Author: EVAI

Aptera on Wednesday announced that it had completed a working production-intent version of its high-efficiency, three-wheel solar EV.

This vehicle, the first in a series, is the first to combine a production-spec powertrain and carbon-fiber body with Aptera’s in-house designed software and battery pack, according to a company press release.

Aptera production-intent vehicle

Solar hardware, a production-intent thermal management system, and complete exterior surfaces will be added as part of the next phase of testing, according to Aptera. Vehicles will then undergo high-speed track testing to validate performance and efficiency characteristics, according to the company.

The production-intent process takes Aptera a step closer to an actual salable vehicle, for which the company claims to have more than 50,000 reservations. A $33,200 Launch Edition was revealed in January 2023 with a 4.0-second 0-60 mph acceleration time, a 42-kwh battery pack that would provide a range of up to 400 miles, and a solar power system that can provide 700 watts of continuous power good for 40 miles of range per day, the company has said.

Aptera has in the past discussed other versions with as much as 1,000 miles of range once power from the solar array is factored in, and 0-60 mph times as low as 3.5 seconds. The company also announced its use of the Tesla North American Charging Standard (NACS) port well ahead of the mass migration by U.S.-market EV brands last year. In recent months it’s also hinted that some design changes are coming to the three-wheeler for efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

Aptera earlier this year completed a crowdfunding program and moved on to seeking private capital on its way toward volume production. Over three years, Aptera raised more than $100 million from more than 17,000 investors across all phases of crowdfunding. The company said in May that, pending the necessary funding, it hoped to bring the three-wheeler to market “at scale” in 2025.

The 2024 Acura ZDX and 2024 Honda Prologue electric SUVs have failed to earn safety awards from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

The two electric vehicles performed well in multiple tests, but came up short in the small overlap front test, earning only an “Acceptable” rating, the IIHS said Thursday in a press release. The highest “Good” rating is required to earn an IIHS Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick+ award. Both SUVs failed to earn a “Good” rating because the passenger crash test dummy’s head slipped between the front and side curtain airbags.

2024 Honda Prologue crash-test results from the IIHS

Other criteria include a “Good” rating in the updated side crash test, and “Acceptable” or “Good” ratings in the pedestrian front crash prevention test and headlight evaluation. In addition, a “Good” or “Acceptable” rating in the updated moderate-overlap front crash test is required to earn the highest Top Safety Pick+ award.

The ZDX and Prologue earned “Good” ratings in other crash tests and “Acceptable” ratings in the pedestrian front crash prevention test. The Prologue’s headlights were rated “Acceptable,” while the ZDX’s were rated “Good” following recent changes made by Acura. The headlights on vehicles built before September 2024 are rated “Poor.”

2024 Acura ZDX crash-test results from the IIHS

While not part of the award criteria, the IIHS also evaluates rear-seat reminders and LATCH child-seat anchor ease of use. The Acura and Honda both received “Good” ratings in each category.

Both the ZDX and Prologue are built by General Motors, with its battery and propulsion tech. The IIHS hasn’t published test results for the related Cadillac Lyriq and Chevrolet Blazer EV, but several other EVs are top-rated for safety by the organization. Eight all-electric models received the Top Safety Pick+ award for 2024, with nine earning the lower Top Safety Pick award.

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Scout will follow the lead of Tesla and Rivian in offering software-based modes and features for its Traveler electric SUV and Terra electric pickup truck.

A TikTok video by Jordan Sanford briefly showed a pet mode on a Scout EV’s infotainment display. Scout spokesperson Kathy Graham subsequently confirmed this mode, as well as a camp mode and night mode, to Green Car Reports. Graham noted that all three modes “are presented as concepts” and that “we look forward to sharing detailed software features as we get closer to production.”

Scout Traveler concept

Pet mode is designed to use climate controls to allow pets to be safely left in vehicles, similar to the Dog Mode Tesla rolled out in 2019, and the Pet Comfort mode available from Rivian. Both automakers have released numerous other niche modes via software updates, with Rivian offering its own Camp mode that uses air suspension to level vehicles and provide a flat sleeping surface.

Scout’s camp mode will “manage audible sounds, energy settings, lighting, and more when outdoors.” An air suspension and active damping will be offered as an option, but automatically leveling was not specifically mentioned. Night mode dims interior displays and exterior lighting to reduce light pollution and help drivers and passengers better enjoy the night sky.

Scout Terra concept

Scout unveiled concept versions of the Traveler and Terra last week that the automaker says are 85% accurate to the production models. Those are scheduled to arrive in 2027, with assembly taking place at a new $2 billion factory in South Carolina.

Trading on nostalgia for the International Harvester Scout that ended production in 1980, Scout is a new brand under the aegis of the Volkswagen Group. It’s being run directly by the parent company rather than VW Group of America, creating space for a direct-sales model similar to Tesla and Rivian.

Sweden is the home of Volvo and Polestar, but the Scandinavian country is electrifying more than cars.

On Tuesday, an electric hydrofoil ferry service began operating in Stockholm, shuttling commuters between the 14 islands that make up the Swedish capital. The service was inaugurated when 25 commuters in the suburb of Ekero boarded the electric hydrofoil, named Nova, reports the Associated Press.

The first of the P-12 hydrofoils from electric boat manufacturer Candela to enter service with Stockholm’s public transit operator SL, the Nova skimmed about three feet above the water and covered the nine-mile route to Stockholm’s city hall in 30 minutes, versus 45 minutes with diesel ferries.

Candela electric hydrofoil ferry enters service in Stockholm

Hydrofoils lift their hulls out of the water at speeds, relying on extended struts (the foils) for control. This reduces drag, which, in the case of the Nova, contributes to an 80% cut in energy consumption compared to conventional vessels, Candela boss Gustav Hasselskog said in a statement. An added benefit is that the hydrofoil leaves no wake, so the Nova is exempt from the speed limit in Stockholm waters.

That allows the Nova to get closer to its cruising speed of about 29 mph—faster than conventional boats, according to Candela. It’s designed to carry 25 passengers, with one wheelchair space.

Just as electric buses could cut carbon emissions in other cities, electric boats like the Nova could make a big dent in emissions from public transit in Stockholm. According to the AP, ferries have been the fastest-growing mode of public transit since the coronavirus pandemic.

Candela electric hydrofoil ferry enters service in Stockholm

Candela also has a partnership with Polestar, which in 2022 made a deal to supply the company with batteries and charging tech. It’s part of Polestar’s plan to develop its own batteries and propulsion systems.

There are a number of electric ferries in use beyond Stockholm, but the up-front cost of putting them into service can be challenging. Cruise ships are likely too large for battery propulsion, although they’re starting to branch out into hybrid systems.

Hyundai on Wednesday released the first teaser for the Ioniq 9, a three-row electric SUV the automaker will unveil in November.

Judging by the teaser images, the Ioniq 9 will have the upright profile of a traditional SUV, albeit with a raked-back roofline that’s likely a concession to aerodynamics. It will be based on the same E-GMP dedicated EV platform as the current Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6.

2025 Hyundai Ioniq 9 teaser

Hyundai has been teasing this model for some time. It was announced along with the Ioniq EV sub-brand in 2020, and then previewed with the Hyundai Seven concept at the 2021 Los Angeles auto show. Expect the production Ioniq 9 to make its debut in L.A. as well.

In July of this year, Hyundai confirmed that an electric three-row SUV would arrive as a 2025 model, but is only now officially attaching the Ioniq 9 name to that model. While the use of Hyundai Seven for the concept version indicated the production model would be named Ioniq 7, the Ioniq 9 aligns the Hyundai with similar EVs from sibling brands Kia and Genesis.

2025 Hyundai Ioniq 9 teaser

The Ioniq 9 is likely to share some specs with the Kia EV9, which we named Green Car Reports Best Car To Buy 2024. Hyundai’s Genesis luxury brand will also launch its own “super-large GV90” electric SUV, likely in 2026. The GV90 is expected to take cues from the Genesis Neolun concept unveiled ahead of the 2024 New York auto show.

One big question mark over the Ioniq 9 is its production site. The GV90 will reportedly be built in South Korea, while EV9 production for the U.S. was recently shifted to Kia’s West Point, Georgia, plant. Hyundai has its own Georgia EV “Metaplant” that’s slated to build 2025 Ioniq 5 models, but Hyundai will also have to make room for the Ioniq 9 to make that model tax-credit eligible.

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Tesla wants to apply the 48-volt electrical architecture it debuted in the Cybertruck to vehicles from other brands.

In a recent blog post, the automaker explained that it will implement what it calls the Low Voltage Connector Standard (LVCS), building off the 48-volt Cybertruck architecture, in all of its vehicles to help simplify hardware. And, much like the North American Charging Standard (NACS) DC fast-charging connector, it’s pitching LVCS to other automakers.

The LVCS narrows the number of electrical connector types needed in new cars down to six, according to Tesla, while meeting the requirements for 48-volt operation like increased spacing between contacts. That’s critical to prevent arcing and shorting once the current is stepped up from the current auto-industry standard of 12 volts to 48 volts.

Tesla LVCS connectors

Tesla believes a 48-volt electrical architecture is the “optimal long-term choice,” noting that it requires one quarter of the current to deliver the same amount of power, and claiming that it will help ensure reliable operation of autonomous-driving systems.

After Tesla rallied to drop 12-volt lead-acid accessory batteries from its EVs, it made the full leap to 48-volt with the Cybertruck. Next-generation Ford EVs might do the same. But these aren’t the first automotive applications of 48-volt tech.

Mild hybrids have used 48-volt electrical architectures for over a decade. Ironically, those systems all had DC step-down and carried over a 12-volt system for accessories—while suppliers extolled the virtues of going 48-volt for everything. Automakers didn’t bite, though, primarily due to the high cost of upgrading all electronics at once.

Bosch 48-volt mild hybrid

Now, with autonomous vehicles, standardized components, and streamlined connectors in mind, Tesla’s framing of its 48-volt hardware as a new industry standard could allow costs to be shared.

It’s worked for Tesla before. In 2022 it made a strong appeal to the industry to use its NACS connector. By the end of 2023 every major brand in the North American market had committed to migrating to it.