Mercedes-Benz confirms more details for the upcoming GLB EV. Volkswagen thinks small, affordable, and electric. Toyota invests in batteries and EVs. And which states have the most EV registrations? This and more, here at Green Car Reports.
Toyota made some major announcements regarding EVs and batteries on Tuesday. It plans to spend $13.5 billion on battery development through 2030, aiming to reduce battery cost by up to 50%, enabled partly by gains in EV efficiency, material, and battery structure changes. Toyota is also targeting longer battery lifespans, with battery degradation limited to just 10% after 10 years starting with the Toyota bZ4X electric car due next year.
Mercedes-Benz has provided a few more details about the 2022 Mercedes EQB compact electric SUV due in the U.S. next year. The EQB, an electric analog to the GLB gasoline model, is sized between the Audi Q4 and the Tesla Model Y and is expected to earn a range rating somewhat less than its 260-mile Euro WLTP rating.
At this week’s Munich auto show, Volkswagen revealed the ID.Life concept. Said to preview a small, affordable ($24,000) electric car—perhaps called the ID.2—the front-wheel-drive ID.Life is built on a pared-down EV platform called MEB Small.
And three of the five states with the most electric vehicle registrations haven’t been signed on to California’s ZEV mandate requiring EVs. It’s food for thought in examining whether the U.S. needs an EV mandate built into emissions and fuel economy rules, or if incentives would suffice.
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