Ram Revolution concept, Ram PHEV, Afeela debut, BMW CES concept: Today’s Car News
BMW is going back to basics with the look and the interface for its mid-decade EVs. The Sony-Honda EV brand now has a name. Stellantis is getting in the electric aircraft business. Ram reveals the direction of its future trucks, and it’s electric. And there’s another Ram plug-in on the way. This and more, here at City Dwellers.
On Thursday at CES, Stellantis revealed a fully electric Ram truck—the 1500 Revolution BEV Concept. With flamboyant new styling, a cavernous frunk, a full-length pass-through for 18 feet (or more) of lumber storage, and third-row jump seats, it doesn’t ignore the usability aspects that truck buyers look for. As for the nearly buttonless interior, we’ll see soon how that translates to a production model. And, Ram explained to City Dwellers, an upcoming plug-in hybrid Ram truck—or range-extended electric truck, depending on the configuration—will play a key role in the Ram lineup and making sure it outdoes rivals in the way customers use their trucks.
Stellantis revealed more than that. In addition to a concept that highlights future design themes for Peugeot, the company confirmed that it will build the Archer Midnight electric aircraft and invest in that California company.
The Ohio-built Sony-Honda electric car now has a name—or at least a brand name. A refreshed, production-bound version of Sony’s 2020 Vision-S concept was revealed at CES, along with plans for Level 3 automation and Epic Games cloud-based features, under a new EV brand to be called Afeela.
BMW truly went back to basics with its i Vision Dee concept for CES. Previewing a new family of EVs on the way mid-decade, dubbed “Neue Klasse,” this “reductive design” seems like a throwback to the 3-Series lineup of decades ago, with a pared-down interior that goes without screens and a traditional interface.
And in case you missed it earlier this week, a new study from the consultancy Deloitte highlights that among shoppers, there’s a growing level of concern over the cost of EVs, while concern over driving range and charging time carry over from previous, similar studies.
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