Tesla Battery Day outlines battery tech that could set the company up as a cell manufacturer, and global EV domination. Kia reveals a new hybrid and plug-in hybrid SUV for the U.S. Ford will be building a bunch of EVs in Canada. And Volkswagen’s first EV for the U.S. masses has arrived. This and more, here at Green Car Reports.
The 2021 Kia Sorento Hybrid and Plug-In Hybrid were revealed on Tuesday. Kia expects a 30-mile electric range from the PHEV, and the Hybrid’s expected 37 mpg is enough to top the Toyota Highlander Hybrid as the highest-mileage three-row vehicle without a charge port.
The much-hyped Tesla Battery Day revolved around a new cell format, a new process, and an entire rethink to being vertically integrated. With it, Tesla claims that it could halve the cost of cells and ramp up to produce 3 terawatt-hours of its own cells by 2030—in addition to those being made by suppliers in the meantime. And, CEO Elon Musk suggested, Tesla could become a cell supplier to other automakers.
The first of Volkswagen’s electric vehicles for the masses, “for the millions, not millionaires,” the ID.4, is out, and it has a price, along with first info on specs and features. Versions of the ID.4 electric SUV arriving early in 2021 will start at $41,190 including destination, but a 1st Edition version arriving later this year gets all the extras (except all-wheel drive) for $45,190.
Green Car Reports got up close and inside the ID.4 earlier this week, and left with some very positive impressions—except for one important aspect that’s clearly a work in progress.
And Ford plans to build 5 electric-vehicle models in Canada starting in the 2025 model year, with the last of those five entering production in 2028. This has us busy speculating just what they might be.
_______________________________________
