+++ The CHEVROLET CORVETTE will continue to be powered by a V8 engine in the long term because parent company General Motors will not rush out an electric variant “just to meet that regulation”, its engineering boss told. The nameplate returned to Europe with the V8-powered Stingray in 2021 as a halo model for GM’s comeback to the continent after an absence of 4 years. The line-up now also includes the track-honed Z06 and the newly released hybrid V8 E-Ray, with the larger GM range to be bolstered by the Cadillac Optiq and Lyriq electric SUVs within the next year. At the Goodwood Festival of Speed, General Motors chief performance car engineer Tony Roma said that while electric cars are the future, plans for a Corvette EV have yet to be officially drawn up: “We talk about what it would take to make a capable enough car, but right now it’s still science fiction”, he said. That’s despite GM recently revealing a fully finished, future-looking Corvette EV concept (pictured below), which was produced entirely by the firm’s Leamington Spa design studio. Instead, the sports car will continue to be powered by a V8, either in naturally aspirated form (as long as the regulations allow it) or with a hybrid element, as with the E-Ray. However, while rivals such as Ferrari and Lamborghini have added plug-in hybrid power to their respective ranges in the SF90, Urus and Revuelto, a PHEV Corvette is not planned, according to Roma. He said: “I don’t think plug-in is worth it: the mass, the cost, the complexity. So, with E-Ray, we kind of went the other way. If you look at some of the criticism, and I won’t poke anybody in particular, but some of our competitors have been criticised for the games you have to play to get the car in the right mode, and which charging mode and this and that and the other. But when you drive an E-Ray, you just fire it up and drive it. It’s just a hybrid. It charges the battery for you. It does everything. If you want to override and make it charge the battery faster, there’s a button for that. But other than that, that’s pretty much it, and keep it simple, keep it usable”. He added that if manufacturers were given “some kind of credit from the regulators” in order to hit a certain electric-only range, “then I would consider PHEV for this version of the car”. Looking forward, Roma said that when it does eventually come, the electric Corvette will need to be “engaging” instead of just fast because 0-100 kph times are becoming a “meaningless metric” as “every car is incredibly fast”. Instead, the brand will need to look at how to be different because buyers will soon drive “a brutally fast electric sedan” every day and so will “want something different”. Roma said: “And so that’s our challenge: to come up with that something different, that something engaging. When you’re buying a car like a Corvette, why are you buying it? You’re buying it because you want something special. You want to be engaged in the art of driving. And so when we can figure out how to do that, and as we put more electrification in the car, we will, but we’re not going to do an electric version of this car just to do it. That would defeat the entire purpose. Everybody should just take a deep breath and relax, and we’ll get there when it’s time”. Roma also said GM won’t accelerate development of an EV Corvette just so the car can stay on sale in Europe after 2035. “We will not make a car just to meet that regulation”, he said. From 2035, all new cars sold in the European Union must emit zero emissions when driven, meaning that only electric cars will be allowed on sale. As such, to continue being sold here, Corvette must bring to market an EV. “I’m not gonna make an EV and put a Corvette badge” if it is not worthy of the brand’s “70-plus years of history”, said Roma “Nobody wants that. Sorry, I will stand firm on that. The badge means something to people”. A key reason for not rushing out an electric Corvette, Roma told, was that the Corvette is a global car, so when an electric Corvette is finally released, it needs to appeal to all markets. Asked what needs to happen to get to that point, he said: “The things that we would need to be true: the power-to-weight ratio of the electrification components, the cost, the range. All of the things that you would need to make a car that we think would be worthy. I’m not sure you could do it, or if you could, it would be just brutally expensive”. He added: “Our cars will be all-electric when an all-electric car is better than what we have right now. And until then, we’ll continue to do what we’re doing right now. What we need to figure out to get to that point is how do you get that visceral connection, that personality that you want to engage with, in an electric car. Frankly, and I’ve driven a lot of really good electric cars, most of them don’t have that emotional connection and the computer does so much of the work. But when I want to go on a Saturday morning and go for a drive, I want to fire up an engine and listen to all those noises”. +++
+++ MG ’s Renault 5 rival will hit roads by 2028 priced from around €25.000. Likely to be called MG 2, the new EV will sit below the MG 4 hatchback as the entry-level model to MG’s EV line-up, which has been bolstered recently by the S5. MG United Kingdom boss David Allison mooted early plans for such a model to last year and, speaking at the Goodwood Festival of Speed earlier this month, he confirmed that the new EV will be priced competitively relative to the likes of the Renault 5. He said: “One of the things that we’ve always had is that affordable price position on EVs but we don’t have that any more. We are nowhere near the cheapest when it comes to EV sales, because so many other brands and so many other models come into that space now. So when I price that car, I will price it as aggressively as I can get away with and the view will be very much on affordability, very much on monthly payments”. Allison confirmed that “fairly advanced” concepts have already been built, which suggests that production mules could soon begin testing. Although he disclosed no technical details, it is understood that the new entry-level MG will use the same SAIC battery-electric Modular Scalable Platform as the MG 4. It is likely that the new MG 2 will be benchmarked against the Renault 5, which is powered by a single 150 hp motor and offers a top-end range of 400 kms from a 52 kWh battery. Allison said the sales response to the Renault 5 has shown the market for small, affordable electric cars is much bigger than previously anticipated and therefore it is crucial to launch such a model as soon as possible. “The Renault 5 has made the job much more important”, he said. “I’ve always felt that was the next market that was going to happen, because as Europe transitions towards EVs, inevitably the easiest way of making them more affordable is downsizing”. Asked how soon the car will arrive, given the segment is set to expand with the Volkswagen ID.2 and its Cupra and Skoda equivalents within the next 18 months, Allison said: “I want to sell it now, but I can’t have everything I always want. I think that car is still probably a couple of years away”. However, he was confident that this prediction can be bettered, given the speed at which MG is able to turn drawings into showroom models. “I think it’s very possible”, he said. “One of the things that has always impressed me very much about the way that this company operates is the speed of development”. Allison also said the UK team will have a big hand in creating it: “Having the London design studio is quite helpful. I’ve seen some concepts and drawings of the car. It fills me with lots and lots of confidence that that should be really, really successful in the space”. On the need for a car like this to be designed in Europe, he said: “It has to be, because that car wouldn’t succeed in China. I mean, in a lot of Asian markets, such as Korea, you tend not to see cars smaller than a C-segment hatchback. So to try and conceive a 4-metre battery-electric car that has very much a European style just won’t really work. So that kind of car, in my view, has to have a more European-centric approach in terms of styling”. MG’s Longbridge-based engineering centre (which refines MG’s global products for the European market) will also play a role in testing and configuring the new model. Allison said that the so-called MG2 could be a big player for the brand in other markets where it has yet to succeed. “You take Italy, for example”, he said, “the EV mix is under 4 percent; it’s tiny. That’s because a lot of electric cars aren’t really suited to the small/tight Italian roads. But the moment someone comes up with an affordable 4 metre or sub-4 metre electric car, then that sort of thing should be really successful. And it’s a space we absolutely should be in; I’m very confident that when we do bring something to market like that, we will do really well with it”. +++
+++ PORSCHE is about to take the boldest step yet on its electrification journey by revealing a 4th-generation, battery-electric version of its most popular model, the Cayenne. To be unveiled in production form later this year, the new model will be on sale this time next year. However, recognising the risk of launching a full EV version of its biggest-selling model into markets whose demand for such cars continues to waver, the firm will carry on selling and developing its existing ICE-powered Cayenne at least until 2035, said a Porsche spokesman, “and maybe beyond that”. A prototype version of the new electric Cayenne, still covered in camouflage, appeared in action at last week’s Goodwood Festival of Speed, driven at full tilt on the hill by GT racer and Porsche development driver Gabriela Jilkova, who the previous weekend took the prototype up the historic Shelsley Walsh hillclimb in just 31.3 seconds; a full 4 seconds quicker than any SUV previously. Porsche won’t yet reveal full engineering details of its new Cayenne, but the model is taller and longer than the petrol car, sits on a longer wheelbase and is said to “feel a bit bigger when you drive it”. It also has a generously sized frunk in the nose. All versions of Weissach’s new electric SUV (likely to be offered in a 3-model line-up of Cayenne, Cayenne S and Cayenne Turbo) will have 2-motor, 4-wheel drive layouts, using Porsche’s own design of motors front and rear. The rear motor is new and was developed after it was found that the Cayenne needed more power at the back axle. The company isn’t yet revealing power outputs for its 3 models, but they are likely to be around 408 hp for the entry model, 608 hp for the S and more than 1.000 hp (1000PS) for the Turbo version, which would make it Europe’s most powerful SUV. Details of the EV’s official touring range are still being worked out, but Porsche’s target is understood to be around 600 km. That would put it on a par with the longest-legged Lotus Eletre, its closest rival. Porsche hasn’t yet revealed the Cayenne EVs’ performance figures, but the Turbo should be “at least as quick” as the lighter but less powerful top-spec combustion-powered model, posting a 0-100 kph time of under 3 seconds. Top speeds of all 3 Cayenne versions are understood to be restricted to 250 kph, as is the case with all Porsche SUVs. All versions will use active dampers for their all independent suspension systems, and top models at least are likely to have rear wheel steering to improve both low-speed agility (bearing in mind the longer wheelbase) and high-speed stability. Porsche is still developing the final details of the new EVs’ interiors, and it won’t yet allow the cabins to be photographed. However, it is understood that, as with the Taycan and rival luxury EVs, the Cayenne driver will be able to switch on a synthesised engine sound (including one produced from recordings of “a genuine Porsche V8 engine”) if desired. Sascha Niesen, verification and validation manager for the Cayenne EV, said there are “no surprises” in the new model’s basic layout compared with that of the Macan EV, but the torque distribution system has been improved over the Macan system, to cope with the extra power, bulk and weight and because Porsche’s policy is to carry out very detailed development programmes for every model. “We require every one of our cars to be naturally well behaved, before the electronics come into play”, said Niesen. “Our chassis systems are there to help, but not to hide chassis flaws”. Launch details for the car have yet to be released, but it is likely the company will start taking orders early next year for deliveries in the early summer. +++
+++ SUBARU has confirmed that its new high-riding EV estate car will be called the E-Outback in Europe, to cement its positioning as an EV alternative to the brand’s longstanding stationwagon. Revealed earlier this year in the US, where it will be sold as the Trailseeker, the E-Outback is Subaru’s first electric car to be developed in-house. It offers four-wheel drive and the same 211 mm of ground clearance as the Solterra. The machine will be launched first in the USA in early 2026, but will be a key part of Subaru’s plans to expand its EV line-up in Europe, where it will go on sale next year. It will be joined by the new-look Solterra and the freshly revealed Uncharted crossover.
The Solterra is twinned with the Toyota BZ4X and the Uncharted is based on the C-HR+, and the E-Outback shares the same platform as those machines, but is said to have been conceived purely as a Subaru. Inoue Masahiko, Subaru’s EV product manager, said it featured about 70% Subaru parts and would be built at one of the firm’s factories, while the Solterra is manufactured by Toyota. The Trailseeker packs a pair of 204 hp motors (1 per axle) that offer a maximum system output of 380 hp, enabling a 0-100 kph sprint time of 4.6 seconds. The Solterra features a smaller motor on the rear axle, and Inoue-san said the decision to offer 2 identical motors was made by Subaru to optimise its all-wheel-drive performance. The 74.7 kWh lithium ion battery is estimated to be good for a maximum range of 420 km, pending official WLTP testing, and can be charged at rates of up to 150 kW, so a 10-80% fill can take less than 35 minutes. It can tow loads of up to 1.600 kg and offers several drive models for surfaces including snow and deep mud, as well as a hill descent control system. Inside, it’s said to offer slightly more cargo space than the Solterra, putting it on a par with the petrol Outback. There’s a 14.0 inch infotainment touchscreen (the biggest fittest in a Subaru yet) and a high-set digital instrument panel too. Subaru has yet to announce pricing, but the Trailseeker is likely to be positioned above the Solterra. Deliveries will begin early next year in the US, with the European market close behind. +++
+++ TESLA will launch a long-wheelbase version of the Model Y in China, a new filing with the nation’s Ministry of Industry and Information has revealed. Compared with the regular Model Y, it has been stretched by 186 mm; 150 mm of which is between the front and rear axles. It is also slightly taller, at 1.668 mm compared with the regular model’s 1.624 mm.
Inside, there are 3 rows of 2 seats, giving a total capacity of 6. It gets a dual-motor powertrain with a combined output of 462 hp, suggesting it could keep pace with the previous Model Y Performance. The news comes as the recently introduced, updated Model Y struggles to find traction in China. Its sales are currently down by almost 18% compared with at the same point last year and look unlikely to rebound quickly.
Tesla will be gambling that the addition of an extended-wheelbase version (to better accommodate the Chinese market’s expectation for interior space) will help to steady the ship. The Model Y L will be unveiled officially this autumn. Tesla has yet to reveal whether it will be offered outside China, but such models rarely make it out of that market. +++
+++ A 170.000 km VOLKSWAGEN ID.3 tested by the ADAC, Germany’s equivalent to the Dutch ANWB, has lost only 13 km of usable battery range while covering that distance. It found that the 77 kWh battery had lost 9% of its capacity during 4 years of hard use, having been regularly charged up to 100% and then left at that level for several days as it was rotated between ADAC engineers. But software updates over the car’s life gradually improved its energy efficiency, which offset the losses from the battery. ADAC lab testing in 2021 found it managed 5 km per kWh, whereas it now does 5.5 km per kWh. In the real world, over the full 170.000 km, it recorded an average of 4.5 km per kWh. The updates mean the ID.3 now charges more quickly than before, too: it originally drew a maximum of 125 kW, according to the ADAC, but can now reach 160 kW. That translates to a saving of around 2 minutes when charging from 10-80%, it said. The firm also tested the battery’s state of health throughout its life, starting at 96% at 22.000 km. It sustained this until 68.000 km, when it fell to 95%, and it dropped another percentage point at 84.000 km. It reduced again to 93% at 102,000 km; 92% at 130.000 km; and then to the final 91% at 155.500 km. The result put the firm’s ID.3 well clear of its battery warranty, which guaranteed at least 70% of the original capacity at 100,000 miles or 10 years. The ADAC said it will continue using the ID.3 and will test its battery health again at 250.000 km. +++
+++ VOLVO will develop a third-generation XC90, the company’s CEO has said, as the phase-out of combustion-engined models takes longer than the brand originally predicted. Volvo has recently facelifted the 10-year-old XC90 after giving it a reprieve from the axe amid delays to the EX90, which was originally intended as its replacement. However, CEO Håkan Samuelsson said a third-generation model is on the cards. “We will need a new XC90”, he told investors on the company’s second-quarter earnings call, pointing out that the current model was first launched in 2015, but he stopped short of giving a potential launch date for its replacement. A new XC90 is likely to be a long-range plug-in hybrid after Samuelsson indicated that the technology will make it over to Europe from China, where Volvo will start production of the new XC70 plug-in hybrid with a claimed 180 km electric range in the next 3 months. “This is something I think European consumers will want to have”, he said. “Plug-in hybrids with a longer range are a solution that probably we will need for some more years than we thought”. Volvo had committed in 2021 to going all-electric by 2030 but has since backtracked due to the varying pace of EV take-up globally. The XC70 is built on a new Geely platform called SMA (Scalable Modular Architecture) and it could also underpin a new XC90. The facelifted XC90 plug-in hybrid continues with a comparatively small battery of just under 15 kWh compared with either 21 kWh or 40 kWh for the XC70. Volvo has been hit hard by a combination of unforeseen global factors that have exposed its lack of flexibility compared with bigger premium companies. The Swedish firm booked a charge equivalent to 1 billion euro in the second quarter this year after it halted plans to sell its new China-built ES90 in the United States due to tariff hikes, along with delays to the EX90. Software problems slowed the ramp-up of the EX90 at the company’s US plant in Charleston, South Carolina, by 22 years, CFO Fredrik Hansson said on the call. “That means lost volumes and it means increased engineering cost”, he said. Volvo confirmed it will add the XC60 to the Charleston factory from the start of 2027 as it looks to fill capacity there and avoid the additional 25% tariffs US president Donald Trump has imposed on imported cars. The company now believes it has manoeuvred itself into a position where it can ride out some of the worst of the global tariffs hikes and differences in the speed of electrification take-up. Production of the EX30 for Europe has partly moved to Ghent, Belgium, from China. Meanwhile, the EX60 will start production in Sweden in 2026, finally giving Volvo a competitor in a growing segment. +++