Motor News

The 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQA is an electric derivative of the GLA that Daimler is unveiling today.
In Europe, the EQA will offer 187 horsepower and 277 pound-feet of torque and is priced at the equivalent of $57,750.
The EQA may or may not come to the U.S., depending on how Mercedes’s EV plans shake out, and if it does it is expected to bring a more powerful motor with as much as 280 horsepower.
Mercedes-Benz has just unveiled the EQA, a member of a diverse family of Mercedes EQ electric vehicles. It’s just one of a full lineup that will be rolling out this year and next. Each is based on a conventional internal-combustion-engined Mercedes, from A-class to G-wagen, spearheaded by the EQC, a derivative of the GLC. The EQ family will grow with further models, such as the GLB-based EQB, followed by futuristic stand-alone models including the EQE and the EQS.

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The EQA, as a compact-crossover EV, may be a harbinger of Mercedes’s electric future, but actually, it looks rather clean and conventional. Stylistically, it is a GLA, but without any of the pseudo-sporty clutter, with a sweeping front end and horizontal light bar that is mirrored on its tail. Why can’t every GLA look like the EQA?
In Europe, the EQA250 will launch with a front-mounted asynchronous motor that makes 187 horsepower and, more important, 277 pound-feet of torque that’s available from step-off. That’s a bit more than the GLA250, which is rated at 258 pound-feet but makes a superior 221 horsepower.

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Mercedes-Benz

Sadly, the EQA250 can’t hold a candle to the GLA250 when it comes to acceleration. According to Mercedes numbers, it takes about two seconds longer to reach the 60-mph mark, and it is governed at 100 mph in the interest of range, while the Europe-market GLA250 will carry on to 149 mph.
When asked about plans to bring an EQA to the U.S., a Mercedes-Benz spokesperson told Car and Driver, “At this point the EQA is still being considered for the U.S. market.” If the EQA does come here, it could be fitted with a more powerful drivetrain. Mercedes has suggested there’ll be an EQA with all-wheel drive and around 280 horsepower. That sounds like fun to us; we do appreciate the instant torque of an EV, and a twin-motor EQA could be a serious performer.
The 66.5-kWh batteries provide for a remarkable range of more than 300 miles in the European cycle, which, admittedly, tends to favor electrics. We believe that a range of 200 to 250 miles is realistic. Unfortunately, that range comes at a cost: The compact EQA250 weighs more than a six-cylinder, mild-hybrid S-class, which incidentally features all-wheel drive and has far better towing capacity.

Future EVs: Every Electric Vehicle Coming Soon

Inside, the EQA remains a close sibling of the GLA, and that’s a good thing since it is fitted with one of the most advanced user interfaces on the market. While we mourn the loss of the Mercedes twist-and-push-button input system of yore, there are plenty of other ways to enter the desired commands, including an ever improving voice control system.

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Mercedes-Benz

For the EQA, Mercedes-Benz has tweaked the color and material selections, with optional rose gold applications and blue fabrics. Elegant and futuristic, the new look is sure to win over some customers that are on the fence about choosing an electric.
The EQA will be built in both Germany and China. In Europe, the price of the EQA250 is only slightly higher than the GLA250’s, and that gap is more than offset by the subsidies and incentives granted by the government. Similar measures will be most welcome if, going forward, EVs are to make any progress on the U.S. market.

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Porsche has introduced a new rear-wheel-drive base model to the Taycan electric sedan lineup.
The new Taycan is powered by a standard 79.2-kWh battery and a rear permanent-magnet synchronous electric motor that makes 402 horsepower, though a 93.4-kWh battery is an option.
The base Taycan starts at $81,250, and its EPA-estimated range will be announced by spring.
Porsche has added an entry-level Taycan model with rear-wheel drive to its electric sedan lineup, and it will arrive in the U.S. in the spring starting at $81,250. The base model shares its rear motor with the $105,150 all-wheel-drive 4S model, and it’s also 215 pounds lighter.

Porsche

The base Taycan is equipped with a 79.2-kWh battery pack and permanent-magnet synchronous electric motor that powers the rear axle and produces 402 horsepower and 254 pound-feet of torque. A 93.4-kWh battery is also available that increases output to 469 horsepower and 263 lb-ft of torque. Porsche claims a zero-to-60-mph sprint of 5.1 seconds and a top speed of 143 mph for both configurations. The top-dog Taycan Turbo S has 750 horsepower and reached 60 mph in 2.4 seconds during Car and Driver testing.

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Porsche Taycan Beats Model S in Max-Charging Test

Porsche Taycan Costs a Lot More than Tesla Model S

Both units support DC fast charging, and regenerative braking is standard. Porsche didn’t release range estimates, so we don’t yet know how close this rear-wheel-drive base Taycan comes to the Tesla Model S. However, the heavier Taycan 4S with the same 79.2-kWh battery achieves only 199 miles of range. With the 93.4-kWh battery, its EPA-estimated range is 227 miles, the longest of any Taycan. The cheapest Model S currently available, the Long Range Plus, costs $10,630 less than the base Taycan and has an EPA-estimated 402 miles of range.

Porsche

Porsche’s adaptive dampers are standard across the board, including the base model, with an air suspension available. A set of 19-inch silver Taycan aero wheels with black calipers (pictured above) are standard on the base Taycan, while the 4S model is differentiated by polished wheels with black spokes and red brakes. The 20- and 21-inch wheels are also available on the base model.
Standard tech includes Apple CarPlay capability, Apple Music, Plug and Charge automatic payments, over-the-air updates, and three years of free Electrify America charging, plus a 19.2-kWh onboard charger and a head-up display. The 2021 Porsche Taycan is available to order now and will arrive in the U.S. in the spring.
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Chevrolet will unveil the 2022 Bolt EV and Bolt EUV on February 14 with the help of Walt Disney World.
In a video about the news, the automaker teased an image of the back of the Bolt EUV.
The 2022 Bolt and Bolt EUV will be available this summer and are part of GM’s huge electrification strategy.
Nothing says romance like cuddling up on Valentine’s Day in front of the computer and watching two Chevy Bolts be unveiled with some help from Walt Disney World. That may be what GM was going for as it announced today that it would unveil the 2022 Chevy Bolt and 2022 Chevy Bolt EUV electric vehicles on February 14.
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The announcement was accompanied by a video of the little girl who unleashes Tinker Bell’s sorcery upon the street lights of a neighborhood while sitting in the back of the Bolt EUV. Before the conclusion where the city is lit up by the magic following the Bolt EUV, the rear end of the EV is shown off. In the image, we get our best look at the tailgate and rear lights. As expected, the EUV crossover seems taller than the current Bolt. In August, GM released a silhouette teaser that shows off the relative size difference of the two upcoming vehicles.

GM Teases 2022 Chevy Bolt EUV with Video Clip

Chevy Bolt EUV Signature Lights Teased

Chevy Shares Video of 2022 Bolt EUV’s Interior

How Disney will play a part in the unveiling isn’t yet clear. The release accompanying the video does mention that the unveiling will “show how magic can take place when the imagination is electrified.” So it’s probably a good idea to expect a lot more Tinker Bell when the two vehicles are finally shown off in full to the public.
GM has been teasing images of the Bolt and Bolt EUV for months ahead of the February event. The automaker has been building hype not only for these vehicles but for its overall electrification plan to launch 30 new electric vehicles by 2025. The EV push even resulted in the recent redesign of the automaker’s logo, which sort of looks like a plug going into a wall. GM says the blue color is meant to represent “the clean skies of a zero-emissions future.”
The 2022 Bolt and Bolt EUV are both scheduled to be available this summer.
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Microsoft is partnering with GM to help bring the automaker’s robotaxi startup Cruise’s autonomous vehicles to the road.
The partnership is part of a wider investment and would see GM and Cruise use Microsoft’s Azure cloud and Edge computing platforms.
A year ago Cruise unveiled its Origin autonomous shuttle and recently completed its first autonomous drive in San Francisco without a safety driver behind the wheel.
Bringing self-driving shuttles to the streets clearly takes a village. Today Microsoft announced that it will be investing in and supplying technology to GM’s Cruise robotaxi service. Microsoft will be part of a group of investors, including Honda, that put more than $2 billion into Cruise, bringing the post-money valuation of the company up to $30 billion.

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On the technology front, Cruise will use Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform and the company’s Edge computing platform to power the back end of the startup’s self-driving shuttles. By leveraging the power of Microsoft’s tech, Cruise will be able to scale much quicker than if it tried to build these systems on its own.
The partnership also makes Microsoft a GM preferred cloud partner as the automaker scales up its artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning capabilities. “Microsoft will help us accelerate the commercialization of Cruise’s all-electric self-driving vehicles and help GM realize even more benefits from cloud computing as we launch 30 new electric vehicles globally by 2025 and create new businesses and services to drive growth,” said GM CEO Mary Barra in a statement.
Cloud platforms and accompanying technologies allow companies to offload the processing power needed to tackle intensive tasks like AI and machine learning that make self-driving technology possible. “As Cruise and GM’s preferred cloud, we will apply the power of Azure to help them scale and make autonomous transportation mainstream,” Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said in a statement.

Cruise

But it’s not just about building a vehicle that drives on its own, GM also stated that the automaker will “explore opportunities with Microsoft to streamline operations across digital supply chains, foster productivity, and bring new mobility services to customers faster.”
Cruise has been testing its fleet of specially outfitted Chevy Bolt EVs on the streets of San Francisco since 2016 as it tries to crack the self-driving problem. Recently, the company completed its first drive in the city without a driver behind the wheel in one of those Bolts. In January of 2020, it unveiled its Origin autonomous shuttle that will be the commercialization of these efforts. The vehicle will be built by GM at its Detroit-Hamtramck plant which has been renamed Factory Zero.
For now, there’s no word on when the Cruise Origin will be on the streets offering up driverless rides to passengers powered by Microsoft’s services. What we do know is that GM is not alone in its efforts to offer up robotaxis. Amazon, Cadillac, and other companies with self-driving tiny buses are also trying to figure out ways to eventually transport us around town without a human behind the wheel.
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FCA and PSA Group have completed the merger announced in 2020, creating Stellantis, now the fourth-biggest automaker in the world by volume.
Stellantis becomes the operator of 14 different brands, including Chrysler, Fiat, Jeep, Ram, Peugeot, and Citroën.
The merger will allow the two companies to reduce research and development costs, particularly as the companies move toward electrification.
PSA Group and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) have officially merged to create Stellantis, bringing together 14 vehicle brands across the globe. With the completion of a merger that has been in the works for more than a year, Stellantis becomes the fourth-biggest automaker in the world by volume and third-biggest by revenue. Now under the Stellantis umbrella are Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Abarth, Lancia, and Maserati—thanks to FCA—as well as Citroën, DS, Opel, Peugeot, and Vauxhall, thanks to PSA.

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Stellantis will be headquartered in Amsterdam and will have operation centers in France, Italy, and the United States. Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares—the former CEO of PSA—said in a press conference today that this merger will allow the two companies to combine forces to create “highly effective” sibling cars as well as give the various brands the opportunity to rebound and grow.
Currently, it’s unclear whether or not some of the 14 brands will be cut from the Stellantis portfolio; Tavares wouldn’t specify today. Nonetheless, questions have been raised on whether both Fiat and Chrysler will survive the merger, as both have struggled in recent years. And in the case of Peugeot, its return to the U.S. is now uncertain; in early 2019, it had been reported that Peugeot would return to American roads by 2026.
A focal point for the new company is electrification and the number of electrified vehicles in its lineup. Currently, Stellantis has 29 electrified vehicles on the market—including both fully electric and hybrid vehicles—and will offer 39 by the end of 2021. Then, by 2025, Stellantis companies will produce “one electrified model for every newly launched global model,” the company said at a press conference today.
Plans for the merger were first announced in October 2019 but were delayed by the coronavirus pandemic. Now that it has gone through, former FCA CEO Mike Manley will head operations in North America for Stellantis. The merger, according to Tavares, will save the two companies $6.1 billion in the coming years; 80 percent of those savings will be realized before 2025, Tavares said.
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The redesigned 2021 Nissan Armada’s starting prices range $49,895 for the rear-wheel-drive base S model and topping out at $69,295 for the all-wheel-drive Platinum.
Rear-wheel drive is standard on the Armada, but all-wheel drive is available for an extra $3000 on all models. All are powered by a 400-hp V-8.
The 2021 Armada is on sale in the U.S. now.
Nissan’s Armada full-size SUV has been renewed for 2021 with redesigned front and rear, including a bolder grille, and it’s also the first vehicle in the States to rock Nissan’s new logo. It also gets an updated interior with a standard 12.3-inch infotainment screen and wireless Apple CarPlay capability to compete with the new full-size utes from GM and Ford. A Midnight Edition package is newly available for $1990 to give the Armada a blacked-out appearance. The 2021 Armada’s base price is $49,895, up $1000 over the previous model year, while the 2021 Ford Expedition and Chevrolet Tahoe both have base prices just over $50,000.

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Nissan

That price is for the base S model, which is an addition to the lineup for the 2021 model year and comes equipped with cloth seats, 18-inch wheels, and a four-speaker audio system. The former base model, the SV, now starts at $53,895, up $5000 from 2020, and includes heated leatherette seats, roof rails, two additional speakers, wireless charging, and a trailer brake controller.

2021 Nissan Armada Gets a Modern Makeover

2021 Nissan Armada Gets a New Look, Updated Tech

The Armada SL costs $3600 more than the 2020 model at $57,295, and it’s equipped with leather seats, power moonroof, a Bose sound system, a 360-degree camera, and 20-inch wheels. The top-of-the-line Platinum model starts at $66,295 and gets quilted leather seats, rear heated seats, power reclining seats in the third row, a digital rearview mirror, and 22-inch wheels. The 2021 Armada Platinum is $2970 more expensive than the 2020 model.

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Nissan

All 2021 Armadas are powered by a 5.6-liter V-8 engine paired with a seven-speed automatic transmission that was used in the outgoing model, but it now makes 400 horsepower and 413 pound-feet of torque. Rear-wheel drive is standard on all Armadas, though all-wheel drive can be had for an extra $3000 on each model. Both rear- and all-wheel-drive models of the 2021 Armada can tow up to 8500 pounds, 100 more pounds than the Chevrolet Tahoe.
The 2021 Armada is available on dealer lots now.
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File this one under “common sense that has now been confirmed,” but if you’ve been curious whether or not opening the windows in a moving car will help reduce the chance of catching COVID-19, rest assured.
A new study in Science Advances proves that opening up all of the windows is the best strategy, but even opening one does help.
If you can’t open all four windows, open two on opposite sides to create an “air curtain” that keeps moving air between the passengers, minimizing the potential for the virus to move from driver to passenger.
Cranking up the tunes and blasting them through open windows isn’t a common move during the winter, but this year, that might be just the thing to ask your Lyft driver to do. While the music is optional—may we recommend Pearl Jam’s “Alive”?—there are good medical reasons to make the ask. Given the chance of catching COVID-19, it’s valuable to now have proof that increased airflow means decreased chance of catching the virus while riding in a car.

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A new study by researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and Brown University, published this month in Science Advances, looked at “complex airflow patterns that exist inside the passenger cabin of an automobile” and how these patterns affect possible virus transmission between a driver and a passenger. The authors note that a viral load can build up inside the microclimate of a vehicle even on drives as short as 15 minutes, and the virus can remain viable in the air for up to three hours.
The study authors looked at just one basic interior configuration: one driver in a left-hand-drive vehicle and one passenger sitting in the back right of a five-seat, four-door passenger car. They used a theoretical Toyota Prius moving at 50 mph as the model for the vehicle’s exterior geometry. Under these settings, the authors then simulated the in-vehicle airflow under six different window configurations.
All the Windows Down: Safest
The safest option—here defined as the situation with the highest amount of air changes per hour (ACH) and thus the most airflow to get potential viruses out of the car—is with all of the windows down. Shocker, we know, but the science says that having all of the windows down “establishes two distinct airflow paths within the car cabin, which help to isolate the left and right sides, and maximizes the ACH in the passenger cabin.” This results in an estimated 0.2 to 2 percent of the aerosols exhaled by a driver reaching the passenger. With all of the windows up, this number was around 8 to 10 percent. The second-best configuration is to have three windows down. The fourth window to leave up is the rear passenger window (next to where the passenger is sitting).
Two Windows (Not Next to People) Is Second-Safest
The one surprising finding is that opening the two windows closest to the two people is not that much better for ACH than having all the windows down. Having just these two windows open “does not effectively dilute the tracer particles and . . . the passenger receives a fairly large contaminant load from the driver,” the study says. It’s safer, it turns out, to keep the opposing (that is, the front passenger and rear driver’s side) windows open to create a sort of “air curtain” between the vehicle’s two occupants. Wearing masks or installing physical barriers in the car, the authors say, can be effective steps as well.
Looking forward, the authors plan on studying just how vehicle speed affects in-vehicle airflow and how much rolling the windows down part of the way helps, or hurts, the chance of infection. Perhaps we’ll hear the results by summertime.
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The deals on used models are only available until March 15, if you can find one, but new Bolt EVs are also being sold at zero percent APR. More