Mercedes-Benz plans to launch its first wireless charging system for its electrified cars in 2018, aiming to cut out a lingering headache for plug-in EV owners. Expected to be offered as an option for select vehicles in the automaker's range, the wireless charging tech will require hardware changes to the car. However, after that's been carried out, it should make recharging it a no-brainer.
Volkswagen's all-electric alternative to the Golf may still be a few years away, but the automaker is already cranking up the hype machine with promises to significantly undercut Tesla. The VW I.D. is due to arrive at Volkswagen dealerships in the US come 2020, a fully-electric hatchback that will debut the the automaker's new Modular Electric Drive Kit (MEB) platform. Now, we have an idea as to what it might cost.
Demand for Tesla's new Model 3 sedan is already at an all-time high, meaning their Gigafactory, the huge Nevada facility where Tesla mass produces batteries for their electric vehicles and Powerpack storage systems, is going to be very busy for the foreseeable future. But while the first Gigafactory isn't even completed yet, CEO Elon Musk says they already have plans to build "2 or 3" additional facilities in the US.
Further demonstrating that electric cars don't have to also be boring cars, Lucid Motors has taken its high-speed prototype to the track, this time without a limiter. The Lucid Air Alpha prototype last made headlines in April, when the automaker startup took it out for some performance testing. Then, it hit 217 mph on the oval, running into Lucid's safety-minded speed limiter.
The Tesla Model 3 has not only started production, but the first example of the California automaker's newest all-electric car has rolled off the line. Tesla CEO Elon Musk shared a photo of the first production Model 3 on Twitter on Saturday evening. Roughly four hours earlier, the billionaire inventor had confirmed that the car, "production unit 1", was off the assembly line and going through its final checkout.
France has announced an aggressive plan to ban the sale of all gas and diesel cars in the country, aiming to promote EVs and and other green vehicles. The move is part of the French government's attempt to meet the emissions targets it has committed to for the Paris climate accord, the pact by most in the global community to voluntarily reduce their contribution to climate change. However, unsurprisingly the switchover won't happen overnight.
Given the success of Tesla and the growing popularity of hybrid and fully electric vehicles, it certainly seems like EVs are only going to continue rising in prevalence. Volvo apparently wants a slice of that pie, and a significant slice at that. The company announced today that all of the cars it launches from 2019 on will use an electric motor, marking a rather large commitment on its part.
Tesla delivered more than 22,000 electric cars in Q2 2017, the automaker has confirmed today, blaming battery manufacturing headaches for limiting potentially even greater performance. The California car firm put the keys for over 12,000 Model S sedans and over 10,000 Model X SUVs into the hands of new owners, during the three month period. Meanwhile, as the first production Model 3 nears, Tesla also finally addressed an issue that had been lingering for more than two years.
Electric cars aren't slow, but BMW's convertible version of the i8 electric sports car has sure taken its time coming. The drop-top iteration of the seductive EV coupe was previewed as the i8 Spyder Concept all the way back in 2012 at the LA Auto Show, at which point BMW claimed it was about 90-percent finished. Well, that 10-percent took a lot longer to get done than we expected it might.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has announced via Twitter that the highly-anticipated Model 3 has been given the regulatory go-ahead for production. Crucially, this means that the Model 3's production run can soon begin, and Musk unsurprisingly wants to waste little time in getting that underway. In fact, he says that the first Model 3 should roll off the production line this Friday.
While Faraday Future's — errr, future — remains in question, what with the fleeing executives and uncertain unveilings at CES, the company's all-electric FF91 prototype not only made it to the top of the famous Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in Colorado earlier this week, but it set a new record time for its vehicle class. This marks one of the first times the FF91 has been seen in a real-world, uncontrolled environment, and making it the 12.4-mile, 156-turn Pikes Peak course was certainly a challenge.
The look and tech behind Nissan's all-electric Leaf is starting to look a little long in the tooth, but in a few short months the Japanese car maker will be revealing a new next-generation model of the hatchback. Nissan took to Twitter on Friday to say that the new Leaf would premiere on September 6th, as well as share a small teaser image.
