Kia revealed some time ago that it was getting into purpose-built vehicles, but we didn't expect that its new lineup would immediately result in something as desirable as the WKNDR concept. A boxy electric van with off-road skills, this was just one of two electric concepts Kia brought to SEMA this year and easily the most eye-catching. But there are a few details that might make this concept a little iffy when it comes to production, even if the interior makes a lot of sense for the vanlife audience. However, Kia also showed a much more production-friendly electric SUV with off-road gear in Las Vegas.
EV charging infrastructure is still seen as one of the main factors keeping the EV adoption rate moving at turtle speeds, even as public charging networks add more stations with ever-faster charging. For example: Wyoming has 22.12 chargers for every 100 EVs in the state, which is a lot of chargers. But that's not because Wyoming has a lot of EVs at the moment. The statistics aren't especially encouraging in a handful of other states, including Hawaii, which actually has quite a few EVs for a state its size. But the number of charging stations in the Aloha State is woefully low in relation to the number of EVs on the roads. Here's how other states are doing.
Mopar used the 2024 SEMA show to take the wraps off the 1967 Plymouth GTX Electromod, showcasing its e-Crate concept powertrain.
The e-Crate itself is exactly what it sounds like: a crate motor along with four battery packs, in this case totaling 73 kWh. The concept's range is pretty impressive, as far as EV restomods go, though the batteries aren't exactly light. But do the complete specs make sense for a restomod such as this one?