The first ever electrified edition of the Chevrolet Corvette, called the E-Ray Hybrid, will arrive on 17 January. Chevrolet has published a video of a production-ready car undergoing cold-weather testing, dubbed over with a mixture of V8 grumbles and electrified whines. This suggests its anticipated hybrid powerplant will be based around the hallowed 6.2-litre petrol engine and offer electric-only running over… Continue reading Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray hybrid to land on 17 January
Author: Autocar Magazine UK
Chip shortage to hit 2023 sales, warns Volkswagen
Volkswagen has warned that 2023 will be a “volatile and challenging year” for car sales, due to the ongoing effects of the chip shortage, which restricted its sales during 2022. Overall, the German brand sold 4.56 million cars in 2022, a 6.8% shortfall compared with the previous year. This was due to “persistent supply shortages”, said… Continue reading Chip shortage to hit 2023 sales, warns Volkswagen
Mercedes-Benz sales stable amid logistical challenges
Mercedes-Benz‘s sales stagnated during 2022, despite growth in the majority of regions in which it operated. In total, the German manufacturer sold 2,043,900 cars during 2022, a 1% (49,576) shortfall compared with the previous year and 16% (355,736) less than the rival BMW Group. Mercedes attributed the slump to Covid measures (namely repeated lockdowns in China) restricting… Continue reading Mercedes-Benz sales stable amid logistical challenges
New BMW 5 Series: all-electric BMW i5 confirmed for 2023 launch
The seventh-generation BMW 5 Series will bow out after seven years in 2023, and the German car maker has now confirmed that the model’s all-electric counterpart will also go on sale this year. Set to radically transform the model both technologically and stylistically, the new BMW i5 forms a major part of BMW’s transition to… Continue reading New BMW 5 Series: all-electric BMW i5 confirmed for 2023 launch
BMW Group doubles EV sales amid overall decline
The BMW Group saw significant growth in electric car sales during 2022, but an array of obstacles prevented the company from matching the overall sales volumes it achieved in 2021. In total, the BMW Group sold 2,399,636 cars during 2022, 4.8% (121,878) fewer than in 2021. It attributed the shortfall to supply-chain problems, China’s continuing Covid… Continue reading BMW Group doubles EV sales amid overall decline
Bentley breaks sales record in bumper 2022
Bentley crossed the 15,000-sales threshold for the first time in 2022, positioning the luxury marque to shatter its previous full-year profit record when figures are revealed later this quarter. As the British company had already beaten its previous full-year profit high of €389 million (£325.8m) by July, the addition of this new volume record is… Continue reading Bentley breaks sales record in bumper 2022
Average EV fast-charging costs soar above petrol
It now costs more to run an electric car using public rapid chargers than it does its petrol equivalent, new data has revealed, with charging prices having risen by more than 50% in just eight months. Yet when approached by Autocar, three of the UK’s biggest electric charging firms say they are setting prices as low… Continue reading Average EV fast-charging costs soar above petrol
What 2023 holds for the global automotive industry
As the industry recovers from pandemic shutdowns, every stakeholder is looking for their place going forward. We have learned so much and believe this new knowledge will alter the landscape. Many things will change, but some will not evolve in the ways that conventional thinking would have us believe. In the history of the automotive… Continue reading What 2023 holds for the global automotive industry
Tavares: Cost-cutting to make pricey EVs cheaper threatens plants
Plant shutdowns are inevitable if car makers can’t absorb the higher costs of electric cars and the market shrinks as a result, Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares has warned. Tavares was responding to questions at the CES tech event held in Las Vegas last week about Stellantis’s decision to indefinitely idle the company’s Jeep Cherokee plant… Continue reading Tavares: Cost-cutting to make pricey EVs cheaper threatens plants
Audi Q8 e-tron: 8 ways it amps up the all-electric SUV
First, the Audi Q8 50 e-tron, which uses front and rear motors to deliver up to 340PS and 664Nm in boost mode, with true all-wheel drive. Its 95kWh battery offers up to 281 miles of all-electric range on SUV models and up to 290 miles on the Sportback. Next, the Audi Q8 55 e-tron. Once… Continue reading Audi Q8 e-tron: 8 ways it amps up the all-electric SUV