Electric truck hopeful Rivian gets $350M investment from Cox

Rivian R1SThe independent electric vehicle manufacturer Rivian is getting another big shot of capital, care of Cox Automotive, the companies announced Tuesday. Cox, which is a major player in the automotive retail and logistics space, is pumping $350 million into Rivian. Rivian will benefit from the capital injection as it tools up to build its electric R1T...

BMW i Hydrogen Next fuel-cell X5 SUV could arrive as soon as 2022

BMW i Hydrogen Next development vehicle (fuel-cell X5)BMW announced Tuesday that it is working on a next generation of fuel-cell drive systems, to first be presented in a limited-production version of the BMW X5 in 2022, and then in a more widely available model starting in 2025. In a release accompanying the announcement, BMW said that the i Hydrogen Next fuel-cell development vehicle revealed at...

Mercedes-Benz Vision EQS rethinks the S-Class as all-electric

Mercedes-Benz Vision EQS conceptWith the debut of the Mercedes-Benz Vision EQS show car at Frankfurt Tuesday, the German automaker is pointing to more than just future electric vehicles. The EQS “points the way to the future of Mercedes-Benz,” the automaker declares, and says that it provides an outlook on “a new dimension in sustainable luxury.” Under...

Hyundai hatches an electric future with retro 45 EV concept

Hyundai 45 conceptHyundai is channeling nostalgia for a past product that Americans never had with its 45 concept car revealed Tuesday at the Frankfurt auto show. But that won’t get in the way of Americans appreciating the design of this strikingly different concept—or seeing it as retro. The concept, according to Hyundai, evokes “emotional...

Hyundai and Kia invest in Europe’s high-power fast-charging network

Hyundai IonityHyundai and Kia announced Monday that they are investing in Ionity, Europe's 350-kilowatt charging network. They will join BMW Group, Daimler, Ford and Volkswagen/Porsche in expanding charging station availability for vehicles with 800 volt on-board systems. This partnership gives Hyundai the opportunity to develop vehicles with 800-volt systems...

Porsche boosts stake in Rimac: What it could gain from the deal

Rimac C_TwoPorsche announced last week that it has increased its investment in Rimac Automobili, the Croatian electric sports-car maker. It now holds 15.5 percent in Rimac, a step up from June 2018, when the German sports car maker purchased a 10 percent stake. What’s one established sports-car brand—and part of the greater Volkswagen Group, with...