Articles

Rivian as a company trading as RIVN exceeded their wildest imagination today with their IPO.  Is it worth more than GM and Ford?

GM is showcasing almost 200 products at the 2021 SEMA show this week. The show piece is the GMC HUMMER Truck and SUV. These EVs lend themselves to Personalization!

Ford unveils the FUTURE of propulsion in retro auto's with the e-crate Eluminator motor in a 1978 F-100 pickup. Check out this two-wheel drive ICE modernized into a AWD-Eluminator 21st century Pickup!

Be it a AA battery size cell or a pouch, the holly grail of battery research is smaller size with denser energy. Recently some major break throughs have happened on the Solid State front that brings Safe, Long-lasting and Energy-dense that can possibly revolutionize the BEV industry.

BrightDrop, General Motors commercial electric auto division launches an all new electric van with Verizon and sets a record for their first announced EV600 van.

A new MEGA Campus in Tennessee and TWIN Battery plants in Kentucky, FORD believes America can grow with new investments in BEVs with a new lineup of advanced EVs.

In 2008 Toyota Motor Company surpassed GM for the first time in 77 years to become the #1 auto builder. Yet recent pre-sales / sales seems to indicate that time might be limited.

Volvo is making an ethical stand for animal welfare as it moves to a fully electric portfolio of auto's. Starting with the C40 Recharge, all new BEVs will be completely leather-free. Tell us what you think!

Tesla cofounder JB Straubel's Redwood Materials and Ford have announced a closed-loop on battery production to recycling.

How does an auto company close out the summer of 2021? By revealing their flagship full size SUV. Check out the new 2022 Ford Expedition!

2021 Mackinac Policy Conference, GM President Mark Reuss reveals the trio of all-new motors that will power the Ultium-based EVs.

GM today has announced that the Chevrolet Bolt Battery production will resume following a comprehensive action plan.

People have joked about how old the Toyota Tundra truck is compared to other trucks. Today September 19th 2021, Toyota introduced the all new 2022 Tundra. Check out the goods on this truck!

Will Fords Mach-E Police Concept Car live up to the Demands of Police Departments?

Beating the current competition by over 100 miles, the Lucid Air Dream Edition R is the longest-range electric car.

CEO RJ Scaringe has driven off the first production R1T Rivian truck destined for the awaiting hands of a reservation holder today in Normal!

Model year 2022 of the Mazda CX-5 brings major updates to the brand's best-selling crossover the CX-5. Mazda continues to listen to the customers bringing a greater sense of quality, style, refined driving dynamics via new Standard features.

Cadillac has always embraced change from the 1950 "The Monster to the current DPi race cares that Cadillac has sponsored. Now Cadillac has announced a return in 2023 via a new special Hybrid system in the LMDh category.

Genesis has unveiled their vision of electrification for a sustainable future in the 21st century. Check out FUTURING Genesis!

The south lawn of the White House is where President Biden nudged the auto industry forward on the move to battery electric auto's targeting new auto sales of 50% by 2030.

MAHLE offers an electric motor with advantages not combined in any other motor of this type by any other vendor or auto OEM to date.

Ford Mach-e was the first BEV to challenge Tesla with 300 miles of range and now the Mach-e Chief engineer Donna Dickson has some excellent news about the Mach-e going forward.

A possible case of too many chefs in the kitchen

Lexus' Hybrid Theory of Crossovers

According to sources via Reuters news services, Ford has doubled production goals for the F-150 Lighting electric truck for 2022 to 2025 due to strong demand.

British Columbia to Baja California (BC to BC) West Coast Electric Highway has served millions in ensuring there was basic electric charging for battery electric vehicles. Now a major change is coming to the WCEH.

Wolf is a simple work truck with a soul that performs everyday tasks and is yet fun to drive as an adventure vehicle and will have a public debut during the month of August.

How does one celebrate an original US Supercar, the 1964 Ford GT that went on to win Le Mans from 1966 to 1969 and again in 2016? A Heritage limited-production run of a modern 2022 Ford GT.

Chevrolet has revealed that the Silverado electric pickup will drive circles around the competition with the addition of Four-Wheel Steer and 24" rims.

According to the Electrek website who was invited to LA for a preview of Audi's latest concept, a two door BEV sedan. Yes, you have a 2 door convertible in battery electric mode.

Layoff's are not new, but Ford offering 1,000 employee buyouts to re-align jobs and a desire to move away from incentive house cleaning at the end of the year seems to imply a change in dealership format. Is Build to Order the new 21st century format?

The onset of the electrical vehicle and Tesla success with super fast sedans, is the era of 2 door muscle cars coming to an end?

Stellantis has stated that Alfa Romeo is to help lead their luxury push by becoming a BEV only product line by 2024. Can they do it?

GM has announced new Super Cruise capabilities and added Super Cruise to six model year 2022 vehicles starting Q1 of 2022.

AC Cars has had a long history of building cars, but the ICE era is coming to an end and the storied British auto builder has chosen to move into the 21st Century with a lineup of fun to drive electric auto's.

GM has never been quiet about the push to electrify the companies product lineup globally using company websites and social media.

GMC Vice President Duncan Aldred has confirmed GMC will offer a second full size pickup taking Professional Grade to new levels.

Looking at the smallest and largest Hyundai crossovers

Many auto companies have recently come out stating they are investing X amount of Billions of dollars with no real clear details on how the money is being spent or what type of models other than spending X amount with EVs out starting by 2025. Stellantis rocks this press release by delivering a very detailed roadmap for their global company on Stellantis EV DAY 2021.

Was Designed to Help Extend the Range of the Electric Crossover

According to a Reuters story, two people familiar with the investment have stated that Volkswagen is looking for outside funds to expand their infrastructure for BEVs.

Ford Motor Company has charged Lincoln with finding it's Mojo in the Luxury segment. As such, Lincoln brought back names and Luxury to their latest SUVs. Now Luxury has challanged the ArtCenter College of Design with the challenge of using their Quiet Flight 2040 concept to picture the Lincolns of the future. Are these the Lincoln's of the Future?

GM announced that the Chevrolet Equinox production at the CAMI Assembly Plant in Ingersoll, Ontario will end sooner than planned due to EV600 BrighDrop orders.  

Some would say after your two most populous provinces ban new ice auto sales that it was inevitable for Canada to do this but affective June 29th 2021 Canada's government has banned all new ICE car and light truck sales starting January 1st 2035 onward.

Driving around in Toyota's old school SUVs

Honda America has announced the Prologue EV based on the Ultium Powertrain and battery packs of GM will go on sale in North America as a MY2024 with the functionality and quality that Honda customers have come to expect.

Reaching Carbon Neutral in your global products is bringing together an interesting group of bedfellows as gm collaborates with various companies and schools to enact change for the future. From Green Home Power to Aerospace applications, gm is leading a green revolution in the industry.

Fisker has announced a long term binding manufacturing agreement with Magna International Inc. on EV platform sharing and ADAS package for production of Fisker BEVs at Magna's carbon neutral facility in Graz Austria.

Lincoln first fully electric vehicle will debut in 2022 as Lincoln moves to be a full battery electric portfolio by 2030. Effortless, personalized luxury experience is the Lincoln way as part of the Ford+ plan 

GM is pleased to announce their partnership with Wabtec Corporation to develop the next century of Locomotives using Ultium battery technology with HYDROTEC hydrogen fuel cell systems to power the 21st century Locomotives around North America and the world. Welcome to the Ultium based FLXdrive Locomotive and the future.

On June 8th Ford Motor Company released the All-New Ford Maverick Mini-Pickup on the world. This newest truck comes standard as a Hybrid with AWD versions as upgrades. Now Ford is telling us a BEV is on it's way!

In the 1970's Dodge offered on the Charger and Challenger a M28 Hood and Fender Molding option. This transformed the look of the 426 Hemi powered auto's that really set them apart in the Pony wars. Today a new artist has built what they think Dodge should offer. What are your thoughts?

Zaiser Motors of Colorado has started a Wefunder web page as they introduce America and eventually the globe to their version of Freedom via two wheels. Electrocycle is their AWD/RWD solution to a better cruiser solution.

It is hard to judge a company by one month of auto sales let alone two months, but when you have 3 months or more in a market that had no competition and now does, dropping near the bottom in sales should make any CEO question what needs to be done to improve sales. Norway with 60.4% of new auto sales being EV is becoming a struggle for Tesla and Ford is the latest to show them up!

Can small changes make big changes?

Texas has many old laws, Tesla is a 21st century company wanting to continue to move forward into the future. Selling auto's in Texas is going to be a challenge as sadly, some of the old guard are not wanting to see change happen, the dealership association of Texas is winning for now. So how will Tesla sell their EVs in Texas?

Financial analysts and company stakeholders were presented with the latest FORD+ plan for growth, value creation, leadership in electric vehicles and connected services this week on May 26th, 2021. The primary take aways are to understand Ford Motor Companies direction in regards to company profits, spending and future products and services.

The 2022 Kia EV6 First Edition starts advanced reservations on June 3rd, the brands first Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) is the start of Kia's plan to deliver 11 all-new electrified models across the globe by 2026 on their all-new Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP).

Inspired by the Hyundai "45" EV concept, Hyundai Motor North America introduced the all-new IONIQ 5 electric crossover utility vehicle or you could say the IONIQ 5 BEV CUV with a targeted driving range of 300 miles and two years of charging at all Electrify America charging stations.

The all-new 2022 F-150 Lightning Pro commercial all-electric truck built for commercial customers was released today. Joining the E-Transit in the growing family of Ford Work-ready electric vehicles, backed by a Ford nationwide network making the transition to zero emissions easy.

This week Canoo opened its reservations for preorders of their three BEVs. The LifeStyle vehicle, MPDV (Multi-purpose delivery vehicle) and pickup truck can be reserved in the United States with a $100 deposit per vehicle at www.canoo.com.

Giving families the ultimate premium luxury small van for fans of recreational activities is what Mercedes-Benz presented with the introduction of the Concept EQT Mini-Van. To quote the press release: Concept EQT shows: We are consistently implementing our claim to leadership in electromobility and will also be offering a fully electric model in this segment in the future," says Marcus Breitschwerdt, Head of Mercedes-Benz Vans. 

UPDATED WITH RELEASE INFO Ford has announced this week that on May 19th 2021 they will livestream the F-150 Lightning EV pickup truck at Ford HQ. Could this be Ford's Halo pickup truck for the full EV Truck lineup?

Tuesday May 12th 2021 SUBARU announced their first all-electric SUV for the brand aimed at coexisting with nature. SOLTERRA is scheduled to go on sale in 2022.

Ford had promised more rugged off road SUVs challenging Jeep's dominance in the off road market and the over all market image with the introduction of the Ford Explorer Timberline edition. This Timberline series gives Ford's customers a more capable off-road feature packed SUV for memorable weekend adventures with family and friends. 

Ford is proud to open registration for the new E-Transit Vans supported by 645 Commercial Vehicle Center Dealers across the U.S. E-Transit joins America's best-selling commercial van, the Ford Transit family.

May 2, 2018 in Chicopee, Massachusetts, Electrify America opened their first Ultra-Fast Charging Station. Less than three years later they have 600 Ultra-Fast Charging Stations with 2,600 fast charger connections.

We'll Pick You Up (in a used car)

From the Mundane to Somewhat Exciting

April 28th 2021 General Motors is please to introduce their Ultium Charge 360 program. A holistic charging approach for the 21st century. Integrating charging networks with GM vehicle mobile apps, products and services to simplify the overall charging experience for GM electric vehicle owners.

A convertible that brings a smile

Wednesday April 21st, 2021 marks a new standard of luxury to the world and for the 21st century. Cadillac introduced the all-electric  2021 LYRIQ SUV starting at $59,990.

Auto Shanghai 2021 was Honda's world premiere of their first BEV, the Honda SUV e:prototype near production ready. The first of 10 BEVs by 2025 for the China market not including PHEVs.

LiNa Energy is commercializing a cobalt and lithium free solid-state sodium battery suited for the growing BEV and grid storage markets. LiNa technology believes it can not only help the world get to a net-zero by 2050, but help achieve it sooner.

Audi revealed at the Shanghai Auto show their luxury-class Sportback concept car with fast charging of 270 kW and a range of 700 km (800V system & 435 mile) in the form of the A6 e-tron. They also showed off their Q4 e-tron.

Toyota released their new vision of a dedicated BEV line-up in Shanghai tonight 4/19/2021. The Toyota bZ lineup will cover 15 BEVs of which 7 will be Toyota badged bZ BEVs to be introduced globally by 2025.

But don't call it a truck

To comply with European and Chinese laws, Toyota has filed a new family of Names for their "Beyond Zero" EV product line built on the e-TNGA platform.

Yamaha opened the books for excepting orders for their new Hyper-EV electric motor with up to 350 kW power output per motor, 1.4 MW total in four motor AWD configuration.

Project Z is the focus of Hino USA to offer zero emission Class 4 to 8 trucks to the market in the USA by 2024. March 12, 2021 Hino and Cummins announced a deal that will allow Hino to move to zero emissions sooner as they convert to Cummins motors.

Two sides of the same midsize sedan coin

During 2020 Pandemic, auto sales continued in Norway giving electric auto's a 54% market share allowing the country to stay on track to stop all gas and diesel auto sales starting in 2025.

Could a modular engine similar size and shape to a battery module be the answer to hybrid auto's and commercial trucks is the question Libertine of the UK believes they have answered. 

Mark Reuss today announced Chevrolet will introduce a Silverado electric pickup truck to be built at the company’s Factory ZERO assembly plant in Detroit and Hamtramck, Michigan along with the recently revealed GMC HUMMER EV SUV and truck at Factory ZERO.

VW has started off 2021 in America with an outstanding sales increase of 21% compared to 2020 sales. VW also started delivery of their first electric auto, the ID.4 started customer deliveries in March hitting 474 ID.4 sold and delivered into the hands of customers.

The three way joint venture of GM, Shanghai Automotive and Wuling Motors has a home run with their Mini EV as they sell 200,000 EVs in 200 days.

Three-Row RX? Not so much.

Kia has revealed their EV6 first dedicated battery electric vehicle (BEV) ahead of the world premier this month.

Alpha Motor Corporation releases for reservations the WOLF two person electric pickup truck. Available in AWD or FWD with with a 3000 lbs towing capacity, zero to sixty miles per hour in 6.2 seconds and a 275 mile range.

Magna's eBeam technology brings electrification to todays pickups removing the need to have a separate EV platform.

General Motors President Mark Reuss announced that gm had signed a joint development agreement with SolidEnergy Systems. This next-generation Ultium chemistry will have ground breaking energy density and reduced cost.

Canoo Life Style vehicle company confirmed today that a slip on Reddit about a pickup truck is factual and will be out for sale in 2023. 

Electric is the future and FedEx is delivering sustainability by partnering with BrightDrop for all new first-to-last-mile automotive products and ePallets as they electrify delivery of packages.

February 23rd 2021 the USPS awarded to Oshkosh Defense a contract for delivering up t 165,000 U.S. built vehicles over the next 10 years to modernize the postal delivery fleet. This will be made up of gas powered, Hybrid and electric vehicles with the first auto's set to be delivered in 2023.

FedEx has committed to being Carbon-Neutral by 2040 by going Green Globally with an initial investment of $2 Billion dollars for auto electrification, sustainable energy and carbon sequestration. 

Is it a crossover or a hatchback?

Land Rover is planning six electric vehicles within the next five years

Missing the hot V models? Here are their replacements.

Is eight better than six?

The Challenger from Korea