Expected novelties

Electric vehicles are the future…now. Here are some new arrivals at the door.

Cadillac Lyriq

The Cadillac Lyriq will inaugurate – with the GMC Hummer – the Ultium architecture developed by General Motors. This will accommodate, at the buyer’s choice, one or two electric motors powered by a battery with a capacity of 100.4 kWh. Right now, the alleged range is 300 miles on one charge for the two-wheel-drive model. The latter produces the equivalent of 340 hp and 324 lb-ft of torque.

Chrysler Airflow Graphite concept

Revealed at the New York Motor Show last week, the Airflow Graphite concept is a variation of the eponymous concept presented last January at the CES (Customer Electronic Show) which took place in Las Vegas. This study foreshadows a production electric model whose debut is scheduled for 2025. The presumed range is some 650 km.

Ford F-150 Lightning

The F-150 will soon have a thread at the wheel. The Lightning version will indeed be fully electric and built at the Rouge factory in Michigan. Two battery formats will be listed in the catalogue. The most powerful will achieve the goal of 483 km range on a full charge. The latter has a combined output of 563 hp and 775 lb-ft of torque. Towing capacity is set at 3493 kg. General Motors and RAM will respond next year with electrified versions of the Silverado and 1500.

Nissan Ariya

Everything suggests that the first deliveries of the Ariya will begin in the fall. Six versions will be offered to consumers, who will also have to choose between a 63 kWh or 87 kWh battery (usable capacity). The Ariya will have an assumed maximum range of 482 km in its front-wheel-drive configuration, which will be delivered first in the fall. Versions equipped with e-4ORCE all-wheel drive will hit dealerships in late fall.

Toyota bZ4X

After having been choosy for a long time, Toyota announces the release, from June, of its first production electric vehicle, the bZ4X. The latter, designed in partnership with Subaru (see Solterra), will offer two configurations: traction or integral. The consumer’s choice between these two drive modes will dictate the range of this vehicle. The towed version will allow you to travel 406 km on a full charge, compared to 367 km for the all-wheel-drive version. Longer than a RAV4, the bZ4X is based on a wheelbase (distance between the two axles) longer by 160 mm. This gives it a more spacious interior, especially in the rear seats. The trunk also benefits from an increased volume, even if the roof guard (– 50 mm) is still lower than that of the RAV4.

Subaru Solterra

Do you like Toyota’s bZ4X? Then you’ll love Subaru’s Solterra just as much. The versions vary, but both share the same technical elements. The Subaru will be offered exclusively with all-wheel drive (two motors, four-wheel drive), which will give it a range of some 367 km.

Vinfast

There is no shortage of young shoots: Imperium, Lucid Air, Rivian and Vinfast. The Taiwanese brand will launch deliveries of its first two models from late fall in Canada. For its debut, Vinfast is offering two utility vehicles, the VF-8 ($51,250) and VF-9 ($69,750), dressed by Italian designer Pininfarina.

Volkswagen ID.Buzz

This time, all the lights are green. After the study presented at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show, Volkswagen (finally) confirms the production launch of the ID.Buzz, an electric reincarnation of the Combi that appeared at the end of the 1940s… Unlike its illustrious ancestor (its base was taken from the Coccinelle), the ID.Buzz is based on a modern architecture (MEB) and will be offered in two formats (ordinary or long) that can accommodate up to seven people.