The Volvo XC40 Recharge may look familiar but, like the taste of Swedish pickled herring, the impact of the new all-electric crossover could be lasting. Revealed today - well in advance of its arrival on US dealer forecourts - the XC40 Recharge will sit at the top end of the 40 Series and be a car of firsts for Volvo. Read on for six things you need to know about Volvo's huge EV shake-up.
The 2019 Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid wears its green credentials on its sleeve: quite literally, in fact, with unmistakable lime green badges on the front fenders. Seventeen years after introduction, there's now no doubting that the market was ready to embrace a Porsche SUV. Question is, does a hybrid drivetrain sit at odds with this sporting luxe-truck?
Better battery tech isn't the only way to boost electric car range, one big automotive tech provider is betting, with a shake-up in chip material potentially unlocking a 6-percent increase in range. Bosch plans to kick off production of silicon carbide semiconductors from 2020, taking advantage of more efficient electrical conductivity to make power electronics in EVs and hybrids less wasteful on the road.
The Swedes may have a reputation for making safe decisions, but Volvo is threatening to upend that with news that it plans to split off its combustion engine production as it refocuses on electrification. The automaker has announced plans with parent company Geely to merge their respective ICE (internal combustion engine) operations into a single, new, standalone business.
Polestar has begun production of the Polestar 1, its performance hybrid that the Volvo spin-off hopes will distract GT buyers from the usual BMW or Porsche. The car is being built at Polestar's new production facility in Chengdu, China, a specially-built factory for the Geely-backed automaker.
Lincoln is taking luxury SUVs seriously, and the 2020 Aviator is fine evidence of that. Bringing another three-row option to the automaker's range, it may be smaller than the Navigator but the new Aviator is no less luxurious. Indeed, with a potent 630 lb-ft of torque to play with in 2020 Aviator Grand Touring Hybrid form, there's an argument to be made that this could be the best example of Lincoln's "American Luxury" yet.
Some cars look fast standing still, other cars look just plain otherworldly, and the Aston Martin Valhalla manages to look a little of both in its first public testing. The mid-engined supercar formerly known as the AM-RB 003 began its languorous teasing back in March, but it's only now - coinciding with Pebble Beach and Monterey Car Week - that the British automaker is ready to show the Valhalla driving in earnest.
Hybrids can be earnest, sensible ways to boost fuel economy, or they can be like the Infiniti Project Black S and borrow lashings of F1 technology to deliver ridiculous on-road performance. Handiwork of Infiniti and the Renault F1 Team, Project Black S may look like a body-kitted Q60, but it's actually something a whole lot more interesting.
BMW has announced the latest ride added to the 3 Series line and the car is a new plug-in hybrid called the BMW 330e. BMW is celebrating the market launch of the car, noting that it has a 50% higher electric range than the predecessors. The 330e can drive for 41-miles on electricity only.
Hybrids don't have to be earnest and piously-green, something Porsche has clearly taken to heart with the 2020 Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid and 2020 Cayenne Turbo S E-Hybrid Coupe. Sitting pretty at the top spot in the German automaker's luxury SUV line-up, the pair of gas-electric trucks demonstrate that one of the great things about electrification is that it can deliver you great heaping piles of power and torque.
The new 2020 Corvette may have a hybrid in its not-too-distant future, with Chevrolet refusing to shut down chatter of electrified versions of the brand new sports car. Revealed this week, the eighth-generation 2020 Corvette Stingray has a 6.2-liter naturally-aspirated V8, which Chevy has dubbed the LT2. However, it's also set the mid-engined car's platform up to accommodate very different drivetrains.
Aerodynamics have long played a unique roll in shaping performance car design, but the Aston Martin Valkyrie's first public appearance suggests aero plus extreme hybridization could make for even more striking supercars. The limited-edition British "hypercar" is a road-going racer, and it made its debut at the UK's Silverstone Grand Prix circuit this weekend, ahead of the 2019 British Grand Prix.