Connect with us

Published

on

Toyota will not make electric SUVs in the US starting next year as planned. According to a new report, Toyota is delaying production of new electric SUVs in the US by several months. The company is blaming the holdup on slowing EV sales in the US, but are they really?

Why is Toyota delaying US-made electric SUVs?

A new Nikkei report claims Toyota is pushing back production of its all-electric three-row SUV in Kentucky until the first half of 2026.

Last May, Toyota announced plans to begin assembling the electric three-row SUV at its Georgetown, Kentucky plant in 2025. The Kentucky facility is Toyota’s largest manufacturing facility globally with up to 550,000 annual vehicle production.

Toyota invested over a billion in the facility to prepare it for the new electric SUV. However, the company recently informed suppliers it will be pushing back production by several months.

According to the report, the company is blaming slowing EV demand and growing hybrid sales in the US.

Toyota still expects EV adoption to climb in the US in the long term and will continue investing in next-gen batteries and other tech.

Toyota-delaying-electric-SUVs
Toyota Land Cruiser Se EV concept (Source: Toyota)

Meanwhile, Toyota is also scrapping plans to build new electric SUVs in North America under the Lexus brand.

The company planned to begin producing Lexus electric SUVs in the region by 2030, but new plans call for the vehicles to be shipped from Japan.

Toyota-delaying-electric-SUVs
2024 Toyota bZ4X (Source: Toyota)

North America is not the only market in which Toyota is delaying EV initiatives. The auto giant recently informed its supplier of plans to cut global EV production to around 1 million in 2026, down from 1.5 million.

Electrek’s Take

Although the report cites slowing EV sales in the US, many automakers are seeing sales surge with new models hitting the market.

GM surpassed rival Ford after electric vehicle sales climbed 60% in Q3. With over 32,000 EVs sold in the third quarter, GM is now on top of Ford through the first nine months of 2024. Ford still sold over 23,500 EVs in Q3 for a total of 67,689 in 2024. GM has now sold 70,450 electric vehicles in the US through September.

With its “EV for everyone” strategy finally unfolding, GM is starting to see the results. GM is seeing higher demand with new (competitively priced) models in popular segments, including the Chevy Blazer, Equinox, and Silverado EVs.

Other automakers, including Hyundai and Kia, are also seeing higher EV demand. Hyundai has sold over 30,000 IONIQ 5 models through September and will begin US production as early as this month.

Hyundai is opening its massive new EV plant in Georgia this year, where it will build new EVs, starting with the updated 2025 IONIQ 5. The new 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 has even more range, an improved design, and a Tesla NACS charging port.

Meanwhile, Kia is already gaining an edge with its three-row EV9 gaining market share in the US. With another 2,096 models sold last month, Kia EV9 sales reached nearly 16,000 in the US through September.

That’s even more than Toyota, with 13,577 bZ4X electric SUVs sold through September in the US.

So, are electric vehicle sales slowing in the US? Or is it just a lack of options from some automakers?

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Continue Reading

Environment

Porsche shows off Cayenne EV 11kW induction charging at IAA

Published

on

By

Porsche shows off Cayenne EV 11kW induction charging at IAA

Porsche today showed off two of its new products at IAA in Munich. The long-awaited Cayenne EV showed up with a new trick: an 11kW induction charger.

Details are still a little sparse at the moment, but it looks like a forthcoming Cayenne, which we hope to get a better look at later this month, will have 11kW wireless charging capability. Also new: the Cayenne will DC charge at up to 400kW, one of the fastest charging cars we’ve seen outside of China. But back to induction charging…

Porsche’s press release didn’t mention the type of induction charging, whether it would be compatible with other types of inductive chargers, or whether this was something that would come on other Porsches, wider VW vehicles, or even across the industry. The price is listed at €2000 for the option on the car and €5000 for the charging pad.

How inductive charging works in detail

Inductive charging is known from smartphones, but also from electric toothbrushes. The energy is transferred through the air via a magnetic field. For this purpose, a transmitter coil made of copper and ferrites is located in the base plate. Alternating current flows through this coil, which generates a magnetic field.

Porsche’s innovative concept uses ultra-wideband technology to determine the vehicle’s relative position above the floor plate. When the optimal parking position is reached, the driver is informed. In the vehicle’s secondary coil, which acts as a receiver unit, the magnetic field then generates alternating current. A rectifier then converts this into direct current so that the Cayenne’s high-voltage battery can store it.

The mechanism works by showing the charger on the front-view display. The driver must align the car to a certain place on the front of the car. Once over the spot, the car will lower itself to within 4-6 inches of the charging pad.

Advertisement – scroll for more content

  • Porsche wireless charging
  • Up to 11 kW
  • Efficiency up to 90 %
  • Active cooling
  • Charging pad 50 kg and 1,17 m 46“ long
  • Car lowers automatically when it parks over the pad
  • Motion sensor shuts down the plate when living beings or metal is being detected
  • Price 2.000 Euro vehicle, 5.000 Euro for the inductive plate, plus an electrician

At 240V, the 11kW Inductive charger would have a ~46A load. Porsche says the unit is up to 90% efficient, which means that the draw would be at least 12.2kW, which is about a 48A load at 240V.

Local media got a first hand look:

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Continue Reading

Environment

Honda to unveil full-size electric motorcycle with fast charging this month

Published

on

By

Honda to unveil full-size electric motorcycle with fast charging this month

Honda is finally getting ready to show off a full-size electric motorcycle, and it’s coming with something we rarely see on two wheels: fast charging. The company confirmed it will reveal more details about the bike on September 16, and all signs point to it being the long-awaited production version of the EV Fun concept first teased last year.

That’s a big deal. While we’ve seen plenty of electric scooters and small commuter bikes from Honda and other legacy manufacturers, a full-size electric motorcycle with legitimate highway performance – and fast charging – would put Honda into much more serious territory.

Most current e-motos in this category either rely on slower Level 2 charging or have limited battery capacity (with a few notable exceptions like the LiveWire One). A lack of DC fast charging can make long-distance travel impractical on an electric motorcycle, or at least time-consuming with longer coffee breaks while Level 2 charging. Honda’s decision to integrate fast charging could be the differentiator that makes their bike a real contender for riders who don’t want to be tied down by long charge times.

While we don’t have full specs yet, teaser images of the bike clearly showcase a CCS Combo 2 charge port, which is used in Europe for fast charging.

Advertisement – scroll for more content

It’s an interesting move, especially since the company previously described the range of the upcoming model as being sufficient for urban use, without providing solid battery capacity information.

The bike looks nearly identical to the EV Fun concept, with a modern naked sport-bike style and Honda’s classic design language.

From the renders and spy shots floating around, it’s clearly meant to compete in the same class as mid-size combustion motorcycles like Honda’s CB series. That means it won’t be a tiny urban commuter; we’re talking about something built for the highway.

In addition to a dearth of info regarding the battery size, Honda hasn’t shared exact range or pricing yet, but those three specs will make or break this launch. Range has been the Achilles’ heel of many electric motorcycles, with real-world numbers often falling short of what riders expect from a gas bike, making faster highway-speed trips trickier without fast charging stops.

Price is another key factor. If Honda tries to compete head-to-head with Harley’s LiveWire or the high-dollar Zero models, it could find itself in a three-way battle to attract new riders. But if it manages to slot into a more accessible price bracket, we could see Honda move a lot of units.

While Honda says we’ll get the official details on September 16, the end-of-year timing also lines up well with the EICMA show in Milan this November. Don’t be surprised if Honda makes a bigger splash there, giving the bike its proper global debut in front of the industry.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Continue Reading

Environment

The Kia EV5 is the affordable electric SUV we want, but can’t have

Published

on

By

The Kia EV5 is the affordable electric SUV we want, but can't have

Kia launched the EV5 in South Korea, its stylish new Sportage-sized electric SUV. With prices starting at just $35,000, the Kia EV5 arrives as an affordable SUV that’s built for the masses. But those in the US may never get to see it.

Kia launches the EV5 in Korea at an affordable price

After opening orders in the UK earlier this week, Kia launched the EV5 in its home market of South Korea on Wednesday.

Like overseas, the electric SUV is available in three variants: Air, Earth, and GT-Line. Powered by an 81.4 kWh battery, the EV5 offers a range of up to 460 km (285 miles).

A single front-mounted electric motor provides up to 215 hp (160 kW) and 295 Nm max torque. It can also recharge from 10% to 80% in about 30 minutes using a 350 kW charger.

Advertisement – scroll for more content

The EV5 is 1,875 mm wide, 4,610 mm long, and 1,675 mm tall, with a wheelbase of 2,750 mm, which is slightly smaller than that of the Tesla Model Y. To give you a better idea, that’s 10 mm wider, 70 mm longer, and 30 mm taller than the Kia Sportage.

Kia-EV5-affordable-SUV
The Kia EV5 (Source: Hyundai Motor Group)

The extended wheelbase provides “best-in-class” rear passenger space, according to Kia, with 1,041 mm second-row legroom.

Despite an upright stance like the larger EV9, the EV5 still has a sporty look with Kia’s latest design elements. The vertically stacked LED headlights and slim DRLs with Star Map lighting add to the bold styling.

Kia-EV5-affordable-SUV
The Kia EV5 boasts “best-in-class” second row legroom (Source: Hyundai Motor Group)

The interior features Kia’s latest ccNC infotainment system, featuring dual 12.3″ driver cluster and infotainment screens in a panoramic display. Plus, there’s an added 5″ AC display.

Kia introduced several new features, including a new sound bar and display theme. Through a partnership with Disney, the EV5 will play welcome and goodbye tunes, EV-specific sounds, and more.

Kia-EV5-affordable-SUV-interior
The interior of the Kia EV5 (Source: Hyundai Motor Group)

The base EV5 Air starts at 48.55 million won ($35,000) in Korea, while the Earth trim is priced from 52.3 million won ($37,600). Upgrading to the sporty GT-Line costs 53.4 million won ($38,400).

With government and local subsidies, Kia expects the EV5 to be available for purchase at around 40 million won ($28,800).

Starting Price Driving Range
Kia EV5 Air 48.55 million won ($35,000) 460 km (285 miles)
Kia EV5 Earth 52.3 million won ($37,600) 460 km (285 miles)
Kia EV5 GT-Line 53.4 million won ($38,400) 460 km (285 miles)
Kia EV5 prices and driving range by trim in South Korea

In comparison, the base Tesla Model Y RWD starts at 52.99 million won ($38,000) and has a driving range of up to 400 km (248 miles).

Although Kia plans to launch the EV5 in North America, it will be exclusively sold in Canada. We’ve seen a few EV5 models testing in the US, sparking speculation (or hope) that it could arrive, but don’t get your hopes up too soon. The last official statement from Kia still says the EV5 will be exclusive to Canada in the North American market.

What do you think of Kia’s new electric SUV? Would you buy one in the US? With Trump’s tariff war, don’t get your hopes up.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Continue Reading

Trending