Luxury Cars
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Tesla Model 3 variants delayed; will some buyers lose $7,500 tax credit?
"Overall, I think, while there were challenges associated with Model 3 ramp, we were in a deeper level of hell than we expected, so a few levels deeper than we'd like to be, but swiftly exiting, I think." Those chastened but seemingly optimistic words came from the CEO of Tesla, Elon Musk, during a...
John Voelcker -
2018 Lexus RX 450hL hybrid three-row SUV priced from $51,600
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...
John Voelcker -
New Mercedes-Benz A-Class hatchback to spawn CLA sedan, EQA electric car
The Mercedes-Benz CLA compact sedan made a big splash when it first arrived as a 2014 model, complete with a much-discussed Super Bowl ad spot the previous year. The small, coupe-like sedan was built on the underpinnings of the smallest Mercedes on the market, the A-Class sold in Europe since the...
John Voelcker -
2019 Jaguar I-Pace to debut before Geneva; cold-weather testing video released
Jaguar Land Rover was a relatively late arrival to the luxury electric-car game, revealing its plans in the form of a concept car only at the 2016 Los Angeles auto show. But it's now planning the launch of what will likely be the 2019 Jaguar I-Pace electric crossover just four weeks hence. What is...
John Voelcker -
Porsche Mission E electric sedan buyers want, expect fast "Turbo Charging"
Possibly no German carmaker was more shocked by the emergence of the Tesla Model S in 2012 than Porsche. Each of Porsche's models was a top performer in its segment for power, handling, and features, and sold at highly profitable prices. Then came the Tesla Model S, a five-seat hatchback sedan that...
John Voelcker -
Investigators from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration are scheduled to examine the crash of a Tesla Model S that hit a fire truck parked on a California freeway. The driver claimed the Model S was operating with Tesla's AutoPilot functionality turned on, according to a tweet sent by a firefighters union that had members at the scene of the incident. The National Transportation Safety Board had deployed investigators to the accident on Wednesday. DON'T MISS: Tesla Hardware 2: so what functions work in Autopilot and what don't? According to Reuters, NHTSA stated it would...
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2020 Jaguar XJ luxury sedan to be reborn as all-electric Tesla Model S competitor
Almost since the two legendary British brands were brought together in 1998, Jaguar has played second fiddle to its sibling Land Rover. The maker of traditional, sporty British sedans was left in search of a mission as increasingly upscale Land Rovers and even pricier Range Rovers proliferated...
Mark Stevenson -
Tesla met promises in first 10-year Master Plan; Musk to stay 10 more years
At this point, a majority of the global auto industry agrees that Tesla and its electric cars have had a remarkable impact in less than 10 years. Founded 15 years ago by two Silicon Valley engineers, Tesla won funding from venture capital, private investment, and government loans that totaled...
John Voelcker -
Bentley Bentayga plug-in hybrid SUV to debut in March at Geneva auto show
Unlike rival Rolls-Royce, which may go directly to an all-electric model in future, Bentley has set its sights on plug-in hybrids first—and the Bentayga luxury SUV will be the first one from the brand. The plug-in versions of the Bentley Bentayga is expected to debut in March at the Geneva...
Sean Szymkowski -
Tesla wins another, licensed to sell electric cars in Rhode Island
Tesla can now add another notch to its sales board. Rhode Island will allow the direct sale of Teslas and has issued a state dealer license to the company to open a dealer in Warwick. Additionally, the city itself issued its own license to the electric-vehicle manufacturer, which plans to take over...
Mark Stevenson -
2019 Audi e-tron electric SUV deliveries start in Europe this fall
The first member of Audi's forthcoming wave of electric cars is expected to start landing in European driveways this fall, possibly neck and neck with the Jaguar I-Pace. The all-electric Audi e-tron SUV will have dimensions similar to the Audi Q5 SUV and should offer enough charge from its...
Mark Stevenson -
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has aspirations of vertically integrating his companies as much as possible, trying to avoid traditional suppliers wherever he can. While Tesla has been successful in developing things like their electric motors in-house, the company still relies on others for many of the components that go into its cars. The Model 3 was expected to be the next step in reaching Tesla's vertically integrated future, but it turns out to remain dependent on a large number of parts from outside sources. CHECK OUT: Parts order for Tesla Model 3 cut by 40 percent starting in December: report...
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Diesel redux: 2018 BMW 540d sedan certified for US sale (but will it matter?)
BMW has announced it will resurrect the diesel 5 Series sport sedan, in the form of a 540d model, one year after the introduction of a thoroughly updated 5 Series. The company says the diesel edition will list for $62,995, including destination, once it arrives at dealerships in February. According...
Mark Stevenson -
Porsche Mission E electric sedan to offer 300 miles of range, 400 hp, at minimum
Though generally mum on details, Porsche has been trickling out tidbits on its forthcoming MIssion E electric sedan since it first unveiled the concept at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show. Porsche let slip another detail in late December. It had already revealed a claimed 200-mile recharge within 15...
Mark Stevenson -
2019 Land Rover Range Rover P400e plug-in hybrid SUV: first drive review
No doubt the hoi polloi are prepared for emissions-free vehicle zones, what with their bicycles and their little electric cars. But what is the aristocracy to do when its high-end luxury SUVs are banned from city streets in central London? Enter the 2019 Land Rover Range Rover P400e plug-in hybrid...
Andrew Ganz -
Tesla Model 3 Long Range rating of 310 miles: Is it understated?
Amidst all the coverage on Wednesday of the Tesla Model 3 production numbers, we realized we'd forgotten one piece of the Model 3 saga. That would be the official EPA range and efficiency ratings for the 2017 Tesla Model 3 Long Range version. Those were issued at the end of November, and they...
John Voelcker -
Tesla delivers 1,550 Model 3s in Q4; Models S, X over 100,000 in 2017
Tesla reported its fourth-quarter global deliveries on Wednesday, saying it delivered 1,550 Model 3 electric cars between October 1 and December 31 last year, but built 2,425 over the same period. That compares to a total of 260 Model 3s delivered in the third quarter, after a splashy "handover...
John Voelcker -
It's been two and a half years since we drove the plug-in hybrid version of the Mercedes-Benz C-Class sedan at its San Francisco launch event. It took a while for the car to go on sale in the U.S., which it did in January 2017. Now we've had a chance to spend a weekend with the Mercedes-Benz C350e and get a sense of what it's like to live with in the real world. DON'T MISS: Mercedes-Benz C350e Plug-In Hybrid: First Drive (Jun 2015) When we got the car, a 2018 model, in late November, its electric range and fuel-economy ratings still hadn't been finalized on the window sticker by the EPA. That...
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Before Fisker EMotion luxury electric sedan debut, founder touts future solid-state battery
As they say, it's what's inside that counts. That's doubly so for Fisker, Inc., the second auto company founded by famed automotive designer Henrik Fisker. The first declared bankruptcy; its new Chinese owners renamed it Karma. In an interview with Car and Driver, Fisker (the man) claims...
Mark Stevenson -
One Tesla Model S plus one 97-year-old grandfather: video magic
"I hear you got an electric car," says a 97-year-old man, looking every bit like a 97-year-old man, suspenders and all. "Is it outside?" The man behind the camera is Zev Gitalis, and the man in front of the camera is his grandfather. DON'T MISS: South's good ol' boy drag racers whupped by Tesla...
Mark Stevenson -
Faraday Future, primary investor crushed by mounting debt, lawsuits
Struggling Faraday Future and its founding investor Jia Yueting are facing financial and legal woes that threaten the company's existence. Jia specifically has been placed on an official list of debt defaulters on a website run by the Chinese government after the LeEco founder failed to follow a...
Mark Stevenson -
All-wheel drive now standard on all Tesla Model S, Model X cars
Tesla now offers roughly the same percentage of its model lineup with standard all-wheel-drive configuration as famed AWD proponent Subaru. The Silicon Valley electric-car maker has completely ditched rear-wheel drive in its Model S hatchback sedans and Model X crossover utility vehicles. Only its...
Mark Stevenson -
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