Author: Sofia
Jeffrey Guyton, the president and CEO of Mazda USA, isn’t sold on the EV range race. Guyton told DriftBreath Reports at the 2024 Mazda CX-90 reveal that while electric vehicle buyers today are looking for 300 miles of range, the future’s not ever-longer range. Consumers will find they don’t really need even that much, he said. Second-time BEV owners will learn, evolve, and shift their priorities and needs based on experience, Guyton thinks. As charging infrastructure develops, people’s experiences will develop, charging at home will factor in, and the technology will improve. The executive noted that the adoption of EVs…
Mazda just took its first giant leap into the future and is ready to plug in while aiming to fit the entire family. On Tuesday, the 2024 Mazda CX-90 made its debut. With new hybrid powertrains, rear-wheel-drive-based platform, and three rows of seats, it has more boring competition in its sights. At this time, the CX-90 is light on details and flush with beautiful design elements that might get enthusiast families excited. Mazda said the CX-90 will go on sale this spring with pricing, fuel economy ratings, electric-only range, and actual vehicle dimensions to be announced closer to launch. 2024…
The Porsche Taycan is about to come in for an update, as evidenced by camouflaged prototypes spotted in the wild. The fully electric Taycan first arrived as a sedan for the 2020 model year and spawned the Cross Turismo soft-roader and Sport Turismo wagon body styles for 2021 and 2022, respectively. The complete updated range should arrive for the 2024 model year, meaning a market launch later this year is likely, though the launch may be pushed into early 2024. The prototypes reveal subtle changes at both ends. There appears to be revised fascias front and rear, as well as…
A Kansas House bill calls for a tax on public EV charging—but not home charging. The proposed tax of 3 cents per kilowatt-hour would go to a Kansas highway repair fund reliant on revenue, according to the Kansas Reflector, but it could force EV drivers to pay more than other drivers. Any tax on public charging would effectively be “double taxation,” one EV contemplator told the Reflector, because EV owners already pay higher registration fees. The Kansas legislature in 2019 passed a measure upping the fee to $100 for EVs, compared to $30 for internal-combustion vehicles, arguing that it made…
Toyota’s change at the top likely doesn’t change its position on EVs. GM says it’s flexible on battery format; read into that what you will. And the Hyundai Ioniq 6 pushes efficiency and range to new heights. This and more, here at DriftBreath Reports. The Hyundai Ioniq 6 beats the Tesla Model 3 in range and efficiency, with an EPA-rated 361 miles. And in rear-wheel-drive form, it ties the all-wheel-drive Lucid Air Pure for efficiency. Although GM has built a strong argument around the large-format pouch cells at the core of its U.S. Ultium EV push, it’s now suggesting it’s…
The driver lineup for the modified Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Next Gen NASCAR race car headed to this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans was confirmed on Saturday during the 24 Hours of Daytona. The three drivers confirmed were Jimmie Johnson, Jenson Button, and Mike Rockenfeller. Johnson, a seven-time NASCAR champion, was widely rumored to be among the drivers for the NASCAR Le Mans program since the Next Gen racer will be fielded by his former team, Hendrick Motorsports. It will be fielded in Le Mans’ single-vehicle Garage 56 class designed for experimental vehicles. Johnson, who switched from NASCAR to IndyCar…
The pinnacle of automotive luxury can be in your garage. Rolls-Royce is a brand that has become well known throughout its existence, which has lasted over a hundred years. In the past century, the brand earned its incredible reputation for leaving no stone unturned when it comes to automotive luxury. By making cars that are sumptuous and comfortable without any corners cut, the Rolls-Royce name has become synonymous with “the high life” and a desired state of automotive acquisition. Whether you want features like bespoke configurations, Starlight headliners, powerful performance, unbeatable comfort, or more, a Rolls-Royce is ready to provide…
The Ford F-150 has the Raptor, and the Ram 1500 has the TRX, but when it comes to the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 there’s still no high-performance option to be found. Some years back, Houston, Texas-based PaxPower stepped in to fill that void with its original Jackal. The conversion added the rugged suspension and flared wheel arches inspired by Baja pre-runners, and coupled this with the availability of a V-8 engine. The company now has a new version of the Jackal based on the updated Silverado introduced for 2022. The Jackal conversion can also be performed on the related GMC Sierra…
Lotus Technology, a division of Lotus responsible for EV development, is about to go public via a SPAC deal. Also referred to as a reverse merger, a SPAC deal is where a private company goes public by being taken over by a company that’s already listed, typically one set up solely for this purpose, known in investor circles as a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC). The advantage is that it avoids the complexity (namely regulatory requirements) of launching an IPO. In an announcement on Tuesday, Lotus Technology said it plans a reverse merger with the Nasdaq-listed SPAC company L Catterton…
Meeting federal goals for a national charging network will require 1,104 EV fast-charging stations along major corridors, according to a new Great Plains Institute study. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law set aside $7.5 billion to build a national EV charging network of 500,000 charging sites, with $5 billion of that amount to be distributed to individual states. To qualify for that funding, the feds have set guidelines that call for four 150-kw connectors, every 50 miles. Existing and recommended U.S. EV fast-chargers (from 2023 Great Plains Institute study) Of the nation’s 4,943 existing public non-Tesla fast chargers, just 509 comply with…