AD #3426 – Honda & Sony EV Coming in 2026; Polestar Reveals 1st All-Electric SUV; Tesla Adopts New Emergency Flashers

This is Autoline Daily, the show dedicated to enthusiasts of the global automotive industry.

HONDA & SONY EV COMING IN 2026
Honda and Sony shared more details about the EV and mobility joint venture they formed earlier this year. They will start taking pre-orders for their first vehicle in the first half of 2025 and will deliver it to customers in the spring of 2026 in the U.S. and in the second half of 2026 in Japan. The model will be built in North America but the companies didn’t specify where. We think it will likely be in Ohio since Honda just made a big investment to re-tool plants there to make EVs. While there aren’t many details about the vehicle, it will have Level 3 autonomous capabilities, feature a new software system to offer subscription services and it will be sold online and carry a premium price tag.

VW PARTNERS ON AVs FOR CHINA
And speaking of partnerships, Volkswagen’s software company CARIAD, is forming a joint venture with Chinese technology company Horizon Robotics. VW will invest 2.4 billion euros in the JV and CARIAD will hold a 60% stake. The two companies will develop autonomous driving systems for the Chinese market. Part of the plan is to integrate multiple functions on to one chip, which the companies say will save cost and reduce energy consumption. CARIAD is rumored to by way behind on developing a software system for its future vehicles, so this move may have also been made to speed up those efforts.

POLESTAR REVEALS ITS 1ST ALL-ELECTRIC SUV
EV maker Polestar took the wraps off its first electric SUV, the Polestar 3, whose design was inspired by its Precept concept from a few years back. The model is equipped with an 111-kWh lithium-ion battery, which provides 610 kilometers or 380 miles of range based on the WLTP cycle. It will first be offered with a dual motor setup, which produces 360-kW or over 480 horsepower and 840 Nm of torque. That can be boosted to 380-kW or nearly 510 horsepower and 910 Nm if you opt for the performance package. It’s the first Polestar model to feature centralized computing using NVIDIA’s DRIVE computer, which enables advanced driver assistance features and driver monitoring. The vehicle comes standard with five radars, five external cameras and 12 ultrasonic sensors. And the infotainment system is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon platform, which provides connectivity along with hi-def displays. The first models will be built in China starting in the middle of next year with deliveries in the fourth quarter of 2023 to customers in North America, Europe and China. Then in 2024, the EV will be manufactured at Volvo’s plant in South Carolina for the North American market. Starting price for the Polestar 3 is just under 90,000 euros.

NEW CHEVY TRAX LOOKS MORE LIKE BLAZER
The Chevy Trax just got a major refresh. As you can see the design is all-new and adopts similar styling to Chevy’s other crossovers. The new Trax is bigger than the outgoing model, 11-inches longer and 2-inches wider and that extra space was used to add more room for passengers and cargo. But while it is larger, the new model is 4-inches lower in overall height. A new engine is under the hood, a 1.2L turbocharged 3-cylinder that’s mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. It cranks out 137 horsepower and 162 lb-ft of torque but fuel economy numbers aren’t available yet. Inside, it comes with an 8-inch or 11-inch touchscreen, depending on the trim. And the new Trax comes standard with six advanced safety technology features. The new model goes on sale next spring with a starting price just under $21,500 not including destination charges.

ALPINE CONCEPT LOOKS READY TO RACE
Alpine revealed a new eye-catching concept, called the Alpenglow. It looks like a car you might see racing in the Prototype category at Le Mans or in a hot new video game. But the company says the concept is “the starting point for all future Alpine car designs, technologies and breakthroughs… ” Some of that will include power that’s generated by hydrogen technology. However, Alpine didn’t provide any other details. But we may learn more when the Alpenglow makes its debut at the Paris Motor Show next week.

MOPAR SHOWS SEMA TEASERS
Speaking of auto shows, Mopar is gearing up for SEMA, which kicks off in early November, by teasing a few of the vehicles that it will have on display. It looks like it will have a couple of specialty Ram pickups, one with a possible camper or something in the bed, as well as a modified Wrangler 4xe, called Surge. Mopar’s not providing any details yet, so if you think you’ve got some insight we’d love to hear it. Also, Tim Kuniskis, the CEO of Dodge, revealed on Autoline After Hours it will have “a different flavor” of the all-electric Charger Daytona Concept to show off at SEMA as well. So, you might not want to miss that.

 

AUDI DEVELOPING TECH TO HELP PROTECT CYCLISTS
Audi is developing technology that can help protect bicyclists. It recently demonstrated cellular vehicle to everything or C-V2X technology in California. The system alerts the driver, with audio and visual warnings, if it detects a cyclist in its path, if there is a possible collision, or if a bicycle is approaching from behind while the car is pulling out of a curbside parking spot. Audi says the demonstrations showed that the technology has the potential to reduce accidents between vehicles and cyclists. Earlier this year, Audi, along with other automakers and tech companies, filed a petition with the FCC to grant a waiver to allow C-V2X technology on American roads.

TESLA ADOPTS NEW EMERGENCY FLASHERS
We’ve got an update on a technology that we first showed off in June. Tesla is going to integrate H.E.L.P. or Hazard Enhanced Location Protocol into its vehicles, first in North America, then around the world. The system flashes a vehicle’s emergency lights at a far faster rate than what’s currently used, which does a better job of grabbing the attention of other road users. It can also beam out an alert to other nearby connected vehicles or smartphones. One reason this makes a lot of sense for Tesla is that it requires no hardware changes as long as the vehicle has LED lights. So, all Tesla will do is provide an over-the-air update to its owners. The backstory on emergency flashers is kind of interesting too. They were standardized in 1951 and flash at a rate of 1-2 hertz. The reason they flash at that rate is because that all that incandescent bulbs and controls could handle. But with LEDs that can flash far faster we’ve realized it’s much better at grabbing people’s attention.

 

Was that gorgeous Buick Wildcat concept just a tease, or is it indicative of the brand’s future? That’s what we want to ask Bob Boniface, the head of Buick design, when he joins us on Autoline After Hours this afternoon. Joe Dematio from Haggerty and Greg Migliore from Autoblog will also be on the show, and we invite you to join us at 3PM eastern time to discover where Buick is headed.

But that wraps up today’s show, thanks for watching.