Uncategorized
Lamborghini
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
This story was updated on August 9, 2022 with new products and information.
We’ve all experienced the stomach-churning trauma of a dead car battery. You need to be somewhere and you’re running late. You jump in, twist the key or push the start button, and . . . nothing! Or maybe just a sickening click-click. Suddenly you need a jump-start or, worse, a tow. And probably a new battery, too. But which one? So many brands, types, prices, and places to buy them. Which to choose and why?
Amazon
Amazon
Amazon
Amazon
Amazon
The simple answer to “What’s the best battery?” is “the one that’s specified for your vehicle.” You don’t need to be an expert to make an informed, cost-efficient purchase. Check your owner’s manual for your original battery’s size, specifications, and ratings. You can also find which one you need from guides in the auto-parts store or online.
Replacing a battery yourself is an option; it’s not particularly difficult. Some shops offer free installation—but only if the battery is purchased from them.
If you’re buying one of the batteries above online and installing it yourself, be sure to check your owner’s manual for critical information before purchasing your new battery. Modern cars have specific requirements on their electrical systems, and the wrong power source could leave you stranded.
[A word to the wise: We’ve had terrible luck with car parts and automotive accessories using Amazon’s online “Confirmed Fit” tool. Probably half of the windshield wipers we ordered, for example, didn’t fit the car we specified. Lesson learned. Always, always go straight to your owner’s manual for the recommended specs and size, and stick to those guidelines when purchasing model- or size-specific parts and accessories online.]
Most batteries are located up front, under the hood, where they’re easy to access and replace with a couple of wrenches. But some are buried in the trunk or elsewhere—not so easy to find, let alone remove and replace.
Just remember, the negative terminal is always the first thing you disconnect and the last thing you reconnect.
Regardless of whether you’re doing it in your driveway or letting a shop install, it’s a good idea to first make sure you’re buying the correct physical size. A number of sizes fit today’s wide variety of vehicles.
For instance, size 24/24F (top terminal) batteries fit many Honda, Acura, Toyota, Lexus, Nissan, and Infiniti vehicles, while size 35 (top terminal) units fit many other Japanese vehicles, including recent Toyotas, Nissans, Hondas, and Subarus.
Size 48H6 (top terminal) batteries fit many European and American vehicles. Again, you can find which size you need in your owner’s manual, in the replacement guides at the retail store, or online.
MarkSwallowGetty Images
Almost all cars come with a 12-volt sealed lead-acid (SLA) battery of some variety (a few high-performance cars are equipped with lithium-ion batteries). These SLA batteries use the same chemistry as the ones your dad had to periodically top off with water, but today they are sealed—hence the name—and maintenance-free.
Absorbent glass mat (AGM) batteries have quickly become the norm for most modern cars. They use similar chemistry as SLAs but are more durable and are claimed to stand up to more charge cycles.
Gel-cell batteries are best for deep discharging but may have problems in extreme hot or cold. Those old “wet cell” batteries from Dad’s day are still available, though primarily for older models or penny pinchers. They are likely not offered in the right sizes and specs to support modern cars, however.
The next thing to check is the engine-cranking power of a vehicle battery, which is expressed in cranking amps (CA) and/or cold-cranking amps (CCA), a measure of how much electric current (in amperes) it can deliver for 30 seconds at 32 and zero degrees Fahrenheit. A bigger number is better, especially in cold weather, when batteries are at their weakest.
Another number to understand is the battery’s reserve capacity, which is how long it can provide power with the engine off and headlights and/or accessories on or if the vehicle’s charging system fails. One and a half hours is good. Two hours is better.
Also important is the warranty, which should be at least three years for full replacement (assuming no signs of neglect or abuse), plus, in some cases, a prorated refund for some time after that. Bear in mind, manufacturer warranties are often not supported when parts and accessories are purchased online from retailers like Amazon or Walmart.
Finally, be forewarned: Some brands, such as BMW, require the battery to be “coded” (digitally mated) to the car or it will not take a charge. Coding the battery requires BMW-specific OBD-II software that any reputable service shop or BMW dealer will have.
Expect to pay anywhere between $100 and $400 for a new battery, with lower-performing SLA types at the low end and stronger, longer-lasting AGMs near the top. If you’re having it installed, the shop will dispose of your old battery.
If you’re doing it yourself, take your old one to the retail outlet for recycling and to avoid a core charge—a mandatory deposit on your new battery that is refunded when you return the old one. Before you hand it over, place it side by side with the new battery to confirm the one you’re buying is the same size. It’s a final check to make sure your choice is the right one.
Oh, and if you’re taking it home to install, get one with a traveling handle if possible—a car battery can weigh between 25 and 60 pounds.
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
In Car and Driver’s April 1967 issue, we featured the original Meyers Manx on the cover, front and center. Our road test proclaimed it, “all things to all men.” The only thing they could all agree on, we said, was that the Meyers Manx was “more soul-freeing, leaping, bounding, uninhibited fun than anything else they’ve ever driven—on or off the road.”
Fifty five years later, the beloved dune buggy aspires to be all that and more as it gets reimagined for 2023. Announced Monday evening, the Manx 2.0 Electric brings all the adventurous, off-road fun of the original, just powered by a battery.
The design of the Manx 2.0 closely follows in the original’s footsteps with its rugged yet voluptuous silhouette, but the newest incarnation is a bit more refined than its predecessor, thanks to the enclosed rear to cool the electric motors. No air-cooled Volkswagen Beetle engine hanging out the back here.
Still, the Manx 2.0 stays true to the monocoque chassis legacy of the original, making it light—the heaviest 2.0 is 1650 pounds—and strong on rough terrain. It also features independent rear suspension and regenerative braking, which should shoulder most of the braking load.
Inside, the Manx 2.0 will have two battery options: a 20-kWh battery with 150 miles of range or a a 40-kWh battery with 300 miles of range. While the company has yet to release power specs for the smaller battery, the bigger option sends 202 horsepower and up to 240 pound-feet of torque to the rear wheels through two motors, which should get you to 60 miles per hour in an estimated 4.5 seconds. The motor, inverter, gear train, and brakes will be housed in a single unit.
The first batch, totaling just 50 buggies, will ship in 2023 as part of a beta program, but once the Manx 2.0 reaches a wider audience, it will come with a suite of options like A/C and heat, as well as a smart screen, according to Meyers Manx CEO Freeman Thomas.
Thomas, designer of the New Beetle as well as others like the original Audi TT concept, joined Meyers Manx as CEO in 2020 following the brands acquisition by venture capitalist and Manx enthusiast Phillip Sarofim. Sarofim acquired Meyers Manx from Bruce and Winnie Meyers shortly before Bruce Meyers died at age 94 in 2021, and now the duo, according to Freeman, want to “carry his legacy into the future.”
It’s a powerful legacy. Bruce Meyers almost singlehandedly started the kit dune buggy craze when he decided, despite being more acquainted with building sailboats and surfboards, to build a dune buggy out of a Beetle in his Newport Beach, California, garage in 1964. It quickly became a sensation after it broke the timed record for a run from Tijuana, Mexico, to La Paz over rocky, desert terrain. When the route was organized into the first ever Baja 1000, known as the Mexican 1000 in 1967, the Meyers Manx was crowned the victor.
However, an electric Manx also has a history. Bruce Meyers revived the Meyers Manx brand in 2000, and in 2014 he partnered with Las Vegas-based battery company Rev-TEC to create an electric concept known as the Manx V. The V had 86.3 horsepower and a top speed of 64 miles per hour. Volkswagen, too, got in on the fun with a 2019 concept inspired by the original Manx called the I.D. Buggy.
Certainly, the Meyers Manx has had quite the journey since we put it on our cover all those years ago. However, with the reveal of the Manx 2.0 it’s clear that, no matter where the auto industry has gone, seemingly nothing enamors enthusiasts quite like the Manx.
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
Meyers Manx/Evan Klein
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
The Mitsubishi Outlander’s front bumper reminds us of something that might print documents or handle faxes at the office but look past its Xerox-inspired face and you’ll find an SUV with an elegant cabin with a comfortable ride. While the Outlander is essentially a three-row version of the Nissan Rogue—the two share the same platform—its tightly-packed rear-most seats are mostly there as decoration as they provide little to no legroom for adults. The smaller two-row Outlander Sport is reviewed separately. The Outlander’s power comes from a 181-hp four-cylinder, and a CVT with front-wheel drive is standard; all-wheel drive optional. A plug-in hybrid version is coming that should improve this compact SUVs’ mediocre gas consumption.
Mitsubishi adds a plug-in hybrid powertrain to the three-row Outlander for 2023. The Outlander PHEV will feature Mitsubishi’s Super All-Wheel Control (S-AWC) all-wheel-drive system, and act as the company’s next step in its commitment to reducing carbon emissions by 40 percent by 2030.
ES
$28,000 (est)
SE
$31,000 (est)
Black Edition
$32,000 (est)
SEL Special Edition
$34,000 (est)
SEL
$34,000 (est)
Outlander PHEV
$40,000 (est)
With a base price of around $28,000 the Outlander is a little pricier than other compact crossovers, including the Rogue. Despite a variety of desirable features, the top SEL trim has questionable value since it costs about as much as a top-of-the-line Mazda CX-5, which has won our 10Best award multiple times. So, we’d recommend the mid-level SEL model. For just over $30,000 (all-wheel drive adds $1800), it comes with intricate 20-inch wheels, a 9.0-inch touchscreen with Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay, a hands-free power liftgate, wireless charging, and driver assists such as adaptive cruise and lane-keeping assist. We’d also select the Tech package that adds a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, a Bose audio system, and a panoramic sunroof.
The Outlander is motivated by a 2.5-liter inline-four-cylinder engine that makes 181 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque. It pairs exclusively with a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). Front-wheel drive is the standard configuration, but all-wheel drive is optional. Although the Outlander’s acceleration times are competitive with other compact crossovers (excluding speedsters such as the turbocharged CX-5 and Kia Sportage), it feels less responsive and lazier at highway speeds, which is exacerbated by its gearless CVT. Otherwise, the Outlander drives with a newfound agility and composure. Its steering is nicely weighted, its body motions are controlled, and its ride is taut. We did notice a lack of isolation that allowed a lot of road noise to enter the cabin on all but the smoothest roads, and our test vehicle’s large 20-inch wheels with limited sidewall cushioning didn’t help the situation. The Outlander we drove also had a soft-feeling brake pedal, but the stoppers hauled the SUV down from 70 mph in a class-competitive 172 feet.
The all-wheel-drive Outlander earns an EPA rated 24 mpg city and 30 highway. Front-wheel drive Outlanders see a marginal improvement of 24 city and 31 mpg on the highway. During our 75-mph highway fuel-economy route—part of our extensive testing regimen—the all-wheel-drive Mitsubishi’s real-world result of 26 mpg fell short of its EPA estimate. Fuel economy results from the EPA for the upcoming Outlander PHEV aren’t available just yet. For more information about the Outlander’s fuel economy, visit the EPA’s website.
The new Outlander has significantly nicer cabin materials compared with its predecessor, which was marred by subpar plastics and chintzy trim pieces. Not only are the interior accents and surfaces of higher quality, but the design finally qualifies as modern. Likewise, there’s an assortment of contemporary content that includes an available 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster and a head-up display. While passengers in the first two rows enjoy extra hip room and legroom than in the last-gen Outlander, its third row has very limited legroom for adults. The only other compact crossover with seating for seven is the Volkswagen Tiguan, but, unlike the Outlander, its extra set of seats are limited to front-drive models. Cargo space also increases on the new Outlander, with 1 cubic foot added to the total volume behind the second and third rows.
On the infotainment front, the new Outlander offers either an 8.0- or 9.0-inch touchscreen, depending on the trim. Both units have standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but only the latter allows users to connect their iPhones wirelessly. Along with charging ports at the bottom of the center stack, the system features hard buttons and physical knobs for volume and tuning. Additional available infotainment features include a 10-speaker Bose audio system, wireless device charging, and access to the subscription-based Mitsubishi Connect app that provides remote services.
Available with driver-assistance technology that includes adaptive cruise control and a semi-autonomous drive mode, the 2023 Outlander boasts a compelling set of tech. For more information about the compact crossover’s crash-test results, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) websites. Key safety features include:
Mitsubishi provides one of the better limited and powertrain warranties versus other compact crossovers and SUVs. Although the company doesn’t offer complimentary maintenance, its primary protection plans are just as long as those from Kia and Hyundai.
Specifications
2022 Mitsubishi Outlander S-AWC
VEHICLE TYPE
front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 7-passenger, 4-door wagon
PRICE AS TESTED
$38,590 (base price: $28,790)
ENGINE TYPE
DOHC 16-valve inline-4, aluminum block and head, direct fuel injection
Displacement
152 in3, 2488 cm3
Power
181 hp @ 6000 rpm
Torque
181 lb-ft @ 3600 rpm
TRANSMISSION
continuously variable automatic
CHASSIS
Suspension (F/R): struts/multilink
Brakes (F/R): 13.8-in vented disc/13.0-in vented disc
Tires: Bridgestone Ecopia H/L 422 Plus, P255/45R-20 101W M+S
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 106.5 in
Length: 185.4 in
Width: 73.3 in
Height: 68.8 in
Passenger volume: 120 ft3
Cargo volume: 12 ft3
Curb weight: 3864 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 8.2 sec
100 mph: 23.9 sec
Rolling start, 5–60 mph: 8.6 sec
Top gear, 30–50 mph: 4.7 sec
Top gear, 50–70 mph: 6.0 sec
1/4 mile: 16.3 sec @ 86 mph
Top speed (C/D est): 120 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 171 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.85 g
Standing-start accel times omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec.
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
75-mph highway driving: 26 mpg
Highway range: 370 miles
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/city/highway: 26/24/30 mpg
Several startups have launched EVs in an attempt to disrupt the transportation market, but the 2023 Lucid Air luxury sedan is one of the few so far that’s made a notable impact. Its big battery and compact motors—both designed in-house—allow it to deliver unbeatable range and great performance. The top Grand Touring Performance model can jump to 60 mph in just 2.6 seconds or, when driven sedately, can sail on for 516 miles—its estimated driving range, according to the EPA. That’s enough range to get from Boston to Baltimore with electrons left over. More important, it’s more range than any other EV currently offers. The Air’s stylish exterior and spacious cabin add to its desirability, but its price tag had us expecting to find plusher materials inside. Almost all of the car’s controls are accessed through one of several display screens that dot the cabin, a reminder of Lucid’s Silicon Valley roots, and the software interface in the early cars is still a work in progress. Otherwise, the luxury four-door’s performance, driving range, and general snazziness make it a viable competitor for high-dollar EVs such as the Porsche Taycan and Mercedes-Benz EQS, as well as that other high-impact EV disruptor, the Tesla Model S.
Lucid has added a Stealth Look appearance package to the Air’s options sheet for 2023. The $6000 package swaps the Air’s exterior brightwork for dark gray alternatives and replaces the car’s 20- or 21-inch high-polish wheels with black ones. The blacked-out look is available on all but the base Pure trim.
Pure
$90,000 (est)
$110,000 (est)
Grand Touring
$156,000 (est)
Grand Touring Performance
$181,000 (est)
We’d steer towards the Touring model. It offers plenty to like and costs significantly less than the Grand Touring trim. The Touring offers 20-inch wheels, leather upholstery, in-dash navigation, and 406 miles of estimated driving range per charge. All Lucid models come standard with three years of complimentary charging via the Electrify America charging network. The fanciest Dream Edition models are officially sold out, but if you want to maximize your luxury—and your out of pocket cost—the Grand Touring trim offers much of the Dream’s panache. Lucid increased the Air’s pricing mid-way through the 2022 model year, so orders placed after June 1st, 2022 will use the pricing detailed above.
The entry-level Air features a single electric motor that drives the rear wheels and produces 480 horsepower. The rest of the lineup uses dual electric motors that provide all-wheel drive and a variety of horsepower ratings: The Touring model generates 620 horses, the Grand Touring makes 1050. An initial run of limited edition cars, called the Dream Edition and Dream Edition Performance, were good for 933 horsepower and 1111 horsepower, respectively. Now that we’ve driven a Dream Edition, we can report that it’s crazy quick and surprisingly agile for its size. At our test track, it bolted to 60 mph in just 2.6 seconds. Despite riding on conventional steel coil springs rather than air springs, the sedan felt calm and smooth in the appropriately named Smooth drive mode. Our main complaint was with our example’s 21-inch wheels on low-profile performance tires that produced notable road noise on a section of coarse pavement. We’ve also sampled the Grand Touring and Grand Touring Performance trims, and the former delivered a brisk 3.0-second zero-to-60-mph time, a feat that’s easily repeated by using the car’s launch mode.
The Air has the longest range of any electric vehicle currently on the market, according to EPA estimates. The Dream Edition Range model should go for 520 miles on a single charge, while the Dream Edition Performance should travel about 471 miles. The base Pure and mid-range Touring trims each have an estimated driving range of 406 miles; the Grand Touring and Grand Touring Performance models offer up to 516 and 446 miles of range, respectively. On our 75-mph highway fuel economy route the Grand Touring’s range was an observed 410 miles, making it the longest range EV we’ve ever tested. The Air features a 112.0-kWh battery pack and DC fast-charging capability. Plugged into a fast charger, the sedan is said to be able to recoup 300 miles of range in 21 minutes. New owners will also enjoy three years of free fast-charging at Electrify America charging stations. There’s no cap on how many times owners can charge their cars, as long as it’s used for personal and not commercial purposes.
The most efficient Air is rated at 131 MPGe combined, and the Performance version is rated at 111 MPGe combined. During our test drive, however, we recorded only 82 MPGe. For more information about the Air’s efficiency, visit the EPA’s website.
Make no mistake, the Air is intended to be a luxury car, and its handsome interior is fitted with rich-looking materials and cutting-edge technology. Lucid is especially proud of the sedan’s expansive passenger space, which is highlighted by a large back seat. While the standard rear seating is said to be comfortable for up to three adults, there’s also an optional Executive Rear Seating option that adds a recline function for ultimate comfort. The Air’s glass roof that makes it feel even airier and helps outward visibility. The sedan’s front center console looks to provide generous storage space behind the retractable lower touchscreen and inside the large center-console bin, which houses a set of cupholders as well as slots to place a smartphone. We’re also told its front trunk—or frunk—will have 10 cubic feet of volume.
The Air is outfitted with a sophisticated infotainment system that incorporates a large upper touchscreen that flows out of the fully digital gauge cluster and a tablet-like lower touchscreen that handles additional functions and can be retracted into the dashboard. Lucid says the system’s voice-recognition software will respond to natural speech patterns. The interface also has an assistant that learns the user’s preferred music and climate settings. In addition to some physical controls on the steering wheel, there are a set of toggles for temperature and fan speed as well as a roller to adjust the volume of the audio system.
The Air is offered with an array of driver-assistance technology and the company is working on Level 3 self-driving abilities. The latter won’t initially be available, but through the magic of over-the-air updates, it’s expected to be offered within three years. For more information about the Air’s crash-test results, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) websites. Key safety features should include:
Lucid is a startup automaker with no previous products, but its warranty coverage is very similar to Tesla. Neither brand offers complimentary maintenance, though.
Specifications
2022 Lucid Air Dream Edition Performance
Vehicle Type: front- and rear-motor, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $170,500/$170,500
Options: none
POWERTRAIN
Motors: 2 permanent-magnet synchronous AC
Combined Power: 1111 hp
Combined Torque: 1025 lb-ft
Battery Pack: liquid-cooled lithium-ion, 118.0 kWh
Onboard Charger: 19.2 kW
Transmissions, F/R: direct-drives
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: multilink/multilink
Brakes, F/R: 15.0-in vented disc/14.8-in vented disc
Tires: Pirelli P Zero PZ4 Elect PNCS
F: HL245/35R-21 99Y LM1
R: HL265/35R-21 103Y LM1
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 116.5 in
Length: 195.9 in
Width: 76.2 in
Height: 55.7 in
Passenger Volume: 103 ft3
Cargo Volume: 32 ft3
Curb Weight: 5282 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 2.6 sec
100 mph: 5.3 sec
130 mph: 8.4 sec
1/4-Mile: 10.1 sec @ 142 mph
150 mph: 11.7 sec
170 mph: 16.1 sec
Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.2 sec.
Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 3.0 sec
Top Gear, 30–50 mph: 1.2 sec
Top Gear, 50–70 mph: 1.2 sec
Top Speed (gov ltd): 173 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 163 ft
Braking, 100–0 mph: 326 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.92 g
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 82 MPGe
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 111/110/111 MPGe
Range: 451 miles
2022 Lucid Air Grand Touring
Vehicle Type: front- and mid-motor, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $140,500/$140,500
Options: none
POWERTRAIN
Front Motor: permanent-magnet synchronous AC
Rear Motor: permanent-magnet synchronous AC
Combined Power: 819 hp
Combined Torque: 885 lb-ft
Battery Pack: liquid-cooled lithium-ion, 112.0 kWh
Onboard Charger: 19.2 kW
Transmissions, F/R: direct-drives
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: multilink/multilink
Brakes, F/R: 15.0-in vented disc/14.8-in vented disc
Tires: Pirelli P Zero All Season Elect
245/45R-19 102Y M+S LM1
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 116.5 in
Length: 195.9 in
Width: 76.2 in
Height: 55.4 in
Passenger Volume: 103 ft3
Cargo Volume: 32 ft3
Curb Weight: 5212 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 3.0 sec
100 mph: 6.0 sec
130 mph: 10.3 sec
1/4-Mile: 10.7 sec @ 132 mph
150 mph: 14.3 sec
Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.2 sec.
Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 3.7 sec
Top Gear, 30–50 mph: 1.6 sec
Top Gear, 50–70 mph: 2.1 sec
Top Speed (gov ltd): 173 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 193 ft
Braking, 100–0 mph: 385 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.82 g
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 82 MPGe
75-mph Highway Range: 410 mi
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 131/130/132 MPGe
Range: 516 mi
What once was an option is now becoming mandatory and being rolled into the price of some new General Motors vehicles. That’s because the company is reportedly making a $1500 option standard on all new Buick, Cadillac, and GMC models, according to a story today by the Detroit Free Press.
The option in question is GM’s OnStar and Connected Services Premium Plan. It provides three years of access to services that include automatic crash response, roadside assistance, turn-by-turn navigation, a remote key fob, vehicle diagnostics, a Wi-Fi hotspot, and more. Whether customers use it or not—and regardless of the fact it’s still called an optional package—a GM spokesperson told Car and Driver that it has been made standard on June 2 on “new retail Buick and GMC vehicles in the U.S.” and was added as standard to “new retail Cadillac Escalade vehicles” in the U.S. on July 18. The automaker said making the package standard “helps to provide a more seamless onboarding experience and more customer value.”
Also mentioned is that the same situation could face Chevy customers, as the brand is reportedly still finalizing its plans for similar services.
The news comes during a time when it’s not uncommon for automakers to raise prices and revise what features are optional and standard. We here at Car and Driver recently highlighted the notable price hikes given to the Ford F-150 and Chevy Silverado 1500. We also learned today that Ford is raising prices for its F-150 Lightning electric pickup truck due to “significant material cost increases and other factors.”
In the case of the mandatory OnStar option, a GMC spokesperson told the Detroit Free Press that the company chose to make the connected services standard because it’s “more convenient for our customers and provides a more seamless onboarding experience.”
That, of course, will be up to new car buyers to decide as they’ll likely continue to encounter more examples of automakers finding new ways to raise prices.
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
Ultra-luxury automaker Bentley will debut its latest coachbuilt creation, the Mulliner Batur, at this year’s Monterey Car Week event in Monterey, California. The Mulliner Batur is a follow-up to the gorgeous Bacalar Speedster, a limited-edition model based on the Continental GT convertible.
We can see only a few details from the teaser image above, including red grille details and a more pronounced spear dividing the right and left sides of the car’s grille. It’s hard to say if the Batur will be based on an existing Bentley model or whether it will be rendered as a sedan, a coupe, or an SUV.
Handcrafted styling and a ritzy interior aren’t all that the Batur will share with the Bacalar: both are named for bodies of water located in far-flung locales. Lake Batur is an 88-meter deep crater lake located in the Kintamani district of Bali, Indonesia, while Laguna Bacalar is a pristine lake in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, located in the Yucatán Peninsula.
Unlike the Bacalar, of which only 12 will be made, the Mulliner Batur can be interpreted as a preview of Bentley’s future styling as it moves into its EV era. As such, we expect the show car to be powered by an electric powertrain, probably with two motors and all-wheel drive. We’ll know more on August 20, when Bentley rolls out the Mulliner Batur to a crowd of onlookers one day ahead of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.
If the Mulliner Batur is offered as a limited-production model, expect a price at least equal to the Bacalar’s $1.9 million. And if you want one, act fast, because they’re likely to sell out quickly.
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
American car shoppers appear to have discovered electric vehicles. After a decade of slow but steady sales growth, electric vehicle registrations in the U.S. shot up 60 percent in the first quarter of 2022, even as overall new car registrations dropped 18 percent, per a report by Automotive News that used data collected by financial data firm Experian. It’s the latest indication that domestic EV acceptance may have turned some important but invisible corner recently.
The sharp increase in electric-vehicle registrations at the start of 2022 meant that the EV share of the overall market in the U.S. hit a historic 4.6 percent. While places like Norway—where over 86 percent of all new vehicle sales were electric in March—may laugh at that number, EV advocates know that change happens slowly, then all at once, or something like that.
Currently, it’s estimated that around 1 percent of the 250 million cars, SUVs, and light-duty trucks on American roads are electric. However, while it’s difficult to estimate future sales, an analysis by IHS Markit projects that 25–30 percent of new car sales could be electric by 2030 and then 40–45 percent by 2035. Using the rates for those projections, Reuters estimates that by 2050 more than half of the vehicles on U.S. roads could be EVs.
One big reason we’re seeing more EVs in people’s driveways is the explosion in exciting new models, from the Ford F-150 Lightning to the Kia EV6 to the Hyundai Ioniq 5. Experian calculated that there were 158,689 new EV registrations in the first three months of 2022.
The big winners were EVs from Tesla (up 59 percent to 113,882 new registrations), Kia (up more than eight-fold to 8,450), Ford (up 91 percent to 7,407), and Hyundai (up more than 300 percent, to 6,964), according to Automotive News. These plus other electric car sales (the Nissan Leaf and the Volkswagen ID.4 were both in the top 10) helped the segment grow to that 4.6-percent record.
Automotive News notes that it and Experian used registration data to get a clearer picture of EV sales in the U.S., since, for example, Tesla does not release sales figures. Other industry analysts have slightly different figures for EV sales at the start of 2022, but they all show major increases compared to last year. Cox Automotive’s estimate of the EV market share for the first quarter of 2022, for example, was 5.2 percent compared to 2.5 percent in 2021. Whatever the exact numbers, something’s certainly happening out there.
No surprise, California has the most EV sales out of all 50 states, accounting for 1,135,387 total units as of April 2022, according to an EV market report by Veloz. That’s almost 43 percent of all new electric car sales in America between 2011 and 2022. The U.S. Department of Energy also released data on electric-vehicle registrations in 2021. After California, which had 563,070, the states with the most EV registrations are Florida (96,640), Texas (80,900), Washington (66,810), and New York (51,870), respectively. Meanwhile, states such as North Dakota (380), Wyoming (510), South Dakota (680), West Virginia (1010), and Alaska (1290) made up the bottom five.
U.S. Department of Energy
More EVs on the road might seem like good news, but some people see danger ahead, particularly when it comes to public charging. Despite the fact that most EV charging happens at home, this isn’t a solution for everyone, which means public charging needs to be readily available for some to keep raising the number of EVs sold.
The age-old chicken vs. egg story remains alive and well in the EV charging infrastructure world, with a story in the Los Angeles Times in April saying that DC fast-charging station operators need eight to 10 charge sessions a day to turn a “decent return,” but if you also need to have enough fast-chargers available so that drivers don’t face too many waiting times. Finding the balance, especially with EV sales surging, could prove difficult.
Supply-chain problems plaguing the auto industry may have an impact on which cars are being sold, given that some automakers have to make production decisions about which models to build or not build based on the supply of semiconductor chips or other components in short supply.
If you’ll allow a bit of speculation, the fact that EVs command more attention from the public and the higher starting prices for many EVs could be two potential reasons for automakers to prioritize EVs over internal combustion engine vehicles.
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.
Car and Driver
Update (8/8/2022): This piece now includes additional information related to electric car sales in the United States.
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
Whether you are looking for a new vehicle that will be inexpensive to run or you want to reduce your CO2 emissions, you might be looking at an electric car for your next purchase.
Electric vehicles, or EVs, provide many advantages over conventional gasoline cars, but there are some drawbacks as well. Before you take the plunge, here are the things you should know.
Electric cars have existed for a long time, but they’re growing rapidly in influence and popularity these days. Many countries around the world, and some states in the U.S., have announced plans to ban sales of new gasoline vehicles within the next decade or so. Electric-vehicle sales in the U.S. have also risen, with an uptick of 60 percent in EV registrations in the U.S. in the first quarter of 2022. They still only make up 4.6 percent of the overall new-car market, but that number will likely continue to climb in the coming years.
If you’re considering joining this trend and purchasing an electric vehicle, you should understand how EVs differ from the internal-combustion vehicles we’re used to, both in terms of cost and the ownership experience.
When people refer to electric vehicles, they’re typically talking about Battery-Electric Vehicles (BEVs). These are solely powered by electricity. They use a large battery pack that supplies energy to an electric motor (or multiple motors) to power the vehicle. Think of the battery pack as the gas tank and the electric motor as the engine. Current popular BEV models include:
Hybrid vehicles also use electric motors, but in combination with gasoline engines to power the car. The difference between a hybrid and a plug-in-hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) is right in the name: a PHEV’s battery can be charged by plugging in and is typically much larger than a hybrid’s battery pack, which means it can provide meaningful electric-only range (typically 10 to 50 miles). Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs) cannot be plugged in and instead use the gasoline engine to recharge the battery pack. Many vehicles sold today offer both hybrid and nonhybrid models.
The difference in cost between owning and operating an electric car compared with a gasoline car is one of the most important considerations. There are several factors you’ll need to think about, including the cost of fuel and maintenance, as well as the overall purchase price of the vehicle itself.
Electric cars tend to be more expensive to buy upfront. For instance, the electric 2023 Volkswagen ID.4 starts at $38,790 while the similarly sized, gasoline-powered Volkswagen Tiguan starts at $27,785. However, as electric vehicles become more mainstream, the upfront cost difference is declining and there are far more affordable options to choose from. An electric vehicle tax credit, including up to $7500 that can be claimed on your federal tax return, may also help you save on your purchase. There are also state and local incentives.
Car and Driver
The most obvious difference between electric vehicles and gas-powered or internal-combustion-engine (ICE) vehicles is that EVs require electricity, and gas cars run on gasoline.
The concept of MPG, or miles per gallon, measures the fuel efficiency of gasoline vehicles. Electric vehicles’ efficiency is measured in MPGe, or miles per gallon equivalent.
While the price of gas varies over time and location, the national average for a gallon of regular gas was $4.19 in August 2022. If a standard gasoline car holds about 14 gallons on average, that means it costs just under $60 to fill up. Fuel-efficient vehicles travel more miles per gallon, meaning they need to be filled up less often and cost you less per mile.
The electricity that powers EVs can come from a variety of sources. Electricity is produced from burning gas or coal, or from renewable sources such as hydropower, wind, or solar. Electricity prices vary depending on whether you charge at home or whether you charge at public charging stations. Some energy companies also charge more for using electricity at peak hours. DC fast-charging stations, such as Electrify America or EVgo, usually cost far more than traditional “slow” charging stations, and tend to be about three times more expensive per kilowatt of energy than charging at home.
Regardless of these differences, electric cars are often cheaper to run than gasoline cars because of their better energy efficiency. The EPA estimates that the electric Kia EV6, for instance, would cost $550 to fuel over the course of a year, while the gas-powered Kia K5 would cost $1950 to fuel. This estimate is based on driving 15,000 miles per year and current fuel and electricity prices, and assumes all charging happens at home. If you plan to do a lot of public fast charging, that cost will rise. To take it to the extreme and assume all charging is done at public fast chargers (an extremely unlikely scenario), the annual total rises to $1850 per year, nearly equaling the gas-powered K5’s estimate, using Electrify America’s current rate of $0.43/kWh.
While gas vehicles’ driving range depends on the size of the gas tank and fuel efficiency, refueling is as easy as stopping at a gas station for a few minutes at a time. Electric cars generally lag behind in terms of driving range but have made great strides in driving range and charging in recent years. Indeed, in our 75-mph highway-range test, a Lucid Air Grand Touring is the first to go more than 400 miles. Many of today’s EVs are estimated to go over 300 miles on a charge, and fast-charging capabilities allow you to regain a significant number of miles in a matter of minutes. But long-distance drives may still require some planning, as you’ll have to figure out where charging stations are along your route and how long you’ll have to stop to replenish the battery.
Electric vehicles also tend to have lower maintenance costs, as electric motors and batteries require less routine care than gasoline engines do. They don’t require regular oil changes, for instance. Of course, there are still day-to-day expenses such as auto insurance, tire rotations, and brake maintenance that both gasoline cars and EVs require. We’ve previously calculated that the cost to maintain an EV can be around a third of the cost to maintain an equivalent gas car over a period of five years.
Ford
Another way to evaluate the differences between gas cars and EVs is to look at the driving experience. Because electric motors function so differently from internal-combustion engines, you might be surprised at how an electric car feels to drive the first time you get behind the wheel.
Generally speaking, electric motors make their maximum torque at 0 rpm; this makes their acceleration feel more instantaneous at low speeds than gas-powered c. EVs are often quicker than gasoline cars, but they’re not always faster. This means that they can go from, say, 30 to 50 mph far more quickly but that their top speeds are often lower than gas cars’.
In terms of vehicle selection, gasoline cars still come out ahead, with hundreds of different models offered. There are only about 30 purely EV models offered by manufacturers to choose from. But the variety of electric vehicles has increased dramatically and there are now electric pickup trucks, electric luxury vehicles, and many different electric SUVs on sale in the U.S. Many more EV models are slated to arrive within the next few years, which will expand the palette further.
If you’re considering buying an electric car vs. a gas car, there are a number of issues to consider, including overall cost, emissions, and vehicle selection. Keep these in mind as you shop for your new car.
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
We have a big list of modern & classic cars in both used and new categories.