Aurelia Butler

Aston Martin and Lucid are partnering up, with Aston’s future EVs set to use Lucid’s next-gen electric motors.An SUV and three sports cars are part of Aston’s EV plans, and some models could offer up to 1500 horsepower.The first Aston Martin EV is set to arrive in 2025.The news surrounding Aston Martin over the last few years has often felt like an automotive soap opera. In the last five years, the British sports-car maker has gone through a poorly received IPO, parted ways with two CEOs, and gained an increasing number of co-owners. Both Mercedes-Benz and Chinese giant Geely acquired stakes alongside the consortium led by Canadian billionaire Lawrence Stroll, who is now also Aston’s executive chairman. But now Aston has gained another equity partner as it looks towards an electric future, signing a deal with Lucid that will see the U.S. EV maker supply much of the technology for Aston’s forthcoming range of fully electric models. The first is promised for as soon as 2025. In return, Lucid Motors will be paid $132 million in cash for its expertise and will also be given a 3.7 percent stake in Aston Martin worth another $100 million. It is also guaranteed that Aston will buy at least $225 million in powertrain components.More on LucidSpeaking to journalists at the company’s Gaydon HQ this afternoon, Stroll said that taking control of Aston proved proved to be the biggest challenge in his career. “Some of which I understood, some of which I clearly didn’t,” he admitted. The issues included dealing with excess inventory—shutting down production for nearly a year—and then raising the money required to develop new models, with this including a technology supply agreement with Mercedes. That deal included both the AMG-sourced V-8 engines and Mercedes electronic architecture that Aston is already using, but also made provisions for a deeper agreement that would see Aston’s future EV models being based on Mercedes expertise. That prospect has effectively ended with the new Lucid deal, although Stroll was quick to point out that the existing Mercedes partnership for pure combustion and hybrid powertrains will continue.Aston Martin RapidEAston MartinAston first tried to build an EV with the RapidE sedan nearly 10 years ago. This was intended for a limited production run, although only a single demonstrator was constructed. Subsequently the company planned to create a new EV platform to underpin Lagonda-branded models, although those were abandoned when it ran into its first financial crisis. But with luxury rivals including Bentley, Lamborghini, and Rolls-Royce working on electric models, Lucid’s expertise would seem to offer Aston a potential shortcut to what could be segment-leading performance.No electric Aston will be short on urge. The forthcoming triple-motor Lucid Air Sapphire is set to have more than 1200 horsepower, but Lucid Group CEO Peter Rawlinson confirmed at the Aston briefing that the deal is actually for the company’s next-generation electric-motor technology. Aston CTO Roberto Fedeli said that Aston is working on what will become its own scalable EV platform that is set to feature similar bonded aluminum construction to the technique that underpins the company’s combustion models. But Lucid will supply both the twin rear motors and the compact battery cell technology that will allow low packs to be created to suit Aston’s sleek designs. Lucid Air Sapphire motorLucidFedeli told journalists that Aston is working to develop its own front motors, with the EV set to use versions of the ones that will feature in the forthcoming mid-engined plug-in-hybrid Valhalla hypercar. He also said the company is working on an active drag reduction technique in collaboration with the Aston Martin Formula 1 team, one that sounds like the “streamline mode” of the GMA T.50. A quad-motor layout will allow torque vectoring at both ends, and the prospect of a peak power output beyond 1500 hp.Aston is also planning multiple EV models. The first of these will likely be a sleek SUV given the dynamics of the luxury market. Beyond that, Stroll confirms the plan is to create differently sized EVs similar to the brand’s three different front-engined sports cars. But, these won’t be electric versions of combustion models like the Maserati GranTurismo Folgore. It’s no wonder that Aston is also planning to radically revise its retail experience by opening company-owned flagship stores, the first in New York; they will need plenty of floor space just to show the full lineup.More on Aston and EVsBefore the arrival of the first EV in 2025, Aston has already confirmed it will have replaced all of its existing sports cars with fresh models; the already announced DB12 is set to be joined soon by replacements for both the current Vantage and DBS. We can also expect a revised DBX which will include the option of a plug-in hybrid, with the Valhalla set to arrive next year as well. Before that, we’re also set to see an ultra-limited model created to celebrate Aston’s 110th anniversary this year.Most important is the improving financial situation. Aston’s revenue has more than doubled between 2020 and 2022, with Stroll predicting that the company will become “cashflow positive” next year—bringing in more money than it is spending. Could Aston Martin’s roller-coaster fortunes be set for the biggest climb yet?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.European EditorMike Duff has been writing about the auto industry for two decades and calls the UK home, although he normally lives life on the road. He loves old cars and adventure in unlikely places, with career highlights including driving to Chernobyl in a Lada. More

For years, Apple fans have claimed a connection between the tech giant and Route 14 Investment Partners based on thin evidence.We visited Route 14’s Arizona proving ground and spotted a car with a sensor stack with a design like one Apple has been testing.We also uncovered paperwork that appears to connect at least one individual to both companies. In late 2005, DaimlerChrysler sold its proving ground in Wittmann, Arizona, to homebuilder Toll Brothers and its partners for $312 million. The new owners intended to use the 5500-acre property to develop a planned community with about 33,000 homes. It never materialized, and in 2010, the developers defaulted on their loan, leaving the proving ground in the possession of the project’s lender, iStar.Related StoriesAfter more than a decade of ownership, the commercial real-estate finance company finally unloaded the land, selling it to Route 14 Investment Partners LLC in July 2021 for $125 million. Route 14 Investment Partners was no stranger to the property. Approximately five years earlier, the New York–based iStar had begun leasing the proving ground to the little-known limited-liability company.Much about Route 14 Investment Partners remains unknown, as there’s minimal public information available about the presumably automotive-related company. However, rumors persist that Route 14 Investment Partners is a company related to Apple’s car project, once—and possibly still—known as “Project Titan.”© 2023 GoogleApple fans point to purported statements from unnamed sources confirming this, as well as the fact that Route 14 Investment Partners formed shortly after the tech giant’s rumored car project first came to light in early 2015. They also note that both Route 14 Investment Partners and Apple use CT Corporation’s Corporation Trust Company, which serves as a registered agent for companies that incorporate in Delaware, allowing businesses to take advantage of the First State’s tax benefits without setting up dedicated offices there. The fact that hundreds of thousands of other businesses, including Ford, Toyota, and Tesla, have used CT’s services only emphasizes the circumstantial nature of this thin connection between Apple and Route 14 Investment Partners. Autonomous in ArizonaLast month we flew to Arizona to visit Route 14 Investment Partners’ proving ground in Wittmann. With little precipitation and lots of sunshine, the sleepy unincorporated desert community, located approximately 35 miles northwest of Phoenix, is conducive to autonomous-vehicle testing. Greg S. Fink|Car and DriverBased on what we witnessed while staking out the proving ground, we can confirm the presence of self-driving-vehicle technology at Route 14 Investment Partners’ facility. We captured images of a white fourth-generation Lexus RX, sensor stack mounted to its roof, undergoing testing within the fenced-in perimeter of the proving ground.More telling is the design of the sensor stack, which matches those that Apple has fitted to multiple Lexus RXs photographed in California. Pictures of these vehicles are all over the web, and many include a clear view of each vehicle’s license tag—information we used to pull the vehicle identification number (VIN) for five of the California-registered Lexus SUVs. picture alliance|Getty ImagesWe then crosschecked each VIN against those listed within California’s 2022 Autonomous Mileage Reports. (The Golden State requires any autonomous-vehicle developer testing its technology on public roads to file data on system disengagements.) The result? All five VINs correlated with reports submitted by Apple. Admittedly, it’s possible that another company is toying with a similar sensor-pack design. Without any license plate or VIN information for the RX we spotted at the former DaimlerChrysler proving ground, our evidence, though stronger than a shared registered agent in Delaware, still seemed too weak on its own to convince a proverbial jury that this proves “beyond a reasonable doubt” that Route 14 Investment Partners is an Apple offshoot.Environmental ConnectionAlthough we saw nothing else of note while staking out the proving ground, we did stumble across a sign posted high up on a portion of the chain-link fence surrounding the property:Greg S. Fink|Car and DriverIn the months before our Arizona trip, we searched public-records databases for clues that might reveal additional details about Route 14 Investment Partners. In all that time, we’d never checked the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) website. It was literally a sign from above. After leaving Wittmann and checking in to our hotel in nearby Surprise, Arizona, we hunted for records posted on ADEQ’s website, one of which was for the water system at the proving ground. The document lists the names and contact information of the system’s administrative contact and owner. Both phone numbers have Silicon Valley area codes, and the owner’s is shared with lines at Apple headquarters in Cupertino.Neither individual answered our calls. That said, our research gives us reason to believe that the listed owner, William Lynch, directly connects Route 14 Investment Partners to Apple.appleAs evidenced by Lynch’s Route 14 Investment Partners email address and the voicemail greeting of the phone number listed in the ADEQ document, Lynch does not typically go by the name William. Rather, he goes by Ken. A brief LinkedIn search brought up the profile of an Apple employee named Ken Lynch who has spent close to a decade working for the company in the field of environment, health, and safety. Not conclusive, but certainly interesting.Once again, we looked to public records for assistance, and we soon came across EPA documents that included contact information for an Apple-associated Ken Lynch.We called the number listed next to Ken Lynch’s name on these Apple-related EPA submissions and were sent to voicemail. A greeting nearly indistinguishable from the one associated with Lynch’s Route 14 Investment Partners phone number addressed us on this line as well. We recorded both greetings and listened to them back to back several times. We won’t declare with certainty that these two phone numbers belong to the same Ken Lynch until Lynch responds to our queries and puts this question to bed. For its part, Apple let us know that the company had nothing to share on the matters of its or its employees’ connections to Route 14 Investment Partners.Car and DriverIs Apple All In?For years, circumstantial evidence drove the narrative that linked Route 14 Investment Partners to Apple’s car project. Now we have harder evidence that more directly connects the two companies.If this is the case, then Route 14 Investment Partners’ $125 million purchase of the old DaimlerChrysler proving ground appears to indicate Apple’s financial commitment to creating a car of its own, presumably one with profitability in mind. After all, Apple did not become a multi-trillion-dollar company by haphazardly and needlessly spending hundreds of millions to develop financially futile products.Senior EditorDespite their shared last name, Greg Fink is not related to Ed “Big Daddy” Roth’s infamous Rat Fink. Both Finks, however, are known for their love of cars, car culture, and—strangely—monogrammed one-piece bathing suits. Greg’s career in the media industry goes back more than a decade. His previous experience includes stints as an editor at publications such as U.S. News & World Report, The Huffington Post, Motor1.com, and MotorTrend. More

The Chevy Silverado EV Work Truck (WT) will have a base price around $52K when the retail version eventually goes on sale.Chevy was previously taking pre-orders for the WT on its consumer site, with the starting price then listed at just under $42,000.The fleet-only Silverado EV 4WT starts at $79,800, and the $106,895 RST First Edition for consumers arrives this fall; Chevy says more affordable models will follow. Electric pickup trucks are becoming easier to come by, but as we’ve already seen with the Ford F-150 Lightning’s countless price hikes, automakers are finding that keeping costs down isn’t quite as easy. The new Chevy Silverado EV is the latest example, with its claimed base price rising about $10,000 to over $50K before it even hits dealer lots.Missed TargetEarlier this year, Chevy was accepting $100 deposits to pre-order the electric Silverado on its consumer site. At the time, the starting price was listed at $39,900 before the destination fee, which, when added, would push its MSRP closer to $42K. While recently attending the first drive of the fleet-specific Silverado EV 4WT, we heard from Chevy’s Global Vice President Scott Bell who said the company no longer thinks it can meet that initial target.View PhotosFleet-specific Chevy Silverado EV 4WT driving.ChevroletThat nugget of information is corroborated by updated pricing for the Silverado EV that’s listed on Chevy’s media site. It now states the retail version of the truck will start at $50,000, with the $1895 estimated destination charge pushing the total to $51,895. Since the WT variant is the entry-level model, that’s likely its new base price. Car and Driver reached out to a Chevy spokesperson for confirmation and further comment on what lead to the price hike, but we’ve yet to hear back.Other Silverado EVs PricedThe fleet-only Chevy Silverado EV 4WT is the first to launch, and it carries a starting price of $79,800. A less expensive 3WT version with lower estimated range (350 miles versus the 4WT’s 450 miles) will follow soon, but it too is limited to fleet customers. Sometime this fall, the Silverado EV RST First Edition will become available to consumers, but it’ll carry a hefty price tag of $106,895. It won’t be until after that when more affordable models will go on sale, according to Chevy.Along with the WT, the Silverado EV will be offered in Trail Boss and other yet-to-be-revealed trim levels. Chevy currently says starting prices will range “from $50,000, $60,000, $70,000, $80,000, and more.” Of course, it remains to be seen if any of those pricing targets will rise before the trucks start reaching dealerships.More on the Silverado EVThis 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.Senior EditorEric Stafford’s automobile addiction began before he could walk, and it has fueled his passion to write news, reviews, and more for Car and Driver since 2016. His aspiration growing up was to become a millionaire with a Jay Leno–like car collection. Apparently, getting rich is harder than social-media influencers make it seem, so he avoided financial success entirely to become an automotive journalist and drive new cars for a living. After earning a journalism degree at Central Michigan University and working at a daily newspaper, the years of basically burning money on failed project cars and lemon-flavored jalopies finally paid off when Car and Driver hired him. His garage currently includes a 2010 Acura RDX, a manual ’97 Chevy Camaro Z/28, and a ’90 Honda CRX Si. More

Alpine, the sports-car brand owned by Renault, officially announced its global plans for the coming decade, including entry into the American market.The first Alpines will reach our shores in 2027 and will take the shape of mid-size and large crossovers.The automaker also confirmed an electric roadster based on the next generation A110 coupe, as well as a four-seat sports car that will bear the A310 badge.Earlier this year, French automaker Renault revealed interest in bringing its Alpine sports-car brand to the United States, with two new EVs being developed specifically for American tastes. Alpine also opened discussions with AutoNation, among the biggest automotive retailers in the nation, about setting up a dealer network. Now Alpine has reiterated its plans to enter the U.S. market starting in 2027, announcing several new models that will comprise the lineup by the end of this decade.AlpineThe first fully electric Alpines will arrive next year, starting with the A290. This hot hatch will be based on the upcoming Renault 5 and was previewed by the A290_β concept, which was revealed last month with a snazzy, motorsports-inspired design. Next comes a compact SUV in 2025 that Alpine is currently calling a “Crossover GT,” followed by a new all-electric version of the A110 sports car by the end of 2026. It’s unclear if any of these will eventually reach the U.S., but we’re fairly confident the A290 will remain exclusive to Europe. 2027 will mark the start of what Alpine calls its “world expansion phase” that will see the lineup grow to include cars targeting new markets like the U.S. So far, Alpine has announced a mid-size electric crossover and a large EV SUV that are expected to be the brand’s first cars sold in America. More Funky French CarsMany of these EVs will be underpinned by a new dedicated flexible EV platform. Alpine also said that it will do a roadster based on the next-generation A110, as well as reviving the A310 nameplate from the 1970s for a new four-seat coupe. The company is also exploring alternative technologies for its sports cars such as hydrogen combustion engines. Alpine’s EV plans are supposed to bring higher revenues, with the aim of breaking even starting in 2026. 2022 was a record year for Alpine, with revenue up 33 percent over 2021, an impressive increase for a brand with just one model that has been available since 2017. Alpine hopes the influx of new sheetmetal will secure the brand’s future, and if the automaker can inject its EVs with the same playful attitude that has made the A110 a success, then the future looks bright.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.Associate News EditorCaleb Miller began blogging about cars at 13 years old, and he realized his dream of writing for a car magazine after graduating from Carnegie Mellon University and joining the Car and Driver team. He loves quirky and obscure autos, aiming to one day own something bizarre like a Nissan S-Cargo, and is an avid motorsports fan. More