Author: Sofia

Tesla has come under fire again for its controversially named Full Self-Driving driver-assist feature, this time in an ad that aired on Sunday in Washington, D.C., as well as in a number of state capitals during Super Bowl LVII. The spot shows a number of situations where a Tesla allegedly operating in FSD mode fails, with examples including cars crossing into oncoming lanes and running over mannequins simulating children crossing the road. The ad was produced by The Dawn Project, an organization which aims to ensure the safety of software in critical situations. The ad was also posted on Saturday by…

Ford announced on Monday that it’s planning the installation of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries into its Mustang Mach-E starting later in calendar year 2023 and its F-150 Lightning in calendar year 2024.  The shift will potentially bring lower EV prices, although that will “depend on what happens with the market,” according to Ford Model E chief customer officer Marin Gjaja.  The executive added: “The whole intent here is to make these more affordable and accessible.” Mach-E Standard Range EVs will get LFP cells starting later this year; F-150 Standard Range trucks get them early next year—with the shift possibly…

Maserati is open to building one-off and low-volume cars based on existing platforms, a senior engineer at the automaker has revealed. In an interview with Top Gear published on Monday, Davide Danesin, who’s in charge of development for the GranTurismo and Quattroporte lines, said Maserati is open to accepting commissions for bespoke projects. Maserati already offers a personalization program known as Fuoriserie, which enables customers to add custom touches to Maserati’s regular production cars. However, the new program would be akin to programs like Ferrari’s Special Projects or the one at Rolls-Royce which resulted in 2017’s Sweptail. In his interview…

Ford has filed a patent application for solid axles with integrated hub motors, hinting at a very different kind of EV powertrain from the Blue Oval. Instead of allowing wheels to move up and down individually, as in independent suspension systems, solid axles pivot when moving over uneven surfaces. That means they’ve been primarily relegated to pickup trucks, but Ford’s patent application, filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) Feb. 9, shows how they might stick around in the EV era. Ford patent image showing a solid axle with EV hub motors The document details adding hub-motor…

Tesla passed Honda and GM in California sales. A DOE loan will help Redwood Materials ramp up. Ford is expected to announce LFP battery production in Michigan. And the first Ram electric truck won’t look as revolutionary as teased. This and more, here at DriftBreath Reports Leading into a Super Bowl ad yesterday about “premature electrification,” Ram showed the production version of its 1500 REV electric truck, emphasizing that it’s nothing close to the design revolution shown by the brand’s recent Ram 1500 Revolution BEV Concept.  According to a report summing up California sales, Tesla took 11% of the market…

The latest Mercedes-Benz S-Class has spawned a plug-in hybrid option. It’s known as the S 580e, and Mercedes on Monday announced that the electrified luxury sedan reaches dealerships in the first half of 2023, as a 2023 model. Order books are already open, and pricing is confirmed to start at $123,700, including a $1,150 destination charge. The S 580e’s powertrain consists of a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-6 combined with a single electric motor, and its drive goes to all four wheels. Combined output is a healthy 510 hp, or enough for 0-60 mph acceleration in 5.1 seconds and a governed top…

The one and only Bugatti Chiron Profilée has become the most expensive new car ever sold at an auction. RM Sotheby’s sold it in Paris for precisely €9,792,500 including the buyer’s premium, a sum that represents approximately $10.8 million at the current conversion rate. For context, the Profilée makes the standard Chiron (which is sold-out) look like a bargain. Bugatti charged about $3 million for it, meaning the anonymous collector who took home the one-off car could have bought three regular Chiron models instead. With that said, we’re not 100% surprised by the result: in addition to being a unique…

Battery-recycling firm Redwood Materials may soon received a $2 billion loan from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to expand its operations. The DOE on Thursday made a conditional commitment for the loan, which would go toward a $3.5 billion recycling and remanufacturing facility in Nevada, according to a Reuters report. The loan, which must still be finalized, is a step toward the Biden administration’s goal of building up the domestic EV supply chain. Redwood will play an “outsized role in bringing the battery supply chain home,” energy secretary Jennifer Granholm said in an interview with Reuters. Rendering of proposed…

Porsche engineers have been spotted testing prototypes for an updated version of the Cayenne Coupe. The Cayenne Coupe, as the name suggests, is a coupe-like version of the Cayenne designed to tackle high-end versions of the BMW X6 and Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe, as well as the likes of the Lamborghini Urus, Aston Martin DBX, and recently revealed Ferrari Purosangue. It first arrived on the market in 2019 as a 2020 model, and a range-topping Cayenne Turbo GT variant was added to the lineup for 2022. This updated Cayenne Coupe is slated to arrive in the spring, likely as a 2024…

Tesla had 11.2% of the 2022 California new-car market, making it the second-highest-selling brand in the state with a lineup of only EVs, according to a report from the California New Car Dealers Association (CNCDA). The 2022 results put Tesla behind Toyota’s 17.3% and ahead of Ford, which took 8.4% of the market. But Tesla is gaining, as it saw sales increase 43% year-over-year, while Toyota’s sales declined 14% in the same period. In addition to Ford, Tesla also topped Chevrolet, despite both American brands’ popular full-size pickup trucks. The Tesla Cybertruck still hasn’t arrived after multiple delays, with the…