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Electric vehicles will play a critical role in slashing transport-related emissions in the years ahead.

Momentum behind the industry is building, with a number of big economies gearing up for the mass rollout of EVs and sales of electric cars hitting 6.6 million in 2021, a record, according to the International Energy Agency.

Not all countries will move at the same pace in the planned transition to low and zero-emission mobility, and the shift away from cars powered by fossil fuels won’t always be smooth.

There are concerns, for example, that the lower noise levels of EVs may pose a challenge to people with sight problems, while talk of a skills gap is sparking discussions about cost and safety.

Charging infrastructure is another area to watch, with the construction of vast networks set to be crucial in allaying fears about range anxiety. Equally important is making sure these EV chargers are accessible to all.

Read more about electric vehicles from CNBC Pro

According to the charity Motability, it’s estimated the U.K. will have 2.7 million disabled drivers by 2035.

As many as 1.35 million of this group, it says, “will be at least wholly or partially reliant on public charging infrastructure.”

The year 2035 is seen as being particularly important because that’s when the U.K. government wants all new cars and vans to have zero tailpipe emissions.

A disabled person who wants to use an EV charger today faces “inaccessibility at lots of different points throughout the process,” Catherine Marris, Motability’s head of innovation, told CNBC.

Such challenges begin when one leaves the house to use a public charger, she added.

“If they want to go on an app, for example, to see where there’s chargers, there isn’t usually information available about which chargers might be more accessible,” Marris said.

“Then, when they get to a charging site, there might not be clear signage and information about where charging points are located.”

The built environment around the charging bay could create difficulties too. “There might not be enough space around the charging bay to exit your vehicle,” Marris said.

“If you’re using a mobility aid, there might be a really high, raised curb that … someone would have to mount to get on the pavement.”

“The charge point itself might be surrounded with bollards that aren’t adequately spaced, so … if you’re using a mobility aid or wheelchair, you wouldn’t be able to actually get up to the charge point itself.”

Marris told CNBC that a charging point may also be “too high for a seated user, it might be too low for someone who might have difficulties reaching down.”

Ensuring EV chargers are accessible to all is a big task, and organizations like Motability are pushing hard to create conditions for change.

In collaboration with the U.K. government’s Office for Zero Emission Vehicles, it commissioned the British Standards Institution to develop a “national accessible charging standard for EV chargepoints.”

PAS 1899:2022, as it’s known, was published in October 2022, and covers everything from curb height and location of charging kits, to the spacing of bollards and height of charge points. 

“There was a yearlong process where industry … accessibility experts and disabled people came together, and they developed the standard through consensus as a group,” Marris said.

She went on to describe the end product as “a really powerful document that sets out exactly what accessible charging is and how it can be achieved.”

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Another charity, Designability, was included in a steering group to help inform PAS 1899:2022. Separately, it received funding from Motability to develop design guidance for those involved in the charging industry.

The guidance covers three main areas: signage and information; the built environment; and the process of charging a vehicle.

“We did a deep dive into the areas that were really difficult,” Matt Ford, director of design and innovation at Designability, told CNBC.

“It’s out there, it’s free, it’s there for anybody to use that’s involved in providing vehicle recharging,” he said.

Having design guidance and a standard like PAS 1899 is one thing. Getting charging stations that actually incorporate accessible features is another.

‘Change is required across the industry’

In February 2023, Tanni Grey-Thompson, a wheelchair user who won multiple gold medals at the Paralympic Games, highlighted the issue when she tweeted a picture of EV chargers from the firm InstaVolt with the caption: “This is why I can’t change to an electric car.”

Expanding on her point, Grey-Thompson — who sits in the U.K.’s House of Lords — tweeted about a lack of space on either side and how she couldn’t “get close enough to reach.”

In a statement sent to CNBC, InstaVolt CEO Adrian Keen said it’s “committed to cooperating with the requirements outlined in the PAS1899 consultation, while also taking on board direct feedback from charge point users, to improve accessibility at InstaVolt sites.”

“We are in contact with Tanni Grey-Thompson to discuss the work we’re doing in the space, challenges that users face, and how this can influence our site designs in future,” he added.

“We recognise that change is required across the industry as a whole and we are taking steps to ensure we’re providing accessible sites where we can.”  

“In addition, we have fully redesigned our chargers based on PAS1899 guidance, and these will be installed at new sites from the spring,” Keen said.

This unit has now incorporated a number of features, such as longer cables, lower screens and payment terminals, as well as what Keen called “an enhanced cable management system, to allow for improved charger accessibility.”

Creating a standard

InstaVolt’s plans represent a step in the right direction, but there’s still a lot of work ahead.

Designability’s Ford explained that a PAS, or publicly available specification, is “not an official standard — it’s not been adopted into legislation. It’s not … regulation.”

“But by creating a standard, by doing it through a robust process with the British Standards Institute, by having a steering group of stakeholders from across industry and the disabled community … what you have is a standard that is a really good blueprint for making chargepoints accessible.”

Such a standard became “really powerful” when local authorities started to incorporate it in procurement forms for companies bidding to install charging installations, Ford said.

“It’s being adopted, from what we can see, really quite quickly, not just by councils [but] … hotel chains, large companies [as well].”

A global challenge

U.K.-based organizations like Motability and Designability aren’t alone in looking to develop ideas and designs focused on accessibility.  

In July 2022, the U.S. Access Board, an independent federal agency, issued design recommendations for accessible charging stations.

And in December 2022, the Royal Automobile Association of South Australia announced it was launching a trial focused on creating “access standards for people with disabilities seeking to use electric vehicle charging infrastructure.”

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The IEA, seen by many as an authoritative voice on the energy transition, describes EVs as being “the key technology to decarbonise road transport.”

To achieve this mass decarbonization, a huge network of public chargers will be required in the years ahead.

For charities like Designability, that represents a huge chance to put accessibility at the heart of charging networks. “It is a once in a generation opportunity … once an infrastructure goes in, it’s very hard to affect it,” Ford said.

For her part, Motability’s Marris said she firmly believes that “100% of charge points should be accessible.”

“Not only because we want disabled people to charge at any charge point they come across — not just only a select few — but also, accessibility is great for everyone.”

“Whether you’re a disabled person, whether you’re an older person, whether you’re a parent pushing a pram and you need some more space, accessibility really does result in a better consumer experience.”

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Environment

Kia’s new EV9 and EV6 qualify for the $7,500 EV tax credit — except this one trim

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2 hours ago

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April 8, 2025

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Kia's new EV9 and EV6 qualify for the ,500 EV tax credit — except this one trim

Kia-EV6-EV9-tax-credit

The new and improved 2026 Kia EV9 and 2025 EV6 are eligible for the $7,500 federal EV tax credit, but one trim is excluded.

Do the Kia EV6 and EV9 qualify for the federal tax credit?

Kia’s first dedicated electric vehicle, the EV6, received some pretty major upgrades for its mid-cycle update this year.

The 2025 EV6 features a bigger battery providing more range (now up to 319 miles), a stylish interior and exterior redesign, and an NACS port for charging at Tesla Superchargers.

Kia’s first three-row electric SUV, the EV9, also has a native NACS charging port and will be the first model year to offer a high-performance GT trim.

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We got a good look at the EV9 GT at the LA Auto Show last year (check it out here). The sporty electric SUV boasts 501 hp, which is quite a bit more than the current GT-Line’s 379 hp. The added power is enough for the big-body SUV to move from 0 to 60 mph in just 4.3 seconds.

Kia-2026-EV9-GT-interior
Kia-EV9-EV6-tax-credit

Although Kia America’s vice president of sales, Eric Watson, confirmed the EV6 and EV9 are now in “full-scale production” at its plant in West Point, Georgia, not all trims will qualify for the $7,500 federal tax credit.

According to CarsDirect, Kia told dealers that the 2025 EV6 and 2026 EV9 GT trims wouldn’t be eligible for the credit. A spokesperson said the exclusion is because Kia builds the EV6 GT and EV9 GT in South Korea, while all other trims are assembled in Georgia.

Kia's-new-EV6-GT-US
Kia-new-EV6-GT-interior

If Trump’s 25% tariff on South Korea is still in effect when the GT models launch in the US, it could create a significant price gap between trims.

Despite this, you will likely still be able to take advantage of the credit through leasing. Kia, like many, is passing the $7,500 on through lease cash, which can significantly cut monthly payments.

Kia will reveal more info, including prices, closer to launch. Check back soon. We’ll keep you updated with the latest.

With the new models arriving soon, Kia is offering clearance pricing on outgoing models. Monthly leases start as low as $179. You can use our links below to find deals on the Kia EV6 and EV9 near you.

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Environment

Coal is dead and Trump’s executive order won’t revive it

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April 8, 2025

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Coal is dead and Trump's executive order won't revive it

coal

Donald Trump is expected to sign executive orders today to resuscitate the US coal industry – here’s why this is a complete waste of time.

Once again, using “emergency authority” by citing the growing power needs from data centers, EVs, and AI, the executive orders will allow some old coal-fired power plants scheduled for retirement to stay online.

The orders will also direct federal agencies to identify coal resources on federal lands, lift barriers to coal mining barriers, and prioritize coal leasing on US lands.

An Obama-era moratorium that paused coal leasing on federal lands will officially be acknowledged and federal agencies will be required to scrap policies moving away from US coal production. Trump also wants to boost coal exports and speed up coal technology development.

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Electrek’s Take

The coal and mineral industry is happy about this executive order, as well as the EPA recently giving them a free pass to pollute, and the MAGA crowd might think this is great, but no one else thinks this clever.

Trump can try to pretend that coal is “clean,” but it doesn’t change the fact that coal is the dirtiest of fossil fuels – its emissions killed 460,000 people between 1999 and 2020. Plus, it’s not even cost-effective – even natural gas is cheaper than coal. And these plants are old – the average age of the plants that are online is 53.

Coal has been in decline for a long time – it peaked in 2007. As I just wrote last month, coal fell to a record low of 15% of total electricity generation in the US in 2024, and wind and solar accounted for 17% of total electricity generation. That’s right – wind and solar successfully provided more power generation in the US than coal last year.

And while electricity demand will indeed skyrocket over the following decades, clean energy is capable of meeting that demand. The Energy Information Administration projects that in 2025, 93% of new power added to the US grid will be from solar, wind, and battery storage.

In an emailed statement, Kit Kennedy, managing director for power at the Natural Resources Defense Council, questioned whether a mandate for Americans to commute by horse and buggy would be next. It’s a fitting sentiment because the fact that I’m even writing a story in 2025 about why trying to revive coal is a bad idea feels ludicrous. Trump seems to forget he’s not William McKinley and this isn’t 1900.

Read more: Renewables to continue driving US power generation growth – EIA

If you live in an area that has frequent natural disaster events, and are interested in making your home more resilient to power outages, consider going solar and adding a battery storage system. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. They have hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.

Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisers to help you every step of the way. Get started here. –trusted affiliate link*

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BMW EVs are gaining more range this year as the 2026 iX hits an impressive 364 miles

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April 8, 2025

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BMW EVs are gaining more range this year as the 2026 iX hits an impressive 364 miles

BMW-EVs-more-range

After a few “technical advances,” BMW is upgrading its EVs with more driving range, features, and options. All BMW i5 models now have more range, while the 2026 iX has an EPA-estimated driving range of up to 364 miles.

BMW iX and i5 EVs gain more range

BMW announced 2025 model year updates coming this spring with a few exciting improvements to look forward to.

The BMW i5 eDrive40 features up to 310 miles of range, up from 295 miles in the outgoing model. Meanwhile, the i5 xDrive40 has a driving range of up to 278 miles, up from 266 miles in the 2025 model year.

BMW said that the improvements are due to “a number of technical advances that reduce energy consumption, and, thus, improve their range.” The new i5 uses a more efficient, more powerful SiC inverter, which also powers the new 2026 iX.

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All BMW 5 Series models are available with a new Frozen Portimao Blue metallic paint color. Two new Merino leather interior colors have also been added: Dark Violet/Atlas Grey and Taupe/Atlas Grey.

BMW i5 model Driving Range
(increase from MY2025)
i5 eDrive40 (19-in wheels) 310 mi (+ 5%)
i5 eDrive40 (20-in wheels) 300 mi (+ 8%)
i5 eDrive40 (21-in wheels) 278 mi (+ 3%)
i5 xDrive40 (19-in wheels) 278 mi (+ 5%)
i5 xDrive40 (20-in wheels) 272 mi (+ 4%)
i5 xDrive40 (21-in wheels) 259 mi (+ 4%)
BMW i5 range by trim

Although BMW revealed the 2026 iX earlier this year, the company now says it has an even greater EPA-estimated range than it projected.

The 2026 BMW iX xDrive60 is rated with a range of 364 miles when equipped with 20″ Aero wheels on summer tires, 7% higher than the 340 miles it initially expected. It’s also a drastic improvement from the 309-mile rating for the 2025MY.

Despite the upgrades, BMW’s electric SUV gets a $12,100 price cut thanks to a new entry-level xDrive45 model, which starts at just $75,150.

Horsepower Starting Price* Driving Range
2026 BMW iX xDrive45 402 hp $75,150 312 miles
2026 BMW iX xDrive60 536 hp $88,500 364 miles
2026 BMW iX M70 650 hp $115,500 303 miles
2026 BMW iX prices and range by trim (*excluding $1,175 destination fee)

BMW fine-tuned the exterior, which now includes new vertical headlights and a revamped Kidney Grille that illuminates.

The 2026 BMW iX is also the first BMW to feature its new Curved Display OS with video streaming, in-car gaming, and more.

Ready to try out BMW’s electric cars for yourself? We can help you get started. Check out our links below to find BMW iX and i5 models near you.

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