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Volta, a charging company distinguished by its partly free, partly ad-supported EV charging, announced Wednesday that it will be acquired by oil giant Shell. The two companies have signed a “definitive merger agreement” under which Shell will buy Volta in an all-cash transaction that values the charging company at $169 million, according to a Volta press release. The transaction involves Shell acquiring all outstanding shares of Volta Class A common stock at $0.86 per share in cash, which represents an 18% premium over the January 17, 2023, closing price of Volta stock, the company said. Volta charging In the release,…

California is clamping down on diesel polluters. A CEO suggests the market shift to SUVs may be over. And Volvo is switching some of its EVs to rear-wheel drive. This and much more, here at DriftBreath Reports. Volvo on Tuesday revealed the return of rear-wheel drive, in more efficient single-motor EVs. The configuration returns for 2024 in Volvo’s two most affordable EVs, the XC40 Recharge and C40 Recharge. California has just taken regulations preventing older diesel trucks, implemented more than a decade ago, to their next step: enforcement. With more polluting pre-2010 diesel big rigs now banned, operators are being…

Aston Martin is bidding farewell to its DBS nameplate, at least for the time being, and is doing it in the best way possible, by launching its most powerful regular production model yet. The British performance marque on Wednesday revealed the 2023 DBS 770 Ultimate, the flagship and final member of the current DBS Superleggera range. The DBS nameplate dates back to the original DBS sports car built between 1967 and 1972. It was revived in 2008 for the DBS V12 and then again in 2018 with the current DBS Superleggera, so there’s a chance it might return again in…

Fast Facts 2021 Ford Bronco Black Diamond Fast Facts Powertrain 2.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder (275 horsepower @ 5,700 RPM (300 @ 5,700 RPM w/premium fuel), 315 lb-ft @ 3,400 RPM (325 @ 3,400 RPM w/premium fuel)) Transmission/Drive Wheels Seven-speed manual transmission, four-wheel drive Fuel Economy, U.S. 17 city / 19 highway / 18 combined (EPA Rating, MPG) Fuel Economy, Canada 13.8 city / 12.4 highway / 13.2 combined. (NRCan Rating, L/100km) Base Price $39,340 (U.S) / $52,299 (Canada) As-Tested Price $42,720 (U.S.) / $57,584 (Canada) Prices include $1,495 destination charge in the United States and $2,195 for freight, PDI, and A/C…

The automotive, motorsports, marketing, and clothing communities are grieving the loss of rally and “Gymkhana” icon Ken Block, who died in a snowmobile accident on Jan. 3. On Wednesday, Hoonigan co-founder Brian Scotto and the rest of the Hoonigan crew released a video tribute on the outfit’s YouTube channel that included a brief business update. After a celebration of life was held last week, the crew is returning to the Hoonigan HQ in Long Beach, California. Scotto notes that a lot of footage filmed in 2022, much of it including Block himself, has not been released. The team plans to…

Jaguar has given the I-Pace, its first series-produced electric model, a round of minor visual and packaging updates. The crossover gets a nip-and-tucked front end, additional paint options, and in some markets a restructured trim level hierarchy, among other small changes. The biggest design update is positioned front and center — literally. The new-look I-Pace receives a smooth insert that replaces the grille-like trim fitted to the outgoing model. It’s finished in Atlas Gray, and this color also appears on the trim pieces positioned on either end of the lower part of the front bumper. Jaguar also fitted a black…

It isn’t always the case that an automotive CEO is a car person. It’s rarer still when the CEO is also an avid racing driver. One such case is the CEO of Ford, Jim Farley. (Another is Toyota chief Akio Toyoda.) Farley has been racing vintage cars for well over a decade, including iconic Fords such as the GT40 and the Ford-powered 427 Cobra. He has described racing the GT40 as his form of yoga. Soon, though, he will race a modern Mustang GT4 in the IMSA VP Racing SportsCar Challenge, one of the lead-up events for the 2023 24…

We love a good quarter-mile time, impressive skidpad g’s, and the visceral thrill of a rev-matched downshift. But we also know that most people, most of the time, are just inching along in the dropoff line at school or slogging from stoplight to stoplight in a never-ending series of errands. As today’s family car of choice, three-row SUVs are sentenced to live out much of their days doing just this kind of duty, along with road trips, car pools, and the occasional crosstown move. It can be grindingly mundane, but as the Kia Telluride proves, your three-row SUV doesn’t have…

California is now actively banning older diesel trucks from operating on its roads. A new rule states that any diesel vehicle weighing over 14,000 pounds with an engine built before the 2010 model year is banned from California roads effective January 1, 2023. The rule, part of a set of emissions regulations implemented by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) in 2008, affects around 200,000 trucks and buses, including 70,000 big rigs, according to SFGate. Exceptions will be made for older vehicles that have their engines replaced with ones from after the 2010 model year, and for vehicles that travel…

Chevy’s first electrified Corvette is finally here in the form of the 2024 Corvette E-Ray. The sports car combines a V-8 with a single electric motor for a combined 655 hp. The motor is mounted at the front axle, making this the first Corvette with all-wheel drive. We got a ride in it. The Lincoln Aviator is a solid pick for buyers seeking a roomy mid-size SUV with a luxurious cabin. Now it’s about to be updated, and spy shots of a prototype reveal many of the changes that are taking place. Lamborghini is working on a successor to the…