Is Tesla Cybertruck production finally getting rolling?

PLUS: Rivian Dual-Motor trucks, Mercedes charging hubs, and Kia Ray EV.

If you have trouble reading this message, view it in a browser. Dual-Motor Powertrain Represents Rivian's Volume Play      Rivian received plenty of early praise for design and functionality of its pickup trucks, but it was clear from the start that they wouldn't be for every pocketbook. The first examples that entered production were certainly the pricier versions, per established industry custom, and the sudden surges in the prices of raw materials in 2022 didn't help either.    Are Rivian trucks finally floating down to the level of the average new vehicle price today?    Earlier this year Rivian introduced a Dual-Motor version of its R1T intended to hit a lower price point, in contrast to its standard Quad-Motor setup. And these trucks still offer 533 hp and 610 lb-ft of torque, so these aren't what one might expect from a truly base version.    But are these Dual-Motor R1T models far more affordable for the average truck buyer, and enough to make shoppers consider Rivian? READ THE FULL STORY Tesla Cybertruck Production Seems Like It Might Finally Be around the Corner      The Tesla Cybertruck has been in development for at least half a decade, having been revealed in concept form back in November 2019 and promptly had its side windows broken in a stunt that has still not received a logical explanation.    Since that reveal, quite a few other electric trucks have actually arrived on sale while Tesla has focused on its money-making models and new plants overseas among other things, like humanoid robots.    But is Cybertruck production actually starting, at last?    The past few weeks have seen plenty of signs of pre-production examples being completed and trucked around. A delivery event is on the calendar in a few weeks, as well.    It certainly sounds like Tesla is building some Cybertrucks.    Of course, as we have seen most recently with the Tesla Semi, delivery events and volume production are two quite different things.    Here's the latest on the Cybertruck saga. READ THE FULL STORY Mercedes-Benz Charging Hub Will Launch In This US City      Porsche and Audi are betting on luxury charging hubs, the kind that take reservations and have more than a few things in common with airline lounges. But they're not the only two automakers willing to invest in a charging network for their owners, just as the rate of EV adoption in Europe begins to climb.    Mercedes-Benz is also on board with the concept, and it's planning its own network of hubs. Mercedes plans a massive number of stations, envisioning 10,000 charging points at over 2000 locations.    Needless to say, all of these stations will take some time to build, but Mercedes plans to have 2000 charging points ready by the end of next year. That's a quick timeline, but so is Mercedes' pace of EV debuts, as you've probably noticed over the past couple of years.     Here's where we're likely to see these pop up in the US. READ THE FULL STORY How Much Is An Electric Car? Pricing Factors & Energy Costs READ MORE 5 Ugly Truths and 5 Dirty Lies about Electric Cars READ MORE Is the Kia Ray EV City Car Something We Could Use Here—or Even Want? READ MORE Polestar 4 Will Offer Mobileye's Eyes-Off-the-Road Chauffeur System READ MORE Is It a Misperception That EV Fires Are Common? READ MORE Here's Why Limousine Rides Are about to Go Green READ MORE Spread the word: If you know someone interested in staying on top of the rapidly growing EV segment, feel free to pass this newsletter along. SIGN UP Follow Us Unsubscribe Privacy Notice Autoweek.com ©2023 Hearst Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. Hearst Email Privacy, 300 W 57th St., Fl. 19 (sta 1-1), New York, NY 10019