Mercedes-Benz has released a preview of its 2025 EQS electric vehicle model that comes with a new grille design featuring chrome slats against a deep black background along with a standing star on its hood. With just those changes, the upcoming EQS more clearly resembles Benz's S-Class vehicles, its counterpart in the automaker's non-EV lineup, than its predecessor does. In addition to the more traditional Benz look and upgrades that make its seats more comfortable, the 2025 EQS will also come with a larger battery.
Its new battery has a larger usable capacity of 118 kWh, compared to the older model's 108.4 kWh. Of course, the higher the kWh, the longer an EV's range is — the first EQS had an EPA-estimated 350 mile-range, so expect Mercedes to announce a longer range than that. The 2025 EQS will feature new regenerative braking software that the automaker says can recover more energy for use, as well. That will also contribute to a longer range, lesser use of the car's brake discs and a better pedal feel.
The automaker hasn't announced how much the model would cost yet, but prices will likely start at $100,000-plus when it arrives at US dealerships later this year.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mercedes-new-eqs-looks-a-lot-more-like-an-s-class-092237724.html?src=rss
Mercedes-Benz has released a preview of its 2025 EQS electric vehicle model that comes with a new grille design featuring chrome slats against a deep black background along with a standing star on its hood. With just those changes, the upcoming EQS more clearly resembles Benz's S-Class vehicles, its counterpart in the automaker's non-EV lineup, than its predecessor does. In addition to the more traditional Benz look and upgrades that make its seats more comfortable, the 2025 EQS will also come with a larger battery.
Its new battery has a larger usable capacity of 118 kWh, compared to the older model's 108.4 kWh. Of course, the higher the kWh, the longer an EV's range is — the first EQS had an EPA-estimated 350 mile-range, so expect Mercedes to announce a longer range than that. The 2025 EQS will feature new regenerative braking software that the automaker says can recover more energy for use, as well. That will also contribute to a longer range, lesser use of the car's brake discs and a better pedal feel.
The automaker hasn't announced how much the model would cost yet, but prices will likely start at $100,000-plus when it arrives at US dealerships later this year.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mercedes-new-eqs-looks-a-lot-more-like-an-s-class-092237724.html?src=rss
Tesla has scrapped plans to make an affordable electric vehicle (EV), according toReuters. CEO Elon Musk said as recently as January that he was “optimistic” the low-cost EV would arrive in the second half of 2025. The automaker will instead reportedly “go all in” on robotaxis, which Musk has described as the future of transportation.
The canceled entry-level EV project — often called “Model 2” — was reportedly codenamed “Redwood.” The automaker had predicted a weekly production volume of 10,000 vehicles, and Musk said, “We’ll be sleeping on the line” to make it a reality. He had previously claimed Tesla was working on two new EV models expected to sell up to five million units annually.
For nearly two decades, the CEO has described his long-term goal as using luxury vehicles to build Tesla’s brand before using those profits to fund budget models. “When someone buys the Tesla Roadster sports car, they are actually helping pay for development of the low cost family car,” Musk wrote in a 2006 “Secret Tesla Motors Master Plan” memo. In the following years, he often echoed those sentiments to customers and investors.
The cancellation would leave the $39,000 and up Model 3 sedan as Tesla’s cheapest vehicle. The scrapped budget model was expected to start at around $25,000.
Reuters’ sources told the outlet they were told about the cancellation in a late February meeting “attended by scores of employees.” The publication says it reviewed internal Tesla messages about the pivot, including one advising staff to hold off on telling suppliers “about program cancellation.” Other messages allegedly told staffers that “suppliers should halt all further activities related to H422/NV91,” referring to the budget model’s external and internal codenames.
Musk posted on X (Twitter) on Friday, “Reuters is lying (again)” in response to the story — without listing any points of contention.
Tesla has its work cut out for it. Not only has EV demand slowed in the US, but competition in China is fierce, with the fast-growing BYD leading the country’s entry-level market. The Chinese automaker said earlier this month that its sales increased 13 percent year over year. Meanwhile, Tesla said on Tuesday that its deliveries dropped eight percent annually while falling 20 percent from the previous quarter.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/tesla-is-reportedly-focusing-on-robotaxis-over-its-planned-budget-ev-190833687.html?src=rss
Tesla has scrapped plans to make an affordable electric vehicle (EV), according toReuters. CEO Elon Musk said as recently as January that he was “optimistic” the low-cost EV would arrive in the second half of 2025. The automaker will instead reportedly “go all in” on robotaxis, which Musk has described as the future of transportation.
The canceled entry-level EV project — often called “Model 2” — was reportedly codenamed “Redwood.” The automaker had predicted a weekly production volume of 10,000 vehicles, and Musk said, “We’ll be sleeping on the line” to make it a reality. He had previously claimed Tesla was working on two new EV models expected to sell up to five million units annually.
For nearly two decades, the CEO has described his long-term goal as using luxury vehicles to build Tesla’s brand before using those profits to fund budget models. “When someone buys the Tesla Roadster sports car, they are actually helping pay for development of the low cost family car,” Musk wrote in a 2006 “Secret Tesla Motors Master Plan” memo. In the following years, he often echoed those sentiments to customers and investors.
The cancellation would leave the $39,000 and up Model 3 sedan as Tesla’s cheapest vehicle. The scrapped budget model was expected to start at around $25,000.
Reuters’ sources told the outlet they were told about the cancellation in a late February meeting “attended by scores of employees.” The publication says it reviewed internal Tesla messages about the pivot, including one advising staff to hold off on telling suppliers “about program cancellation.” Other messages allegedly told staffers that “suppliers should halt all further activities related to H422/NV91,” referring to the budget model’s external and internal codenames.
Musk posted on X (Twitter) on Friday, “Reuters is lying (again)” in response to the story — without listing any points of contention.
Tesla has its work cut out for it. Not only has EV demand slowed in the US, but competition in China is fierce, with the fast-growing BYD leading the country’s entry-level market. The Chinese automaker said earlier this month that its sales increased 13 percent year over year. Meanwhile, Tesla said on Tuesday that its deliveries dropped eight percent annually while falling 20 percent from the previous quarter.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/tesla-is-reportedly-focusing-on-robotaxis-over-its-planned-budget-ev-190833687.html?src=rss
Ford just announced some delays for electric vehicles, including the long-awaited three-row SUV. The car was supposed to come out next year but has now been delayed until 2027, with the company suggesting it will use the extra time to “take advantage of emerging battery technology.” Ford says it’ll be making moves to “mitigate the impact the launch delay will have on” the Canadian workforce.
The next-generation electric pickup, codenamed “T3,” is also being delayed from late 2025 to 2026. It’s being built at the Tennessee Electric Vehicle Center assembly plant at the company’s BlueOval City complex, though Ford says it's just now installing stamping equipment that will produce the sheet metal for the truck.
Alongside these announcements, the company has revealed a new push for hybrid vehicles. It has stated it plans on offering hybrid powertrains across the entire Ford Blue lineup by 2030. Despite the aforementioned delays and the pivot toward hybrid vehicles, Ford says it remains committed to EVs and that it's continuing construction of battery plants in Michigan, Tennessee and Kentucky.
However, it’s no secret that the EV market is not quite as robust as companies once hoped it would be. Maybe it’s the high price of entry, the spotty charging infrastructure or the fact that some EVs do not qualify for the federal tax break. Heck, maybe consumers are simply turned off by a certain CEO who shall not be named.
In any event, the slowdown is real, though perhaps a bit overstated. Ford experienced a decline in EV sales of 11 percent in January, but the company says it bounced back and that sales have increased by 86 percent throughout the entire first quarter when compared to last year. However, the company's EV offerings lost $4.7 billion in 2023.
“We are committed to scaling a profitable EV business", said Jim Farley, Ford president and CEO. To that end, the company announced last year that it would be delaying or canceling $12 billion in planned spending on electric vehicles. It’s unclear how today’s announcements will impact Ford's plans to ramp up production to 600,000 EVs per year. In any event, customers can now use Tesla Superchargers in the US and Canada, which should help assuage some of those infrastructure concerns.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ford-delays-some-electric-vehicles-renews-focus-on-hybrids-172007210.html?src=rss
Ford just announced some delays for electric vehicles, including the long-awaited three-row SUV. The car was supposed to come out next year but has now been delayed until 2027, with the company suggesting it will use the extra time to “take advantage of emerging battery technology.” Ford says it’ll be making moves to “mitigate the impact the launch delay will have on” the Canadian workforce.
The next-generation electric pickup, codenamed “T3,” is also being delayed from late 2025 to 2026. It’s being built at the Tennessee Electric Vehicle Center assembly plant at the company’s BlueOval City complex, though Ford says it's just now installing stamping equipment that will produce the sheet metal for the truck.
Alongside these announcements, the company has revealed a new push for hybrid vehicles. It has stated it plans on offering hybrid powertrains across the entire Ford Blue lineup by 2030. Despite the aforementioned delays and the pivot toward hybrid vehicles, Ford says it remains committed to EVs and that it's continuing construction of battery plants in Michigan, Tennessee and Kentucky.
However, it’s no secret that the EV market is not quite as robust as companies once hoped it would be. Maybe it’s the high price of entry, the spotty charging infrastructure or the fact that some EVs do not qualify for the federal tax break. Heck, maybe consumers are simply turned off by a certain CEO who shall not be named.
In any event, the slowdown is real, though perhaps a bit overstated. Ford experienced a decline in EV sales of 11 percent in January, but the company says it bounced back and that sales have increased by 86 percent throughout the entire first quarter when compared to last year. However, the company's EV offerings lost $4.7 billion in 2023.
“We are committed to scaling a profitable EV business", said Jim Farley, Ford president and CEO. To that end, the company announced last year that it would be delaying or canceling $12 billion in planned spending on electric vehicles. It’s unclear how today’s announcements will impact Ford's plans to ramp up production to 600,000 EVs per year. In any event, customers can now use Tesla Superchargers in the US and Canada, which should help assuage some of those infrastructure concerns.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ford-delays-some-electric-vehicles-renews-focus-on-hybrids-172007210.html?src=rss
Tesla has revealed how many vehicles it delivered in the first three months of 2024 and the figures dropped significantly from both the previous quarter and the same period in 2023. The company handed over 386,810 EVs during the period.
That's down 20 percent from the 484,507 vehicles Tesla delivered in Q4 2023 and an eight percent dip year-over-year. This was Tesla's first YoY sales drop since 2020, Bloomberg points out. The figures also fell well short of projections — on average, analysts expected Tesla to deliver 449,080 EVs.
There are some mitigating factors at play, as TechCrunch notes. Tesla had to close its factory in Germany for almost a week due to an arson attack. It also put most production at the Berlin-area facility on hold for a fortnight due to shipping disruptions resulting from Houthi attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea. Tesla also pointed to an early production ramp up of the revised Model 3 as another reason for the drop in deliveries.
Tesla says it built 412,376 Model 3 and Y vehicles in the first three months of 2024 and 20,995 other models for a total of 433,371. Of the deliveries, 369,783 were Model 3s and Model Ys. The company didn't detail the number of Cybertrucks it built and delivered.
As is often the case, Tesla tried a few tactics to juice sales at the end of the quarter, such as once again offering a free trial of Full Self-Driving (which, despite the name, is not an autonomous driving system). The company also hinted to prospective buyers who'd been on the fence that they should snap up one of its EVs before a price increase on April 1. Sure enough, on Monday, the company jacked up the price of every Model Y trim by $1,000 in the US.
Earlier this year, Tesla CEO Elon Musk warned that the company was between "two major growth waves" — the boom of the Model 3 and Y, and a lower-cost EV that's expected to arrive in late 2025. As such, he warned investors that Tesla was likely to see "notably lower" sales growth this year.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/tesla-sees-ev-deliveries-drop-year-over-year-for-the-first-time-since-2020-153020454.html?src=rss
Tesla has revealed how many vehicles it delivered in the first three months of 2024 and the figures dropped significantly from both the previous quarter and the same period in 2023. The company handed over 386,810 EVs during the period.
That's down 20 percent from the 484,507 vehicles Tesla delivered in Q4 2023 and an eight percent dip year-over-year. This was Tesla's first YoY sales drop since 2020, Bloomberg points out. The figures also fell well short of projections — on average, analysts expected Tesla to deliver 449,080 EVs.
There are some mitigating factors at play, as TechCrunch notes. Tesla had to close its factory in Germany for almost a week due to an arson attack. It also put most production at the Berlin-area facility on hold for a fortnight due to shipping disruptions resulting from Houthi attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea. Tesla also pointed to an early production ramp up of the revised Model 3 as another reason for the drop in deliveries.
Tesla says it built 412,376 Model 3 and Y vehicles in the first three months of 2024 and 20,995 other models for a total of 433,371. Of the deliveries, 369,783 were Model 3s and Model Ys. The company didn't detail the number of Cybertrucks it built and delivered.
As is often the case, Tesla tried a few tactics to juice sales at the end of the quarter, such as once again offering a free trial of Full Self-Driving (which, despite the name, is not an autonomous driving system). The company also hinted to prospective buyers who'd been on the fence that they should snap up one of its EVs before a price increase on April 1. Sure enough, on Monday, the company jacked up the price of every Model Y trim by $1,000 in the US.
Earlier this year, Tesla CEO Elon Musk warned that the company was between "two major growth waves" — the boom of the Model 3 and Y, and a lower-cost EV that's expected to arrive in late 2025. As such, he warned investors that Tesla was likely to see "notably lower" sales growth this year.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/tesla-sees-ev-deliveries-drop-year-over-year-for-the-first-time-since-2020-153020454.html?src=rss
Last year, Polestar announced its most practical EV yet in the Polestar 4. But this week, during the vehicle’s North American debut at the New York International Auto Show, we finally got an official launch price and a chance to check out its most controversial feature.
Positioned as a slightly smaller and more affordable version of the Polestar 3, the company's latest EV SUV has a lot riding on it as it looks to be Polestar's most appealing mainstream offering to date. The good news is that while the cost was initially said to be around $60,000, launch pricing actually comes in slightly below that. The Polestar 4 starts at $56,300 (including destination) for the standard long-range single-motor version with around 300 miles of range while the dual-motor AWD variant with around 270 miles will set you back $64,300.
Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget
Granted, that’s still significantly higher than many of its rivals including the Tesla Model Y which starts at $43,900 (before federal incentives) or the Hyundai Ioniq 5 at $47,400. But after talking to Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath, I got the sense that the company is kind of OK with that, as they view the 4 as a more approachable but still very premium offering among EV SUVs.
On the outside, the Polestar 4 retains the rakish good looks we’ve seen on its larger sibling but with a few twists. Its nose is a bit pointier and more sloped, and it’s a bit less complicated too as it doesn’t have a front wing like the 3. The Polestar 4 is still based on the low-slung coupe-like SUV shape that’s all the rage right now. However, to ensure that rear-seat passengers have ample room, Polestar has forgone a rear window entirely, opting instead for a simple sheet of metal along with cameras and a rearview mirror with an embedded display.
Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget
At first, this might seem like a step too far, even for an EV that might not be beholden to the same burden of tradition as gas cars. But Ingenlath explained that there are a lot of advantages that come from this design change. By not having a rear window, Polestar was able to push the rear seats back further while maintaining ample headroom despite the sloping roofline, which creates a spacious cabin. I had no trouble climbing in and out and even with the front seats pushed as far back as possible, I still had ample legroom in the back. Furthermore, unlike most cars, the Polestar 4’s rear seats can recline, which adds even more of a loungey feel.
Another major advantage is one of practicality. As it is, the rear windows on a lot of coupe SUVs are so small they don’t provide much in the way of useful visibility. And that’s before you consider any passengers or luggage that might further obstruct your view. By replacing the rear window and mirror with a camera and a display, the Polestar 4 can offer an unobstructed perspective out of the back of the car. But perhaps most importantly, the idea of a car not having a rear window isn’t really unheard of, as there are thousands of cargo vans on the road today without a viewport in back.
So while the idea might still seem nerve-wracking, Ingenlath remains confident. He simply asked customers to “try it.” He added “There's so much about psychology and people being naturally opposed to change. But innovation is about asking what have been the rules in the past that don't necessarily need to be the rules in the future.”
The company’s Scandinavian heritage shows through with a streamlined interior. That said, Ingenlath said the goal isn’t minimalism for minimalism’s sake. By creating a new fabric made from recycled plastic bottles called Soft Tech, Polestar was able to line the cabin with a sustainable 3D material that allows ambient lighting to shine through while still being quite durable. Up top, the fixed glass roof is electrochromic, which allows it to switch from transparent to opaque with the touch of a button.
Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget
One thing that stuck out to me was that like all of Polestar’s vehicles, the 4 feels like a designer’s car. As someone who got his start in the industry creating cars for VW, Audi and others before becoming the CEO of Polestar, Ingenlath said the company really cares about small details like the font and typography. You can see this in things like the text on the driver’s side door, which features both the name of the car and the size of its battery, resulting in a label that’s both pretty and informative. Alternatively, there are features like the ambient lighting, which uses a naming standard based on planets in the solar system (blue with a hint of green for Earth, red for Mars, etc.). Ingenlath said “We simply love what we're doing, and we love indulging that passion. And we have to find the people who share the same passion for that type of quality and technology.”
Unfortunately, we haven’t had the chance to take the 4 out for a drive just yet. But as the competition among EVs continues to increase, it’s clear Polestar is carving out a niche as a manufacturer that embraces innovation through its vehicles. With pre-orders going live sometime in April and deliveries slated for Q4 2024, it shouldn’t be long until we get a chance to experience how the Polestar 4 feels on the road.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/polestar-4-first-look-when-no-rear-window-makes-for-a-better-car-150052884.html?src=rss
Last year, Polestar announced its most practical EV yet in the Polestar 4. But this week, during the vehicle’s North American debut at the New York International Auto Show, we finally got an official launch price and a chance to check out its most controversial feature.
Positioned as a slightly smaller and more affordable version of the Polestar 3, the company's latest EV SUV has a lot riding on it as it looks to be Polestar's most appealing mainstream offering to date. The good news is that while the cost was initially said to be around $60,000, launch pricing actually comes in slightly below that. The Polestar 4 starts at $56,300 (including destination) for the standard long-range single-motor version with around 300 miles of range while the dual-motor AWD variant with around 270 miles will set you back $64,300.
Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget
Granted, that’s still significantly higher than many of its rivals including the Tesla Model Y which starts at $43,900 (before federal incentives) or the Hyundai Ioniq 5 at $47,400. But after talking to Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath, I got the sense that the company is kind of OK with that, as they view the 4 as a more approachable but still very premium offering among EV SUVs.
On the outside, the Polestar 4 retains the rakish good looks we’ve seen on its larger sibling but with a few twists. Its nose is a bit pointier and more sloped, and it’s a bit less complicated too as it doesn’t have a front wing like the 3. The Polestar 4 is still based on the low-slung coupe-like SUV shape that’s all the rage right now. However, to ensure that rear-seat passengers have ample room, Polestar has forgone a rear window entirely, opting instead for a simple sheet of metal along with cameras and a rearview mirror with an embedded display.
Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget
At first, this might seem like a step too far, even for an EV that might not be beholden to the same burden of tradition as gas cars. But Ingenlath explained that there are a lot of advantages that come from this design change. By not having a rear window, Polestar was able to push the rear seats back further while maintaining ample headroom despite the sloping roofline, which creates a spacious cabin. I had no trouble climbing in and out and even with the front seats pushed as far back as possible, I still had ample legroom in the back. Furthermore, unlike most cars, the Polestar 4’s rear seats can recline, which adds even more of a loungey feel.
Another major advantage is one of practicality. As it is, the rear windows on a lot of coupe SUVs are so small they don’t provide much in the way of useful visibility. And that’s before you consider any passengers or luggage that might further obstruct your view. By replacing the rear window and mirror with a camera and a display, the Polestar 4 can offer an unobstructed perspective out of the back of the car. But perhaps most importantly, the idea of a car not having a rear window isn’t really unheard of, as there are thousands of cargo vans on the road today without a viewport in back.
So while the idea might still seem nerve-wracking, Ingenlath remains confident. He simply asked customers to “try it.” He added “There's so much about psychology and people being naturally opposed to change. But innovation is about asking what have been the rules in the past that don't necessarily need to be the rules in the future.”
The company’s Scandinavian heritage shows through with a streamlined interior. That said, Ingenlath said the goal isn’t minimalism for minimalism’s sake. By creating a new fabric made from recycled plastic bottles called Soft Tech, Polestar was able to line the cabin with a sustainable 3D material that allows ambient lighting to shine through while still being quite durable. Up top, the fixed glass roof is electrochromic, which allows it to switch from transparent to opaque with the touch of a button.
Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget
One thing that stuck out to me was that like all of Polestar’s vehicles, the 4 feels like a designer’s car. As someone who got his start in the industry creating cars for VW, Audi and others before becoming the CEO of Polestar, Ingenlath said the company really cares about small details like the font and typography. You can see this in things like the text on the driver’s side door, which features both the name of the car and the size of its battery, resulting in a label that’s both pretty and informative. Alternatively, there are features like the ambient lighting, which uses a naming standard based on planets in the solar system (blue with a hint of green for Earth, red for Mars, etc.). Ingenlath said “We simply love what we're doing, and we love indulging that passion. And we have to find the people who share the same passion for that type of quality and technology.”
Unfortunately, we haven’t had the chance to take the 4 out for a drive just yet. But as the competition among EVs continues to increase, it’s clear Polestar is carving out a niche as a manufacturer that embraces innovation through its vehicles. With pre-orders going live sometime in April and deliveries slated for Q4 2024, it shouldn’t be long until we get a chance to experience how the Polestar 4 feels on the road.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/polestar-4-first-look-when-no-rear-window-makes-for-a-better-car-150052884.html?src=rss