Drew Dowdell

There are some smoothness concerns with a single rotor setup. I could only see that being something they did for low cost hybrids. Not the luxury push they are going for.

This unit is specifically for the rear axle location. Here's my further speculation as to why Lincoln would go this way. Ford already has a front unit ready for the Lightning. They don't need a second design, and the unit from the F-150 Lightning would be fine as the lower power front unit for cruising speed in a Navigator, this is done for efficiency. Also, keep in mind that a Navigator is not a Hummer. While 2,000 horsepower would be neat, it's not really the target demographic that would be more concerned with range. A Navigator owner would sniff and say "Anything over 900 hp is sufficient. I need the range to get me to the Country Club and back." The total horsepower of the current F-150 Lightning's combined units is lower than this single unit. The Lightning's rear unit is set up for independent rear suspension and the drive unit there looks a heck of a lot like this one above. Even though the drive unit might be capable of 972 horsepower, I think it is likely that Lincoln would govern that to a lower top end for range preservation purposes. The Escalade IQ is rated for 750 horsepower and 785 pound-feet of torque in Velocity Max mode. Expect the Lincoln crew to tune it in such a way as to beat Cadillac either on range or max power, if not both. Range is largely dictated by battery size, and Cadillac is already going to need people to send in their old iPhones just to keep up with the battery needs of that beast.

Ford killing the Escape is a dumb move, but they're doing it because they think they can move those drivers to the Bronco sport, which is less car for more money because it's "cute". The Edge is just the last vestige of that platform. I do think it will come back as the Nautilus clone. It's the same platform as the current Escape and the R&D is already done. K5 was just a rename of Optima. That said, I am 190% sure that it will have a direct EV replacement based on the Ioniq 6. Hyundai will try to move Sonata buyers to Ioniq 6 also.

In a vague press release today, automobile supplier Magna announced they have signed a contract with a North American based vehicle manufacturer to produce a high-power, electrified, rear-drive unit for a high-end vehicle at an unnamed brand, with production commencing "in the next couple of years". While details of the vehicle are cagey, there are some clues as to where the drive unit might end up. Based on Magna's eDS Duo, the unit will utilize 800v architecture and be capable of roughly 974 horsepower and a mind-blowing 5,900 lb-ft of torque. Comprised of 2 motors, 2 gearboxes, and 2 inverters, the drive unit is built to be placed at the rear axle, but unlike Magna's eBeam unit, is set up for an independent rear suspension. This tells us that the Magna contract is for a luxury, full-size product with rear-drive and a need for high and low range. From here, we can speculate: It's unlikely that General Motors needs such a unit as they already have the Hummer products in production, and the Escalade IQ has already been announced, so there would be no need for Manga to be circumspect about the announcement. Ditto Tesla, the CyberTruck is already in production and wouldn't need this announcement. The Stellantis STLA-Large platform is 800-volt capable, and Ram has recently been talking about adding hybrid options to the Ram 1500 series line-up over and above the RAM 1500 REV. However, we don't think a Ram 1500 would get an independent rear suspension. Could it be for an EV Grand Wagoneer? We think if Stellantis is the customer in this case, a Grand Wagoneer EV is the most likely recipient. We think Lincoln is the most likely recipient at this point. Ford's EV platform is not yet 800-volt capable. However, they are hard at work on the next generation of their EV platforms. With the rest of the industry coalescing around 800-volt architecture, we think it is unlikely that they won't go there also. Additionally, the crosstown rival Cadillac, with their new Escalade IQ, could be making Lincoln green with envy. Additionally, while building components in-house might make sense for a higher-volume model like the Ford F-150 Lightning, a lower-volume vehicle such as a Lincoln Navigator EV would make sense to outsource components to Magna for. Magna and Ford have a long-standing partnership, with Magna even setting up shop at some of Ford's facilities in Michigan. Magna already provides a significant amount of components to the F-150 Lightning. The timing sounds right for Lincoln. In May of 2021, Lincoln announced they would be working on a Navigator EV, but no date was set for release. It would also match with the product cadence at Ford for the 2026-2027 time frame. What do you think? Which U.S. manufacturer needs a low-volume, high-power, rear-drive EV unit for a luxury product? View full article

This is a dual rotor.

I don't think the Soul is canceled yet, though its sales are way down and they've been cutting options. The other two are done at the end of this model year. I doubt Tesla will ever be able to deliver on a sub-$30k car in any volume and I can't imagine what kinda hot garbage the interior will be. It's moot anyway because it's still years away. Sorry bud, I hated plenty about the Model-3 interior, but the room was not one of those things. I'm 5'10" and I felt it was cavernous.

Inline-6es generally have better durability, they simply have more journal bearings than a V engine of the same cylinder count. The smoothness aspect, especially when paired with some turbos, can't be overstated. It's a luxury good rather than an all-out performance good. No. This 2.5 is the 2.7 from the Cadillac CT4/5 and the Silverado/Sierra/Colorado/Canyon, but slightly detuned. If you liked the Ecotec 2.5, you'll like this. Much much more power.