Items tagged with ev
Range anxiety is a big deal for electric cars and is seen by many as the main reason why EVs haven't become mainstream... yet. Cars like the Tesla Model X and Model S recently received an upgrade that pushed the range to 370 miles in some cases, but that's still not enough for some drivers. If range anxiety is an issue in cars where a dead battery means you sit on the side of the road until a tow truck shows up, how will people embrace range anxiety that comes with electric aircraft? A German company called Lilium could be the first to challenge travelers with that question. Lilium has announced that it has made its first successful test flight earlier this month of its all-electric, five-seat...
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Tesla has been betting big on autonomous driving and recently held an Autonomy Day where it rolled out its new, next-generation full self-driving computer claiming that it was the most powerful in the world. For a long time now Elon Musk has been proclaiming that Tesla cars with Autopilot would be able to travel across the country autonomously. Musk has now bragged that later this year Tesla cars with the Full Self-Driving software will be able to drive autonomously across the country from LA to New York. This is the first time that Musk We could have gamed an LA/NY Autopilot journey last year, but when we do it this year, everyone with Tesla Full Self-Driving will be able to do it too —...
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When it comes to electric cars, Tesla had a big head start versus traditional automakers when it introduced its first [ground up design] Model S in 2012. It then followed up with the Model X crossover and the Model 3 entry-level sedan. Automakers like Mercedes-Benz have watched as Tesla has increased EV mindshare with the public and is looking to take its own steps into this “green” market with the EQC. Mercedes-Benz first announced the EQC back in September 2018, but the company today announced that the first production models are now rolling off the assembly line in Bremen, Germany. In fact, rather than getting its own bespoke factory, the EQC is being produced at the...
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Range anxiety? What range anxiety? Just as traditional ICE (internal combustion engine) auto manufacturers are attempting to field their own entries into the luxury electric vehicle market, Tesla is moving the goal posts again. The company's EVs already have greater range their new competitors (by a fair margin), and now drivetrain updates are widening the gap even further. Tesla announced this week that it is using a new permanent magnet synchronous reluctance motor -- which has previously seen duty in the Model 3 -- on its Model S sedan and Model X crossover. This could with improvements to its bearings, gear design, lubrication and cooling allow the company to achieve a stunning...
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Genesis is slowly fleshing out its U.S. product lineup as the luxury-car arm of Hyundai. While the luxury brand has so far only released sedans in America, crossover vehicles are also on the way. And if the new “Mint Concept” is any indication, it looks like the South Korean automakers is hip to the idea of a premium compact two-door. The Mint Concept is described a “luxury city car” that is highly maneuverable and has room for what appears to be three passengers courtesy of its old school “bench” front seat. The most striking aspect of the Mint Concept – well besides its rather intriguing matte Hunter Green paint color – is its tidy proportions....
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Ford has unveiled the all-new 2020 Escape SUV, and this year the line includes hybrid and plug-in hybrid models. Ford says that every model in the line has a driving range of at least 400 miles per tank of fuel, whether it's powered by a standalone EcoBoost gas engine or one of the new hybrid powertrains. The standard FWD hybrid offering is good for over 550 miles of driving per tank of fuel. Escape buyers can opt for an all-wheel-drive version or front-wheel-drive versions using the same 8-speed automatic transmission. Ford is packing the Titanium version of the Escape with an available new 2.0L EcoBoost that makes 250 horsepower and 275 lb.-ft of torque when using 93 octane fuel. A lower-spec...
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There's no question that Tesla is at the top of electric vehicle (EV) field with respect to battery technology, performance and efficiency. However, a number of companies -- most recently, Rivian -- are looking to challenge the American automaker. The latest is Piëch Automotive, a startup helmed by Toni Piëch. The company's first vehicle is the Mark Zero, and it's quite the looker with its shapely curves, low hood line, and large wheels filling out the fenders. At first glimpse, you'd be forgiven if you mistook this EV for an Aston Martin. In fact, the vehicle is quite conventional in the looks department, and if we didn't already know that this was an EV (and paid...
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Volvo is putting the Tesla Model 3 on notice, and is doing so with the reveal of its new Polestar 2 electric car. Like the Model 3, the Polestar is a compact car that will be available in an all-wheel drive configuration. But whereas the Model 3 has a traditional trunk, the Polestar 2 features a hatchback design. Starting off with the styling, you won’t mistake the Polestar 2 for anything but a Volvo, as the company’s current design language is sprinkled throughout. You’ll notice the Thor’s hammer headlight detailing, chiseled lines, and sharp creases along the shoulders. Interestingly, the vehicle almost takes on a sort of sedan/crossover hybrid appearance (a la...
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We already know that Porsche is fully committed to electrifying its vehicle lineup. The German automaker has dabbled with hybrid-electric performance vehicles for the past decade, and its first production electric car -- the Taycan -- is expected to be revealed in production form later this year. However, the company today just announced some jaw-dropping news regarding its best-selling vehicle, the Macan. The second-generation Macan, which will go into production early in the next decade, will be electric-only. What makes this move so shocking is that fact that this isn't some low-volume vehicle that Porsche can just "experiment" with. Porsche sold nearly 90,000 units globally...
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Porsche is set to reveal the production version of its highly anticipated Taycan EV later this year. The vehicle concept, which first bowed in 2015 as the Mission E -- is based on a new electric car platform and promises to deliver the thrills that Porsche is known for with the instant torque of electric motors. However, there's one metric where the Taycan won't be able to compete with its established competition: acceleration. The Tesla Model S P100D can rip off sub-3-second 0-60 runs in Ludicrous Mode, while the Taycan should do the deed in a still mind-numbing 3.5 seconds. But Porsche is looking to take the crown in a more important and practical way: charging...
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There's been a rash of negativity swirling around Tesla in the past week. First, the company announced that it was killing its referral program, which gave Model S, Model X, and Model 3 owners sweet prizes (including free Tesla Roadsters). Then, Elon Musk announced that the company would be cutting its workforce by 7 percent in order to increase probability – this came after the company increased its headcount by 30 percent in 2018. But in a bit of good news for company, Tesla says that its Model 3 has now been given the go-ahead for sales in Europe. Now that the initial rush of buyers in the United States has died down a bit (customers in the U.S. can now get a new custom-ordered...
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It appears that Toyota still doesn't quite know what to make of electric vehicles (EVs). The Japanese auto giant was among the first to deliver a production hybrid vehicle to the public with the Prius. The Prius rode a wave of popularity starting with its first-generation and peaking with its third-generation. However, as traditional internal combustion engines (ICE) vehicles have become more efficient and the availability of hybrids has expanded, Prius sales have started trending downward. And according to Toyota Motor North America CEO Jim Lentz, electric vehicles are also starting to blunt Prius sales. More specifically, Lentz calls out the Tesla Model 3. Fourth-generation Toyota Prius...
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When it comes to modern electric vehicles, Tesla has become synonymous with advancing the genre. The company really caught a lot of attention with its Model S and has lit up the sales charts with its more mainstream Model 3. Now, Nissan is looking past its own econobox Leaf EV so push forward with the IMs concept. The IMs features a brand-new car platform that was designed from the ground-up to be used for EVs. It is a mid-size sedan that at 190 inches in length is about 5 inches longer than a Model 3, but roughly 8 inches shorter than the Model S. It rides on a relatively long 114-inch wheelbase, which leaves plenty of room between the wheels to accommodate a large battery pack. In fact,...
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The luxury electric vehicle sector is starting to heat up, years after Tesla turned the industry on its head with the Model S. Now, the competition is finally fighting back with new EVs of their own, with the latest coming from Nissan's Infiniti. The company first teased its QX Inspiration back in December, and now it has posted two renders of the vehicles from various angles (save for the rear). It's definitely a new design direction for Infiniti and is littered with numerous sharp creases all around. Although it’s a new look for Infiniti, it doesn't break any new design ground in the EV space; however, the grille-less face is a bit unsettling at first. Perhaps the most...
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