Category: Green Technology

Touted as a “segment-busting SUEV for the Ioniq brand,” the Hyundai Concept Seven debuted at the 2021 Los Angeles Auto Show. Marketing fluff aside, the showcar previewed a fullsize electric sport utility vehicle that has since transitioned to prototype status. A heavily camouflaged test vehicle was seen in Germany looking large and in charge. The three-row model will be a sister model of the already-revealed Kia EV9 and the upcoming Genesis GV90.

How big is it? Well, the concept had a massive wheelbase of 3.2 meters (126 inches), so the production model could end up being slightly larger than the EV9. We’ll remind you that Kia’s version measures 3.1 meters (122 inches) between the axles and has an overall length of 5.01 meters (197.2 inches). The sheer size of the rear doors is a clue we’re dealing with a spacious three-row SUV with ample rear legroom. It’s especially true for a vehicle riding on a dedicated electric car platform as the concept had a completely flat floor.

The pixel theme applied to the Ioniq 5 crossover and Ioniq 6 sedan is evident on the bigger Ioniq 7 as we can see the vertical LEDs peeking through the mesh camo. There’s also a horizontal cutout in the disguise for the upper lights, which formed a wide light bar on the Concept Seven. At the rear, the large people mover has vertical taillights. The derrière gives the impression that it’s more conventionally styled compared to the concept’s huge glass tailgate surrounded by pixel-like lights.

Looking at the side profile, it’s hard to miss the chunky plastic body cladding around the wheel arches, the prominent turn signals in the mirror caps, and the aero panels on the wheels. As expected, the Hyundai Ioniq 7 has door handles that remain flush with the body, along with low-profile roof rails, and a gently sloped roofline with a separate glass area for the second- and third-row occupants.

As for technical specifications, look no further than the Kia EV9. The latter is getting the full-fat GT treatment with more punch than the EV9 GT-Line’s 379 hp and 516 lb-ft (700 Nm) of torque. Consequently, it’ll need less than five seconds to hit 60 mph from a standstill. The Hyundai Ioniq 7 should have largely the same figures, and it too is likely to offer an entry-level version with rear-wheel drive and 215 hp.

The Ioniq 7 is expected to debut by year’s end or early 2024.

As far as we know, there has never been such an extensive teaser campaign from Hyundai for a new product, but then again, the Ioniq 5 N is no ordinary model. The brand’s first performance EV has entered the final testing phase in Germany at the Nürburgring where all N products are evaluated before going on sale. The automaker also has its European Technical Center there, so you can think of the Nordschleife as a home away from home (Seoul).

Now rocking a much-needed rear wiper, the Ioniq 5 N has completed an endurance test of 10,000 kilometers (6,213 miles) on the ‘Ring and is currently being pushed through its paces in a full-throttle evaluation of the same length. We’re being told Hyundai’s engineers have fitted larger 400-mm brake discs and a so-called N e-Shift to mimic the eight-speed, dual-clutch automatic transmission found in the N models equipped with a combustion engine.

The Ioniq 5 N has eight interior speakers and two external ones for the N Active Sound + setup with three sound themes: Ignition, Evolution, and Supersonic. The first one replicates a turbocharged 2.0-liter gasoline engine from a conventionally powered N car, complete with pops and bangs. Evolution takes after the “electronic sound” from the N 2025 Vision Gran Turismo Concept and RN22e, while Supersonic makes the hot crossover sound like a fighter jet, apparently.

Looking at the video, we get to see the Ioniq 5 N doing 155 mph (250 km/h) at one point. After it completes a lap of the Nürburgring, the battery doesn’t get too hot as the digital screen shows it tops out at 42 degrees Celsius (107.6 degrees Fahrenheit). The test driver decides to do another lap, and we should remind you the ‘Ring is an extremely long track, measuring 12.9 miles (20.8 kilometers) in the Nordschleife configuration.

The firm’s Executive Technical Advisor has touted next-gen battery tech for the Ioniq 5 N, featuring better energy density without increasing the size of the pack. Albert Biermann has promised range will be only “a little bit behind” the all-wheel-drive model on sale today, which offers 256 miles (412 kilometers) on a single charge per EPA. The spicy EV has a system called N Battery Preconditioning with Drag and Track settings. The former optimizes temperature for maximum power while the latter lowers the temperature to increase the number of laps.

Drivers will also get to pick from Sprint and Endurance modes part of the N Race system. Sprint will be all about delivering the full power while Endurance will prolong range on a track. Output is still a mystery, although Hyundai has previously hinted the Ioniq 5 N will have somewhere in the region of 600 horsepower. It should outpunch the Kia EV6 GT with its 576 hp.

Additional details will be released in the coming days, ahead of a world premiere scheduled for July 13 at the Goodwood Festival of Speed where it will go up the famous hill.

In May this year, it became clear that Alpine and Lotus have decided to cancel their partnership on an electric sports car platform on friendly terms. At the time, there were speculations that this would put the French firm’s plans for a performance EV to an end but now it seems that the Renault-owned brand will instead develop its own electric architecture.

Speaking to media representatives during the public debut of the Renault Rafale in Paris yesterday, Luca de Meo, CEO of Renault Group, confirmed Alpine will indeed work on an electric platform in-house. “We had a long discussion and finally decided to build our own platform,” de Meo told Autocar during the Paris air show where the Rafale was unveiled. More about Alpine’s EV plans will be revealed on June 26 during an investor day meeting.

However, de Meo also confirmed there will be more than just one product to be based on this new EV architecture, which makes sense considering the high cost of developing new underpinnings from the ground up and not sharing the expenses with another company. Alpine’s initial plan was to launch the electric sports car in 2026 but it is not clear at the moment if the change in the strategy would result in a delay of the launch.

As a reminder, Alpine and Lotus announced their partnership in 2021, which was supposed to focus on the development of a shared electric sports car. However, Lotus decided not to progress further with the project, though future cooperation is still possible. As for Alpine, it is scheduled to become an EV-only automaker later this decade and should release five new models in the next five years. 

In his interview with Autocar, de Meo confirmed Alpine and Lotus parted ways with no bad feelings. “There was no friction with the thing because everybody was feeling like this was the best thing. It doesn’t mean we don’t have opportunities to work together again,” Renault Group’s told the publication, also hinting at potential cooperation between the two firms in the future.

In December 2021, Toyota held a media briefing to show no fewer than 15 electric vehicles in concept form. Some of them have evolved into road-going models but there’s one that has yet to see the light of production day. Pictured here, the Sports EV hinted at an electric sports car with a targa top and Gazoo Racing branding. Last month, an updated product roadmap for zero-emission models included a performance vehicle set to arrive by 2026.

With that in mind, it shouldn’t come as a big surprise Toyota is already testing an electric GR sports car. Company chairman Akio Toyoda told Autocar he had the opportunity to drive a prototype, but he’s not sure whether it’s this project that will come to fruition in three years’ time. Regardless if it’ll be this car or another, the former CEO said it needs to be fun to drive to be worthy of the GR badge even if it lacks a combustion engine.

Interestingly, Toyoda said one of the objectives is to give it a manual gearbox, complete with a clutch pedal. Not only that but the performance EV is also slated to make “engine noises even if you can’t smell gasoline.” The similarities with a conventionally powered sports car will be so significant that people won’t be able to tell whether the vehicle is ICE or EV.

Lest we forget Toyota’s luxury division Lexus has also previewed a zero-emission sports car of its own. The Electrified Sport Concept is expected to be an EV successor to the V10-powered LFA and has already been confirmed to get a manual with a third pedal and even a tachometer. The subsequent production version is going to have steer-by-wire and brake-by-wire systems, along with all-wheel drive, which means one electric motor at the front and another at the rear. With the concept, Lexus promised a 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) sprint in the low two-second range and a range of over 435 miles (700 kilometers).

Logic tells us the road-going Electrified Sport from Lexus will be far more expensive than Toyota’s electric GR sports car, which Toyoda said will look like an EV on the outside. The two Japanese brands have been talking about solid-state batteries for a while and they’re more likely to go into the LFA’s indirect replacement. By the way, Autocar speculates will cost from £500,000 ($633,000 at current exchange rates), thus making it far more expensive than the LFA’s original £350,000 sticker.

At the beginning of the month, newly appointed Toyota CEO and President Koji Sato announced additional GR models are planned. For last weekend’s 24 Hours of Le Mans, a GR Prius Concept was exhibited, although there’s no word about a production model just yet. Speaking of the endurance race, the GR H2 Racing Concept previews a hydrogen-powered machine that will race on the Circuit de la Sarthe in 2026.

Charging times are among the most criticized aspects of electric mobility. Even the most advanced EVs can’t match the refueling speed of a combustion-powered vehicle but Nyobolt, a UK-based developer of ultra-fast-charging batteries, claims it has a breakthrough technology that will allow for rapid battery charges. The company now displays an electric sports car concept equipped with a battery pack that can be fully recharged in less than six minutes.

The 35-kilowatt-hour pack should provide a range of about 155 miles (250 kilometers) at a single charge when installed in the sports coupe. Nyobolt doesn’t want to reveal the machine’s weight but vaguely says it weighs “closer to one tonne than two,” which suggests it tips the scales at below 3,307 pounds (1,500 kilograms).

Without going into exact numbers, Nyobolt estimates that its battery can be recharged with more than double the charging speed of even the fastest-charging cars currently in production. Even more impressively, Nyobolt claims its new battery has been tested for over 2,000 fast charge cycles showing no significant battery degradation. Also, the technology is not limited to just small batteries as larger packs could also use it. One important remark the company does, however, is that such charging speeds will be possible once 1 MW chargers become available.

Nyobolt’s new battery tech is showcased in an electric sports car concept designed by Julian Thomson, the man responsible for the design of the original Lotus Elise. Thomson was inspired by the concept of the lightweight sports car but wanted to make this modern interpretation wider, longer, and lower than the original. Helping Nyobolt and Thomson with the project was Callum, a British design and engineering company founded in 2019 by former Jaguar designer Ian Callum.

“Previously, enabling a lightweight fast-charging vehicle was not possible without compromising its lifetime and so people have been relying on costly and large battery packs in the vehicle. With our unique technology we have achieved a six-minute charge car, and developed smaller battery packs that can deliver more power and charge in less time,” Sai Shivareddy, Nyobolt’s CEO, comments.

There are certain things about electric cars we don’t like – their price and weight, for example. But there are also other aspects of the electric mobility we find quite attractive – and conversions of classic cars into vintage-looking zero-emissions machines are certainly among them. We’ve already seen plenty of beautifully restored and modified Jaguar E-Types and there’s a new player on the market. Because, you know, the more, the better.

The lovely opalescent silver blue E-Type you can see in the gallery below is the first customer car from the UK-based Electrogenic. The classic Jag retains its original exterior design but underneath the sleek skin, there’s a fully electric powertrain developed by Electrogenic. It’s a drop-in kit – one of several different available – that has been fitted inside the 1962 Series 1 Roadster future-proofing it and giving the driver a completely new driving experience.

The aftermarket company has installed what it calls the E43 package, which comes with a 43-kilowatt-hour battery pack for a real-world range of more than 150 miles between two charges. The peak output of the electric motor is 160 horsepower (120 kilowatts) and 460 pound-feet (620 Newton-meters) of instant torque, making it less powerful but more torquey than the original inline-six combustion engines. The 0-60 miles per hour acceleration takes less than six seconds.

Electrogenic seems to be especially proud of the fact that it has managed to install almost all components of the electric drive system into the existing engine compartment and transmission tunnel. The company says it has also managed to keep the weight balance of the vehicle and even optimize it for better handling. There are also larger 48- and 64-kWh battery packages available, in which the batteries are tucked away in the space behind the rear seat. Impressively, even when equipped with the largest battery option, the restomoded E-Type weighs no more than a conventionally powered example.

The Rimac Nevera wearing a livery inspired by Mate Rimac’s BMW 3 Series E30 EV conversion is back. After setting 23 records at the Automotive Testing Papenburg (ATP), the electric hypercar visited the Nürburgring. But why? Deliveries to customers have started, so development should be over by now. Maybe the Croatian brand is testing a new version. However, our money is on test laps to get acquainted with the immensely challenging Green Hell.

Perhaps Rimac is doing the legwork to prepare for a future lap record attempt. To be crowned the Lord of the ‘Ring among EVs, the Nevera needs to be faster than the Porsche Taycan Turbo S. The speedy sedan from Zuffenhausen completed the course in 7 minutes and 33 seconds. Given the incredible performance of the silent hypercar, the Nevera shouldn’t have any issues dethroning the Tesla Model S Plaid rival.

Technically, the Taycan Turbo S isn’t the fastest road-legal EV to go around the Nordschleife as the Nio EP9 did it in 6 minutes and 45 seconds back in May 2017. However, that one was only built in 16 units, so it doesn’t count as a true production car. The Rimac Nevera isn’t as exclusive as 150 vehicles are being made, at an eye-watering $2.4 million a pop.

Mind you, there’s an even faster electric car that has lapped the ‘Ring, with the Volkswagen ID.R taking just 6 minutes and 5 seconds to do the job in June 2019. The overall record belongs to Porsche and its 919 Hybrid Evo that lapped the Nürburgring in an incredible 5 minutes and 19 seconds in June 2018.

It will be interesting to see how the Nevera fares since heavy cars and lots of corners are not an ideal combination. It weighs 2,300 kilograms (5,070 pounds), but then again, it has quad motors making a combined 1,914 horsepower and 1,741 pound-feet (2,360 Newton-meters) of torque.

23 records have demonstrated nothing can beat it in a straight line, so now it needs to prove it can go fast around a corner, too. About 170 if we’re talking strictly about the Nürburgring.

Toyota had a few very interesting vehicles displayed at last weekend’s Fuji 24 Hours in Japan. In addition to the 2024 Crown Sedan (see the related links below), the firm also had a concept vehicle based on the Mirai at its boot. There’s no official press release to support the debut of the Mirai Sport Concept but a new video catches the vehicle during the event.

With no official announcement coming from Toyota, we don’t have all the details but we know a lot about the concept car nevertheless. For starters, it is based on the second-generation Mirai which morphed into a traditional and sleek-looking sedan after its full redesign some three years ago. The hydrogen concept vehicle doesn’t look like a full-blown Gazoo Racing product but there are noticeable exterior tweaks that differentiate it from the standard Mirai.

Those styling mods include a sportier and de-chromed front bumper with a new arrangement of the grilles. There’s an aggressive-looking lower grille in a gloss black finish and a more subtle upper grille. At the back, the bumper receives some sort of a diffuser and a small spoiler. Last but not least, the entire exterior is finished in matte grey color sourced from the Toyota GR Corolla. 

As far as we understand it, the concept rides on 21-inch alloy wheels with Michelin Pilot Sport S 245/40R21 tires. The hydrogen sedan sits on a 0.8-inch (20-millimeter) lower suspension, which in combination with the 21-inch rims, gives the vehicle a sportier stance.

That more aggressive appearance is reportedly not matched with an increased output. The stock Mirai has a hydrogen fuel cell powertrain with a peak output of 182 horsepower (136 kilowatts) and 220 pound-feet (300 Newton-maters) of torque. The FCEV can travel up to 402 miles (647 kilometers) without refueling. Toyota doesn’t say anything about its plans for the Mirai Sport Concept but we believe it won’t reach production.

Note: Standard 2021 Toyota Mirai pictured in the gallery above.

It’s safe to say 2022 wasn’t a great year for the Taycan in terms of sales considering deliveries went down by 16 percent to 34,801 units. Porsche put the blame on supply chain bottlenecks as some components were hard to obtain throughout the year. Q1 2023 wasn’t any better either since volume dropped by 3 percent compared to the same quarter of last year, with the house of Zuffenhausen delivering 9,152 cars between January and March.

In the meantime, a mid-cycle update is being tested in a bid to rejuvenate sales. Our spies caught a prototype resting at the Nürburgring while hiding its styling revisions under cleverly applied body-colored camouflage. It’s easy to spot the “HD Matrix” lettering inside the headlights, representing a new technology that debuted with the 2024 Cayenne as optional equipment. There are more than 32,000 pixels per headlamp and the brightness is automatically adjusted in more than 1,000 ways.

We can’t tell what’s going on with the front bumper since it has black plastic pieces tacked on to hide what we assume is a new design. With this only being a facelift, the side profile is virtually unchanged. That being said, we can’t remember the last time when we saw the Porsche crest in black and white on the wheel center caps.

The most obvious novelty is at the rear where the prototype had a discreet spoiler. It’s likely reserved for a spicy version, albeit not as hot as other test vehicles that were spotted a while ago with a massive rear wing. As with the front bumper, the rear one is disguised at its corners to hide the revisions. The hilarious “TDI” badge we saw a while ago on a big-winged car was not applied here.

One of the adjacent spy shots allows us to peek inside the cabin where the dashboard appears to have been slightly revised. The area above the digital instrument cluster looks fuller than before as the screen (thankfully) no longer sticks out as much. The black cabin makes generous use of Alcantara and leather, while the cup holder ahead of the central armrest has a Porsche-branded bottle or flask.

It’s unclear whether Porsche intends to show the Panamera facelift first, or this updated Taycan. Logic tells us one of them should debut in the latter half of the year, and our money is on the model with combustion engines.

During Ford’s Capital Markets Day presentation, company CEO Jim Farley announced the automaker was going to transition to set, non-negotiated prices for its electric vehicles. 

“We’re matching these vehicles with a modern and simple customer experience that starts with one major breakthrough, non-negotiable price. Our dealers can be a competitive advantage as we work together to lower distribution costs. We’re going to reduce physical inventories dramatically in Model e, and deploy a new marketing model that focuses on loyalty and customer communication and building a community rather than spending billions on TV advertising and broadcast media,” Farley said.

Doug Field, Ford’s chief advanced product development and technology officer, offered some more details about the new pricing strategy. It will take effect in January 2024 for the automaker’s EVs.

“Model E customers will have flexible purchase options, online, in the store, with transparent pricing that they don’t have to haggle over, and remote vehicle delivery, and later pick up as well. These better experiences make customers more likely to build a relationship and choose the same dealer again,” Field said.

Ford will also establish new retail replenishment centers. These sites will hold a couple of weeks of vehicle inventory and will be able to deliver a model to a customer in less than 10 days.

The company made the non-negotiable pricing a pillar of creating its new Model e dealer network. Showrooms have to post set prices for EVs on the automaker’s website, and customers can complete the purchase online. 

However, this does not mean Ford is adopting a direct sales model like what Tesla or Rivian use. Customers are still buying from a dealer but don’t have to enter a showroom if they don’t want to.

In December 2022, Farley said that 1,920 of the automaker’s 2,968 dealers in the United States agreed to become a Model-e-certified location for selling the brand’s EVs. These showrooms have to put employees through electric-vehicle-specific training, install chargers, and offer complimentary vehicle pickup and dropoff.

Motor1.com reached out to InsideEVs Senior Editor Tom Moloughney for his analysis of Ford’s pricing plan:

“Ford’s approach is a clever workaround to dealer franchise laws to offer what many consumers today want; a non-negotiable set price with the option of home delivery. Tesla has proven this formula works and is often preferred over the existing car buying experience that can consist of many hours at the dealership to negotiate a deal before it gets approved by a floor manager, only to get turned over to the finance department where you’re offered everything from undercoating, window etching and wheel insurance, to an extended warranty.

“Model e’s approach will be to allow customers that want to eliminate all that to do so with online pricing that the dealers set individually, while still offering the dealership experience that some buyers prefer.”