Add in the market share of hybrids and plug-in hybrids and the market share goes up to 50.8%.
All of which indicates there isn’t exactly a burgeoning future demand for electrified vehicles in the UK given the results of the Kwik Fit survey (although that demand would be awfully appealing to US OEMs).
Dan Joyce, operations director at Kwik Fit, said of the findings: “The overall proportion of drivers planning to switch to low emissions for their next car has remained the same since last year. However, our study shows that younger drivers are much more open to moving to EVs – and new car brands – than many older drivers.”
(Which leads to a question of whether younger or older buyers are actually likely to buy a new vehicle, and my money is on the latter.)
The reference to “new car brands” in the quote goes to Chinese vehicles. According to Kwik Fix BYD had a year-over-year sales increase in September of 880%.
An EV that let’s you play in the dirt. But you can’t get too carried away. . .
By Gary S. Vasilash
The stylists who created the Hyundai IONIQ 5 pulled off a feat that is not at all easy to accomplish.
They devised a design that looks absolutely futuristic but—and here’s the tricky bit—doesn’t make one think that it is too advanced to be on the road with other vehicles that, well, don’t have appearances that would make them relevant in, say, 2030.
Realize that the IONIQ 5 was launched as a model year 2022 electric vehicle and is still striking.
So for MY 2025 they made a bit of a swerve with the IONIQ 5, a swerve that takes the vehicle off road.
Now we’re not talking Jeep Trail Rated terrain here.
Hyundai IONIQ % XRT. Yes, take it to the dirt. (Images: Hyundai)
But the XRT trim is more capable than the SE, SEL or Limited models.
For example, there is modified suspension tuning and the suspension is lifted by 0.9 inches—but lest one gets carried away, realize that this brings it to 7 inches. (The ground clearance for a Jeep Cherokee is 8 inches.)
There are off-the-beaten-path approach and departure angles: 19.8 degrees and 30 degrees, respectively.
There are red-painted recovery hooks on the front fascia that are said to be functional. (Those are something that you’re not likely to utilize in your daily commute unless your commute takes you through some tough territory.)
There is a composite cladding on the fascias, around the wheel arches and on the door panels that has a subtle pixelated camo pattern to provide a more-capable appearance. (The XRT wouldn’t look out of place driving on Mars thanks to this addition.) There are XRT black 18-inch wheels wrapped with 235 / 60 R 18 all-terrain tires.
As mentioned, the IONIQ 5 XRT is an electric vehicle. One of the aspects of this 2025 model (and the other trims) is that it comes equipped with the NACS port, standard, which means it can be used at the Tesla Supercharger network, adapter-free. (Which ought to annoy owners of the Tesla Model Y, given the aforementioned still-fresh design of the Hyundai and the aging Tesla exterior, Juniper update tweaks notwithstanding.)
It is worth noting that for those who aren’t using a Supercharger there is a CCS adapter that comes along for the ride.
And while this doesn’t matter as much as it did before the tax credits for EVs were pulled but is still non-trivial: the 2025 IONIQ 5 is built at the Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America in Ellabell, Georgia.
Clever pixilation on the cladding.
The vehicle is, of course, all-wheel drive.
There is a 99-hp permanent magnet synchronous AC motor in the front. A 221-hp motor of the same type in the rear.
The system output is 320 hp and 446 lb-ft of torque.
It has a liquid-cooled 84-kWh battery pack. The peak DC fast charge rate is 250 kW, which means that the battery, on a DC fast charger, can be charged from 10 to 80% in 20 minutes. The EPA estimated range is 259 miles.
On the inside there are H-Tex seating surfaces (a synthetic leather that offers easy clean-up, because let’s face it: this trim wants to get dirty) featuring XRT-unique pattern and logo. And there are XRT badged all-weather floor mats (because you’re going to take this out in, well, all types of weather that you’re likely to bring into the vehicle with you when you go out in it).
Hyundai has some of the best screens in the business, with a 12.3-inch screen for the driver’s info and a 12.3-inch screen for infotainment. There are wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and wireless charging. There is BlueLink+, the connected vehicle service that provides capabilities from remote starting to receiving diagnostic alerts to performing automatic collision notification and more.
And the BlueLink+ services are free, not for a trial period, but for as long as you own the vehicle.
While on the subject of costs, the MSRP for the 2025 IONIQ 5 XRT is $55,400. The one I drove had an optional paint color (Atlas White Matte) that added $1,000; carpeted floor mats for $210; and $1,475 for inland freight and handling, to a total sticker of $58,085, which is in keeping with average transaction prices for EVs.
While it is common knowledge that the Chinese electric vehicle market vastly outpaces that of the U.S. on a per capita basis, when people think about that it is likely to be in the context of passenger vehicles.
In the first half of 2025, there were some 89,000 electric trucks—as in medium-duty trucks and big rigs, not pickups—sold globally.
Of that total, nearly 80,000 were sold in China.
How many were sold in the U.S.?
According to Colin McKerracher, Head of Clean Transport, BloombergNEF, “just 200 units.”
200.
Or 0.25% of the Chinese total.
Given the U.S. population is about 24% that of China, one might think that number might be somewhat bigger.
Europe (Switzerland, Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Greece, Denmark, Iceland, Germany, UK, France, Austria, Belgium) accounts for the remaining ~8,800 electric trucks sold in the first half.
Another stat from the BloombergNEF/Smart Freight Centre that is notable:
“nearly 100 to 1”
That’s the comparison of sales of electric medium and heavy trucks with those powered by fuel cells.
McKerracher: “The prospects for hydrogen in road transport look dim.”
Which leads to a question of whether commercial electric truck volumes—battery- and fuel cell-powered—in the U.S. are any brighter.
One of the things that interests me when I am in a vehicle is the extent to which people notice it.
You may be surprised at how few vehicles garner some comment from people. The last vehicle I had that drew lots of attention was the VW ID.Buzz. And as I think about that vehicle, I realize that I’ve not seen a lot of them since.
And while that van drew attention largely because of the nostalgia factor, the Polestar 3 has no such fond memories for anyone, as it has been available in the US market only since late summer 2024.
A friend I was meeting at a restaurant came in and pointed out a window to the Polestar 3 in the lot: “Are you driving that? What is it?” The waiter stopped and looked at it, too, while listening to my explanation of how it is a brand from a company headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden, once a sub-brand of Volvo. (This gets into organizational complexity with the bottom line essentially being that there is Volvo, owned by Geely, and there is Polestar, owned by Geely. So while the two companies are separate, they have the same parent and there is a non-trivial amount of sharing between the two siblings.)
They were both unaware of the brand.
Which is not entirely surprising. Through the third quarter 2025 Polestar has delivered 44,482 vehicles. Globally.
To put that into context, Cadillac delivered 46,525 vehicles. Domestically. In the third quarter alone.
Polestar is still a stealth brand.
This is not particularly pricy when you realize this is a performance vehicle. (Images: Polestar)
A neighbor who was walking her dog past my house while I pulled into my driveway literally turned around and came back to talk to me about the Polestar 3, wondering what it was, saying that she liked the way it looks, both in terms of size and styling. (She is right about that.)
The not-so-good news for the folks at Polestar: She is in the market for a vehicle and is likely going to buy a Chevy Equinox. “EV?” I asked. “No. Gasoline.”
That is not-so-good on two levels.
First of all, the top trim level AWD Equinox has an MSRP, including destination, of $37,395.
The MSRP, including destination, for this AWD Polestar, which is at the top of the line, is $86,300.
Clearly, my neighbor has a good eye, even though she has a different kind of budget.
And second, of course, the Polestar 3 is an electric vehicle, not fueled with gas, which accounts for part of the difference.
And it is interesting to note that whereas that 2025 Equinox she is considering is built in the GM San Luis Potosí plant in Mexico, the Polestar 3 is assembled in Ridgeville, South Carolina (that is nominally a Volvo plant, which goes back to the previous comment about the sibs).
Without going too Volvo about this, it is worth noting that the Polestar 3 is based on the Scalable Product Architecture 2 platform, which underpins the Volvo EX90, that brand’s flagship electric vehicle.
And because it has Volvo DNA it is engineered with safety in mind, ranging from having a boron steel safety cage to an extensive list of sensor-based safety tech that facilitates accident-free driving (note: it helps; it is up to the driver and others to prevent accidents).
One interesting thing is that while model year 2025 vehicles have to have a rear seat reminder system to advise the driver to check the back seat to make sure that a child or pet is not being left behind, many of these systems are simply based on the vehicle being put in park and the alert showing up.
In the Polestar 3 there is actually interior radar that monitors the situation.
So what does one get for the not-minor amount of money.
Well, there are two electric motors that provide a combined output of 517-hp, which means this can be quick. They also provide AWD. But this power also means that the range is somewhat limited: an EPA estimate of 279 miles.
There is active air suspension. 22-inch wheels. A panoramic glass roof. Over-the-air-updates for life.
An example of the interior details that show considerable consideration was paid to the execution of the inside.
The infotainment is based on the Android Automotive OS, with Google built in. (There is wireless Apple CarPlay, too).
The interior is both comfortable and well designed, with details on things like the door trim that subtly make you know that someone spent time considering what they were doing.
You’ve undoubtedly seen someone—or been that someone—walking along carrying a gas can having run out of fuel. What happens when an EV is out of energy? This project is working to keep that from being a question that needs an answer. . . .
Apparently, the battery management systems in EVs are little better than crap shoots when it comes to providing accurate information as to whether there is sufficient charge in a battery to get from point A to point B.
One reason is there are lots of parameters that need to be taken into account in order to make the assessment, ranging from the condition of the battery to its discharge rate, from the traffic between A and B and the ambient temperature.
To address this overall uncertainty, engineers at the University of California, Riverside (UCR), have developed a metric, State of Mission (SOM). Mihri Ozkan, a UCR engineering professor described it: “It’s a mission-aware measure that combines data and physics to predict whether the battery can complete a planned task under real-world conditions.”
Some models use physics equations that don’t deal with changing environments. Some use machine learning models that provide output but no information regarding how that output was achieved.
The SOM takes into account both information from the batteries’ performance over time as well as electrochemistry and thermodynamics.
Cengiz Ozkan (also a UCR engineering prof): “By combining them, we get the best of both worlds: a model that learns flexibly from data but always stays grounded in physical reality. This makes the predictions not only more accurate but also more trustworthy.”
But there is still a hurdle that the UCR team needs to get over as the SOM development continues.
“Right now,” Ozkan said, “the main limitation is computational complexity. The framework demands more processing power than today’s lightweight, embedded battery management systems typically provide.”
It always comes down to sufficient power, one form or another.
During the Aspen Ideas Festival, Jim Farley, Ford CEO, brought up heated steering wheels (as an analogy, but it works here). He said that when you first hear about a heated steering wheel you think, “’Well, that won’t be a big deal.’ On a cold day, ‘Wow! that’s pretty amazing.’”
Yes, anyone who lives in a cold clime and has the opportunity to grip a heated steering wheel on a frosty morning knows that it is a very big deal.
Which came to mind when I saw the announcement for the ZF LIFETEC Heat Belt 2.0.
It’s a seat belt that’s embedded with four heating wires. The coverage area goes from the chest down to the pelvis.
Thermal image of the Heat Belt 2.0 (Image: ZF LIFETEC)
The belt, when activated, takes the temp from 23 degrees F to 104 degrees F in less than two minutes.
It has a maximum heating output of 60 W; the average is ~20 W.
There’s an algorithm that calibrates several factors (sun load in the vehicle; HVAC output; etc.) so tte heating is optimized.
One useful aspect of this is for electric vehicles.
HVAC systems use a lot of energy, so warming up the passengers with the belt can help minimize that.
It is even possible to reduce the size of the HVAC unit in the vehicle.
ZF LIFETEC estimates a potential 6% range increase by the efficient use of heating for the occupants.
That’s arguably bigger than Farley’s “’Wow! that’s pretty amazing!’”
Among the many things that you’ve heard/read about Chinese vehicle manufacturers such as BYD and SAIC is something that may not have resonated a whole lot (after all, the amounts of praise that is heaped on the companies, BYD, in particular, for its EV product development approach and consequent products pretty much buries everything else):
They have built their own vehicle-carrying cargo ships.
The BYD Shenzhen is said to be the world’s largest roll-on/roll-off vehicle carrier in the world, with a capacity of 9,200 cars.
BYD is certainly vertically integrated, but it seems that this is really taking things to a whole other level.
But there may be something to it that goes beyond just being able to coordinate production with logistics in a way that probably can’t be done as efficiently with a third-party being involved.
Shipping company Matson, which describes itself as providing “a vital lifeline to the economies of Hawaii, Alaska, Guam, Micronesia, and the South Pacific and premium, expedited service from China to Southern California,” noting, “The company’s fleet of vessels includes containerships, combination container, and roll-on/roll-off ships and barges” has announced that when it comes to electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids, it is no longer interested.
“Matson has more experience shipping cars for consumers, manufacturers, businesses, and the military than any other carrier in the Pacific.” With experience, presumably, comes knowledge.
And in boldface type on the Matson site there’s this:
No battery-powered electric or plug-in hybrid electric vehicles can be transported from any Matson location due to the hazardous material classification of their components.
It is worth knowing that on a per capita basis, Hawaii is third among the 50 states when it comes to EV ownership. This is not going to do much for increasing those numbers.
Given that U.S. tariffs on Chinese EVs is up to 145%, odds are there isn’t going to be much in the way of deliveries by the BYD Shenzhen to U.S. ports anytime soon.
But one day they may be ready with a whole lot of capacity.
Although it is big, some of the small details are most impressive
By Gary S. Vasilash
This is the bottom of the front cupholder on the Ioniq 9:
This is not the sort of thing that a review of a three-row electric vehicle that provides—depending on the powertrain setup selected—a range ranging from 311 miles to 335 miles typically opens with. In fact, it is unlikely that the bottom of a cupholder is even an issue.
After all, realize that this is quite a substantial vehicle, measuring 199.2 inches long, 78 inches wide, 70.5 inches high, with a 123.2-inch wheelbase. The top-of-the-line version tips the scales at 6,008 pounds. In the seven-passenger configuration (it can also be configured to seat six) it offers 163.4 cubic feet of passenger volume. With the third row folded it offers 46.7 cubic feet of cargo capacity. Leave it up and there’s 21.9 cubic feet.
But it is to make a point about the level of detail that the designers and engineers at Hyundai have taken in developing this vehicle.
Now the overall theme for the vehicle is one based on “pixelated design.” As in pixels, the individual square elements that make up images on digital screens. So as you can see from the bottom of that cupholder: pixels.
Hyundai designers use squares throughout the vehicle, both inside and out.
As in the front:
(Following images: Hyundai)
And back:
There is a remarkable consistency to this approach.
While it enhances the overall design, it also indicates that there is consistency and care in the creation of the SUV.
As legendary management consultant Tom Peters, the guy who co-wrote In Search of Excellence, put it:
“Small>>Big. Small Stuff Rules!”
Get the small stuff right and you’re likely to get the whole thing well executed.
And that is precisely the sense one gets from the Ioniq 9.
The AWD version driven here is a dual-motor arrangement that provides a total 422 hp, which means that as big as it is, the Ioniq 9 drives smartly. And while there is a RWD model on offer, which is the one that gets the 335-mile range, this model gets a respectable 311 miles.
And if you take it to a Supercharger, you can get from 10% state of charge to 80% in 40 minutes. If you are able to access a 350-kW DC fast charger, with the CCS adapter you can hit that 80% mark in 24 minutes.
But the thing is, when you have range of 300 miles+ the issue of range anxiety isn’t much of a thing—if it is a thing at all. Assuming you’re doing your pre-drive homework, you can take a road trip with several family members or friends in the Ioniq 9. If you’re just doing a daily drive, you probably won’t think much at all about charging.
Inside the vehicle there’s a lot more to it that nicely trimmed cupholders.
The driver and front passenger seats are both power 8-way adjustable, heated and ventilated. The driver gets 4-way power lumbar; the passenger 2-way. In the second row the captain’s chairs offer 4-way power adjustment and are heated and ventilated.
The seats are trimmed in the H-Tex material: a synthetic leather that looks and feels quite authentic.
In terms of technology, there is a 12.3-inch touchscreen. The gauge cluster is also a 12.3-inch screen.
And that is deserving of a word. There are some OEMs that, in vehicles that have a staring MSRP of $76,490 like this one does, figure that the more digital real estate they can throw on the IP, the better.
It isn’t.
While 12.3 inches times two certainly doesn’t go back to Peters’ “Small>>Big,” I would argue that the Hyundai approach to interface is a whole lot better than just adding screens.
While there is a lot of attention being paid to Tesla’s rollout of some 10 vehicles in Austin that are operating autonomously—with a safety driver on board and apparently people back in Tesla HQ monitoring the fleet, ready to kick in with teleoperation help if needed—there is virtually no attention being paid to what is happening in Cambridge, UK.
This week an autonomous Mellor Orion E electric midi bus—a low-floor transporter that can be configured to accommodate a maximum 16 passengers—equipped with a CAVStar Automated Drive System started rolling through the streets of the university town.
Bus is operating autonomously in the streets of Cambridge, England. (Image: Fusion Processing)
The CAVStar system is engineered by Fusion Processing. It comprises an AI processing unit, radar, LIDAR, optical cameras, and ultrasonic sensors.
The Cambridge vehicle is said to meet the requirements of SAE Level 4 autonomy.
The bus is running as part of the Connector project, which is led by the Greater Cambridge Partnership, which is supported by Innovate UK and the Centre for Connected & Autonomous Vehicles.
The bus initially ran though the areas in Cambridge where it is now operating without passengers to determine fitness for use.
“People may have already seen the bus going around Eddington and Cambridge West from Madingley Park & Ride recently, as, after the extensive on-track training with the drivers, we’ve been running the bus on the road without passengers to learn more about how other road-users people interact with the technology. We’re now moving gradually to the next stage of this trial by inviting passengers to use Connector.
“As with all new things, our aim is to introduce this new technology in a phased way that balances the trialling of these new systems with safety and the passenger experience. This will ensure we can learn more about this technology and showcase the potential for self-driving vehicles to support sustainable, reliable public transport across Cambridge.”
Somehow this seems more substantial than the reports out of Austin about the performance of some of those Tesla vehicles.
In addition to which: if, as Musk has proclaimed in his various “Master Plans,” his goal is to reduce overall energy use (yes, targeting fossil fuels, but even renewable energy systems are far from being zero-emissions), then doesn’t a mass transit vehicle that can transport plenty of people make more sense than autonomous passenger cars?
Even if it wasn’t an electric vehicle it would be a most-impressive three-row vehicle. . . .
By Gary S. Vasilash
Roomy for Folks
The IONIQ 9 seats ether six or seven people in its three rows. And any way you configure it it is roomy: as in having passenger interior volume of 163.54 cu. ft. in the seven-passenger configuration. But like any vehicle, the third row is not as roomy as it is in the front or second row, but the IONIQ 9 has sufficient roominess in that third row such that the people who are back there won’t feel as though they are being punished, as is the case more often than not.
The seats are comfortable and that interior volume is such that occupants have a sense of space, as though they are in a room, not an SUV.
In fact, Hyundai interior designer Gary Lin uses a neologism to describe the cabin: “Aerosthetic Lounge.”
Speaking of Seats
What Hyundai calls “Relaxation Seats” are available for the first and second rows in the six-seat setup. These are seats that resemble those found in the First Class cabin of a transoceanic aircraft: They offer full recline—including leg rests.
Now here’s the clever part of the Relaxation Seats: People talk about how to kill time when having to recharge their EVs. But let’s face it: there are only so many nonperishable items you’re going to be buying in that Walmart that has a charging area.
So Hyundai is cleverly allowing people in the IONIQ 9 to get a comfortable place to wait it out.
Not a Long Wait
The IONIQ 9 has a 110.3-kWh lithium-ion battery.
According to Hyundai, using a CCS adapter and a 350-kW DC fast charger, the battery can go from 10% of charge to 80% in 24 minutes. If you go to a Tesla Supercharger, the same can be done in 41 minutes. At a 50-kW DC fast charger it is up to 109 minutes.
Presumably the choice might be predicated on how much you want to lounge.
When You’d Need to Recharge/Relax
There are three powertrain setups for the IONIQ 9.
The Long-Range RWD model features a 160-kW motor in the rear.
The Long-Range AWD model adds a 66.1-kW motor in the front. (This is something that EVs do that gasoline-powered vehicles can’t: want AWD, just add a motor. In gas-powered vehicle there are driveshafts and transfer cases or center differentials involved. Much simpler in an EV.)
Finally, there is the Performance AWD model, which has a pair of 157.3-kW motors.
So in that order the ranges are an estimated:
335 miles
320 miles
311 miles
All of which is to say that the driver may not get to enjoy the full recline for a while.
The Utility Factor
Not only do people get big sport utility vehicles (and this vehicle is certainly sizable, measuring 199.2 in. long, 78 in. wide, 70.5 in. high, and having a 123.2-in. wheelbase) to move people, but also to move stuff.
So if all the seats are folded it can swallow 86.9 cu. ft. of stuff. 46.7 cu. ft. if the second row is in use. 21.9 cu. ft. behind the third row. (To provide some perspective: the trunk of a Sonata sedan measures 15.6 cu. ft., and it isn’t stingy on space.)
Yes, there is a frunk. For RWD models it measures 3.1 cu. ft. For AWD it is a diminutive 1.84 cu. ft.
Slippery, Too
One of the surprising things about the IONIQ 9 is that because it is large, you might think of it like pushing a large box through the air.
But, again, design and engineering have achieved a coefficient of drag that is nothing short of incredible.
That is, the coefficient of drag for a 2025 Corvette ZR1—the “fastest, most powerful Corvette ever,” according to Chevy—is widely reported to be 0.279.
The coefficient of drag for the IONIQ 9: 0.269.
Lower is more slippery.
In an Uncrowded Space
Back in 2023 Ford, which knows more than a little about such configurations, announced it planned to build a three-row electric SUV. A year later Ford announced that the vehicle planned to be launched in 2025 would be delayed. 2027, perhaps.
There aren’t a whole lot of EVs in this space.
Hyundai compares the IONIQ 9 to the Rivian R1S, which is reasonable. Except that the starting price for the Hyundai is $58,955 and the Rivian at $75,900. Not a trivial difference.
Hyundai also compares it with the Tesla Model X. Odds are Hyundai intends to sell more than the ~21,000 Model X’s that Tesla sold in the U.S. last year.
There is the Mercedes EQB that can carry seven, assuming that those who are relegated to row three are on the diminutive side.
And then there’s the Kia EV9. It is on the Electric Global Modular Platform (E-GMP). Just like the IONIQ 9.
Hush
Compared with vehicles powered by internal combustion engines, EVs tend to be quiet.
After all, there isn’t that series of explosions that occur as gasoline combusts in the cylinders because there are no cylinders, no gasoline in an EV.
But in some EVs there is a noticeable sound of whirring. And what’s more the case, there are noises from the outside of the vehicle, whether it is caused by the wind or the tires on the tarmac.
Hyundai engineers have addressed those noises in an impressive manner.
For one thing, there is acoustic glass used not only for the front side windows, but for the second row, as well. Many companies just opt for using the acoustic glass (which consists of a sandwich: glass/acoustic film/glass) in the front.
There are pads on the insides of the tires to absorb sound.
There is an array of foams and pads and insulation to mitigate unwanted sounds.
And if that’s not enough there is an active noise control system that uses the audio system to cancel out what you don’t want to hear.
Attainable
Let’s face it: electric vehicles are more expensive than vehicles that have gasoline engines.
According to recent numbers from Kelley Blue Book, the average transaction price for an EV was just shy of $60,000 while it was below $50K for a gas-powered vehicle.
Now make no mistake: the IONIQ 9 is—even if you look at it from the perspectives of size and amenities alone—an above-average vehicle.
Yet the starting MSRP for a RWD model is $58,955. (The vehicle is built at the amazing Metaplant outside of Savannah, Georgia, so it can qualify for the $7,500 tax credit.)
For all that it is and offers—nothing short of impressive.
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