Motor News

Ford’s Australian and European divisions released teasers of the next-generation Ranger, showing it conquering sand dunes, rocky grades, snowy roads, and more.The next-generation Ranger appears to have C-shaped headlights like the new Maverick and can be seen in extended cab and crew cab configurations.Ford’s overseas departments say the all-new Ranger will debut before the end of the year before going on sale in 2022, but the timing could end up different for the U.S. market.Back in 2011, Ford ditched the small-truck market, killing off the aging Ranger without a replacement. While American customers were forced to look elsewhere for a small truck, the rest of the world received an all-new Ranger that same year. Ford eventually realized they were missing out on a growing segment and brought the Ranger back to the United States for 2019, but the company simply upgraded the global version that had already been on sale for eight years instead of creating a fresh generation. However, Ford announced today that an all-new Ranger is on its way, revealing the first official teaser photo and video of the upcoming mid-size pickup.
This content is imported from YouTube. 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.

The video, posted by Ford’s Australian and European arms, shows the next-generation Ranger tackling various types of tricky terrain and showing off its versatility. The teaser starts off with the Ranger drifting through a giant mud patch, kicking up dirt clods left and right, before we see the truck scaling dunes and driving at high speeds through the desert. Next the Ranger deftly climbs up and down some steep rocky grades, displaying its suspension articulation, before it hurtles down a snow-covered road. Lastly, we see the Ranger cruising down an off-road trail, smashing through a puddle and splashing water everywhere.

While the truck is heavily camouflaged, a few details stand out. The overall proportions look similar to the current model, and both extended and crew-cab versions are seen in the video. The most striking design element we can see is the headlights, which appear to have a C shape echoing the headlights on the recently revealed Maverick. Ford’s Australian and European branches say that the next-generation Ranger will debut later this year before launching in 2022, but the timing and design for the U.S.-market version could end up being different.
This content is imported from {embed-name}. 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 created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io More

The Lotus Emira is the last new Lotus with a combustion engine, and the supercharged V-6 version will go racing starting in 2022 in the GT4 class.The Toyota engine makes the same 400 horsepower as in the street car, but the Emira GT4 has a revised aerodynamic package and a different suspension setup.The Emira GT4 will weigh several hundred pounds less than the road-going car, and Lotus says production for the 2022 season will be limited as the company assesses demand.Lotus is about to undergo some major changes. The British automaker will soon switch to electric propulsion, with the recently-revealed Emira, a successor to the long-running Evora sports car, being the last new Lotus to be powered by a combustion engine. Lotus also recently declared that its upcoming EV lineup will include two SUVs and a four-door car, stark changes for a company that has, for the most part, only sold two-door sports cars. If you’re a Lotus fanatic who is having a panic attack, it at least appears that Lotus will still stick to its racing roots, announcing today that it will take the new Emira to the track with a new GT4 variant.

Lotus

The Emira GT4 race car will be developed in collaboration with RML Group, a British motorsports firm known for helping Nissan build the GT-R–engined Juke R. While the road-going Emira will be offered with a 360-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four from AMG as a base engine, the GT4 race car will only come with the beefier 400-hp 3.5-liter supercharged Toyota V-6 that is carried over from the Evora. The Emira race car will come with a 6-speed sequential transmission from Xtrac and brake discs and calipers from Alcon. It is expected to weigh around 2778 pounds, a few hundred pounds less than the lightest road-legal Emira.

The Emira GT4 is built to meet FIA requirements and features unequal-length control arm suspension at the front and rear with Öhlins coilover dampers. The car also receives an aerodynamic makeover, with a sizable wing sprouting from the rear decklid. There’s also protruding front splitter, and although Lotus did not show photos of the interior, expect a roll-cage, racing seat, a steering wheel, and little else. The Emira GT4 will have a full-fledged launch later this year at Lotus’ Hethel test track. Lotus says it will build a limited number of Emira GT4s for the 2022 season before scaling up production as needed for 2023.
This content is imported from {embed-name}. 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 created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io More

The long-lived Europe-market Renault Mégane now has an electric crossover version, launched at the IAA auto show in Munich, Germany.The E-Tech offers a choice of outputs, 128 or 215 horsepower, using a motor also found in the Nissan Leaf. It’s no speed demon, with a top speed of 100 mph, but it can tow—up to 663 pounds.The apparent top rival to this stylish EV on the European market is the Volkswagen ID.3.It’s so easy to fall for a car with an accent in its name. French automaker Renault has been producing the Mégane since 1995, through four generations and multiple body styles. None of these have ever officially reached the United States. Yet we couldn’t resist telling you about this one, the very handsome new Mégane E-Tech that was launched this week at the IAA auto show in Munich, Germany.The regular Mégane comes as a hatchback, sedan, and wagon, but the E-Tech has become a taller crossover with its wheels pushed out to each corner, although only its front axle is powered. It has a relatively compact 165.8-inch length and sits on both a 106.3-inch wheelbase and Renault’s new CMF-EV platform. An extra-low battery pack sits under the floor, and the company is particularly proud that this is only 4.3 inches in depth.An usual and praiseworthy addition is the “Fireman Access” feature, which is claimed to give first responders an easier time in case of a fire or crash. Renault said the feature, developed in collaboration with French firefighters, allows a battery fire to be put out in as little as five minutes, compared with up to three hours for other EVs. The E-Tech has a switch under the rear bench seats to “enable the rescue teams to disconnect the battery from the high voltage circuit of the vehicle,” Renault said. There’s also a QR code on the vehicle’s windshield that, when scanned, can give first responders information on where the battery and airbags are located and instructions to extricate injured occupants from the vehicle quickly and safely.

Two battery capacities will be offered, 40.0 and 60.0 kWh, giving, respectively, 186 miles and 292 miles of range under Europe’s generally optimistic WLTP testing protocol. The car will also be sold with two power outputs for its electrically excited synchronous motor, which has already been seen in the Nissan Leaf: 128 and 215 horsepower (with torque figures of 184 and 221 pound-feet). The latter delivers a claimed 7.6-second zero-to-62-mph time. Top speed is limited to 100 mph. Fast charging at speeds of up to 130 kW from a sufficiently powerful DC charger is supported, giving the ability to take the battery from 15 to 80 percent in 30 minutes. This Mégane weighs a claimed 3570 pounds, but Renault says it will be able to tow up to 663 pounds, a relatively unusual skill for a Europe-market EV.
Images of the interior make it clear that Renault has entered the arms race over screen size that seems to have broken out among automakers. There are two displays, the 12.3-inch one that incorporates the instruments and relays driving information in a landscape orientation in front of the driver, plus a 12.0-inch central display in a Tesla-like portrait configuration. The Mégane E-Tech is also the first Renault to use Google’s Android Auto operating system. Oh, and the LED lighting can be cycled through 48 color options, so drivers will be able to match their outfits.
A set of 18-inch wheels will be standard, but arch-filling 20-inch alloys will be an option. The E-Tech uses a multi-link rear suspension system in addition to its strut front end. Other high-tech features include full LED exterior lighting, smart adaptive headlights, and a full automatic parking system that doesn’t even require the driver to engage forward or reverse gears to maneuver into spaces.Renault hasn’t released European pricing yet, but the E-Tech will almost certainly be close to the Volkswagen ID.3, which seems to be its most obvious rival. It certainly looks set to be a very stylish alternative.

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io More

Decades ago, Doug Field worked as an engineer at Ford before leaving to work at Segway, Apple, and Tesla. He was involved in launching the Tesla Model 3 as well as Apple’s secretive automotive project.Now back at Ford, Field will be “chief advanced technology and embedded systems officer” and will report directly to CEO Jim Farley.Farley said Field’s work at Ford will include next-generation “digital vehicles” as well as “always-on experiences for our customers that get better and better over time.” Hiring him away from Apple is a strong sign that they’re taking this technology extremely seriously.After helping to launch one of the most anticipated electric vehicles ever, the Tesla Model 3, and working at Apple on its still-mysterious special vehicle project, Doug Field has come back to Ford as chief advanced technology and embedded systems officer. Field worked at Ford as a development engineer from 1987 to 1993 before stints at Apple, Tesla, and Segway.

Ford

Field’s latest move has prompted all sorts of online speculation about what it means for Ford as well as for whatever it is that Apple is working on in the automotive field, including plenty of people saying Field’s departure is the final nail in the Apple Car coffin. For its part, Apple released a short statement to the media, obtained by the Wall Street Journal: “We’re grateful for the contributions Doug has made to Apple and we wish him all the best in this next chapter.”
This content is imported from Twitter. 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.

For his part, Farley is ebullient about his new employee, tweeting that Field is “one of the top product leaders from Apple, Tesla & Segway” and that Farley is “thrilled to work with Doug on the next generation of digital vehicles [and] always-on experiences for our customers that get better and better over time.”

Field will be in charge of Ford’s Embedded Software and Hardware group, which includes working on “infotainment, navigation, driver-assist technology, connected services and vehicle cybersecurity” projects as well as Ford’s Blue Oval Intelligence tech stack and Ford Power-Up over-the-air updates. Field will also “[manage] relationships with key technology partners and the digital developer ecosystem.”Farley hinted a bit more at what those always-on experiences might be in a corporate statement. “[Field’s] talent and commitment to innovation that improves customers’ lives will be invaluable as we build out our Ford+ plan to deliver awesome products, always-on customer relationships and ever-improving user experiences. We are thrilled Doug chose to join Ford and help write the next amazing chapter of this great company.”That chapter is likely to include digital products that Ford can regularly charge customers for, a move that a number of automakers are exploring as a way to make money off their customers after they’re purchased the car. The WSJ notes that Ford already offers fleet customers monitoring services for their vehicles for maintenance issues like oil changes or, for electric vehicles, the state of charge and when it makes sense to plug the EV in. As an example, Ford has said that its BlueCruise hands-free driver assistance software will cost $600 for a three-year subscription.Speaking to reporters about his new company, Field hinted he’s happy to be back at a long-standing automaker. “It’s awfully fashionable to start either autonomy companies or car companies,” he said in an interview, according to the Wall Street Journal. “Many of them won’t have the staying power, the resources, the capabilities. Making vehicles is actually really hard.”
This content is imported from {embed-name}. 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 created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io More

Hyundai announced today that it is betting big on hydrogen fuel-cell technology for everything from the pictured sports car to robotaxis and large commercial trucks.The automaker’s “Hydrogen Wave” announcement came during the IAA auto show in Munich, Germany.The Concept FK sports-car prototype appears to have more than a casual similarity to the Kia Stinger. It is being developed with Rimac and will use that specialty carmaker’s battery pack, Hyundai said.Hydrogen has been the fuel of the future for almost as long as we can remember, but the horizon for its introduction into mainstream cars has never seemed to get any closer. There have been some pioneering, and rarely bought, oddballs like the Honda Clarity FCEV, Toyota Mirai, and Hyundai Nexo, all of which were only offered in very limited markets. Now Hyundai has become the first large automaker to commit itself to a hydrogen future, with the widespread use of fuel cells in passenger vehicles as it moves away from making combustion engines.

Hyundai made a multitude of hydrogen-based announcements at this week’s Munich IAA auto show, but the highlight is definitely today’s confirmation that the brand is working on a new hydrogen-fueled sports car, currently a “mobile laboratory” named the Concept FK. The company has released images of a disguised prototype and released some seriously impressive details. We’re told the car will make up to 671 horsepower from what seems to be the pioneering combination of a hydrogen fuel cell powering the front axle and a battery-driven electric motor turning the rear. Hyundai says it will be able to dispatch the European zero-to-62-mph benchmark in less than four seconds. That sounds pessimistic given the stated output. The company also says the car will have a range of more than 373 miles, although this number presumably comes from the optimistic European WLTP testing protocol.

Hyundai

The new car is being developed in conjunction with EV specialist Rimac, as Hyundai is one of the automakers that holds a stake in the Croatian startup. The Concept FK will use a high-output Rimac battery pack, presumably related to the one used by the Nevera hypercar. “We are absolutely convinced we are on the right track and we cannot survive with battery technology alone; this is our firm belief,” Hyundai chief marketing officer Thomas Schemera said at the auto show. “If you don’t change and you don’t think about the future to come, you’re not going to be able to adapt. The world is changing very quickly.”Hyundai will develop fuel-cell cars alongside battery-powered EVs, but will rapidly reduce the number of combustion engines it offers in most markets. The company has confirmed it will only offer EV models in the European market by 2035, and will phase these out everywhere else by 2040. The company’s other announcements at Munich were less exciting, but added extra proof of the scale of its commitment to hydrogen. It says that its third-generation Fuel Cell, a development of the one in the Nexo, will be available in both 100kW (134hp) and 200kW (268hp) versions, with the less powerful version said to be 30 percent smaller than the Nexo’s stack. They will also be engineered to deliver substantially better durability. Hyundai says the Nexo’s fuel cell has a lifespan of around 5000 hours, or 100,000 miles, but says the next generation will be between 50 percent and 100 percent better.
This content is imported from YouTube. 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.

The company is working on hydrogen-powered trucks and buses and also showed what it described as a “trailer drone” in Munich, effectively a pair of fuel-cell-powered bogies that can move a truck trailer under autonomous control and with a range of up to 620 miles. The company also showed a lidar-equipped “robotaxi” version of the Ioniq 5 at Munich, which is claimed to be capable of Level 4 autonomy and will use remote human operators if it gets stuck.

Hyundai’s Ioniq 5–based robotaxi.
Hyundai

Hyundai also seems to be planning to prove its new technology through the time-honored expedient of taking it racing. Schemera wouldn’t confirm motorsport plans but dropped some very broad hints: “How many hydrogen race series are there in the world? Zero. But maybe in four years things could be different. Motorsport is a very good way to prove your technology under extreme conditions,” he said. “Motorsport can be the way to prove new technology and how reliable it is, and in terms of hydrogen, that makes things interesting because not that many companies have it. We believe our fuel-cell technology is at the forefront.”

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io More

The EPA has announced that the Rivian R1T, the first model from the California-based startup, will have a 314-mile range in the Launch Edition trim with the 135.0-kWh battery.The EPA also provided numbers for the R1S SUV, which is due at some point in 2022 and will be able to travel an extra two miles with the same battery and motor setup.The Rivian R1T will go up against the Ford F-150 Lightning and GMC Hummer EV, both expected to go on sale within the next several months.The launch of the eagerly awaited electric Rivian R1T pickup truck slowly edges closer. The California-based startup originally announced the intention to deliver the R1T to customers in July, but that date was pushed to September as the company ironed out the final kinks. Well, September is here, and now one of the most important prerequisites to customer sales has been fulfilled for the Rivian R1T. The EPA has officially released range estimates for both the truck and its SUV counterpart, the R1S, which is due out in 2022.

While multiple battery sizes are expected to be available down the line, the EPA’s official estimates are only for the Launch Edition models, which come with a 135.0-kWh battery pack delivering electricity to four motors. This setup, according to the EPA, will be good for a 314-mile range, and the $73,000 Launch Edition R1T returns an estimated 74 MPGe in the city, 66 MPGe on the highway, and 70 MPGe combined. The R1S, which uses the same battery and motor setup, can travel slightly further on a charge at 316 miles. However, it’s a smidge less efficient, returning one MPGe less on the city, highway, and combined ratings from the EPA. Rivian has said that a larger battery pack with an approximately 400-mile range will arrive later.

Fueleconomy.gov

If Rivian R1T deliveries actually get underway this month, it will become the first electric pickup truck available to the public. It’ll soon face steep competition in the Ford F-150 Lightning, GMC Hummer EV, and, maybe eventually, the Tesla Cybertruck. Currently these rivals don’t have official EPA figures and only have range estimates from the manufacturers themselves. The Lightning, which will be significantly cheaper than the Rivian in its base trim but can easily be priced to a similar amount, is supposed to go 300 miles with the biggest battery pack. The GMC meanwhile, which will start above the Rivian and go well into the $100,000 zone, is expected to achieve a 350-mile range from its colossal 200.0-kWh battery. Tesla claims that the top-spec Tri Motor version of the Cybertruck, which will cost around the same as the Rivian, will go 500 miles on a charge, but the truck also appears to have been delayed until late 2022 at the earliest. With the Ford not arriving until spring 2022 and the GMC expected by the end of 2021, the Rivian should beat all of its competitors to market if the nascent EV maker can get cars in the hands of customers this month.
This content is imported from {embed-name}. 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 created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io More

While the actual production and release of new Broncos may be delayed significantly by issues like the molded-in-color hardtop drama, the cars themselves have been a sales hit. The overwhelming number of reservations converted into actual sales have already made the rugged Ford one of the biggest enthusiast-car hits of the decade, so it is fitting that an unusually high number of those Broncos are coming with the best option of all. Yes, even though it is currently only offered on four-cylinder models without the off-road-focused Sasquatch package, Ford Authority reports that 25 percent of all first-year Bronco buyers are opting for the manual transmission.

The take rate is even more impressive when you consider just how few of the Broncos slated for 2021 production were actually eligible for the car’s novel seven-speed manual. Over half of the Broncos in that group are equipped with the Sasquatch package, which will not get a manual option until next year. Sixty percent of the group are powered by the V-6, which is not currently scheduled to get a manual at all. That means the cars without either make up less than half of the total Bronco production allocation for 2021, seemingly making a manual transmission more common than not on all other Broncos produced for the model year.

Of course, the higher number is due in part to the group of buyers currently taking delivery of Broncos. All buyers getting a 2021 car are those who reserved the car early, so the group is disproportionately made up of hard-core car enthusiasts who are more likely to be interested in a manual transmission anyway. That number is likely to go down as Bronco production ramps up and cars start going out to lots in specs designed for generic buyers. Until that happens, it is worth celebrating. The manual transmission may be fading, but it is not dead yet.

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io More

Honda announced today that it will be launching the TrailSport subbrand, which give Honda’s SUVs and trucks an extra degree of off-road prowess.Honda says that the first TrailSport-badged vehicles, due by the end of 2021, will add tougher styling, extra cladding, and interior design changes.More intense TrailSport models with special suspension, tires, and extra ride height will follow in the next couple of years, and we certainly expect the Ridgeline and Passport to add the TrailSport trim.As the number of sedans and coupes on the American car market shrinks and automakers’ SUV lineups balloon, it has become trendy to create off-road-focused subbrands to give the new influx of crossovers a tougher appearance, and in some cases, some actual trail-ready ability. Now Honda is joining the party, announcing today the introduction of the TrailSport badge, which Honda says is the “next chapter in its rugged-light-truck direction.” We expect the Ridgeline pickup truck and Passport crossover to be the first Hondas to receive the TrailSport treatment, and the badge could potentially expand to the Pilot and CR-V as well.They will compete against Ford’s recently released Timberline trim for the Explorer and Hyundai’s XRT package added to the Santa Fe, with both trims expected to migrate across the automakers’ rosters.

Honda says that the TrailSport moniker will add “a more rugged design and off-road capability, applied step-by-step, to certain models within the brand’s light-truck lineup.” The initial TrailSport vehicles, Honda says, will gain brawnier front and rear fascias, extra body cladding, and unique interior details such as orange stitching and all-weather floor mats. They will also come with Honda’s i-VTM4 torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive system. The next few model years will bring even more focused TrailSport vehicles, with some models adding beefier tires, full-size spare tires, and underbody protection. These more dedicated all-terrain Hondas will also include specialized suspension tuning, higher ride heights, and more capable all-wheel-drive systems. Honda says that the first TrailSport variants will arrive by the end of this year before the more specialized models roll out in the near future.
This content is imported from {embed-name}. 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 created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io More