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Rivian R1T, Mini Cooper Electric owners happiest with their EVs

The J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Electric Vehicle Experience (EVX) Ownership Study is out, and there's change at the top. With the swelling adoption of electric vehicles in the U.S. over in the past two years especially, the third year of the EVX study changes focus to first-time EV buyers. Those two factors encouraged change at the top of both premium and mass-market segments. Among premium EVs, the Rivian R1T pickup scored overall victory in its first year of eligibility with a satisfaction score of 794 out of 1,000. The Tesla Model 3 takes second place with 759 points. Tesla had won the top two premium spots in the study in 2021 and in 2022. The average score in the premium segment was 756. The Tesla Model Y (754), Audi E-Tron (735), and Polestar 2 (724) filled out the list of the five eligible models this year. Among the ten eligible mass-market vehicles, the Mini Cooper Electric nabbed the overall win by scoring 782. The Kia EV6 came second with 762 points, keeping Kia in the top two; the Kia Niro EV won the mass-market segment the previous two years. The Ford Mustang Mach-E (742), Hyundai Ioniq 5 (738), and Volkswagen ID.4 (735) completed the top five, the Niro EV (733) in sixth. All were above the segment average of 730. The four models fell below the segment average were the Ford F-150 Lightning (723), Chevrolet Bolt EUV (716), Chevrolet Bolt (711), and Nissan Leaf (698). How are the scores derived? J.D. Power worked with EV app maker and research firm PlugShare to get owner responses in ten areas: accuracy of stated battery range; availability of public charging stations; battery range; cost of ownership; driving enjoyment; ease of charging at home; interior and exterior styling; safety and technology features; service experience; and vehicle quality and reliability. Brent Gruber, executive director of the EV practice at J.D. Power, said, "Recent vehicle launches from both new brands and traditional automakers have had a profound effect on what factors are most important in the ownership experience. Today’s EV owners are looking for quality, reliability, driving enjoyment, safety and technology features." The Mini, in fact, scored highest of any premium and mass-market EV in the studyÂ’s highest-weighted index factor, quality and reliability.

Recharge Wrap-up: Chevy teases Bolt driving range, China pursues EV subsidy cheaters

Chevy is teasing the Bolt's driving range, which it is set to reveal on Tuesday. It will certainly be able to travel more than 200 miles between charges, but the second and third digits in that value, as it stands today, are still question marks. On its Facebook page, Chevrolet is asking fans to try to guess the official range. Of course, Tesla fans have already started posting their own snide remarks in the comments. Chevy fans are certainly hoping to see the Bolt's range eclipse that of Tesla's upcoming Model 3, which the California-based automaker puts at 215 miles. See Chevy's post on Facebook to make your own guess, or check back there (or here at AutoblogGreen) for the official number once it is unveiled. Fuel cell company PowerCell Sweden says it has signed an agreement with a Chinese company to make range extenders for commercial trucks. The unnamed Chinese customer has placed an order and signed a memorandum of understanding with PowerCell Sweden, and the partners will develop methanol reformer fuel cell range extenders for electric distribution trucks. "Our unique expertise in fuel cells and reformer technology is receiving an increasing attention worldwide and we are truly pleased to get another Chinese order," says PowerCell Sweden Sales Director Andreas Boden. Read more at Green Car Congress, or from PowerCell. China is accusing major automakers of violating EV subsidy rules. After the country's Ministry of Finance penalized five companies with fines and, in one case, revocation of production license for subsidy cheats, China has since named 20 more potential violators, including Nissan, Hyundai, JAC, and a subsidiary of BYD. Of the first five companies to be punished under the investigation, Suzhou Gemsea Coach Manufacturing is having its production license revoked, while four others, including a subsidiary of Chery, are being fined for about half of the subsidies received. The scandal is bad new for China's subsidy program, which has helped spur sales of plug-in vehicles. Read more from Fortune, or at Hybrid Cars.

2019 Nissan Leaf Plus vs. Chevy Bolt, Hyundai Kona Electric: How they compare on paper

Buying an EV once meant choosing either a reasonably priced model with paltry range and weak power, or a massively expensive one with a decent range. But today we have not one, but three options with reasonable prices and healthy ranges of over 200 miles. The latest of which is the 2019 Nissan Leaf Plus, which brings a bigger battery and a more powerful motor over its entry-level counterpart. The question is, how does it stack up with the defending entries in this segment, the 2019 Chevy Bolt EV and Hyundai Kona Electric? To get an idea, we've gathered up the specifications of each electric hatchback for comparison. We'll take a look at power, torque, electric range, charging options, interior space and the all-important pricing and incentives. You can see the raw numbers in the chart below, and additional insights in the text beyond that. If you'd like to compare these cars with other vehicles, be sure to check out our comparison tools. Range and power No matter how much electric cars improve their overall range, range anxiety is going to be an issue for a while, meaning every mile counts. The Kona Electric is the hands-down winner, managing 258 miles from its 64-kWh battery. Next is the Chevy Bolt EV at 238 miles from the group's smallest 60-kWh battery, followed by the Leaf Plus with 226 miles from a 62-kWh battery. For those who want to get really deep into energy usage, the Bolt EV and the Kona Electric have the same EPA rating for energy consumption of 28 kWh per 100 miles, meaning they're equally efficient. This is particularly impressive for the Kona, since it weighs nearly 300 pounds more than the Bolt. Something else to consider with these electric cars are charging options. All three have 120-volt level 1 and 240-volt level 2 charging capability standard, but only the Leaf Plus and Kona Electric give you DC fast charging capability for free. To get it on the Bolt EV, you'll spend an extra $750. Speaking from experience, you'll want DC fast charging if you plan on doing any long trips. 2019 Nissan LEAF e+ View 26 Photos As for the motors propelling these EVs, there's very little difference. The Bolt and Kona are neck-and-neck with 200 and 201 horsepower respectively. The Leaf has a few more horses at 216. In the torque department, the Leaf is last with 250 pound-feet, and the Bolt is just ahead at 266. The Kona is a serious twister with 290 pound-feet.