable impact this has on decreasing carbon emissions, though it’s becoming increasingly clear that the hoped-for wholesale move toward battery EVs will not resolve our carbon challenges.
After more than three decades of documenting the commercialization of electric vehicles, I feel compelled to point out that EVs still represent a fraction of the overall automotive market and there remains great interest in more familiar options. Battery electric vehicles simply do not meet everyone's needs at this time. Barring significant breakthroughs in technology, cost, and convenience – the latter bolstered by an expansive and reliable national charging network and a resilient electrical grid to support it – there’s a possibility they may not meet all motorists’ needs for some years in the future. To our collective detriment, that has not stopped the powers-that-be from forcing an EV-first agenda.
The assumption that government can severely restrict consumer vehicle choices without alienating huge numbers of car buyers, creating financial havoc and uncertainties within the auto industry, and bringing an array of unintended consequences in coming years is simply an act of hubris. I've witnessed other examples of this over the years. Ultimately, the outcomes have not favored those in power who overstep and assume they know more about the needs and desires of car buyers than buyers themselves.
There are many reasons for this, but fundamentally let’s remember that a motor vehicle – beyond serving as a social conveyance for projecting image, status, values, or nuances of all sorts – is a crucial tool to get folks safely and reliably to work, school, the market, or wherever they need to be, regardless of distance or driving conditions. And lest we forget, a new car typically represents the second largest consumer purchase after a home. That makes buying a car an important financial decision beyond just being a very personal choice.
The battery EV’s rather eye-opening depreciation, identified by car search engine and research firm iSeeCars as averaging 49.1 percent over the first five years, isn’t very comforting from the standpoint of a financial strategy. It’s worth noting that iSeeCars doesn't see this same kind of depreciation across the board for electrification, identifying hybrids as having a nearly 12 percentage point advantage over EVs in value retention over a five year period, slightly better than the depreciation rate for all types of cars.
How much has changed for electric cars over the years? A lot…and too little. To share some perspective, I’d like to offer up a Green Car Journal editorial I wrote in 2012, Curb Your (EV) Enthusiasm. It seems prescient today. In it, a dozen years ago, I pointed out that:
– After decades of battery development, the expectation that battery breakthroughs would come to make EVs cost competitive with internal combustion vehicles had not materialized.
– Battery electric cars still required significant federal subsidies to encourage sales because of their high battery cost and retail price.
– In a normal world, a compact electric SUV should not cost $50,000, a four-door electric sedan $40,000, or a small electric hatchback over $30,000.
– A small number of electric vehicles might be available under $30,000, but comparable internal combustion models would typically be priced many thousands of dollars less while offering greater functionality.
– Government agencies viewed EVs as a panacea for decreasing CO2 emissions, improving air pollution, and enhancing energy security.
- States embraced electric vehicles in their State Implementation Plans as a strategy for showing how they would meet air quality standards mandated by the Clean Air Act.
– Automakers recognized electric propulsion as a strategy for meeting increasingly higher fleet fuel economy targets.
– Electric utilities viewed EVs as a pathway to selling electricity as a motor fuel.
The conclusion about the way forward a dozen years ago? Battery electric vehicles are one part of the solution along with advanced combustion vehicles, hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and extended-range electric vehicles that create on-board electricity to provide full functionality.
It appears there’s a growing consensus today that we’ve come full circle to this way of thinking. As electric vehicle sales cool, multiple automakers have shared they are backing off from previously-announced timelines for EV model introductions, new EV assembly lines, and greenfield battery plants. There’s also a new emphasis on producing an expanding lineup of hybrid and plug-in hybrid models that consumers increasingly desire, even on the part of major automakers that have previously announced plans to exclusively build battery electric vehicles and have shown little interest in hybrid power.
All this underscores that as much as we’re enamored with modern battery electric vehicles and their ability to address carbon emissions, they are not the singular answer to future mobility. They are a choice among other vehicles and technologies that also speak to individual needs, desires, and environmental sensibilities. And that’s the way it should be.
We’ve spent hundreds of thousands of miles behind the wheel of a great many electric vehicles, hybrids, and plug-in hybrid models over the years. They all have their advantages and appeal…and each speaks to the very specific needs of different types of drivers and their daily rhythms. If you’re inclined to go electric as a way of addressing efficiency and environmental concerns – but hesitant to rely exclusively on battery power for reasons compelling to you and your situation – then you’re an excellent candidate for a plug-in hybrid.
Beyond its advanced technology and user friendliness, there’s an elegant beauty inherent in a PHEV. Within the capabilities of its battery powered range, a plug-in hybrid allows driving on electric power, internal combustion power, or a combination of the two. You are effectively in an electric vehicle with options and the transition from electrons to gas is essentially seamless.
Plug-in hybrids present a logical choice because they present no limitations. These days, chief among these limitations with battery electric vehicles is range anxiety, whether imagined or real. When driving an electric vehicle, remaining battery power is always top of mind to ensure there’s adequate on board energy to get you to where you need to be. This is less of an issue today with popular electric models offering much longer range in the many hundreds of miles, but the concern persists.
Not so with plug-in hybrids. With PHEVs, you get the benefits of an electric vehicle while driving on batteries like zero emissions, near-silent operation, and improved performance. When battery energy in a PHEV is depleted you keep on going with combustion or hybrid power as long as there’s gas in the tank.
Like hybrids, plug-in hybrids take several forms. The most common of these is the parallel plug-in hybrid, which uses an internal combustion engine and one or more battery powered electric motors to directly drive the wheels. A series plug-in hybrid, also known as an extended range electric vehicle (EREV), delivers power to the wheels through its electric motor, or motors, with the combustion engine and batteries providing electricity to power the motors. In this configuration the engine operates exclusively as a generator with no mechanical connection to the road. An example of this is Karma’s GS-6. Some models, like the Toyota Prius Prime and Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, are series-parallel hybrids that use both power strategies for motive power, along with the zero-emission electric driving for which plug-in hybrids are known.
Both plug-in hybrids and conventional gas-electric hybrids achieve their higher efficiency through an intricate computer-controlled dance that blends electric and combustion power in response to real-time driving conditions. While each benefits from the efficiencies that gas-electric hybrid power delivers, at best a hybrid may drive exclusively on battery power for very short distances with a light touch on the accelerator pedal.
Plug-in hybrids are different. They’re equipped with larger battery packs than hybrids, though these packs are still quite smaller than full electric vehicles. These larger batteries, and the ability to plug in and charge up, allows a PHEV to drive greater distances on battery power alone. The Volvo S60 T8 Recharge plug-in hybrid sedan, for example, features 40 miles of electric driving and an overall 530 mile range, while the Kia Sportage PHEV delivers 34 miles on battery power with a total 430 mile driving range.
Determining your needs is an important step in deciding whether a plug-in hybrid is the right choice. For example, if your daily drives average 30 miles or so, then either of the above examples – and quite a few other PHEV models – will allow driving electric without the need for hybrid power to kick in. Just charge your PHEV’s battery overnight and you’re ready to go again the next day, with no need for a trip to the gas station. Even plug-in models with shorter electric driving range will still do for your commute if there’s charging available at your workplace, since a workplace charge opportunity can effectively double a PHEV's round-trip battery electric range.
Here’s the underlying advantage of a plug-in hybrid vehicle: If you do need to drive farther than a PHEV’s electric range, then you’ll take advantage of the zero-emission efficiencies of battery power with gas-electric hybrid drive handling the rest of your miles. The same holds true for those longer drives, such as visits with far-away friends or longer vacations and road trips. Easy.
So is a plug-in hybrid right for you? It’s a personal decision based on preferences and the degree to which you want to go electric. For those who want to ease into an electric future without limitations, then a plug-in hybrid may well be the best choice for you.
There’s an all-new Dodge Charger Daytona hitting the streets of America. This storied name channels echoes of of the past with the mind’s eye visualizing the rare, wildly-winged 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona of the muscle car era, a model that raced in NASCAR and was available only in small numbers to well-monied car enthusiasts. While the 2024 Charger Daytona is a bit more civilized than its namesake of 55 years ago, it is equally dramatic in its own way.
Back in the day, muscle cars were a dominating force on dragstrips and, more importantly, on the highways of America. These go-fast models delivered the whole package for car enthusiasts – exciting looks with stripes, scoops, and a stance with attitude, their mere presence tantalizing the senses with a low engine rumble at idle, a throaty roar at speed, and if you were the one behind the wheel, an adrenaline rush like no other.
They also sucked gas on an epic scale with their four-barrel, six-pack, and sometimes dual-quad carburetors. High horsepower small- and big-block engines were high-compression to eke the most power from the air-fuel mixture fed to combustion chambers, which meant more expensive high-octane premium fuel. Muscle cars, and really most cars of the era, had tailpipe emissions that were nothing to brag about. Still, these were iconic hot rods that defined an era.
While the performance-infused Daytona designation has been used sporadically by Dodge since, this is different. Stellantis has read the tea leaves well and the all-new Dodge Charger is not only fast and formidable, but also headlined by two fully electric variants, the Daytona R/T and Daytona Scat Pack. This move ensures the Charger’s claim as the world’s quickest muscle car, and the most powerful.
That doesn’t mean the automaker has abandoned the high horsepower gas engines that have powered this model over the years. Car enthusiasts who wish that familiar experience can opt for the Charger SIXPACK 3.0-liter twin turbo Hurricane engine in either Standard Output or High Output versions.
Specs for the electric Charger Daytona models surpass those of the gas versions, with the electric Daytona R/T besting the SIXPACK S.O. with 496 horsepower vs. the gas version’s 420. The Daytona Scat Pack does even better by delivering an electrified 670 horsepower vs. the gas high output engine’s 550, a bump of 120 ponies overall. The Daytona R/T is expected to deliver 317 miles of driving range with the more powerful Scat Pack a shorter, but still substantial, 260 miles.
Acceleration is impressive, with the Daytona Scat Pack expected to close a 0-60 mph sprint in just 3.3 seconds while earning a quarter-mile elapsed time of 11.5 seconds. Performance is enhanced in Daytona models with a PowerShot feature that provides an additional 40 horsepower boost for up to 15 seconds when needed. Stopping power is bolstered with 16-inch Brembo vented rotors and distinctive red six-piston calipers up front and eight-piston calipers at the rear. All Charger models are four-wheel drive. Driver-selectable Auto, Eco, Sport, and Wet/Snow drive modes allow tailoring the driving experience, with the Scat Pack adding Track and Drag modes for good measure.
Serene silence is not the hallmark of the new Daytona as it is in other electrics. Rather, Daytona R/T and Scat Pack sound the part of earth-pounding muscle cars with their all-new Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust that replicates a Dodge Hellcat exhaust profile, with sound intensity tied to performance. Drivers can alternatively select a ‘stealth’ sound mode if that’s more to their liking…but what’s the fun in that?
All this power and performance would be academic if not packaged in an athletic form, and the new Dodge Charger does pull that off with a pure uninhibited muscle car presence. Its lines are sharp, evolved, and definitively true to the breed, featuring an appealing profile and a powerful widebody stance. This muscle car’s appealing ‘hidden hatch’ design is accentuated by a black painted flowing roofline that can be made more dramatic with an optionally available full-length glass roof. We particularly like that the front end is not closed off in a snout like so many electric cars, but rather features stylishly understated openings above and below the bumper fascia.
Inside is a driver-centric cabin featuring an instrument cluster with either a 10.25- or optional 16-inch screen, along with a center 12.3-inch touch screen angled toward the driver. A forward-looking flat top/flat bottom steering wheel design features an array of controls for popular functions and also includes paddle shifters for rapidly adjusting regenerative braking settings on the fly. The center console features a pistol-grip shifter and start button. Standard seating is cloth and vinyl with either black or red Nappa leather available as an upgrade. Rear seats can be folded flat for additional cargo capacity. As expected, a full suite of advanced safety and driver assist systems are standard or available.
Two-door coupe versions of the 2024 Charger Daytona R/T and Scat Pack feature an MSRP of $59,595 and $73,190, respectively, and begin production this summer. Four-door variants of the electric models will start production in the first half of 2025 with two- and four-door gas Charger SIXPACK models coming later that year. Pricing for these will be disclosed closer to their release.
Green Car Journal editor/publisher Ron Cogan was editor of Hot Rod’s Musclecar Classics in the mid-1980s.
It’s pretty amazing that it has taken over 20 years for hybrid electric vehicles to generate truly significant interest. Yet, that’s the story today as many who are interested in electrification have decided to try a gas-electric hybrid first to sate their appetite for an electrified vehicle. It’s an easy choice since there is no real downside to a hybrid – great fuel efficiency, no range anxiety, and a more affordable price of entry compared to a fully electric vehicle. But how do they work? This article, which ran in Green Car Journal a dozen years ago, explained hybridization in an easy-to-understand way that still resonates today. We’re sharing it here just as it originally ran in Green Car Journal’s Summer 2012 issue.
Excerpted from Summer 2012 Issue: The term ‘hybrid vehicle’ covers a lot of territory. Motivated by two or more different power sources, a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) uses an internal combustion engine (ICE) and one or more electric motors with batteries that store electrical energy. The ICE is usually a gasoline engine, but diesel engines can be used.
In the future, we will see hydrogen fuel cell hybrids where a fuel cell replaces the ICE. Then, there are hydraulic hybrids, now found in large trucks and buses. Here, energy in the form of high pressure hydraulic fluid is stored in accumulators and reservoirs rather than batteries, and hydraulic pressure rather electric motors drive the wheels.
There are both series hybrids and parallel hybrids, with the latter configuration currently far more popular in automotive applications. Cars like the Chevrolet Volt and Fisker Karma are series hybrids. Here, the ICE’s sole or primary job is to drive a generator that supplies electric energy to the battery or directly to an electric motor, or motors, that power the wheels. The engine in a series hybrid can operate at an optimum speed for best fuel economy since its focus is generating electricity rather than providing mechanical power to the wheels.
In a parallel hybrid, both the ICE and electric motor(s) can power the wheels together or individually. The ICE can also keep the battery charged. The ICE in parallel hybrids can be smaller and more fuel efficient since their electric motors can supply supplemental power for peak loads.
Then there are mild hybrids and full hybrids. In a mild hybrid, the ICE and motor/generator operate in parallel, with the motor/generator used for regenerative braking, stop-start capability, and battery charging. While the ICE provides most of the propulsion power, the electric motor can supply additional power, such as during acceleration and hill climbing. A mild hybrid cannot travel solely on its electric motor. The Chevrolet Malibu Eco, Buick eAssist, and BMW ActiveHybrids are examples of mild hybrids.
A full hybrid adds the ability to operate on electric power alone, at least for short distances. Sometimes a full hybrid is called a series-parallel hybrid since, like a series hybrid, its ICE and motor/generator can charge the battery that in turn powers the wheels. Examples include Toyota, Lexus, and Nissan hybrids, including the Prius with its Hybrid Synergy Drive (HSD) and Ford’s Fusion and C-Max hybrids.
Microhybrids are not really hybrids according to the above definition since they save fuel simply by shutting off the engine when a vehicles stops, such as at traffic lights. Their advantage is that microhybrids can deliver a 5 to 10 percent improvement in fuel economy with only minor modifications to a powertrain, while adding only a small amount to a vehicle’s cost. They do require more robust and powerful starters to handle the greater number of starts, plus more capable batteries to keep the air conditioning, radio, and other electronics running during the stop-and-start process when the engine is shut down. . As expected, maximum fuel economy comes in stop-and-go urban driving with no savings achieved during long-distance highway drives.
Often, stop-start is combined with regenerative braking for further fuel savings. This adds complexity since the braking system must have the ability to recoup braking energy and convert it to electricity that’s used to keep batteries charged. Virtually every mild and full hybrid features stop-start and regenerative braking. In fact, these two systems are what help hybrids achieve greater EPA estimated fuel economy in city driving compared to driving on the highway, where steady speeds have traditionally resulted in much better mpg than when driving in stop-and-go traffic.
As the name implies, the plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) operates as a conventional hybrid but can also be plugged into the electric grid to recharge its batteries. This is in contrast to conventional hybrids that recharge only by their onboard generator and regenerative braking. PHEVs, which have a larger battery pack than standard hybrids so they can be driven longer on battery power alone, may never need a drop of gasoline if driven relatively short distances. Longer drives use a combination of battery and internal combustion engine power. Examples include the Toyota Prius Plug-In, Ford Fusion Energi, and C-Max Energi hybrids.
An Extended Range Electric Vehicle (EREV), sometimes called a Range-Extended Electric Vehicle (REEV), is designed for battery electric driving. It creates its own on-board electricity when batteries are depleted to extend all-electric driving range. EREVs can have either series or parallel hybrid configurations. The series hybrid Chevrolet Volt and Fisker Karma are high-profile examples that travel 25 to 50 miles on battery power and then hundreds of miles more with on-board generated electricity. Other similarly-powered extended range electric vehicles are on their way. The upcoming BMW i3, for example, will have a REx option with a small ICE that extends its nominal 100 mile all-electric range.