Electric Vehicles & Cars News - Page 18

American automaker Dodge is ready to help send the Challenger and Charger models off into the sunset, announcing six "Last Call" editions for car buyers to choose from. The 2023 models will be the last versions of each car, with Dodge discontinuing them as the automaker continues a transition toward electric vehicles.

The Dodge Last Call models include the following: Dodge Challenger Shakedown, Dodge Charger Super Beer, Dodge Challenger, and Charger Scat Pack Swinger, Dodge Charger King Daytona, and the Dodge Challenger Black Ghost.

Dodge has rolled out almost all the 2023 Dodge Challenger and Dodge Charger models to dealerships, including the entry-level SRT Jailbreak automatic and manual transmission editions.

American electric vehicle manufacturer Rivian has all-electric SUV and pickup truck models available, with feedback continuing to cover how each vehicle runs on the street.

The R1S is an all-wheel drive (AWD) vehicle that can accelerate 0-60 mph in just 3 seconds, and tow up to 7,700 pounds. The dual-motor AWD features a single motor located on the front and rear axles, with power integrated towards a single drive unit.

During a trial run, Car and Driver found some of the perks and downsides of the R1S - "blistering acceleration, attractive inside and out, capable off-road," but with "occasionally stiff ride and wonky dynamics, disappointing real-world range, nosebleed PR."

US automaker General Motors hopes to entice traditional truck drivers with its 2024 Sierra EV Denali Edition 1, a more luxurious offering than the GMC Hummer EV. Interestingly, GMC is going to roll out the most expensive Sierra EV version first, then release lower-priced models at a later date.

Although the GMC Hummer EV and Chevrolet Silverado EV share similar technologies, its more familiar pickup shape and other features may make it more enticing.

The Denali Edition 1 has 754 horsepower and 785 lb-ft of torque along with an estimated 400 miles of range on a full charge. In addition, fast charging will make it possible to add 100 miles of drive capacity in just 10 minutes.

Popular auto resource Edmunds took the Rivian R1T and Ford F-150 Lightning electric vehicle pickup trucks and wanted to test their actual towing capacity. During the test at Truck Mania in Sacramento, California, the test involved a pull of a 30,000-pound sled.

During the test, the driver seemed impressed with the results from each drive, even though there is clearly some work left to do later down the road.

The Rivian R1T has 835 horsepower with 908 lb-ft of torque and quad electric motors, while the F-150 Lightning has 580 hp and 775 lb-ft of torque with its dual electric motors. The Rivian has a max towing capacity of 11,000 pounds max tow capacity and the F-150 Lightning has a 100,000 max tow capacity.

German automaker Sono Motors will bring its Sion solar electric vehicle to the United States and recently completed a multi-city coast-to-coast US tour. The car had press stops in New York City, Boston, Detroit, San Francisco, San Jose, and Los Angeles - with Sono aiming to stir up interest in the US auto market.

The total range should provide 190 miles on a full charge, with solar power helping contribute around 5,400 miles per year - so drivers can expect around 10-15 miles per day of solar-powered driving. Of course, that's an average number daily, weather, parking location, and other factors could impact solar power generation.

The outer shell of the car has 456 solar half-cells and EV power is generated by a 54 kWh LFP battery. Almost 190 miles of range can be charged in a half hour using a Level 2 DC fast charger.

Electric vehicle automaker Lordstown Motors recently provided a couple of its Endurance all-electric truck to be tested in the midwest.

After driving two different Endurance pickups for 90 minutes, here is what Car and Driverthought of the experience:

"It clearly needs some final tweaks, but based on our limited driving, we'd say the Lordstown Endurance is approaching readiness for fleet-truck use. That presumes the assembly quality is high and the trucks hold up in the hands of early customers. Most important, it also assumes Lordstown can convince conservative, risk-averse fleet buyers they should not only buy EV pickup trucks but do so from a startup company."

Japanese automaker Toyota said its GAZOO Racing team has helped contribute towards an updated GR Supra GT4 race car for the upcoming 2023 season. The vehicle has enhanced braking, handling, and engine performance based on customer and driver feedback of previous models.

More than 50 GR Supra GT4 cars have participated in races since the first full racing season in 2020, with multiple national and international championship wins. To ensure it remains competitive, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing developed the EVO update for the 2023 season. There was a specific focus on improved handling, higher cornering speeds, and better braking.

The 3.0-liter, six-cylinder turbocharged engine has a better cooling system so drivers are able to focus on better lap times from the increased power and optimized engine torque.

Japanese automaker Nissan announced the 2023 Nissan GT-R is available in GT-R Premium and GT-R NISMO grades, but only to interested buyers with deep pockets. An aggressive design offers both aerodynamic performance and a visual appeal worth noting that helps this car stand out from competing models.

The GT-R Premium has 565 horsepower and the GT-R NISMO has 600 horsepower. The Nissan GT-R has a 3.8-liter V6 24-valve, twin-turbocharged engine that is hand-assembled.

The interior has a unique horizontal-flow dashboard that is covered in Nappa leather and lightweight seats for the driver and the front seat passenger. It should seem familiar to GT-R fans, though Nissan added Apple CarPlay support and a backup camera. Nothing was disclosed if Google's Android Auto will be supported at any point.

The fallout from Elon Musk's successful $44 billion acquisition of Twitter had an immediate impact while the world watches curiously. It looks like General Motors, an automotive rival of Tesla, has decided to pause advertising on the Twitter platform since Musk took over Thursday night.

Here is what GM had to say in an emailed statement to the media: "We are engaging with Twitter to understand the direction of the platform under their new ownership. As is normal course of business with a significant change in a media platform, we have temporarily paused our paid advertising. Our customer care interactions on Twitter will continue."

It's likely other advertisers will also jump ship, though Musk is working to reassure advertisers. The social media site relies on advertising, which accounted for 92% of Twitter's revenue during Q2 2022.

Japanese automaker Nissan will use its presence at the SEMA car show in November to show off a number of different concept vehicles. Of note, there will be a couple of electric vehicles that are quite unique, including a gas-to-EV conversion of a late '80s pickup truck.

Nissan took its 2023 Ariya all-electric crossover and gave it a wood panel-style body wrap and chrome trim. Take a look at it:

On behalf of Nissan, the Ariya Surfwagon was produced by the car customization group Tommy Pike Customs. The heavily customized Ariya has 20-inch wheels and polished stainless-steel center caps, white-wall tires, custom lowered suspension, and a custom roof rack able to carry two surfboards. The Surfwagon still has the functionality of a regular 2023 Nissan Ariya, with cosmetics as the main focus of the project.