GM fast-charging, Hummer EV details, Lucid DreamDrive, Kandi cars: The Week in Reverse


Which Chinese brand is aiming to have the most affordable EV in the U.S. market?

What looks like a modern-but-downsized electric VW Microbus?

This is our look back at the Week In Reverse—right here at Green Car Reports—for the week ending July 31, 2020.

General Motors showed a little more of its upcoming GMC Hummer EV on Wednesday—in the form of a video revealing its side profile, its frunk, and Adrenaline and Crab mode. GM also announced an investment in DC fast-charging infrastructure—with EVgo, and resulting in 2,700 new high-power connectors, with installations starting in 2021.

2022 GMC Hummer EV SUV profile

2022 GMC Hummer EV SUV profile

Lucid has detailed the fundamentals of its driver-assistance system called DreamDrive, for its upcoming Air electric sedan, and made some different choices than Tesla.

The EPA inspector general has decided to review the rule-making process behind the Trump administration’s relaxed fuel economy and emissions regulations set in March.

Kandi K23 electric car

Kandi K23 electric car

Are you ready for the most affordable electric car in the U.S. market? If China’s Kandi can make it through the hoops, it’s hoping to start at just $20,499—before the $7,500 EV tax credit.

Hyundai is reportedly aiming to increase electric vehicle production in South Korea. The new push might have something to do with the Tesla Model 3 outselling the Kona Electric in Hyundai’s home market.

According to a Panasonic executive, the cells that the company supplies for the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y will get a 20% energy boost in five years; and they’ll go cobalt-free even sooner. 

And Toyota isn’t typically one to push back its timelines. The automaker is pushing ahead with solid-state battery development, and the tech is reportedly on schedule for a 2025 production start, according to a report this week.

Rivian R1T

Rivian R1T

Tesla has sued Rivian over an alleged theft of trade secrets related to the sales process, charging network, and manufacturing.

Tesla and Nikola face a different set of challenges with their upcoming heavy-duty trucks than Tesla did when it first introduced its Model S; these semis will be arriving to a full array of other zero-emissions possibilities from established truck makers.

Electric vehicles need different tires than those powered by internal combustion engines—beyond the expected worries about range, according to the tire supplier Continental. 

Electric Brands eBussy

Electric Brands eBussy

If it ever gets made, a proposed vehicle from Germany, called the eBussy, might satisfy your electric Microbus dreams better than either a vintage Microbus or the upcoming ID Buzz.

In WWII German-occupied France, Peugeot made hundreds of “light city vehicle” electric cars used mostly by doctors or for postal delivery.

1941 Peugeot VLV

Volkswagen is predicting that pandemic concerns over clean air are among several reasons this challenging year could provide an extra boost for the success of EVs.

German automaker executives have recently sounded a new level of alarm—including some expressions of awe—as they see their reputation for both technology leadership and financial performance challenged by Tesla. 

We tend to keep an eye on electric-vehicle ads, because marketers have long seemed paralyzed over how to sell EVs. But the new ad for the Lordstown Motors Endurance could be on the right track; it goes in a refreshing new direction for an electric vehicle and shows it being used just as a gasoline work truck would.

Lordstown Endurance ad - July 2020

And last weekend we looked at an American tradition that’s made a comeback this summer and is at its best in an electric car: the drive-in movie

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