Which automaker this week agreed to stop siding with the Trump administration?
And what possibility did Tesla’s Elon Musk suggest for Europe?
This is our look back at the Week In Reverse—right here at Green Car Reports—for the week ending November 27, 2020.
This week GCR took a very brief first drive in the 2021 Volvo XC40 Recharge. Although not enough to get a feel for charging, range, or general day-to-day usability, it was enough to get some first impressions of the 208-mile electric crossover.
Nissan Ariya prototype first look - Los Angeles, November 2020
We also got an up-close first look at the 2022 Nissan Ariya—still in prototype form—and summed up its first impressions and what will distinguish the electric SUV from rivals like the Ford Mustang Mach-E and Volkswagen ID.4.
Ford confirmed official EPA certification for the 2021 Mustang Mach-E at 300 miles of range—in rear-wheel-drive form, with the Extended Range Battery. And we noted that the most affordable versions of the Mustang Mach-E actually undercut the Chevrolet Bolt EV hatchback when you consider Ford’s eligibility for the $7,500 EV tax credit.
2021 Volkswagen ID.4
The Volkswagen ID.4 was also rated for range and efficiency. As the first of a generation of electric cars to be built on VW’s MEB platform for mass-market EVs, the 250-mile range result landed exactly where the automaker had expected it to be.
General Motors announced that it will stop siding with the Trump administration and its challenges to California’s right to set its own stricter emission standards—as well as its EV mandate. Some fizz was taken out of the announcement as it was made the same day that the Biden transition team was given the formal go-ahead.
As GM plans to make Cadillac all-electric by the end of the decade, not all dealers are sold on the idea, according to a report—and so GM is giving them the option to simple sell out.
Hercules Alpha
Electric truck plans and pairing up with EV startups are two trends for major automakers, and Nissan could possibly be engaging in both. It’s reportedly in talks with Detroit’s Hercules Vehicles over a possible strategic partnership. Does that mean a future Nissan electric truck, or that the Hercules effort will be Nissan Titan–based?
Karma Automotive is suing Lordstown Motors over the claims that the Ohio electric-truck startup stole intellectual property relating to infotainment tech. Lordstown is calling it “fantasy.”
2020 Tesla Model Y
Tesla CEO Elon Musk hinted of another range boost, to 435 miles, potentially on the way for some Tesla vehicles—and again noted the possibility of a compact hatchback for Europe.
And some versions of the Tesla Model X and Model Y were recalled this week—each for completely different reasons, but both for problems that relate to assembly issues.
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