Good morning and welcome to our daily digest of automotive news from around the globe, starting with…

Porsche Betting On Lithium-Silicon Batteries With $100M Investment

Porsche is competing for the most powerful battery cell, and in doing so, is placing a $100 million bet on Group14 Technologies. Group14 is a producer of advanced silicon-carbon technology for lithium batteries. The group has developed a technology that significantly increases the power density of the cell, allowing for greater range, and reducing the battery’s internal resistance so that it can charge faster.

Fisker Teases New 2024 Ronin Grand Tourer EV With “World’s Longest Range”

Fisker has announced a third addition to its EV lineup. The Ronin is a four-seat GT with the ambition of achieving the world’s longest driving range for a production EV. In order to extend the range as far as possible, Project Ronin will make use of active aerodynamic technologies as well as an innovative battery design that integrates the pack into the structure of the vehicle. The car will be fully revealed next year, with production set for 2024.

Abarth Celebrates 40th Anniversary Of 131 Rally’s Final Race With 695 Tributo Special Edition

Abarth is looking back on its past rally successes and has decided to honor the 131 Rally, which raced for six years and clinched 18 victories, three world driver’s championships, and three world constructors championships. The brand has fitted the 695 Tributo 131 Rally with a 1.4-liter T-jet engine that makes 177 hp (132 kW/180 PS) and 184 lb-ft (250 Nm) of torque at 3,000 rpm. Zero to 100 km/h (62 mph) is dispatched in 6.7 seconds, and it has a top speed of 225 km/h (140 mph). In addition to four-pot Brembo brakes and Koni FSD shocks, there’s an adjustable spoiler at the rear too, which can generate up to 42 kg (93 lbs) of downforce at 200 km/h (124 mph).

Tesla Is Shipping Vehicles With A Swiveling Screen According To New Video

Tesla appears to be shipping vehicles with displays that can swivel either side. The video seems to show a factory-fitted mechanism that can angle the center screen either towards the driver or the passenger. The feature has been teased by Tesla in the past and appears to be a legitimate option, despite the clip being posted by a well-known Tesla customizer. Curiously, Tesla has so far remained silent on the inclusion of the system in its new models.

2023 Kia Soul Debuts With A Tweaked Face, Turbo And X-Line Trims Discontinued

There’s no more turbo engine for the 2023 MY Kia Soul. The same goes for the adventurous X-Line trim too. What the model gains are refreshed bumpers with new lights, new alloy wheel designs, and new duo-tone color options. The sole engine option for the Soul is a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine producing 147 hp (110 kW / 149 PS) and 132 lb-ft (178 Nm) of torque. This is paired to a CVT, with the manual option having been dropped last year.

BMW M4 CSL Shows Bonnet Stripes And New OLED Taillights Ahead Of May 20 Debut

Set to debut at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este 2022, BMW has given us a second teaser of the upcoming M4 CSL. The taillights appear to use OLED technology, while there’s also a ducktail spoiler, yellow halo lights, a prominent front splitter, and black stripes down the hood. In addition to the expected weight-saving measures, the M4 CSL will adopt a more focused suspension, larger brakes, lightweight alloys, and an upgraded chassis. The CSL will also get a more powerful engine, rumored to produce around 540 hp (397 kW / 547 PS) over the 503 hp (375 kW / 510 PS) of the M4 Competition.

Two Semi Trucks Collide On Rainy Texas Highway Causing Massive Crash

We all know that extra caution should be applied when it’s wet. And while hindsight is a wonderful thing, we wonder if one truck driver traveling through San Antonio would have benefited from being a bit more aware of the prevailing conditions. The incident occurred in the westbound direction of I-10 near North Frio Street, where a dashcam captures a truck losing control in the wet, colliding with another semi, and causing significant damage to the highway.

What Else Is Making The News

Whatsapp Is Getting Emoji Reactions 

Mark Zuckerberg announced that Whatsapp will be getting Emoji reactions to messages, with the update being rolled out from today. Meta CEO Zuckerberg made the announcement via his Instagram account. The reactions will be like, love, laugh, surprise, sad, and thanks — with the whole gamut of emojis available in the future.

Uber Makes $5.9 Billion Loss Due To Asian Shares

Uber has blamed a fall in the values of its Asian investments for a $5.9 billion loss for 2022 Q1. The two companies, China’s Didi and South East Asia’s Grab, have plunged in value since being listed in New York last year. However, with a 19 percent rise in the number of trips taken compared to the same period the previous year, Uber was keen to highlight its recovery post-pandemic, reports the BBC.