Inside BMW's better, cheaper, faster next-gen EVs
Plus, an exclusive first drive of a massive new EV that won't rock the boat.
Good morning, readers, and an especially warm welcome to all the new subscribers who've joined on since the last update. If you're new, this is the time in the newsletter where I usually blather on about the weather and wherever the heck on this wonderful world of ours I find myself at the moment.
But, since we have a lot of ground to cover this week, let's keep it short: I'm home, it's cold, and tomorrow I leave for somewhere even colder: Northern Sweden. Last week, though, I was in Germany, Munich to be exact, which brings us to our first tale.
How BMW's boosting range and performance in its next-gen EVs
There's little I love more than spending hours nerding out with engineers about various obtuse tech topics. Last week, there was plenty of that. I spent a few days touring several prototype BMW facilities, where the company is building everything from individual battery cells and packs to next-gen EV circuitry and drivetrains.
Basically, it was a guided tour of everything from where the electricity comes in through the plug through to where the torque goes out through the wheels. There's a lot of change here for BMW, including a shift to cylindrical battery cells from the boxy, prismatic ones used before as well as some new, more efficient motor designs.
The net goal is three-fold: Reduce cost, reduce weight, and increase performance. It's kind of the holy trinity of electrification and it all sounds promising, but without any hard numbers to report (no actual weights were given, no actual costs quoted), it's all decidedly theoretical.
But BMW is promising upwards of 559 miles on a charge, a big bump from the 340 max in the new iX. And, with 800-volt charging, you should spend a lot less time at the electron pumps. Sadly we have another six months or so of teasing ahead of us before BMW finally shows us what its next generation of EVs actually looks like. I don’t know about you, but I’m getting a bit impatient.
Read the details at MotorTrend
An exclusive first drive in Harbinger's medium-duty EV
The medium-duty vehicle segment is a weird one, a classification of trucks that ranges roughly from five to 15 tons that has somehow found itself stuck in time. Buyers of these vehicles still select bare chassis and then send them off to a body builder, a so-called "upfitter," to throw on everything else.
That means makers of those frames don't have to worry about any creature comforts behind a steering wheel, dodging all concerns about airbags, crash test regulations, and all the other minutia that have stymied many an EV startup.
Keeping it lean is what Harbinger is all about, a Garden Grove, California-based startup that isn't trying to radically shift that process; they're just trying to reduce cost and emissions by ditching diesel.
I got an early first drive of one of the company's trucks, and while it didn't do much to make me want one of my own, I was left impressed by the focus of the company.
This Defender costs more than my house
I love a good restomod. Who doesn't? It's a fine dance, taking a classic, desirable piece of automotive machinery and updating it to be modern in capability but vintage in look and feel. Some builders skew too far to the side of modernity. Some others leave a few too many old-school foibles in the mix to make a compelling option.
Helderburg Defenders is threading that needle from a farm in central New York, not too far from my own humble abode, where I got to spend a good chunk of a snowy day blasting around in Defenders of various sizes and numerous prices, including one that was knocking on the door of $500,000.
Worth it? They certainly looked the part. They're absolutely gorgeous.
The ultimate electric side-by-side?
I didn't know how badly I needed a UTV until I spent a few weeks testing out the Polaris Ranger XP Kinetic. What an epic task-killer this thing is. From plowing my driveway to skidding logs around my property to doing donuts in the snow in my backyard, it dominated every task I threw at it.
Sadly, it would also decimate my budget were I to try and buy one. It's hard to stomach the $37,499 MSRP, but in some ways, it actually feels worth it.
What's an EREV anyway?
There's a lot of confusion in the electrified vehicle space. From charging rates to battery chemistries, there's a lot to learn, and throwing yet another acronym in the market doesn't necessarily help things. But extended-range EVs, or EREVs, I think, stand poised to actually open the electrified vehicle door for a good chunk of Americans who have previously turned their nose up at battery-powered rigs. That's particularly true for those Americans who love their big toys and big trucks to tow 'em with.
2025 Land Rover Discovery review
I delved into a vintage Land Rover over at Helderburg's place, but I also sampled a newer offering from the Company, the 2025 Land Rover Discovery. I've always been a Disco fan and was lucky to live with one for the better part of a year during my CNET days. The new one doesn't change the formula; it's still sharp-looking and great-driving. But, it's going to need a big safety tech infusion soon to stay relevant.
That's all from me for now. Tomorrow I begin the long, multi-hop journey up to Arjeplog, Sweden, where I'll be slip-sliding around the Arctic Circle in some prototype EVs that could shake up the space in a big way. I can't wait to tell all y'all about it. Until then, please send me some warm thoughts if you'd be so kind. I'm going to need 'em.