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Aston Martin’s own Works division created an electric DB6 Volante a few years ago, and now another British company—Lunaz—will be converting DB4, DB5, and DB6 models to electricity.You may be stirred by the price, which is expected to exceed $1 million to completely restore the Aston and then add the powertrain.What price beauty, though? The first customers will get these starting in late 2023. This isn’t the first time we’ve told you about an electric conversion of one of Aston Martin’s classic DB models, and it may not be the last. Three years ago, Aston’s own Works classic division created a DB6 Volante with its six-cylinder engine replaced by a modular battery pack that powered a motor connected to the original gearbox. This was, we were told, to gauge demand for a factory sanctioned conversion, the lack of a production version suggesting this was lacking.But now another British company is planning to offer what seems to be a very similar car. Lunaz, which already offers electrified versions of various other classics, has said it will be offering an EV conversion for the DB4, DB5 and DB6, meaning that James Bond really could migrate himself to an EV.

Doing so would come with a substantial price tag, of course: even a rough DB5 is most of the way to a seven-figure valuation these days, with Lunaz’s heart transplant adding substantially to the “on application” price. The company is prepared to give more detail on pricing when it comes to the cheaper DB6, reckoning the conversion will “exceed $1 million plus local taxes,” with that including a bare-metal restoration as well as the new powertrain itself. They have also released images of a plug-wearing DB6 which makes the point this is a spectacularly good-looking car, regardless of the fuel it runs on.

Lunaz

Lunaz’s official release is short on technical details, but we can presume the electro-DBs will share much with the company’s earlier conversions. These use a bespoke powertrain which, in the Jaguar XK150, features a pair of motors giving a combined output of 375 horsepower to the rear axle. The XK150 uses an 80.o-kWh battery, while the larger Rolls-Royce Phantom V conversion has 120.0 kWh from twin packs, one under the hood and the other beneath the trunk floor. Given the limited spare space on a DB Aston, the use of the single pack seems more likely; Aston Works’ putative conversion used a battery almost exactly the same size and weight as the original engine. Lunaz’s car will support fast charging through a Type 2 CCS socket.

Lunaz

Lunaz also promises “uprating [sic] of brakes, suspension, and steering, while interior comfort and convenience is brought up to modern standards through the provision of air conditioning and the sensitive integration of latest infotainment, navigation systems, and full Wi-Fi connectivity.” The biggest question with any such conversion is existential: does it really deserve to exist? Lunaz says it will carefully remove the existing engine so that owners can keep them against a future change of heart, but it is very hard to imagine a world in which the near silence of an electric motor will feel like a better soundtrack to a classic Aston than that provided by its DBR2 six-cylinder, wuffling through triple carburetors. The environmental benefits of performing such radical and expensive surgery can also be questioned. The gentle duty cycle of a typical DB Aston would seem to make it unlikely that the energy and carbon costs of an electric conversion would ever be repaid in terms of reduced tailpipe emissions. As with cars like the Everrati Porsche 911 we drove earlier this year, the Lunaz seems to be aimed at a far distant future when combustion engines are either banned or become impossible to keep running. Lunaz says the first deliveries of electric DB models will take place in the third quarter of 2023.
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General Motors announced its new Ultra Cruise hands-free driving system will debut in 2023 on a future Cadillac model. The system will work on more than two million miles of every type of road in the U.S. and Canada, joining Super Cruise, which is currently available and only works on highways. Ultra Cruise uses a combination of cameras, radar, and lidar and has a 360-degree view of the car. General Motors is adding another tier to its hands-free driving technology with its new Ultra Cruise system that it claims will work in 95 percent of driving situations. It will sit above Super Cruise, which is currently available and works on over 200,000 miles of highways across the U.S. and Canada.

Ultra Cruise will add to that number of roads, working on more than two million miles in the U.S. and Canada at launch. The goal is to reach more than 3.4 million miles, GM says. Its main competition will be Tesla’s Full Self-Driving tech (it’s not really full self-driving), which is still in Beta status and not widely available. However, Tesla’s system can currently only be engaged on roads with lane paint, and GM says that Ultra Cruise can be engaged on subdivision streets, which would give it a leg up on FSD. Ultra Cruise uses a combination of cameras, radars, and lidar; that last one is a big deal as it’s the first case of this tech being deployed on a vehicle sold to the public in the U.S. Super Cruise uses lidar map data stored onboard, but doesn’t use a sensor. GM says the system’s functions will show on a dynamic display, which will have a 360-degree view of the car. The system will follow navigation and speed limits, react to traffic control such as traffic lights (much like Tesla’s FSD), avoid close objects, and, like Super Cruise, perform automated lane changes. GM says the system will improve itself over time based on real-world learnings and also can be updated over the air. The system will adopt Super Cruise’s driver attention camera that’s located on top of the steering wheel column and tracks drivers’ eyes to make sure they’re paying attention to the road. We tested Super Cruise along with numerous other automakers’ driver-assist systems and found that GM’s system can be tricked with eyeball glasses and be engaged without a driver in the seat. GM says that Ultra Cruise will be reserved for more luxurious models in its lineup, and Cadillac will introduce the tech in 2023, likely on the upcoming Lyriq electric crossover. Super Cruise will be reserved for its “mainstream models” such as the Chevy Silverado, which recently added the tech.
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Chevrolet announced that the all-electric Silverado will be unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show on January 5, 2022.Chevy showed a teaser displaying the fixed-glass roof that will be an option on the non-commercial version of the Silverado EV.The Silverado EV uses General Motors’ Ultium battery technology that will also be found in the GMC Hummer EV, and it is expected to arrive as a 2023 model.The electric pickup truck wars are heating up, with entries from Rivian, GMC, Tesla, Ford, and more set to hit the road in the near future. While we have known for over a year that an electric Chevrolet pickup is on its way, Chevy has now confirmed that the all-electric Silverado will debut at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) on January 5, 2022. Chevrolet provided a shadowy teaser image with the announcement, showing a top-down view of the truck which reveals a fixed-glass roof. Chevy says that the glass roof only be available on certain trim levels of the retail truck, meaning it won’t be offered on commercial versions, and we think it’s likely to be a costly option. Chevrolet has confirmed that there will be a commercial-grade fleet version of the Silverado EV that will presumably do away with many of niceties that will be optional on the non-commercial truck.

The electric Silverado will be based on the same Ultium battery platform that will also underpin other upcoming electric GM products such as the GMC Hummer EV and Cadillac Lyriq. General Motors estimates that the Silverado EV will offer up to 400 miles of range on a single charge, a fair bit more than the Rivian R1T’s 314-mile EPA range. Chevy also announced previously that the Silverado will come with rear-axle steering, which will significantly tighten the turning radius by slightly turning the rear wheels in the opposite direction to the fronts.The gas-powered Silverado, which just received a refresh for the 2022 model year, is expected to live alongside the electric truck for the foreseeable future. We expect the Silverado EV to go on sale for the 2023 model year, by which point the electric pickup segment will be crowded.
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Volvo is boosting the range of its electric small SUV, the XC40 Recharge.The 2022 model now goes 223 miles on a charge, according to the EPA, up from 208 miles.Volvo also says that a software update will soon be available for existing 2021 models that will provide the same boost.Volvo has made some updates to the XC40 Recharge’s powertrain for 2022 that result in an extra 15 miles of EPA-rated range. The electric SUV is now estimated to deliver 223 miles on a single charge, and existing owners of 2021 XC40 Recharge models will also be able to get the extra range via a forthcoming software update. The EPA combined efficiency figure also rises from 79 MPGe to 85 MPGe.

The updates are not to the physical battery pack itself but rather entail a number of small software changes focused on energy management and thermal management, a Volvo spokesperson told C/D. These updates helped the 2022 XC40 Recharge perform better when the EPA retested it for the new model year. The EPA has not yet rated the XC40’s sibling, the C40 Recharge, but we expect it to achieve a similar estimate as the 2022 model.We’re curious to see how the range improvement plays out in the real world, and we’ll update this article with test results for a 2022 model as soon as we are able to complete our 75-mph real-world highway range test. In that test, a 2021 model achieved a real-world range of 180 miles.The 2022 XC40 Recharge starts at $56,395 for the standard model and $59,245 for the Ultimate model. That’s a $1310 increase in base price compared with the 2021 model. 2022 models are at dealerships now, and Volvo says it will release information soon about the software updates for existing 2021 models.
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Ford is adding two new appearance packages to the 2022 Mustang lineup.The Stealth Edition is available for the EcoBoost Premium model and features clear taillights and black trim.The California Special returns for the GT and features special badges, stripes, and suede interior bits.With all the hubbub surrounding the electric Mustang Mach-E, Ford is attempting to bring some more attention back to the classic pony car with a few new appearance options. The 2022 Mustang will offer a new Stealth Edition option for the base four-cylinder EcoBoost model, while the V-8–powered GT features an updated version of the classic California Special variant.

The Stealth Edition’s most noticeable changes are the clear taillights shared with the previously revealed Ice White Edition and the black trim for the badges and side mirrors. It also has 19-inch wheels and a rear spoiler, plus a badge in the instrument cluster. Ford has yet to reveal a price for the Stealth Edition, but it will be an option package available on the EcoBoost Premium model and is offered with blue, grey, silver, or black exterior colors.

GT California Special
Ford

The California Special, a familiar nameplate to anyone who has followed the Mustang’s history, is available for either the GT coupe or convertible. The latest version of the GT/CS features a black grille, stripes, badges, and a scoop on the rear fender. There’s a strut tower brace under the hood, while the coupe features a spoiler and the convertible comes standard with a spoiler delete. Suede trim is found inside, and the California Special can now be combined with the GT Performance Package that features upgraded brakes, suspension tweaks, a limited-slip differential, and a staggered 19-inch wheel and tire setup with Pirelli summer tires.Ford says that orders open for the 2022 Mustang lineup later this year, with cars arriving at dealerships in the first quarter of next year.
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