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China’s leading EV maker, BYD, will use Huawei’s advanced driver-assist tech for its new “hard-core” electric SUV brand. The new partnership comes as BYD looks to close the tech gap with Tesla and other upcoming Chinese rivals.

BYD will use Huawei’s new tech in its off-road EVs

BYD’s new “professional grade” Fang Cheng Bao brand earned a major upgrade Tuesday after securing a partnership with Apple rival Huawei.

The brand will use Huawei’s new Qiankun Intelligent Driving ADS 3.0 to open “a new era of global intelligent hard-core” driving. BYD’s Fang Cheng Bao will work with the tech giant to research and develop smart driving tech for its off-road vehicles.

BYD launched Fang Cheng Bao last June. To celebrate its first anniversary, the brand launched a “renewal strategy,” claiming it has now fully entered the 2.0 stage of development.

After expanding its lineup, BYD’s new personalized brand is moving from “professional grade” to “public personality” as it opens up its market.

BYD and Huawei developed the Fang Cheng Bao intelligent driving solution, which both companies will use.

BYD-Huawei's
BYD Fang Cheng Bao Bao 5 (Source: Fang Cheng Bao)

The partnership is committed to advancing smart diving for “hard-core cars” and further developing China’s intelligent driving tech.

The first model to feature the new tech will be the Fang Cheng Bao 8, BYD’s hybrid off-road SUV. However, the features will roll out across the entire sub-brand.

BYD-Huawei's
BYD Fang Cheng Bao Bao 8 (Source: Fang Cheng Bao)

Fang Cheng Bao’s first vehicle, the Bao 5, launched last November. The Bao 8 was introduced in April alongside the Super 3 electric SUV (Bao 3) and Super 9 supercar concepts. The Bao 8 off-road SUV is expected to start at around $70,200 (RMB 500,000).

Closing the ADAS tech gap with Tesla

Huawei launched Qiankun ADS 3.0 in April, unlocking new smart driving features like city Navigate on Autopilot (NOA), similar to Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD).

The system uses the first end-to-end network architecture, which provides a more human-like experience. It’s also safer and more efficient.

BYD-Huawei's
BYD Fang Cheng Bao 3 electric SUV (Source: Fang Cheng Bao)

The tech giant said its ADS 3.0 is the first to achieve a full-scene connection from “parking space to parking space.” Vehicles can also autonomously detect complex places, like gates, roundabouts, and narrow U-turns, for a true “one-click” arrival.

With parking assist features, owners can select a parking spot on the infotainment, leave the car, and have the vehicle park itself remotely.

BYD-Huawei's
BYD Fang Cheng Bao 3 electric SUV (Source: Fang Cheng Bao)

If the vehicle blocks other cars, it can be controlled remotely through a smartphone with a “call to go.”

The new BYD Fang Cheng Bao 8 equipped with Huawei’s Qiankun ADS 3.0 is officially in the testing stage. BYD said it hopes the new off-road SUV can be launched as soon as possible to bring new experiences with Huwaei’s “smart hard-core” tech.

BYD-Huawei's
BYD Fang Cheng Bao Bao 5 (Source: Fang Cheng Bao)

BYD and Huawei are working to develop the world’s first smart driving tech exclusively for hard-core off-road vehicles.

The new partnership comes as BYD invests heavily in new ADAS tech to keep pace with Tesla and other Chinese rivals, such as NIO and XPeng.

BYD-new-Seal-EV
2025 BYD Seal EV (Source: BYD)

BYD dominates in China, the world’s largest EV market. However, buyers are increasingly looking for newer, more advanced features. BYD hopes working with Huawei can accelerate in-house development.

The EV maker recently launched a series of updated 2025 models with added LiDAR, like its Tesla Model 3-like Seal EV, as it looks to close the tech gap.

Source: CnEVPost, Huawei

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Meet Bodo – the 35 mph electric golf cart that thinks it’s a G-Wagen

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Meet Bodo – the 35 mph electric golf cart that thinks it's a G-Wagen

With a fully-enclosed, G-Wagen-inspired body and an 80 mile electric range, the Bodo G-Wagon golf cart is the NEV you need when you decide it’s time to get serous one-upping the rest of the Palm Beach country clubbers.

If you love the look of the $230,000 Mercedes-Benz G580 off-roader, but think the 579 hp, 6,800 lb. electric 4×4 is probably overkill for occasional trips to the golf course and country club, this G-Wagen-inspired golf cart might be just what you’re looking for.

The shiny black 2024 Bodo G-Wagon sold at Mecum Auctions last month for $31,900, which seems like it might not be a lot of money to the sort of person who decides to take a flyer on a goofy, limited-use EV that ships with real, metal doors, power windows, heating and air conditioning, fully digital instrument cluster and infotainment, and a “posh,” caramel leather interior.

It even has windshield wipers, power steering, and a rear-seat entertainment system that’s built into the front headrests!

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It’s really nice in there

Under the hood, the Bodo packs a 15 kW (20 hp) electric motor drawing power from a 10 kWh li-ion battery that won’t deliver a scorching 0-60 mph time (it only goes 35), but will deliver you and your buddies from one end of any golf course in North America and back several times over, thanks to the G-Wagon’s 80 mile range.

The official Mecum Auctions listing goes into a bit more detail, and I’ve included it here, in case it gets deleted after a while and you’re just finding this for the first time in 2027:

Be the envy of any country club or golf community showing up with this 2024 Bodo G-Wagon Golf Cart. Perhaps more appropriately known as an E-Wagon, this baby G-Wagon is powered by a 15kW motor with a 10kWh lithium battery. Boasting an 80-mile range and a 35 MPH top speed, the Bodo is an enclosed, luxury golf cart that pampers occupants with heating and air conditioning, rear-seat entertainment, power windows, power locks and a posh, caramel-colored interior. With the Bodo fitted with power steering and 4-wheel power disc brakes with brake boost, drivers will think they’re in a full-size G-Wagon, thanks to the multiscreen entertainment cluster, the rearview camera, windshield wipers, turn signals, running lights and so much more.

Finished in black with the right amount of brightwork, the overall vibe is one of jaw-dropping, smile-inducing fun. While the Bodo would be an excellent choice for any golf community, it should also prove to be hugely popular around a race track or car condo community as well, or maybe even a neighborhood with its own airplane runways. Over the past decade in particular, the demand for unique, luxury golf carts has been on the rise, and understandably so. The number of luxury communities with specific interests in sports, aero and auto has also been on the rise, with people buying homes in these exclusive locations to better engage with like-minded people. All too often a golf cart is the perfect way to get around these gated neighborhoods, and this one is enclosed, comes with the amenities of a full-size car and is infinitely more stylish.

MECUM AUCTIONS

You can check out a few more photos of the 2024 Bodo G-Wagon golf cart that sold at Mecum, below – and if you want one for yourself, you’re in luck! I found this brand-new 2025 “G600 E-Wagon” (in white) for $23,900 at Gulf Carts in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida. Head on down to the comments and let us know if you buy it.

SOURCE | LOTS MORE PHOTOS: Mecum Auctions.


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It’s back: Hyundai IONIQ 5 qualifies for $7,500 tax credit – again!

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It's back: Hyundai IONIQ 5 qualifies for ,500 tax credit – again!

The Hyundai IONIQ 5 got a raft of upgrades and sporty, rally-focused XRT trim level for 2025 – but the biggest upgrade for the Made in America Hyundai might be this: the 5 has regained eligibility for the full $7,500 federal EV tax credit!

Despite being assembled at Hyundai’s Georgia meta plant for the last four month, the 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 was nowhere to be found on the EPA’s list of rebate-eligible vehicles. But that was then – with a fresh updated to the list coming online May 1st, Hyundai’s new-age electric hot hatch is back in the rebate game.

It’s worth noting that lease customers had been able to access the incentive under some circumstances, but this latest update to the EPA list makes it possible for cash and payment buyers to take advantage of the full Federal incentive, too – as long as they earn less than $300,000 as a married couple filing jointly, less than $225,000 as a head of household, or less than $150,000 as an individual.

With the $7,500 federal tax credit in the equation, you can get a new 2025 IONIQ 5 for somewhere in between $36,575 and $49,475, well under the $80,000 Federal MSRP cap.

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Victory lap

As if to celebrate, Hyundai announced that it was taking on the celebrate One Lap of America road rayy and race event in a factory collaboration with the track-focused enthusiasts at Grassroots Motorsports this week with One Lap veterans Andy Hollis and Tom Suddard campaigning a stock, 601 hp 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 N in the Alternative Fuels class.

“After winning our class in a gutted, caged race car last year, we wanted to compete in the best-of-all worlds this year: A vehicle that’s incredibly fast, incredibly comfortable on a road trip, and incredibly capable on a racetrack,” explains Suddard. “Electrification means it’s finally possible to have huge power without huge compromises in a street car, and the IONIQ 5 N promises to pair that huge power with the durability and capability to survive a week of racing.”

One Lap is widely regarded as one of the toughest street-legal motorsports events in the world, pitting amateur and professional drivers alike compete in stock and heavily modified vehicles of every description, battling it out in a series of scored challenges, including timed events at road courses, drag strips, skid pads, and autocross courses.

In between tracks, competitors safely travel thousands of miles around the country, proving the mettle and durability of the vehicles and the teams that drive them. This year, 86 teams from all over the country will compete in 17 scored events over the course of eight days at tracks like Virginia International Raceway and NCM Motorsports Park.

The Tire Rack One Lap of America is currently underway – you can track the Hyundai’s progress here, then let us know what you think of this new tax development in the comments.

SOURCES | IMAGES: Hyundai, One Lap of America; FuelEconomy.gov.


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E-quipment highlight: Kenworth T880E vocational electric semi truck

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E-quipment highlight: Kenworth T880E vocational electric semi truck

With the launch of the first-ever Class 8 vocational EV in the North American market, PACCAR Kenworth is raising the battery-electric bar and underscoring just how far the market has come since the Tesla Semi made its debut nearly a decade ago.

When Tesla pulled the wraps off its all electric Semi truck all the way back in November of 2017, the rest of the industry was hardly thinking about BEVs. Nearly a decade later, the world is still waiting for the Semi to begin regular production, and PACCAR is launching its second generation of HDEVs with the debut of this, the all-new Kenworth T880E vocational truck.

“The Kenworth T880E marks a groundbreaking milestone in Kenworth’s history as we bring to market the first Class 8 battery-electric solution built for vocational applications,” explains Kevin Haygood, Kenworth assistant general manager for sales and marketing. “The T880E is engineered to meet the evolving needs of operators and vocational fleets while still providing the durability, reliability and customization our customers expect.”

The new electric K-whopper is motivated by PACCAR’s in-house ePowertrain platform, capable of putting up to 605 hp and 1,850 lb-ft of peak torque to work, while delivering the same levels of drivability and dependability fleets expect from a Kenworth – but power and torque are only part of the T880E’s work-ready résumé.

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Open to work

Kenworth T880E; via PACCAR.

In addition to a stout, Class 8 electric chassis fitted with heavy-duty Kenworth brakes and axles, the T880E’s central drive eMotor allows for significant wheelbase flexibility so fleet buyers can spec out exactly the machine they need to get the job done. The T880E was also designed to enable lift axle installations from trusted Kenworth upfitters for a vocational-friendly BEV integration.

Additionally, the T880E features a wide selection of factory-installed options that include both high- and low-voltage ePTO (electric Power Take Off) ports, mechanical ePTOs, and the same wide array of body configurations as the ICE version.

Speaking of the ICE version, the electric T880E also can also be had in the same set-back front axle and set-forward front axle configurations with the same multi-piece hood construction. Inside the cab, the latest in driver-focused technology includes the Kenworth SmartWheel and a new 15″ DriverConnect digital touchscreen. Dash and vocational features like RAM Mounts and factory-installed PTO switches are available. The T880E is also offered with Kenworth ADAS packages for customers interested in DigitalVision Mirrors, Bendix Fusion, and Lane Keeping Assist.

It’s so big, you guys

Kenworth T880E; photo by the author.

The T880E was on static display at last week’s ACT Expo in Anaheim, California. Check with your local Kenworth dealer for availability.

SOURCE | IMAGES: Kenworth.


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