+++ ASTON MARTIN ’s last sedan, the Rapide, retired in 2020. We haven’t seen or heard of a successor since, and that’s because it’s not coming. While the British company has numerous new models in the pipeline, it confirmed that a high-performance luxury sedan isn’t one of them. “Definitely no sedan”, said Alex Long, the company’s head of product and market strategy, in an interview. A business case for a Rapide successor simply doesn’t add up and that Aston Martin can thrive in the 2020s without returning to the sedan segment. Aston Martin’s heritage is rooted in 2-door GT models, but the brand has dabbled in the sedan segment on and off for decades. Sub-brand Lagonda sold a limited-edition, ultra-high-end sedan called Taraf alongside the Rapide from 2015 to 2018; about 200 units were built. The long-wheelbase 4-door borrowed a handful of styling cues from the distinctive, William Towns-designed Lagonda sedan built from 1976 to 1990. This lineage remained in the product roadmap as recently as 2015, when ex-CEO Andy Palmer announced a Lagonda-badged sedan. That means the DBX, which is available in 2 flavors, will stand proud as Aston Martin’s only car with doors at the rear in the foreseeable future. As for the rest of the range, the models that will see the light that awaits at the end of a production line in the coming years will all put a big focus on performance. Deliveries of the new DB12 will start in the not-too-distant future. Next is a replacement for the Vantage, and it will later be joined in showrooms by a replacement for the DBS. Finally, the Valhalla should land in 2024 with a mid-mounted engine to tackle Ferrari. If you’re wondering what a successor to the Rapide might have looked like, check out the Lagonda Vision concept introduced at the 2018 Geneva auto show. The design study was characterized by a striking, futuristic-looking design and a lounge-like interior with swiveling seats. +++
+++ The Escalade is an important vehicle for CADILLAC , so it’s not a surprise to see the automaker working to keep it around in the transition to electrification. The electric version of the full-size luxury hauler is set for a reveal on August 9, though all we’ve seen so far are a few teaser images and a confirmation of the Escalade IQ name. The IQ name is interesting, given that others have dabbled in the same nomenclature. Even so, it’s unlikely that buyers will confuse the 2 cars, as from what I can see, the electric Escalade won’t look anything like, say, a Toyota iQ. It also lets Cadillac incorporate the Escalade with the rest of its EV lineup, both of which end in “iq,” without naming it the “Escaladeiq”. The teaser images I’ve seen so far show elaborate led lighting signature and large wheels wrapped in Michelin tires. There also appears to be a large glass roof and more led lighting in the back. Cadillac has not shared details on the SUV’s powertrain or specs, but I expect it to use GM’s Ultium platform and battery technology. Chevrolet nixed the Bolt and Bolt EUV, cutting the last electric holdouts not on the Ultium standard. We also know that it will be built at GM’s Factory Zero in Michigan, where the GMC Hummer EV is built. The upcoming Chevrolet Silverado EV will also be built in the facility. The Escalade IQ will join a handful of other new EV models from GM, including the Chevrolet Equinox, Cadillac Lyriq, the upcoming electric truck twins from Chevrolet and GMC, and the crazy exclusive and pricey Cadillac Celestiq. General Motors recently announced that its future models would adopt Tesla’s North American Charging Standard, which could diminish Tesla’s competitive advantage but will provide a significant boost in charging availability and reliability. +++
+++ CATERHAMwill reveal ‘Project V’, its most radical model in decades, on Wednesday 12 July, before officially presenting it to the public at the Goodwood Festival of Speed a day later. The British firm has also further previewed the model with a low-lit image, revealing the EV’s silhouette. The all-electric sports coupe is likely to take the form of a stunning electric 2-seat sports car and will be entirely unrelated to the existing Caterham Seven. Caterham says Project V will continue the firm’s traditional values of “lightness, simplicity and a driver focused experience”. The totally new model will serve as the spearhead for its transition into the era of electrification. While it was “just an idea in people’s heads” in September, plans have fast progressed for the Kent-based car maker, which now has the backing of Japanese firm VT Holdings. The new design will be showcased in July as Caterham marks its 50th anniversary. “This is a bold new design. This is driver focussed, lightweight and fun to drive”, Caterham said, previewing the car with a low-lit image indicating its exterior lines. “This is the essence of a sports car with an electric powertrain. This is a statement of intent. This is Project V”. Leading the design program is new design chief Anthony Jannarelly, best known for the W Motors Lykan Hypersport and his own Jannarelly Design-1; a retro-styled, rear-driven sports car with a Nissan V6 and an ultra-light, Le Mans-inspired body. Working in partnership with Italdesign in Turin, the Frenchman is using this project as an opportunity to “please the existing Caterham fans while also trying to reach another type of audience” for the brand. Creating this “bridge”, as he put it, is a “big responsibility”, but he is “not nervous, because it’s exciting”. The Caterham Seven is a stripped-down sportscar offering one of the most pure driving experiences available. It is a true classic and available in 9 iterations. “I would say at the end it’s an exciting moment. My main hope is people will understand the message coming from Caterham”, he said. This message is that Caterham’s principles can be carried into and successfully embodied by a completely new product, irrespective of its positioning and the nature of its powertrain. “The principle is always lightness”, Jannarelly told. “What everybody loves about the Seven is that it’s a simple car that just works, and even if we’re making an EV, we will try to apply the same philosophy. It’s very simple. There will be no fancy features. The main thing is your enjoyment in driving this car. We’re trying to make it as light as possible. So the performance which we will get out of it will be just great. And the driving pleasure is a consequence of this lightness. The key words are always simplicity, lightness and driving joy”. The brand’s enthusiast appeal has also had a strong influence on the new car’s conception, said Jannarelly: “What do you get when you get a Caterham? You get something different than from other cars. If you buy a Caterham, you’re someone a bit more daring; you’re not a mainstream person. And that’s something I’d like to put into the future model”. Jannarelly has almost total freedom with this car, because the function-over-form Seven “has no styling” as such. “The next car we’re going to make is the first car where we can really apply what could be the ‘Caterham styling’, which was not a fact of the Seven, which came from the Lotus 7”, he explained. Beyond confirming that it won’t have a long bonnet and won’t be “bulky”, Jannarelly stopped short of giving strong clues as to the shape and size of the new model, although he did point to the slimness and simplicity of an EV architecture as facilitators for improved packaging and compactness. Jannarelly’s commitment to lightness and simplicity tallies with Caterham CEO Bob Laishley’s passion for maintaining the brand’s hallmarks. “This will definitely not be a Seven”, Laishley previously said about the EV. “But it will have all the characteristics today’s Caterham customers know well: lightness, simplicity, agility and performance”. He continued: “Like the Seven, it will have a steel spaceframe (but a different one) because they’re easy to modify in production if you need to. It will have a 6-panel enveloping body in aluminium or carbonfibre: 2 sills, 2 doors plus clamshell openings front and rear. It will be prettier and more modern than a Seven (those will be big points of distinction) and maybe it will have a roof. We’re designing it as a pure EV from the start, with rear drive only, and it will be registered under SVA rules”. It’s not yet clear if Caterham will reveal a concept car or a pre-production prototype this year, but Laishley hinted at a plan to build the EV in a new factory (recently opened in Dartford) at greater volumes than the Seven and for it to have a higher base price. Caterham hasn’t suggested an on-sale date for the new car, but VT Holdings CEO Kazuho Takahashi’s eagerness to see it reach production suggests it could come as soon as 2026. +++
+++ A trail of clues points to the Hyundai Motor Group prepping a flagship electric sedan for KIA : a full-size 4-door a little larger than the departing Stinger with more power than the recently arrived EV6 GT. The project is codenamed GT1 and due on the market for 2025. The car is said to sit on an evolution of the current e-GMP platform called eM designed as an Integrated Modular Architecture (IMA). The IMA is akin to Volkswagen’s MQX and MEX platforms, wherein motors, batteries and electronics can be rearranged to create a wide range of vehicles. At its most potent, the GT1 would house a 113.2 kWh battery juicing 2 motors that together produce 604 horsepower, and that could get between 700 and 800 kilometers on a charge on Europe’s WLTP regime. Could that interest fans of the Stinger who are denied a second generation of the darling? This isn’t coming from nowhere: Hyundai has publicized developments such as the IMA and eM platform. In touting the future tech last October, I was told the eM bones would bring up to a 50% improvement in range compared to the Ioniq 5. In Europe, the electric crossover is rated at as much as 614 kilometers on a charge. And last year at the Chengdu Auto Show, Kia’s regional head of marketing, Quan Yiquan, said: “In 2024, a smart full-size SUV (the EV9, red.) will be launched, equipped with the most advanced L3 level ADAS system and the longest cruising range can reach 700 kilometers. In addition, we will launch two SUVs and one GT model to further enrich Kia’s pure electric product matrix and bring more diversified choices to consumers”. It’s believed 1 of the 2 SUVs will be called the EV4. The GT model, for global consumption, is project GT1. The sedan’s basic specs have been given the green light. That includes the 113.2 kWh battery, which, if it were on the market now, would be the largest battery in a sedan, outdoing the 112 kWh unit in the Lucid Air. The motors are said to come in outputs of 215 hp, 268 hp and 336 hp. The top trim would pair a 268 hp motor with a 336 hp motor. That would best the 576 hp in the EV6 GT. At least one lower trim of the coming GT1 would combine the 2 least potent motors for 430 hp. +++
+++ LOTUS is continuing with development of an electric successor to the legendary Elise, having ended its collaboration on the project with Alpine. In early 2021, the 2 firms announced plans to share development of an electric sports car platform to underpin successors to the Lotus Elise and Alpine A110, but they recently ended the deal by mutual agreement, raising questions over the viability of their respective sports EV projects. Alpine earlier this week confirmed that it would develop a new platform in-house for the electric A110 following the split, and could use the architecture for several other models. “We had a long discussion and finally decided to build our own platform”, Renault Group CEO Luca de Meo told. Lotus hasn’t officially confirmed the status of its own project, codenamed Type 135, but Autointernationaal.nl understands that work remains ongoing to prepare the car for a 2026 launch. It will cap the first phase of Lotus’s EV reinvention and will represent the “pure essence” of the brand, being built around the dedicated Project LEVA (Lightweight Electric Vehicle Architecture) structure that was set to also underpin the new Alpine. The Type 135 will be designed and engineered in Hethel, Norfolk, ensuring that it can build on the lineage of the fabled sports cars that have been produced there, such as the Elise. The new E-Sports platform, which incorportates LEVA, will give it a mid-engined-style layout, most likely with the battery pack stacked in the middle of the car, rather than under the floor, as is usual for EVs. That will allow the Porsche 718 Boxster rival to sit lower and ensure weight distribution is more in keeping with its remit. While the Type 135 will be a small contributor to Lotus’s sales volume, it will be a vital model for the brand, commercial chief Mike Johnstone told recently. “It’s a car that needs to be at the bullseye of the brand, which signifies exactly what Lotus stands for in an electric age”, he said. “That’s in no way to diminish the Eletre, Type 133 and Type 134″, he continued, referring to the firm’s new electric SUV and upcoming saloon and crossover. “They are very much Lotus models, but the most pure essence of Lotus will be the Type 135”. The E-Sports platform has yet to be revealed in its entirety but is said to be 37% lighter than the equivalent structure used by the combustion-engined Emira sports car. It has been designed from the ground up to compensate for the added weight of an electric powertrain and with a view to replicating the typical dynamic traits of previous Lotus models. The batteries can either be stacked vertically behind the seats, in a layout reminiscent of a conventional mid-engined format, or arranged under the floor in longer-wheelbase cars with rear seats. The LEVA unit will be mated to a bulkhead and front end completely unrelated to those used by the Emira, but managing director Matt Windle is keen for Lotus’s trademark dynamic agility to be carried over to the new models. “It’s our DNA: dynamics, aerodynamics, light weighting: that’s what we do on all our products”, Windle told at the LEVA’s unveiling. “We still want these to be Lotus products. They are going to have a different propulsion system but that system comes with benefits as well: instant torque, easier cooling and better packaging, so the first sports car (the Type 135) will have a lot of storage and packaging benefits as well”. The E-Sports architecture will host single- and twin-motor powertrains ranging in output from 475 bhp to 880 hp. This means the entry-level sports car will pack nearly double the power of even the most powerful iteration of the Elise, and more powerful versions could fill the gap left by the more track-focused Exige. The E-Sports platform will accommodate rear- and four-wheel-drive powertrains from the off, although the conceptual applications previewed so far by Lotus all use a rear-mounted drive system. Windle told that Lotus does not “want to close off the possibility” of offering a similar torque-vectoring set-up to that found in the top-rung Evija, which will continue to serve as the brand’s halo model in the coming years in both a marketing and engineering sense. As a result, some of the Evija’s defining features will make their way into more mainstream Lotus sports cars. One early hint is that the EV will be made as aero-efficient as possible with aerodynamic aids “running through the car”, in the vein of the Evija’s prominent Venturi tunnels, thereby taking advantage of the more compact nature of an EV drivetrain. However, the Type 135 will be far more accessible than the hypercar. Windle emphasised Lotus’s commitment to affordable performance and said “efficiencies” throughout the Geely group, which also includes Volvo, Polestar, Lynk&Co and LEVC, will allow Hethel to use components and systems from other brands to keep development and retail costs down. He said Lotus will struggle to offer the Type 135 at a similar price point to the entry-level Elise but forecasted that a “significant price drop” in the cost of necessary materials and components could enable it to be priced at the upper end of the now-retired Exige line-up, which suggests a price of between €95.000 and €120.000 in the Netherlands. However, the overarching priority for the Type 135 is to stay true to the company’s long-held reputation for lightweight, accessible performance. Windle said the stacked battery arrangement used for the Type 135 gives “the yaw control and stability that we’re used to setting cars up around” while enabling a “sports car feel”. Notably, Lotus used this arrangement for the first-generation Tesla Roadster, which had a wheelbase only 50 mm longer than that of the Elise, on which it was loosely based. This set-up also allows the driver to sit as close to the ground as possible, like in a petrol-engined Lotus sports car, whereas the underfloor batteries used in larger E-Sports-based cars will raise the seat height (and vehicle profile) by some 100 mm. But Lotus sports cars won’t sacrifice day-to-day usability in their pursuit of dynamic superiority. The smallest battery fitted to this platform will be a 66.4 kWh unit, which could feasibly offer a range of around 480 km in a lightweight, low-slung 2-seater. The larger, 99.6 kWh battery (also available in ‘slab’ or ‘chest’ format) could bump up the range to nearer 720 km. The architecture will also be equipped with 800 Volt charging hardware to make it compatible with the fastest chargers on the market. Windle was tight-lipped on the specifics of the other cars that will use the E-Sports architecture but emphasised that Lotus UK “should not be a single-model producer” and will build a line-up of distinct sporting models “in multiple segments in the market range”. Not every retired model will necessarily be replaced, but the capacity for the platform to accommodate a rear-driven 4-seater with a wheelbase of 265 cm paves the way for an electric successor to the Evora, too. The Type 135 remains the main priority at Hethel currently, so no details have emerged about any potential larger sports cars, but a post-2026 launch date for such a model (following the Type 135’s arrival) could enable it to serve as the EV replacement for the Emira, and thus provide a dual focus on dynamism and refinement. As the Emira is available with a choice of V6 and turbo 4-pot power, any electric successor would be likely to offer a range of power outputs, and potentially rear- and four-wheel drive. As for the confirmed maximum output of the E-Sports architecture, Windle said “there is always scope” for a Lotus model with 880 hp (more than a Lamborghini Sián) but he would not be drawn on what that could look like. +++
+++ MAZDA has started mass production of the MX-30 e‑Skyactiv R-EV1 for the European market at its Ujina Plant No. 1 in Hiroshima. The MX-30 e-Skyactiv R-EV is Mazda’s first mass-production vehicle with a rotary engine in 11 years since the Mazda RX-8 was discontinued in June 2012. Mazda has cumulatively produced over 1.99 million rotary engine vehicles. The MX-30 e-Skyactiv R-EV is a unique plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) that gives a new purpose to Mazda’s unique rotary engine. This compact, lightweight internal combustion engine drives a generator that either charges the battery or provides additional power if needed. The vehicle is always driven by the electric motor. While the MX-30 e-Skyactiv R-EV’s 85 km battery electric driving range is sufficient for most daily driving needs, the rotary engine extends the driving range if needed. The MX-30 e-Skyactiv R-EV is the ideal vehicle for customers who would like to drive electrically most of the time and travel longer distances occasionally without range anxiety. The original MX-30 e-Skyactiv EV2 was introduced in 2020 as Mazda’s first mass-production battery electric vehicle. Now the MX-30 e-Skyactiv R-EV adds a unique plug-in hybrid option to the lineup. The MX-30 embodies Mazda’s multi-solution approach to move towards carbon neutrality. Natural products like cork and fabrics made from recycled material were adopted in the design process. The MX-30’s multitone paint is applied with a high-precision spray gun that spreads the individual colours precisely onto the surface where they are needed and significantly reduces paint loss. Moreover, the newly developed paints harden at an unusually low temperature of approximately 80 degrees. Together, these steps reduce CO2 emissions of the multi-tone painting process by approximately 34% – 37%. A 1.1 MW solar power system that went operational at Mazda’s Hiroshima plant in July 2021 supplies electricity to charge the newly produced MX-30 e-Skyactiv R-EV vehicles before shipping them. +++
+++ Modern Solid, Sensuous Sportiness and the like: vague terms cooked up in the great marketing microwave in a bid to draw a clean link between every product in a brand’s line-up. And now there’s Opposites United: not an ill-conceived dating app but Kia’s vision of a range of cars taking inspiration “from the contrasts found in nature and humanity”. Unroll those eyes, though, because upon dissection, this name proves a refreshingly succinct summary of the contrasts between severe and soft and curvesome and clean-cut that have won the latest crop of Kias such high praise from consumers and critics alike. The Sportage, Sorento, EV6 and EV9 have embodied the philosophy to great effect, and no doubt a good portion of Kia’s astronomical global success can be attributed to the confident, daring explorations of its stylists. Charged with taking the concept from sketchpad to showroom is acclaimed car designer Karim Habib, known for penning a number of hugely important BMWs during his many years in Munich before joining Kia (via Infiniti) in 2019. The Canadian took centre stage recently to reveal the new 3-row EV9 electric SUV and will no doubt become a de facto frontman for Kia as it pushes forward with realizing its ambitious global product plan over the coming years. Immediately he’s keen to set one thing straight: what categorically isn’t driving Kia’s design strategy, despite the top-rung EV9’s €71.500 to €79.000 list price, is an overt desire to be a premium disruptor. “We never try to talk about premium or luxury”, explains Habib. “First of all, these words are overused. They don’t ring true to us. But I think there’s an aspirational quality that we would like our products to have. And I don’t know if that’s exactly the right word, but we want people to care, because it means something”. The Opposites United label applies as much to the Kia line-up in its entirety as it does each individual model. The EV9, for example, takes a radically different design approach to its technically related EV6 sibling, and the stylistic links between the Picanto and Proceed, Sportage and Stonic and Soul and Sorento are subtly effective, rather than overt; a manifestation of Kia’s steadfast desire not to pursue the Russian doll approach. Habib says he wants to achieve “a product portfolio that has a certain consistency between the products but at the same time has its own particular elements”.He adds, though, that the stark difference between the EV6 and EV9 doesn’t necessarily point to a move towards such radical differentiation for each and every future model. “I don’t think each one will be as different as these two”, he says. “That’s not the way we want to build a brand. We want to build a brand with consistency and recognisability. But at the same time, we build almost 3 million cars a year, and with very different typologies for different types of vehicles in different markets, so they can’t be all out of the same mould”. Indeed, while the EV9 is much more recognizably an SUV in the traditional sense than the lower-slung, more aggressive EV6, its design ethos doesn’t signal a shift away from the hallmarks established by the latter. “I wouldn’t say we’re abandoning anything, honestly”, says Habib. “We tried to develop a design philosophy that isn’t based on dogma. There are maybe certain principles that will be repeated in the other cars, but the execution and the different ways of using it I think needs to be open”. The killer question for any designer today, then, and one that seems especially pertinent when posed in the shadow of the monolithic, towering EV9: will we always have SUVs? Habib responds with refreshing humility: “I don’t like to pretend that I can tell people what they’re going to be doing in the future”. But there is a philosophical debate to be had here, and it’s one that’s clearly shaping every discussion within the walls of Kia’s Namyang design studio. “SUVs were maybe a learning from people driving MPVs and being tired of it”, he ponders, adding more categorically and intriguingly: “The post-SUV is coming”. In recent months, several brands have hinted that the days of the traditional SUV, which is to say upright 2-box fully road-biased and often derided by car enthusiasts, are numbered. Growing focus on aerodynamic efficiency and sustainability is necessitating a rethink, even as demand for such models surges to unprecedented levels. Habib takes an open approach: “We will try different things”, he says. “I do think there are more efficient ways of doing space”. The looming eradication of the transmission tunnel and engine bay enables a totally new approach to interior design, and the cars of the near future theoretically needn’t be the same size and shape to offer comparable utility and comfort. “I personally believe that you can do really cool vans”, he says, pointing to the rakish, not-for-Europe Carnival as a “cool” and “desirable” take on the traditional MPV. Ultimately, though, for Habib it’s not a question of segmentation. Instead: “I think in a world where technological progress needs to be visible. If the SUV doesn’t manage to show that, it’s not going to survive. If we manage to create vehicles that are SUVs that do feel like they progress, I think they’re going to survive. So I think that’s more the question than the actual typology itself: what does it symbolise? There’s something really nice about these sorts of authentic, honest, boxy SUVs”, says Habib. “When you look at a Land Rover Defender today, an old or a new one, there’s still something really quite cool about that. Whether it’s a Jeep or a Defender, those panels weren’t even stamped, just bent. There’s something nice about that authenticity, so we wanted to tap into that”. There’s no suggestion that a bare-bones Kia 4×4 is on the cards, but the EV9’s clean-cut silhouette could signal a willingness to concede some aero efficiency for character. “A love for that authentic proportion is part of it”, says Habib. “And to be honest, the other reason is now that electric SUVs are all trying to be super-sleek, so we just wanted to try to not do that and yet still try to achieve the aerodynamic efficiency that would get us to the range that we want to have”. +++
+++ Ford CEO Jim Farley dismissed concerns that the TESLA CYBERTRUCK could pose a threat to the automaker’s F-150 Lightning electric pickup truck during an interview. “The reality is, America loves an underdog and we are the market leader for EV trucks and vans, and we know those customers better than anyone”. Farley said. ‘”And if he wants to design a Cybertruck for Silicon Valley people, fine”. The Cybertruck will be Tesla’s first electric pickup truck. Up until recently, Ford has been one of few automakers to produce an EV pickup truck. Last year, Ford said it delivered over 13.000 electric F-150 trucks as the company worked to ramp up production and fulfill about 200.000 reservations. Tesla has the majority of the overall EV market in the US, but the market for pickup trucks is one of the most lucrative in the country. Farley went on to describe Tesla’s pickup truck as “like a cool high-end product parked in front of a hotel”. “I don’t make trucks like that”. Farley said. “I make trucks for real people who do real work, and that’s a different kind of truck”. Tesla has yet to provide official pricing for the futuristic truck, but there is rumor the starting price will be around $50,000 or about $10,000 shy of the price for the F-150 Lightning. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has said the carmaker plans to release its Cybertruck later this year and confirmed during Tesla’s quarterly earnings call in April that he expects to commence deliveries by the end of the year. The billionaire has changed the delivery date (which is 2 years later than he initially predicted) several times since he first announced the truck in 2019. It’s unclear whether the Cybertruck will have the same functionality as a Ford pickup. In May, a leaked Tesla report showed that the vehicle had some design flaws, including issues with suspension, handling, and braking, Wired reported. In 2019, it was reported that the Cybertruck wouldn’t market well to working professionals like contractors and plumbers due to its design. The Cybertruck could be “the Hummer of the 2020s” and redefine what a pickup truck can look like. Last year, Tesla had over 1.5 million pre-orders for the Cybertruck. The pre-orders only require a $100 deposit. Farley’s interview comes only a few weeks after Ford announced that it plans to adopt Tesla’s charging standard and begin using a portion of the company’s Supercharging network, one of Tesla’s key advantages in the EV race. The Ford CEO told that he didn’t hesitate on the partnership because it’s “good for customers”. +++
+++ Let’s not follow Tesla’s lead in the elimination of the gauge cluster. I might be too late, but I’m going to say it anyway. The cute VOLVO EX30 is to blame for this needing to be said. I genuinely like most things about the EX30 and its cost-oriented approach to a luxury EV. However, Volvo went and deleted the gauge cluster, and that’s just one cost-saving step too many. Of course, center-mounted instruments is nothing new, but Tesla popularized the idea of removing the cluster entirely years ago with its Model 3 and Model Y. I didn’t like the idea when I first saw it, and my displeasure with driving around a car with no cluster was confirmed when I drove a Model 3 for the first time. There are numerous reasons, but it all boils down to the importance of having vital information in your direct line of sight. The transition to EVs allows for the elimination of certain monitoring gauges within a cluster, but basics like speed, gear position, headlight status, cruise control and range are all things I want directly in front of me. I don’t want to glance down and to the right to see these things. You could make a valid safety argument for such an arrangement, but including all of that info just for the sake of convenience is enough. The only excuse I see for eliminating the cluster is if a comprehensive head-up display impervious to polarized sunglasses comes as standard equipment. It’d still be bothersome in a gasoline-powered car to lose all those gauges, but I could live with just a HUD in an electric car if it meant a lower cost to the buyer. That said, my favorite integrations are the smaller clusters installed in some EVs like the Ford Mustang Mach-E or Volkswagen ID.4. These little clusters are smaller and simpler than many of the massive instrument screens going into cars these days, but they include all the information you might want at a glance. Beyond the safety and convenience aspect, there’s a nostalgic angle to the gauge cluster. Just a short while ago, I trumpeted the return of retro designs in digital gauge clusters. You can quite literally do whatever you’d like when you’re working with a screen, which leaves the field of opportunities wide open. We won’t have the privilege of enjoying old-school (or revolutionary new-school) designs if OEMs start eliminating them entirely. Trying to find ways to make cars cheaper in today’s ever-more-expensive market is a valiant effort, but the gauge cluster is one area we shouldn’t be pinching pennies. And let’s be clear: This is why Tesla and others got rid of the gauge cluster along with other typically expected interior controls. It’s not for design purposes or whatever other reasons might be dreamed up as cover. Tesla wasn’t right to go down the cluster-cutting road in the first place; let’s hope the trend doesn’t go much further than the EX30. +++
