If you have trouble reading this message, view it in a browser. This week Volkswagen gives an early look at the ID.5 GTX, the BMW iX3 gets an update, and the Mustang Mach-E deals with the chip shortage. But first: It's Monterey car week, which has turned into an auto show of its own in the past couple of decades as a venue for concept car debuts, and in the days leading up to the main event Audi has taken the wraps off a very ambitious electric concept dubbed skysphere. The "main event" of this concept is perhaps something you didn't know you needed in a car until this week: a variable wheelbase, which permits the sleek concept to change its overall length from 194.5 inches to 204.3 inches. The skysphere is also designed to offer Level 4 autonomy. "With the touch of button, the driver can take advantage of their freedom and choose their own driving experience," Audi added. "Either they pilot their 4.94-meter-long e-roadster themselves in 'Sports' mode with a reduced wheelbase, while the rear-wheel steering ensures that the vehicle remains extremely agile despite its dimensions. Or they can choose to be chauffeured around in a 5.19-meter GT in the autonomous 'Grand Touring' driving mode while enjoying the sky and the scenery, maximum legroom, and the services offered by a seamlessly integrated digital ecosystem." The concept thus transforms from a longer-wheelbase GT (with Level 4 autonomy, by the way) into a sports car with a press of a button, letting the driver decide how to use the 624 hp and 553 lb-ft of torque on tap. The Silverado EV, due in 2023, will offer four-wheel steering as an option. Speaking of variable features, this week Chevrolet released a short teaser video showing off one of the available items of the upcoming electric Silverado pickup, expected to arrive in 2023. The same week that President Joe Biden signed an executive order aimed at boosting EV rates to 50% of sales by 2030, Nissan announced similar plans. The automaker says that it is shooting for over 40% of its sales to be fully electric by 2030, with an even larger share expected to be electrified. Electric trucks are on their way to join the FedEx fleet, with commercial EV manufacturer Xos signing an agreement with the logistics giant to deliver 120 battery-electric vans to 35 FedEx locations. The company plans to supply the vans to FedEx Ground independent service providers (ISPs) based in Texas, California, New Jersey, New York and Massachusetts. The first vans are scheduled to be delivered in the fourth quarter of this year, with the rest in 2022.
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Friday, August 13, 2021
Audi EV concept demonstrates variable wheelbase
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