Chevy Bolt EV payment, Hertz brakes on Tesla, two-wheel electric car: Today’s Car News

A concept EV challenges the notion that electric cars need four wheels, or even three. Hertz backs away from its ambitious EV plans. One company pushes ahead with plans for U.S.-made solid-state cells. And Chevrolet Bolt EV owners have a new option to remedy their battery and their wallet. This and more, here at Green Car Reports.�

The 2020-2022 Chevy Bolt EV battery recall has evolved, and owners now face a new choice as part of a class-action lawsuit settlement and GM’s battery recall effort affecting these cars. If they install diagnostic software temporarily limiting their car to 80% of the original battery capacity (and range), they can get a $1,400 payment up front and might still get a new battery pack if it’s defective.�

Hertz hasn’t yet taken delivery of the 100,000 Tesla vehicles it announced two years ago—or the massive orders of GM or Polestar EVs it made as part of a plan to electrify its rental fleet. That’s because of high EV collision repair costs, the company said. Tesla’s price swings haven’t helped either.�

Massachusetts-based Factorial Energy announced last week the opening of a facility it claims will be the largest solid-state battery plant in the U.S. With support from Mercedes-Benz and Stellantis, among others, Factorial is pushing ahead with test cells that could bring a 50% energy density boost (and range boost) to EVs.�

Do electric cars need to have four wheels? The Shane EV concept, revealed recently by the creator of the Hoverboard, questions that—potentially packing cabin space for five into a car driven by two in-wheel motors, giant side-by-side wheels, and a system that balances and shifts its center of gravity as needed. The car can potentially pivot far more easily than anything on four wheels, and regenerative damping could enhance efficiency.

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