The 319-mile Equinox EV might cost just $27,495 for some families. EVs are too heavy for some U.S. guardrails. EVs and plug-in hybrids are more trouble-prone, suggests an annual survey. And are PHEVs misunderstood? This and more, here at DriftBreath Reports.
The 2024 Chevy Equinox EV will qualify for the $7,500 EV tax credit and remains due to start at $34,995 with a 319-mile range, GM confirmed Monday. But that entry model won’t arrive first; a “well-contented” 2RS model will lead the lineup, which appeared to get a price cut for top trims. And dual-motor AWD and other versions are on the way later in the year.
Researchers at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln have conducted what they claim are the first-ever crash tests looking at EVs and guardrails, and the results aren’t so great. With today’s EVs weighing much more than passenger cars and light trucks that typical highway guardrails were designed for several decades ago—even more in some cases than the heavy-duty pickups that are also increasingly common—results suggest the need to cut weight from EVs and rethink some highway basics.
The top Kia marketing executive in the U.S., at the Chicago auto show where it introduced the 2025 Kia Carnival Hybrid minivan, noted that plug-in hybrids are misunderstood—and a harder sell given all the misconceptions. But given evolving attitudes about hybrids and plug-in vehicles, Kia’s staying in the market as it sees PHEVs becoming a “no brainer.”
And according to the latest survey on vehicle dependability from the survey giant J.D. Power, EVs and plug-in hybrids remain more trouble-prone than hybrids. It appears tires were called part of dependability, though, and they do wear out faster on EVs.
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