Polestar just offered a teaser of what might be its most important EV to date. The badge has provided its first good look (the last one was draped in a curtain) of the 3, its first SUV and its first US-made vehicle. The "premium" vehicle may be lightly disguised with QR code-like camouflage, but it looks like what you'd expect — it's a taller, roomier sibling to the 2 sedan. That's not necessarily a problem, though, and Polestar is betting on a few factors that could make the machine successful.
The company isn't shy about the target audience: this will be an EV built "in America for Americans," who keep buying upscale SUVs in large numbers. The category is likely to be one of the first to fully embrace EVs, Polestar said. The 3 should also be one of the "most climate-responsible" cars to date, and will eventually include hands-free highway driving through a combination of LiDAR and NVIDIA computing hardware.
The 3 arrives in 2022 and will join a growing EV lineup that includes the long Polestar 5 sedan. How well it fares will depend on factors like pricing and competition from its sibling brand Volvo, but it's clear Polestar is ready to be known as more than a niche brand — even if its sales goals (290,000 per year by 2025) are still modest.
BMW M, the famous automaker's subsidiary in charge of high-performance vehicles, has introduced its second standalone model over 40 years after the M1 was first sold to the public. The new vehicle is a plug-in hybrid model called the Concept XM, and it's apparently the most powerful BMW M car to ever go into series production. It will use the company's newly developed M Hybrid drive system that combines a V8 engine with a high-performance electric motor. That will give the vehicle an all-electric range of 80km (50 miles), the capability to make 750 horsepower and to reach peak torque of 1,000 Nm (737 lb-ft).
In addition to being the second-ever pure M model, Concept XM is also the subsidiary's first electrified vehicle in the high-performance segment. That "points the way for the future of the M brand," the company's announcement says, which hints at more electric-powered cars in the future.
It will be the first car to sport BMW's new front-end design, as well. Based on Concept XM's images, BMW's front ends will have split headlights and near-octagonal kidney grills between them bearing the vehicle's logo. The company calls the vehicle's overall design "a highly progressive and distinctive take on BMW X," but not everyone would use those adjectives to describe it — BBC's Top Gear sounds downright disappointed with how it looks. Inside, there's a driver-focused cockpit, brown leather and BMW's curved screen for its infotainment system.
The series production version of the vehicle — the BMW XM — will start production by the end of 2022. It will be manufactured at the BMW Group Plant Spartanburg in the USA and will be available as a plug-in hybrid model only.
Nissan will invest 2 trillion yen ($17.6 billion) over the next five years developing new EVs and battery technology as part of a grand plan it calls "Ambition 2030," the company announced. It aims to release 15 new EVs total by 2030, with electrified vehicles making up half its vehicle lineup at that point.
The automaker said it will develop 23 electrified vehicles in total over the next eight years, with 20 of those coming in the next five years alone. It's shooting for a market mix of 75 percent electrified (EV and e-Power PHEV/hybrids) in Europe, 55 percent in Japan and 40 percent in the US and China by 2030.
The other part of that mix, would presumably be internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. It's worth noting that in early 2021, Nissan said that it planned to electrify every all-new car it launches by the early 2030s. Presumably, then, any ICE vehicles still available would be legacy models.
Nissan will launch EVs with all-solid-state batteries (ASSB) by 2028 and ready a pilot plant in Yokohama as early as 2024, it said. That technology promises benefits like reduced charging times, but has yet to arrive to market as expected. The company also wants to bring the cost of battery packs down to $75 per kWh by 2028 with a reduction to $65 kWh further down the road. That would be about half of what EV batteries cost last year, according to Bloomberg. By 2030, Nissan hopes to be producing 130 GWh of batteries.
The company said it plans to expand its ProPilot driver assistance technology to over 2.5 million Nissan and Infiniti vehicles by 2026. It will also incorporate next-generation LIDAR systems "on virtually every new model by fiscal year 2030."
Nissan
As part of Ambition 2030, Nissan also unveiled no less than four concept cars: the Chill-Out, Surf-Out, Hang-Out and Max-Out. Like most concepts, they're meant to give a taste of Nissan's future technology including self-driving, interior features and just far-out designs. However, Nissan has only shown images of the Chill-Out as a real vehicle, with renders of the other three vehicles.
The Chill-Out (top and above) is a smallish crossover that could be an early preview of the next-generation Leaf, which Nissan previously confirmed would move from a hatch to a crossover style body. It will use the Ariya's CMF-EV platform and e-4orce electric all-wheel drive system, and could arrive by 2025.
Nissan
The Surf-Out, meanwhile, is a small electric single cab pickup with a decent-sized bed and removable canopy. It would come with a dual-motor AWD setup and a variety of power outputs, offering off-road performance, utility power and extended cargo space.
Nissan
Then there's the Hang-Out, which is more like a small camper van/SUV designed to "provide a new way of spending time on the move." It has a completely flat floor and movable, theater-like seats, offering "the comfort of your living room in a mobile space" — something we've seen with other recent EV concepts. It also offers e-4orce and advanced ProPilot features.
Nissan
Finally, the Max-Out is a concept convertible sports car that offers "superlative stability and comfort." Body roll is limited to deliver "dynamic cornering and steering response" to optimize handling and occupant comfort. It's supposedly lightweight with a very low center of gravity, and also offers advanced e-4orce.
Nissan's new plan comes as the company has grappled with internal problems, including the arrest and subsequent flight of former CEO Carlos Ghosn. In the short term, the company plans to cut 300 billion yen ($2.65 billion) in fixed costs and reduce production capacity by 20 percent as part of its "Nissan Next" plan unveiled last year.
Xiaomi only announced its electric car plans in March, but it already has grand ambitions. According to Reuters, the economic development agency Beijing E-Town has confirmed that Xiaomi will build an EV factory in the city capable of producing up to 300,000 vehicles per year. The plant will be built in two phases and should start mass production in 2024.
The company will also set up its EV headquarters, research and sales divisions in Beijing, the agency said. Xiaomi already plans to use its retail stores to help sell cars.
There are still many unknowns for Xiaomi's car strategy, including the initial models and international expansion. The successful tech brand expects to invest the equivalent of $10 billion in the EV division over 10 years, but hasn't shared much detail beyond that. The Beijing factory says more — it suggests Xiaomi intends to become a mainstream (if initially small) EV manufacturer that competes not just with Chinese rivals like Nio and Xpeng, but significant foreign automakers like Tesla.
Like other automakers, Renault has been known to play the nostalgia card with iconic models like the 5 reimagined as a modern EV. However, the company is taking that to a whole 'nother level with the Air4, a literal flying car version of the cult Renault 4 hatchback.
Renault teamed up with Miami design firm TheArsenale to create a human-sized drone with an updated version of the 4 sitting on top. The concept marks the 60th anniversary of the Renault 4 and aims to show where the brand might be 60 years down the road. "AIR4 is a symbol of independence and freedom, born out of the realization that traffic is compounding, lives are grinding to a halt, and the world above us is unhampered," Renault wrote.
The body is built entirely out of carbon fiber and carries a 22,000 mAh battery (with no voltage given) that puts out 90,000 mAh of total power. Thrust is given as 95 kg, or 209 pounds per propeller, for a total lifting capacity of around 840 pounds.
Renault
The driver enters by lifting the entire body from the front to enter an interior Renault describes as "utilitarian." It can take off at 31 MPH (currently limited to 9 MPH) and fly around at speeds of up to 58 MPH. It did briefly fly (above), but is now slated to go on display at the Atelier Renault museum in Paris and elsewhere around the world (Miami, New York and Macau) in 2022.
Renault once called the 4 (also known as the 4L or "quatrelle") a "blue jeans" car, and it launched in 1961 with a 603cc engine as a fun, cheap-to-operate vehicle. It sold more than 8 million models over 30 years across 100 countries, with the last version produced in 1992. Renault announced plans to revive that model as the Renault 4ever EV in 2025, so the Air4 might give some clues to its final design.... or not.
The first electric Hummers will be making their way to their new owners this holiday season. According to Autoblog, GMC boss Duncan Aldred has announced that deliveries of the Hummer Edition 1 — the all-electric truck variant that'll set buyers back over $112,000 — begin in December. The conference has also revealed that Edition 1 has an EPA range of 329 miles, a bit lower than the 350-mile range the automaker was originally expecting.
GMC's four-ton electric truck has 1,000 horsepower and 11,500 ft/lb of torque generated by its three motors, giving it the capability to get from zero to 60 miles-per-hour within 3 seconds. The truck can also tow up 7,500 pounds and can carry up to 1,300 pounds. It was built on the Ultium battery pack, the platform GM developed to electrify dozens of models across its brands in the coming years.
When it starts shipping out next month, the Edition 1 Hummer EV will become of the first electric trucks in the market along with Rivian's R1T. Tesla is also working on the electric Cybertruck, but the company delayed its release to 2022 in August. Autoblog says more than 80 percent of the reservations for the Hummer EV is for the Edition 1, but other versions of the electrified vehicle are still arriving in 2023. Some of those EVs will cost less and have longer ranges. GMC will also start deliveries for the SUV version of the Hummer EV in 2023.
Last year, Polestar announced that it's stunning Precept concept EV sedan would become a real production car. Now, the company has shown the first official images of the production version and confirmed that it will arrive in 2024 as the Polestar 5, Roadshow has reported.
Unlike many auto show concepts, the new vehicle strongly resembles the Precept that it's based on. That includes the long wheelbase, "shark" nose, fastback design and geometric creasing. "It makes me very proud to see how much of the concept car's design is making it into the Polestar 5," said Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath in a statement. It's likely to use a version of parent Geely's upcoming SPA2 EV platform also earmarked for the Polestar 3 SUV and next-generation Volvo XC90.
With the Polestar 5, the company has nearly fleshed out its EV lineup that includes the current Polestar 2, upcoming Polestar 3 SUV and the original Polestar 1, a PHEV that will no longer be produced after 2021. A Polestar 4 is also in the offing as a smaller crossover-style SUV that could be the analog of Volvo's C40 Recharge, according to an Autocar report.
That will give it a product lineup roughly equivalent to Tesla, with a sedan, hatchback, crossover and SUV. Given Polestar's design chops, and the excellent Polestar EV driving characteristics we've seen so far, it should be a formidable rival.
Dodge is phasing out its gas-powered Charger and Challenger muscle cars by 2024 in favor of electric muscle cars, Motor Trend has reported. The company plans to introduce its first concept EV by 2022, followed by a plug-in hybrid and a third type of unknown vehicle. That follows Dodge's announcement in July that it would introduce its first "eMuscle" car by 2024, promising it will "tear up the streets, not the planet."
At the time, the company and its parent Stellantis didn't say what would happen to its internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, but it has now clarified that. "These cars that you know today will go out of production by the time we get to 2024," Dodge Brand CEO Tim Kuniskis told Motor Trend in an interview.
I'm juggling knives because I've gotta keep two different huge factions happy because at some point those two factions will converge.
The new electric vehicles may use the '60s triangular Fratzog name and logo to differentiate them. The first concept arriving in 2022 will be an electric muscle car, revealed in the next four or five months as a high-performance, drivable vehicle. The next model, a plug-in hybrid, will be a new car but not a Durango as some expected, according to Kuniskis. The third vehicle is unknown, but will be a "very, very, very, significant car at the end of the year," he added.
Diehard muscle car fans might not take the news well, though they can't deny the superior performance of EVs. Dodge previously advertised the Challenger in "Demon" trim as the quickest 0-100MPH production car in the world, with the rather large caveat that it "excludes non-mass production vehicles [supercars] and hybrids/electric."
Kuniskis acknowledged that the announcement could create friction. "I'm juggling knives because I've gotta keep two different huge factions happy because at some point those two factions will converge," he said. "The problem is no one knows when they will converge. My job is to provide confidence, over the next 24 months, that we're gonna do this."
Hyundai's LA Auto Show concepts include more than just a lounge on wheels. As Autoblognotes, the company's Kia badge has unveiled the Concept EV9 as a peek at the possible "next model" in its electric vehicle lineup. The angular design language is a centerpiece, but the real highlight may be technology that, in some cases, eclipses the EV6. For one, the cockpit is dominated by a single 27-inch display that covers both driver and passenger needs — it's not as huge as the Hyperscreen in the Mercedes EQS, but it's more expansive than the EV6's dual 12-inch panels.
You can also expect solid performance with up to 300 miles of range and 350kW charging that brings the Concept EV9 from a 10 percent charge to 80 percent in 30 minutes. The Concept EV9 won't outlast a Tesla Model Y, then, but it might deliver shorter pit stops.
Kia
There are some obvious concept car touches. Apart from the yoke-like wheel, the EV9 can turn into a social hub when it's stationary. A Pause mode turns the second row into a table and swings the front row to face the back, while Enjoy Mode pivots the third row and opens the tailgate for parties and marvelling at nature. You can also expect the obligatory eco-friendly materials like recycled fishnets (flooring), reused plastic bottles (seats) and a vegan leather interior.
Kia hasn't said how closely this might resemble a production EV9, although we wouldn't be surprised if the company cuts the rotating seats, yoke and giant 22-inch wheels (among other frills) for any real-world model. The biggest question may be price. Kia sold its First Edition EV6 for $58,500, but that was a limited, maxed-out version. We'd expect Kia to offer more aggressive prices if there is a shipping EV9, although the road-ready machine could easily cost more than the Niro EV.
Nissan is finally ready to offer pricing and other tangible details for its electric Ariya crossover. The automaker has started taking reservations for the Ariya beginning at $45,950 for the Venture+ model. That's more than the $40,000 ballpark from before, but still brings the price down to $38,450 with a federal tax credit. The Venture+ may be the best model for long drives, too. You'll have only a 238HP motor with front wheel drive, but you'll get the longest estimated range at 300 miles. The higher-capacity 87kWh battery is standard on all currently announced models.
The $48,950 Evolve+ builds on that formula with an "around view" monitor and a powered moonroof, albeit with a shorter 285-mile range. The reservation-only Premiere trim starts at $53,450, but gives you access to the Ariya's signature "Sunrise Copper" color, hands-off highway driving from ProPilot Assist 2.0 and ProPilot Park. If you want all-wheel drive, you'll currently have to splurge on the $58,950 Platinum+ variant with 389HP, a hands-free liftgate, Nappa leather and a reduced 265-mile range.
All models are due to arrive in fall 2022. You'll need to place a $500 refundable deposit and choose a preferred dealer, but you can complete the final purchase online and have the Ariya delivered to your home. You won't have to wade through the usual hassles of in-person dealership sales.
The price slots the Ariya between the $39,995 Volkswagen ID.4 and Tesla's Model Y (currently $53,940), with the in-between range and features to match. It may face tough competition as a result. However, that might be the precise appeal — this is a middle-of-the-road EV from a well-known badge. Where the Leaf was aimed at early adopters (and lately the cost-conscious), the Ariya promises to be a thoroughly mainstream vehicle that reaches more first-time EV owners and helps Nissan electrify the rest of its lineup.
