Auto Shows
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Lexus invented the idea of a luxury hybrid utility vehicle in a version of its RX crossover well over a decade ago, but sales haven't been strong of late. Cheap gasoline, better fuel efficiency from all types of vehicles due to rising CAFE rules, and a lack of interest in hybrids have all hurt the latest version of the RX Hybrid. Now it has released prices for the 2019 Lexus RX 450hL crossover at the Chicago auto show. DON'T MISS: 2018 Lexus RX L adds third row to fast-selling luxury crossover That's a new seven-seat version of the RX hybrid, with an extended wheelbase and a third-row seat...
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2019 Ford Transit Connect Wagon gets "EcoBlue" diesel option, no hybrid so far
The last time Ford released a new hybrid or plug-in electric model was for the 2013 model year, and that's a long time ago in electric-car years. Detroit's second-largest automaker continues to work on boosting the fuel-economy ratings of its vehicle lineup, however. The latest example is a new...
John Voelcker -
Geneva auto show green car preview: concepts, electric cars, new models
Media days at the huge and influential Geneva show are March 6 and March 7, and this year it looks like the show will offer a lot of news for plug-in electric car fans. Several significant new production cars powered entirely by batteries are expected to make their debuts. They'll be supplemented...
John Voelcker -
Lexus UX small crossover utility still being studied for U.S. (update)
The Lexus UX concept previews a possible smaller crossover from the Toyota luxury brand.
John Voelcker -
Hyundai Kona, Nissan Kicks: New small crossovers storm the market
Ten years ago, the subcompact crossover segment barely existed. Now multiple automakers are clamoring for your attention as each brand rushes to bring its own take on the small utility to market. At this week's 2017 Los Angeles auto show, Nissan and Hyundai revealed two new models that will vie for...
Mark Stevenson -
Volkswagen ID Crozz electric SUV to launch in US in 2020
A production vehicle based on the Volkswagen ID Crozz all-electric compact crossover will be launched in the U.S. market during 2020, VW said. The announcement came at a media event Tuesday night before the first of two media days at the Los Angeles auto show, where the electric SUV makes its North...
John Voelcker -
BMW will use media days at the Los Angeles auto show, which begin on November 29, to unveil a new electric car that's never before been seen. The electric model that will debut in California wasn't otherwise specified in the German maker's announcement, which called it simply "a world premiere vehicle." It's entirely possible, however, that it might be a concept version of the future BMW X3e, an all-electric version of its next-generation X3 compact crossover utility vehicle. DON'T MISS: Mini Electric Concept revealed in Frankfurt auto show debut It could also be something entirely different...
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Mercedes parent Daimler launches E-Fuso electric truck sub-brand
Daimler, parent company of Mercedes-Benz and Smart, also owns the Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation—which it used last week to preview major shifts coming to its Daimler Trucks business. It all took place at the reveal of E-Fuso, a new sub-brand of Daimler's Fuso operation that will...
Sean Szymkowski -
Toyota Fine-Comfort Ride fuel-cell concept targets 600 miles of range
Toyota continues to experiment with and develop various types of hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles despite not yet offering a single production battery-electric car. The Japanese automaker now sells the Mirai, has announced it will begin studies of the Project Portal fuel-cell semi truck, and reportedly...
Sean Szymkowski -
Nissan IMx Concept electric SUV debuts at Tokyo Motor Show
The long-awaited all-electric crossover utility concept from Nissan finally made its public debut Wednesday morning on the first press day at the Tokyo auto show. Dubbed the Nissan IMx, the compact crossover concept includes both fully autonomous driving and an electric range given as more than 370...
John Voelcker -
Nissan e-NV200 Fridge Concept: electric refrigerated van at Tokyo Motor Show
Nissan will roll out a new electric van concept at the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show, one that it believes will help solve urban delivery congestion. The e-NV200 Fridge Concept adds a refrigerated compartment to the existing e-NV200 electric small delivery van to keep various perishable goods fresh while...
Sean Szymkowski -
Will Nissan have an electric SUV concept at Tokyo Motor Show?
Automakers spend a lot of time trying to work out how electrified powertrains, autonomous driving technology, connectivity, and sharing will turn their industry upside down. Or not. Meanwhile, globally but especially in North America, one trend is clear right this moment: utility vehicles are hot...
John Voelcker -
Along with the gleaming concept cars and new production models unveiled at last week's Frankfurt auto show, auto-company executives also make news. Often a company's CEO or product chief will announce directions for the future, whether they're hints about upcoming vehicles or new powertrain plans. Matthias Müller, chairman of the VW Group, did just that in announcing what the giant carmaker calls its "Roadmap E" for electric cars. DON'T MISS: Do Frankfurt's electric cars cover German desperation over diesel decline? Volkswagen, of course, has been hammered for two years by its...
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Porsche Mission E electric sport sedan: 200-mile recharge in 15 minutes
While there have been lots of concept cars and production announcements, the first serious German competitor to the Tesla Model S and Model X won't arrive for at least another year. And what could prove the most potent of them all—the production version of the stunning Porsche Mission E...
John Voelcker -
Honda CR-V Hybrid displayed in Frankfurt; US likely next, but when?
Five months ago, Honda showed a hybrid version of its CR-V compact crossover utility vehicle at the Shanghai auto show. Now, a European version of the Honda CR-V Hybrid is being shown at this week's Frankfurt auto show. Having teased it twice around the world, will the hybrid crossover come to...
John Voelcker -
Audi's self-driving e-tron electric concepts: Aicon (Level 5) and Elaine (Level 4) at Frankfurt
The 2017 Frankfurt Motor Showed offered a very specific ethos this year: electric and self-driving cars. Many automakers used the bright lights and gleaming stands to reveal their interpretation of a future with all-electric and driverless vehicles. Audi was not absent from the theme. DON'T MISS...
Sean Szymkowski -
Do Frankfurt's electric cars cover German desperation over diesel decline?
This year's Frankfurt motor show was big, busy, and full of new concepts and production cars spanning the gamut from small electric cars to exotic supercars with prices in the millions. Every German maker showed one or more electric or electrified concepts, and renewed talk of driving on...
John Voelcker -
Honda Urban EV Concept to go on sale in 2019, but not for North America
If there were a favorite car among journalists and car fans at this week's Frankfurt motor show, it may have been a small, all-electric hatchback city car. Which is pretty remarkable, given the practical, unexciting, utilitarian, slightly nerdy image every non-Tesla electric car seems to carry...
John Voelcker -
We've known since last July that an all-electric Mini Cooper will go into production in 2019. Now, we can see the first renderings of the car that will make its official debut at the Frankfurt auto show in two weeks. The Mini Electric Concept is recognizable as the three-door hardtop version of the famous British small car, but numerous design features set it apart from its counterparts with gasoline engines. DON'T MISS: All-electric Mini E for 2019 to appear at Frankfurt show in concept form Some of those elements tie back to the original fleet of 600 Mini E electric test cars, introduced in...
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Volkswagen ID Crozz electric crossover concept updated at Frankfurt show
Germany's giant VW Group has said, several times, that it will have 30 different electric cars on sale globally by 2025. Over the last year, it's unveiled three different Volkswagen ID electric-car concepts, two of them thinly disguised versions of future production models for 2019 and 2020. Now...
John Voelcker -
Mercedes-Benz GLC F-Cell EQ Power plug-in hydrogen crossover launches at Frankfurt
It's a plug-in hybrid crossover, but it doesn't have an engine. It's a hydrogen fuel-cell SUV, but it has a feature no other hydrogen-powered car offers. It's the Mercedes-Benz GLC F-Cell EQ Power, launched Tuesday at the Frankfurt motor show. DON'T MISS: Mercedes-Benz GLC to offer world's first...
John Voelcker -
BMW i Vision Dynamics Concept previews all-electric four-door sedan
If concept cars are meant to grab attention, then the BMW i Vision Dynamics Concept—an all-electric sedan that debuted Tuesday at the Frankfurt motor show—may have fulfilled its mission. With the huge, vertical twin-kidney BMW grille also seen on the BMW X7 SUV concept, the smaller...
John Voelcker -
Mercedes-Benz Concept EQA small electric hatchback debuts in Frankfurt
Following various teaser images, the Mercedes-Benz EQA concept for a compact all-electric hatchback made its debut on Tuesday at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show. It's a preview of what will become a volume production car around 2020, competing against numerous 200-mile hatchbacks of the same size...
John Voelcker -
Latest image shows shape of Mercedes EQA compact electric car for Frankfurt show
German luxury maker Mercedes-Benz has released another teaser photo of the electric-car concept it will reveal next week at the Frankfurt auto show. That vehicle will be the Mercedes EQA Concept, a compact electric hatchback that's one of several concepts that preview future products as the company...
John Voelcker