Motor News

The 2024 Volkswagen ID.Buzz Microbus will be revealed on March 9, 2022. It will arrive in the United States in 2023 in its three-row passenger van configuration. Pricing is expected to start around $40,000, and both single- and dual-motor version should be available. The wait is almost over for the return of the Volkswagen bus. Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess announced via Twitter that the 2024 ID.Buzz Microbus will be revealed on March 9.
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The ID.Buzz is inspired by the iconic Type 2 Microbus that was introduced in the 1950s, and its design will be appropriately retro. We’ve seen prototypes testing and VW revealed a glimpse of the production version last fall (pictured). It’ll be built on VW’s Modular Electric Drive (MEB) platform that currently underpins the ID.4 electric crossover on sale now in the States. We expect the ID.Buzz to offer a driving range of around 300 miles and both single- and dual-motor configurations providing rear- or all-wheel drive.

Volkswagen

We’ll only get a long-wheelbase passenger van version here in the U.S., and it will arrive in 2023 for the 2024 model year. It will offer three rows of seats that can be configured in multiple different ways—and they can even be removed. We expect pricing to start around $40,000 to make it competitive with other EV offerings. A commercial cargo version without windows will be sold in Europe. Check back here in March for more specs and details when the new electric Microbus makes its debut.
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The current Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 is the most extreme machine ever to wear the iconic pony-car nameplate. Designed as a tool for both the dragway and the road course, the Shelby has more in common with the likes of Europe’s best sports cars than many of its fellow American-made cars. For those of us unable to get the real deal, the folks at Lego have just created a new GT500 kit for the masses.

LEGO Technic Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 42138 Model Building Kit; Pull-Back Drag Race Car Toy for Ages 9+ (544 Pieces)

LEGO
amazon.com

$49.99

This plasticized muscle car is part of the Lego Technic series, which brings a greater focus on engineering and challenging designs than your typical Lego set. The Shelby is composed of 544 pieces, and measures in at just over 3.0 inches high, 10.5 inches long, and 4.5 inches wide when finished. The general shape of the model is unmistakably American muscle, though the Mustang’s front fascia proved difficult to accurately re-create out of bricks. The same can’t be said out back, as the rear end is perhaps the most authentic-looking section of the build. The thing does look like a GT500, though it certainly looks like one made of Lego bricks.

Lego

Building a model that looks the part wasn’t the only way Lego decided to honor the Shelby GT500. Among those 544 pieces are two pull-back motors that will allow the completed Lego GT500 to do some actual racing. As this is the modern era, the toy company has even integrated some unique virtual test tracks into its Lego Technic augmented reality app. These tracks feature unique challenges for the model drag racer in your life to complete. Lego states that the Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 kit is intended for builders ages nine and up, and have the kit listed as item #42138 on its website. The Shelby is $49.99, which is a lot more affordable than some of the brand’s other automotive options. It’s also gotta be one of the cheapest ways to get your hands on a GT500 of any kind right about now.

Lego

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Mercedes-Benz revealed its Vision EQXX concept as part of the CES technology show this week.The powertrain is notable for promising 620 miles of range thanks to a compact, energy-dense battery and motor, both of which Mercedes developed in-house.With 201 horsepower and a top speed limited to 87 mph, it diverges sharply from the Mercedes flagship image of the past.Mercedes has released more details about the pioneering powertrain in the Vision EQXX concept that was shown earlier this week, with the company confirming that the first car to use a version of the long-range EV powertrain will be in production by 2024.This is more than a concept car; it is a technology program,” chief technology officer Markus Schäfer told journalists in an online call after the unveiling. “All the elements on this car will make it into series production. The battery, for example, is an early prototype of the chemistry that you’re going to see in the new generation of concept cars.”

The new battery’s enhanced energy density is thanks to next-generation silcon carbide anodes that Mercedes has developed in-house, allowing the EQXX to store similar energy to the range-topping EQS’s 107.8-kWh pack in a space 50 percent smaller. Mercedes is planning to use the same technology for smaller capacity packs as well, which will be lighter and cheaper, but the company’s engineers also insist that the EQXX’s claimed 620-mile range will be achievable under everyday conditions rather than just simulated testing. “It is 1000 km on real streets, so the WLTP range [the way Europe measures electric range] will be even higher,” Eva Greiner, the drive system’s chief engineer, said. We’re promised that the Vision EQXX will be sent into the real world to prove its ability to deliver those numbers.Mercedes-Made MotorWe’ve also learned that the ultra-efficient 201-hp motor that turns the EQXX’s rear wheels is a radial flux unit that has been developed in-house by Mercedes based on the technology that it is already using. Work on it predated the company’s recent acquisition of Yasa, a British manufacturer of high-performance axial flux motors. Merc’s next generation of compact EVs will use this newly developed radial flux unit, with Schäfer confirming the plan is to also offer all-wheel drive by adding a second motor; we presume axial flux motors will therefore be reserved for higher-performance models. The EQXX (and production cars that will share its powertrain) have been designed for efficiency rather than outright speed, but even using a single motor Greiner says it can run from zero to 62 mph in a respectable 7.0 seconds, although the concept’s top speed is limited to just 87 mph.

The relatively modest output of the new motor is also what allows the battery pack to use air cooling rather than liquid cooling. This might look technically retrograde compared to the wider EV market, where almost all cars now use liquid cooling (the Nissan Leaf being the notable holdout). But careful temperature management through what is described as a cooling plate on the base of the cell pack means the EQXX can do without the use of a more energy-intensive cooling system, part of its impressively frugal six-mile-per-kWh consumption. That’s about 50 percent better than the longest-range Tesla, the 405-mile Model S, which gets roughly four miles per kWh.Despite air cooling, Schäfer promises the new powertrain can still support respectably rapid charging speeds, with the targeted ability to support rates that will able to add at least 186 miles of range in 15 minutes by the time production versions reach the market. He also makes the point that if you have a 600-mile plus battery pack, you won’t need to worry about charging it nearly so often.
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Goodyear’s tire prototype is made 70 percent from sustainable materials, the first step towards the company’s goal of a 100 percent sustainable tire by 2030.New materials were developed for the tire, including polyester from recycled plastic bottles and surplus soybean oil.Goodyear will also start testing an airless tire on delivery robots at Bowling Green State University in Ohio.Concepts including the Mercedes-Benz Vision EQXX and Chrysler Airflow headlined the 2022 CES technology show this year, but tire manufacturer Goodyear also made two announcements that could have big implications for the future of driving. Goodyear unveiled a tire that is made 70 percent from sustainable materials and also announced that it will begin testing an airless tire on small delivery robots. In 2020, Goodyear set a goal to create a tire constructed entirely from sustainable materials by 2030, and this new tire prototype is the first major step towards that ambition. The sustainable materials in the tire help reduce Goodyear’s reliance on petroleum-based products. Carbon black—which reinforces and lengthens the life of the tire compound—is traditionally made by burning petroleum, but instead Goodyear created carbon blacks from methane, carbon dioxide, and plant-based oil, resulting in fewer carbon emissions in the production process.

Goodyear also utilized surplus soybean oil from the food and animal feed industries to help keep the tire’s rubber flexible in changing temperatures. Silica, meanwhile, is needed to boost grip and lower fuel consumption, so Goodyear created a new form of silica made from a byproduct of rice processing, called rice husk ash, that often ends up in landfills. Goodyear also crafted tire cords by recycling the polyester found in plastic bottles. The sustainable tire is only a demonstration product for now, but Goodyear’s developments bode well for the future.

Goodyear

Along with the eco-friendly tire prototype, Goodyear announced a test program for a non-pneumatic, or airless, tire. The tire will be tested by Starship Technologies, which builds and operates more than 1000 last-mile autonomous robots that deliver packages and food. The airless tire is meant to extend tire life and decrease maintenance for Starship’s fleet, and the testing will take place at Bowling Green State University in Ohio. This is not the first time we’ve seen airless tires, with Michelin testing its own version on Chevy Bolts back in 2019.
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BMW’s iX Flow concept, shown at CES this week, can change colors, as long as it is a shade of gray. The iX Flow is covered in E Ink, the same material used in e-readers like the Kindle.The tech allows instant personalization and can help the iX Flow be more energy efficient. At the 2022 CES technology show, BMW revealed two new products due to reach customers in the near future: the 2023 iX M60 electric SUV and a 31-inch screen with integrated Amazon Fire TV. But BMW also showed off its wild imagination by unveiling a radical concept called the iX Flow. Based on the iX SUV, the Flow is wrapped in something called E Ink—the material used in the displays of e-readers like the Kindle—which allows it to change color in the blink of an eye.

BMW

At the moment, the iX Flow can only shift through shades of white, grey, and black, but BMW suggested that adding vivid colors isn’t out of the realm of possibility. The E Ink wrap consists of millions of microcapsules containing negatively charged white pigments and positively charged black pigments. This microcapsules—which have a diameter equal to the thickness of a human hair—can be stimulated by an electrical field to bring different amounts of each pigment to the surface of the microcapsule, changing the shade of the car.

BMW

BMW sees a few use cases for the E Ink technology in future BMWs. First off, the color-changing wrap would allow the driver to adjust their vehicle’s appearance based on their aesthetic preferences. E Ink could also make the car more efficient—in hot, sunny settings, the iX Flow could turn white to reduce the amount of heat absorbed by the body of the car and decrease the reliance on the air conditioning. In cold weather, the iX Flow could switch to black to absorb as much heat as possible and lessen the energy required for the heating system. Having the climate control systems using less juice from the batteries would help an EV maintain a longer range in more extreme temperatures. BMW also suggests applying the material to the interior to prevent certain surfaces, like the dashboard, from heating up too much when left in the sun.

The E Ink technology is also very energy efficient itself, only using energy during the quick color-changing phase, since the E Ink does not require a current to maintain the chosen shade. BMW has not elaborated on the production possibilities of the E Ink technology seen on the iX Flow, but suggested that applying the material was not unrealistically expensive and that we could see E Ink eventually making its way onto production vehicles.
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BMW has unveiled the Theatre Screen, an ultrawide screen measuring 31 inches and with up to 8K resolution.Amazon’s Fire TV service is integrated into the Theatre Screen and operates off the vehicle’s 5G connection.BMW didn’t specify when the Theatre Screen will hit the market, but the entertainment system should reach production soon. Although BMW opted out of attending the 2022 Consumer Electronics Show in person, the company still showed off its latest wares via a livestream event. Along with the debut of the BMW iX M60, BMW revealed the Theatre Screen, which it proclaims is the “in-car entertainment of the future.”

The Theatre Screen is a 31-inch panorama display for the rear seats that lowers from the roof. The screen can show content in three formats—16:9, 21:9, and even 32:9—and it has a resolution of 8000 by 2000 pixels. The screen also has 5G connectivity and integrated Amazon Fire TV, and BMW claims it’s the highest-resolution and biggest display for any in-car Fire TV system.The Theatre Screen also brings a new setting, My Mode Theatre. When the car is put in this mode, the screen descends from the roof, accompanied by a sound cue created by iconic composer Hans Zimmer. My Mode Theatre also dims the ambient lighting in the rear and rolls up the blinds in the side and rear windows. The screen works in conjunction with the Bowers & Wilkins surround sound system and everything, including the angles of the screen, can be controlled via touch pads on the rear doors. BMW hasn’t said when we will see the Theatre Screen in cars we can buy but implied that the new entertainment system is headed to production.
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The 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV will have an off-road-oriented Trail Boss model like the gas-powered truck. Expect all-terrain tires, locking differentials, and possibly the GMC Hummer EV’s Crab Walk feature. The Silverado EV will arrive in 2023 and the Trail Boss should follow after the RST which arrives in the fall. Chevrolet’s new Silverado EV electric pickup was just revealed, and it has something the Ford F-150 Lightning does not yet offer: an off-road-oriented version. Like the gas-powered Silverado, the Silverado EV will have a Trail Boss off-road model.

Chevrolet won’t spill any additional details on the Silverado EV Trail Boss other than what’s pictured above, which shows that it will have matte black body cladding and red tow hooks on the front end. The Silverado EV is available with 24-inch wheels, but the Trail Boss will have smaller, unique black wheels on all-terrain tires. Expect a lifted suspension, standard air springs, locking differentials (the GMC Hummer EV has two electric motors on the rear axle that can mimic a locking diff and a locker on the front axle), and it could possibly get the Hummer EV’s Crab Walk feature, too.

The Silverado EV doesn’t share underpinnings with the gas model, rather it uses a narrower version of the GMC Hummer EV’s Ultium platform. It has an available 200.0-kWh battery pack and two electric motors, one on each axle, providing up to 664 horsepower and 780 pound-feet of torque in a special launch-control mode. Claimed range is up to 400 miles, but expect the Trail Boss model’s range to be less than that because of its all-terrain rubber.

2020 Chevrolet Silverado Trail Boss.
Chevrolet

Look for more information on the Chevrolet Silverado EV’s upcoming Trail Boss model soon, as the base WT model and RST are slated to arrive in 2023. We expect the Trail Boss will follow those two along with an additional model that’s promised to offer 20,000 pounds of towing capability.
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Chevy showed the first photos of the 2024 Equinox EV crossover.GM’s Ultium battery platform will underpin this new model.It will start at around $30,000 and go on sale in the fall of 2023.The Chevrolet Equinox compact SUV will spawn an electric variant, set to go on sale in the fall of 2023. The first images of this new model show off its sleek exterior and futuristic interior, which are a far cry from the current gas-powered Equinox. Chevy claims that it will have a starting price of around $30,000 and that it will offer LT and RS trim levels.

Chevrolet

The only mechanical detail we have so far is that the Equinox EV will use one of GM’s Ultium batteries. There’s no word on the battery’s capacity or an estimated driving range, but we think it will need to offer around 300 miles of range to be competitive in the current EV crossover segment.

Chevrolet

Chevrolet

The red Equinox EV in these photos appears to be an RS model, while the silver vehicle could be an LT or Premier. Both feature large display screens inside, but the RS appears to have different interior trim including red upholstery and carbon-fiber-look trim.Look for more details on the Equinox EV to come throughout the year as Chevy shares more specs on this upcoming electric addition to its lineup. The company also confirmed that a Blazer EV will arrive in 2023.

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