Weeks after officially unveiling its all-electric Countryman in Germany, MINI has brought the EV overseas for its North American debut. In correlation with Climate Week in New York City, MINI has debuted the new Countryman alongside parent company BMW Group ahead of initial US deliveries set for next year.
The MINI Countryman is a subcompact SUV that currently sits as the automaker’s largest model, although it’s easily the smallest SUV in its respective segment. Initially debuting in 2010, the Countryman has seen a facelift as well as a second-generation refresh in 2017.
Until recently, the subcompact SUV was only offered as in gasoline and diesel models, despite MINI vowing to become an entirely electric brand with new EV models like the Cooper SE and the upcoming Aceman.
However, the BMW sub-brand took a major step toward an all-electric lineup, with the 2024 Countryman Electric debuting on September 1, 2023, at IAA Mobility in Germany. Advertised as being longer and higher than any other MINI before it, the third-generation Countryman now comes all-electric and will be available in the US next year.
Before then, however, MINI brought its new subcompact SUV across the pond to showcase it during Climate Week NYC. Check it out.
MINI’s new Countryman Electric makes its way to the US
Following the world premiere to kick off the month, MINI is providing an encore with the US debut of the Countryman Electric at Newlab in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The event featured panels led by URBAN-X – a platform created by MINI in 2016 that partners with startups to develop technology solutions that help enable a more sustainable planet.
MINI describes the third-generation Countryman as an “evolution” of its largest vehicle and a clear step toward its goal of becoming an all-electric brand by the end of the decade. As we learned at IAA Mobility, the 2024 Countryman Electric is now 4,433 mm long, 1,843 mm wide, and 1,656 mm high and features a wheelbase that has been increased to 2,692 mm.
When it arrives, the all-electric subcompact SUV will come available in two trims:
MINI Countryman E
Output: 150 kW/204 hp
Torque: 250 Nm
Range: 462 km (287 miles) (provisional estimate)
0-100 km/h (0-62 mph): 8.6 seconds
Top speed: 170 km/h (106 mph)
MINI Countryman SE ALL4
Output: 230 kW/313 hp
Torque: 494 Nm
Range: 433 km (269 miles) (provisional estimate)
0-100 km/h (0-62 mph): 5.6 seconds
Top speed: 180 km/h (111 mph)
There’s no word yet on pricing in any market, let alone in the US, but BMW Group did share that the 2024 Countryman Electric will be the first MINI built in Germany, a distance from EV production being set up in the UK, where the aforementioned Cooper SE and Aceman will be manufactured.
We are sure to learn more later next year as the new Countryman is expected to reach US consumers in the fall of 2024.
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Tesla’s retro-futuristic diner with Superchargers and giant movie screens is ready to open, and I have to admit, it looks pretty sick.
This project has been in the works for a long time.
In 2018, Elon Musk said that Tesla planned to open an “old school drive-in, roller skates & rock restaurant at one of the new Tesla Supercharger locations in Los Angeles.” It was yet another “Is he joking?” kind of Elon Musk idea, but he wasn’t kidding.
7 years after being originally announced, the project appears now ready to open:
Musk said that he ate at the diner last night and claimed that it is “one of the coolest spots in LA.” He didn’t say when it will open, but Tesla vehicles have been spotted at Supercharger and people appear to be testing the dinning experience inside.
A Tesla Optimus Robot can be seen inside the diner on a test rack. It looks like Tesla might use one for some tasks inside the diner.
I think it looks pretty cool. I am a fan of the design and concept.
However, considering the state of the Tesla community, I don’t think I’d like the vibes. That said, it looks like Tesla isn’t prominently pushing its branding on the diner.
You can come and charge there, but it looks like Tesla is also aiming to get a wider clientele just for dining.
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Plant Vogtle Nuclear Power Plant in Waynesboro, GA, August 15, 2024.
Van Applegate | CNBC
Westinghouse plans to build 10 large nuclear reactors in the U.S. with construction to begin by 2030, interim CEO Dan Sumner told President Donald Trump at a roundtable in Pittsburgh on Tuesday.
Westinghouse’s big AP1000 reactor generates enough electricity to power more than 750,000 homes, according to the company. Building 10 of these reactors would drive $75 billion of economic value across the U.S. and $6 billion in Pennsylvania, Sumner said.
The Westinghouse executive laid out the plan to Trump during a conference on energy and artificial intelligence at Carnegie Mellon University. Technology, energy and financial executives announced more than $90 billion of investment in data centers and power infrastructure at the conference, according to the office of Sen. Dave McCormick, who organized the event.
Trump issued four executive orders in May that aim to quadruple nuclear power in the U.S. by 2050. The president called for the U.S. to have 10 nuclear plants under construction by 2050. He ordered a “wholesale revision” of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s rules and guidelines.
The U.S. has built only two new nuclear reactors over the past 30 years, both of which were Westinghouse AP1000s at Plant Vogtle in Waynesboro, Georgia. The project notoriously came in $18 billion over budget and seven years behind schedule, contributing to the bankruptcy of Westinghouse.
The industry stalwart emerged from bankruptcy in 2018 and us now owned by Canadian uranium miner Cameco and Brookfield Asset Management.
Westinghouse announced a partnership with Google on Tuesday to use AI tools to make the construction of AP1000s an “efficient, repeatable process,” according to the company.
Hyundai’s electric minivan is finally out in the open. The Staria EV was caught without camo near Hyundai’s R&D center in Korea, giving us a closer look at the electric minivan undisguised.
Hyundai’s electric minivan drops camo ahead of debut
The Staria arrived in 2021 as the successor to the Starex, Hyundai’s multi-purpose vehicle (MPV). Although the Staria has received several updates throughout the years, 2026 will be its biggest by far.
Hyundai will launch the Staria EV, its first electric minivan. Like the current model, the 2026 Staria will be available in several different configurations, including cargo, passenger, and even a camper version.
We’ve seen the Staria EV out in public a few times already. Last month, we got a glimpse of it while driving on public roads in Korea.
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Despite the camouflage, new EV-like design elements were visible, including updated LED headlights and a full-length light bar. Although it’s still unclear, the electric version appears to be roughly the same size as the current Staria from the side, but slightly wider from the front.
New images posted on the South Korean forum Clien reveal a test car, expected to be Hyundai’s Staria electric minivan, without camo.
Like most Hyundai test cars, the prototype has a black front and a grey body. It still features a similar look to other prototypes we’ve seen, but you can clearly see the new facelift.
Earlier this year, a Staria EV was spotted in a parking lot in Korea, featuring a similar look. The electric version is nearly identical to the Staria Lounge, but with an added charge port and closed-off grille.
The Hyundai Staria EV is expected to make its global debut later this year. Technical details have yet to be revealed, but it’s expected to feature either a 76 kWh or 84 kWh battery, providing a range of around 350 km (217 miles) to 400 km (249 miles).
Hyundai Staria Lounge (Source: Hyundai)
Hyundai’s electric SUV arrives after Kia introduced its first electric van, the PV5, which launched in Europe and Korea earlier this year.
In Europe, the Kia Passenger PV5 model is available with two battery pack options: 51.5 kWh and 71.2 kWh, providing WLTP ranges of 179 miles and 249 miles, respectively. The Cargo version has a WLTP range of 181 miles or 247 miles.