Tag Archives: electric trucks

VinFast has had ups and downs since coming to America, but the automaker finally appears to be eying an upward trajectory with its electric vehicles. It’s building a factory in North Carolina and will offer at least one new model by the end of this year. The company attended this year’s CES in Las Vegas and brought a previously unseen concept that it said could be available in the next two years.

The VF Wild pickup truck concept features seating for five and a unique midgate function similar to the setup seen in the new Chevrolet Silverado EV. We don’t have any other solid details yet, but the truck’s interior design is an adventure khaki-inspired acid trip that would be a radical departure from traditional truck styling if VinFast pushed it to production unchanged. That said, this is an early-stage concept, so it will most likely see updates on its way to the factory.

VinFast also announced the VF 3 electric microcar. The company considers it a “mini eSUV,” and said that the Vietnam-focused vehicle would enter production later this year. Surprisingly, the automaker confirmed that the car would come to the United States, where it would compete with Tesla’s upcoming small car and the future Chevrolet Bolt EV revival.

The Vietnamese company is set for significant growth in the States, as it plans to open 125 dealers in its first phase of expansion, with the first five openings in Kansas, New York, North Carolina, and Texas. It originally planned four crossovers for sale here but changed course to include the VF 3 after prospective dealers asked for the tiny car.

Over the past few weeks in Los Angeles, Elon Musk’s long-anticipated Tesla Cybertruck fever dream finally became an objectively verifiable reality. And not just on popular car-spotting Instagram posts, either. In early December, I actually witnessed a Cybertruck driving down the Pacific Coast Highway one morning. Then, a few days later, I cruised by one stuck in traffic on the 405. And unless someone got a quick wrap job done, I can also confirm that these first two sightings were, in fact, different Cybertrucks: one finished in that famous brushed stainless and the other in matte black.

Then, a few days later, the Petersen Automotive Museum invited select media for the debut of a new Cybertruck exhibit in the entry hall, complete with an exoskeleton sitting out in the open, as well as the truck that got shot by a Tommy Gun, and even a quick look at the original prototype downstairs in the museum’s Vault. Tesla designer Franz von Holzhausen actually owns the production Cybertruck on display bearing VIN #002—almost certainly the matte black one I saw on the 405—and even volunteered as tribute to answer questions from an almost certainly skeptical crowd.

But Musk and von Holzhausen are very busy people trying to change the world (maybe worlds if the Mars plan works out), so I felt absolutely zero surprise when I received a last-minute text bumping up the schedule. Then, when I arrived at the Petersen early, the poor PR pros on hand let me know that von Holzhausen never showed up. Interviews with lowly automotive journalists might not cut the mustard at Tesla, as it turns out, setting off a little warning bell dinging in my mind before I turned for a closer look at the angular hulking masses of metal making up the exhibit.

I wanted to pester von Holzhausen about why the production version shrank by a few percentage points, how the design iteration process began originally, and whether he also believed Tesla dug its own grave with the Cybertruck, as Musk admitted earlier this year. Instead, without a need to keep my game face (or audio recording) switched on, I spent the next hour-plus getting up close and personal with one of the strangest, most perplexing vehicles ever built.

I investigate to see if the Tesla Cybertruck is really that safe

First impressions of the angular Cybertruck

First off, outside on the Petersen parking garage’s first floor, I took a quick pic of a guy taking a pic of a Tesla Semi—full Christopher Nolan Inception soundtrack playing in my head, of course. In contrast to the Cybertruck, the Semi builds on von Holzhausen’s formerly smooth and aerodynamically efficient designs for the Models S, 3, X, and Y (and, supposedly, the forthcoming Roadster, but more on that later). 

Not so much for the Cybertruck, an undeniable exercise in angular excess that attracted even more attention inside the Petersen’s entry hall. The black wrap and black exoskeleton only accentuated the presence of a bulky, boxy shape. The overall size surprised me, too, possibly attributable to the differences between seeing Cybertrucks out and about surrounded by other large cars as I rolled by on motorcycles.

Riding motorcycles in LA traffic is sketchy enough without stopping to rubberneck a controversial new electric pickup truck, so those early impressions only piqued my interest in taking a closer look at the Petersen. And the first thoughts to flit through my bedraggled pre-holiday mind ran the gamut from “gross!” to “gargantuan” because the angular peak sat higher than expected, even with the adjustable air suspension at its normal ride height. The cab looked bigger than in my mind’s eye, and the bed looked smaller. I began to wish I’d brought a tape measure.

Trying to get a better bearing on the actual adjustability of that air suspension system, I ducked into the wheel arch—if we can call it that since it’s squared off. The design somewhat resembled the finger knuckle A-arm of my old Type 955 Porsche Cayenne, except that where Porsche overengineered the Cayenne’s suspension, Tesla appears to have stamped the Cybertruck’s upper A-arm out of sheet metal. Not ideal for an electric truck that weighs north of 6,600 pounds, I thought. And in fact, von Holzhausen’s truck qualifies as the top-spec “Cyberbeast” (because, of course), so it should weigh closer to 3,800 pounds thanks to three electric motors.

Would the rest of the so-called “exoskeleton” continue that beefy theme? Well, in reality, Tesla calls the cage on display a “Body-in-white,” and the exoskeleton itself is made up of the body side panels that connect the front and rear structures, while the roof and rear wall connect the left and right sides. Obviously, we’ve come a long way from the by-now “traditional” skateboard battery layout. But the purpose here, other than general aspirations of badassery, actually involves reducing the number of parts required in what Tesla now calls a “Gigacasting” (because, again, of course).

In all honesty, the body-in-white impressed me more than the actual stainless steel exterior (albeit wrapped) of the finished product. But here, engineers probably received more control over the process rather than being forced to bring Musk’s vision of a slab-everything body to life. Tesla obviously needs to hit all the rigidity targets, accurate mounting points for subassemblies, and crash structure capabilities required by rules and regulations in order to bring the truck to market. Right?

Easy fodder for the critics (a.k.a. me)

Meanwhile, the visible flat panels of the finished truck do absolutely nothing to hide flaws. Even subtle curves or flowing lines on a normal—read: boring—car can help move eyeballs along without drawing awareness to peculiar or mismatched details. Flat planes make mistakes stand out, so Musk’s vision only made the production of Cybertrucks all that much more of a challenge (even beyond the sheer engineering requirements of cranking out an electric pickup with the aerodynamics of a brick).

To that end, the slightly rounded front panel might look the best, while the flat sides, angled inward up top with a flat windscreen that transitions to a roof, all seem somewhat cockeyed from almost every perspective. Is my mind playing tricks on me? Again, should have brought the tape measure. And maybe an eight-foot level to check those straight lines.

No straight line on the whole Cybertruck looks more egregious than the enormous combined hood and front windshield and its single wiper arm. Approximately 48 inches long, based on measurements compared to my wingspan, the arm pivots only from the driver’s side and will almost certainly struggle to keep the passenger’s side of the windshield clear. And will owners need to source wiper blades for semi trucks or road graders to fit? The blade almost reminds me of an early-2000s Mercedes-Benz CLK, but that wiper arm swung from the center with a strange hump in the pivot point to help cover more of the rectangular windshield (still not nearly as rectangular as the Cybertruck’s, though).

Then I glanced down through the windshield and noticed tiny openings at the base of the expansive, flat dash. Maybe for speakers, defroster vents, or both, these little openings looked entirely insufficient for either purpose. And I thought my mom’s second-gen Toyota Prius had a long dash—then again, maybe the low, raked windshield angle requires less air to prevent steaming up. On the other hand, that long dash reveals a major surprise about the Cybertruck that runs almost entirely counter to most other EV designs: Namely, the interior of such a large vehicle doesn’t even feel very spacious. The sharp edges and isolated lines of such a stark profile simply don’t allow for the kind of efficient packaging that made the Model S, 3, X, and Y so revolutionary when they each debuted.

Dino guts burnt to produce the plasticine era

Meanwhile, out in the front, that full-width plastic light bar sits below expansive panel gaps leading down from the windshield along the frunk hood. And below those gaps, through which I could probably sneak an HB #2 pencil, the plasticine fender flares around plastic and rubber wheel covers, simply put, look nearer to a child’s toy than a production pickup. Carved tires, a la most bold concept cars? Maybe on the original Cybertruck, but also a major surprise on von Holzhausen’s personal daily driver. Non-branded other than “Goodyear” and “Load Range D,” the tires themselves measure 285 millimeters in width at all four corners, though, as a recent scandalous video showed, perhaps lack the true kind of all-terrain or mud-terrain compound that such aggressive blocks and sipes might more regularly indicate.

The irony of using dinosaur guts to produce the plastic on an electric car entirely notwithstanding, the theme continues in the truck bed, too. There, a Petersen rep helpfully pushed the rubber buttons on the left side to roll up the shuttered bed cover and drop the tailgate—the latter worked but required a bit of a helping hand from me, too. (That rolling shutter, by the way, almost entirely kills any semblance of rear visibility.) But more importantly, because the buttons live out in the elements, they are made out of another plasticky-rubberized material reminiscent of jet ski controls or, somewhat hilariously, the Polaris Slingshot’s infotainment buttons.

In the rear bed, a light strip of similar material to the front brightens up all the black plastic on von Holzhausen’s truck. A real outlet in the bed reportedly powers 120-volt appliances, though I left my espresso machine at home, so I cannot confirm whether it functions—I see no reason why not, but here we are looking at a Cybertruck, after all. The thick bed walls funnel back towards the squared rear bumper, huge panel gaps continuing throughout. Of course, seals below the surface and a watertight battery pack for the skateboard might help, but the thought of this vehicle being able to drive as a boat across rivers and calm seas, as Musk claimed, seems unlikely.

And that’s not to mention the sharp edges at the end of each gap, especially noticeable up front with the frunk hood lifted. Not only will such sharp edges—made of stainless steel thick enough to inspire machine gun testing, remember—undoubtedly wreak havoc on any other cars in the case of accidents, but imagine a child jumping out of the frunk bench seat and hitting their head on the corner. Ouch!

Spartan to the point Of austerity

The questionable angularity continues on the Cybertruck’s interior, where if you thought the S3XY were Spartan, guess again. The steering wheel even gets a squared-off treatment, not quite a yoke but nearer to a racecar design (or a C8 Corvette but wider). As on the Model 3 and Model Y, the Cybertruck’s massive single touchscreen sits horizontally, as is the trend with Tesla, including the recently-revised Model S that now sports the same style of touchscreen. However, the dash also seems to lack climate control vents, too, unless there are tiny openings on the dash to do the trick, like in Model 3s. Controls on the steering wheel seem a step beyond the strict rollerballs and stalks of previous Teslas, but just about everything still requires diving into text-heavy menus on the main touchscreen, including apps, music, and suspension settings.

Selecting different ride heights elicits a noticeable increase or decrease in the wheel arch clearances, though the process of rising and lowering takes about as long as my 2006 Cayenne while the air compressor noticeably charges up pressures. Other options on the touchscreen include playing with the LED mood lighting, which von Holzhausen’s Cybertruck perhaps had set to a karaoke bar theme. I never counted the cupholders since I’m apparently the world’s worst automotive journalist (I blame the distraction factor of that huge dash, large enough to house a Winston Churchill war game).

Flat plastic door panels, flat plastic window switches, flat plastic on the center console, flat metal pedals, and then “Cybertruck” script welded into the foot sill—everything seems utilitarian to the point of no return. Will the remaining customer base who placed early pre-orders and now faces a price tag about half again as high as Musk promised to appreciate the cheaping out? Or do the diehards stick with their deposits and not care? Maybe they even love the austerity? Even the new car smell, still present despite von Holzhausen’s daily driving, smelled plasticky to the point of nearly Airstream-level formaldehyde. And smells are probably even more important in non-internal-combustion cars, believe it or not!

Machine gun testing, because of course

At least we know the Cybertruck truly can take a beating, if not a bowling ball, to the window. The next truck I wandered over to proved as much, riddled with dents and a few small metal tears after being shot with a series of 9mm and .45 caliber bullets. I brushed my hand up against some of the markings and can confirm that none appeared to pierce the metal entirely. Not bad, though, as a friend later suggested, some malcontents may relish the invitation to open fire on a famously bulletproof truck.

This early Cybertruck also gave me a chance to compare some of the differences that always emerge as concept cars progress through development on the way to production. Different fender flares and bumper designs stood out, and I started to wonder whether the design looked better in a matte wrap or exposed stainless. At the very least, wrapping flat stainless probably requires less effort than curved body panels. Or does it? Does it prevent any wrinkles and air bubbles? Maybe a wrap shop with experience working on DeLoreans can get the job done.

To wrap up the visit—pun fully intended—I headed down into the Petersen’s Vault, where the original Cybertruck concept sat charging. Again, the design differences stood out quickly. I spotted an earlier charge port, a cleaner rear bumper, and then a real steering yoke on the interior. Three semi-bucket bench seats made up the front row here, rather than the production version’s center console—the slight shrinkage in overall size might have made a third seat too narrow. If only von Holzhausen had shown up to confirm such speculation.

The concept truck also featured an even more radically squared-off dash design, so my skull naturally winced again at the thought of passenger impacts in the case of an accident. And better lenses on the light bar up front also stood out, even if a ton of fingerprints on the stainless steel distracted me once more. Keeping the raw metal clean looks like a nightmare task, so maybe the wrap is the way to go after all.

A sharply angled misdirection

Once I left the Cybertrucks and the Petersen behind, my mind kept wandering. At the very least, nobody can say Tesla built a radical concept car into a production vehicle without provoking serious thought about the state of the automotive industry. Bold and aggressive, the design sparks off a new stylistic generation for Tesla—but that’s exactly what the formerly S3XY Models need more than anything, and what buyers need more than an electric pickup truck that borders on gimmick status.

In a surprising moment of self-reflection, Musk all but admitted that perhaps the Cybertruck went a step too far. Not that such a startling truth prevented him from pushing forward into production. We’re far too far into billionaire celebrity-dom to admit certain levels of error or hand the naysayers any kind of victory. And everyone who’s an automotive nerd remembers a certain John DeLorean’s similar drug-fueled stainless-steel fiasco. 

The fact that Tesla still plans to build the Cybertruck at all represents keeping a promise of sorts, which I suppose is a good thing. And something I always have to keep in mind while critiquing any running, driving car is that actually building a running, driving a car requires a miraculous combination of hard work and a fair amount of luck. But as the Cybertruck finally emerges from delay after delay, the end result still seems like something of a misdirection for the company’s efforts and resources. How about dedicating that work and luck to the cars more people will actually drive? What happened to the Roadster and promises of 600-plus miles of range? 

Meanwhile, Tesla also desperately needs to direct more time and effort into parts and service for cars already on the road while continuing to press forward on the infrastructure change that Musk’s electric revolution requires here on Earth. Yes, Tesla is an automobile manufacturer. But the grandiose vision almost centers more around energy solutions than the cars themselves. And in the Cybertruck, all that energy focuses in the wrong direction.

It’s a new year, and the seemingly endless drumbeat of news around EV tax credit changes continues. New rules went into effect on January 1, changing the tax credit eligibility criteria yet again and drastically reducing the number of qualifying vehicles. At the same time, the updated rules now allow for a point-of-sale discount instead of waiting for a year-end credit. Here’s what you need to know.

First, the good news: The $3,750 and $7,500 EV tax credits can now be applied at the time of the sale rather than as a year-end tax credit. That will knock a significant chunk off the sticker price of a new EV purchase, including many 2024 Tesla models, and it alleviates the issue some people experience of not having enough of a tax burden to get the whole credit. 

The bad news is that the number of new EVs qualifying for tax credits in early 2024 is much smaller than it was last year. Changes in the rules prioritize battery materials and components from North America, and cars with battery materials from a “foreign entity of concern” won’t qualify. While there are likely many foreign entities the U.S. government is concerned with, in this case, we’re talking mainly about China.

The list of qualifying vehicles includes:

• 2022-2023 Chevrolet Bolt EUV: $7,500
• 2022-2023 Chevrolet Bolt EV: $7,500
• 2022-2024 Pacifica PHEV: $7,500
• 2022-2024 Ford Escape PHEV: $3,750
• 2022-2024 Ford F-150 Lightning (Standard and Extended Range): $7,500
• 2022-2024 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe: $3,750
• 2022-2024 Jeep Wrangler 4xe: $3,750
• 2022-2024 Lincoln Corsair Grand Touring: $3,750
• 2023-2024 Rivian R1S Dual and Quad Large: $3,750
• 2023-2024 Rivian R1T Dual Large and Max: $3,750
• 2023-2024 Tesla Model 3 Performance: $7,500
• 2023-2024 Tesla Model X Long Range: $7,500
• 2023-2024 Tesla Model Y AWD and Performance: $7,500
• 2024 Tesla Model Y RWD: $7,500

Dealers have to register with the IRS to issue instant discounts, so it’s a good idea to reach out to your local store if you’re interested in stacking that tantalizing lease deal with a respectable government kickback. Additionally, while the list of qualifying vehicles is short now, automakers have to file documentation that proves their vehicles’ eligibility, so the number of models will grow as more companies submit their paperwork.

Buying an EV might be the most talked-about subject in car ownership of the past several years. We have a whole features section dedicated to explaining the darn things. And it makes sense: Between automakers introducing new models seemingly every day, legislation pushing hard for a zero-emission future, and all corners of society weighing in across the greater internet, it’ll definitely be a high-up heading in history books that describe the early 2020s.

When it comes to how we transport ourselves around our vast planet, there’s a lot to be excited for in EV ownership, as well as growing EV ownership across the greater populace. Then, there may be some preconceived notions about EVs that should be addressed. 

But there are still some actual downsides that we certainly can’t overlook. So let’s discuss it all: here are five myths about EVs, debunked, as well as five actual downsides. Depending on how these affect your own lifestyle could either sway you towards EV ownership or keep you away. What’s most important, however, is to have the knowledge to make the right choice. Let’s get into it.

Myth: EVs take too long to charge

Let’s start the list off with an easy one. Or, tricky one, depending on how you look at it. There are basically three charging levels that affect charging speed: Level 1 (120V), Level 2 (240V), and Level 3, also known as DC-fast charging. The higher the level, the faster the charge, and the exact charging speed varies quite a bit depending on each EV’s factory specifications—some charge at Level 2 faster than others, some make full use of a DC-fast charger’s rates while others don’t—so comparing and contrasting these on your list of potential EV purchases is important.

But let’s focus on DC-fast charging, as that’s what guarantees the quickest charging time. So far, technology’s achieved the ability to charge at as many as 350 kW, which, if fully taken advantage of, could add 200 miles of range to a modern EV in as little as 15 minutes. 

Key part of that claim: If fully taken advantage of—DC-fast charging is limited by the vehicle’s own charging system. If its maximum charging rate is 100 kW, that’s the ceiling—energy is flowing at less than a third of the charging station’s capability, so it’ll take longer than a quarter of an hour. We’ll discuss more about this in a future, separate post, but 100 kW is generally considered low for modern EVs as most charge at 200 kW or more. As technology progresses, the floor will rise, and we may soon reach a point where 15 minutes is considered awfully long.

Then, if 15 to 30 minutes for charging seems like a long time, it doesn’t necessarily have to have a major impact on one’s lifestyle. With new charging stations cropping up all over, it could be a matter of regaining a couple days’ worth of range while paying a visit to the grocery store or running any other normal, everyday errand.

Myth: EVs don’t have enough range to cover my daily travel

According to the Department of Transportation, most American households travel under 100 miles per day. Most EVs can go at least 200 miles in between charging, with more and more exceeding 300 miles hitting dealership lots what seems like every month—it’s easier than ever to accommodate EV ownership into one’s daily life.

If your household doesn’t have charging at home, such as in an apartment or house without the appropriate electrical service, making some changes to your daily schedule may not be that bad. Sure, anyone who doesn’t have at-home charging will be faced with an “Oh shoot, I’ve only got 20 miles of range left and need way more than that for tomorrow” type of scenario, but a little preparation could go a long way.

Myth: EVs aren’t fun to drive

As an avowed performance driving and motorsports enthusiast, it’s indeed quite hard to beat an internal combustion engine with an entertaining torque curve and awesome soundtrack. 

But here’s the thing: Almost all EVs have their weight down low in the chassis and in between the front and rear axles, which bodes quite well for overall handling dynamics. Electric motors produce instant torque, too, so they’re inherently quite fast off the line and fun to wring out in many different scenarios. These make ripping around in EVs quite fun indeed.

Then, manufacturers are coming up with clever ways to simulate conventional drivetrains and the driving characteristics that they can achieve, such as the 2024 Audi SQ8 e-tron being driftable. Or, utilizing regen to simulate downshifts. Then, Hyundai utilizing a fake soundtrack in its Ioniq 5 N may sound cheesy, but you can’t fault the brand’s willingness to try—I bet it’s more fun than you think.

Myth: EV manufacturing negates the positive environmental impacts of driving an EV

This one is a little complicated, and everyone loves to quote Jeremy Clarkson’s bit about the Toyota Prius from, like, 15 years ago. And yes, modern mining and shipping practices made battery production bad. Like, really bad. From excess emissions and fumes to the copious use of water in places that, uh, didn’t quite have a lot to begin with. But technology’s made good headway since then. Only way to go is up, right?

While the manufacturing of EV components—particularly the battery—does have its own greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) to factor in, the EPA details that between the lifecycle of an ICE car and an EV with at least 300 miles of battery range, the former has far higher GHG emissions.

We’ll save the geopolitical aspects of mining rare earth metals for electric motor production for another post. Generally, meaningful progress has been made in reducing these, such as manufacturers pivoting away from certain rare metals, as well as sourcing the other main ingredient, lithium, from domestic sources. Heck, one of our planet’s possibly largest lithium reserves is just a bit east of San Diego.

Myth: Charging EVs will put too much stress on America’s power grid

This is definitely a valid concern. But it’s important to keep in mind—once again, according to the EPA—that charging can happen at off-peak hours at home. Meaning, you’ve just gotten home for the night and plugged in your Fiat 500e to your home’s 240V service to charge overnight.

Not only that, but the EPA even sources Scientific American to say that California’s more than one million EVs account for less than one percent of the grid’s load during peak energy hours. Our nation’s energy grid is constantly being upgraded, too, so hopefully, energy blackouts will become a thing of the past if the government is smart about it (so far, it seems like it’s generally on the right track).

In short, while the details of this point can be a bit complicated, the answer is yes, EVs will be just fine on the American power grid, and industry employees are optimistic about their capabilities to ensure that.

Downside: EVs aren’t the funnest to drive

This is certainly subjective, but I know I’m not alone: EVs are fun to hoon around, but they still don’t hold a candle to an ICE vehicle. Especially if its engine is sporting some enthusiastic tuning, forced induction or not.

I won’t wax poetic too hard, but there truly is something special about the theatrical soundtrack of internal combustion in fun scenarios, such as a fun, curvy road or ripping laps on the track. Or, launching it off the line when the conditions are right. I mean, it’s one of the main reasons why I got into this industry, as well as why my list of next cars is chock-full of vivacious, big-smile-inducing sports cars.

It’s really cool that automakers are starting to synthesize some of this and integrate it into EVs, but they sure have a long way to go.

Downside: Charging infrastructure can really suck

If charging infrastructure just isn’t all that great where you live, and you aren’t able to charge at home, it may indeed be a good idea to pass on EV ownership until it improves. It’s more important to safely and reliably transport you and/or your family, get to and from work, go about your daily life, etc. than stretch your schedule and work a little too hard to make EV ownership work. It’s all about balance, and sacrificing what you deem to be too much will only make life more inconvenient in the end.

It’s tough for many folks just dealing with a lengthy commute to and from work every day. Why tack on an additional 15 minutes to an hour—assuming there’s an open, functioning charger waiting for you—when all you want to do is not be in a car anymore?

Charging infrastructure can suck in other ways, too, like broken/out-of-order chargers, inconsiderate jerks hogging charging spots when they aren’t charging, dealing with, like, twenty different charging companies’ apps, and more.

Downside: EVs are heavy

This is a byproduct of our current lithium battery technology, and it doesn’t bode well for handling, tire wear, brake wear, and our poor crumbling infrastructure. As well as our parking garages. It doesn’t help that SUVs and trucks are very much en vogue, either.

Hopefully, as battery technology progresses, this quickly becomes a thing of the past. Go, solid-state, go!

Downside: EVs are still expensive

According to Kelley Blue Book by way of Cox Automotive, the average new car price is right around $48,000, which is awfully expensive. Combine that with US News and World Reports’ reporting that EVs are on average $12,000 higher in price than their ICE counterparts, and things aren’t looking great for greater EV affordability.

But thanks to various federal, state, and local tax incentives for both new and used models, the price starts to tumble a tad.

In addition to some upfront relief, technology is always evolving, and technology-heavy EVs are no exception; As new tech becomes more and more common, prices will go down. Especially when it comes to the cost of manufacturing batteries. Then, we have to keep in mind that EVs’ running costs are overall cheaper, which helps ease financial pain after any initial sticker shock.

Downside: What about OBD II?

OBD II (not ODB II, which you could say is actually YDB) stands for Onboard Diagnostics II, the standardized system used by all automakers to help troubleshoot a vehicle’s issues. Meaning, the check engine light comes on, you use an OBD II scanner to see why, and the ECU tells you a diagnostic trouble code (DTC)—or a massive list of ‘em—to help you pinpoint what’s wrong.

Currently, not all EVs possess a system like OBD II; after all, according to this story over at Ars Technica, a lot of the reason why it was originally developed was to monitor and reduce tailpipe emissions, which EVs don’t have. Still, onboard diagnostics cover a lot more than that, and a new system dubbed Advanced Clean Cars II by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) will require a new standardized system for EVs, PHEVs, and hydrogen-fueled cars by 2026, which could end up being adopted at the federal level.

Pun very much intended, there are positives and negatives to battery-powered car ownership. While some may require a little (or a lot) of adaptation, one thing’s for certain: As EV technology moves forth, the myths will be more extinguished from our greater society’s psyche, and some (or all) of the downsides will no longer be downsides.

The Tesla Cybertruck is almost more of a meme than an actual vehicle at this point, which makes any incident involving the angular chunk of stainless steel a real treat for the company’s critics. A Reddit user posted pictures of the most recent incident – a crash in California – and while it’s still likely to generate chuckles, we’re glad that nobody got seriously hurt. Now, with this incident out there for the general public to see, we have our first real-world look at that steel wedge’s ability to protect occupants from damage (and deal some damage itself).

The Verge found the post by u/boddhya and confirmed the story with the California Highway Patrol, which could be the first in-the-wild crash for the truck. Officials said a 17-year-old in a Toyota Corolla veered off the road and hit an embankment before over-correcting, re-entering the road, and striking the Cybertruck. 

Though the Corolla looks particularly gnarly in the Reddit images, the only injury was to the Cybertruck driver and did not require medical care. Tesla’s “bulletproof” pickup appears to have come out of the crash in much better shape than the Toyota, though we don’t have much information to go on.

With all due respect (sort of), Tesla’s owners are among the most zealous of any brand’s drivers for better or worse, but this is one time where the other person appears to be at fault. The Cybertruck driver was allegedly not using an autonomous driving mode at the time of the crash, and the roads in the Palo Alto area where the collision occurred are notoriously curvy, with poor visibility being a significant issue. 

The Cybertruck’s brutal shape and sharp angles raised many safety questions over the damage it could cause to other vehicles and people. Early critics call out the truck’s thick stainless steel “exoskeleton” as being too rigid and more dangerous in a crash than traditional materials. At the same time, trucks are more dangerous than cars in general, and the Tesla is still far too new to draw any solid conclusions about its overall safety. 

Ever since amateur martial arts enthusiast and Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced the Tesla Cybertruck back in 2019 by throwing a danged metal ball into one of the electric pickup truck’s supposedly “unbreakable” windows, the internet has had questions. Why does it look like that? Will it really be $40,000? Is it actually going to have a 500-mile range on a single charge? And most importantly, is the Cybertruck safe?

The answers to a majority of these questions have been “no,” “probably not,” or “we don’t know,” and pretty much every day the Cybertruck’s reputation suffers a new indignity. For instance, this gem courtesy of the “Rides That’ll Beat Your Ass” account on Musk’s X platform (formerly Twitter):

Christmas is coming early this year 🥹

pic.twitter.com/6s5vvFEJla https://t.co/VJOuX6gP9a

— 𝓡𝓲𝓭𝓮𝓼 𝓣𝓱𝓪𝓽’𝓵𝓵 𝓑𝓮𝓪𝓽 𝓨𝓸𝓾𝓻 𝓐𝓼𝓼 (@ass_beaters) December 12, 2023

Down the thread, username “Ass_Beaters” provides additional context, namely that this was a prototype, so it lacked recovery or pickup points and, therefore, had to be towed by the suspension. I cannot say for sure, because I have still not seen a Cybertruck in person, but that is probably not the best way to tow one. It’s unfair to judge a prototype model, as it was built for testing and proving certain engineering specs, but let’s be honest, that doesn’t make it not funny.

Did the Tesla Cybertruck pass crash tests?

When the first production models of the Tesla Cybertruck rolled off the production line at the Austin, TX Gigafactory, reporters, enthusiasts, and internet shitposters alike all wondered aloud how it could’ve ever passed NHTSA crash safety ratings. Especially with the distressing videos released by the automaker itself (look at how the dummy in the back goes flying):

Tesla Cybertruck Showed Impressive Results In Crash And Safety Test!

The truck went under multiple tests including frontal crash and rollover tests.

Footage showed that during a full frontal crash the Cybertruck stayed largely intact while colliding with a wall at 35 mph. It… pic.twitter.com/gaTLY4uaHr

— Salt (@SaltFlash) December 6, 2023

Keeping in the spirit of Elon’s “fuck it, we’ll do it live” ethos, the Cybertruck team has continued crash testing the Blade Runner-inspired EV pickup truck and just today shared some new footage, where at least the side airbags deploy so we don’t have to see the poor crash test dummy’s brain get turned to mush:

It's not about the size of your crumple zone, it's about how you use it

When in a high-speed collision, Cybertruck’s front underbody casting is designed to break into small pieces. This helps reduce occupant impact by absorbing & dispensing energy pic.twitter.com/84JiGzzw1M

— Cybertruck (@cybertruck) December 12, 2023

So how exactly did the Tesla Cybertruck pass the NHTSA’s crash tests? Well, that’s an easy one – it didn’t! As Teslarati noticed earlier this week, Tesla’s new EV pickup truck was added to the safety watchdog’s database, but with ratings conspicuously absent.

That said, digging a bit deeper, you’ll find that apparently millions of cars are sold every year without verified independent crash testing, and even the insurance company-based IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) has to pick and choose which cars they’ll test and/or assign ratings to.

One thing’s for sure, Tesla assures that you’ll be safe if a couple of accountants jacked up on Sam Adams Lagers from the 19th hole decide to go absolutely goblin mode on your Cybertruck:

Come on break the Cybertruck 💪🏻#Cybertruck #Tesla #Optimus pic.twitter.com/QaDxznh9wZ

— Tesla Motors Community (@CommunityTesla) December 13, 2023

So… Did the Tesla Cybertruck pass crash tests? We’ll give this one a rating of “possibly.” As evidenced by the videos above, Tesla is clearly doing a lot of in-house testing and if not, at least they have an army of weirdos who pay Elon $8 a month for the privilege of saying how normal and cool the tests look. According to CarBuzz, it will likely be a while until the Cybertruck reaches the sales volume to necessitate a proper NHTSA or IIHS review, so we’ll keep you updated if we hear anything official.

That said, it seems unlikely that Elon would want to be known as the guy who killed Jay Leno or Spike Lee, so let’s hope that they’ve crash-tested the Cybertruck.

Jay Leno runs errands in Cybertruck and more star snaps https://t.co/8upmHQqJHy pic.twitter.com/NhiqeO2HNm

— Page Six (@PageSix) December 7, 2023

Can the Tesla Cybetruck be shot with a Tommy Gun and/or arrows?

We’ll cut right to the chase. We’ve already mentioned this before, but yes, Tesla is making the claim that if your Tesla Cybertruck is shot with rounds from a Tommy Gun, you should be safe inside. This could come in handy if those accountants above are cosplaying as old-timey rascals and/or scofflaws.

Broke the internet today as we confirmed that the Cyvertruck is bulletproof

"We emptied the entire drum magazine of a Tommy gun into the driver door Al Capone style. No bullets penetrated into the passenger compartment."

– Elon Musk pic.twitter.com/wBr9mNrLl7

— Tesla Owners Silicon Valley (@teslaownersSV) October 21, 2023

And if you find yourself at the wrong end of the Battle of the Five Armies and an Orc who looks suspiciously like Joe Rogan has you in his sights, your Cybertruck should survive the onslaught.

Joe Rohan shatters an arrow on Cybertruck that would easily go through a normal car pic.twitter.com/XSMjnoE5Xp

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 31, 2023

That said, we still haven’t seen any news about the windows, which Elon famously shattered with a danged metal ball at an investor event in 2019. Despite the automaker remaining mum on whether or not the windows will be bulletproof as well, Tesla did sell out of what we have to assume is a relatively short run of $55 window decals commemorating the moment. Considering the fact that there are only 10 non-prototype Tesla Cybertrucks on the road, it’s hard to imagine who purchased these.

Does the Tesla Cybertruck have crumple zones?

Ever since the Tesla Cybertruck was announced, folks across the internet wondered about one key detail. Musk intimated that the EV pickup truck would lack traditional “crumple zones” in favor of an “exoskeleton” build. As Jameson Dow of Electrek explained back in 2019, based on the initial designs:

Tesla’s Cybertruck design differs from traditional autos because it uses a stainless steel exoskeleton instead of a traditional body-on-frame design.  In the traditional design, the car body doesn’t have as much structural integrity and is mainly used for aerodynamic and styling purposes, and to protect occupants from the elements.

In the Cybertruck’s design, the entire vehicle exterior is used as a stressed member, allowing it to do double duty as both the body and the frame.  This reduces complexity, and since Tesla is using ultra-hard steel, increases sturdiness of the vehicle’s exterior.

Jameson Dow – Electrek

If you’ve never heard of “crumple zones” before, it’s because they’re something that’s been relatively standard practice in vehicle design since the 70s. According to Traveler’s insurance, the first cars built with “weaker” zones that are meant to absorb, rather than withstand impact were Mercedes-Benz as early as 1959. As this delightful Australian man explains, by absorbing that kinetic energy, less force ends up being applied to the passengers inside the vehicle, preventing or mitigating injury.

Compare the crumple zone footage in that video (or any of the thousands of videos on YouTube explaining the basic concept of crumple zones) to this rendering that has been shared uncritically by Cybertruck-friendly accounts:

Crash test physics simulations of the new Tesla Cybertruck are very impressive pic.twitter.com/XAtaWgX62s

— Chief Nerd (@TheChiefNerd) November 28, 2023

So, to answer the question of whether the Tesla Cybertruck has crumple zones? The answer is no. Or maybe “apparently not.” I have a funny feeling this isn’t the last we’ll be hearing about this topic. I saw someone on Twitter claim that the Tesla Cybertruck doesn’t need crumple zones because it will “use all the other cars’ crumple zones” in an accident. I honestly couldn’t tell if the account was satire, so I’m going to leave that factoid as anecdotal.

Either way, a bunch of Tesla fanboys went absolutely nutso after Ralph Nader’s non-profit made fun of the Cybertruck, so clearly they’re going through it.

At over 6k lbs no one will ever doubt your manhood again. We get it. You were picked last in gym and now you want revenge. But this isn't the answer. Buying this is why you were picked last. It's desperate and dangerous to everyone else on the road. Stop being picked last. pic.twitter.com/FfsUkz4vbf

— Center for Auto Safety (@Ctr4AutoSafety) December 7, 2023

Is the Tesla Cybertruck safe for pedestrians?

A recent New York Times interactive piece highlighted how pedestrian deaths have been on a steady rise since hitting an all-time low in 1980. Street safety advocacy groups link this to a number of different causes, including city planning, street engineering, and, frankly, the ever-increasing size of American SUVs and trucks.

“Now imagine distracted drivers in monster trucks on high-speed roads in the dark.”

Why the explosion of pedestrian deaths in the U.S. especially at night?

– fast, dangerous road designs
– cell phones & other distractions
– bigger vehicles, bad designshttps://t.co/Yrf492niuH pic.twitter.com/sQuwOPsmAY

— Brent Toderian (@BrentToderian) December 11, 2023

As you probably know, the Tesla Cybertruck is based on Blade Runner. Or at least it’s a truck that “Blade Runner” (the guy) might drive. That’s why it looks like something your 8-year-old nephew would build in Minecraft. Also, apparently, the reason why the Cybertruck is so pointy is that to make the metal bulletproof, you have to make the truck pointy. Don’t take my word for it, Elon himself said that he tried to bend the metal but it broke the machines.

Reason Cybertruck is so planar is that you can’t stamp ultra-hard 30X steel, because it breaks the stamping press

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 24, 2019

If this rhetorical tactic sounds familiar, it’s the same one Jenna Maroney from 30 Rock employed when she said she can’t “watch American Idol becaue [she has] perfect pitch.” Either way, the car is sharp as hell, and it might make you wonder, “How did the Cybertruck pass pedestrian crash tests?” Well, the answer to that one’s easy! It didn’t have to.

But it’s unfair to peg that one on Tesla because the United States has no standardized means of evaluating whether or not a vehicle in production has been tested for pedestrian safety. Not only that, the NHTSA only proposed adding such an evaluation this year – so it could be a while. In his official capacity as “Head Twit,” Tesla CEO is “highly confident” that the Cybertruck will be safe for pedestrians.

Yes, we are highly confident that Cybertruck will be much safer per mile than other trucks, both for occupants and pedestrians https://t.co/RydoYYn4FU

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 5, 2023

Fortunately, if you’re in Europe, you are protected by pedestrian safety regulations. According to Euro NCAP, every vehicle sold in the EU must pass VRU (Vulnerable Road User) Protection tests. These tests measure how well new vehicles “protect those vulnerable road users – pedestrians and cyclists – with whom they might collide,” including “the potential risks of injuries to a pedestrian’s head, pelvis, upper and lower leg.”

To Tesla’s credit, their confidence that the Cybertruck will (eventually) pass EU safety regulations seems to be more reliant on the design of its autopilot and full-self-driving systems, which should be hitting European streets and highways in the coming years. Seems like a bit of mixed messaging, given that Tesla just recalled basically every vehicle it has ever sold in the U.S. for a mandatory software update to Autopilot and FSD.

So, to answer the question of whether the Tesla Cybertruck is safe for pedestrians? The answer is “we don’t know, but probably not.” And then you could probably add a little something like, “But to be fair, there are very few trucks sold in America that are probably very safe for pedestrians.” And then you can kind of just shrug and walk away and hope no one asks for any follow-ups.

Is Tesla Cyberbeer Safe?

In case you were planning on paying $75 for a bottle of “Tesla Cyberbeer,” we recommend following the advice of Brian Stone, whose profile proudly claims that he owns not one, but two cars. This is clearly absurd because, as we all know, triples are best.

Tesla Cyberbeer is hot garbage. Not only is the lid RUSTED but the beer is also nasty. This was a miss @elonmusk pic.twitter.com/Gb9u8YOc7X

— Brian Stone (@briandstone__) November 15, 2023

Conclusion: Is the Tesla Cybertruck safe?

We’ve had our fun today, but what you’re all wondering is whether or not Tesla’s Cybertruck electric pickup truck is safe. Unfortunately, the best we can do is say, “honestly, it doesn’t seem like it.” The production models have been on the street for just over two weeks and we’re already seeing videos of people popping off the fender flares with their bare hands:

Cybertruck fenders pop right off.

Not sure if that’s good or bad 😅

Love that they’re easy to replace, but a tree branch while off roading might be an issue

pic.twitter.com/zt3xPDb9ZS

— The Cybertruck Guy (@cybrtrkguy) December 14, 2023

It’s clear that fully grown up boy genius Elon Musk is applying the same operating principle to the Tesla Cybertruck that he does to all of his ventures. Do it on the fly, overpromise and underdeliver, and move on to the next thing before anyone has really investigated your prior claims.

It certainly seems like we will eventually see a version of the Tesla Cybertruck that is safe, reliable, and maybe even user-friendly, but none of the videos we’ve seen (including ones shared by Tesla staff!) have given us any confidence that this will be the game-changing EV pickup truck we’ve been promised for nearly half a decade now. We’d love to be proven wrong.

Cadillac is expanding its electric lineup rapidly over the next few years, but its vehicle names aren’t getting any easier to type. The Lyriq came first, followed by the ultra-expensive Celestiq, and both still show up as misspelled, despite reprogramming my spellcheck. At least the Escalade IQ kept a mostly traditional name. The automaker also confirmed the entry-level 2025 Optiq last month, but now there’s a new model to generate little red squiggles all over the place: The 2026 Cadillac Vistiq.

Spelling jokes aside, the brand’s EV catalog is becoming one of the more impressive offerings in the industry. General Motors’ Ultium electric platform underpins all of them, bringing solid range estimates and fast charging capabilities. The flexible architecture supports a huge range of vehicle sizes and types, from the GMC Hummer EV to the Chevy Equinox EV, which is due soon and expected to share its drivetrain configurations with the Vistiq. If that’s the case, expect a 300-plus-mile range, available Super Cruise technology, and single- and dual-motor drivetrain options. The 600 E4 badge on the release photos denotes a powertrain similar, if not identical, to the Lyriq, possibly pushing close to 500 horsepower and 450 pound-feet of torque.

We don’t have pricing or release date details yet, but Cadillac said it would give out more info next year. The SUV will likely land somewhere in the mid-to-high-$40,000 range to start, but we wouldn’t bet against a sizeable price hike before its release. Automakers have a bad habit of overpromising affordability with EVs, and very few have actually pulled it off.

Cadillac’s “IQ” EVs don’t have the most sensible names, but they compete against a slew of other models with equally silly branding. Mercedes has its EQ line that follows its traditional “Class” naming structure, while BMW has just been slapping an “i” in front of its electric models. Chevy’s on the opposite end of the spectrum, as it designates electric models only with “EV” added to the end.

For years, eco-friendly Hummer fans have been conflicted. How can one rectify the urge to protect Mother Nature with the overwhelming, primal need to climb into a military-grade gas guzzler? Waffle no more, because the 2024 Hummer EV is finally available — if you already reserved one. This beefy, tactically-styled electric mega ute boasts enough bells and whistles to justify the luxury price tag — like Hummer’s proprietary “crab walk” tech.

The Great Recession of 2008 was a death knell for GMC’s original run of Hummer vehicles, as the badge was retired in 2010. Gone are the days of Arnold Schwarzenegger pulling up to movie premieres in decommissioned military Humvees. As trucks and SUVs got bigger and bigger over the next decade, GMC saw a chance to bring the brand back as an all-electric, edgy competitor to the increasingly ubiquitous Land Rover. Joe Biden even got to test-drive one.

Will GMC’s big bet on electrifying an old war machine whose name became synonymous with excess and air pollution pay off? Let’s see what makes the 2024 Hummer EV stand out in an increasingly crowded field.

Hummer EV: shop new inventory near you

2024 Hummer EV SUV price and trim levels

🚦Get ready, set, full disclosure! Some of the links powering our posts contain affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission if you decide to make a purchase, even if it’s not from the page we linked. Affiliate links are not always an endorsement of the product. To really help us keep our headlights shining to make more content like this, subscribe to the Acceleramota newsletter.

(Editor’s Note, December 2023: This is a revised and revamped version of our Hummer EV SUV info hub published earlier this summer. Now it’s been polished with fresh information and info to also encompass the SUT pickup variant.)

The 2024 Hummer SUV and its SUT pickup counterpart offer a choice of four trim options: 2, 2X, 3X, and Edition 1. Meanwhile, the pickup truck edition comes in three trims, including the 2X and 3X, alongside the Edition 1 as well. Both versions of the highest Edition 1 have already sold out. Since the announcement, waiting lists for all these standard trim options have been inundated, so it’s quite likely that locating one at your nearby GM dealership might be a challenging task. Historically, Hummer owners have been recognized for their patience.

Trim levels across both variants are as follows:

2024 Hummer EV SUV 2

• Starting Price: MSRP: $80,395 DFC: $1,995
• EV2 standard features:
  • Super Cruise – GM’s proprietary self-driving system
  • Adrenaline Mode – sends more power to the wheels, granting faster acceleration
  • Infinity Roof – removable panels and i-bar allowing an open-air driving experience
  • Surround Vision – a 14-camera system for safety and visibility

2024 Hummer EV SUV 2X

• Starting price: MSRP: $98,845
• EV2X standard features:
  • Longer Range – 800-volt DC fast-charging capability up to 300 kW for about 50 miles more range
  • 4-Wheel Steer – for a tight turning radius and maneuverability on rough terrains
  • CrabWalk Mode – vehicle can move sideways, like a crab (for tight terrains or parallel parking)
  • Extract Mode – an air suspension system that allows the vehicle to be raised or lowered as needed

2024 Hummer EV SUV 3X

• Starting price: MSRP: $106,945
• EV3X standard features:
  • Ultium e4WD – a third motor, for more power.
  • Torque vectoring – intelligent 4WD to prevent slipping
  • Watts To Freedom mode – an immersive experience including sounds and haptic feedback
  • Available Power Station generator – charges almost anything, including other EVs

2024 Hummer EV SUV Edition 1

• Starting price: MSRP: $108,700
• Edition 1 standard features:
  • One-Pedal Driving – deceleration begins when you take your foot off the pedal, charging the batteries
  • Terrain Mode – modified One-Pedal Driving for off-road terrains
  • Sky Panels – translucent Infinity Roof panels

2024 Hummer EV Pickup 2X

• Starting MSRP: $98,845
• 2X standard features:
  • 2 Motors – Four-wheel Drive type
  • 1st row removable manual t-bar composite Sunroof
  • Front and rear A/C controls 
  • Enhanced Automatic Parking Assist Parking assist

2024 Hummer EV Pickup 3X

• Starting MSRP:  $106,945
• 3X standard features:
  • 3 Motors – Four-wheel Drive type
  • 1st row removable manual t-bar composite Sunroof
  • Front and rear A/C controls 
  • Enhanced Automatic Parking Assist Parking assist

2024 Hummer EV exterior color options:

• Afterburner Tintcoat (orange)
• Deep Aurora Metallic (dark bronze)
• Interstellar White (white)
• Meteorite Metallic (gray)
• Supernova Metallic (dark blue)
• Tide Metallic (ice blue)
• Void Black (black)

2024 Hummer EV interior color options:

• Lunar Horizon (jet black/light gray)
• Lunar Shadow (jet black/taupe)

Interior and tech

The Hummer EV SUV borrows much of its interior from the EV SUT’s design. As you’d expect, it’s cavernous and should offer plentiful legroom to your professional athlete friends. As with the EV SUT, the 2024 Hummer EV SUV features an Infinity Roof that is fully removable, including the i-bar — in case you live in a part of America that is not rotten with forest fire smoke during peak road trip season. You can even stash the roof panels in the spacious (11 cu ft.) “eTrunk.”

While the console features multiple large screens for infotainment and the driver’s side dashboard, GMC has included a number of customizable physical buttons to control various aspects of the car — including a T-shaped shifter and rotary drive mode selector. This means 2024 Hummer EV SUV owners will have more controls at their fingertips, instead of hidden beneath an elaborate vehicle operating system.

In terms of technological advancements, GMC proudly introduces the Super Cruise feature for the 2024 Hummer EV. This hands-free driving capability extends to over 200,000 miles of roads in the U.S., even encompassing lane changes. Enhancing safety and situational awareness, the vehicle is equipped with HD Surround Vision, utilizing 14 cameras to provide a comprehensive view of your surroundings. The GMC press release further teases the availability of approximately 200 additional accessories, offering ample opportunities for personalization to suit individual preferences for the 2024 Hummer EV.

2024 Hummer EV Pickup dimensions

Interior space

• Seating capacity: 5
• Front headroom: 42.48″
• Front leg room: 45.57″
• Front shoulder room: 63.87″
• Front hip room: 60.5″
• Second-row headroom: 38.4″
• Second-row leg room: 39.0″
• Second-row shoulder room: 63.98″
• Second-row hip room: 60.2″

Exterior dimensions

• Wheelbase: 135.62
• Length: 216.80″
• Width, without mirrors: 86.87″
• Height: 79.10″

Cargo area dimensions

• Cargo box length: 60.10”
• Cargo box width: 61.02”

2024 Hummer EV SUV 

Interior space

• Seating capacity: 5
• Front headroom: 42.48″
• Front leg room: 45.57″
• Front shoulder room: 63.87″
• Front hip room: 60.5″
• Second-row headroom: 38.4″
• Second-row leg room: 39.0″
• Second-row shoulder room: 63.98″
• Second-row hip room: 60.2″

Exterior dimensions

• Wheelbase: 126.69″
• Length: 206.7″
• Width, without mirrors: 86.46″
• Height: 77.8″

Cargo area dimensions

• Cargo space/area behind front row (with rear seat down): 81.8 cu ft.
• Cargo space/area behind second row: 35.9 cu ft.

Tech features

• 13.4″ infotainment screen
• 12.3″ driver information center display
• Integration with the myGMC app
• In-vehicle energy app
• Digital key
• HD Surround Vision (14 cameras)
• Off-road widgets

2024 Hummer EV electric range and charging times

The Hummer EV SUV sets itself apart from the competition with its optional Power Station generator. Unlike Ford’s F-150, which generates power from its internal combustion engine, the Hummer’s Power Station is all electric and promises up to 25 amps (3.0 kW) for 120-volt power or 6.0 kW at 240 volts (for charging other EVs). This power-sharing feature might not get your pal’s car all the way up to 100%, but in most cases, it should be more than enough to jumpstart a stranded electric vehicle.

2024 Hummer EV SUV battery info

• Battery pack: liquid-cooled lithium-ion 24-cell 246 kWh (212 kWh usable)
• Onboard charger: 19.2 kW
• Peak DC fast-charge rate: 300 kW
• Estimated range: up to 314 miles (EV3X trim)
• DC fast charge time (10-90%): 128 minutes

2024 Hummer EV Pickup battery info

• Battery pack: liquid-cooled lithium-ion 24-cell 246 kWh (212 kWh usable)
• Onboard charger: 19.2 kW
• Peak DC fast-charge rate: 300 kW
• Estimated range: 311 miles (EV2X trim), 381 miles (EV3x trim) 
• DC fast charge time (10-90%): 128 minutes

Engine and performance

The Hummer EV SUV was built around GMC’s top-of-the-line Ultium platform, a “flexible battery architecture” that according to the automaker is going to “change [your] life.” This new approach to manufacturing and aligning batteries allows GMC to create EVs that apparently have “a near 50/50 weight distribution of the vehicle and a lower center of gravity, which together result in a vehicle that’s sporty, responsive and allows for spirited driving.”

2024 Hummer EV SUV powertrain info

• Transmissions: direct-drive
• Front motor: permanent-magnet synchronous AC
• Rear motors: 2 permanent-magnet synchronous AC
• Combined power: 830 hp
• Combined torque: 1200 lb-ft
• 0-60 speed: 3.5 seconds (manufacturer claim)

Design changes

While the 2024 Hummer EV SUV shares design elements with its SUT counterpart, GMC has dedicated attention to distinctive features. Unique electrified details adorn badges and the interior, enhancing the futuristic design. The showcases a power swing-out tailgate with a full-sized spare, revealing a cavernous cabin that offers an expansive 81.8 cubic feet of space when the rear seats are folded down.

For those who crave even more space, the rear door swings fully open, providing an unobstructed 48-inch opening—ideal for activities like tailgating, camping, or hastily packing up belongings when faced with the threat of repossession for your $100k SUV. GMC has spared no effort in ensuring that the Hummer EV stands out not only for its performance but also for its attention to SUV-specific details that cater to diverse lifestyle needs.

The SUT distinguishes itself with a truck bed instead of an enclosed rear cabin. This configuration contributes to the Hummer EV truck being 20 inches longer than its SUV counterpart, measuring 216.8 inches compared to the SUV’s 196.8 inches, and featuring a wheelbase that extends almost 9 inches longer (135.6 inches versus 126.7 inches). Unsurprisingly, the truck also exhibits a lengthier rear overhang (46.5 inches compared to 35.5 inches). These variations significantly impact off-road performance metrics, influencing the departure angle (SUV: 49.0 degrees versus SUT: 38.4 degrees) and breakover angle (SUV: 34.4 degrees versus SUT: 32.2 degrees).

2024 Hummer EV review round-up

Reservations for the 2024 Hummer EV SUV are currently full, so it could be a while until the team here at Acceleramota gets our hands on one, so here’s a quick round-up of some thoughts from around the world of automobile journalism.

The Hummer EV SUV defies a lot of expectations. It accelerates like a sports car, handles like it’s thousands of pounds lighter, and charms with the improbability of it all. There’s not much on-pavement grip, but it’s capable off-road, and you’ll never have to worry about sucking water into the intake. There’s a lot of weight here, but there’s also a lot of everything. Born of attitude and consequently full of attitude, the Hummer EV SUV left us thoroughly entertained.

Tony Quiroga – Car & Driver

The Hummer SUV is a riot on the road, but when pavement gives way to dirt, the real fun begins. With specs that rival Jeep’s Wrangler Rubicon, the Hummer SUV boasts an approach angle of 49.6 degrees, a breakover angle of 34.4 degrees, and a departure angle of 45.6 degrees. (Removing the spare tire bumps departure angle up to 49.0 degrees.) It also has up to 16 inches of ground clearance and 13 inches of wheel travel, can climb an 18-inch vertical wall, and can ford up to 32 inches of water.

Jason Gonderman – Motor Trend

It shouldn’t make any sense. But drive it for a couple of days and you realise being sensible is for other vehicles. The Hummer is about fun.

Top Gear

FAQs

When will the 2024 Hummer EV SUV be available?

The 2024 Hummer EV SUV has been rolling off the production line for a few months now, but it could be a while before you see one at a GMC lot. You can sign up to “stay in the know” on GMC’s site but your best bet might be surreptitiously becoming best friends with someone who works at a dealership if you’d like to get your hands on one.

How many miles can the 2024 Hummer EV SUV drive on a single charge?

GMC’s documentation says the 2024 Hummer EV SUV can travel about 314 miles on a single charge at the EV^3X trim level. According to Car and Driver’s testing, the 2024 Hummer EV SUV had a range of 250 miles at 75 mph.

Who makes the 2024 Hummer EV SUV?

The 2024 Hummer EV SUV is manufactured by GMC, a subsidiary of General Motors. General Motors has owned the Humvee (later Hummer) branding since 1998. The Hummer line was initially discontinued in 2010 after the anti-gas-guzzler backlash related to the Great Recession. In 2020, GMC announced that the nameplate would be returning, rebranding Hummer as a line of electric supertrucks.

Hummer EV: shop new inventory near you

When Tesla CEO and walking Dunning-Kruger case study Elon Musk announced the Cybertruck in November 2019, he likely hoped to see headlines praising the electric pickup truck’s (then) sub $40,000 price tag and impressive range predictions. Unfortunately for Musk, that particular unveiling is remembered best for a stunning bit of visual metaphor – Elon himself chucking a rock at the prototype and shattering its side window.

The Tesla Cybertruck and its tall tales of controversy

In a way, this moment has been indicative of everything we’ve seen from the Cybertruck thus far. Elon makes a bold claim about the vehicle and how it will change the world of cars and driving forever, and then we see it in action. The results are less than impressive. For instance, despite the Cybertruck’s much-touted all-wheel-drive and adaptive suspension, the past year has been rotten with videos of the electric pickup truck failing at even basic tasks.

Granted, these are pre-production models, so they’re meant to be tested out, but this clip doesn’t exactly support the “self-leveling capabilities [that] adapt to any occasion and assist with every job” claim from Tesla’s site. And it’s not just “bad faith leakers” – just over a month ago, a video of a Cybertruck struggling to get up a section of an off-road test was shared enthusiastically by a member of Telsa’s team.

Tesla Cybertrucks being tested off-road at Hollister Hill RSVA ! 🏜️ pic.twitter.com/abKyBRLLLZ

— Dima Zeniuk (@DimaZeniuk) October 23, 2023

Despite more than two years of delays, Tesla will be delivering the first ten production models of the Cybertruck at a shareholders-only event on November 30, 2023, at the Gigafactory in Austin, TX. Fortunately for the rest of us, Tesla will be live-streaming the shindig, and we’ll update this article if anything newsworthy comes out of it.

pic.twitter.com/P1EE5t8EU2

— Cybertruck (@cybertruck) October 18, 2023

I already poked quite a bit of fun at the Cybertruck in my “Upcoming Tesla electric vehicles” article a few weeks back, so I’m going to attempt to keep this one fairly buttoned up. Cybertruck enthusiasts are clearly going through it (they recently took r/cybertruck private to prevent harassment), so why kick them when they’re down? I mean, these guys are out here paying $75 a bottle for “Tesla Cyberbeer.”

Tesla Cyberbeer is hot garbage. Not only is the lid RUSTED but the beer is also nasty. This was a miss @elonmusk pic.twitter.com/Gb9u8YOc7X

— Brian Stone (@briandstone__) November 15, 2023

Keep reading for a deep dive into everything we know about the Tesla Cybertruck, what to expect for price and electric range, and most importantly: can you shoot it with a Tommy Gun?

2024 Tesla Cybertruck price and trim options

What perfect timing for this to drop, as Tesla has just recently announced fresh deets on its upcoming door stop on wheels.

When it was first announced, the Cybertruck turned heads with its miniscule starting price. The single-motor version would have an MSRP of $39,990 with the double motor at $49,990 and the triple motor at $59,990. That would’ve put the “budget” trim in the same class as a fully loaded Toyota Prius. So that was a no-go.

Current pricing as per Tesla’s recent announcements are as follows. The base rear-drive variant will start at $60,990, the dual-motor all-wheel drive at $79,990, and the flagship high-performance “CyberBeast” at $99,990. Wowza, that’s a fat leap.

Let’s take a look at how the 2024 Tesla Cybertruck’s trim options match up:

2024 Tesla Cybertruck Rear-Wheel Drive

• Starting price: $60,990
• EPA-estimated range: 250 miles

2024 Tesla Cybertruck All-Wheel Drive

• Starting price: $79,990
• EPA-estimated range: 340 miles (470 with extender)

2024 Tesla Cybertruck CyberBeast

• Starting price: $99,990
• EPA-estimated range: 320 miles (440 with extender)

As far as the Cybertruck’s exterior goes, there’s only one factory-available option: stainless steel. That said, someone out there is driving around in a matte black edition, so maybe some more customization is in the offing.

One big question people have been asking about the Cybertruck is “Can you shoot it with a Tommy Gun?” You may be surprised to learn that apparently, yes, you can shoot a Tesla Cybertruck with a Tommy Gun. While this official-seeming Tesla account claims to be “confirming” that the electric pickup truck is (apparently) bulletproof, we’d like to take a moment to say that you should not shoot a Tesla Cybetruck with a Tommy Gun.

Broke the internet today as we confirmed that the Cyvertruck is bulletproof

"We emptied the entire drum magazine of a Tommy gun into the driver door Al Capone style. No bullets penetrated into the passenger compartment."

– Elon Musk pic.twitter.com/wBr9mNrLl7

— Tesla Owners Silicon Valley (@teslaownersSV) October 21, 2023

That said, if Newsradio star and “guy who liked Dana White so much that he became him” Joe Rogan is in your neighborhood, you can invite him over to shoot arrows at your Tesla Cybertruck. Honestly, this might be worth doing, at least you know the drugs will be good.

Joe Rohan shatters an arrow on Cybertruck that would easily go through a normal car pic.twitter.com/XSMjnoE5Xp

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 31, 2023

In fairness to the Tesla Cybertruck, there is a good chance these claims will hold up if the electric pickup truck is truly made with the same stainless steel as SpaceX uses. This is because 3mm of 301 stainless steel should be good enough to stop or at least seriously impede most 9mm handguns (but not rifles, which would explain why Musk opted for the Tommy Gun instead.) Either way, don’t shoot your Tesla Cybertruck with a gun.

2024 Tesla Cybertruck interior and tech

While much has been written about the Tesla Cybertruck’s “Blade Runner-inspired” exterior, we’ve been granted relatively few views of what’s going on inside. It’s safe to assume that it’ll be cavernous, with room to fit six adults comfortably, but early renders raise more questions than answers. What’s going on with the racing-style steering wheel? Why does it look like the dashboard is carved from marble even though it’s made of a composite material? Hopefully, we’ll have more answers after the delivery event.

The Tesla Cybertruck’s cargo bed is also referred to as “the vault” because of its nearly seamless look when fully closed. In official photos, it appears as though the electric pickup truck’s cargo bed can comfortably hold an ATV, but leaked images of pre-production models seem to refute that.

Just a fundamentally unserious vehicle. pic.twitter.com/lXctYiUDNA

— Gatorade Should Be Thicker. (@WinslowDumaine) November 14, 2023

2024 Tesla Cybertruck dimensions:

• Cargo: 120.9 cu. ft.
• Overall length: 223.7 in
• Overall width: 95 in
• Overall height: 70.5 in
• Weight: 6,843 pounds

Also noteworthy is the Cybertruck’s “frunk” or “front trunk” which let’s be honest is cute as heck.

Cybertruck frunk galore. ⚡️👀 pic.twitter.com/7oOQBlpVym

— Teslaconomics (@Teslaconomics) August 5, 2023

2024 Tesla Cybertruck tech features:

• Tesla Autopilot (Full Self Driving optional)
• Dashboard entertainment console

2024 Tesla Cybertruck electric range and charging times

All the little nitty gritty charging details are yet to be revealed, but we thankfully have a small handful from Tesla’s most recent round of fresh information. Expect the Cybertruck to charge at a max rate of 250 kW, with the ability to replenish 128 miles of range within 15 minutes.

Range is appreciably generous for such a hulking brick. Rear-drive base models are expected to reach a reasonable 250 miles, with all-wheel drives hitting 340 miles, and CyberBeasts hitting 320 miles. Interestingly, Tesla notes how the use of an unspecified range extender can stretch the all-wheel drive to a lofty 470 miles and the CyberBeast to 440 miles. What this range extender is and how it operates is yet to be disclosed, but we expect Tesla’s often optimistic range estimates to be tricky to match in real-world conditions.

2024 Tesla Cybertruck motor and performance

At the initial 2019 Tesla Cybertruck announcement, Elon Musk claimed that the tri-motor edition of the Cybertruck would boast the same specs as the Tesla Plaid X. This means the Tesla Cybertruck could have max speeds of around 149 mph and a 0-60 of 2.5 seconds, but we should keep in mind that the electric pickup’s curb weight is considerably beefier than the sedan.

What we can say now are the estimated towing capacities for the Cybertruck trims. Rear-drive variants can pull a max load of 7,500 pounds, while all-wheel and CyberBeast trims can yoink up to 11,000 pounds of stuff wherever they please.

2024 Tesla Cybertruck design features

From initial reports, one of the truly standout features. of the 2024 Tesla Cybertruck is its panoramic glass sunroof and retractable cargo bed cover. While it seems like Tesla abandoned its plans to use the cargo bed cover as a solar panel for additional range and charging, the glass roof is a nice continuation of Tesla’s other electric vehicles. It’s not clear at this time if Tesla will be releasing a convertible or retractable-roof edition.

2024 Tesla Cybertruck review round-up

Sadly, I couldn’t score an invite to the November 30, 2023, Cybertruck event, but in the meanwhile, here are some early takes on the Tesla Cybertruck we’ve found from across “cyberspace.”

Automotive vlogger Joel Franco got an up-close-and-personal look at the exterior of a Tesla Cybertruck in Miami recently and reported that the showroom model seems to have resolved many of the issues with the pre-production trucks. We have to admit, it does look pretty slick.

Aside from these peeks at the showroom models, unbiased reviews are difficult to come by, but it seemed relevant to share this piece of intel from a Tesla insider:

More shared details:

– A guy who was 5’7” was able to lay flat in the frunk.
– no ramp built into the tailgate
– suspension more comfortable than an S/X
– turning radius is amazing
– feels more luxurious than an S/X

— Matthew Donegan-Ryan (@MatthewDR) October 4, 2023

Short kings rejoice! An elite new hiding place for Hide-and-Seek has appeared.

FAQs

When will the 2024 Tesla Cybertruck be released?

The first 10 production models of the 2024 Tesla Cybertruck are set to be delivered at an event on November 30, 2023, at the Gigafactory in Austin, TX. It is not known at the time of publication when the remainder of the pre-orders will be fulfilled.

What will the electric range be for the 2024 Tesla Cybertruck?

The 2024 Tesla Cybertruck will be available in three trim levels, a rear-drive base model with 250 miles of range, a dual-motor version with a 340-mile range, and a tri-motor CyberBeast performance version with a 320-mile range. In recent press releases, Tesla announced an unspecified range extender, which should juice the dual-motor middle trim up to 470 miles and the CyberBeast to 440 miles.

What will the price be for the 2024 Tesla Cybertruck?

Although initial announcements claimed the starting price for the Tesla Cybertruck would be $39,990, it’s looking like the electric pickup truck will end up costing a good amount more. The base rear-drive variant will have an MSRP of around $60,990, with the next-step-up all-wheel drive trim ringing in at $79,990 and the tri-motor CyberBeast flagship Cybertruck starting at $99,990. So no. Not cheap. Not at all.

Can you shoot the 2024 Tesla Cybertruck with a Tommy Gun or arrows?

Yes! Apparently, because the 2024 Tesla Cybertruck boasts 3mm of 301 stainless steel, it should be able to absorb a bullet from a 9mm handgun. According to Musk, it can also handle being broadsided with a Tommy Gun. Online reports (also from Musk) seem to support the idea that the Tesla Cybertruck can even handle being shot with an arrow by Joe Rogan.

Let’s preface this by saying: No, this is not a news beat. No, this is not a grand compilation of every little reveal and every hunk of metal on display at the LA Auto Show. Take this as a more personal and me-engaging-the-audience-type feature where I, editor-in-chief and supreme (assistant) overlord to the site, and Gabe, founder and supreme supreme overlord, share our top cars from this year’s gathering.

Whether it be a new release, a kinda-sorta new car that may be making its first in-person appearance, or perhaps something that’s not new at all, these are our personal standouts in attendance that truly scratched my automotive itch. And hopefully, it scratches yours, too.

Ahem. And, if you’d like, please feel free to check out coverage of cars from this year’s auto show on our TikTok and Instagram. 

Skip to car:

• Lucid Gravity
• Lotus Eletre
• Honda Prelude Concept
• Toyota Camry
• Acura ZDX
• Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray
• Subaru BRZ tS
• Hyundai Ioniq 5 N
• Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally
• Nissan Z & GT-R Nismo
• Aston Martin Cygnet (wait, for real?)

Gabe: 2025 Lucid Gravity

@acceleramota The 2025 Lucid Gravity is a luxurious 3-row SUV from the chief engineer behind the original Tesla Model S and the designer of the Miata ND. Would you buy one over a Model X? #auto #lucid #tesla #carlifestyle #teslamodely #suv #electricvehicle #electriccars #luxury #truck #lucidgravity #teslas #newcars #lucidair #luxurycar ♬ original sound – acceleramota

In a market already saturated with three-row luxury SUVs, a lesser-known brand introducing its own would surely have its work cut out for it. Lucid Motors is a prime example. In the third quarter of 2023, Lucid lost $430,000 for every car it sold, according to InsideEVs. Four hundred and thirty thousand dollars. 

By no means is that indicative of Lucid’s standards, though, as its first EV – the Lucid Air – was met by reviewers with mostly positive marks. Everyone I’ve known who’s driven a Lucid Air came away a fan as well. In fact, when we offered test drives at one of our car and coffee meets in New York earlier this year, one of the most stubborn anti-EV people I know came away a fan. The premium interiors, consistent build quality, and aversion to oversimplification-for-the-sake-of-it distinguishes Lucid from its main competitor, Tesla, with which it shares common DNA.
Judging by its roughly identical $80,000 starting price, the Lucid Gravity is poised to compete with Tesla’s Model X – you know, the midsize family SUV with the dancing falcon wing doors. But unlike the Model X, the Gravity brings more cargo space, the option of a third row, and an estimated 440 miles of range, nearly 100 miles more than that of the Model X. For some reason it also has 880 horsepower, because in competing with the alarmingly quick Hummer EV, it’s not an electric SUV if it can’t push 0-60 in 3.5 seconds. The only obvious downside is that, at least according to our new best friend, it does have more than one button for the center stack, and the luxe woodgrain finish is an acquired taste, allegedly.

Jeric: 2025 Lotus Eletre

Did anyone forget about this thing? I surely did, even after much press and controversy that one of the most legendary sports and race car manufacturers is now making (gasp) an electric SUV! What has the world come to? But the Lotus Eletre certainly makes a compelling case for itself that should help give it the Cayenne complex it needs for Lotus to keep building Emiras. 

How does 603 to 905 horsepower and 310 to 373 miles of range from its 112-kWh battery and dual-motor all-wheel drive setup sound? Overkill? Sure, but a Lotus must perform, and if it can’t simplify and add lightness, then power is one way to sweeten the deal. Interior is wonderfully posh. The rear cargo area is cavernous. The exterior styling is interesting, although seeing it in person does it far more justice than any photo. Designed in the UK, engineered in Germany, and assembled by Geely in China, the Eletre also signals a remarkable international effort for the hallowed English brand. And while its occupation as an electric SUV for eclectic rich folks may sour some peoples’ opinions, its strides to be a financial success could be what the brand needs to send its last wave of gas sports cars out with a bang instead of a whisper.

Jeric: Honda Prelude Concept

The legend returns! Except, not really, because this is a Honda Prelude, and the Acura Legend is still dead as a doorknob. Unless you count the Acura RLX as its successor? Anyway, the Honda Prelude returns rocking a swagtastic new look evocative of the Honda Insight face meets Honda Accord tail affixed to a last-gen Honda Civic Coupe body. And for the first time in years, Honda may actually have another spunky, fast two-door sports coupe in their fleet since the S2000. No, Si owners, I said fast.

Being a concept, we know next to nothing about the forthcoming Prelude or if it’s even coming. But This model seems fairly production-ready, aside from eye-catching carbon accents and a carbon roof that’d definitely launch its price tag into oblivion. But the upscale wheel design wrapped in Continental SportContact 6 tires sheathing Brembo brakes and the familiar Civic Coupe profile scream production-ready. Perhaps most importantly, despite much speculation that it could be an EV, the new Prelude Concept is actually slated to be a hybrid. If I were to place my bets, the base variants might likely use the Accord hybrid or an electrified Civic Si motor, but top-shelf models could use an electrified variant of the K20 turbo-four from the Civic Type R and Integra Type S, probably pushing between 350 to 400 horsepower.

Just a guess. A fanboy can dream.

Jeric: 2025 Toyota Camry

10 years ago, the Toyota Camry was plain as can be. Even in its day, the top-shelf SE or XLE trims did little to incite lust in those it drove by. It was a fine car, and it did its intended job great! But so does white bread. However, the new 2025 Toyota Camry is a Camry masquerading as a Lexus, and it’s got the goods to match. Never thought I’d ever say this about a front-drive, hybrid family sedan, but I am hot and bothered. And you will be, too, after a few pictures. 

Look at it! I said look at it, you! Does that not scream upscale? The long, sleek bodywork combined with that statement of a grille, Prius-like headlights, and some fairly attractive wheel designs make for one heck of a looker, especially in the sportier SE and XSE forms. The interior remains simple yet usable, resembling an evolution of the previous-gen Camry but tweaked to better suit Toyota’s current design language of wide, high-mounted touchscreens and expansive, button-centric center consoles. Specs? Pretty darn good. And that’s the best you can say about a Camry. A hybrid powertrain pushing 225 horsepower and available all-wheel drive (which bumps power to 232), sure to match the old car’s 44 to 50-plus mpg, is a compelling buy.

Jeric & Gabe: 2024 Acura ZDX

Born from the unlikely partnership between GM and Acura, the new-generation 2024 Acura ZDX ditches its forbearer’s heinous Star Wars cargo freighter looks for a sleek, concept-car-like caricature of the Acura MDX SUV. Wide, low, and unapologetically bold without offending those with working eyeballs. This is actually quite the attractive centerpiece of Acura’s booth. And most interesting of all, it’s a full EV riding on GM’s Ultium platform, the same platform underpinning the Blazer EV and Silverado EV.

Much like the Prelude, not much is known about the nitty-gritty details of the ZDX, but Acura insists we should expect a starting price somewhere between $60,000 and $70,000 and a maximum range of up to 325 miles. Not bad! That lines it up with the upper echelon of the Blazer EV’s estimated range. Being marketed as a sporty and athletic Whole Foods hauler, the ZDX will launch with the sporty A-Spec and the SPORTY Type S models, with the latter aiming for over 500 horsepower, a 288-mile range, and sub-five-second zero-to-sixty. And if the ZDX can make good on blending Acura styling and luxury inside and out with GM’s handy EV know-how, Acura should be poised to have a real knockout winner on their hands.

Gabe: 2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray

As I mentioned in our video preview at the LA Auto Show, with the Corvette E-Ray, Chevy hopes to prove that hybrids aren’t all about going green. In fact, the E-Ray lays claim to the same fuel economy as the standard C8 Stingray at 24 MPG highway and 19 MPG combined. Instead, the E-Ray has more in common with a McLaren Artura than a Prius XLE. That’s to say, the tiny 1.9 kWh lithium-ion battery in the transmission tunnel is there to bolster the performance of its already potent 6.2-liter V8. Of course, pairing hefty battery tech with a big block motor does increase its curb weight by a little over 300 pounds, but how much does that matter when you can zip from 0-60 in 2.5 seconds? After all, the E-Ray is the quickest Corvette in the American sports car’s rich history. 

But the distinctions between the E-Ray and the Stingray don’t stop there, because on top of being the first hybrid Corvette, it’s also the first all-wheel-drive model. Don’t worry, it’s still rear-biased, and if you’re skeptical, Chevy’s built-in E-Ray companion app shows its homework with real-time performance data – including a diagram laying out the power distribution between the front and rear wheels. While it sounds like an automotive tech nerd’s playground, this Corvette isn’t just for wonks and weekenders; it’s a grand tourer, lending itself to longer road trips and grocery-getting as much as it does track days. 

Jeric: 2024 Subaru BRZ tS

No, this is not news. But here this favorite of mine is in the flesh, so I’m gonna thrust it down your throat anyway. Behold! The Subaru BRZ tS. It’s like a regular BRZ. But tS. And by that, Subaru means “Tuned by STI.” And by that, they really mean they stole the black wheels off the Toyota GR86, threw on some Hitachi dampers, added a sweet set of Brembo brakes, and called it a day. Really, the 2024 BRZ receives the mildest of updates as it enters the new model year, but they’re still noteworthy enough on a car this basic to be worth sharing!

For 2024, the BRZ receives a tS trim, which, like the previous gen’s tS, functions as a comprehensive performance package sans that car’s goofy wing. Beyond the new brakes and dampers, the tS is built upon the BRZ Limited, which throws in luxury goods like suede and leather interior upholstery, heated seats, and an upgraded stereo, as well as an 18-inch wheel package wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport 4 summer rubber, which is perhaps the most transformative performance upgrade on any BRZ, turning this diminutive sports car into a genuine Porsche Cayman fighter. Additionally, for 2024, EyeSight is now standard on all models, including manual transmission cars, which does increase the price by a couple of grand, pushing the BRZ in the low-$30,000 range. A tS will run you about $36,000, which is still a hell of a bargain compared to literally anything else on the market today, assuming you can snag one without that dastardly markup. 

Jeric & Gabe: 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N

The surprise hit from Korea strikes another tally of its bucket list and enters the high-performance EV fray. After much coverage and polarizing the press, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N arrives on American shores to grace us with its matte blue goodness, and it’s here to prove that fast EVs don’t have to be mere straight-line missiles. They can soul, too. Or at least as much soul as you can pump into something that ditches pistons and gas for battery cells and electrons. 

The Ioniq 5 N remains in its early launch phase, without much information besides what was available at its debut. That means nothing much has changed from its claims of 641 horsepower from an 84-kWh battery with 350-kW fast charging. But no complaints there! We still expect its aggressive e-LSD, Drift N Optimizer, and N e-Shift’s simulated 8-speed manual shift mode to make it to our shores, as we do for the changeable fake exhaust noises that can imitate fake revs from a jet fighter, the Gran Turismo Vision concept, or a traditional gas engine. Gimmicky? Absolutely. Necessary? No, not at all. But at least someone out there is having fun with EV tech and is trying to bridge the gap between gassers and electric cars with something that can parody the best attributes of both worlds. Being based on an already well-received vehicle like the regular Ioniq 5 doesn’t hurt, either. 

Jeric: 2024 Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally

If Ken Block we here, I can totally see him sliding through the woods with his family in tow in one of these. The Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally is very real and is very much coming to dealers near you for the next model year. Because what says environmentalism and family-friendly more than something that gently nudges you to take that dirt fire road at triple-digit speeds while blasting “Kickstart My Heart?”

Based on the already formidable and definitely quick-enough Mach-E GT, the Mach-E Rally skews its priorities towards off-road hooliganism. New are 19-inch wheels stolen from the nearest ARA race and shod in skinnier Michelin CrossClimate2 all-seasons sporting a nice, meaty sidewall for all the potholes you’re going to smash on the Wal-Mart Rally. The fog lights, underbody protection, black plastic fender moldings, Focus RS-style rear hatch wing, and a hyper-aggressive RallySport drive mode add some extra WRC flair. The ride height has been jacked up by 20 millimeters and still utilizes the GT’s Magneride shocks but retuned for more off-road shenanigans, and the dual-motor powertrain still zaps out 480 horsepower and 650 pound-feet of torque. Its range is a still-okay-ish 250 miles, but I don’t expect many people to match that given its intended purpose. 

Jeric: Nissan Z Nismo & GT-R Nismo

Ah, yes. Even at a quintillion years old in car years, the Z and GT-R manage to tickle my fancy, now with matching gray-black-and-red paint jobs to boot! The new Nissan Z launched onto the scene with a lukewarm reception, with praise for its modernization and a newfound sense of speed but criticism for the softened edge it bears in order to expand its appeal. The Nissan GT-R is as big, tech-laden, and video-gamey as ever. Both are fine driver’s cars, but fanatics asking for more will find prayers answered in their respective Nismo track variants. 

The Z Nismo, already making rounds in media drives, impressed journos with real, genuine connectedness, inspiring confidence to attack curves on or off-track with a heavily revised suspension, RAYS wheels rocking the GT-R’s ultra-sticky Dunlop tires whose full name I refuse to type out, and a wicked body kit that vaguely reminds me of JDM Fairlady Z G-nose. The VR30 twin-turbo V6 has been massaged to 420 (aye, lmao) horsepower, yet the move to keep it nine-speed-only sparked much ire for what’s to be a purist track Z. Ye ole GT-R Nismo adapts much of the same formula to the geriatric R35 platform, with a new swan neck wing, 600 horsepower from its 3.8-liter VR38 V6, similar RAYS wheels and sticky Dunlops, and a drop-dead gorgeous suite of carbon goodies, from the ground effects to the hood. Also new for 2024 are faster-spooling turbos from the GT-R GT3 race car and a front LSD. Old and possibly overpriced? I guess, but don’t tell me you can’t look at it and giggle with excitement even a little bit. 

Jeric & Gabe: Aston Martin Cygnet

It’s hard to talk about the Alfa Romeo Tonale without mentioning the Dodge Hornet in the same breath. It’s impossible to talk about the Aston Martin Cygnet without bringing up the Scion iQ. Love it or hate it, the Cygnet is one of the most notorious examples of badge engineering from a major automaker. So notorious, in fact, that it’s recently cemented its place in car culture as a not-so-guilty pleasure for the irony-poisoned enthusiast. 

When the Aston Martin Cygnet first debuted in the U.K. in 2011, it came with a starting price of £30,995 – the equivalent of $49,595 in the States. For anyone familiar with Aston Martin as a prestigious luxury brand, that probably doesn’t sound like a lot. But what if I told you that the Aston Martin Cygnet was just a cheap Toyota city car in disguise? Well, sort of. It might’ve featured luxurious interior trappings like bespoke leather upholstery, wood trim, and in some configurations, a shitload of carbon fiber. 

Any mechanical differences between the Cygnet and the iQ were negligible. Both had 1.3-liter four-bangers, continuously variable transmissions (CVTs), and front-wheel-drive. Yet, for whatever reason, its presence at the LA Auto Show was magnetizing. Jeric and I stumbled into Alanis King of Doug Demuro’s Cars & Bids fame, who happened to be fawning over the Cygnet from the inside. It wasn’t long before we joined in. This little number in particular comes courtesy of Galpin Auto Sports as part of its Hall of Customs exhibit.