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Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Yamaha to make swappable motorcycle batteries

Just as electric cars are becoming ever more common, the alternative propulsion system is starting to make headway in the motorcycle sphere. Companies such as Harley-Davidson and Zero already have electric models on sale, but other established brands are preparing for the electric future. Among them are the four big Japanese bike builders (Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha) who have a plan to improve electric bike adoption, and make their bikes very appealing. The four companies created an organization back in April 2019 for this sort of purpose called the Swappable Battery Consortium for Electric Motorcycles. And the group has now announced that the manufacturers have agreed on the specifications for motorcycle batteries that can be interchanged among each company's motorcycles. So if you have a Suzuki, you can use a Honda battery, or vice versa. This idea presents quite a few interesting possibilities. The manufacturers could sell bikes with or without batteries, since you might already have a battery from your previous bike, or just another one you own, so you wouldn't have to shell out to buy an entirely new battery. If, for whatever reason, you needed a replacement battery, it should be easy to get one, since the same type would support bikes from a variety of manufacturers. The pipe dream of battery swapping stations might even be feasible because of the standardization and support. And having the batteries relatively easy to remove could be good for apartment dwellers, since they might be able to bring a battery inside to charge. The manufacturers haven't said exactly what the specifications are for these interchangeable batteries, nor when they'll be implemented. But we'll be eagerly awaiting more information in the future. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

2021 Bentley Flying Spur V8 First Drive Review | Making a scene at the ends of the Earth

Even in the face of fading four-door relevance, a new luxury sedan still turns heads, and that goes double when it’s sporting the Flying B. The 2021 Bentley Flying Spur V8 marks the return of the “entry-level” variant of BentleyÂ’s storied touring sedan, and perhaps for the last time, as parent company Volkswagen appears poised to electrify its flagship luxury brand. As luxury nameplates go, Flying Spur really isnÂ’t all that long-running. It was used on a handful of cars in the late 1950s and early 1960s and then mothballed for four decades, returning in 2005 as part of the same Volkswagen prestige project that brought us the Phaeton. The two were even assembled side-by-side for a brief period at one of VWÂ’s German facilities while BentleyÂ’s factory in Crewe scaled up; that probably went over far better in 2005 than it would have in 1959.  My oldest remaining memory of the (then still a Continental) Flying SpurÂ’s modern incarnation stems from a write-up by a journalist who had embedded with some of VW GroupÂ’s engineers in South Africa. They were subjecting it to hot-weather validation, running the prototype (disguised as a Mercedes-Benz) deep into triple-digit territory on remote, dusty highways in a once-unforgiving and distant corner of the globe. The whole thing seemed very romantic to a 20-year-old college student and budding European car nut. The notion of a 190-mph super-sedan being tested in a locale that was once the southern terminus of the known world seemed almost mythical, and it left me with the lingering image of the Flying Spur as the sort of conveyance one might employ in a quest to reach the very ends of the Earth. Naturally, it wasnÂ’t long after Bentley asked if I wanted to sample the new Flying Spur V8 that this association bubbled up. LetÂ’s face it, though; taking a road trip in a grand British luxury sedan needs no justification. This isnÂ’t a car that requires an occasion; it supplies one all on its own. The 4.0-liter V8Â’s 542 horsepower may not hold a candle to the W12Â’s 626, but it also has to contend with 200 fewer pounds. Combined with cylinder deactivation, the V8 manages a 16% improvement in fuel economy, eking out 15 mpg in the city, 20 on the highway and 17 combined. The base V8 model also lacks the W12Â’s standard all-wheel steering and electronically controlled anti-roll bars, but those are still available if youÂ’re willing to cough up some extra cash, and relatively little of it, all things considered.

2021 Mini Countryman Boardwalk Edition price and features detailed

Mini announced a new appearance package for the Countryman called the Boardwalk Edition back in December, and now the company has revealed how much it will cost. With the $850 destination fee, it rings in at $39,215 for the front-wheel-drive version, or $41,215 for the all-wheel-drive. That's not cheap, but it comes with quite a bit. Based on the Cooper S Countryman and painted in a unique Deep Laguna Metallic paint, it comes with a Pin Spoke wheels, external trim, and contrasting roof all in Piano Black. The interior is available with only one upholstery, Cross Punch leather also in black. A touchscreen nav package comes standard on Boardwalks, which includes Apple CarPlay, wireless charging, and real-time traffic. The Boardwalk Edition also includes equipment from the normally $2,000 Premium Package, including LED fog and headlights, power-folding and auto-dimming mirrors, heated front seats and automatic climate control. Additionally, the Boardwalk Edition also receives bespoke door sills, roof and dashboard graphics, as well as unique Boardwalk side scuttles standard.  Compared to a a similarly equipped Signature trim with Premium Package, the Boardwalk Edition's price has a discount of a hair less than $1,000. If you like that package and the Deep Laguna color, then this is the trim for you. The Mini Countryman Boardwalk Edition will hit dealerships in April 2021. There's no word on whether a Park Place Edition will follow. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Volvo XC90 Coasting Transmission Deep Dive | How, when and why of coasting

In our recent 2021 Volvo XC90 Recharge review, its turbocharged-supercharged-hybridized powertrain delivered impressive horsepower and fuel economy. But Volvo has one additional trick up its sleeve, propelling a car with power that's simpler, cheaper and all-natural: It's the power of momentum and gravity. I've always been halfway to a hypermiler. I'm not obsessive about it, but in city driving, I enjoy timing stoplight approaches to keep the wheels rolling and avoid the inertia of restarting from a stop. There's little point to needlessly racing and braking between red lights, wasting kinetic energy (and therefore fuel). So I tend to drive strategically instead, often catching up with the drivers who jackrabbit but get hung up at the lights. And, back when I owned a long line of vehicles with manual transmissions, I coasted. Coasting used to be slightly controversial. Some claimed it doesn't actually save gas, though my mileage calculations showed otherwise. Another school of thought insisted that removing engine braking from the equation, even momentarily, constitutes a dangerous loss of control. Of course, an experienced driver can slip a manual transmission back into gear in a flash when engine braking's actually needed. And one should always use some common sense and judgment about when and where to coast. I'm not talking about careening down a 15% grade into a school zone.  Anyway, those arguments became moot when automatic transmissions pretty much took over. (And no, never coast with a typical automatic transmission. Even if it weren't damaging to your type of automatic — but assume that it is — the risk of screwing up a nudge of the shifter from drive into neutral is too great.) XC90 Recharge 8 View 18 Photos But happily, some automakers in recent years have added a coasting feature to their automatics, with the aim of eking out more fuel efficiency. Volvo calls the feature on its Aisin eight-speed "Eco Coast." Some Mercedes, BMWs and others call it "sailing" or "gliding." The Hyundai Ioniq, Ford Mustang Mach-E and Polestar 2 are among EVs that allow you to cancel out all regeneration and freewheel downhill. And future cars such as the BMW iX are also being designed to do it. By building coasting into the clockworks, automakers have taken any traffic safety concerns out of the question, because the car will instantly switch you back into gear when needed.

'Why isn't he stopping?' Mini driver describes being pushed sideways by dump truck

Yesterday, a video out of Toronto made the rounds on social media. It was scary to watch, as a dump truck pushed a Mini sideways a half-kilometer (third of a mile). But there were no details about why this accident happened or who was involved. Today, we know more:   This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Courtenay Erhardt, 26, is a nurse who was driving her Mini to a coronavirus vaccination site to administer shots to homeless people. She says she was waiting at a stoplight before heading up an onramp. “I was in front of him at that stoplight. We were both trying to get onto the Gardiner (Expressway)," she told the Toronto Star, which has a photo of Erhardt and a close-up look at the Mini stuck to the Kenworth's bumper. "He hit me from behind when we were merging." "[The dump truck] just sort of bumped my back rear-end and unfortunately I went sideways and the truck just continued to go up the ramp," Erhardt told CTV News Toronto. "I just remember holding my horn and my steering wheel and just screaming. Just like bawling and screaming. I honestly didn't know if my Mini was going to flip, or veer out into oncoming traffic on the Gardiner," she said. "I just remember thinking, 'Why isn't he stopping? Why is he still going?'" A couple in another car behind the truck saw smoke coming off the truck and knew something was wrong, Erhardt said. They pulled up alongside her, saw what was going on, then pulled ahead of the truck and forced it to stop. They called 911 and helped Erhardt escape her car. The truck driver, Erhardt said, emerged. “He said, ‘I didnÂ’t see youÂ’ and asked me not to call the cops. He asked if he could pay for the damages. He was young.” He has been charged with several offenses, Toronto police said.  Police Sgt. Murray Campbell released a statement to CTV saying, "Operators of large vehicles do not have the benefit of such lower/smaller vehicles, in their ability to see out of windows in all directions," implying the truck driver couldn't see the small car beneath his hood. Campbell advised motorists to make sure they can see truck drivers so the truck drivers can see them.  Which is good advice. That said, this truck driver surely felt that something was wrong — and heard the sounds that we can hear in the video. Erhardt, though terrified, was not injured. She credits the couple who helped her, along with the Mini Cooper.

Mini teases high-performance electric hatch as a safety car

Mini has made it clear that it's working on some sort of high-performance electric Mini. It even released photos of such a prototype back in December. Now it seems we may get a look at a more finished example in the near future. The company put out the above teaser on Twitter. The teaser is quite light on information, but the hashtag "#ElectricThrillMaximised" makes it pretty clear that it's not running on gasoline or diesel. Playing with the image in Photoshop, we were able to brighten it up enough to see that there aren't any tailpipes, either. Instead, there's a rear fog light in the middle of the diffuser. What's also interesting is that from what we could make out of the fender flares, they're very wide, but they don't look like the unusual carbon fiber pieces from the John Cooper Works GP. So Mini has done some work to make it a little more than just an electrified GP. Of course, we've skipped over the obvious part of this teaser, and that's the bright lights that seem to identify the Mini as a pace car or safety car. We think this Mini might become a safety car for Formula E. Not only would an electric car make sense for the electric racing series, but BMW has provided i model cars as safety cars for the series for a few years now, despite the company no longer competing. Certainly BMW could also use something like the new i4, but with Mini going fully electric a few years down the road, why not start associating the brand and the alternative fuel now? We're not sure when the car will be revealed, though. The teaser didn't provide any pertinent information, and the Formula E season is already underway. But hopefully it won't be too long, since it looks like the car is finished, at least for pace car purposes. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Skoda plans big investment into electric cars as part of rebound effort

PRAGUE — Czech carmaker Skoda, part of the Volkswagen Group, said on Wednesday it would invest around 2.5 billion euros over the next five years on future technologies, with more than half going to electric vehicle investment. The Czech Republic's largest exporter is hoping for a rebound in 2021 from a global car sales drop but faces uncertainty over the coronavirus pandemic and a semiconductor shortage rattling the industry. "This year is likely to be another big challenge," finance director Klaus-Dieter Schuermann said. "We expect Skoda Auto's group performance to improve, with sales revenue significantly above the level of last year." Skoda reported on Wednesday a 54.5% drop in 2020 operating to 756 million euros ($894 million). Sales revenue dropped 13.8% to 17.1 billion euros. Global deliveries remained above 1 million cars for a seventh straight year despite a 19% drop after production outages at the outset of the pandemic and a fall in China, its biggest single market. Chief Executive Thomas Shaefer said the car company was managing the semiconductor shortage "but it will follow us for awhile" and the impact was not visible yet. Skoda's core market in Europe would be electric in the future, Shaefer said, although it was still not time to completely switch away from traditional models, which include the launch last year of a new generation of its flagship Octavia model. It has also started production of the all-electric Enyaq iV model, which is a version of Volkswagen's ID.4. Skoda plans investments of 1.4 billion euros into electromobility development as part of its five-year investment plan. Investments will also go into digitalization activities and plant modernization. Related video: Green Volkswagen Skoda Electric

Refreshed GMC Terrain is introduced. Again.

Back in January of last year, we got our first look at the refreshed GMC Terrain that was supposed to go on sale sometime last fall as a 2021 model. But that was January 2020, just a couple of blissful months before the world shut down. So the Terrain ended up delayed, just like the Chevy Equinox, and now GMC is re-introducing us to the refreshed crossover, which is slated as the 2022 GMC Terrain. This time around, we've been shown photos of not just the new AT4 off-road oriented trim, but other more common variants. They all get larger grilles, larger headlights and new C-shaped taillights, and all trims get fulling LED exterior lighting. Both the AT4 and Denail get unique grille designs, with the former getting a gunmetal grey design with thick slats, and the latter getting an all-chrome one with more delicate lattice-work between the slats. The AT4 also boasts a front skid plate for protection, and from our early preview last year, it seems to get chunkier tires. The Elevation trim returns, too, as a black-out appearance package for the more entry-level SLE and SLT trims. The interior is mostly unchanged except for a revised shifter panel -- the buttons are new, but the same controversial design remains (see the video below). There are new features available, though. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are still standard, but now they're wireless. A head-up display is available as an option for SLT and AT4, while it comes standard on the Denali. The Denali also gets an 8-inch screen in the instrument panel. Only the turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder and nine-speed automatic have been announced for the Terrain. It makes the same 170 horsepower and 203 pound-feet of torque as before and can be paired with either front- or all-wheel drive. We're expecting a higher-horsepower, larger-displacement engine to be offered in the near future. The SLE, SLT and AT4 models will go on sale this summer. The Denali will follow in the fall. Pricing and additional details should be revealed in the coming months. Related Video:

2022 Bentley Continental GT Speed debuts with more power, big handling improvements

Fast news is coming out of the UK today in the form of a new Bentley Continental GT Speed. Similar to the previous generations of the Continental GT, this latest version is getting the Speed treatment. Bentley may be talking endlessly about its green future, but until that materializes, the British marque is continuing to pump out W12 master classes of luxury and speed. The idea is the same as all “Speed” versions of recent Bentleys. Add power, increase handling abilities, and make it look faster. Power from the 6.0-liter twin-turbo W12 increases to 650 horsepower (24 extra ponies), while torque remains constant at 664 pound-feet. The extra power comes from increasing the manifold pressure in the upper rev range, meaning the extra power is all the top. This results in a 0.1-second reduction in the 0-60 mph time, which is now down to 3.5 seconds. Top speed is a lofty 208 mph, which is a 1 mph increase from the non-Speed. See, itÂ’s speedier! While the power gains are admittedly small, the other performance improvements Bentley made look like theyÂ’ll be much more noticeable from behind the wheel. For one, the eight-speed dual-clutch transmission reportedly shifts twice as fast in Sport mode as it does in the regular W12 model. The engine and transmission calibration is also revised to make its upshifts higher in the rev band and downshift earlier. Bentley says the exhaust is much louder with greater “character” than the standard car, too. The chassis and drive system get significant updates for better handling. The car's big new party trick is four-wheel steering, which is becoming increasingly common for large luxury cars. As you might expect, the rear wheels turn opposite the fronts at low speeds for better agility, and the rears turn the same direction as the fronts at high speeds for better stability. This means the Continental GT Speed should feel more nimble and quick on its feet than lesser versions.  Additionally, Bentley says itÂ’s using a new all-wheel-drive torque split and traction control calibration “to provide a noticeable character shift” for the Speed. Basically, theyÂ’re loosening the reins a bit, which will ultimately result in the Speed feeling more tail-happy and eager to rotate in corners. Brake-based torque vectoring is implemented in the Speed for when you want to power through corners more efficiently, too.

2022 Infiniti QX55 First Drive Review | A gorgeous value

Looking at the luxury crossover market, you can probably guess that there’s a clear demand for fastback variants. All the German automakers offer multiple coupe-like crossovers. The rest of the industry hasn't been so sure, including Infiniti, which didn't originally plan to offer a rakish version of its QX50. Yet here is the 2022 Infiniti QX55, and it's the direct result of customer demand. The people wanted it, so Infiniti brought it.   The company didnÂ’t just stop with the low, curvy roofline, though. The front fascia features a wavy, almost sculptural grille, a deeper chin spoiler and crisp black accents around the outboard grilles. The rear gets wider taillights with pronounced LED segments and a diffuser between the tailpipes. The license plate has been moved to the bumper, too, so that you get a big Infiniti badge and proud brand lettering across the hatch. On top of that, every QX55 gets big 20-inch wheels. These detail changes, plus the new roof make this not only a much more attractive-looking iteration of the QX50 but also arguably the best-looking crossover “coupe” in the segment. InfinitiÂ’s flowing design language naturally complements the QX55Â’s shape, and it looks almost like it was designed to be this way in the first place, whereas competitorÂ’s SUV coupes tend to look like afterthoughts. Mechanically, the QX55 is nearly identical to its boxier QX50 sibling. The only main distinctions are that the QX55 comes with all-wheel drive as standard, and the new body actually improved chassis rigidity by 10%. The engine is the same turbocharged, variable-compression 2.0-liter four-cylinder from the QX50 making the same 268 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque. Fuel economy is also identical at 22 mpg city, 28 mpg highway and 25 mpg combined. Power goes through a CVT, which again, is basically the same as the QX50Â’s. ItÂ’s not the smoothest engine in the segment, but itÂ’s a responsive and playful one, delivering great low-end torque. The CVT is smooth and reacts quickly to acceleration demands. It has a manual mode that works decently, too, but you never have full manual control. So you might as well let it do things automatically, which is no bad thing. As for the ride and handling, the QX55, even with its extra rigidity, feels just like the QX50. It has a soft, plush ride and an extremely quiet cabin befitting a luxury car. But when itÂ’s time to corner, itÂ’s deeply disappointing. ThereÂ’s lots of body roll and understeer.