During her keynote, Mary Barra confirmed an all-electric Equinox and Blazer are coming in the next two years. (Images: Chevrolet)
Both the Chevy Equinox EV and Blazer EV will go into production for model year 2024.
While the new all-electric Silverado nets GM another EV offering against the likes of Ford, Rivian and Tesla, it wasn’t the only vehicle to be confirmed during General Motors CEO Mary Barra’s keynote speech at 2022’s CES event. Two new crossovers are coming as well, by way of the Chevy Equinox EV and the Blazer EV. Naturally, as the name suggests, both will carry on their respective nameplates, as the automaker shifts toward an electrified portfolio over the coming years.
No technical information is available for either car yet. However, there are a few pieces of information we do already know. First, both cars will launch in 2023. The Blazer EV will land first in the spring, while the Equinox EV will arrive later, in the fall. The smaller, compact Equinox — Chevrolet’s main rival against the Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V and Nissan Rogue, among many others — will start “around $30,000” in its electrified version.
Depending on the status of federal and state EV tax incentives by 2023, that could land the Chevy Equinox EV in a price bracket to woo buyers into GM’s electric game plan. Both cars will utilize the company’s new Ultium platform, which underpins both the GMC Hummer EV and the upcoming 2024 Chevy Silverado EV. Moving forward, Ultium will be the springboard for several other next-generation electric models going into production.
As far as the rest of the picture to clinch the deal — range, a full price walk and features — should arrive before the cars’ scheduled launches for model year 2024.
For more of GM’s electric news, check out more on the Silverado EV on TFLtruck:
Stellantis unveiled its Chrysler Airflow concept at this year’s CES in Las Vegas.
Saying that the Chrysler Airflow concept looks production-ready would be an understatement, but it’s still a concept. Just announced at the 2022 CES, Chrysler committed to launching their first battery-electric vehicle by 2025. The brand itself will have a fully battery-electric fleet by 2028. Chrysler only has a few vehicles in its fleet right now. This is a logical direction for Stellantis to dip its toe into the EV game.
Keep in mind: currently Stellantis isn’t competitive with most automakers with BEVs. Still, they are on the cusp of leading with plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. That includes vehicles like the Jeep Wrangler 4xe.
About the Chrysler Airflow concept
The Chrysler Airflow was produced from 1934 to 1937. While not a huge sales success, it represented forward thinking in terms of aerodynamics. It was way ahead of its time, for a full size, mass produced American sedan. According to Stellantis, the Chrysler Airflow Concept integrates leading-edge drive-system technology with intuitive AI and connected vehicle technology. They say it delivers 350- to 400-mile range and fast-charging functionality.
The Airflow Concept is designed to achieve between a 350- and 400-mile range on a single charge.
Here are a few additional tidbits from Stellantis’ announcement:
The Airflow’s connected by way of “STLA SmartCockpit”, powered by STLA “Brainables” — an extension of digital, work and home environments all in sync. In essence, this is supposed to create a personalized experience for every passenger with screens that can be simplified and grouped to individual needs and interests. It’s fully over-the-air capable and designed to deliver updates and feature upgrades without the owner needing to worry about taking the time to do it at a dealer.
As with most EV concepts these days, the Chrysler Airflow includes STLA AutoDrive to deliver Level 3 autonomous driving capabilities, which will also be upgradable via OTA updates
Check out this 2022 CES video reveal of the Chrysler Airflow concept!
Hyundai will not stop developing internal combustion engines just yet, according to a company spokesperson. (Images: Hyundai)
Despite earlier reports, Hyundai denies it is shutting down its engine development.
As we closed out the last week of 2021, Korean outlets reported that Hyundai would cease all development on internal combustion powertrains, instead shifting all its resources toward EVs. Despite the information they presented (and several media outlets covering the topic), Hyundai states that they will indeed continue R&D efforts beyond the current “Smartstream” line, as Motor1 reports Tuesday.
Here’s what the automaker’s American arm’s Senior Group Manager Michael Stewart had to say on the matter:
“Hyundai Motor Group can confirm that it is not halting the development of its engines following recent media speculation. The Group is dedicated to providing a strong portfolio of powertrains to global customers, which includes a combination of highly efficient engines and zero emissions electric motors.”
By “global customers”, Hyundai may well curtail gasoline engines in some markets before others — especially where regulations are pushing hard toward electric vehicles, like Europe. However, the automaker did say last fall that it would not go fully electric until at least 2035 even in that market, so reports that the company would suddenly drop development into gas burners raises eyebrows, to say the least.
Most automakers currently aim to heavily electrify their lineups by the 2030s, though Hyundai is still making the clear push now, by way of their Ioniq sub-brand and their continued investment into hydrogen platforms (debunking other, earlier reports that the company stopped fuel cell development too). So, the company is still moving forward across the board, and it’s likely we still won’t see conventional internal combustion fall by the wayside for another generation or two.
Automakers are unveiling their next-gen technology at CES 2022, and the Vision EQXX is what Mercedes has to offer. (Images: Mercedes-Benz)
Over 620 miles of range? That’s what you’re looking at here in the Vision EQXX.
Mercedes-Benz has been teasing their next futuristic concept for CES 2022, and now it’s officially here. Not only that, but now we can actually mull over some numbers on what the automaker is calling their most efficient car ever. The Vision EQXX is not a production model, but the technology on display here could well make its way into the next generation of its ‘EQ’ electric vehicle lineup.
Let’s start with the headline figure: 1,000 kilometers. Mercedes-Benz made this goal a core tenet of the Vision EQXX, in that the car would have a workable driving range of just over 620 miles. Mind you, the company does stipulate that figure as preliminary, based on digital simulations. It has not undergone any official homologation yet, but even on its face that sort of range would move the bar for efficiency, even among today’s longest-range EVs like the Tesla Model S and Lucid Air. The car, Mercedes claims, uses less than 10 kW of energy to travel 100 kilometers, working out to 6 miles per each kilowatt of energy in the battery pack.
You might think the Mercedes-Benz Vision EQXX packs a massive, massive battery to achieve that kind of range — but that’s not the case. The pack has slightly less then 100 kW of usable energy, so the car weighs in around a fairly reasonable 3,858 pounds (about half a ton lighter than a Model S). That pack is also 50% smaller in volume and 30% lighter than that in an EQS, despite having similar capacity. Developed with the Mercedes-AMG Formula One team, the high-density energy pack brings improvements to the battery chemistry and high-strength, lightweight materials to help hit that range goal.
Another key figure? Aerodynamic drag. The shape of the Vision EQXX has a drag coefficient of just 0.17, beaten even the EQS’ 0.20 figure. The company points out that every 0.01 reduction to that number improves range by 2.5%.
We’re talking efficient, not super powerful
The 620+ mile range is an impressive figure, but the Mercedes-Benz Vision EQXX demonstrates the adage of performance versus efficiency. The single-motor drive unit puts out 150 kW (201 horsepower), so we’re not talking about neck-snapping acceleration here. Still, Mercedes says the drivetrain achieves a remarkable 95% efficiency in transferring energy to the wheels.
Beyond the powertrain layout, the automaker also thought about structure and materials to help keep the electric concept’s weight down. Part of that process comes down to the “BIONEQXX” aluminum casting for the rear floor area, as is used in the EQS. The casting more or less has a web-like appearance, with material only at critical and necessary locations where a load is exerted. Then, Mercedes fills in the gaps with 42 3D-printed plastic patches so water or dirt can’t enter the car, saving 15 to 20% of the weight over a traditional aluminum casting.
The EQXX’s interior packs a super-sharp 8K display
Efficiency is a major factor with the interior as well. The 47.5-inch mini-LED display, for example, has more than 3,000 local dimming zones, meaning it only draws power in specific parts of the screen that are lit up at any given moment, rather than consuming electricity across the whole thing. Mercedes also honed in on sustainable materials as well, including materials crafted from bamboo fibers for the rear carpets, a cactus fiber-based leather alternative called Deserttex, as well as recycled PET bottles and plastic substitutes throughout the interior.
As for when we’ll actually see any of these elements go into production, we should see some of it in the near future. Again, perhaps not with this exact car, but Mercedes is using this as a design study to see where it can produce more efficient, environmentally conscious electric vehicles over the coming years.
This video is proof positive that meeting (owning) your heroes, like the 1987 Porsche 944 Turbo or 1987 E28 BMW 535i “M5” is a bad idea.
Roman is on a kick reliving his misspent youth and his acquisitions of 1987 Porsche 944 Turbo and 1987 E28 BMW 535i “M5” is proof. Both vehicles were aspirational for young professionals back in the day. At the time, Roman was about the same age his son Tommy is now. As such, he felt that the two of them could enjoy these legends together. Unfortunately, it’s a little more complicated that that.
That ain’t no M5!!
Roman and Tommy truly wanted an old M5, but they got about 80-percent of the way there. You see, this is a special version of the BMW 535i, which has all of the goodies the M5 had, except the engine. The limited slip diff, suspension, transmission, interior and badging are AOK, but not the engine. Yep, it has a 182 horsepower 3.0 I6, as opposed to the 256 hp unit found in a real M5. Oops.
Otherwise, the rest of the car is solid, and it spent a portion of its life in Japan!
The Porsche 944 Turbo is legit!
Now THIS is a proper 944. Roman was determined to get a turbo 944, especially considering that he had a non-turbo way back, and it’s still a regret. Powered by a turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder, this 944 makes 217 hp (or 220 – depending on who’s referenced )… when new.
The 944 spent its life in Canada, which Roman says is good, but I don’t know why.
In this video, Tommy and Roman to a lap, drag race and a 0 to 60 mph run with both cars. It’s staggering to see how slow these old-timers are compared to contemporary equivalents. Heck, there are plenty of economy cars that would give these German performance machines a run for their money.
We we get smaller cars in 2022? Doubt it. Don’t you wish we could have a sweet little family hauler like this Honda N-WGN picnic concept? (Image: Honda)
In this week’s Ask Nathan:
Can we go back to smaller cars in 2022?
Lots of vaporware in 2022, with tons of unfulfilled promises.
What is TFL looking forward to in 2022?
The first question comes from a fan who wants to know if the U.S. will go back to smaller cars in 2022.
This is the Daihatsu Waku Waku concept (Image: Daihatsu)
Q: (via Twitter @NathanAdlen) Nathan, can we stop the madness and go back to driving smaller cars in 2022!!??
If you look at every car in the U.S. market, they grow and grow all the time! I am so sick of it. Huge SUVs and pickup trucks are everywhere. Even electric cars are big when you look at what cars look like in other countries. I like the JDM kei cars and I know that you and Tommy do too. I saw Zak’s story on forbidden cas and I think he gets it too.
There is NO REASON why 75% of the people who drive massive vehicles can’t get by with a smaller one. The Japanese have managed for decades and we could too!!!!!!!!
5-Trent-5
A: Love Kei cars, but they just can’t meet our stringent safety requirements. Sadly, it’s like the U.S. is saying, “You can’t have nice things!”
There are other issues too. We have some small vehicles in our market, but they aren’t that popular. Why? The simple fact of the matter is that many Americans do not want tiny cars. Even if they are wizard in their packaging, which many Kei cars are, they are not that desirable for many consumers.
You can read about the awesome, tiny Honda N-Van Compo overlander (here).
Another issue, and one I can attest to, is that Kei cars are not exactly brilliant on our long, high-speed highways. With low power and short wheelbases, these tiny vehicles struggle against trucks and high winds. I’ve witnessed a few seriously struggle up here in the Rocky Mountains too.
Sure, small electric cars make sense; but in 2022 – you’ll find bigger electric crossovers. Why? Because people want electric crossovers. Many of the best (top 10) selling EVs in the U.S. consists of the Tesla Model Y (crossover), Ford Mustang Mach E (crossover) and Volkswagen ID4 (crossover) – among others.
Sadly, tiny, regular gas-powered cars that are somewhat popular remain offerings from Mini. The 2-door Mini Cooper is massive when compared with a Kei car.
Bottom line: I doubt we’ll see any of these cool little cars in our neck of the woods anytime soon.
N
The next question comes from a fan who noticed that there were some broken promises for the 2022 year. In some cases, it’s vaporware.
Q: Have you noticed how many vehicles were promised for 2022, but are not coming?
Can you guys do a story on these startups that promised innovation for 2022 and disappeared? There are so many from these shell companies and even from well known car builders. I still haven’t seen a Tesla Cyber Truck neither.
Don’t blame the microchip shortage and Covid on these broken promises either. It’s just not the answer in most of these cases. I bet that many like Rivian were looking for funding before they had a real product right?
This is nothing new. We have seen a variety of “startups” or “inventors” pop up over the decades. In some cases, they are serious about building something new and unique. In other cases, they are unscrupulous, fraudulent, or deceptive shysters who are trying to make a buck. There are accounts of people going trough great lengths to con others into investing into vaperwhere.
I highly recommend the movie The Lady and the Dale, if you want to see how far the con can go.
To be fair, I have seen many who truly believed in their product, only to get shot down ….
Check out this video which covers a few promises that have yet to be fulfilled, and others that never will.
— N
The last question is an answer to many fans who want to know what the TFL Studios’ team is looking forward to in 2022.
(Paraphrased) What does the crew from TFL Studios look forward to in 2022?
A: Wow – where to start?
There are a ton of things that we are looking for in 2022. I think the easiest way to look at 2022 is with an eye towards EVs. We are going to see a massive influx of EVs, with pickup truck EVs being part of that mix.
We are expecting to head to a few auto shows in 2022, if Covid cooperates. As of this writing, Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles and SEMA 2022 look like they will be happening. Smaller auto shows are unknowns right now.
We are expanding and diversifying our long-term fleet, wirth a few surprises coming your way.
On top of that, there are a ton of stories, reviews and previews of vehicles you may not have known were coming. We got early access to a few, and there are a bunch of cool tidbits that we will be presenting soon!
Finally, we are expecting to add to our adventure video library. There will be more epic video releases like the No Payment Needed series (To Hell and Back & For a Few Bucks More).
The TFL Team wishes all of you an excellent, and safe 2022!
Our resident Jeep expert Tommy takes you through an expert 2022 Jeep Wrangler buyer’s guide. The facts can be surprising!
TFL Studio’s 2022 Jeep Wrangler Expert Buyer’s Guide is based on the fact that we’ve owned several Wranglers, and we’ve got the inside line on Jeep product. Nearly every Jeep Wrangler you see on the road was purchased by someone who had visions of adventure and fun. No other vehicle comes out of the box with so many off-road accessories available as the Wrangler.
… and the variations of Jeep Wrangler powertrains is mindboggling.
2021 Jeep® Wrangler Rubicon 392
Tommy is here to steer you in the right direction about your buying decision.
The 2022 Jeep Wrangler comes in a variety of flavors with several different powertrains. Sure, you can learn a lot about various combinations online, but Tommy can point out a few pros and cons you may not know.
Power from the base model Wranglers comes from a 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 that makes 285 hp and 260 lbs-feet of torque. This is the only powertrain that can be equipped with a six-speed manual transmission. Otherwise, an eight-speed automatic transmission is the only one available paired with the other engines.
There are a bunch of other engine combinations, including a light-hybrid turbocharged I4, which is just a step up from the V6. The 260 hp, 3.0-liter V6 turbodiesel comes next. Packed with 442 lbs feet of torque, its efficiency competes with the new 4xe powertrain.
The Jeep Wrangler 4xe comes with a 2.0L I4 DOHC direct-injection turbo PHEV (plug in hybrid electric vehicle) engine. It delivers an 375 ho and 470 lb-ft of torque. Finally, there’s the Jeep Wrangler 392, which is basically an off-road hotrod. Making 470 horsepower and 470 lb-ft of torque, it’s an animal, and almost too much fun to drive.
Choosing which combination is right can be difficult. There are so many potential variations. In some cases, the powertrain’s are constrained by design. As such, options like the 4xe and 396 are relegated to the four-door models.
With all of this in mind, you can see why having an expert to guide you though the choices is a good thing.
Seeing the 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer in person dramatically changed my perception of this newest, ultra-luxurious SUV.
The 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer re-taught me a valuable lesson about experiencing something personally, as opposed to relying what you see on the web. I did not like the design, or the mission statement of the Jeep Grand Wagoneer – when it was originally announced. To me, it was too big, too expensive and too ungainly.
I missed out on the various introductions, press events and debuts – which was fine with me. Arguing with the boys, and other journalists, I insisted it looked too much like the new Grand Cherokee. I was also annoyed with Jeep/Stellantis PR saying it’s not really a “Jeep.”
Then, Andre brought one by the office, and (over time) a majority of my issues were mitigated. It charms the driver and passengers with world-class comfort, luxury, room and performance. Other than exterior styling (which I still have issues with) the rest of the package is outstanding.
After this video was shot, we took this truck everywhere. Yes, it IS a proper truck that utilizes a modified version of the Ram 1500’s fully boxed frame. A truck that TFL Studios towed with, took off-road, on long highway slogs and more. It never disappointed, not once.
Proven power – questionable future
All Grand Waggoneers come standard with a 475 horsepower, 6.4-liter HEMI that makes 455 lbs-feet of torque. It’s hooked up to Stellantis/FCA’s smooth eight-speed automatic transmission. Despite weight well over 6,000 lbs (depending on trim), it launches with serious brio. Also, despite being a thirsty engine rated at 15 mpg combined, Andre managed around 20 mpg on the highway. It does have cylinder deactivation, which helps on the highway.
Sure, all of us were as giddy as school-children hearing the mighty roar, and feeling the rush; but we were perplexed. As much as we love big V8s, we know their days are numbered. Stellantis announced that 40-percent of their U.S. vehicles will be all-electric by 2030. On top of that, they will significantly lower their carbon footprint by ditching many of their V8s. In fact, they just announced a new turbo 6-cylinder “Tornado” engine that you can read about (here).
Or…
Is this new turbo going to replace the beefy V8 in the Grand Wagoneer?
Image: Stellantis
With these more efficient engines, hybrids and BEVs, it seems odd that Jeep would opt for such an archaic powertrain. Still, we might as well enjoy it while it lasts.
The 2022 Jeep Grand Wagoneer is very pricy, but…
Just for fun, I priced out a GMC Yukon Denali, Mercedes-Benz 2022 GLS 450 and a few other competitors to see where they fall pricewise. I tried to match the options that came on our $91,000 tester. Sure enough, they all were at the same approximate price. With that being said, we were still driving the least expensive trim.
Final POV? Yea, after a few drives, I began to give the new truck it’s due respect. Check out the video and see what’s what. Also, we would love to hear your perspective on this truck.
