Ioniq 6 pricing, safest EVs, Rivian sounds, Porsche shuns one-pedal driving: The Week in Reverse

Which automaker (not Tesla) re-upped its plans to bring a steering yoke to the U.S.?

And another solar car was canceled. Which one?

This is our look back at the Week In Reverse—right here at Green Car Reports—for the week ending February 24, 2023.

The 2023 Hyundai Ioniq 6 electric sedan has a price tag for the U.S., and it sets the 361-mile version that outdoes the Tesla Model 3 in range at $46,615. Base versions of the Ioniq 6 start at $42,715 with a 240-mile range. That positions Ioniq 6 prices just below those of the Ioniq 5 crossover. 

The 2023 Genesis Electrified GV70 electric SUV costs much more than the gasoline GV70, the luxury brand revealed last week. But a likely $3,750 tax credit and ownership cost advantage will help erase some of that difference. 

Lexus won’t deliver its yoke interface and steer-by-wire system in U.S.-bound RZ electric crossovers quite yet, the brand emphasized last week. But it remains due for the market at some future date, as previously said. 

The Sono Sion solar car project has been terminated, Sono Motors announced Friday. The company will instead focus on solar retrofits for trucks, buses, and more, although it’s leaving the door open to sell the Sion program. 

Sono Sion production model

Porsche says that one-pedal driving in EVs isn’t efficient. That’s because the more aggressive regenerative-braking settings in such vehicles lose energy when both accelerating and decelerating, Porsche argues—so encouraging coasting will always be better. 

California’s Sakuu has claimed the first 3D-printed battery cells for EVs. The company also claims that 3D printing may enable solid-state chemistries sooner, enable custom form factors, and take less energy and raw materials to make. 

Based on recent real-world testing from the European environmental group Transport & Environment and Graz University of Technology, a range of plug-in hybrid models were found to be emitting more CO2 than what manufacturers claim, even when they have a full charge. 

Volkswagen revealed earlier this week that it’s planning to optimize more “all-in-one” EV components for efficiency, with expertise kept in-house, rather than looking to suppliers. 

2023 Tesla Model Y in the IIHS side impact test

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has released its annual list of models achieving Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick+ status. With strengthened requirements, we looked at these safest EV and plug-in models.

Toyota is reportedly considering ramping up EV production in Kentucky at its existing factory there as soon as 2025, according to a report. The move might potentially take advantage of the federal EV tax credit as well as incentivized batteries from a new North Carolina factory. 

Lordstown Motors has paused production on the Endurance electric truck due to “performance and quality issues.” Although the company didn’t disclose what those are, it says that it’s filed paperwork to recall 19 of the trucks due to an issue that could lead to loss of propulsion while driving. 

Lordstown Endurance

For faster DC fast-charging, Rivian is considering having charging stations fan cool air under trucks while they’re plugged in. That might reduce the need for some oversized onboard cooling components that are used only in charging. 

California is considering minimum efficiency standards for replacement tires, helping assure that hybrids and EVs originally sold with efficiency-focused rubber get the equivalent as replacements. It could save a lot of money and emissions over the vehicles’ lifetimes, the state says.

A study from Deloitte pointed out that subscriptions may play a surprising role in gasoline-car sales—not necessarily because of interest from younger, more technology-savvy shoppers, but over concerns about gas-vehicle resale value.

Rivian R1T sound test

And the sounds emitted by the Rivian R1T and R1S electric trucks were created from actual recorded bird calls, recorded at Yellowstone National Park. How’s that for an Easter Egg?

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