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BusinessTechCrunchIndia's Cars24, a used-vehicle sales platform, raises $450M at a $1.84B valuation
The used car market is getting another major infusion of venture capital today, with one of the faster scaling startups out of India picking up a major round of financing to double down on growth: Cars24 -- a site and app that sells users cars and used two-wheeled motorbikes -- has raised $450 million, a Series F of $340 million and $110 million in debt. DST Global, Falcon Edge and SoftBank Vision Fund 2 co-led the Series F, with Tencent and existing investors Moore Strategic Ventures and Exor Seeds also participating. Vikram Chopra, the CEO who co-founded the company in Gurugram with Mehul Agrawal, Ruchit Agarwal and Gajendra Jangid, said that the plan will be to use the funds across a range of areas.
BusinessAutoblog2022 Toyota Tundra debuts with twin-turbo V6 and optional hybrid
Back then, the Tundra’s 5.7-liter V8 engine’s 381 horsepower and 401 pound-feet of torque sounded impressive, the six-speed automatic was state of the art and its 10,000-pound tow rating was competitive. In standard form, 389 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque are shuttled through a 10-speed automatic to either the rear wheels or all four. At low speeds, the hybrid system is capable of operating solely on electricity, but the gasoline engine will automatically kick on at speeds over 18 mph. Setting the Drive Mode Select dial to Sport or Sport+ (no, we don’t expect the new Tundra to be sporty, regardless of the modes) will maximize performance from the hybrid drivetrain.
BusinessAutoblogTesla needs to address 'basic safety issues' before expanding semi-autonomous tech
Before Tesla considers rolling out a further expansion of its semi-autonomous driving technology, the automaker should take a hard look at what it's already released, according to Jennifer Homendy, head of the National Transportation Safety Board. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Homendy said, "Basic safety issues have to be addressed before they’re then expanding it to other city streets and other areas." Homendy further suggested that Tesla "has clearly misled numerous people to misuse and abuse technology."
TechnologyEngadgetNTSB head says Tesla must address 'basic safety issues' with semi-autonomous features
The new NTSB head says Tesla needs to tackle 'basic' safety concerns before expanding semi-autonomous features like Autopilot and Full Self Driving.
LifestyleAutoblogWhat the ID.Life concept reveals about Volkswagen's design direction
One of the stars of the 2021 Munich auto show was the Volkswagen ID.Life, a concept built to preview an entry-level electric car aimed at a relatively young target audience. While it might not reach production exactly as you see it in our gallery, it illustrates the direction that the German firm's design language will take in the coming years. What stands out when you look at the ID.Life is that it shares no styling cues with Volkswagen's existing electric cars, like the ID.4.
LifestyleAutoblogJunkyard Gem: 1991 Lexus ES 250
When the Lexus LS 400 first appeared here in late 1989 (as a 1990 model), sellers of German-made luxury sedans broke out in the shaky sweats and car shoppers flocked to see — and buy — this well-built statusmobile that retailed for about 60% of the price of the cheapest S-Class. Not attracting nearly as much attention at the time was the other introductory vehicle of the Lexus brand: the ES 250.
NewsTechCrunchHow to meet the demand of EV infrastructure and maintain a stable grid
As electric vehicles (EVs) become the new standard, charging infrastructure will become a commonplace detail blending into the landscape, available in a host of places from a range of providers: privately run charging stations, the office parking lot, home garages and government-provided locations to fill in the gaps. The Biden administration announced 500,000 charging stations to be installed nationally and additional energy storage to facilitate the shift to EVs. Integrating all of this new infrastructure and transitioning requires balancing the traffic on the grid and managing increased energy demand that stretches beyond power lines and storage itself.
TechnologyEngadgetICYMI: We test out the GoPro Hero 10 Black action cam
This week's tech reviews include the new GoPro Hero 10 Black and Jabra's Elite 3 earbuds.
EntertainmentAutoblogJLR shares backstage 'No Time to Die' Range Rover Sport SVR carnage
James Bond's latest adventures will take him to Norway and Scotland, as seen in the trailer for the upcoming "No Time to Die." The filmmakers wanted to take a Bond action sequence off-road, and chose the Range Rover Sport SVR as the the bad guys' pursuit vehicle. Armed with a JLR product placement deal (Bond drives a new Defender in another part of the movie) the henchmen had no qualms picking one of the most expensive things on the menu.
LifestyleAutoblogJunkyard Gem: 1985 Ford Mustang GT
When you visit a big American self-service car graveyard these days, you'll find plenty of Ford Mustangs. Nearly all of those cars will be the 1994-2004 SN95s, with a few fifth-generation Mustangs plus a surprising number of 1974-1978 Mustang IIs. Pre-1974 Mustangs are exceedingly rare in the big, high-inventory-turnover yards nowadays, of course (though I do find one now and then), but the real surprise is how tough it is to find reasonably intact Fox Mustangs in such places.
EntertainmentAutoblogAnthony Mackie to star in 'Twisted Metal' TV show | Gaming roundup
Deadline reported earlier this week that Marvel's new Captain America, Anthony Mackie, will star in the upcoming "Twisted Metal" TV show. "Twisted Metal" is pretty inarguably the best car combat video game series of all time, and while we haven't had a new installment in the series for many years, the fact that things seem to be progressing with a television show is a great sign that a new game could be in the works. Mackie will be playing a presumably human character by the name of John Doe, and if the show sticks closely to the storyline of the games, he may be piloting a 1976 Pontiac LeMans colloquially called "Roadkill," one of the least zany of the main crop of vehicles available in the games.
LifestyleAutoblog2022 Toyota Sienna Woodland priced at $46,565
Toyota believes there are enough minivan drivers out there with dreams of conquering dirt paths that it created the 2022 Sienna Woodland Special Edition. Special shocks create 6.9 inches of ground clearance, putting the sylvan trim right there with the Jeep Renegade, to go with standard all-wheel drive and 18-inch wheels, roof rails with crossbars, a 1,500-watt power inverter in the cargo area, and a 3,500-pound towing capacity. Cars Direct got a look at a Toyota order guide, and according to that, Toyota also believes people are ready to splurge to the tune of $46,565 for the Sienna Woodland Edition.
BusinessAutoblogTowing in Britain sure is different ... and somehow not dangerous?
What led us down this rabbit hole was seeing that the new Kia Sorento, which is a fine crossover, won the overall Tow Car Award from the U.K.'s What Car?. Depending on specification, the Sorento is only rated for 2,000 to 3,500 pounds of towing in the United States. Maybe a Sorento is built robust enough that it can handle pulling that amount of weight, and since that's a rating with a braked trailer, braking might be fine, too.
NewsAutoblogW12 engine disappears for regular Bentley Continental GT in 2022
The non-Speed version of the Bentley Continental GT will not be available with a W12 engine in 2022. CarBuzz noticed the change missing on Bentley's Continental Range page, and when the outlet put the question to the English automaker, the answer came back, "GT Speed and GT Speed Convertible are the only way to get a Continental with the W12 for 22MY." At least the new Speed has received a handling makeover that includes a Bentley first: an electronic limited-slip differential.
BusinessTechCrunchElon Musk praises Chinese automakers amidst regulatory scrutiny
An unusually scripted Elon Musk issued conciliatory and complimentary comments to Chinese automakers during a pre-recorded appearance at China’s World New Energy Vehicle Congress, striking a pose that is worlds away from his commentary style in the United States. “I have a great deal of respect for the many Chinese automakers for driving these [EV and AV] technologies,” he said, the reflection of a ring light just visible in the window over his left shoulder. Then again, perhaps Musk doesn't need any external coaxing; China is one of the most lucrative markets for electric vehicles in the entire world, accounting for around one-fifth -- or $6.66 billion -- of Tesla’s overall sales last year, according to regulatory filings.
LifestyleAutoblogThe Genesis GV60 has some sort of shifting orb
The new 2022 Genesis GV70 is a potential game changer, both for its brand and the compact luxury SUV segment. But I'll only ever do that once, and that's really not that much different than what you might find with old-school column shifters like those still found in many pickups.
EntertainmentAutoblog2022 Genesis GV70, raging at VW ID.4 tech and thoughts on a new Lexus LFA | Autoblog Podcast #696
In this episode of the Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Senior Editor James Riswick. This week, they talk about driving the Genesis GV70, VW ID.4 and VW Taos. James ranked all the James Bond films based solely on their starring cars.
TechnologyTechCrunchBoston Dynamics owner Hyundai deploys Spot for factory safety monitoring
Back in June, Hyundai completed a deal for controlling interest in Boston Dynamics. The Korean automotive giant no doubt has some grand plans for integrating the Massachusetts-based firm’s technology into a lot of their forward-looking concept mobility vehicles -- for now, however, it's more about putting existing robots to work. Hyundai today announced the arrival of the drably-named “Factory Safety Service Robot.”
LifestyleAutoblog2022 Hyundai Tucson Luggage Test | How much cargo space?
The Hyundai Tucson used to be one of the smallest compact SUVs, but not any more. With the Venue and Kona now below, it has leapfrogged much of its competition to indeed become of the biggest compact SUVs. This can be seen in its 41.3 inches of back seat legroom (the CR-V has 40.4), and since this is the luggage test after all, its 38.7 cubic-feet of cargo space with the back seat raised.
BusinessAutoblog2022 Kia Sorento PHEV pricing information is out
Kia has published pricing information for the plug-in hybrid version of the new 2022 Sorento. It costs more than the non-electrified and hybrid models, but some buyers will be able to claim local and federal tax incentives. Already on its way to dealers across the nation, the Sorento PHEV is available in two trim levels named SX and SX-Prestige (SX-P).
NewsAutoblogFord creates Mustang Mach-E GT Police Interceptor for Michigan State Police
Ford is starting to take its Mustang Mach-E Police Interceptor program more seriously. Today, Ford made a formal announcement that it’s submitting a Mach-E police pilot vehicle to the Michigan State Police for formal testing and evaluation. Ford says it will use that testing (part of the program’s 2022 model year evaluations) to help it make electric police vehicles in the future, possibly based on the Mustang Mach-E.
EntertainmentAutoblogWatch all the 2021 Goodwood Revival racing action here
Per usual, the whole event is being streamed live on YouTube for you to take in for as long or as little as you’d like. This 2021 edition of the Revival is the first in a couple of years, as the 2020 event was canceled due to Covid-19. Instead of minute-long blasts up a hilly driveway in the Goodwood Festival of Speed, the Revival is a wheel-to-wheel racing event held at the Goodwood Circuit (a track on the same property).
NewsAutoblogConsumer Reports tested the Tesla yoke — hated it
When Tesla first shows images of its yoke-style steering "wheel" for the updated Model S and Model X, critics were, including us, almost universally skeptical. After some real-world testing, however, Consumer Reports reveals that it's actually much worse than those initial observations predicted. While many sports cars have a flat-bottom steering wheel, Tesla has a longer and wider horizontal base than those.
NewsAutoblogListen to BRM P15 V16's unholy havoc — half banshee, half flamethrower
A year ago, British Racing Motors (BRM) announced it was producing three continuation P16 race cars, which campaigned in Formula One in the early 1950s. What BRM didn't say was that it was already a year into the creation of the first, which is now ready for its first owner. English restorers Hall & Hall have spent two years re-creating the single-seater and its 1.5-liter supercharged V16 engine from scratch using nearly 20,000 original drawings to fabricate more than 36,000 pieces, at least 4,000 of those for the engine alone.
LifestyleAutoblogCadillac Escalade Diesel Road Test Review | Winning us over
"Nope, I don't like it," I declared to my large son sitting in the 2021 Cadillac Escalade 600D's second-row captain's chairs. It’s not particularly loud or harsh, but the clatter is distinctive when you’d normally expect to hear the humming of a V8 at idle.
