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Bob Lutz named chairman at Via Motors

Bob Lutz is staying very busy. The ex-vice chairman of General Motors, and champion of the Chevrolet Volt, has been named chairman of the board at Via Motors. Lutz will need to squeeze that in between his role as senior advisor at vehicle interior designer Katzkin, being an owner at VL Automotive and perhaps as an advisor to Wanxiang and Fisker Automotive. Lutz thinks that Via's business plan of building extended range plug-ins is a smart way to go. "If we are going to see main stream adoption of electric vehicles, the technology must deliver a good return on investment to the largest segment of the auto business, namely trucks, vans and SUVs," Lutz said in a prepared statement, which you can read below. Lutz has decades of experience holding executive positions at some of the world's leading automakers and has spent the last few years working with green-focused start-ups. Lutz will replace Carl Berg, who served as chairman since Via's launch in 2009 and will continue to be the company's largest stakeholder. As Via's new chairman, we figure Lutz will continue bragging about the trucks' bells and whistles – such as its built-in solar panels that can add 10 miles of range to the battery pack if it's parked in the sun all day. ANN ARBOR, MI– VIA Motors announced today that auto legend, Bob Lutz, former vice chairman of General Motors and a board member of VIA Motors, was appointed Chairman of the Board of VIA Motors, maker of extended range electric trucks, vans & SUVs. Lutz is also known as the "father of the Chevy Volt" America's best selling electric vehicle. "VIA is fortunate to have the experience of one of the industry's foremost executives leading our board," said John Weber, VIA Motors, CEO. Mr. Lutz brings with him a passion for the evolution of the automobile, and decades of experience from his tenure in top executive positions at each of the world's leading auto companies, noted Weber. "I believe VIA is electrifying the right end of the business and is implementing a very sound business strategy," said Lutz. "If we are going to see main stream adoption of electric vehicles, the technology must deliver a good return on investment to the largest segment of the auto business, namely trucks, vans & SUVs. That's why I am so confident in VIA and I'm pleased to serve as Chairman," said Lutz. Lutz is replacing retiring chairman Carl Berg, who has served with distinction since VIA's launch in 2009.

Fisker has filed patents for solid-state batteries

It seems that we're on the cusp of a solid-state battery revolution. The latest company to announce progress in developing the new type of battery is Fisker. It has filed patents for solid-state batteries and it expects the batteries to be produced on a mass scale around 2023. Though Fisker is a very small car company that is currently taking deposits for its upcoming EMotion electric sedan, there are reasons to believe that the company could fulfill this promise. One of the members of the battery-development team was a co-founder of Sakti3, a company that formed to develop new batteries and announced its research into solid-state technology back in 2011. That company was purchased by Dyson, the vacuum cleaner company, which also intends on producing electric cars that AutoExpress reports will feature solid-state batteries in 2020. Toyota is also expected to have solid-state batteries just ahead of Fisker around 2022. The reason all these companies are working on developing solid-state batteries is because they present a whole host of advantages over what you'll find in today's phones, computers and cars. The two big ones are greater energy density and rapid charging times. Fisker claims the batteries it's developing have an energy density 2.5 times that of current batteries, and they should be capable of providing a 500-mile driving range. The company also says the batteries could be recharged in as little as a minute. Both claims are similar to past claims from others, including Sakti3. Other benefits include lower estimated cost than conventional lithium-ion batteries as well as very little risk of fires or explosions. Fisker also announced that it will display the new battery technology at the Consumer Electronics Show in January. It will be on display along with a close-to-production EMotion, which will be using more conventional lithium-ion batteries from LG Chem. That car has its own impressive claims with a range of more than 400 miles and the ability to regain around 125 miles of range in about 9 minutes. It will also retail for around $130,000, and the company is taking $2,000 reservations now. Fisker intends for it to go into production in 2019. Related Video: Featured Gallery Fisker EMotion View 14 Photos News Source: Fisker, AutoExpress Green Fisker Technology Emerging Technologies Electric Future Vehicles Sedan solid-state battery

Ford Mustang GTD, Acura ZDX and Pebble Beach recap | Autoblog Podcast #795

In this episode of the Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by News Editor Joel Stocksdale. In the news, there were a lot of recent unveilings, including the Ford Mustang GTD, Pininfarina B95, Lamborghini Lanzador, Acura ZDX and Fisker Alaska. We recap Pebble Beach and the Woodward Dream Cruise. Joel is fresh off a track drive of the Audi R8 (at Laguna Seca!), and we give ann update on our long-term Toyota Sienna minivan. Finally, we take to Reddit to help pick a new car with a V8 in this week's "Spend My Money" segment. Send us your questions for the Mailbag and Spend My Money at: Podcast@Autoblog.com. Autoblog Podcast #795 Get The Podcast Apple Podcasts – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes Spotify – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast on Spotify RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown 2025 Ford Mustang GTD revealed as a race car for the road — it costs $300,000 Pininfarina B95 revealed, 0-60 in 2 seconds, and at $4.8 million is the priciest EV ever Lamborghini Lanzador concept is a megawatt wedge previewing the first Lamborghini EV 2024 Acura ZDX revealed with up to 500 horsepower Fisker Alaska electric pickup specs, price and production plans revealed Cars we're driving 2023 Audi R8 Quattro Long-term 2023 Toyota Sienna Spend My Money Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts Autoblog is now live on your smart speakers and voice assistants with the audio Autoblog Daily Digest. Say “Hey Google, play the news from Autoblog” or "Alexa, open Autoblog" to get your favorite car website in audio form every day. A narrator will take you through the biggest stories or break down one of our comprehensive test drives. Related video: Podcasts Acura Audi Fisker Ford Lamborghini Toyota Concept Cars Electric Future Vehicles Luxury Performance