All the News, Reviews, Guides and Reports on Electric Cars

Tesla is set to begin delivering the first Model 3 cars to customers at an event on Friday, July 28. Thirty lucky EV fans will become the first Model 3 drivers. They will bask in the limelight of the hand-over ceremony and immediately start reporting on the performance of the much-anticipated Model 3. Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of reservation-holders who put down a $1,000 deposit more than a year ago will be anxiously awaiting details about key questions.

The redesigned 2018 LEAF will be unveiled in Tokyo on Sept. 6. From all accounts, the new LEAF will shed the first-generation’s high-tech appearance in favor of a more mainstream design. That means the current LEAF’s bulging headlights, bulbous tail and sloped hood will be less pronounced. The interior will also gain simplicity, with an infotainment screen placed in the center stack and driving information displayed behind the steering wheel. But making a new model more humdrum might not be a great marketing angle, so Nissan this week pushed the idea of a so-called e-Pedal.

The new 2018 MINI Cooper SE Countryman All4 made its debut in June. Sales of the first 10 US sales were reported last month, and the car made a UK appearance at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. The plug-in Countryman represents the first full-production electric-drive vehicle available in MINI showrooms.

The California Clean Vehicle Rebate program this month is putting new applicants for its incentives on a waiting list. The hiatus in payments could last until September when a new legislative session begins. Because priority is given to qualified lower-income applicants, only needs-based applications are currently being processed. California experienced the same hiatus in payments last year until it was restored months later. Other states—including Georgia, Utah, and Colorado—also temporarily suspended or eliminated for EV incentives.

The much-anticipated Tesla Model 3 will start rolling off the production line this week, about two weeks earlier than planned. That marks an important milestone for the company—and for the electric vehicle industry—as Tesla gets closer to its goal of becoming a producer of mass-market electric cars.

Volkswagen unveiled its all-electric I.D. Concept at the 2016 Paris Motor Show and its I.D. Crozz crossover concept in Shanghai in April 2017. The four-door I.D. Crozz, displayed in Shanghai, is expected to travel more than 300 miles on a single charge. It is slated for production in 2020. This week a slide presentation leaked via Autoblog Netherlands revealed two more new models heading to the US market sometime between 2019 and 2022. The two models, the I.D. Lounge and I.D. AEROe, appear to be a full-sized SUV and a small hatchback respectively.

The 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV was on Tuesday awarded a “Top Safety Pick” award by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). It became the first 2017 model-year EV to be awarded as a Top Safety Pick by the IIHS. Like other previously tested EVs, the Bolt scored high on nearly every crash test but fell short on the quality of its headlights.

The new era of affordable long-range electric cars was launched when the 238-mile Chevrolet Bolt went on sale in December. By the end of 2017, the Bolt will be joined by the Tesla Model 3, which will offer similar range for a similar price of about $30,000 after tax incentives. Those two models put American car manufacturers in the lead for practical long-range EVs. But, based on statements from executives from Asian carmakers, car shoppers will soon have the choice of similar long-range EVs from Nissan, Hyundai and others.

Chrysler issued a voluntary recall this week of its 2017 Pacifica Plug-in Hybrid, the industry’s first minivan available as a conventional and plug-in hybrid. Sales of the model began in April of this year. Just three months later, the company received reports from customers about a loss of propulsion. The problem could increase the risk of an accident, although no incidents or injuries have been reported. Owners can call 800-853-1403 for further details.

General Motors announced this week that it will accelerate its plans to sell the 238-mile Chevy Bolt electric car throughout the United States. All authorized dealerships nationwide can now order the Bolt for deliveries in August rather than September, as previously planned.