Tesla is always working on new features for its series of automobiles out in the field. The new features can be added to the cars thanks to Tesla's over-the-air update feature. Tesla is planning a significant software update expected to push the software to version 11 around the holidays.
A new report is going around that claims new, more affordable electric vehicles will be coming to market. According to the report, both Tesla and Volkswagen have given new EV programs the green light to create cars selling for between $25,000 and $30,000. That is a price point that will undoubtedly make transitioning to electric vehicles more affordable for people worldwide.
The NHTSA announced this week that it was opening a preliminary investigation into potential safety concerns raised by owners of Tesla Model S and Model X cars. The agency has received 53 complaints alleging failures of the left or right front suspension fore links. Of those 43 complaints, 11 incidents occurred while driving.
Porsche has set a Guinness World Record for the longest drift using an electric vehicle. The EV the sports car maker used to set the record was the popular Porsche Taycan. The record was set at the Porsche Experience Center Hockenheimring.
Receiving a recommended rating for any product or vehicle from Consumer Reports is a big deal. It's also a big deal if a product receives a recommended rating from the publication and then has that rating pulled. Consumer Reports recently announced that the publication no longer recommends electric vehicles from Audi and Kia.
Mercedes-Benz is doing very well with electric vehicles, with the company bragging that it has sold a total of 45,000 EVs and plug-in-hybrids globally as of Q3 2020. It sold around 2500 EQC EVs in September alone. The automaker has announced updates for the EQC 400 4Matic that should make it more popular with buyers.
Ford has been undergoing some changes in the last few months with CEO Jim Hackett retiring and being replaced by a new CEO with Jim Farley taking the position. It wasn't very long ago that former CEO Hackett said that Ford wouldn't build its own batteries for electric vehicles. Hackett had said in July that there was no advantage to the automaker building its own battery cells.
South Korean automaker Hyundai is diving head-on towards electrification and hydrogen fuel cell technology. In a recent online press briefing, Hyundai was kind enough to give us a healthy glimpse into the carmaker’s expanded EV and eco-focused vehicle lineup. Consisting of up to ten new models (including the all-new Ioniq 5 CUV and Ioniq 6 luxury sedan), the lineup also includes the Nexo FCEV, a hydrogen fuel cell-powered crossover which is now sold at Hyundai dealerships.
BMW i and Designworks teamed up with Peter Salzmann, a professional base jumper and skydiver, for a newly designed wingsuit that increases the speed and flying time for the person wearing it. The stunt marks the first time that the Electrified Wingsuit by BMW i has been flown with the electric drive system. BMW and Salzmann captured the entirety of the maiden flight of the electric wingsuit on video, which can be seen below.
2020 has been a terrible year for automotive manufacturers as the pandemic shuttered production and closed dealerships in much of the world. That has left many automakers struggling with layoffs and the closure of manufacturing facilities permanently. Porsche has a bright spot in the US with its new all-electric sports car called the Taycan.
German carmaker Audi recently held a virtual tech talk event to unveil the 2022 RS e-tron GT. It’s the brand’s newest Gran Turismo and is essentially a higher performance version of a standard e-tron GT electric car. Moreover, the 2022 Audi RS e-tron GT is the future of the RS brand. “The RS e-tron GT will be the first fully-electric RS model and is the most powerful car we ever built,” said Linda Kurz, Head of Product Marketing, Audi Sport GmbH. “It’s a high-performance GT and reflects all the passion we have.”
Fans of DC comics will recognize the name The Flash. He's a superhero celebrating his 80th birthday. To celebrate the birthday of the iconic superhero, a MINI Electric was used as the canvas by an Italian cartoonist named Carmine Di Giandomenico for the Lucca Changes 2020 international comics fair that took place in Tuscany. Giandomenico painted directly on the body of the bright red Mini Electric for the special car.