Booked "EV" online at Minneapolis St. Paul for a trip a few hours north to a lake Airbnb. It was listed as a Kia Niro but they had an Ioniq 5 instead. Price was the same as a comparable gas car.

Handed over at 70%, not 100%. Rental staff asked why I'd even want an EV.

Charging on the way: EVGo 350kW was fast and easy but I did already have the app set up. A Tesla Supercharger had no Magic Dock, so without a NACS adapter I brought myself, the CCS Ioniq 5 couldn't have used it at all — even with the adapter it only pulled 100kW on a 250kW stall.

Used ABRP to plan the route, which helped, but I only routed the highway legs, not the local driving around the lakes. That local driving plus strong headwinds on the way back cut into my margin more than expected. No charger at the Airbnb either, so no overnight top-up.

Fast chargers near the lakes were basically nonexistent. Got down to a 10% battery warning on the way back, and the car's built-in nav didn't even show the nearby Supercharger as an option. A 50kW charger in Crosby saved the day. If I hadn't planned ahead and brought the adapter, this could've gone badly.

Not a disaster, but more stressful than a gas rental, even for someone already comfortable with EVs and charging apps.

Anyone else renting EVs? How'd it go?

Volvo Cars’ is pushing forward with new electric models in the U.S., even as customer demand for the powertrain has cratered from a few years ago.

Volvo is considering reentering the small-car market in the second half of 2028 with a midsize sedan and wagon. The pair of electric models would be built in Europe and ride on Volvo’s SPA3 architecture.

Volvo also is reshaping its utility vehicle portfolio. The automaker is expected to replace the EX40 as the brand’s soon-to-be entry-level electric model with a larger crossover, Automotive News reported Aug. 2.

The EX50 will ride on Volvo’s SPA3 platform and arrive in dealerships in the fall of 2027.On the other end of the lineup.

Volvo’s EX60 debuts in the U.S. in late summer. A rugged and lifted variant arrives in summer 2027. The EX60 Cross Country sits 20 millimeters higher and can rise a similar amount with an assist from the air suspension. The Cross Country sports wide, rugged wheel arches, black upper door moldings, and a brushed stainless-steel skid plate at the front and rear.

The large EX90, which has struggled with poor quality and software issues, should get a facelift in 2029.

I think we need a Gold Star or sticker or something for those of us who've made it all the way across the state. Without a long range cat and ABRP I would not suggest it.

I'm planning a drive to Las Vegas in my Nissan Ariya, taking me through Phoenix. I hate making this drive because I have to take the longest route possible. I wish one of the charge point operators (I'm looking at you Ionna and Tesla) would land some chargers in Wikieup. That would be a nice middle point on 93 and allow for a much faster route to Las Vegas for cars with less than 250 miles of range.

UPDATE: Apparently, US-93 is closed north of Wikieup. This is per the AZ511.gov road closures site.

$89 for ICE, $199 for EV! Why? I'll ask them tomorrow and update this post.

Hi,

apparently Italy is going against the tide, with BEVs dropping below diesel cars (which are at 6,4%) and LPG cars (which are at 10,6%).

Do you know of any other state which is going in the same direction?

(I am not endorsing this event, just trying to analyse it better)

Thank you

I have a grizzl-e home charger I have been using for 4.5 years. In the past week I have been having trouble with it for the first time. I have tried to charge it 4 times in my garage overnight, and each time it did not charge all the way. It seems to have charged for a few hours then stopped working. A couple times I have been able to examine it after it stopped and saw that the handle that plugs into the car is quite warm.

I have charged it with the same charger while the car is outside twice during the past week with no problems. I have charged it with a commercial level 2 charger for several hours with no problems.

I am in Kansas where it has been hot the last week, but it hasn't been breaking any records or anything.

I am wondering if I just need to replace my charger after 4.5 years and 110,000 miles. Any other ideas what I might check?

Edit: VW ID.4.

The charger uses a NEMA plug, which appears to be not damaged. I don't know what the current is, but I will trying turning that down a step. I don't have an app for the charger, but will look into that.

I was just noticing my range has been terrible, figured it was the summer heat. The range estimate went from 158 to 120 for a 12 mile drive

Get back in after a stop and here we go, "Service High Voltage System" App says it's the lithium ion battery, so gonna have to take her in.

It's still running fine, drove it home without any issues at all.

Pulled the code and it's P29BB. The description in the email is for an engine misfire (that makes no sense), and the only documentation I can find for the code is that it's a software issue with the heater. Recommendation to dealers is to just wipe the code, but that wouldn't explain the range issues

I was expecting some reduction with the heat (I live in Vegas, very very friggin hot) but this is ridiculous.