Nissan's New 'Game Changer' Solid-State EV Battery Plant Takes Shape
Nissan Motor Co. showed off construction of a pilot plant for all-solid-state batteries with executives calling the technology a “game changer” for its next-generation electric vehicles. The building is little more than a maze of unfinished walls and dangling air ducts in an old, repurposed machining plant at Nissan’s sprawling Yokohama factory complex. But by next March, Japan’s No. 3 automaker says, state-of-the-art manufacturing equipment will be installed and turning out trial runs of the breakthrough next-generation batteries. Initial volumes will be limited to tens of thousands of cells, enough to power only a handful of prototype vehicles, reports Automotive News. But the pilot run will gradually scale up to about 100 megawatts per year, or enough for about 1,000 to 2,000 EVs, depending on the battery size, said Executive Vice President Hideyuki Sakamoto, Nissan’s global manufacturing chief. After mass production begins in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2029, volume could reach 3 to 30 gigawatts a year. Click here for the full story.
Kia Poised to Pull Ahead in Race to Inexpensive EVs, Exec Says
Kia's early-to-market approach to electric vehicle development will help it bring inexpensive models to the U.S. mass market faster than other automakers, an executive says. Kia America COO Steve Center told Automotive News that the brand has a head start on rivals thanks to the experience it has accumulated in the space. "We're ahead of most, and we're trying to rush out ahead because our technology will be more evolved," Center said, noting that Kia's newest entry, the EV9, is already on a third-generation battery. "You can't just jump in and catch up. You have to have your own R&D, your own secret sauce," he said. Developing inexpensive EVs is a shared goal across the industry. Electric vehicle sales continue to grow, but the pace has slowed, and consideration is waning. Until recently, the industry was expecting less expensive products from EV powerhouse Tesla. But according to reports this month, CEO Elon Musk is now shifting his focus away from creating low-cost, low-margin EVs to developing robotaxis instead. Click here for the full story.
Ol’ Reliable Toyota Camry Is All Good and All-Hybrid
The Toyota Camry one day might go into some Hall of Fame for consistency of purpose over decades. While Ford, General Motors and Chrysler/Dodge have miraculously botched, blown and bungled the 4-door family sedan for decades – including the marketing by frequently changing model names – Toyota (and, to be fair, Honda) have nailed it product cycle after product cycle. According to Wards, the ’25 redesign, the ninth-generation Camry, nails it again and once again leads all challengers by assuming leadership and producing each one as a hybrid getting great fuel economy. Yes, Toyota has taken away consumer choice on powertrain, leading buyers by the hand into electrified propulsion. But we predict none of Camry’s buyers will even notice the change except for fewer trips to the gas station. Driving around Southern California’s rolling hills and mountain roads confirms suspicions that there is nothing especially exciting about the Camry. The experience is like eating a loaf of good bread or a tasty hamburger that is exactly what you want when hungry. In all three cases – the Camry, bread and burger – they do the job in a quality way. Click here for the full story.
New-Car Inventory Rises and Best-Value Cars For 2024 Revealed
According to the most recent Cars.com report, new-car inventory is on the rise —particularly in the under $30,000 segment — marking a significant recovery. Vehicles now average 65 days on the market, more than double the time compared to the peak pandemic shortage period. Additionally, the report indicates that the average list price for new cars has dropped to its lowest point in over a year, reports CBT News. In response to these trends, Cars.com’s 2024 list of best-value new cars has been updated to include a wider range of vehicle categories, such as compact cars, various SUV sizes, and pickups, with a new focus on essential features over luxury. This year’s guide no longer mandates all-wheel drive for SUVs and continues highlighting EVs for those seeking to minimize fuel costs. The selection criteria emphasize practicality and long-term usability, featuring cars with modern necessities like automatic transmission, smartphone integration, and advanced safety features like automatic emergency braking and lane departure warning. Click here for the full story.
2025 BMW X3 Defends the Middle Ground
The tanned, gray-haired local in the current-gen BMW X4 M40i lead car is a veteran of this Autodrome de Miramas circuit in France and joined the BMW proving-ground team back in 1995. Even though the wiry professional test driver must know every single curb of this track, he and his crossover coupe didn't stand a chance against the big, bad, camo'd 2025 X3 M50 filling his rearview mirror (BMW is dropping the "i" from the model names of its gas-powered vehicles going forward, only using that letter for its EVs). "It's not just the extra 35 horsepower that's giving him a hard time," said the grinning Matthias Richter, the young vehicle dynamics project engineer strapped into the passenger seat of Car and Driver’s prototype X3 M50. "The new model fields an extensively revised chassis, more precise and communicative steering, and a selectively beefed-up body structure for much improved handling and more tenacious cornering grip." First launched in 2003, the X3 quickly became BMW's bestselling model and has racked up over 3.5 million deliveries to date globally. The fourth-generation version, which comes on stream in October to the U.S., will continue to be assembled in Spartanburg, S.C. Click here for the full story.
Around the Web
Review: The V8-Powered 2024 Porsche Cayenne S Is the Best of its Kind [Carscoops]
2025 BMW X3 Defends the Middle Ground [Car and Driver]
Toyota Adding Apple CarPlay Escape, Docked Menu Bank as OTA Infotainment Update [Autoblog]
Aston Martin Hires Pedro Mota to Lead Americas Region [Automotive News]
