By Ray Prince Electric car startup Byton is looking for an additional $400 million dollar infusion to finance the company. According to Automotive News, citing anonymous sources, Byton is in the midst of the fundraising effort. No word has come yet on any finalized agreements or who the investors could be. Formerly known as Future…
By Ray Prince An effort is underway by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Federal Government to increase the gas tax to expand the country’s infrastructure. According to the Washington Post, a new proposal by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce calls for a 25-cent increase over five years or a one-time hit to taxpayers,…
By Sam McEachern The next-generation Jaguar XJ will be a high-end electric vehicle that will serve as a technology flagship for the British automaker. According to Autocar, Jaguar has decided to develop the all-new version of the XJ despite downward trending sales figures for big sedans. It plans to keep the XJ nameplate relevant by…
By Jeff Cobb With the public’s focus on Model 3 and other pending vehicles, and the Model S’ success already known, some may not have noticed, but Tesla’s main seller quietly sold its 200,000th global unit last year. The car crossed the 200k line in the fourth quarter, some time in October or early November,…
By Chad Kirchner Researchers may soon be able to produce a cost-effective and more environmentally friendly carbon fiber based on plants. Currently, carbon fiber is made from petroleum products. It is high strength and lightweight, and used in high-performance cars to help reduce weight and improve handling. Its value is known with more expected to…
By Sam McEachern A crossover based on the Chrysler Pacifica minivan has been confirmed by Fiat-Chrysler and will be built at the Windsor Assembly Plant in Ontario, Canada. Speaking to Motor Trend at the 2018 Detroit auto show, Fiat-Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne confirmed the Pacifica-based crossover was coming, saying it had already been designed and…
By Sam McEachern Mazda has said its rotary engine could be used as a range-extender in a future autonomous Toyota EV. Speaking to WardsAuto in Detroit, Mazda North America’s president and CEO, Masahiro Moro, said the rotary engine has been under continuous development within Mazda. The company teamed up with Toyota on its e-Pallete concept…
By Chad Kirchner The year 2017 was the second-warmest year on record, according to the scientists at NASA. Since reliable record-keeping began in 1880, scientists have been keeping track of global temperatures. At the end of 2017, scientists at NASA calculated the global temperature and ranked it second on the warmest years list. The hottest…
By Matt Posky We know the State of California loves electric cars, but the Los Angeles Police Department may have mixed emotions. Back in June of 2016, the LAPD awarded BMW with a contract to provide 100 battery-powered i3 hatchbacks as part of a plan to enhance its public image. At the time, Los Angeles…
By Ray Prince The UK government has received an ultimatum to issue mandates for most new cars to be electric by 2030 or whiff on its emissions targets. The recommendations, made by the Committee on Climate Change, a UK clean energy watchdog group, issued the strongly worded draft aimed at the region’s Clean Growth Strategy…
By Ray Prince The Fomm Concept One, a water-cruising electric vehicle inspired by 2011’s Japan tsunamis, is now on its way toward production. An acronym for “First One Mile Mobility,” the concept was first introduced in Feb. 2014 as the world’s “smallest class 4-seater electric vehicle,” specially designed to handle close-range travel, emphasizing fewer cross-country…
By Chad Kirchner Tesla’s longest-range Model 3 can travel 310 miles on a single charge, but BMW said its competitor will have 435 miles of range when it goes on sale in 2021. Called the iNext, and based on the Next 100 concept, the new BMW will have all the features that the Tesla Model…
By Sam McEachern Daimler is working to develop solid-state batteries and other breakthrough battery technology but admits such advancements are likely still a long way out. Speaking to AutoGuide.com at the 2018 Detroit Auto Show, board member and head of R&D at Daimler Ola Källenius said the company is working with startups and other companies…
By Jason Siu For the fifth year in a row, Mazda is the most fuel-efficient automaker in the U.S. That’s according to the Light Duty Fuel Economy Trends Report, released by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The report lists Mazda as having the highest overall Manufacturer Adjusted Fuel Economy for the 2016 model year…
By Jason Siu BMW admits there’s customer demand for a more powerful version of its i8 sports car. Recently updated for the 2019 model year, the BMW i8 Coupe currently offers 369 horsepower and a zero-to-60 mph time of 4.2 seconds, so additional performance could get it into supercar territory with a 60-mph sprint of…