General Motors opened the doors of its Design Center Wednesday to show off a promised lineup of future electric vehicles to be sold in North America by Chevrolet, Cadillac, GMC, and Buick—a dozen vehicles all told, part of the 20 new EVs by 2023 it promised more than two years ago. Sadly, the journalist-only event… Read more »
Posts By: John Voelcker
2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E: An electric crossover with “the soul of a Mustang”
It’s almost enough to make you think Ford plans to offer electric cars shoppers may actually want to buy. The extended debut of the 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E electric SUV culminated in its formal unveiling in an aircraft hangar last November, just before the start of media days at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The… Read more »
2020 Taycan: The Germans respond to Tesla with an excellent new Porsche and a valiant EV effort
Probably no manufacturer felt as stunned and threatened as Porsche by the 2012 arrival of the Tesla Model S – and the acclaim that followed. The German brand enjoyed an unparalleled reputation as the maker of fast, sleek, and pricey sports cars, and had lately expanded into high-end SUVs and then sedans. In early 2013,… Read more »
2020 Porsche Taycan Turbo S drive review: The most enjoyable EV I’ve ever driven
Even experienced auto writers approach driving high-performance cars with caution. If you mostly test mass-market cars, as I do, trepidation may creep in: Will I be able to do this car justice? Will it be manageable on the road? Are there special steps I should take to avoid damaging a car that costs six figures?… Read more »
2020 Lincoln Aviator Grand Touring: Review of the brand’s first plug-in hybrid
The PHEV adds more power, more torque and better performance – with little mention of a plug. It’s a brutal truth: in key coastal markets like California and the Northeast, the Lincoln brand has all but vanished from any discussion of luxury vehicles. In fact, Lincoln execs admit it outright. Like crosstown rival Cadillac, Lincoln… Read more »
2019 Kia Niro EV: An impressive electric compact suggests good things from future Kia EVs
Kia may be the auto brand with the biggest disconnect between perception and reality in the US today. It makes stylish, modern vehicles – passenger cars plus a growing range of crossover utilities – packed with advanced features. It’s a legitimate competitor to Toyota, Honda, and others. But ask the average buyer if he or… Read more »
2019 Hyundai Kona Electric: A viable EV competitor for the average car buyer
As a company, Hyundai often sets goals that slightly exceed those set by competing automakers. The engineers who designed the Ioniq Hybrid and Plug-In hatchbacks were told that the new vehicles had to beat the fuel-efficiency ratings of the Prius hybrid and Prius Prime plug-in hybrid. So it is with the Hyundai Kona Electric. We… Read more »
A look at Volkswagen’s MEB architecture
The all-electric underpinnings that the VW Group will use to build dozens of EVs A few weeks before the end of 2019, if all goes according to plan, the first Volkswagen I.D. Neo electric car will roll off the assembly line at the company’s plant in Zwickau, Germany. Different versions will offer ranges from 160… Read more »
2019 Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid review: Subaru’s first PHEV offers its loyal customers a taste of zero-emission miles
Any new plug-in vehicle from a maker that hasn’t previously offered one is cause for excitement, even if volumes are low at first. So I approached my six-day test of the new plug-in Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid with anticipation. Sure, its rated 17-mile electric range is below the curve, but at least it’s a start –… Read more »