Which electric-vehicle trendsetter is now U.S.-rated at 402 miles on a charge?
Which automaker revealed its rival to Tesla Autopilot and GM Super Cruise?
This is our look back at the Week In Reverse—right here at Green Car Reports—for the week ending June 19, 2020.
As automakers ramped up production and accepted the idea that in-person events might not be possible for the remainder of the year and beyond, a number of companies released new product info or, at the least, set reveal dates, this week.
2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E range warning
Ford revealed several more pieces of information about its upcoming Mustang Mach-E electric SUV. The company’s rival to Tesla Autopilot and GM Super Cruise, called Active Drive Assist, will be offered for the first time on the Mach-E next year, as an over-the-air update. The Intelligent Range system in the upcoming Ford Mustang Mach-E electric SUV will take a lot more than past efficiency into account in estimating remaining range; it taps into crowdsourced efficiency info for routes, and even the weather. And earlier in the week it disclosed that the Mach-E will include 250 kw of Electrify America DC fast charging—enough for several road-trip charges.
Lordstown Motors has set the date for a June 25 online reveal of its Endurance electric pickup, to be made in Ohio and aimed primarily at fleet use. Lucid also announced that on September 9 it will show a production-ready Air electric sedan—along with a lot more about specs and pricing.
Lucid Air
Tesla is focusing in on Austin, and even optioning some land outside the city, for its upcoming Terafactory that will assemble the Cybertruck and Model Y. But Tulsa isn’t out of the running yet.
Tesla claimed an EPA range of 402 miles for the Model S Long Range Plus. The EPA confirmed the number to Green Car Reports, but once again their account was somewhat different than Tesla’s.
Rimac C_Two production line
And earlier in the week it was reported that Tesla and Panasonic have renewed their longstanding battery deal, although it’s not exclusive and the expansion of the Nevada Gigafactory remains undecided.
The Croatian electric-vehicle company Rimac has delayed first deliveries of its exclusive, 258-mph C_Two supercar to 2021.
Europe is getting all the coolest vans, it seems. Case in point: the all-electric Citroën Ë-Spacetourer, which can seat up to nine. It doesn’t offer a lot of range, but it would be a niche worth exploring.
2020 Polestar 1 first drive
The plug-in hybrid Polestar 1 coupe was supposed to precede the all-electric Polestar 2 by many months. But a delay for EPA and CARB approvals means the P1 and its 52-mile electric range is just getting delivered.
Last weekend, Rivian underscored the importance of its own battery management system—and knowing the limits of the cells it’s using—in designing electric trucks that will be ready for extremes in climate, terrain, and load.
Cadillac’s design boss said that the brand’s upcoming electric vehicles won’t look like its gasoline ones.
Lyft car picking up a rider
On Wednesday, Lyft pledged to go all-electric by 2030. The move will save more than a billion gallons of gasoline, but in the short term it will mean pushing its drivers to rent more electric vehicles.
A Canadian study from earlier this month found that in addition to the expected health advantages of electric cars through cleaner air, each EV brings about $7,500 in “social benefits.”
According to New York City fleet data, hybrids have a much greater gas mileage advantage than the EPA numbers suggest.
Volkswagen e-Golf assembly at Dresden
Volkswagen has raised its investment in QuantumScape, a developer of solid-state battery technology. And it’s offering visitors the possibility of helping to build an e-Golf, at its “glass house” factory in Dresden.
And finally, if you’re in Southern California, you can see the Cybertruck in person at the Petersen Automotive Museum. We’ll be jealous.
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