Category Archives: electric vehicles

Volvo Cars Selling New XC70 PHEV in China

Posted on 27 August 2025 by Ken Zino

The new Volvo (VOLCAR-B.STO)* XC70 SUV is Volvo Cars’ first long-range plug-in hybrid with an all-electric driving range of more than 200km (~124 miles) based on the CLTC testing cycle . This is the longest of any Volvo plug-in hybrid to date. No surprise that given its Chinese ownership customers can now pre-order the SUV in China. Yes, China – Europe, North America, and Scandinavia can wait. Volvo Cars said today it plans to bring the car to Europe at some later unspecified time. Continue reading →

Posted in alternative fuels, auto news, electric vehicles, fuel economy or emissions, global warming, marketing, milestones, mobility company, shows and events, software defined vehicles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Toyota, Mazda Testing EV Battery Energy-Storage System

Posted on 21 August 2025 by Ken Zino

Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) and Mazda Motor Corporation (Mazda) said today that they have started field tests of Toyota’s Sweep Energy Storage System at Mazda’s Hiroshima Plant in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The system rapidly switches each battery’s power flow on and off, even when new batteries are connected to degraded or different capacity batteries.

“For the tests, the power system at Mazda’s headquarters campus, the only power generation system operated by an automaker in Japan, and Toyota’s system that uses batteries from electrified vehicles will be connected through their respective energy management systems. This will enable the verification of stable, high-quality, and efficient charging and discharging. In the future, the storage system will be used to regulate power supply and demand from renewable energy, which fluctuates depending on weather and time of day, contributing to carbon neutrality,” the companies said. Continue reading →

Posted in auto news, connected vehicles, electric vehicles, energy, global warming, milestones, mobility company, news analysis, public health | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Gen 3 2026 Nissan Leaf Less than $30,000?

Posted on 21 August 2025 by Ken Zino

The 2026 model year Nissan (7201T and NSANY ADR) Leaf* at dealerships this fall has a projected Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Prices (MSRP) for the S+ grade starting at $29,9902. This is the lowest starting MSRP for any new EV currently on sale in the U.S. [ see footnote 3]. This of course depends on the whims and chaos of the Trump Administration’s ongoing trade policies. That is why the pricing and details on the entry-grade LEAF S will be announced at a later date. It might not appear in the 2026 lineup. Continue reading →

Posted in alternative fuels, auto news, electric vehicles, environment, global warming, marketing, mobility company, news analysis, public health | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Solid State Batteries – Nissan and LiCAP Partner

Posted on 20 August 2025 by Ken Zino

“Developing a dry electrode production process for cathode electrode is highly beneficial for the smooth production and commercialization of ASSBs. Compared to conventional solvent-process electrodes, dry-process electrodes eliminate the need for drying and solvent recovery, significantly reducing manufacturing costs and environmental impact. However, when considering future mass production, achieving high production efficiency remains a major challenge for dry-process electrodes,” Nissan said. Continue reading →

Posted in auto news, electric vehicles, environment, fuel economy or emissions, global warming, manufacturing, mobility company | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

California Movies Ahead as Fed Agencies Retreat on Clean Air

Posted on 19 August 2025 by Ken Zino

“Cleaner vehicles will also save Californians billions of dollars in fuel, maintenance and healthcare costs as the state pushes for the cleanest, most affordable ways to travel,” the agencies said. Continue reading →

Posted in alternative fuels, customer satisfaction, economy, electric vehicles, environment, fuel economy or emissions, global warming, litigation, news, news analysis, public health, transportation, Trump Truth Tests | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

More C9 Corvette Concepts Seen in California

Posted on 15 August 2025 by Ken Zino

Chevrolet (NYSE: GM) today gave car enthusiasts and racing fans another, yet another glimpse of the high-performance future. Two Corvette concept cars, the Corvette CX and CX.R Vision Gran Turismo, debuted at The Quail, a Motorsports Gathering in California. If these promotional events proceed at the pace of previous events and press releases, they could outnumber the sales of the production C9 Corvette when it appears. Continue reading →

Posted in auto news, concept, design and styling, electric vehicles, global warming, marketing, mobility company, new vehicle, news analysis, shows and events | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Acura RSX Prototype EV Debuts

Posted on 15 August 2025 by Ken Zino

Acura yesterday at Monterey Car Week staged the world-debut of the Acura RSX Prototype, promoting the brand’s next-generation all-electric performance SUV.

“The dramatic styling of our Acura RSX Prototype demonstrates that it’s not just a new EV, but a compelling all-new Acura model,” said Lance Woelfer, vice president of Auto Sales at American Honda Motor Co., Inc. “RSX will deliver on nearly four decades of Acura Precision Crafted Performance brand DNA with appealing design and cutting-edge technology.” Continue reading →

Posted in auto news, connected vehicles, electric vehicles, electronics, engineering, global warming, marketing, mobility company, new vehicle, news analysis, shows and events, software defined vehicles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Cadillac Off-Roader – Elevated Velocity

Posted on 14 August 2025 by Ken Zino

Cadillac today revealed the so-called Elevated Velocity concept. It is said to be a continuation of the Cadillac V-Series performance formula. [It’s not available for sale yet – Autocrat] This off-roader built on an elevated platform appears to be a serious concept that is winding its way through the sand, rocks, and mud of the GM bureaucracy to become a production vehicle. Yes, an off-road Cadillac?! Continue reading →

Posted in auto news, concept, design and styling, electric vehicles, milestones, mobility company, news analysis, performance, shows and events | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

EV Infrastructure Better J.D. Power Says

Posted on 13 August 2025 by Ken Zino

In the face of Trump chaos and continued uncertainty surrounding National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) funding, the electric vehicle (EV) public charging industry is showing strong signs of resilience and progress, according to the J.D. Power 2025 U.S. Electric Vehicle Experience (EVX) Public Charging StudySM released today. Non-charging visits at public EV chargers [when the driver visited a charger but was unable to charge their vehicle] are at their lowest level in four years. Continue reading →

Posted in auto news, connected vehicles, customer satisfaction, electric vehicles, news analysis, results | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Hypercar, Hyper Price – 2026 Corvette ZR1X

Posted on 6 August 2025 by Ken Zino

Chevrolet (NYSE: GM) said today that the 2026 Corvette ZR1X, inarguably the most advanced Corvette ever, will be available with an exclusive, limited production Quail Silver Limited Edition model. It will debut at this year’s “The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering,” in Carmel, California on August 15. There will also be the debut of GM Design’s concept car for the future C9 Corvette. Continue reading →

Posted in auto news, design and styling, electric vehicles, marketing, performance, prices, shows and events | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

BMW iX3 Production, Supply and Use Sustainability

Posted on 4 August 2025 by Ken Zino

“During product development, extensive measures were implemented throughout the supply chain, production and use phases, explicitly focused on conserving resources and reducing the model’s environmental footprint. As such, the iX3 Neue Klasse marks an important milestone toward achieving the company’s 2030 and 2050 CO2 emission targets,” BMW said. Continue reading →

Posted in auto news, electric vehicles, engineering, environment, fuel economy or emissions, global warming, manufacturing, milestones, mobility company, new vehicle, news analysis | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Ford Says Trump Tariffs Will Slash Earnings by $2B

Posted on 31 July 2025 by Ken Zino

Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) reported late yesterday its Q2 and H1 2025 financial performance. The now common internally created factors of Ford’s warranty costs,* losses on electric vehicles and the external Trump’s tariff chaos negative effects were in play. Tariffs slashed $800 million from Ford profits during Q2, the Dearborn-based company said. Its latest estimate of $2 billion in tariff costs for the year includes the impact of cost-cutting and other measures Ford is taking in response to President Trump’s trade policies. Ford Motor booked a $1.3 billion loss from repairs of vehicles under warranty, cancellation of plans to build an electric sport utility vehicle and other one-time costs. The Q2 net loss was $36 million. Ford common stock per share has been trading in the $8.44 – $11.97 range during the last year, hovering ~$11 a share recently. Its three-year return of ~5% compares to the S&P 500 at 54%. Continue reading →

Posted in auto news, customer satisfaction, economy, electric vehicles, financial results, manufacturing, mobility company, results, sales, shows and events | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Another Corvette C9 Concept from SoCal

Posted on 24 July 2025 by Ken Zino

“Our Advanced Design teams are dedicated to shaping the future, driving innovation, and exploring what’s possible,” said Bryan Nesbitt, vice president of global design. “The California Corvette concept is another example of forward-thinking design. We invited multiple GM studios to envision Corvette-inspired hypercars, the first of which was revealed by our UK studio in March. The California team has now delivered a complementary study that honors Corvette’s legendary performance, while infusing it with their own distinctive vision.” Continue reading →

Posted in auto news, concept, design and styling, electric vehicles, marketing, performance, shows and events | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

BMW i Ventures Invests in Estes Energy Solutions

Posted on 23 July 2025 by Ken Zino

“What makes Estes different isn’t just the unique technology, it’s the people.” said Baris Guzel, Partner at BMW i Ventures. “This is a team that’s been in the trenches, building rugged, high-density battery systems with real-world safety and scale in mind. It’s that rare blend of deep engineering chops, operator mindset, and execution urgency. We couldn’t be more excited to partner with them.” Continue reading →

Posted in electric vehicles, engineering, global warming, manufacturing, milestones, news, news analysis, public health, shows and events, transportation | Leave a comment

Football marketing – BYD and FC Internazionale Milano

Posted on 23 July 2025 by Ken Zino

The BYD Group, a massive China-based electric vehicle company (1211 HKG) announced the launch of a three-year strategic partnership with FC Internazionale Milano (Inter), becoming the club’s Global Automotive Partner. It’s the latest foray of Chinese EV companies into established markets. 

“BYD’s name means Build Your Dreams, and I think this partnership is a dream for young people, for everybody with a passion for football. Inter Milan is well recognized for its energy, for never giving up, for always fighting for success and for its rapid growth into a global brand with a worldwide fanbase that extends beyond the San Siro stadium and Serie A. These are qualities that BYD shares as a fast-growing brand too – we’re a global green technology company with the dream to fight climate change and cool the earth by one degree. We’re working so hard to do this – we have 120,000 engineers working day and night, producing 45 patents every working day because they love their job and they want to win. This determination, this constant pushing for change and working so hard to make it happen, is something that is really shared between BYD and Inter,” said Stella Li, Executive Vice President of BYD. Continue reading →

Posted in auto news, connected vehicles, electric vehicles, marketing, milestones, news analysis, shows and events | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment