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Starting in September 2021, all new vehicles sold in Canada need to have headlights, taillights, and side lights that automatically turn on in the dark. Also, the dashboard won’t light up until the headlights are turned on.It’s a safety issue, says Transport Canada, which announced the rules changes were coming two years ago. With more lights on, cars won’t look like “phantom vehicles.”The new rules apply not just to cars, trucks, and SUVs but also motorcycles and heavy trucks.The first time I was ever pulled over was when I was in high school and forgot to turn my headlights on after leaving the movie theater. I can’t recall which movie we went to see, but I do remember thinking that my lights were on because I could see the roads just fine. The police officer could tell otherwise, and my friend didn’t let me forget about it for weeks. This is the kind of story that Canada will soon no longer allow its teenage drivers to tell, now that new regulations went into effect this month to make sure cars don’t drive around in the dark without headlights, what Transport Canada called “phantom vehicles” and a serious safety risk.

Transport Canada’s new law, known as the Canadian Vehicle Lighting Regulation, requires changes to the way car headlights operate in the Great White North. First, any vehicle with daytime running lights will have to also turn on the taillights when the DRLs come on. Second, headlights, taillights, and side marker lights will have to turn on automatically when it’s dark out. Third, and this is the part that would have helped me, the dashboard has to stay dark until headlights are turned on, to make sure the driver realizes that their lights are off. All new vehicles—including cars, trucks, SUVs, three-wheeled vehicles, motorcycles, and heavy trucks—sold in Canada will be subject to this new regulation.Automakers have had time to get their vehicles to comply with the new regulations, because they’ve been in the works since 2019, when Transport Canada announced the changes. No similar change has been announced for the U.S. Transport Canada helpfully created a chart to show drivers what lights they’re supposed to be using and when.

Transport Canada

In 2008, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) found that DRLs had no statistically significant overall effects” on three types of crashes: when two passenger vehicles crash (but excluding rear-end crashes), when a passenger vehicle crashes into pedestrians or cyclists, and when a passenger vehicle hits a motorcycle. “When combining these three target crashes into one target crash, the DRL effects were also not statistically significant,” NHTSA’s report said. “When examined separately for passenger cars and light trucks/vans (LTVs), DRLs in LTVs significantly reduced LTVs’ involvements in the target two-vehicle crashes by 5.7 percent.”Automatic-headlight technology is not exactly new. In the early 1950s, General Motors developed a system that GM called its “Autronic Eye” light-sensing phototube. When the eye was flooded with light—from an oncoming vehicle, for example—it automatically dimmed the car’s headlights on the Cadillacs, Buicks, Oldsmobiles, and Pontiacs that Hagerty said used this technology. GM also developed a similar system with its “Twilight Sentinel” that could turn the headlights on or off in the 1960s. Ford also developed its “Autolamp” system in the 1950s.
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The Mission R is similar in size to the 718 Cayman, although it’s quite a bit wider, and it puts out 671 horsepower in “race mode” and cranks that up to 1073 horses in “qualifying mode.”Porsche claims a zero-to-62-mph time of less than 2.5 seconds and a top speed of over 186 mph, while the Mission R can also recharge from 5 to 80 percent in 15 minutes thanks to its 900-volt electrical architecture.The Mission R is currently a running prototype not scheduled for production, but its development will continue, with a fully realized version expected by 2025 or 2026.Porsche has an extensive history in customer racing. The automaker’s motorsports arm has churned out more 4400 Cup cars over the past three decades, and Porsche Cup cars currently compete in 30 one-make series around the world. Today, at the IAA auto show in Munich, Porsche revealed the Mission R, a concept that hints at the all-electric direction of Porsche’s future customer racing vehicles.
The Mission R, which is similar in size to the 718 Cayman but sits considerably lower and wider, features two electric motors, with a 429-hp unit on the front axle and a 644-hp motor powering the rear. In Race mode, the Mission R delivers a consistent 671 horsepower, but in Qualifying mode, the motors churn out a whopping 1073 horsepower. The juice needed for all that power is delivered via an approximately 80.0-kWh battery that Porsche says can supply 30 to 45 minutes of on-track action.Porsche claims the Mission R rockets from zero to 62 mph in less than 2.5 seconds, reaches a top speed of more than 186 mph, and can match the lap times of a current 911 GT3 Cup. While the Porsche Taycan’s 800-volt electrical system makes it among the fastest-charging EVs currently for sale, Porsche has taken the Mission R a step further, installing a 900-volt system so it can recharge from 5 to 80 percent in just 15 minutes (with the right charging equipment, of course).

Typically, Porsche’s motorsport gurus take an existing road car and modify it for the track, but with the Mission R, Porsche’s designers and racing engineers worked side by side from the get-go. Instead of sticking in a roll cage as an afterthought, the Mission R’s carbon-fiber composite cage is integrated into the structure of the car itself, becoming visible within the roof in what Porsche describes as an exoskeleton. The designer of the Mission R was also heavily involved in unseen design studies, especially the Vision Spyder, and that influence can be seen in the recessed headlights, the roll-bar exoskeleton, and overall styling philosophy.
Typically, EVs don’t tend to require as much cooling as gas-powered cars, but Porsche says that the cooling requirements of the Mission R actually ended up similar to those of a gas-powered GT3 Cup race car. That’s because its track focus necessitated a lot more air to maintain relatively stable battery temperatures. For this reason, active aerodynamics are abundant. Louvers in the front air intakes can open and close depending on cooling needs, and they also work in conjunction with an adjustable rear wing, reducing front downforce when the drag-reduction system on the rear wing is open (while going flat out down a straight) for more top-end speed.
The EV powertrain isn’t the only area where Porsche focused on sustainability. Most of the Mission R’s body is built from natural-fiber-reinforced plastic, and the material features heavily in the interior along with 3D-printed foam elements. The interior is geared toward maximizing on-track performance, with a screen on the steering wheel providing important data while a display perched atop the steering column shows the side and rear mirror camera views. There are also cameras throughout the interior that can have their angle remotely adjusted, and Porsche envisions fans choosing the camera angles while the race is livestreamed.The Mission R is currently a running prototype—with Porsche lapping it around their test track—but the company says more development is needed and suggests that a fully realized version could come in 2025 or 2026. Porsche hasn’t officially said if the Mission R is bound for production, but the concept could preview the next-generation Cayman and Boxster, which are expected to be electric and could spawn a one-make electric racing series of its own.
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Volkswagen unveiled the ID.Life concept, a mini-SUV with an electric powertrain, at the 2021 Munich auto show. The ID.Life previews a future production model that will slot in under the ID.3 hatchback and ID.4 compact crossover in VW’s global lineup starting in 2025; it may even make its way to North America.A 231-hp electric motor drives the front wheels, while a 57.0-kWh battery pack is said to deliver up to 249 miles of driving per charge on the European WLTP cycle.UPDATE 9/6/2021, 9 a.m.: We have added comments from Scott Keogh, President and CEO of Volkswagen of America, in which he leaves open the possibility that a production version of the ID.Life SUV could someday be part of VW’s U.S. lineup.Volkswagen’s plans for its next generation of small EVs is coming into focus with the premiere of the ID.Life concept at this year’s Munich auto show. The concept previews a new model that VW plans to launch in Europe by 2025 and could make its way stateside as an entry-level model in VW’s range of ID electric SUVs.

Volkswagen

Looking like a mashup between a city car and a subcompact SUV, the ID.Life is powered by a 231-hp electric motor that drives the front wheels; a 57.0-kWh battery pack is estimated to deliver up to 249 miles of driving per charge on the European WLTP cycle.

The ID.Life concept’s roof, which is constructed of air-filled pockets of a textile/plastic material, can be removed to provide an open-top driving experience. The roof and other parts inside the ID.Life are made from recycled plastic bottles. Other eco-friendly materials used throughout include natural rubber, rice husks, and wood chips.The interior itself is highly configurable, with settings that will allow the front and second-row bench seats to transform into a bed as well as a mode that maximizes cargo space. VW also says the ID.Life’s cabin can be turned into a comfortable place to watch a movie or play video games, but only when the concept is parked.

Volkswagen

A hexagonal-shaped steering wheel has an inset digital display screen and in lieu of a more traditional infotainment display mounted to the dashboard, the driver can dock his or her smartphone. Instead of interior and exterior mirrors, the ID.Life concept uses cameras and small displays, but this is one futuristic feature we expect won’t make it to the production model. The production vehicle that is previewed by the ID.Life concept car is critical for VW’s goal to increase its share of EV sales to 70 percent in Europe by 2030. The starting price for this entry-level model should be the equivalent of about $24,000 in Europe, and VW is hoping it will attract a new class of buyers to the EV market.

Volkswagen

As for whether or not the production version of the concept will come stateside, Volkswagen of America president Scott Keogh said, “I think a car like that, strategically, it’s got some SUV-esque proportions and the packaging, [it] is something certainly we want to do. You can’t get to all these dreams of [up to] 70 percent [of new cars being EVs] . . . if you can’t hit a price point that’s lower. So I wouldn’t say no. I would say take a look at it. “I think the biggest message that’s being missed with electrification right now is, your average car in the United States has a transaction price around $32,000,” Keogh said. “If you look at most EV announcements, most of them are $70,000 or $80,000.”Volkswagen is aiming for at least half of all new VWs sold in both North America and China to be electric by the same 2030 target date, so while there’s no current plan to sell the production version of the ID.Life in the United States, a lot more electric models using a similar architecture are are expected to launch here soon, including the ID.Buzz minivan and a three-row ID.8 crossover.
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At a press conference preceding the 2021 Munich auto show, Volkswagen Group chairman Herbert Diess and Argo AI founder Bryan Salesky shared more details of the joint effort to bring automated driving to scale. The electric ID.Buzz, a retro-futuristic minivan that shares styling cues with the original VW Microbus, will help launch the self-driving tech.[image id=’01c3a95b-d02f-41c7-b18d-4263fd80115f’ mediaId=’5c78369a-8ed0-45d7-9672-162a64fbe6b3′ align=’center’ size=’medium’ share=’false’ caption=” expand=” crop=’16×9′][/image][editoriallinks id=’1c34face-d865-41d1-b405-e0f155aac6ed’ align=’left’][/editoriallinks]This first look at the autonomous ID.Buzz prototype is the clearest view yet of the much-anticipated Microbus successor. If you can see past the bulbous sensors and the rooftop lidar system, this is a good indication of the production ID.Buzz van’s sharp lines, upright windshield, and simplistic interior. More information is expected to be revealed closer to the van’s on-sale date in the next few years.In terms of the autonomous tech itself, the company will focus on urban areas first, where vehicles like the ID.Buzz can be used as autonomous shuttles and for delivery services. The system developed by Argo AI uses lidar modules, cameras, radar sensors, and an onboard computer to look up to 400 meters ahead to watch for obstacles. It aims to provide a smooth and human-like driving style. Specialists from 33 different countries are currently working on the software, which uses machine learning to provide constant improvements. [image id=’45cb6cba-f9e3-41ff-876d-98cddc00e762′ mediaId=’29b2986a-a8c6-4c40-8ae1-319207133de7′ align=’center’ size=’medium’ share=’false’ caption=” expand=” crop=’16×9′][/image]Salesky explained that automating the task of driving is incredibly difficult, for a number of reasons, not least of which is that the computer must be able to predict the behavior of pedestrians, cyclists, and other vehicles on the road. He explained that every time they put the prototypes out into the real world for data collection, they uncover new things that the system has to learn to recognize. But, in a recent test on the streets of Miami, a pedestrian in costume was accurately identified as a pedestrian, which illustrates how the technology has matured.[image id=’13b3e5bd-e921-41af-a458-da167f5acee1′ mediaId=’00e14129-e193-4ee3-8457-bdd9e04a006d’ align=’right’ size=’large’ share=’false’ caption=” expand=” crop=’1×1′][/image]The software can allow the vehicle to navigate itself without GPS if needed, and Salesky explained that the system will not require any changes or upgrades to the current infrastructure. However, Argo AI says the system is able to adapt to new infrastructure features that could be added down the road.Argo AI’s approach to partnering with multiple automakers could give the company a leg-up in the automated driving arms race against rivals such as Cruise AV, MobilEye, and Tesla. Salesky explained that large scale adoption of automated driving systems will be necessary both from a business and a data perspective. The more miles the vehicles accumulate, the more data can be processed, and therefore the more the system can learn.Volkswagen plans to roll out a test fleet in Munich within the next few months and has made a goal of launching automated vehicles in urban areas in 2025, starting in Hamburg, Germany. Ride sharing will be key to the company’s strategy, and VW says it’s working on a customer experience that will allow users to adjust climate control and other settings ahead of time so that the interior is suited to their needs before the vehicle arrives.[poll id=’48c5dbd8-578e-401e-917b-c7b3d62164d0_a0e571385ab02′ type=’text’ question=’Are you ready for automated ride-sharing vans in your city?’ answer1=’Yes, chatty Uber drivers bug me.’ answer2=’No, i’m not ready to trust the machines.’][/poll]

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Mercedes-AMG has revealed this upcoming performance version of the Mercedes flagship EQS electric sedan.The AMG EQS increases power by 133 hp over the new 2022 EQS580 4Matic, for a total of 649 horsepower. Adding the AMG Dynamic Plus package can bring that up to 751 horsepower.U.S. buyers will be able to see the 2022 AMG EQS in dealerships early in 2022, Mercedes said. Mercedes-Benz’s high-performance affiliate AMG has made a lot of different cars, from high-powered four-bangers to ultra-luxurious V-12 engines. At one point, they even made a super-efficient diesel. But a full EV was missing—until now. Here is the Mercedes-AMG EQS53 AMG+, a derivative of Mercedes’s EQS electric flagship.

The AMG EQS may be similar in name to the standard Mercedes-Benz EQS, but AMG has tweaked the car significantly. In traditional AMG fashion, it excels in lateral dynamics: Power rises to 649 horsepower, and torque is rated at 700 pound-feet. Thus powered, the EQS AMG is claimed to reach 62 mph in 3.8 seconds, with top speed governed at 137 mph.The miracles of motor management, available for purchase as the AMG Dynamic Plus package, can unlock a whopping 751 horsepower, another 50 or so pound-feet, cut the claimed zero-to-62-mph time by 0.4 second, and allow the EQS to reach 155 mph before it hits the governor. The power comes thanks to AMG-specific motors. They can recuperate energy with up to 300 kW, an experience sure to send the passengers into their seatbelts as the portly sedan decelerates sharply.No matter which output level you choose, the AMG EQS has the same battery pack as the standard EQS, with 107.8 kWh of usable capacity. Mercedes isn’t yet talking range for the U.S. market, and in fact we are still waiting on EPA range numbers for the non-AMG EQS, but we expect the AMG version to go a bit less far on a charge due to its higher power output and presumably lower efficiency.AMG has upgraded the cooling system and the driving modes, which put special emphasis on performance—understandably, since governments continue to stipulate that emissions equal “zero,” no matter how much energy is used in an EV.

Mercedes-AMG EQS53 AMG+ interior, with Hyperscreen.
Mercedes-AMG

Torque distribution is more rear-biased than on the regular EQS, and the chassis is significantly tweaked, including stabilizers, bearings, and rear axle components. The AMG-specific damper control is quicker and more performance-oriented, and customers can opt for a rear-wheel-steering system that allows for up to 9 degrees of steering angle, helping maneuverability. Carbon-ceramic brakes are optional.A plethora of software-based elements encourage the driver of this new AMG to hit the racetrack; the most playful one is the Track Pace feature, which lets the driver compare track performance with previous laps. And “when temperature and charging state allow,” there is a “race start” function that adds multifarious visual and sound effects.Outside, the status of the Mercedes-AMG EQS as the current top model is underscored by specific wheels (up to 22 inches), a front splitter, a bigger rear wing, and a diffuser. Inside, there are specific fabrics and decor as well as an AMG-specific interpretation of the content on the huge “Hyperscreen.”We can’t help but wonder whether this model is AMG’s last word on the EQS. But we are pleased to see it nonetheless, as a harbinger of even better things to come.
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Revealed at the IAA auto show in Munich, the 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE is the electric alternative to the E-class and part of a flood of coming EQ models from the automaker.First out will be the 288-hp EQE350, which has an electric motor on the rear axle. All-wheel-drive, 400-plus-horsepower versions with an added front-axle motor are coming.The official announcement of the EQE’s on-sale date won’t come until mid-2022.Daimler is launching an alternative to the conventionally powered E-class in the form of this EQE. The four-door fastback is to the E-class what the EQS is to the S-class. In fact, its appearance is even more dramatic: the shoulders are stronger, the tail is not as tall as on the EQS, and the front end looks unique. Yet it is based on the same EVA2 platform, and this means it offers many features that set the EQ apart from both electric and non-electric competitors.

Unlike the EQS, the smaller EQE doesn’t feature a rear hatch but a regular trunk opening. We have seen it on the road and the proportions are more interesting than the BMW i4 or the latest Tesla models. The interior is equally futuristic, with light colors and the optional, ultrawide “Hyperscreen” that stretches over the entire width of the cockpit.

Mercedes-Benz

But “Hyperscreen” also hints at a dystopian future: In Europe, passengers can watch movies, but the driver is subject to camera-based monitoring. If the driver dares to look at the passenger screen, the content is blocked. This despite a plethora of assistance systems which don’t pretend to be an “autopilot” yet in some ways, we suspect, exceed the capabilities of Tesla’s features.While the EQE will be available with self-parking assistants, it still keeps the driver in mind: If you prefer to maneuver the car yourself in tight spots, you will appreciate the optional rear-wheel steering systems that will—in the top level—offer up to 10 degrees of steering angle.The high-tech chassis features a four-link front and multi-link rear suspension and an optional air suspension. Built in Germany and in China, the EQE line launches with the EQE350, rated at 288 horsepower from an electric motor on the rear axle. All-wheel drive versions with an additional electric motor on the front axle will follow, and their power rating will exceed 400 horsepower. Look for an AMG version, too.The EQE’s battery pack has a usable capacity of 90.8 kWh, smaller than the EQS’s 107.8-kWh pack. Mercedes claims a driving range of 410 miles on the optimistic European WLTP test cycle, so we can expect its EPA range estimate to be somewhat lower than that.In its competitive set, which includes the Tesla Model 3, the BMW i4, and the Polestar 2, the EQE aims for a higher level of sophistication. Yet we can’t help but wonder if its power rating is quite enough to wow new customers. And, indeed, if it can match the needs of many current Mercedes-Benz customers who are perfectly happy with their gasoline-powered cars.We will find out when the 2023 EQE 350 reaches U.S. dealerships in mid-2022.
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Another in a series of electric-vehicle debuts happening during the IAA auto show in Munich, Germany, is this concept EQS from Mercedes-Maybach.Mercedes calls it a “near-production one-off,” which is good news for those who want their electric crossover to have every luxury.No release date was given, but the automaker said it will come out after the Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV, which goes into production in 2022. The Mercedes-Maybach EQS is a concept car that makes two distinct points: First, there will be an SUV based on the fully electric EVA2 platform, shared with the EQS and the EQE. Second, Maybach has a great future ahead. In fact, the EQS SUV that is previewed with this concept is light-years ahead of Daimler’s current electric SUV models, the dynamically challenged EQA and the similarly clumsy EQC.

Daimler’s new EQS SUV, which will hit markets next year as a 2023 model, will compete directly with the BMW iX, the Tesla Model X, and other fully electric upmarket SUVs. Unlike its lower-priced siblings, it will only be available with front and rear electric motors, providing both the power and the traction that buyers of the current GLE and GLS models can expect.However, the “around 370 miles of range,” obtained in the European WLTP cycle (which is overly lenient in a way that favors EVs), might be a bit of a disappointment for long-distance travelers, especially those who haul trailers and will see their mediocre range further diminished.But while these considerations may worry regular SUV buyers, they will hardly affect Maybach buyers, who will likely have staff move their necessary belongings well ahead of their leisurely journeys.

Mercedes-Maybach

Accordingly, the Mercedes-Maybach EQS concept and what the automaker is telling us about it both focus on more important things: like the two-tone paint with a chrome strip, 24-inch wheels, and a chrome rear spoiler. The electric powertrain is highlighted by a low front end that allows for somewhat dramatic proportions.Meanwhile, the interior that aims at providing an elevated and opulent traveling experience. We love the “faux fur” carpet of this unique concept. A flower vase “invites seasonal floral decoration,” and there is an integrated cooler for drinks as well. The white and blue materials are complemented by rose gold accents.In other words, the Concept Mercedes-Maybach EQS is nothing less than the fully electric equivalent of the stunningly capable Mercedes-Maybach GLS SUV, which is powered by the awesome 4.0-liter V-8. We look forward to testing it to see how it lives up to this high standard.
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This is the Mercedes-Benz Concept EQG, a near-production example of the upcoming G-class EV. It’s a body-on-frame SUV with four electric motors and four-wheel drive.We expect to see a production version within the year, and it’ll join the EQB crossover and EQS and EQE electric sedans in Mercedes-Benz’s EQ lineup. Mercedes-Benz is rapidly adding models to its electric EQ lineup, the most recent being the EQE sedan and high-performance AMG variant of the EQS. Soon, one of Benz’s most iconic models, the G-class off-road SUV popularly known as the G-wagen, will gain an electric EQ counterpart that will look a lot like this EQG concept.

Mercedes-Benz

While most of Mercedes-Benz’s EQ models look funkier than their gasoline-powered counterparts, the Concept EQG retains the G-class SUV’s traditional appearance with its boxy proportions and round headlights. Mercedes says that this truck is a near-production concept. It rides on 22-inch wheels, and on the concept, the spare-tire holder in back features a lockable box that Benz says can store a charging cable.

The concept remains a body-on-frame SUV with an independent front suspension and a solid rear axle. An electric motor powers each wheel, providing four-wheel drive. Currently, the top G-class is the AMG G63, which has a 577-hp twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 under the hood. Mercedes-AMG says it will make high-performance versions of the EQ lineup, as seen by the AMG EQS, so expect to see an AMG EQG, too. The EQG will likely be sold alongside the gas-powered models, as are the other vehicles in the Mercedes EQ lineup. But by the time it reaches the market, there could be competing electric off-roaders available: GMC’s Hummer EV will arrive later this year, Ford could have an electric Bronco on the way, and Jeep says it will offer an EV Wrangler by 2025.
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