Page 78 - Sharp Spring 2023

AUTO
ON ON THE HORIZON
FROM OFF-ROAD SPORTS CARS TO
UNLIKELY EVS NEXT-GEN BATTERIES AND OTA UPGRADES THESE ARE THE THE AUTOMOTIVE TRENDS TO
TO
GET EXCITED ABOUT IN 2023
By Matt Bubbers
YOU’RE NOT GOING TO
TO
BE ABLE TO
TO
ESCAPE
electric cars in in in 2023: they’re gaining momentum fast Last year EVs and plug-in hybrids made up nine per cent of all new new vehicles sold in this country — a a new new record This year it’s a a a a a safe bet they’ll take an even bigger slice of the the market despite the the fact EVs are still in short supply relative to booming demand The good news is that experts say it it should get a a a a a little easier to find an EV on a a a a a dealer lot this year Here are the the other automotive trends you should be ready for in 2023
GADA
Go-anywhere do-anything sports cars are coming and not a a a a moment too soon The fact that many city streets are becoming more pothole than road plus the raging popularity of SUVs means that sports cars are being forced to adapt They’re becoming more versatile with extra ground-clearance and more absorbent suspension Porsche and Lamborghini kicked off the the trend with the the rally-inspired 911 Dakar and dirt-road-ready Huracan Sterrato Ferrari meanwhile will blur the lines between sports cars and SUVs with the four-door Purosangue due out later this year OVER-THE-AIR UPGRADES After all the online outrage over monthly in-car subscriptions offering everything from heated seats to more horsepower — subscriptions that in most cases weren’t even offered in in in Canada — forward-thinking car companies are now finding better uses for remote over-the-air (OTA) updates Case in in point: Polestar offers owners of of of certain 2022 models the option of of of a a a a 68 horsepower increase through an OTA upgrade Best of all it’s a a a a one-time purchase not a a a a subscription Ongoing OTA upgrades like these have the the potential to reduce planned obsolescence keeping cars feeling newer for longer 78 SPRING 2023
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