Drew Dowdell

Choice Hotels has announced a deal with Tesla to install chargers across its range of properties. Participating brands Radisson, Quality Inn, Cambria, Comfort, Country Inn & Suite, and other Choice brands can add four or more Tesla Universal Wall Connectors for guests to use. Guests are able to filter their hotel search to find properties offering charging inside the Choice Hotels app. Customers who have one of Choice Hotels' branded credit cards will be eligible for points bonuses when used for charging at Choice Hotel locations. The Tesla Universal Wall Connector is a 240-volt unit that uses a 48-amp circuit and can provide 11.5 kW of power. Its primary connector is the North American Charging Standard (NACS) format while a J1772 adapter is stored in the unit itself. While not a fast charger, the availability of these units at a hotel solves the issue of charging while traveling. For a Tesla Model-3, this charger can add up to 44 miles of range per hour. The Tesla Universal Wall Connector costs $595 per unit at the time of this writing and is natively compatible with virtually all new EVs on the road today. Owners of the Nissan Leaf and other older EVs, however, are out of luck. The Cambria brand of Choice Hotels has been aggressively expanding its EV charging availability, with 41% of properties already offering at least one charger and a goal of 100% by the end of 2024. The Choice Hotel footprint includes over 7,500 hotels in 46 countries. Choice Hotels joins the Marriott and Hilton hotel chains' similar recent announcements of expanding EV charging access. Our take: Charging while you sleep has always been one of the selling points of EVs, so charging while you sleep away from home makes perfect sense. Cheers and Gears is reader-supported. If you purchase through the links provided, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. Read More: Hilton Adding EV Charging to Over 2,000 Hotels in North America Marriott and EV Connect Partner to Install EV Chargers in North America View full article

I tend to go the other direction. I like when there are modern takes on older songs. I recently stumbled onto this new version of Clocks, even more chill than the original.

Yeah, but none of those companies are domestic-based, as the Magna release states. The only other option could be Rivian, but I don't see them going that way either. Ford is undoubtedly working on a lower-cost EV platform. This is being farmed out to Magna because they don't want to commit resources to something so low volume as a Navigator EV. Again, it is unlikely that Ford needs such a unit from Magna. Manufacturers will only go out to Magna for this stuff when it is lower volume so they don't have to develop it themselves.

The already fast Porsche Taycan has received some significant updates for 2025. Already one of the fastest-charging electric vehicles on the road today, the 2025 Taycan improves charging times significantly. At 800v charging stations, the Taycan is capable of 320 kW charging, 50 kW more than the first generation. Inside the high-speed charging range of 10% to 80% capacity, the Taycan can pull through that range in 18 minutes rather than the previous 37 minutes. (at 59 F ambient). Also, now standard is a 150 kW DC/DC converter to improve charge speeds even at 400v stations. We first saw this new converter in the 2024 Porsche Macan that splits the batteries into two packs for faster charging. All Porsche Taycan buyers get three years of complimentary 30-minute DC Fast Charging at Electrify America. Porsche has increased the range, depending on the body style and powertrain selected, by up to 35% in the WLTP test. Now, reaching up to 364 miles in the European test, the Taycan lets you go further between charging stops. For Taycan buyers who opt for the Performance Battery Plus, capacity has increased from 93 kW to 105 kW. Additional efficiency changes to improve range include a new next-gen HVAC heat pump system, a new rear axle motor with 80 kW (107 horsepower) more than its predecessor, revised thermal management, and a stronger energy recuperation system. The maximum recuperation capacity during deceleration from high speeds has increased from 290 kW to 400 kW. All versions of the Taycan come with new aerodynamically optimized wheels. Porsche has increased performance across the entire range as well. The rear-wheel drive Taycan sedan gets to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds, 0.6 seconds quicker than last year. At the other end of the spectrum, the Taycan Turbo S sedan can make it to 60 mph in just 2.3 seconds, down from 2.6 seconds before. This top-line Taycan's output is 938 horsepower, the most powerful production Porsche ever. Additions to the standard equipment list for this year include Lane Change Assist, a heated steering wheel, ambient lighting, electrically folding exterior mirrors, Porsche intelligent range manager, a new cabin cooling system, and a smartphone tray for wireless charging. Apple Carplay is now more deeply ingrained into the Taycan's functions, and Porsche is now supporting Apple Maps EV routing, which features estimated charging times and energy usage information. Exterior styling has received subtle updates with new flatter headlights, new taillights, and new front fenders that emphasize the Taycan's width. 2025 Taycans are available for order now with delivery in the U.S. expected to start in the summer of 2024. Pricing is below and does not include the $1,995 destination charge. 2025 Taycan: $99,400 2025 Taycan 4S: $118,500 2025 Taycan Turbo: $173,600 2025 Taycan Turbo S: $209,000 2025 Taycan 4 Cross Turismo: $111,100 2025 Taycan 4S Cross Turismo: $125,200 2025 Taycan Turbo Cross Turismo: $176,300 2025 Taycan Turbo S Cross Turismo: $211,700 View full article