German automakers acknowledge Tesla EV lead, express envy, plot revenge

2021 Mercedes-Benz EQS prototype and Vision EQS conceptMercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, and Volkswagen have over decades collectively held on to a reputation that they were on the leading edge, as other automakers around the world seemingly scrambled to follow their tech, design, and engineering. Over the past several years, some might say that reputation has been usurped by a company from California: Tesla...

Here’s why electric vehicles need different tires

Continental EcoContact 6 tireIn electric cars, it's not just the powertrain that is different. It's the tires. Electric cars require special tires for a variety of reasons, tire manufacturer Continental said in a press release Friday. Their tires must handle more weight compared to internal-combustion vehicles, and deliver more torque to the road when moving away from a stop...

VW says that the pandemic has made EVs “more inevitable”

Volkswagen ID 3The full impact of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic remains to be seen, Volkswagen is already predicting that it will be good for electric cars. The pandemic has made electric cars "more inevitable," declared the headline for an in-house interview with Volkswagen Group of America senior VP of strategy Reinhard Fischer posted Friday. "I expect the...