Motor News

The Department of Energy is launching the Electric Vehicles for American Low-Carbon Living (EVs4ALL) program, dedicated to improving battery technology.The program will provide up to $45 million for the domestic development of electric-vehicle batteries.The program aims for batteries with faster charging times, less susceptibility to extreme temperatures, and better range retention over a battery’s lifespan. The Department of Energy (DOE) has announced a new venture for the advancement of electric vehicles in the U.S., creating a program to fund the development of cheaper, more efficient, and longer-lasting batteries. This follows an announcement from February when the DOE and the Department of Transportation launched a joint office to oversee the expansion of America’s electric-vehicle charging network, pledging $5 billion to states over the next five years to create a “spine” of chargers along the interstate highway system. The new battery-focused program is called EVs4ALL and will dedicate up to $45 million to fund the domestic development of advanced batteries for EVs. It’s organized through division called Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E). This funding comes from ARPA-E’s fiscal year 2022 appropriation from Congress, and not from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that is funding the charging network expansion. The program will take applications from groups including automakers, battery suppliers, American universities, and national laboratories.

The project has three key goals for batteries: faster charging, higher efficiency, and improved longevity. The DOE acknowledges that many Americans do not live in residences where they can easily install a home charger, and is seeking to decrease recharging times to as low as five minutes to benefit those who cannot recharge overnight at home. The department also wants batteries to be more efficient and more able to withstand extreme temperatures without losing significant amounts of energy, in a bid to boost EV adoption rates in colder regions of the country. Lastly, the department notes that two-thirds of Americans purchase used cars and aims to increase range retention over the lifespan of batteries, so that batteries won’t need to be replaced as often on older EVs and those in the used car market have access to EVs with a respectable amount of driving range.While the funding is separate from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law signed by President Biden last November, the new program from the Department of Energy will be crucial for Biden’s goals to have EVs make up half of all vehicle sales in 2030. The Department of Energy hopes that the funding can lead to better batteries that assuage the fears that still have many Americans wary of purchasing an EV.

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Cadillac revealed that the dual-motor, AWD version of the Lyriq EV will produce an estimated 500 horsepower.The rear-wheel-drive, single-motor version goes on sale first with 340 hp.The 2023 Lyriq starts at $59,990 and will be open for orders starting May 19.Cadillac has only detailed the base single-motor powertrain for the new 2023 Lyriq electric SUV so far. But now we know that the dual-motor, all-wheel-drive version will offer an estimated 500 horsepower, as Cadillac shared that figure on an Instagram Q&A session today.

Cadillac via Instagram

While the base 340-hp single-motor Lyriq RWD starts at $59,990, we assume that the dual-motor variant will cost a fair bit more than that to start. Its 500 horsepower, which comes from front and rear electric motors, will put it in strong contention with other EV SUV competitors including the 469-hp Audi e-tron S and the 516-horsepower BMW iX xDrive50. We assume the Lyriq AWD will use the same battery pack as the RWD model, which offers 100.0-kWh of usable capacity and an EPA-estimated 312 miles of range; the more powerful dual-motor version will likely have a slightly lower range estimate.

Cadillac will open orders for the 2023 Lyriq starting May 19, but the initial production run will include only the single-motor Lyriq Debut Edition form that comes only in silver or black and doesn’t offer many option choices. We don’t know exact timing yet on when the dual-motor cars will arrive, but Cadillac says to expect other versions of the Lyriq to go on sale this fall.
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UPDATE 3:55 PM: Road & Track spoke with the Ford GT owner. Their story has been updated with additional details.A Ford GT owner in Boca Raton, Florida crashed his recently purchased supercar into a tree Friday evening because he was “unfamiliar with how to drive stick shift,” police say.The driver, 50-year-old Robert J. Guarini, told police he lost control after downshifting while leaving his housing development at around 6 p.m. This led to a head-on collision with a palm tree. Guarini then told a nearby security worker that he did not have his phone and needed a ride back to his house, where he spoke to police via landline after leaving the vehicle unattended, police say.
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Facebook user John Peddle’s photos from the crash site show that the damage is limited to the front third of the car. The hit was substantial enough to trigger multiple airbags and disable the vehicle. It’s unclear how fast Guarini was going when the crash occurred, but the GT slid far enough after hitting the tree that it blocked a nearby sidewalk. The car was not registered or insured when the crash occurred. The listed VIN indicates that the car was purchased at a Barrett-Jackson auction in Palm Beach for $704,000 in early April, about the going price for a 2006 Heritage Edition GT. That would make replacement a very expensive endeavor. Guarini was issued a citation for driving with a suspended license and a warning for operating an unregistered vehicle.

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• This 2003 Mitsubishi Montero is our Bring a Trailer auction pick of the day.• It has 35,000 miles and is a Limited model finished in dark blue.• The Montero was Mitsubishi’s top SUV offering at the time, and it included four-wheel drive, a third row of seats, and lots of options.The Mitsubishi Montero doesn’t enjoy nearly the same reputation as the Toyota Land Cruiser—or even the 4Runner, for that matter—and its name has been absent for decades now. This example with just 35,000 miles on the odometer is up for auction now on the auction website Bring a Trailer, which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos. The 2003 Montero you see here represents the last generation of Montero that was sold in the U.S. (it lived on as the Pajero elsewhere) and makes us think that Mitsubishi could benefit from something like this in their lineup once again.

Bring a Trailer

At this point, the Montero was powered by a 215-hp 3.5-liter V-6 engine and a five-speed automatic transmission, and its four-wheel-drive system featured a transfer case with a low range. Finished in Memphis Blue Pearl with a grey interior, this particular Montero is the loaded Limited trim level with leather seats, automatic climate control, a CD changer, and a sunroof.

Bring a Trailer

When we pitted the Montero against the Toyota 4Runner, Jeep Grand Cherokee, and several other 4x4s in a 2005 comparison test, it finished in a respectable third place. We even dubbed it the “poor man’s Land Cruiser.” We’re not sure exactly how rich this particular Montero’s eventual sale price will be, but it’s listed at no reserve and the bidding sits at $8000 as of this writing with 6 days left until the auction closes.

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The 2023 Land Rover Defender will offer a 30th Anniversary Edition model.It comes only in white and has steel wheels as an homage to the 1993 Defender First Edition that was sold in the U.S. in limited quantities.500 units will be available, and it costs $76,350.Land Rover will offer a 500-unit run of 2023 Defender 30th Anniversary Editions to commemorate the limited run of 1993 Defender First Edition models it sold in the U.S. back in the day. Its appearance is meant to evoke the look of the original, with Fuji white exterior paint, white 18-inch steel wheels, and a serialized badge on the rear showing which number it is in the series.

Land Rover

The special edition is based on the four-door 110 S model with the Defender’s base engine, a 296-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four. It comes equipped with options including the Cold Climate package, the Tow package, the Off-Road package, and the Black exterior appearance package. Mud flaps, a ladder, side steps, wheel-arch extensions, a roof rack, and rubber floor mats are also included.The 30th Anniversary Defender costs $76,350, which is several thousand dollars more than a comparably equipped Defender 110 S with similar options added. If you’re willing to pay extra for the badge and the exclusivity, Land Rover says the Anniversary Edition is available now at certain detailers.
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At an event on Monday, Volkswagen Group CEO Herbet Diess said that both Audi and Porsche will join Formula 1 in the near future, as reported by Reuters.Audi and Porsche will likely join in 2026 when new technical regulations focused around a sustainable synthetic fuel are introduced, with Porsche already invested in the technology.Diess did not specify how the brands would enter the sport, but Audi is expected to buy an existing team while Porsche will become an engine supplier, possibly for Red Bull Racing.For years, Audi and Porsche have hinted at their desire to join Formula 1. Over the past year, the rumors have continued to build, and now it appears it might finally be happening. At an event in Wolfsburg, Germany on Monday, Volkswagen Group chief executive officer Herbert Diess confirmed that both Audi and Porsche had received approval for the Volkswagen Group to enter Formula 1, according to a report by Reuters.

The 2022 McLaren MCL36
Formula 1

Diess explained that discussions among the brands’ board of directors regarding the sport had caused some rifts to form, but ultimately Audi and Porsche were able to assure their parent company that joining Formula 1 would be a net more money than it would cost. Diess did not detail how the two brands will enter the sport, but rumors have pointed to Audi attempting to purchase an existing team—either McLaren or Sauber—while Porsche aims to enter as an engine manufacturer, with Red Bull named as a possible partner.

According to Diess, Porsche’s plan to join Formula 1 is a bit more solidified than Audi’s at the moment. As Motor1 reported, Diess is eyeing the rule changes planned for 2026—which will bring new cars and engines that will run on a fully sustainable synthetic fuel—as the optimal time for the two brands to enter the ring. Porsche has been investing heavily in synthetic fuels in a bid to promote the longevity of its internal-combustion road cars such as the 911, and Formula 1 will give Porsche a chance to develop the technology through motorsport while tying the road cars to the team. The rule changes will also mean that all teams are starting from the same position, giving Porsche and Audi a better shot at being competitive right off the bat. Diess has clearly noticed Formula 1’s rapid growth in the United States and around the world in the wake of the “Drive to Survive” Netflix show and the increased social media presence since Liberty Media’s takeover of the series in 2017. The executive cited Formula 1’s strength as an advertising platform, and said that Porsche will shift away from other motorsports to focus on Formula 1. We wouldn’t be surprised to see Porsche’s Formula E team fall by the wayside, since Porsche seems committed to the GT racing. While Diess’ statements were not paired with an official confirmation from Formula 1 that Audi and Porsche will be joining the grid, it is the closest thing yet in a long line of growing rumors, and a full announcement is expected to come later this year.
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Volta’s raised around $316 million in funding and will start testing its first model—a 16-ton delivery vehicle—with customers later this year. Volta announced it is adding two smaller options—a 7.5-ton and a 12-ton model—to its line-up of battery-electric delivery trucks.The new, smaller Volta Zero trucks are supposed to start production in 2025.Volta is growing its line-up of Zero electric delivery trucks by adding 7.5-ton and 12-ton models to the mix. The new trucks are designed with maneuverability in mind, with both options aiming to make it easier for drivers to maneuver these commercial vehicles in more dense urban areas.

With these new options, Volta’s Zero line includes a total of four models—all of which are designed for urban freight movement. The original model is a 16-ton truck that uses either a standard—150-kWh—or high-capacity—225-kWh—battery pack (we suspect both figures reflect the packs’ maximum, rather than useable, capacity) to achieve a manufacturer-estimated driving range of 90 or 125 miles, respectively. Customers are due to start testing the 16-ton electric vehicle later this year. Volta also previously announced an 18-ton model that’s due to start production sometime in the middle of 2023.Volta is a Swedish company with a focus on the European market, a region with consumers who are interested in more compact commercial EV options. The Zero 7.5- and 12-ton trucks ought to appeal to such buyers. Customer trials for the newly announced models are set to kick off in 2024, with full-line production planned for early 2025.

Volta

Volta notes the new 7.5- and 12-ton trucks share a “close but evolutionary visual relationship” with the brand’s larger 16- and 18-ton models. Like those electric trucks, the smaller Volta Zero EVs feature airy, glasshouse-style cabs and a seating position that’s lower than comparable trucks with internal combustion engines. The original Zero truck was designed to make the driver’s perspective more street-level, with an eyesight level of around under six feet. To further help the driver better see the road around them, Volta fits its Zero trucks with cameras in place of side mirrors, while the glass-heavy cab offers the driver a forward field of view of 220 degrees. Arguably the most noticeable difference between these smaller Zero trucks and their larger kin is the fact the new models do without a third axle.In February, Volta announced it raised $260 million in a Series C funding round, bringing its total funding to around $316 million. Volta said it has already received customer orders for more than 6,000 vehicles, including “Europe’s largest purchase of full-electric trucks”, thanks to an order of 1,470 vehicles by DB Schenker. Petit Forestier has also ordered 1,000 Volta Zeros. Volta plans to build 5,000 trucks per year starting in 2023 at a plant in Steyr, Austria. By 2025, Volta’s annual production capacity is due to increase to 27,000 vehicles.
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Ultium energy recovery captures heat generated as an electric vehicle moves—from the motor or the battery or even from the people in the car—and uses it as a heat source elsewhere.General Motors developed the system to improve efficiency—and it does, by up to 10 percent, according to the company. GM claims the setup even contributes to the GMC Hummer EV’s hair-raising acceleration performance.Eking out every last bit of energy from an electric vehicle’s battery pack is an important engineering task. General Motors’s latest trick to make the most of a battery-electric vehicle’s energy comes courtesy of a new kind of heat pump that recovers excess heat energy—from the battery, the powertrain, or even the people in the car—and uses it to warm the cabin and extend the vehicle’s driving range.

GM calls this new technology Ultium energy recovery, and as its name suggests, the tech applies to the company’s line of Ultium-based battery-electric vehicles. This list currently includes the GMC Hummer EV, with the Chevrolet Silverado EV and Cadillac Lyriq due soon. Other Ultium vehicles are in the works, too, including the Cadillac Celestiq sedan, and GM notes the Ultium energy recovery system will come standard on every one of its current and future Ultium-based EVs.

GMC

The heat sources the Ultium energy recovery system draws from include the battery itself, various power electronics, some propulsion components, and—most interestingly—the body heat of the people within the cabin, as well as humidity in and outside of the vehicle. The Ultium energy recovery system then uses this captured heat to warm the cabin. GM estimates this heating solution can extend the range of an EV by as much as 10 percent. Additionally, GM claims the Ultium energy recovery system can warm the cabin of its EVs in less time than “comparable systems” of vehicles with internal combustion engines. The setup also offers potential performance enhancements. For instance, Ultium energy recovery helps cool the Hummer EV’s propulsion system when the vehicle’s placed in its Watts to Freedom mode. As such, the big pickup’s powertrain can be pushed harder without overheating, thus resulting in the Hummer EV’s 60-mph time of around three seconds.
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