Autos

QOTD: Hybrid Versus Conventional Drivetrains

  Which drivetrain would you prefer: The hybrid two-motor setup that Toyota has paired with their 2.5-liter DOHC four-cylinder that puts out 245 horsepower or Kia’s conventional V6 that produces 294 HP? These are the drivetrains you’ll find in the new 2021 Toyota Sienna minivan, or the upcoming 2022 Kia Carnival, which won’t be out […] The post QOTD: Hybrid Versus Conventional Drivetrains appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Tags: Japan, Technology, Korea, Autos, Toyota, Kia, Emissions, New Cars, Fuel Economy, Hybrid, DOHC, Vans, News Blog, Minivans, V6, Question of the Day

Kia Carnival Sails to the U.S. this Summer

The Kia Carnival will arrive on our shores sometime this summer as a 2022 model, according to a story this morning from Autoblog. As we posted back in June, Kia is positioning it as a grand utility vehicle (GUV), lest you think it’s merely another minivan. How or why a stigma is attached to minivans […] The post Kia Carnival Sails to the U.S. this Summer appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Tags: Design, Korea, Autos, Kia, New Cars, Minivan, Vans, News Blog, Kia Carnival, Conventional Drivetrain, Gas Engine, Kia Carnival Sails

BrightDrop, General Motors’ Shiny New Delivery Business

    General Motors has rolled out BrightDrop, moving them further into the business of first-to-last-mile products, software, and services for delivery and logistics. “BrightDrop offers a smarter way to deliver goods and services,” said Mary Barra, GM Chairman and CEO. To lower costs, maximize productivity, improve safety, increase security, and support sustainability, Barra said, […] The post BrightDrop, General Motors’ Shiny New Delivery Business appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Tags: Technology, General Motors, Green, Industry, Electric Vehicles, Autos, Trucks, Alternative Energy, Ev, Barra, Vans, Gizmology, GM Death Watch, Mary Barra GM, Technlogy, Delivery Vehicles

Camper Van Deliveries Up 125 Percent in November

  Camper vans, ubiquitous homes on wheels for digital nomads, were up 125 percent in total shipments in November, according to the RV Industry Association. This was part of total RV shipments that finished the month with 42,513 units, a 43.4 percent increase over the 29,644 units shipped in November of last year. “RV manufacturers […] The post Camper Van Deliveries Up 125 Percent in November appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Tags: Travel, Outdoors, Millennials, Emerging Markets, Trailers, Autos, SUVs, Rvs, RVIA, Vans, News Blog, No Fixed Abode, Dealer News, Camper Vans, Truck Campers, RV Industry Association

2022 Ford E-Transit electric van will make delivery services greener

The 2022 Ford E-Transit is an all-electric version of the popular Ford Transit cargo van. It shows that commercial vehicles can and should go electric too.
Tags: News, Cars, Trends, Ford, Electric Cars, Ford Transit, Vans, Delivery Vans, Ford E Transit

Ford Says Electric Transit Vans Are Coming for Real This Time

Eager to prove itself as a forward thinking mobility brand, Ford has advised us to prepare for the debut of the battery powered E-Transit van on November 12th. Following some heavy teasing from CEO Jim Farley during the company’s third-quarter earnings call a day earlier, Blue Oval issued an official announcement on Thursday to be […] The post Ford Says Electric Transit Vans Are Coming for Real This Time appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Tags: Ford, Electric Vehicles, Autos, EVs, Ford Motor Co, Ford Transit, Blue Oval, Jim Farley, Vans, News Blog, Vanlife, Commercial Vans, Electic Vans, Ford E-Transit, Transit Van, Ford Says Electric Transit Vans

2021 Ford Transit Designed for Business AND Pleasure

While van sales have been trending downward for years, the likelihood of your average American being forced to live inside one feels like it should be higher than ever. But deciding which model is best for living out the rest of your days in relative isolation isn’t going to be easy. Realizing that there’s a […] The post 2021 Ford Transit Designed for Business AND Pleasure appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Tags: Transit, Ford, Autos, Recreational Vehicles, Van Life, Rvs, Ford Motor Co, Vans, News Blog, Cargo Vans, Camper Vans, 2021 Ford Transit, Passanger Vans

Amazon unveils its first custom electric delivery vehicle, complete with a driver 'dancefloor' and built-in Alexa

The vehicle's external cameras gives the drivers a 360-degree view. Amazon Amazon unveiled the first of its three custom electric delivery vehicles made by California-based Rivian on Thursday morning. The vans would hit the road in 2021, it said, and can last up to 150 miles on a single charge. The vehicles are Alexa-integrated, and have multiple exterior cameras to give the driver a 360-degree view of their surroundings. The custom vans also include a "dancefloor" inside the driver's ...
Tags: Amazon, Transportation, California, Cars, Trends, E-commerce, Transport, Retail, Delivery, Transporation, Alexa, Mercedes Benz, Amazon Amazon, Vans, Rivian, Grace Dean

Lone Sprinter: Daimler to End Freightliner Badge Job

Mercedes-Benz’s Sprinter commercial van has worn several badges, but come the end of next year, there’ll be only one. As the automaker works to slim down its sprawling global lineup, the lesser-known Freightliner variant will cease production. Manufactured via knock-down kits in South Carolina, the Freightliner van, like Dodges of yore, will fade to black, […] The post Lone Sprinter: Daimler to End Freightliner Badge Job appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Tags: Production, Autos, Mercedes Benz, South Carolina, Daimler, Freightliner, Vans, News Blog, Sprinter, Mercedes-benz Sprinter

Minivan Market Share Plunged During America’s Pandemic-induced Second-quarter Auto Sales Collapse

“How bad is it? And how bad is it going to be?” Those were our questions five months ago when describing the American minivan category’s paltry 408,982 sales in calendar year 2019. At that time, the rate of decline experienced by the segment suggested that, “America won’t even acquire 300,000 minivans next year.” Enter novel […] The post appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Tags: Sales, America, Autos, Consumer Trends, Vans, News Blog, Minivans, Coronavirus

Ford and Volkswagen Nuzzle Up Even Closer, Reveal Joint Product Push Details

Wednesday brought an expanded alliance between Ford Motor Company and Volkswagen, with the two auto giants inking a deal for the joint development and construction of a range of products. Since last year’s tie-up, the desire among the two companies to use each other’s strengths to address gaps in the market has been well known, […] The post Ford and Volkswagen Nuzzle Up Even Closer, Reveal Joint Product Push Details appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Tags: Vw, Ford, Autos, Volkswagen, EVs, Ford Motor Company, Alliance, Vans, News Blog, Product Planning, Future Models, Joint Development, Joint Product

Contraction Coming in the Van Market?

No, not the minivan market. We’ve covered that at length. We’re talking van vans — the slow-moving ones that used to terrorize your author as a child. (Turns out that media-driven social panic was mostly nothing, but I digress…) Word comes to us that, as automakers recede from the commercial van segment, Nissan might be […] The post Contraction Coming in the Van Market? appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Tags: Autos, Nissan, Nissan NV, Vans, News Blog, Product Planning, Commercial Vans, Discontinuation

Report: Electric Vanning, Brought to You by GM?

General Motors isn’t confirming a Reuters report that claims the automaker’s Detroit-Hamtramck plant will give birth to an electric commercial van. Such a product would give GM a leg up in a fledgling segment that’s yet to be exploited by the likes of Tesla. Commercial vans aren’t glitzy products, but they do sell in significant […] The post Report: Electric Vanning, Brought to You by GM? appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Tags: General Motors, Electric Vehicles, Gm, Autos, EVs, Reuters, Vans, News Blog, Detroit Hamtramck, Product Planning, Future Models, Commercial Vans, Tesla Commercial

QOTD: The Impossibility of High Society Vanning?

Some segments and roles just don’t mix. While unfavorable bodystyles and vehicle sizes can be kitted out for sport or luxury, perhaps even succeeding in their mission, sometimes a vehicle’s basic fiber — its core identity — proves an impossible match for its newfound mission. Sometimes a car is too ponderously large for serious muscle […] The post QOTD: The Impossibility of High Society Vanning? appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Tags: Lifestyle, Autos, Qotd, Vans, News Blog, Minivans, Question of the Day

Electric Ford Transit van will electrify an often-overlooked auto segment

Here's how to live your best zero-emissions van life
Tags: News, Cars, Trends, Ford, Electric Cars, Vans, Electric Ford Transit

Ancient Model Gains New Engine

Kurt Cobain had only been dead a year when General Motors launched the Chevrolet Express family of commercial and passenger vans. Two and a half decades later, the Express is still in its first generation, with the model’s sole facelift now 17 years distant. Despite facing ever stiffer competition from the likes of Ford, the […] The post Ancient Model Gains New Engine appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Tags: General Motors, Ford, Gm, Autos, Kurt Cobain, Express, Chevrolet Express, Vans, News Blog, Commercial Vehicles, Product Planning, Egnines

Ford Transit Goes Green for 2022

It doesn’t come as a surprise, what with Ford’s concerted push in this direction. Nevertheless, Ford Motor Company announced late Tuesday that its Transit van, most often seen wearing a gleaming, sterile shade of white, will soon don a cloak of green. The Blue Oval aims to be the first major player in the electric […] The post Ford Transit Goes Green for 2022 appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Tags: Green, Transit, Ford, Electric Vehicles, Autos, EVs, Ford Motor Company, Ford Transit, Vans, News Blog, Product Planning, Future Models, The Blue Oval, Ford Transit EV

Mercedes-Benz Commits Itself to #VanLife With Metris Weekender

Van culture is making a comeback. We know this because the media has glommed onto the topic as young adults continue to share stories about how not having a mailing address (because they live in vans) is the best thing that ever happened to them. While you’re unlikely to encounter these people all that regularly […] The post Mercedes-Benz Commits Itself to #VanLife With Metris Weekender appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Tags: Autos, Mercedes Benz, Van Life, Chicago Auto Show, Vans, News Blog, Vanlife, Camper Vans, Metris Weekender

2019 Mercedes-Benz Metris Cargo Van Review – Real Van Living

Believe it or not, there are plenty of people who spend the majority of their days in a van of some sort. I’m not talking about the beautiful people on social media hashtagging their rebranding of the Seventies-era shaggin’ wagon as “vanlife.” I’m talking about tradespeople, for whom a van is as important a tool […] The post 2019 Mercedes-Benz Metris Cargo Van Review – Real Van Living appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Tags: Reviews, Autos, Mercedes-benz, Car Reviews, Cargo Van, Metris, Vans, Vanlife, Mercedes-Benz Metris, 2019 Mercedes-benz Metris, Mercedes Benz Metris Cargo Van Review

Chevrolet Astro Revival? How About… No

This must be some sort of irony-steeped Radwood thing. How else to explain the sudden resurgence in enthusiasm for a mid-sized van that loitered in General Motors’ lineup for two uneventful decades? It seems there’s a concerted — though perhaps not entirely honest — effort to return the lowly Astro to the Chevrolet stable. It’s […] The post Chevrolet Astro Revival? How About… No appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Tags: General Motors, History, Gm, Autos, Astro, Vans, News Blog, Chevrolet Astro

VW’s Charming 1972 Type 2 Gets Electrified

Commissioned by Volkswagen, Californian-based EV West has given the classic 1972 Type 2 Microbus (aka the Kombi, Transporter or simply Microbus) an electric upgrade. Specializing in energy system conversions, EV West replaced the internal-combustion engine with an electric powertrain and 35.8 kWh battery from a “donor” 2017 E-Golf. This upgrade results in a 25-mile range and more horsepower than the original, but maintains the classic …
Tags: Auto, Design, Cars, Vw, Volkswagen, Ev, Vans, Electric Vehilcles, Kombi Transporter

Rare Rides: A Mazda Bongo 4×4 – JDM Van Time From 1994

For decades, the Japanese market has loved vans of all shapes and sizes, ranging from basic kei to fully-loaded VIP luxury. Rare Rides has touched on JDM van time just once previously, with a luxurious and capable 1990 Toyota Town Ace. Today we’re taking a look at what Mazda offered a Nineties Japanese consumer of […] The post Rare Rides: A Mazda Bongo 4×4 – JDM Van Time From 1994 appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Tags: South Korea, Japan, Ford, Used Cars, Autos, Toyota, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Kia, 1990s, 1980s, Imports, Mazda, 4x4, Vans, News Blog

Airstream’s new Astrovan II is ready to move the first Boeing commercial crew astronauts

NASA and its commercial astronaut program partners are laser-focused on getting crew into space, but to get to space you first have to get to the rocket, and that’s where the Airstream Astrovan II comes in. This vehicle, which is the sequel to the original Astrovan that brought America’s astronauts to the launch pad in the days of the Shuttle Program, features modern updates, and is heading straight from being on display at the International Astronautical Congress in Washington to Cape Canave...
Tags: TC, Transportation, Space, Spacex, Congress, Washington, America, Tech, Nasa, Automotive, Dragon, Astronaut, Spaceflight, Aerospace, Boeing, Laser

Iconic A-Team van gets a modern update by the Sketch Monkey

I had thought of repainting my 1987 VW Vanagon like BA's van, but the spoiler...
Tags: Video, News, Cars, Ba, Automobile, Motors, Vans, Mr. T, A-team, 80s TV

New Life for a Long-dead Van?

Startups come and go, and in the age of electrification a great many companies are issuing promises their meagre resources can’t deliver. Time will tell if a reborn Morris Commercial follows through on a plan to return the iconic J-type commercial van to the rainy streets of Britain — and beyond. Retro appeal has its […] The post New Life for a Long-dead Van? appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Tags: UK, Britain, Heritage, Electric Vehicles, Autos, Retro, EVs, Vans, News Blog, Morris Commercial, Morris J-type

DHL Streetscooter electric vans will make package delivery greener

DHL is bringing its StreetScooter electric vans to the United States. Vans will be used in a pilot program beginning in 2020. Electric delivery vans are already used in large numbers in Europe.
Tags: News, Cars, Trends, United States, DHL, Electric Cars, Vans, Delivery Vans, DHL Streetscooter

Report: GM Planning Big Investment in Missouri Truck/Van Plant

The news out of Missouri today claims General Motors wants to invest big in its Wentzville assembly plant, a 3.7 million square feet facility located just west of St. Louis. The plant is home to the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon midsize pickups, as well as the aged Chevy Express and GMC Savana commercial vans. […] The post Report: GM Planning Big Investment in Missouri Truck/Van Plant appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Tags: General Motors, Investment, Production, Missouri, Gm, Autos, Trucks, St Louis, GMC Canyon, Chevy Express, Chevrolet Colorado, Wentzville, Vans, News Blog, Wentzville Assembly, GM Planning Big Investment

New Engines and All-wheel Drive Coming to 2020 Ford Transit

Ford is sexing up its sexiest vehicle, the Transit van, for the 2020 model year with a bevy of new powertrain options and added safety tech. Two new engines are a base 3.5-liter V6 and a 2.0-liter EcoBlue bi-turbo diesel four. Thanks to direct-and-port injection, Ford claims the V6 PFDi will offer greater efficiency than the 3.7-liter […] The post New Engines and All-wheel Drive Coming to 2020 Ford Transit appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Tags: Ford, Autos, Ford Motor Co, Ford Transit, Vans, News Blog, Cargo Vans, 2020 Ford Transit, Passenger Vans

Refreshed Mercedes-Benz V-Class Gets New Look, Engine, Electric Siblings

Mercedes-Benz has already announced its electric EQ range will see an EQC SUV as the first inductee to its automotive stable — followed by the EQS sedan, EQA hatchback, and the compact EQB crossover. It also plans to introduce its EQV Concept in Geneva later this year, a model which draws much of its inspiration from […] The post Refreshed Mercedes-Benz V-Class Gets New Look, Engine, Electric Siblings appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Tags: Autos, Geneva, Daimler, Mercedes Benz, Metris, Vans, News Blog, Mercedes-Benz Metris, EQA, V-Class, 2020 Mercedes-Benz V-Class, Mercedes Benz V Class

Our EVs Will Turn a Profit, Ford Says

As it prepares to launch a battery electric crossover, likely named Mach E, in 2020, Ford’s product boss told Blue Oval fans — and nervous investors — that the company isn’t in the habit of losing money with its products. As such, the upcoming Mustang-inspired crossover, like Ford’s other planned EVs, won’t be Fiat 500e-like […] The post Our EVs Will Turn a Profit, Ford Says appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
Tags: Green, Ford, Electric Vehicles, Autos, Fiat, Trucks, EVs, Blue Oval, Vans, News Blog, Future Vehicles, Ford F-150, Product Planning