Apple has just shut down its electric car program. It has run for 16 years and there were currently 2,000 employees on the payroll.
Almost all will be switched to working on AI.
Electric Cars II - Not Silly!
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Fox3WheresMyBanana
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Karearea
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Re: Electric Cars II - Not Silly!
YangWang U9 spotted dancing on the street thanks to Disus X suspension [2:01]
YangWang U9 launched in China with a single option priced at 1.68 million yuan (236,000 USD). The all-electric supercar sits on the e4 platform and is equipped with BYD's Disus X suspension system, which enables it to drive on three wheels, jump, or dance. Four electric motors power the EV with a total output of 960 kW (1287 hp) and 1,680 Nm peak torque.
Around the world thoughts shall fly In the twinkling of an eye
Re: Electric Cars II - Not Silly!
Is that the mode you put it in when you get pulled over? 
"It was the car doing that. Not me!"
PP
"It was the car doing that. Not me!"
PP
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Fox3WheresMyBanana
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Re: Electric Cars II - Not Silly!
Told you they'd find a way to make cheap Chinese EVs unsellable
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/20 ... tric-cars/Britain to consider tariffs on flood of cheap Chinese electric cars
Carmakers fear they are being undercut by brands that are being subsidised by Beijing
Re: Electric Cars II - Not Silly!
Musk said Tesla cars would rise in value, but the opposite happened 
https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/03/cars/mus ... index.html
CNN
—
Back in 2019, Elon Musk made an astonishing claim for Tesla vehicles. Tesla cars, he said, would go up in value, not down, after purchase.
The reason for that is Tesla’s full self-driving capability that, Musk has said, requires only some additional software updates and regulatory approval before Tesla vehicles on the road today will become fully independent. He repeated this claim as recently as June 2023.
“You can think of every car we sell or produce that has full autonomy capability as something that in the future may be worth five times what it is today,” he said in the company’s third quarter, 2023, earnings call.
And not only would the price of a used Tesla go up, but Musk also predicted a world in which Tesla’s driver assistance suite, which the company calls “Full Self-Driving” despite not fully self-driving the vehicle, would on its own be worth $100,000.
Because, with regulatory approval, your self-driving Tesla would be able to go “work” as a taxi on your behalf. All you’d have to do is sit back and collect the cash.
But four years after Musk’s 2019 prediction, the average used Tesla Model 3 is selling for $29,000. And regulatory approval for FSD has not arrived, either, as the company incrementally attempts to improve the software.
To be clear, used cars do not generally rise in value. Except for that crazy time in the early 2020s when all automotive production virtually came to a halt and almost all cars became, for a year or so, appreciating assets. Beyond that market quirk, though, Musk has been wrong.
Used Teslas have dropped precipitously in value over the past year or two, as Tesla has struggled to maintain its commanding dominance in the market for new electric vehicles. By aggressively slashing price of its own new cars and SUVs, Tesla has also created a domino effect, pushing down the values of other EVs, as well.
A domino effect
In 2020, Tesla made 80% of all EVs sold in America, according to Cox Automotive. By 2022, its EV market share had fallen to 64%. Last year, it fell further to 55%.
This was a natural development as more competitors entered the market. Car shoppers can now choose EVs from Ford, Hyundai, Kia, Audi, Volkswagen and others.
Tesla’s response was, evidently, aggressive price cuts, as it tried to slow the erosion of its EV market share. Sticker prices for new Teslas dropped about 21% over the past year, according to Cox Automotive.
During the past year, the price of a used 2021 Tesla Model 3 sedan has dropped, on average, about 29%, going from $40,522 in January of 2023 to just $28,700 in January 2024, according to data from Edmunds.com. In general, model year 2021 used vehicles of all types lost about 19.5% in value over that same period.
Tesla generally does not respond to media inquiries and did not answer questions about its pricing strategy.
Generally speaking, price changes in new vehicles have a direct impact on the price of used vehicles of the same make and model. Logically, people expect to pay less for a used car than they would for a new one. So when the price of a new car drops, the value of used versions of that model are pushed down as well.
Why buy a used car if you could get a brand new vehicle for only a little more or maybe even less, after all?
“What were the most depreciated vehicles in the industry? It’s Tesla,” said Ivan Drury, an auto pricing analyst with Edmunds.com. “It’s an exorbitant amount of money.”
Lower resale value
Brayden Wall, who lives in Colorado, bought a used 2020 Tesla Model 3 about two years ago for $51,000. He recently offered it at a Tesla dealership as a trade in, he said, and was offered only $22,000 for it.
Wall said he does not regret his decision to buy a Tesla, only his timing.
“I understand vehicles drop in value and are not investments,” he said in a text message. “But losing well over 50% of a $50,000 purchase in 18 months is a huge kick in the ass.”
The rapid drop in value of used Teslas was a big part of the reason that, in January Hertz announced it was selling 20,000 electric vehicles, the large majority of them Teslas. Rental car companies count on being able to sell cars on the used market after a certain time, which makes resale values critical to the business. Tesla’s cratering resale value hurt Herz’s bottom line.
“[T]he deployment of Teslas has become a more expensive proposition because when the [manufacturer’s suggested retail price] came down, the residual came down and the depreciation went up,” Hertz chief executive Stephen Scherr said during an earnings call last month.
The downward pressure on Tesla’s own car values has caused price competition throughout the market for used EVs.
“Tesla doesn’t throw a pebble in the pond,” Drury said, “They’re throwing boulders and it does make waves. It does have repercussions that affect the entire used EV industry.”
For instance, the average price of a used 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E fell almost 37% over the past year. In terms of its size, price and specifications, the Mach-E is a very close competitor to the Tesla Model Y, which dropped 31% over that same period. Meanwhile, the average price of all other used model year 2021 EVs has dropped about 34%, although that figure can vary greatly, Drury said.
This is what happens in the EV market when Tesla makes a move because, although it’s less dominant, it still has an outsized impact.
PP
https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/03/cars/mus ... index.html
CNN
—
Back in 2019, Elon Musk made an astonishing claim for Tesla vehicles. Tesla cars, he said, would go up in value, not down, after purchase.
The reason for that is Tesla’s full self-driving capability that, Musk has said, requires only some additional software updates and regulatory approval before Tesla vehicles on the road today will become fully independent. He repeated this claim as recently as June 2023.
“You can think of every car we sell or produce that has full autonomy capability as something that in the future may be worth five times what it is today,” he said in the company’s third quarter, 2023, earnings call.
And not only would the price of a used Tesla go up, but Musk also predicted a world in which Tesla’s driver assistance suite, which the company calls “Full Self-Driving” despite not fully self-driving the vehicle, would on its own be worth $100,000.
Because, with regulatory approval, your self-driving Tesla would be able to go “work” as a taxi on your behalf. All you’d have to do is sit back and collect the cash.
But four years after Musk’s 2019 prediction, the average used Tesla Model 3 is selling for $29,000. And regulatory approval for FSD has not arrived, either, as the company incrementally attempts to improve the software.
To be clear, used cars do not generally rise in value. Except for that crazy time in the early 2020s when all automotive production virtually came to a halt and almost all cars became, for a year or so, appreciating assets. Beyond that market quirk, though, Musk has been wrong.
Used Teslas have dropped precipitously in value over the past year or two, as Tesla has struggled to maintain its commanding dominance in the market for new electric vehicles. By aggressively slashing price of its own new cars and SUVs, Tesla has also created a domino effect, pushing down the values of other EVs, as well.
A domino effect
In 2020, Tesla made 80% of all EVs sold in America, according to Cox Automotive. By 2022, its EV market share had fallen to 64%. Last year, it fell further to 55%.
This was a natural development as more competitors entered the market. Car shoppers can now choose EVs from Ford, Hyundai, Kia, Audi, Volkswagen and others.
Tesla’s response was, evidently, aggressive price cuts, as it tried to slow the erosion of its EV market share. Sticker prices for new Teslas dropped about 21% over the past year, according to Cox Automotive.
During the past year, the price of a used 2021 Tesla Model 3 sedan has dropped, on average, about 29%, going from $40,522 in January of 2023 to just $28,700 in January 2024, according to data from Edmunds.com. In general, model year 2021 used vehicles of all types lost about 19.5% in value over that same period.
Tesla generally does not respond to media inquiries and did not answer questions about its pricing strategy.
Generally speaking, price changes in new vehicles have a direct impact on the price of used vehicles of the same make and model. Logically, people expect to pay less for a used car than they would for a new one. So when the price of a new car drops, the value of used versions of that model are pushed down as well.
Why buy a used car if you could get a brand new vehicle for only a little more or maybe even less, after all?
“What were the most depreciated vehicles in the industry? It’s Tesla,” said Ivan Drury, an auto pricing analyst with Edmunds.com. “It’s an exorbitant amount of money.”
Lower resale value
Brayden Wall, who lives in Colorado, bought a used 2020 Tesla Model 3 about two years ago for $51,000. He recently offered it at a Tesla dealership as a trade in, he said, and was offered only $22,000 for it.
Wall said he does not regret his decision to buy a Tesla, only his timing.
“I understand vehicles drop in value and are not investments,” he said in a text message. “But losing well over 50% of a $50,000 purchase in 18 months is a huge kick in the ass.”
The rapid drop in value of used Teslas was a big part of the reason that, in January Hertz announced it was selling 20,000 electric vehicles, the large majority of them Teslas. Rental car companies count on being able to sell cars on the used market after a certain time, which makes resale values critical to the business. Tesla’s cratering resale value hurt Herz’s bottom line.
“[T]he deployment of Teslas has become a more expensive proposition because when the [manufacturer’s suggested retail price] came down, the residual came down and the depreciation went up,” Hertz chief executive Stephen Scherr said during an earnings call last month.
The downward pressure on Tesla’s own car values has caused price competition throughout the market for used EVs.
“Tesla doesn’t throw a pebble in the pond,” Drury said, “They’re throwing boulders and it does make waves. It does have repercussions that affect the entire used EV industry.”
For instance, the average price of a used 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E fell almost 37% over the past year. In terms of its size, price and specifications, the Mach-E is a very close competitor to the Tesla Model Y, which dropped 31% over that same period. Meanwhile, the average price of all other used model year 2021 EVs has dropped about 34%, although that figure can vary greatly, Drury said.
This is what happens in the EV market when Tesla makes a move because, although it’s less dominant, it still has an outsized impact.
PP
Re: Electric Cars II - Not Silly!
Dodge’s new electric muscle car can have a gas engine if you want
https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/05/cars/dod ... index.html
Muscle car shoppers will face some important decisions with the 2024 Dodge Charger. First, the new Charger will be available as a battery-powered electric car or with a gasoline engine. And for the first time it will be available with two or four doors.
Also, unlike most EVs, the electric Chargers will be extremely loud, at least when drivers want them to be, thanks to a series of baffles and chambers that will blast sound to the outside world.
But while it will certainly be fast and loud, there is one thing that would have been previously inconceivable in a muscle car. While the Charger will have the option of a traditional petroleum-burning engine, one thing that won’t be available is a V8. And that option will not become available in the future, either, according to Dodge. When gasoline-driven Chargers go into production early next year, they will be powered by turbocharged six-cylinder engines.
If buyers want the biggest, brawniest Charger, they’ll have to go with battery power. The most powerful and fastest version, at least initially, will be the fully electric Dodge Charger Daytona Scat Pack, capable of producing up to 670 horsepower from two electric motors. All versions of the new Charger, whether electric or gas, will have all-wheel-drive.
The 2024 Charger is replacing two cars that have come to define the Dodge brand since at least the early 2000s. The four-door Charger and two-door Challenger were mechanically very closely related, and neither had been substantially redesigned in at least a decade. Defying auto industry norms, sales of both models continued to be strong throughout their lives, even increasing in their latter years of production, which came to a close at the end of 2023.
Because of the popularity of those two cars, Dodge, which long sold cushy family sedans, cute compact cars like the Neon, and even the first minivan, now proudly self-identifies as a muscle car brand. For today’s Dodge, anything with a whiff of public virtue must explained through an appeal to speed.
“We’re just going to use electrification to make it faster, not more politically correct,” said Tim Kuniskis, the CEO of Dodge, last year when the concept version of the new Charger was revealed.
Offering gasoline power only as an option is one way Dodge is working to meet increasingly strict emissions regulations, while trying not to alienate traditional customers who value the sound and feel of mechanical power.
EVs generally lack sound, beyond the low murmur most emit at low speeds for regulatory reasons. That sound is required so that people can hear that a car is coming.
The electric Challenger Daytona models take this to another level. These cars will have an “exhaust” system solely to pump out loud sounds as the car as being driven. The sounds aren’t produced by speakers, like the those made by typical EVs, but by air pulses forced through pipes with baffles and chambers inside.
This will give drivers, and everyone around the car, the sort of audible signature that would usually come from a traditional internal combustion engine. The sound will increase as the accelerator pedal is pressed down harder reaching decibel levels produced by the high-output V8 muscle cars the new Charger will replace.
The Charger Daytona Scat Pack will be the top performance version, at least initially, with a maximum of 670 horsepower. That much power will enable it to go from zero to 60 miles an hour in 3.3 seconds, according to Stellantis. All Chargers, whether gas or electric, will have all-wheel-drive.
The all-new Dodge Chargerâs dynamic, layered instrument panel and console theme are home to free-standing, wide format 10.25-inch or available 16-inch cluster screens, with a 12.3-inch center display positioned in an angled center stack that provides a unique, sculpted interior with a modern technical feel.
Four-door Charger models as well as gas-engined cars will go into production in 2025. Two-door electric models will be available later this year. Courtesy Dodge
The old gasoline-only Challenger muscle car was offered at the end of its production run with with 1,025 horsepower supercharged V8. Given that recent history, it seems unlikely that all-electric Chargers will stop at just 670 horsepower, but nothing more has yet been announced.
The second-most powerful model will be the gas-engined 550-horsepower Dodge Charger SixPack H.O.
The Daytona models will have an aerodynamic wing in the front end. The wing won’t be visible from the side because it’s designed to be flush with the car’s side profile. Dodge has applied for patents on both the front wing design and the noise-making exhaust system.
Two-door electric Charger Daytona models will go into production later this year, with gas-powered models as well as four-door Chargers versions available beginning in early 2025.
Stellantis has not yet announced pricing.
PP
https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/05/cars/dod ... index.html
Muscle car shoppers will face some important decisions with the 2024 Dodge Charger. First, the new Charger will be available as a battery-powered electric car or with a gasoline engine. And for the first time it will be available with two or four doors.
Also, unlike most EVs, the electric Chargers will be extremely loud, at least when drivers want them to be, thanks to a series of baffles and chambers that will blast sound to the outside world.
But while it will certainly be fast and loud, there is one thing that would have been previously inconceivable in a muscle car. While the Charger will have the option of a traditional petroleum-burning engine, one thing that won’t be available is a V8. And that option will not become available in the future, either, according to Dodge. When gasoline-driven Chargers go into production early next year, they will be powered by turbocharged six-cylinder engines.
If buyers want the biggest, brawniest Charger, they’ll have to go with battery power. The most powerful and fastest version, at least initially, will be the fully electric Dodge Charger Daytona Scat Pack, capable of producing up to 670 horsepower from two electric motors. All versions of the new Charger, whether electric or gas, will have all-wheel-drive.
The 2024 Charger is replacing two cars that have come to define the Dodge brand since at least the early 2000s. The four-door Charger and two-door Challenger were mechanically very closely related, and neither had been substantially redesigned in at least a decade. Defying auto industry norms, sales of both models continued to be strong throughout their lives, even increasing in their latter years of production, which came to a close at the end of 2023.
Because of the popularity of those two cars, Dodge, which long sold cushy family sedans, cute compact cars like the Neon, and even the first minivan, now proudly self-identifies as a muscle car brand. For today’s Dodge, anything with a whiff of public virtue must explained through an appeal to speed.
“We’re just going to use electrification to make it faster, not more politically correct,” said Tim Kuniskis, the CEO of Dodge, last year when the concept version of the new Charger was revealed.
Offering gasoline power only as an option is one way Dodge is working to meet increasingly strict emissions regulations, while trying not to alienate traditional customers who value the sound and feel of mechanical power.
EVs generally lack sound, beyond the low murmur most emit at low speeds for regulatory reasons. That sound is required so that people can hear that a car is coming.
The electric Challenger Daytona models take this to another level. These cars will have an “exhaust” system solely to pump out loud sounds as the car as being driven. The sounds aren’t produced by speakers, like the those made by typical EVs, but by air pulses forced through pipes with baffles and chambers inside.
This will give drivers, and everyone around the car, the sort of audible signature that would usually come from a traditional internal combustion engine. The sound will increase as the accelerator pedal is pressed down harder reaching decibel levels produced by the high-output V8 muscle cars the new Charger will replace.
The Charger Daytona Scat Pack will be the top performance version, at least initially, with a maximum of 670 horsepower. That much power will enable it to go from zero to 60 miles an hour in 3.3 seconds, according to Stellantis. All Chargers, whether gas or electric, will have all-wheel-drive.
The all-new Dodge Chargerâs dynamic, layered instrument panel and console theme are home to free-standing, wide format 10.25-inch or available 16-inch cluster screens, with a 12.3-inch center display positioned in an angled center stack that provides a unique, sculpted interior with a modern technical feel.
Four-door Charger models as well as gas-engined cars will go into production in 2025. Two-door electric models will be available later this year. Courtesy Dodge
The old gasoline-only Challenger muscle car was offered at the end of its production run with with 1,025 horsepower supercharged V8. Given that recent history, it seems unlikely that all-electric Chargers will stop at just 670 horsepower, but nothing more has yet been announced.
The second-most powerful model will be the gas-engined 550-horsepower Dodge Charger SixPack H.O.
The Daytona models will have an aerodynamic wing in the front end. The wing won’t be visible from the side because it’s designed to be flush with the car’s side profile. Dodge has applied for patents on both the front wing design and the noise-making exhaust system.
Two-door electric Charger Daytona models will go into production later this year, with gas-powered models as well as four-door Chargers versions available beginning in early 2025.
Stellantis has not yet announced pricing.
PP
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Fox3WheresMyBanana
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Re: Electric Cars II - Not Silly!
Grasping at straws.
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OFSO
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Re: Electric Cars II - Not Silly!
Just reading that the new electric Mini Countryman will cost 'from' just under £50,000 in the UK. (To more, obviously, if you want four wheel drive or better specs.) Ludicrous price. Ludicrous weight (two tons.)
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Fox3WheresMyBanana
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Re: Electric Cars II - Not Silly!
A two ton Countryman?!
What's the Country, Russia?
What's the Country, Russia?
Re: Electric Cars II - Not Silly!
Dimensions and Weight
Length 4433 mm
Width 1843 mm
Width with mirrors No Data
Height 1656 mm
Wheelbase 2692 mm
Weight Unladen (EU) 2000 kg
Length 4433 mm
Width 1843 mm
Width with mirrors No Data
Height 1656 mm
Wheelbase 2692 mm
Weight Unladen (EU) 2000 kg
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Fox3WheresMyBanana
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Re: Electric Cars II - Not Silly!
Original Mini
Length 3052 mm
Width 1421 mm
Height 1396 mm
Weight 585 kg
Length 3052 mm
Width 1421 mm
Height 1396 mm
Weight 585 kg
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Fox3WheresMyBanana
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Re: Electric Cars II - Not Silly!
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/0 ... -life-m62/Nathan Owen's Jaguar I-Pace eventually came to a stop after it ran out of miles
An electric car driver whose £80,000 Jaguar I-Pace “went rogue” on the M62 has told how he feared he would “kill an innocent person” as he swerved through traffic at speeds of up to 100mph.
Nathan Owen, 31, was overtaking another vehicle on the motorway on Wednesday when his 2019 model apparently malfunctioned forcing him to lose control of the vehicle for about 35 minutes.
A major police operation was scrambled to bring the car to a stop with officers forced to close a stretch of the motorway and ram the vehicle after forming a protective convoy.
Re: Electric Cars II - Not Silly!
Why could he not simply turn off the power?
Re: Electric Cars II - Not Silly!
HAL voice:
"I'm sorry Dave.
I can't allow you to do that."
PP
"I'm sorry Dave.
I can't allow you to do that."
PP
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Fox3WheresMyBanana
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Re: Electric Cars II - Not Silly!
My best guess is that there was a fault on the instrumentation power. I understand this comes off a separate, relatively normal automotive battery rather than the main drive batteries.
If either the instrumentation battery failed (maybe due to a charger failure), or the main computer or i/o units were operating at too low a voltage for some other reason, then the logic circuits might be in some intermediate states.
This typically shows up as random electrical responses, such as uncommanded speed increases, and maybe not sensing system off switches.
It may also be that there is no Off switch, in the simple sense.
If either the instrumentation battery failed (maybe due to a charger failure), or the main computer or i/o units were operating at too low a voltage for some other reason, then the logic circuits might be in some intermediate states.
This typically shows up as random electrical responses, such as uncommanded speed increases, and maybe not sensing system off switches.
It may also be that there is no Off switch, in the simple sense.
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ExSp33db1rd
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Re: Electric Cars II - Not Silly!
MiniCountryman £50,000 ? Mine cost £650. New.
( no, I no longer have it)
( no, I no longer have it)
Re: Electric Cars II - Not Silly!
The Rivian R2 and R3 are Rivian’s smaller, more affordable off-road EVs
https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/07/busi ... index.html
Rivian, the electric vehicle startup known for its of-road capable truck and SUV models, has unveiled two new, more affordable SUVs that the company hopes will take its sales to a new level.
Currently, Rivian sells only two models, the big R1T SUV and the the R1S pickup, priced starting around $70,000 and $75,000, respectively. The new SUVs, called the R2 and R3, will be smaller and much less expensive.
Prices for the R2 SUV, which will go on sale in early 2026, will start at around $45,000, Rivian said. At that price, it will still be relatively costly but it’s at least closer to an entry-level luxury vehicle, rather than at the high end.
The R3 will cost even less than the R2, but Rivian didn’t provide any more specific pricing for that model. It will also be smaller, about 5 inches shorter, front to back, than the R2 and with a more sloped rear profile.
The R2 is roughly the length of a Chevrolet Equinox, and neither the R2 and R3 will have a third row of seats. That’s something that set the larger R1S apart among electric SUVs, few of which can seat more than five.
The new SUVs will be available in single-motor versions, which will have rear-wheel-drive. There will also be all-wheel-drive versions with either two or three motors. Three-motor versions will be able to accelerate from a stop to 60 miles an hour in under three seconds, according to Rivian. The R3 will be offered in a special high-performance model called the R3X.
Although Rivian did not disclose specific performance numbers for the R3X, chief executive R.J. Scaringe described it as something like an off-road rally racing car.
“It’s not a rock crawling vehicle, but it’s more of a a higher speed type of vehicle,” he said in an interview with CNN. “You do trails and exploring, but it’s a very high performance vehicle.”
The Rivian R3X features a sportier interior and exterior.
When purchased with larger optional battery packs, the R2 and R3 will be able to go over 300 miles on a full charge, according to Rivian. The SUVs will be able to fast-charge on either Tesla’s NACS chargers, or on the current industry standard CCS chargers. Like most other automakers, Rivian is planning to switch to the Tesla standard.
In announcing the new vehicles, Scaringe also mentioned that plans for opening a second factory in Georgia, something the company had originally announced in 2021, were being postponed. He did not say how long those plans would be delayed, though.
“The Georgia site still very much as part of our our strategy,” Scaringe said in an interview after new vehicles were unveiled.
Rivian’s stock rose more than 13% Thursday. The stock had tumbled recently when the EV maker announced that 2024 sales wouldn’t be much higher than 2023 sales had been, at around 50,000 units. These new models, which won’t go on sale until at least the first half of 2026, won’t do anything to change that in the short term.
And by moving into a lower price range, Rivian isn’t really avoiding competition, noted Sandeep Rao, an industry analyst with Leverage Shares, in an interview with CNN.
Those in the middle and upper income segments of the US EV market are “spoiled for choices,” he said.
The Rivian R2 and R3 are Rivian’s smaller, more affordable off-road EVs
“For $75,000 I can buy a Mercedes or a BMW, a 100-year-old Europe power house,” he said. “At 40,000, I can buy a Tesla.”
Rivian will also face higher-end electric SUVs from Kia and Hyundai. But Rivian can set itself apart with vehicles that are actually capable of fairly serious off-road driving, something most electric SUVs don’t even pretend to be able to handle.
But competition is coming, even on forest trails, as Volkswagen Group’s new Scout EV brand is almost directly aimed at Rivian’s customers. Scout, which recently started construction on a factory in South Carolina, expects to begin delivering its own off-road-capable electric truck and SUV models, priced close to the Rivian R2, in 2026, as well.
Without naming Rivian, Scout chief executive Scott Keogh noted the advantage of Scout’s established brand name. “Scout” was the model name of an early SUV made by International Harvester, which was more typically known for heavy duty trucks and farm equipment.
“Those who don’t know [the Scout name], when they do investigate it, that’s exactly what you want with a brand,” Keogh said in a recent CNN interview. “They say ‘Ah, look at the history! Look at the credibility, Look at the background,’ as opposed to a created name.”
PP
https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/07/busi ... index.html
Rivian, the electric vehicle startup known for its of-road capable truck and SUV models, has unveiled two new, more affordable SUVs that the company hopes will take its sales to a new level.
Currently, Rivian sells only two models, the big R1T SUV and the the R1S pickup, priced starting around $70,000 and $75,000, respectively. The new SUVs, called the R2 and R3, will be smaller and much less expensive.
Prices for the R2 SUV, which will go on sale in early 2026, will start at around $45,000, Rivian said. At that price, it will still be relatively costly but it’s at least closer to an entry-level luxury vehicle, rather than at the high end.
The R3 will cost even less than the R2, but Rivian didn’t provide any more specific pricing for that model. It will also be smaller, about 5 inches shorter, front to back, than the R2 and with a more sloped rear profile.
The R2 is roughly the length of a Chevrolet Equinox, and neither the R2 and R3 will have a third row of seats. That’s something that set the larger R1S apart among electric SUVs, few of which can seat more than five.
The new SUVs will be available in single-motor versions, which will have rear-wheel-drive. There will also be all-wheel-drive versions with either two or three motors. Three-motor versions will be able to accelerate from a stop to 60 miles an hour in under three seconds, according to Rivian. The R3 will be offered in a special high-performance model called the R3X.
Although Rivian did not disclose specific performance numbers for the R3X, chief executive R.J. Scaringe described it as something like an off-road rally racing car.
“It’s not a rock crawling vehicle, but it’s more of a a higher speed type of vehicle,” he said in an interview with CNN. “You do trails and exploring, but it’s a very high performance vehicle.”
The Rivian R3X features a sportier interior and exterior.
When purchased with larger optional battery packs, the R2 and R3 will be able to go over 300 miles on a full charge, according to Rivian. The SUVs will be able to fast-charge on either Tesla’s NACS chargers, or on the current industry standard CCS chargers. Like most other automakers, Rivian is planning to switch to the Tesla standard.
In announcing the new vehicles, Scaringe also mentioned that plans for opening a second factory in Georgia, something the company had originally announced in 2021, were being postponed. He did not say how long those plans would be delayed, though.
“The Georgia site still very much as part of our our strategy,” Scaringe said in an interview after new vehicles were unveiled.
Rivian’s stock rose more than 13% Thursday. The stock had tumbled recently when the EV maker announced that 2024 sales wouldn’t be much higher than 2023 sales had been, at around 50,000 units. These new models, which won’t go on sale until at least the first half of 2026, won’t do anything to change that in the short term.
And by moving into a lower price range, Rivian isn’t really avoiding competition, noted Sandeep Rao, an industry analyst with Leverage Shares, in an interview with CNN.
Those in the middle and upper income segments of the US EV market are “spoiled for choices,” he said.
The Rivian R2 and R3 are Rivian’s smaller, more affordable off-road EVs
“For $75,000 I can buy a Mercedes or a BMW, a 100-year-old Europe power house,” he said. “At 40,000, I can buy a Tesla.”
Rivian will also face higher-end electric SUVs from Kia and Hyundai. But Rivian can set itself apart with vehicles that are actually capable of fairly serious off-road driving, something most electric SUVs don’t even pretend to be able to handle.
But competition is coming, even on forest trails, as Volkswagen Group’s new Scout EV brand is almost directly aimed at Rivian’s customers. Scout, which recently started construction on a factory in South Carolina, expects to begin delivering its own off-road-capable electric truck and SUV models, priced close to the Rivian R2, in 2026, as well.
Without naming Rivian, Scout chief executive Scott Keogh noted the advantage of Scout’s established brand name. “Scout” was the model name of an early SUV made by International Harvester, which was more typically known for heavy duty trucks and farm equipment.
“Those who don’t know [the Scout name], when they do investigate it, that’s exactly what you want with a brand,” Keogh said in a recent CNN interview. “They say ‘Ah, look at the history! Look at the credibility, Look at the background,’ as opposed to a created name.”
PP
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Fox3WheresMyBanana
- Chief Pilot
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- Age: 62
Re: Electric Cars II - Not Silly!
Two more drivers reporting brake failure on the Jag I-Pace.
And one of them is reality-TV-famous
, so now they'll have to do something.
Actually, the Telegraph article is headlined "Break failure" (sic). I despair, I really do.
Unless the I-Pace has a built-in Teasmaid/Hob-Nob dispenser...
..except it's an EV, so that's probably iced soy latte with caramel drizzle/ethically-sourced biscotti dispenser.
And one of them is reality-TV-famous
, so now they'll have to do something.Actually, the Telegraph article is headlined "Break failure" (sic). I despair, I really do.
Unless the I-Pace has a built-in Teasmaid/Hob-Nob dispenser...
..except it's an EV, so that's probably iced soy latte with caramel drizzle/ethically-sourced biscotti dispenser.
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Pinky the pilot
- Chief Pilot
- Posts: 2600
- Joined: Tue Aug 25, 2015 3:20 am
- Location: In Japan, looking for a bad bottle of Red
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- Age: 70
Re: Electric Cars II - Not Silly!
Reently overheard a conversation re Electric Vehicles where it was stated that here in 'Oz' the very second a new Electric Car is driven out of the place from which it has been purchased it depreciates 40%. 
No idea as to the veracity of that statement.
No idea as to the veracity of that statement.
You forgot 'Decaf.'probably iced soy latte with caramel drizzle/ethically-sourced biscotti dispenser.
You only live twice. Once when you're born. Once when you've looked death in the face.
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Fox3WheresMyBanana
- Chief Pilot
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- Joined: Thu Sep 03, 2015 9:51 pm
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- Age: 62
Re: Electric Cars II - Not Silly!
Well, I am by no means an expert on these things.
"Half double decaff half-caff"
"Half double decaff half-caff"