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Thor Industries’ Vision Vehicle RV concept promises 300 miles of range, although the company provided no specifications as to battery size or type.The Ford Transit–based RV concept also includes a fuel cell that powers a range extender.No word on whether the Vision Vehicle RV is intended for production, but at the very least it proves RV makers are entering the EV era with the rest of us.Even recreational vehicle manufacturers are preparing to bid adieu to the internal-combustion engine. Need proof? One day after Winnebago revealed its battery-electric e-RV concept, Thor pulled the wraps off of its plug-in Vision Vehicle concept.Like the e-RV, the Vision Vehicle concept uses Ford’s Transit full-size van as a base. However, whereas the Winnebago concept packs a mere 125 miles of manufacturer-estimated range (one less than Ford’s estimate for its most efficient E-Transit model), Thor claims its RV offers up to 300 miles of driving range. Credit the hybrid nature of the Vision Vehicle concept’s powertrain, which consists of a “high-capacity” battery pack (Thor’s mum on the pack’s actual energy capacity) and a range-extender with its own onboard fuel cell that allows “for a variety of fuel options,” including hydrogen, per a Thor spokesperson.

Thor

Inside, Thor fits the Vision Vehicle concept with a bespoke dashboard fit with multiple digital displays. This includes a digital gauge cluster ahead of the driver, a large center-mounted infotainment screen, and a pair of displays mounted at the top corners of the dash, each of which displays a feed from the RV’s rear-facing cameras that serve the role of rearview mirrors.Those are far from the only highlights of the Vision Vehicle concept’s insides, as Thor fits this RV with luxurious living quarters that include plenty of niceties, including a kitchen replete with a large display that rises from the countertop and adjustable frosted glass windows for additional privacy.No doubt, Thor seems intent on eventually producing a model like the Vision Vehicle concept. When the company plans to actually reveal a production-ready vehicle of this nature, however, is anyone’s guess. Regardless, the Thor Vision Vehicle concept certainly proves that the EV-era will not mark the death of the RV.
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GM already sells 5000 different parts online, but now you can get almost any part the company sells delivered direct to your door or to your local dealer, directly on GM’s various brand websites.It’s not about saving you money on purchases—whether that’s new wiper blades or a personalization theme for your vehicle’s infotainment screen—but ensuring you have genuine GM parts and can get GM brands’ reward points for buying them.In the future, customers may order such things as over-the-air upgrades and even electric vehicles directly online from GM.General Motors is making it easier to buy replacement parts for its vehicles online. GM isn’t giving its new official parts portal a fancy name like CarBravo, the company’s new used-vehicle portal. Instead, the catalog of 45,000 repair and maintenance parts is simply being added to the automaker’s brand websites—such as Chevrolet.com, where GM has been selling some accessories online since 2015 and currently offers 5000 different products.Shipping to Your Home or the DealershipThe automaker is touting two benefits for people who buy their parts directly from the company, and cost savings isn’t one of them. Instead, GM says that shoppers can be certain that the parts are “original equipment ACDelco and GM Genuine Parts that are compatible with their vehicles” and that purchases made through the online catalogs will be eligible for Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick and GMC rewards programs. Ordered parts can be delivered to a home or buyers can get those parts shipped to a local participating dealer. More than 800 GM dealers will participate in this program, and GM said it expects that online sales of parts and accessories will become a $40 billion marketplace by 2030.

GM

You can see hints of GM’s overall plan in this move. By adding tens of thousands of parts to its online digital shopping sites, GM is expanding its digital storefront, a place where the automaker plans to sell not just these components, but also “accessories, digital products delivered over the air, and subscriptions through a single digital storefront,” the company said. In other words, today you buy an air filter, tomorrow you pay for some bonus safety feature for your connected car, and it’s all done through one e-commerce interface where your contact and payment information are already on file. Subscriptions and Digital UpgradesToday, GM requires subscriptions to access some parts of its connected services, including OnStar and the myChevrolet mobile app, but this segment of the industry is growing. GM offered up two examples of how customers could use the new digital store “to purchase upgrades such as improved capabilities for the Super Cruise advanced driver assistance system and personalization themes for in-vehicle screens.”

Future electric vehicle purchases could also be done entirely online as well. Last October, during its investor day, GM said it expects its annual software and subscription services could give the company “$20 billion to $25 billion in opportunities” in the future. “We are placing software and digital services at the center of every part of our business,” GM chief digital officer Edward Kummer said in a statement. “The future of GM retail lies at the intersection of digital and physical e-commerce. Whether it’s selling parts or vehicles, GM will meet our customers where it’s most convenient for them.”
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The eStream concept RV comes from Airstream parent company Thor Industries, and it has an electric powertrain developed by ZF.A pair of electric motors produce a peak combined output of 242 horsepower, and integrated batteries offer 80.0 kWh of energy capacity.The Thor eStream is just a concept, but it sure looks to us as though the maker is ready to start planning a production model.It’s no secret that towing affects a vehicle’s driving range. Thor Industries’ Airstream eStream concept attempts to offset this by way of an integrated electric powertrain. This concept camper packs 80 kilowatt-hours’ worth of energy by way of its batteries, which then feed a pair of electric motors (one at each wheel) that are capable of producing a maximum combined output of 242 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque. Those electric motors do more than just take some of the load off the powertrain of the tow vehicle; they also have a Move mode that allows the eStream to maneuver remotely.

Thor

Although the electric-assist tech is surely the eStream’s feather in its cap, the trailer’s ZF-developed powertrain is far from the camper’s only interesting bit. Credit its 900 watts’ worth of solar panels that feed energy to those aforementioned batteries, as well as various other systems. This feat allows eStream users to live off the grid for up to two weeks while maintaining many of the camper’s various electrically powered niceties. This includes the likes of the eStream’s voice- and touchscreen-activated climate and lighting controls, as well as its kitchen amenities and various entertainment equipment.

Thor

While the Thor Airstream eStream is officially a concept camper, it seems like an idea that ought to go into production. We imagine the mass-market eStream will wear a rather high price relative to other campers of this size, but we also think the model’s trick integrated EV powertrain and large capacity batteries offer peace of mind that’s worth its upcharge. Well, provided Thor doesn’t go too crazy with the sticker sum, that is.
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Volvo is updating its plug-in-hybrid powertrain found in the 60- and 90-series models.A more powerful electric motor and larger battery pack provide more horsepower and a longer electric driving range.This applies to the S60, V60, S90, XC60, and XC90 Recharge models.Volvo released details about an updated version of its plug-in-hybrid powertrain a few months ago, and it appears that these upgrades will be reaching U.S.-market Volvo models in the near future. The S60, V60, S90, XC60, and XC90 PHEV models, which are called Recharge in Volvo-speak, will benefit from a more powerful electric motor and a larger battery pack. Total horsepower will increase to 455 hp and electric driving range should increase by 13 to 16 miles depending on model, though official EPA ratings aren’t yet available.

The combination of a turbocharged and supercharged turbo 2.0-liter engine and an electric motor previously produced 400 horsepower in these hybrids (or 415 hp in the V60 Polestar Engineered), and the extra grunt is courtesy of a more powerful electric motor. The battery increases from a total energy capacity of 11.6 kWh to 18.8 kWh (Volvo hasn’t provided the usable capacity of the new battery) and estimated electric-only range is expected to increase to 38 miles for the V60 and 32 miles for the XC60 and XC90. Official EPA range estimates haven’t been released yet, but these 2022 Volvo Extended Range models are listed on the EPA’s guide for federal tax credits.Volvo will be using the “Extended Range” nomenclature to differentiate models with the updated powertrain, although we expect these models to replace the outgoing hybrids. We’ve reached out to Volvo for more information on these changes and will update this post as more details become available.
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