GM might make an electric truck for those who think the GMC Hummer and Chevy Silverado are simply too huge. As Autoblognotes, the industry journal Automotive Newshas seen a prototype small electric pickup at a GM-organized workshop. The EV would reportedly make even the hybrid Ford Maverick seem enormous with two doors, a low-slung profile and a bed 4ft to 4.5ft long. It would start below $30,000, making it a bargain compared to the $39,900 Silverado.
The design isn’t guaranteed to enter production, and it’s not even clear which GM brand would carry the pickup if it moves forward. Affordable EV design director Michael Pevovar told Automotive News the company creates prototypes like these to “get a reaction” and either improve the result or scrap it. If the prototype is too small but otherwise well-received, GM could use another platform to make it larger.
There are incentives for GM to go ahead. The small pickup market is relatively hot at the moment. Autoblog points out that the was Maverick outselling the larger Ranger and the Expedition SUV as of last summer, while Hyundai’s Santa Cruz (more of an El Camino revival than a classic truck) outperformed the Accent compact and Venue mini-SUV. GM would not only have something to offer in the category, but could stand out as the only brand with an all-electric model.
As it is, there’s a rush to produce more affordable EVs. Chevy’s own Equinox EV is expected to start around $30,000, while Tesla and other brands are also pursuing lower-priced vehicles in the years ahead. A lower-priced pickup would help GM’s EVs reach a much wider audience, not to mention help meet expectations of a profitable electric division in 2025.
Some cars seem oddly well-suited to Uber (Toyota Prius, anyone?), but the company is now taking things a step further. Uber chief Dara Khosrowshahi told guests at a Wall Street Journal event that his firm is now teaming up with car manufacturers to des…
Don’t worry if Mercedes’ insistence on EQ branding for electric cars seems arbitrary — the naming scheme might not last much longer. Sources speaking to the German daily Handelsblatt claim Mercedes will drop the EQ brand as soon as late 2024, when it’s expected to debut its next wave of compact cars. Simply put, the company won’t have much use for the label when more and more of its cars will be electric.
Mercedes first used the EQ name on production cars with 2019’s EQC SUV. Since then, the company has applied the branding to both electrified versions of conventional designs like the EQB as well as unique models like the EQS SUV. Concept cars like the long-range EQXX have similarly stuck to the nomenclature.
In a statement to Reuters, a Mercedes spokesperson said it was “too early” to divulge plans. However, the representative said the automaker would “adapt” the use of the EQ brand as it transitioned to an all-EV lineup by 2030. The identification still plays a key role in the company’s current electric vehicle strategy, the spokesperson added.
If the report is true, the rethink won’t come as a surprise. While car manufacturers have frequently used names to highlight electric powerplants, such as the Chevy Bolt and Ford Mustang Mach-E, they’re starting to rely on more traditional monikers as EVs become more commonplace. Chevy’s upcoming electric Blazer is one example. EVs will eventually become the default, and companies won’t get to use the presence of an electric motor as a selling point.
Lucid had such lofty goals for 2022. It originally planned to build 20,000 vehicles during the year. But, due to supply chain issues and a shortage of parts, it had to revise down the target to between 12,000 and 14,000 and then again to between 6,000 and 7,000 units. Ultimately, though, Lucid ended up beating that annual guidance.
The automaker says it built 7,180 vehicles in 2022 and it delivered 4,369 of them. During the October-December period, it produced 3,493 vehicles (an increase of 53 percent over the previous quarter) and delivered 1,932. The company started delivering the Lucid Air in Europe in December.
We’ll find out more about what this means for Lucid’s bottom line when the company reveals its Q4 financial results on February 22nd. In any case, beating the annual guidance, even after it significantly slashed the target, is a positive sign that the automaker is overcoming its production issues. Meanwhile, Lucid will soon start taking reservations for its Gravity electric SUV, with deliveries slated to start in the US and Canada in 2024.
Five years after debuting at CES 2018, Hyundai’s e-Corner technology is closer to reality. Following its most recent appearance at CES 2021, the system was on display at last week’s show. And this time around, rather than building a dedicated prototype…
When Tesla started offering a yoke steering wheel in Model X and Model S EVs, CEO Elon Musk rejected the idea of a more conventional option. Now, the company has indeed brought back the round steering wheel as an option in the configurator, Electrek has reported. Selecting it doesn’t appear to change the price or delivery time.
If you already bought a Tesla Model S or X with a yoke and don’t like it, you have options, too. As pointed out by YouTuber and Tesla owner Marques Brownlee, the company is now offering a $700 option to replace the yoke with a round steering wheel. “This retrofit is only compatible with Model S and Model X vehicles configured with a Yoke Steering Wheel. Purchase price includes installation through Tesla Service,” Tesla notes. It adds that the wheel has “no stalks or shifters.”
The yoke divided Tesla fans, as many felt it wasn’t practical for one-handed use and that it was awkward when driving at slow speeds. It was also deemed potentially unsafe by some owners in case you needed to do quick maneuvers like a skid recovery.
Yet another round wheel is boring & blocks the screen. FSD in panoramic mode looks way better with a yoke.
When the yoke came along, Tesla also replaced all the stalks with force touch buttons, another thing some drivers weren’t crazy about. As mentioned though, the new wheel option doesn’t have any stalks or shifters either, and the design appears to be based on the yoke in terms of spoke positioning, buttons, etc.
When asked in a tweet in 2021 if Tesla would offer a round steering wheel as an option to the yoke, he replied simply “No.” He went on to explain that “yet another round wheel is boring & blocks the screen. FSD in panoramic mode looks way better with a yoke.” Apparently, there were enough potential buyers who felt otherwise.
Peugeot has presented its vision for the future of electric cars at CES 2023, where it previewed its latest concept sedan called the “Inception.” The car is all angles and sharp lines with panoramic glass windows that go all around its middle, paired with a glass roof. Peugeot says its body shade is made of very fine metal pigments, while the lights on the front bumper incorporate the brand’s three emblematic claws.
Inception — named after the Latin word “Inceptio,” which means the beginning — was built on one of Stellantis’ four future BEV-by-design platforms, specifically the one for low sedans. It uses an 800-volt, 100kWh battery technology that gives it the capability to travel 800 km or 497 miles on a single charge and can suck enough juice to travel 150 km (93 miles) within five minutes of being plugged in. The four-wheel drive vehicle can also be recharged by induction, eliminating the need for cables. When it comes to power, Inception’s two electric motors can generate 680 horsepower combined and give it the ability to accelerate from 0 to 100kmh in less than 3 seconds.
The concept also marks the debut of the brand’s next-gen cockpit. It replaces the classic steering wheel with a rectangular one called the “Hypersquare,” which comes with a tablet-type screen at the center that displays information. There’s a circular recess at each corner of the screen that users can program to control certain aspects of their vehicle, so they can easily use their thumbs to access them without having to take their hands off the wheel.
Peugeot says the Inception will inspire its future electric vehicles, including its most compact models. The first cars based on the design will arrive as soon as 2025.
Peugeot has presented its vision for the future of electric cars at CES 2023, where it previewed its latest concept sedan called the “Inception.” The car is all angles and sharp lines with panoramic glass windows that go all around its middle, paired with a glass roof. Peugeot says its body shade is made of very fine metal pigments, while the lights on the front bumper incorporate the brand’s three emblematic claws.
Inception — named after the Latin word “Inceptio,” which means the beginning — was built on one of Stellantis’ four future BEV-by-design platforms, specifically the one for low sedans. It uses an 800-volt, 100kWh battery technology that gives it the capability to travel 800 km or 497 miles on a single charge and can suck enough juice to travel 150 km (93 miles) within five minutes of being plugged in. The four-wheel drive vehicle can also be recharged by induction, eliminating the need for cables. When it comes to power, Inception’s two electric motors can generate 680 horsepower combined and give it the ability to accelerate from 0 to 100kmh in less than 3 seconds.
The concept also marks the debut of the brand’s next-gen cockpit. It replaces the classic steering wheel with a rectangular one called the “Hypersquare,” which comes with a tablet-type screen at the center that displays information. There’s a circular recess at each corner of the screen that users can program to control certain aspects of their vehicle, so they can easily use their thumbs to access them without having to take their hands off the wheel.
Peugeot says the Inception will inspire its future electric vehicles, including its most compact models. The first cars based on the design will arrive as soon as 2025.
There’s finally an electric Ram truck — or at least a concept of one. Stellantis is the world’s fifth largest automaker with a stable of more than a dozen North American and European brands including Jeep, Ram, Dodge, Maserati and Fiat. The company has set extremely ambitious goals to drastically reduce its carbon footprint by the end of the decade, as part of Dare Forward 2030, with 100 percent of its European sales and half of its US sales to be of the fully-electric variety. As part of that effort, Stellantis has already teased us with an EV concept from Chrysler, came right out and showed us next year’s electric Jeep and, on Thursday, unveiled the Ram 1500 Revolution BEV Concept.
The Ram 1500 BEV will be available in the 2024 model year alongside the as-of-yet-unnamed Jeep (with which it also shares a STLA EV frame). The Concept shown off Thursday will serve as a design template for the upcoming production vehicle.
Stellantis
Stellantis describes the Ram BEV’s exterior as “brutiful,” a portmanteau of “brutal yet beautiful.” I think that prominent split between the cabin and quarter panels just makes it look like an Autobot who hasn’t quite fully finished transforming yet.
Stellantis
Of course as a concept vehicle, Ram has affixed every bell and whistle it can to the vehicle’s exterior, from “grand saloon style” doors to an animated RAM grille logo and fully animated LED tail lamps and badging. The sideview mirrors are 3D-printed to reduce weight and drag.
Stellantis
You’re goddamn right it has a frunk. And a powered tailgate, flush-mounted door handles, power side and rear steps and why does your truck have to be so big it requires built-in step ladders. Hey so how much gravel are you planning on hauling in your luxury electric pickup truck, exactly. The one with a self-leveling suspension, 24-inch rims and little light up center caps.
Stellantis
Under the hood, the Ram will offer dual-motor AWD and four wheel steering with up to 15 degrees of articulation. The company hasn’t revealed the battery size yet but did confirm that the system will use an 800V architecture enabling it to add up to 100 miles of range in about 10 minutes on a 350 kW DC fast charger.
Stellantis
The Ram BEV Concept’s interior benefits greatly from its flat cabin floor. Ram’s “one space environment” theme centers on flexibility with a rail attachment/floor track system that allows the seats and consoles to shift and even be removed entirely. The concept vehicle also has space for a set of third-row jump seats — like a minivan but with lower utility. With the passthrough window open, the Ram concept can fit 18-foot items without needing the rear liftgate lowered. Yeah, all the bells and whistles.
The Ram concept’s center console consists of two 14-inch screens. The upper screen can be shifted between three positions as the driving situation calls for — or even be pulled off entirely and reaffixed elsewhere in the vehicle. The lower screen also slides around. An augmented reality heads-up display projects relevant driving details onto the front windscreen. It’s got an exterior projector that doubles as an outdoor movie theater. I feel bad for whoever breaks the rearview mirror in this truck because it houses “a smart backup camera with 360-degree views, speakers, and receivers compatible with voice assistants such as Alexa and Siri.” That’s not going to be cheap to replace.
Stellantis
The steering wheel is collapsible (a la Demolition Man) for when it engages its supposed Level 3+ ADAS. Remember, this is a concept vehicle, they can just make capabilities up. The wheel also incorporates capacitive controls while, “tactile swiping technology enables occupants to configure the sun visors or the entire electro-chromatic roof with the ability to adjust the opaqueness.” Why do some people have to sleep outside?
Stellantis
The BEV features an AI assistant because this is hell, we are in hell and we deserve our incoming highway HALs. It responds to voice commands. With a 3D RAM avatar which serves, per the release, “as the vehicle’s face.”
The driver doesn’t even have to be in the vehicle to issue verbal commands. The BEV concept has a dedicated subset of exterior controls like “close the windows, play music, take a picture” and “follow me,” which is literally ghost whipping that has somehow gotten past Stellantis’ legal department. It “allows the vehicle to automatically follow the driver walking ahead of the vehicle,” using a mix of voice commands, onboard sensors and cameras. The feature, RAM argues, “can be useful in situations where the driver needs to move a short distance and doesn’t want to get back in the truck.” So c’mon you lazy blockheads, show us your best Jeremy Renner impression.
In July, GM announced that it was partnering with EVGo to establish a “coast-to-coast” charging network for its electric vehicles. On Thursday, Mercedes Benz announced that it will be building a network of its own — at least, in partnership with Chargepoint — that will be accessible no matter what make or model of EV you drive.
Mercedes and Chargepoint plan to establish 400 new charging hubs throughout the US and Canada — that’s 2,500 new DC fast chargers in all — “in key cities and urban population centers, along major highway corridors and close to convenient retail and service destinations,” according to Thursday’s announcement. The automaker and MN8 Energy will finance the scheme while Chargepoint will supply the hardware and infrastructure. Chargepoint in 2020 partnered with NATSO for a billion-dollar project to install its chargers along rural highways. Those effort continue.
The hubs and DC fast chargers will all be accessible by EV drivers of all stripes, regardless of their vehicle type — the inverse of Tesla’s proprietary network. But since Mercedes is pulling the purse strings, its customers can look forward to a few extra perks when they pull into a hub. That includes being able to reserve a space ahead of time and automatic vehicle-station handshake authentication.
Each charger can deliver up to 500V of power, allowing 400V-architecture vehicles like the Rivian R1T to take full advantage of the increased power transmission while 800V vehicles like the Audi A6 e-tron, the Porsche Taycan, Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 and Kia’s EV6 will see improved charge times though not the upper limit of what their electrical systems can handle. The company notes that these chargers are, “designed to easily scale to meet future demand as EV adoption and vehicle capability grows.”
