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With electric vehicle sales continuing to rise in North America, the reliability of public charging networks has become a crucial issue—and a differentiator between Tesla and every other carmaker selling EVs.Tesla has undoubtedly sold many EVs due to the near-bulletproof reliability and ease of use of its Supercharger network. Buyers of most other EVs must figure out their car’s less-than-seamless experience among multiple networks, requiring various forms of authentication, with variable pricing, and different user interfaces at each station. The EVs Are Fine; It’s the Charging“Mass consumers who have a lot of charging anxiety,” said Ford CEO Jim Farley. “They don’t have range anxiety; they have charging anxiety.” It only takes one or two friends, coworkers, or neighbors who arrive at a public charging station with an EV battery running low to find the station isn’t working—or won’t connect to their car—before new-car shoppers decide EVs are too risky.Most public chargers work most of the time—but to get broad public adoption, EV charging has to be at least as reliable and pleasant as, say, gas stations. Not a very high bar, right? Today, electric vehicles are largely fine; it’s the charging networks that will make or break them.A J.D. Power report this past May quantified the problem: “Through the end of Q1 2023, 20.8 percent of EV drivers using public charging stations experienced charging failures or equipment malfunctions that left them unable to charge their vehicles.” The numbers were worse in a study of EV chargers in the San Francisco Bay Area last year that found almost one-quarter of them didn’t work due to “unresponsive or unavailable screens, payment system failures, charge initiation failures, network failures, or broken connectors.”Now a new study offers national data pinpointing the specific reasons for public charging station failures. It’s part of a broader white paper released today, Electrification 2030, that assesses pivotal issues affecting both EV adoption and home electrification by 2030. The study was produced by the Electrification Institute, recently established by Qmerit, a company that installs EV charging stations, solar panels, heat pumps, and storage batteries for consumers.Based on network data monitored across the United States this year, the most common reasons for failed EV charging sessions are problems with:station connectivity: 55 percentinternal station faults or errors: 38 percentcharging connector or cable: 4 percentcredit-card reader: 1 percentdisplay screen: 1 percentCONNECTIVITY: The data suggests that more than half all charging failures come from a station not being able to connect to its network for authentication. Because most EV charging networks use cellular links in their stations, they’re subject to the cell-service vagaries we’ve all suffered.There are two fixes for this. First, the best practice is for any public station to default to free charging if it loses connectivity and can’t validate a customer or a payment method. Electrify America says its stations do just that. Second, stations can be connected using hard-wired communications cables—which are considerably more expensive to install, which is why they mostly haven’t done so. Electrify AmericaSTATION INTERNALS: The next failure category, “internal faults or errors,” covers software and perhaps some hardware failures. Many EV drivers have posted photos of non-working charging stations that have seemingly frozen in the middle of rebooting, including what looks suspiciously like Windows code on their screens. This is likely a host of different issues, each of which has to be addressed separately, for different stations from different makers. It’s complicated.THE REST: All other causes are minor—including the credit-card readers much pilloried by Elon Musk. The Tesla CEO has turned down public funding to expand the Supercharger network over state and federal requirements that chargers offer payment methods other than phone apps.Show Us the DataMeanwhile, EV networks decline to provide details on their reliability metrics, sometimes claiming network uptime of 97 percent or better. If uptime is defined as a station responding to a ping from a central computer, that may well be true. That response, however, has very little to do with whether that station can actually collect payment and then provide a charge at an acceptable rate to an EV that drives up to it. toyotaAs is often the case with EVs, the solution may come from California regulators. Last year, state legislators passed a bill [AB 2061 of 2022] that requires all charging operators who receive state money to comply with new and more detailed standards for record-keeping and reporting. The specifics are due next year from the California Energy Commission—and what California pioneers, the states that have adopted its emissions rules are likely to adopt as well.The level of frustration and anger among automakers is high enough that in May Ford announced its EV customers would be able to charge at Supercharger stations—and that it would adopt Tesla’s connector standard. GM followed with an identical announcement weeks later, and many others have followed—see the full list HERE. Then, in July, seven automakers announced they would form a joint venture to set up their own new network of more than 30,000 fast-charging stations, with amenities to make recharging more pleasant. Meanwhile, knowing various reasons a charging station may not be working doesn’t help anxious EV drivers. Only the networks can do that, by prioritizing maintenance, oversight, and response times. Y’know, just like Tesla does for its Supercharger network. More on EV ChargingContributing EditorJohn Voelcker edited Green Car Reports for nine years, publishing more than 12,000 articles on hybrids, electric cars, and other low- and zero-emission vehicles and the energy ecosystem around them. He now covers advanced auto technologies and energy policy as a reporter and analyst. His work has appeared in print, online, and radio outlets that include Wired, Popular Science, Tech Review, IEEE Spectrum, and NPR’s “All Things Considered.” He splits his time between the Catskill Mountains and New York City and still has hopes of one day becoming an international man of mystery. More

Toyota announced details for the 2024 GR Corolla hot-hatch lineup, including the addition of a new trim level.The Premium trim will start at $41,015, filling the gap between the entry Core and returning Circuit trim levels.The Premium trim adds features from the Performance package including suede-trimmed seats, brake cooling ducts, and front and rear limited-slip differentials.The GR Corolla family is adding another member for the 2024 model year with the addition of a new trim level. The 200 Morizo editions for 2023 are done, and despite the Circuit model being originally planned as a limited-run model for the hot hatch’s first year, Toyota decided to bring it back for 2024. Now, Toyota has announced that a new Premium trim will fill both the price and amenity gap between the entry-level Core model and the more focused Circuit edition. Opting for the Premium trim brings everything from the Core, plus visual upgrades like Brin Naub suede-lined seats embossed with the GR logo and a set of red-painted GR brake calipers. The mid-range trim also adds performance upgrades from the Performance package, including front and rear Torsen limited-slip differentials, brake ducts, and front and rear parking sensors. There are also creature comforts including an upgraded JBL sound system, wireless phone charger, heated front seats, and a heated steering wheel.View Photos2024 GR Corolla Circuit Edition in Blue FlameToyotaWith the 200 stripped-down and focused Morizo Edition models limited to the 2023 model year, the Circuit Edition is the new top dog. Just like last year, the Circuit comes with flared nostrils on the hood, a forged carbon-fiber roof, rocker panels on the sides, and a gloss black spoiler at the back. For 2024, the Circuit nabs the forged aluminum 18-inch BBS wheels from the Morizo as standard equipment, shedding weight from the little Corolla. There’s also a new blue paint option called Blue Flame that includes matching interior stitching for the shift knob and seats185.4-HP Per LiterAll three trim levels produce 300 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque from the GR’s turbocharged 1.6-liter inline-three. That equates to a mind-altering 185.4 horsepower per liter of engine—from a Corolla. The team over at Gazoo Racing has made a few mechanical tweaks to the car for the new year. Upgrades include changes to the steering gear, rear suspension, and battery ground, as well as aero updates such as the addition of aluminum sheets to the front and rear bumpers to affect airflow.More on the GR CorollaToyota is also planning to expand the optional GR performance parts to allow for more customization later this year. Performance lowering springs and performance shocks top that list, while the rear sport wing will also be available for the Core and Premium trims.Pricing only moves a few hundred dollars, with the Core model now starting at $37,195—a $200 increase over last year. The new Premium model slots above the Core at $41,015, and the Circuit Edition sits at the top of the lineup with a new starting price of $45,835. Associate News EditorJack Fitzgerald’s love for cars stems from his as yet unshakable addiction to Formula 1. After a brief stint as a detailer for a local dealership group in college, he knew he needed a more permanent way to drive all the new cars he couldn’t afford and decided to pursue a career in auto writing. By hounding his college professors at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, he was able to travel Wisconsin seeking out stories in the auto world before landing his dream job at Car and Driver. His new goal is to delay the inevitable demise of his 2010 Volkswagen Golf. More

A new video posted on Toyota’s YouTube account shows a sketch of a new sedan model that looks like it could be the 2025 Camry.CarBuzz first spotted the potential leak, which is found in a video about leasing.We expect the 2025 Camry to be officially revealed by the end of the year.UPDATE 4:25 pm: The Camry image in the video is a rendering rather than the real thing, according to the artist Theottle on Instagram, who created an original rendering of a red Camry last year and spotted the similarities between his image and the sketch in the video. A Toyota representative told C/D that the video “was created by one of Toyota Financial Service’s vendors that mistakenly used an artist’s conceptual rendering of a Camry that was a meant as a placeholder during the production process. The vendor has no access to Toyota planned vehicle design images and the image is not a preview of a future Camry.”Whether it’s an intentional tease or not, Toyota has let slip what we think is a first glance at the new 2025 Camry mid-size sedan. A new video about leasing posted to Toyota’s YouTube account shows a sketch of a red four-door sedan that sure looks plausibly like the redesigned Camry, as it sports a face similar to the new Prius and features Camry-esque proportions.We first spotted the 2025 Camry in spy photos a few months ago, and this sketch aligns closely with what we saw from that camouflaged prototype. The side profile of the car mostly carries over, but the front and rear ends will wear new headlights and taillights, and the interior will likely be comprehensively updated.KGP Photography|Car and DriverThe leaked image doesn’t divulge any other information or specs about the new Camry, but we have some idea of what to expect based on the powertrains Toyota is installing in its other models. We wouldn’t be shocked to see an all-wheel-drive hybrid setup make its way into the four-door, and the automaker’s turbocharged 2.4-liter inline-four and Hybrid Max setup are also likely options for the mid-sizer.This content is imported from youTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.Look for more information to come soon about the 2025 Camry as Toyota prepares to launch this redesigned model in earnest. In the meantime, check out the image at 0:49 in this video.More on SedansThis content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.Senior EditorDespite being raised on a steady diet of base-model Hondas and Toyotas—or perhaps because of it—Joey Capparella nonetheless cultivated an obsession for the automotive industry throughout his childhood in Nashville, Tennessee. He found a way to write about cars for the school newspaper during his college years at Rice University, which eventually led him to move to Ann Arbor, Michigan, for his first professional auto-writing gig at Automobile Magazine. He has been part of the Car and Driver team since 2016 and now lives in New York City.   More

Jeep could be preparing to drop the available V-8 engines from the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer full-size SUVs.The EPA and an order guide suggest that the twin-turbo 3.0-liter inline-six will be the only engine option for 2024.The Wagoneer previously offered a 5.7-liter V-8 and the Grand Wagoneer offered a 6.4-liter V-8.The recent arrival of the new Hurricane inline-six in the Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer for 2023 appears to spell the end of the road for the Hemi V-8s previously available in this model. Jeep has yet to officially release 2024 model-year information, but we found documents suggesting that the 2024 Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer will only be offered with the twin-turbo 3.0-liter inline-six, meaning that the previously available 5.7-liter and 6.4-liter V-8 engines will be dropped.A fleet order guide plus EPA ratings illustrate the changes for the standard 2024 Wagoneer, which previously offered the 392-hp 5.7-liter V-8 on the short-wheelbase version (the long-wheelbase Wagoneer L and Grand Wagoneer L were already inline-six-only). The Wagoneer will now be offered only with the 420-hp version of the Hurricane inline-six, with either rear- or four-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic transmission.Wagoneer LStellantisChanges for the Grand Wagoneer aren’t quite as clear, as the EPA still lists the 6.4-liter V-8 for 2024. But a dealership pricing database shows all models equipped with the 3.0-liter six, meaning that inclusion could just be a holdover from last year. The high-output version of the Hurricane engine in the Grand Wagoneer produces 510 horsepower and 500 pound-feet, a useful upgrade over the V-8’s 471 hp and 455 pound-feet.We’ve reached out to Jeep representatives for confirmation and have yet to hear back, so we will update this story with official information once it’s available.More on the New Inline-SixThis content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.Senior EditorDespite being raised on a steady diet of base-model Hondas and Toyotas—or perhaps because of it—Joey Capparella nonetheless cultivated an obsession for the automotive industry throughout his childhood in Nashville, Tennessee. He found a way to write about cars for the school newspaper during his college years at Rice University, which eventually led him to move to Ann Arbor, Michigan, for his first professional auto-writing gig at Automobile Magazine. He has been part of the Car and Driver team since 2016 and now lives in New York City.   More