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Yahoo
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Alpine's Electric A110 Will Be Lighter Than Its Gas-Powered Rivals
An often-touted gripe against high-performance electric vehicles is how heavy they can be, lugging around a massive battery to power the motors for longer than a few minutes. However, Alpine is flipping the script with the next iteration of its venerable sports car. The French manufacturer claims that its next-generation A110 EV will be lighter than its internal combustion competitors when it debuts next year. This is the same car Alpine hopes to sell in the United States. Alpine revealed the A390, its second-ever EV, on Tuesday. While the A290 is an uprated badge-swapped Renault 5 E-Tech, the new tri-motor sport fastback is bespoke to the brand. The five-seater A390 produces 470 horsepower with a 0-to-60-mph time of 4.8 seconds and debuts a new active torque vectoring system. The fastback's 89-kWh battery will get 345 miles of range in Europe and is equipped with 190-kW fast charging. Don't worry if this all-wheel-drive car isn't agile enough for your taste, Alpine isn't abandoning its sporty roots. The French brand is gradually unveiling a seven-model electric "Dream Garage" lineup over the rest of this decade to revive the automaker's image. The A110 EV is believed to be the next car in the works, with Alpine developing a new electric sports car platform that will also underpin a four-seat A310 model. Renault Group CEO Luca de Meo told Autocar, "The next A110 will be lighter than a comparable car with a combustion engine but with no compromise in performance." De Meo compared how Porsche doesn't use the 911 platform for anything, but cars like the Cayenne and Taycan are shared with other models — like how the A390's platform is shared with the Renault Scenic. Read more: These Are The Cars You'd Buy If They Were $20,000 Cheaper Alpine becoming a French Porsche is an appealing idea, and the French brand has toyed with an electric sports car before. The A110 E-ternité concept was revealed in 2022 as a harbinger of its all-electric future. It attempted to replicate a traditional ICE A110 as closely as possible, but there was still a performance deficit. The E-ternité was 568 pounds heavier and had 80 miles less range, but was 0.3 seconds faster from 0 to 60 mph. One can only imagine the performance gains the A110 EV will benefit from when shifting to a completely bespoke platform. The only other question that remains is if we will actually see these new Alpine electric vehicles in the United States. It's fair to say that President Donald Trump's reciprocal tariffs have thrown a wrench in the plans of any European manufacturer considering an expansion into the American market. Alpine was in talks with AutoNation to distribute its cars across the country, but that was before "Liberation Day." Want more like this? Join the Jalopnik newsletter to get the latest auto news sent straight to your inbox... Read the original article on Jalopnik.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
When The Italian Beef Hits Just Right
Sometimes eating a big ol' sopping wet Chicago Italian Beef sandwich can have seriously adverse consequences as one box truck driver found out after his rig exploded on the suburb of Addison, Illinois. I'm kidding, obviously, and luckily there were no serious injuries, but that doesn't change the fact that a truck exploded in a nearly comical way and damaged a handful of houses. The Penske box truck popped, leaving a field of debris for over a block. The explosion also damaged four houses — leaving one temporarily uninhabitable because of the damage, according to CBS News. Apparently, one of the truck's walls hit a load-bearing wall of a nearby house, and it pushed it two to four feet inward. That is a gnarly blast (though not the gnarliest this year). The family was in the house at the time of the explosion, but they were unharmed. Somehow, the driver only sustained minor injuries, and I cannot for the life of me understand how that happened. He was actually walking around the truck when first responders arrived at the bizarre scene, before being taken to the hospital and treated for non-life-threatening injuries. Read more: These Are The Dumbest Car Crashes You've Ever Seen The video, as I'm sure you've already watched by now, is rather dramatic. Ring camera footage taken from a nearby home shows the truck driving down the road without incident and then... BANG. Police tell CBS news that the DuPage County Bomb Squad and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives determined that the explosion was caused by a leaking propane tank in the cargo area of the truck. Penske released the following statement to CBS News: "The vehicle involved in this incident was rented out to a customer who was moving household personal belongings. Penske will cooperate fully with any further investigation by law enforcement. Under Penske's rental agreement, explosive, flammable or otherwise hazardous materials should not be transported in a consumer rental moving truck." One homeowner in the area told ABC 7 Chicago that he thought people had started setting off Memorial Day fireworks a bit early, saying that "one sure seems to have a little extra punch." Yeah, man. I'd say so. Let this be a warning to all of you: make sure to take some Peptobismal before you have a sloppy Italian Beef. Want more like this? Join the Jalopnik newsletter to get the latest auto news sent straight to your inbox... Read the original article on Jalopnik.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Yahoo
Why Buy A Camper When You Could Build A Stealthier One Out Of Pallets Yourself?
There's just something about hitting the open road with no need to book a hotel or stay with a friend, because you're hauling your own place to stay for the night. Sure, current hashtag vanlife trends may be motivated by how ridiculously expensive housing has gotten, but even before Reagan voters set the U.S. on a path to ruin, Americans loved their RVs and travel trailers. The biggest problem, though, is that travel trailers are also ridiculously expensive. Want an Airstream like you see on TV? Well, the least-expensive Airstream costs nearly $50,000, and the Pottery Barn Special Edition will run you an eye-watering $171,300. That isn't even the most expensive Airstream, either. At that point, you might as well buy one of those stationary condos with an HOA and zero wheels. Wait, actually, I just checked, and the wealthy NIMBYs just blocked the new condos that were supposed to get built. Can't risk their property values, after all. So if you want a travel trailer but don't have six figures to throw around, are you out of luck? Nope. Just build your own like our friend Steve Wallis did here. It isn't pretty, but that's actually the point. Read more: These Are The Worst Transmission Recalls Of The Last 5 Years As we all know, the second-biggest problem with campers is that, even if you can afford one, everyone immediately knows what they're looking at. They all scream, "Someone's sleeping in here, and they probably have their stuff with them." And cops don't like it when people sleep somewhere without a foundation. Disguise your travel trailer as a stack of wood pallets, though, and there you go. Problem solved. Instead of everyone assuming you're a shifty ne'er-do-well, they'll just think you're headed to a bonfire or a Real American (TM) doing Real Work. Sure, he could have probably done a slightly better job ensuring the entire setup was watertight, but it's not like the travel trailers and RVs people spend six figures on have the best reputation there, either. Plus, it has a skylight. And modern batteries mean it's possible to set up interior lights, an entire security system with exterior cameras and a slow cooker. Just don't let anyone from Louisiana see that Crock-Pot "jambalaya" he makde for dinner, even if it probably tasted better than the vast majority of camping meals. Does Canada have Tony Chachere's? Surely, you can at least get good ole Tony C's up in Canada, Steve. What are you gonna do while the jambalaya's slow-cooking? Well, that's the great thing about campers. Just walk into a nearby corporate chain restaurant, catch the Canadian Ice Soccer game on one of the many TVs, sip a beer or two, and even if two turns into 12, you've still got a bed within stumbling distance and a pot of warm jambalaya to go back to. If that isn't luxury living, I don't know what is. Want more like this? Join the Jalopnik newsletter to get the latest auto news sent straight to your inbox... Read the original article on Jalopnik.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Tesla Cybertruck's Huge Depreciation is Mindblowingly Bad
There's nothing like the Tesla Cybertruck on the market today. Its radical design pushes the envelope of what's considered modern, resulting in an appearance that gets attention wherever it goes. Initially, that was a very good thing, and the hype about the Cybertruck, its capabilities, and exclusivity was everywhere. The Cybertruck was, at the very least, polarizing. Some loved its daring design that thumbed its angles and corners at convention. Others couldn't stand the 'fancy dumpster' and considered it an eyesore and an offense to good design. The Cybertruck has since fallen from grace, with over three months' surplus of unsold units. That's no bueno in the automotive industry and typically indicative of a bad sales forecast. Tesla has been discounting Cybertrucks to move them off lots, and to add insult to injury, it now appears that resale values have tanked. A recent report from Jalopnik reveals how this all transpired. For more than a year after the Cybertruck's release, Tesla wouldn't accept the vehicle as a trade-in for other Tesla models. In a reversal of this policy, the automaker recently allowed owners to sell their Cybertrucks back to Tesla. In doing so, the automaker has inadvertently revealed why it resisted taking them back in the first place: it doesn't place a high value on used Cybertrucks. On the Cybertruck Owner's Club forum, users have been testing Tesla's trade-in system, supposedly out of curiosity. These are Cybertruck loyalists, for the most part, and the trade-in estimates they're seeing are harrowing. Estimates reflect as much as a 35% drop in value after only about a year. Typically, anything more than 15% in the first year is considered significant depreciation for a new vehicle, and the Cybertruck's is more than twice that. 35% depreciation is typical of a mainstream vehicle after three years, not just one. Tesla obviously won't give much for a used Cybertruck when they can't even sell new ones. Tesla had previously claimed the Cybertruck would only depreciate by 30% over three years. The market has told a different story—and now, so is Tesla. The company appears to be adjusting its expectations, offering resale prices that reflect the severely weakened demand and steep depreciation already evident in the secondary market. Numerous factors likely contribute to this steep depreciation, including increased competition in the EV market (Rivian R1T, Ford F-150 Lightning, Chevrolet Silverado EV, and GMC Sierra EV in the U.S.; the BYD Shark in international markets), Elon Musk's political views and current influence in President Trump's administration, and issues with the quality and recall history of the Cybertruck model. At the moment, it seems that all signs are pointing to a growing consensus about the value and perception of the Cybertruck, one that even Tesla may be starting to accept: the Cybertruck's polarizing design and mixed reception are taking a toll on its long-term value, along with Elon Musk's ever-growing negative public perception. For a vehicle that was so coveted at the outset to fall so hard is a rarity in the automotive world, but here we are. Whether or not Tesla can dig the Cybertruck out of its giant hole is the question. Tesla Cybertruck's Huge Depreciation is Mindblowingly Bad first appeared on Autoblog on May 25, 2025
Auto Blog
26-05-2025
- Automotive
- Auto Blog
Tesla Cybertruck's Huge Depreciation is Mindblowingly Bad
Now that trade-ins are permitted, the value of the controversial EV pickup truck model is plummeting There's nothing like the Tesla Cybertruck on the market today. Its radical design pushes the envelope of what's considered modern, resulting in an appearance that gets attention wherever it goes. Initially, that was a very good thing, and the hype about the Cybertruck, its capabilities, and exclusivity was everywhere. The Cybertruck was, at the very least, polarizing. Some loved its daring design that thumbed its angles and corners at convention. Others couldn't stand the 'fancy dumpster' and considered it an eyesore and an offense to good design. The Cybertruck has since fallen from grace, with over three months' surplus of unsold units. That's no bueno in the automotive industry and typically indicative of a bad sales forecast. Tesla has been discounting Cybertrucks to move them off lots, and to add insult to injury, it now appears that resale values have tanked. A recent report from Jalopnik reveals how this all transpired. 0:08 / 0:09 Audi A5 replaces A4: So, what's changed? Watch More Allowing trade-ins opened the floodgates For more than a year after the Cybertruck's release, Tesla wouldn't accept the vehicle as a trade-in for other Tesla models. In a reversal of this policy, the automaker recently allowed owners to sell their Cybertrucks back to Tesla. In doing so, the automaker has inadvertently revealed why it resisted taking them back in the first place: it doesn't place a high value on used Cybertrucks. On the Cybertruck Owner's Club forum, users have been testing Tesla's trade-in system, supposedly out of curiosity. These are Cybertruck loyalists, for the most part, and the trade-in estimates they're seeing are harrowing. Estimates reflect as much as a 35% drop in value after only about a year. Typically, anything more than 15% in the first year is considered significant depreciation for a new vehicle, and the Cybertruck's is more than twice that. 35% depreciation is typical of a mainstream vehicle after three years, not just one. Tesla obviously won't give much for a used Cybertruck when they can't even sell new ones. Tesla Cybertruck — Source: Cody Simms Tesla had previously claimed the Cybertruck would only depreciate by 30% over three years. The market has told a different story—and now, so is Tesla. The company appears to be adjusting its expectations, offering resale prices that reflect the severely weakened demand and steep depreciation already evident in the secondary market. Numerous factors likely contribute to this steep depreciation, including increased competition in the EV market (Rivian R1T, Ford F-150 Lightning, Chevrolet Silverado EV, and GMC Sierra EV in the U.S.; the BYD Shark in international markets), Elon Musk's political views and current influence in President Trump's administration, and issues with the quality and recall history of the Cybertruck model. Republican Presidential Nominee Former President Trump Holds Rally In Butler, Pennsylvania — Source:Final thoughts At the moment, it seems that all signs are pointing to a growing consensus about the value and perception of the Cybertruck, one that even Tesla may be starting to accept: the Cybertruck's polarizing design and mixed reception are taking a toll on its long-term value, along with Elon Musk's ever-growing negative public perception. For a vehicle that was so coveted at the outset to fall so hard is a rarity in the automotive world, but here we are. Whether or not Tesla can dig the Cybertruck out of its giant hole is the question.
