VW Group to cut costs and launch 30 models in 2024

March 14, 2024

Volkswagen Group is launching a major product push this year to help offset a gloomy economic outlook and growing competition. At the same time, a major efficiency improvement has to cut costs impressively. On Wednesday, finance chief Arno Antlitz presented the automaker’s 2023 results, saying the “general economic situation remains challenging”. VW Group expects a […]

Hyundai’s electric 7-seater SUV Ioniq 9 nears production

March 13, 2024

The future electric SUV from Hyundai has been spotted testing in various states of cover. Previously announced as Ioniq 7, it could be renamed Ioniq 9 after the success of its brother from Kia, the EV9. What is certain is that both SUVs will share the same 800-volt E-GMP platform. This should give the seven-seater […]

Porsche Taycan Turbo GT: your move, Tesla

March 12, 2024

Porsche has unveiled the nec plus ultra of its facelifted Taycan range: the Turbo GT. It is the fastest four-door EV on the Nürburgring and Laguna Seca and the most powerful series production model from Porsche ever. It is enough to comfortably beat the Tesla Model S Plaid, but it also comes at a price. […]

Fiat cuts production over weakening demand for 500e

March 11, 2024

Until the end of April, Fiat will switch to one shift at its Mirafiori plant due to falling demand for the all-electric 500e and the Maserati models produced on-site. The factory near Turin adapted its output in February, but the supposed plan to resume two-shift operations at the beginning of this month has been further […]

Nissan wants to deploy autonomous Level 4 driving by 2027

March 11, 2024

Within three years from now, Japanese customers will enjoy the benefits of autonomously driving Nissan taxis in Japan. The automaker has been investigating self-driving cars in traffic since 2017 and has released a road map to make it happen. Nissan is taking a cautious approach to Robotaxi rides and wants to gather experience and customer […]

Stellantis wants to take over Punch Powertrain

March 11, 2024

Car manufacturing group Stellantis wants to take over the Belgian, Sint-Truiden-based transmission specialist Punch Powertrain. Although both companies are already working together via joint ventures, the Belgian company wants to defend itself against this hostile takeover in court. Punch Powertrain plays an important role in Stellantis’s electrification process because it develops and produces the transmissions […]

Smallest Audi EV will be built in Ingolstadt, VW ID.3 not in Wolfsburg

March 11, 2024

Audi will produce its new entry-level electric model, announced around a year ago, at its headquarters in Ingolstadt. Gernot Döllner, Audi’s CEO, said as much at a staff meeting at the main plant. The new EV sits below the Q4 e-tron. Its much bigger brother, the Q6 e-tron, is already rolling off the production line […]

Rivian presents new mid-size platform for R2 and R3 models

March 08, 2024

US electric car manufacturer Rivian has unveiled a new mid-size platform for the new R2, its first next-generation model after the R1S and R1T. On the platform, an even smaller model will be available, the R3. Both models are thus based on a new platform and come with a choice of one, two, or three […]

Ford E-Transit gets up to 32% more range

March 07, 2024

Ford has updated the full-size E-Transit in the US, boosting the range by 26 to 32 percent thanks to a new 89 kWh battery. The electric van also gets 49 percent faster charging while the price only increases slightly for the American market. A European launch has not yet been announced. The 2022 E-Transit was […]

Dodge delivers ‘muscle’ with all-new 670-hp Charger Daytona EV

March 06, 2024

Dodge has unveiled its new electric car. And it is to deliver on the promise of being the ultimate ‘muscle car’, the new Charger Daytona, a massive 5.2-meter long two-door coupé with all-wheel-drive, a 100.5-kWh battery, and up to 317 miles (510 km) of EPA range. The range-topping Charger Daytona Scat Pack gets 670 hp […]

‘Larger offer and stable prices boost second-hand car market by 13,5%’

March 06, 2024

According to Mobility Federation Traxio, the new and second-hand car market continues to perform well in February 2024. Last month, 60,355 second-hand cars were registered, that is 7,160 units or 13,5% more than last year. The success is due to the more significant offer and stable prices. Private individuals ‘ registrations of second-hand electric vehicles […]

Toyota North America finds EPA electrification targets unrealistic

March 05, 2024

According to Toyota’s projections for the U.S. market, American consumers are expected to purchase significantly fewer EVs by 2030 than the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) anticipates. Consequently, the automaker plans to procure emissions credits to meet U.S. regulations instead of allocating additional resources toward electric vehicle development, citing doubts about their marketability. The EPA announced […]

Volvo Cars’ EV share highest-ever in February

March 05, 2024

In February, Volvo Cars achieved its highest-ever share of electrified models in fully electric and plug-in hybrids and fully electric combined. This was mainly driven by the ramp-up of the company’s new fully electric small SUV, the EX30. Fully electric cars constituted 22% of all cars sold globally last month, while the combined sales of […]

Hyundai Ioniq 5 facelifted: bigger battery, better interior

March 05, 2024

Three years after its launch, Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 EV gets an extensive update, which adds a bigger battery, improved aerodynamics, ergonomic changes to the interior, better safety tech, and a new N Line model, adding some sportiness to the ‘regular’ model range. Strictly speaking, this is the Ioniq 5’s mid-life facelift, but not much has […]

Leapmotor launches cheap electric family SUV C10 in China

March 05, 2024

Leapmotor, the Chinese start-up with backing from Stellantis, has launched its first ‘global’ model: the C10, an electric or range-extended family SUV with a very aggressive price point. The model is now available in China for around €16,500, with an international launch following later this year. Leapmotor first presented the C10 at the IAA in […]

Makro site Machelen will become parking lot for Tesla cars

March 05, 2024

The Makro site in Machelen will be used as a storage facility for Tesla cars until the end of this year. Tesla is allowed to store a maximum of 1,400 cars there, pending further distribution to car dealers and buyers. “The site will also be monitored, insured, and maintained so that the nuisance will end,” […]

BYD cuts price of best-seller Yuan Plus/Atto 3 with 12% in China

March 05, 2024

After announcing new price cuts every day last week for nearly every model in its lineup, BYD announced a 12% price reduction for its best-selling compact SUV, the Yuan Plus, better known in Europe as the Atto 3. In China, the Yuan Plus Glory Edition has a starting price of 119,800 yuan (€15,338). In Belgium, […]

50,000 people queuing for electric Renault 5

March 05, 2024

The French car manufacturer Renault is hoping it has a winner on its hands with the upcoming Renault 5 BEV. The company says it already has 50,000 orders on the waiting list just a few days after its official debut at the Geneva Motor Show. “We have a waiting list of 50,000 people,” Renault brand […]

Dacia CEO confirms Sandero to get fully electric successor

March 04, 2024

After this exact point was speculated last summer, Dacia CEO Denis Le Vot confirmed to Automotive News Europe at the Geneva Motor Show that the Sandero, the current best-seller of the brand, will get an electric successor by 2027 or 2028. Dacia currently only has the heavily updated Spring in terms of electric offerings, but […]

Nissan ends production of Leaf in UK

March 04, 2024

Nissan bids farewell to an era as it halted production of the iconic all-electric Leaf MkII at its Sunderland plant in the UK last week. In a following move, the automaker readies its next-generation electric vehicles at the factory. Since its inception in 2010, the Leaf has been a trailblazer in the electric vehicle market, […]

Aston Martin delays production of first EV

February 29, 2024

Aston Martin is postponing the market launch of its first electric car by one year, citing low customer demand. Instead of 2025, as previously planned, the first BEV from Aston Martin will not be launched until 2026. Aston Martin signed a supply agreement for electric drives with Lucid Motors last year in order to facilitate […]

2025 Tesla Roadster featuring sub-1 sec zero to 60 mph time?

February 29, 2024

Elon Musk has stated on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the new Tesla Roadster is coming in 2025 with a sub-1 second 0-60 mph (97 km/h) time thanks to rocket propulsion technology developed by SpaceX. Is the American electric supercar finally coming after seven years of waiting? With Cybertruck finally launched and Model Y […]

Volvo Cars introduces ‘Accident Ahead Alert’

February 29, 2024

Volvo Cars’ connected safety technology can now alert drivers of accidents ahead. You’re driving down a winding country road. It’s impossible to see beyond the bends in front of you. Suddenly, your Volvo car alerts you: there’s been an accident ahead, just around the bend. “With our new ‘Accident Ahead Alert’, we introduce another pioneering […]

Renault CEO calls for ‘Airbus’ of EV manufacturers in Europe

February 28, 2024

European automakers could collaborate to share development and production costs, suggests Renault Group CEO Luca de Meo. At the considerably smaller Geneva International Motor Show, the Renault Group was one of the highlights, besides the Chinese manufacturers BYD and SAIC), presenting its all-important new electric R5. Europe’s automakers, facing a stiff challenge from Chinese automakers […]

Zeekr refreshes beefed up 001 flagship and cuts prices

February 28, 2024

Swedish-Chinese Zeekr, the sister company to Volvo and Lynk & Co, and positioned as one of Geely’s premium brands, has refreshed and beefed up its 001 shooting brake flagship and cut prices in China drastically in the hope of doubling slacking sales to 230,000 cars in 2024. China is seeing a new price war in […]

Cadillac Lyriq EV starts selling in Europe (update)

February 27, 2024

After Swiss and Swedish customers had already the opportunity to order a Cadillac Lyriq electric SUV online in October, GM’s luxury brand will launch the car in France on the 23rd of March. Deliveries will begin in the first half of 2024. Germany and the UK are following a little bit later. After years of losses, […]

Fake ‘V8-vibrations’ to entice petrolheads into Dodge’s Charger EV

February 27, 2024

What else must modern carmakers do to get a hardcore V8-sound-and-feel-loving petrolhead in a too-smooth-driving silent electric car? Dodge is working on packing its upcoming ‘electric muscle car,’ the Charger EV, with sensors and ‘force generators’ to mimic V8 vibrations, on top of a screaming Hellcat sound. This tactile feedback is something BMW is experimenting […]

Ineos Fusilier: smaller and electric or range extended off-roader

February 27, 2024

Ineos Automotive, the car manufacturing subsidiary of the petrochemical giant, has unveiled its third model after the Grenadier 4×4 and Quartermaster pick-up: the Fusilier. It is co-developed and will be produced by Magna Steyr, with a fully electric or a range-extended electric drivetrain, with a projected launch date 2026. Ineos does not seem set on […]

New MG3 defies hybrid Toyota Yaris and Renault Clio

February 27, 2024

MG has set its sights on Toyota and Renault with a new generation of the MG3. The car replaces its gasoline-only range with a hybrid driveline that is more powerful and has a more extended electric range than its contenders. Simultaneously, ambitions are expanding, as MG will introduce the previously UK-only city car in other […]

Fiat previews electric Panda as one of five new concepts

February 26, 2024

Fiat has previewed the new electric Panda as one of five radically styled concepts that look ahead to a range of new affordable cars due on sale worldwide by the end of the decade. Fiat’s new concepts have been revealed on the eve of the Geneva Motor Show, from which the Italian brand will be […]

Renault reveals production-ready R5 E-Tech in Geneva

February 26, 2024

Pictures of the production-ready Renault R5 had already leaked on Instagram, but Renault subsequently launched the model officially on the press day of the Geneva Motor Show. The final design stays remarkably close to the concept version, which debuted three years ago. The 5 replaces the Zoe and will accompany the 4 later this year. […]

Microlino Lite premiere: 45 km per hour and from age 16

February 26, 2024

At the Geneva Motor Show, Swiss-Italian electric micro-carmaker Microlino unveiled the ‘Lite’ or L6e version of the Microlina L7e, which is the fully electric lightweight quadricycle. This one has a limited maximum speed of 45 km/hour, half of its older brother, with a basic range of approximately 100 km that can be extended up to […]

Renault Scenic is Car of the Year 2O24

February 26, 2024

The new Renault Scenic E-Tech Electric has been proclaimed the Car of the Year 2024 in a ceremony that took place at the Geneva International Motor Show (GIMS). The Renault Scenic E-Tech has achieved first place thanks to 329 points from 58 journalists and COTY members. For 22 jurors, this SUV was the best of […]

SAIC to bring IM Motors’ L6 electric saloon to Europe

February 23, 2024

IM Motors, the joint venture between e-commerce giant Alibaba and Chinese car manufacturer SAIC (MG, Maxus), is coming to Europe with the L6 electric saloon. It will make its debut at the Geneva Motor Show with a promised range of up to 800 km thanks to a solid-state battery. IM Motors (Intelligent in Motion) was […]

BYD to debut first plug-in hybrid for Europe in Geneva

February 23, 2024

Chinese carmaker BYD will showcase a plug-in version of its Seal U SUV at the 2024 Geneva Motor Show. The new high-range plug-in hybrid should be sold in European markets with low EV demand. In addition to a plug-in SUV, BYD will also present its Yangwang luxurious sub-brand to the public with the U8 full-size […]

Mercedes gets cold feet about electrification timing

February 23, 2024

Mercedes-Benz is lagging behind its target for EV sales and seems to have axed its electric target for 2030. Instead of the 20% or more envisaged, battery-electric cars only accounted for 12% of total sales last year. Mercedes sold 240,668 BEVs in 2023. That’s a 73% growth and can be seen as very positive. Still, […]

Cupra Born gains sporty VZ version

February 22, 2024

Cupra has adorned its electric Born with the VZ label, turning the compact EV into a sporty hot hatch with 325 hp on tap. The Born VZ also gains a new suspension setup, a slightly improved battery, special bucket seats, and an update for the infotainment system. Cupra, Seat’s younger brother set to take over […]

Dacia Spring 2024 is seriously updated

February 21, 2024

As already mentioned in our article on Renault’s growth, Dacia now launches a new edition of its Spring electric model. The compact electric car, which looks like a small city SUV, is facelifted inside and out. Along with its 2023 sales figures, the Renault Group announced that there will be a new edition of the […]

Alpine A290, to be launched in June, is tested in the cold

February 21, 2024

The sporty brother of the upcoming fully electric Renault 5 is undergoing its last test stages in arctic conditions. The launch of the first Alpine EV is foreseen for June 2024. “Our A290, the future compact B-segment electric sports car, is currently being tested in the extreme and demanding conditions of Sweden’s Lapland,” says Philippe […]

Porsche adds plug-in hybrids to Panamera range

February 20, 2024

Ultimately, the Porsche Panamera will become available with four plug-in hybrid (PHEV) drivelines, of which the automaker unveils the first two: the 4 E-Hybrid and 4S E-Hybrid. Both models can cope with approximately 100 kilometers of zero-emission driving, a reach that has grown into the new standard. Both E-Hybrids combine a cutting-edge hybrid system with […]

Volkswagen woos family men with ID.7 Tourer

February 20, 2024

In a move that further cements its position in the electric vehicle (EV) market, Volkswagen has unveiled the ID.7 Tourer, the latest in its ID series. The car offers a blend of increased cargo space and an impressive electric range. Joining the BMW i5 Touring, the ID.7 Tourer stands out as one of the few […]

Volvo irons out its electric model naming

February 20, 2024

Swedish car manufacturer Volvo is determined to become a fully electric carmaker by 2030, and that’s why it’s now ironing out the naming of its electric models, all consequentially starting with an ‘E’. Volvo’s first fully electric XC40 Recharge, made in Ghent (Belgium), among others, becomes the ‘EX40’, and the first electric sedan C40 that […]

Rust-free Tesla Cybertruck gives owners corrosion worries

February 19, 2024

Tesla’s Cybertruck community has been up in arms recently about two issues: possible rust or corrosion of the electric pickup truck’s stainless steel panels and the ability to skip the waiting line for delivery in exchange for referral credits. Let’s take a look. To recall: Tesla finally started delivering the Cybertruck to US customers at […]

Watch NIO’s ET9 shake the snow off its body like a Husky

February 19, 2024

In a remarkable video posted on Weibo, Chinese premium EV maker NIO has demonstrated a feature of its flagship sedan ET9’s SkyRide chassis system that will please customers in the High North. Like a Husky awakening in the snow in the morning, the car is shaking all the snow off its body during winter testing, […]

Stellantis posts record profits but stays prudent

February 19, 2024

For the fiscal year 2023, car manufacturer Stellantis Group recorded a net profit of € 18.63 billion (+11%) compared to last year’s € 16.78 billion. Net revenues were € 189.54 billion, up from last year’s € 179.59 billion, with consolidated shipment volumes increasing 7%. The adjusted operating income increased 1% to € 24.34 billion from […]

Scout Motors breaks ground on South Carolina factory

February 16, 2024

Scout Motors, Volkswagen’s rugged American EV brand, has broken ground on its brand-new production facility in South Carolina. Production of the off-road capable pickup truck and SUV is targeted to begin by the end of 2026, with a market launch soon after. But the models will already be revealed this summer. Scout Motors is the […]

BMW chief designer posts pictures of canceled i8 successor

February 16, 2024

More than ten years ago, BMW shook the car world with its first i-cars, the i3 and the i8. In 2019, it showed a concept for a successor of the PHEV i8 sports car called Vision M Next. The canceled production version of this car, called I16, has now been revealed by BMW’s chief designer, […]

Renault CEO: ‘Deals with the Chinese would be beneficial for both sides’

February 15, 2024

Renault is doing well again these days. Its turnover has grown by 17,9% to €52.5 billion, with a net benefit of €2.3 billion. Its free cash flow has turned around €3 billion now and has grown by €905 million last year. More interestingly, the operational margin has increased to 7,9%, a record figure for the […]

SV Rover: 1,000 hp electric Trophy Truck for the road

February 15, 2024

Scarbo Vintage, a California-based manufacturer who likes to revive classic designs, has unveiled the Rover. It takes inspiration from the classic Land Rover Defender but takes pretty much everything else to the extreme, including its 1,000 hp electric drivetrain… and its price tag. While Scarbo Vintage may not ring a bell for most, it has […]

Electric Ypsilon is the first new Lancia

February 15, 2024

On Wednesday, the revived Lancia brand launched its first car of the new era, a successor to the current Ypsilon that will be available as a pure electric car or (somewhat later) as a hybrid. It starts with a limited series of 1,906 cars (the founding date of Lancia) designed in collaboration with the famous […]

CEO Lancia: ‘We must avoid the pitfall of nostalgia’

February 14, 2024

Today, the resurrected Italian car brand Lancia launches the first car in its new product portfolio, the successor to the current Ypsilon. We presented the car in another article and talked to Lancia’s brand CEO, Luca Napolitano. Napolitano studied Business Administration in Rome and began his automotive career at Ford. In 2000, he started working […]

Chrysler Halcyon EV Concept: radical future with ‘unlimited range’

February 14, 2024

American carmaker Chrysler has presented a new concept that shows a glimpse into the brand’s electric future, however far it may be. Unlike the Airflow concept of 2022, the Chrysler Halcyon EV Concept demonstrates technologies that don’t exist. The Chrysler Halcyon EV Concept features a lithium-sulfur battery, inductive charging that could give it unlimited range […]

Driving an Isetta reincarnation: the Microlino Pioneer

February 13, 2024

It isn’t a car, and it isn’t a moped on four wheels. Still, it can reach a top speed of 90 km/hour, and you need a driver’s license B for it in Belgium. Officially, it is a fully electric lightweight quadricycle (L7e) that looks like the direct reincarnation of the ultimate bubble car of the […]

First Ford F-150 Lightning lands in Europe

February 13, 2024

Ford has handed over the first F-150 Lightning outside of the US. The electric version of the best-selling pickup truck has arrived in Norway and will be sold in a limited run. Meanwhile, demand has slowed down in the US after the first rush by early adopters. In April last year, Ford announced it would […]

‘Leaked’ Kia EV8 to replace Stinger with 800 km of range

February 13, 2024

A leak reveals that the future EV8 will be equipped with an impressive 113,2 kWh battery giving it up to 800 km of range. Two electric motors will give it an all-wheel-drive and 450 kW (603 hp). The leak comes from Kia’s Union New Car Production Schedule and it shows a glimpse of the future […]

Volvo CEO: ‘We don’t withdraw from Polestar entirely’

February 13, 2024

A few months ago, Volvo Cars announced that it would withdraw its interests in its sister company, Polestar. Today, Volvo confirms that it won’t be the major investor in Polestar anymore, but a total withdrawal seems out of the question. In an interview with the German newspaper Handelsblatt, Volvo CEO Jim Rowan (59) declared: “We […]

Audi will build drive systems for small BEVs in Hungary

February 13, 2024

Audi has started preparations at its plant in Györ, Hungary, to produce the new generation of electric drives called MEBeco for the Volkswagen Group’s small electric cars announced in 2025. According to Audi Hungaria, the first systems for this have arrived, and the planning of the production lines is underway. Audi had already confirmed in […]

Electric Abarth 600e is most powerful Abarth ever

February 12, 2024

Abarth unveils the first picture of the pure electric New Abarth 600e as it undergoes its final tests while making its public debut. The New Abarth 600e – in its Scorpionissima launch edition – appeared for the first time in public last Thursday at the shooting of a new commercial in Milan, Italy. The new […]

Jaguar Land Rover delays timing of new EV launches

February 12, 2024

Regarding the roll-out of electric vehicles, JLR is stepping on the brakes or is at least recuperating energy. The carmaker also announced launching more plug-in hybrids, saying the demand for pure EVs has cooled down. The announcement is quite surprising as it comes when the company is seeing strong interest in the first electric Range […]

Norway uses Designwerk e-truck as a snow plow

February 12, 2024

The Norwegian Public Roads Administration has used an electric heavy truck from Swiss boutique manufacturer Designwerk to clear snow for the first time. Thanks to the 1,000 kWh battery capacity, the truck was able to complete a full day’s plowing work with ease. Designwerk is a small, Swiss-based manufacturer of custom electric trucks. It’s partially […]

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