Electric Cars

Hyundai’s slippery Prophecy electric four-door is rumored to spawn a production model on the company’s E-GMP platform.
Hyundai
Hyundai has already telegraphed it’s going all in on battery-electric vehicles, and on Tuesday, officials at the Korean automaker detailed how they plan to get there: by riding atop the company’s new Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP). This new architecture will support the Hyundai Motor Group’s goal of introducing 23 Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) models by 2025 across its Hyundai, Kia and Genesis model ranges. The company’s goal is to sell 1 million BEVs in that same time frame, representing 20 percent of its global sales.The automaker claims its new rear-wheel-drive-based E-GMP architecture will provide impressive benefits. Vehicles produced on this platform will get over 310 miles on a single charge, at least when measured on the (admittedly more lenient) WLTP test cycle. Hyundai also says the platform’s electric powertrain will be able to charge to 80% in just 18 minutes (or 62 miles in just 5 minutes). That’s made possible by the platform having 800-volt charge capability as standard with a rate of up to 350 kW. This is futureproofing to a large extent, as such high-speed chargers aren’t exactly ubiquitous. However, the system also allows for today’s more common 400-volt charging system at a rate of up to 150 kW. The idea is that drivers will be able to use the current 400-volt infrastructure, such as it is, and will be able to seamlessly transition to 800-volt charging when that comes online.

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For speed freaks, Hyundai is planning a high-performance model with around 600 horsepower, a 0-62 mph time of under 3.5 seconds and a top speed of 161 mph. Yowza. On the more practical side, Hyundai says the modular E-GMP will underpin everything from sedans to a range of crossover SUVs. A standardized battery pack is mounted under the floor, leaving a flat surface allowing for a variety of seating arrangements and plenty of space.
Hyundai’s E-GMP platform to power lots of EVs, including Kia and Genesis models
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During a virtual media event on Tuesday, the company also confirmed wireless charging will be in the future of E-GMP-based vehicles, but declined to offer details or availability timing.Interestingly, an Integrated Charging Control Unit (ICCU) will allow Hyundai’s BEVs to supply up to 3.5 kW of power to the buyer’s choice of external electronic accessories running on 110 or 220 volts. The company says that means these vehicles’ battery packs can power a medium-size air conditioner and a 55-inch television for up to 24 hours, for instance. The bidirectional vehicle-to-load (V2L) system can also be used to charge another EV. One interesting technological feature that Hyundai says is a world-first innovation for a production car: an integrated drive axle, where the wheel bearings are combined with the driveshaft to transmit power. This is packaged with a five-link rear suspension to provide seamless power delivery for improved comfort and stability.Could Hyundai’s E-GMP platform give life to the funky little Genesis Mint concept?
Genesis
Finally, the power electric system — that’s the motor, inverter and EV transmission — are all integrated into one unit. By using silicon-carbide semiconductors in the motor, Hyundai says, its drive unit is between 2% and 3% more efficient. That translates to better range — E-GMP vehicles can go 5% longer on the same amount of battery energy.Naturally, while the E-GMP platform is rear-wheel-drive biased, all-wheel drive will also be an option. Vehicles equipped with AWD will be able to switch between RWD and FWD drive as conditions change.The company says its first E-GMP vehicle will be the Hyundai Ioniq 5 in 2021, part of the already-announced expansion of the Ioniq nameplate into its own subbrand of sorts. The Ioniq 5 is expected to be based on the company’s recent Concept 45, a strikingly retrolicous hatchback. We’re also expecting some version of Hyundai’s lithe little Prophecy show car to eventually make it into showrooms. Conversely, the first E-GMP Kia vehicle will be a new crossover coming that same year. E-GMP will also spill over into the upscale Genesis luxury line of vehicles. Us? We’re hoping for a production version of the company’s 2019 Mint concept.  More

The Stag isn’t going to win any beauty contests, but it looks plenty rugged.
Volcon
Not that long ago, we covered the debut of a new all-electric powersports brand called Volcon, and while we made fun of the name of its first product, a two-wheeled off-roader called the Grunt, we were genuinely excited for what else the company might come up with.The Beast packs a truck bed and 600 pound-feet of torque.
Volcon
It turns out that what it came up with next was a pair of electric side-by-sides, which as of Tuesday we have pricing for. The first of the two is more utility-focused and practical, and it’s called the Stag. The Stag has a range of around 150 miles, makes 300 pound-feet of torque, and will hit a top speed of 70 miles per hour — all for $14,995, making it a reasonably attractive value proposition when compared with similar gas-powered models. 

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Next, there’s a much gnarlier, sports-focused side-by-side called the Beast, and it offers double the torque of the Stag, a top speed of 80 mph and a range of 150 miles. It’ll do zero to 60 in 4.5 seconds too, so there’s little worry about being able to keep up with your pals in their gas-powered UTVs. The Beast will set you back a much more substantial $24,995.Both the Stag and the Beast are set to enter production in late 2021, which dovetails into the next part of Volcon’s announcement. It’s recently acquired 53 acres in Austin, Texas, for its manufacturing headquarters. To help make this expansion possible, the company has turned to a unique crowdfunding platform called WeFunder, which offers actual equity in the company for investment amounts of $1,000 and up.The Volcon Grunt is still slated to reach customers by the Spring of 2021, which should set the tone for the company’s future. If Volcon is able to bring the Grunt to market, for its advertised price, and with reasonable quality, then it could be proof that there’s room in powersports for wider-scale electrification, and that’d be pretty cool.
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Audi Sport
Gearing up for its seventh season competing in the all-electric Formula E racing championship, German automaker Audi has revealed its new spec race car, the appropriately named Audi E-Tron FE07, which will compete under the flag of Audi Sport ABT Shaeffler.Many parts of the FE07’s design are dictated by the International Automobile Federation and Formula E rules. The spec carbon-fiber chassis with spec carbon-fiber bodywork, the bespoke 18-inch Michelin road tires, even the 52 kWh McLaren Applied Technologies lithium-ion battery are all shared by every car on the Formula E grid. But there’s more than brightly colored livery separating these cars. Teams are allowed to develop their own electric powertrain tech (within spec, of course), power management and regenerative braking software to give their drivers an edge.
Audi Sport
Power from the battery flows through a custom inverter to the new MGU05 six-phase AC motor-generator, which Audi Sport developed completely in-house. Output is regulated to 250 kW (about 335 horsepower) but can be boosted to 285 kW (around 382 horsepower) for a limited “Attack Mode.” The carbon-fiber-housed motor spins at around 20,000 peak RPM, but a single-speed reduction gearbox mated to carbon-fiber driveshafts on the rear axle brings that down to more manageable road speeds.The MGU05 and its inverter together weigh a scant 35 kilograms (about 77 pounds), but provide enough thrust to launch the 903 kilograms (about 1,991 pounds including the driver) FE07 from zero-to-100 km/h (62 mph) in just 2.8 seconds with a top speed around 149 mph. Audi claims above 97-percent energy efficiency from MGU05 — more than double that of the best internal combustion engines — or around 95-percent powertrain efficiency, including the gearbox. Built around the limitations of current battery technology, however, Formula E’s main event E-Prix races only last a furious 45 minutes.
Audi Sport
Tucked into its 18-inch aluminum wheels are hydraulic brakes with carbon-fiber discs, but perhaps a more important bit of braking hardware is the MGU05 motor-generator itself. Working in concert with friction brakes, the FE07’s brake-by-wire system is able to make use of strong rear-axle regenerative braking to recapture as much energy as possible during coasting and deceleration to boost range.Allan McNish, former Formula 1 driver and current Team Principal of Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler, explained how regenerative braking and power management play a huge role in helping the driver get the absolute most performance out of the battery’s capacity and can make the difference between a decisive victory and running out of juice just short of the checkered flag.

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“You’ve got a maximum, by regulation, 52 kilowatt-hours of energy at the start — that’s what everybody has — and you want to make that zero at the end,” said McNish. “You want to go as fast as possible in between, but if you just go flat out and don’t recuperate energy, you won’t make it; there’s no way, the car will stop. Therefore, we need to try to recuperate energy exactly as when we’re driving the E-Tron with its paddles, brakes or lift-off — exactly as we do on the road. However [with the E-Tron FE07], we’re trying to do it in extreme ways.”Simulation tells the Audi Sport team where to accelerate, brake and coast for the best balance of speed and efficiency.
Audi Sport
Simulation and software tuning further hone the basic regen technology, allowing the team to fine-tune the car’s power management software to a specific course, determining when to accelerate and when to brake with regen or friction. There’s also a surprising amount of attention paid to lifting and coasting. Of course, it comes down to the human driver to execute on the plan, but McNish explained how this simulation allows the FE07 to dramatically improve its efficiency at the Formula E Mexico City circuit. “I would say in Mexico, for example, we have about 40% of energy coming back into the battery,” said McNish. “We’ve got a 52 kWh battery and we’ll be putting about 21 kilowatts back in there. Historically, that would have been lost energy, but now we’re able to harness it and use it for our range. So, we effectively have a range extender by what we are recuperating back into the battery.”The E-Tron FE07 will make its racing debut in Valencia, Spain on Saturday, Nov. 28.
Audi Sport
The stakes are higher than ever with the 2021 Formula E season being held as an official FIA World Championship for the first time ever. Audi Sport also sees the series as a chance to showcase its technologies, many of which have already made their way into the roadgoing E-Tron line of electric vehicles — including the E-Tron SUV and E-Tron Sportback, as well as the upcoming Audi RS E-Tron GT and Q4 E-Tron.Will its technology and software know-how lead the Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler Formula E Team and Audi Formula E factory driver Lucas di Grassi to victory? We’ll be keeping an eye on the finish line during its debut race this weekend in Valencia, Spain on Nov. 28. More

Your base model Lucid Air Pure will look mostly like this, but with much smaller wheels, one interior color and a metal, windowless roof.
Lucid Motors
Lucid is at it again with the launch of the configurator for its most affordable model, now known as the Lucid Air Pure. The price still starts at a Model S-like $69,900 (including federal tax credit) and while it lacks its bigger, vastly more expensive sibling’s power and range, it’s still looking like a pretty compelling package if you’re willing to give up some choice and maybe some tech.So, what exactly do you get for your $70,000-ish dollars when you buy a Lucid Air? To start, you get a rear-wheel drive platform — all-wheel drive is optional — with a motor that produces a claimed 480 horsepower. The Pure’s maximum range is estimated at 409 miles. You also get a metal roof rather than glass and standard 19-inch wheels and an interior in Lucid’s Mojave (read: black) interior scheme. If you’re feeling spicy, you can opt for all-weather floormats.

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Interestingly, Lucid’s DreamDrive ADAS suite doesn’t appear to be available on the Pure model, though it remains optional on the next step up the trim ladder. Whether this is a deficiency in the configurator or actually the case isn’t clear. We reached out to Lucid for clarification but didn’t hear back in time for publication.Annoyingly, Lucid’s configurator still doesn’t list options pricing, so it’s unclear how much you can expect to pay for all-wheel drive, 20-inch wheels or those all-weather floor mats. Hopefully, that aspect gets updated soon because a base price only tells part of the story.
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The drift was completed in a Chinese-spec, rear-wheel-drive Taycan.
Porsche
The Porsche Taycan set a new mark recognized by Guinness World Records on Monday for the longest drift with an electric vehicle. Completed at the Porsche Experience Center at Germany’s Hockenheimring, instructor Dennis Retera held a drift in a rear-wheel-drive Taycan for 55 minutes, covering 26.2 miles at an average speed of 28.6 mph.The rear-wheel-drive Taycan is not currently on sale in most countries, so the car Porsche used for this record was a Chinese-spec model. The roadworthiness of the RWD Taycan was verified by Denise Ritzmann from European vehicle inspection company Dekra, herself a former drift champion.Guinness World Records judge Joanne Brent officially certified the attempt, which took place on the PEC’s wet skid pad. “GPS and yaw rate sensors within the vehicle were used for documentation purposes, as was a camera installed on the roof of the track’s control tower, with which the record ride was filmed,” Porsche said in a statement. Impressive as this is, it’s sort of a hollow victory. According to the Guinness World Records website, there is no current record for the longest drift with an electric vehicle, so the Taycan earns this honor simply because it’s the first to try. But again, this is still a pretty great feat. I struggled like hell to get an all-wheel-drive Taycan to drift for even 30 seconds during my recent stint at the Porsche Experience Center in Los Angeles, let alone holding a slide for nearly an hour. Of course, the technique for drifting the AWD Taycan is different from that of the RWD Taycan, but that just makes me want to hit the skid pad in one of these Chinese-spec cars for some tail-out fun.
The Taycan Turbo S hits the track at Porsche’s Experience Center
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