Can’t see the upcoming total solar eclipse? Volvo has you covered

By Stephen Edelstein Published December 26, 2017

The upcoming total solar eclipse will be the first to be seen coast to coast in 99 years, but will only be visible over a narrow band of the country. Those who miss out won’t have a chance to see another eclipse like this until 2024. But Volvo has a plan to let as many people as possible see this spectacle.

Because historic natural phenomena also make for historic marketing opportunities, Volvo will record and broadcast the solar eclipse using a fleet of its newly redesigned XC60 SUVs. The vehicles will be equipped to capture the eclipse in 360-degree video and virtual reality. The spectacle will be broadcast globally via “live-stream, videos, photos, and more,” according to a Volvo press release.

Recommended Videos

Volvo will also equip some of the XC60s with what it calls a “Panoramic Moonroof Eclipse Viewer” that will allow passengers to watch the eclipse safely. It’s a panel made from ISO-certified 12312-2 material that attaches to a car’s roof magnetically, and covers the entire surface area of the XC60’s moonroof. The devices are being shipped to certain Volvo dealers in Oregon, Idaho, Nebraska, Missouri, and South Carolina, where the best live views are expected.

While probably not as significant an event as a solar eclipse, the XC60 is an important new vehicle for Volvo. It’s the first of the Swedish automaker’s midsize “60” models to use the Scalable Product Architecture (SPA) platform from the larger XC90 SUV, S90 sedan, and V90 crossover. All three of those models were well received, and Volvo would like to repeat that success with the rest of its lineup.

In the name of fuel efficiency, Volvo only uses small, four-cylinder engines to power its larger models, and the same will be true of the XC60. Its top powertrain will be a version of the T8 “Twin Engine” plug-in hybrid setup from the XC90, S90, and V90. That powertrain consists of a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine that is both turbocharged and supercharged, and backed by electric assist. Non-hybrid four-cylinder options will be offered as well.

Volvo is getting more serious about electrified vehicles. The automaker recently announced that, starting in 2019, every new car it sells will have some form of electrification. That means every new Volvo from 2019 on will be a hybrid, plug-in hybrid, or battery-electric car. Volvo believes electrification is key to meeting future emissions standards, and previously said it would put 1 million hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and all-electric cars on the road by 2025.

For now, Volvo will dispatch its fleet of XC60s to different vantage points around the country for the upcoming solar eclipse. You can get more details at Volvo’s website.

Updated: Added information about Volvo’s Panoramic Moonroof Eclipse Viewer, program webpage, and updated details on Volvo’s electrification plans.

Topics

Stephen Edelstein

Contributing Editor

Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…

Cars

Slate Unveils $20K Electric Truck That Transforms Into an SUV

slate 20k ev blank roller 1 web

Slate Automotive, a new American EV startup, has just unveiled its first vehicle: a radically minimalist electric truck that can convert into a five-seat SUV. Dubbed the “Blank Slate,” the EV made its debut this week, instantly turning heads not just for its versatility but for its incredibly low price—starting under $20,000 after federal tax incentives.

Unlike Tesla and Lucid, which launched with high-priced luxury models, Slate wants to flip the model: start cheap, scale up.
At its core, the Slate Truck is a utilitarian, two-seat electric pickup designed for simplicity and affordability. But what sets it apart is its transformative potential. Thanks to a modular accessory system, the truck can be upgraded over time—including a kit that adds a rear seat, roll cage, airbags, and SUV body panels. This means buyers can start with a minimalist pickup and evolve it into a family-friendly SUV—either themselves or through Slate’s growing network of service partners.
Customization is central to Slate’s vision. Owners will be able to choose from over 100 accessories at launch, ranging from vinyl wraps and Bluetooth-ready audio systems to larger battery packs and off-road upgrades. The company encourages a DIY approach, offering tools and tutorials through “Slate University” to empower users to modify and maintain their own vehicles.
Powering the truck is a 52.7-kWh battery for up to 150 miles of range, or an optional 84.3-kWh pack targeting 240 miles. Fast-charging capabilities and Tesla’s NACS port come standard. The vehicle is rear-wheel-drive and delivers around 200 horsepower—enough for urban commuting and light-duty hauling.
What enables the low price is Slate’s stripped-down approach to manufacturing. There’s no paint shop, no stamping, and only one trim level—everything else is modular. The vehicle features steel wheels, crank windows, and a rugged plastic body designed to take a beating and still look good. It’s a rejection of the tech-saturated, high-cost vehicles dominating today’s market.
Despite the minimalist specs, Slate isn’t skimping on safety. The truck is engineered to meet top crash test ratings and comes equipped with up to eight airbags, active emergency braking, and forward collision warning.
Backing this ambitious approach is significant investor support—including Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos. That backing, combined with a simplified production model, positions Slate to scale quickly once production begins in 2026.
Reservations are now open for $50 at slate.auto, with deliveries expected in late 2026. Whether Americans are ready for a stripped-down, shape-shifting EV remains to be seen, but Slate’s bet on affordability and customization could make it one of the most disruptive entries in the EV market to date.

Cars

Waymo and Toyota explore personally owned self-driving cars

Front three quarter view of the 2023 Toyota bZ4X.

Waymo and Toyota have announced they’re exploring a strategic collaboration—and one of the most exciting possibilities on the table is bringing fully-automated driving technology to personally owned vehicles.
Alphabet-owned Waymo has made its name with its robotaxi service, the only one currently operating in the U.S. Its vehicles, including Jaguars and Hyundai Ioniq 5s, have logged tens of millions of autonomous miles on the streets of San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Austin.
But shifting to personally owned self-driving cars is a much more complex challenge.
While safety regulations are expected to loosen under the Trump administration, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has so far taken a cautious approach to the deployment of fully autonomous vehicles. General Motors-backed Cruise robotaxi was forced to suspend operations in 2023 following a fatal collision.
While the partnership with Toyota is still in the early stages, Waymo says it will initially study how to merge its autonomous systems with the Japanese automaker’s consumer vehicle platforms.
In a recent call with analysts, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai signaled that Waymo is seriously considering expanding beyond ride-hailing fleets and into personal ownership. While nothing is confirmed, the partnership with Toyota adds credibility—and manufacturing muscle—to that vision.
Toyota brings decades of safety innovation to the table, including its widely adopted Toyota Safety Sense technology. Through its software division, Woven by Toyota, the company is also pushing into next-generation vehicle platforms. With Waymo, Toyota is now also looking at how automation can evolve beyond assisted driving and into full autonomy for individual drivers.
This move also turns up the heat on Tesla, which has long promised fully self-driving vehicles for consumers. While Tesla continues to refine its Full Self-Driving (FSD) software, it remains supervised and hasn’t yet delivered on full autonomy. CEO Elon Musk is promising to launch some of its first robotaxis in Austin in June.
When it comes to self-driving cars, Waymo and Tesla are taking very different roads. Tesla aims to deliver affordability and scale with its camera, AI-based software. Waymo, by contrast, uses a more expensive technology relying on pre-mapped roads, sensors, cameras, radar and lidar (a laser-light radar), that regulators have been quicker to trust.

Cars

Aston Martin DBX S is the world’s most powerful SUV, if you ignore electric

Aston Martin DBX S

British brand Aston Martin has unveiled what it is the most powerful non-electrified SUV on the market in the DBX S. The new flagship SUV blends the dynamism of the DBX 707 with engine enhancements derived from the Valhalla supercar, to deliver what the company is promising to be a more engaging drive through increased power, reduced weight, and a more assertive design.

The DBX S continues Aston Martin’s tradition of using the ‘S’ suffix to denote higher-performance versions of existing models – something it first did back in 2004 with the Vanquish S.