One of the most exciting racing events in the world is going electric.
Red Bull Global Rallycross (GRC) will add a standalone EV class for the 2018 season, the series announced today, with the new category getting dirty alongside the current Supercar and GRC Lite classes during race weekends. Typically running from May to November, Global Rallycross is known for close-contact and high-altitude racing over varied surfaces, so the addition of EVs should add a jolt of adrenaline to an already thrilling competition.
“Red Bull Global Rallycross is pleased to add to our rallycross platform an electric series,” said Red Bull GRC CEO Colin Dyne. “The 2018 season will be a landmark year for us as we welcome electric vehicles to the grid for the first time. The electric car is one of the hottest topics in the automotive industry, and manufacturers across the globe have recognized its immense potential. We want to embrace this technology by welcoming it into our series as we continue to grow and expand.”
No drivers or manufacturers have been confirmed for the EV category yet, but automakers Ford, Volkswagen, Hyundai, Chevrolet, Subaru, and Honda compete regularly, and each of them has a bevy of electrified tech in their arsenal. What will an electric rally car look like? It’s hard to say as class guidelines haven’t been established, but given that gas-powered GRC produce 600 horsepower and can sprint to 60 mph in 1.9 seconds, their battery-powered equivalents should be plenty of fun indeed.
“Our small displacement, high-horsepower, turbocharged engines allow our manufacturers to showcase the performance capabilities of their current millennial-focused offerings, and provide a glimpse into the exciting future of the automotive industry,” continued Dyne. “This electric series will add a new dynamic that will never replace the current formula, but will be an important part of our expansion.”
EVs operate in near silence, but clearly, these zero-emission GRC races are going to make a ton of noise.
BYD has launched the third-generation Qin Plus DM-i in China, and the first thing that caught my eye is its price. According to CarNewsChina, the plug-in hybrid sedan starts at 79,900 yuan, which is about $11,980. That’s an incredibly low price for a brand-new car, especially by US standards.
What’s even more impressive is the range. The Qin Plus DM-i can drive up to 137 miles on electricity alone, which should cover most people’s daily commutes without using a drop of gas. Once the battery runs out, the 1.5-liter engine takes over. Thanks to its 17-gallon tank and roughly 91 mpg with a drained battery, the combined range reaches up to 1,423 miles.
Apple won the PC market’s worst quarter, but that’s not the entire story. It won the race by stumbling less than everyone else.
PC makers shipped just 57 million computers worldwide in Q3, which might look good, but it’s a 21% year-over-year plunge (via Counterpoint Research). And despite Apple’s Mac shipments falling by 11%, to 5.6 million, its market share rose from 8.7% to 9.8%. How did that happen?
Update (October 22 23:54 PT): In response to our query, GM clarified that offline recording support is already available on eligible vehicles. Like Tesla's Sentry Mode, it requires owners to connect a USB drive to save incident recordings, which can be viewed on the vehicle's infotainment screen. The upcoming Connected Cameras feature will build on this by giving owners remote access to these recordings via the revamped OnStar app, allowing them to check footage without walking out to their car.
General Motors has announced plans to add a new Connected Cameras feature to its OnStar service starting next year, giving drivers a way to monitor parked vehicles remotely and capture footage of certain incidents.