Instead of going over the top like most car makers do, especially startups when introducing autonomous technology in their concept vehicles, BMW took a more practical approach recently with theirs, called iNext, a new electric driverless capable concept CUV but still a human hands on driving car which includes a steering wheel and pedals. So practical they intend to put something much like it into production in as little time as in 2021.
Meet Vera. She’s Swedish, and she means it, damn it. She’s a badass Level 5 Volvo robot electric tractor pod almost as low to the ground as a Porsche, only three times bigger. So low, if you’re not careful, she might mow you down before her collision avoidance and passive emergency braking systems are autonomously activated! Potential roadkill beware! No airbags need apply . . .
Here’s another ex-Ford that got spit out by the blue oval to go on with life and do better without them, since partnering up with Chinese Geely, Volvo is whipping out some amazing products even a new division, and the baby XC40 electric is a prime example. A BEV competes with Jaguar iPace, Audi eTron, and Tesla Model X, all at Model 3 prices. Another ex-Ford in your future. Not bad!
Instead of waiting to wonder what a Mustang BEV CUV will come to, rogue ex-Forder Aston Martin shows their former boss they don’t even need an SUV platform to electrify one of their products, they can do it on a current production car: their flagship saloon, the Rapide. Attention American Cops: this ex-Ford is definitely a Crown Vic and Explorer Inceptor Killer!
The 2018 Cadillac ATS-V doesn’t pack the raw power of the CTS-V, but the new, smaller coupe is the most exciting Caddy 2-door of the modern era, packing solid power, precision handling and all of the premium amenities that you could ask for into this great-looking luxury car.
Sono Motors is a Bavarian startup electric car company that actually has a very good chance of making it to production being months/weeks away from making their sole solar BEV with the 7,200 orders they already have. Yes, that’s right, a BEV that has solar panels all over the car that provides a range extending 30 km or 18 miles for the 155 mile battery range a day.
After abandoning plans for Zil, the storied Russo-Soviet official state car builder that was supposed to make Vladimir Putin’s next set of wheels back in 2012, the Russian Federation tapped and funded a government entity to develop a LWB car. Here’s the thing: instead of relying on unreliable Russo-Soviet engineering, they German engineered and are now ready to market this SWB car with Europe in mind. Both cars have Porsche developed engines. I get it now. A Zil this is not. Not bad at all.
In formulating a response to Audi’s rollout of its first BEV e-Tron very soon, more so than responding to anything Tesla, Daimler AG bizarrely unveils a whole year before its debut, its first head-on to Tesla full production BEV, a historical vehicle on its electric E-Mobility platform in CUV variant in the separate Mercedes EQ line. But they baffled the media giving it only a puzzling 200 mile range.
In setting up its charging network for its upcoming flagship all electric sports saloon, the Taycan, Porsche gives clues as to how premium, luxury, and performance brands outside of the Tesla universe will be treated until as such time as all brands have access to everyone eles’s networks.
For 2019, the Infiniti QX60 is an ideal vehicle for families needing to haul people and cargo in a luxury package. See how it makes life a little easier.
People would laugh at a vacuum company investing money and its reputation in building all electric BEV cars it’s never done before. But Dyson has something that took Tesla years to get and another thing it still doesn’t have, that gives Dyson an edge against Tesla: a manufacturing apparatus to build solid state batteries, and the key patents to make them, which are better than what Tesla is using.
As new car sales slow down for the first time since the Great Recession, car makers have had to make key decisions about marketing and production efficiencies, and Ford is no exception. Ford may be limiting itself with choices that customers will grow tired of, if it’s all about just one car: Mustang.
German camper manufacturer Dethleffs continues its experimentation in the EV camper market with another prototype. The last one we reported was a Type 3 RV EV camper covered head to toe with solar panels. This time it’s a EV RV trailer already in production as a conventional camper, that it’s still hitched to a vehicle, but self propels itself with two electric motors on each wheel. A large battery pack has implications for off grid camping and auxiliary home power.
In opening the first Jaguar Land Rover Classic facility in the US, the first of its kind, JLR is cleverly taking steps to preserve its heritage with the cars already in the wild. By expanding the restoration market by offering electrification and restoration options, it also takes steps not only to help clean the environment, but also cleverly erase the mechanical troubles its cars have been known for, for decades.
Poor Tesla: First it was the Shorts, now even the Russians are coming after them with a new Kalashnikov CV-1 electric car. Kalashnikov wants to build an electric car. But this Russian response from the inventors of the AK-47, to Tesla’s earth soothing, humanity healing, eco-conscious electric car lineup, is a retreaded 1970’s Soviet Era hatchback retro-electrified. Classic car conversion: maybe. State of the art design prototype: no. Roadware! Very nice!
Ohio electric commercial mobility company Workhorse Group has been in the news lately with either new products or updates on the progress of ongoing ones. They diversified their product line by rolling out a new helicopter drone recently in Manhattan. With the recent news of Ford introducing a hybrid, and Tesla’s plans to introduce a BEV pickup, eyes are now paying closer attention to Workhorse and their new pickup.
We continue our series of reports on EV camping, an industry taking off like wildfire in both the retirement and surprisingly Millennial demographics. In this story I will address the challenges of what EV campers face once they get to their camp site.
When the 20th Anniversary Audi TT goes on sale, it will be a limited edition by default as the automaker is only producing 999 copies of the specialized model for customers.
The Nissan Leaf made changes to its second generation model this year, as they’re obviously trying to expand its market for more customers, particularly younger ones with the electric vehicle/clean energy dynamic. By making the Leaf less ugly and producing different variants for specific purposes, not only makes it more competitive against others like Bolt and Model 3, but it may also create a larger customer base, especially a younger one.
Volkswagen, having just won three major speed marks, is seeking yet another next month in Utah as the 2019 Jetta GLI will compete for best time on the great Bonneville Salt Lake.
Granted, I’ll get beat up by my fellow automotive journalist for click baiting yoou into the reading this short but happy drive review. No hype, 2019 Mazda CX3 absolutely kills it when it comes to an affordable fun to drive sports hatchback. What’s new for 2019?
