It turns out high-performance EV hardware can be super-efficient, too...If you've heard about axial flux motors in the past few years, it's likely been in the context of applications in high-performance luxury automotive brands. Compared to the radial flux motors you find in most electrified vehicles, axial flux motors are lighter, more power dense, and can produce more torque--ideal for high-performance vehicles. Five years ago, Mercedes-Benz purchased the UK's Yasa, intendi

This morning I was fortunate enough to attend a briefing on McKinsey's Mobility Consumer Pulse for 2026. A few items caught eye given the considerable levels of uncertainty in today's auto industry... Yes, there's an affordability crisis, and we now know how consumers are responding. I heard a hypothesis the other day that expectations on tariffs might have caused a run on new vehicle purchases before prices went up. Now that they are up (and going up further), consumers are

Check out the video: https://youtu.be/cKZgVDtzxgU Go, MG! The MG Go concept is positioned as a stylish small electric hatch that channels the spirit of classic MG performance icons while previewing the forthcoming MG2. Designed in London and aimed at fashionable rivals such as the VW ID.Polo, Mini Cooper, and Renault 5, it appears intended less as a budget EV and more as a characterful, image-led model that could become a new brand icon, though MG has not yet revealed its int

AutoExpress interviewed Aston's CEO Adrian Hallmark, who's been on the job for just under two years, and shared what they learned about the company's future. The big news is a next-generation modular bonded aluminum platform that will allow more commonality among core models, even allowing coupes and SUVs to come down the same assembly line. The new architecture promises to be stiffer, and the percentage of Mercedes-sourced parts will rise from about one-third to about one-ha

Check out the video: https://youtu.be/g4iNCRvazNY The Power of Choice BMW’s new X5 brings the brand’s Neue Klasse design and technology strategy to its midsize luxury SUV, launching with an unusually broad range of powertrains that includes mild-hybrid gas and diesel, plug-in hybrid, full electric, and an upcoming hydrogen variant. Much of the iX3’s technology carries over, including 800V architecture, improved battery chemistry, Symbiotic Drive, Panoramic iDrive, Alexa+, and

If you're a fan of BMW's Neue Klasse design and technology, you're going to enjoy the third model to benefit from this new strategy: BMW's X5. The new iX5 electric variant will replace the iX in BMW's portfolio in the US later this year, while other markets will see it last a bit longer. The X5 launches initially in several variants, including mild hybrid gas and diesel, plug-in hybrid gas, and electric, with a hydrogen model to follow; BMW notes this is their first model wit

As JLR struggles to reboot the Jaguar brand and launches the new Freelander brand (with Chery's help) in China, they are now turning to opportunities in the US market. That has led to a Memorandum of Understanding with Stellantis, to "explore collaboration opportunities to create synergies across product and technology development, leveraging the companies’ complementary strengths to create value for both organizations." What does that mean in plain English? JLR leadership ha

Check out the video: https://youtu.be/FHqie52bNqU Peaq Performance The Skoda Peaq positions the Czech brand at the upper end of the electric SUV market, translating Skoda’s value-focused reputation into a larger, more premium three-row EV aimed at rivals such as the Kia EV9 and Peugeot E-5008. Its Modern Solid design language brings a distinctive Tech Deck front end, T-shaped lighting, flush door handles, large wheels, and aerodynamic detailing, while the powertrain lineup of

General Motors’ future EV plans may be coming into focus with a new mid-market platform … While Ford, VW, Toyota, and others have been fairly transparent about what they are planning for the next-generation EVs, GM has been playing things fairly close to the vest. Several months ago, unconfirmed rumors surfaced that the company's next-generation full-size EV trucks--currently built on a dedicated skateboard platform at the vastly underutilized Factory Zero in Detroit – might

Check out the video: https://youtu.be/MNbshPOwIXk The next-generation Chevrolet Silverado delivers an evolutionary redesign rather than a radical reinvention. It keeps a broad trim lineup and leans on strong traditional truck credentials, including best-in-class standard torque, a powerful naturally aspirated V8, widespread 10-speed automatics, and a segment-unique diesel option. However, it stands apart from rivals by lacking a hybridized gas powertrain, retaining a four-cyl

Check out the video: https://youtu.be/qzlJLvT9O9Y Audi’s Surprise Supercar The Audi Nuvolari is envisioned as an unexpected new halo supercar for the brand, effectively reviving the spirit of the R8 with inspiration from the recent Concept C and a name that recalls both prewar racing legend Tazio Nuvolari and Audi’s 2003 concept heritage. Developed in just 14 months and timed to coincide with Audi’s first Formula 1 season, it would be powered by a 987-hp plug-in hybrid system

Two new concepts suggest "maybe"--but GM won't commit... I confess, I thought General Motors' new Advanced Design Pasadena Studio was already open, but apparently it wasn't "official" until just a few days ago. In their apparently unofficial capacity, they've been busy, having done one of three Corvette concepts last year, and now two new Hummer X concepts (an SUV and a pickup). These vehicles are smaller than the existing Hummer EVs, and showcase some intriguing features and

There’s no shortage of controversy – or opinions—surrounding Ferrari’s new EV. Things get more interesting when you compare and contrast what Ferrari did versus other brands’ strategies in the ultra-luxury EV space. First, I should say I don’t think the Luce is a complete disaster. It certainly has taken advantage of the EV powertrain – so, no need to package a giant hunk of internal combustion-related steel or aluminum – to come up with a more dramatic proportion. The claime

Stellantis’ $70 billion “FaSTLAne” plan for 2030 includes some intriguing new products, resurrecting several familiar nameplates from the 1970s and 1980s and expanding into new product segments… When PSA and FCA merged, many assumed that some of the underperforming brands would be kicked to the curb. But CEO Carlos Tavares surprised just about everyone by not only reviving Lancia (which by then was one aging minicar sold in a handful of countries) but keeping all the other br

Check out the video: https://youtu.be/_sU81lo-rug Ferrari Sees the Light Ferrari’s new Luce is the brand’s first electric car, and it arrives as a highly ambitious, highly controversial flagship that blends dramatic design, extreme performance, and experimental user experience. Styled inside and out by LoveFrom, the Jony Ive– and Marc Newson–led design firm, the Luce features an unusually cab-forward shape, a black passenger capsule wrapped in colored bodywork, aerodynamic fr

Check out the video: https://youtu.be/aCrHhPRgQh4 Lexus’ Flagship EV The Lexus TZ appears to follow the brand’s familiar luxury formula by taking a mainstream Toyota foundation and elevating it with sharper styling, a richer cabin, and a few notable new technologies. It enters the three-row luxury EV space with competitive range, distinctive design, and thoughtful comfort features such as upscale materials, ambient lighting, and available ottomans, though its performance and

We’re a little over three weeks from Stellantis’ 2026 Investor Day, which promises to answer quite a few questions (like, “What’s the future of Chrysler?”). While we wait, Reuters has talked to multiple sources indicating Stellantis has selected four core “brands that matter” to received a “material increase” to their funding. The lucky four are Jeep, Ram, Fiat, and Peugeot; the rest would become regional (or national) brands, and “build models using technology from the four

Now that VW’s ID.Polo is officially out, I find myself... bored. Maybe it’s because we’ve been hearing about an affordable VW EV for quite a while, and we saw the nearly-identical-looking concept four years ago. I do agree the ID.Polo is handsome and well-proportioned, and I welcome the return of physical controls. It appears to offer a suitably diverse range of powertrain options with respectable (though not class-leading) performance. But, to quote Peggy Lee, “Is that all t

Since the original ES, the formula for front-wheel-drive Lexus products has been rather straightforward: take a Toyota product, reskin it with a bolder look, upgrade the interior, add some new tech, and tweak the powertrain. And because that strategy has largely worked, it’s happened again with the Lexus TZ. While Toyota’s new EV-only Highlander will be sold alongside the ICE-powered Grand Highlander, the TZ will be sold alongside the ICE-powered TX, and target the small grou

The Honda 0 Series Saloon and SUV We’ve seen a number of automakers cancelling (or delaying) EV programs lately, but it’s usually accompanies by increased investment on the ICE side of the business. For instance, Porsche cancelled the EV variant of its upcoming K1 fullsize SUV, but a Macan-sized ICE SUV is due to re-enter the portfolio in a couple of years. Similarly, Nissan cancelled its two planned US-built SUV EVs but is bringing back the Xterra and developing a new body-o