Hyundai Ioniq 6 reveal, Cadillac Lyriq review, Toyota EV tax credit sunset: The Week in Reverse

Why are EVs as a group so trouble-prone, according to a respected study?

What might the Supreme Court’s EPA ruling mean for the carbon footprint of your EV?

This is our look back at the Week In Reverse—right here at Green Car Reports—for the week ending July 2, 2022.

We brought you a first review of the 2023 Cadillac Lyriq, and found this electric SUV to be a great start in charting the GM luxury brand toward a full portfolio of EVs. Even in single-motor form we found it to be an impressive performer—especially so in its ride and handling.

The Hyundai Ioniq 6 electric sedan revealed this week carries ahead the stunning design of the Prophecy concept car and the detail-oriented approach of the Ioniq 5 crossover. But don’t expect them to look anywhere close to the same. With top-notch aero, efficiency, and range expected, it could be the strongest rival yet to the Tesla Model 3. 

At the start of the week, Volkswagen revealed the ID.Aero concept—which, true to its name, is a very aerodynamic sedan. The roomy-looking, U.S.-bound Aero is due to be built on the MEB platform, shared with the ID.4 and upcoming ID.Buzz van, and could return about 300 miles of EPA range judging by its WLTP results.

Volkswagen ID.Aero concept

It appears that recent sales of Toyota EVs and plug-in hybrid models were enough to put the automaker past the cumulative 200,000 sales milepost that triggers an EV tax credit phaseout for Toyota and Lexus. That would leave buyers less than three months to buy a BZ4X or RAV4 Prime, among other models, and be able to claim $7,500, tax-permitting—and unless, of course, members of Congress 

One of the foundational studies from survey giant J.D. Power, its annual IQS, has found that EVs are more trouble-prone than internal-combustion counterparts. But it’s not EV fundamentals that are to blame; it’s all the weird stuff—new interfaces, unique hardware, and other new connected-car tech that automakers are packing into them. 

Lion C Electric School Bus

We also took a look at what it’s like to drive a big electric school bus from Lion Electric, which is one of several companies looking to transform the big yellow bus experience. It’s an ideal format for EV adoption, because of their rather short routes, predictable down time, and the diesel emissions they keep away from kids. 

With an investment from the German conglomerate Siemens—a “low triple-digit” amount—plus further investment from VW, Electrify America got its first boost in funding beyond its original plan. Will that help set it on the path to being a viable alternative to the Tesla Supercharger network?

Rivian announced on Monday that its first three DC fast-charging sites open this week—in California and Colorado, as part of what it’s calling the Rivian Adventure Network. Each will allow R1T or R1S drivers to gain up to 140 miles of range in 20 minutes, according to the company. 

GM and EVgo expand major-metro fast charging

GM is adding Plug and Charge capability across its entire lineup of EVs, starting with the EVgo charging network. And yes, that does include the Chevy Bolt EV and EUV. The convenience, which helps make redundant separate apps, cards, or fobs, is already supported by Ford, Mercedes, Porsche, Lucid, and VW, among others.

The Chevrolet Silverado EV electric pickup is already in the final testing and validation stages, it appears, based on some teaser photos released by GM this week. Will the Silverado EV arrive ahead of its early 2023 due date and follow the accelerated timeline GM managed to execute for the Cadillac Lyriq and GMC Hummer EV?

2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV prototype

An issue affecting tire pressure monitoring has prompted the recall of some F-150 Lightning electric pickups. An over-the-air fix for the Lightning is on the way, and if you check your pressures the old-fashioned way you can’t go wrong. 

The 2170-format cylindrical battery cells for Aptera’s “never charge” EV, supporting a range of up to 1,000 miles, will come from China’s EVE Energy, the company confirmed this week. That’s in addition to a recent confirmation it will use in-wheel motors from Elaphe in the production version. 

Comparing 4680 vs. 2170 – Panasonic

CATL’s latest cell-to-pack technology offers more power and energy by volume than Tesla’s 4680 format in pack form, the company boasted this week, with the release of more details on the system. Focused around prismatic cells, it uses a “disruptive” water cooling design to accommodate more energy-dense future cells and 10-minute DC fast-charging. 

UK hobbyists looking to turn their Land Rover work vehicles into electric SUVs can now do so with a drop-in EV conversion kit. Versions for Jeeps, Broncos, and other SUV classics might hit the spot in the same way in the U.S.

The Hyundai Ioniq 5 was named an IIHS Top Safety Pick+, based on some top-tier crash-test results and safety ratings. That’s a good sign for the Kia EV6 and Genesis GV60—as well as the upcoming Ioniq 6—that are all built on the same platform. 

Hyundai Nexo

Hyundai has reportedly delayed the next Nexo hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle. With development on a Genesis luxury fuel-cell model already suspended, that’s led to some speculation about whether there’s a larger shift happening as Hyundai pushes harder on battery electric models while saving fuel cells for larger formats.

Neither EV efficiency nor the upstream emissions from power generation for EVs are directly included in U.S. vehicle emissions standards. Is this a lost opportunity, as we push all vehicles toward greater efficiency?

2023 Toyota bZ4X at EVgo charging station

And let’s not forget about the other big regulation story this week. We looked at the Supreme Court’s EPA ruling and what it means for the carbon footprint of your EV. Electric cars are only as clean as the grid they plug into, and after the defeat of this free-market approach to regulating carbon emissions the future is far less certain. 

_______________________________________

Follow Green Car Reports on Facebook and Twitter