Category: Green Technology

Just what the heck is the e:N Series? Announced in October 2021, it’s a family of 10 Honda-branded EVs that will go on sale in China until 2027. The e:NS1 and e:NP1 have been available since last spring from the Dongfeng Honda and GAC Honda joint ventures, respectively. Starting April 18 at the Auto Shanghai, two new purely electric vehicles will be previewed as prototypes, alongside already available hybrid and plug-in hybrid models.

Honda doesn’t go into details about the newcomers. However, if they’re anything like the e:NS1 and e:NP1, we might be dealing with essentially a single car coming in two versions from the aforementioned Dongfeng Honda and GAC Honda joint ventures. It’s the impression we’re getting as the shadowy teaser image seemingly depicts crossovers featuring the same shape but likely with redesigned bumpers and whatnot.

The upcoming EVs appear larger than the e:NS1 and e:NP1, and will be followed by additional models. The Japanese automaker has already previewed an e:N Coupe, an e:N SUV, and an e:N GT, with all three having ultra-sharp styling representing a great departure from Honda’s current design.  The trio has already been confirmed to go into production In China for the local market.

When Honda announced plans for the e:N Series, it said the 10 EVs would be primarily offered in China. However, it mentioned some might be exported. In the meantime, the goal is to create e:N Series areas at existing dealerships in the People’s Republic and eventually launch dedicated showrooms in major cities.

To build its electric future in China, both GAC Honda and Dongfeng Honda are constructing new EV factories with a goal to start production in 2024.

In the long run, Honda aims to sell only EVs by 2040 and achieve global carbon neutrality a decade later.

Well, that was quick. Shortly after unveiling the EV9 GT-Line, Kia has announced its fullsize electric SUV will get the full-fat GT treatment. Already being developed, the high-performance version will be released at the beginning of 2025. The disclosure was made by Kia President and CEO Ho Sung Song in an interview with members of the media, including Car and Driver. It’s set to become the second electric GT model after the smaller EV6 GT.

Details about the EV9 GT have not been released, but we can make an educated guess. Expect a massive hike in output over the 2024 EV9 with all-wheel drive, which offers 380 horsepower (283 kilowatts) and 442 pound-feet (600 Newton-meters) of torque. An optional Boost model will be available for the regular EV9 AWD as a downloadable feature through the Kia Connect Store to increase torque to 516 lb-ft (700 Nm).

Kia could decide to borrow the dual-motor setup of the aforementioned EV6 GT, which delivers 576 hp and 545 lb-ft (739 Nm). The compact electric crossover in its highest state of tune does 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) in three and a half seconds but provided it would have identical power, the EV9 GT wouldn’t be able to match that due to its heavier body. The AWD-equipped EV9 completes the sprint in six seconds or in 5.3 seconds with the Boost mode.

An even more potent vehicle on the same E-GMP platform is coming later this year when Hyundai will introduce the Ioniq 5 N. That one will have somewhere in the region of 600 horsepower and likely a bit more torque as well than the EV6 GT. It’s too soon to say which configuration of the dual-motor setup will be installed in the EV9 GT.

It should be fair game to assume efficiency is going to suffer. Kia has yet to announce the range for the EV9 with AWD, but we do know it uses a large 99.8-kWh battery pack shared with the RWD Long Range model. The latter has an estimated range of over 336 miles (541 kilometers) in the WLTP cycle. AWD will lower that figure, and applying the GT treatment is going to negatively impact the range even more. In addition, the EPA numbers are typically lower than WLTP.

After the 3 Series and 7 Series received purely electric derivatives in 2022, BMW is putting the finishing touches on a zero-emission 5 Series. Officially confirmed to go by the i5 moniker and spawn a wagon version in 2024, the Mercedes EQE competitor is back in an extended photo gallery. Nearly 100 images and a four-minute video put the spotlight on camouflaged prototypes, some of which had the final headlights and taillights in place.

BMW doesn’t go into details about the technical specifications, only saying the i5 will utilize an upgraded version of the fifth-generation eDrive. The Munich-based marque claims the evolved hardware “displays a high level of maturity,” but it won’t be a dedicated EV platform as that won’t be ready until 2025 when the Neue Klasse will arrive. Instead, the first-ever i5 will utilize the same CLAR underpinnings as the other two electric sedans we mentioned earlier, plus the i4 liftback.

BMW has been testing the i5 Sedan out on the open road since February 2022 when it made a trip from Munich to the test center in Arjeplog. It had to cover about 1,850 miles (3,000 kilometers) to northern Sweden before undergoing additional testing throughout the year. Prototypes were evaluated in and around Munich as well as near the Dingolfing factory. Last month, the i5 returned near the Arctic Circle for another round of harsh winter testing.

The German luxury brand has already confirmed there will be an M Performance version, likely to be called the i5 M60 judging by a window sticker of a prototype spotted in September 2022. The same piece of paper also contained “Allrad,” meaning all-wheel drive coming from dual electric motors – one at the front and the other at the rear. The i5 M60 will follow the already available i4 M50, iX M60, and the forthcoming i7 M70.

The i5 M60 won’t be the only M Performance version available for the eighth-generation 5 Series since we believe BMW also intends to sell an M560e as a plug-in hybrid with an inline-six engine. It’ll allegedly serve as an indirect replacement for the M550i since only the M5 will retain the V8 engine.

The design will (thankfully) be evolutionary rather than revolutionary (see 7 Series / i7) but there will be big changes inside. The new 5 Series will be the first BMW to get the iDrive 8.5 with two screens housed within a single piece of curved glass atop the dashboard. Expect fewer conventional controls since most functions will be accessible through the touchscreen. Yes, that will also include climate controls.

The G60 5 Series Sedan / i5 Sedan will be out first, with the G61 Touring models shortly thereafter. Around 2025, the G90 M5 Sedan is going to be added at the top of the lineup where it’ll be joined by a G99 M5 Touring.

While we’re patiently waiting for the R36, Nissan is revisiting an old-timer by working on a Skyline GT-R R32. An engineer who joined the company out of admiration for the mighty supercar nicknamed “Godzilla” came up with the idea of an electric conversion. It didn’t take too long until his pet project received the automaker’s support and an official name – the “R32 EV.”

The teaser clip suggests the EV transformation is still in its infancy since we can hear the combustion engine and see the large exhaust tip. If Nissan wants to stay true to the all-wheel-drive nature of the R32, it will have to install one electric motor at the front and another one at the rear to achieve AWD. Provided the intention is to keep the classic design untouched, the engineers will have to cram the batteries under the hood, trunk, and/or instead of the rear seats.

Nissan remains tight-lipped about the project, but the mastermind behind the R32 EV declared: “By combining the car that I love the most with the technology that I think is the best, we can create a car that people around the world will be more excited about.” To build up hype around the project, the company has set up a dedicated page on its website in Japan, hinting at more teasers to be published in the near future.

Nearly a year ago, Nissan Chief Operating Officer Ashwani Gupta told Top Gear magazine that an electric GT-R “will definitely come one day.” He was likely not referring to what we presume will be a one-of-a-kind restomod, but an actual production model people will be able to purchase. Whether it’ll be the long-awaited R36 remains to be seen as the high-performance machine might keep the combustion engine for a final generation, possibly with hybrid assistance.

The announcement of a zero-emission Skyline follows a similar decision taken by Toyota with its hydrogen and battery-powered AE86 electric restomods.

Germany and the European Union reached a compromise over a proposed ban on combustion-powered vehicles starting in 2035, according to Reuters. Automakers can continue to sell ICE-motorized products, but they must run on e-fuel.

Germany and Italy, which both have large auto industries, pushed back against the original proposal that would have completely started phasing out ICE vehicles in 2035. As part of this compromise, the European Commission agreed to create a new vehicle category for models that can only run of e-fuels. A vote in Brussels, Belgium, on Tuesday, March 28, is the next step in the process.

Vehicles running on e-fuel in Europe will require technology to prevent them from using gasoline or diesel. There are no details available yet about how automakers would implement these systems.

E-fuel comes from a process involving capturing carbon dioxide and making hydrogen from renewable energy. It’s carbon neutral during combustion because the CO2 returns to the atmosphere.

However, e-fuel is not yet available in large amounts. Porsche is investing to improve in the technolgy. In a pilot phase, Porsche’s production site in Chile aims to make 34,342 gallons per year. The company projects that it could ramp up to 145 million gallons a year, but that’s still a fraction of the 134.83 billion gallons of fuel used in the Unitted States in 2021.

“Some fuels are more inefficient than others, that’s not a secret. But if you produce them in those regions of the world where sustainable energy is available without any limits, then this argument can’t be used any longer,” said VW Group CEO Oliver Blume. 

In October 2022, the European Union announced the finalized the deal to begin phasing out ICE vehicles. The ban only applied to new cars. Automakers producing fewer than a 1,000 vehicles a year were exempt from this decision. The transport ministers from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Italy, Poland, Romania, Hungary, and Germany refused to ratify the plan, which forced the compromise.

As someone who firmly believes every car should have a rear windshield wiper as standard or optional at the very least, I’m glad to see the Ioniq 5 N will have one. It wouldn’t make sense to keep it exclusive to the performance version, so it’s only a matter of time before Hyundai will offer it for the regular electric crossover. A new prototype of the spicy N derivative has been caught undergoing final testing on a rainy day at the Nürburgring.

Already confirmed to launch later this year, the first-ever N model from Hyundai without a combustion engine looks even more like an oversized hatchback than the standard Ioniq 5. It’s because of the stiffer suspension setup bringing the spicy EV closer to the road. Expect sportier-looking wheels and bigger brakes, while that roll cage behind the rear seats certainly won’t be offered in the production model.

Hyundai has already promised the Ioniq 5 N will not be a Kia EV6 GT in a different suit as it’ll utilize many parts tweaked by the N division. Executive Technical Advisor Albert Biermann previously revealed the dual-motor setup will be good for around 600 horsepower, so it’s going to outpunch its Kia cousin by more than 20 hp. There’s no word about torque, but we will remind you the EV6 GT is good for 564 pound-feet (740 Newton meters).

Extra oomph aside, the Ioniq 5 N will offer artificial gear changes courtesy of a button-activated Virtual Grin Shift (VGN) mode. It’ll enable the sporty electric crossover to mimic the sensations offered by an i30 N hot hatch fitted with a dual-clutch automatic transmission. It’s also getting N Sound Plus, which is marketing jargon for artificial sounds, including a pseudo rev limiter. Owners will be able to add their own fake noises the audio system will pump through the speakers.

What else to expect from the Ioniq 5 N? Hyundai will install a dedicated drift mode that’ll adjust how the torque is distributed at each wheel thanks to an electronic rear limited-slip differential to help the driver go sideways in a controlled manner. Speaking of the driver, they will get to choose from Eco, Normal, Sport, and N modes – each with its own settings for the throttle response, steering weight, and damping.

There’s no word about range, but with the N version prioritizing performance, logic tells us the hotter variant won’t be as efficient. In the United States, the EPA has rated the dual-motor Ioniq 5 with all-wheel drive at 256 miles of range.

[UPDATE] Spy photographers have informed us the prototype might not be a Peugeot, but rather a different French car. We could be looking at an electric replacement for the Renault Scenic, due in 2024 when it will slot above the Megane E-Tech.

During the Peugeot E-Lion Day held at the end of January, the French marque announced a veritable electric onslaught. Joining the E-208 and E-308 hatchbacks as well as the E-308 SW wagon will be an E-408 high-riding hatch and two crossovers: E-3008 and E-5008. The former will be unveiled in the second half of the year, but our spies stationed near the Arctic Circle believe the prototype depicts the latter. The bigger model will arrive by 2025.

Even though these are only the first spy images, the test vehicle already appears to have the production body panels in place. The short overhangs indicate a dedicated electric platform, likely the STLA Medium that Peugeot has already confirmed will underpin the E-3008. The architecture will enable a maximum range of 435 miles (700 kilometers) for the C-segment model and will support a dual-motor arrangement for all-wheel drive.

As with many electric cars revealed in recent years, the crossover has door handles that remain flush with the body for better aero to improve efficiency. Small cutouts in the camouflage for the LED turn signals indicate the E-5008 will have split headlights. It looks less bulky than the ICE-powered 5008 on sale today thanks to better packaging by using a bespoke EV platform.

It might even be a tad smaller overall but with a longer wheelbase creating a more spacious cabin. Expect a seven-seat arrangement to set it apart from the E-3008, much like with the current-generation model. As for the battery size, parent company Stellantis has said STLA Medium will accommodate 87-104 kWh packs.

As for the design, the E-5008 will look substantially different by borrowing cues from the Inception concept shown at the beginning of the year at CES. Peugeot is adopting a new design language and a revamp of its i-Cockpit, so the interior will also go through significant changes.

The new 5008 won’t be an electric-only affair as Peugeot intends to offer combustion engines as well, but likely only as mild hybrids and plug-in hybrids. By 2030, all models sold in Europe will be EVs.

In early February this year, we shared the first spy photos of an upcoming electric vehicle from SsangYong. The South Korean SUV manufacturer now publishes the first fully revealing and official images with the electric off-roader that is wearing the Torres EVX name. Not all the details are known so far but the automaker will tell us everything we want to learn on March 30 during the 2023 Seoul Mobility Show.

At a glance, the electric Torres looks a lot like its combustion-powered sibling, which debuted last June. The side profile is virtually unchanged, but there are major differences at the front. The fascia of the battery-powered model is somewhat sleeker with six LED dots in the middle between the LED lights at the corners of the upper section. The Torres with an ICE, in turn, has a more traditional approach with headlights in place of those LED clusters in the electric model.

In a move that’s not quite popular in the automotive industry these days, the interior of the electric Torres is vastly different from the model with a 1.5-liter turbo engine. The large tablet-style display in the middle is replaced by a dual-screen layout, similar in its overall design to what BMW is offering. The console under the center screen is also different and there doesn’t seem to be another display below it for the HVAC system. We don’t get to see the rest of the dashboard but we can see the steering wheel is identical with what look to be physical buttons on its two sides.

Unfortunately, SsangYong – which is soon going to be officially renamed to KG Mobility – doesn’t reveal details about what’s under the skin of the Torres EVX. However, the automaker already has an electric crossover on sale in the form of the Korando e-Motion with a single electric motor on the front axle producing 190 horsepower.

This EV uses a battery pack with a usable capacity of 55.3 kilowatt-hours, giving it up to 211 miles (340 kilometers) of range between two charges measured by the WLTP cycle. Given the Torres EVX’s more rugged appearance and larger dimensions, we won’t be surprised if we see some hardware upgrades and possibly an all-wheel-drive version. We will surely know more on March 30 so stay tuned.

The Volkswagen ID.2all concept previews a production model that the automaker will reveal for the European market in 2025. The company is designing the EV to have its price start at under 25,000 euros ($26,331 at today’s exchange rate). The production version of the ID.2all is one of ten new EVs the automaker plans to launch by 2026.

Volkswagen says the ID.2all will be as spacious as a Golf but as affordable as a Polo. It’ll ride on the latest evolutionary MEB Entry platform, which will allow it to become the first ID model with front-wheel drive.

The EV measures 4,050 millimeters (159.4 inches) long, 1,812 mm (71.3 in) wide, and 1,530 mm (60.2 in) high, with 2,600 mm (102.3 in) between the wheels. It’s shorter than the Golf, but they have similar wheelbases. The EV’s layout allows it to pack a lot of stuff, offering 490 to 1,330 liters (17.3 to 46.9 cubic feet) of cargo capacity.

The concept features a 166-kilowatt (222-horsepower) electric motor, which can propel the EV to 100 kilometers per hour (62 miles per hour) in less than seven seconds. It can reach 160 kph (99 mph), with up to 450 kilometers (279.6 miles) of range on tap, based on the WLTP. 

The concept previews a new yet familiar-looking design language for the brand. The C-pillar takes inspiration from the first Golf, which the automaker accented with a completely straight side contour and window line.

The front has a friendly face with a full-width lighting element between the headlights, which all sit above a smiling lower bumper. The rear has simple taillights, with the bumper featuring a prominent black diffuser. The ID.2all also ushers in a new look for the cabin.

Inside, the Volkswagen features a 12.9-inch touchscreen infotainment system it calls “self-explanatory.” Underneath the screen is a newly developed HVAC control panel with illuminated buttons, while a control knob in the center console controls the menus.

In the middle of the new air conditioning stack is a thumbwheel to control the volume, addressing complaints about the lack of physical buttons in the brand’s electric vehicles. There’s a new steering wheel, too, with a simplified layout for the controls – one thumbwheel and two buttons on each stalk.

This year, Volkswagen will launch the new ID.3, the long-wheelbase ID. Buzz, and the ID.7. The automaker will have a compact electric SUV ready in 2026, and it’s also working on an EV with a starting price under 20,000 euros (21,065 at today’s exchange rates). We hope both of VW’s affordable EVs arrive in the US.

Amaury Guichon makes gorgeous sculptures out of chocolate. His latest work depicts the most delicious Hyundai Ioniq 6 in the world. This video chronicles the model’s creation starting from an empty table and a pitcher of liquid chocolate.

He starts by creating a large rectangle out of chocolate and drawing the Ioniq 6’s silhouette. This is the template for cutting out each side of the car. He bends hunks of material for forming elements like the hood, windshield, and roof.

He uses the same type of tools you’d need for sculpting clay and trims the chocolate to add design details. After spending some time on the front fascia, rear bumper, and spoiler, the model looks like a brown Ioniq 6.

The next step is to apply paint to make the chocolate car look more realistic. The white body goes on first. Then, he masks things off and applies the black details. The taillights are a separate layer of paint.

Guichon uses a lathe to create the tires. It’s quite messy but car more delicious than shaping a piece of wood this way. A cutting machine makes the complicated pattern for the wheels. 

The last step is applying tiny Hyundai logos and the Ioniq 6 lettering.

The chocolate Ioniq 6 seems to have a blunter nose than the real thing. However, it’s incredibly impressive to see someone use a material like chocolate to shape an identifiable Ioniq 6.

In the United States, the Ioniq 6 is available with three powertrain setups. The rear-drive standard-range model offers 149 horsepower. Buyers can also get a rear-drive variant with 225 hp, and the all-wheel-drive version has 320 hp. 

Depending on the model, there’s a 53.0 kilowatt-hour or 77.4 kWh battery pack. The SE RWD Long Range is capable of going 361 miles on a charge. At the other end of the spectrum, the SEL AWD and Limited AWD have the lowest ranges available at 270 miles.

Prices after the $1,15 destination fee start at $42,715. The top Limited trim of the AWD model goes for $57,215.