Here Are the 5 Least Expensive EVs in the First Quarter
Big discounts to move electric vehicles off dealership lots means consumers have a selection of vehicles priced below $41,000. Automakers and retailers offered huge incentives — sometimes five-digit discounts — to sell EVs that lingered on dealership lots for more than 100 days in the first quarter of 2024. According to Automotive News, they are trying to overcome consumer worries about EV driving range limitations, a lack of public charging stations and high prices. Each of the five least expensive EVs comes in at less than $41,000 with automaker and dealer incentives, according to Cox Automotive data. That compares with the average transaction price of $47,735, excluding an average incentive of $2,664, for vehicles industrywide. The price-cutting strategy is not sustainable long term, said Stephanie Valdez Streaty, director of industry insights at Cox Automotive. "It's one of those chicken-egg things. You need to scale to get more profitability, more efficiencies," she said. "I think it's going to take some time." Click here to find out the five least expensive EVs.
2025 Mercedes-Benz G 580 with EQ Technology First Look: The All-Electric G Is Here
Behold, it's the new electric G. After teasing us with concepts since 2021, Mercedes-Benz is finally spilling all the details on the upcoming, battery powered Geländewagen. And no, it's not called the EQG, reports Autoblog. Meet the Mercedes-Benz G 580 with EQ Technology. Yes, it's quite a mouthful and a break from the nomenclature that Mercedes has defined for its previous EVs. However, the electric G-Wagen is a significantly different proposition from the company's current electrified efforts, and so a little branding shake-up makes sense. Where machines like the EQE and EQS slot reasonably well into the same segments occupied by the Mercedes-Benz E-Class and S-Class while being fundamentally different from their same-lettered predecessors, the G 580 with EQ Technology is very much a G-Class. Only, you know, battery powered. It starts with a ladder frame setup like that on the revised G-Class that Mercedes-Benz unveiled just last month. It also uses a similar suspension layout, an independent front setup paired with a solid live axle at the rear. They even look the same, with the EQ flavor of the G-Class differentiating itself with only a subtly different grille and a few other tweaks. Click here to learn more.
VinFast Adds 12 U.S. Dealerships, Including 5 in Florida and 4 in Texas
VinFast Auto is adding 12 franchised dealerships to sell its battery-electric crossovers in the U.S., including five in Florida, four in Texas and its first locations in Kentucky and Connecticut, the Vietnamese automaker said Tuesday. This brings the automaker's footprint to 18 dealerships across seven states, not including its company-owned locations in California, where it began sales a year ago. VinFast pivoted to a dealer-focused model in late 2023 but kept the California market for direct sales, reports Automotive News. Newly signed dealers include DeMontrond Auto Group of Houston, HGreg of Doral, Fla., and Premier Auto Group of Branford, Conn. VinFast, which made its first gasoline-powered cars in 2017 before shifting to electric vehicles, is off to a slow sales start in the U.S., according to registration data. The automaker had 448 registrations in January and February combined, and 265 in the 2023 calendar year, according to S&P Global Mobility. VinFast said sales through its franchised dealerships are expected to contribute significantly to the company's deliveries in the second half of this year. Click here for the full story.
Tax Season Sparks Sales
Thank tax rebates and what many call “spring fever” for dealers’ low inventory. U.S. dealers averaged 72 days of new-vehicle supply at the beginning of April, down seven days from the start of March, according to Cox Automotive. Interestingly, used cars below $15,000 continue to show constrained availability with only 33 days’ supply, 25 percent less than all other price ranges,” says Erin Keating, executive analyst and senior director of Economic and Industry Insights at Cox. “Further, it emphasizes that affordability remains challenging for consumers, and supply is more constrained at lower cost points.” According to Wards, the top five sellers of the month, Ford, Chevrolet, Toyota, Honda, and Nissan, accounted for 49 percent of all used vehicles sold at an average price of $23,089, more than 9 percent below the average listing price for all vehicles sold. Here are some of the other points Cox reports on the latest sales: Many Asian-based brands – Nissan and Infiniti, the exceptions – with the tightest days’ supply. Toyota continues to thrive on less than half the industry average, with 33 days’ supply. Click here for the full story.
Lamborghini Tiptoes Toward Electric with New Urus Hybrid SUV
Lamborghini SpA unveiled a hybrid version of its bestselling Urus SUV on April 24, in a bid to diversify its range without going fully electric. The 2025 Lamborghini Urus SE pairs a twin-turbo V8 engine with an electric motor for a total of 789 horsepower and 700 pound-feet of torque to blast down the highway. It’s faster than the current Urus, with a 0-62mph sprint of 3.4 seconds and a top speed of 193mph, reports Bloomberg. Slated for deliveries in early 2025, the Urus SE will compete against the $146,900 Porsche Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid and $200,000 Bentley Bentayga Hybrid. Pricing will start at $258,000, a roughly 8 percent markup over the Urus S. The Urus SE comes with all-wheel drive, 11 drive modes and 37 miles of all-electric driving range. Like last year’s Revuelto hybrid supercar, this second hybrid from Lamborghini eases efficiency numbers, some 80 percent reduction in emissions compared with the conventional Urus, it says, along with improved aerodynamic and cooling efficiency; fuel efficiency results have yet to be released. Click here for the full story.
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He Loves Speed, Hates Bureaucracy and Told Ferrari: Go Faster [The Wall Street Journal]
Hyundai Nano Cooling Film Can Reduce Interior Temperatures by Up to 40° F [Carscoops]
2025 Range Rover EV Shown Testing in Arctic Circle [Car and Driver]
Subaru Legacy Discontinued After the 2025 Model Year [Autoblog]
