Kirk Bell, Senior Editor
Articles
-
As luck would have it, I got scheduled into a weekend with the 2024 Mercedes-Benz eSprinter exactly when I needed it.
The third wettest Spring on record in Southeastern Wisconsin flooded my...
-
2025 Mercedes-Benz eSprinter adds smaller battery, shorter wheelbase
A smaller, more affordable version of the Mercedes electric van gives fleets more options to fit their needs.
Kirk Bell -
Kia details EV5 and previews affordable EVs, none yet US-bound
All three of the vehicles Kia highlighted as part of an EV Day outside Seoul are to be priced at $35,000-$50,000, but so far Kia isn't confirming any of them for the U.S. market.
Kirk Bell -
Review: 2024 Mercedes GLE 450e PHEV does hybrid the right way
The plug-in hybrid version of the Mercedes GLE puts electric propulsion front and center.
Kirk Bell -
Why Fiat is bringing back the 500e EV it once asked Americans not to buy
The 500e this time will let Stellantis experiment with how it sells EVs ahead of higher-stakes models like Jeep EVs and a Dodge electric muscle car.
Kirk Bell -
2022 Hummer EV Edition 1 gives GM the toolbox for affordable Chevy and GMC electric pickups
The 2022 Hummer EV Edition 1 has all the bells and whistles, but underneath is the powertrain and platform for GM to create a full line of electric pickups.
Kirk Bell -
Polestar, Volvo’s offshoot performance-oriented EV brand, is about three years old and it’s yet to deliver a production electric vehicle. That’s about to change with the...
-
First drive review: 2020 Tesla Model Y sets the benchmark for electric crossovers
The 2020 Tesla Model Y is the first in a series of affordable electric crossovers, and it has set the bar for the competition.
Kirk Bell -
2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime arrives: 39 miles of electric range, sporty performance from crossover SUV
A big battery gives the Toyota RAV4 Prime up to 39 miles of estimated electric range, with acceleration second only to sports cars in Toyota's lineup.
Kirk Bell -
2020 Bentley Bentayga Hybrid first drive review: Charge port gained, no prestige lost
In Bentley's first hybrid vehicle, an electric motor complements the Audi V-6, with a 17-kwh battery pack enabling some all-electric range.
Kirk Bell -
The Jaguar I-Pace isn't selling well in the U.S.
Jaguar is about to start a new marketing campaign, and in the meantime it's sending more I-Pace electric crossovers to Norway.
Kirk Bell -
The 2019 Jaguar I-Pace, a city boy, and range anxiety
Electric vehicles aren’t made for me. It’s not that I’m not for them. My circumstances just don’t fit with the realities of charging. I live in Chicago, in a 100-year-old apartment building converted to condominiums 17 years ago. I have a spot in a parking lot behind the...
Kirk Bell -
BMW's Test Fest in Palm Springs, California, at The Thermal Club attracts a broad range of cars. The star of the show is the 600-horsepower 2018 BMW M5. But before I can test that wild sport sedan... -
2018 Porsche Panamera 4 E-Hybrid: first drive review
In the plug-in hybrid game, you move forward or get left behind. When the hybrid maker is Porsche, that applies to power as well as efficiency. The 2018 Porsche Panamera 4 E-Hybrid is the replacement for the previous Panamera S E-Hybrid, and it gets more power, performance, and efficiency in a...
Kirk Bell -
2017 Jaguar XE 20d fuel economy review
What a shame. Diesel engines were just getting a foothold in the United States and Volkswagen had to go ruin it. At this point, it looks like diesel is dead for cars in the U.S., though it may hang on for SUVs and will certainly continue in heavy duty pickups. Yet in these uncertain times for oil...
Kirk Bell -
2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV: Production Electric Car Unveiled At CES
Chevrolet unveiled the Bolt electric vehicle as a concept car at last year's Detroit Auto Show and today at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas it showed the production version. Most notably, the car, officially called the Bolt EV, promises more than 200 miles of range on a full charge...
Kirk Bell -
Honda's Electric Four-Motor CR-Z Prototype: We Drive It
The idea of the four-motor electric car has been around since the start of the 20th century. One of Ferdinand Porsche's first ideas, in fact, was the Lohner-Porsche that debuted at the 1900 Paris World Fair, with a hub motor in each front wheel. Toss four electric motors in a car and you could have...
Kirk Bell