If, at first glance, you can’t tell the Afeela EV revealed by Sony Honda Mobility at CES 2024 apart from the prototype the start-up showed off last year, that’s no surprise. Nor after the second or third glance. You’ll have to check out what’s inside the concept...
Green Power
Hyundai Doubles Down on Hydrogen at CES 2024
Hyundai is one of a small handful of automakers currently marketing a hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle. But the South Korean carmaker sees much broader applications for the zero-emission technology and highlighted where that’s taking it during a presentation at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on Monday.
Kia’s CES Concept Vehicle Offers “A Vision for Future Mobility”
Kia took the wraps of five concept vehicles at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on Monday, the all-electric Platform Beyond Mobility lineup offering a variety of different ways to “revolutionize the mobility industry.” The Korean automaker said production versions will follow, targeting everything from cargo hauling to ride sharing — and will even let you swap out bodies for different purposes.
Volkswagen Adding ChatGPT AI Tech to Six Models
Today’s cars are computers on wheels. But Volkswagen plans to make its products even smarter by adding the ChatGPT artificial intelligence system to a mix of new gas and electric models, including the all-new Tiguan and ID.4. But American motorists will have to wait.
Shakeup at Troubled VinFast: Vietnamese Automaker Names New CEO, CFO
Since announcing plans to enter the U.S. market, Vietnamese automaker VinFast has faced a series of problems and responded with a series of management shakeups. The latest sees its CEO “transition” to a new job, while founder Pham Nhat Vuong takes over her post. The automaker also said Saturday that it has replaced its chief financial officer.
Tesla Drops Mileage Estimates as Complaints Mount, Justice Department Opens Probe
Tesla has come under fire for posting what some critics claim to be wildly optimistic range numbers for its battery-electric vehicles. Now, as the Department of Justice begins looking into potentially inflated claims, the automaker has lowered the estimates on at least some versions of three of its five models.
VinFast Making Moves to Expand in U.S.
After a few hiccups, Vietnamese automaker VinFast is on the move again in the U.S., adding four independent dealers to its network as well as preparing to introduce two concept vehicles at CES that could find their way into those dealerships in the future. Get details at Headlight.News.
CES 2024 Ushers In Era of “Software-Defined Vehicles”
Today’s cars already function as computers on wheels, some equipped with over 100 onboard microprocessors. But tomorrow’s vehicles will go significantly further, offering the sort of software-based features and functions found on Apple and Android smartphones and making use of the latest AI technology. Tomorrow’s “software-defined vehicles” will transform what motorists can do while driving – while generating hundreds of billions of dollars in new revenue streams for automakers. We’ll get a look at what this means at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
Battery power dominates as Toyota Prius, Ford Super Duty and Kia EV9 Named North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year
A jury of 50 U.S. and Canadian journalists narrowed down an extensive field of new vehicles, with three models named the winners of the North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year awards. At a ceremony in Detroit, the Toyota Prius was named Car of the Year, the Ford Super Duty taking top honors in the truck category. And the Kia EV9 was named Utility Vehicle of the year.
GM Will Cover Federal Tax Credits Lost by Some of its EVs This Year
Revised rules that went into effect on January 1 took away federal tax credits on all but about a dozen EVs. But General Motors will make up for that loss by offering up to $7,500 in discounts on EVs like the Cadillac Lyriq and Chevrolet Blazer EV, the automaker said. Ford, meanwhile, said it is raising the price on some versions of its F-150 Lightning by up to $10,000, while lowering the cost of premium models by as much as $7,000.
Nikola Helping Drive a Green Truck Revolution: Fuel Cell and Battery Electric
At first glance, it looks pretty much like any of the semi cabs rolling across American roadways, though the design is a little sleeker, and the name on its grille is the giveaway. Nikola’s Class 8 tractor is one of a growing number of “green” commercial vehicles, in this case, replacing a traditional diesel drivetrain with a hydrogen fuel-cell system. Trucks deliver most of America’s freight, but they also create a disproportionate share of the transportation sector’s pollution. That’s starting to change as truck makers and truck fleet operators switch to alternative hydrogen and battery drivetrain technologies.
Tesla Sets Sales Record – But Still Misses its Target as BYD Closes the Gap
Tesla delivered 485,000 vehicles during the fourth quarter, bringing total sales for the year to 1.8 million, an all-time record. But the automaker fell short of the 2 million target CEO Elon Musk set early last year. And it has BYD, breathing down its neck, even though that major Chinese competitor has yet to enter the North American market.