Mazda all but confirms rotary range extender engine for electric car

Rotary engineHow Mazda plans to integrate plug-in hybrid and battery-electric vehicles into its range of increasingly efficient gasoline and diesel models is a topic that interests parts of the global auto industry. In 2019, the small Japanese maker will offer a combustion-engine technology never before achieved in production: a gasoline engine that can work...

If Toyota and Mazda make electric cars together, where’s Subaru?

2018 Subaru Outback 2.5i Limited Tail LightAt the end of September, Toyota and Mazda announced they would form a joint venture with parts maker Denso to design, test, and build components for a shared electric-car platform. Earlier interviews with Mazda indicate that the small Japanese maker will create its first all-electric model for volume production by putting a unique body on top of...

Ford to cut engine funding by one third, invest in electrics, autonomy

Jim HackettWhen Ford fired Mark Fields in May, it was widely seen as a rebuke to the CEO's inability to offer a convincing argument about how Ford would handle the future. Every car company is attempting to figure out that future, in which electrified vehicles, increasing autonomy, pervasive connectivity, and car-sharing all blend together in unpredictable...

GM to launch two new electric vehicles within 18 months, 20 by 2023

Chevrolet Bolt EV electric car with future GM electric and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles, Oct 2017 General Motors said on Monday it will unveil two new battery-electric vehicles within the next 18 months, and will offer 20 electric and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles globally by 2023. The news came in a conference call for reporters with Mark Reuss, GM's executive vice president of global product development. GM's announcement follows similar...

Toyota electric-car tech to come from venture with Mazda, Denso

2012 Toyota RAV4 EV PrototypeVery little is known for sure about the long-range electric car Toyota will launch around 2020. Over the last two years, the company—by far the industry's strongest proponent of hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles—has concluded it must field a battery-electric vehicle to stay competitive. Toyota is likely unhappy about it, but regulations in...

2019 Volvo XC40 small SUV to become brand’s first electric car

2019 Volvo XC40Two years ago, the Volvo XC90 large SUV launched to widespread acclaim and awards as the Sino-Swedish brand's first all-new vehicle in six years. It was followed by the S90 sedan and V90 wagon in 2017, and The 2018 Volvo XC60 mid-size crossover utility is now starting to filter into dealers, to be followed by its corresponding S60 sedan and V60...

VW Group makes 300 models globally, will electrify them all by 2030

Volkswagen ID Buzz ConceptAlong with the gleaming concept cars and new production models unveiled at last week's Frankfurt auto show, auto-company executives also make news. Often a company's CEO or product chief will announce directions for the future, whether they're hints about upcoming vehicles or new powertrain plans. Matthias Müller, chairman of the VW Group...