Author: Casper Benedict

Toyota has finally introduced the successor to the all-electric bZ4X in the Chinese market. Named the Toyota bZ3, this latest electric sedan is predicted to be a formidable competitor to the Tesla Model 3. The electric sedan is built on Toyota’s global e-TNGA platform with a bZ3 battery pack made by BYD. Equipped with regenerative energy technology, the Toyota bZ3 is claimed to have a mileage of more than 373 miles. This considerable distance is helped by a drag coefficient of 0.218. Toyota itself has not announced how much power output from the bZ3, but is estimated to touch the…

After four years since the Tesla Cybertruck was launched and several delays, it looks like electric pickup trucks are about to go into production. The optimism came after a recent video featuring the new rear fascia and taillight cluster went viral on Twitter. The video shows the rear of the redesigned Cybertruck. The Cybertruck’s lightbar section now consists of three center-mounted LED traffic lights, flanked on either side. On both sides of this, additional lighting can be seen. The lights come on when braking and double as taillights too. https://twitter.com/AstroS3xy/status/1583819107744370688 Reverse lights are on either side of the license plate.…

Rivian has discontinued production of the Camp Kitchen, one of the most distinctive features of the Rivian R1T electric pickup truck. The Camp Kitchen is a $5,000 option that comes with a two-burner induction hob, removable sink, storage drawer and 4-gallon water tank. Rivian in an email to reservation holders said the company is temporarily stopping production of the Camp Kitchen for a redesign. Customers who add the Camp Kitche option may not make their deliveries in time. The company didn’t give details as to why the kitchen was redesigned, apparently finding some flaws. The Rivian R1T electric pickup truck…

Tesla celebrates 10 years of Supercharging with the first station on the market in September 2012 with the launch of the Tesla Model S Supercharging at 90 kW, and then up to 120 kW opens the possibility of using electric vehicles for long-distance trips. At first, Tesla introduced some completely new concepts mainly to encourage customers to buy the Model S. Tesla uses its proprietary ultra-compact connector for normal AC charging, and fast DC charging, while at the time, the DC-only CHAdeMO was a separate thing from the SAE J1772’s AC connector. At that time, CCS was not yet available.…

The incentives provided by the recently passed Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) are expected to help Nikola by lowering the cost of his electric truck and hydrogen energy business. The IRA, which was passed in August, provides incentives for battery and electric vehicle manufacturing in the United States. The IRA allows the Nikola semi-trucks to be competitive for cost of ownership compared to diesel-powered trucks. Nikola aims to build up to 60 hydrogen delivery stations by 2026 and allow access to up to 300 metric tons of low-carbon hydrogen supplies. Incentives from the IRA will lower hydrogen costs, delivery infrastructure and…

Arriva ordered electric buses from VDL Bus & Coach to strengthen its zero-emission bus fleet in the Netherlands. Arriva has ordered 64 electric buses to enter service in the company’s North Brabant East concession. 40 VDL Citea buses of type LF-122 and four articulated buses of type LF-181 will be used for public transport in Tilburg. The order also includes 20 Citea LE-135s to run on the overhead line between Uden-Veghel-Eindhoven and Uden-Veghel-Den Bosch. VDL introduced the new Citea line in May 2021 with lengths of 12.2 meters (“LF-122” with low entry), 13.5 meters (LE-135), 14.9 meters (LE-149) and 18.1…

In the Paris Motor Show which will take place October 17-23 2022. The host manufacturer Renault displays an electric concept car that is fairly compact but sophisticated. The model is the same as the hatchback 5 which will be the second car based on the CMF-BEV architecture developed by the company. This four-wheeled vehicle is named 4EVer which looks to have a strong character. This eco-friendly vehicle will enter the larger crossover segment. For propulsion, this model is equipped with a nickel cobalt manganese battery with a capacity of 42 kWh. In appearance, the size of this car has a…

Kia provides a software update or software for the Kia EV6 which serves to make the battery charge faster in cold temperatures. With an 800 volt platform and 240 kW DC fast charging capability, the Kia EV6 is one of the fastest EVs for charging on the market. It does have one major problem, and that is its inability to exceed 70 kW in cold temperatures, when the battery is not at a temperature deemed suitable for fast charging. A software update resolves this issue and allows the vehicle to get closer to a claimed 10 to 80 percent charge…

Tesla just released Q3 2022 results with unexpected results. Tesla shares are down nearly 6% in pre-market but there is a lot of good news especially regarding the company’s upcoming plans. Elon Musk says his engineering team is working on a next-generation EV platform. The company’s upcoming vehicle platform will be the third after the large ones supporting the Model S and X and the compact ones used by the Models 3 and Y. Musk said that the next platform will be smaller than the Model 3/Y platform and about half the cost. Musk said there was no firm date…

Cadillac is back to enliven the ultra-luxury car segment by launching the Cadillac Celestiq electric car (17/10). Yup, the Cadillac Celestiq electric car is here not only to continue the CT6 as the most luxurious sedan but also to rebuild Cadillac’s image as a standard of luxury. The Cadillac CT6 is also the second dedicated electric car in the Cadillac lineup, accompanying the Cadillac Lyriq which launched in 2021 ago. “The Celestiq is the purest expression of Cadillac, acknowledging our amazing history and also propelling us towards a brighter future,” said Rory Harvey, Global Vice President of Cadillac. “This car…

Waymo announced the expansion of robotaxi to residents in several central districts of Los Angeles, according to a post on the company’s website. Waymo had previously expanded outside of Arizona to San Francisco earlier this year. The company has charted roads in many LA neighborhoods since 2019, including Downtown and Miracle Mile, Koreatown, Santa Monica, Westwood, and West Hollywood. The initial launch will see a dozen Waymo vehicles roam the streets of LA. The company plans to expand their fleet from there to take advantage of what it calls “one of the world’s largest ride-hailing service areas and the world’s…

The new Volvo EX90 will launch on November 9, but the company has already teased potential customers by publishing the interior of the new electric flagship from Sweden The Volvo EX90 promises the most advanced technology ever seen in any Volvo car and now interior details have been introduced in the company’s latest video. From the published video, the company decided to prioritize aspects of sustainability and recycled materials. For example the new Nordico material is made of PET bottles and pine resin from certified sources and replaces many plastic parts in cars. The Volvo EX90 will use wood panels…