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Kia EV6, Nissan Frontier, Range Rover and VW Taos | Autoblog Podcast #738

In this episode of the Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined byYahoo Finance Senior Reporter Pras Subramanian. First, they discuss the cars they've been driving, including the Kia EV6, Nissan Frontier, Land Rover Range Rover and Volkswagen Taos. Then they discuss the state of certain brands like Bentley, Ferrari and Polestar. They also talk about the most recent quarterly sales updates, including what's going on with Tesla in China. Send us your questions for the Mailbag and Spend My Money at: Podcast@Autoblog.com. Autoblog Podcast #738 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 Cars we're driving: 2022 Kia EV6 2022 Nissan Frontier 2022 Land Rover Range Rover 2022 Volkswagen Taos The state of Bentley, Ferrari and Polestar Q2 sales trends 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: 2022 Kia EV6 walkaround at the 2021 Chicago Auto Show

Will VW's rumored 186-mile EV battery be enough?

Just as there continues to be a horsepower war in the realm of performance cars, there's an ongoing battle over driving range among electric vehicles. Both the Tesla Model 3 and Chevrolet Bolt are promising around 200 miles for a relatively affordable price in or around 2017. Plus, Nissan is reportedly nearing a 250-mile Leaf for about the same time and Ford might be joining the game, too. Volkswagen might be the latest potential challenger with some extra distance possible from its future EVs. According to Hybrid Cars, Volkswagen Chairman Martin Winterkorn tells Bild in Germany that the company is developing a new generation of battery tech with major gains, and it could reportedly provide a range of around 186 miles. That's more than double the current 83-mile EPA certified range for the e-Golf but falls short of the projections from competitors. Winterkorn didn't indicate exactly when this innovation would be ready for production, though. Especially in recent months, the German automaker is making serious moves towards big advancements in battery tech, and the company's platforms are largely already prepped to become EVs. The entire VW Group is reportedly considering moving to a single, unified lithium-ion cell design, and that switch could cut component costs by as much as 66 percent. In late 2014, the German automotive giant also bought five percent of the US-based startup QuantumScape. That business has claimed a staggering 430-mile range from its fireproof, solid-state lithium batteries, but the proof will need to be seen on the road – and in whatever the competition is able to accomplish whenever a car is finally available.

VW's Skoda says Ukraine partner making wire harnesses again

PRAGUE — Skoda Auto, part of the Volkswagen Group, said on Tuesday its supply partner in Ukraine had decided to restart production of wire harnesses which should allow the Czech carmaker to resume production of its electric ENYAQ iV model. Russia's invasion of Ukraine has added to supply chain problems for global automakers — which were already struggling with semiconductor shortages that have cut production — with a break in deliveries of wire harnesses from the war-torn country. While Skoda, the Czech Republic's biggest exporter, said it expects the supply of semiconductors to improve in the second half of 2022, it said the war in Ukraine and supply bottlenecks will put a significant burden on its operating business. Skoda's 2021 deliveries fell 12.6% year-on-year and earlier this month it stopped production of the ENYAQ because of harness shortages, saying that two other models were at risk because of the lack of availability of the component. "Our partner ... in Ukraine decided to restart production of wire harnesses this week, with full service and full security for workers there," Karsten Schnake, Skoda's board member for purchasing, said during its online 2021 earnings presentation. Wire harnesses form a key part of a car's electrical system, which group and guide cables inside the vehicle. "We decided to double the production in case something is going wrong, and this production will be ramped up in an alternative factory," Schnake said, adding that work there would start in three or four weeks. "Hopefully we can restart production of ENYAQ one or two weeks later when we have wire harnesses," Schnake said. Skoda delivered 878,200 cars worldwide in 2021, the first time that this had fallen below the 1 million mark since 2013. Nevertheless, the VW group brand's sales revenue rose 3.9% to 17.7 billion euros ($19.5 billion) in 2021 and operating profit rose 43.2% to 1.1 billion euros ($1 billion) as it took cost measures. Skoda did not give a financial or production outlook, saying there were still considerable uncertainties as a result of the conflict in Ukraine and the impact on its Russian operations. Skoda, like VW, has suspended production and other business activities in Russia, which was its second-largest market last year, with 90,400 vehicles delivered. ($1 = 0.9089 euros) (Reporting by Jason Hovet, Editing by Louise Heavens, Kirsten Donovan and Alexander Smith) Related video: Green Plants/Manufacturing Volkswagen Skoda Electric ukraine war