Which carmaker crammed seven motors into its electric SUV?

Which automaker said it no longer has plans for fuel-cell passenger vehicles?

This is our look back at the Week In Reverseright here at Green Car Reportsfor the week ending July 24, 2020.

The biggest series of stories of the week for the green-vehicle sector came out of Teslas periodic update Wednesday. Although it was news in itself that Tesla reported another profitable quarter, despite the challenges of the pandemic, CEO Elon Musk took the headline with the announcement that Tesla has chosen Austin, Texas, for a plant that will assemble the Cybertruck and Semi, plus Model Y and Model 3 for Eastern North America. Musk also confirmed Teslas use of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cells in some Model 3 sedans built in China, which will help the company free up its more energy-dense cells for the Semi.

BYD Han EV

The BYD Han EV is the flagship model for the Chinese automaker 25% owned by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway. As a battery expert as much as an EV car and truck maker, BYD hopes to sell its new safety-oriented Blade battery that debuts in the Han EV to other automakers, tooand likely encroach on Teslas market if not in the U.S., overseas.

Rivian started the pilot production line for its upcoming electric trucks, and that means theyll be delayed about six months overallto June 2021 for the R1T and August 2021 for the R1S.

Rivian R1S

Ford showed a new seven-motor, 1,400-horsepower version of the Mach-E electric SUV, called the Mach-E 1400. With plans to demonstrate the vehicle at a NASCAR event, the point is clearly getting those who might not have considered an EV to notice their performance potential.

There were several interesting pieces of news about plug-in hybrid products. And Jeep detailed two of its upcoming plug-in hybrid modelsthe Renegade 4xe and Compass 4xefor Europe, although the brand hasnt yet said whether these models will be coming to the U.S. The 2021 Lincoln Corsair Grand Touring plug-in hybrid hasnt been rated by the EPA for miles or mpg, but this model that will arrive later this fall already has a price tag that, after credits and incentives, might make it more affordable than the non-hybrid. And the next-generation version of the Mitsubishi Outlander was spotted in California, but before that arrives theres a mechanical upgradewith more electric rangefor the 2021 Outlander Plug-In Hybrid.

2021 Lincoln Corsair Grand Touring

Battery origins have become an important part of our EV coverage. Swedens Northvolt will be supplying BMW with $2.3 billion in electric-car batteries. Although its contract comes after those inked with Samsung SDI and CATL, its the only one thats headquartered in the EU. Meanwhile, Volkswagen and Ford voiced concern over a conflict between rival South Korean battery suppliers LG Chem and SK Innovation that could potentially get in the way of U.S. EV production.

Otherwise, Volkswagen confirmed that its ID.4 crossover is on-time for first U.S. deliveries in late 2020, with U.S. production in 2022.

VW ID.4 crossover

The Audi E-Tron SUV was the first electric vehicle to win the IIHS Top Safety Pick+ rating last year, and now the closely related E-Tron Sportback has done the same. Audi also revealed its been studying bi-directional charging functionalityboth for vehicle-to-home (V2H) tech to help buffer solar or vehicle-to-grid (V2G) tech to help balance the grid. It could be a few years before its ready in a product, however.

General Motors confirmed that its no longer working on hydrogen fuel-cell passenger carsalthough its fuel-cell development is pushing ahead with Honda and it aims to use the tech for military and fuel-cell vehicles.

UK-based Twisted Automotive will offer a limited number of Land Rover Defender 90 electric conversions for the U.S.

Twisted NAS-E electric Land Rover Defender

And last weekend we looked at the recently announced discontinuation of the Honda Fit and Toyota Yaris and wondered if the age of the cheap, city-savvy, fuel-efficient small car is over.

Go here to see the original:

Tesla Texas, BYD Han EV, Rivian delay, battery supplies, the end of small cars: The Week in Reverse - Green Car Reports