The Corvette CX making its debut at this weekend’s The Quail, a Motorsports Gathering, generates more than 2,000 combined hp from its four, individually controlled and torque-vectoring electric motors. It’s staggering power, draped in beautiful bodywork, at a point in time when Corvette is rapidly climbing through the supercar ranks. There’s only one problem with this latest rendition of America’s motorsports icon: China’s has 1,000 more hp.
The specs for the Yangwang U9 Track Edition that leaked last week in BYD filings with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) read like something out a middle schooler’s journal. 3,000 hp. 0-60 in one second. An electric motor for each wheel. A top speed approaching 300 mph. If it’s real (and there is absolutely zero reason to believe that it isn’t), the BYD will be the performance car benchmark against which all others are measured, like the Ferrari F40 of the 1980s, McLaren F1 of the 1990s, or Bugattis of the twenty-first century.
And that 3,000 hp BYD? That’s a production car, if limited. Meanwhile, the latest no production intent, pie-in-the-sky, no-holds-barred, you can just say shit and no one will ever question it electric hypercar concept from GM falls more than 1,000 hp short, at “just” 2,000 hp.
But don’t count the Corvette out.
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More grease, bigger hammer
Callaway Sledgehammer, via Mecum Auctions.
Whatever you may think of poster-era supercars like the Lamborghini Diablo, Porsche Carerra GT, or Pagani Huayra – or even modern electric hypercars like the Tesla Model S Plaid and Xiaomi SU7 – the one thing they all have in common is that they are all objectively slower than the 255 mph Callaway Corvette Sledgehammer from 1988, above.
I won’t go into the specs of that car (this isn’t that kind of car blog), but the point is that while the Corvette is often overlooked, there is a reason GM’s top-shelf sporty car carries that “King of the Hill” nickname – and the new Corvette CX concept is similarly, undoubtedly, more than just a list of specs in a magazine.
And those specs are seriously impressive. The new Corvette CX concept packs four independent electric motors putting out a combined 2,000 hp and some ungoldy amount of Earth-moving torque under advanced software controls that enable four-wheel torque vectoring for maximum grip and cornering performance, as well as precise steering control under even the heaviest of braking.
Power to those motors comes from the Corvette CX’ 90 kWh lithium-ion battery that’s centrally mounted low in the chassis, giving the car a low center of gravity and, crucially, ideal 50/50 front-rear weight distribution.
Plus: it’s gorgeous
The Corvette team says the CX concept draws from more more than seventy (!) years of Corvette heritage while being a forward looking concept, not a retro piece. Stylistically, the concept seems more visually mature and subdued than its in-production C8 cousin, and seems to promise a return to the C3-5 eras’ cleaner, less busy aesthetics.
Phil Zak, executive design director for Chevrolet, is very rightly proud of the CX’ design. “While the shape of a Corvette has always been expressive and forward-looking, each crease and line has its roots in the generations that came before it. It is aspirational, it is cultural, it is the reason people want to come and work at Chevrolet,” says, Zak. “The CX … demonstrate(s) our design teams stepping away from the constraints of production vehicles and unleashing their creativity. Through this exercise, we’ve added to Corvette and defined the design direction for Corvette moving forward.”
Aggressively futuristic, yet unquestionably a Corvette, the CX concept shows what an uncompromised future sports car can be. The athletic exterior design, highlighted by the fighter-jet-inspired cockpit canopy, isn’t just about looking powerful – it was shaped in collaboration with the GM Motorsports Aero Group. Every angle was designed with ultimate performance in mind.
On the inside, every aspect of the CX concept was designed to provide an unmatched driving experience. The forward-opening fighter-jet-style canopy automatically raises as you approach. Driver and passenger settle into seating finished in Inferno Red ballistic textile, bolstered to help hold occupants in place during high-g cornering maneuvers. Premium silicone leather, milled aluminum, and low-gloss forged carbon fiber accents give an elevated feel to the driver-focused cabin.
The digital windscreen transforms the windshield into an immersive surround display with real-time performance data. Every major control is elegantly integrated into the steering wheel, keeping the driver’s focus on the road ahead.
The innovations continue underneath the skin with the Vacuum Fan System. Built-in fans draw air through the open-channel bodywork, generating massive downforce and adjusting the airflow over the rear diffuser to refine aerodynamic balance in real-time. The front diffuser and rear wing are both active, adjusting automatically in response to the driver’s inputs to generate maximum grip. The integrated understructure of the CX concept is visible through the aero channels in the bodywork, and the suspension A-arms are wing-shaped to enhance airflow and reduce front-end lift.
All in all, the new Corvette CX concept is an impressive piece of engineering and rolling art. It’s also a statement from GM that, while the Corvette may very well be going all-electric in its next iteration, it won’t be going any slower. In fact, the first electric Corvette might even be the best one ever – but don’t say that one too loud (you’ll upset the New Balance crowd).
That said, as a pure concept that almost no one will ever drive and which might never get publicly strapped on to a dyno, it is absolutely baffling that Chevy wouldn’t have just claimed 3,000 hp. Even if it was just to match BYD’s claims and continue to build on a century of hype for American exceptionalism, you know?
That’s my take, anyway – what’s yours? Watch the Corvette CX Concept hype video from Chevrolet, below, then let us know what you think of the latest GM concept in the comments.
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Veteran marine and industrial power solutions company Volvo Penta has joined forces with energy solutions provider e-power to build battery energy storage systems (BESS). Volvo Penta’s battery systems for energy storage will power BESS units built by e-power that can be catered to a range of applications, most notably construction rental clients like Boels Rentals in Europe.
Volvo Penta is a provider of sustainable power solutions that currently serves land and sea applications under the Volvo Group umbrella. As more and more of the world goes all-electric, the global manufacturer has also adapted, sharing cultural values with Volvo Group to engineer new and innovative sustainable power solutions.
Nearly 100 years later, Volvo Penta remains an industry leader in marine propulsion systems and industrial engines. As more and more of the world goes all-electric, the Swedish manufacturer has also adapted, sharing cultural values with Volvo Group to engineer new and innovative sustainable power solutions.
For example, all Volvo Penta diesel engines now run on hydro-treated vegetable oil (HVO), reducing well-to-wheel emissions by up to 90% across the marine and industrial power industries. On the zero-emissions side, Volvo Penta has expressed its dedication to fossil-free power solutions, including battery electric components to serve heavy-duty applications such as terminal tractors, forklifts, drill rigs, and feed mixers, to name a few.
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To leverage its battery electric value chain, Volvo Penta has also ventured into battery systems for energy storage (or BESS subsystems). These energy-dense, purpose-built BESS subsystems can provide portable, sustainable energy for all-electric charging and reduce grid dependency.
Source: Volvo Penta
Volvo Penta to deploy battery systems for energy storage
Volvo Penta recently announced a strategic partnership with e-power, a Belgian power solutions provider. Together, Volvo Penta and e-power will develop a scalable Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) for Boels Rental.
The collaboration continues a long-standing partnership between all three companies. Boels – one of the largest construction rental companies is a long-time customer of e-power generators that utilize Volvo Penta engines. As the company shifts toward electrification and sustainability, it will again turn to those companies to deliver reliable performance.
Volvo Penta’s BESS subsystem comprises battery packs, a Battery Management System (BMS), DC/DC converters, and thermal management, combining to offer a compact, high-density, and transport-friendly solution optimized for rental operations. The company shared that this BESS design is integration-ready, enabling other OEMs like e-power to adapt and scale systems to customer-specific needs. Per e-power business support director, Jens Fets:
We’ve built our reputation on reliability and efficient power systems. Working again with Volvo Penta, this time on battery energy storage, allows us to meet the growing demand for energy in a silent, low-emissions, compact and mobile design—especially in rental applications.
The deployment of these new battery energy storage systems will help Boels cater to its customers’ growing demand for clean, silent, and mobile energy solutions in construction and other industrial applications.
Aside from being more quickly adaptable to customer needs, Volvo Penta says its BESS architecture marks an overall shift in rental power systems. This is welcome news for all who support a cleaner, more sustainable future across all industries.
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Two days ahead of the GLC EV’s officially schedule global debut, images that reportedly show the new 2026 Mercedes undisguised have leaked on Instagram and Reddit. They show the blocky new light-up grille on the nose of a very smooth, jellybean-like crossover shape that, despite Mercedes’ insistence that it’s moving away from the EQ series’ design language, looks an awful lot like an EQ Mercedes.
Check out the leaked images from kindleauto’s Instagram account, below, and see if you agree with that assessment.
If you need to see more before you feel comfortable commenting on the new SUV’s looks, there’s a few more angles over on the r/mercedes_benz subreddit.
As with everything else on the internet, take those unofficial images with a grain of salt and maybe wait until the GLC EV’s official reveal in a few days’ time before casting your final vote on the new look – but there’s very little reason to believe the new Mercedes will look terribly different from what you see here.
We got a sneak peek at the new GLC back in July, when Mercedes-Benz Group CEO, Ola Källenius said that, “We’re not just introducing a new model – we’re electrifying our top seller.” Back then, we learned that the new GLC EV would have a wheelbase 3.1″ longer than the current ICE-powered model, as well as more head- and leg-room for its occupants and an extra 4.5 cubic feet (for 61.4 total) of cargo space.
Källenius also promised an innovative new 800V electric architecture and the latest battery tech, which will enable the electric GLC to add around 260 km (~160 miles) of WLTP range in just ten minutes thanks to more than 300 kW of charging capability.
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For more than 30 years, John Deere’s go-anywhere Gator has been a trusted tool for ranchers, landscapers, and hobby farmers. But the all-electric TE 4×2 version of Big Green’s little truckster rarely gets to steal the spotlight from its ICE-powered 6×4 cousins.
That OG E-Gator was designed from the ground up for quiet work in places like golf courses, university and hospital campuses, luxury resorts, and corporate grounds – but its go-anywhere design and quiet running made it a favorite of hunters and ranchers, too. Fitted with eight heavy, 12V lead-acid batteries, the ’98 Gator could deliver 6 hours of runtime between overnight charges.
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We haven’t come a long way, baby
TE 4×2 loaded w/ attachments; via John Deere.
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. That seems to be the mentality at Deere when it comes to the all-electric Gator. The TE 4×2 hasn’t chased trends or tried to reinvent itself with flashy autonomous tech. Instead, it’s relied solid, work-horsey reasons. Instead, the UTV has leaned on the formula that’s made it a winner for more than 25 years: bulletproof reliability, low maintenance, and a design that just works. Even the added weight of the low-tech batteries compared to more energy-dense li-ion deals makes sense in this application, providing weight over the drive wheels that delivers sure-footed traction on slippery grass or muddy trails.
That’s not to say the Gator hasn’t changed at all over the last few decades. The electrical system has been upgraded to 48V, and its high-capacity, deep-cycle batteries (12 kWh total capacity) give the TE 4×2 dependable, all-day runtime (up to 8 continuous hours) with the benefit of modern chargers, regenerative braking (!), and updated safety features.
The TE 4×2 electric Gator is available from your local Deere dealer with prices starting at $15,699. And, if you’re looking for an endorsement: my personal Gator is easily my favorite thing … maybe I should try to change my Twitter X handle to “GatorJo”?
Let me know what you think of that idea in the comments.
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Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.
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