Evaluating Some of the Latest EVs
The EV Club welcomed Gabe Shenhar, Associate Director of the auto test track at Consumer Reports for an enlightening Zoom meeting to discuss the results of recent CR testing of 8 EVs. Gabe is a mechanical engineer with 32 years of experience at Consumer Reports and has had a role in developing its testing protocol. Below are summary slides of the vehicles discussed, more or less ranked by how well they were rated, along with a few remarks.
We note the base price for each vehicle at the time of this writing based upon what is posted on the manufacturer websites. We also note incentive eligibility. For the federal incentive, this is based on the vehicle and does not take into account buyer income limits or whether a seller has registered for the incentive or transfer provision. As of this writing on 12/28/24, the Federal Department of Energy has not updated its website of eligible vehicles for 2025. Hopefully, the seller can provide reliable advice. This is exactly (part of) what concerned us about the convoluted incentive structure. (The incentive is determined at the time of delivery, not when an order is placed.) Of course, with the federal incentive, the restrictions only apply to purchases as any lease is eligible. With the state incentive, eligibility is consistent across a purchase or lease.
The final point about incentives is that the incoming administration has been very public that it wants to kill the federal EV incentive, so this information may not age well. If you are in the market, there is no time like the present!
We thank Gabe for the time and effort that went into this presentation.
Chevy Equinox
The two GM vehicles tested fared well, with the Equinox said to be a particularly good value, so much so that CR questioned whether it’s more expensive stablemate, the Blazer, is worth the premium. The car rides quietly, handles well and has decent range. The only knocks are GMs decision to do away with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and that the DC fast charging rate is a bit on the slow side at 150 kW. The starting price for the Equinox is $33,600. This vehicle is eligible for both the federal and state EV purchase incentives.
Genesis GV60
The Genesis, a luxury EUV, was praised for its handling, build quality, outstanding audio system, easily adjustable regenerative braking, and fast charging. The Genesis is built on the Hyundai 800-volt architecture platform. The main criticisms were a relatively low range for the price and visibility. It has a starting price of $52,350. This vehicle is not eligible for either the federal or state incentive.
Cadillac Lyriq
A luxury EUV, the Lyriq shares the GM EV platform that used to be called Ultium with the Blazer and Equinox. The Lyriq was praised for its responsiveness and overall driving performance. Criticisms were less than ideal visibility and high cost. The starting price is $58,595. This vehicle is eligible for the federal incentive but not for the state incentive.
Acura ZDX
The Acura ZDX moniker was formerly on an unsuccessful internal combustion model but is now a premium EUV. Honda has licensed the GM platform for this vehicle as well as its lower-priced Honda Prologue model. So, the ZDX is basically a Cadillac Lyric. It is rated a notch lower because, while the drive train is the same, GM may have held back on some of the features as the handling was not as refined. Starting MSRP is $64,500. This vehicle is eligible for the federal incentive but not for the state incentive.
Mercedes EQE SUV
This mid-sized EUV was praised for its luxury cabin touches, build quality, and quick acceleration, but was criticized for distracting controls and a mushy brake pedal. Starting price is $77,900. This vehicle is not eligible for either the federal or state incentive.
Volvo XC60
This is the only plug-in hybrid included in the evening’s lineup, sporting an 18.8 kWh battery pack yielding 35 miles of electric range before moving to conventional hybrid mode for another 525 miles of range. CR praised its comfort and acceleration but felt its controls were unintuitive and the ride was stiff. MSRP starts at $59,345. This vehicle is not eligible for either the federal or state incentive.
Tesla Cybertruck
The Cybertruck is arguably the most polarizing vehicle ever made. Of course, style preferences are in the eye of the beholder and these reviews focused on the vehicle operation. CR liked the acceleration and handling. The CT had the longest range of all the vehicles reviewed. Like the Genesis, it has 800-volt architecture and charges quickly. However, as with all Teslas, there is no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. The steer-by-wire takes some getting used to and CR did not particularly like it. The visibility is poor. This is somewhat compensated for with cameras, but those images appear on the large center console, which means taking your eyes off the road. Tesla is no longer offering the Foundation Series. The lower-cost versions start at $79,990. The lowest trim level of the CT is eligible for the federal EV incentive but is too pricey for the state incentive.
Lexus RZ
Toyota’s one BEV platform is used for the this vehicle, the Toyota bz4x, and the Subaru Solterra. The reviewers, including CR, haven’t been that kind to it. While this vehicle has some nice Lexus cabin touches, it has a low range and slow charging. Strangely, it lacks a glove box, and the controls were felt to be unintuitive.
The starting MSRP is $43,975. This vehicle is not eligible for the federal incentive. The 300e, 300e Premium, and base 450e are priced low enough that they should qualify for the state CHEAPR incentive but they are not listed as eligible on the CHEAPR website.
