Good morning and welcome to our daily digest of automotive news from around the globe, starting with…
Hertz Just Made The Largest Single Order Of Electric Cars Buying 100,000 Teslas Worth $4.2 Billion
Four months after exiting bankruptcy under new ownership, Hertz made headlines by announcing a massive $4.2 billion order of 100,000 Tesla Model 3s for its rental fleet. Hertz wants to offer EVs in approximately 65 markets by the end of 2022 and in more than 100 markets by the end of 2023. The company will benefit from the lower maintenance and running costs of the EVs and the fact that they hold their value better than ICE-powered vehicles.
The 2023 Corvette Z06 Sounds More Ferrari Than Chevy In Latest Videos
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The C8 Corvette Z06 premieres today and to spice things up Chevrolet gave us a hint of its glorious sound in a couple of teaser videos. The 5.5-liter flat-plane crank V8 revs presumably all the way up to redline, showcasing both a lack of a soft limiter and an exotic exhaust note to match the car’s character.
Engineer’s Linkedin Profile Suggests Next-Gen Mustang Getting Two Hybrid Powertrains
A product development engineer of the S650 Mustang revealed that Ford worked on hybrid versions of both the 2.3-liter four-cylinder and the 5.0-liter V8 engines. Ford has already confirmed plans on electrifying the pony car while a hybrid system has been patented combining a V8 with two electric motors. The next-generation Mustang is expected to arrive in time for the 2023 model year.
Bugatti Begins Wrapping Up Chiron Production, Less Than 40 Build Slots Remain
The Bugatti Chiron, first unveiled in 2016, is approaching the end of its production as the Molsheim-based manufacturer confirmed there are less than 40 built slots remaining out of the total of 500 units planned for the hypercar. Bugatti is building the last of the Chiron and Chiron Sport models making way for the more exclusive Chiron Pur Sport and Chiron Super Sport variants.
Someone Is Trying To Sell This Californian License Plate For $24 Million
A license plate bearing the letters MM is listed for sale on OpenSea with an asking price of 5,888 Ethereum, which is the equivalent of $24.06 million. If a buyer will be willing to pay this eye-watering price, then he/she could brag about owning the most expensive license plate ever sold.
XPeng Unveils New Flying Car And Terrifying Robotic Pony
Chinese company XPeng has unveiled a flying car concept developed in-house by its affiliate HT Aero. It features a foldable rotor mechanism allowing it to take off and land vertically, and aerodynamic styling resembling a supercar. Despite being a concept at this stage, XPeng wants to offer it on the market in 2024 as a street-legal vehicle. Besides the flying car, XPeng also introduced a robotic pony prototype that children can interact with and even ride on.
Mazzanti Returns With Updated Evanta Pura Powered By Corvette’s Supercharged 6.2-liter V8
The first Mazzanti Evanta was unveiled back in 2013 but the Italian company is back with a new variant called the Evanta Pura. While the model looks identical to its predecessor, it features updates making it lighter and more capable, including a new GM Corvette-sourced supercharged 6.2-liter V8. Tuscani-based Mazzanti only makes a handful of cars every year with each one being customized according to the owner’s preferences.
What Else Is Making The News
Facebook Refocusing On “Serving Young Adults”
Mark Zuckerberg plans on big changes in Facebook which will try to lure back younger users with future updates. CBS News reports that Facebook’s goal will be to satisfy the 18-29 age group, bringing them closer to the metaverse. The Facebook CEO acknowledged TikTok as “one of the most effective competitors” they have ever faced. He also pledged to spend $10 billion on developing a virtual-reality environment for its users hoping that by the end of the decade a billion people will be using the metaverse.
Sony Xperia Pro-I Is A Phone Attached To A Camera, Costs $1,800
Smartphones have evolved into featuring pretty capable and sometimes overperforming cameras but Sony decided to take it a step further for its latest product. As reported by The Verge, the Xperia Pro-I is equipped with the 1-inch Exmor RS image sensor combined with the BIONZ X imaging processor potentially delivering amazing performance for the trio of 12-megapixel cameras mounted at the back of the 6.5-inch 5G smartphone.