It will slot below the Mercedes EQV.
It s been less than a week since the Mercedes EQS electric sedan and EQB SUV debuted, but Mercedes is already teasing the next new member of the electric EQ family. On May 10, Mercedes-Benz will present the EQT Concept previewing the electric version of the upcoming T-Class compact city van for families with active lifestyles, allowing Mercedes to expand into other EV segments.
The electric family van will be revealed by skateboarding star Tony Hawk, who will provide some surprising insights into the EQT Concept in a video that will be shared on social media. Essentially, the EQT will be a more affordable, entry-level alternative to the luxury Mercedes EQV electric minivan.
There s a big gulf in price between these two vehicles.
Ever since the brilliant Porsche Taycan arrived on the scene, this technologically advanced sedan has been touted as one of the biggest threats to the Tesla Model S. The pair has faced off often and remain two of the quickest large sedans in the world. But should the Taycan be more worried about a much cheaper electric sedan in the form of the Model 3?
The results from the recent All Japan EV Grand Prix held at the Fuji Speedway indicate that this is the case. In an unexpected turn of events, a Taycan Turbo S recorded the fastest lap time in the 55 km race (34.1 miles) but finished behind a modified Model 3 in the overall standings.
Accessible Smooth Power
Polestar just announced a single motor version with about half the dual-motor s output, but we suspect the Polestar 2 will be best served with that two-motor setup. The company has delivered an incredibly well-refined electric vehicle off the bat, and some of that refinement is in the tuning of the power delivery. When it comes to putting that power down for say, overtaking, there s no big jolt. Instead, you get a super smooth surge that comes in a whoosh as you leave whatever you re overtaking behind. Passengers aren t suddenly sitting bolt upright with white knuckles and are, instead, just left to experience the kind of refined and undramatic excess of power you typically expect from something seriously upmarket like a Rolls-Royce or Bentley.
As if the lack of semiconductor chips wasn t already bad enough.
It s been a year since the first automotive assembly lines ground to a halt because of the coronavirus pandemic. Most managed to restart production throughout the summer under strict new health regulations to keep workers healthy. That s the good news. The bad news is that automakers are currently suffering from a global semiconductor chip shortage that s causing reduced production for some of America s most popular vehicles like the Ford F-150. Chevy shut down Camaro production entirely for the time being. If this weren t bad enough, there s now another supplier crisis brewing.
Does this promise need another pinch of salt?
The latest controversy to hit EV market leader Tesla is once again news around its full self-driving technology. Tesla began rolling out a beta version of its advanced technology to a sect few customers back in October, and early in March, Tesla CEO Elon Musk confirmed on Twitter that FSD would launch for non-testers sometime this spring. By the end of March, Musk declared that the FSD beta would only be rolled out in April on cars such as the Model 3 and Model S. In the latest from Elon Musk s eccentric Twitter feed, it seems as though a date has been set. According to Musk, the tech will be rolled out next month, but later clarified that the May target is aspirational at best.