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Sunday Drive: Trucks and SUVs of all shapes and sizes

The American automotive marketplace is dominated by trucks and SUVs, and so was the last week of coverage on Autoblog. By far, the most popular story of the week was our First Drive of the 2018 Lincoln Navigator. It may look like an old-school lumberer, but in reality Lincoln's flagship is a thoroughly modern, turbocharged-V6-powered, three-row, luxury people mover. The Jeep Wrangler is the world's most recognizable vehicle. So it's no surprise that the next version looks a whole heck of a lot like the last one, and the one before. It's all in the details, which is why we were so excited when Jeep decided to unleash a trio of images showing both two- and four-door Wranglers for us to dissect ahead of the SUV's official debut at the L.A. Auto Show later this year. Past that, spy photos of the next Chevy Silverado and Ram 1500 were predictably popular. See both of those below, and the cap it all off, check out the entire week's worth of SEMA coverage – including the bonkers Hennessey VelociRaptor 6x6 – in our mega image gallery at the bottom of this post. Enjoy! As always, tune in to Autoblog next week for a front-row seat to all the happenings worth following in the automotive industry. 2018 Lincoln Navigator First Drive | From black sheep to flagship 2018 Jeep Wrangler revealed: First photos released before L.A. Auto Show debut 2019 Chevy Silverado looks slim and clean beneath the camo 2019 Ram 1500 gets vertical touchscreen infotainment system 2017 SEMA Show Mega Photo Gallery Chevrolet Jeep Lincoln RAM Truck SUV recap sunday drive

Recharge Wrap-up: 'Racing Extinction' Tesla, Wards praises 3 hybrids

The makers of Racing Extinction used a tricked out Tesla Model S for their movie. The artists and activists used the electric car as a platform to project images from nature in various cities to raise awareness about imperiled wildlife. In addition to a the high-powered projector, the Model S features a electroluminescent paint job that emits light to mimic creatures found in the wild, such as bioluminescent sea life. It also has a thermal imaging camera in the front of the car with a filter to view CO2 emissions. Check it out in the video above, and read more at Ecomento. WardsAuto has named the 2016 Hyundai Sonata Plug-In Hybrid's powertrain to its list of 10 Best Engines. As the first plug-in hybrid to make the list, WardsAuto World Editor-in-Chief Drew Winter praises Hyundai engineers for their "impeccable job blending fuel efficiency with refinement and daily usability." Wards notes the car's smooth transitions between electric and hybrid modes, and a well-connected six-speed automatic transmission. Other electrified vehicles to make the list are the 2016 Chevrolet Volt and 2016 Toyota Prius. Read more from Hyundai, at Green Car Reports. FEV's plug-in hybrid battery pack has gone into vehicle series production. The 10-kWh battery pack, developed by the German development services provider, offers an all-electric range of about 30 miles. FEV says its battery management algorithms are just as important as choosing the right battery hardware. "The core system for the battery development is our own mature battery management system (BMS), now in its third generation, that together with optimized algorithms allows a very reliable and stable control of the battery," says FEV's Dr. Michael Stapelbroek. Read more at Green Car Congress, or in the press release from FEV below. Hybrid Vehicle Goes Into Series Production FEV development competence consists of batteries, controls, as well as complete drive systems FEV has demonstrated competence in the development of alternative drive concepts for almost twenty years. Most recently, yet another plug-in hybrid vehicle has gone into series production with technology provided by the Aachen-based developer. In addition to using an innovative transmission concept which is based on a FEV patent, FEV also developed the battery technology of the plug-in hybrid vehicle to series production readiness.

Mary Barra reportedly confirms GM's electric pickup truck plans

According to Motor Authority, CEO Mary Barra confirmed General Motors' intentions to build an electric pickup truck this week. Whether or not it would be an all-new vehicle is unknown. The news comes not even a week after Ford announced a $500 million investment in electric-vehicle startup Rivian. First, electric powertrains were integrated into cars. Then came the crossovers and the SUVs. Naturally, then, the next wave will be pickup trucks. Ford is set to produce an electric F-150, Rivian has the R1T, and now General Motors has reportedly confirmed its plans to introduce a competitor into the field. The article says the topic was brought up in a recent investor call as part of a brief overview of the automaker's electrification strategy. That's where the details end, however, as there is no indication of a timeline, what GM brand would carry the truck, or whether it would be an entirely new product or an adaptation of a current model. The latter seems most likely, which points to the Chevrolet Silverado or the GMC Sierra as possibilities. Chevrolet has been GM's electrification leader this decade with the Bolt and Volt, so an electric Silverado would align well with that messaging and branding. However, an electric pickup would likely be a pricier premium product, which could align it better with GMC. Autoblog has reached out to GM for comment and will update this space when we get a response. Green Rumormill Chevrolet GMC Truck Electric Future Vehicles Mary Barra electric truck chevrolet silverado