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Autos

    • Edmunds: The top five EV startups you need to know about

    The 2023 Rivian R1S. (Courtesy of Edmunds via AP) The 2023 Rivian R1S. (Courtesy of Edmunds via AP)
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    Shopping for a new electric vehicle can seem a bit like the Wild West. While most people are familiar with Tesla and established automakers, they're less likely to know much about all-new companies looking to replicate the success of Tesla and take a share of the quickly growing market. From a consumer perspective, buying a vehicle from a startup company presents some advantages and possible drawbacks.

    Because these companies aren't tied to traditional automaking, their vehicles often boast innovative features and standout designs. However, a shopper might hesitate to buy a vehicle from a brand with a limited track record of reliability. A lack of nationwide service support might be another issue. With that, Edmunds highlights five EV startups for shoppers willing to take the plunge.

    RIVIAN

    This adventure-bound, U.S.-based EV startup was founded in 2009 by RJ Scaringe, the company's CEO. Rivian operated secretly for several years until 2018 when the electric R1T truck and R1S SUV were revealed at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Rivian started delivering the R1T to customers in the fall of 2021 and the R1S SUV last year. It also manufactures electric delivery vans for Amazon, one of its largest investors. Last year, the company delivered a little over 20,000 vehicles and plans to increase that to 50,000 this year.

    The R1T was the first all-electric truck to hit the market, and the company followed that up with the R1S three-row electric SUV. Both models are highly rated by Edmunds because of their innovative storage space and robust performance.

    Starting price: US$74,800 for R1T; $79,800 for R1S

    LUCID MOTORS

    Lucid was founded in 2007 under its former name Atieva. The company initially produced electric powertrains for other EV manufacturers. When it rebranded to Lucid Motors in 2016, this U.S.-based startup started to develop the Air, an electric luxury sedan. Deliveries started at the end of 2021. Lucid produced over 7,000 Air models in 2022 and plans to manufacture more than 10,000 by the end of the year.

    The company sells five versions of the Air, with price tags mostly topping the six-figure mark. The Grand Touring model's 516-mile EPA-estimated driving range is the longest of any EV, and the top-spec 1,200-horsepower Sapphire model is one of the most powerful production vehicles in the world.

    Starting price for Air: $89,050

    FISKER

    Fisker Inc. was started in 2016 by automotive designer Henrik Fisker, who formerly ran the now-defunct Fisker Automotive. The company's first EV, the Ocean small SUV, was revealed in the fall of 2021. Fisker plans to begin delivering the Ocean to U.S. customers in the summer and intends to produce over 30,000 vehicles this year. Unlike most EV startups that manufacture their vehicles in a company-built factory, the Ocean is being built in Austria by Magna Steyr, a vehicle contract manufacturer.

    The Ocean will initially be available in four models and is projected to have a driving range of up to 350 miles. An available solar panel roof and rotating center touchscreen are the Ocean's more interesting features.

    Starting price for Ocean: $37,499

    POLESTAR

    Before the Sweden-based EV startup was founded as a stand-alone company by Volvo in 2017, Polestar was known for developing performance versions of Volvo cars. The Polestar 1, a 619-horsepower plug-in hybrid coupe, was the brand's first vehicle, but production was limited to only 1,500 models. The company's first all-electric vehicle, the Polestar 2 sedan, launched for the 2021 model year. Over 50,000 were sold globally last year and the startup is aiming for 80,000 this year. Polestar recently unveiled its first electric SUV, the Polestar 3, which will go on sale next year. The Polestar 4, a performance electric SUV, will follow.

    Starting price for Polestar 2: $49,800

    VINFAST

    Many haven't heard of VinFast, but the company began delivering its VF 8 City Edition SUV to U.S. customers this year and plans to deliver an improved version of the VF 8 this summer. Part of a large Vietnamese corporate conglomerate, VinFast initially got its start with gasoline-powered vehicles. For the U.S., the company will have an all-electric SUV lineup that includes the VF 6, VF 7 and VF 9.

    When Edmunds recently drove the VF 8 City Edition, it found the vehicle lacked the refinement expected from a modern EV. But VinFast is taking the U.S. market seriously by offering a long warranty and starting a manufacturing facility in North Carolina starting this year.

    Starting price for VF 8: $50,200

    EDMUNDS SAYS:

    With a possible recession looming and potential future EV battery supply chain shortages, these EV startups aren't out of the woods yet. But their ability to develop and produce EVs as fledgling startups shows they are competent enough for continued success.

    --------

    This story was provided to The Associated Press by the automotive website Edmunds.

    Michael Cantu is a contributor at Edmunds and is on Instagram.

    06:27ET 31-05-23

    CTVNews.ca ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½

    BREAKING

    BREAKING

    Three men were injured after a man armed with a knife entered a Montreal-area Islamic cultural centre Friday afternoon.

    A 15-year-old boy who was the subject of an emergency alert in New Brunswick has been arrested.

    Police have arrested an 18-year-old woman who allegedly stole a Porche and then ran over its owner in an incident that was captured on video.

    Since she was a young girl growing up in Vancouver, Ginny Lam says her mom Yat Hei Law made it very clear she favoured her son William, because he was her male heir.

    The parents of a teenager who died after allegedly consuming the poisonous products of a Mississauga man are now suing him, as well as several doctors involved in her care.

    The search for a missing six-year-old boy in Shamattawa is continuing Friday as RCMP hope recent tips can help lead to a happy conclusion.

    Canada

    • BREAKING

      BREAKING

      Three men were injured after a man armed with a knife entered a Montreal-area Islamic cultural centre Friday afternoon.

    • Police have arrested an 18-year-old woman who allegedly stole a Porche and then ran over its owner in an incident that was captured on video.

    • The parents of a teenager who died after allegedly consuming the poisonous products of a Mississauga man are now suing him, as well as several doctors involved in her care.

    • The search for a missing six-year-old boy in Shamattawa is continuing Friday as RCMP hope recent tips can help lead to a happy conclusion.

    • Relatives of a 60-year-old man who took his own life in a Nova Scotia jail after long periods of confinement in his cell have launched a lawsuit against the province.

    • A 15-year-old boy who was the subject of an emergency alert in New Brunswick has been arrested.

    World

    Politics

    Health

    • A Nova Scotia woman has applied for a medically assisted death, saying after years of battling to receive out-of-country surgery for an illness that causes 'indescribable' pain, she struggles to maintain the will to live.

    Sci-Tech

    Entertainment

    • Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

    • It will be the last show for longtime children's TV star Ron (Buck Shot) Barge as a memorial is held Friday in Calgary.

    Business

    Lifestyle

    Sports

    • Agreement in principle has been reached to build a new NHL arena at LeBreton Flats has been reached between the Ottawa Senators and the National Capital Commission (NCC), the two sides announced Friday.

    • F1 star Max Verstappen punished over bad word

      Formula One points leader Max Verstappen was ordered to 'accomplish some work of public interest' after uttering an inappropriate word Thursday at the news conference ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix.

    • The Winnipeg Jets have some huge holes to fill on both offence and defence this season.

    Autos

    Local Spotlight

    Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

    They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

    A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

    Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

    The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

    The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

    It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.

    A Good Samaritan in New Brunswick has replaced a man's stolen bottle cart so he can continue to collect cans and bottles in his Moncton neighbourhood.

    David Krumholtz, known for roles like Bernard the Elf in The Santa Clause and physicist Isidor Rabi in Oppenheimer, has spent the latter part of his summer filming horror flick Altar in Winnipeg. He says Winnipeg is the most movie-savvy town he's ever been in.

    • The debate over sexual orientation and gender identity education in schools is heating up. Protests both for and against SOGI in the curriculum took place across the country Friday.

    • A teenager has been charged with multiple offences related to stabbings that occurred in Surrey's Newton neighbourhood last week.

    • New Democrat Leader David Eby has launched his British Columbia election campaign a day early, making the key battle ground of Surrey his first stop.

    • Police have arrested an 18-year-old woman who allegedly stole a Porche and then ran over its owner in an incident that was captured on video.

    • The parents of a teenager who died after allegedly consuming the poisonous products of a Mississauga man are now suing him, as well as several doctors involved in her care.

    • Michael Ford, Ontario's minister of citizenship and multiculturalism, says he is taking a leave of absence from cabinet to prioritize his health.

    • Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek is urging the Alberta government to preserve pieces of the massive Green Line transit project now being dissolved.

    • It will be the last show for longtime children's TV star Ron (Buck Shot) Barge as a memorial is held Friday in Calgary.

    • Calgarians may notice some cloudy – but safe to drink – water coming from the tap over the weekend as the city works to reconnect the Bearspaw feeder main to the water network.

    • Agreement in principle has been reached to build a new NHL arena at LeBreton Flats has been reached between the Ottawa Senators and the National Capital Commission (NCC), the two sides announced Friday.

    • Police say a man, 34, who was taken to hospital in critical condition after being shot Thursday night has died.

    • Ottawa Fire Services says a driver has been safely extricated after being trapped following a two-vehicle collision near a high school in the city’s south end.

    • BREAKING

      BREAKING

      Three men were injured after a man armed with a knife entered a Montreal-area Islamic cultural centre Friday afternoon.

    • A new garden and microforest, years in the making, have been inaugurated at John Abbott College in Montreal.

    • The Montreal couple from Mexico and their three children facing deportation have received a temporary residence permit.

    • Mounties say there was an increased police presence in the Emerald Hills area of Sherwood Park on Friday morning as officers searched for a man who is wanted by police.

    • There are plenty of fun happenings in Edmonton this weekend. It's time to savour that last little bit of the summer season before the leaves really start coming down.

    • Alberta Health Services says an E. coli outbreak at a daycare in Blackfalds has ended.

    • A 15-year-old boy who was the subject of an emergency alert in New Brunswick has been arrested.

    • Relatives of a 60-year-old man who took his own life in a Nova Scotia jail after long periods of confinement in his cell have launched a lawsuit against the province.

    • Family, friends and fans of late hip hop artist and battle rapper, Pat Stay will gather at events held in his honour on Saturday and Sunday.

    • The search for a missing six-year-old boy in Shamattawa is continuing Friday as RCMP hope recent tips can help lead to a happy conclusion.

    • A Manitoba veterinary clinic has two new ways of figuring out what’s causing a horse to be lame.

    • Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

    • BREAKING

      BREAKING

      A large police presence can be seen outside Regina’s Miller High School on Friday afternoon.

    • A 21-year-old man from Codette, Sask. is facing numerous charges in connection to a fatal crash near Wapella, Sask. Wednesday night that claimed the life of a 22-year-old Alberta woman.

    • Arguments between UR Pride and the Government of Saskatchewan on the Parents’ Bill of Rights will be moving ahead to the Court of Appeal for Saskatchewan beginning on Monday, Sept. 23.

    • Levels of hydrogen sulfide gas are being monitored at Brantford Collegiate Institute after a leak in their geothermal system.

    • Police have arrested an 18-year-old woman who allegedly stole a Porche and then ran over its owner in an incident that was captured on video.

    • The second-degree murder trial of Thomas Hamp is being adjourned until December so an expert witness central to the trial can testify.

    • A 69-year-old woman from Outlook, Saskatchewan is dead and three people are injured after a truck and SUV collided on Highway 15 on Thursday.

    • A garage fire in Saskatoon’s Willows neighbourhood on Friday narrowly missed igniting an attached home, according to the fire department.

    • Emergency crews in northern Ontario found the bodies of four people inside a home where a fire broke out Thursday night.

    • Since she was a young girl growing up in Vancouver, Ginny Lam says her mom Yat Hei Law made it very clear she favoured her son William, because he was her male heir.

    • A 26-year-old driver from Surrey, B.C., has been charged with three counts of criminal negligence causing death and bodily harm in a crash that killed two youths in northern Ontario last year.

    • The timeline is short, but London officials are confident in their ability to submit a strong application for a Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) Hub that the province will begin funding next year.

    • A man is in hospital with life threatening injuries following a collision between a motorcycle and a vehicle on Friday afternoon.

    • A new outdoor music festival is launching this weekend in London - tickets are still available for the inaugural Fairway Fest at East Park.

    • Two men from Barrie have been charged after a deadly shooting at a park in Keswick on Wednesday.

    • A 17-year-old from Markham is facing serious charges after an August 11 shooting at a party in Caledon.

    • Provincial police are investigating vandalism in Huntsville after the "senseless destruction" of flower displays along Main Street East.

    • Windsor police say a 25-year-old mother has been charged with the drowning death of her 5-year-old child in the family’s backyard pool.

    • There is no threats to public safety following an incident involving a gun at a local high school.

    • A LaSalle couple has won $1 million after buying a ticket for the Aug. 13 LottoMax draw.

    • New Democrat Leader David Eby has launched his British Columbia election campaign a day early, making the key battle ground of Surrey his first stop.

    • The Old Man Lake wildfire near Sooke is the only one currently burning on Vancouver Island. It’s a region of the province that this year saw a drastic drop in blazes in the backcountry.

    • The debate over sexual orientation and gender identity education in schools is heating up. Protests both for and against SOGI in the curriculum took place across the country Friday.

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    • The Red Bridge, a historic landmark in Kamloops, B.C., was completely destroyed by fire early Thursday morning.

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    • A Vulcan, Alta., man has been charged with a Lethbridge woman's murder after her body was found in the Oyen area.

    • A Lethbridge couple got a good reminder as to why you should keep your vehicle doors locked at all times.

    • Lethbridge residents who live near the police range can expect to hear plenty of shots fired Wednesday and Thursday.

    • A 26-year-old driver from Surrey, B.C., has been charged with three counts of criminal negligence causing death and bodily harm in a crash that killed two youths in northern Ontario last year.

    • Ontario Provincial Police say three suspects from southern Ontario have been charged and drugs worth $300,000 have been seized following a traffic stop Sept. 16.

    • A Brampton driver, 27, was charged this week when northern Ontario police stopped the SUV he was driving on Highway 17 after a reported shooting and found more than $100,000 in cash.

    N.L.

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