Fiat 500e review, F-150 Lightning price cut, diesel hybrids, curbside EV chargers: Today’s Car News

Do EVs need a breakthrough in battery energy density before they make environmental sense?

And which luxury EV is bringing back the appearance of an internal combustion grille? Will fake tailpipes come next?

This is our look back at the Week In Reverse—right here at Green Car Reports—for the week ending April 12, 2024.

In a first drive of the 2024 Fiat 500e electric car, Green Car Reports found that this fashion accessory and short-range EV remains a good fit for the city—with many of the same limitations as the first-generation 500e sold on the West Coast.

2024 Fiat 500e

The 2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E boasts more range and faster charging—as well as quicker acceleration for much of the lineup—at a price thousands less than when the 2023 Mach-E arrived a year ago. The Mach-E now offers up to 320 miles of EPA range, according to Ford. Top-performance Mach-E GT versions with the Performance Upgrade are also now capable of outperforming the Tesla Model Y Performance, Ford claims.

2025 Mercedes-Benz EQS

The big 2025 Mercedes-Benz EQS hatchback is getting an extensive refresh for the new model year, including more battery capacity and driving range, improved brakes, and a limousine-like rear seating package. A grille that attempts to mimic that of the gasoline S-Class is also part of the revamp.

Ford is also already reversing course on recent F-150 Lightning price hikes. It’s cut 2024 F-150 Lightning prices by up to $5,500—with the recently introduced Flash version offering the biggest price cut and several mid-range models cut by thousands.

Honda Saloon Concept — 2024 CES

Honda touted the flexibility being built into its Ohio EV hub, which might build hundreds of EVs a day or a mix skewing heavily to hybrids, depending on demand. Included in the buildout for the brand’s next-generation EVs are 31-foot-tall, 6,000-ton die-cast machines that outdo those used at Giga Texas.

Kia last week detailed plans for its shift toward EVs and electrified powertrains through the decade, and it hasn’t budged in its target of 1.6 million Kia EV sales annually by 2030. But it does now see about 800,000 annual hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and fuel-cell sales by then—making electrified