September 6th Throttle 🏎️💨

What’s up Throttle Heads 😎. Welcome back to another Newsletter.

Bloomberg Reports Tesla Will Unveil Robotaxi Rideshare Service On October 10th

Tesla may finally be revealing its robotaxi service to the public as Elon Musk has been hinting at it for years. Initially, he claimed it would be released in 2020 although Tesla has drastically fallen short of that timeframe. Bloomberg has released a report detailing the service will be announced next month on October 10th at an event at the Warner Brothers Movie Studio in Burbank, California. Bloomberg reports the initial date was August 8th, but Musk pushed it back due to design changes as well and Tesla needed more time to build the prototypes for display at the event.

Currently, not many details about the planned robotaxi service other than it will be purpose-built for ridesharing and will utilize Tesla’s Full Self-Driving. Musk has teased that the “Cybercab” will feature no pedals or steering wheel. Although this might change due to strict US regulation by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration. Tesla will create its rideshare app and will also utilize existing vehicles in addition to the Cybercabs. Honestly, I can’t wait to try this service out when it becomes available and since it removes the human element, it might be cheaper than Lyft or Uber.

Volvo Backtracks 2030 Fully Electric Goal

Back in 2021, Volvo set a lofty goal for itself: to become fully electric by the year 2030. Volvo CEO Jim Rowan backtracked these plans when he announced in a media event Volvo’s transition to electric vehicles will take longer than expected. This announcement came during a media event dubbed “A Tale of Two Flagships”, which most likely means the refreshed XC90 SUV will live alongside the electric EX90 for quite some time.

Rowan explains Volvo’s approach to the switch to EVs will be “dogmatic” meaning they will be ready to meet the initially announced goal in 2030, but will continue to offer hybrid models alongside EVs to cater to consumer tastes. He also continued by stating the road to electrification will not be linear as some markets will progress faster than others. This is super insightful as the European market will most likely process faster towards electrification due to the higher gas prices in the European Union. While in the US with city centers spread far about and many isolated rural areas, EVs and charging infrastructure will have to progress before they can be fully adopted.

Ford Recalls 91,000 Ecoboost Models Due To Risk of Engine Failure

Ford has made a little bit of an oopsie and is now having to recall close to 100,000 vehicles with its Ecoboost engines. The 2.7-liter turbocharged V-6 and the 3.0-liter twin-turbo V-6 are at risk due to them containing faulty engine intake valves. The list of Ford vehicles affected includes the Bronco, F-150, and Edge. A handful of Lincoln vehicles are also affected which include the Aviator and Nautilus.

According to documents filed with the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), Ford has been investigating the issue since January 2022 following 22 instances of engine value in brand-new Lincoln Aviator and Nautilus models. This investigation found catestorphic damage could be caused to the engine when the intake valves failed and debris fell into the combustion chamber. Ford then investigated 2021 Bronco Models in 2023 and found a similar issue leading them to evaluate all of their models. Ford says 811 warrant claims have been made as of August 9th, 2024. Ford has approved inspections for each affected vehicle and it will replace the engines of impacted vehicles.

Bentley Teases A 771-HP Hybrid V-8 Flying Spur

One of my favorite engines of all time has to be Bentley’s W-12. I mean the engineering and power of it is just incredible. Unfortunately, we have known for a while Bentley plans to kill off this beast of an engine. This has left many of us car nerds unsure of how it will affect some cars in Bentley’s lineup such as the Flying Spur. That is until now.

The new powertrain, known as the “Ultra Performance Hybrid”, marries a 4.0 liter V-8 with 584 horsepower to a 187-horsepower electric motor located between the engine and the transmission. The two combined make 771 horsepower and 738 pound-feet of torque. The electric motor is powered by a 25.0 kWH battery which provides up to 51 miles of EV driving range according to European testing. However, using EPA testing, that number will be closer to 40. PHEV systems have been making their rounds around Volkswagon group cars with the recently announced Lamborghini Urus SE and Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid all using the same system.