Press Release: 6/11/2025
Electric Car Corner: Spring 2025
Caroline GraciaJune 10, 2025
We are super excited about the sunnier and longer days, as well as seeing long-asleep plants begin to bloom. There is a lot of uncertainty at the federal level and about the future of the car industry, but we are here to deliver some positive news about the electric vehicle (EV) market.
Readily Available EVs
The vehicles in this section are new-ish and are readily available for purchase. With that said, please note: The American car market and industry are deeply affected by the constantly evolving set of tariffs set forth by the federal government. Our list of readily available and upcoming EVs is shorter than usual this spring, as the automobile industry is in limbo with ever-changing tariffs. To see all currently available EVs, check out our EV Finder.
A family-friendly SUV meets a sports car: meet the 2025 Polestar 3. American-made, this spiffy car features a panoramic sunroof, a high-quality audio system offering road-noise cancellation, and onboard Google integration. The Polestar 3 comes with dual-motor and single-motor options and all-wheel or rear-wheel drive, with the single-motor version available as a more affordable, efficient, and long-range vehicle (350 miles per charge). The Polestar 3 Long Range Single Motor starts at $68,900 and does not qualify for the federal tax credit, Massachusetts rebate (MOR-EV), or the Rhode Island (DRIVE) rebate.
The 2025 Kia EV9 is a large, three-seater all-electric SUV with a starting price of $54,900. Available in four trims with AWD and RWD options, the EV9 enjoys a range of 230 miles to 304 miles. Thanks to an 800-volt system, the EV9 charges faster at a DCFC station than almost every car available. This SUV is equipped with standard safety features, including parking and blind-spot assistance. Additionally, the EV9 is furnished with smart preconditioning settings, Apple CarPlay, climate control settings, and ambient mood lighting. Above all, the EV9 is vehicle-to-load (V2L) capable, meaning that it can charge appliances and devices at home or on the go. The 2025 Kia EV9 qualifies for the $1,500 RI rebate but does not qualify for the federal tax credit or MOR-EV Standard.
The 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 6 is the sedan sibling of the Ioniq family. Priced at $37,850, the 270-mile range Ioniq 6 is available in four trims with an AWD drivetrain. The sleek-back sedan is fitted with standard safety and parking features, Apple CarPlay, a touchscreen display, and an impressive sound system. The Hyundai Ioniq 6 qualifies for $3,500 through MOR-EV Standard and $1,500 via the RI rebate, but not for the federal tax credit.
Upcoming EVs
In this section, we’ll talk about future car models we’ve got our eye on.
2026 Nissan Leaf
The Nissan Leaf is known for its small hatchback shape since it first took to the road in 2011. In a reinventive move, the 2026 Nissan Leaf will be reimagined as an SUV that shares some technological features as the Ariya (perhaps this means that the new LEAF will retain a dual-motor and all-wheel drive option). The 2026 model will be equipped with a NACS port (North American Charging Standard, formerly the Tesla standard), meaning that it will be able to access Tesla supercharging stations without an adapter. Pricing is expected to fall between $35,000 and $46,000. While not many details have yet been published, we will update our Drive Green community as we learn more.
2026 Chevrolet Bolt
The 2026 Chevrolet Bolt is a second-generation addition to the beloved Bolt series and is taking on a slightly larger but still compact design as a crossover SUV. The new Bolt is likely to share many of the characteristics of the first Bolt, but it will incorporate General Motors’ new lithium-ion Ultium battery technology. The 2026 Chevy Bolt is expected to be built in Fairfax, Kansas and cost around $30,000. More information about the new Bolt is to come, and it is expected to be released later this year.
2026 Toyota RAV4 Plug-In Hybrid
The 2026 Toyota RAV4 plug-in hybrid (PHEV) boasts a 50-mile electric range, an increase from the 42-mile electric range of the 2025 model. The new model comes with some exciting additions, including a powertrain like that of the RAV4 GR Sport and DC-fast charging capabilities with the XSE and Woodland trims (reaching 10% to 80% of charge in 30 minutes). While this PHEV utilizes a CCS port, a NACS adapter can be used to charge at Tesla supercharging stations. The 2026 RAV 4 PHEV is expected to hit the shelves later this year and start at $46,660. At this starting price, we expect it to qualify for Rhode Island’s $1,000 PHEV rebate. Massachusetts’ MOR-EV program doesn’t cover plug-in hybrids. We don’t yet know whether it will qualify for the federal tax credit.
NACS Update
Last year, major manufacturers decided to adapt Tesla’s charging port, now called the North American Charging Standard (NACS), so that non-Tesla EVs could access the Tesla Supercharger network (there are 20,000 or so Tesla supercharging stations in the country). This was a big deal, and since then these automakers have been busy making adapters available to their current customers and making the charging port a native feature on upcoming vehicles. In our last Car Corner, we reported that the 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 9 and the 2025 Kia EV6 were among the first non-Tesla EVs to adopt this feature.
Major manufacturers have utilized adaptor suppliers in their rollout to customers. One supplier, Lectron, which supplies automakers including Ford, General Motors, and Mercedes-Benz with NACS adapters, is just one supplier facing difficulties in the tariff war. The big picture is that NACS adapters may become more expensive, and consumers may face long wait times. The overall tariff effect on the availability and price of NACS adapters remains to be seen.
Where are automakers with their NACS adapter rollout?
- Ford has incorporated the NACS port on the following 2025 models: the Mustang Mach-E, F-150 Lighting, and E-Transit van. Ford sells the adapter for $200 a piece on their website.
- General Motors has made the adapter available for $226 via GM Parts Center and has stated that the port will be available as a native feature for their model year 2026 models.
- Honda plans to make the adapters available for purchase at their Honda and Acura dealerships in June.
- Nissan has priced the adapters at $235 on their marketplace, and offers a NACS adapter kit, featuring a CCS1 plug and the adapter, for their Ariya drivers.
- Hyundai is providing eligible consumers with complementary CCS-to-NACS adapters. The 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 and 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9 will possess an on-board NACS port.
- Rivian provides drivers of the 2025 R1s and R1T models with a complementary NACS adapter.
- Lucid has incorporated the NACS port as a native feature on the 2025 Lucid Gravity.
- BMW is expected to release its branded NACS adapter this year.
Tariffs
A lot has changed at the federal level since our last Car Corner. The new administration has placed shifting tariffs on automobile and automobile parts, and as the manufacturing process and supply chain transcends country lines, all cars, car parts, and EV chargers will be more expensive as a result. We recently published a blog post on the implications of car tariffs for EVs. Read here for an update list of the many tariffs that we are facing.
An Update on Charging Infrastructure
Nationally
The National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program was founded under President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and was to provide $5 billion dollars to states to build a network of fast charging, called the Alternative Fuels Corridor, along major highways. We wrote in our last Car Corner that Rhode Island and Massachusetts had made progress and were entering phase II of this program.
As of early February, the Federal Highway Administration placed the NEVI program under review. According to FHWA, contracted funds will be honored but no new funds will be allocated. This means that $3 billion in program funding will be withheld from states in the program. Several states have recently filed a suit to recover those promised funds.
Massachusetts actually has access to all of the funds it should have access to now ($50 million of the overall $63 million it expects) and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation is continuing with implementation.
Last year, Rhode Island spent $1.5 million while completing Phase 1 of NEVI. Currently, Rhode Island is unable to access the remaining $20.8 million in NEVI funds as well as $15 million in additional funding through the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Grant Program (CFI). Plans for Phase 2 included a community charging program.
Both states are essentially waiting for the federal government to loosen its grip, so that each state may access its promised funding ($63 million for MA and $22.7 million for RI).
Massachusetts
NEVI is not the only charging infrastructure news in Massachusetts:
- The Department of Public Utilities is still weighing the mid-term modification proposals of our electric utilities. Their decision (expected to be this summer) will determine what EV charging programs the utilities can offer for the next couple of years.
- The Department of Environmental Protection’s MassEVIP funding program for charging infrastructure for fleets is now available to medium- and heavy-duty vehicle fleets as well as light-duty fleets.
Caroline and Lillian pose next to an electric mailing truck at Mass Fleet Advisor’s recent event in Natick.
- The Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Coordinating Council is working on their Second Assessment due to the legislatures in August. We encourage you to attend a meeting and share your thoughts!
The Drive Green team recently had the opportunity to visit BP Pulse’s (yes, of BP Oil) Boston Gigahub, a charging station hosting 20 DC fast dual-head chargers with CCS1 ports. Hosting fast chargers at 400kW and 150 kW, the station is located near Boston Logan Airport and targeted toward Uber and Lyft drivers. Consumers can access discounted charging at $0.36/kWh for a limited time.
Additionally, the city of Boston is working with It’s Electric to install curbside charging in various neighborhoods. Curbside charging has since been installed in Roslindale and Charlestown. Homeowners can join a waitlist to be a “property partner,” through which It’s Electric accesses spare power from your home, tracks electricity usage, and pays the utility directly, while homeowners earn passive income for their participation in the program. Earned income is expected to range from $800 to $3,400 per year, and will depend on the cost to charge and how much the charger is used.
Rhode Island
Rhode Island’s Office of Energy Resources has a cool tool that locates charging stations throughout the state (this works similarly to PlugShare). We are hopeful that Rhode Island may receive its awarded $15 million of funding through the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Grant Program (CFI) that is currently on hold, as this would finance chargers at various public locations.
Looking for an EV? Check out our EV Finder!
We know that these are uncertain times. With frequently changing and looming tariffs, we want to ensure that you are both prepared and informed if you are in the market for an EV. Our EV Finder is an easy-to-use tool that adds up qualifying rebates and matches you with the right EV for you.
