Do you wonder whether buying a used electric vehicle is a better way to go than stepping up to a new one, or if buying a battery EV of any type is a smarter financial investment than a conventional gas model? We understand the confusion.
Credible studies have landed on very different answers about the total cost of owning an EV, and until now, few have looked closely at what happens when you buy one used. A new study sponsored by the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, the University of Michigan Electric Vehicle Center, and the Responsible Battery Coalition changes that, taking a deep dive into BEV ownership costs in the used market, where about 70 percent of vehicle sales occur. Researchers analyzed 260,000 used vehicle listings in 17 cities, spanning five vehicle classes and a range of charging scenarios. Their conclusion: used BEVs offer the lowest total cost of ownership of any powertrain.
The reason is simple. BEVs tend to depreciate rapidly in their early years, and while that presents a challenge for new EV buyers, it definitely works to the advantage of second owners. Over a seven-year ownership period, the study found that buying a three-year-old midsize SUV instead of a new one saves about $3,000 for a conventional gasoline model, $1,000 for a hybrid or plug-in hybrid, and roughly $13,000 for a BEV. For used EV buyers, that steep early depreciation brings a pretty significant financial upside.
We had a first-hand opportunity to experience the used EV buying process following a call from our friend Thomas Rehder, the owner of a Mustang Mach-E. Well-aware of the benefits of driving electric, he was on the hunt to find an affordable EV for his mom, Nancy. Since her daily driving needs were journeys around town, this meant a gently used first generation EV with more limited driving range would be a good fit.
Success! He ran across an ad for a used BMW i3 REx with 60,000 miles on the clock at a local dealer, its very approachable price of 15 grand a pretty amazing departure from the nearly $50,000 retail cost of this EV just five years earlier. We stopped by the dealer to take it for a test drive, then sent our friend a thumbs-up. He negotiated $1,000 from the asking price and voilà…his mom joined the ever-growing legion of EV owners at a bargain price.
There’s a lesson here, as illustrated by the study mentioned earlier. Those considering an EV but hesitate because it seems too expensive should take note of the growing used EV market. Buying used provides an easy entry into zero-emission driving and is an increasingly popular option as more preowned EVs reach the market at bargain prices. Plus, there’s been a growing volume of lease-return EVs hitting the used vehicle market since a high percentage had been leased to take advantage of the popular $7,500 federal EV incentive.
Finding a used EV can be as simple as running across a friend or neighbor who has bought a new EV and is selling their old one. We’ve done that very thing with a 2015 Fiat 500e we ran across during our daily drives and snapped it up. Beyond that or keeping an eye on local dealers’ lots, you can do a Google search using keywords like “buy a used electric vehicle.” You’ll come up with loads of car buying sources like Cars.com, AutoTrader, TrueCar, CarMax, and others. Then start browsing. You will find listings from across the country but try to stay local or regional if possible so you can check out prospective cars in person without having to travel or buying sight-unseen.
You can learn a lot from a visual walk-around and test drive, and even more by having a local mechanic check out a prospective buy. Most mechanics aren’t qualified to analyze an EV’s electric drivetrain, unique electronics, and battery, though they can assess its overall condition and conventional operating systems. With a VIN (vehicle identification number), services like CarFax and AutoCheck can provide detailed information on a vehicle’s history and whether it has been a rental or in accidents. Recurrent, a trusted battery analytics company, can also use a VIN to provide information on a used EV’s battery condition and projected range.
How good of a deal can you get on a used EV? We did few quick searches that revealed a 2023 BMW i4 eDrive40 with 29,000 miles at $32,000, a substantial $25,000 savings from the model’s original $57,000 price. Looking for a high-performance electric sports car? How about a 2021 Porsche Taycan with 23,000 miles that was $81,000 new but now offered for $44,000. An even more dramatic savings was presented by a 2020 Jaguar I-PACE HSE with 43,000 miles at $22,000, a savings of $60,000 from its $82,000 retail cost just five years earlier. We also ran across a 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV LT with 51,000 miles at $11,000, a savings of $25,000 from its original $36,000 price, and a 2022 Nissan LEAF at 40,000 miles offered for $12,000, some $18,000 less than its $30,000 cost when new.
Financial incentives have been important to new electric vehicle purchases for years and more recently for used EVs, though there’s never a guarantee that incentives of the past will be available at the time you’re considering a purchase. That’s the case now since the federal incentive for used and new EV purchases has ended. Still, be sure to check if incentives are offered for the used EV you’re considering from regional, state, and federal government entities, along with your local electric utility and air quality district. Happy hunting!
The need for smaller and more affordable cars is evident these days. Consumers struggle with the high cast of new models while regulators grapple with realistic ways to mitigate carbon emissions that can impact climate change. A massive influx of zero-emission electric cars has been a popular notion for achieving carbon reduction goals in recent times. But this singular strategy has been fraught with challenges by slowing electric vehicle sales and persistently high EV prices. New thinking is needed.
Along with hybrids and plug-in hybrids, smaller and lighter vehicles that achieve high fuel efficiency and thus lower carbon emissions are important. These present a natural complement to electrified vehicles and present another component in crafting an achievable national transportation strategy. Unfortunately, most automakers have abandoned their smallest and most affordable car models in recent times and focused on larger ones delivering greater profits. Now, to the surprise of many, the U.S. Department of Transportation has been directed to explore regulations that would support production of today's smallest class of highway-legal models – Japanese-style kei cars – for use on American roads.
Kei cars, a popular and affordable class of exceptionally small vehicles in Asia, do not meet U.S. safety standards and new models cannot be imported here. Whether kei cars can be reengineered to meet U.S. safety rules while remaining affordable is an open question. Also unknown is if drivers will embrace such small cars here given American consumers’ penchant for larger and heavier vehicles. But it sure is an intriguing thought.
Looking back for perspective, in 2009 Green Car Journal editors noted that things were changing in the automotive market. Buying trends were shifting as fuel economy again became more of an issue. Consumers were holding back on new car purchases as they weighed their budget limitations and the implications of a challenging economy.
At the same time, advanced technology vehicles like electric cars appeared to have more potential than ever as those in Washington seemed ready to push that agenda for energy efficiency and oil displacement goals. Concerns about carbon emissions and climate change were not yet primary drivers but would be soon enough. For these reasons, many automakers here and abroad were either committing to electric models or had ones in development.
Perhaps the most high-profile evidence of EV momentum at the time was Mitsubishi’s i-MiEV, an acronym for Mitsubishi Innovative Electric Vehicle. Based on the automaker’s offshore Mitsubishi i, a small kei car powered by a 0.7-liter three-cylinder gas engine, the electric i-MiEV was sold to Japanese fleets in 2009 and consumers there in 2010. It was also undergoing early testing with electric utilities Southern California Edison (SCE) and Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) here in the States. At the time it seemed likely this electric model would eventually make its way to American consumers…something that did come to pass a year after its introduction to consumers in Japan.
Along the way, Mitsubishi created anticipation with an edgy concept based on the production car called the i-MiEV Sport Air. Reinforcing the ‘Sport Air’ theme was a formidable clear cutaway roof panel providing a substantial feeling of openness to the cockpit even with the panel in place. That feeling was enhanced once the lightweight plastic roof panel was detached. Other design features included a lightweight aluminum and plastic teardrop bodyshell, interesting 3D headlamp and taillamp designs, and circuit board graphic elements incorporated into various exterior components…all in the interest of virtually shouting ‘electric.’
Bowing to its sporty theme, the mid-ship i-MiEV Sport Air variant was powered by an 80 horsepower electric motor, a 13 horsepower bump up from the standard electric motor in the i-MiEV. The electronic control unit was also re-calibrated to better suit American driving conditions. Energy was supplied by a 330 volt lithium-ion battery pack beneath the floor. Like the batteries, its charger and inverter were located as low as possible to optimize the 2155 pound car’s center of gravity.
Alas, while this sporty version of this Mitsubishi electric car never did make its way to the highway, the production version of the i-MiEV did debut here at the end of 2011, though slightly larger and reworked to meet the needs of American drivers. It was some 4.3 inches wider and 8 inches longer than its kei car sisterships in Japan and other world markets while riding on the same wheelbase. Mitsubishi also redesigned the EV’s bumpers and added side curtain airbags to the U.S. version to enhance safety and meet U.S. regs.
Our first impression when we laid eyes on the U.S. production i-MiEV? Mitsubishi’s small electric car was different. With styling considered cute to some and a bit of an oddity to others, it was clearly not a car for everyone. This begged the question: Just who was right for the i-MiEV?
That was not a question easily answered since there were no direct comparisons. Nissan’s LEAF was more sophisticated in many ways but cost about six grand more than Mitsubishi’s i-MiEV. When the electric smart fortwo ed (electric drive) emerged shortly afterward, it came in at a grand or so less than the i-MiEV, but that savings brought with it the loss of a rear seat and that was a deal-breaker for most American drivers.
Those who wanted an affordable – as far as electric cars go – zero emission ride with realistic expectations found the electric i-MiEV offering a potential fit. It was by design the least expensive, full-function four passenger electric vehicle on the market at the time. That didn’t mean it was cheap. Rather, at a retail cost of $29,125 for the base ES model, it was simply the EV that would strain budgets the least since all EVs, by nature, were expensive to make and their price reflected this reality. That said, factoring in the $7,500 federal tax credit available at the time meant the cost to American consumers was an approachable $21,625. Potential state and other incentives dropped the price even lower.
Back in the day, we had the opportunity to spend time behind the wheel of a 2011 i-MiEV in city driving and on California highways and back roads. What was that like? Think vintage VW Bug and you would be in the ballpark in the way of driving experience. The i-MiEV was fun to pilot if your expectations were modest, sort of like those early Beetles.
While it did have a host of modern features including an array of advanced entertainment, electronics, and safety systems, the Mitsubishi i-MiEV cabin was generally spartan by the day’s automotive standards, also like those early Beetles. Instrumentation was minimalistic with the obvious juxtaposition of an HDD navigation system and rearview camera that were optionally available. The interior was surprisingly spacious considering the i-MiEV's smallish external dimensions, featuring over 50 cubic feet of cargo room with the rear seats folded down. Access for stowing gear and goods was easy through a large rear hatch.
Our initial on-road testing was enlightening. We understood that running climate control or the stereo system would diminish range, but in the interest of driving the i-MiEV in ways that everyday motorists typically drive, we ignored that and did what we would normally do. Using the ‘Eco’ or ‘B’ transmission selections were recommended to maximize range and regenerative braking, but again, we thought it instructive to see what tooling about town in ‘D’ (Drive) would bring.
It was a pleasant experience. We drove 65 mph on the freeway and merged readily enough. Driving around town was comfortable and confidence-inspiring with no downsides. We were driving electric with zero localized emissions, a real plus. Then, amid our joyous care-free highway romps, we stole a look at the battery gauge and realized that our devil-may-care driving really had sapped this EV’s range. It was back to the barn for a charge, pronto. We understood why most drivers would want to opt for the transmission selections that favored range over performance. Driving more conservatively and using the tools provided to optimize range would allow drivers to realize the EPA’s combined range estimate of 62 miles.
When the time came to charge up, the deed could be done in 7 hours from full discharge with a 220-volt home charger through a port at the passenger’s side, or in 22 ½ hours with a 110-volt mobile charger that’s carried along in the vehicle. We used the more convenient 220-volt Level 2 wall charger in our Green Car garage. To encourage quicker at-home charging, at the time Mitsubishi was using Best Buy's Geek Squad to install Eaton home chargers that were priced at $700 plus installation costs.
Surprisingly, Mitsubishi also enabled high power charging capability in its cost-conscious i-MiEV. On the driver’s side of our test car was a second chargeport for replenishing batteries with a public CHAdeMO fast-charging system that could bring the i-MiEV’s battery’s back to 80 percent state-of-charge in about a half-hour. Fast-charge capability is common in EVs these days but an unexpected benefit back then.
Overall, Mitsubishi strived to keep the cost down by making the i-MiEV as simple as possible. One example of this minimalism was the model’s instrumentation that consisted of a battery state-of-charge meter, gear indicator, speedometer, eco/regen indicator, and odometer. A remote key fob allowed drivers to communicate with the vehicle to pre-heat or pre-cool the cabin as well as control the charging process. While wireless, the remote for our test vehicle was not connected to the Internet so it could not be used with a smartphone.
We’ve had lots of experience with city-class cars over the years, most notably neighborhood electric vehicles (NEVs) aimed exclusively for around-town use at a governed top speed of 25 mph. The i-MiEV, while clearly intended as a city car with its limited range and minimalistic approach, was designed for much more than neighborhood use with its greater functionality, electronically-limited 81 mph top speed, advanced safety, and user-friendly features.
The Mitsubishi i-MiEV – like the kei car genre from which it sprang – was aimed at drivers who wanted their rides distinctive, eco-friendly, reasonably priced, and ideally suited for around-town driving or commuting. Demonstrating their everyday capabilities was the goal of Mitsubishi's EVTown Initiative in Normal, Illinois, home of the manufacturing facility where domestic i-MiEVs were built. Here, drivers were regularly seen behind the wheel of i-MiEVs as they went about their daily business, making these electric city cars a common sight around town and illustrating that driving zero-emission EVs in city environs was, well…”normal.”
Obviously, Mitsubishi was banking on a large enough pool of like-minded buyers to make this approach a success. American auto preferences being what they are – bigger, faster, more sophisticated features – it’s no surprise that the i-MiEV ultimately faded away from new car showrooms after the 2017 model year as new electric vehicle choices and capabilities expanded.
Still, the i-MiEV deserves its distinction as a trailblazer and an important point of reference. Its story is especially relevant today as the national conversation expands to address the potential for smaller and more affordable city cars with a lighter environmental impact. True, they may not be for everyone. But the very fact that small kei cars are even being discussed today opens the door for more minimalist models that serve the fundamental needs of daily life. Perhaps something along the lines of Mitsubishi’s i-MiEV Sport Air would do nicely, don't you think?
It’s no secret that Green Car Journal editors have long been fans of the quirky-but-lovable electric i3 that BMW brought to our highways in the 2015 model year. In fact, magazine staffers enjoyed tens of thousands of miles testing i3 models over several years of daily driving in different configurations. Alas, the i3’s time passed and BMW moved on to subsequent EV models. The latest of these, the coming all-electric BMW iX3, represents the first production model of a next-generation – or as BMW calls it, Neue Klasse – vehicle family.
The iX3 marks a clean break from previous shared architectures and signals BMW’s move toward platforms developed specifically for electrification, digital capability, and reduced manufacturing complexity. The 2026 iX3 is sized similarly to today’s X3 but benefits from the packaging freedom possible with a dedicated EV structure. A long wheelbase and efficiently shaped battery housing provide more usable interior volume than would normally be expected in a compact crossover footprint. As an added bonus, the vehicle’s low center of gravity, nearly even weight distribution, and wide track also serve to deliver the driving dynamics BMW clearly wants to define in its new generation of EVs.
Styling is intentionally simplified. The iX3’s shape relies on proportion and stance rather than heavy detailing, resulting in a clean front with vertically arranged kidney grille openings and a distinctive four-element lighting signature. The profile is smooth and aerodynamically efficient, contributing to a 0.24 drag coefficient. At the rear, broad shoulders and sculpted lamps give the iX3 a planted look without unnecessary surface activity.
The cabin follows this same design philosophy. BMW’s new Panoramic iDrive system spans the lower windshield and integrates with a 17.9-inch central display and a redesigned multifunction steering wheel. The goal is to deliver information with minimal distraction and to keep the primary driving view uncluttered. Much to our satisfaction, important controls remain physical, such as those for wipers, mirrors, hazard lights, and some temperature functions. Materials are satisfyingly tactile with the instrument panel using a textile-based surface with integrated lighting to give the cabin an inviting feel. A wide glass roof is available and adds to a sense of openness.
The iX3 debuts BMW’s sixth-generation eDrive technology. This includes new cylindrical battery cells, an 800-volt electrical system, and redesigned electric motors. Performance in the dual-motor iX3 50 xDrive is delivered with 463 horsepower and 476 lb-ft torque. Accelerating from 0-60 mph is estimated at about 4.7 seconds with a governed top speed of 130 mph. The iX3 will also go the distance, with BMW anticipating up to 400 miles of EPA-based range once certification is completed.
Charging capability is a key improvement. With a peak charging rate of 400 kW, the iX3 can gain about 230 miles of range in about 10 minutes at high-power stations. Charging from 10 to 80 percent is said to take 21 minutes or so under ideal conditions. A revised battery management system allows the iX3 to charge efficiently on both 800-volt and 400-volt equipment. Bidirectional charging capability is included to support vehicle-to-load operation, home energy integration, and grid services where permitted.
The BMW iX3 integrates a structural battery approach that reduces vehicle weight and increases rigidity. Energy losses are reduced compared to BMW’s previous electric drive generation, and both charging performance and overall efficiency improve.
A new electronics structure debuts in the iX3 as well. Four consolidated computing modules handle driving dynamics, advanced safety systems, infotainment, and comfort features. This reduces wiring weight and provides the responsiveness needed for smarter chassis control. One of these modules, controlling propulsion, braking, regeneration, and steering, improves blending between regen and friction braking and is claimed to deliver more predictable pedal feel. An advantage is that most routine braking events are expected to rely on regenerative braking only, thus reducing brake wear and improving efficiency.
Standard driver-assistance systems include forward collision mitigation, blind-spot detection, adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go capability, and lane-centering. BMW’s available Highway Assistant allows hands-off travel on approved limited-access highways at speeds up to 85 mph when conditions allow. Optional Parking Assistant Plus adds automated parking and remote operation features.
BMW has been at the EV game for many decades, as evidenced by Green Car Journal’s early reporting on the automaker’s electric BMW E1 and E2 prototypes in the early 1990s. Now, more than three decades later, the iX3 previews what drivers can expect from the brand’s future EVs, including cleaner designs, improved efficiency, and much more capable electronics supporting ongoing feature updates throughout the vehicle’s life. Production of the iX3 will be at BMW’s new Debrecen, Hungary facility, with U.S. deliveries planned for mid-2026. Pricing has yet to be set but is expected to start around $60,000.
At Ford, we’ve always believed our vehicles are more than just transportation – they are tools that empower our customers to live, work, and explore. For decades, that meant building trucks and vans that could haul heavy loads, navigate rugged terrain, and stand up to the toughest jobs.
Today, as outdoor recreation thrives and work-life boundaries blur, our definition of empowerment is expanding. We’re not just moving people and cargo. We’re moving power itself, directly into the hands of those who need it most, wherever they may be.
This is the promise of Pro Power Onboard, a feature that is rapidly becoming a cornerstone of our electrified vehicle lineup, particularly in the Ford F-150 Lightning. It’s more than just an inverter; it’s a fully integrated, robust power station designed to unlock unprecedented levels of productivity, adventure, and resilience.
Consider the traditional challenges faced by professionals working in remote locations, adventurers seeking to extend their time off-grid, or groups looking to build memories while camping, tailgating. or traveling. The hum of a gas generator, the constant worry about fuel, the scramble for outlets, the limitations of battery packs – these have long been accepted as necessary evils. But what if those limitations could be eliminated? What if your vehicle could silently and reliably power your entire operation, miles from the nearest grid connection?
This isn't a hypothetical question for people like Scott Rinckenberger, Scott, an acclaimed outdoor photographer, traverses wild landscapes across the country in search of the perfect shot. His work demands long days in unpredictable conditions, far from any conventional power source. For years, he relied on a gas-powered F-150, a trusty companion until nature intervened, and a falling tree totaled his truck. This unexpected event opened the door to a profound transformation in his workflow.
Scott chose a 2024 F-150 Lightning Flash, and as he puts it, it was "love at first drive." But it was Pro Power Onboard that truly revolutionized his professional life. With up to 9.6 kW of exportable power available directly from his truck, Scott’s F-150 Lightning became a silent, mobile office. He can now charge his cameras, drones, and laptop on the fly, editing photos from a remote trailhead, extending his time in the field, and capturing that perfect light while plugging them in as he goes – ultimately leading to a superior outcome for his work.
Pro Power Onboard allows folks like Scott to stay on location longer, reducing trips back to a home base. This convenience enables a more efficient, more immersive, and ultimately, more sustainable way of working and traveling.
Pro Power Onboard isn't a one-size-fits-all solution, but a scalable system designed to meet diverse needs. In the F-150 Lightning, for instance, customers can choose from 2.4 kW or the mighty 9.6 kW (on certain trims; standard on Platinum F-150 Lightning), offering a combination of 120V and 240V outlets. This means the ability to power everything from sensitive camera equipment and laptops to heavy-duty power tools, lighting rigs, or even a small mobile workshop. In other Ford vehicles like the F-150 Hybrid, Maverick Hybrid, and E-Transit, Pro Power Onboard offers varying power levels, from 2.0 kW to 7.2 kW, extending this versatile capability across a broad spectrum of customer needs.
Simply put, when paired with an electric vehicle, Pro Power Onboard represents a significant leap forward in clean, efficient, and quiet power generation. It eliminates the need for separate, often noisy and polluting, gas generators for many applications, significantly reducing the carbon footprint associated with traditional remote work and outdoor activities. It empowers those who work in the field, like Scott, to embrace a lifestyle that aligns with their environmental values, allowing them to work from anywhere without compromising their commitment to sustainability.
This feature isn't just for photographers or contractors. It’s also for those who want to set up their office by a lake, the adventurer who needs to power their campsite, the small business owner who requires mobile power for their tools, or even the homeowner seeking reliable backup power during an outage. Pro Power Onboard is about giving drivers unprecedented control over their energy needs, fostering greater independence and flexibility.
As Scott Rinckenberger confidently states when asked if the F-150 Lightning is a 'real truck,' his answer is simple: “It's better.”
Bill Crider is Ford’s Senior Director of Global Charging and Energy Services
GM is bringing back its Chevy Bolt EV for the 2027 model year, fulfilling the wishes of drivers who pined for the affordable and practical electric car that helped mainstream EVs. This new edition builds on the idea that electric mobility can be accessible without compromise and, as it happens, at a reasonable price.
When it first arrived, the Chevy Bolt marked a major shift. As Green Car Journal noted then, it made long-range electric driving attainable for many. That milestone established a foundation that today’s Bolt inherits, adding modern range, tech, and refinement.
The 2027 Chevy Bolt LT launches at $29,990, including destination charges. A lower-priced LT variant will follow at $28,995. Tesla has yet to offer an affordable EV close that price range, though it has long promised to sell an entry-level model at $35,000…something it did only briefly five years ago. Chevrolet estimates a 255 mile range for the Bolt, the most for any EV under $30,000.
Production begins early next year as a limited-run model. Alongside the Equinox EV, the new Bolt anchors Chevrolet’s commitment to accessible electric vehicles. Together, these models are projected to account for most of the brand’s EV sales through 2026.
The 2027 Bolt uses GM’s latest X76 electric drive unit, developed for efficiency and durability. A permanent-magnet motor designed with reduced rare-earth content lowers cost and environmental impact, while silicon-carbide inverter materials limit energy loss between battery and drive system.
Shared across GM’s growing EV portfolio, this hardware helps keep costs in check. The 65 kWh lithium-iron-phosphate battery offers robust thermal stability and consistent performance. Blended regenerative braking with the benefit of one-pedal driving returns energy to the battery pack while encouraging smoother brake-free operation.
Inside, the Bolt EV evolves toward a more driver-focused layout. An 11.3-inch infotainment display and 11-inch configurable instrument screen give clear digital feedback while keeping key functions within reach. Physical controls for volume and climate remain for quick, tactile access.
Practicality stays central to the Bolt’s identity. There is open console storage, multiple USB-C ports, and available wireless phone charging. Heated and ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and an optional panoramic sunroof contribute to a comfortable cabin experience.
Charging performance represents one of the Bolt’s most notable upgrades. With 150 kW DC fast-charging, the car charges from 10 to 80 percent in about 26 minutes, more than twice as fast as before. It is also Chevrolet’s first model equipped with a NACS port, broadening compatibility across U.S. charging networks including Tesla's reliable Superchargers.
Google built-in connectivity now ties navigation and charging together. Google Maps routes include live charger availability and real-time range data, while automatic battery preconditioning optimizes fast-charging stops. Super Cruise driver-assist integrates with Google Maps to highlight hands-free routes and manage lane guidance on highway interchanges.
Design updates keep the familiar hatchback profile but introduce sleeker details. Seven exterior colors and 17-inch wheel choices allow personalization, while a new RS trim adds gloss-black accents, roof rails, and exclusive badging.
More than 20 standard safety and driver-assistance technologies include Intersection Collision Mitigation, Rear Cross Traffic Alert with Braking, and adaptive cruise control. The Bolt’s Vehicle-to-Home (V2H) functionality enables power sharing with properly equipped homes, signaling GM’s expanding role in EV energy integration.
The original Chevy Bolt introduced for 2017 was more than an efficient commuter. It was a social and technological marker, illustrating that electric cars could deliver meaningful range and practicality without a luxury-level price. As Green Car Journal noted at the time, the Bolt’s affordability placed EV ownership within reach of a broader audience, reshaping expectations for the segment.
Ten years later, the 2027 Bolt continues that legacy with improved capability, connectivity, and value. It builds on the same philosophy that made the first model a success: deliver real-world range, usable space, and forward-looking technology at an attainable price.
The new Bolt is set for assembly at GM’s Fairfax Plant in Kansas City, Kansas, and will reach showrooms in early 2026. Its return reflects a milestone in the electric vehicle market, positioning a once-again-mainstream Chevy Bolt as an affordable and desirable EV that can help lead the field toward a truly accessible electric future.
The midsize Polestar 3 SUV, the latest Polestar model to hit U.S. shores, is distinguished with sculpted styling, a minimalist interior, and loads of tech. It also features a good amount of real-world range and, living up to the automaker’s sporty performance goals, great handling and plenty of power.
The rub: The 2025 Polestar 3 starts at almost $69,000 and can edge close to $100,000 in top performance trim with all the available options. It’s not for the multitudes who live on tight budgets.
Likely rivals for shoppers’ attention include electric SUVs from the likes of Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Volvo. You could toss in models such as the Cadillac Optiq, Tesla Model Y, and Genesis Electrified GV70, but they really play in a different segment as compact SUVs.
Polestar offers the 3 in three “long range” powertrain choices with option packages to increase the tech, driver assist and comfort, and “gee, look at me” content. The base single-motor, rear-wheel drive version delivers, per the EPA, up to 350 miles of range. None of the competing high-end electric SUVs can match that, although none offer single-motor version, opting instead for 100 percent all-wheel drive lineups.
More powerful but less efficient dual-motor, all-wheel drive versions of the Polestar 3 come in two flavors. The base dual-motor trim boasts a segment-leading 315 miles of range, per the EPA’s rating system. Adding the Performance Pack option drops the Polestar 3 Dual Motor’s rated range to between 279 and 300 miles, depending on tire and wheel size. That’s in the ballpark with the 300-mile Audi Q8 e-tron, 307-mile Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV, 309-mile BMW iX xDrive50, and 310-mile Volvo EX9.
Sizewise, the Polestar 3 sits near the bottom of it pack. While its passenger cabin is roomy, the 3 overall is as much as 5.5 inches shorter than other premium and luxury mid-size electric SUVs. It sits mid-pack in cargo capacity, though, bested by the BMW iX and Audi but leading the EQE SUV and the Volvo EX90. Pricewise, the Polestar starts lower than any likely competitor.
The Swedish EV maker started life as an independent tuning shop for Volvo racers, then was absorbed by Volvo Cars, which has been owned by China’s Zhejiang Geely Holding Group since 2010. In 2017 Geely decided it wanted a stand-along EV makers in its stable to market performance-oriented but premium-level vehicles globally. Polestar was spun off from Volvo to be that company.
It is publicly traded, but a majority of its shares are held by Geely and Geely founder and CEO Li Shufu’s private PSD Investment. Volvo Cars also holds a stake.
Polestar’s first model, the limited production Polestar 1, was a sport coupe with a 600 horsepower plug-in hybrid powertrain and 52 mile all-electric range, the best in the business. It was sold globally, though in very small numbers, from 2019 through 2021 and won praise for its styling and performance. Only about 1,500 of the $150,000 cars were built and just 250 of them made it to the U.S.
The Polestar 2, a compact sedan-styled hatchback, launched in 2019 and still is sold in Asia and Europe. U.S. sales of the sporty 2 were curtailed this year in the face of stiff tariffs on vehicles imported from China, where it is built.
Polestar 3 went on sale in the U.S. earlier this year in dual-motor trim, with the single-motor version launching in April. Models sold in the U.S. are built alongside the Volvo EX90 at Volvo’s South Carolina assembly plant. The 3 will be followed later this year by the Polestar 4, a tall sedan styled midsize SUV that shares most of its powertrain, suspension, and interior with the 3. It will be built in South Korea.
A Polestar 5 sport sedan – the brand’s new flagship model – is slated for 2026 and will be built in South Carolina and/or South Korea. The Polestar 7 compact SUV aimed mainly for the European market and slated to be assembled there is scheduled next, to be followed by the Polestar 6, a 2+2 performance roadster with head-turning design.
Don’t expect to consistently get EPA estimated range from any Polestar 3 variant unless your accelerator foot is feather light, your driving style rather timid, and you avoid hilly or mountainous terrain and highway driving. Real-world range for most EVs runs 10 to 15 percent below EPA estimates with the variance depending largely on tire size, the weight of cargo (including people) on board, driving style, terrain, and the amount of high speed driving involved. We tested both the single-motor and dual-motor performance versions of the Polestar 3. Our experience is that it manages to stick pretty close to the estimates, running 10 to 12 percent short in most driving conditions.
In in our range test of a single-motor Polestar 3 with 21-inch wheels – the variant EPA rates at 350 miles – our 250-mile round-trip ride covered 140 miles of fast freeway driving in light traffic, plus 70 miles of ambling country lanes and 40 miles of mountain roads. We tried to keep within 10 mph of posted speed limits.
Per EPA’s estimate, we should have been draining the battery pack at a rate of 3.27 miles per kilowatt-hour (350 miles/107 kWh usable battery capacity). But country and mountain driving on the first leg of the trip was uphill most of the way, cutting efficiency to just 2.4 miles per kWh. That would have resulted in just under 266 miles of range had we kept going at that pace. We benefitted from an equal amount of downhill motoring on the way back, though, and improved efficiency for that part was a relatively thrifty 3 miles per kWh. For the entire round trip, average consumption was 37.3 kWh per 100 miles. That’s the equivalent of 307 miles of range – 12.2% under the EPA estimate.
We tested the dual-motor performance version of the Polestar 3 last fall on rain-slicked roads in the area around Jackson, Wyoming. An abundance of caution with someone else’s vehicle kept speeds down, but we did climb about 2,200 feet from Jackson’s 6,240-foot elevation to hit the pass through the Tetons into neighboring Idaho. Overall, we found real range on that trip was pretty much what EPA estimated for the performance version with 22 inch tires.
All versions of the 2025 Polestar 3 are two-row, five-seat electric crossovers. There’s a lot of Volvo under the skin and in the interior, but Polestar DNA is dominant in the 3’s design and chassis, suspension, and powertrain development.
Its aerodynamic looks derive from the Polestar Precept electric sedan concept that was unveiled in 2020. It’s built on an EV-specific platform developed by Volvo.
The rear-drive Polestar 3 starts at $68,900 under pre-tariff pricing. It has its own powertrain and suspension but otherwise is almost identical in looks and features to the dual-motor trims.
Standard features include 20-inch alloy wheels, panoramic glass roof, acoustic laminated windshield and rear window, auto-extending flush door handles, power rear liftgate with foot sensor, power adjustable and heated, auto-dimming, and folding frameless side mirrors. Inside are standard heated and power adjustable front seats with extendable thigh bolsters, ambient interior lighting, tri-zone heat-pump climate control, rear touchscreen for climate and seat heating controls, and a 10-speaker audio system.
If your regular driving conditions don’t require all wheel drive and you don’t mind taking a couple of seconds longer to hit 60 from a standing stop, the single-motor version makes a lot of sense.
The dual-motor Polestar 3 starts at $74,800. It includes all the single-motor variant’s standard features and adds more power, electronic all-wheel drive with torque vectoring, and air suspension with active dampers. The dual motor AWD with Performance Pack jumps to $80,800 and includes everything on the standard dual motor but adds a performance software upgrade that boosts horsepower and torque. It also gets 22-inch alloys with performance tires, special chassis tuning, and gold-color seatbelts, valve caps, and brake calipers.
The Plus Pack, priced at $5,500, adds a head-up display, power adjustable steering column, soft-close door mechanism, heated rear seats and steering wheel, heated windshield wiper blades, and a foldable rear cargo bay floor. Also provided is a 25-speaker Bowers & Wilkins audio system with surround sound, Dolby Atmos capability, and active road noise cancellation.
Available only with the Plus Pack at an additional $5,500 is a combination of animal welfare certified Nappa leather upholstery in three color choices and dark ash wood trim. The Performance Pack, at $6,000 and available only for the dual-motor variant, adds 22-inch alloy and performance tires, a software upgrade that boosts horsepower and torque, sport and performance tuned chassis, and gold-colored seatbelts, brake calipers, and valve caps. A $2,100 Pro Pack option for the single-motor and base dual-motor variants adds specially designed 21-inch wheels, gold-colored valve caps, and black seatbelts with a gold center stripe.
All Polestar 3 variants use a 111-kilowatt-hour battery pack (107 kWh usable capacity) installed under the floor in a so-called skateboard EV platform. For the single-motor version, the battery supplies a rear-mounted motor rated at 299 horsepower and 361 lb.-ft. of torque. Dual-motor variants get an additional motor for the front axle. Combined, they produce a total of 489 horsepower and 620 lb-ft torque. The Performance Pack boosts that to 517 hp and 671 lb-ft.
Polstar says the standard dual-motor version can zoom from zero to 60 mpg in 4.9 seconds. Adding the Performance Pack cuts that to 4.6 seconds – at a cost of $2,000 per tenth of a second. The single motor Polestar 3 get to 60 in a more leisurely but perfectly acceptable 7.5 seconds, per Polestar’s estimate.
In any configuration there’s a decent amount of power, which is good because the Long-Range Dual Motor Polestar 3 weighs in at more than 2.5 tons in its lightest configuration, and is just 120 pounds short of 3 tons at its heftiest. The single motor version is some 200 pounds lighter than the base dual-motor Polestar 3.
The single motor version gets steel coil springs, passive dampers, and a rear motor without torque vectoring. Steering calibration is also a little softer in the single motor model. In our test drive we found it to deliver a comfortable ride and compliant handling, but its suspension couldn’t compensate for rough roads and high-speed corners quite as well as the dual moor variants’ more sophisticated system.
Dual motor Polestar 3s get adaptive air suspension and a rear-biased, electronic all-wheel drive system with torque vectoring that lets the Polestar 3 put its power to the road quite effectively and sure-footedly. All versions get four-piston Brembo front brakes with single-piston Brembos in the rears and they handle the vehicle’s weight with aplomb. A one-pedal drive setting for the Polestar 3’s multi-stage regenerative braking reduces brake-foot fatigue in crowded traffic and can mimic a downshift when turning or carving up a twisty country road.
We didn’t find either version of the Polestar 3 to be unwieldly or unbalanced when tossed around mountain corners or while carving winding roads, but our preference was for the double-motor variants’ air springs and adaptive dampers.
The single motor Polestar 3 with optional 21-inch wheels and all-season tires is EPA-rated at up to 350 miles of range, dropping to 342 miles with the standard 20-inch tires and 333 miles with 22-inchers. Dual-motor versions are rated at 315 miles with 21-inch wheels, 310 miles with the standard 20-inch wheels, and 287 miles with 22-inch wheels.
Adding the performance pack gets up to 300 miles of range. The Performance pack with its standard 22-inch alloys and sticky performance tires drops the estimated range to 279 miles. While the smaller 20-inch tires should deliver less rolling resistance and thus more range than the 21-inchers, the 20-inch wheels are made of cast aluminum, which makes them heavier and thus slightly less energy efficient than the forged aluminum wheels used with the 21 inch rubber.
At a DC fast charger, the Polestar can replenish its battery pack at up to 250 kilowatts per hour, good for a 10 to 80 percent recharge in 30 minutes. For home charging, the Polestar, like its competitors, uses an 11 kW Level 2 charging system. With properly sized 240-volt equipment, the Polestar can take a battery from 10 to 100 percent in 11 hours. Both DC and Level 2 charging speeds are competitive in the segment.
Polestar 3 has a Scandinavian minimalist interior that would have been avant-garde had it been rolled out a few years ago, before the Hyundai Motor Group set the standard for modern minimalism with its Hyundai and Kia small crossover interiors.
In the Polestar 3, the dashboard is divided into a padded textile-covered upper section with a textured plastic or optional aluminum or wood-trimmed lower face, divided by a thin strip of LED lighting. The dash houses a 9-inch-wide digital driver information screen and a centrally mounted, vertically oriented 14.5-inch infotainment touchscreen that also serves as a control center for almost all vehicle settings and functions. The only physical switches and knobs are vehicle function and driver display control buttons – unlabeled - on the steering wheel, the shifter, and turn signal stalks on the steering column. A rotary controller for the audio system is located on the center console’s floating bridge.
Power-adjustable, sports-styled front bucket seats are set low to maximize headroom and are both supportive and comfortable. The 60/40 split rear seat sits higher than the front seats for improved lines of sight for rear occupants. The bench is divided into three molded seating positions, and while the middle position is narrow, there’s decent rear legroom even for center-seat occupants since below-floor batteries allow a flat floor with decent legroom.
The Polestar 3 has a small-for-the-segment primary cargo bay providing 17.1 cubic feet behinds the rear seats, which we’re told allows carrying along about 15 grocery bags or five airline carry-ons. In contrast, the BMW iX features more than twice the Polestar’s capacity at 35.5 cubic feet with the Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV offering 20 cubic feet. Things improve when the Polestar 3’s rear seat back is folded down as this boosts total interior cargo capacity to 49.8 cubic feet. That’s still the least of the competitive set, though, with the iX boasting 77.9 cubes of maximum interior cargo space that takes the lead.
There’s also a 1.1 cu.-ft. storage area, or “frunk,” under the hood. It’s not large enough to be of much use but will hold a portable charging cord that otherwise would take up open cargo space in the rear. Among likely competitors, the Audi Q8 e-tron has a 2.1-cu.-ft. frunk while the BMW iX and Mercedes EQE SUV do without.
Polestar says the “3” can haul up to 220 pounds on its roof and dual-motor versions can tow up to 3,500 pounds. That tow rating is adequate for a small utility trailer but comes in less than the 5,500 pound rating of the BMW iX or the 4,000 pound rating of the Audi Q8. The Mercedes isn’t tow-rated in the U.S. The single-moor Polestar 3 is rated to tow up to 2,000 pounds.
Polestar uses an Android Automotive operating system for its infotainment centers. We’ve found it to be one of the most user-friendly interfaces around, especially for those who prefer to use voice commands, which are executed in everyday language after a “Hey Google” wakeup call. The built-in Google Play Store makes downloading new apps to the system easy. There’s 5G connectivity available, along with Google Maps with a 3-year constant internet connectivity plan at no charge.
Connectivity is enhanced with four USB-C ports – two for each seating row – and a 120-volt outlet in the rear cargo bay. Wireless phone and Bluetooth phone connectivity are standard as are Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility. If there’s a drawback to the infotainment setup it’s that it is also control central for almost all vehicle adjustments and functions. This requires drivers who like to adjust drive modes, cabin temperature, and the like while underway to shift their eyes from road to screen far too often.
Audio is handled with a 10-speaker system. A 25-speaker Bowers & Wilkins sound system with Dolby Atmos surround sound and headrest speakers is an option. Three external speakers broadcast a warning tone at low speeds so that pedestrians, cyclists, and others can hear the otherwise silent EV as its draws near.
As a new model on a new platform, the Polestar 3 hasn’t yet been crash-tested by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) or the nonprofit Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). It has received a 5-star safety rating in the European NCAP crash test program.
Polestar 3 is equipped with an impressive array of advanced safety and driver assistance technologies, all integrated via a centralized computer running on software developed by Volvo Cars. The driver assistance and safety systems use a variety of imaging systems to monitor external surroundings and conditions, monitor driver alertness, and even report in-car movement to help prevent accidentally leaving pets or children in a parked car.
Standard safety and driver assist features on the 2025 Polestar 3 include front collision avoidance and mitigation with braking and steering assist, pedestrian and cyclist detection, blind spot and rear cross traffic alert, rear collision mitigation, and driver alertness monitoring. Adaptive cruise control featuring full stop-and-go functionality along with lane keeping and centering with lane departure warning are also standard fare.
The Polestar 3 stands out for its unfussy good looks, user-friendly operating interface, and sporty ride, though its cargo bay isn’t as useful as some because of the rearward sloping roofline.
We certainly hope Polestar’s challenges don’t prove fatal. It has lost money every year since it was spun off from Volvo, had to delay production of the 3 for almost a year because of software issues, and hasn’t yet managed to achieve widespread name recognition in the U.S. Still, its vehicles are world-class EVs and the Polestar 3 belongs on any premium performance SUV shopper’s must-test list.
An anti-EV narrative is emerging around battery electric vehicles in the U.S.: “the market is slowing” and “the EV tipping point is years away and may never arrive.”
Like many narratives, there’s an element of truth. EV sales aren’t increasing as quickly as a few years ago. And there are headwinds with the removal of some federal incentives that were pushing EV sales and charging infrastructure. But this misses a larger point we see in the McKinsey Center for Future Mobility’s annual Consumer Pulse survey. There is a lot of strength in the EV market, especially if you include transition vehicles like plug-in hybrids and extended-range EVs (EREVs).
What do the sales say? In the first quarter of 2025, automakers sold 374,841 electric vehicles in the U.S., including battery-electric vehicles (BEVs), plug-in hybrid (PHEV), and fuel-cell electric vehicles. That was 9.6 percent of the overall light-vehicle market. The two quarters before that, EV sales eclipsed 10 percent of the market. Year over year, EV sales increased by 9 percent, compared with a 5.6 percent for overall car sales.
This was a slower increase than the last few years, to be sure. In 2021, the EV market nearly doubled. In 2022 and 2023, it grew by 62 percent and 35 percent. On the other hand, just five years ago, EV market share was 2 percent. Now it’s 10 percent.
There are headwinds. U.S. automakers continue to struggle with making EVs profitable. Consumer EV subsidies will end Sept. 30. In the short term, we’re seeing a bump in sales as consumers who were on the fence rush to buy before the deadline. Over the longer term, there is going to be far less government support and funding for public infrastructure. That’s a challenge, but it also may make it more straightforward for private investors. Improving availability and reliability of public chargers will be up to them alone.
Yet, even with the US slowdown, the International Energy Agency predicts EVs will account for 40 percent of global auto sales by 2040, versus 20 percent in 2024. As longtime auto journalist Mike Colias says in his new book, “InEVitable: Inside the Messy, Unstoppable Transition to Electric Vehicles,” the forces pushing legacy automakers toward electrification – Tesla and the Chinese – aren’t letting up.
“As messy as the EV story is today, automakers can’t afford to rip up their EV strategies,” Colias says.
Perhaps the biggest determinant if EV momentum will see a resurgence is the availability of much more affordable EVs (like we see e.g., in China). Given the still high battery cost this is difficult, and with the subsidies going away that challenge just got bigger.
An important question is what’s next? Will the electric vehicle market forever be a niche, or is slowing sales growth a mere bump in the road?
According to our models, the U.S. policy changes will slow down rather than stop the shift to electric vehicles. We think the adoption curve could be pushed out by five years or more. Recent regulatory changes also give U.S. automakers more time to get EVs profitable and more powertrain flexibility to focus on hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and extended-range EVs. They will need to be adaptable, and they will need to spread capital investments across multiple electrified powertrains with flexible platforms.
The McKinsey Consumer Pulse survey, which hails from our Center for Future Mobility, has some other important information for the industry trying to adapt to the new landscape. We have been polling consumers going back to 2016 to measure how attitudes are changing each year. This year’s survey included about 26,000 car owners around the world. What we’re seeing should give confidence to those who are rooting for more electrification.
First, there’s not a lot of backsliding among people who actually own BEVs. More than three-fourths of BEV owners say their next car will be battery-electric. Of the 24 percent who say they’ll switch, 5 of 8 say they’ll go with a plug-in hybrid, not gasoline. Only 1 percent say they’ll never go back to electric.
Second, while the growth of the overall EV market is slowing in the U.S., results vary widely by region. In California, Washington and Oregon – states where there have been major investments in infrastructure – EV adoption rates are on par with Europe. Other states on the East and West Coasts are seeing much more rapid EV adoption. For example, 19 percent of Maryland vehicle owners say their next car will be a BEV, even though the electric-vehicle market share is just north of 12 percent today.
By contrast, there are some states with a larger rural population mix where fewer than 4 percent of consumers say their next vehicle will run on batteries alone. This underscores the huge difference between urban, suburban, and rural consumers. Overall in U.S. urban areas, 51 percent say their next vehicle will be BEV or PHEV. In rural areas, it’s 18 percent.
A third differentiator is age. The younger the consumers, the more likely they will shift to electric soon. For Gen Z, 47 percent say they’ll buy a BEV or PHEV next. For Millennials, it’s 45 percent. It drops to 22 percent for Generation X and 21 percent for the Baby Boomers.
The most important finding may be the role that PHEVs are playing in the electric transition. Because of their smaller battery packs, they’re cheaper than BEVs. And since they run on gasoline when their EV-only miles are used up, there’s no range anxiety. But this taste of battery power acts like a gateway drug. Once they realize battery power can meet most of their needs, they keep going. Households that were holding onto a second, gasoline-powered car are ready to give it up for their next vehicle.
Another class of vehicle that may serve as a bridge is known as an extended-range EV, or EREV. These are similar to PHEVs, but instead of having an engine that can put the vehicle in motion, an EREV’s gas engine serves only as a generator to charge the battery pack. EREVs like the Ramcharger are coming to the U.S., with more electric-only range and total driving range than a typical PHEV. In China, where they’re more common, twice as many consumers say their next vehicle will be an EREV than say they’ll buy a conventional gas-powered vehicle.
The biggest determinant of EV sales over the long term will depend on the availability of much more affordable electric vehicles, the kind that are available in China today. For now, U.S. automakers will breathe a sigh of relief, gaining several years, and at least one product cycle more, to make EVs more profitable. They also know there is increasing risk of falling further behind Chinese OEMs who now sell more than 50 percent ‘new energy vehicles’ domestically and are building massive capacity for global EV exports with high tech content per vehicle at affordable prices.
What’s the bottom line? The full picture isn’t one of a stagnant U.S. market. It’s one of a market that is changing in significant ways. Key states and regions are already at the tipping point for EVs while others will continue to be slow to adopt. Important demographics like urban and young consumers are going electric. If PHEVs and EREVs become more common, that taste of electrification may accelerate changing attitudes and expectations.
Beyond the market slowdown and the removal of incentives, we can see signs of continued movement toward hybridization and electrification. It confirms what we have long known: consumers still have plenty of voice in the market’s actions.
Philipp Kampshoff is a senior partner and global co-leader of McKinsey’s Automotive & Assembly practice, based in Houston, and Patrick Hertzke is a partner and co-leader of McKinsey’s Center for Future Mobility, based in Boston.
The electric vehicle (EV) industry is no longer emerging – it’s a global race. You don’t need headlines to see the electric revolution underway; you just need to look around. From quiet electric lawnmowers to battery-powered tools and sleek EVs in driveways, electrification is here, and it’s being driven by real consumer choice – not just regulations.
Electric technologies are more efficient, quieter, and cleaner. But full-scale electrification still faces major hurdles, especially in how we power EVs and manage that power once it’s onboard. At the heart of this transformation is the challenge of managing energy on both sides of the plug: from the grid to the vehicle, and from the battery to the wheels.
This is where Eaton excels. With over a century of experience managing electrical and mechanical power, Eaton brings a unique, system-level perspective to electrification, delivering smarter solutions for both infrastructuring and vehicle architecture.
Before an EV can drive a mile, its power must travel through a complex web of electrical infrastructure. The real bottleneck to deploying EV charging at homes, businesses, and public sites isn’t hardware, it’s ensuring the grid can handle the added load.
Eaton’s Electrical Sector has long powered critical infrastructure like hospitals and data centers. Today, that same expertise is helping to scale EV charging networks. From circuit breakers and switchgear to UPS systems and advanced metering, Eaton’s portfolio ensures that power can be delivered safely, reliably, and efficiently.
To simplify deployment, Eaton partnered with ChargePoint, combining chargers, power distribution gear, and engineering services into a single solution. This streamlines electrification for businesses and municipalities.
Looking ahead, Eaton and ChargePoint are also developing bidirectional charging and vehicle-to-everything (V2X) capabilities. These technologies will allow EVs to feed power back to homes or the grid, turning vehicles into mobile energy assets.
Managing energy doesn’t stop at the charging cable. Inside the vehicle, power must be used wisely to maximize range, performance, and safety. Eaton’s Mobility Group brings decades of experience in vehicle power electronics, safety systems, and drivetrains to meet this challenge.
One example is Eaton’s Battery Disconnect Unit with Breaktor protection, which integrates the functions of fuses, contactors, and pyro switches into a single, compact device. This innovation enhances safety by enabling ultra-fast fault isolation while reducing the number of components – making electric vehicles lighter, more efficient, and more reliable.
Another innovation is the Battery Configuration Switch (BCS), developed with Munich Electrification. It allows EVs to seamlessly switch between 400-volt and 800-volt charging systems without compromising performance, improving both compatibility and reliability.
One of the most overlooked challenges in EV design – especially for commercial vehicles – is drivetrain performance. Traditional direct-drive EV systems struggle with acceleration, high-speed efficiency, and gradeability, especially when carrying heavy loads.
Eaton solves this with a portfolio of EV transmissions purpose-built to improve torque, efficiency, and flexibility across light-, medium-, and heavy-duty commercial vehicle platforms.
Its heavy-duty 4-speed EV transmission, recognized as a 2024 Automotive News PACEpilot Innovation to Watch, delivers smooth launches on 30 percent grades and maintains highway speeds on inclines as steep as 7 percent. The transmission leverages a proven layshaft architecture – common in automated manual transmissions (AMTs) – but reengineered for EVs. Without a clutch, gear shifts are synchronized by the traction motor, resulting in greater efficiency and seamless performance.
Medium-duty EVs benefit from 4- and 6-speed variants that have logged over 2 billion real-world miles. Their lightweight countershaft design and electric gear actuation allow for smaller, more efficient motors – reducing battery size and improving range.
Also, part of the lineup is Eaton’s ultra-compact 4-speed transmission, which delivers exceptional torque density, more payload capacity, extended range, and added space for battery packaging. This design makes it easier for OEMs to tailor powertrains to their specific duty cycles.
Together, these EV transmissions help overcome the limitations of direct-drive systems, providing diesel-like performance while improving acceleration, climbing ability, and highway cruising efficiency. This matters in real-world applications where every percent of efficiency and every pound of payload makes a difference.
In EVs, even the smallest components can have an outsized impact on performance. Eaton continues to lead in terminals and connectors that maximize conductivity and minimize heat loss. Products like high-power lock box terminals and RigiFlex busbars ensure efficient power flow to critical subsystems – from infotainment and climate control to traction motors and braking.
These components support flexible vehicle architectures, enabling OEMs to customize designs while maintaining safety and performance.
Reliability is critical, especially in crash scenarios. Eaton’s dual-trigger pyro fuses act like airbags for the electrical system, disconnecting power instantly in the event of a crash. Combined with Breaktor technology and Bussmann EV fuses, Eaton offers a full spectrum of circuit protection tailored to evolving EV requirements.
These systems help EVs meet the toughest safety standards without adding unnecessary weight or complexity – an essential balance for today’s high-performance electric vehicles.
What sets Eaton apart isn’t just one standout product, it’s the company’s ability to manage power from the transformer to the transmission. The Electrical Sector ensures grid readiness and smart infrastructure. The Mobility Group ensures vehicles are equipped to use that power safely and efficiently.
Few companies have the breadth and depth to support the entire EV power journey. Fewer still have done so with the legacy of safety, innovation, and sustainability that Eaton brings to every product it builds.
Electrification is no longer a dream – it’s happening. But to reach its full potential, the industry needs partners who understand how to connect every dot in the power ecosystem. Eaton manages both sides of the plug, and that may be exactly what the EV industry needs to bridge the gap between promise and progress.
Mike Froehlich is Global Vice President of Engineering-eMobility at Eaton., an intelligent power management company that makes products for the mobility, utility, industrial, aerospace, and other markets.
As we stand at the threshold of transportation's electric future, there's an uncomfortable truth we must confront: the very infrastructure that supported EV adoption's early phase is now poised to become its greatest limitation. Global EV sales are set to capture 20 percent of the market this year, with projections showing this could exceed 60 percent by the mid-2030s. In the United States alone, the electric fleet is expected to grow from approximately 5 million vehicles today to between 26-27 million by 2030, according to analyses from both Edison Electric Institute and PwC, eventually reaching a staggering 92 million by 2040. But beneath these impressive growth curves lies a critical vulnerability few are discussing – our charging infrastructure is fundamentally misaligned with the coming wave of mass-market adoption.
The revolution that began with early adopters choosing EVs for environmental and technological reasons is now evolving into a mass-market transformation. But there's a critical disconnect between this projected growth and our ability to support it. The EV revolution will move at the speed of its infrastructure. Without a fundamental shift in charging architecture, we'll hit that wall where EVs are increasingly popular but increasingly difficult to charge.
Current charging solutions were designed for yesterday's EV market – a market characterized by limited demand and modest infrastructure requirements. These systems typically scale to just eight charging points per power cabinet, require disproportionate grid upgrades for expansion, and can't efficiently serve the growing diversity of vehicles from compact cars to commercial trucks.
This creates a three-fold problem:
For years, the industry has engaged in marketing increasingly powerful chargers as the primary metric of innovation. That era is ending. The new competitive battleground will be intelligent power distribution: getting the right amount of power to the right vehicle at the right time – every time! This shift represents charging infrastructure's evolution from a relatively simple fueling model to a sophisticated energy management system that maximizes throughput and return on investment.
When one vehicle needs 50kW and another needs 250kW, the infrastructure should seamlessly accommodate both without overprovisioning or underserving either. This capability – dynamic power allocation based on real-time demand – marks the difference between yesterday's charging paradigm and tomorrow's.
These limitations aren't merely technical challenges. They create practical and economic barriers that threaten to derail the EV transition:
Without a fundamental shift in charging architecture, we face a future where EVs become increasingly popular but increasingly difficult to charge. The market could stall precisely when it should be accelerating.
After over a decade pioneering DC fast charging technology, we at Tritium recognized this fundamental challenge requires more than incremental improvements. It demands a complete reimagining of charging architecture.
"Today marks a paradigm shift in EV charging infrastructure," I noted during our unveiling of TRI-FLEX at ACT Expo 2025. "TRI-FLEX is not just an incremental improvement but a fundamental reimagining of distributed charging architecture designed to scale efficiently at the speed of coming demand in the market."
The core innovation is what we call ultra-scaling distributed architecture – a revolutionary approach that enables unprecedented flexibility and scalability:
The architecture fundamentally changes how we think about scaling charging infrastructure: "Think of traditional charging like having separate water heaters for every shower in your house – inefficient, expensive, and difficult to scale," as I explained to industry analysts. "TRI-FLEX is like one smart water heater serving many showers simultaneously, giving each precisely the temperature and pressure it needs."
This isn't just a technological advancement – it's an economic breakthrough that transforms the financial equation for charging infrastructure deployment:
For drivers, this means the near elimination of "the last vestiges of range anxiety." Going forward, the biggest pain point won't be vehicle range – it will be finding available chargers when and where you need them. TRI-FLEX changes that equation by allowing for fast, cost-effective scaling of EV charging locations that can keep up with accelerating demand.
The coming EV surge – growing from today's early adoption phase to projected fleets of 27 million by 2030 and 92 million by 2040 in the U.S. alone – requires infrastructure that can scale without bounds, optimize without waste, and adapt without replacement.
Ultra-scaling distributed architecture isn't just an option for the future of charging – it's an imperative if we want to remove the final barrier between early adoption and mainstream electrification. Without this evolution, we risk creating the very bottleneck that could stall the EV revolution.
For operators, the choice is clear: continue with architectures designed for yesterday's market or embrace solutions that align with tomorrow's demand. The stakes couldn't be higher – not just for individual businesses but for the entire transition to sustainable transportation. The EV revolution needs infrastructure that can move at the speed of its ambition. That infrastructure begins with ultra-scaling distributed architecture.
Arcady Sosinov is the CEO of Tritium, a global leader in DC fast chargers for electric vehicles.
The march toward electrification is still moving forward, even if the momentum has slowed in recent months. One key reason the positive push remains is the devoted legion of EV owners. This group has taken the plunge to go electric and they’re going to keep buying EVs well into the future.
For the second year in a row, CDK – one of the largest software suppliers to car dealers and automakers – surveyed hundreds of EV owners to better understand their day-to-day lives with the technology and their attitudes toward it. Four out of five (82 percent) owners say they’ll buy another EV in the future, a significant number that suggests a solid future for EV sales.
Nevertheless, 69 percent of owners say they’ll “always” own a gas or hybrid car along with an EV. This suggests they believe there are specific limitations to the technology and are hedging their bets. However, this contradicts many of the study’s findings that illustrate just how much owners utilize their EVs in all driving scenarios as well as a passion for the vehicles themselves.
In the 2024 study, the love for EVs was off the charts. This year, the numbers across the board feel less enthusiastic even though they’re still quite high. For example, when asked if they were happy with their purchase, 93 percent of EV owners last year said yes. In 2025, the number fell to a still healthy 86 percent. Does this mean the glow is fading? Perhaps.
But one significant change made to the CDK study makeup may have indirectly altered the results. Last year, CDK ensured half of the respondents were Tesla owners, reflecting the market share at the time. This year, noting the inroads of traditional automakers in the EV space and Tesla’s diminishing market share, the Tesla owner makeup is closer to a quarter of the respondents.
And Tesla owners are more enthusiastic about their car than other EV owners. Take those two factors and you get a pretty solid explanation for the lower overall results for owner satisfaction. Still, 68 percent of non-Tesla owners said their EV was the best car they’d ever owned, and 65 percent said it was the best car they’d ever driven. Tesla owners in comparison ranked those at 75 percent and 71 percent, respectively. The survey took place between the 2024 presidential election and 2025 presidential inauguration, so Elon Musk’s political leanings were well publicized over this period.
Each year new EVs improve and evolve with most delivering well over 200 miles of range. Nearly every new EV sold in California (the country’s largest EV market) had more than 200 miles of range in 2024. Three-quarters (76 percent) of respondents in the CDK study said their EVs had 350 miles of range or more. And that number was negatively impacted compared to the year before because of the lower number of Tesla owners because Teslas generally have ranges higher than 250 miles.
Still, these higher numbers had a big impact on charging behavior. Extensive range meant less people charged every day, falling from 38 percent last year to 34 percent this year. And the number who charge every third day grew from 20 percent to 23 percent.
Less EV owners are installing Level 2 chargers in their homes as well, falling from 76 percent last year to 63 percent this year. Nearly half (46 percent) said it was a “hassle” to deal with a charger, up from 36 percent last year. Of those without a home charger, 82 percent said they charge at a public charging network. Only 9 percent of these owners said they charge at work.
Longer range and faster charging time is improving the road trip experience as well. Almost half (45 percent) of EV owners said they faced no problems on long-distance trips in terms of charging or reaching their destination. The most common issue – with nearly a quarter of Tesla and non-Tesla owners – was occupied charging stations and having to wait. And road trips are getting longer. The number of owners who took road trips 750 miles or more grew from 18 percent to 27 percent
The debate on future EV sales often centers around the current tax incentives for both new and used EVs, which are likely to disappear by year-end. While this may significantly impact sales, especially EV lease transactions, most EV owners said tax incentives had little impact on their overall decision to go electric.
Just 7 percent of owners said the tax incentive was the top motivator to purchase an EV. The main motivation was cost efficiency with environmental impact second. More than three-quarters (76 percent) of owners said they saved money by driving an EV.
The future sales success of EVs may be in doubt with shifting economic and political winds, but by listening to owners, it’s apparent there will be a steady base of future buyers. Increasing range, additional models entering the EV market, and more infrastructure investments (private and public) should bolster the technology’s success as well. The biggest question on everyone’s mind is: Just how quickly will EV market share grow?
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.
An all-new generation Nissan LEAF is coming, morphing into a crossover electric vehicle that better fits the needs of today’s market. This new move by Nissan signals the rebirth of an iconic EV model that once pushed the boundaries of electrification as California was imposing its Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate on an unprepared auto industry. There was no shortage of EV concepts and prototypes during this time, and of course GM fielded its relatively short-lived, limited-production EV1 electric car. But it was Nissan that caught everyone’s attention with its LEAF prototype and then the unveiling of the production model that Green Car Journal viewed in Japan. Following that, the 2010 model Nissan LEAF emerged as a stylish electric car that embodied Nissan’s view of the future. This article pulled from Green Car Journal’s extensive archives is presented just as it ran 16 years ago to share just what a breakthrough this early EV was for enthusiasts and the auto industry.
Excerpted from Fall 2009 issue: The Nissan LEAF electric car coming to showrooms in 2010 promises a new chapter in battery electric driving that got a good start in the 1990s, but was dramatically sidetracked by serious political squabbling and economic realities. What we have here is an electric car being brought to market driven by business case rather than regulatory fiat, and the difference in approach means everything.
Here’s a major automaker not only ready to bring a new from-the-ground-up electric car to U.S. highways, but also apparently quite eager to do so. It has created a stylish and sporty car to wrap around intelligent electronics, a smart battery design, and an overall driving experience that will be appreciated by wide-ranging new car buyers … not just electric car enthusiasts. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. First, there’s a story to tell.
Nissan has always been somewhat of a wild card amid its Japanese competitors in the U.S. market, primarily Honda and Toyota. Toyota is a juggernaut with the leading eco-vehicle on the market – the Prius – plus lots of Toyota and Lexus hybrid models and sheer numbers in its favor. Being large has its advantages. Honda is innovative and agile, with an environmental focus that runs deep and a willingness to embrace imperatives like fuel economy, alternative fuels, and low emissions long before they’re in vogue.
And Nissan? Well, the automaker has never been considered a front-runner in the environmental arena. It has but a single gasoline-electric hybrid in the U.S. and this model, the Altima Hybrid, was late in coming … an interesting turn of events since Nissan has been developing hybrid technology for quite some time. Simply, Nissan’s leadership didn’t see the business case for hybrids early on, although this was remedied when it became apparent that a hybrid model was pretty much a necessity.
As a result, it has been easy to appreciate Nissan for its many exceptional models and the overall quality of its products. But is has been just as easy for some to discount Nissan as a serious contender in the ‘green car’ field. That assessment would be a mistake.
Nissan’s Altima Hybrid deserves more attention than it gets. It’s true to the brand: stylish, sporty, and offers snappy performance. Car enthusiasts who drive competitive mid-level hybrids and don’t feel a connection should drive an Altima Hybrid before moving on. It can be surprising.
Over the years, Nissan has tested M85 methanol flexible-fuel vehicles (FFVs) on American highways, introduced several E85 ethanol FFVs to its product lineup, and showcased many electric and hydrogen concepts and demonstrators. While many automakers get well-deserved kudos for offering models powered by near-zero emission gasoline engines, it was Nissan that first introduced this groundbreaking technology in its 2000 model Sentra CA sedan. Nissan was also the only major automaker to feature forward-looking lithium-ion battery technology in its Altra EV minivan that was test marketed in the 1990s. All other automakers’ electric cars of the era used nickel-metal-hydride or advanced lead-acid batteries.
This willingness to step out and get ahead of the curve brings us to an interesting new phase in Nissan’s ‘green’ evolution – its coming LEAF battery electric car. At a time when the number of gasoline-electric hybrid models is growing and plug-in hybrids are of increasing focus, Nissan is aiming to be the electric car leader by introducing an all-new model that’s not only technologically advanced, but affordable for the masses as well. That’s something that nobody has been able to pull off.
One of the secrets of this affordability is Nissan’s potential strategy to decouple battery cost from the price of the vehicle. While this isn’t yet a sure thing and various scenarios are being examined, the fundamental plan being explored is that the most cost prohibitive part of an electric car -- expensive lithium-ion batteries – is removed from the equation. You buy the car but separately lease the batteries at a monthly cost that’s presumably less than you would pay for gas. So, you get an advanced electric car that operates at pennies per mile, uses no fossil fuels, or produces any emissions that contribute to air pollution and, presumably, climate change. And it doesn’t cost you any more to own and operate than a comparable gasoline model.
Green Car Journal traveled to Yokohama, Japan to drive a Nissan Versa (known as the Tilda there) outfitted with the LEAF’s advanced electric powertrain, and we sure didn’t come away disappointed. To place this in context, Green Car Journal editors have driven all the electric vehicle models that were test marketed by the major automakers in the 1990s, spent a year behind the wheel of GM’s EV1, and also drove many developmental electric vehicles on test tracks over the past two decades. It takes a lot to impress us. And we are, we must admit, impressed.
Our time behind the wheel of this electrified Nissan test mule left a strong impression that Nissan really has something here. The drive was sporty and largely indistinguishable from driving a conventional gasoline model. That’s a good thing, since any time you can drive an advanced vehicle running on unconventional power and it seems normal, well … mission accomplished. Acceleration was brisk because, after all, its 107 hp (80kW) electric motor delivers 100 percent of its 206 lb-ft torque from zero mph. Steering feel, handling, and braking were spot on. Nothing seems to have been sacrificed on the road to a zero emission future.
There are some givens when driving any electric car, and time piloting this Nissan example presented no exception. There’s the unmistakable lack of all noise associated with internal combustion, with the absence of these familiar cues replaced with the sound of tires contacting the pavement and wind rushing past the windshield. It gets your attention at first, but take it from a long-time electric car driver – it fades away after a short time and becomes the new ‘normal.’
Besides the seamless way in which this electric Nissan performed during our test drive, what’s most impressive about Nissan’s new electric car program is its innovative use of multiple stacks of laminated compact battery modules integrated beneath the floor. These lithium-ion batteries can be readily configured in ways that accommodate the needs of different vehicle platforms. Yes, we’re thinking future models beyond Nissan’s purpose-built LEAF electric hatch. In the LEAF, Nissan says these batteries provide a real-world 100 mile driving range. More modules could conceivably provide that same kind of range in a larger sedan or crossover.
Also impressive is Nissan’s innovative use of sophisticated electronics that integrates with popular electronic devices. The LEAF’s advanced IT system connects to a 24 hour global data center that provides information, entertainment, and driver support. A monitor displays available charging stations and a ‘reachable area’ based on remaining power. Cellphones can be used to set charging times, communicate with the vehicle to determine when charging is done, and even remotely set the air conditioner to pre-cool the interior before getting in to drive.
Nissan’s coming electric LEAF, with its pleasing design that blends sharp and curvaceous lines and a suite of far-reaching advanced technologies, represents a brilliant addition to the Nissan product line. It reflects an intuitive knowledge of what consumers want and a willingness to lead … really lead. And it also shows that Nissan has its finger on the pulse of the market.
Sure, it’s a risk to go so boldly into the electric realm, designing an innovative and cutting-edge compact car based solely on electric drive. Considering the competitive nature of the automotive field and the pace at which Nissan is shepherding this electric model to market, it’s a logical gamble that could pay off in a very big way. The electric LEAF may well be the vehicle that moves Nissan beyond the considerable environmental shadow cast by competitors Toyota and Honda, presenting the kind of leapfrog opportunity that comes rarely and offers a finite window. No doubt, Nissan's leadership is hoping this is so and appears poised to make that leap.
Nissan was first out of the gate with a mass-market EV, the 2011 LEAF, but it took a dozen years for the automaker to pop out a second all-electric model. By the time the Nissan Ariya was introduced in 2023 it already trailed some of the competition in range and handling performance. That doesn’t change for 2025. The Nissan Ariya remains a fantastic improvement and step up from the Leaf, but except for its interior, it doesn’t stand out in the sea of compact electric crossovers and SUVs that EV shoppers can now choose from.
As a longtime Nissan EV driver – having leased a 2011 LEAF when they first came out and then later purchasing a 2018 LEAF – we waited anxiously for the carmaker to bring out the Ariya. We were impressed with its looks and features after viewing the new EV just prior to its on-sale date in the U.S.
It took a while after that to get into one, but we finally did and spent a week with the top-of-the-line, dual-motor, all-wheel drive Ariya Platinum. We found it to be a well-balanced EV with a quiet and comfortable ride, refined exterior design, outstanding interior, a long list of standard features, and top-notch driver assist and safety tech. But it proved to be only middle-of-the-road when it came to driving characteristics.
The Ariya doesn’t qualify for the buyer’s federal tax credit that can lop $7,500 off the price of competitive EVs from Chevrolet, Cadillac, Honda, Kia, and Tesla that do qualify. But Nissan often offers buyers cash rebates to make up some, or even all, of the difference. And those who lease can get the credit because of an IRS ruling exempting leased EVs from the credit’s “made in North America” requirement.
While the base Ariya trim has a barely adequate range of just 216 miles (205 miles with all-wheel drive), higher trims use a much larger battery and offer lots more range – up to 289 miles with front-drive and 272 with electronic all-wheel drive. However, there are other small electric crossovers, such as the Chevrolet Equinox EV and Kia EV6, that offer more power or more range – sometimes more of both – for less cost. At the top of the trim tree, Cadillac’s new all-wheel drive Optiq electric SUV outdoes the Ariya Platinum+ AWD in range and is its equal in interior quality and fittings.
Still, if winning slaloms and topping the 300-mile mark on range or the 3-second mark for 0-60 mph acceleration aren’t at the top of your list of musts, the 2025 Nissan Ariya is certainly worth a look.
Boding well for Ariya is that the nearly identical 2023 model has been named a top choice for used EV buyers by Recurrent, a company that tracks EV battery health, sales, and pricing. It earned this distinction because of its advanced driver assistance and safety technologies, retained value, and strong performance in cold climates. Because the Ariya hasn’t changed mechanically – or much in any way – from 2023 (except lower starting prices for each trim), Recurrent’s real-world report on two-year-old models is good news for shoppers considering the 2025 Ariya.
The Ariya uses an EV-exclusive platform from Nissan that enables a longer wheelbase and more interior space. By packaging the batteries under the floor, the platform gets rid of transmission tunnels and permits interiors with flat floors. Removing the internal combustion engine allows designers to shorten hoods and rethink front fascia, which no longer need open grilles to gulp air for the engine.
While we tested a 2024 Ariya, the 2025 models are identical. The only new features are that wireless phone charging is now standard in all trims and 2025 models built since the start of the year have the Tesla Supercharger-compatible NACS charging port as standard equipment. Models made before that date have the CCS port that requires a $235 accessory adapter to make use of Tesla chargers.
Nissan also dropped the Venture and Empower trims for 2025, winnowing the Ariya ‘family’ to a choice of four trims that include two battery sizes and two powertrain choices.
Nissin starts the Ariya lineup with a small battery-version, the Engage, followed by the Engage+, Evolve+, and Platinum. The first two can be had with front drive or, for a $4,000 upcharge, dual motor electric all-wheel drive that boosts power and range. The last two are dual motor AWD only that Nissan calls it e-4ORCE, because…why not?
The Ariya in base Engage trim starts at $41,160 including the $1,390 destination charge. It comes with front-wheel drive and a 66 kWh battery (63 kWh usable), 19-inch alloys with all-season rubber, and LED headlamps. Inside, there’s a head-up display, heated steering wheel and front seats, an eight-way power adjustable driver seat with memory, six-speaker stereo system, wireless Apple Car Play and wired Android Auto connectivity, wireless phone charger, and in-dash navigation. The all-wheel drive Engage variant starts at $45,160 and adds a beefier dual motor, electronic all-wheel drive system, and a sliding center console.
Evolve+ trim is priced at $45,760 for front-wheel drive. It has a 91 kWh battery (87 kWh usable) for more range and power, and adds to the base model’s standard features with items such as a panoramic moonroof, rain-sensing windshield wipers, 360-degree camera and monitor, eight-way power-adjustable front passenger seat, and a stow-away table in the sliding front console, The all-wheel drive version of the Evolve+ starts at $49,760 and adds the dual-motor e-4ORCE AWD system and a powered rear liftgate.
Engage+ e-4ORCE starts at $46,760 and adds the 91 kWh battery and larger front disc brakes to the base Engage AWD package. Stepping up to Platinum+ e-4ORCE, the top trim in the Ariya lineup, brings a near-luxury class price of $55,760. It has all the features of the Evolve+ AWD and adds a 9-speaker Bose audio system, Nappa leather upholstery, power tilt and telescoping steering column, position memory for exterior side mirrors, a hand-free power rear liftgate, and LED fog lamps. A version with 20-inch wheels is priced the same.
The base Engage with front drive gets a single 160 kW motor on the front axle and is rated at 214 horsepower and 221 lb-ft torque. EPA estimated range is 216 miles. The AWD Engage e-4ORCE gets motors on each axle with a combined output rating of 335 hp, 413 lb-ft torque, and an EPA range estimate of 205 miles.
Range and power for the big-battery variants differ depending on trim level and drive type. The front-drive Evolve+ gets a single 178 kW motor rated at 238 hp and 221 lb-ft torque. EPA estimates range for the front-drive Evolve+ at 289 miles. The all-wheel drive Engage+ e-4ORCE is rated at 335 hp and 413 lb-ft torque. Evolve+ and Platinum+ e-4ORCE versions get dual-motor systems featuring 389 horsepower and 442 lb-ft torque. EPA range estimates are 272 miles for the Engage+ and Evolve+ with AWD. The Platinum+ has more features and is heaver, so its range drops to 267 miles, or 257 miles with 20-inch wheels and tires.
Both of the base Engage variants (without the “+”) use liquid-cooled, 66 kWh battery packs that can recharge from 80 percent depleted to 80 percent full in 35 minutes on a DC fast-charger rated at 135 kW, and in 65 minutes at 50 kW. For home charging on 240-volt Level 2 equipment, the Ariya has a 7.2 kW on-board charger that needs 10.5 hours to fully replenish an empty 66 kWh battery. All other 2025 Nissan Ariya trims and variants get a liquid-cooled 91 kWh battery. Charging at DC fast charge systems is a bit slower versus the base Engage because the battery has almost 50 percent more capacity. Per Nissan, it takes 40 minutes at 135 kW and 90 minutes at 50 kW. Home charging takes 14 hours with the larger battery if starting from a fully discharged state.
We found the Ariya range estimates to be fairly accurate. On a 232 mile trip in the Platinum+ e-4ORCE with 20-inch wheels, we lost just 11 percent – 28 miles – of the EPA-estimated 257 miles of range. The trip included 183 miles of freeway driving and 49 miles of city and country roads. Overall energy consumption worked out to 36.4 kWh per 100 miles, or 2.75 miles per kWh.
The Ariya’s interior is one of the best at the non-luxury level, with a modern minimalist look, quality fittings, and, in upper trims, interesting ambient lighting that pops from laser-cut screening in the foot wells and along the upper door panels. The center console has backlit touch controls for drive and regenerative modes. There’s a metal trim bar that runs the width of the lower dash with matching trim on the console. The bar is lighted and, in models with the advanced ProPilot 2.0 driver assistance system, changes colors to communicate various driving modes. There are dual glove boxes but no center console storage on lower trims, while upper trims get a center console storage compartment and a roomy locking storage drawer that slides out of the lower dash panel.
Seat upholstery is leatherette (vinyl) on all but the Platinum trim, which gets Nappa leather. Seats are supportive and nicely padded front and back, with adequate adjustments for the driver and front passenger seats. The Ariya is near the top of its price class in headroom and front legroom. Even in back, where it trails competitors by an inch or more, the flat floor opens up room others don’t have and gives passengers room to sprawl a bit. All trims get power-adjustable driver’s seats while the two top trims also get power-adjustable front passenger seats.
A pair of 12.3-inch, horizontally-oriented screens pop up from a padded dash that is otherwise nearly barren of visible knobs and switches. A volume knob for the stereo sits at the bottom center of the infotainment screen. A row of backlit, touch-sensitive switches for the climate control system is hidden under a woodgrain trim strip along the dash bottom.
Most functions are controlled via the center-mounted infotainment touchscreen or by touch controls on the flat-bottomed steering wheel. The other 12.3-inch screen, mounted behind the wheel, serves as a digital instrument panel and delivers information the driver needs to know. The center console stops short of the dash and there’s no center stack. Nissan did a good job of sound attenuation and while some wind noise does get through, the cabin is very quiet even at high speeds.
Ariya offers 27.9 cubic-feet of storage space behind the rear seats. Flip the 60/40 split rear seats down and that grows to almost 60 cubic feet. The ‘crossover coupe’ shape (think BMW X6) helps the Ariya’s looks but eats into cargo space just a bit, although it remains very competitive in the segment with slightly more cargo space than the Kia EV6, Honda Prologue, Chevrolet Equinox EV, and Cadillac Optiq.
The two top Ariya trims are rated to tow up to 1,500 pounds. That capability fits the needs of those needing to tow items such as a small utility trailer, a jet ski, or a small sailboat.
We tested the Platinum+ e-4ORCE and found it to be comfortable, quiet, and pleasant to drive. It exhibited sprightly acceleration, though without the stomach-dropping kick many EVs offer when the accelerator is jammed to the floor. Nissan claims a 5.0-second time for a 0 to 60 mph sprint in the 389 hp Ariya variants, and that’s about what we experienced. Drop down to the entry-level Engage, though, and acceleration gets a bit sluggish for an EV at 7.5-seconds for that same 0-60 run.
The 2025 Nissan Ariya boasts a low center of gravity and in AWD versions a 50:50 weight balance, but it still isn’t a sports car (the Platinum trim weighs in at 5,057 pounds). Ariya doesn’t like to be pushed hard into corners and offers little in the way of steering feedback. Overall, it’s best suited to highway cruising and leisurely sight-seeing drives in the mountains and on winding country roads. There is a high-performance NISMO edition with a re-tuned chassis and 429 horsepower available in Japan and Europe, so the car’s handling and power delivery can be improved. That variant costs about $5,000 more than the top-spec Platinum+e-4ORCE in Japan and there are no plans at present to bring it to the U.S.
Nissan’s ProPilot suite of driver assistance and advanced safety systems is standard on all Ariya trim levels. ProPilot includes full-range adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning with lane keeping assist, forward and rear automatic emergency braking, blind spot monitoring, and rear cross traffic alert. It’s linked with the on-board navigation system to more accurately predict highway conditions ahead and has speed adjust to automatically slow on curves and offramps. Nissan provides its updated ProPilot 2.0 system as standard equipment on the Platinum+ trim and as an option for the Evolve + AWD. It includes all the base ProPilot systems and adds automated highway driving capability and automated parking assist. The Evolve+ and Platinum+ trims also get a 360-degree camera-based monitor system.
The Ariya has been awarded a 5-star overall safety rating by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and has been named a Top Safety Pick by the nonprofit Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
This was originally published on thegreencarguy.com. Author John O'Dell is a distinguished career journalist and has a been an automotive writer, editor, and analyst specializing in alternative vehicles and fuels for over two decades.
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.
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.