Which new plug-in hybrid was introduced for Europe?

What system did Consumer Reports test and find lacking?

This is our look back at the Week In Reverse—right here at Green Car Reports—for the week ending May 24, 2019.

This week, the news seemed mostly about Tesla and Audi, which are shaping up to be two of the biggest rivals in the electric-car future.

As Tesla stock slid, CEO Elon Musk said in a letter to employees that the $2.4 billion the company raised last month may not be enough to carry it beyond another 10 months if sales don't pick up. With cheaper stock, that led some Wall Street analysts to speculate whether Apple might still be interested in buying the automaker. On top of that, the end of the week brought more bad news for Tesla: Consumer Reports tested the company's new automatic lane-change feature in Navigate on Autopilot, and found the system took so much correcting that it was easier for drivers to drive themselves.

At least Tesla's current cars seem to be a good value. We took a look at the value proposition of Tesla's current models, comparing what buyers get for their money with a 2019 Long Range Model S versus an original 2013 Model S 85. 

2019 Audi E-tron - first drive report - Calirornia, May 2019

2019 Audi E-tron - first drive report - Calirornia, May 2019

Audi, meanwhile announced a new plan to build 20 new electric cars and more than 10 new plug-in hybrids by 2025 as part of its new "four rings" sustainability initiative. The first of those plug-in hybrids will be the Q5 55 TFSI e-quattro, which is scheduled to go on sale later this year in Europe. Audi released some new details and technical specs this week, and we rounded up our impressions from a road trip with the Audi E-tron quattro.

Rivian R1T Overlanding concept

Rivian R1T Overlanding concept

Rivian showed off a new accessory outdoor kitchen for its upcoming R1T electric pickup at the Overland show outside Flagstaff, Arizona.

And General Motors revealed a much faster new electrical architecture for new electric, and self-driving cars.

We got a chance to look at how Norway has managed to make electric cars mainstream.

Cars queuing for DC fast charging - Ståle Frydelund/Norwegian EV Association

Cars queuing for DC fast charging - Ståle Frydelund/Norwegian EV Association

And Hyundai introduced a new cabin air purification system that automatically monitors air quality and amps up filtration accordingly. Drivers can even pre-filter their cabin air before they get in the car. That could become more important as the EPA loosens calculations about how it counts people who have died prematurely from air pollution.

Scientists at Stanford University in California, meanwhile, announced they have found a new way to make hydrogen for fuel-cell cars (and other uses) from seawater, potentially reducing the pressure that might otherwise be added to freshwater supplies.

_______________________________________

Follow Green Car Reports on Facebook and Twitter