You have to give Porsche credit for going in early on EVs. The Taycan is a stellar sedan/wagon that's only gotten better. But even for a niche manufacturer like Porsche, it's not exactly a mass-market machine. To really move the needle on EVs, you need something more family friendly, and for the brand from Stuttgart, that's the Macan.

Porsche's gas-powered crossover SUV is its best-selling machine in the US, so it's an absolutely vital piece of the company's success. It's also Porsche's second full-on, battery-powered machine to hit the market. The Macan Electric doesn't replace its internal combustion predecessor, rather living alongside it on the dealership floor, creating a brutal sibling rivalry and a potentially difficult choice for buyers: gas or electric? 

Actually, Porsche made it a pretty easy decision. This is the right one.

Hardware tour

The Macan Electric shares a silhouette and a segment with that other Macan, but from a technology standpoint, there's little the two agree upon. The Macan Electric is built on a new platform called PPE, which at one point was destined to be the underpinnings of a smorgasbord of electrified offerings from both Porsche and Audi, including the A6 E-Tron and Q6 E-Tron.

For now, at least, Americans' increasingly fickle attitudes toward EVs have stymied some of those plans, meaning this Macan and the upcoming Cayenne Electric are the only two Porsches built from those bones. The Macan is the smaller of the two, powered by a variety of different configurations, starting with a single-motor, rear-drive configuration with 355 horsepower on the low end, up to the 630-hp, dual-motor Macan Turbo Electric on the high end. Buyers can also select the dual-motor Macan 4 Electric, speedier 4S Electric or quicker still GTS Electric.

I tested a base Macan Electric, its rear-mounted, 355-hp motor enough to scoot this 5,004-pound SUV from zero to 60 mph in 5.4 seconds. The top-shelf Macan Turbo Electric gets to 60 in 3.1 seconds, absolutely humiliating the quickest exhaust-spewing Macan GTS's 4.3-second time.

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Of course, this is a Porsche, not a drag machine, and so cornering is key. Helping with the handling is an adaptive air suspension that not only lets you go from stiff to firm at the twist of a knob but also raises or lowers dynamically. When you're hunting for range or speed, the SUV gets down into an aerodynamic tuck low to the earth. If you're looking to head off-road, it'll hike itself up by 1.6 inches. 

While I wouldn't consider this an off-roader as such, the dual motor configurations should be competent in lower-grip situations. Open differentials at either end will keep your all-roading aspirations limited, but on some icy, slippery roads during the week I spent living with one, even the rear-drive Macan proved sure-footed and easy to handle, despite its summer-oriented Pilot Sport EV tires. 

At the heart of all that is a 100-kilowatt-hour battery, which offers the Macan Electric an EPA-rated range of up to 315 miles, depending on which trim you go with. In my testing, which included extended periods of driving with my foot flat to the floor, I managed 2.8 miles per kWh. That's a theoretical maximum range of 280 miles if you're driving like you stole it. Anyone doing the school run in a more sedate way will have no problem meeting or beating that EPA rating. 

User interface

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Beyond performance, the Macan Electric has another advantage over its internal combustion counterpart: it has a more modern interior. The highlight is the 12.6-inch, curved gauge cluster. Using buttons on the steering wheel, you can cycle through various views and telemetry elements to suit your desire for data or need to remain undisturbed.

That's paired with a 10.9-inch touchscreen in the middle, and you can even opt for a third display embedded way over on the right side of the dashboard. This one allows you to access streaming services like YouTube. I've never seen the point in that, though, but that's only because I've yet to meet a passenger who wouldn't rather just use their smartphone.

Porsche's PCM interface on that central touchscreen is simple and clean, with more than a passing iOS resemblance. Perhaps that's why the company has been an early adopter of CarPlay Ultra. For the Android faithful, wireless Android Auto is here too, and it works great, looking nearly native on the widescreen display.

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Through simple menus, you can do everything from track lap times to enable or disable the augmented digital engine tone, which Porsche calls Electronic Sport Sound. I confess the futuristic whirring and whooshing does make driving aggressively a bit more fun, but most of the time I prefer to have it off.

Thankfully, not everything is controlled through the touchscreen. There's a separate, capacitive-touch panel just below it for climate-related functions, including toggling the prodigiously warm heated seats (which I'm enjoying as I write this). You'll find a physical volume knob there, too.

The Macan seats five comfortably, though I'd stick to four for anything longer than a quick run to a team lunch. Front and rear seats are comfortable, and there's a tolerable amount of legroom in the back. Headroom back there, though, is limited. If you have tall co-workers, they'll be tripping over each other to call shotgun.

Dynamics

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In the grand spectrum of SUVs on the roads today, the 188.3-inch-long Macan Electric is on the smaller side. But, as an EV, it's heavy for a crossover. At just a tick over 5,000 pounds, it's a substantial 850 pounds heavier than a regular base Macan.

Porsche's engineers addressed that as best they could with the aforementioned fancy suspension, plus larger, 20-inch wheels on each corner. The result is an SUV that is, in Sport or Sport Plus modes, remarkably fun to drive. Its steering is extremely quick for an SUV, which makes this thing feel lighter than it is. 

All the grip provided by those tires and suspension really gives you the confidence to push through the corners, too. And, when you push too hard, it breaks away quickly and predictably. I enjoyed romping on the throttle hard mid-corner to kick the tail out, the Macan giving me just enough time to grin and give a bit of a steering correction before everything was right and the tires were stuck again.

It's not a sports car, no doubt about that, and it tends to wallow a bit on bumpy roads thanks to all that weight, but it is far more engaging and fun than just about anything else in this category. Even this base model is quick off the line, but its breakneck initial throttle response is tempered by a somewhat flat acceleration at higher speeds. It just doesn't have the kind of Autobahn-dominating top-end that Porsches are typically known for.

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I suppose I'd have to cough up the extra $10,000 for the GTS, or a further $20,000 for the $109,000 Turbo if I really wanted that. Yes, these things get expensive quick. The base Macan Electric I drove started at $73,500, but carried enough options to drive its out-the-door price to $86,865. 

You are, at least, getting a machine that readily does double-duty. Despite its responsiveness and eager handling, the Macan Electric does a stellar job of settling down when you twist that Drive Mode knob on the steering wheel to the left, unwinding the suspension and relaxing the experience. The SUV manages excellent compliance over broken roads, flying over railroad tracks without complaint, and just generally being a calm and competent cruiser. 

But there's one, undeniable flaw that drove me absolutely nuts in the Macan Electric: a complete lack of lift-off regenerative braking. Porsche continues its adamant refusal to offer anything even approaching a one-pedal driving experience. That's a frustrating thing to me — maybe not quite as frustrating as GM phasing out Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, but pretty close. 

Wrap-up

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After driving a few different prototypes of the Macan Electric during its development phase, I very much enjoyed my time with a final, production version on some familiar roads around my home. It excelled in the dry and on slippery, early winter roads, made me smile when I was feeling rowdy, and then disappeared into the background when I just wanted to get home. 

It isn't a perfect machine. I'd hoped for a little more roominess inside, I lament the lack of one-pedal driving, and honestly, I wish Porsche's exterior designers had gone a little crazier. At a quick glance, it looks a lot like a first-gen Tesla Model Y, especially in Gentian Blue Metallic, which is a dead ringer for Tesla's Deep Blue Metallic. 

And there's also the significant premium that you'll have to pay to get into one: $10,000 over a base, gas-powered Macan. For that, you're getting a lot of extra performance, a dose of extra tech and all the joys and simplicities that come with living the EV lifestyle. That makes it well worth it in my book.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/2025-porsche-macan-electric-review-the-obvious-choice-when-the-budget-allows-140000851.html?src=rss

Elon Musk went on stage on Thursday night during Tesla’s annual shareholders meeting and made some big claims and promises. The company is “almost comfortable” letting owners with Full Self-Driving (FSD) “text and drive,” he said. At the moment, its vehicles are still strictly monitoring drivers to make sure their eyes are on the road, but Musk said that Tesla will enable unsupervised FSD that will allow texting and driving within “a month or two.”

To note, Tesla’s FSD is currently capable of level 2 autonomous driving. Musk is promising at least a level 4 capability, in which the driver can be disengaged as the car performs all driving tasks for them, within a short span of time. While he said that Tesla will look at its safety data first, he didn’t discuss the steps it’s taking to enable texting while driving and whether it’s already discussing the legalities of it with regulators.

Talking about the Cybercab, Musk said production of the robotaxis will begin by April next year. Since it will be specifically built with autonomy in mind, it will not have pedals, a steering wheel and even side mirrors. The Cybercab’s manufacturing process, he explained, is vastly different from typical car production and is more comparable to phone manufacturing. That’s why he thinks the company will be able to produce one unit every 10 seconds.

Musk also talked about the flying car he teased on Joe Rogan’s show. When asked at the event, he said the demo will now take place on April 1, 2026, instead of this month or the next like he told Rogan. It remains to be seen whether we’re going to get April Fooled, but Musk claimed that production of Tesla’s flying vehicle will happen a year or so after its unveiling. As always, take Musk’s claims with a grain of salt, as he’s pretty infamous for being overly ambitious with his timelines.

While Musk was on stage talking about Tesla’s plans, an Optimus humanoid robot was standing by the side. The CEO said Optimus is bound to become the “biggest product of all time,” bigger than cellphones, “bigger than anything.” Tesla will start with a 1-million production line and then a 10-million production line, but he said the company expects to eventually produce 100 million to a billion Optimus robots a year. He envisions a world wherein the humanoid machines will provide people with medical care… as well as a world wherein instead of being jailed, Optimus follows criminals around to stop them from committing more crimes.

Before Musk went on stage, Tesla’s shareholders had voted to approve his pay package worth up to $1 trillion over the next 10 years. Tesla has to hit several goals for Musk to become the first trillionaire, though, including reaching a market value of $8.5 trillion from its current worth of $1.4 billion and selling a million Optimus robots.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/elon-musk-says-tesla-owners-can-text-and-drive-very-soon-042454805.html?src=rss

The Wall Street Journal reported today that Ford may be on the verge of sunsetting the F-150 Lightning truck. The model is an electric pick-up truck, and the best-selling one in the US, but the publication cited Ford execs who said the company would consider halting production completely on the F-150 Lightning. We’ve reached out to Ford for comment and will update if we receive a statement.

The auto brand said it would cut back on production last January due to slowing demand for the vehicles. At the time, Ford shuffled several of the workers who had been building the F-150 Lightning to constructing other auto models. Then, a fire this October at an aluminum plant supplying Ford led the company to pause production of the Lightning trucks. In Ford's third-quarter financial results, its Model e electric vehicle operation lost $1.4 billion, and has lost $3.6 billion over the first nine months of 2025. Rather than projects such as the F-150 Lightning, Ford has hinted that it will shift strategy to work on smaller, more affordable electric vehicles based on its Universal EV platform.

Ford may not be the only manufacturer to ramp down its EV plans in the US. A federal tax credit of $7,500 for purchasing EVs was abruptly ended in September under the current administration's financial policies. After unveiling its latest EV models this week, Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe spoke to Engadget about the potential long-term impact: "With the Trump administration in place, we have a sense that maybe the EV growth has been moved back out by maybe five years or so into the future."

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/ford-may-not-resume-production-of-the-f-150-lightning-221903848.html?src=rss

With the American market still struggling to get its head around the whole electric car thing, plenty of manufacturers are scaling back their EV ambitions to refocus on hybrid power. Whether that's right for the market and, indeed, the globe remains to be seen, but we can for sure expect to see a lot more cars with internal combustion over the next few years.

Honda has made its plans clear on that front, which might be cause for concern among many for one simple reason: Outside of the NSX, the company's hybrids thus far haven't exactly been the most engaging of machines. That, though, could change with a new set of hybrid platforms launching soon that'll be lighter, quicker and even more fun to drive.

At the company's extensive proving grounds outside of Tochigi, Japan, I was given a go in a pair of cars that gave me reason to be optimistic about this next generation of electrically assisted but still combustion-dependent machines. They rely on a series of advancements that come together to form three different platforms: Small, Medium and Large.

Collectively, they're known as the Next Generation Hybrid System, and each one is designed to be modular, able to be scaled up or down to fit different models while still keeping their fundamental sections the same. Platform sharing like this makes it much easier (and cheaper) for manufacturers to roll out new machines and to do it quickly. With Honda looking to ramp up its hybrid offerings, that's key.

Tim Stevens for Engadget

These platforms encompass things like chassis, engines, electric motors and electronics, plus the wonderful web of software required to tie it all together. Reducing weight is a huge focus here, with Honda's engineers coming up with a way to maintain crash safety while dramatically reducing the size of the front and rear subframes. This alone equates to a weight savings of some 90 kilograms (about 200 pounds) in a vehicle the size of a Honda Civic. 

Lighter weight means more efficiency and better fuel economy. There's also a commensurate reduction in cost of 10 percent for manufacturing versus the company's current platforms, plus promises of increased grip and reduced road noise. 

The smallest of Honda's new platforms is destined for Honda's smallest cars, including ultra-minis that swarm Japanese streets but have rarely found much success in the United States. For now, at least, we won't be getting any cars based on that platform.

The Medium and Large platforms, though, will be tucked in neatly throughout many next-generation cars from the brand. Medium will be suitable for four-cylinder machines like the Civic and crossover SUVs like the HR-V. The Large platform, meanwhile, will be used for bigger V6 machines, like the Ridgeline and Passport.

Each system ties that engine to a pair of electric motors, plus an optional third electric motor at the back for all-wheel drive. A revised, more compact battery provides the high-voltage current to power the system. It's tucked in beneath the rear seat.

Tim Stevens for Engadget

None of that is radically different from what can be found in Honda's current hybrids. And, like those, these new hybrids will be able to run in an effective series hybrid mode, where the engine just charges the battery and the car drives exclusively using the electric motors. Or, step on that throttle harder at higher speeds and the car can directly engage the engine to power the car forward.

That's all familiar, but a few changes could have some significant impacts. On the Large platform, a new transmission enables the car to have both a "hi" and "lo" gear range, which could be a boon for anyone towing their trusty trailer up into the mountains for a weekend getaway. 

The Medium-sized platform can do some shifting, too, but it's only pretend shifting here using a system called S+ Shift. At the press of a button (conveniently labeled S+), this new technology creates the experience of driving a virtual eight-speed transmission that you can run up or down through by pulling on the shift paddles on the back of the steering wheel.

Since, again, these hybrids are driven by their electric motors, shifting isn't really doing much of anything but making the engine rev more or less. But, by varying the electric motor's output and regeneration, you get a surge of extra resistance on deceleration and a kick of acceleration on upshifts, all to simulate the feeling of a proper transmission.

I confess that I was very skeptical about how this system would really help when I went to Japan, but I was wrong. It's great. Honda prepared a prototype sedan for me to drive, and it looked all the world like a current-gen Civic up top, except with a rather large nose stuck on the front and some decidedly pronounced flared fenders. 

Underneath the skin was a completely different machine, built around a front-drive version of the next-gen platform. It sounded great to start, helped by what looked like a sport exhaust at the back, plus no shortage of digital augmentation coming through the speakers.

Tim Stevens for Engadget

But the S+ Shift mode really made a compelling difference, too. Even though you're really just needlessly revving that hybrid engine more or less, and actually making the system less efficient, the result is a car that feels responsive and in control, rather than something just droning on as deftly as possible.The way the car responds, aggressively downshifting as you brake for corners and giving you a little kick with every upshift on the way out, it made me smile.

The rest of the car did, too. Honda's test track was far too smooth for me to sample the improved ride quality or reduction in road noise, but the car's handling felt good and its steering sharp, not quite as remarkable as the current Civic Type R but, again, way more fun than today's humble Civic Hybrid. 

Honda hasn't announced where this new platform will first appear, but if you want to get an early taste of S+ Shift, it'll be debuting in the upcoming Honda Prelude hybrid. That reborn coupe lacks all the other advancements to be found in Honda's next-gen platform, but it does offer the S+ virtual shifting. It's remarkably effective here, too, and with lots of parts sharing with the Civic Type R, the Prelude was a surprisingly good time.

While the Prelude is hitting dealers soon, to sample cars featuring the next-gen hybrid platform, you'll have to wait a little longer. Honda representatives said it'll start showing up beneath the flesh of its machines starting as soon as next year. Based on the shape of that prototype I drove, I'd say a next-generation Civic will be among the first to sport it.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/driving-hondas-lighter-faster-and-more-fun-next-gen-hybrid-prototype-150000472.html?src=rss

Every two years, the Japan Mobility Show gives us a preview of the future of motoring as envisioned by the major Japanese manufacturers. Sadly, for Honda, the resounding message coming from this year's show was that the future is getting a little farther away. That's the case for American drivers, at least, thanks largely to the effects of the Trump administration according to Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe. 

In Tokyo this year, the company unveiled a trio of cool, next-gen electric vehicles at the show, each more compelling than the next. First up is the new 0 Series α, a new addition to the 0 Series of EVs that Honda has been teasing us with for a few years now.

Back in January at  CES, the company showed off the evocatively styled 0 Saloon and 0 SUV. Both made quite a stir, particularly the former, which was impossible to admire without picking up strong Lamborghini vibes. Mibe confirmed that those cars are still on track, coming towards the end of 2026 or 2027. However, expected sales have been reduced. 

Mibe didn't give specifics there, only saying: "The volume initially will probably be less than we had envisioned earlier."

Honda

The newly unveiled 0 Series α is a new, third member of Honda's nascent next-gen EV family. It looks nigh identical to the SUV concept, but in reality, it's significantly smaller. It will be cheaper, too, enabling it to target the Indian market. It has a hope of going elsewhere in the world, including Japan and Europe, but Honda representatives said repeatedly that it's not for the American market. Mibe said it's "probably too small" for the US market.

So, too, the Super-One Prototype. This tiny hatchback made a run up the hill at the Goodwood Festival of Speed earlier this year, wrapped in camouflage to hide its decidedly angular profile. In Tokyo, Honda stripped off the graphics, revealing a cheeky mini-sized machine with big box fenders and endless personality. While Honda didn't quote a power output, it surely won’t be a rocket ship, but with the instant torque of an EV, plus a variety of selectable synthesized engine notes, it should still be a mighty good time.

Indeed, it was. I got a brief go behind the wheel of a prototype machine at Honda's proving grounds in Tochigi, Japan. Though it wasn't much for outright speed, the brisk acceleration combined with petite dimensions made me grin ear-to-ear. Sadly, though, that's probably the only chance I'll ever get to drive one. The Super-One is intended for drivers in Japan and the United Kingdom, with potential expansion elsewhere in Europe based on demand.

Tim Stevens for Engadget

America has never been a great market for machines of that size, so it shouldn't be a surprise that these two aren't US-bound, but it is part of a more troubling trend. Honda has largely paused its efforts to develop low-cost EVs for the American market, waiting for political headwinds to come around.

"With the Trump administration in place, we have a sense that maybe the EV growth has been moved back out by maybe five years or so into the future. So, the timing for doing anything will be difficult," he said. "2030, at that point in time, maybe we need to provide a wide, broad product range, including EVs. So, we will have to think about future strategy for the US market."

Tellingly, Mibe said that they're actively watching American mid-term elections, to see whether there's any hope of the political climate changing in the future. 

Just like in discount furniture stores, volume is the real factor here, particularly when it comes to battery production. The company's partnership with General Motors was an attempt to do just that.

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"Our first objective in collaborating with GM was to expand the volume to reduce the cost," he said. "I believe the aim there, from on the side of GM, was the same."

That partnership, however, was aborted after just the Honda Prologue and Acura ZDX reached the market, leaving Honda to go its own way for now, at least, bereft of a partner to boost its battery volume. 

This could complicate Honda's plans to be totally carbon neutral by 2050, a pledge that Mibe said is still very much in the cards. To start in that direction, the company will push more towards advanced hybrids of the sort we'll get our first taste of starting next year. (I also got to sample that while I was out there, which you can read about here.)

However, while these new hybrids will decrease consumption and further reduce the carbon footprint of a given car, they will not completely eliminate it. So, Honda is working on other means of decreasing the company's effective carbon footprint, including direct air capture (DAC), devices which can suck carbon dioxide straight out of the air — a long-time environmental dream that's always seemed just a few years away.

So small, cheap EVs aren't in the plans for the immediate future, but Honda isn't totally giving up on its US EV aspirations. Again, the 0 Series SUV and Saloon are due next year. Mibe said there's another, even larger EV due for the American market sometime after 2030, but that too could depend on which way the American government swings between now and then. 

Honda

If all's looking well, we might eventually get a taste of another electric concept that Honda rolled out at the show. Called the EV Outlier, it's an electric motorcycle with a lean, sharp style and a laid-back riding position that is hard not to read as at least partially inspired by that most iconic sci-fi motorcycle of all time: Kaneda's bike in Akira.

This one isn't red and it lacks the distinctive stickers, but like Kaneda's bike, both wheels are driven by electricity. It relies on a pair of integrated hub motors to provide the thrust, and if the width of the rear tire is any indication, there'll be plenty of that.

A sweeping, free-standing digital display serves as the dashboard, and controls are minimalist in a way that only a concept bike can be. Honda said this might be ready for production by 2030, but the svelte packaging here may necessitate next-generation, solid-state batteries to make that a reality. 

Those batteries, Mibe said, are still progressing. Honda has a prototype production line in process, so they're actually building the things and trying to turn them into viable products.

But that's only if Honda can overcome some significant engineering challenges between now and then, and if the US government dials back on the EV hate by the end of the decade. Those are two pretty big ifs, and I confess I'm not sure which poses the biggest challenge.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/honda-shows-off-three-new-evs-in-tokyo-but-its-us-plans-are-getting-more-tepid-150000775.html?src=rss