Weeks after introducing a potentially game-changing “Uni-wheel” drive system for EVs, Hyundai and Kia are showing off another next-generation technology to keep EV drivers safer during inclement weather. Today, Kia and Hyundai introduced a new snow chain-integrated tire that utilizes shape memory alloy modules inside the wheel. See how this incredible new tech works in the video below.
As EVs continue to saturate the global automotive market, their respective technologies are evolving to benefit consumers. Now more than ever, these electric vehicles drive farther, charge faster, and come equipped with exciting new technologies like vehicle-to-load (V2L) capabilities and Plug & Charge.
Hyundai Motor Group has been one of the early proponents of such technologies, featuring them in EVs atop its E-GMP platform. In fact, Hyundai and Kia especially have rolled out some exciting technologies throughout the electric mobility segment and allocated considerable funds to R&D to explore new engineering breakthroughs.
Last month, the Korean automotive conglomerate introduced a new “Uni Wheel” system, described as a potential “paradigm shift” in drivetrain configurations. Traditional ICE vehicles utilize CV joints, but moving them closer to the wheels requires a short drive train length and, as a result, a decrease in efficiency and durability – especially over bumpy terrain. Hyundai and Kia’s Uni Wheel system, on the other hand, can transmit power with almost zero changes to efficiency, regardless of wheel movement.
The last breakthrough was met with some confusion as to how it worked, but once you watched the video, it garnered a lot of hype as a breakthrough technology. Today, Hyundai Motor Group has shared another exciting video about tires it has developed with alloy “snow chains” built in. Check it out.
Credit: Hyundai Motor Group/YouTube
Snow problem! Hyundai’s new tires come well equipped
As if Hyundai and Kia EVs weren’t already exploring the bleeding edge of efficiency, the automakers have developed a new tire/wheel combination that alleviates the need to haul around and install snow tires – a common practice for drivers in wintery regions that trek up mountains.
Hyundai explains that this new tire technology can automatically deploy shape memory alloy at the push of a button in the cabin, quickly offering EV drivers a snow chain-like grip during wintery road conditions.
This snow chain-integrated tire technology consists of a wheel and tire assembly consisting of radial, evenly spaced grooves that house modules made from shape memory alloy that can be deployed when an electric current is applied and can return to its natural shape inside the tire.
The video below showcases how it works best, but this could be a potential game-changer for snow tires if and when Hyundai and Kia integrate it into passenger EV models. When that may happen remains to be seen, but Hyundai appears to be working toward that goal. The automaker’s head of the advanced chassis development team, Joon Mo Park, elaborated:
This innovation, which will hopefully be introduced on Hyundai and Kia vehicles someday, reflects our commitment to turning advanced technologies into real-world solutions that benefit customers. We will continue to develop technologies that enhance safety and convenience of our vehicles and bring value to our customers.
Like the Uni-Wheel drive system mentioned above, Hyundai and Kia’s snow chain tires offer plenty of room for excitement about what technologies are yet to emerge within EVs, as long as their creators find a way to scale and integrate the technology as planned. While we wait for that, check out Hyundai Motor Group’s video explaining the new snow tire technology below:
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America’s best-selling electric pickup may be headed for the chopping block. According to sources, Ford is now considering killing off the F-150 Lightning.
Is Ford canceling the F-150 Lightning electric pickup?
After Ford halted production of the electric pickup at its Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn, Michigan, earlier this year, it may never return to the assembly line.
Ford announced during its third-quarter earnings that F-150 Lightning production would remain paused after a fire at Novelis’ plant in New York disrupted aluminum supply.
The company said it would focus on gas and hybrid trucks, which are more profitable and require less aluminum.
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According to a new report from the Wall Street Journal, Ford’s electric pickup may be as good as dead. Citing sources close to the matter, the WSJ report claims Ford is now considering scrapping the F-150 Lightning altogether.
The move comes after Ford’s electric vehicle business, Model e, lost another $1.4 billion in Q3. Ford’s EV unit has now lost $3.6 billion through the first nine months of 2025.
Ford F-150 Lightning production at Rouge EV plant (Source: Ford)
Around $3 billion of the loss is due to its current EVs, such as the F-150 Lightning and Mustang Mach-E. The other $600 million is for investments in next-gen electric models.
Ford is shifting to smaller, more affordable electric cars with its Universal EV platform. The flexible, low-cost platform is key to unlocking more affordable EVs, which will start at around $30,000.
CEO Jim Farley presents the Ford Universal EV Platform in Kentucky (Source: Ford)
The first vehicle on the platform is expected to be a midsize electric pickup, similar in size to the Ford Maverick or Ranger. It’s set to roll out sometime in 2027.
CEO Jim Farley said during the company’s Q3 earnings call that $30,000 EVs are “not a distant plan,” adding they are “right around the corner” at Ford.
The F-150 Lightning is still America’s best-selling electric pickup, after Ford sold a record 10,000+ in Q3. Through October, Ford sold 24,577 F-150 Lightnings, slightly less than the 24,670 sold during the same period in 2024.
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In the spirit of SEMA week, Stellantis’ Chinese EV brand Leapmotor is getting some tuner cred from the German performance experts at Irmscher, delivering a 590 hp compact EV that should play well in both the Asian and European street scenes.
European regulators may be slapping heavier tariffs on Chinese EVs in an attempt to slow them down, but automakers like Stellantis-owned Leapmotor finding new ways to build momentum. The latest proof of that is a new, limited-edition Leapmotor i C10 SUV that was developed in and for the Chinese market, but that’s had its edge sharpened up for European roads through a partnership with German tuner Irmscher.
The first results of what is being called a long-term partnership is the Leapmotor i C10 by Irmscher, a limited run, 250 unit sports crossover built for the German market — and, with nearly six hundred hp on tap, the German autobahn, too!
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The Irmscher version of the i C10 features a more prominent rear spoiler and a new set of five-spoke alloy wheels wrapped in low-profile, high-performance rubber, sure, but the real magic lies beneath the car’s skin.
Irmscher has fitted a firmer suspension setup specifically engineered to sharpen the SUV’s handling, making it more suited to the Leapmotor’s already potent, dual-motor AWD powertrain. That powertrain remains largely unchanged, offering a hefty 590 hp (440 kW) for a zippy 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) sprints in under 4 seconds.
Built to move
Sharper, Sportier i C10 EV; via Stellantis.
The electric motors get power from an 81.9 kWh li-ion battery pack, good for an estimated range of 437 km (272 miles), positioning it as a performance-oriented variant of the standard crossover rather than a long-distance tourer (and, yes, I know what “GT” stands for, I’m just choosing to ignore the baked-in irony).
If you drive an electric vehicle, make charging at home fast, safe, and convenient with a Level 2 charger installed by Qmerit.As the nation’s most trusted EV charger installation network, Qmerit connects you with licensed, background-checked electricians who specialize in EV charging. You’ll get a quick online estimate, upfront pricing, and installation backed by Qmerit’s nationwide quality guarantee. Their pros follow the highest safety standards so you can plug in at home with total peace of mind.
Canadian heavy equipment dealer Nors and Volvo CE are kicking off the season of giving early, handing over the keys to a brand-new Volvo L25 Electric compact wheel loader to Habitat for Humanity!
Volvo CE’s donation to Habitat for Humanity Greater Toronto Area (Habitat GTA) marks the nonprofit’s first-ever electric construction machine. The asset will be put to work immediately on a 30-home affordable housing project in Brampton as a quiet, zero-emission alternative to diesel for the site’s preparation.
For the volunteers and staff at Habitat GTA, that fantasy of a quiet, fume-free job site is now a reality. “Much of our equipment is older than some of our volunteers” admitted Ene Underwood, CEO of Habitat GTA. This makes the electric Volvo loader a massive leap forward for the volunteers, proving that electric machines are ready to do real work right now, even for organizations operating on tight budgets — but you shouldn’t mistake the decision as pure charity.
The L25 Electric donation is just an opening salvo for Nors’ new “Compact Solutions, Community Impact” marketing campaign, and the company has already committed to donating two more Volvo CE electric machines to worthy organizations across Canada. “We’re … helping build a better world for future generations,” said Paul George of Nors.
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It’s a smart PR play, for sure, but it’s also a powerful, real-world demonstration program that puts its money where its mouth is and directly tackles the, “but I’ve never seen one!” barrier to battery electric equipment adoption.
As far as equipment goes, the Volvo L25 Electric is perfect for the infill development and residential lots where Habitat builds. As Agako Nouch of Volvo CE pointed out, the loader eliminates the noise and air quality issues that are major headaches when building in existing neighborhoods. It’s an example of how electrification can fundamentally improve the relationship between construction sites and the communities they serve.
Nors is inviting Canadians to nominate other nonprofits or municipalities that could benefit from an electric excavator or wheel loader. It’s a public consultation, not a contest, and the final two recipients will be announced on December 16th. It’s a genuine chance to put more electric iron to work where it can do the most good.
If you drive an electric vehicle, make charging at home fast, safe, and convenient with a Level 2 charger installed by Qmerit.As the nation’s most trusted EV charger installation network, Qmerit connects you with licensed, background-checked electricians who specialize in EV charging. You’ll get a quick online estimate, upfront pricing, and installation backed by Qmerit’s nationwide quality guarantee. Their pros follow the highest safety standards so you can plug in at home with total peace of mind.