Category: Green Technology

Geely was originally established in 1986 but it didn’t enter the automotive business until 1997. In recent years, the company has grown to become one of the world’s leading players in the electric vehicle and plug-in hybrid markets. It now owns several brands, including Volvo, Lotus, Smart, and Zeekr with the latter being a standalone division for premium electric vehicles. Its latest product is the X crossover, which made its official debut in China less than a month ago.

Thanks to our pals at Wheelsboy, we now have an early review of the model, which was confirmed for a European debut towards the end of this year. The video attached at the top of this page is accompanied by an exclusive photo gallery for the Motor1.com audience, which is embedded just below.

For starters, the Zeekr X is a compact crossover with a somewhat polarizing design that shares many of its components with other products under the Geely umbrella. Based on the firm’s Sustainable Electric Architecture (SEA), the EV has powertrain and battery components that can be also found under the skin of the Smart #1. It features its own distinctive design language though, and it may be a little too modernistic for some customers on the Old Continent.

The interior, however, is beautiful from every angle, especially considering the vehicle’s price – the Zeekr X starts from just $27,600 (189,800 yuan) in base RWD trim and the optional dual-motor AWD model starts at $30,500 (209,800 yuan). This is pretty impressive for a car that has a standard 13-speaker Yamaha sound system, electrically operated front doors, and an adjustable center console.

The optional features include a removable refrigerator at the back and a small display on the B-pillar that displays information about the vehicle’s status. You can choose from a few different modes while the machine is stationary, including a pet mode that keeps the car climatized if your pet is inside.

Zeekr will have the new electric crossover on sale in China in June but it is already offering media drives in the country. A launch on selected European markets is “expected in due course” and Zeekr has promised to keep the EV in Europe quite affordable.

In the words of Dewey from the sitcom Malcolm in the Middle: “The future is now, old man.” Although EVs with artificial noises are not a novelty, Hyundai is trying to make them sound exciting for its first N model to do away with the combustion engine. A new teaser video of the Ioniq 5 N shows the high-performance electric crossover on the streets of Seoul as well as on the track at the company’s Namyang R&D center.

We get a first taste of what Hyundai meant when it said the sporty EV would have a “virtual shift mode” by pulling both paddles located behind the steering wheel to artificially change gears. Executive Technical Advisor Albert Biermann previously mentioned the idea is to mimic the jolt and downshift vibrations you get from an i30 N equipped with a dual-clutch automatic transmission.

As for the noises you’re hearing, these are part of the N Sound Plus to imitate the raspy exhaust of an ICE-powered sports car. We even hear pops and bangs at one point but perhaps the most realistic noise is when the driver downshifts and the revs go higher. Artificially, of course. If these don’t tickle your fancy, Hyundai said future over-the-air updates will allow owners to upload their own fake noises.

Beyond the gimmickry – which also includes a drift mode briefly demonstrated in this video – the Ioniq 5 N will get standard all-wheel drive with dual motors making a combined output of roughly 600 horsepower. It’s also getting an evolution of Hyundai’s battery tech with improved energy density without a physical increase in size for the pack. The new flagship version will also usher in a rear wiper that will be added to the lesser trim levels.

Hyundai has already announced it will showcase the Ioniq 5 N at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in mid-July, with sales likely to start before the end of the year. As for price, prepare to fork out more money than the $61,600 Kia wants for the EV6 GT.

The original EQA from 2017 was a conceptual electric hatchback before the name was repurposed for a battery-powered crossover in 2021. Mercedes could reuse the moniker for a third body style in the years to come by introducing an EQA sedan. Seen here is an early prototype of a CLA-like swoopy saloon that does away with the combustion engine. It’s been caught testing on the streets of Germany while wearing a mélange of provisional and final parts.

Much like the larger and more expensive Mercedes models, it has flush door handles for better airflow to unlock extra range. The rear handles are actually sticking out from the body even though the car is moving, but that obviously won’t be the case on the production-ready EQA (name not confirmed). If you’re worried as to why the headlights and taillights look so strange, it’s because they’re temporary clusters that won’t be used in the final version.

Combine those awkward lights with the small wheels and thick camouflage and you end up with a compact sedan that’s not easy on the eye. However, it’s too soon to jump to conclusions about the car’s design since this prototype is far from being the product customers will be able to purchase in roughly two years’ time. We’d wager the CLA is an attractive sedan, so we’re confident its successor will also be a looker. Some of the aero trickery we saw on the sleek Vision EQXX concept could trickle down.

The small sedan will ride on Mercedes’ forthcoming MMA platform, developed primarily for EVs while making compromises on the ICE side. That’ll surely raise a few eyebrows among fans considering one of the slogans used by the German luxury brand was “The Best or Nothing.” The future CLA won’t compete internally with the A-Class Sedan since the latter is unlikely to receive a next generation.

If the rumor mill is to be believed, it might not actually go by the “EQA” moniker since reports state Mercedes will gradually discontinue the “EQ” branding in 2024. Does that mean it’ll be simply called “CLA”? If so, logic tells us it would still have to be a more complex name than that to separate the purely electric versions from the ones equipped with a gasoline/diesel engine.

This new sedan will be part of a simplified “Entry Luxury” lineup with fewer models by discontinuing slow-selling products. Mercedes CEO Ola Källenius told Automotive News Europe we might get an official preview later this year. One venue where it would make sense to unveil a concept would be on the company’s home turf in early September at the 2023 IAA Munich.

During the BMW Group Annual Conference 2023 held in mid-March, the luxury brand announced plans to launch an iX2 as a new member of the growing EV portfolio. Speaking with German enthusiast magazine Bimmer Today, the head of the Regensburg factory revealed series production will commence by the end of the year. The electric crossover is going to be assembled alongside the conventionally shaped iX1 at the plant located in eastern Bavaria.

To make it happen, BMW is investing more than €350 million ($385M at current exchange rates) and hiring approximately 500 new workers. As early as 2024, the automaker estimates at least one-third of all vehicles produced in Regensburg will be EVs, with the other two-thirds representing conventionally powered X1s and X2s. The former is also available with a variety of plug-in hybrid powertrains.

BMW remains tight-lipped about the new X2 but we do know it’s going to adopt a completely different design. Gone will be the raised hatchback look as spy shots have shown prototypes sending a mini-X6 vibe by following the coupe-SUV formula made popular by the Munich-based brand. Aside from having a new-yet-familiar shape, the X2 (codenamed U10) is likely to be much larger than its predecessor.

The gasoline/diesel X2 and electric iX2 versions will look virtually the same since it won’t be until 2025 when BMW will begin to launch EVs on a dedicated platform by rolling out the Neue Klasse. Despite the electric onslaught, there will still be an ICE-powered top model with M Performance branding. Likely coming in 2024, the X2 M35i will have over 300 horsepower from a turbocharged 2.0-liter gasoline engine.

The iX2 should mirror the iX1 in terms of technical specification, so the initial version should be an xDrive30e with 313 hp and 494 Nm (364 lb-ft) of torque from a pair of electric motors. Chances are BMW is working on lesser iX1 and iX2 flavors with a single-motor, front-wheel-drive setup.

Will the iX2 come to the United States? It’s hard to say at this point, but let’s hope that it does considering BMW has surprisingly decided against bringing the iX1.

In early 2021, Alpine announced plans to morph into a purely electric brand and offer a so-called “Dream Garage” consisting of three cars: a small hatchback “for me,” a crossover “for us,” and a sports car “for the weekend.” Although the GT X-Over electric crossover has already been spied as a test mule, it’s the hot hatch we’ll see first. Not the production version, but rather a concept baptized A290_β (A290 “beta”).

The world premiere is locked in for May 9 ahead of a market launch expected to take place around 2025. We’re being told the moniker follows the Alpine nomenclature by starting with an “A,” followed by three digits. The first one refers to the vehicle’s size, while the next two reflect the type of vehicle: “90” will be used by the “multi-purpose” cars such as this one, while the sports cars will have “100.”

As for the use of “β” in this particular case, it references beta software, meaning it’s not the final product and is only used during the testing phase. Consequently, the Greek letter will be dropped for the production model, which will be simply called the A290. Alpine isn’t sharing any technical specifications about the electric hot hatch, but we’re hoping to learn more during the debut event organized in the UK.

The A290 Beta won’t be the Renault Group’s first electric hot hatch concept as it will follow the 2017 Zoe E-Sport with its mighty 460 horsepower and the 2022 R5 Turbo 3E with 375 hp. Don’t expect Alpine’s small EV to be as extreme since reports state it will borrow the electric motor from the Megane E-Tech Electric. Provided that’s happening, the feisty zero-emission hatch could have approximately 215 hp (160 kW) and 221 lb-ft (300 Nm).

Alpine’s parent company Renault has already announced its reborn 5 coming in 2024 will have a multi-link rear suspension, so even the version carrying the diamond logo aims to deliver sharp handling. Both will be underpinned by the CMF-B EV platform with as much as 70 percent of parts taken from the CMF-B-based Clio. The battery will consist of four big modules in a single layer to cut 15 kilograms (33 pounds) compared to the Zoe and its 12-module pack.

As a final note, Volkswagen will beat Alpine to the punch by introducing an ID.3 GTX before 2025.

Suffering from its own success, Volvo has announced it’s no longer accepting new orders for the EX90. The reason is strong demand has surpassed the company’s production capacity, with the “tremendous reception” allowing the Geely-owned marque to sell out the first scheduled production run. If you’re not among the early adopters, the Swedish automaker says it will reopen the order books soon, without providing an exact timeframe.

The large electric SUV is scheduled to go into production in the final quarter of this year and will be assembled in Charleston, South Carolina as well as in Chengdu, China. Unlike other automakers that will happily take your order and make you wait one or even two years to take delivery, Volvo is being more pragmatic. The EX90 is not replacing the XC90 as the latter will remain on sale with combustion engines for the foreseeable future.

The disclosure about temporarily closing the order books was made in a press release pertaining to the Q1 2023 results. In the same document, Volvo mentions the entry-level EV will be unveiled “in a few months” as an SUV positioned below the XC40 and C40 Recharge models. The company is confident the new model – potentially called EX30 – will lure in younger buyers thanks to a lower asking price. It’s slated to debut on June 15 with a “decent range,” according to a statement made by CEO Jim Rowan at the beginning of the year.

Volvo was among the first car manufacturer to announce plans for an electric-only lineup by the end of the decade. To get there, it intends to launch additional EVs by rolling out at least one model until 2025. A report from Reuters from early February claimed a minimum of six vehicles without a combustion engine will be introduced by 2026. Not all of them will be SUVs as the company has said it won’t completely give up on sedans and wagons.

Honda confirms that the first vehicle riding on its dedicated EV platform is “a mid- to large-size” model. It goes on sale in 2025. The announcement comes as part of a major presentation from the automaker’s president and executive vice president about the company’s future. A focus on technology and electrification is the way forward.

Honda is developing a new vehicle operating system for the 2025 EV on the e:Architecture platform. The company doesn’t offer any specifics about this tech. It’s hiring twice as many people as originally planned for in-house software development, including working on this system, advanced driver assistance, and connected vehicle features. There will also be a new Global User Experience Officer position within the automaker.

In 2024, the Honda Prologue and Acura ZDX EVs will go on sale. They’ll both ride on General Motors’ Ultium platform. Both automakers will continue their partnership by launching a series of affordable electric vehicles starting in 2027.

Honda will turn Ohio into its EV production hub for North America. This will include re-tooling the Marysville Auto Plant, East Liberty Auto Plant, and Anna Engine Plant. Honda and LG Energy Solution will also build their joint venture battery plant in the state.

There’s big EV news outside of North America, too. Japan will get the N-Van EV as a tiny commercial vehicle in the first half of 2024. Then, an EV based on the retro-styled N-One will arrive in 2025. Two small models – one of which will be an SUV – will go on sale in 2026.

Several EVs will be for China. The e:NS2 and e:NP2 arrive in early 2024. By the end of that year, a production version of the e:N SUV concept (pictured in the lead image above) will join the range. Seven more electric products will launch there by 2027. Honda’s goal is for all of its offerings in China to be electric by 2025.

The new announcement makes no mention of the two, previously teased sporty-looking EVs from a Honda presentation in April 2022. At the time, the automaker indicated they were a specialty and a flagship model that the company intended to offer globally.

UK’s Top Gear had the opportunity to hoon the Ioniq 5 N on a frozen lake at the Arctic Circle ahead of the electric crossover’s confirmed public debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in mid-July. After dancing on ice to test the new dedicated drift mode, the magazine’s Senior Road Test Editor, Ollie Kew, chatted with Albert Biermann about the first N model without a combustion engine and also touched on electric performance cars in general.

The former BMW M boss and previously in charge of Hyundai Motor Group’s R&D was asked why people should buy the Ioniq 5 N rather than the regular model. The Executive Technical Advisor said the range penalty “will not be that huge.” Albert Biermann went on to say the speedy electric crossover will have a bigger battery capacity without making the battery physically larger than the 77.4-kWh pack.

He mentioned it’s going to use “next-generation battery technology” and that will allow the spicy N version to be only “a little bit behind” the standard AWD model in terms of range. As a reminder, EPA has rated the 2022 Ioniq 5 AWD at 256 miles (412 kilometers) on a single charge. The RWD Long Range model is the thriftiest, at 303 miles (488 kilometers).

Albert Biermann told Top Gear magazine the EV horsepower wars are just getting started and will go “fully crazy” in the future. The Ioniq 5 N is expected to have roughly 600 horsepower or a little bit more than the 576-hp Kia EV6 GT. In the long run, there will be a smaller zero-emission N model.

Meanwhile, the Ioniq 5 N arriving soon is getting a thicker steering wheel, N-specific seats, and yes, a rear wiper. Torque is expected to increase as well, with Ollie Kew saying around 600 pound-feet (816 Newton-meters) at one point during the video. That would give it a decent advantage over the 564 lb-ft (740 Nm) you get in the EV6 GT.

There’s no word about price but it’ll certainly command a major premium over a dual-motor Ioniq 5 priced from $50,335. Logic tells us it’s likely going to be more expensive than the $62,925 Kia EV6 GT.

Battery-electric vehicles (BEV) seem to be the future, and people will have to eventually ween themselves off fossil fuels. However, e-fuel might be the internal combustion engine’s (ICE) saving grace, but there are still some unanswered questions that Stellantis is already asking.

The automaker announced Thursday that it was finalizing testing of e-fuels in several of its engines. No, Stellantis is not wavering in its commitment to selling only BEVs in Europe by the end of the decade. It’s doubling down.

Stellantis said that e-fuel is part of its “toolbox” to fight climate change and reduce emissions. According to it, e-fuel can reduce up to 400 million tons of CO₂ in Europe between 2025 and 2050 just from its fleet of 28 million vehicles. It would help decarbonize combustion engines and be an alternative for people living in places that might lack new EV charging infrastructure.

E-fuel is a synthetic drop-in replacement for traditional gasoline. It’s made from captured atmospheric CO₂ and renewable energy, which can be made in wind and sun belts around the world away from current fossil fuel extraction sites. 

The automaker is testing 28 gasoline and diesel engine families built from 2014 to 2029. They are undergoing comprehensive testing that evaluates the tailpipe emissions, engine power, reliability endurance, oil dilution, fuel system, and more.

Stellantis isn’t the only automaker exploring the alternative fuel. Late last year, Porsche began e-fuel production at a facility in Chile, where it invested $75 million. The automaker pumped the first drops into a 911, with the plant expected to produce around 34,000 gallons in its pilot phase. The US used 134 billion gallons of the stuff in 2021, so there’s a long way to go. The company hopes to be producing 145 million gallons by around 2027.

Stellantis’ announcement comes just weeks after the European Union agreed to allow e-fuel models to be sold after the bloc’s ICE ban goes into effect in 2035. Automakers will have to figure out how to ensure owners don’t use gas or diesel instead of e-fuel, with the agreement giving the technology a chance to keep ICE on the road a little bit longer.

Having been around since 2017, the current-generation Audi A8 is beginning to show its age, even though a facelift spruced things up a bit in late 2021. The Four Rings will have an all-new replacement on sale next year if we were to rely on a new report from Autocar. We have yet to see any spy shots of camouflaged prototypes, so if the 2024 arrival is accurate, expect the flagship from Ingolstadt to be launched near the end of the year.

The British magazine claims it’ll be the most powerful EV ever, and by extension, the most potent Audi to date. That title currently belongs to the RS E-Tron GT with its mighty 637 horsepower (475 kilowatts) coming from a pair of electric motors. On the ICE side, the RS6 Competition holds the crown with its twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 rated at 621 hp (463 kW). The super wagon has the edge in terms of torque, offering 625 pound-feet (850 Newton meters) or 15 lb-ft (20 Nm) more than the electric sedan.

How much power will the A8 successor have? Autocar believes it might not quite match the Grandsphere’s 711 hp and 708 lb-ft (960 Nm), but it should easily outpunch the RS E-Tron GT and RS6 Competition. That will give Audi a rival for the Mercedes-AMG EQS 53 and the recently unveiled BMW i7 M70. The concept did 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) in a little over four seconds and had its top speed electronically limited to prioritize efficiency.

Arriving in 2024 when the A8 will celebrate its 30^th anniversary, the new crown jewel from the German luxury brand is said to ride on the largest configuration of the upcoming Premium Platform Electric architecture. Developed by Audi and Porsche, PPE will be first used for a couple of crossovers, namely the Q6 E-Tron and Macan. An A6 E-Tron Sedan is also in the works and will slot below the fullsize electric sedan.

The 2021 Grandsphere had a large 120-kWh battery and Autocar believes it’ll be carried over to the production model. In the concept, it gave the stately EV a maximum range of 466 miles (750 kilometers) and the ability to charge at 270 kW from 5 to 80 percent in less than 25 minutes. Audi mentioned 10 minutes spent at a charging station were enough to replenish the battery for over 186 miles (300 kilometers).

As far as styling is concerned, Audi’s design boss Marc Lichte has already promised the stately EV will be “very close” to the Grandsphere. It won’t be identical, but the concept represents a “very concrete teaser” of how the A8 successor is going to look. It’s expected to eschew the traditional three-box formula in a favor of a swoopy shape, possibly with a more practical liftback configuration.