BMW Drops Another $1 Billion In Hungarian Plant To Add Battery Assembly Facility For Neue Klasse EVs

A $3.5 billion battery plant to be constructed by Ford and Chinese battery manufacturing CATL could be located in Marshall, Michigan. Ford has not stated where it plans to construct the battery plant, nor has it even named specific sites it is considering, nor the states in which they’re located. Nevertheless, the chief executive of the Marshall Area Economic Development Alliance that controls the 1,900-acre site, Jim Durian, says that at least two companies are interested in it.

Despite doing more than another carmaker to popularize the idea of hybrid technology, Toyota has been slow to enter the full EV market and has received flak as a result. But now Toyota claims it has the data to prove that going all-in on EVs as many rival automakers have committed to do, isn’t just a bad business decision, it could be bad for the environment. The firm’s Chief Scientist, Gill Pratt, says it makes far more sense for car companies to offer cars with different energy sources, including hybrids and hydrogen.

Karma’s first crossover was supposed to be launched last year, but we haven’t heard much about the model since a press briefing in 2021. The crossover is still MIA, but Karma has announced plans to assemble electric commercial vehicles for B-ON at their Innovation and Customization Center in Moreno Valley, California.

Hyundai published the final EPA-estimated figures of all trims of the Ioniq 6, achieving the initial targets. The Hyundai Ioniq 6 SE RWD Long Range with 18-inch wheels is the trim that can go the furthest on a full charge, with 361 miles (581 km) of EPA-estimated range and a combined energy consumption of 140 MGPe. The latter is better than the 131 MGPe rating of the rival Tesla Model 3 RWD and matches the Lucid Air which sits at the top of the 2023 Top Ten Vehicles list on the Fueleconomy.gov website.

Super Bowl LVII is coming quickly and, as ever, in addition to the teams putting their all into the game, so will advertisers. Those advertisers may not be selling cars this year, though, because a surprising number of automakers will be watching this game from the sidelines. As of January...

Rivian owner Anson Wong says that his Rivian R1T was plugged into an Electrify America charger for about one minute before he heard a loud boom from the charging stall. Two errors popped up on his vehicle and he says the charger fried his battery and battery management system. It’s at least the third instance of an EV pulling up to an Electrify America charging station before having to be towed away.

General Motors has exceeded expectations as the company posted fourth-quarter revenues of $43.1 billion as well as earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) of $3.8 billion. As a result, the company finished 2022 with $156.7 billion in revenue and record earnings (EBIT) of $14.5 billion. While that sounds good, CNBC noted the company’s net income and profit margin fell, while they also ended up spending $511 million in the fourth quarter to buyout Buick dealers who didn’t want to embrace EVs.

Nissan hasn’t offered a drop top since the 370Z Roadster was axed in 2019, but that hasn’t stopped the company from showcasing the new Max-Out convertible concept. Unveiled as part of an event highlighting the future of sustainable mobility and innovative design, the concept was shown digitally in 2021 and has now been transformed into a physical vehicle.

Lotus Technology is going public after merging with special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) L Catterton Asia Acquisition Corp in a deal that will value the company at $5.4 billion. The British company has an ongoing manufacturing partnership with Zhejiang Geely Golding Group and leverages Geely’s 150,000 annual unit capacity in...

Audi is working on an all-electric version of the RS6 due to be launched in 2024 and it won’t be an electric variant of the current model. The German car manufacturer is going to base the RS6 e-tron on the upcoming all-electric A6 e-tron underpinned by the VW Group’s PPE platform. While technical details about it aren’t yet known, Audi design boss Marc Lichte recently told Top Gear that it will adopt the same wide stance that the current RS6 has become synonymous with.

Toyota is boasting about the “serious spaciousness” that will exist in its next new model, the 2024 Grand Highlander. In its latest teaser, the automaker promises that even the SUV’s third row will be big enough for adults to sit comfortably in. The “Grand Highlander is the...

Volkswagen is narrowing in on a location for a new battery factory with Ontario, Canada, thought to be a frontrunner. The German automaker signed a non-binding agreement with Canada’s federal Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, François-Philippe Champagne, in December 2022, acknowledging that it was considering Canada as a location for a battery manufacturing site.

Mazda has finally taken the wraps off its new North American-focused SUV, the 2024 CX-90. Powered by the most powerful gasoline engine ever built by the automaker, as well as a nearly-as-powerful plug-in hybrid drivetrain, and featuring plenty of Japanese style, the new SUV is going after the premium segment’s heavy hitters.

Tesla’s decision to slash EV prices sent shockwaves through the industry, but Volkswagen isn’t about to crumble and follow suit. That’s according to CEO Oliver Blume who has ruled out any price cuts for its ID-badged cars and crossovers. Earlier this week Ford responded to Tesla’s decisions...

BMW is recalling more than 3,400 of its all-electric i4 and iX models in the United States because of a problem with the pedestrian warning system. A recall notice reveals that during vehicle start-up, the external artificial sound generator control unit may experience a fault. As such, the control unit software may not generate the required external artificial sound and subsequently not fully conform to FMVSS 141 Section 5.

The sixth generation of the Opel Astra recently received a warm hatch version in the form of the electrified GSe and predictably, German tuner Irmscher took notice. The Opel Astra GSe can now be fitted with a beefier bodykit alongside a selection of wheels and interior upholstery options. Irmscher had...

Korean automaker SsangYong Motor is under new ownership and will soon be renamed to KG Mobility so it is no surprise that the development of future models has restarted. Our spy photographers caught a camouflaged prototype of the SsangYong Torres with a fully electric powertrain, which is expected to debut later this year.

Mercedes today took the wraps off the facelifted, 2024 GLE, which features new technology to make it more capable off-road, a more intelligent MBUX system, and a new GLE 400e 4Matic plug-in hybrid trim level. The new plug-in hybrid GLE 400e features a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine and a permanently excited...

After the launch of the X7, BMW gave fans a tantalizing look at what the SUV’s platform could do with a one-off pickup truck concept. Unfortunately for pickup lovers, BMW’s design director, Adrian van Hooydonk, doesn’t think that a production version is needed in the automaker’s lineup.

U.S. tuning company PaxPower has unveiled its heavily-modified Chevrolet Silverado aimed at competing with the most potent of pickup trucks produced by Ford and RAM. Dubbed the Jackal, the tuner’s creation can be built from any crew-cab, short-box Silverado and starts with the standard body panels being removed and replaced with new ones. These new panels add 8 inches of additional width to the pickup and include aggressively-flared wheel arches. Should customers wish to go the extra mile, various hoods and off-road bumpers are available.