Category: Green Technology

The number of new electric nameplates that will launch by decade’s end continues to grow. Each encouraging monthly sales and registration report emboldens an automaker somewhere to revise its EV strategy upward or push ahead with schedules.

The industry knows EVs are coming. And manufacturers everywhere have big long-term production plans for them. About 40 EV models of all types are on the market in the United States, but that number could triple over the next two to three years, according to automaker announcements and production forecasters. General Motors alone has said it expects to have more than 20 available in North America by the end of 2025.

But getting factories in place to produce them is a slow process, involving potentially billions in capital spending, hiring and training workers, and simultaneous product development programs. Multiple factory preparations are underway around North America to put EVs into production. These automaker projects are in various stages of making it happen.

You can tell a car’s official debut is right around the corner when the automaker begins to peel off the camouflage from prototypes. That’s the case here with the Ioniq 5 N as Hyundai will unveil the high-performance version of the electric crossover in a little over a week from now. New spy shots depict a production-ready prototype undergoing final testing while showing its Performance Blue paint made famous by the ICE-powered hot hatches.

Speaking of which, the Ioniq 5 N looks even more like an oversized hot hatch now that it has a stiffer suspension setup that has lowered the ride height. Those wheels must be at least 18 inches in size and come wrapped in low-profile tires. We’re expecting the front brake calipers on the customer cars to be red just like in the back. It’s the front fascia that caught attention as Hyundai removed some of the camo to reveal the bumper’s air intakes and curtains.

There’s also a boomerang-shaped opening in the rear bumper to channel airflow through the vents located ahead of the rear wheels. Here’s hoping those actually serve a functional purpose rather than being fake plastic trim bits to lend the Ioniq 5 N a sportier look. That rear wiper is not exclusive to the range-topping model since lesser versions will (finally!) get it as well. Additional changes include a sporty roof spoiler and a prominent rear diffuser. As for the “front passenger” wearing a seatbelt, it’s there to simulate weight.

A step above the mechanically related Kia EV6 GT, the Ioniq 5 N is estimated to have about 600 horsepower and all-wheel drive from its pair of electric motors. You’ve probably heard by now Hyundai is implementing fake engine noises, artificial gear changes mimicking a dual-clutch automatic, simulated pops and bangs, and a dedicated drift mode. The battery will have better energy density without increasing its physical size.

The wraps are coming off July 13 at the 2023 Goodwood Festival of Speed. How much is it going to cost in the United States? We’d wager it will command a premium over the $61,600 Kia EV6 GT.

Battery cell creation at the SK On-Passage Engine Co. joint endeavor in Kentucky and Tennessee is set to begin in 2025. Passage and SK On plan to contribute a joined $11.4 billion and make almost 11,000 positions at the Tennessee and Kentucky destinations. Portage expects the BlueOval SK battery locales — two plants in Kentucky and one in Tennessee — to create around 129 GWh of force a year. The batteries will uphold Portage’s objective of 2 million EVs all around the world toward the finish of 2026.

In Tennessee, BlueOval City will zero in on get together of Passage’s electric F-Series setup and will incorporate a battery plant, providers and battery reusing nearby. Passage and SK On plan to enlist around 6,000 specialists for their venture.

The accomplices will recruit one more 5,000 representatives for the Kentucky areas. Last month, the U.S. Branch of Energy said it will advance $9.2 billion to the Passage SK On dare to help their battery plant speculation.

Remember the Rapide E and Lagonda Vision Concept? Pictured below, the two were supposed to spearhead Aston Martin’s EV ambitions but both projects were ultimately canceled. Fast forward to 2023, the Gaydon-based marque is more determined than ever to sell zero-emission cars. It’s also doing a lot better financially now thanks to major investments. To set the stage for an inevitable electric future, it’s teaming up with Lucid.

As announced earlier this week, future EVs will use electric motors and battery modules from Lucid. Aston Martin chairman Lawrence Stroll told Automotive News Europe there are plans to introduce four EVs in the coming years, with the first one earmarked for a 2025 launch. The adjacent official design sketch is rather vague, but ANE believes it depicts a coupe-styled SUV. These upcoming EVs will all be additions to the range rather than replacing existing ICE models.

The new EVs will be underpinned by a dedicated architecture developed in-house by Aston Martin. The modular platform will serve as the backbone for an SUV, a grand tourer, a sports car, and a new hypercar. By the end of the decade, Aston Martin wants to fully electrify its core range. Meanwhile, the Valhalla will become its first plug-in hybrid model when it launches in 2024. Two years later, all model lines will offer either a hybrid or pure electric version.

Although the Aston Martin and Lucid tie-up was announced just a few days ago, Lawrence Stroll says the two have been having talks for about a year. As to why the British high-end brand decided to collaborate with the California-based EV marque, AM’s head honcho says “Lucid represented far and away the best existing mature technology with the highest level of horsepower and smallest battery height.”

Lucid – which will have a 3.7 percent stake in Aston Martin – has engineered the tech for a tri-motor setup. In the $249,000 Air Sapphire, the hardware is good for over 1,200 horsepower, which enables the large luxury sedan to hit 60 mph in just 1.89 seconds and max out at over 200 mph.

Lucid is one of the several automakers supplying components to Aston Martin. Future models will use seat and HVAC parts from Geely while the deal with Mercedes to get the twin-turbo AMG V8 as well as an electrical architecture and electric drivetrains will continue.

Vans aren’t especially popular for their lively taking care of, so perceiving how the European-spec VW ID is intriguing. Buzz handles the moose test and a slalom. The retro-enlivened EV performs pretty well in the assessments.

This is the short-wheelbase ID. Buzz with a solitary, back mounted electric engine that makes 201 strength. It rides on Mainland EcoContant 6 tires.

The van goes through the slalom first in this video. The analyst noticed the body roll and slow guiding proportion. It clocks a period of 25.7 seconds, which effectively beat the 26.5-second figure for a VW Multivan 1.4 eHybrid. The ID. Buzz likewise beats a Land Meanderer Reach Wanderer Game P510e Self-portrayal that goes through the cones in 26.1 seconds.

The moose test is really difficult. The primary endeavor is at 47 miles each hour (76 kilometers each hour, however the ID. Buzz hits cones in the second and third areas. The van is in the end ready to make progress with a 44-mph (71 kph) entrance speed, and this accompanies loads of mediation from the electronic dependability control. An endeavor at 50 mph (81 kph) is a finished disappointment by not having the option to crash into the third piece of the course.

The ID. Buzz is coming to the US with space for up to seven travelers. To account for them, the wheelbase is 9.8 inches longer than the variant in this test. Purchasers can get a monstrous 16.1-square-foot all encompassing sunroof.

The North American ID. Buzz is accessible with 82-kilowatt-hour (77 kWh usable) and 91-kWh (85 kWh usable) battery packs. A back mounted engine makes 282 hp and 413 pound-feet. Arriving at 62 miles each hour requires 7.9 seconds, and the maximum velocity is 100 mph.

The GTX will join the reach in 2024 with all-wheel drive, 335 hp, and a 6.4-second 0-62-mph time.

VW previously affirmed intends to offer a camper variation of the ID. Buzz after 2025. No subtleties are accessible about it yet, and there’s no data about carrying this RV to the US.

Porsche had its Annual General Meeting 2023 event this week to talk about how it fared last year when deliveries rose by 2.6 percent to 309,884 cars. We won’t bore you with all the financial numbers, but we should point out that the Zuffenhausen-brand is extremely serious about going purely electric. While it obviously won’t happen overnight, the German luxury brand has set a target of 80+ percent of sales to be battery-powered EVs by 2030.

During the event, Porsche CEO and Volkswagen Group chairman Oliver Blume talked about how the company intends to reach its goal. The first zero-emission model to join the Taycan will be the next-generation, electric-only Macan scheduled to go on sale in 2024. As you may recall, the crossover was supposed to hit the market this year but has been pushed back due to software issues.

The 718 Boxster/Cayman lineup will embrace its EV side “in the middle of the decade,” so expect to see it at some point in 2025. Oliver Blume said the next-generation, electric-only Cayenne will “follow immediately,” which likely means it’s scheduled to go on sale in 2026. Much like the conventionally powered model on sale today, the posh SUV in electric guise is going to be assembled in Bratislava, Slovakia.

Positioned above the Cayenne will be a large electric SUV that doesn’t have a name yet. Porsche’s head honcho mentioned the new member of the family will mainly target China and the United States along with other profitable markets. He referred to the model as representing a “new vehicle concept” delivering “impressive performance” and a “new interior experience.” Blume also promised the vehicle will incorporate advanced automated driving functions.

Codenamed K1, the high-end EV is reportedly going to offer three-row seating and will have an exterior design completely different compared to past models. Sources close to Porsche have said it’ll be “part sedan, part crossover” and stretch beyond five meters (196.8 inches). Rumor has it the model has been in the works since 2020 and will be underpinned by the future SSP Sport platform, a derivative of the Volkswagen Group’s future Scalable Systems Platform.

Although Blume spoke extensively about Porsche’s lofty electric ambitions, the 911 wasn’t mentioned at all. That’s because the iconic sports car will not get an EV version this decade, although a hybrid is coming before 2030. Several company officials have said on multiple occasions the plan is to keep selling the 911 with combustion engines for as long as possible. With Porsche investing in the development and manufacturing of synthetic fuels, the rear-engined machine might get a new lease on life.

It’s that time of the year to see what students from the Skoda Vocational School have been working on for the past several months. A total of 29 apprentices spent more than 2,000 hours turning the Enyaq into a mobile office that doubles as a camper. It caters to digital nomads and represents the ninth Student Car, a tradition that started in 2014 with the Citijet concept illustrating a convertible version of the Citigo, an A-segment hatchback.

It took about nine months to finish the project, which involved modifying an all-wheel-drive version of the Enyaq donated by Skoda. It’s the first EV customized by the talented apprentices but not the first SUV as the Sunroq, Mountiaq, and Afriq were all based on high-riding models. The camper started off as an Enyaq 80x Sportline before getting an Emerald Green and Moon White finish and 21-inch Supernova wheels.

The Roadiaq retains the 4649 millimeters (183 inches) length and 1879 mm (74 in) width of the regular Enyaq but has a slightly longer wheelbase (2770 mm or 109 in) and an increased ground clearance (190 mm or 7.5 in). It stands at 2050 mm (80.7 in) tall, which means the height is up by over 350 mm (13.7 in) after fitting the new roof section. To boost headroom, the students had to chop off a part of the original roof, and they also got rid of the left-rear door handle.

As with all campers, the real magic is inside where the concept has been fitted with a one-person bed and even kitchen appliances. The Roadiaq has an assortment of chairs and tables, not to mention cups and glasses as you would expect from your home away from home. Additional goodies vary from a wireless speaker and a solar-powered shower to an espresso machine and even a survival kit for when you’re feeling adventurous.

There’s also a 27-inch screen that comes bundled with a docking station and a wireless keyboard and mouse combo – essential for a mobile office. Extra power sockets were added to make sure you’ll never run out of battery juice. When it’s time to break for lunch, there are pots and pans to prepare your favorite meal on the go.

As with the other eight Skoda Student Cars, Roadiaq will remain a one-off to showcase the potential of the automaker’s vocational school.

The Opel Rocks-e was launched in August 2021 as a rebadged version of the Citroen Ami. Essentially a micro electric vehicle for the city, the German company advertised it as the world’s first Sustainable Urban Mobility EV. Less than a year later, Opel also introduced a cargo version of the same model (see the related links below) and now, the Rocks-e gets another addition to its lineup. This time around, however, we are not talking about a regular production vehicle.

The so-called Rocks e-Xtreme is a one-off prototype, which won’t go into production. The wild-looking concept has been created by Opel based on the design of design student Lukas Wenzhöfer, who won the #OpelDesignHack contest. The German automaker promised to build the project of the winner in the voting and now the automaker lives up to its promise by making the radical electric buggy reality.

Wenzhöfer’s plan is to take the Rocks-e to the extreme and turn it into “an all-terrain fun vehicle with wow factor.” Compared to the regular quadricycle, the concept features wider wheel arches, a tubular frame surrounding the cabin, and protruding grippy tires. The suspension has been modified to accommodate the new wheels and now offers even more ground clearance. Probably the most intriguing detail has to be that big wing at the back, which actually comes from the Vectra GTS V8, a DTM touring race car with a 4.0-liter V8 engine.

This isn’t everything, though. The front fascia now incorporates a new interpretation of the Opel Vizor with different LED headlights and the Opel logo accentuated in turquoise. The entire front panel plus the mudguards have been produced using 3D printing. Last but not least, there’s additional LED lighting mounted on the roof frame, as well as new taillights.

“The off-road capability promotes the feeling of freedom to be able to reach any destination. And the increased sportiness promises extra driving fun to show that electromobility is more than just a sensible solution,” designer Wenzhöfer explained.

There’s no word about mechanical upgrades, which means there’s a 5.5-kilowatt-hour battery pack providing the electric energy and good for a maximum WLTP range of 47 miles (75 kilometers). Power comes from a single electric motor generating 8 horsepower (6 kilowatts). Stellantis, the company that now owns Opel, also sells the same product with Citroen and Fiat logos.