Electric cars are still pricier to insure. Thieves are eyeing hefty charging cords for a substantial payout (though with little success). The petroleum sector is voicing its opposition to EPA regulations—and initiating legal challenges. Also, we examine Volvo’s hybrid electric sedan and understand its alignment with electric vehicles. All this and more at Green Car Reports.
During an evaluation of the Volvo S60 Recharge plug-in hybrid, Green Car Reports discovered that this Volvo model, offering the highest mpg and mileage among PHEVs, appears somewhat perplexed about its hybrid nature but leans more towards electric power compared to prior PHEVs from the manufacturer.
The oil industry contested EPA standards for vehicles last week—standards that had already been relaxed for light trucks compared to their initial proposal. Prompted by regulations that promote plug-in vehicles while largely overlooking ethanol, the American Petroleum Institute argues that the standards equate to an EV requirement (which is not entirely accurate). The industry had not resisted as vehemently in the previous round of standards, making its opposition during an election year seem intentional.
New data from the insurance sector has reinforced an unfortunate trend that complicates electric vehicle ownership: Electric vehicles incur higher insurance costs. Why? In its latest risk analysis for the calendar year 2023, LexisNexis does not specify the reasons but highlights that EVs have a 17% higher claim frequency and 34% higher claim severity (in terms of costs) compared to “conventional segments.”
Commercial EV chargers’ thick cables are attracting the attention of thieves, according to a recent AP report that examines crime data and consults with charging networks. This has led to frustration among EV drivers and hefty repair bills for charging companies. The replacement cost for each cable, which may contain only $15 worth of challenging-to-extract copper, amounts to around $1,000.
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