GM EVs at Hertz, Sorento Hybrid price hike, taxing the wealthy for EV infrastructure: The Week in Reverse

September 24, 2022 by admin 32 Comments

Why did Tesla issue a safety recall for more than a million vehicles this week?

What is Volvo calling the fully electric counterpoint to its XC90 SUV?

This is our look back at the Week In Reverse—right here at Green Car Reports—for the week ending September 23, 2022.

The 2023 Kia Sorento Hybrid gets a price hike of roughly $2,000 versus 2022. As part of an “optimization” of the lineup that includes dropping the base Hybrid S. That might help leave more room for the Sportage Hybrid that’s arrived for 2023.

2023 Kia Sorento Hybrid

Volvo revealed that its upcoming electric SUV, sized closely with the big XC90, will be called EX90 and is set for a November 9 debut. Volvo assured that the EV90 will be the safest vehicle from the brand yet, due partly to next-generation sensing and software.

The rental giant Hertz plans to order 175,000 EVs from GM over five years, including models spanning a wide range of categories, sizes, and price points, according to the companies. The arrangement will start with Bolt EV and EUV models to be delivered in early 2023.

2022 Tesla lineup (Courtesy of Tesla, Inc.)

Tesla issued a recall affecting more than a million vehicles, due to power window systems that might not stop and reverse for objects—like fingers—that get in the way. But the fix is easy, thanks to Tesla’s over-the-air updates.

Unlike its fellow GM brands Buick and Cadillac, Chevrolet won’t be offering buyouts to dealerships that don’t want to sell electric vehicles, a GM executive recently confirmed. That’s a stark contrast to Ford’s approach that involves redrawn business lines for the company and a model that makes dealerships dell EVs at a non-negotiable price if they want to sell them.

The use of diamond quantum sensors might potentially boost EV driving range by 10%, according to research from Japan—simply through the improvements in accuracy and sensitivity that these sensors provide. Fast-charging performance and solid-state cells might also be made better with them.

Colorado Teardrops – The Boulder electrified travel trailer

Colorado Teardrops reported that it’s completed a prototype version of its camping trailer designed to extend the range of electric tow vehicles. It also confirmed it’s partnered “with a major automotive manufacturer” to advance related technology. Larger electrified travel trailers good for models like the Ford F-150 Lightning and Rivian R1T are on the way, too.

Nearly half of Californians “are likely to choose an EV the next time they’re in the market for a vehicle,” according to a recent survey commissioned by an EV advocacy organization. But it suggests that policymakers—and automaker, perhaps—could be doing a lot better on EV incentives and education.

Fisker Wallbox home charger

Fisker confirmed Wallbox as its official partner for home charging equipment, and it’s making the company’s chargers available for purchase through the Fisker website for the U.S., Canada, and Europe. That will likely enable home charging hardware to be financed with the vehicle purchase.

Sono Motors has revealed a kit allowing the retrofit of solar to buses or semis. The addition significantly increases their efficiency in some cases—refrigerated trucks, for example.

Sono Sion and other vehicles equipped with Sono solar panels

And should taxes be raised on the wealthy in order to fund charging infrastructure and EV-related incentives? Californians will get to vote on that later this year, and not all the corporate and political interests are aligned as you might expect.

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This article was originally published by Greencarreports.com. Read the original article here.