1980 Porsche 911 Targa on 2040-cars

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Ferrari IPO may turn out to be good news for enthusiasts

Sergio Marchionne's strategy to spin off Ferrari from FCA and make the Italian automaker a publicly traded company has been met with ire from a vocal contingent of enthusiasts ever since rumors about the plan began to surface a few years ago. Some of these particularly pessimistic automotive pundits have voiced fears that with stockholders in the mix, it would not only spell the demise of the exclusive Italian supercar maker as we know it, but would in fact "ruin" the company. Call me dense, but I fail to see what the issue is. That isn't to say that I don't understand what's causing the fear. When profitability becomes a higher priority for a brand that's historically relied on exclusivity to keep its products in the highest echelons of desirability, there's a high potential for internal philosophical conflict. And then there are concerns about the sorts of products that Ferrari might develop that aren't the high-performance sports cars that the brand is known for. But individuals with those apprehensions seem to forget that Ferrari has already lent its name to a multitude of things that are not LaFerraris, 488 GTBs, or F12 Berlinettas, including clothing, headphones, and even laptops. But let's assume for a moment that the core anxiety is about future vehicles – including the unspeakable notion that Ferrari might develop an SUV. Why wouldn't Ferrari build an SUV, especially after seeing how incredibly successful that endeavor has been for Porsche? I think it's likely that Ferrari will put engineers to task creating some sort of crossover or high-rolling cruiser with room for the whole family at some point in the near future. And why wouldn't it, after seeing how incredibly successful that endeavor has been for Porsche? After all, the Cayenne accounted for more US sales in 2013 than the Boxster, Cayman, 911, and 918 combined, and it only gave up about a thousand units of sales last year to make room for the Macan crossover, the latter of which Porsche sold nearly as many of as it did Boxsters and Caymans. People want these vehicles, and they're willing to pay quite a bit of money for them. If we use Porsche's recent trajectory as a foreshadowing metric for what's in store for Ferrari, the future actually looks pretty good. After all, those SUV sales keep plenty of cash in Porsche's coffers for the low-volume projects that we enthusiasts love, like the 918 Spyder and the 911 GT3 RS.

Here are all the EVs with 800V charging available in 2024

As technology advances, electric cars are improving their fast-charging times. That means less time spent waiting at a DC public charger when you’re out on the road. While Level 3 chargers used to provide a maximum of 150 kilowatts of power, 350-kW chargers are become more common, making for super-fast charging Â… if your car is capable of taking advantage of it. So how do automakers improve the charging speed of their EV batteries? Some are turning to higher voltage, specifically 800V charging. What's the difference between 800-volt charging and 400-volt charging? So how does 800V charging improve upon the more common 400V EVs? Put simply, the higher the voltage, the less amperage (current) it requires to charge. In other words, with more voltage, you get more wattage (power, aka charge rate) from the same amperage (current). 800V architecture is also more efficient, with less electrical resistance, so it can use thinner cables and smaller, lighter components while needing less cooling. The tradeoff is that it is more costly, and guess who that cost gets passed on to. While automakers don't break down their pricing to show how much more you're paying for that 800V system, you'll just have to evaluate any potential purchases as a whole, and make your decision based on overall pricing of the vehicle. Thankfully, the 800V EVs on sale now are generally ones we like. Now, 800V charging capability doesn't necessarily mean an EV has 800V vehicle architecture. For instance, the GMC Hummer EV and Chevy Silverado EV operate at 400V, but with their dual battery packs, can switch to 800V when charging by temporarily connecting those packs in series. Currently, there are only a handful of EVs available with 800V charging. But if you are going to find yourself taking longer trips in your EV and using DC fast chargers more often, you might want to consider choosing one with this faster charging capability. With that in mind, these are the EVs available with 800V charging, either on sale now or coming in 2024. 800-volt EVs available in 2024 Audi E-Tron GT Chevrolet Silverado EV Genesis GV60 Genesis Electrified G80 Genesis Electrified GV70 GMC Hummer EV Pickup GMC Hummer EV SUV GMC Sierra EV* Hyundai Ioniq 5 Hyundai Ioniq 6 Kia EV6 Kia EV9 Lotus Eletre* Lotus Emeya* Lucid Air Lucid Gravity* Porsche Macan Electric* Porsche Taycan Ram 1500 REV* Tesla Cybertruck *Coming later in 2024 Green Audi Chevrolet Genesis GMC Hyundai Kia Lotus Porsche Tesla Electric Lucid EV charging

Porsche gives Nick Murray exactly what he deserved [w/video]

The tale of Nick Murray and his lemon Porsche 911 appears to have come to a satisfactory end. As noted in the original story about Murray, he and Porsche Cars North America met and came to a resolution. However, we didn't know exactly what that meant, until now.
Murray has created a new video explaining that PCNA offered to buy back the car at full price or give him an exact replacement for it. This was exactly what he was asking for. Murray remains pro-Porsche in the new video. "I am definitely considering reordering a Porsche 911," he says.
Porsche also posted a message on its Facebook page that clarified the situation. "We at Porsche have always sought excellence in all that we do. We know you expect it of us. And when we don't meet that standard, we make every effort to improve," said a portion of the note.