Volvo US EVs, GMC Hummer EV up close, Model 3 safety, Toyota scandal and Prius: Today’s Car News

We get an up-close look at the GMC Hummer EV. Volvo plans for its U.S. factory to make only EVs later in the decade. And is Toyota’s icon of socially progressive and green the real victim of its political-donation scandal? This and more, here at Green Car Reports. 

Although a report about Toyota donations to political causes—namely, politicians who were election objectors—was hard to miss on social media yesterday, we looked at the collateral damage: the Toyota Prius

. A handful of celebrities and noteworthies did some very public dumping of the once golden child of green vehicles. Is it the end of an era?

Volvo plans to make its U.S. factory all-electric before its other plants—including those in Sweden, China, and Belgium. In addition to the Polestar 3 and other future Volvos, the Charleston plant will be building the Volvo XC90 in gasoline and EV versions initially, but it will switch to only making EVs later in the decade. 

We got up close with the GMC Hummer EV and Hummer EV SUV

and found these models just as imposing as you might suspect, given any experience with Huumer’s previous gasoline-swilling models. As West Coast editor Brian Wong put it: “You don’t buy a Hummer for its subtlety.” That said, these were prototypes kept on a very short leash and we look forward to seeing how this model evolves to production—in the case of the pickup version, very soon. 

And over at The Car Connection, the Tesla Model 3 has earned back one of its safety accolades that was at least temporarily retracted last month. According to IIHS tests, the new camera-based system proved just as effective in avoiding or mitigating crashes versus the old radar system.

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