With its popular and well-regarded Ioniq lineup, Hyundai has been conspicuously absent from the list of major automakers signing on to use Tesla's North America Charging Standard (NACS). Now, the Korean automaker has announced that it has reached a deal to adopt NACS in North America starting in Q4 2024 in the US, with Canada to follow in the first half of 2025. 

Hyundai's EVs with a NACS port will gain access to more than 12,000 Superchargers across North America, doubling the number of DC fast chargers available to customers. "This new alliance will provide Hyundai EV owners confidence in their ability to conveniently charge their vehicles... with at least 30,000 stations across North America," said Hyundai Motor North America CEO José Muñoz.

Upcoming Hyundai EVs equipped with NACs, including the Ioniq 5, Ioniq 6 and upcoming Ioniq 7, will gain access to the chargers in late 2024. New and older CCS charger-equipped vehicles will be able to use them in the first quarter of 2025, the company said. 

Along with access to Tesla's network, Hyundai is teaming up with BMW, GM, Honda, Hyundai and Mercedes to develop a North American network with at least 30,000 chargers. The first US stations are set to open in the summer of 2024, with chargers in Canada following at a later date. 

The lack of fast chargers has been a high hurdle for EV adoption, so most automakers have looked at Tesla as at least a stopgap solution. Hyundai Motors (including Kia) recently overtook GM for second place in US EV sales, but it's still a distant second to Tesla, which sold 300,000 more EVs last year.

So far, major automakers that have now signed up to use Tesla's Supercharger network include Hyundai, Fisker, Ford, GM, Honda, Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Polestar, Rivian and Volvo. Those still in talks reportedly include Stellantis and Volkswagen. 

Tesla has quietly updated its Model Y page to add a new option for buyers in the US: A rear-wheel drive Model Y that's cheaper than the other variants. It'll set buyers back $43,990, but with a full tax credit of $7,500, the electric vehicle could cost them as low as $36,490. As Electrek notes, this version replaces the Model Y All Wheel Drive that was recently discontinued. It's also $3,750 cheaper than the AWD, making it the most affordable Model Y EV. 

Bloomberg says the vehicle likely uses lithium-iron phosphate batteries, which cost less to manufacture than high-nickel battery compositions. While it's possible that the batteries enable Tesla to sell this version at a lower price, Electrek believes they're also the reason why the EV has a 260 mile range, whereas the discontinued AWD Model Y had a range of 279 miles. That said, previous studies revealed that lithium-iron phosphate batteries are more efficient and have a much longer lifespan than nickel batteries.  

The rear-wheel drive Model Y can reach 135 mph in speed and can accelerate from zero to 60 mph in 6.6 seconds. Tesla says it will start deliveries for the new EV this month and the next, though as always, customers will have to pay extra for Enhanced Autopilot ($6,000) and Full Self-Driving ($12,000). In its latest quarterly earnings report, the automaker admitted that its deliveries fell short of Wall Street's lowered expectations. It still expects to make 1.8 million deliveries for the year as a whole, however, and it remains to be seen if the new Model Y can help it achieve that goal. 

Honda has revealed more details about its all-electric Prologue SUV. The EV will have a listed range of 300 miles when the first deliveries arrive in early 2024. The automaker says the vehicle’s MSRP is “expected to start in the upper $40,000s” before subtracting any available incentives or tax credits.

The Prologue’s pricing puts its entry point well above rivals like the Volkswagen ID.4, Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Mustang Mach-E — all of which start at around $40,000. Meanwhile, the range on Honda’s EV is much shorter than the Ioniq 6’s 361 miles and even lags slightly behind the Hummer EV (314 miles).

The Prologue is built on the GM Ultium EV architecture, the same platform as GM electrics like the Chevy Blazer EV. Honda’s new model has an 85-kWh battery pack that applies to both rear-drive and all-wheel-drive models. However, note that the 300-mile estimated range only applies to the 2WD variant, and we don’t yet know how far to expect the AWD one to last. The automaker only lists engine performance stats for the AWD version, which generates an estimated 288 hp and 333 lb-ft of torque.

Honda

Elsewhere, the Honda Prologue has a 121.8-inch wheelbase, five inches longer than the longer Honda Pilot’s. The SUV seats five people and has 136.9 cubic feet of interior space. The vehicle supports wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard, and it includes an 11-inch instrument display with an 11.3-inch HD infotainment screen.

Honda will give buyers several charging packages to choose from at purchase. First, they can get an 11.5kW home charging station with a $100 charging credit and a $500 installation credit. Second, they can opt for a 7.6kW portable charging kit, a $300 public charging credit and a $250 installation credit. Alternatively, customers can go with $750 in public charging credits.

Honda has revealed more details about its all-electric Prologue SUV. The EV will have a listed range of 300 miles when the first deliveries arrive in early 2024. The automaker says the vehicle’s MSRP is “expected to start in the upper $40,000s” before subtracting any available incentives or tax credits.

The Prologue’s pricing puts its entry point well above rival SUVs like the Volkswagen ID.4, Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Mustang Mach-E — all of which start at around $40,000. Meanwhile, the range on Honda’s EV is much shorter than the Ioniq 6’s 361 miles and even lags slightly behind the Hummer EV (314 miles).

The Prologue is built on the GM Ultium EV architecture, the same platform as GM electrics like the Chevy Blazer EV. Honda’s new model has an 85-kWh battery pack that applies to both rear-drive and all-wheel-drive models. However, note that the 300-mile estimated range only applies to the 2WD variant, and we don’t yet know how far to expect the AWD one to last. The automaker only lists engine performance stats for the AWD version, which generates an estimated 288 hp and 333 lb-ft of torque.

Honda

Elsewhere, the Honda Prologue has a 121.8-inch wheelbase, five inches longer than the longer Honda Pilot’s. The SUV seats five people and has 136.9 cubic feet of interior space. The vehicle supports wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard, and it includes an 11-inch instrument display with an 11.3-inch HD infotainment screen.

Honda will give buyers several charging packages to choose from at purchase. First, they can get an 11.5kW home charging station with a $100 charging credit and a $500 installation credit. Second, they can opt for a 7.6kW portable charging kit, a $300 public charging credit and a $250 installation credit. Alternatively, customers can go with $750 in public charging credits.

The day is finally here: There's a self-driving car available for purchase in the US. Or, at least, there will be within the next few months. Mercedes-Benz is bringing its Drive Pilot-equipped cars to California and Nevada, and, when they're deployed, you'll not only be able to take your hands off the wheel but also take your eyes off the road.

Drive Pilot is the first proper SAE Level 3 autonomy system on the road, meaning when the car is driving itself you, the driver, aren't even liable for the car's behavior. That's an impressive feat, but it's one that comes with a lot of caveats. The biggest is that it only works at up to 40 mph, and even then only in clear weather conditions. You have to be on a highway that has been mapped by Here's HD maps, and you must have a car ahead of you.

There are restrictions within the car, too. You can't take a nap, can't turn around and look at the people in the back seat (at least not for long), and, perhaps most frustrating, you still can't use your phone. That's a lot of can't, sadly, but Mercedes-Benz promises this is just the beginning, with higher speeds and more flexible use-cases to come with time. What's it like today? Check out our test drive to see.

Huawei is moving deeper into the electric vehicle business with the help of Chery Autos and now we know when the first production model from their joint venture will arrive. Luxeed is slated to debut its coupe-style S7 in China in late November, according to the South China Morning Post.

Luxeed's blend of Huawei's tech and Chery’s manufacturing know-how could help the S7 to make a splash in an increasingly crowded EV market. There's clearly some confidence in the car too. “It will be superior to Tesla’s Model S in various aspects,” Richard Yu Chengdong, head of Huawei’s car unit, said at an event.

The EV's range, price and tech features weren't disclosed at the event, the South China Morning Post noted. However, it emerged in August that the S7 will be based on state-owned Chery’s E0X platform, which is designed for two-motor, all-wheel-drive EVs.

This isn't exactly Huawei's first foray into EVs. The company collaborated with automaker Seres to create the Aito brand (which Huawei now fully owns) in 2021. Aito's first all-electric model, the M5, arrived last year. Aito will start deliveries of its M9, a luxury electric SUV, in China in December. Huawei has also been supplying other automakers with its Huawei HI intelligent automotive solution that includes a 4D imaging radar and an autonomous driving platform.

Don't expect to see Luxeed's S7 make its way over to the US anytime soon, if ever, though. Huawei is still subject to sanctions in the country.

Jaguar is joining Mercedes, Polestar and other automakers in adopting Tesla's NACS chargers for vehicles sold in North America starting in 2025. The company signed an agreement with Tesla to gain access to its 12,000+ Superchargers for its "current and future customers" using the standard.

"The next generation luxury electric Jaguars, launching in 2025, will incorporate the NACS connector without the need for an adapter in the USA, Canada and Mexico," it said in a press release, adding that it will adopt the standard for "vehicles and home chargers, and source and supply adapters from Tesla for I-PACE drivers once available." Jaguar noted that its in-house battery and power electronics technology will optimize charging rates on both Tesla's current V3 (250 kW) and upcoming V4 (350 kW) Superchargers. 

Jaguar has been quiet of late around its EV plans, but announced back in 2021 that it would become an all-electric brand by 2025, with its Land Rover division rolling out six new EVs in 2024 — all as part of a sweeping "Reimagine" strategy. The company will use a pure electric architecture for its Jaguar lineup, replacing gas and hybrid vehicles like the XE, XF, E-Pace and F-Pace with all-electric versions. Land Rover, meanwhile, will introduce two separate platforms for all-electric and hybrid vehicles. 

Many, if not most, major automakers have now signed up to use Tesla's Supercharger network, including Fisker, Ford, GM, Honda, Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Polestar, Rivian and Volvo. A number are reported to be in talks, including VW, Stellantis and Hyundai. In addition, other networks are adopting NACs, including ChargePoint and Electrify America. And recently, Tesla received $160 million in funding to expand its Supercharger network in year. 

All of that shows the wisdom in Tesla's gambit over ten years ago to make Superchargers a strong selling point for its EVs. Now, the network is becoming a key feature for other manufacturers as well — to the likely benefit of Tesla. 

That’s not Photoshop — it’s supposed to look like that. This is Honda’s Motocompacto, a throwback all-electric rideable inspired by the short-lived Honda Motocompo scooter of the ‘80s, and I'm sorry to say that I'm kind of into it.

The vehicle, folded up, resembles one of those Costco folding tables but with little aluminum wheels poking out the bottom. To transform it into a scooter, you extend the handlebars, seats and back wheel, and ride away on something vaguely approximating a bike. (To give you some perspective on the design, this thing is just over three feet long.)

Honda

Honda says its aluminum frame and wheels keep it “lightweight” but at 41 pounds it’s firmly in the same weight class as regular e-bikes, and with a range of "up to 12 miles," it's not getting you very far either. After its 12-mile range is used up, it can be re-juiced in 3.5 hours, which is a considerable amount of time, but at least it comes with an on-board charger ready for you to plug into a 110V outlet.

The scooter is designed to be easy to take into vehicles or on public transportation — which could be a huge selling point for city dwellers that want the convenience of an e-bike or scooter but not the trouble of securely locking it up all day. It's part of Honda's big EV push, which aims to replace its entire lineup with battery-electric and fuel-cell-electric vehicles by 2040.

The Honda Motocompacto will be available starting in November priced “under $995” exclusively on Motocompacto.com and at Honda and Acura dealers.

Cadillac just unveiled the 2025 CT5 luxury sedan and it ships with a tech-forward feature that’s certain to annoy the “back in my day, cars were for driving” crowd, a 33-inch 9K touchscreen display. The dashboard-based LED screen curves toward the driver in a “single, continuous screen” that spans the entire viewing area.

Like most in-car displays, this is a customizable user interface that you can access in a number of different ways. Cadillac has partnered up with Google, so many of the company’s apps are built-in to the display, like Google Assistant and Google Maps. This allows for live traffic updates, podcasts, music streaming, hands-free communication and more. The inclusion of Google Play lets you shop around for all kinds of apps to help pass the time during that annoying commute.

Cadillac has been teasing this display for a while, after it first showed up at CES in 2021 as part of the Lyriq EV concept car. However, the 2025 CT5 is far from a concept vehicle, as it likely releases next year. It seems as though automobile manufacturers are in a race to push out the widest and more versatile screen, with BMW recently introducing full-width displays on windscreens that are also set to launch with 2025 models.

Of course, the Cadillac CT5 is also a car, and not just a big metal house for a touchscreen display. The CT5 refresh boasts a 2.0L turbo engine, upgradeable to 3.0L, with 237 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque, along with dual exhaust tips. The company promises a “quiet, smooth and effortless” ride, thanks to all-wheel drive, Super Cruise drive assistance technology, and something called the Drive Mode Selector that uses a full range of sensors to automatically adjust responses depending on the surface and weather conditions.

Cadillac says the 2025 CT5 will be manufactured at GM’s assembly facility in Michigan, with production beginning in the spring. We’ll have to wait for pricing and availability details, however, as the company says more news will be announced in the future. In the meantime, we can all live in terror at the prospect of a child accidentally breaking that touchscreen during a particularly grueling and anxiety-inducing road trip.

What you're looking at is a concept car, but it's also so much more. This is the car that could change everything you've come to expect about acceptable range from an electric car, not to mention raise the bar for visual style and aggression along the way. This is the Mercedes-Benz Concept CLA Class.

The Concept CLA inherits a lot of learnings from the extremely slippery Vision EQXX, but it's a car that’s a lot more ready for production, and should be a lot more affordable. The current CLA is one of the most affordable Mercedes-Benz cars you can buy in the US, and with any luck this future one won’t break the bank, either.

That’s despite a range that should surpass 400 miles on a charge, plus a wholly new software architecture ready to deliver level-three advanced, hands-off driver assistance. It’s an exciting combination of form and technology, and hopefully close to something we’ll see in dealerships soon. Watch the video below for the full story.