F-150 Lightning orders, $30,000 Chevy Equinox EV, Silverado EV debut, Mercedes EQXX concept: The Week In Reverse

Which long awaited retro-electric van got a reveal date?

Which automaker suggested that batteries might be air-cooled in the future?

This is our look back at the Week In Reverse—right here at Green Car Reports—for the week ending January 7, 2022.

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) was the headliner of this week’s news, and while many of the presentations and debuts went virtual, it offered up some important electric vehicle news. 

On Wednesday GM revealed the Chevrolet Silverado EV, as part of a CES 2022 keynote. As it had been hinted in previews and teasers, the truck borrows heavily from Avalanche heritage, with both a “midgate” that permits some of the cabin to be used as the bed, plus a highly reconfigurable tailgate. Some versions will accelerate to 60 mph in less than 4.5 seconds and achieve up to 400 miles of range, while others will start at a $39,900 base price—eventually.

As part of the same presentation—and arguably the bigger reveal—was the release of first photos of the 2024 Chevy Equinox EV. GM says it will have a starting price of around $30,000 that undercuts present versions of the Mach-E, Ioniq 5, and ID.4—and is half that of the Model Y. 

The show also marked the debut of Mercedes’ EQXX concept, which boasts a 621-mile real-world range—plus a bevy of production-bound technology and design details. We took a look at the tech that makes the EQXX noteworthy, then we followed up on a technology most automakers have steered away from: passive (air) cooling. For EVs without a performance emphasis, could air-cooling be the future?

Mercedes Vision EQXX EV concept

Chrysler revealed the Airflow Concept, which flaunts a new look for the brand expected in a production vehicle due around 2025. With the brand looking at a fully electric lineup as soon as 2028, executives also underscored to us that this is a chance to completely remake an “icon in American car history.”

Sony surprised everyone with an electric-car concept at CES 2020; and now it’s back at CES 2022 with the Vision-S 02, a seven-seat electric SUV based on that sedan. Sony still won’t say if it’s headed for production, but by now all the hints point to yes. 

Sony Vision-S 02 concept

Also at CES, Magna showed an electric powertrain that it claims could allow more fully electric heavy-duty pickups without lower towing and payload ratings. And just before the show, it launched a complete setup, due to be used in a “new entrant vehicle” in 2022—but not the Fisker Ocean—that will boost range by up to 30%.

Vietnam’s VinFast has revealed an entire family of electric crossovers, started taking U.S. reservations on them, and announced intent to open factories both in Germany and the U.S.

Vinfast VF E36

Goodyear appealed to green geeks with a prototype tire made of 70% sustainable materials—with the use of some exotic ingredients like carbon black from the splitting of natural gas (also making hydrogen gas), soybean oil, rice husks, and fabric from recycled plastics. 

U.S. homeowners are a step closer to having a bidirectional charging setup capable of making use of EVs as backup power. The Quasar 2, which is focused on the North American market, bowed at CES and could be one of the first such units that would be compatible with a select few models yet to be specified.

Ford on Tuesday announced plans to boost production of the F-150 Lightning electric pickup to 150,000 annually, and it opened order banks on Thursday—for a lucky subset of the nearly 200,000 reservations already made for the truck.

2023 BMW iX M60

BMW revealed the go-fast version of its iX electric SUV. Called the 2023 BMW iX M60, it offers an upgraded dual-motor powertrain that can deliver 0-60 mph acceleration in 3.6 seconds. Some penalty comes in its range rating—an EPA-estimated 280 miles, versus up to 324 miles for the rest of the lineup.

Volkswagen’s CEO announced a reveal date—March 9—for the very long-anticipated production version of the company’s electric VW Microbus revival. 

Volkswagen ID.Buzz teaser, at ID.5 introduction

Tesla managed to navigate chip shortages and supply hurdles to deliver a record of more than 936,000 vehicles in 2021. It also faces a recall of more than 475,000 vehicles in the U.S. for two safety issues that require an in-person inspection. 

Current emissions regulations focus on the automaker much more than the makers of the fuel they use—or the users and how much they use. Should more responsibility for carbon reduction rest on oil companies?

2022 Lucid Air

And on Monday, we revealed that the Lucid Air is the Green Car Reports Best Car To Buy 2022—not because, with its six-digit price tag, it’s the car we expect our readers to be able to afford, but because its technology will spur progress in efficiency, affordability, and EV adoption. 

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