Electric Cars

This pod-like urban runabout will be super-maneuverable. 
Mobilize
French automaker Renault is getting into the mobility business with its new Mobilize brand, which, along with the EZ-1 Prototype electric car, was announced on Thursday. This division will offer car-sharing, energy and data-related services to help make transportation more sustainable.Mobilize is pushing to shift drivers from vehicle ownership to vehicle usage by offering adaptable mobility services for individuals, companies and even municipalities. Subscription-based car sharing, ride hailing, and last-mile delivery should all be part of its overarching strategy. In keeping with all this, it has three major goals. Mobilize is aiming to reduce the gap between vehicle usage and cost, since most cars are parked 90% of the time or more. It wants to improve the residual value of vehicles, to prevent it from being cut in half after just three years of ownership. And finally, Mobilize is promoting a greener future, shooting to contribute to a zero CO2 footprint.On the product side of the equation, Mobilize will offer purpose-built vehicles for a variety of uses. Even though it will have dedicated engineering and design teams, it will still rely on Renault’s 120-plus years of experience manufacturing cars, as well as its extensive electric-vehicle expertise.These could be a few of Mobilize’s future vehicles. 
Mobilize
The Mobilize EZ-1 Prototype is a new urban mobility solution, one that’s designed to be shared. With a pod-like body and lots of chamfered edges, it looks like nothing else on the road today. And at just 2.3 meters in length, less than 91 inches, it has very city-friendly dimensions. Three of these little buggers can fit in the space occupied by your typical car. Thanks to its small size, the EZ-1 Prototype should be super-maneuverable, even in the worst congestion. Letting the sunshine in for its two passengers, this machine’s duet of doors feature top-to-bottom glass. But one feature that sets this vehicle apart from other electric cars is its battery-exchange system, which allows continuous use. Apparently, you won’t have to find a charger and wait for the EZ-1 Prototype to slowly absorb electrons.Underscoring its eco-friendly design, the EZ-1 Prototype is made of 50% recycled materials. And once it reaches the end of its life, 95% of it can be recycled. Mobilize can even reuse the batteries once their automotive life expectancy is over, employing them as stationary energy-storage devices.There’s a lot more to Renault’s new Mobilize division than has been shared. More information should be released before 2023 when the company’s subscription services are expected to become available.

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Make sure your electric car gets the range promised

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The Model S’ large touchscreen is the subject of this problem.
Manuel Carrillo III/Roadshow
Following an investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration late last year, Tesla is being asked to recall approximately 158,000 Model S and Model X vehicles due to touchscreen failures. Tesla Model S sedans from the 2012 to 2018 model years and Tesla Model X crossovers from 2016 to 2018 are affected by this recall, according to a NHTSA document published Wednesday (PDF).In its detailed report, NHTSA explains an initial investigation was opened due to “concerning incidents of media control unit (MCU) failures resulting in loss of rearview camera and other safety-related vehicle functions” in these electric vehicles. In addition to the rearview camera, the outage can affect things like the windshield defogger, turn signal chimes and the Autopilot driver-assistance system.NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation notes that the touchscreens in these Tesla models are equipped with Nvidia Tegra 3 processors with an integrated 8GB memory card. The ODI report says the memory card’s cell hardware “fails when the storage capacity is reached, resulting in failure of the MCU.” Upon conclusion of its probe, ODI reports “the failure rate in this investigation is significantly greater than the failure rate for vehicles involved in prior recalls involving similar behavior.”Tesla distributed a number of over-the-air updates in an effort to remedy this problem, according to the report, but NHTSA says these updates were “substantively insufficient.” Should Tesla choose not to initiate a formal recall, the automaker must submit a full explanation and supplemental analysis to NHTSA by Jan. 27, or it could face further penalties.Tesla is unable to comment on this story, as the company does not operate a public relations department.

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Tesla Model S Long Range pulls further ahead of the EV…

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Lots of retro cues here.
Hyundai
We already knew Hyundai’s upcoming Ioniq 5 electric car would look a lot like the awesome 45 EV concept from 2019. But on Tuesday, Hyundai released the first official teaser photos of the Ioniq 5, and it looks nearly identical to that retro concept. That’s a very good thing.The three images show the front and rear views of the Ioniq 5, as well as a close-up of the wheel. In front, the Ioniq 5 has a more traditional bumper design with low-set intakes, but otherwise it’s just as angular as the 45, with square LED lights shrouded by a transparent panel that’s like a helmet visor. In place of the concept’s light-up emblem there’s a chrome badge on the nose, and the Ioniq 5 is the first Hyundai to use a clamshell hood design.Check out those awesome pixel lights.
Hyundai
At the rear there’s a more complex diffuser, but otherwise it’s just like the 45. The Ioniq 5 retains the concept’s pixel-style LED taillights, which are also placed behind a transparent cover that mirrors the one on the front. The Ioniq 5 appears to have a slightly taller and boxier greenhouse than the 45 concept, but otherwise the proportions look spot on.The Ioniq 5 will be available with 20-inch wheels, a first for a Hyundai EV, and they have an incredible directional design. The grey body cladding on the wheel arches has some interesting slashes, and the cladding extends to the side skirts and bumpers to give the Ioniq 5 a slightly crossover-ish vibe. I’m a fan of the green-ish, cream-ish matte paint, too.These are the largest wheels ever fitted to a Hyundai EV.
Hyundai
The Ioniq 5 will be available with cameras in place of rear-view mirrors, like the Honda E and the Euro-spec Audi E-Tron. Don’t expect those to be available in the US, though — at least not at first — because government regulations still don’t allow that sort of tech to be used on American roads. While Hyundai hasn’t released any interior teasers yet, the Ioniq 5 should have a minimal, modern design scheme, with a wide infotainment screen sitting atop the dash.The Ioniq 5 will ride on Hyundai Motor Group’s new E-GMP platform, which is set to underpin 23 new electric models over the next five years. Hyundai says that EVs on the new platform will get over 310 miles of range on the European WLTP test cycle, and 600-volt capability enables charges from 0% to 80% in just 18 minutes (or a gain of 62 miles in just 5 minutes). The E-GMP platform is rear-wheel-drive based, but all-wheel drive will also be offered. Recently leaked specs show the Ioniq 5 will be available with multiple battery pack sizes, a max range of 345 miles and a 0-to-62-mph time of 5.2 seconds.
One new feature that Hyundai is touting for the Ioniq 5 is its Vehicle to Load (or V2L) capability. The Ioniq 5 has a 3.5-kW onboard generator that can power all sorts of equipment. A series of teaser videos shows the Ioniq 5 on a camping trip, where it powers everything from a treadmill to a sound system and even an oven roasting a turkey. Hyundai says the Ioniq 5 will make its full debut in February, and expect even more teasers before then. The Ioniq 5 should go on sale in the US in the second half of the year, followed by a number of other Ioniq-branded EVs.

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Underpinning GM’s electrification strategy is something the automaker calls Ultium. It’s a tech-heavy modular battery architecture that allows for varying cell arrangements, making it so the same battery cells can live in a low, flat pack for sportier vehicles, or in stacked, beefier packs for delivery vans and heavier-duty vehicles like the GMC Hummer EV.

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That’s a whole lot o’ light.
GM/Screenshot by Andrew Krok/Roadshow
This story is part of CES, where our editors will bring you the latest news and the hottest gadgets of the entirely virtual CES 2021.

During her keynote speech Tuesday at the virtual CES 2021, GM CEO Mary Barra helped introduce a wide variety of shadowy teasers of its future electrified vehicles. One in particular, the upcoming Cadillac Celestiq, received some extra time and attention, and there are some pretty cool features on board.Crystal Windham, Cadillac’s director of interior design, introduced a brief preview of the Cadillac Celestiq, which she pronounces “Ce-LESS-tick.” Standing ahead of a shadowy Celestiq, likely still deep in the prototype phase, we were able to take in some interesting angles. The front end looks almost fully illuminated, with striking vertical running lights on either side and a host of lights spanning the gap between them. And yes, the badge lights up, too.

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Cadillac Celestiq: The future of luxury

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While the outside is promising, the interior looks to really ramp things up. The Celestiq will have a clever electrochromic glass roof, which uses electricity to dim the glass covering nearly the entire roof. That part isn’t new, but what is unique here is the fact that the roof is split into four quadrants, each capable of dimming to a different level. This way, you don’t need to bargain with another occupant about how much light should enter the cabin. In addition to the clever glass overhead, screens will play a big part inside the Celestiq. On the heels of Mercedes-Benz’s Hyperscreen announcement, it appears Cadillac is cooking up something similar. The Celestiq’s dashboard will sport a pillar-to-pillar screen that will give both front occupants a whole lot of real estate for infotainment and more. The rear passengers won’t be left in the cold, either, with personalized rear screens in the back, too.Being able to dim an entire roof panel is cool, but only a part of it? That’s even cooler.
GM/Screenshot by Andrew Krok/Roadshow
Cadillac first announced the Celestiq in early 2020, but we haven’t heard much about it since. Rocking GM’s new Ultium battery system, Cadillac announced — perhaps unsurprisingly — that the Celestiq will have all-wheel drive. It’ll also have four-wheel steering, which should make it easier to pilot around town at low speeds while also boosting high-speed agility.We’re still not sure when Cadillac intends to pull back the veil in full, but getting a closer look at the Celestiq has us excited to see more. Keep your eyes on Roadshow for more information about the Celestiq, as well as a bevy of new electrified GM vehicles heading to dealers over the next several years.Hyperscreen, eat your heart out.
Screenshot via GM

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That’s Super Cruise in an EV, folks.
Chevrolet
This story is part of CES, where our editors will bring you the latest news and the hottest gadgets of the entirely virtual CES 2021.

Chevrolet gave us another quick glimpse of its upcoming Bolt EUV during CES 2021 on Tuesday, releasing a brief teaser video showing off the electric crossover’s interior. That’s not all, though; Chevy also used its CES announcement to also confirm the Bolt EUV will debut in February, alongside a refreshed version of the standard Bolt EV hatchback.This isn’t the first time Chevy’s teased the new Bolt EUV (which stands for Electric Utility Vehicle). We’ve already seen the interior and the headlight design, and this new video of the steering wheel and gauge cluster reconfirms a particularly important detail about the EUV: It’ll offer General Motors’ excellent Super Cruise hands-free highway driving assist technology.
Super Cruise first debuted on the Cadillac CT6 sedan. It’s one of the few Level 2 automated technologies available in the US, allowing for hands-free driving on certain pre-mapped highways. GM has been decidedly slow to roll this technology out across its portfolio, but that’s all changing soon. The Bolt EUV will be the first electric Chevy to get this technology.”The Bolt EUV and refreshed Bolt EV are officially set to be revealed next month,” a Chevrolet spokesperson said in an email to Roadshow. The two electric vehicles “will go into production in summer 2021.”The new Bolt EUV is one of 12 new electric vehicles General Motors will launch across its brands over the next few years. The Bolt EUV shares a platform with the Buick Velite 7 crossover that recently debuted for Chinese customers, so expect the US version to look similar. Chevrolet will also launch an electrified truck in the coming years, in addition to already-revealed vehicles like the Cadillac Lyriq crossover and GMC Hummer EV pickup.

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