That’s A Wrap! The Latest Automotive News From Around The Web – June 25, 2021

Highlights from this past week include: Electrify America now in Canada; A truck so ugly you’ll puke in your mouth; Ferrari reveals a new V-6 PHEV supercar; Will we or won’t we get a VW pickup; Tesla police cars are coming and possibly any EV can use the Supercharger network soon; Flying Cars will be racing next year; Electric Fire Trucks & Double-Deck Bus; Audi & M-B dumping ICE vehicles and more…

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Electrify Canada Launches Plug&Charge

Back in November of last year, Electrify America officially launched the introduction of Plug&Charge at all their charging stations in the U.S., and now they’re adding Canada (www.electrify-canada.ca) to the mix. Once EV owners sign up online, they’ll now be able to use the automated charging and payment process. Electrify America was founded in 2017 in the wake of the Volkswagen diesel scandal. For more details click HERE

Related: Electrify Canada Launches Plug&Charge Easy Fast-Charging Click HERE

Have announced the price of the 2022 Volkswagen ID.4 AWD, and they claim that it’s the cheapest AWD EV on the market. It will start at $43,675 (U.S.) and get 400 kilometres (249 miles) of range – before destination fees or EV incentives. The two motor system helps the ID.4 AWD make 295 hp (94 hp more than the RWD) model, and get to 60 mph in a 5.7 seconds. Reservations can be made through VW’s website and it’s expected to be in dealers during the fourth quarter of 2021.

VW -Pickup Truck

VW North America executive vice president for sales and marketing Duncas Movassaghi told Auto News that Volkswagen has no plans to of launch the Atlas Tanoak or Tarok pickup trucks – potential rivals to the Hyundai Santa Cruz and Ford Maverick. However, Volkswagen will soon sell a new pickup in Europe – the next-generation Amarok, which is based on the next-gen Ford Ranger at the Ford Silverton Assembly Plant in South Africa.

It’s not all bad news however…

Movassaghi said. “Investing at this time into a niche ICE [compact pickup] segment would not make sense for us. As we transform our line-up to BEV, an electric pickup could for sure be an option.”

Ferrari

This week Ferrari revealed the replacement for the F8 Tributo – a new V-6 plug-in hybrid supercar, Ferrari’s first six-cylinder engine in a road-going model since the seventies. It’s called the 296 GTB, and it packs a whopping 818 hp and 546 lb ft of torque. It will cost €269,000 (approx. U.S. $321,000). The first cars should be delivered to European customers in early 2022, and U.S. customers will get it later that year.

More pictures at the end of this article…

Tesla

With an acceleration of 0-60 mph in just 3.1 seconds, it would be more than adequate to be a perfect patrol car. Also, with over 483 kms (300 miles) of range and a top speed of 260 km/h (162 mph) it’s plenty capable. More info HERE

Ford F-150 Lightning Vs. Tesla CyberTruck

Someone has created an interesting graph of the key comparisons between the Ford F-150 Lightning and the Tesla CyberTruck

Tesla Confirms Plan To Open Supercharger Network To Other Automakers Next Year

Tesla has often indicated that it is open to the idea of sharing the Supercharger network with other automakers, but it would be dependent on coming to an agreement on sharing the cost. Tesla has confirmed to Norwegian officials that it plans to open the Supercharger network to other automakers by September 2022. At the moment they have over 25,000 Superchargers at more than 2,700 stations around the world, but unlike third-party networks like Ionity, Electrify America/Canada or ChargePoint – only Tesla vehicles can charge on the Supercharger network. More info HERE

BYD-ADL

The public transport operator, RATP Dev in London, England ordered 195 new electric buses from BYD-ADL, including 127 double-deckers and 68 solo buses.

More than 400 electric buses from BYD-ADL have so far cumulated 20 million miles driven without emissions in London alone. Almost 300 more vehicles are on order, including the new major purchase, meaning RATP Dev London will operate the largest electric bus fleet in London from early 2022. Deliveries of the latest order will begin in the summer.

“We launched our two first 100% electric routes less than two years ago, as well as London’s first fully electric 24-hour double-decker bus route last year. By the beginning of 2022, we will operate 15 zero-emission routes and have five of our garages converted to electric.” said Catherine Chardon, Managing Director of RATP Dev London.

BYD-ADL was launched five years ago. BYD describes the partnership as a “proven combination” of its battery-electric driveline technology and ADL’s British-built bodies and these can be fully customised to reflect operating requirements. BYD is among the leading companies in e-mobility, especially when it comes to electric buses. The Chinese company works with several partnerships in a number of different countries where it builds electric buses with the help of local bus builders.

Fisker

Fisker has finalized a manufacturing deal with Magna, for its Ocean CUV/SUV and production is scheduled to start in November, 2022 at Magna’s carbon-neutral manufacturing facility in Graz, Austria. The contract will provide the opportunity to increase volumes of the Ocean should it be necessary while also creating other models based on the architecture co-developed by Fisker and Magna.

The Ocean will be a modified version of the Magna-developed electric vehicle architecture to create a new platform. Fisker plans to sell the Ocean in the U.S. at a starting MSRP of $37,499 – before EV subsidies, and in Germany will come in below €32,000. That’s an aggressive price-point, so let’s see how close it will be to that price when it shows up in early 2023. The Supertramp song Dreamer comes to mind right now.

Alauda – Flying Cars

Even though it’s 2021 and there’s no flying cars yet, there’s a flying car racing series starting next year! The racing series, planned by the Australian company Alauda with electrically powered flying cars is taking concrete steps in the shape of the EXA Series, laying the foundation for a large-scale racing series next year, albeit with only 3 races. More information HERE

Audi

Last Friday Audi announced that from 2026 onwards, they no longer plan to launch any new models with combustion engines, not even hybrid vehicles – they’ll only be bringing purely electric new vehicles to market.

They’ll continue to sell ICE vehicles beyond 2026, but we won’t see new ICE versions of the A3 or A4. The last combustion engine model to be launched will be a Q model – the designation given to the brand’s SUVs and off-road vehicles and Audi plans to sell this until the early 2030’s.

Mercedes-Benz

Not to be outdone by Audi.. Apparently Daimler is preparing an earlier end to gasoline and diesel engines in Europe, with a number of next-generation Mercedes-Benz electric cars originally planned for 2024/2025, now set to be launched a year earlier than planned.

CEO Ola Källenius said he wants to accelerate the electrification of the Mercedes model range. German business magazine (Manager Magazin) suggests that the timetable change is based more on upcoming stricter targets for CO2 emissions for new cars, than M-B’s love of EVs.

New 2022 CLS Picture Released

City of Brampton Orders Electric Fire Truck

The City of Brampton announced on Wednesday that it will become the first municipality in Ontario to deploy an electric fire truck. In a unanimous decision, city council approved the decision to purchase a Rosenbauer RT to replace a front-line pumper. The roughly $1.6 million vehicle, produces zero emissions – both during travel and while on site. The Austria-based Rosenbauer first previewed a prototype of the vehicle in Vancouver in January of 2020 as part of a North American tour. Brampton expects its new electric fire truck to arrive in Q4 of 2022, and to be operational by early 2023. It will be stationed at the Brampton Fire Campus, which is currently under construction.

Rosenbauer says their vehicle protects the health of firefighters, as the lack of gas combustion reduces their intake of carcinogens. Features of the new truck includes an air suspension that allows the truck to be raised up to 18.5 inches off the ground and to be lowered to 6.8 inches, as well as a compact design that allows the truck to navigate through narrow spaces.

Toyota

WARNING: The following image may disturb some people

I’m sorry to have to show you this – I saw it and thought I was going to puke in my mouth! This is the All-New 2022 Toyota Tundra. I have no words on how ugly this is….

Racing – Formula 1

Here’s very interesting interview with Miami Mayor, Francis Suarez talking with The Drive about how the city is getting ready for racing’s biggest international stage – the 2022 Formula One Miami Grand Prix race. Read it HERE