Polestar 4, Nautilus hybrid, Model Y cost, fuels for Toyota PHEVs: Today’s Car News

Toyota is testing low-carbon fuels for its plug-in hybrids. The Tesla Model Y is now challenging ICE models in price. The IRS posts its shortlist of models qualifying for the $7,500 EV tax credit. And Polestar and Lincoln are among the brands that have saved global reveals for China’s Shanghai auto show. This and more, here at EV kind of cars. 

The Polestar 4 was revealed in China on Tuesday and in its top form it’s looking like a direct, performance-oriented rival to the Tesla Model Y Performance, Kia EV6 GT, and Ford Mustang Mach-E GT, among others. A starting price around $60,000 and a range up to 300 miles could also help make it the brand’s most popular model yet. 

The 2024 Lincoln Nautilus bowed as the Ford luxury brand’s first model due for importation from China. Leaning on hybrid tech for a big part of the lineup rather than a V-6 could yield EPA ratings approaching 40 mpg, based on the system its inherited partly from the Lincoln Corsair Grand Touring. But don’t expect a plug-in hybrid here. 

Whether you look exclusively at EVs or not, the Tesla Model Y now costs less than the average new vehicle. According to a recent analysis from Bloomberg, figuring in the effects of the federal EV tax credit, the Model Y’s recent price cuts suggest that Tesla has started a price war with makers of internal-combustion cars. 

Toyota is testing low-carbon fuels from ExxonMobil in its RAV4 Prime plug-in hybrid, and potentially sees them as a future solution in combination with PHEVs—perhaps even the 125+ mile PHEVs it recently teased. 

And in case you missed it yesterday: Which American-made EVs qualify for the $7,500 EV tax credit? A list from the IRS first posted Monday breaks down the short list of American-made models complying with strict new rules for the origin of battery materials. 

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