#Shelby ME 2.2 Turbo

[carsthatnevermadeitetc]

Shelby ME 2.2 Turbo Prototype, 2023. The AC 3000ME was first revealed in 1973 but production delays meant it didn't go on sale until 1979. It was a sales disaster, however Americans Barry Gale and Steve Hitter saw potential to repurpose the car for the US market. Carroll Shelby, who was working with Chrysler at the time, became involved. After an abortive attempt to power the car with a Chevrolet V6, it was fitted with a Shelby-tuned turbocharged version of Chrysler's then new 2.2 litre 4-cylinder engine from the K-series. Presented at the Los Angeles Auto Show, Lee Iacocca, Chrysler's chairman, wasn't interesting in pursuing the project and the mid-engined AC-Shelby went no further

show photographs from Alden Jewell auto historian on flickr

[somar78]

A Rare British Prototype – The AC 3000 ME MKII

The AC 3000 ME has been described as the little-known British answer to the mighty Lancia Stratos. The history of the wedge-shaped, mid-engined British sports car is fascinating, it was very nearly Ford’s Group B rally car, and Carroll Shelby almost build a production high-performance version named the Shelby ME 2.2 Turbo.

Despite the rarity of the AC 3000 ME it’s still relatively affordable, good examples change hands for south of £20,000, though I suspect this is likely to change over the next few years.

The AC 3000 ME – The Beginnings

The AC 3000 ME started life as a passion project for Peter Bohanna, an automotive body structures engineer and significant figure in the world of high-performance British race cars in the 1960s.

Bohanna had been instrumental working on the Ford GT40 project with Ford’s Advanced Vehicle Operations and Lola, then by the late 1960s he was working for Lola on their hugely successful Can-Am Championship-winning T70 model.

It would be at Lola that Bohanna would meet Robin Stables, prior to his tenure at Lola he’d been a motorsport mechanic and Lotus dealer. The two men formed the Bohanna Stables company and in 1968 their design won the contract for an all-new British sports car tendered by the wealthy aristocrat Piers Weld-Forester.

Their advanced new design wouldn’t go into production with Weld-Forester, the two men instead took their design (now called the Diablo) to AC and TVR, but neither were willing to sign on the line to put it into production.

The prototype was first shown at the London Racing Car Show in 1972, after AC’s Keith Judd saw the Diablo at the show he became convinced it was the future of AC. After getting permission from Bohanna and Stables he drove the prototype to the AC headquarters and convinced AC company owner Derek Hurlock to acquire the rights to the car – which he did.

The AC 3000 ME Engine + Specifications

The specifications of the AC 3000 ME were relatively advanced for the era, it features a folded sheet steel central tub with integrated roll-over protection, subframes are fitted at the front and rear to attach the suspension, engine, etc.

Suspension is independent front and rear, made up of upper and lower A-arms with coil springs, telescopic shock-absorbers, and anti-dive/anti-squat geometry. Braking is provided by a dual hydraulic system with Girling discs on all four corners wrapped with Wolfrace alloy wheels and Pirelli rubber.

The early prototypes of the 3000 ME used a number of different engines including a 1.5 litre from the Austin Maxi. Fortunately the later production cars were fitted with the larger 3.0 litre Ford Essex V6 with 138 bhp and 192 ft lbs of torque.

The engine was mounted behind the passenger compartment in a transverse orientation, mated to an AC-built 5-speed gearbox containing Hewland gears, and it’s operated via a gated shifter.

The 3000 ME has a relatively low kerb weight of 1,085 kilograms or 2,392 lbs in part thanks to its fibreglass body, and the weight distribution is 40/60 front/rear.

There were plans to offer turbocharged versions of the car and conversions were offered in-period. The biggest turbo upgrade turned out over 300 bhp thanks to twin-turbos, Cosworth pistons, Weber carburettors, and water injection. Sadly none of the production plans came to pass, and early surviving turbocharged cars are highly sought after by the 3000 ME cognoscenti.

The AC 3000 ME – The Production Run

The production run of the AC 3000 ME was anything but predictable, the challenges of putting an entirely new car into full production caused a series of problems for AC.

Initial crash testing resulted in the chassis needing to be reworked which significantly slowed the process down. The benefit of this was that the chassis that went into production was considerably safer, stiffer, and stronger.

The 3000 ME officially went on sale at the 1978 NEC Motor Show with a price of ₤11,300, sales were somewhat slow as the car was now competing with the likes of the Lotus Esprit.

Production ceased in 1984 at the Thames Ditton factory when just 80 cars had been delivered. A new company named AC (Scotland) plc. was formed by David McDonald who bought the rights to build the 3000 ME and a new factory in Hillington, Glasgow.

The plan was to ramp up to 40 cars per week, but sadly this never came to pass and just 30 cars were built in total. The Scottish company hired former BRM production engineer Aubrey Woods to develop a MKII version of the car with an Alfa Romeo engine and running gear.

The power unit chosen was the Alfa Romeo 2.5 litre Busso engine, a 60º V6 with a SOHC per bank, 12-valve cylinder heads, an aluminium alloy engine block and heads, and much more tuning ability than the original Ford V6.

Production was shut down in 1985 before this MKII prototype was ready for production, which is a great shame as it has all the hallmarks of a genuinely fantastic mid-engined sports car.

Group B Rally and the Carroll Shelby Version

Two of the greatest “what ifs” in the story of the AC 3000 ME are the stories of how the car was almost developed by Ford for Group B racing duties, and how it was later very nearly sold in the USA as a heavily modified turbo version by Carroll Shelby – a man who was no stranger to the AC marque.

In 1980 Ford of Europe vice president Karl Ludvigsen learned about the 3000 ME whilst discussing replacement options for the recently retired Mark II Escort rally car. Ludvigsen had been talking to Ford of Europe chairman Bob Lutz and Ghia’s chief designer Filippo Sapino, the men agreed the car would be perfect, and the similarity to the formerly dominant Lancia Stratos rally car was noted.

Ford’s directory of rallying Peter Ashcroft and Ford’s chief designer Uwe Bahnsen were tasking with developing a prototype, and AC provided Ghia with one complete car and one rolling chassis.

The 3000 ME was modified extensively for the project and renamed the AC Ghia, it was displayed at the 1981 Geneva Motor Show and earned positive reviews from the motoring media, but by this time Ford had decided to race with the turbocharged MKIII Escort instead.

Carroll Shelby first saw the 3000 ME in the early 1980s, he worked with a series of people including Kas Kastner of Arkay Incorporated and his own engineering team at the then-new Chrysler-Shelby High Performance Center in Santa Fe Springs.

Initially they installed a naturally-aspirated 2.2 litre Chrysler engine but this was quickly upgraded to a turbocharged G-24 engine and 5-speed transaxle. They called the car the Shelby ME 2.2 Turbo, it had bodywork completed by Metalcrafters before being sent to Chrysler President Lee Iacocca.

Iacocca and his team decided against putting it into production and the prototype became a test bed for Shelby, eventually passing into the hands of a private collector.

The AC 3000 ME MKII Prototype Shown Here

The car you see here is one of the most significant of the surviving 3000 MEs, it’s the MKII prototype built by the Scottish 3000 ME team in 1985.

It includes the more advanced Alfa Romeo V6 (now upgraded from 2.5 litres to the 3.0 litre version), and its running gear was extensively replaced with Alfa Romeo equipment including suspension parts, wheels, the control unit, pedals, steering assembly, the CV drive shafts, and upgraded ventilated disc brakes.

This is essentially what the AC 3000 ME would have evolved into had it been given the chance, the much lighter aluminum alloy V6 lowered the kerb weight a little but it also reduced the rear weight bias and reduced the propensity for oversteer.

This remarkably well-preserved piece of motoring history is being auctioned by H and H on May the 1st with a remarkably affordable estimated hammer price of between £18,000 and £22,000. If you’d like to read more about it or register to bid you can click here to visit the listing.

The post A Rare British Prototype – The AC 3000 ME MKII appeared first on Silodrome.

source https://silodrome.com/ac-3000-me/

[bigyack-com]

Mustang From Famed ‘Bullitt’ Car Chase Heads to Auction

Steve McQueen piloted it in the movie “Bullitt,” and for the next 50 years it was mostly a ghost. Now it’s heading to auction, and the speedy dark-green 1968 Ford Mustang fastback is expected to break records when it crosses the block next week at a Mecum event in Florida.Bravely, its owner is offering the rusty, dented, largely unrestored car “without reserve,” which means it will sell to the highest bidder — however low that bid is.The seller, Sean Kiernan, a Tennessee horse farm owner, says he is not worried that the bid will be too low. He figures the price could approach $5 million. Certainly, he adds, the car will sell for more than the $3,500 his father, Bob, paid for it in 1974.It took only 10 minutes of screen time — the length of Hollywood’s most acclaimed movie car chase — for the Mustang (official color: Highland Green) to achieve immortality. McQueen himself raced it through the streets of San Francisco in pursuit of ill-fated evildoers in a black 1968 Dodge Charger.As its cinematic legend has grown over the years, it has become arguably the most iconic Mustang ever, out of more than 10 million sold since the model’s debut in 1964. But what happened to the one true Bullitt Mustang has been, until fairly recently, one of the great automotive mysteries.McQueen, who died of lung cancer in 1980, apparently owned it briefly, through his Solar Productions. In 1971, the company got rid of it and a sister model. Then it began its journey into obscurity, even as McQueen kept trying to find the car for his vast collection.He wanted the so-called hero car, not the second model used for interior and other static shots. But he couldn’t quite catch up with each successive owner. His best chance probably came when its second owner sold it to the Kiernans via a classified ad in a 1974 issue of Road & Track magazine.The ad read: “1968 ‘Bullett’ MUSTANG driven by McQueen in the movie … Can be documented. Best offer.” The ad (typo and all) included a phone number in New Jersey.McQueen tracked down Bob Kiernan in 1977 and wrote him: “I would like to appeal to you to get back my ’68 Mustang. I would like very much to keep it in the family, in its original condition as it was used in the film, rather than have it restored; which is simply personal with me.”Sean Kiernan still has the letter, to which his father did not respond.So the Mustang, still with its handling and horsepower enhancements added for movie duty, lived on as a daily commuter for the Kiernan family until it succumbed to clutch issues in 1980. It has been barn-bound most of the time since then.Its whereabouts finally started to leak out a couple of years ago, causing heart palpitations among the handful of outsiders in the know. An employee of Hagerty, the classic-car insurer, was called in to inspect and authenticate it, as was a Ford expert.The expert, Kevin Marti, said he gasped when he saw it: “Oh, my God, it’s real!” He said he had been called multiple times over the years to investigate other “Bullitt look-alikes.” Someone found the second Mustang in a junkyard in Mexico a few years ago; while still valuable, Mr. Marti noted, it does not have the same provenance or cachet as Mr. Kiernan’s hero car.“Ninety-eight percent of the original car is there,” he told Hagerty. “It’s an incredible artifact.”The question for Mr. Kiernan then became: What to do with it?A movie was discussed, but funding proved problematic. Ford, which has introduced two “Bullitt Mustang” homage models since 2008, was interested in showing it alongside its newer versions. Hagerty suggested placing it on the National Historic Vehicle Register.Ultimately, Mr. Kiernan decided to sell it. That decision wasn’t easy, he acknowledged, nor was his choice of the auction house to handle such a landmark sale. He selected Mecum, a less prestigious auctioneer perhaps than the big names in the business such as RM Sotheby’s and Gooding.RM sold a 1968 Ford GT40 used by McQueen as a camera car in the 1971 movie “LeMans” for $11 million in 2012. But RM also infamously botched the sale of a $20 million Porsche last year. Gooding and others specialize in full classics and European supercars.But cars from America’s so-called muscle car era are right in Mecum’s wheelhouse. Mecum also set a record in 2019 for sales of Mustang-based cars when it notched a $2.2 million sale for a 1967 Shelby GT500 Super Snake.The auction, on Jan. 10, will be televised on NBCSN, which is likely to result in even greater interest.Mr. Kiernan’s decision to offer the car in a no-reserve sale is highly unusual; historically significant cars typically might be offered with a reserve, or a minimum price the seller might accept. If the bidding did not meet the reserve price, the owner would retain the car.Mr. Kiernan decided, “I don’t want to sell the car twice.”A Hagerty spokesman, Jonathan Klinger, said Mr. Kiernan probably had no need to worry.“There is still a very active portion of collector-car culture that thinks of Steve McQueen as the ultimate car guy,” he said. “The King of Cool.”Mecum’s founder and president, Dana Mecum, estimates the Bullitt Mustang will sell for at least $3 million. McKeel Hagerty, the insurer’s chief executive, predicted something closer to $4 million.McQueen-owned or -driven cars have a history of fetching premiums. A 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB by Scaglietti that he owned sold for $10.175 million in 2014. In 2015, Mecum sold McQueen’s 1976 Porsche 930 Turbo for $1.95 million — a good five times the value of a typical Porsche Turbo.Mr. Kiernan said he would be happy to see the Bullitt find a new home, even though it has been in his family for 45 years.“It has to go,” he said. “I only have a two-car garage.” Read the full article

[gearcafe]

A Rare British Prototype – The AC 3000 ME MKII

A Rare British Prototype – The AC 3000 ME MKII

The AC 3000 ME has been described as the little-known British answer to the mighty Lancia Stratos. The history of the wedge-shaped, mid-engined British sports car is fascinating, it was very nearly Ford’s Group B rally car, and Carroll Shelby almost build a production high-performance version named the Shelby ME 2.2 Turbo.

Despite the rarity of the AC 3000 ME it’s still relatively affordable,…

[biofunmy]

10 Electric Vehicles to Watch

This was the year that Tesla’s lock on high-end all-electric vehicles began to break, with Audi and Jaguar sending electric S.U.V.s out into the world. They joined more workaday E.V.s from Chevrolet, Honda, Hyundai, Kia and Nissan.

So 2019 was, finally, the year of the electric vehicle. Right?

Sales of electric autos were double those from the year before, but they were still dwarfed by their fossil-fuel-powered brethren. With a slew of new models promised for next year and beyond, and with charging station infrastructure still being built out, the tipping point for electric autos is still in the future.

But automakers are betting big on that future, and how quickly the industry takes off depends not just on choice but on a shift in customer expectations. Hurdles to a breakout include higher prices, the end of federal tax subsidies for some models and a paucity of charging stations — even though the industry argues that most charging will be done at home at night. That, especially, can be a deterrent given electric cars’ shorter range.

Even so, as Mark Reuss, the General Motors president, recently wrote, “just as demand for gas mileage doesn’t go down when there are more gas stations, demand for better range won’t ease even as charging infrastructure improves.”

That infrastructure is growing, nonetheless. More than 21,000 locations in the United States, with some 57,000 hookups, offer Level 2 charging, which can add maybe 20 miles of range per hour. These are fine for parking at the office or overnight, but useless on a road trip.

For charging to roughly 80 percent of a battery’s capacity in about a half-hour, there are 3,300 DC Fast Charging locations with 12,000 charge points. Many of these are proprietary Tesla chargers, however.

A traditional car, of course, can fill up at 168,000 gas stations across the country in the time it takes to buy a Slim Jim and a Coke.

The evolution toward electrics has given carmakers freedom to play with design — picture Tesla’s jagged-edge pickup — while others are sticking with tried-and-true sedans and crossovers, simply swapping out the drivetrain.

Here’s a look at some of the electric vehicles that are just reaching the market, will soon be available or are expected to arrive in 2021.

Audi e-Tron Sportback: A four-door coupe version of the full-size Audi e-Tron sport utility vehicle, introduced last spring, the Sportback is expected to be available this spring. Designed to look and handle like traditional Audis, the e-Tron models will feel familiar to anyone who knows the brand.

The all-wheel-drive e-Tron S.U.V. charges to 80 percent of its 204-mile range in 30 minutes with a commercial fast-DC charger. Improvements in aerodynamics and battery efficiency should modestly increase the Sportback’s range.

BMW iX3: BMW will start production of its electric S.U.V. next year at its plant in China. The rear-wheel-drive vehicle is expected to provide 286 horsepower and a 273-mile range, according to the European test cycle, which is more optimistic than its American equivalent.

Ford Mustang Mach-E: Ford enlisted its Shelby designers to create a traditional-looking electric S.U.V. that would echo its iconic Mustang sedan. Its first version, a 332-horsepower all-wheel-drive model, will be available late 2020, with a 459-horsepower GT version expected 18 months from now.

The biggest changes, beyond fuel, are inside. A new version of the much-criticized Ford Sync connect service will feature over-the-air updates. Artificial intelligence will monitor a user’s habits and suggest appropriate actions. For example, it may ask if you want to call your mother at a certain time if it notices you typically do that each day.

Natural language comprehension will allow users to state commands in various ways, such as “Take me to Santa Monica” or “I want to go to Santa Monica.”

Mileage will range from an expected 210 to 300 miles, depending on the model. In the “frunk,” or front trunk, the space usually occupied by an engine will offer space designed to hold ice for tailgating; a drain plug will be included.

Mercedes EQC 400 4Matic: Originally expected to arrive in the States next year, the first purpose-built all-electric Mercedes will be delayed until 2021, the company recently announced. It blamed demand in Europe.

The all-wheel-drive vehicle, starting around $70,000, will feature its screen-based MBUX infotainment system now used in a number of new Mercedes models. To optimize the vehicle’s range, the MBUX system can calculate the most power-efficient routes and direct drivers to high-speed charging stations. Time to charge to 80 percent will be about 40 minutes with the fastest chargers.

Porsche Taycan 4S, Turbo and Turbo S: The “entry level” version of Porsche’s first electric vehicle, the 4S will be available this spring, starting at about $104,000. (The imminently shipping Turbo costs about $151,000, and the Turbo S is $185,000.)

The two current models — available with 522 or 562 horsepower — will accelerate from zero to 60 miles an hour in 3.8 seconds. The Taycan has a range of just over 200 miles, and it is one of the fastest-charging E.V.s around: A DC fast charger will juice it to 80 percent capacity in 22 minutes. The company expects that by 2025, half of its sales will be either fully electric or hybrid models.

Volvo XC40 Recharge: To cut costs and time to market, Volvo is equipping its existing XC40 S.U.V. with an electric drivetrain. Expected at the end of 2020, for “under $48,000” after incentives, this is the start of a Volvo product road map that will bring out one new E.V. model each year.

Over-the-air updates will be available for all vehicle features. The “completely rethought” infotainment system is based on the Android operating system, with Google Maps, Google Assistant and the Google Play app store embedded within the vehicle so they work without a phone. The 408-horsepower engine is expected to provide 240 miles of range. A high-speed commercial charger will fill the XC40 to 80 percent capacity in 40 minutes.

Byton: Distinguished by many enormous wraparound screens, this Chinese-built S.U.V. will be sold in the United States, at a starting price of $45,000, beginning in the second half of 2021. Sales in its home country will start at the end of next year.

Drivers can alter the screen display to account for whether the vehicle is moving or not, and whether the driver or passenger is watching. Artificial intelligence is combined with subscriptions to popular music and video services, and linked via facial recognition, so it will know your favorite artists. If the driver allows, the vehicle will have access to calendar events; knowing that you’re finishing up your spin class, the system could cool the car before you arrive.

Available as a 225- or 300-mile range version, the Byton will be sold directly and through dealers, with its first company store to open in Los Angeles by the middle of next year.

Canoo: One of several hopeful start-ups, Canoo plans to sell its namesake model at the end of 2021. Unlike several established marques, Canoo has taken advantage of the lack of an internal combustion engine to rethink the look of a vehicle.

The symmetrical Canoo is positioned as “an urban loft on wheels,” the company says, with the rear seats arranged more like a sofa. To increase interior space, Canoo eliminates the traditional engine compartment and its protective firewall. The use of “steer by wire,” an electronic rather than a mechanical system, eliminates the need for various mechanical components, also allowing for more freedom in the placement of the steering wheel.

Infotainment will be provided through a smartphone connection.

The Canoo, with an anticipated 250-mile range, will be available only through subscription, the price of which (undisclosed as of yet) will cover the vehicle, registration, license and insurance. The subscription can be canceled or rolled over into another model when available, at any time.

Faraday Future: Once left for dead after a splashy premiere three years ago, a planned Las Vegas factory that never got built, and a Chinese founder and funder who went bankrupt, the company is back with a new leader, the former head of Byton; new funding; and a rethought vehicle.

Where once Faraday Future advocated the “bring your own device” approach to infotainment now promoted by Canoo, the current version of the large S.U.V. will sport 11 screens in its ultra-high-end FF91.

The company claims that the FF91 will accelerate from zero to 60 in an astonishing 2.2 seconds (although it’s not clear why anyone would need to), and cost $150,000 to $200,000 when it comes out by September. If there’s demand, the company can build up to 15,000 units annually in a Hanford, Calif., plant that’s smaller than the ambitious one it abandoned in Las Vegas.

The company says it will make money at that volume by selling its hardware and software to competitors. Plans for a smaller, more affordable FF81 exist, and the company hopes to enter “preproduction” by the end of 2020.

Volkswagen ID4 Crozz: VW’s first purpose-built E.V., this compact S.U.V. is due in the States by the end of 2020, priced in the mid-$30,000s after tax credits. This will be followed in 2021 by a larger, Passat-size S.U.V., the Space Vizzion, and then in 2023 by the Buzz, Volkswagen’s electric version of its iconic bus. The vehicles will at first be imported and eventually built at the automaker’s factory in Chattanooga, Tenn.

About the same size as VW’s Tiguan, the ID4 will have a range of 200 to 300 miles. Navigation commands will be shown in a windshield heads-up display, with arrows overlaid on the screen to show when to turn.

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[silodrome]

The British Lancia Stratos - The AC 3000 ME MKII Prototype

The British Lancia Stratos - The AC 3000 ME MKII Prototype #ac3000me #classiccar #vintagecar #car #cars #autos

The AC 3000 ME has been described as the little-known British answer to the mighty Lancia Stratos. The history of the wedge-shaped, mid-engined British sports car is fascinating, it was very nearly Ford’s Group B rally car, and Carroll Shelby almost build a production high-performance version named the Shelby ME 2.2 Turbo.

Despite the rarity of the AC 3000 ME it’s still relatively affordable,…

[bigyack-com]

10 Electric Vehicles to Watch

This was the year that Tesla’s lock on high-end all-electric vehicles began to break, with Audi and Jaguar sending electric S.U.V.s out into the world. They joined more workaday E.V.s from Chevrolet, Honda, Hyundai, Kia and Nissan.So 2019 was, finally, the year of the electric vehicle. Right?Sales of electric autos were double those from the year before, but they were still dwarfed by their fossil-fuel-powered brethren. With a slew of new models promised for next year and beyond, and with charging station infrastructure still being built out, the tipping point for electric autos is still in the future. But automakers are betting big on that future, and how quickly the industry takes off depends not just on choice but on a shift in customer expectations. Hurdles to a breakout include higher prices, the end of federal tax subsidies for some models and a paucity of charging stations — even though the industry argues that most charging will be done at home at night. That, especially, can be a deterrent given electric cars’ shorter range. Even so, as Mark Reuss, the General Motors president, recently wrote, “just as demand for gas mileage doesn’t go down when there are more gas stations, demand for better range won’t ease even as charging infrastructure improves.”That infrastructure is growing, nonetheless. More than 21,000 locations in the United States, with some 57,000 hookups, offer Level 2 charging, which can add maybe 20 miles of range per hour. These are fine for parking at the office or overnight, but useless on a road trip. For charging to roughly 80 percent of a battery’s capacity in about a half-hour, there are 3,300 DC Fast Charging locations with 12,000 charge points. Many of these are proprietary Tesla chargers, however.A traditional car, of course, can fill up at 168,000 gas stations across the country in the time it takes to buy a Slim Jim and a Coke.The evolution toward electrics has given carmakers freedom to play with design — picture Tesla’s jagged-edge pickup — while others are sticking with tried-and-true sedans and crossovers, simply swapping out the drivetrain. Here’s a look at some of the electric vehicles that are just reaching the market, will soon be available or are expected to arrive in 2021.Audi e-Tron Sportback: A four-door coupe version of the full-size Audi e-Tron sport utility vehicle, introduced last spring, the Sportback is expected to be available this spring. Designed to look and handle like traditional Audis, the e-Tron models will feel familiar to anyone who knows the brand.The all-wheel-drive e-Tron S.U.V. charges to 80 percent of its 204-mile range in 30 minutes with a commercial fast-DC charger. Improvements in aerodynamics and battery efficiency should modestly increase the Sportback’s range.BMW iX3: BMW will start production of its electric S.U.V. next year at its plant in China. The rear-wheel-drive vehicle is expected to provide 286 horsepower and a 273-mile range, according to the European test cycle, which is more optimistic than its American equivalent.Ford Mustang Mach-E: Ford enlisted its Shelby designers to create a traditional-looking electric S.U.V. that would echo its iconic Mustang sedan. Its first version, a 332-horsepower all-wheel-drive model, will be available late 2020, with a 459-horsepower GT version expected 18 months from now.The biggest changes, beyond fuel, are inside. A new version of the much-criticized Ford Sync connect service will feature over-the-air updates. Artificial intelligence will monitor a user’s habits and suggest appropriate actions. For example, it may ask if you want to call your mother at a certain time if it notices you typically do that each day.Natural language comprehension will allow users to state commands in various ways, such as “Take me to Santa Monica” or “I want to go to Santa Monica.”Mileage will range from an expected 210 to 300 miles, depending on the model. In the “frunk,” or front trunk, the space usually occupied by an engine will offer space designed to hold ice for tailgating; a drain plug will be included.Mercedes EQC 400 4Matic: Originally expected to arrive in the States next year, the first purpose-built all-electric Mercedes will be delayed until 2021, the company recently announced. It blamed demand in Europe.The all-wheel-drive vehicle, starting around $70,000, will feature its screen-based MBUX infotainment system now used in a number of new Mercedes models. To optimize the vehicle’s range, the MBUX system can calculate the most power-efficient routes and direct drivers to high-speed charging stations. Time to charge to 80 percent will be about 40 minutes with the fastest chargers.Porsche Taycan 4S, Turbo and Turbo S: The “entry level” version of Porsche’s first electric vehicle, the 4S will be available this spring, starting at about $104,000. (The imminently shipping Turbo costs about $151,000, and the Turbo S is $185,000.)The two current models — available with 522 or 562 horsepower — will accelerate from zero to 60 miles an hour in 3.8 seconds. The Taycan has a range of just over 200 miles, and it is one of the fastest-charging E.V.s around: A DC fast charger will juice it to 80 percent capacity in 22 minutes. The company expects that by 2025, half of its sales will be either fully electric or hybrid models.Volvo XC40 Recharge: To cut costs and time to market, Volvo is equipping its existing XC40 S.U.V. with an electric drivetrain. Expected at the end of 2020, for “under $48,000” after incentives, this is the start of a Volvo product road map that will bring out one new E.V. model each year.Over-the-air updates will be available for all vehicle features. The “completely rethought” infotainment system is based on the Android operating system, with Google Maps, Google Assistant and the Google Play app store embedded within the vehicle so they work without a phone. The 408-horsepower engine is expected to provide 240 miles of range. A high-speed commercial charger will fill the XC40 to 80 percent capacity in 40 minutes.Byton: Distinguished by many enormous wraparound screens, this Chinese-built S.U.V. will be sold in the United States, at a starting price of $45,000, beginning in the second half of 2021. Sales in its home country will start at the end of next year. Drivers can alter the screen display to account for whether the vehicle is moving or not, and whether the driver or passenger is watching. Artificial intelligence is combined with subscriptions to popular music and video services, and linked via facial recognition, so it will know your favorite artists. If the driver allows, the vehicle will have access to calendar events; knowing that you’re finishing up your spin class, the system could cool the car before you arrive.Available as a 225- or 300-mile range version, the Byton will be sold directly and through dealers, with its first company store to open in Los Angeles by the middle of next year.Canoo: One of several hopeful start-ups, Canoo plans to sell its namesake model at the end of 2021. Unlike several established marques, Canoo has taken advantage of the lack of an internal combustion engine to rethink the look of a vehicle.The symmetrical Canoo is positioned as “an urban loft on wheels,” the company says, with the rear seats arranged more like a sofa. To increase interior space, Canoo eliminates the traditional engine compartment and its protective firewall. The use of “steer by wire,” an electronic rather than a mechanical system, eliminates the need for various mechanical components, also allowing for more freedom in the placement of the steering wheel.Infotainment will be provided through a smartphone connection.The Canoo, with an anticipated 250-mile range, will be available only through subscription, the price of which (undisclosed as of yet) will cover the vehicle, registration, license and insurance. The subscription can be canceled or rolled over into another model when available, at any time.Faraday Future: Once left for dead after a splashy premiere three years ago, a planned Las Vegas factory that never got built, and a Chinese founder and funder who went bankrupt, the company is back with a new leader, the former head of Byton; new funding; and a rethought vehicle.Where once Faraday Future advocated the “bring your own device” approach to infotainment now promoted by Canoo, the current version of the large S.U.V. will sport 11 screens in its ultra-high-end FF91.The company claims that the FF91 will accelerate from zero to 60 in an astonishing 2.2 seconds (although it’s not clear why anyone would need to), and cost $150,000 to $200,000 when it comes out by September. If there’s demand, the company can build up to 15,000 units annually in a Hanford, Calif., plant that’s smaller than the ambitious one it abandoned in Las Vegas.The company says it will make money at that volume by selling its hardware and software to competitors. Plans for a smaller, more affordable FF81 exist, and the company hopes to enter “preproduction” by the end of 2020.Volkswagen ID4 Crozz: VW’s first purpose-built E.V., this compact S.U.V. is due in the States by the end of 2020, priced in the mid-$30,000s after tax credits. This will be followed in 2021 by a larger, Passat-size S.U.V., the Space Vizzion, and then in 2023 by the Buzz, Volkswagen’s electric version of its iconic bus. The vehicles will at first be imported and eventually built at the automaker’s factory in Chattanooga, Tenn.About the same size as VW’s Tiguan, the ID4 will have a range of 200 to 300 miles. Navigation commands will be shown in a windshield heads-up display, with arrows overlaid on the screen to show when to turn. Read the full article