F-150 Lightning battery, EV-to-EV charging, LFP Model 3, gas prices and EV tipping point: The Week in Reverse

What brand is Polestar hoping to rival with future models?

A first version of what big electric off-road truck has been delivered?

This is our look back at the Week In Reverse—right here at Green Car Reports—for the week ending December 24, 2021.

The confirmation of official battery sizes for the Ford F-150 Lightning electric pickup this past week helped underscore that the Lightning might nearly match the smaller RIvian R1T for efficiency. And the Lightning and Hyundai Ioniq 5 are among the first two U.S.-spec models to offer the potential of EV-to-EV charging. Both models aim to make their bi-directional capabilities part of a home-energy ecosystem. 

Tesla has started delivering Model 3 sedans powered by lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cells to U.S. buyers, and while the chemistry and construction of these cells makes the Model 3 a little slower and heavier, they include a gift in usable range—with guidance from Tesla that regular charges to 100% are fine, even advised, for this version. 

The Tesla Model Y has earned a top-tier rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Its IIHS Top Safety Pick+ accolade is matched by only the Volkswagen ID.4 and Volvo XC40, among smaller electric SUVs. 

L to R: Polestar 5, Polestar 4 and Polestar 3

Polestar, which has kept close ties to its corporate cousin Volvo up until now, is aiming to go its own direction in the near future, including its own electric motors, batteries, and 800-volt electric architecture. What’s more it will be targeting the Porsche Cayenne, Macan, and Taycan, with its Polestar 3, 4, and 5, respectively.

BMW’s two new-generation electric vehicles, the iX SUV and i4 fastback, were rated for EPA range this week. The iX earns a better-than-expected range of up to 324 miles, while the i4 only breaks 300 miles in one version, with its most alluring dual-motor M50 version with flashy 22-inch wheels clocking in at just 227 miles.

2022 BMW iX xDrive50

GM confirmed that it made the first customer-bound versions of the 2022 GMC Hummer EV and BrightDrop EV600 electric delivery van. They’re the first to be built on the automaker’s dedicated Ultium architecture for EVs. 

The U.S. EV startup Canoo, once aiming for a subscription plan and a focus primarily on California at first, has scrapped another plan to make its initial versions of the quirky Lifestyle Vehicle in the Netherlands. First versions will come from Arkansas in 2022, it says, followed by a shift to an Oklahoma factory in 2023.

Arrival, the UK company that’s been focused primarily on electric commercial vehicles, has shown an EV especially designed for Uber and ride-hailing. With the footprint of a VW Golf but a design for maximum interior space, is this the future of taxis?

Arrival Car prototype

The EPA announced final rulemaking for U.S. vehicle fleet standards that pick up with the 2023 model year. While they set stricter targets than Obama-era standards, they also estimated that automakers can satisfy them with just 7% full hybrids and 17% EVs and plug-in hybrids combined, in 2026. Is this enough?

A recent survey from Ipsos provides one of many indicators that the market might take us there even if regulators don’t. More than a third of Americans are now willing to consider an EV, and surging gas prices may help get the EV market to a tipping point—although barriers remain related to unfamiliarity with battery technology. 

2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E

And throughout the past couple weeks, as we worked our way toward a January 3 announcement of our Green Car Reports Best Car To Buy, we’ve looked at each of our five finalists. Which will follow our 2021 winner, the Ford Mustang Mach-E?

• The Hyundai Ioniq 5 ushers in a new era for electric vehicle design and technology in an affordable package. 
• The Lucid Air offers next-level range and charging and a holistic reinterpretation of luxury and design. 
• The Mercedes-Benz EQS shows a greater commitment from the luxury establishment. 
• The Rivian R1T electric pickup embraces a foundational format for Americans and levels it up in a way that will bring about change. 
• The Volkswagen ID.4 brings the most ambition to the table, among all the contenders, in terms of real sales volume and affordability

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