Polestar won’t officially debut its next EV until this fall, but the company has shared initial pricing information. Earlier this week, Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath said the Polestar 3 would start at €75,000 and top out at around €110,000, reports Automotive News Europe (via Autoblog). With the current parity between the euro and dollar, the automaker’s first electric SUV could cost between $75,700 and $111,000 when it arrives in the US.

Of course, with Polestar 3 production not slated to start until early 2023, the exchange rate could tip back in favor of the euro, but Ingenlath’s comments give us an idea of where the automaker plans to position the EV. A $75,000 price tag would put the base model Polestar 3 in about the same category as the Tesla Model Y and Rivian R1S, which before incentives cost $69,990 and $72,500 in their respective Performance and Explore trims. Meanwhile, you’re looking at a car in Model X territory with the top-end model.

There’s still a lot we don’t know about the Polestar 3’s specs, but the company has said the SUV would feature the same dual-motor powertrain as the Polestar 2 and a 372-mile range. Polestar also shared that it plans to produce the vehicle in the US partially. We’ll likely learn more about the SUV before its October debut.

Hyundai's Ioniq lineup of EVs launched just a couple years ago but the wild and varied styling quickly caught the public's imagination. Now for "N-Day," the company has unveiled two new concept vehicles under the Ioniq N performance brand ("N" for "Never Just Drive"), that take that design theme even farther.

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The RN22e is an electric performance car with the RN signifying "rolling lab" and N concept, according to Hyundai. It clearly uses the Ioniq 6's body, but also has the same E-GMP battery and motor platform common to the Ioniq series. As a performance concept, though, it uses the maximum spec available, similar to the Kia's EV6 GT — dual motors that put out a combined 577 horsepower and 546 pound-feet of torque, powered by a 77.4 kWh battery. It also has racing upgrades like four-piston brake calipers and 15.75-inch rotors. 

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The "rolling lab" moniker means there's some experimental stuff going on, too. Hyundai is testing out ways to use regenerative braking to change the car's handling, much as you would use torque steering in an all-wheel-drive vehicle. And since one complaint about EVs is that they lack the powerful sounds and feel of ICE cars, Hyundai is using something called N Sound+ to apply artificial noises and even vibrations through the chassis. 

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The Hyundai N Vision 74 electric/hydrogen concept, meanwhile, could not be more different. As the name suggests, it's based on the 1974 Hyundai Pony Coupe concept designed by Giorgetto Giugiario. It also borrows from the more recent Pony 45 concept with similar pixelated lights and other features. 

As the huge wing and racy looks suggest, the N Vision 74 has an even badder spec sheet. Two rear electric motors output 670 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque, while also allowing for torque vectoring. Along with the 62.4-kWh battery pack, it carries a 4.2-kg (10 pound) hydrogen fuel tank with an 85-kWh fuel-cell stack. That would offer a total range of around 373 miles, Hyundai said. 

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The N Vision 74 looks more like a way to test concepts and styling rather than anything Hyundai will ever produce. However, the RN22e certainly looks like a feasible performance version of the Ioniq 6 for those who dig the egg-like styling. Concepts aside, though, Hyundai is planning to release its first performance N-brand production vehicle next year with the Ioniq 5 N, spied earlier this year in camouflage. 

While Tesla, Ford and GM all (very publicly) vie for the top spot in the American electric vehicle market, Hyundai has quietly built a powerhouse lineup of EVs that threatens to surpass them all. On Wednesday (Thursday in Korea), Hyundai Motor Group officially unveiled the Ioniq 6, a streamlined sedan that offers an estimated 610km (380 mile) range and an intelligent interior that George Jetson would mistake for magic.

The Ioniq 6, like the other iterations of the Ioniq lineup, is built atop Hyundai's e-GMP platform. As such, the 6 is outfitted with an industry-leading 800V electrical architecture enabling a 10-80 charge in just 18 minutes.

It will be available with either a standard 55kWh battery pack or an optional 77.4kWh pack, equivalent to what the Kia EV6 and Polestar 2 offer. Combined with a miniscule 0.21 drag coefficient (which is also one of the best on the market), the Ioniq 6 is expected to top 610 km on a single charge. And like the Ioniq 5, the 6 also offers V2L capabilities, enabling it to charge your house, accessories and even other vehicles.

Its exceedingly aerodynamic exterior, available in a dozen different colors, has been likened to that of an Apple Mouse come to life — like someone shortened the back of Mercedes-Benz’ ambitious AVTR Concept and gave it a duck lip. And optional 20-inch rims.

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Drivers will have the option between RWD and AWD (2- and 4-motor) variants. Per Hyundai, the AWD will output 239 kW (320HP) with 605 Nm of torque and hit 60 from a standstill in 5.1 seconds. You’ll have to opt for the small battery RWD model to achieve maximum efficiency and get the sub-14 kWh/100 km WLTP-estimated energy consumption.

Drivers will be able to tightly customize their preferred driving experience using the Ioniq 6’s EV Performance Tune-up system. Dial in everything from steering effort and motor power, to accelerator pedal sensitivity and driveline mode. You can also group various aspect settings into quick selectable packages — like a loadout in Call of Duty, or Focus Modes in iOS.

"Our engineers have worked hard to deliver a car with human-centric purposeful features to ensure a completely stress-free driving experience with its focus on design sustainability, technology, and usability," Thomas Schemera, Hyundai EVP of Product and Strategy, said during a recent press call.

Its "cocoon-inspired" interior has been built as a “comfy and personalized hideaway” where, according to the company’s launch video, people can take naps, bang out some light coding or office work and even conduct livestreams to their myriad social media followers — or, in reality, will serve as a quiet place to cry during lunch breaks. (Phil is a terrible manager and he doesn’t deserve your efforts, you should just quit.)

Hyundai

To get you back into the mood before your next shift starts, the Ioniq 6 will offer Dual Color Ambient Lighting which lets the driver select from 64 shades and a half dozen preset themes and tint their vehicle’s interior to their taste. The Relaxation Comfort Seats are optional but are designed specially for electric vehicles and are therefore 30 percent thinner than those used in gas vehicles. When combined with a completely flat floor (look Ma, no driveshaft!) and elongated 2,950-mm wheelbase, the Ioniq 6 should provide, "more space for passengers but without compromised to comfort," Schemera said. It’ll also offer four type-C and one type-A USB ports in the front cabin to keep your various live streaming gadgets fully charged.

The interior features a 12-inch full-touch infotainment display and 12-inch digital cluster, which provide real-time travel radius mapping to inform the driver how far they’ll be able to go on the charge they have remaining. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are both standard, as is Bluetooth multi-connection — meaning you can wirelessly connect two devices to play through the 8-speaker Bose sound system.

While Hyundai (quite responsibly) does not claim any semblance of "self-driving" capability, the Ioniq 6 does feature a slew of Level 2 driver assist functions as part of the Hyundai SmartSense ADAS. That includes Highway Driving Assist, Smart Cruise Control, and Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist all of which operate around the same theme of keeping you from smashing headfirst into other vehicles. The higher trim packages will also offer Junction Crossing, Lane-Changing Oncoming and Lane-Changing Side features, which will work to keep other vehicles from smashing headfirst into you at intersections. Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist will keep you from smashing headfirst into obstacles you can’t even see.

Intelligent Speed Limit Assist and High Beam Assist will ensure that you don’t speed but do turn down your high beams. The 6 will even watch you watch the road and issue a Driver Attention Warning if you start nodding off. Parking assist, cross traffic/parking collision avoidance and safe exit warnings are also available. Hyundai plans to continually tweak and update the Ioniq 6’s features through OTA updates.

Pricing has yet to be announced for the Ioniq 6, though production is slated to begin in Q3 2022. Stay tuned, Hyundai will make the Ioniq 6’s official American introduction in November.

Ford has issued a recall for certain 2020 to 2022 model Corsair, Escape and Maverick hybrid vehicles over concerns that they could catch fire. According to UPI, the recall affects 100,689 vehicles in the US, all with 2.5-liter hybrid and plug-in hybrid electric engines. The automaker told the news agency that in the event of an engine failure, the affected vehicles could release a significant amount of engine oil and fuel vapor. Both substances could then accumulate near the vehicles' ignition sources and cause a fire under the hood or melt the components inside. 

Ford said engine failures involving the recalled vehicles are caused by isolated manufacturing issues. The company added it hasn't received any reports of injuries or accidents associated with the problems that compelled it to issue a recall. The automaker has already notified dealers about its decision, and owners are slated to be notified by August 8th. Dealers will fix recalled vehicles when owners turn them in by modifying their under-engine shields and active grille shutters. 

Last month, Ford also recalled 49,000 Mach-E EVs, citing concerns about the possibility of their high-voltage battery connectors overheating. In that particular case, the issue could prevent the vehicle from starting or cause them to lose propulsion power while on the road. Unlike the hybrid vehicles that have to be physically modified, the recalled Mach-Es only need an over-the-air software update that Ford rolled out a few days ago to fix the issue. 

Every new car sold in the European Union will soon include anti-speeding technology known as intelligent speed assistance, or ISA. The EU regulation (part of the broader General Vehicle Safety Regulation) goes into effect today, and states that all new models and types of cars introduced to the European market must include an ISA system. The policy doesn’t apply to any new cars that are in showrooms today — at least, not yet. By July 2024, every new car sold in the EU must have a built-in anti-speeding system.

“The roll out of ISA is a huge step forward for road safety and has the potential to dramatically reduce road traffic injuries and fatalities. Car manufacturers now have the opportunity to maximise the potential ISA presents for creating safer roads for all,” said the European Commission in a press release.

For those unfamiliar with ISA, the term describes a whole raft of systems that can detect road speed limits via front-mounted cameras, GPS data or both. Depending on the specific ISA and how it's configured by the driver, the technology can provide reminder feedback about the speed limit, automatically adjust cruise control to match the road's speed or even reduce power to the motor to slow speeding vehicles.

Many drivers in Europe are already using ISA-equipped vehicles, and major automakers such as Honda, Ford, Jeep and Mercedes-Benz sell certain models with these systems in the European market. According to a projection by the EU-funded PROSPER, a scenario such as this one, where ISA becomes mandated, could result in between 26 and 50 percent fewer fatalities.

As Autocar notes, ISA technology still isn’t perfect. During one test, the ISA system was occasionally “slow to respond” and at one point set the speed limit at 60 mph while driving through a quiet English village.

Toyota is the latest automaker to run out of US federal tax credits and it will join Tesla and GM in losing access to the $7,500 subsidy. The company surpassed the qualifying sales threshold for EVs and hybrids in June, as Bloomberg reports.

The government limited each carmaker to 200,000 EV tax credits, though Toyota and other companies have been lobbying for that cap to be lifted. Toyota says losing the credit will mean its EVs are more expensive for consumers, which will slow the transition away from combustion-engine cars to EVs.

However, Toyota and Tesla have pushed back on a Biden administration plan to grant extra credits to unionized carmakers. GM, Ford and Stellantis (the parent of Fiat and Chrysler) have unionized plants. The Build Back Better Act, which passed through the House but stalled in the Senate, also included extra credits for cars made entirely in the US.

As things stand, Toyota's tax credits will be phased out gradually over a one-year period. Bloomberg notes that the value of the subsidy will be halved twice before it expires. However, Toyota will still be able to take advantage of incentives at the state level.

Tesla has introduced a software update that allows its vehicles to scan for potholes, broken pavement and other defects, Electrek has reported. It can then use that to generate "rough road map data," and trigger the adaptive suspension in supported vehicles to adjust the ride height for more comfort. 

Back in 2020, Musk tweeted that such a feature was coming, and this appears to be the first step. "This adjustment may occur at various locations, subject to availability, as the vehicle downloads rough road map data generated by Tesla cars," the release notes state. That means pothole and other data should become increasingly refined as Tesla vehicles ply the roads. 

The ride adjustment will only work in Tesla Model S and Model X cars with adaptive suspensions, Elektrek notes. It's not clear if the Model 3 or Y vehicles also scan for rough roads, even if they lack the adaptive suspension to benefit from the data. Both the Model 3 and the Model S have eight cameras in total. 

To enable the feature you'll need the latest update 2022.20, then you tap "Controls > Suspension > Adaptive Suspension Damping, and select the Comfort or Auto setting," Tesla notes, adding that "the instrument cluster will continue to indicate when the suspension is raised for comfort."

Tesla isn't the first automaker to think up pothole scanning technology. Some manufacturers like Ford have proposed features that even detect individual potholes and instantly damp the suspension, for example. Tesla's system could be far more practical, though, by simply softening the ride parameters over known patches of rough road. 

Germany’s Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt traffic regulator is calling on Tesla to recall more than 59,000 vehicles over a software issue. On June 29th, the KBA published a notice on its website notifying Model Y and 3 owners of a bug with the eCall safety system on those cars, according to Reuters. The glitch prevents the tool from automatically calling first responders in the event of a serious accident.

The KBA said the problem affects 59,129 vehicles globally, including Model Y crossovers manufactured at the automaker’s recently opened Berlin Gigafactory. German media first reported on the notice on Saturday.

Before this week, three of the 11 recalls Tesla issued this year involved a software bug. Most recently, the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced a recall involving approximately 130,000 vehicles over a glitch that could cause the infotainment system in 2021 and 2022 Tesla cars to overheat. The news of a new safety issue comes after Tesla reported a nearly 18 percent decline in vehicle deliveries on Saturday.

General Motors has only been producing up to a dozen electric Hummers a day in its Detroit factory, according to The Wall Street Journal, and that's far from ideal when the automaker has over 70,000 reservations. As The Drive notes, it would take GM 17 years to be able to fulfill all its orders at that pace. A GM spokesperson told The Journal, though, that the company's output will increase sharply in the second half of the year. They said production has been slower than usual for the vehicle, because it was developed from scratch and was built on top the company's new Ultium EV platform. The global supply chain shortage that's been affecting the tech and auto industries may have also contributed to the issue. 

In the coming months, the automaker expects to fulfill deliveries at a much faster pace, particularly after it switches from using outsourced LG battery cells. GM aims to start manufacturing its own battery cells later this summer in its new factory in Ohio built in partnership with LG. The company has been building multiple Ultium factories in the US over the past year, including one in Tennessee and another in Michigan in addition to its Ohio plant, as part of its efforts to achieve its goal of making more than a million EVs in the US every year by the end of 2025. One of its short-term goals, however, is likely being able to supply the batteries its Hummer EVs need. That battery makes up a third of the vehicle's weight, The Drive says, and is made up of materials that are high in demand. 

The spokesperson said:

"Our ability to satisfy that demand is only going to improve as we bring on vertical integration of battery cell production. You can expect to see hundreds of deliveries grow to thousands later this year."

GM didn't give out exact numbers, so those at the bottom of the waiting list may have a long wait ahead of them still. That said, they're not alone in waiting for their new EVs and hybrids to be delivered. Ford recently told customers who reserved a hybrid Maverick for 2022 that it's experiencing product delays due to the supply chain shortage and that they could convert their reservation into one for the 2023 model if they wish. The automaker also decided to invest more money and to close `orders for all F-150 Lightning and Mustang Mach-E EV models due to the massive demand for them. 

Luxury automakers can’t phone in an EV. Especially now as the electric vehicle market matures, it’s no longer a case that a car is a “good EV” but instead a “good car that happens to be an EV.” Cadillac seems to have gotten the message as it drops the Lyriq into an increasingly crowded luxury electric SUV field and may have delivered one of its best vehicles ever.

The 2023 Lyriq is the first electric vehicle from the automaker based on GM’s Ultium battery platform. Upon that, Cadillac built a luxury EV that has the fit and finish you’d expect from the automaker combined with a polished ride and almost eerily quiet interior. Toss in over 300 miles of a range and a starting price of around $60,000 and Cadillac is ready to take on the current crop of EVs. Watch the video below for the full story.