#ev

Fans of the mythical rotary engine, a powerplant spoken of in hushed tones by Mazda fans ever since the company killed it off about a decade ago, will have something to celebrate after the Brussels Motor Show later this week.

Adding to its portfolio of electrification options, Mazda will be offering a fresh powertrain choice in its little MX-30 crossover, one which features an electric generator powered by a newly developed rotary engine.

Yes, we know – this is (yet another) concept vehicle that bears little to no reality toward anything its namesake will ever build. And it’s being hawked by a brand with precisely zero consumer presence in this country. So what is it doing on the landing page of our site?

Because just look at the thing! That’s why!

Alert readers may recall a post just prior to New Year’s about Tesla putting $7,500 cash in the frunk of several models in an attempt to juice sales before year-end. Beyond the irony of that move in the first place, after years of the company and its fanbase raking legacy automakers over the coals for doing the same thing, reports are surfacing that numbers still failed to meet expectations.

Prices of everything are going up these days – food, gasoline, our Managing Ed’s subscription to Utne Reader – and vehicles are not immune. We’re not just talking about the haywire used car market or greedy dealer markups, either; Ford has seen fit to hike its asking price for the dandy F-150 Lightning. Again.

In what is – for this addled author, at least – a mind-bending concept, a recent study by an outfit called Synapse Energy Economics suggests the adoption of electric vehicles may actually lower the cost of electricity.

That sound you hear is the B&B tripping over seized engine blocks and rusty Panther chassis cross members as they race to the comment section.

We’ve all seen the jokes about stickers or go-faster stripes adding 5 horsepower to your car. Hey, it looks faster, right? These days, it’s possible to make some cars much speedier than when you brought it home – without ever cracking the hood release. Software upgrades, it seems, are the new underdrive pulleys and shorter gears of this new era of electric vehicles.

We know the switch to electric vehicles is changing our relationship with cars – charging, range, et al – but it seems the EV Era may also alter other aspects of the industry for legacy automakers. Suits at The General are suggesting a switch to regional fulfillment centers for inventory will save the company about $2,000 per vehicle.

And, as you’d expect, the plan involves shifting GM’s interaction with its dealers.

If you’re in the market for a pint-sized electric car with a dose of Italian flair, Fiat – yes, you remember them – will have an option for you a couple of years from now.

As a follow-up to our news on the same earlier this summer, Volkswagen has its sights on reviving the Scout brand name as its moniker for off-road EVs. Today we get a kinda-sorta look at the first model’s front end, along with a few other tidbits from their freshly launched website.

The Genesis brand has been running full throttle in an attempt to take a seat at the table generally occupied by the likes of BMW and Mercedes, rapidly introducing new models in important segments and setting tongues wagging about the quality of its cabin materials. Those in the B&B of a certain age will recall this is the playbook used (to much success) by Lexus back in 1990.

Its latest? An all-electric version of the generally excellent GV70 crossover, set to make its debut at the LA Auto Show later this month. But we’ve got a few specs – notably horsepower and torque – ahead of the big reveal.

Over the weekend, the Japanese government issued a formal complaint suggesting that the United States’ updated tax credit scheme for electric vehicles could prohibit future investments from the Land of the Rising Sun. Complaints were reportedly directed to the Treasury Department and revolved around the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act and how it seemed at odds with previous efforts to build trade between America and Japan. But things are always a bit more complicated than that and we cannot overstate the relevance of Japanese auto lobbying groups that want the most favorable regulatory terms they can negotiate.

Earlier this year, the speed freaks at Dodge rolled out their Charger Daytona SRT Concept car, an all-electric glimpse into the brand’s future. At the time much noise (literal and figurative) was made about its style and so-called Fratzonic chambered exhaust – the latter remains the source of much debate.

What they didn’t tell us were power numbers – until now.

Every member of the B&B knew there would eventually be a GMC Sierra variant built on the Ultium platform, a set of bones that underpins the Hummer EV pickup (itself technically branded as a GMC in a slightly bizarre bit of marketing ambition) and Chevrolet Silverado EV. 

It turns out that while certain aspects of such a rig are understandably shared amongst all three, the GMC pulls a Lindsey Buckingham and goes its own way in one important area.

It has been exactly 45 years since Honda announced it would put plans in motion to begin building vehicles in the United States. Given that important date in company history, we shouldn’t be too surprised it chose today to announce they are investing several billion dollars in Ohio, all earmarked for EVs.

Honda has dabbled in EVs, but its first mass-market model doesn’t go on sale in the U.S. until 2024. The Prologue will be the inaugural Honda EV for our market, and today, the automaker shared details and images of the new SUV.