The Nissan is a hybrid vehicle that doesn’t plug in.  That’s the point - I don’t get it.  A series hybrid with a 20kw battery is a great idea (imagine if Chevy had thrown the Volt technology under the Equinox in ~2013?), but, this is not that.  

Very true! Tesla struggled with that too as well - remember when they were going to use a 2-speed transmission, and spent forever trying to get it figured out, only to end up ditching it? I believe the high-speed efficiency issue is part of why the AWD Tesla’s have better range than the RWD ones - one motor geared for…

Indeed.  I know why for cruise ships - they require so much power for electricity, and so little for locomotion, that it just makes sense to spin the propellers off of electricity - no need for additional engines, finer control for docking, etc.  For trains, I’ve often wondered why they’re pretty much all…

So, you completely missed my question. What makes this an EV? It has no plug. It (ostensibly) has a very small battery. It’ll tool around at low speeds with no engine (for a short distance), but then the engine comes on. Just like... a parallel hybrid. I don’t see how this is any better for the consumer, except maybe…

The 10-speed already goes behind the LT4 CT5 and the 450hp Raptor and Navigator, so that won’t be a problem. Cooling? It’s a full-size truck - look how much space there is for radiator! Differential/Axles/Transfer case should be easy to sort out. Some bigger brakes would be nice, but, the standard engine will already…

So, taking gasoline, converting it to mechanical energy through the engine, converting the mechanical energy to electricity through a generator, and then converting the electrical energy back to mechanical energy through a motor is more efficient than just sending the engines mechanical energy to the wheels? Please. …

Hope it happens.  They should have been doing this for at least (AT LEAST) a decade now.  A 556hp GMT900 platform Escalade-V would have been great, and I have to imagine would have sold at least as well as a GL(S)63 or Cayenne Turbo.  

So, what does this do (for the consumer, I understand the mechanicals) that a RAV4 Hybrid does not? This is basically the system that Honda uses in the CR-V hybrid, but without a direct drive to the wheels. Why did Honda go through the trouble of adding that? Because it probably adds a good bit of highway fuel…

So, basically like a Volt or Accord Hybrid (and, I believe, the new CR-V Hybrid), but Nissan cheaped out and didn’t add in a direct-drive for interstate travel. I’d think that would be the big hold-up with US sales, I can’t imagine the highway fuel economy is any better than a traditional drivetrain - and could easily…

So, a Chevrolet Uplander for the ‘20s? Great. I have a feeling that, true to form, Kia will probably even be reusing the existing Sedona platform, because they know these won't sell rough to warrant much investment. I look forward to these being bargain-basement people & stuff haulers in 10 years.

GM also has some experimental vans that they converted to hydrogen back in the 60s.  They really have been working on alternative drive sources for quite some time. 

I’m cautiously optimistic about the RAV4 PHEV. Hoping it and the Escape end up with at least 25 miles of electric range. I’m also curious about the ‘Most powerful RAV4 ever’ claim - they’re probably just going to cop-out and claim more torque than the old 3.5, but the new RAV4 with almost 300 system horsepower in a…

Also, apologies that this post had basically 0 to do with the actual XC40 EV. It’s just that, Tesla’s sitting over here with a 370 mile range, and then Jaguar comes out with the iPace with a similar size battery and... 234 miles of range. But that’s Jaguar -surely there eTron will be better, right? I mean, it’s…

I think you kind of proved my point - even a relatively long-range EV like a Kona still takes a back seat to an absolute gas hog for long trips. I think improving charging speed is a great goal - and, crucially, seems to be happening much quicker than increasing battery capacity. But, if you’ve only got a Max 200 mile…

I’ve thought about it, but the Volt has one crippling problem - size. I’m ready for another larger car, than can comfortably fit 4 and luggage. I’ve been driving an old Civic Si for awhile, which I plan to keep as a fun car, and it had more space than a Volt. It's a shame, because otherwise a Volt is exactly what I…

Ski lodges would be somewhere they’d be very, very helpful - not only are you frequently traveling long distances to get there, but it’s cold, which is where EVs need the most help.

Dammit. I want my primary car to be electric, but I road trip frequently enough that I can’t foresee buying anything without 300+ miles of interstate range. I drove my old Mercedes E320 CDI over 700 miles (a full tank of diesel) without stopping on more than one occasion - stopping every 2.5 hours to charge for 30…

I’m not entirely sure this is going to be the hotcake everyone thinks it is. I think people are legit scared of plugging in. Consider the curious case of the G30 BMW 5-Series. The 5 comes in several flavors, but most pertinent here are the 530i and 530e. Both are 2.0l turbo 4s, they have the same 0-60 time and, most…

This is far more likely to be what happens. I don’t think it will be setting their own rates, because that would be too chaotic. I foresee drivers being given all of the information about a ride - distance, fare, what they would be paid, Uber’s cut, etc, when a ride request comes through, and then being able to decide…

So, the final tally seems high because of one wrong number - no way in hell is a driver booking almost 85% of the mileage in most of America. 2/3 is probably a better high-end estimate, and for some drivers, it’ll be half or less (some people are really, really bad at this).