Toyota and Uber are teaming up to bring autonomous ride-sharing to the road on a much larger scale.

The fleet will be based on Toyota’s Sienna minivan, and will use Uber’s Autonomous Driving System and the Toyota Guardian automated safety support system. The two companies expect a pilot program to begin in 2021.

Yolanda Vazquez: We all know that SUV and crossover sales are soaring….  but there’s still a market for the low riders.

IHS Markit says more than 35-percent of US customers who have a sedan… end up buying an SUV as their next new vehicle. That’s an 11-percent jump from 5 years ago. Their analysis found as incomes rise, consumers are more likely to buy a utility. Still, research also found older buyers are less likely to give up on sedans, as traditional cars still account for over 5 million U.S vehicle sales annually.

Yolanda Vazquez: With electrified cars clearly in our future… the technology is getting a big dose of classic class and sportiness. 

Yolanda Vazquez: Jaguar has confirmed it will produce an all-electric version of the vintage E-type. The concept was revealed about a year ago. Components will come from the I-Pace SUV. The electric powertrain will include a 40kWh battery with a range of more than 170-miles. The electric innards will be about the same size and weight as the E-Type’s original 6-cylinder gas engine, and they’ll use the current suspension and brakes… so driving dynamics will be true Jaguar… with quicker acceleration. Existing E-type owners will also have the chance to covert to EV, and go back to their petrol powered engines if it doesn’t tickle their fancy.

Yolanda Vazquez: And you can look for EV E-types in about 2-years. So for now, that’s it for this week’s Motor News.