EV News Roundup: Honda’s game-changing CR-V FCEV, a Canadian EV rebate primer, and more

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The automotive industry is quickly shifting toward an electric future with new technology, new products, new policies, and new questions surfacing every day. 

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Here are the biggest EV-related stories, debuts, and reviews from the past month.

Honda’s upcoming CR-V FCEV is a major deal

Coming packaged in one of the biggest brand’s biggest vehicles, the power train in the upcoming Honda CR-V could prove to be a pivotal piece of technology. Emphasis on “could.” 

Essentially, it’s a plug-in hybrid with a fuel cell running on hydrogen instead of a gas motor, which seems like a novel combo in that we haven’t seen it yet, but also like a natural fit. Both the plug-in hybrid and the fuel cell have the same electric motors and operate silently, plus they combine to unlock Canada’s monetary ZEV incentives. It’s not the only hydrogen-powered product on the way from Honda, either — the brand is also working on commercial trucks and off-road work vehicles like excavators and loaders that use hydrogen fuel cells. 

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More on the topic from Motor Mouth columnist David Booth here.  

Tesla and Ford drop prices to mixed reactions

A couple of automakers slashed prices on their popular EV products recently, but not everybody felt like they came out on top. Some Tesla owners who recently purchased a Model Y reported feeling like they were “duped” after the brand suddenly cut prices up to as much as 20 per cent. 

“I feel like I got taken advantage of as a consumer,” said Marianne Simmons, a Florida woman who purchased a new Model Y for $77,000 days before it received a steep discount. “Right off the bat, I’m out $13,306. It’s such a large reduction that it’s going to affect a lot of people who just bought a vehicle.”

Ford played a similar game with its Mustang Mach-E, which is being pumped out at a higher pace than ever, cutting the price of some trims by as much as $8,500. But unlike Tesla, Ford is also offering the savings to those who purchased the electric SUV earlier this year, as well. Two brands, similar sales strategies, very different results. 

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Canada’s complicated EV rebate system explained

Buying a new car is complicated enough without factoring in government rebate programs. However, the homework required to make sense of which electrified vehicles qualify for which rebates, and in what parts of Canada, is worth it when there are thousands of dollars on the line. And luckily for all of us, Matthew Guy did the homework for the whole class, outlining the available rebates at a national level (as in those that all Canadians qualify for regardless of where they live) and a provincial level, which is where things get sticky. 

In British Columbia, for example, income is taken into consideration, with low earners receiving a bigger kickback for their efforts to go green. And in Quebec, all new EVs under $60,000 qualify for a $7,000 provincial rebate. Check out the full breakdown at the above link.

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The fastest Corvette ever is here, and it’s a hybrid

The 2024 E-Ray accomplishes a couple of important firsts for the Corvette brand by boasting a hybrid setup and AWD, but fans will probably be more impressed by the fact that it’s the fastest car ever to wear the nameplate. 

The high-output electric motor draws from a 1.9-kilowatt-hour battery and improves the GT’s fuel economy while adding 160 hp and 125 lb-ft of torque to the 6.2-litre V8’s 495 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque, for a total output of 655 hp. This, with launch control engaged, will move the E-Ray to 100 km/h in under three seconds — we know because we tested it at GM’s Milford Proving Ground. Check out the coverage to learn how the E-Ray performs when not held to a straight line.  

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The 2024 Corvette E-Ray coupe will start at $128,798. Pricing for the convertible TBA. 

The 2023 Lexus RZ 450e starts at $64,950 in Canada

Here it is. The sign of things to come from Lexus. The 2023 RZ 450e is the first Lexus EV to be offered in North America, but it will not be the last. Indeed, the all-electric SUV is set to blaze a trail for a stable of BEVs promised to be in place across all categories by 2030. 

Official figures have not been released by Lexus Canada, but by leaning over the border to peak at America’s, we see it should have around 310 horsepower and a range of up to 360 km on a fully charged 71.4kWh battery. In the name of range and added space, Lexus packaged the inverter, transaxle, and motor into a single, compact high-output electronic axle. It also made changes to the spindle grille area, which it now refers to as “spindle body architecture.” 

The Lexus RZ 450e will be available later this year, starting in B.C. and Quebec, with Canadian pricing opening at $64,950.