Electric : Car News And Reviews

Do you love the classic Volkswagen Beetle? While its original internal combustion engine left a whole lot to be desired, the idea of a bug with a torque-y electric motor sounds like it could be lots of fun.

Ford has been teasing us for quite some time that it was working on a crossover SUV that gets its inspiration from the Mustang. Now we finally know when it will be revealed to the public, with the vehicle breaking cover on November 17.

If there’s one consistent theme here at the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show, it’s that electrification is a key part of almost every automaker’s go-forward strategy. Among the companies showing off EVs was Mazda, a company who heretofore has stuck strictly with internal combustion engines. The new Mazda MX-30 isn’t just some far-off concept either – it’s an actual vehicle which is headed for production in 2020.

I’m here at the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show, meeting with Toyota and Lexus to see what sort of new vehicles they have in the works. A big focus of this year’s show is on the future of mobility, so it’s less about what cars you can buy in 2020, but where technology is headed in the years beyond.

If you live in anywhere in Europe, you know that gasoline prices can be a real horror show. Combined with the obvious environmental concerns about vehicle emissions, an electric vehicle seems like a more and more appealing option – especially for city commuters.

First revealed back in 2013, the Toyota Mirai is innovative in that it’s one of the few consumer vehicles on the road which runs on hydrogen power. Its systems then convert that hydrogen to electricity to drive its motor, and emitting only a little bit of water as its sole tailpipe emission.

Looks are everything to so many people. When looking at cars, the aesthetics are what draw people in. I remember the first time I saw the BMW i8 Roadster. As journalists, we aren’t supposed to be so smitten and biased based simply on looks.

If you’re of the mindset that electric cars are just heavy and fast in a straight line, Porsche wants to change your mind with the 2020 Taycan, a high-end sedan designed for performance. While Porsche plans to release a full line of Taycans, they’re starting out with the high-end models, the $150,900 Taycan Turbo and the $185,000 Taycan Turbo S.

Since 2011, the Aventador and its variants have represented the pinnacle of power for the Italian exotic automaker, Lamborghini. Now a follow-up act to the mid-engined V12 supercar is around the corner, though this time, it’s packing a hybrid drivetrain. Featuring the typically angular and dramatic styling Lambo is known for, the Sián (which translates to “flash” or “lightning” in Bolognese Italian) is designed to be their most powerful model yet, producing a combined 819 horsepower from its hybrid gas-electric powertrain.

The 2020 Porsche Taycan has yet to make its way to dealerships, but it’s hotly anticipated as one of the best performing, and best looking pure electrics yet. As part of its pre-production testing, Porsche took a Taycan to the famed Nürburgring-Nordschleife to see what it could do.

The biggest issue with getting people to convert to purely electric vehicles is the charging process. It can take a very long time to juice up their battery packs, and sometimes it’s hard to find an available charging station when you need one.

Ford has already told us that it’s serious about getting into electric vehicles, and is even planning on building an all-electric version of its popular F-150 pickup truck. Now, Ford is showing off a prototype of its electric F-150 by putting it to the test in a towing challenge.

Lotus is best known for making fun to drive, compact, and lightweight sports cars. So it took me by some surprise that they decided to skip right over building supercars and straight to creating their first ever hypercar.

The MINI Cooper is a fun little car for getting around the city. It handles like a go kart, and fits just about anywhere. But if you’re mostly sticking to urban areas and short commutes, it only makes sense to consider an electric vehicle.

If you have ever had the misfortune of witnessing a major accident where someone was trapped inside a vehicle, you may have seen first responders on the scene using incredibly powerful tools to cut cars apart and free the trapped passengers.