Hi, I'm John Davis and this is MotorWeek !

Join us for our real-world adventure in the all-electric Rivian R1S... Then, we'll seek out up-to-date advice on classic car care... We'll road trip up to the Big Apple for a green powerhouse of change... Ending with the ultimate SUV from Aston Martin, the DBX707...

So, come drive with us, next!

Closed Captioning provided by Maryland Public Television.

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First, there was the wheel.

Then, the tire.

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Forty years later, we're not slowing down.

JOHN: While, we're still waiting for that Tesla Cybertruck, and domestic brands have just begun delivering their all-electric pickup trucks, Rivian beat them all to the market with the R1T.

And now, they've turned their attention to the much more important 3-row SUV segment with this R1S.

So, let's see if this modern era family truckster can deliver for suburban America.

♪ ♪ Pickup trucks are indeed cool and can certainly get a lot of work done.

But most American families still rely on SUVs for their daily tasks; so, this Rivian R1S sport-Ute has the potential to make a much bigger impact in the growing EV market than the R1T pickup that it's based on.

Three-row seating is standard; a three-place bench in the second row, and room for two in the third makes for 7-passenger capacity.

All-wheel-drive is also standard, with powertrain choices very similar to the R1T; a base Dual-Motor setup outputs 600 horsepower, the Performance Dual-Motor option adds another 100, and the Quad-Motor arrangement cranks it up to 835 horsepower with a hulking 908 pound-feet of torque.

Two different batteries are available, standard and a large pack, meaning a wide spread of available range, from 260 to as many as 390 miles.

Charging happens at a max of 220 kilowatt, getting you to 140 miles in about 20 minutes; and good news, Rivian's will soon be able to tap into Tesla superchargers for a fill up.

Our tester is one of the early Launch Editions with Quad Motor and large battery pack rated for 316 miles, two more than the R1T pickup.

But based on our experience, we'd say to expect up to 30 percent less in real world driving depending on wheel/tire choice, and extreme hot or cold weather.

Much like the pickup we tested earlier, the R1S is speedy and almost silent while doing it.

Standard height adjustable air suspension provides a solid truck-like ride, while electro-hydraulic roll control does a great job of keeping it mostly flat in corners.

The front cabin is virtually identical to the pickup, with very few physical controls, meaning you're forced to touchscreen your way to just about any change you make.

Vegan seat coverings are a very good facsimile of actual leather, and the nicely bolstered seats they cover proved to be quite comfortable.

Space is adequate inside, but definitely think midsize more than full-size, and there are lots of thoughtful storage spaces including 11.1 cubic-feet under the hood.

Seats fold fully flat giving a nice level cargo floor, with room for 17.7 cubic-feet behind the 3rd row, 46.7 behind the 2nd, and a max of 88.2.

All accessed through a split hatch, with a small tailgate.

Compared to the R1T, the wheelbase has been shortened by 14.7 inches; partially why towing capacity falls from 11,000 to 7,700 pounds.

The R1S shares the distinctive and modern look of the truck, only with covered storage space and additional seating in back; harkening back to the days when all SUVs were just modified versions of pickup trucks.

For off-road fans, the SUV is every bit as capable as the truck, if not more so due to the shorter wheelbase; ground clearance maxes out at very high 14.9 inches with the Quad Motor having 10 different drive modes to choose from.

Fortunately, Sport is one of them, so off to Mason Dixon Dragway.

There's an explosion of power off the line, so be ready for it, as this Ute firmly plants itself in the pavement, and then uses all that grip to blast to 60 in just 3.3 seconds.

Only a tenth slower than the pickup.

We're pretty sure Alessandra Volta didn't have this in mind back in 1800 when he figured out how to store electricity in a voltaic cell, but we're sure glad he did, as 11.9 second quarter-miles at 111 miles per hour in a family SUV is our kind of fun.

Plenty of grip through our handling course, but still more truck-like behavior than all-out performance utility.

No more Launch Editions are available, but similar Adventure trimmed R1Ss start at $79,500; and as we speak, Rivian is in process of significantly ramping up their production numbers.

All-electric vehicles are well past being a novelty at this point, but there are still relatively few family-size 3-row EVs on the horizon.

As for emerging brands such as Rivian, they're facing a tougher challenge than ever as mainstream brands enter the fray with better name recognition and bigger R and D budgets.

So, while we applaud Rivian for beating them all to market with the R1T pickup and then making a higher capacity 3-row SUV out of it too; the Rivian R1S is certainly fighting an uphill battle.

But Americans love an underdog, and there are plenty that will be rooting for this one to win!

♪ ♪ As we transition to a zero-emission driving future, developing a robust and accessible EV charging infrastructure for both consumers and fleets will be critical, especially in big cities.

So, to help New York meet this challenge, utility supplier Con Edison is also transforming itself into a clean energy powerhouse, and setting an example for cities across the country.

♪ ♪ Like many cities, New York is preparing for a sharp increase in electric vehicle registrations over the next ten years.

The task of supplying electricity to support those EV's falls to Con Edison.

They're one of the nation's largest energy companies, delivering electricity, natural gas, and steam to 3.5 million customers in New York City and Westchester county.

Con Edison's fleet of service vehicles are a common sight around New York, but they are taking on a new look... FORTUNATO GULINO: We have approximately 2000 light duty vehicles which will be, uh, fully electrified, uh, by 2035; uh, and the remainder of approximately 3000 vehicles, uh, will be medium and heavy-duty electrification, or some other, uh, greenhouse-lowering technology.

JOHN: Con Edison now buys only electric vehicles for its light-duty fleet, but moving away from fossil fuels is a more challenging task for medium and heavy-duty vehicles due to their size and operational needs.

This all-electric bucket truck from Terex is just starting a three-year field trial with Con Edison.

FORTUNATO GULINO: The range on this specific vehicle is approximately 130 miles, but what's unique about this vehicle is it's got two battery systems.

They're independent of each other.

It's about a 210 kilowatt hour battery for the truck, which gives you 130 mile range, and then you have approximately 30 kilowatt hour battery to operate the actual aerial unit behind me.

And that will probably provide you, uh, two-shift operation, or about 16 hours of operations of...of bucket use.

JOHN: Con Edison's on-the-job experience with this and other service vehicles also provides invaluable feedback to the truck manufacturers, as they continue developing zero-emission medium and heavy duty trucks in the future.

On the consumer side, Con Edison has instituted several programs to encourage EV ownership: Smartcharge New York is a program that offers cash incentives for charging at off-peak times in New York City and Westchester.

This reduces stress on the energy grid and makes service more reliable for everyone.

AMELIA BERMAN: EV drivers love this, because they're getting money to charge at off-peak times.

It's also great for our grid, because we have to make less investments in our power system, so ultimately, it's going to be lower energy bills for everybody.

JOHN: Con Edison is helping expand access to curbside EV chargers across the city by partnering with the NYC Department of Transportation and FLO, one of North America's largest EV charging networks.

Power-ready offers incentives that can offset the costs for installing Level 2 or DC fast charging stations at commercial facilities, parking lots, and multifamily residential properties.

AMELIA: It's really important that as you drive around, you see that there are publicly accessible chargers.

Drivers are going to feel more comfortable in buying or purchasing their first electric vehicle.

Uh, we've installed 3000 chargers so far, and we're going to install 19,000 by 2025, and, fingers crossed, 400,000 by 2035.

JOHN: Smart civic planning and aggressive implementation are keys for any community to stay ahead of the electric vehicle curve.

We'll be keeping a keen eye on Con Edison as their clean energy vision becomes reality.

Classic cars require special care and sometimes a bit of unique repair.

Fortunately, modern times also mean up-to-date solutions for many antique automotive fixes.

So, we asked our Dan Maffett to give us the details on MotorWeek's "Your Drive."

♪ ♪ DAN MAFFETT: There's nothing better than finding an old project car at a great price.

If you're anything like me, there's always room for one more project.

If you're taking on this project yourself and you're not a trained body-man or mechanic, you might reach a point where you have to hire a professional to get that build across the finish line.

There's a lot of shops out there.

Most of them specialize in a certain style of build.

The shop that does your concourse-original car might not be the shop that does your weekend racecar.

Likewise, there's some shops that are brand-specific.

So, if you're part of a Jeep club or a Chevy club, they might have a shop they can recommend that they trust.

Now, if you have an old car like this...a '55 Bel Air that's one of the most popular cars ever made, you can get a panel for everything in here.

You can replace the fender, you can replace the hood; everything's available aftermarket.

You just cut out the rust, get your patch panel in there, trim it to fit, and replace it any you're good.

But, if you have something unique that doesn't have aftermarket support, you're gonna have to find a coach builder.

Now, coach builders are few and far between nowadays; but, they are trained artists.

Their medium is metal.

They can take a flat piece of steel and reproduce this entire car from scratch.

You might be asking, "How do you know you have the right shop?"

Well, you want to do a deep dive.

Look in your area, see what shops are available, see if any are close enough you can go take a look at.

Look at their reviews, look at their social medias... see if their style matches what you're trying to do.

Now, you wanna take a look at the reviews and sort them worst-to-greatest and greatest-to-worst.

You want to look at the bad and the good.

You want to know everything about the shop before you trust them with something like this.

A build like this is a big investment, so you want to make sure it's a smart investment.

Visit the shop, talk to the owners, make sure you click; 'cause with some projects taking six months, some of them taking over two-years, you're gonna build a relationship with them.

So, make sure that is gonna be a good one as well.

Now, pay structures can vary depending on projects; but, most shops are time and material or deposit-based, where they have a lump sum and you pay it down every month.

So, do your research, find the right shop to make your dream car a reality.

Any questions or comments, hit us up right here at MotorWeek .

JOHN: Let's take the first ramp onto this week's QuickSpin!

♪ ♪ JESSICA RAY: In a world full of change, the Ford Mustang is a constant we find comforting to have around.

Even when it does change, it stays Mustang.

Well, the 7th-gen pony has arrived, and we arrived in Pasadena, California, to check out the latest of their iconic nameplate.

There are still two rear-wheel drive powertrains, both updated for 2024.

The EcoBoost 2.3 liter turbo four-banger now makes 315 horsepower and 350 pound-feet of torque.

It's fun and peppy, but when we say, "Mustang," you're thinking double the cylinders.

No worries-- The 5.0 liter Coyote V8 has entered its 4th generation, growling with up to 486 horsepower and 418 pound-feet of torque.

Paired to a 6-speed manual or a 10-speed automatic, this Coyote is as wily as ever.

GREG CARLOSS: What I love about this engine...well, it's a 4th-generation engine now, but I always forget in the Mustang 5.0 liters how much it revs and how much it likes to rev.

And I like to rev it... because this is what you get.

It sounds phenomenal; and this is in normal mode.

I'm going to go up to sport and open up the valves a little bit... (car engine revs) That's what you want.

This is-this is a Mustang.

JESSICA: While, still leaning into traditional cues, styling is sharper and edgier for the 2020's.

And the interior is equally modern with large screens and new materials.

Pricing starts just over $32,000 for the EcoBoost and $43,000 for the GT.

Stay tuned for our upcoming Road Test and more QuickSpins, soon!

♪ ♪ GREG: We kicked off the summer with a new addition to our Long-Term fleet, this 2023 Mitsubishi Outlander plug-in hybrid.

And after 3000 miles of fun in the sun, we have our first official update.

In the two months since it arrived, we've observed an overall 33.9 miles per gallon.

That's significantly better than the final tally of 31.4 miles per gallon for our 2019 Outlander PHEV long-termer.

We attribute some of our newfound success to plenty of due diligence keeping the 20 kilowatt-hour battery juiced up.

That's pretty easy, since our SEL Premium packs DC Fast Charging capabilities.

It's also easy to slip into EV-only driving.

The Outlander PHEV is rated at 38 miles of electric-only range, meaning we can use the battery for most of our local driving and fall back on the 2.4 liter inline-4 cylinder for longer and more intensive hauls.

With a decent driving experience and a luxuriously wrapped interior, this Outlander is exactly what we need to fill a minivan-shaped hole in our hearts.

And speaking of... Time to bid a sad goodbye to our 2022 Kia Carnival MPV.

After spending one year in our long-term fleet, MotorWeek's favorite suitcase on wheels delivered 28,812 stress free, reliable, and very comfortable miles, averaging a fine 23.2 miles per gallon.

Saying goodbye to this Carnival is kind of like moving out of the old family home.

Of course, we'll look back fondly on all the memories we had in it, but there are also tangible things that we'll miss as well.

Like, the comfortable highway ride, the ample and easily accessible cargo area and, of course, who could possibly forget the cozy VIP lounge seats.

Literally, the only issue we had with this minivan-ish rig was the stitching of the leather-wrapped steering wheel working its way loose.

And now that the Carnival is leaving, some of our long-distance driving adventures may unravel as well.

It'll be time to check in on our Acura Integra on the next MotorWeek Long-Term Road Test Update!

JOHN: While, few people could actually list the four vehicles that comprise the current Aston Martin US lineup, the brand does have well over 100 years of automotive history to fall back on, as well as a host of faithful followers passionate for the brand's unique combination of performance and luxury.

And after driving their latest DBX707, it's easy to see why.

♪ ♪ Though, arriving on the SUV scene just two years ago, Aston Martin has certainly aimed high with this follow up, the 2023 DBX707, wanting to create the world's most powerful luxury SUV.

Yes, that's 707 in the name, not 007, but we're pretty sure James Bond would find lots to love in this high-performance getaway machine.

If you've not been in a DBX before, it's not the easiest vehicle to jump in and just take off, as there is a bit of a learning curve.

No shortage of manual controls either, most of which are unique; and you must look way up to the top of the center dash to find the start button mixed among the buttons for transmission operation.

The bulk of the powertrain and behind the scenes workings are from Mercedes-Benz, with the engine supplied by the fine folks at AMG.

It's the same twin-turbo 4.0 liter V8 that the DBX debuted with, but Aston Martin has done some tweaking of their own this time around, installing new turbos, upgrading both intake and exhaust systems, and doing a complete recalibration to push horsepower from 542 to 697 and toque from 516 to 663 pound-feet.

There's still, a 9-speed transmission attached, but it changes from the standard Benz unit to AMG's high-performance one that swaps the torque converter out for a wet clutch design, to not only handle the additional output, but operate much faster, and provide significantly harder launches.

All remaining parts of the drivetrain get upgrades too, including a steeper ratio in the rear electronic limited slip differential, and the automatic central diff that can send full power to the rear when appropriate.

And boy does it feel fast, ripping to 60 in just 3.3 seconds, with huge carbon ceramic brakes to reign things in just as quickly.

Valving and spring rates of the standard air suspension have been re-calibrated too, and the 48 volt active roll stabilization system firmed up.

Even in its latest aggressive settings, it's a very stiff ride that prefers smooth pavement, though these optional 23 inch wheels surely play into that as well.

But there's plenty of reward for dealing with that harshness as the 707 stays incredibly flat in corners, has loads of grip, and rockets off them like few vehicles on the road.

So, as you can tell, Aston has left no stone unturned when it comes to performance, and they were just as crafty updating the interior too.

The entire center console has been reworked with a unique carbon fiber housing which features a wide variety of performance-oriented controls as well as a new knob for quickly changing drive modes.

And yes, there is still one for off-road.

For the most part, the interior remains absolutely exquisite with first-class materials and a museum quality vibe; but at the same time, there are things like the infotainment system that's a bit behind the best out there.

It still looks drop dead gorgeous outside, as they were able to add aggressive notes, without altering the DBX's melodious tune.

Larger grille, of course, along with new brake cooling ducts, front splitter, and redesigned DRLs.

There's lots of carbon fiber naturally, as well as big quad exhaust tips integrated into the revised rear diffuser.

Government Fuel Economy Ratings are 15-City, 20-Highway, and 17-Combined.

With so many high-performance SUVs available, it's hard to justify spending $239,086 for this one unless you are truly an Aston Martin purist.

But having said that, it is the most powerful non-EV luxury Ute you can buy, and only about 60-grand over the standard DBX.

The fact that no one needs a 700 horsepower luxury SUV is well established.

But for the discriminating few that desire to own one, the 2023 Aston Martin DBX707 is an insanely impressive utility packed full of power and class that for now is in a class all its own.

Well, that's our show, I hope you enjoyed it.

Now, for more MotorWeek , including daily news updates, podcasts, and even complete episodes, cruise on over to PBS.ORG/MOTORWEEK.

And I hope you'll join us next time, when we plug into the new Black Edition of the Volvo S60 Recharge sedan, followed by a stretched off-road legend, the Land Rover Defender 130.

Until then, I'm John Davis.

We'll see you right here on MotorWeek !

ANNOUNCER: To learn more about MotorWeek ... Television's original automotive magazine, visit... To order a DVD of this program, call... MotorWeek has been brought to you by... ANNOUNCER: For more than 30 years Lucas Oil products has helped people tackle mechanical problems in the automotive, marine, and industrial fields.

From our original four core products... Lucas Oil has developed over 400 custom products to help both professionals and do it yourselfers.

To learn more visit Lucasoil.com.

Lucas oil, keep that engine alive!

MotorWeek is proudly sponsored by Auto Value and Bumper To Bumper, featuring major brand auto and truck parts, and service from coast to coast.

Learn more at AutoValue.com and BumperToBumper.com.

TireRack.Com is proud to support MotorWeek .

First, there was the wheel.

Then, the tire.

"We'll call it Tire Rack."

Forty years later, we're not slowing down.

♪ ♪ This program was produced by Maryland Public Television, which is solely responsible for its content.

(car engine revving) ♪ ♪ You're watching PBS.