Putting EV Hiccups In The Rearview Mirror

General Motors’ rollout of its current-generation EVs got off to a rough start, with numerous issues in ramping up production. But the automaker seems to be putting those troubles behind it as it achieves record EV sales.

GM said Monday in a press release that it hit a monthly United States electric-vehicle sales record in July, selling more than 19,000 EVs in the month. That’s a 115% year-over-year increase, one that was led by the Chevrolet Equinox EV, which had its best sales month ever. With more than 8,500 of the compact crossovers sold in July, GM claims the Equinox EV became the bestselling non-Tesla EV in the U.S.

The Equinox EV accounted for about 45% of GM’s July EV sales, with the rest split among nine other models. About 36,000 Equinox EVs were sold in the first half of 2025, already beating last year’s total.

Affordability Appeals

Chevrolet

A big part of the Equinox EV’s appeal is likely its value proposition. With the Bolt EV on hiatus, the Equinox EV is the least-expensive electric model in GM’s U.S. lineup. It currently starts at $34,995 in base front-wheel drive form, and that base model offers an EPA-rated 319 miles of range and enough standard equipment to make browsing the options list unnecessary.

For now, the Equinox EV also qualifies for a $7,500 federal EV tax credit, but that’s due to end on September 30 under the budget bill championed by President Donald Trump and passed by the Republican-controlled Congress.

Front-wheel drive models have a single electric motor generating 220 horsepower and 243 pound-feet of torque. The Equinox EV launched as a 2024 model in pricier all-wheel drive form, and this dual-motor powertrain is still available with 300 hp and 355 lb-ft of torque. All models have an 85-kilowatt-hour battery pack that makes the Equinox EV’s relatively DC fast-charging power rate of 150 kilowatts reasonable for real-world use. And Chevy offers a 19.2-kW onboard charger for AC charging (an 11.5-kW unit is standard).

Other EV Bright Spots For GM

Chevrolet

The Equinox EV wasn’t the only piece of encouraging news for GM’s EV bet in the automaker’s second-quarter sales results. GM said its overall EV sales were up over 100% in Q2, with GMC EV sales up 34% and Cadillac having its best-ever first half for EV sales. Nearly one in four Cadillacs sold in the first half were EVs, and in the second quarter Cadillac had the highest EV market share among luxury brands, GM claims.

This success is partly due to growing overall U.S. EV sales. GM estimated that EVs would increase to 8.5% of the market in July, although the automaker claims its own EV sales are growing faster than the industry average. The Equinox EV will also soon be joined by a new Bolt EV, giving GM another affordable model that will hopefully help it weather the collapse of pro-EV policy at the federal level.

Some SUVs’ forward blind zones have gotten especially large in recent years, study finds  

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Volpe Center has found that the forward blind zones of six top-selling passenger vehicles have grown significantly over the past 25 years, coinciding with increased pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities. A new, IIHS-developed comparison measurement technique used for determining a driver’s direct area of vision around the vehicle facilitated the study’s findings, as first reported by Carscoops.

Researchers highlighted that throughout vehicle redesign cycles from 1997 to 2023, forward visibility within a 10-meter radius declined up to 58% for three popular SUVs: the Honda CR-V, Jeep Grand Cherokee, and Chevrolet Suburban. The most considerable reduction came from the CR-V, where the model’s hood, mirrors, and A-pillars all contributed to increased obstruction. Drivers of a 1997 CR-V could see 68% of an area 10 meters ahead of the vehicle, but this figure declined exponentially to 28% for the 2022 version. Regarding the Suburban, drivers of the 2000 model year could see 56% of the area in front, but this declined to 28% for the 2023 production year. A higher hood and larger side mirrors were the two factors most significantly contributing to visibility reductions, and numbers for the Jeep Grand Cherokee weren’t cited.

1997 Honda CR-V

Honda

Researchers also tested the Ford F-150, Honda Accord, and Toyota Camry. A 1997 F-150 was reported as providing 43% visibility of a forward area within a 10-meter radius before dropping to 36% by the 2015 production year. Visibility declines in the two tested passenger cars weren’t as noticeable. The Camry had 61% visibility for its 2007 model year before falling to 57% in 2023, and the Accord fared slightly better with 65% visibility for 2003 and 60% for 2023. IIHS President David Harkey said, “The across-the-board decrease in visibility for this small group of models is concerning. We need to investigate whether this is a broader trend that may have contributed to the recent spike in pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities. This study also illustrates that the new method developed by IIHS gives researchers a straightforward, repeatable way to assess driver visibility.”

How the IIHS’s new forward blind zone measurement technique differs from past methods

The IIHS’s updated method for measuring driver visibility uses computational software and a portable camera rig in the driver’s seat at varied heights to illustrate drivers of different sizes. This camera captures a 360-degree image of the vehicle’s surrounding field and the nearest points on the ground that a driver can see, providing a visibility percentage. The previous, less-efficient and more time-consuming method of determining driver visibility didn’t foster opportunities for large-scale studies since researchers had to compare different models’ blind zones with engineering drawings or by positioning each vehicle in an open area marked with grid lines or traffic cones. Another technique using lasers was more efficient, but couldn’t capture blind zones from the side mirrors and the widening base of the A-pillars.

1997 Ford F-150 Series

Ford

Final thoughts 

Volpe Center researchers focused on studying the visibility of vehicles from the 1997 to 2023 model years, as pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities have increased by 37% and 42%, respectively, during this period, according to the IIHS. Researchers also chose to study a 10-meter radius of its test vehicles because that’s the average stopping distance at 10 mph. IIHS Senior Research Engineer Becky Mueller added that the collected data is especially relevant since SUVs have gotten increasingly popular in recent years.

Mercedes Has Big Plans To Overcome Rivals

In recent times, BMW has been enjoying remarkable sales success, but its compatriot rivals are not performing as well. In fact, BMW has sold twice as many cars as Audi did in the first six months of 2025, and while Mercedes has reported better figures, it’s still only sold 142,000 vehicles in Q1 2025 compared to BMW’s 178,499. In an attempt to close the gap to BMW over the next few years, Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Källenius says the period from this year through 2027 will have “probably the most intense amount of launches in a three-year period in the history of our company,” reports Top Gear, with no fewer than 18 new models planned.

18 New Vehicles, But Not As Many New Nameplates

SH Proshots/Autoblog

Mercedes is considering the launch of a gas-powered vehicle as a separate thing from the launch of an EV with the same name, so the CLA EV counts as one launch and the hybrid CLA as another. Similarly, the upcoming combustion-powered CLA Shooting Brake is a new launch separate from the EV that has already been released. Mercedes reportedly intends to add one more ‘entry-level’ combustion car in 2026, alongside two electric cars.

One tier above these cars are the ‘core’ Merc models, which will welcome two combustion vehicles and two EVs next year. One of these will be the new all-electric GLC that was recently teased and will be revealed at the Munich auto show (IAA) in September. As TG notes, the current C-Class was launched around the same time as the GLC, in 2021, so it’s likely that a facelift of the sedan will be unveiled before long.

Major Changes Coming To The Top Tier Of Mercedes Models

Mercedes-Benz

“Most of the customers at the top end today still choose the Swiss watch of cars with a combustion engine, but it’s not going to stop our push to electrification,” Källenius said. “By the end of this decade, for all relevant Mercedes-Benz models, there will be the choice of an electric powertrain for customers.” This mirrors earlier comments from the company that revealed the EQS would disappear to be reborn simply as an S-Class EV with similar styling to the traditional model. As we’ve noted before, BMW’s decision to make EVs like the i4, i5, and i7 look nearly identical to their combustion-powered 4 Series, 5 Series, and 7 Series siblings appears to be paying dividends. At the same time, Mercedes will continue developing internal combustion powertrains.

“Five years ago, we would have been estimating that we would be further along in the journey to electrification by now,” the CEO said. “We will have both ICE and EV for minimum the next 10 years. You cannot let your high-tech combustion engine side sit still.” Expect new AMG models soon, a new baby G-Class, and the production version of the GTXX concept, which will also spawn an SUV.

In summary, to satisfy both sorts of buyers, Mercedes plans six new combustion cars and six new EVs in the ‘top end’ bracket, two new ICE models and one EV in the ‘core’ lineup, and one new combustion car in the ‘entry level’ segment.

Related: 1,000-HP Brabus Turns The Mercedes-AMG GT Up To 11

Chevrolet made its presence felt in a big way at the inaugural MLB Speedway Classic, a one-of-a-kind baseball spectacle held inside NASCAR’s legendary Bristol Motor Speedway. As the Atlanta Braves took on the Cincinnati Reds in Tennessee’s first-ever Major League Baseball game, Chevy seized the opportunity to blur the lines between two of America’s most iconic sporting obsessions: baseball and motorsport.

For a brand riding high—having recently surpassed Ford as the number two EV maker in the U.S.—the event offered yet another chance to stay top of mind. Chevrolet’s EV momentum, driven by nameplates like the Blazer EV SS, continues to rise—even as models like the Equinox EV face looming price pressure under the revised federal tax credit scheme.

So, where better to flex a bit of cultural muscle than in front of 90,000 baseball fans inside a race track?

When NASCAR Meets MLB

The two-day event took place August 2–3, with Bristol’s half-mile oval transformed into a playable baseball diamond using 124,000 square feet of AstroTurf and over 300 tons of clay and gravel. The Braves took home a 4–2 win in a game interrupted by weather and resumed on Sunday—but the real drama played out off the field.

Chevy had the spotlight throughout. NASCAR drivers Chase Elliott and Ross Chastain took to the track in Braves- and Reds-themed Chevy race cars, giving fans a show before the first pitch. Even Dale Earnhardt Jr. made an appearance, teaming up with Budweiser to showcase a special paint scheme on a classic Chevy stock car.

The stunt wasn’t just a throwback—it was smart marketing. Chevy is leaning heavily into its dual identity: performance heritage and forward-looking EV innovation. It’s the same tension explored in our brutally honest review of the Blazer EV SS, where the brand’s sporty ambitions meet the realities of electric utility.

Game Delays, Hot Dog Disasters, And Branding Wins

Despite a rain delay that suspended Saturday’s game after just four outs, the Sunday resumption drew huge crowds. Braves outfielder Eli White hit two home runs and rookie Hurston Waldrep logged his first MLB win. Behind the scenes, things weren’t as smooth—concessions ran out early, leaving fans with overpriced snacks and no napkins. On Sunday, officials allowed fans to bring their own food. A small fix, but one that highlighted the logistical challenge of hosting baseball in a speedway.

Still, none of that overshadowed the branding win. Chevrolet, already a staple in NASCAR, used the MLB crossover to bring its personality into an entirely new context. By planting itself at the centre of a sport it doesn’t traditionally sponsor, Chevy showed it can speak to more than just car buyers—it can tap into culture.

Chevrolet

Why This Matters

The MLB Speedway Classic was a stunt—but a successful one. With Fox Sports deploying 40 broadcast cameras and delivering immersive coverage, the event reached millions. Chevrolet’s role wasn’t just product placement—it was narrative placement. The company isn’t just building EVs and performance cars; it’s writing itself into the story of what American mobility looks like in 2025.

When that story includes race cars, baseball bats, and roaring crowds in one of NASCAR’s most hallowed arenas? That’s called a home run.

Record Attempt Slated For 2026

When you have a three-mile-long runway to play with, it’s easy to have a need for speed. Johnny Bohmer operates a testing facility on the NASA Shuttle Landing Facility runway at Florida’s Kennedy Space Center, and he’s been using the runway to set speed records with a modified 2006 Ford GT for over a decade. He’s about to give it another go.

In 2022, Bohmer reached 310.8 mph, which he claims is a world record for a street-legal car, but felt this “BADD GT” had more in it. So in 2026 he’ll try to break that record—by a significant margin. He said in a press release that he’s targeting a top speed of 330 mph.

“The 310.8 mph/500.1 kph run was just a test run,” Bohmer said in a statement, adding that 330 mph “is in reach, and we are making final preparations.”

Faster Than New Supercars

Johnny Bohmer Proving Grounds, LLC

Bohmer bought his GT new and has been tinkering with it ever since. In 2012, he reached 283 mph on the Shuttle Landing Facility runway, then came back in 2017 and did a 292-mph run. For that run and the 2022 run in which Bohmer broke the 300-mph barrier, the GT was making 2,700 horsepower, according to Jalopnik.

The release didn’t discuss the car’s current spec, but emphasized that it remains street legal in Florida, and that Bohmer regularly drives it around on public roads in the Sunshine State. And while the interior is fully caged and packed with data-logging gear, it also retains air conditioning (obligatory in Florida), cup holders, and an audio system.

The BADD GT is already in elite company. It’s faster than the Hennessey Venom F5, which achieved 270.4 mph on the same runway in 2014 (Hennessey hopes to break 300 mph in the near future), and the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+, the only production car to record a speed higher than 300 mph in testing.

How Much Faster?

This Ford looks even more impressive considering that the Chiron isn’t considered the world’s fastest production car by the FIA. Bugatti only surpassed 300 mph in one direction, and FIA rules (along with those of most governing bodies for land-speed records) require a return run, with speeds from the two runs averaged.

By that metric, the Koenigsegg Agera RS is the fastest, with a verified top speed of 277.8 mph. Koenigsegg believes its Jesko can surpass 300 mph, and Bugatti has made similar claims about its Bolide track car, but neither has done it yet.