Drew Dowdell

The Land Rover Defender leaked out via an Instagram post from the set of a 007 movie, spotted without camouflage and clearly back from some mudding around. The Defender was supposed to debut at the Frankfurt International Auto Show next month. The previous Defender stopped production in 2016 after a 67 year run. Emissions and safety regulations eventually forced it out of the markets. The new Defender retains a boxy shape, but is now much more modern in appearence. The headlights have a hooded look in place of the previously circular units. The Defender will initially be offered in a five passenger configuration, but eventually will also get a shorter length model to compete more directly with the Jeep Wrangler. Those wanting a larger version will be happy too as an 8-passenger version is also planned. Power will come from a range of turbo 4-cylinders, turbo 6-cylinder, a plug-in hybrid, and even a 6-cylinder diesel. One thing the Defender will not have is are solid axles, moving instead to a fully independent suspension. The Defender will likely end up in the US market as a 2021 model sometime in late 2020.

Chevrolet has announced that for 2020, the Chevrolet Bolt will have a longer range between charges. The new maximum range on a full charge is now 259, a 21 mile increase over previous year cars. Chevy achieved this by making a small change in the battery cell chemistry. This allowed the team to increase range without changing the structure of the battery pack. The change increases the battery pack's capacity from 60 kWh to 66 kWh. The drivetrain itself has not changed and remains a 200 horsepower / 266 lb-ft unit. Chevy is also offering two additional colors for 2020, Cayenne Orange Metallic (additional cost option) and Oasis Blue.

Electrify America is working hard to build up the largest network of electric chargers in the US. They have already partnered with Chargepoint, so that if you have an account with one company, you can use your account at either company's charging stations without additional fees. Now the network has gotten even larger as an interoperability agreement has been reached with EVgo, one of the largest charging networks out there. So now, if you have an Electrify America account, you can charge your EV with at least three different providers on a single account with no additional fees. Electrify America is the company that was formed from Volkwagen's dieselgate scandal and is hard at work deploying EV charging stations around the US, including 350-kW stations for fast charging. They are also working towards "plug and charge" capability which would allow the car to be charged without the need for a card at all. The current Electrify America map before adding EVgo or ChargePoint: Related: Porsche Offering Three Years Free Charging with Taycan

Hyundai teased an image of its『45』Concept today ahead of the Frankfort International Motor Show. The car will be a fully electric vehicle and will be a symbolic milestone for Hyundai's future EV design. The concept looks back to the brand's first model in the 1970s for inspiration and is visibly angular. The new design language is an evolution of Hyundai's "Sensuous Sportiness" design. ‘Sensuous’ stands for enhanced emotional values that customers can experience through design, and ‘Sportiness’ is determined to implement those values through innovative mobility solutions. The 『45』Concept will be unveiled on September 10th.