Motor News

Starting at $36,695, the 228i sedan is still a few hundred dollars more than the cheapest Bimmer, the X1 crossover. More

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.

Volkswagen is teasing an autonomous robot that charges EVs in parking lots.
The robot would tow batteries to individual vehicles and hook them up to begin charging.
No word on when this will become a reality, but it does solve the issue of adding charging to a garage without placing individual charging stations at parking stalls.

Ford Uses Robotic Dogs to 3D Map Factory

Robot Deliveries Might Be Common Post-Pandemic

Toyota Patenting Robot to Help People Shop

Robots typically fall into two categories: a helpful friend like R2D2 or a killing machine like the T1000. While Volkswagen begins its video of its mobile charging robot with the percussion associated with the Terminator movies, it quickly pivots to R2D2-esque noises as it teases its rather cute solution to charging EVs in parking lots without installed charging stations.
This prototype for the mobile charging robot is one of the concepts the Volkswagen Group is developing to help bring the charging infrastructure up to par with the number of electric vehicles the automaker is hoping to sell over the next few years.
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.

This technology uses car-to-x (a.k.a. V2X vehicle-to-everything) communications. In a second video, VW shows a driver pulling into a spot in a garage and using an app to tell the charging robot that their vehicle needs juice. The robot grabs the so-called “mobile energy storage” unit, which is essentially a battery on wheels, and tows it over to the vehicle and plugs it in to begin charging.
The robot will then either return to its home base and wait to remove the rolling battery or grab another mobile energy storage unit and attach that to another vehicle. All of this is done without the need for a human attendant, according to Volkswagen. It’s less terrifying and more practical than the autonomous metal snake Tesla showed off in 2015.
These types of systems could allow parking garages to have a charging infrastructure without the need to place a charging station at individual parking stalls. Instead, the rolling battery packs can be charged at a single location and deployed as needed.
There’s no word on when the adorable robot car butler will become a reality. But in its release, Volkswagen stated, “The mobile charging robot has successfully reached prototype status and will now be comprehensively further developed.”
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

Professional detailer Larry Kosilla gets to play with some seriously cool metal. He’s been tasked with cleaning, detailing, and restoring countless classic cars, including our Road & Track deputy editor Bob Sorokanich’s two-door Jeep Cherokee. His latest project? A virtually new Buick Grand National barn find with just 56 miles on the clock.

Watch a Disgusting Jeep Cherokee’s Deep Cleaning

Automotive YouTubers to Watch While at Home

A Trip to the Carwash Can Be Tricky in Newer Cars

No, that’s not a typo. This 1987 Grand National was purchased by the original owner in Columbus, Ohio, driven home, and parked in a barn for 34 years. It was recently purchased by its new owner and trailered to Brooklyn, New York, where Kosilla picked it up.
Despite its age and lack of attention over the past three decades, the car was in pretty good shape. There were neither rat nests nor excessive mold inside, and because it was kept inside a dry, well-kept building, there’s no rust or paint damage (aside from some scratches on the passenger side caused by the previous owner’s dog).
Kosilla, with his array of pro-level tools and chemicals, is able to make quick work of the paint swirls and scratches, bringing the 56-mile Grand National back to showroom condition without ruining any of its originality. Every step of the process is documented in great detail, and it’s incredibly satisfying to watch.

Tested: 1987 Buick GNX Exercises Brute Force

Buick Grand National and GNX Made 1980s History

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 ultra-compact Toyota C+pod EV is currently available for corporate and local government fleets.
Toyota plans to offer the 12-horsepower two-seater to consumers before 2022.
Totota recently announced plans to bring 60 new electrified vehicles to market by 2025 including a solid-state-battery–powered EV.
Toyota has long had the technology for battery electric vehicles. In addition to its highly successful hybrid vehicles, the automaker built and sold two generations of the very limited edition RAV4 EV back in 1997. Still, the company has been slow to adopt EVs for the masses. Even the automaker’s president, Akio Toyoda, believes that electric vehicles are overhyped and has warned against countries banning gas-powered automobiles.
But that hasn’t stopped Toyota from announcing the diminutive C+pod for Japan. This tiny EV will initially be available for corporate and local government fleets during its current limited launch. Those looking for an eensy-weensy EV to cruise around Tokyo don’t fret, as the automaker intends to offer the vehicle to consumers by 2022.
According to Toyota, the electric C+pod will have a WLTP range of 93 miles thanks to a 9.1-kWh battery pack. Its single 12-horsepower electric motor will push the tiny vehicle to a top speed of 37 mph, so don’t expect to see it on the freeway anytime soon. It’s smaller than a Smart Fortwo and lines up more with the weird but enjoyable Renault Twizy.

Toyota

The C+pod is part of Toyota’s desire to expand partnerships in the mobility and electrification world. In addition to making the C+pod a go-to vehicle for car-sharing programs in a dense urban environments, it’s also launching Toyota Green Charge with Chubu Electric Power Miraiz Co. to create a single point of contact for corporations to adding electric charging infrastructure.

Toyota Is Finally Making an Electric Vehicle

Lexus Previews Electric SUV, New EV Drivetrain

Toyota has stated recently that it intends to introduce 60 new electrified vehicles by 2025 that include EV, hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles. We’re also expecting the company to unveil an electric SUV for Europe in 2021. The Japanese automaker has also stated that it intends to introduce a vehicle equipped with a solid-state battery sometime in the first half of this decade.
So while its leadership isn’t keen on EV regulations, Toyota is making inroads to getting EVs on the road—even diminutive ones.
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

GM will preview a few Chevy and Cadillac hybrids and EVs at the virtual Consumer Electronics Show on January 12. More

The 2021 Kia Rio has revised styling and newly available features.
The sedan model starts at $17,015 and the hatchback starts at $17,955.
It’s on sale at U.S. dealerships now.
An updated version of the Kia Rio subcompact has arrived in the U.S. with a slightly freshened look and new features. It starts $200 higher than before, at $17,015, and is still available in sedan and hatchback body styles. It’s one of the cheapest cars on the market, and even comes in under $20,000 fully loaded.

2021 Kia Rio to Get Styling and Technology Updates

10 Cheapest New Cars for 2021

The front and rear bumpers are reshaped, and new 15-inch wheels and LED headlights are available as options. Inside, there’s a larger 8.0-inch touchscreen standard across the board that now offers wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capabilities. Kia hasn’t released photos of the U.S. model’s interior yet, but the Europe-spec car gives a good indication of what it’ll look like.

Kia

Kia

The sedan comes in LX and S ($17,655) trim levels, while the hatchback comes in S trim ($17,955) only. An $1800 tech package is now available for the S that includes automatic climate control, proximity-key entry, a few driver-assistance features, and the aforementioned LED headlights and 15-inch wheels. All Rios come standard with a 1.6-liter inline-four with 120 horsepower and a continuously variable automatic transmission. It’s rated at 36 mpg combined by the EPA.
The 2021 Kia Rio is already arriving at dealerships now.
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

Europe’s automotive landscape is vastly different from ours. We take a look at the most interesting cars to be launched in the Old World next year. More

Neighbors and passersby will be looking at you in your Tesla with more than the usual curiosity. Whether that’s a good or a bad thing is up to you. More