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China's HiPhi debuts electric hatchback with a top speed of 186 MPH
Chinese automobile manufacturer HiPhi just unveiled the HiPhi A, with a physical debut at this week’s Guangzhou Auto Show. The electric hypercar boasts a top speed of 186 MPH and reaches 60 mph in around two seconds.
Honda's latest autonomous robot is designed to move things around construction sites
Honda is known for both vehicles and robots, and over the last few years it has tried combining those two things with the Autonomous Work Vehicle (AWV).
Uber now offers EV rides in 25 cities
Uber has expanded its Comfort Electric service "nationwide" to 24 US cities, letting users request rides in all-electric vehicles.
Volvo plans to go fully electric by 2030 and only sell cars online
Volvo will only sell electric cars by 2030, ending gas- and diesel-engine sales sooner than other major automakers, the company announced.
Ford vows to go all-electric in Europe by 2030
Ford is taking an aggressive approach to its electrification strategy in Europe, announcing that all its passenger vehicles will be all-electric or hybrid by mid-2026.
Jaguar will become an all-electric brand in 2025
Jaguar will only build all-electric cars starting in 2020 as part of a sweeping "Reimagine" strategy, the company announced today.
Lucid Motors claims its first EV covers a quarter mile in 9.9 seconds
With 1,080 horsepower, the Lucid Air Dream Edition hits 60 MPH in 2.5 seconds.
Aston Martin reportedly scraps plans for its all-electric Rapide E
For years, Aston Martin has been promising an all-electric Rapide E. After one false start, the automaker said it would begin making the EV in 2019. Now, a source close to the firm tells Autocar that the Rapide E will not go into production. Instead, it will become a research project.
Volkswagen begins pre-production of its ID.3 EV in China
Just days after Volkswagen showed off the first all-electric ID.3 produced at its Zwickau plant in Germany, the company announced that it has entered pre-production in China, too. Like the Zwickau factory, the new plant in Anti, Shanghai, will produce all-electric vehicles on Volkswagen's MEB platform, a modular design that's built for battery packs of varying sizes.
NASA will soon start testing its first all-electric X-plane
The first all electric X-plane, the X-57 Mod II, has arrived at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center in California and is now ready to undergo some rigorous testing. X-planes are the aircraft the agency uses to test and evaluate new technologies -- NASA plans to put this plane's electric propulsion system through testing, with the intention of sharing "valuable lessons learned along the way" in order "to inform the growing electric aircraft market."
Norway’s first battery-powered plane crashed into a lake
Norway's first battery-powered airplane crashed into a lake yesterday, Reuters reports. While no one was harmed in the crash, the incident could be a set back for the country, which hopes to electrify all domestic flights by 2040.
Porsche plans to electrify its best-selling Macan SUV
Porsche has announced that it will electrify the next-generation Macan, which will become its first all-electric compact SUV. The EV version of the Macan, which is Porsche's best-selling vehicle with over 90,000 sold in 2018, will go into production "early in the next decade," the company said. It will become the third EV in its lineup, after the Taycan sedan (aka the Mission E concept) and the Cross Turismo, which will go into production in 2019 and 2020, respectively.
All Volvo cars will be electric or hybrid within two years
Volvo is best known for building cars that are safe and beloved by flower children, but it now has a new distinction. Every car it unveils by 2019 will have an electric motor, either as an all-electric EV, plug-in hybrid or hybrid, making it the first major automaker to stop selling cars with only gas or diesel engines. "This announcement marks the end of the solely combustion engine-powered car," said Volvo Cars CEO Håkan Samuelsson in a statement.
Toyota RAV4 EV hits California roads on September 24th with 103-mile range
Toyota had said its all-electric RAV4 would be ready to tour the California streets at some point "late summer," and with the warmest of seasons coming to an end, the Japanese company's declared September 24th as the date the SUV will go on sale. What's more, today's press release reveals the RAV4 EV boasts a brilliant 103-mile range and 78 MPGe (miles per gallon equivalent), which, as Autoblog points out, makes this the first non-Tesla-branded EV with an EPA rating of 100-plus miles. If all that is still not enough for you to shell out the $50,000 (not counting rebates and tax credits, of course), Toyota dealers are expected to offer a 36-month lease option for anyone in The Golden State who prefers a shorter-term commitment.
Tesla details service plans, software updates for Model S
So you drop $50,000+ on a Tesla Model S -- then what? The all-electric automaker offered some more details on what folks can expect in the ensuing years on its blog this week, detailing service plans and software updates, and what it'll all cost. On that latter point, you can expect to pay $600 for a basic one-year service plan, or opt for a four-year package that'll set you back $1900 -- on-site visits are available for an extra $100, or as part of a four-year, $2400 plan that includes unlimited on-site visits. To provide that service, Tesla has also announced that it's nearly tripling its number of service centers, which it says will mean there's a service center within 100 miles of more than 90 percent of Model S reservation holders. What's more, it's also offered some details on what those owners will see in future software updates, including an optional "creep" mode that will mimic the slow, forward roll of a car with an automatic transmission. You can find more details and a full list of service centers at the links below.
Artega fails to sell auto business, files for bankruptcy
As things seem to be incredibly promising at Tesla Motors' California headquarters, the situation for a competitor on the other side of the world is growing quite grim. Artega, which reached our hearts at the Geneva Motor Show just last year with its beautiful all-electric SE sports car, has filed for bankruptcy after failing to sell the company to "an Asian investor." Meanwhile, Artega will continue the search for business partners, and will keep running its German operation with 34 employees. The news is disappointing to say the least, especially with Tesla's Roadster dropping from production in 2011. Hit up the source link below for a (German-language) explanation, directly from Artega.
Production R8 e-tron sets lap record at Nürburgring, Audi gains more EV bragging rights
Suffice it to say, Audi's been garnering loads of press these past weeks for its e-tron vehicles. Hot on the heels of its recent, R18 e-tron-led victory at the 24-hour Le Mans, the automaker has set a world-record for production EVs at Germany's Nürburgring. Using an all-electric R8 production model, driver Markus Winkelhock zipped around the 12.92-mile course with a lap time of 8:09.099. For comparison's sake, the fastest lap by a gasoline-powered production car of about seven minutes and 57 12 seconds is currently held by the Gumpert Apollo Sport -- which just-so-happens to use an 700 hp (515 kW) Audi V8 motor. According to Audi, the R8 used is essentially identical to what will be released to the public later this year, featuring two electric motors that pump out 280kW of power and 820Nm of torque. That said, Autoblog notes that its limiter was set to 155 mph (250 kph) -- when you can buy one it'll be set to top out at 125 mph (200 kph). Hit up the press release after the break for all the details. Update: We incorrectly mixed up mph with kph on the max speeds. We've adjusted the numbers.
Mercedes reportedly scraps hybrid plan for B-Class E-Cell Plus EV, going all-in on electrons with Tesla
Mercedes' plans for a B-Class E-Cell Plus plug-in hybrid might headed for a change of direction. Take this all with a spoonful of NaCl, but looks like an all-electric powertrain made by none other than Tesla will be installed in the EV. As Autoblog Green notes, an anonymous spokesperson has reportedly claimed that the system switch-up is being made due to economics -- higher rebates and incentives are possible for zero-emission vehicles in the EV's US target market. No technical details were given on the new powertrain, but the original idea was to have a Volt-like 138-horsepower electric powerplant for the B-Class compact, with a 67-horsepower gas engine backing it up. At the very least, a collaboration between the two companies would make sense, since the Stuttgart automaker is effectively a five percent stakeholder in Tesla. So if you've been holding out for an EV with the Merc touch, check the source for the details.
Tesla Model S rolls by the EPA, keeps on going, and going
Sometimes all you want are just the cold hard numbers. With electric vehicles, this means EPA rating. The Tesla Model S just got officially measured up, and scored a reasonable MPGe of 89 (combined), 88 (city) and 90 (highway), plus an impressive single charge range of 265 miles. This isn't all that far off the manufacturer's own (albeit optimistic) early estimates. To get that range, you'll have to trump up $69,900 for the fully loaded, 85-kWh battery totin' version, but if you're planning that once-in-a-lifetime journey, it's probably money well spent.
Tesla publishes Model S efficiency and range stats, expects 350 highway miles per charge
We've spent our fair share of time behind the dash of Tesla's gorgeous Model S, though there hasn't been an opportunity to push the all-electric vehicle to its limits on the fuel battery front. The sedan still isn't quite ready for a full-on range test, but the manufacturer has provided a teaser in the form of some updated stats, with a line graph demonstrating consistent improvements over the Roadster. Assuming constant highway travel at speeds of 50-70 miles-per-hour, the Model S is expected to continue rolling for 250-350 miles on a single charge, with the car possibly exceeding 400 miles at slower speeds (think 35 mph and below, but still on the highway). There's an 85 kWh battery on board (compared to 55 kWh on the Roadster), and despite taking a massive hit for size and weight, the Model S only consumes about 10 percent more power than its more-svelte sibling. Those figures apply to the mph listed above, and speed demons can expect to see a massive dive in range. Sounds like we can expect some fiery performance on the road -- just, hopefully not in the garage -- when the sedan begins making its way to customers next month, ahead of the original July ship proposal. Hop on past the break and hit up our source link for some nifty graphs, along with Tesla's findings in full.
