Electric Vehicles & Cars - Page 12

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.

Japanese automaker Honda recently confirmed the 2023 Civic Type R hatch vehicle, the most powerful Honda production vehicle ever sold in the U.S., is now shipping to dealerships. Honda hopes auto buyers will be impressed by the Type R, as it's promoted as the "pinnacle" of speed and driving pleasure.

Type R has a turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine capable of producing 315 horsepower with 310 lb-ft of torque. Engine cooling was improved with a new large-diameter fan, larger grille opening, and a bigger radiator - and the active exhaust is able to open at higher rpm to enhance the roar of the engine.

Drivers can use four different pre-set performance settings that include: Comfort, Sport, R+ Mode, and a custom "individual mode." The car has an EPA MPG rating of 22 city, 28 highway, and 24 combined, Honda confirmed in an announcement earlier in the year.

Japanese automaker Toyota will have its 2023 Crown model available in early 2023, with the sedan promoted with bold styling, premium control and an elevated ride height for drivers.

Toyota will release three hybrid grades: XLE, Limited, and Platinum, with all of them shipping standard with all-wheel drive. Buyers will be able to choose from the Toyota Hybrid System (THS) or Hybrid MAX - the Hybrid Max features 340 horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque.

The XLE and Limited grades have an electronically controlled Continuously Variable Transmission (eCVT) while the Platinum grade features a direct shift six-speed automatic transmission.

Luxury automaker Mercedes-AMG's new C 63 S E Performance model is available in an exclusive F1 Edition. Interested buyers will need to make a purchase sooner rather than later, as it's only available for one year.

Mercedes-AMG didn't make any mechanical changes for the F1 Edition - a 2.0-liter, the 4-cylinder turbocharged petrol-hybrid powertrain provides 671 horsepower and a maximum torque of 1,020 Nm.

The car has a manufacturer alpine grey uni paint finish with foiling on the car flanks that feature the AMG logo with a grey to black color gradient. The F1 Edition has definitely been designed to give the sedan and wagon a visual pop to go along with the superior driving experience.

Italian luxury automaker Lamborghini took its Urus Performante Super SUV on a tour around Europe, visiting different cities to present it to the press and potential customers. The vehicle made stops in London, Mainz, Milan, and Paris, with guests able to speak with Lamborghini representatives and product experts.

The Urus Performante has 666 CV and 490 kW power, with a top speed of 190 mph - and accelerates 0-62 mph in 3.3 seconds. The car accelerates 0-124 mph in just 11.5 seconds. The 4.0-liter 8-cylinder turbocharged engine is extremely demanding and drivers will only get 16 miles per gallon fuel efficiency.

A connected navigation service offers drivers real-time travel, route, and destination updates, with a number of features, including online smart routing, first/last mile navigation, traffic light information, and other capabilities. In addition, the Urus Performante offers mobile functionality to receive vehicle status reports while owners can remotely lock and unlock the doors, activate horn and lights, and analyze trip statistics.

United Airlines and Jaguar North America have created a gate-to-gate airport transfer service that utilizes an all-electric fleet to ferry passengers at the airport. United expects around 60 trips per day to shuttle more than 1,000 United passengers per day as part of the joint program at select major airports.

The program is available to select MileagePlus Premier members, starting at the Chicago O'Hare International Airport - travelers can ride in the 2023 Jaguar I-PACE HSE between their connecting aircraft. Expansion to airports in Denver, Houston, Newark/New York, Washington D.C., San Francisco, and Los Angeles is expected before the end of the year.

The Jaguar I-PACE HSE is a five-seat SUV with up to almost 250 miles of electric range - and includes Amazon Alexa connectivity and infotainment enhancements available if time allows.

German automaker BMW recently announced some changes expected for the 2023 BMW R 1250 R Roadster, a model based on the successful BMW naked boxer roadster model. This latest model is packed with features to make it a comfortable ride that uses technology to provide a sporty, but efficient ride experience for riders and a passenger.

BMW decided to make 2022 optional features standard in the 2023 model, listening to feedback from owners - and making changes based on rider feedback.

The R1250 R is powered by a 136 horsepower engine with 105 lb-ft torque to support three standard riding modes. The 2-cylinder air/liquid-cooled boxer engine features ABS Pro standard, along with dynamic brake control (DBC), which also ships standard with the base model.

The European Union will ban the sale of new gas or diesel-powered cars starting from 2035, as European nations look to fight climate change. This ban will also usher consumers towards electric vehicles at a faster pace, with automakers working to develop EV cars, trucks, and SUVs.

EU countries and the European Parliament were reportedly expected to make some kind of announcement, but it was unknown when. This is a major effort to reduce carbon emissions and because it's the EU's three major institutions, automakers will have no choice but to fall in line with the decision.

Smaller automakers that manufacture less than 10,000 vehicles each year have the option of negotiating for an extra year, and then would be required to meet the zero-emission law. Although most automakers already have cleantech programs that largely focus on EVs - and it's a global effort among major manufacturers in Japan, Korea, Germany, and the United States.

The Ford F-150 Lightning said the automaker's first all-electric pickup truck can travel 0-60 mph in 4.5 seconds, though that number is now less than 4 seconds, according to Ford CEO Jim Farley. Here is a recent Tweet that he sent out:

Once it was released, drivers found they were able to accelerate 0-60 mph faster than the 4.5 seconds expected - even though Ford never confirmed an actual drive time. However, it's extremely plausible the extended-range battery-equipped F-150 Lightning can hit 0-60 mph time in 3.8 or 3.9 seconds. It's always a welcome change when car buyers find their vehicle has even better range and speed than initially promoted by the manufacturer.

The extended range was initially believed to support 480km driving capacity, but that figure has now been bumped to 515km.

Japanese automaker Acura has arrived at dealerships with a few extra add-ons and a higher starting price tag. The crossover's price tag will start at $750 more than it did for the 2022 model, though that is a common trend among automakers due to inflation and supply chain problems as of late.

The 2023 5-passenger RDX will reach drivers with three years of AcuraLink services at no additional cost. The solution is an app that connects your vehicle to your smartphone and lets you use Alexa-enabled devices to control features of the driving experience. It's also possible to turn the Acura into a Wi-Fi hotspot thanks to the AcuraLink and AT&T.

The AcuraLink also has Security and Remote Packages able to remotely lock and unlock doors, start and turn off an engine, and find a vehicle if the driver forgot where it is - or it's been stolen.

French automaker Renault recently showed off the Renault 4Ever Trophy full-electric SUV that is still a couple of years away from the open market. The publicly available production version is expected for release sometime in 2025.

The original Renault 4, also dubbed the 4L, was a small economy car that was manufactured from 1961 until 1994. Needless to say, the car market has undergone just a bit of technological advancement since 1994, and Renault hopes to impress consumers with its EV SUV. The electric compact SUV will be built in France and assembled on the CMF-BEV platform for B-segment EVs.

The 4EVER Trophy has a cube-shaped upper silhouette that features rounded corners - and should be rather nostalgic for fans of the older Renault 4. The hatchback was added to provide a more spacious interior able to provide multipurpose functionality. Drivers can expect round matrix LED headlamps blended into the bare sides and wings that cover the wheel arches - Renault was careful to design every side and edge on the vehicle to be honed and exact.

Japanese automaker Honda plans to rejuvenate the midsize sedan market with the 2023 Honda Accord hybrid, providing better performance and sleek styling. Although we'll have to wait for specific details about the car until next month, Honda has released a few teaser images that give us a glimpse of what is expected during the company's press event.

As noticed in the picture of the rear portion of the Accord, the upcoming model has LED taillights that stretch further than previous models. The framed look is from the lights spread across the back of the car but ending short of the Honda badge on both sides.

The upcoming Accord is the 11th generation of the Honda midsize sedan and features a 12.3-inch touchscreen and full integration of Google for better connectivity. The screen is the largest that Honda has ever used in any of its vehicles, according to the company, and it does look to be sufficient for the interior of the car. As displayed on the infotainment screen, the Play Store and Google voice assistant will be accessible for driver and passenger use - and there is a physical audio on/off and volume control knob available.

American electric vehicle maker Lucid has recently launched a line of Lucid vehicle accessories designed specifically for its premier Lucid Air car model. The 2022 Lucid Air starts at $87,400 with the Pure trim, but can drastically go up in price with the Grand Touring Performance trim available for $179,000.

The couple of accessories that can be installed on top of the car were carefully designed to make sure aerodynamics didn't significantly hurt the Lucid Air's range capacity.

The Connected Home Charging Station is the first at-home charging station available from Lucid, which supports 19.2 kW of power - and provides up to 80 miles of driving range per hour it's connected. Lucid confirmed the Lucid Connected Home Charging Station can be purchased for $1,200.

American electric automaker Tesla is reportedly under criminal investigation related to self-driving claims, according to a report from Reuters.

The probe by the U.S. Department of Justice was launched sometime in 2021, due to crashes stemming from the Autopilot driver assistance system. The DoJ cites over a dozen crashes, including some fatal incidents, and the automaker needs to do a better job promoting current driving programs to car owners.

Recently, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the "full self-driving" software will make it possible for owners to travel "to your work, your friend's house, to the grocery store without you touching the wheel." This type of wording is one of the reasons Tesla has come under fire for confusing drivers to the full capability of what is currently available to them while on the road.