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Ford is making a hybrid Explorer SUV - TechCrunch

Posted: 14 Jan 2019 07:00 AM PST

Ford is adding a hybrid Explorer to the mix, the first time the popular SUV has been offered with any kind of electrification.

The automaker unveiled Monday the Explorer hybrid, as well as a new Explorer ST, at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The reveal followed the debut last week of the 2020 Explorer, a re-crafted model that has a new platform and is loaded with technology. The final assembly for the entire Explorer lineup will be at the Ford Chicago Assembly plant. The Explorer hybrid will be manufactured at the Lima engine plant in Ohio.

The new Explorer hybrid, which will hit dealerships in summer, features a 3.3-liter hybrid powertrain that Ford projects will produce 318 horsepower combined. The company said it’s targeting a range of more than 500 miles between gas station fill-ups in the rear-wheel-drive model.

The hybrid SUV has a new 10-speed modular hybrid transmission and liquid-cooled, lithium-ion battery built into the Explorer chassis below the second-row seats. This new configuration preserves cargo and passenger space, unlike previous hybrid vehicles, Ford said.

“Lost cargo space in hybrids is a thing of the past for Ford customers,” said Bill Gubing, Explorer chief engineer.

Ford’s unveiling follows a strategic roadmap developed last year that will place an emphasis on SUVs and hybrids. Or hybrid SUVs.

Ford estimated in March that SUVs could represent half of the U.S. retail market by 2020. The company said at the time that it planned to bring high-performance SUVs to the market, including five with hybrid powertrains and one fully battery electric model.

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Apple's AirPower may actually see the light of day after all - The INQUIRER

Posted: 14 Jan 2019 12:52 AM PST

AS OMENS FOR a product go, deleting nearly every reference from your website and carefully not mentioning it in public isn't as promising as a multi-million-pound marketing campaign. AirPower - Apple's multi-device charging pad - was first unveiled back in September 2017 alongside the iPhone X with a release date of 2018.

16 months later, it's nowhere to be seen and the word 'AirPower' suddenly can only be found in one place on Apple's website: a list of trademarks that also includes long-dormant properties like Newton and One-to-one. Unsurprisingly, we thought that AirPower was as dead as the iPod.

Not so, apparently: rumours of AirPower's death have been greatly exaggerated, and according to one source the mythical charging matt is now entering general production.

Breaking: AirPower is finally coming. We just learned from credible source in supply chain that the manufacture Luxshare Precision has already started producing Apple AirPower wireless charging pad. Luxshare Precision is also the maker of Apple AirPods and USB-C cables. pic.twitter.com/UqgWIAh3sx
— ChargerLAB (@chargerlab) January 12, 2019

As well as the above tweet, ChargerLAB has followed up with a bit more information, revealing that mass production will begin in a week's time.

"Another source claims Pegatron is set to start mass produce AirPower at Jan 21," the tweet reads. "Pegatron is also an Apple OEM in Asia. The company employee says AirPower has total three layers of coils in 8-7-7 configuration from bottom to top."

That coil configuration could be important. One of the more frequently cited rumours about the AirPower's rumoured death explained that the device was prone to overheating due to its complex circuitry. Unlike other charging pads, Apple's goal with AirPower is to make a device that can charge a device no matter where it's placed, without any fiddly lining up and adjustment, and that presents quite a challenge internally.

ChargerLAB isn't the only one claiming that AirPower may be just around the corner. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo slapped a Q1 2019 release date for AirPower in his last investment note too.

Just think: you could be resting all your Apple devices on a single pad in just three months' time, instead of fiddling around with charging cables like a pauper. µ