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Plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) sometimes have a bad reputation amongst electric vehicle advocates and traditional internal combustion car buyers. For the EV buyer, these cars have overcomplicated the electric experience, adding an oft unused heavy and polluting gas engine that theoretically hurts efficiency. For ICE drivers, it’s not always clear why anyone should pay more money for a car that has such a limited electric range and a perceived marginal effect on fuel economy. But now, Consumer Reports insists otherwise. The stalwart product testing publication tested 13 PHEV models to understand the costs and performance of each model. And CR’s findings…

Tesla CEO Elon Musk gave some conflicting signals about the upcoming product on Tuesday night. “Tonight, we radically increased the design goals for the new Tesla Roadster,” the CEO said, via a post on X. Musk then clarified that the production design is complete and the product is due to be unveiled at the end of 2024, with aims to ship it in 2025.  Tonight, we radically increased the design goals for the new Tesla Roadster. There will never be another car like this, if you could even call it a car. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 28, 2024 In…

The 2024 Volkswagen ID.4 gets a price increase for the new model year, but also a number of upgrades. Prices start at $41,160 (including a mandatory $1,425 destination charge) for models equipped with the smaller 62-kwh battery pack. That’s a $2,370 increase versus when the 62-kwh pack was introduced in the ID.4 Standard grade, at the start of the 2023 model year. The smaller pack is available in Standard and S models, while the larger 82-kwh pack is available in Pro, Pro S, and Pro S Plus grades, with pricing starts at $46,300, including destination. As before, the smaller pack is…

The 2024 Fiat 500e returns to the U.S. in March to relaunch the brand, and this time Fiat is all about EVs—and keeping the 500 lineup as a two-door icon.  As Fiat has already said in various ways over the past couple years, the U.S.-bound 500e will stand on its own. It won’t be a loss-leader for the brand, or $49-a-month EV lease deal like its predecessor.  But when the Fiat 500e arrives, it will be the lightest U.S.-market electric passenger vehicle, the cheapest new EV in Canada, and one of the lowest-priced EVs for the U.S.—as well as one…

Svolt Energy expects its Thailand plant to supply more than 20,000 battery packs to local customers this year. (Image credit: Svolt Energy) Svolt Energy’s battery plant in Thailand went into mass production today, the battery maker, which was spun off from Great Wall Motor (HKG: 2333), announced in a release. Bulk deliveries of products from the plant have begun, and will soon be installed in a number of new energy vehicle (NEV) models in Thailand under Great Wall Motor’s Ora, Tank, and Haval brands, as well as Hozon New Energy Automobile’s models, it said. Hozon is the parent company of…

BYD has lowered the starting prices of the Han and Tang by RMB 20,000 and RMB 30,000 respectively, taking the price war further into the mid-to-high-end EV market. BYD (OTCMKTS: BYDDF) has rolled out updated versions of two flagship models in its Dynasty range, taking the price war further into the mid-to-high end electric vehicle (EV) market. BYD officially launched the Han Glory Edition and Tang Glory Edition at today’s event, with starting prices of RMB 169,800 ($23,590) and RMB 179,800, respectively, down RMB 20,000 and RMB 30,000, respectively, from the previous versions’ starting prices. This is a continuation of…

Rumors have been brewing for weeks now that Europe’s automakers were challenging the EU’s decision to ban ICE vehicles as of 2035. But the ACEA, Europe’s automakers association, said that it is not pushing back and is all in with the EV future. Is this PR spin or the real thing? President of the ACEA and CEO of Renault, Luca de Meo told the press this week at the Geneva Motor Show that the auto industry wants no part in arguing “against the regulation,” reports Automotive New Europe. “We are not contesting 2035,” said de Meo. “Now we must get…

Sign up for daily news updates from CleanTechnica on email. Or follow us on Google News! In late 2021, I wrote a four-part article series about the vast potential and possible downsides of Mark Zuckerberg’s vision for the Metaverse. At the time, Facebook and Oculus (which had previously been bought by Facebook) were both rolled into a new parent company: Meta. Facing falling use at Facebook (especially among younger people), the company had to do something, and this was the new plan. People were absolutely right to be skeptical. 1990s VR was a bomb. (Remember the Nintendo Virtual Boy?) Early…

HiPhi began production halt on February 18 — the first working day after the Chinese New Year holiday — sparking fears about its fate. (Image credit: CnEVPost) HiPhi is reportedly approaching an automotive giant about a takeover that, if successful, may save the Chinese premium electric vehicle (EV) maker, which is on the verge of collapse. HiPhi is in contact with Changan Automobile about a takeover, local media outlet Jiemian said in a report today, citing people familiar with the matter. The brief report did not provide much more. Separately, D1EV cited a HiPhi source as saying that the company’s…

China has put everyone on notice, but you probably already knew that by now. European, Japanese, and American automakers have struggled to sell their EV shapes at a reasonable price, without sacrificing any semblance of profitability. Meanwhile, cheap and cheerful Chinese-branded EVs have only continued to proliferate across the globe, reaching price parity with ICE cars without destroying profit. Seeking to figure out how the heck Chinese OEMs do it, Detroit-area Automotive benchmarking company Caresoft imported one for analysis. With it, automotive journalist veteran John McElroy and Terry Woychowski, the president of the Automotive Benchmarking and Cost Reduction Consulting company,…