Electric Vehicles & Cars News - Page 8

About 1 million Tesla owners are expected to get a significant upgrade to their sound system when the company rolls out a software update that enables Dolby Atmos.

According to an exclusive report from BGR, Tesla is currently working on an upcoming software update that will improve the sound quality of the vehicle's speakers. The publication spoke to an unnamed source that said the company has been working with major record labels for several months to fine-tune the software and make Dolby Atmos available in Tesla cars. Notably, the software update will be rolled out to 1 million Tesla vehicles that are on the road, and all newly manufactured Tesla cars will come with the software already installed.

For those that aren't familiar with Dolby Atmos, the software is a surround sound technology that is developed by Dolby Laboratories. The technology, originally designed for the cinema market, began to be implemented in 25 cinemas worldwide in 2012, and as of 2022, there are more than 10,000 Dolt Atmos-enabled cinemas. The software itself adds height channels that enable sounds to be interpreted as 3D objects, creating a more immersive surround sound experience with more accurate sound.

The 2023 Honda Civic Type R is something the Japanese automaker can be proud of. Although the engine is manufactured in the United States, the car itself is assembled in Japan. A recent Honda YouTube video shows the full assembly of the Civic Type R, so you can watch the process from start to finish.

Promoted as the most powerful production vehicle Honda has ever sold for the US market, the Civic Type R has a bit of extra boost. The turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine produces 315 hp with 310 lb-ft. of torque - with maximum of 4,000 rpm.

The car's body is pressed and welded to form the external panels, with the shell receiving a sprayed polyurethane top coat. The front fenders and rear door side panels and fenders doesn't need multiple pressings, thanks to quality design software simulations. When things such as the front and rear bumpers, doors, trunk, and hood are installed - Honda uses robotic automation to help ensure these pieces have been installed correctly. Before Honda ships anything overseas, a suspension alignment and other inspections are conducted.

The 2023 EarthRoamer SX is a beast designed to let people go camping or enjoy some rugged terrain, but with luxury included. Obviously won't be something most of us will have in our driveway, but customers that have some money to burn might be interested.

The SX is powered by a 6.6L Turbo Diesel Chevrolet 6500 4WD chassis, with the 6-speed transmission seizing 350 hp and 700 lb-ft. of torque. It also has a gross vehicle weight rating up to 23,500 lb.

The 43" military-grade Goodyear tires on Beadlock Rims are supported by an air ride suspension, custom road shocks, and anti-sway bars - all of which were specifically designed for EarthRoamer. Drivers can raise or lower each wheel and axle independently.

This particular 1967 Volkswagen Type 2 Bus has a unique story, as previous owners implemented engine swap from gas to electric. The new owner, however, decided to restore it with a gas-powered engine once again - and what a project it turned out to be.

Bring a Trailer received the bus in March 2021, acquired as a non-running electric vehicle project - and the current owner removed the electric drivetrain in favor of a 1,750cc flat-four engine with a four-speed manual transaxle. The engine has dual carburetors and a fuel system and engine bay sheet metal was added.

The dashboard instrumentation includes a speedometer with 80-mph max, fuel gauge, analog clock, and an odometer reading 63 miles - actual total mileage remains a mystery.

During the 2022 LA Auto Show, Vietnamese automaker VinFast unveiled the VF 6 and VF 7, two electric subcompact SUVs that will be available in the United States. These two new models will join the VF 8 and VF 9 midsize vehicles that VinFast announced last year - and is now shipping a small number to customers.

An Eco and Plus trim will be available for both the VF 6 and VF 7. The VF 6 Eco has 174 hp with 184 ft-lb. of torque, while the Plus trim has 201 hp with 228 ft-lb. of torque. Meanwhile, the VF 7 Eco has 201 hp with 228 ft-lb. of torque - the VF 7 Plus has a bit of extra power, with 349 hp and 368 ft-lb. of torque.

The VF 7 includes a front light bar with animated LED effects, a "muscular" rear stance with fender accents, and rear signature lights.

In case there is a zombie takeover or some other apocalyptic nightmare, 27North wants to have you prepared with the Ascender 30A.

27North chose the 2023 Ford F-550 4x4 because of the ideal chassis to customize to their liking. The 30A is powered with the 6.7L Power Stroke V8 turbo diesel engine - providing the power required to tow - and support the massive 16,000 lb truck.

The camper design includes a dining room, a kitchen including a cooktop, fridge, bed, and shower. When it's time to tidy up, campers can find a built-in vacuum cleaning system. A full 1200-watt solar charging system - using six solar panels - offers engine-driven back up.

This customized 1981 Ferrari 308 GTBi with a Honda K24 engine took 16 months to complete, but it really is something else. The car was shown off during SEMA Show 2022 at the start of November. Mike Burroughs originally set off to become the first person to complete a K-swap engine in a Ferrari. Here is a full look at the work done by StanceWorks:

As Burroughs told Jalopnik: "The car was super clean inside and out and in decent mechanical shape. I felt a little bad at first about cutting it up, but at the end of the day, there's a reason these cars are still among the cheapest Ferraris out there. They're gorgeous, but they're just not that good in stock form."

The custom "Ferrari 244 GTK" got rid of the 3.0-liter 8-cylinder original 308 engine and used Honda's supercharged 2.4-liter 4-cylinder K-series engine. Removing the engine with just 38,000 miles and switching to a 4-cylinder helped make the car significantly lighter.

Korean automaker Hyundai has shown off its N Vision 74 concept car, a car powered using a hydrogen fuel cell hybrid architecture.

The new concept is a throwback homage to the Hyundai Pony Coupe concept that was shown off in 1974 - and features such as the surfaces, dynamic-proportioned profile, B-pillar design, and other features have transferred to the new hybrid concept. Even though it never made a production car, it was a valuable learning experience for the Korean company.

The fuel cell can output up to 95 kW, and is mounted in the front, while the battery lowers height and center of gravity while located in the bottom. The hydrogen tank is 9.3 lbs. with a stack of net 85 kW - max of 95 kW - with a refueling time of five minutes. The concept car has a maximum speed of 155+ mph, with a 373+ driving range, according to Hyundai.

General Motors hopes modifications to its battery and vehicle assembly facilities will produce at least 1 million electric vehicles each year. The US automaker wants to have 30 EVs available to consumers by 2025 while trying to catch up to Tesla - on the sales charts and ability to produce vehicles.

It's hard to convince automakers to jump fully on board with EVs, as many automakers are manufacturing and selling EVs at a financial loss. However, GM plans to sell entry-level EVs for around $30,000, in addition to its higher-end luxury SUVs and trucks.

Hopefully, individual EV sales will provide "low- to mid-single digit" profits in three years, with GM able to benefit from costs spread over multiple new EV models. The automaker also shows hope for when the clean energy tax credits shared through US federal Inflation Reduction Act kick in.

German automaker Audi is sharing more details about the electric Audi S1 Hoonitron, a racecar designed for rally driver Ken Block. Audi recently shared how the custom car was built for Block, as part of "The journey to Electrikhana." Take a closer look at the one-of-a-kind S1 Hoonitron:

Block worked with the Audi Sport division to design an EV able to meet his unique driving needs. Inspiration from the 1980s led designers to create an aerodynamic vehicle with modern technology. The carmaker needed to create a car that can use features from rally and circuit racing - and successfully combine them in an EV platform.

The Audi S1 e-tron quattro Hoonitron drivetrain is all-wheel drive and fully electric - with front and rear axles powered by a motorsport. The front and rear axle electric power distribution can be adjusted to the driver's intended driving - with the electric motors able to reach upwards of a whopping 28,000 rpm. That's up to 3,000 Nm of torque individually on each axle.