The Connected Charge Station from Ford is a smart charger that can be controlled remotely through the its mobile app. Ahead of unveiling new plug-in vehicles later this year, Ford in October announced a new home charger as well as agreements to enable Ford drivers to roam across multiple networks. With every PEV sold, Ford is providinga self-branded Mobile Charger that can connect to 120 or 240v outlets, offering up to an estimated 22 miles per hour of charge. This should satisfy most EV drivers’ residential requirements, which could limit the number of dedicated home chargers sold to Ford ..read more

Accell AxFAST Portable Level 2 Electric Vehicle Charger My 2013 Ford C-Max Energi plug-in hybrid has a relatively small 7.6 kilowatt-hour battery. Because I take mostly short trips, the C-Max’s 20 miles of all-electric range—and access to a plug in my garage—means I only have to gas up about once a month. I thoroughly enjoy spacing out those refueling stops as much as possible. When I bought the C-Max, I decided to use a good old-fashioned 110-volt wall outlet instead of buying a Level 2 home charging station. So it takes me about six or seven hours for a full charge. That works great most ..read more

The Chevy Bolt is an affordable long-range EV. But maybe price parity isn't enough to move the EV market? We are approaching the tenth anniversary of the so-called modern electric car. The first sales of the Nissan LEAF, which at the time offered 84 miles on a single charge, were made in December 2009. A decade later, the LEAF goes nearly three times as far for about the same price. But EV sales still represent less than 2 percent of total vehicle sales in the United States. Analysts have long predicted that EV sales would hit a tipping point as soon as battery-electric cars are offered wit ..read more

What’s it going to take for everyday consumers to shift from gas to electric? Some advocates believe that the tipping point will occur when the cost of a battery-powered car and an emissions-producing gas car are identical. The magic words: price parity. Others believe that it will only happen when an EV has the same driving range and ease of refueling as an internal-combustion vehicle. If price parity and eliminating range concerns are the criteria, then we don’t have to wait another day. There are three highly capable, long-range plug-in hybrids available for less than $30,000. After a feder ..read more

Tesla Model 3 Tesla this week cut the price of its Model 3, its best-selling electric model. The price of the Model 3 will drop by $1,000 to $38,990. The Tesla Model 3 so far in 2019 makes up nearly half of all EV sales in the United States, where 45 plug-in models are available. In addition to lowering the Model 3’s price, Tesla is making a series of other strategic pricing changes. The base version of the Model S sedan is rising from $75,000 to $79,990, while the price of the Model X SUV is increasing from $81,000 to $84,990. Also, Tesla is raising the price of its self-driving package by ..read more

2019 Nissan LEAF S (not the LEAF Plus) According to a recent AAA survey, 40 million Americans say they are considering an electric vehicle for their next car. Perhaps you are one of those so-called EV-intenders. If so, then the key to going electric—and finally kissing gas stations goodbye—is finding an all-electric model with the right combination of driving range, comfort, and affordability. Here’s the good news: Even if you’re a budget-minding car buyer, you don’t have to put off buying an electric car. With some willingness to re-think your assumptions, there’s a highly affordable EV fo ..read more

We need more affordable EVs like the 226-mile, $30,000 Nissan LEAF Plus. The pro-Tesla blogosphere champions nearly everything that Elon Musk claims is fantastic and ground-breaking. But Musk’s announcement earlier this month—that Tesla will soon offer EVs with 400 miles of range—landed with a thud. Electrek, the enthusiast website, responded to the news by stating what is obvious to any experienced EV driver: “Two-hundred miles of range is more than enough for well over 95 percent of the population, especially when combined with expansive quick charging networks like Tesla’s Superchargers ..read more

We’ve heard about the rise of electric SUVs for a couple of years. So far, these promising new, larger EVs—some of which are barely larger than traditional sedans—have had little impact. Will we see signs of change when May sales numbers are reported early next week? Audi e-tron SUV Why is it taking so long for automakers to electrify SUVs? Will it ever happen? Most of the excitement about new all-electric vehicles is being generated in the crossover-SUV segment. New models, such as the Audi e-tron, Jaguar I-Pace, and Hyundai Kona EV ..read more

Toyota Prius Prime For more than a year, the Toyota Prius Prime has been the second best-selling plug-in vehicle—surpassed only by the Tesla Model 3. Now the new 2020 version of Prime, due as early as June, will become even more accessible and attractive when its back row expands to accommodate a fifth passenger and adds two USB ports. The new Prius Prime starts at $28,530. The enduring popularity of the plug-in Prius is due to its low entry price—combined with the availability of a $4,502 federal tax credit (and local incentives), the versatility of a hatchback, and the ability to drive th ..read more