Which automaker announced it’s exploring battery leasing for EV affordability?
Which automaker didn’t want to commit to an expiration date for internal combustion?
This is our look back at the Week In Reverse—right here at Green Car Reports—for the week ending February 19, 2021.
Our most discussed piece of the week related to the 2021 Toyota Mirai hydrogen fuel-cell car. It has something called “minus emissions,” claiming to be better than zero emissions by cleaning the air along the way—although it forgets how most hydrogen is sourced.
2021 Toyota Mirai
This week’s top piece of product news was the long-awaited reveal of the 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EUV. Although the EUV offers available Super Cruise, it arrives missing one thing many fans had hoped for: all-wheel drive. But the Bolt EV, which gets a similar refresh, arrives with something that will definitely add to its appeal: a price cut of $5,500 for the entry model.
Although GM introduced a $5,500 price cut for the 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV lineup arriving this summer, deals that are just as good are here right now on the 2021 Bolt EV—and incentives on the Ford Mustang Mach-E plus the EV tax credit together make that model the same price as the Bolt EUV.
2021 Chevrolet Bolt EV
GM also updated owners on the status of a recall of the Bolt EV, over fire concern, and a pending fix for the issue that’s restricted many owners to 90% of its battery charge.
Tesla, perhaps triggered by the Volt price cut, surprised us with another big price cut for the Model Y and Model 3. The most affordable Standard Range versions of both were cut by $2,000 and $1,000, respectively, while Performance models were actually marked up by $1,000.
The Tesla Model 3 and several hybrids from Toyota were awarded Consumer Reports’ new Green Choice label, focused around tailpipe emissions and consumers’ increased awareness of it.
2022 Hyundai Kona Electric
The 2022 Hyundai Kona Electric is getting a cleaner, sharper look as well as some feature updates, though it’s likely to carry over its 258-mile range.
Hyundai released another teaser—this one peeking inside—for its upcoming Ioniq 5 electric crossover, premiering February 23 and arriving to the U.S. this fall. And Hyundai announced that it is exploring battery leasing—both to help lower EV prices and to increase the potential of battery packs for recycling and second use.
2021 Mercedes-Benz EQC
Mercedes-Benz has confirmed that it’s abandoned plans—for now—to bring the EQC electric crossover to the U.S. That not entirely unexpected, considering the series of delays, but surprising nonetheless for a model conceived with North America in mind. It isn’t putting a date on going all-electric, either; the CEO of parent company Daimler explained that the sales of diesel and gas vehicles will help bankroll the rollout of EVs.
But Ford is. It announced that it’s making a $1 billion push toward all-electric cars for Europe by 2030—including a revamp of its Cologne, Germany, factory that will build an EV specifically for Europe starting in 2023.
Jaguar XJ teaser photo
Alao, Jaguar Land Rover announced a goal to make Jaguar all-electric by the end of the decade. However it’s decided to scrap its all-electric XJ flagship sedan, although it’s pushing ahead with more electric SUVs and a fuel-cell project that could apply to the biggest vehicles from Jaguar and Land Rover.
The Sweden-based EV upstart Volta Trucks might only have Europe in its sights so far, but it’s turning to two U.S.-based suppliers for electric drivetrain components.
Riversimple Rasa
The Riversimple Rasa, a super-lightweight hydrogen fuel-cell car from Wales that originally bowed in concept form a decade ago, has been given another nudge toward production with a Siemens partnership.
Looking to last weekend, Airstream announced that it plans to offset all the carbon emissions from manufacturing; it also plans an electric-assisted travel trailer that customers will probably appreciate no matter what they’re using as a tow rig.
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