Hyundai Stops Internal Combustion Engine Development Forever

It's never a bad day when an automaker announces that a vehicle will be manufactured here in the U.S. for American consumers. But that's only part of the story of the 2023 Volkswagen ID4, the compact electric SUV that's seeing production expanded from Germany to the United States, as it's also coming in with new pricing and a new entry-level battery pack to price it under $40,000. It also gets some new standard features, updated exterior colors and trim, and a new interior design.American MadeAs part of its $800 million investment in Tennessee, Volkswagen will begin assembly of the 2023 ID4 at its Chattanooga factory, not far from its recently built battery lab for EV battery production and research. Unfortunately, despite being assembled in the U.S. (and no longer requiring a long boat trip to reach our shores), the ID4 retains its destination charge for the 2023 model. That charge has recently risen from $1,195 to now $1,295. Not a huge increase, sure, but disappointing to see that not go down given how the VW is now locally sourced.Four New TrimsIn addition to the ID4 Pro and Pro S in RWD and AWD, there are now a few new trims. First is the ID4 Standard (yes, that is its trim name) that comes with a smaller 62 kWh battery. This is the new entry-level ID4; above it sits the also-new S trim, which gets the same 62 kWh battery. There also is a new Pro S Plus trim that slots above the Pro S, replacing the Gradient package that was offered in 2022 and bringing a suite of unique features. All Pro models will get the larger 82 kWh battery pack along with the 170 kW DC Fast Charge rate. At the time of writing, VW did not state what the DC Fast Charge rate would be for the 62 kWh battery pack.Prices Have Gone Up, But You Do Get More for Your ID4While the new Standard is cheaper than last year's least-expensive ID4, the $42,525 Pro, there are a few price increases on the carryover trims (Pro included). A 2023 ID4 RWD Pro costs $1,365 more than the 2022 model, while the AWD Pro $1,485 more, the RWD Pro S costs $1,865 more, and the AWD Pro S sees a $1,985 increase. (Those price hikes include the $100-pricier destination charge, too.) Those extra dollar signs are at least offset by some new features and technology. Plug&Charge, the bi-directional J1772 CCS socket that both charges the ID4 and can power other EVs, is now standard across the line.All ID4 trims come with dashboard stitching, leatherette steering wheels and seat features; heated seats; forward collision with emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection; active blind spot assist, high beam light assist, parking assist with memory parking and distance assist; LED lighting with auto headlights that come with rain sensing wipers; and IQ.Drive that features lane keep assist, traffic sign recognition and Emergency Assist 3.0. For your advanced driver assist needs, the ID4 also has Travel Assist 2.0 on all trims that features stop-and-go cruise control and driver-initiated lane change functionality. On top of all that, owners will get three years of free 30-minute DC fast charging sessions at Electrify America stations.What Separates Each ID4 Trim?While the Standard and Pro are rather basic (when compared to S trims) with their features and 19-inch wheels, they do feature their own unique interior colors and melange fabric and leatherette heated manual seats. The two interior treatments are Stone (gray and black accents) and Nutmeg (brown hues). The rear seats are a 60/40 split design with no other features. Going with the Pro model, you get the option of AWD which nets you a 2,700 lbs towing capacity and a heated front windshield. The Pro models are also the only way to get the 82 kWh battery pack, as mentioned earlier.Stepping up into the S trims, you get leatherette seat seat inserts rather than the cloth, but the inserts have a design perforated into the material and are 12-way power with a memory function. Color options for the inside are Galaxy where its leatherette inserts are black with platinum gray bolsters, door inserts, dash, a black leatherette heated steering wheel, and a black display. Cosmic features gray leatherette inserts with blue bolsters, door inserts, and dash with a white leatherette heated steering wheel, and a white display. You also get a 30 color ambient lighting rather than the multi-color ambient lighting system. For the rear seats, S trims get a 60/40 split seat with pass-through and a folding center armrest with cupholders. You and your passengers are also treated to a panoramic roof with an electric sunshade. The LED lights on the S Trims feature VW's AFS adaptive front lights and a lighted front and rear "VW" emblem and grille accent. The non-Pro S trim also only gets the 62 kWh battery pack and RWD but it and the Pro versions get 20-inch wheels.Want an ID4 with the most stuff? Look at the Pro S Plus in either RWD or AWD. Along with the S and Pro features, you also get unique 20-inch wheels, a three-zone climate control with rear passenger controls, and digital sound package that includes a subwoofer. The 60/40 passthrough seats are also heated (outboard positions only). Silver accents replace gloss black trim on both the front and rear bumpers; the mirrors feature accent lighting that are both power folding and heated; and this is the only trim to get a surround view camera over the standard rearview camera.How Much is a 2023 Volkswagen ID4?While the price increases year-over-year for the carryover ID4 models are expected, the cost of the 2023 ID4 is still relatively affordable when compared to new crossovers and other EVs of its size. The ID4 Standard will run you $38,790 (again, thousands less than last year's cheapest ID4, albeit with less battery) while stepping up to the ID4 S jumps up to $43,790. The RWD version of the ID4 Pro is $43,790 while the AWD version is $47,590. The Pro S RWD is $48,790 and the AWD version is $52,490. The top-of-the-line ID4 is the Pro S Plus, which runs $51,490 with the RWD and $55,290 with AWD. And remember, the ID4 still qualifies for the $7,500 federal EV tax credit, in addition to any local EV incentives a full battery-electric car might qualify for. Below we've gathered every 2023 ID4 trim level's price, range, and battery size for comparison: Battery / Motor Range Price ID4 Standard 62 kWh / single motor 208 miles $38,790 ID4 S 62 kWh / single motor 208 miles $43,790 ID4 Pro 82 kWh / single motor  275 miles $43,790 ID4 Pro AWD 82 kWh / dual motor  255 miles $47,590 ID4 Pro S 82 kWh / single motor  275 miles $48,790 ID4 Pro S AWD 82 kWh / dual motor  255 miles $52,590 ID4 Pro S Plus 82 kWh / single motor  275 miles $51,490 ID4 Pro S Plus AWD 82 kWh / dual motor  255 miles $55,290 Show All

We already know "David," which is what Koneigsegg has named the its in-house EV inverter design featured on the Gemera. "David" can convert up to 750 kW of power from 850 volts of direct current flowing from the batteries into alternating current that can power the car's motors. The news today is that Koenigsegg has a name for the power unit that will feature this inverter, and plans sell its innovative in-house components in a new and incredibly powerful package.A single Koenigsegg Quark motor produces 250 kW, or 335 hp, and 443 lb-ft of torque at its peak output, and weighs just 63 pounds.The newly announced "Terrier" power unit features two of these Quark motors packaged around the fancy David inverter. The result is a plug-and-play EV power unit that puts out 670 hp and weighs less than 200 pounds, and also offers cross-axle torque vectoring performance. The output shafts are equipped with planetary gear sets, and the unit can be even mounted directly to a vehicle chassis—no subframe required. Koenigsegg believes there are extensive applications for the compact, high-power unit, including boats and aviation, where it could replace high-revving engines that normally require additional gearing, providing a lighter and less complex solution.On the hybrid Gemera, which features a battery pack powering three Quark motors linked up with a three-cylinder internal combustion engine, the goal was smooth and seamless acceleration with no power loss. Koenigsegg's name for the optimized power and torque map it has programmed into its Quark motors to achieve this is "Raxial Flux," which sounds fancy and has something to do with how the network of motor components in the motor interact.Today's electric motors are typically split between two different conceptual designs. Radial flux motors are power dense with a magnetic field radiating perpendicular to the axis of rotation, commonly packaged as a pancake or hub motor. Axial flux motors are currently more common, and barrel-shaped with a magnetic field radiating parallel to the axis of motion. Our E-motors 101 piece goes into more detail on how it works. Koenigsegg's new "Raxial Flux" have seemingly engineered a motor capable of both typical characteristics for optimized motor performance.While we wait for more details on the layout of the Quark motor, we posit it likely has its permanent magnets arrayed in a manner that can be energized either axially or radially, and that there are electric stator winding phases located both radially and axially, and energized independently under whatever conditions are optimal for each design's power and torque delivery. Essentially, Koenigsegg smashed both layouts together and designed programming to make it work.What you really need to know is that it means "optimal" power delivery from the motor, and doesn't need a transmission or step gears because "the RPM of the motor is right from the get-go," according to CEO Christian von Koenigsegg.Peak torque and power from the electric motors is reached 20 seconds into acceleration, and then the motors drop to nominal output. At this point, the 600-hp three-cylinder gas engine carries the car to top speed.

WHAT IT IS: Lincoln's first electric vehicle, an Aviator-sized SUV.WHY IT MATTERS: Lincoln promises three new EVs by 2025, a fourth in 2026, and full electrification of its portfolio by 2030. Many automakers are letting their luxury brands lead the EV charge, but Lincoln is behind the volume Ford brand.PLATFORM AND POWERTRAIN: The Lincoln Star concept offers hints of what's to come when Lincoln creates high-tech, connected luxury vehicles on Ford's new rear-wheel-/all-wheel-drive EV architecture. Given today's Lincoln lineup in the U.S. consists of four crossovers (China has an additional electric Lincoln Zephyr Reflection sedan), we expect four electric SUVs to replace them, followed by derivatives.First up should be the Lincoln Aviator EV, last up an electric Navigator from the next-gen full-size large truck/SUV EV platform. There's nothing concrete yet on the powertrain, but dual motors are a must for AWD. And although the Lincolns will ride on a different platform than the Mustang Mach-E, there could be sharing of its 75.7- and 98.8-kWh battery packs. Expect one-pedal driving, the latest Sync infotainment, a streamlined body with LED lighting, an illuminated matrix grille below the frunk lid, and lattice lightwork across the back.Anticipating advanced driver assist technologies, the concept has an interior ready for an autonomous future, with front seats that swivel to interact with rear passengers. The production model won't go that far. We expect Lincoln will add B-pillars for production models, and the A- and D-pillars will be made of metal, not glass like the concept's. The split rear gate can open to create an extra bench for tailgating, a feature that might survive into production.ESTIMATED PRICE: $70,000EXPECTED ON-SALE DATE: Q4 2024 or Q1 2025