New automotive technologies

Imagine vehicles with holographic instrument panels floating in thin air; cars with see-through doors that allow drivers to see nearby pedestrians and cyclists more easily; biometric health monitoring using facial recognition and various health metrics; and less-costly massaging car seats. This is a small sample of the diverse technologies French auto supplier Forvia is showcasing at the Shanghai auto show beginning April 24..

Source: WardsAuto

Buick is introducing a new sub-brand in China called Electra — but its future in the United States could be shaky, analysts say, if tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump remain on a majority of its products. General Motors Co.'s upscale brand last year sold more than 157,000 vehicles in the United States that were imported from South Korea and China — almost 86% of its U.S. deliveries. With foreign production offering the strength of accessible pricing and profitability, high enough tariffs could alter dramatically that narrative and put the Tri-Shield brand in a precarious position.

Source: The Detroit News

Reports out of Maranello say it will hit the streets in October 2026.

The car they once said would never come is coming: an electric Ferrari. Ferrari is still tight-lipped about its first all-electric BEV, a step beyond the hybrid drivetrains in the SF90 and 296, but we can expect to see the powertrain, what Ferrari called the—“technological heart”—of its first fully electric car, on October 9 as the first part of a three-stage unveiling process culminating with its world premiere in the spring of next year. “Deliveries... will commence just months after that, in October 2026,” Benedetto Vigna, Ferrari CEO, told analysts in a post-earnings call, as reported by Reuters this week. Hybrid development will also continue. “We continue to enrich our product offering—in line with our plans—with six new models this year, which include the newly launched 296 Speciale, 296 Speciale A, and the much-anticipated Ferrari Elettrica through a unique and innovative unveiling,” Vigna said. “We are very excited about what lies ahead.”

While no photos, drawings or sketches have been released by Maranello, our friends at Car and Driver had this rendering put together by the professionals at Avarvarii Automotive Artworks, a firm that specializes in such things.

While Ferrari’s first fully electric car breaks tradition of the world’s greatest V12s, V8s, and now V6s, it’s an inevitability. Ferrari has said it will keep building V12s and other internal-combustion engines as long as it’s allowed to, but it must also yield to the future. And what will that future look like? “It will be something completely different. But we’ve been developing skills on components for EVs for more than a decade,” chief marketing and commercial officer Enrico Galliera said. Indeed, Ferrari opened a new production facility in Maranello last June specifically to include production of electric vehicles. Called the e-building, the factory will produce internal combustion-engined cars, hybrids, and Ferrari’s first electric model. It is “a plant that combines the centrality of the people in the workplace with respect for the environment,” said Ferrari President John Elkann. “Investing in our territory is essential to prepare ourselves for Ferrari’s future with confidence.” The fact that it will house the production and development of internal-combustion engines, hybrid engines, and electric motors, “each capable of delivering Ferrari’s signature driving excitement,” and that production can be adjusted to fit whatever drivetrain is selling the best, should reassure the tifosi that roaring V12s are not going away anytime soon. Vigna reaffirmed this month Ferrari would continue to make gas and hybrid cars, as well as EVs, Reuters said. He added the company would launch a total of six new models this year, including the fully electric one.

The other new models are special versions of the plug-in hybrid Ferrari 296 GTB and 296 GTS: the 296 Speciale and 296 Speciale A. They were unveiled last week. “These new models are based on the current berlinetta in our range, the 296 GTB and 296 GTS, and they mark further progress in both performance and features, embodying solutions derived from our racing cars: the 499P, the 296 GT3, the 296 Challenge and the Formula 1 single-seater. Prototypes of what may be the Elettrica have been seen, and heard, in Maranello, suggesting Ferrari my add some form of “engine” sound.

Source: Autoweek

Kill California Plan Mandating Emission-Free Vehicles

Major automakers want Congress to bar California's landmark plan to end the sale of gasoline-only vehicles by 2035 that has been adopted by 11 other states, warning the rules could begin impacting vehicle shipments in a few months. The U.S. House of Representatives will vote later this week on legislation to repeal a waiver granted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under former President Joe Biden in December allowing California to mandate at least 80% emissions-free vehicles by 2035. The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, which represents the Detroit Three automakers, Toyota, Volkswagen, Hyundai and other auto manufacturers, said in a letter to each member of the U.S. House of Representatives that the car companies could soon be "forced to substantially reduce the number of overall vehicles for sale to inflate their proportion of electric vehicles sales."

Source: Reuters and Detroit Free Press

Aiming for Cheaper, Longer-Range EVs by 2030

Ford is developing a new lithium manganese rich (LMR) battery chemistry that it says could significantly lower electric vehicle (EV) costs and extend driving range by the end of the decade. Charles Poon, Ford’s director of electrified propulsion engineering, announced the development on April 23, revealing that the automaker is already producing a second generation of these cells at its Ion Park R&D center in Romulus, Michigan. Poon described the technology as “game-changing,” citing safety, energy density, and stability improvements over nickel-based batteries. “This isn’t just a lab experiment,” Poon wrote in a LinkedIn post. “We’re actively working to scale LMR cell chemistry and integrate them into our future vehicle lineup within this decade.”

Source: CBT News

Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC Trucks

The voluntary recall involving 721,000 6.2-liter V-8 engines offered in Chevrolet and GMC pickups and in all of the company’s large SUVs, is a rare misfire for one of General Motors’ corporate crown jewels. The faulty 6.2-liter engine, made in GM’s Tonawanda, N.Y., plant, is not just another motor. It is the latest evolution of the workhorse Chevrolet small-block V-8. GM engineers have been dissecting the failed engines to determine why the motors can suddenly seize, some with just a few hundred miles or less. In an email to Automotive News, GM cited two reasons for the failures: “Engine teardown analysis identified two primary root causes, both of which are attributable to supplier and quality issues. (1) rod bearing damage from sediment on connecting rods and crankshaft oil galleries; and (2) out of specification crankshaft dimensions and surface finish.”

Source: Automotive News

It Will ‘Postpone’ EV Production, Hold Prices on Most Imports Built Through June

BMW, in an April 29 memo, told U.S. retailers that it will “postpone” electric vehicle production in May. The memo did not provide a reason for the decision, and a BMW spokesperson declined to comment on the company’s communications with its dealers. BMW also said in the memo that it will not raise prices on most imported vehicles built through June. However, the 2 Series and M2 performance coupe made in Mexico will get a 4 percent price hike starting in May. The decisions come as the industry navigates the Trump administration’s 25 percent tariff on vehicle imports.

Source: Automotive News

Vehicle	Range (Miles)	Curb weight (lbs)	Price ($US)
2025 Lucid Air Grand Touring	512	5,204	$112,400
2025 Chevrolet Silverado EV RST	460	8,800	$97,895
2025 GMC Sierra EV Max Range	460	8,800	$97,990
2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ	460	9,100	$129,900
2025 Lucid Gravity Grand Touring	450	5,919	$96,625
2025 Rivian R1T Dual Max	420	7,300	$85,700
2025 Rivian R1S Dual Max	410	7,200	$91,700
2025 Tesla Model S	410	4,560	$81,630
2025 GMC Hummer EV Pickup 3X	381	9,000	$116,940
2025 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580	371	5,600	$128,500
2025 Tesla Model 3 Long Range RWD	363	4,054	$44,130
2025 Hyundai Ioniq 6 SE	342	4,376	$43,850
2025 Polestar 3 Single Motor	350	5,720	$68,900

Note – The vehicles identified above are equipment with base wheel options, larger optional wheels would reduce the range quoted.

Source: Green Car Reports

Aston Martin curbs U.S. shipments to offset tariff impact

Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings Plc is scaling back U.S. shipments to cushion the impact of new auto tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump, the company said Wednesday. While the British automaker left its full-year guidance unchanged, it reported a 13% drop in first-quarter revenue and a pretax loss of £79.6 million ($107 million). The move to limit U.S. vehicle deliveries comes as Aston Martin works through existing dealer inventory and braces for increased import costs. The U.S., which accounts for more than a third of the company’s revenue, was its largest regional market in Q1 2025, with 319 units shipped - a 5% increase from the year prior. However, average selling prices declined 15% to £216,000 due to fewer high-priced hypercars being sold. Excluding those models, prices rose to £193,000, a 10% increase.

Source: CBT NewsUsed-vehicle prices are on the rise as U.S. trade tariffs disrupt the overall automotive market. Prices increased in April at almost double the normal spring rate, according to vehicle data provider Carfax, which said used-vehicle sales more than doubled year-over-year. Used prices rose nationally and in all segments, Carfax found. Pickup trucks and luxury SUVs saw the biggest price increases in April, surging $660 and $600 on Carfax’s website, respectively, according to its data.

Source: Auto Dealer Today

Used-vehicle prices are on the rise as U.S. trade tariffs disrupt the overall automotive market. Prices increased in April at almost double the normal spring rate, according to vehicle data provider Carfax, which said used-vehicle sales more than doubled year-over-year. Used prices rose nationally and in all segments, Carfax found. Pickup trucks and luxury SUVs saw the biggest price increases in April, surging $660 and $600 on Carfax’s website, respectively, according to its data.

Source: Auto Dealer Today