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The Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) announced Friday it is retiring the number 43 from the World Rally Championship in 2023 as a tribute to Ken Block, who was killed in a snowmobiling accident on Monday. Block used #43 throughout his racing career, which spanned the WRC, rallycross events, and stage rally in America. The Hoonigan co-founder also wore the number in his numerous Gymkhana appearances. The Legend”Given the enormous contribution our great friend Ken Block made to motorsport and the fact that he was held in such high regard by people the world over, it is entirely appropriate that his #43 will be withdrawn from use during the 2023 WRC season,” FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem said in a statement. Block’s death has prompted a huge outpouring of emotion from the car community, with several big-name figures speaking out on what he meant to the world of motorsports, entertainment, and beyond. “While it’s a small gesture, we hope that it is one that will bring some comfort to his family and friends at this time,” Sulayem added. “Ken was a true legend and the memory of this true legend will live with us forever.”This content is imported from OpenWeb. 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 Tesla Model S and Model X are once again available with a regular steering wheel.A yoke is still offered, but a steering wheel (pictured above)—now with capacitive buttons versus stalks—returns as a no-cost option. Already yoked Model S or X EVs can have a steering wheel retrofitted for $700, but the Tesla service isn’t available until March.The tried-and-true steering wheel returns to the Tesla Model S and Model X. While the steering yoke that has been mandatory since the cars’ 2021 redesign is still offered, people who order a new S or X can once again drive with a normal wheel at no extra cost.Unlike before, the new steering wheel in the Model S and Model X doesn’t have stalks that control the blinkers, windshield wipers, or gear selection. Instead, all of those functions are now handled through capacitive buttons and controller balls, just like those found on the yoke.One of these is not like the other.TeslaTeslaWhat about all the folks who bought a Tesla Model S or X with the yoke-style setup and are unhappy with it? Well, Tesla is letting those customers swap it out for a real wheel with a retrofit option through its online store. It won’t be available until March, and it costs $700, which is said to include installation through Tesla service.The return of a regular steering wheel to the Model S and Model X represents a symbolic U-turn by Tesla—and, more specifically, by CEO Elon Musk. Back in 2021, in the months after the company stirred up controversy by only offering both models with a yoke, Musk tweeted that there was no chance a traditional steering wheel would return, even as an option. The irony is that eggs have a yoke, and Musk may have a little on his face.Tesla In the NewsWhile Tesla’s yoke-style tiller has its fair share of detractors (including us), it’s still better than a steering wheel that flies off in your hand while you’re driving. 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

A new set of data shows what we’ve been seeing over several months: monthly payments on new-car loans are hitting and exceeding four figures at a distressingly high rate.One reason is rising interest rates, which in turn are affected by supply-chain issues and inflation.Another reason: a growing number of customers tend to owe more on the vehicle they’re trading in than it’s worth, tempting them to roll the negative equity into the next purchase.The share of new-car loans with a monthly payment above $1000 hit a record high last year, new data from Edmunds shows. The company says 15.7 percent of buyers who financed a new car in the fourth quarter of 2022 signed on for four-figure monthly payments.That’s up from 10.5 percent in 2021, a nearly 50 percent increase in the overall share. Supply constraints and inflation put upward pressure on prices, while that same inflationary crisis led to much higher interest rates. Consumers attempted to account for rising prices by spending more money upfront, bringing the average down payment up to $6780. Markups—which usually cannot be financed as easily as money toward a vehicle’s MSRP—likely contributed to that rising average down payment. How to Pick OneBeing Upside Down Makes It WorseEdmunds also sees rising car payments and an inflated market as a potentially dangerous combination. In the fourth quarter of 2022, 17.4 percent of new car purchases with a trade-in had negative equity rolled into the new loan. That means they still owed more than the car they traded in was worth, forcing them to roll the owed money into the new purchase. In the event of a market collapse, if a higher percentage of owners owe more than their vehicles are worth, that could at worst, cause a crisis. At best, the market would likely see a slowdown in new-car purchases. “Vehicle equity is really a tale of two gears for consumers over the past few years,” said Ivan Drury, Edmunds director of insights. “At the onset of the pandemic, consumers benefited from low-interest rates and elevated trade-in values, helping shield even the more questionable financing decisions from resulting in negative equity. This unique confluence of market forces resulted in some vehicle owners being able to take advantage of positive equity on their loans and even their leases. But as we shifted toward an environment with diminished used-car values and rising interest rates over the past few months, consumers have become less insulated from those riskier loan decisions, and we are only seeing the tip of the negative-equity iceberg.”This content is imported from OpenWeb. 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

VinFast, a Vietnamese startup automaker, announced it will start taking orders for its VF6 and VF7 electric SUVs starting in March. The company had previously announced it would start delivering its larger VF8 to the U.S., but customers have not received them as of the beginning of January.The subcompact VF6 is expected to have a WLTP range of up to 248 miles, which could translate to a 200-mile EPA rating.The compact VF7’s WLTP range is estimated to top out at 280 miles, or as much as 224 EPA-rated miles.Following up on the reveal of the VF6 and VF7 electric SUVs at the 2022 Los Angeles auto show, Vietnamese automaker VinFast said it will open the reservation process for these two models in March. Speaking at the 2022 CES show in Las Vegas, VinFast CEO Le Thi Thu Thuy said that deliveries are expected to begin at the end of the year and into early 2024. More Details and SpecsVinFast also updated the specifications for each SUV with an estimated range. The 174-horsepower Eco version of the subcompact VF6 is expected to go 248 miles on the WLTP test cycle, while the 201-hp Plus trim is slightly lower at 237 miles. As a rough estimate, that converts to somewhere between 190 and 200 miles on the EPA test cycle, but the final numbers might be lower. The VF8 goes 293 miles on the same test but will initially have an EPA-rated estimated range of 179 miles. A VinFast representative claimed that the VF8’s range is expected to increase following an upcoming over-the-air update, and the official rating will be revised after recertification. VinFast had promised delivery in late 2022 to U.S. customers but most recently has said its first customers in California will start receiving this model this month,The compact VF7 is targeted to go 280 miles on the WLTP test in 201-hp Eco trim, and the 348-hp, two-motor AWD Plus version will go 268 miles. That translates to somewhere between 170 and 224 miles of EPA-rated maximum range. The company did not mention the overall battery capacity for the VF6 or VF7.How Much?Pricing for both models will be announced sometime in the next month or so. The VF6 is estimated to start around $30,000, while the VF7’s estimated base price is under $40,000. Reserving the VF8 and VF9 requires a $200 deposit on the VinFast website, so customers should be able to claim a place in line for the same amount when the VF6 and VF7 reservation system opens.Also speaking at VinFast’s CES press conference, Gareth Dunsmore, Deputy CEO for sales and marketing, said that the first reservation holders for the VF6 and VF7 will have “additional rewards with meaningful benefit” with details to follow. The “VinFirst” program for the VF8 and VF9 included an NFT allowing special access to the Vingroup Metaverse, along with discounts of $3000 and $5000, respectively. VinFast had initially promised U.S. deliveries of its larger VF8 before the end of 2022, and while a ship carrying the electric crossovers arrived in the United States in late December, those planned deliveries did not happen before the new year.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

UPDATE 1/5/23: Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares confirmed the range-extender powertrain option for the upcoming Ram 1500 EV during a roundtable interview at CES 2023. While the Ram Revolution BEV concept is battery-powered EV, there will also be a version of this pickup offered with a gasoline engine that can recharge the battery.More on Ram EVBy the time the Ram 1500 EV hits the market in 2024, it’ll be a couple of years late to the all-electric-pickup-truck party that’s already getting started. However, it could arrive with an available range extender, which is not currently an option on rivals such as the F-150 Lightning, the GMC Hummer EV, or the Rivan R1T.Ram CEO Mike Koval Jr. first mentioned that the upcoming Ram 1500 EV will be offered with a range extender in an interview with EV Pulse. Powering a generator that can recharge the truck’s battery pack, it might help alleviate concerns some people have about driving range. It’s perhaps a hedge for buyers of electric trucks who plan on using them to tow, as it significantly affects efficiency and range. We’ve seen the Rivian R1T’s range shrink to just 110 miles when towing a modest load just half of the truck’s 11,000-pound maximum.Stellantis|Car and DriverOf course, a Ram 1500 EV with a range extender is no longer an EV, but a plug-in hybrid. Then again, Ram hasn’t had an issue with calling its V-8 a Hemi despite not having hemispherical combustion chambers, so maybe it will still label its electrified 1500 an EV. While we haven’t heard of any other new electric trucks that’ll offer a range extender, it’s unlikely that Ram would be the only company to have one if it’s an effective solution. In fact, Ford in 2018 filed a patent for a bed-mounted range extender for what we now know is the F-150 Lightning. However, Ford’s patent was for a modular unit versus one that’s built-in like the one used on BMW’s now-defunct i3 hatch. The i3’s two-cylinder engine was a pure range extender, used only to recharge the battery, but there’s a host of plug-in hybrids with lesser electric range where the gas engine also provides propulsion, such as the Chevy Volt or any number of today’s plug-in hybrids. Koval didn’t say what type of range extender would be used or when it might be available. Extra Ram EV ReadingThe news about the Ram 1500 EV’s range extender comes after the brand recently announced an initiative to gather input from real people regarding the development of its electric trucks and commercial vans via RamRevolution.com and a yearlong series of events called the Ram Real Talk Tour.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 story was originally published February 10, 2022.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 Lightyear 2 is an upcoming solar-powered EV, and a waiting list as well as more details about it were announced at CES 2023.The Dutch startup automaker, Lightyear, claims its second model will have more than 500 miles of range and cost under $40,000. The Lightyear 2 will be the first model sold in the U.S., with production expected to start by the end of 2025.No, the Lightyear 2 isn’t a sequel to the Pixar film about Buzz Lightyear, but the solar-powered EV is a follow-up to the Lightyear Zero. The latter is the first-ever model from Lightyear, a Dutch startup automaker. While the Zero—a limited-production $265,000 proof of concept—was never destined for the North American market, the Lightyear 2 will make it to our shores, provided all goes to plan.LightyearAll the Buzz about the Lightyear 2Earlier this year, during our drive of a pre-production development Zero, we learned about Lightyear’s ambitions to bring its second model to America. However, it was today at CES 2023 when we learned more details about the Lightyear 2 and heard that the company had opened a waitlist for pre-orders. For those who haven’t figured it out by now, Lightyear’s big thing is harnessing the power of the sun to power its electric cars, at least partially. The company claims this helps reduce reliance on the world’s electrical grids, with Lightyear CEO Lex Hoefsloot saying the 2 requires less plug-in charging than conventional EVs. He also said the car is capable of sending clean energy back into the gridLightyearAs with many startups, Lightyear makes some big claims about its upcoming model. The company says that, compared with EVs not powered by solar energy, the 2 will produce half as much carbon emissions. Its sun-powered car is also claimed to have a driving range of over 500 miles. However, Lightyear didn’t clarify whether that figure is based on the U.S. EPA scale, the European WLTP cycle, or simply in-house projections.Light Years Away? More Like Two YearsAlong with plans to sell the Lightyear 2 in the United States, the company says it will launch the EV in Europe. The U.S. version is said to start under $40,000, which, if true, would make it one of the more affordable electric models sold on our shores.Production isn’t slated to start until the end of 2025, which means a lot could change between now and then. Not only the Lightyear 2’s attractive base price, but also its actual existence.CES 2023: Read All About It!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

The Ram 1500 Revolution BEV concept unveiled at CES 2023 is our first look at Ram’s first electric pickup, featuring smooth bodywork and a stretched cabin.The interior has a rail system allowing for customizable seating arrangements, and the powered mid-gate includes third-row jump seats and a pass-through to carry objects up to 18 feet long.Electric motors on the front and rear axles provide all-wheel drive, and Ram claims the steering wheel can retract into the dashboard for Level 3 autonomous driving.While Ford is busy churning out thousands of F-150 Lightnings from its Dearborn, Michigan plant and Chevy is readying the Silverado EV for its launch this year, Ram had so far stayed out of the electric-truck arms race. But now at the 2023 Consumer Electronics Show, Ram has unveiled the 1500 Revolution BEV concept, previewing an electric 1500 pickup that will arrive in 2024 and giving the first hints at the future stylistic direction of the brand. The concept sports a sleek look, with a stretched wheelbase and a swept-back windshield. The blacked-out front end is dominated by an illuminated “RAM” badge sitting between the LED headlights, which Ram refers to as having a “tuning fork” design. The beefy skid plate in the bumper hides integrated tow hooks, and the taillights and Ram badge on the tailgate also consist of LEDs.The Revolution is decked out with a powered frunk, a charge port, flush door handles, side steps, and a rear step, and we expect most of these features to reach production, at least on pricier trims. The tailgate can also be opened outwards—like barn doors—to extend the bed another couple of feet in order to haul larger loads.The concept also shows off coach doors—the rear doors open in the opposite direction to the front doors—allowing Ram to remove the B-pillar to ease ingress and egress. We imagine these flashy doors will be ditched for production, but the 3D-printed, lightweight cameras which replace the sideview mirrors could make it if U.S. regulations change. The 1500 Revolution rides on 35-inch tires wrapped around 24-inch wheels, with light-up center caps that remain still while the wheel spins, like on Rolls-Royces.The cabin is four inches longer than on the current gas-powered truck and features “Ram Track,” a rail attachment system on the floor that permits for flexible interior configurations. The rails also act as tie downs for cargo and are also found in the frunk and bed. The lightweight seats—which have integrated seatbelts, grab handles, and speakers—can be folded completely flat or removed.The two rows of seating can also be supplemented by third-row jump seats, which Ram says are mounted in the powered mid-gate and can be affixed in the bed, echoing the Subaru Brat of the late 1970s. Unfortunately Ram didn’t provide any photos showing the jump seats, but the mid-gate is also said to include a pass-through that extends all the way to the frunk—an idea previously seen on the Bollinger B2—and can fit objects that are 18 feet long. Continuing on the theme of cabin customizability, the center console can be removed to increase interior room, while the armrest converts to a desk. The “tuning fork” design reappears on the dashboard via orange ambient lighting, which flows behind a dual display setup totaling 28 inches of touchscreen. The lower screen can be removed and used as a tablet or adjusted into three different positions—minimal view, extended view, and full screen view—while the upper screen can also apparently slide on the Ram Track system. As is expected of an electric truck concept, the interior is overflowing with fancy tech, from a 360-degree camera system to an AI-powered voice-activated assistant and augmented reality in the head-up display. The octagonal steering wheel has small screens built in, while the glass roof has electro-chromatic panels that can individually adjust their opacity. Sustainable materials are also found throughout the interior, including leather made from a byproduct of the apple industry and a floor built from recycled rubber and cork.Another neat feature on the 1500 Revolution is Shadow Mode, where the truck autonomously follows the driver as they walk ahead, which Ram says will save time for short trips around a job site. There are also several cabin modes that alter seating positions, ambient lighting, window opacity, suspension, and more at the press of a single button. More Electric TrucksThe Ram 1500 Revolution BEV concept is built on the body-on-frame STLA Frame EV platform and features two electric motors, one on each axle, for all-wheel drive. No power outputs or performance statistics were provided, but Ram says that up to 100 miles of range can be added in around 10 minutes with 800-volt DC fast charging at up to 350 kW. Rear-wheel steering with up to 15 degrees of movement should improve the massive truck’s agility in tight spaces at low speeds, and the air suspension can be set to three levels: ingress/egress, aero, and off-road.Ram also says the concept is capable of Level 3 autonomous driving, where the steering wheel retracts and the “interior lights, the AR HUD, smart seats, and the steering wheel work together to provide next-level situational awareness to the driver.” External projectors also communicate with the driver and can transform the truck into a mobile movie theater. Ram also says drivers can manage their smart home from the truck and can use a phone app to measure objects and determine how to best carry them in the Revolution. More information on the production version of the 1500 Revolution BEV will come in the next several months, ahead of the electric truck’s launch in 2024. For now, the concept appears to provide a pretty clear idea of what is to come and some of the innovative technology Ram aims to bring to the electric truck segment. 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

With EVs and their necessary charging infrastructure on everyone’s mind these days, Mercedes-Benz’s announcement of its own charging network is particularly timely.The automaker gave details of its plans during the CES (Consumer Electronics Show) event in Las Vegas today.High-speed charging stations will be open to other brands, not just Mercedes. Even with the Vision EQXX on the display stand, Mercedes-Benz’s big announcement at CES this year wasn’t a new car but the news that the automaker is getting into the high-power—up to 350 kW—charging network game.Mercedes-Benz is set to launch a new, open electric vehicle charger network in North America later this year. Mercedes plans to have more than 400 hubs, a.k.a. stations, with more than 2500 high-power chargers, a.k.a. plugs, in operation across North America by 2027. The network will also expand to include more than 10,000 chargers in Europe, China, and “other main markets” by the end of the decade, Mercedes said. Initially, Mercedes plans for each hub to have between four and a dozen chargers, but this number could grow to 30 chargers at a hub in the future.Mercedes-Benz AG – Communications & Marketing|Car and DriverThe charging network will be open to drivers of any compatible EV, and the locations will be selected to be close to key urban areas, near major roads and at participating Mercedes-Benz dealerships. The stations will use Plug & Charge technology that allows payment details to be sent from the car to the charger without any extra interaction, but credit card and app-based payments will also be possible.Other Brands Are WelcomeJust because the stations are open to any compatible EVs doesn’t mean there isn’t something special for drivers of the EQS or other three-pointed star plug-in models. Mercedes-Benz EV drivers will be able to pre-book time at a charging station from their car, for example, and the network “will prioritize Mercedes-Benz customers.” From a driver’s perspective, the navigation system in Mercedes EVs will be able to communicate with the charging network and then automatically optimize the route and reserve charging sessions automatically, if needed, so you’ll get where you’re going on time and without any range anxiety.Tesla led the way in automaker-operated charging stations for EVs, but almost all of its 40,000 Superchargers use a Tesla-specific adapter and are not compatible with other EVs. Charging ForwardRivian is also building out what it calls the Rivian Adventure Network but only has nine stations in operation. Other electric vehicle automakers rely on public charging stations operated by independent or partner companies, like Electrify America, which Volkswagen was forced to create after its diesel emission scandal.Mercedes will work with MN8 Energy to provide renewable energy for the charging hubs and with ChargePoint on other technical aspects of the hubs and chargers. Mercedes is a shareholder in ChargePoint, and the two companies already work together on the Mercedes me Charge technology in the U.S. Some of the new stations will have solar-powered lights and security features. Mercedes said it expects the North American portion of the network will cost a little over a billion dollars over the next six or seven years. Mercedes and MN8 split this cost roughly in half.This content is imported from OpenWeb. 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