2015 Volkswagen Tiguan 2.0t Se Sport Utility 4d on 2040-cars

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My year in EVs: 8 electrics that are changing the car industry

The year 2021 will go down as an inflection point in the auto industry’s transition to electric vehicles. It's when many much-anticipated models became reality. No longer sketches or sketchy prototypes, electric vehicles appeared from all corners with everything from the Lucid Air to Ford Mustang Mach-E changing how we think about transportation. I managed to drive a lot of them, and as I went through my notes, I realized IÂ’ve got a mini memoir of the seminal EVs of 2021. HereÂ’s my take on eight of them. Hummer EV Easily the most over-the-top EV I tested this year. The 1,000-hp super truck lived up to the hype with its domineering presence, stupendous power and simply being a reincarnated Hummer. I took it for a short spin on- and off-road at the General Motors Proving Grounds in Milford, Mich., and was impressed with the airy cabin, removable sky panels and expansive touchscreens. Yes, I crab walked, which felt like steering a pontoon boat, though I can see why it would be useful. Lucid Air Dream Performance The most beautiful sedan I tested all year, EV or otherwise. Unlike the futuristic Mercedes EQS — which is quite attractive — LucidÂ’s car is a blend of mid-century modern interior aesthetics and classic European exterior styling. When I walked up for my test drive, someone who IÂ’m pretty sure was comedian Jon Lovitz was sitting inside and taking it all in. As it sat in the valet of a hotel in a wealthy suburban enclave north of Detroit, the Lucid drew more attention than any of the Mercedes, Cadillacs or Lexus models passing by. The driving experience was enveloping. Starting at $169,000 for the Performance model (reservations are closed), the Lucid I sampled packed 1,111 hp and 471 miles of range. From the precise steering to the comfortable suspension, the dynamics were spot-on. It's a formidable product, and all the more impressive given itÂ’s LucidÂ’s first. Chevy Bolt EV The Bolt was the most pleasant surprise for me. It handled well, offered low-to-the-ground hot hatch dynamics and the steering was dialed-in. Adding a crossover variant for the new generation was a smart play. On a summer morning where I went to a first drive of the Ford Bronco at an off-road course, my hour-long commute in the Bolt was an enjoyable appetizer.  The Bolt was also my biggest disappointment due to its extensive recalls for fire risk. Ironically, I had the Bolt in my driveway when the initial recall went out for the previous generation (2017-19).

Recharge Wrap-up: VW CEO mulls battery factory, voters approve $201B in transportation funding

Volkswagen Group CEO Matthias Muller says that it would "make sense" for the automaker to begin producing its own batteries. As the company moves toward electrification, Muller says it would be a smart move to build a battery factory. "If more than a quarter of our cars are to be electronic vehicles in the foreseeable future then we are going to need approximately 3 million batteries a year," he says. Volkswagen has agreed to cut 30,000 jobs in its restructuring, while committing to creating 9,000 jobs in Germany through battery manufacturing and mobility services. Read more at Automotive News Europe. Election results show a desire for transportation funding. Earlier this month, voters in 22 states approved ballot measures adding up to $201 billion in funding for transportation projects, according to the American Road & Transportation Builders Association. California passed 15 transportation measures, including one in Los Angeles worth $120 billion for roads, bridges, and transit. The state of Washington secured $54 billion for light rail and buses. Atlanta approved about $4 billion for road and transit projects. Illinois and New Jersey passed measures to prevent the diversion of transportation user fee revenue to other industries. Read more from ITS International. The US Department of Energy (DOE) must hand over confidential documents about Fisker's bankruptcy. A Delaware federal judge ordered the DOE to give the documents – which concern a presentation by Fisker to the DOE in which it falsely claimed to meet milestones set forth in a government loan – to lawyers in a case in which investors claim Fisker lied to them about financial troubles. While the DOE has given over documents already, they were incomplete and heavily redacted. "I understand that such disclosures may have a negative impact on future DOE analyses," says US District Judge Sue Robinson. "but conclude nonetheless that under the circumstances at bar – the public money at stake, the Congressional hearings, and the fact that Fisker Automotive is now a defunct company – the balance of interests favors plaintiffs." Read more at Law360. Related Gallery Volkswagen I.D.

Porsche-Piech buy 10% stake in VW's holding company

In August, 2009, as the scuttled merger of Porsche and Volkswagen had gone bad and Porsche was backed up against the ropes, Porsche Automobil Holding SE (PAHSE) relinquished a ten-percent stake in itself to Qatar Holdings as well as options it held on 17 percent of VW shares. The sale meant that, for the first time since the founding of the company 61 years before, an entity outside the Porsche and Piech families had a say in the running of PAHSE.
Buying that ten-percent stake back returns full ownership to the two families, the holding company's sole possession being ownership of 50.7 percent of VW's common shares. The price paid wasn't disclosed, but at market rates the purchase would be worth close to $1.25 billion. Qatar intends to hold onto the 17-percent stake it has in Volkswagen.