#Apple Pulls Plans For Self-Driving EV

[Auto Styling News]

Apple has canceled its plans to release an electric car with self-driving abilities, a secretive product that had been in the works for nearly a decade, the BBC reports.

The company has plans to cut more than 600 jobs after reportedly dropping its self-driving car plans.

The majority of the cuts come from the address of the site which was working on the recently abandoned self-driving car project in California, according to Bloomberg.

The state's employment department was notified on March 28 that 614 staff will be laid off in May.

Artists renderings of the proposed, now stalled, vehicle, show a far chunkier and swoopy vehicle, but otherwise resembling many high-end EVs on the market or currently in development. Several more established automakers, including Tesla, are scaling back production, slashing prices or even in some cases,  such as Apple, are seemingly abandoning EVs in the face of lackluster sales.

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Auto Styling News is a blog that covers car concepts, newly released models, and the auto industry.

#Electric Automaker #Fisker, Poss. On Verge Of Bankruptcy, Pauses Car Production

[Auto Styling News]

 

Following recent reports that Fisker, a California-based EV automaker, has been preparing for a possible bankruptcy filing, yesterday the embattled automaker announced that it is suspending all manufacture of its vehicles.

“Fisker will pause production for six weeks starting the week of March 18, 2024, to align inventory levels and progress strategic and financing initiatives,” the company said in a statement, reported several media outlets, including Wired.

For its part, the company had issued a press release earlier in the week saying, "Fisker is focused on raising additional capital and engaging in a strategic partnership with a large automaker. The company is also continuing to pursue its shift to a Dealer Partnership model in both North America and Europe. The leadership team is laser-focused on these efforts."

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Auto Styling News is a blog that covers car concepts, newly released models, and the auto industry.

#2025 Electric Dodge Charger is EV Muscle [auto styling news]

[Auto Styling News]

The 2025 electric Dodge Charger concept car is undeniably a Dodge muscle car but takes a more sleek, futuristic approach. 

Check out the front end. Notice the open space around the headlights and that dip in the hood? This is to let air flow through the pass-through R-Wing and glue the body to the road with aerodynamic mastery. This also occurs through the carbon-fiber side fascia intakes.

New wheels and body lines that pay tribute to the first Charger muscle car's side profile pull the look together with a bang. From the lightbar in the back to the bucket seats inside, the new Dodge Charger electric concept mixes classic cues with sci-fi style.

The Dodge brand is reportedly going 100% electric by 2028. Release date for this EV had not been announced.

 

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Auto Styling News is a blog that covers car concepts, newly released models, and the auto industry.

#Lexus Plans 620-Mile Range, Quick-Charging EV

[Auto Styling News]

Japanese luxury car brand Lexus has formally begun its journey to full electrification by 2035 by introducing a peek at the production version of the LF CZ at the 2023 Japan Mobility Show.

The Japan Mobility Show replaces the erstwhile Tokyo Motor Show as the region's biggest automotive festival, transforming into a holistic and lifestyle-centered trade show.

This LF-CZ or Lexus Future Zero-emission Catalyst uses DIRECT4 All-Wheel Drive Technology that Lexus took from the RZ.

There was not much to go on about the concept model except for the batteries it will be fitted with. 

The LF-ZC will have a prismatic, high-performance batteries that has twice the range of current EVs in the market today. That means it will have up to 620 miles of distance to travel on a fully-charged power source. 

As AutoStylingNews previously noted, Toyota, Lexus' parent company, recently announced that it will pioneer and bring to market long-lasting, quick charging batteries in the coming years,  which explains why it has largely remained out of the EV market.

The pre-production photos of the concept show a sleek luxury car that aims to compete with the electric cars Cadillac, Tesla and Luxid, and Mercedes are planning for the near future.  Lexus says the first LF-CZ variant may in fact be a hatchback. 

Lexus plans to sell this next-generation model in 2026, with an aim to give Lexus a full electric lineup by 2026.

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Auto Styling News is a blog that covers car concepts, newly released models, and the auto industry.

New Toyota EV Batteries Will Revolutionize EV Industry

[Auto Styling News]

 

Toyota plans to have solid-state-battery EVs in production by 2027 or 2028, after a long absence from the battery EV market.

Solid-state batteries promise to offer more energy storage and require less space than current EV batteries, but face challenges with extreme temperatures and degradation.

Different battery types could offer more variation in EVs, such as batteries better suited for power drains, extreme temperatures, or fast charging. The auto industry may need to push for better power grids to accommodate fast-charging EVs.

Full story here.
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Auto Styling News is a blog that covers car concepts, newly released models, and the auto industry.

Ford Cuts EV Prodution. "Too Expensive," Says CFO [Auto Styling News]

[Auto Styling News]

Last Thursday, Ford announced that it would reduce the number of electric vehicles it had planned to produce, because there weren’t going to be enough customers who could afford to buy them. 

Ford CFO John Lawler said that because EVs are “too expensive” for most car buyers, the company was “going to balance supply with demand” by reducing its supply. 

Instead of turning out 600,000 electric cars and trucks by the end of this year, it would hit that mark at the end of next year. Instead of producing two million such vehicles by the end of 2026, it would turn out that many at some later date.
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Auto Styling News is a blog that covers car concepts, newly released models, and the auto industry.

Cybertruck Delays Mean Competitors GM, Ford Will Be First With Truck EVs

[Auto Styling News]

When Tesla first introduced its Cybertruck electric pickup prototype in November 2019, it was described as a vehicle similar to one in the films "Mad Max" and "Blade Runner." CEO Elon Musk said the development of the Cybertruck was influenced by the amphibious Lotus Esprit S1 that was featured in the 1977 James Bond film "The Spy Who Loved Me."

The prototype impressed so many people that five days after introduction on Nov. 24, 2019, Musk said the company had received 187,000 orders for the electric vehicle.  After numerous delays due to COVID, it may finally come to market next year. As The Street reports, it will have competition from Ford, Stallantis/Chrysler,  and even GM:

"General Motors will have its say in the SUV/crossover market as it in July 2022 unveiled plans for its new electric version of the Chevy Blazer, which has been a popular internal combustion engine model for many years, since it first went on sale in 1969."

"The new Chevy Blazer EV will feature four models: the 1LT starting at $44,995; 2LT at $47,595; the RS starting at $51,995 and the SS priced at $65,995. The automaker will also feature a Police Pursuit Vehicle, automaker said in a statement when it unveiled the models."
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Auto Styling News is a blog that covers car concepts, newly released models, and the auto industry.

VW Cuts Back On EV Production, Citing Poor Sales

[Auto Styling News]

Volkswagen is temporarily cutting back production of e-cars at its Emden plant in the German seaport town of Lower Saxony, citing flagging sales, according to the works council. In the next two weeks until the plant vacations, the late shift in the production of the ID.4 compact SUV and the first models of the new ID.7 electric sedan will be canceled, works council head Manfred Wulff said in response to a question, confirming a report in the "Nordwest-Zeitung" newspaper. 

A VW spokeswoman in Emden told the paper, "We are confident that capacity utilization at the plant will increase again with the market launch of the ID.7 at the end of the year."

The workforce was informed of the move on Monday, the works council said. According to the statement, while production of combustion models, such as the Passat, will continue unchanged, the three-week plant vacation for employees in the E-segment is also to be extended by one week. In addition, around 300 of the 1,500 temporary workers currently employed in Emden are not to be kept on from August.

For the past decade, The German automaker has been promising an electric version of its wildly popular VW Van. But its success was pinned to the nostalgia of Baby Boomers (1946-1964) who remembered the original. The oldest cohort of the group is in their 70s now, and are unlikely to be buying "family vans."

In February, VW booted it's design chief, who was a proponent of "retro" designs.
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Auto Styling News is a blog that covers car concepts, newly released models, and the auto industry.

Ford, GM, Make Deal To Charge EVs at Tesla Charging Stations

[Auto Styling News]

Ford and GM electric vehicles on the road today, like Ford's 2024 F-150 Lightning, above, will be getting EV adapters that will allow them to use Tesla Superchargers, and future electric cars from the two companies will reportedly be fitted with Tesla chargers at the factories.

On a Twitter Space, General Motors’ CEO Mary Barra reportedly followed Ford’s CEO Jim Farley in their move to collaborate with Tesla to integrate the North American Charging Standard (NACS) connector design into its EVs beginning in 2025.

The partnership also includes the ability for GM EV drivers to charge at a growing number of Tesla Superchargers (currently 12,000), throughout North America. Observers say Tesla will rap up building charging stations to keep up with the increased demand. 

Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted that  the "Tesla (now NACS) design, [is] fundamentally better in every way for consumers," and "Worth mentioning that Tesla is supplying the adapter & other hardware to car companies at zero profit.' Musk lamented the fact that the Europen Union rejected his overtures, according to its Transportation Mjnister, “a committee decided the standard years ago” which elicited an online  comment, Sigh, from Musk.

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Auto Styling News is a blog that covers car concepts, newly released models, and the auto industry.

Cadillac's 2024 CELESTIQ Is A Badly Needed Beapoke Halo Car

[Auto Styling News]

Cadillac is set to release an all-electric bespoke halo vehicle that will come in just over $300,000.  Each all-Electric CELESTIQ will be a bespoke, fully customizable vehicle on the level of the Bentley Continental or Bentayga and will have a similar price point.

Cadillac gushes that the car will be "the ultimate manifestation of ultra-luxury redefined through the spirit of futurism and the avant-garde." And it looks like that isn't an exaggeration at all.

A Cadillac lowest-ever coefficient of drag coupled with Cadillac’s most technologically advanced suspension ever - including Adaptive Air Ride with the latest generation of Magnetic Ride Control - will create, says the American brand, "an addicting intensity."

As you can see from these photos, the cars exterior and even interior are absolutely gorgeous. Like the Bentley, they will likely be thousands of individual combinations of materials and colors inside and out of each of these, making them utterly unique and customized to each individual buyer. 

As for styling, this vehicle will stand out on whatever road it chooses to drive on. The gorgeous rear featuring massive tail lamps and a gently sloping bobtail that gives it it's incredible drag coefficient alone make it stand out. But it's front grill is large and impressive, reflecting a natural evolution of Cadillac styling that nonetheless is somewhat surprising, in a pleasant way. 

That's not a given in the auto industry, as a decade of horrendous Acura front ends, with a buck tooth grill that was distracting and not at all upscale, will testify to. And BMWs recent laughable foray into massive grills will haunt the German automaker for the next decade if they don't do a major design U-turn in the mid-20s. 

A bespoke Halo vehicle is long overdue for a so-called luxury brand like Cadillac, which has in recent decades falling into a potentially brand killing process of nameplate switching with other GM vehicles like GMC, Buick, and others in the GM stable. The vehicle will never be a mass market blockbuster seller, but that's the point.

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Auto Styling News is a blog that covers car concepts, newly released models, and the auto industry.

Lucid Joins Tesla In Price Cutting War

[Auto Styling News]

 

Lucid is setting new standards with the longest-range, fastest-charging electric car on the market, today announced that customers can receive a $7,500 EV credit on the purchase of the award-winning Lucid Air. Starting today, this limited time offer is available for select configurations of Lucid Air Touring and Air Grand Touring models purchased by March 31, 2023.

“We think our customers still deserve a $7,500 credit for choosing an EV,” said Zak Edson, Lucid’s Vice President of Sales and Service. “Lucid Air owners have told us how much they love this car, from the world-class driving experience to the elegant design and spacious interior. With this limited time offer, we hope to get Lucid Air into the hands of even more customers so they can experience the best for themselves.”

With this, Lucid joins Tesla in a price cutting war that will likely give more consumers access to electric vehicles in near term.
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Auto Styling News is a blog that covers car concepts, newly released models, and the auto industry.

Genesis Stuns With Electric GV60 SUV

[Auto Styling News]

Hyundai Motor Group has launched a line of electric vehicles called Genesis that has seriously impressed the Auto industry with both styling and quality.

in some time.  The company's latest platform is called E-GMP. And on this platform the Electric Genesis GV60 has been built.

Kia and Hyundai have each delivered their first E-GMP EVs, and both have seriously impressed auto enthusiasts. Now it's time for Genesis to apply its first take on automotive luxury as applied to the E-GMP platform with this electric vehicle. 

The GV60 is just stunning to look at. It's curved front and signature Genesis slits for headlamps all look "right." In a world in which many SUVs look nearly identical from the front and side and even the rear, this vehicle manages to look different than every other vehicle, and that's quite a feat. 

Part of what makes this car so handsome are the panels behind the rear doors. The gentle curve of the rear door leading into it looks quite beautiful as well. While they likely cause a bit of a blind spot, they are undoubtedly handsome. As are the tail lights, which mimic the slit style of the headlamps up front. The lights on this vehicle mean that day or night, it will be instantly recognizable by anyone as a Genesis.

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Auto Styling News is a blog that covers car concepts, newly released models, and the auto industry.

EV Maker Canoo Burns Thru Cash, Lands Walmart Deal

[Auto Styling News]

Canoo is yet another electric vehicle maker that is burning through cash and not producing many vehicles. Yet there is hope on the horizon for this company, which has just cut a deal with walmart, the world's biggest retailer, for 1,000 electric vehicles to use in a new delivery service.

Fortune reports: The push for the use of electric vehicles in the U.S. is ramping up. Especially in California as the state just put a ban on gas-burning cars by 2035. Tony Aquila, the CEO of Canoo, a public EV company, is certain he can compete with brands like Tesla. But there’s one hurdle—Canoo hasn’t yet generated any revenue. .

Indeed, Fortune reports that the company burned through $164 million in its second quarter this year
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Auto Styling News is a blog that covers car concepts, newly released models, and the auto industry.

Mercedes Launches Luxury EV For 2023

[Auto Styling News]

Mercedes-Benz is betting big on its full conversion to electric vehicles.

The company's ongoing dedication to performance is translated well in the 2023 Mercedes-Benz AMG EQE350+It's a mouthful to say, but a beautiful vehicle to behold.

The exterior design features one-bow lines and a cab-forward design. The black panel grille with chrome vertical struts and AMG lettering characterize the front view, while the side panels, rear bumper and spoiler give it a distinctly aerodynamic effect.

Mercedes-AMG vehicles have always thrilled with performance, and the all-electric EQE is no different. AMG-specific electric motors at the front and rear axles provide higher engine speeds and even more power, resulting in up to 677 horsepower and 738 lb-ft of torque (with the AMG DYNAMIC PLUS package). Variable all-wheel drive, rear axle steering, and AMG RIDE CONTROL+ with adaptive adjustable damping all help to translate that power to the pavement, maximizing agility and maneuverability. And to maintain the sensory experience of driving a Mercedes-AMG. 

The car is likely to price close to 100K in the US when it goes on sale later this year. But that hits both the EV market and Mercedes upscale AMG market quite nicely, pricewise.

Let's hope that sometime in the future the company has an entry level EV that looks similar to this and runs in the $35,000 range.

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Auto Styling News is a blog that covers car concepts, newly released models, and the auto industry.

Toyota Recalls All Electric Vehicles

 

Toyota Motor Corp in late June said it would recall 2,700 of its first mass-produced electric vehicles (EVs) for the global market because of a risk the wheels could come loose.

The world's largest automaker by sales submitted the recall of the bZ4X SUVs to Japan's transportation ministry. Of the 2,700 vehicles, 2,200 were earmarked for Europe, 260 for the United States, 10 for Canada and 110 for Japan, the company said.

The recall marks a remarkable failure not just for the Japanese company, which prides itself so much on quality, but for the electric market itself, which is undergoing stresses in light of the shortage of parts for electric vehicles due to supply chain issues related to the shutdowns during covid-19.

EV Maker Rivian Reports $1.7 billion 2nd Quarter Loss

[Auto Styling News]

EV automaker Rivian Automotive Inc. reported its net loss in the second quarter nearly tripled to $1.7 billion, further pressuring the electric-vehicle startup to conserve cash and move quickly to fill customer orders.

The California-based SUV and truck maker said revenue for the quarter was about $364 million as it increased production and deliveries of its first three models. Rivian started manufacturing vehicles for the first time late last year.

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Auto Styling News is a blog that covers car concepts, newly released models, and the auto industry.

KIA Goes Electric With It's 2023 Niro

[Auto Styling News]

The "Sustainable mobility" 2023 Kia Niro is said to be by the Kia to be built to be  "accessible for everyone." the Second-generation Niro CUV comes in hybrid (HEV), plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and all-electric (EV) variants, further advancing Kia’s "Plan S" electrification initiative.

This all-new Kia Niro features a bold and dynamic design, featuring what the company calls it's ‘Opposites United’ design philosophy, and specifically its design philosophy, ‘Joy for Reason.' Let's just say that Korean car companies think differently than American car companies!

The design treatment allegedly takes its inspiration from nature, while the choice of colors, materials and finishes aim to strike a balance between an environmentally responsible approach to mobility and a future-oriented passenger car vision.

The side profile of the 2023 Kia Niro is accentuated by the Aero Blade, a highly distinctive shape that also aids airflow underneath. The Aero Blade can be painted in body color or in a variety

Dimensionally, the 2023 Niro retains a compact footprint but is surprisingly larger than the vehicle it replaces. The wheelbase increases to 107.1 inches, and overall length increases to 174 inches. Cargo capacity behind the rear seats increases to 22.8 cubic feet. And with 6.3 inches of ground clearance, Niro can easily handle urban activities. With these changes, Niro has 8 more cubic feet of passenger cabin room and 50 percent more cargo room than the Tesla Model 3.

Photos and text courtesy of Kia Motors

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Auto Styling News is a blog that covers car concepts, newly released models, and the auto industry.

#Toyota CEO Urges Slowing Down The Rush To EVs

[Auto Styling News]

Toyota's stance on electric vehicles has been in sharp contrast to many other major players in the industry. While the brand finally has a modern EV in the form of the bZ4X, it is still electrifying its lineup at a slow pace, reports Car Buzz.

Last year, the company's CEO warned that a sudden transition to EVs at the expense of internal combustion could damage Japan's economy, and more recently, it said that it's important to give customers in different regions the choice of an EV or a conventionally-powered vehicle
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Auto Styling News is a blog that covers car concepts, newly released models, and the auto industry.

#Lotus Launches All-Electric Hyper-SUV, The Eletre

[Auto Styling News]

The all-new and all-electric Lotus Eletre is a strikingly gorgeous SUV. It takes the core principles and Lotus DNA from more than 70 years of sports car design and engineering, evolving them into a desirable all-new lifestyle car from the British automaker. (* Now 51% owned by Chinese automaker Geely Holdings, 49% owned by a Malaysian holding company.)

Eletre has an elegant and highly exotic look, with active aerodynamics and a dramatic, porous design. The use of pioneering sustainable materials is just icing on this delicious looking cake.

With it's high stance and gaping maw up front, it instantly reminds one of the Lamborghini SUV, Urus, which will be direct competitor in this segment, along with the Aston Martin DBX 707 and the upcoming Ferrari Purosangue. The Tesla Plaid also has to be mentioned in the same breath as these supercars.

Of course, to compete in this realm means one has to look absolutely stunning, in this vehicle delivers.

An all-glass roof offers much light to the interior greenhouse. 

The car has more creases and indentations then the face of an octogenarian actor. Heavy creases on the doors is this car look right, though, and give it an exotic feel. The rear features taillamps hidden in deep crevices, and an elegant light bar. 

The rear of the car is dominated by a carbon fiber spoiler that has its center removed so that it resembles wings, a look inspired by racing vehicles, the company says.

Despite being electric, the company says it offers a true Lotus experience. Optimal structural rigidity and active dynamics, combined with a potent blend of high power and torque, provide the kind of performance that is expected from a Lotus.

The vehicle - which Lotus claims is a "hyper SUV" - might very well live up to that hype, since it will deliver a stunning 900 horsepower and have a 373-mile range on a charge. This more than makes it a strong competitor with the other, gas-powered luxury SUVs in this class.

The company crows, "With powerful electric motors and a low centre of gravity, this new icon makes ordinary driving, extraordinary."

Unlike earlier Lotus models, which could have sparse interiors, this one looks as lush and gorgeous as the exterior.

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Auto Styling News is a blog that covers car concepts, newly released models, and the auto industry.

#Lucid Air Is Winning Awards And Delivering EV Luxury

[Auto Styling News]

Lucid Air was awarded MotorTrend’s Car of the Year late last year, competing successfully against a formidable field of 24 competitors from major manufacturers.

The win marked the first time that the initial product from a new automotive company has been awarded MotorTrend’s flagship Car of the Year award.

Designed in Silicon Valley and built in Arizona, Lucid Air delivers an industry-leading 500+ miles of range from Lucid’s proprietary powertrain technology, which is designed and built in-house.

The announcement followed the start of customer deliveries for the fully-reserved Lucid Air Dream Edition, a car that retails at $169,000. The lower end Air is a bit cheaper, at 77,000, and reservations for the Dream have already closed.

The dream comes with a mind-blowing 1, 111 horsepower, which blows almost anything off the road except a Tesla Plaid, which is just about it's only EV competition.

The exterior styling of this beautiful car immediately tells you that it is a luxury vehicle.

Not only is Lucid Air simply stunning, it’s also among the most aerodynamic cars in the world — with a 0.21 coefficient of drag. Inspired by the elegant shape of aircraft, we aimed for clean lines in every detail to create a phenomenally fluid form. Even functional features like the autonomous driving sensors were sculpted in seamlessly.

Exterior lighting is another way Air gets its wow factor. Designed entirely in-house, the Intelligent Micro Lens Array headlights are dazzling. And at the rear, a sweeping speedform taillight creates an uninterrupted impression of light and depth.

And this luxury EV is winning hearts and minds. Legendary Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, a disenchanted former Tesla owner, recently took delivery of his Lucid Air.

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Auto Styling News is a blog that covers car concepts, newly released models, and the auto industry.