Motor News

Stellantis recently confirmed that a plug-in hybrid Dodge would arrive next year, and now Mopar Insiders claims it will be a new small crossover.The Dodge PHEV will allegedly use the Hornet name, which last appeared on a 2006 concept car, and will be based on the upcoming Alfa Romeo Tonale, shown as a concept back in 2019.Mopar Insiders says the Hornet’s plug-in-hybrid drivetrain will use a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four as its gasoline engine.Stellantis recently confirmed plans for upcoming electric and hybrid vehicles, including Alfa Romeo’s electric future, a Jeep EV due to arrive in 2023, and a plug-in-hybrid Dodge that will debut next year. We had initially speculated that the Dodge PHEV could be based on the Durango, given that the similarly sized Jeep Grand Cherokee will soon get a plug-in setup, but a new report from Mopar Insiders claims that the Dodge PHEV will instead be a new crossover model called the Hornet.

Alfa Romeo

Dodge last used the Hornet name back in 2006 on a compact hatchback concept (pictured at top). The styling of the new Hornet will certainly be different, and this time the nameplate will reportedly be used for a small crossover based on the upcoming Alfa Romeo Tonale, expected to launch next year as well. Both these hybrid models are expected to have a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four gasoline engine, and it’s possible that nonhybrid versions may appear as well. All-wheel drive will likely be available.

The Hornet will allegedly be built alongside the Tonale in Italy, with production beginning in mid-2022 before the Hornet arrives in dealerships in the fall of 2022 for the 2023 model year. Dodge has not confirmed any of the information in the Mopar Insiders report, but if it holds true, it won’t be too long before we see the Hornet and Tonale siblings.
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

Aston Martin has already sold all 85 copies of the newly revealed Valkyrie Spider.The car has the same 6.5-liter Cosworth V-12 as the regular Valkyrie, working with a hybrid system to reach total output of 1139 horsepower.That top is removable, not folding, as the sinuous shape of the Valkyrie left no room for a mechanism.When we rode next to Aston Martin CEO Tobias Moers in a Valkyrie prototype at the Goodwood Festival of Speed last month, he hinted that we would be seeing another Valkyrie variant. We didn’t have to wait long; the British sports-car company has just unveiled the open-topped Valkyrie Spider at Pebble Beach in California.Just 85 examples of the Spider will be built and, in bad news for any multimillionaires who are just reading about the car for the first time, Aston says the whole run has already been allocated to buyers. And that’s despite an undisclosed price that is likely higher than that of the $3.5 million coupe.

Mechanically the Spider is unchanged from the roof-wearing Valkyrie, with power coming from a 6.5-liter naturally aspirated Cosworth V-12 that will rev to 11,500 rpm and make up to 987 horsepower by itself. This will work in conjunction with a hybrid system that takes the total output to 1139 horsepower. As on a race car, the Spider’s engine is mounted directly to the car’s carbon-fiber tub without an insulating subframe. From our passenger ride at Goodwood, we already know the engine is almost painfully loud when working hard, yet it sounds amazing. The lack of a roof will likely enhance both of those qualities still further for occupants.

Aston Martin

The Spider’s roof is removable rather than being a conventional folding hood; the Valkyrie’s tightly sculpted shape leaves nowhere for a bulky mechanism to go. The three elements are a central carbon-fiber spar that forms a targa-style link between the windscreen and rear of the car’s carbon tub, then a pair of hinged clear polycarbonate “roof windows” that clip in on each side. These locate against new front-hinged dihedral doors that have, necessarily, replaced the Valkyrie coupe’s roof-hinged gullwings. Unusually for a roadster, the side windows seem to always remain in place, since the minimal doors have no space for an opening mechanism.The upshot is that, with its roof in place, the Spider should be able to get close to matching the aerodynamic performance of the Valkyrie coupe—with most of the car’s downforce created by the vast diffuser and Venturi tunnels that run around the cockpit. Aston claims it will have up to 3080 pounds of downforce at 150 mph in its track mode. While roof-off performance won’t be as aerodynamically efficient, rushing airflow will likely make the car feel even more thrilling. Aston has not revealed if the Spider carries any weight penalty but says it will be able to achieve a top speed of more than 217 mph with its roof in place and 205 mph with it removed. Production of the Valkyrie Spider will follow that of the coupe, with customer deliveries starting in the second quarter of 2022. So what do you think, roof or not?

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

Ford has revealed the 2022 GT ’64 Prototype Heritage Edition, which honors the original GT prototype from 1964, as part of the GT’s final year of production. The Heritage Edition is finished in Wimbledon White with an Antimatter Blue hood, racing stripe, and side graphic to mimic the original GT prototype’s livery.The special edition is covered in carbon fiber, from the rear diffuser to the seats, and the interior is swathed in upscale Alcantara.Since launching for the 2017 model year, the Ford GT supercar has repeatedly paid homage to Ford’s endurance racing conquests at Le Mans in the 1960s. Now, to celebrate its final year of production, Ford is releasing yet another special version of the GT to honor its lineage. The 2022 GT ’64 Prototype Heritage Edition pays tribute to the five original GT prototypes that kicked the Ferrari-rivaling GT40 project, specifically mimicking the livery of the first prototype, GT/101, that debuted at the 1964 New York auto show.
The 2022 Ford GT ’64 Heritage Prototype Edition features Wimbledon White paint with Antimatter Blue accents including on the hood, the racing stripe over the roof, and the “Ford” graphic on the side sills. The 20-inch carbon-fiber wheels are painted Antimatter Blue as well, and carbon fiber is sprinkled across the exterior, appearing on the front splitter, sills, mirror stalks, engine louvers, and rear diffuser. The Brembo brakes are finished in silver. No changes were made to the GT’s performance characteristics, with the twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V-6 engine still producing 660 horsepower and 550 pound-feet of torque.
The interior also gets a healthy dose of carbon fiber on the doorsills, A-pillar, and center console. The carbon fiber seats are clothed in Lightspeed Blue Alcantara, which also appears on the dashboard, while the headliner and steering wheel are Ebony Alcantara.

The 2022 GT ’64 Prototype Heritage Edition will be displayed alongside the only 1964 GT prototype still wearing its original livery, chassis GT/105, during Monterey Car Week. The prototype that the new special edition honors, GT/101, was scrapped after Le Mans and Monza crash testing back in the day. There is no word on just how limited the ’64 Prototype Heritage Edition production run will be or how much it will cost to take home one of these special-edition supercars, but it should be more than the $500,000 that it costs to buy a “standard” GT.
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

Chevrolet announced that the upcoming electric Silverado pickup truck will offer rear-axle steering. Rear-axle steering will tighten the truck’s turning radius by slightly turning the rear wheels in the opposite direction of the fronts. Chevy claims the Silverado EV will have up to 400 miles of range, and it’s expected to enter production as early as 2023. Chevrolet will soon offer an electric Silverado to compete with the countless other electric pickups coming from brands including Ford, Rivian, and Tesla. General Motors claims that the electric Chevy truck will offer up to 400 miles of range, and now we know that it’ll also have available rear-axle steering, like its GMC Hummer EV stablemate.

Chevrolet

Rear-axle steering tightens the vehicle’s turning radius by slightly turning the rear wheels in the opposite direction of the fronts. It seems like the Silverado EV’s system won’t be as advanced as the GMC Hummer EV’s Crab Walk mode, which can use its rear-axle steering system to turn all four wheels at the same angle, moving the truck diagonally. Rivian’s R1T electric pickup has a different but similarly cool tank-turn feature. It uses its four individual motors, one on each wheel, to spin the wheels forward on one side and in reverse on the other to spin around on dirt like a tank.

The electric Chevy Silverado, like the Hummer EV and the rest of General Motors’ future electric vehicles, will utilize its Ultium battery platform. It’s likely to be available with multiple powertrain configurations and battery-pack sizes providing up to 400 miles of range. Chevy also said the truck will be available from work-oriented versions to more highly equipped trucks, much like Ford’s new electric pickup, the F-150 Lightning. Chevy’s rear-axle steering will be offered as optional equipment along with 24-inch wheels. Chevrolet hasn’t announced when the electric truck will arrive, but we expect production to start sometime in 2023 or the year after. Look for more details on the electric Silverado soon as more EV pickups, including Ram’s electric 1500, make their way to the market.
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

Hot Wheels and Super73 partner to create the Hot Wheels X Super73-RX, an e-bike with Hot Wheels style.The electrically powered bicycle can travel 40 miles at 20 mph using only the electric motor.The bike will retail for $5000 and come with a special Hot Wheels Ford Bronco diecast. Mattel’s die-cast superstar Hot Wheels is no stranger to strategic partnerships. There have been limited-edition Hot Wheels computers, Hot Wheels Power Wheels, and virtually every other kid-focused item at your local toy store. Now Hot Wheels is venturing into a partnership that should help the big kids and adults—for an e-bike. Hot Wheels is partnering with e-bike manufacturer Super73 to release a limited-edition Hot Wheels bike based on the company’s flagship Super73-RX.

This bike will feature a 960-watt-hour battery, which translates to about 40 miles of riding at 20 mph. You can stretch that further by opting for a different drive mode that relies on some pedaling from the rider. Ultimately, you can also ride as many miles as you can pedal, whether there’s any juice in the battery or not—it is a bicycle, after all.While this is mostly a standard Super73-RX, the Hot Wheels livery does add some extra style points to this electric bicycle. The aptly named Hot Wheels X Super73-RX is finished in black but sports orange and blue Hot Wheels graphics on the battery tank, and Hot Wheels embroidery on the seat.This e-bike is full of high-priced tech, and the price reflects that. This Hot Wheels edition Super73-RX will set you back $5000, and it’s also only available in the continental US, which means folks abroad, or even in Alaska or Hawaii, won’t be able to order one directly. This built-to-order bike will also need a 12-16 week lead time before it hits the shipping crate. That said, if you’re a diehard Hot Wheels collector, or are just interested in jumping on an e-bike, this could be the machine for you. Oh yeah, and helping to offset that price: Hot Wheels is also including a special Ford Bronco die-cast that matches your new bike.

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 Hyundai Santa Fe adds a plug-in-hybrid variant for the 2022 model year, which joins traditional hybrid and gas-powered versions.The Santa Fe PHEV starts at $40,535 for the SEL trim and $46,545 for the Limited, which adds a 360-degree camera, ventilated leather seats, and other goodies.The PHEV uses a 177-hp 1.6-liter four-cylinder mated to a 90-hp electric motor, which gets its juice from a 12.4-kWh battery for an electric-only range of 31 miles, according to the EPA.

Hyundai

The Hyundai Santa Fe received a significant refresh for 2021, gaining a bold new grille up front and a trendy full-width taillight around back. There were also new powertrains, including a traditional hybrid setup, but for 2022 the Santa Fe gets even more eco-friendly with the addition of a plug-in-hybrid variant. We learned the details of the PHEV’s powertrain earlier this year and now Hyundai has released pricing information for the Santa Fe plug-in hybrid.

Hyundai

The plug-in powertrain comes on two trim levels. The base SEL starts at $40,535 and nets you Hyundai’s digital key, Smart Sense safety features, a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, and an 8.0-inch infotainment screen. Upgrading to the Limited will cost $46,545 and adds the Smart Park system, a 360-degree camera, ventilated leather seats, and a 10.3-inch infotainment screen. All Santa Fe PHEVs are powered by a 177-horsepower 1.6-liter four-cylinder and 90-hp electric motor feeding off a 12.4-kWh battery. The system sends the combined 260 hp to all four wheels, and the PHEV gets an EPA-estimated 33 combined mpg and 31 miles of pure electric driving range.

Although the Santa Fe PHEV is the only plug-in in its size class, it competes against the smaller Toyota RAV4 Prime and Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV for electrified-crossover sales. The 2022 RAV4 Prime SE is slightly cheaper at $39,565, while the more luxurious XSE goes for $42,890, and the Prime can extract an EPA-estimated 42 miles from its 18.1-kWh battery. A plug-in Outlander based on the new model is due soon, but for 2022 the Outlander PHEV carries over from the third generation. Pricing for the cheapest SEL starts at $37,890, undercutting both the Santa Fe and RAV4, while the LE starts at 39,590 and the GT goes for $43,590. The Outlander PHEV can go 24 miles thanks to a 13.8-kWh battery. The Santa Fe goes on sale this summer, but is only available in 11 states.
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

You might think that the battery pack of any electrified vehicle—hybrid, plug-in hybrid (PHEV), or pure electric (BEV)—is pretty much the same, other than its size. But that overlooks two key differences in the way batteries are used in different types of electrified vehicles. First is the flow of electrical power in and out of the battery relative to its size. For example, during modest acceleration all three types of electrified vehicles use a similar amount of power, just as during moderate deceleration, they might all each recover energy at a similar rate during regenerative braking. But a pure electric car might have a battery ten times as large as a PHEV, which, in turn might have a battery times ten times as large as a hybrid. So the amount of power flow relative to the energy capacity of the battery—its power-to-energy ratio—is vastly different for the batteries in the different electrified vehicles. The chart below uses examples of each type of vehicle from Ford’s lineup to illustrate the differences in battery capacity and power-to-energy ratios.

Moreover, because the three different vehicles use their electrified powertrains in different ways, the number of charge/discharge cycles seen by each battery varies considerably. In a hybrid, designed to boost the efficiency of a gasoline engine, the power is constantly flowing into and out of a small battery designed to be compact, light, and not very expensive. You might fully charge and discharge the battery five times on the way to a grocery store to get a gallon of milk.A plug-in hybrid has a much bigger battery, designed to fully power a vehicle for distances between about 10 and 40 miles. It also sees constant charging and discharging in urban driving, but these power flows are small compared to its total capacity, which might only be fully discharged once or twice a day. A BEV has a much larger battery still and that battery rarely sees full charge/discharge cycles—perhaps only during road trips or our 75-mph highway range test. According to Bab Taenaka, Ford’s Senior Technical Expert in Battery Cell Technology and Advanced Battery Systems, a battery in a BEV might only see 1000 charge/discharge cycles in its lifetime. That’s dramatically fewer than the 4000–8000 cycles a PHEV’s battery might see, while a hybrid’s battery could endure 100,000 cycles or more.“As a battery charges and discharges, its internal resistance increases,” says Taenaka. One way to control this is to limit how much of a battery’s capacity is used during a charge/discharge cycle. For a hybrid such as the F-150, which sees the maximum number of cycles, the “state-of-charge window (the fraction of the battery capacity that is actually used) is probably around 50 percent today.” For PHEVs such the Escape, that usable fraction might rise to 80 percent or so. And for the Mustang Mach-E, it’s approaching 90 percent.To adjust a battery’s power-to-energy ratio the engineers alter the thicknesses of both the current collectors and their chemical coatings. A hybrid’s brief spurts of peak power require high electrical current from a small battery, which, oddly enough, means thinner electrodes and thinner chemical coatings. That’s because these thinner elements bring a larger electrode surface area in contact with the electrolyte. Conversely, a BEV uses thicker electrodes and a higher loading of active chemical material. Thicker electrodes enable greater energy density because more of the cell’s total volume is made up of electrodes and active material and less is occupied by the separator, current collectors, and electrolyte. Maximizing the available kilowatt-hours per pound becomes more important as batteries get larger. A typical chemical coating is lithium-manganese-oxide—and there are others—but the chemistry is not critical to determining if the cell is more power- or energy-dense.One other consideration is the total voltage of the battery pack. Ford uses hybrid electrical systems that max out around 400 volts, so all three types of cars have their cells wired to stay within this limitation. Since most lithium-ion cells operate at 3.6-volts, the F-150 Hybrid battery uses 76 small cells wired in series to produce 274 volts. The Escape PHEV’s 84, much-larger cells—171 watt-hours per cell vs. 20—are also wired in series totaling 300 volts. However, the 376 even-larger cells (262 watt-hours) in the Mustang Mach-E are wired in four strings of 94 cells, each totaling 343 volts, which are then wired in parallel, to stay within the 400-volt limit of Ford’s electrical architecture.

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 Audi Skysphere, a rear-wheel-drive electric convertible concept, is the first of a trio of Audi concepts in the coming months, all with a -sphere name. As Audi Design Studio chief Gael Buzyn told Car and Driver, one of its attributes is the ability to extend or shorten its wheelbase by 9.8 inches.It’s intended as both a semi-autonomous grand tourer—it has Level 4 self-driving capability—and a driver-centric sports roadster.The Audi Skysphere concept is the latest elaboration on the theme of the long, low hood and rear-set cabin that has intrigued automotive enthusiasts for a century or more. This one is filtered through Audi’s technological worldview with a touch of emotion. With the press of a virtual button and the aid of electric motors and telescoping structural elements, the Skysphere’s entire front end can extend or contract, changing from an autonomous, long-wheelbase, stable grand tourer to a 9.8-inch-shorter and 0.4-inch-lower driver-centric roadster.

Audi

Audi

Even the interior transforms, the steering wheel and pedals coming out of the bulkhead as the passenger seat moves rearward and the driver’s portion of the dash comes forward to serve as an instrument panel. Yes, it’s an actual transformer.

Gael Buzyn and the team at the Audi Design Studio in Malibu conceived and designed the Skysphere concept, drawing inspiration from the proportions and purpose of the 1931 Horch 853, an Audi predecessor that was a long, luxurious roadster with a compact cabin. Both cars also drive the rear wheels, but unlike the straight-eight-powered Horch, the Skysphere concept packs a 623-hp electric motor and a battery pack, 30 percent of which lies between the passengers with the other 70 percent behind the rear bulkhead, yielding a front-to-rear weight balance of 40:60. With a single speed and 553 pound-feet of torque, Audi says, there’s enough theoretical propulsion to send the Skysphere to 62 mph in 4.0 seconds.
Buzyn pointed out the active aerodynamics at the front and rear of the car, which remain closed in GT mode but open in Sport mode. Though they weren’t yet active on the concept car, they can create a path for air to travel under the car and out the diffuser at the rear, effectively creating a venturi tunnel for downforce. Despite the sportiness of the silhouette and lack of apparent cargo area, there’s actually space for a custom luggage set, under glass and just above the rear drivetrain assembly, and space for two custom golf bags under the long hood, too. Buzyn says the interior pays subtle homage to Art Deco architecture, but the Skysphere also has a full dashboard screen, which splits and recedes or draws near the driver depending on the use mode, plus large touchscreens for armrests. The otherwise gorgeously minimalist interior is focused equally on semi-autonomous commute comfort and sporty-driving support. The underlying theme is a continuation of Audi’s tech-forward nature into the ever more technological future, but with a mind toward preserving the sensual, visceral joy of a good car.
More important than the specifics of the Skysphere concept, however, are the generalities: the things it tells us about what’s to come for Audi, especially as new models become increasingly autonomous. The concept hinges on the realization of at least Level 4 autonomous driving technology, which is the ability to fully self-drive without any need for human intervention within limited, predetermined environments or conditions. While that level of self-driving is still in development both technologically and legislatively, its desirability grows if your car could someday transform into a sporty roadster for a fun weekend romp in the hills once you’ve let it drive you out of town. An 80.0-kWh battery pack would provide the Skysphere a range of about 310 miles on the European WLTP cycle when it’s in the more economical grand touring mode, according to Audi. Don’t expect to see a production Audi Skysphere, but aspects of it can be expected to appear in Audis of the near future. Meanwhile, Audi will also reveal two other concepts, the Grandsphere and the Urbansphere, in coming months, all designed for an autonomous future. Desirable, sure, but how much of it can really happen? Could we really have one car from commute to canyon, even in the presumably dystopian metropolises of 2033 and beyond? Maybe. I didn’t use to think so, but now, I’m not so sure.
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