Lucid Motors announced today that the delivery of the 2021 Lucid Air electric luxury sedan to customers will not happen this spring as it had earlier announced.
The automaker now expects to begin deliveries to customers sometime in the second half of 2021, according to a letter from CEO Peter Rawlinson.
Lucid states that the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on its supply chain are a major reason for the delay.
The effects of COVID-19 have caused a delay in the arrival of an eagerly awaited new electric car from a startup: the 2021 Lucid Air. In a letter from Lucid CEO Peter Rawlinson, the company announced that vehicles will not be delivered this spring as originally promised. Instead, customer deliveries will begin sometime in the second half of 2021.

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In the letter, Rawlinson stated that despite excellent progress bringing the car to market, “We now know that we won’t be able to start delivering Lucid Air this spring at the level of quality we insist on providing.” The automotive startup cited the effects of the coronavirus on the supply chain, testing, and preparing for sales. Currently, the company is building “release candidate” near-production-ready vehicles at its Casa Grande, Arizona, facility.
Lucid made big news when it announced that its Air electric luxury sedan had a projected range of 517 miles putting it in league with Tesla. When it later unveiled the vehicle, its launch-edition Dream trim level range was a little less than the earlier announcement but still impressive at 503 miles. At the time, it was more than anything Tesla produced. Since then, Telsa has announced an updated Model S with an estimated range of 520 miles. It’s expected to be available in late 2021.
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The Mini Cooper SE Convertible is a droptop version of the electric Cooper hatchback, but only 999 examples will be sold in Europe.The powertrain is the same as the standard Cooper SE, with a 181-hp motor motivating the front wheels.The convertible wears Resolute Bronze trim on the exterior and features special badges denoting its limited-production status.Last year, Mini created a convertible prototype from its electric Cooper hatchback, and now the adorable EV droptop is entering production. Sadly, the Cooper SE Convertible is limited to just 999 units exclusively destined for the Europe market, with “specific and unique market compliance requirements” preventing its sale in the U.S., according to a Mini representative. Still, it shows that Mini is pondering an expansion of its EV lineup, and this electric convertible likely acts as a precursor to an electric droptop for the next generation.The Cooper SE Convertible is offered in Enigmatic Black or White Silver, with the door handles and other exterior trim finished in Resolute Bronze. The EV also wears unique badges that denote the car as “1 of 999” units being built. The cabin is equipped with heated leather seats and a nappa leather steering wheel, while neon-yellow accents highlight the convertible’s electric powertrain. The powered softtop can raise and lower at up to nearly 19 mph. The powertrain is unchanged from the standard Cooper SE hatchback, with a 181-hp motor powering the front wheels. Mini claims that the Cooper SE Convertible will reach 62 mph in 8.2 seconds, and although the droptop will presumably outweigh the hatchback, we measured a zippy 6.1-second sprint to 60 mph in the Cooper SE hatchback that we tested in 2020. More Mini NewsThe limited-production convertible has an estimated 125-mile range on Europe’s generous WLTP test cycle, but the EPA’s more stringent test rated the electric hatchback at 110 miles of range in the U.S. The Cooper SE Convertible will go on sale in Europe in April, while the next-generation Mini Cooper, which will include electric and gas powertrains, is expected to arrive later in 2023.This content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. More

The Toyota C-HR will be discontinued in the U.S. and Canada after 2022, the automaker confirmed to Car and Driver.Toyota also confirmed that the next-gen C-HR will not make it to North America and instead will be sold in Europe only. Previewing the next generation is the C-HR Prologue concept, which shares design cues with the extroverted Toyota bZ concept. It was fun, it was real, but it wasn’t real fun. The Toyota C-HR, which stimulated our eyes but never our hearts, will be pushing daises after the 2022 model year—at least in the U.S. and Canada. Toyota has confirmed to Car and Driver that its funky subcompact SUV will not return to either market for 2023, effectively ending the model’s North American run after just one abbreviated generation that began back in 2018.Remembering the C-HRC-HR Exit Stage LeftThe death of the C-HR means Americans who want a subcompact Toyota SUV will now be limited to the Corolla Cross, which looks comparatively bland but offers all-wheel drive and improved practicality versus the front-drive-only C-HR. Of course, there’s also the hugely popular RAV4, but its larger dimensions coincide with a higher price tag.2018 model shown.During its brief five-year life cycle, the first-generation C-HR captured our attention with its interesting bodywork featuring a determined-looking face, prominent character lines, and an available two-tone roof that ended with an integrated spoiler. Despite its undeniable curbside appeal, the C-HR always stymied our excitement with its snooze-worthy driving demeanor. We won’t bore you with the details, we’ll just point out that the trip to 60 mph took 11 seconds thanks to its indifferent 144-hp four-pot.Next C-HR Looks Even CoolerAlthough the C-HR nameplate will soon cease to exist on our shores, the people across the pond will be getting a second generation. Toyota confirmed that it’ll only be sold in Europe. Based on images that Toyota released of the C-HR Prologue concept (as seen below), the next-gen version looks legitimately rad. With the company’s proclamation that the successor to the original C-HR will be even bolder, we feel confident the production model will look similar to the concept. ToyotaMaybe if shoppers in North America had shown the first generation of the quirky subcompact SUV more love, Toyota wouldn’t have axed it. Either way, those who love the look of the next C-HR will likely be satisfied with the company’s upcoming bZ electric SUVs, which share design cues with the Prologue concept.This content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.This content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. More

Mercedes-Benz has revealed the MBUX Hyperscreen, an infotainment system set to first appear in the forthcoming EQS electric sedan.
The Hyperscreen is actually three screens: a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, a 17.7-inch infotainment screen, and a 12.3-inch screen for the front passenger.
The MBUX system powering the Hyperscreen has been revamped with a zero-layer interface that gives users access to features without scrolling through menus.
Mercedes-Benz is not sitting out the revolution in screen technology. As proof, the latest part of the automaker’s MBUX infotainment lineup is Hyperscreen. Just revealed ahead of the CES virtual technology show next week, it’s a three-screen setup that includes a screen for the front passenger, stretching across nearly the entire dashboard for a total screen span of 56 inches.The setup will first appear in the EQS, Mercedes’s electric sedan that is coming this spring.

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Curving across the dashboard, the Hyperscreen uses an updated version of the MBUX infotainment system first introduced in 2018 in the A-class. It uses artificial intelligence to adapt the infotainment system to the user’s needs and habits featuring a “zero-layer interface,” meaning the user can reach features without having to scroll through menus or use voice commands. Instead, important apps are always available on the screen within the driver’s field of vision, Mercedes said.
So, for instance, if a driver regularly calls someone at a particular time of day, the system will prompt them to make a call to that person at that given time. Or if a user raises the car using the air suspension at a given location on a regular basis, such as at a speed bump or driveway, the system will learn that behavior and do it for the user.

Mercedes-Benz

The 17.7-inch infotainment screen and 12.3-inch front passenger screen have OLED displays that blend into the frame when turned off, When there isn’t a passenger in the front seat, the display on that side of the vehicle will be unusable and just feature a starry screen

Mercedes-Benz

It won’t be until the MBUX Hyperscreen appears in the EQS that we’ll be able to see how the Hyperscreen fits into the cockpit of a vehicle, but from what was shown today, it’ll give the EQS an infotainment system to match its powertrain.

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Fiat announced today that its adorable 500 minicar will return to the North America market after a four-year absence.Unlike the previous-generation car, the 500 will be sold here only as the electric 500e.The new 500e is already on sale in Europe and comes with an estimated driving range of up to 199 miles on Europe’s very optimistic WLTP cycle.After Fiat discontinued of the 500 and 500L models in North America a few years back, we’ve been skeptical about the future of the brand. The 500X SUV is the only Fiat currently sold on our shores, but now a completely redesigned 500e electric hatchback is on the way to give Fiat a boost in the U.S. market.Based on the 500 city car that’s sold in Europe already, the 500e will go on sale here as a 2024 model, but Fiat has so far been tight-lipped on details about U.S. specs for its electric powertrain and battery pack. We suspect it will port over exactly as it is sold in Europe, with the larger of the two available battery packs, a 37.3-kWh unit, and an electric motor driving the front wheels that can provide up to 117 horsepower. More on the Original 500eWith this larger battery, the 500e carries a range estimate of 199 miles on the European WLTP cycle. But unless Fiat somehow squeezes a larger battery pack into the U.S. variant, we expect to see a significantly lower EPA range estimate, likely around 160 miles per charge.The 500e appears to be coming to the U.S. in both hardtop hatchback and softtop convertible body styles, although there’s no word yet on if the European version’s 3+1 door configuration will make the leap. With help from Italian fashion houses Armani and Bulgari as well as contemporary furniture design firm Kartell, Fiat has shown three one-off concept cars at the 2022 Los Angeles auto show that highlight the car’s fashionable styling. FiatFiatThe Armani 500e, for example, features a special exterior paint treatment with a laser-etched chevron pattern meant to make it look like fabric. The Kartell version uses sustainable plastics to dress up the car’s interior, and the Bulgari model sports an upscale appearance inside and out with colorful embroidered upholstery and a matching mural on the dashboard. That version also features a removable brooch with inset amethyst, topaz, and citrine gemstones mounted at the center of the steering wheel. We don’t expect such an option to make it to production, sadly.Those in the know will remember that 500e version of the previous-gen car was sold here back through 2019 model year, although its availability was limited to California and Oregon. That model was a big money loser for the brand, with former Fiat Chrysler boss Sergio Marchionne famously telling Reuters in 2014 that he hoped not too many people would buy it because his company lost about $14,000 on each one.FiatFiatThis time around, the 500e is poised to present a better business case. For starters, it’ll likely be offered in for sale in more states, and we expect it will carry a higher starting price than the 2019 version, which retailed for around $34,000. The 500e will be among the first EVs to reach the U.S. from Fiat’s parent company, Stellantis. While rivals such as General Motors, Ford, and Volkswagen have rapidly launched EV models, Stellantis has lagged. The company has shown flashy concepts such as the Chrysler Airflow and the Dodge Charger Daytona, but those cars are still in the concept stage. Since the 500e is already on sale in other parts of the world, it may beat those vehicles to production.Fiat says the production version of the 500e will debut next year at the 2023 Los Angeles auto show, and by then we’ll likely know more about the car’s powertrain, battery, and driving range. This content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.This content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. More