Doug Field, who left Apple five years ago to helm Ford’s multibillion-dollar bet on electric vehicles and software, is stepping down next month. Replacing him will be Alan Clarke, the ex-Tesla engineer who now leads Ford’s California-based skunkworks lab. Clarke’s new title will be vice president of advanced development projects, and he will continue to […]
A year ago, Mercedes-Benz did the prudent thing and paused its EQ lineup of electric vehicles in the US. With customer demand drying up for luxury EVs, and federal incentives getting axed by vengeful Republicans, Mercedes put its first-generation EVs on ice. But then, in January, Mercedes quietly reintroduced the EQS brand in the US, […]
Steer-by-wire, in which a car can be steered electronically rather than through a physical connection between the steering wheel and steering rack, is coming to Mercedes-Benz. The German automaker says it will use the steering technology in its forthcoming refreshed EQS sedan, marking its first foray into the world of steer-by-wire. Steer-by-wire systems replace traditional […]
If you want to feel truly invincible when driving in the snow, you need a set of studded snow tires. They’re illegal in some places, typically restricted to the frigid months of the year in others. Spring for a set, though, and they’ll see you through the worst, slipperiest, snowiest driving conditions you can imagine. […]
Google announced a new version of its Android Automotive open-source operating system for software-defined vehicles. Whereas previously Android Automotive operated exclusively in the car’s infotainment system, Google is now expanding its “open infrastructure” to the non-safety parts of the car’s internal computer system. As cars have swiftly become “computers on wheels,” there is still a […]
These past few weeks have been particularly brutal for the EV industry – and anyone who believes that electric vehicles are the future. Thanks to slowing demand and policy whiplashes, automakers are on an EV murder spree, killing a host of promising new models. The EV graveyard grows bigger by the minute. And unfortunately, as […]
The auto industry bet big on electric vehicles, but now those ambitious goals are falling apart. Demand was already slowing down when Donald Trump took office and took an ax to pro-EV policy: the elimination of the federal EV tax credit, kneecapping clean energy, and bulldozing emissions rules. Tariffs have been taking their toll as […]
BMW’s new class of EVs begins with the iX3 SUV, but you had to know it wouldn’t end there. The company’s engineers didn’t spend all that time working up a completely redesigned and substantially more efficient EV platform just for one crossover, and now it’s time for the second wave. Meet the new i3, which […]
The steady stream of news about automakers cancelling or discontinuing electric vehicles continues apace. This week it’s Volvo’s small, quirky EX30 and Honda’s solo electric offering in the US, the Prologue. Both are the latest victims of stagnating EV sales in the US thanks to the Trump administration’s decision to eliminate tax incentives. First, the […]
Farewell, Honda Zero. We never knew thee. Honda is cancelling its Zero Series SUV and Saloon, as well as the Acura RSX EVs, citing an “extremely challenging earnings situation.” The Japanese automaker, which unsuccessfully tried to merge with Nissan last year, said it expected to make a net loss of ¥360 billion (~$2.5 billion) to […]