Clever ZF EasyTurn Suspension Concept Allows Incredibly Tight U-Turns

The 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning is a big deal. Ford made headlines around the world when it announced the new electric F-150, not just because it was electrifying the best-selling vehicle in North America, but because of how affordable it made the EV pickup. With the 2022 Rivian R1T and 2022 GMC Hummer EV Pickup starting at $68,645 and $110,295 respectively, the F-150 Lightning's $41,669 start price is seen as democratizing the electric pickup. With the release of the F-150 Lightning's configurator today, that affordable aura still appears to hold true—so long as you don't need to step up to the optional 300-mile Extended Range Battery.Maverick-Sized Upcharge on F-150 Lightning XLT Extended Range?All F-150 Lightnings come standard with a dual-motor all-wheel drive system good for 426 hp and 775 lb-ft of torque. That setup is paired with the 98-kWh Standard Range Battery, good for a Ford-estimated 230 miles of range (EPA figures are still pending), on the base F-150 Lightning Pro, Lightning XLT, and Lightning Lariat trims. The optional 131-kWh Extended Range Battery is available on the XLT and Lariat, and standard on the range-topping Platinum; it ups power to 563 hp and 775 lb-ft of torque, while range jumps up to a Ford-estimated 300 miles on the XLT and Lariat, and 280 miles on the top-level F-150 Lightning Platinum.According to Ford's configurator, that 70-mile range cushion will cost F-150 Lighting XLT buyers a pretty penny. Starting at $54,669 with the standard battery, opting for the Extended Range Battery adds $19,500—roughly the cost of an entire Ford Maverick—to the F-150 Lightning XLT's base price.In other words, that means the cheapest 300-mile F-150 Lightning will set you back $74,169. That's more than the MotorTrend Truck of the Year-winning Rivian R1T, which can both go further on a charge and charge quicker than the Ford. It's worth noting that the Hummer EV Pickup beats both the Rivian and Ford in charge speed and range, though the only versions available now start in the six-figures.To be fair, Lightning buyers get more than 33 extra kWh for their extra 20 grand. Although Ford nominally lists the battery upgrade as a $10,000 option, it is bundled with Equipment Group 312A (listed as a $9,500 option, despite the fact that you can't separate it from the Extended-Range Battery). While confusing to consumers at best and intentionally misleading at worst, opting for the combined equipment and battery package does net Lightning XLT buyers quite a bit of extra features, such as 20-inch wheels, Ford's latest Co-Pilot 360 Advanced Driver Assist System, power tailgate with tailgate step and work surface, heated front seats and steering wheel, and the 9.6-kW Pro Power generator, among other things.Upcharge on F-150 Lightning Lariat RevealedIt's a similar story on the premium F-150 Lightning Lariat, though the upcharge for the Extended Range model is far less steep. Starting at $69,169, opting for either the Extended-Range Battery or Equipment Group 511A (both are bundled together) adds $10,000 to the pickup's sticker, bringing the price up to $79,169. As mentioned, there is no upcharge on the $92,569 F-150 Lightning Platinum, as the Extended-Range Battery is standard on that pricey luxury model.Regardless of the surprising premium one pays for the F-150 Lightning's larger battery, Ford expects demand to be robust. It has just announced that it'll be increasing production capacity from 80,000 units per year to 150,000 per year, based on unprecedented demand. F-150 Lightning deliveries are expected to begin this Spring.

porsche taycan Full OverviewLeave it to Porsche. Going into our 2022 SUV of the Year competition, no vehicle had more pre-shade thrown its way than the Taycan 4 Cross Turismo. We've enjoyed a mixed, ambiguous relationship with the Taycan sedan since we first drove it. On the one hand, kudos to Porsche for making a great-handling electric vehicle that emphasizes performance and feel over everything else. On the other, where's the range, bro?Yes, we like performance, but institutionally we just can't fully get behind the industry's least efficient EV. As for the "SUV" version, well, it's just a barely lifted station wagon, right? No different than the crass, "we're not that gullible" efforts from Audi (the A6 Allroad) and Mercedes-Benz (E450 All-Terrain) to pitch station wagons as some sort of off-roaders. But then we made the terrible mistake of actually taking the Cross Turismo in the dirt, and yeah, Porsche strikes again.Before we get to how it drives, let's talk about what the Taycan 4 Cross Turismo is. First off, it's a station wagon by all definitions of the term. Yes, the legal definition of an SUV has something to do with ride height, but as I'm so fond of saying, "Just look at it." Talk about obvious. The Cross Turismo is an incredibly handsome wagon, especially on the tough-looking five-spoke wheels Porsche bolted to our test subject. Tangentially speaking, Taycan wheel design is all over the map, ranging from goofy to horrible to "yeah, baby." These are the latter. Since we drove the Cross Turismo, Porsche went and confusingly launched an uncladded wagon version of the Taycan, the 2022 GTS Sport Turismo, which looks approximately 10 percent better. That's mostly due to the 0.8-inch drop in ride height, meaning the Sport Turismo is technically a car. More on that in a bit.Under the lovely, Chalk-colored metal you'll find two motors: one driving the wheels at the front axle, and the other driving those at the rear. Unlike all other EVs on the market save for its Audi twin, the E-Tron GT, the Taycan has a two-speed transmission that's only connected to the rear motor. As for power, this gets a bit confusing. Combined output from the two motors is 375 horsepower and 368 lb-ft of torque. However, activate launch control, and the two motors go into overboost and the output increases to 469 horsepower, a more than 20 percent increase. Hey, it's a brave, new EV world. The battery pack is large at 93.4 kWh, and the range is EPA-rated at 215 miles. That's down 10 from the mechanically identical Taycan sedan, due a little to the increased weight of the wagon body but more so the increased ride height that also decreases aerodynamic efficiency and forces the halfshafts to sprout from the motor at an angle. Did I mention it weighs 5,134 pounds?The odd part about driving the Taycan 4 Cross Turismo only occurs when you realize there are three more powerful versions available: the 4S, the Turbo, and the Turbo S. There is a non-4, RWD sedan that makes less power (321 hp, 402 in overboost), but this particular version—$92,250 base, $109, 980 as tested—is pretty far down the Taycan lineup, which also includes the GTS sedan and Sport Turismo. Let me also point out that as far as the Taycan—cough—SUVs go, this is the entry-level Cross Turismo. The entry version that can hit 60 mph in 4.5 seconds, of course.The Taycan 4 Cross Turismo can also run the quarter mile in 12.7 seconds at 115.9 mph. That quarter mile is pretty quick, especially for an off-road-capable station wagon. But it's not that quick for an EV, as the Porsche barely edges out the 470-hp Jeep Wrangler 392 that does the quarter in 12.9. Hey we're talking SUVs, right? And remember, that using launch control this Taycan makes precisely 1 fewer horsepower than the double live-axle, brick-shaped Jeep.The Porsche's braking performance is good. Not so much as to stand out, but not bad, and there's nothing wrong with how the pedal feels. It takes 109 feet for the Cross Turismo to stop from 60 mph, 5 feet longer than the much more powerful, capable, expensive Taycan Turbo S with its 17.3-inch front rotors and super-sticky tires. Likewise, the Taycan 4's figure-eight time is good, at 25 seconds flat. I always say any car in the 24-second range is a sports car, and this slightly jacked-up wagon is oh, so close. To give you an idea of how well the Porsche did, remember the Mercedes E450 All-Terrain we discussed earlier? Another gussied-up station wagon pretending to be an SUV? It took 26.2 seconds to get around our figure-eight course. The Audi A6 Allroad? 26.5. Oh, and the Jeep 392? A frankly pathetic 29.3 run, which our test team chalked up to "aggressive ESC."Based on time spent with other Taycans we knew going in that this Porsche would be more fun to drive than the competition on the street. We wrongly assumed that since it's obviously only pretending to be an SUV, it would be weak sauce in dirt. We were totally wrong. Did we attempt any rock crawling? No, and you'd be insane to try. But we did try dirt, sand, and gravel, and, man, was the Cross Turismo not only competent and capable, it was a blast, as well. Especially in sand, where the EV loved kicking up giant rooster tails while simultaneously not even kinda getting stuck. Whatever off-road advantage there is from a 0.8-inch lift, Porsche fully exploited it.Unlike the aforementioned Audi and Mercedes "SUVs," I'd actually recommend the Taycan 4 Cross Turismo as both a driver's car and a light-duty off-roader. It's a genuine double-threat. At this stage in the game do we have the right to be surprised that a Porsche is fun to drive? Naw, probably not. Now, if the fine folks at Zuffenhausen could just do something about the meager driving range.Looks good! More details?2021 Porsche Taycan 4 Cross Turismo BASE PRICE $92,250 PRICE AS TESTED $109,980 VEHICLE LAYOUT Front and rear-motor, AWD, 5-pass, 4-door wagon MOTOR TYPE Permanent-magnet electric POWER (SAE NET) 469 hp TORQUE (SAE NET) 368 lb-ft TRANSMISSION 2-speed automatic CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) 5,134 lb (49/51%) WHEELBASE 114.3 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 195.8 x 77.4 x 55.5 in 0-60 MPH 4.5 sec QUARTER MILE 12.7 sec @ 115.9 mph BRAKING, 60-0 MPH 109 ft LATERAL ACCELERATION 0.89 g (avg) MT FIGURE EIGHT 25.0 sec @ 0.76 g (avg) EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON 75/81/77 mpg-e ON SALE Now Show All

Don't hold your breath waiting for Tesla's rumored $25,000 electric car. "We are currently not working on the $25,000 car," Tesla CEO Elon Musk said during a call to report the automaker's stellar fourth-quarter and full-year earnings. The reason: He has too much on his plate.Hmmm. Well, he does have two new car plants, in Texas and Berlin, pumping out pre-production models and awaiting final certification to begin delivering salable vehicles to customers. And he said he will use this year to scout locations for even more plants and could announce decisions by the end of the year.But Tesla won't be introducing any new vehicles in 2022, Musk said. With parts shortages, adding new models would take away semiconductor chips and other key components from existing models that also need them. So, it's not just the $25,000 car we won't see this year, it's everything on your wish list, including the Cybertruck, Semi, or a new Roadster. The company hasn't rolled out an all-new nameplate since introducing the Model Y crossover in 2019.Tesla will "likely" introduce new models in 2023, Musk told investors on the call.The CEO did clarify that a battery shortage is not the reason for the much-delayed Cybertruck. The problem, it seems, is there is a lot of tech in the triangular truck and the company seems to think if it cannot be offered affordably, people won't buy it. Perhaps Musk fears shoppers might opt for a Ford F-150 Lighting or Chevrolet Silverado EV in the $42,000 price range instead? And it will take time to achieve economies of scale to help bring prices down. Musk said he wants to eventually make 250,000 Cybertrucks a year but it will "take a moment" to get to that level. Setting aside the tech involved in bringing a new electric pickup into this world—that kind of volume is tough for any new pickup truck; the truck market is notoriously harsh to newcomers. Just ask the Nissan Titan, Honda Ridgeline, and Toyota Tundra, none of which trade in the vast numbers of the Big Three's full-size trucks.Tesla is also busy working on Optimus Subprime, a robot that will move parts around the factory floor, a seeming distraction from, well, the obvious lack of new product.And there is this biggee: A self-driving car Elon says will be available this year. In fact, he will be shocked if it is not. And those who questioned any of his other product plans on the call were admonished for not understanding just how significant the self-driving capability is. Consider our wrists slapped. Also consider that this isn't the first time Tesla has claimed it would bring out a self-driving car soon—a breakthrough that, while promised in 2019, hasn't happened yet.