PLUS: GMC Hummer EV drive, Bolt production resumes, and Tesla hosts a Cyber Rodeo.
Lexus is ready to boldly go where Tesla has gone before, revealing a yoke-style steering that will be offered in its RZ 450e electric crossover. The Japanese automaker gave the world a glimpse at the cockpit of its first EV to be offered stateside, after revealing a similar yoke-style setup in the Toyota bZ4X sibling that will stay confined to other markets.
It's an adventurous move, and an unexpected one. After all, was there much popular demand for such an option before or after Tesla's reveal of its own version of the yoke steering in the Model S and the Model X? In Lexus' case, it is expected to be offered as part of a steer-by-wire system, which will be another first for the brand.
| The Lexus RZ 450e will be unveiled in full later this month, and will go on sale in the second half of the year. |
Beyond the novelty of the yoke steering, we'll get our first look at the Lexus RZ 450e in just a few days, with the automaker scheduled to reveal the production version on April 20th.
The RZ 450e will share a platform with the Toyota bZ4X and the Subaru Solterra, but is expected to offer a dual-motor layout as a standard feature, unlike its two siblings. It's also expected to serve up quite a bit more power from its two motors, compared to the dual-motor Toyota model that will have just 215 hp on tap. And, of course, it will have quite a few more luxury items inside compared to its Subaru and Toyota siblings.
Here's what to expect from Lexus' first EV to make it stateside.
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Tesla is on a roll early this year, and two new plants have just been launched. |
Speaking of cars with yoke steering, Tesla has just posted a record quarter when it comes to deliveries, with 310,048 new vehicles reaching buyers in the first three months of the year. This number represents a slight bump over the previous quarter that saw 308,600 new Tesla vehicles delivered, which itself was a quarterly record for the automaker. But it's a giant boost over the first quarter of 2021 that saw 184,800 Tesla models delivered to buyers.
If you've been following Tesla numbers for a while, you already know that the Model 3 and the Model Y accounted for the vast majority of vehicles produced. Indeed, the two smaller and newer models accounted for 295,324 out of the 310,048 vehicles delivered, with Model S and Model X having retreated to a somewhat niche status in the automaker's lineup. That's a big change from just a few years ago when the Model S was much more of a factor.
Tesla's first quarter was also notable for the launch of Giga Berlin in the closing days of March, so these numbers don't reflect the boost that European production will give Tesla in the coming quarters, as production in Germany gains momentum.
And speaking of new Tesla plants, this week saw the grand opening of Giga Texas in Tesla's new home city of Austin. Just like in Berlin a few weeks back, Tesla CEO Elon Musk was in attendance for the formal launch of the plant. So as record-breaking as the first quarter of 2022 may have been for Tesla, the rest of the year should be even more productive.
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Honda has already offered an EV of its own design in the recent past, but odds are you haven't seen one on the road. The Clarity EV was sold only for a short period of time, with Honda withdrawing the model in 2019. For its next battery-electric model, Honda is teaming up with General Motors, but it doesn't sound like Honda will be the one doing most of the heavy lifting.
Here's what the latest plan for Honda electric models is all about.
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The GMC Hummer EV seemed to be a vehicle of contrasts even before the first one rolled off the assembly line. A launch mode that could propel something this heavy from 0 to 60 mph in about three seconds? A CrabWalk mode for a truck that seems like it's too big to actually fit on a forest trail? The Hummer promised all of these things and more.
Now that it's here, what do these features actually feel like in the real world?
We drove one on and off road to find out.
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