Author: EVAI
Manthey ups performance of 991-gen 911 GT2 RS for $113,140
Manthey-Racing has a new upgrade package for the 991-generation 911 GT2 RS The upgrades focus on the aerodynamics and chassis, rather than the powertrain Manthey has also launched a similar upgrade package for the 992-generation 911 GT3 RS The 991-generation Porsche 911 GT2 RS, offered from 2018-2020, is already among the fastest production cars…
Elaphe created in-wheel motors compatible with track-ready brakes
Slovenia’s Elaphe is emphasizing performance applications for its in-wheel electric motors.
At CES 2025, the company unveiled the Sonic 1, a thin electric motor it claims is compatible with high-performance brakes. That can be difficult with in-wheel motors, as they occupy the same real estate as brake hardware. Slimming down the motor allows for larger 400-millimeter brake rotors to be packaged together with motor hardware within a 21-inch front wheel, Elaphe claims in a press release.
The Sonic 1 is intended for EVs or hybrids. It generates 268 hp and 737 lb-ft of torque by default, but can be tuned for higher outputs. Each motor also adds 88 pounds of unsprung weight, which could make tuning for ride and handling more difficult.
Italdesign Quintessenza concept
Elaphe in-wheel motors were showcased on the Italdesign Quintessenza GT concept, a grand tourer with a raised ride height and pickup-style bed. Italdesign quotes a 0-62 mph time of 2.5 seconds, or 2.2 seconds with performance tires. A 150-kwh battery pack mounted under the floor provides an estimated 466 miles of range, although it’s unclear which test cycle that number is based on.
Elaphe in-wheel motors were slated to be used in the Lordstown Endurance pickup truck and the hyper-efficient Lightyear 0 sedan, but neither reached volume production. In 2023, Elaphe also announced a partnership with McLaren Applied Technologies—the tech arm of the race team and supercar builder—to use its motor tech in “highly efficient and hyper-responsive electric vehicles.”
Italdesign Quintessenza concept
In-wheel motors offer the packaging advantage of moving propulsion hardware to the corners of the vehicle. Despite the tradeoffs, established automakers are also showing more interest. Ferrari has tried to patent an in-wheel motor design for performance EVs, while Ford pickup trucks with what might be in-wheel motors were spotted testing last year.
Elaphe isn’t the only company slimming its in-wheel motors to achieve greater packaging flexibility and reduced unsprung weight. Donut Lab unveiled its own family of motors at CES 2025, claiming record power density and a wide range of sizes for use in everything from cars to drones.
Polestar 7 small SUV announced, Polestar 5 reconfirmed for 2025
The next Polestar electric vehicle will be a compact SUV called the Polestar 7, the automaker confirmed Thursday in a business update.
The Polestar 7 will be manufactured in Europe, and will mark the beginning of a move to a single common architecture for future vehicles, according to Polestar. The brand currently relies on an assortment of platforms shared with other brands under the Geely corporate umbrella, but has been emphasizing more bespoke engineering work for future vehicles, while further differentiating exterior design.
Polestar 5 prototype ride
“Polestar is known for its progressive design, with each car standing out and creating its own buzz—so too will Polestar 7,” design boss Philipp Römers said in a statement.
Launch timing was not discussed, but Polestar was two other models already in its queue. The automaker reaffirmed that the Polestar 5 will start sales in the second half of this year. The four-door fastback looks to be a major technical leap for Polestar, with an 800-volt architecture for faster charging and huge battery cells for increased range.
Polestar 6 Concept AT 2024 Goodwood Festival of Speed
The automaker didn’t provide any updates this time around, but in 2022 it confirmed the Polestar 6 roadster for production in 2026. The timing was still in effect last July, when Polestar showed the Concept BST, which hinted at a spicier version of the convertible sports car.
Ambitious plans to grow the model lineup are matched by ambitious plans to grow sales. Polestar said it aims to increase global sales volume 30%-35% between 2025 and 2027, aided by a 75% increase in retail spaces, while retaining its current hybrid model of direct sales with servicing handled by traditional dealerships. Polestar claimed a 5.3% increase in global sales in the fourth quarter of 2024, but a 37.2% increase in new orders during that period.
Special Alpina B8 GT marks transition to BMW takeover
Alpina has unveiled the B8 GT Hommage Burkard Bovensiepen The tuned BMW 8-Series Gran Coupe packs 625 hp and will hit 62 mph in only 3.3 seconds Alpina plans to build just 99 examples German performance marque Alpina agreed in 2022 to have its brand acquired by BMW in a deal that will see BMW take over production of Alpina vehicles at the end of…
Electric pickup trucks: A complete guide
Electric pickup trucks may not have the massive towing capacity of heavy duty diesel trucks, but for virtually every other purpose they are superior to gas- or diesel-powered trucks: they’re cleaner, quieter, quicker, more fun to drive, more tech-forward, and in many cases more capable. On the downside, they’re usually more expensive and towing…
Honda and Acura EVs gaining Tesla Supercharger access this spring
Honda and Acura electric vehicles will be able to use Tesla Supercharger stations starting this spring, Honda said Wednesday in a business update.
As with other non-Tesla brands, Honda and Acura EV owners will receive adapters that allow Tesla’s NACS connectors to plug into their CCS-equipped vehicles. The automaker did not provide any further detail, so it’s unclear whether any adapters will be provided for free, or how much they will cost if not.
2024 Acura ZDX
The Honda Prologue and Acura ZDX SUVs—the only all-electric models currently sold in the U.S. by their respective brands—are based on General Motors architectures and are manufactured by GM. But Honda handles charging matters independently, hence the delay between GM’s rollout of Supercharger access in September 2024 and the Japanese automaker’s scheduled rollout.
Besides Honda and Acura, the next few months will see a few other brands adding Supercharger access. Mercedes-Benz plans to open Supercharger access in February, followed by Kia later in the quarter, and Volkswagen, this summer. BMW, Genesis, Lucid, and JLR (comprising Jaguar and Land Rover) are currently listed as “coming soon” on Tesla’s website, but specific timing has not been confirmed.
Honda 0 Saloon and 0 SUV prototypes
Honda is also one of the eight automakers backing the Ionna DC fast-charging network, which will offer both CCS and NACS connectors. The automaker said four Ionna charging sites—dubbed “Rechargeries”—are now in beta testing, with groundbreaking for a fifth site done in the last month.
The combination of Supercharger access and the Ionna network will support what is set to be a growing number of Honda and Acura EVs developed in-house and built at retooled facilities at Honda’s traditional U.S. manufacturing base in Ohio. The first of these will be the Acura RSX compact SUV launching later this year, followed by the first Honda 0 Series models in 2026. Recently previewed at CES 2025, the 0 Series models will have native NACS ports.
Italdesign Quintessenza hides 1,000-hp of Elaphe in-wheel electric motors
Elaphe has a new in-wheel electric motor that can be used for hybrids or EVs Elaphe previewed the motor at 2025 CES in the Italdesign Quintessenza concept car The motor delivers a continuous 268 hp and peak 342 hp Legendary Italian design house Italdesign, now owned by the Volkswagen Group, showcased an updated version of its Quintessenza concept…
Which automakers have Tesla Supercharger access?
- Tesla’s opened its Supercharger network to non-Teslas
- Ford and Rivian were the first non-Teslas to plug in
- Access takes an automaker-provided adapter or Tesla Magic Dock
- In most cases there are software components and it’s more than just an adapter
By the end of 2024, nearly ever major EV brand selling cars in the U.S. had signed on to offer Tesla Supercharger access, and eventually adopt the automaker’s NACS port for future EVs. But the rollout has proceeded at different speeds for each brand.
Owners of EVs from most non-Tesla brands must use an adapter to connect with Supercharger stations until the widespread rollout of new cars with NACS ports, a process that recently started with the 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 and is aided by the formalization of NACS as a true standard by the SAE in late 2023.
Ford EVs at Tesla Supercharger
Most automakers are also pushing software updates that allow their EVs to properly interface with Supercharger stations for plug-and-charge operation, as well as updates that allow Supercharger stations to appear on in-vehicle route planning and payment apps. With these updates in place, Tesla’s Magic Dock adapter at many Supercharger stations may work in lieu of a separate automaker-provided adapter.
As with the original announcements of the switch to the Tesla charge port, Ford led the way in providing adapters to let customers fast-charge at Supercharger stations. That started in February 2024, with other automakers following later in the year and a few now confirmed for the first half of 2025. Here’s where things stand now.
Automakers that have Supercharger access:
Ford
Rivian
General Motors
Volvo
Polestar
Nissan
Automakers said to be getting Supercharger access “soon” according to Tesla:
BMW
Genesis
Hyundai
JLR
Kia
Lucid
Mercedes-Benz
As Green Car Reports has pointed out before, Tesla’s V4 hardware will likely be able to handle electric vehicles that charge at 800 volts at the full rate. But Tesla’s V3 hardware—the majority of North American hardware available on the Supercharger network at this time—the limit is 400 volts, or maybe a little bit higher.
That creates a dilemma for automakers already selling vehicles with 800-volt charging, as those cars will charge slower at Tesla V3 Supercharger stations than they would at the most powerful CCS stations. But the more widespread deployment of V4 Superchargers will help solve that, along with the buildout of the Ionna fast-charging network backed by eight automakers that’s expected to include both CCS and NACS connectors.
Acura RSX returning as electric crossover
Acura’s second EV will be the RSX crossover It enters production in late 2025 at the Honda EV Hub plant in Ohio It will share a platform with Honda’s 0 Series EVs, which will also be built in Ohio Acura will revive its RSX nameplate later this year for an electric crossover, the automaker has confirmed. The original RSX, badged as a Honda Integra…
Electric Chrysler SUV development halted
Stellantis has halted development of what was to be the first electric vehicle for its Chrysler brand, shifting focus to other electric models.
The Chrysler Airflow concept unveiled in 2022 was to serve as the basis for a production electric SUV, but Mopar Insiders reported earlier this week that development work on this model had been suspended. That report cited an email to suppliers saying the program was “on hold until further notice” and that “any spending associated with this program should be suspended immediately.”
Chrysler Airflow concept
A Stellantis spokesperson confirmed to Green Car Reports that the electric SUV “is paused for now as we assess the market and our customers’ needs and wants.” This means the Chrysler brand will continue with just a single minivan—sold as both the Voyager and Pacifica, the latter available with a plug-in hybrid powertrain—in 2025, its 100th anniversary year.
A refreshed Pacifica is coming in 2026, the spokesperson confirmed, followed by a new crossover SUV and a third model based on the Halcyon concept, Chrysler CEO Christine Feuell confirmed in an interview earlier this month. Unveiled in 2024, the Halcyon is an electric four-door coupe that likely appeals to a smaller market than an SUV.
Chrysler Airflow concept
Chrysler initially said that it would launch an electric SUV based on the Airflow concept in 2025, but enthusiasm for the project seemed to wane quickly after that. In 2023, Feuell reportedly ordered a rethink that would have dropped the concept’s styling and the Airflow name, which references a pioneering Chrysler model line from the 1930s that helped introduce aerodynamic design to the automotive industry.
Feuell told Green Car Reports in 2022 that Chrysler was also developing an electric minivan, and in an interview at the 2024 LA Auto Show last November, the CEO confirmed that this new model will bear the Pacifica name. It’s slated to be introduced at some point after the refreshed version of the current Pacifica debuts in 2026.