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Recharge Wrap-up: Lyft partners with Didi Kuaidi, Cadillac uses ultracapacitors

Lyft and Chinese on-demand transportation venture Didi Kuaidi have announced a partnership. Additionally, Didi Kuaidi is investing $100 million in Lyft. The two ridesharing companies will share technology and provide interoperability between platforms. For users, this means it will be easier to get around when traveling between the US and China. "In today's rideshare environment, where every region presents a unique set of challenges and opportunities, partnering with the homegrown leader is the winning approach to Chinese expansion," says Lyft President and co-founder John Zimmer. Learn more in the video above, and in the press release below. Car2go has announced service in Miami Beach, FL. Beginning October 1, the one-way carsharing service will expand its boundaries beyond its current Miami service area to include neighboring Miami Beach. "We're thrilled to see car2go expand to Miami Beach," says Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine. "Miami Beach residents and visitors are increasingly seeking new, environmentally conscious options to move around North, Middle, and South Beach, and carsharing is an important part of realizing that vision." Read more from Car2go. ClipperCreek has added the HCS-30 EVSE to its product line. The 24-amp, 240-volt Level 2 charging station is designed for residential and workplace duty. It allows for faster charging without the customer having to upgrade their electrical service panel. Delivering about 20 miles of range per hour of charging, the HCS-30 EVSE can charge most EVs in about four hours. Pricing begins at $565. Read more from ClipperCreek. Cadillac will use ultracapacitors in its stop-start systems for 2016. Rather than relying on battery power to run electrical systems while the engine is not running, the utracapacitors can provide a stable flow of energy without losing lifespan to repeated cycling. Supplied by Maxwell Technologies, the ultracapacitors are also lighter than batteries and, according to Cadillac, provide smoother restarts. The 2016 models to use the updated stop-start technology as standard will be the ATS and CTS, with the exception of the V performance variants. Read more at Green Car Reports. Lyft and Didi Kuaidi Announce Strategic Partnership, Building Toward a Collaborative Global Ridesharing Alliance - Didi Kuaidi Invests $100 million in Lyft - Companies Introduce Ridesharing Coverage Between the U.S.

2019 Cadillac XT4 First Drive Review | Fashionably late

SEATTLE, Wash. — The 2019 Cadillac XT4 compact crossover debuted in New York, Cadillac's recently-adopted home, several months ago. Since then, a lot's changed. Cadillac honcho Johan de Nysschen got the boot, the economy's continued to improve, and we've changed coasts to experience the XT4. The setting is Seattle and its environs, a place that embodies the moment – a town flush with tech money and outdoor lifestyle experiences. Oh, and traffic. Lots of that. What hasn't changed is that this is a vehicle that Cadillac desperately needs. Between and below the Escalade and XT5 are vast gulfs of white space that could swallow entire crossover-focused brands. The dealers, we imagine, howled. And de Nysschen was replaced, it turns out, by a career GM exec with a penchant for building bridges with dealers. Must be a coincidence. The XT4 should please everybody involved in that power struggle. It's cute, for one, which will make for happier dealer-customer interactions. It brings appreciable but unintimidating technological advances to a brand looking to flex some segment leadership muscles. And it doesn't strictly feel like a rebadged version of a lower-tier product, a bad habit that Cadillac keeps failing to kick. We'll discuss its competition within its segment, and how they compare to the XT4, in another piece to follow. If you're wondering where the XT4 comes from, the easiest way to think about it is as a cut-down version of the basic underpinnings of the XT5, wrapped in nicely-proportioned sheetmetal. To be blunt, there's more unadorned plastic on the lower fascia and rockers than we'd like at this price point, but the rest is handsome. Large, elegant lamps sit at both ends, set off with trendy creasing and little accent vents – Sport models have clear taillight elements, while others have red-tinted lenses. The XT5, itself a newer vehicle, looks outclassed and dated instantly when put up next to its sleeker, more modern little sibling. The interior, however, is more alike than different. The major shapes are similar, as are the placement of the switchgear. The 8.0-inch infotainment screen is, as in the XT5, embedded in a slabby wedge of dash. It's still a touchscreen, but a little dial now provides an alternate way to navigate. A Qi charging panel and easily accessible, but not too prominent, USB, charging, and aux inputs reside just above. The seats in our tester, a Premium Luxury trim, are covered in a soft, warm caramel-colored leather.

2023 Ram Rebel, Range Rover and Civic vs. Integra | Autoblog Podcast #753

In this episode of the Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Senior Editor (Reviews + West Coast) James Riswick for a jam-packed episode. They start off talking SUVs and trucks. James spent some time off-roading the 2023 Ram Rebel and the brand new 2023 Land Rover Range Rover. From there, they pivot to a discussion of the new Honda CR-V. Next up is the all-electric Cadillac Lyriq, followed by a brief discussion of the merits and drawbacks of the Honda Civic Hatchback Sport Touring vs. the new Acura Integra. We have our favorites; do you? After that, they spend a listener's money; this week's is a repeat customer from 2017.  Send us your questions for the Mailbag and Spend My Money at: Podcast@Autoblog.com. Autoblog Podcast #753 Get The Podcast Apple Podcasts – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes Spotify – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast on Spotify RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown 2023 Ram Rebel 2023 Land Rover Range Rover 2023 Honda CR-V 2023 Cadillac Lyriq 2023 Honda Civic Hatch Sport Touring 2023 Acura Integra Spend my money! Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts Autoblog is now live on your smart speakers and voice assistants with the audio Autoblog Daily Digest. Say “Hey Google, play the news from Autoblog” or "Alexa, open Autoblog" to get your favorite car website in audio form every day. A narrator will take you through the biggest stories or break down one of our comprehensive test drives. Related video: 2023 Cadillac Lyriq walkaround