Xiaomi has won a patent with the Chinese National Intellectual Property Administration detailing crash detection and automatic responses. The patent outlines how Xiaomi’s upcoming EV will be able to categorize a crash as level 1 or 2 and then automatically contact someone. The car will use three modules – Get, Determine, and Communication – to assess the situation. A level 1 accident includes a cracked windshield, damaged bumper, door or trunk, a fallen mirror, and so on. A level 2 accident includes cabin deformation, the vehicle being flipped, a fallen wheel, or deployment of… More…

Ford Motor Company has officially announced the acquisition of the energy solutions provider Auto Motive Power (AMP). By integrating AMP’s advanced charging technology, Ford aims to enhance the electric charging infrastructure and battery management systems for its fleet of electric vehicles. AMP, a company founded in Los Angeles in 2017, has developed hardware and software for an array of energy solutions, including EV charging systems, cloud-based services, and battery and energy management solutions. The startup claims that it powered most of the world’s top electric OEMs. With the… More…

The Chinese carmaker Chery has introduced a bold new EV concept with the lowest drag coefficient in the automotive world. The achieved Cd value is 0.168 with the design being inspired by the tuna fish. And for something inspired by the unsightly water dweller the concept looks pretty cool. It adopts a bionic-style design language with plenty of LEDs, including some on the rims. To achieve the impressive aerodynamic efficiency, Chery used AI-powered simulation with more than 2,000 optimization cases before it came to the final design. Chery’s concept With the increased… More…

In a significant stride towards enhancing the synergy between automobiles and smartphones, Volkswagen’s software entity, Cariad, has joined forces with Chinese phone maker vivo to push the boundaries of vehicle-smartphone integration. This alliance heralds a new chapter in the growing electric vehicle market, where digital convenience is fast becoming as prized as horsepower once was. Cariad and vivo created the Mobile & Mobility Fusion Joint Innovative Lab (M2 Lab) to bring the seamlessness of smartphone usage to smart cars. M2 Lab aims to pioneer software and hardware solutions… More…

In a bold stride into the electrified future, Fiat Professional has officially opened orders for its latest generation of commercial vehicles, including the E-Ducato, E-Doblò, and E-Scudo, along with their internal combustion engine counterparts. This move signifies a substantial pivot towards sustainable practices within the industry, offering a suite of options that blend traditional powertrains with cutting-edge electric ones, new design elements, and smart connectivity. Fiat E-Ducato The E-Ducato stands out with its in-house developed electric powertrain, boasting a 110-kWh… More…

Polestar now offers a Flexible Lease option in the US. It allows customers to terminate their lease after just five monthly payments or opt to continue the full 24 months. The Flexible Lease program applies to the new Polestar 2, Polestar 3, and the upcoming Polestar 4. The Flexible Lease program means you choose a period of ownership (24 months in this case), choose how many miles you’ll do yearly (7,500, 10,000, 12,000, or 15,000), choose a downpayment, and you’ll get a calculated monthly payment. After the term is over, you give the car back to Polestar and you move on to… More…

Tesla’s Cybertruck got another of its cool features revealed, a video showing its four-wheel steering system in a test run at Gigafactory Texas. This advanced steering is not new; it made its debut in the automotive industry over twenty years ago. However, its integration into electric vehicles, especially pickup trucks provides a usability boost that’s certainly worth getting excited about. GMC reintroduced the concept to the modern audience with the “crab mode” on its Hummer EV, demonstrating the utility of rear-wheel steering. What’s gripping about the Cybertruck’s version of… More…

Mercedes-AMG, the performance arm of the German automotive giant, is setting the stage for an electrifying future with the development of its first all-electric sports car, slated for a grand entrance in 2025. Aiming to rival the likes of the Porsche Taycan and Audi E-tron GT it will have a staggering 1,000 horsepower output, potentially becoming the most potent road car in the firm’s illustrious lineage. Poised to replace the V8-engined GT 63 4-Door Coupe, the upcoming AMG model won’t merely be an electric version of a current design but an entirely new breed of performance car. It’s set… More…

Volvo has began the hype campaign for its all-electric minivan, the EM90. As official unveiling nears, Volvo delivered a glimpse into the interior, which it says is a “Scandinavian living room” on wheels. The EM90’s stretches out over a length of 5,206 mm, a width of 2,024 mm, and a height of 1,859 mm. This size not only gives it a commanding presence on the road but also enables a spacious cabin that is the most expansive Volvo has ever offered. The vehicle’s dimensions nudge it just above the Mercedes EQV, in fact. Beneath the floor, lies the beating heart of the EM90 – a 272… More…

California’s very own Lucid Motors seems to be gearing up for an audio extravaganza. A fresh job listing on Lucid’s LinkedIn suggests they are on the lookout for a Senior Product Manager. This new recruit will be spearheading the integration of Apple and Amazon Music into the carmaker’s proprietary infotainment system. The job listing’s description hints that both the Air and the forthcoming Gravity SUV might soon be treated to in-built controls dedicated to these music streaming giants. However, Lucid isn’t entirely new to the Apple ecosystem. All Air EVs come equipped with both wired… More…

The Polestar 4, unveiled back in April for the Chinese market, is the vehicle with the lowest carbon impact at launch from the entire Polestar lineup. The brand just published its Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) for it, and the results are great. The Polestar 4 is made at Geely’s SEA factory in Hangzhou Bay, China. This plant combines green electricity that carries the I-REC hydro power certificate with photovoltaic electricity from its roof. The climate impact is further reduced during production by employing low-carbon aluminum from smelters using hydropower electricity, as the data… More…

Peugeot will use the Zurich Motor Show to show its EV, the Peugeot E-3008, to the general public. From today to 5, 2023, visitors will get the chance to see the E-3008 in the flesh for the first time. In an arguably more exciting development the company confirmed that in August 2024 we’ll see the E-5008 join its smaller sibling. Sharing the same dedicated EV STLA Medium platform, the E-5008 will be larger and feature a more traditional roofline, which is to say it will have far more trunk space. The 98 kWh battery will also carry over to the larger model, although it will likely come… More…

Ford announced a change in plans for its electric vehicle battery production. At the release of its third-quarter earnings, the company announced a delay in battery production for one of its new plants in Hardin County, Kentucky. Initially, Ford intended to commence production at both the Kentucky 1 and Kentucky 2 plants. However, as demand fell short of Ford’s predictions, production at the Kentucky 1 facility will proceed as planned in 2025, while Kentucky 2 will sit idling for a while after it’s constructed. The two Kentucky factories are the result of Ford’s collaboration with… More…

The second generation Skoda Enyaq will arrive in 2028 or 2029 and it will bring big changes compared to the current model. Skoda CEO Klaus Zellme told Autocar that the Skoda Enyaq MK2 will be the first of the brand to adopt VW’s new SSP platform – the same that will underpin the all-EV VW Golf and eventually 80% of VW Group cars. The next Enyaq will be built at the Mlada Boleslav factory in the Czech Republic – where the Enyaq is currently built – and will likely follow Skoda’s ‘Modern Solid’ design language. It means the MK2 Enyaq could look similar to the Skoda Vision 7S concept but… More…

The Tesla Cybertruck has again found itself under the spotlight. Tesla CEO Elon Musk used the latest episode on the “The Joe Rogan Experience” podcast to shed some light on this long-awaited electric pickup. Notably, manufacturing challenges remain formidable, but Tesla still projects to produce about 200,000 Cybertrucks annually when they hit peak production. This, interestingly, is a bit lower than Musk’s past optimistic estimate of up to 500,000 units a year and the most recent prediction of 250,000 in the company’s latest earnings. Podcast with the great and powerful @elonmusk #ad… More…

Leapmotor and Stellantis recently made a deal through which the latter will invest €1.5 billion in the former while in return getting a 20% share stake and access to its EV platform. We initially thought that would only be used in the Chinese market, where Stellantis doesn’t have a great market position at the moment. As it turns out, the deal was much more encompassing than just that. Starting late next year, Leapmotor will essentially become Stellantis’ affordable EV brand, first in Europe and then in other global markets too. Leapmotor C11 The two companies established a… More…

BYD has started pre-sales for the Song L – its shooting brake-style SUV. Previously, BYD had introduced the Denza N7 under its premium brand, which pioneered this style. The Song L starts at a tempting RMB 220,000 (or €28,000). That gets you the base single motor version with 550 km range and 150kW output. Upping the power to 230 kW or the range to 662 km means you’ll need to pay between RMB 240,000 (€30,800) and RMB 260,000 (€33,100). Above that there’s the dual motor AWD Song L with 380 kW power and 602 km range for RMB 280,000 (€35,400). In all cases the you get a car based… More…

StoreDot is promising to revolutionize EV batteries with its silicon-dominant XFC cells. These cells, according to the company, showed no signs of degradation even after undergoing 1,000 consecutive extreme fast charging cycles. The company ran extensive tests during which the battery was subjected to fast charging from 10% to 80% of its capacity within a mere 10-minute window. The other parts of the charging cycle – the first 10% and the last 20% – were executed using the more conventional 1C slower charging rate. That is to say the 0-100% charge took a total of 28 minutes. Dr. Doron… More…

BYD’s premium brand for the Chinese market, Yangwang, has just opened 22 stores in 21 cities across the country, all in one fell swoop. This is only the first batch of store openings – Yangwang plans to have more than 90 in total, in more than 40 cities by the end of the year. The stores are directly managed by the brand, these aren’t dealer-operated venues. Yangwang is all-in with the direct-to-customer sales model, unlike BYD itself which uses dealers in China. The stores opening today are located in Shanghai, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Hangzhou, Suzhou, and Qingdao. There are two types… More…