The Spanish EV Silence agency will broaden its footprint all through the continent in 2024.
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Electric Mercedes G-Class revealed as quad-motor luxurious 4×4
The new electrical Mercedes-Benz G-Class is an “uncompromised” machine that the agency claims can outperform its combustion-engined sibling when driving off-road.
Known all through its growth because the EQG, the 4×4 will likely be generally known as the G580 with EQ Technology in manufacturing kind. The prolonged moniker represents a shift within the naming technique for electrical Mercedes automobiles, and likewise showcases how the G580 was developed to be a G-Class that simply occurs to be battery powered.
The G580 is nearly similar in design to the recently updated G450d, with a refined transforming of the engine grille and discrete EQ badges to set it aside. But there was intensive work to maximise aerodynamic effectivity, together with a brand new A-pillar design and a brand new spoiler lip on the entrance of the roof.
The G580 additionally includes a new aerodynamically sculpted bonnet, leading to a drag coefficient of 0.44, down from 0.48Cd for the newest G450d, and 0.53Cd for the previous-generation G. In one other transfer, the elective spare wheel holder mounted on the rear boot could be changed with a equally styled charging cable holder.
“The G is still the G,” mentioned Manuel Urstöger, the pinnacle of e-drive programs for Mercedes-Benz G. “It’s not just design or sound: for us the powertrain is about offering uncompromised off-road ability.”
The G580 makes use of 4 electrical motors, with one powering every wheel of the automobile. Each motor produces 145bhp, combining for a most output of 579bhp, together with a mammoth 859lb ft of torque.
The motors have been developed specifically for the G580, and every is pushed by a separate two-speed gearbox. Urstöger mentioned that the weird and extremely sophisticated powertrain was developed particularly to satisfy the exacting specs of the G division, and won’t be used elsewhere within the line-up.
“It was a tough project,” he mentioned, “but we achieved all our targets and because of that it’s better than the combustion-engined G when going off-road.”
Lunaz Applied Technology: bin lorry electrifier enters administration
Commercial car electrification agency Lunaz Applied Technologies (LAT) has entered administration, with the lack of round 40 jobs.
Autocar understands the three-year-old agency, based in 2021 as an offshoot of traditional automobile electrification specialist Lunaz, has folded after failing to acquire the required funding to start manufacturing of its electrical bin lorry, dubbed the Lunaz Upcycled Electric Vehicle.
However, Lunaz retains the mental property regarding its HGV electrification course of and plans to restart the programme when the market setting is extra hospitable.
The electromodding division – identified for its zero-emission reworkings of traditional Bentleys, Jaguars and Range Rovers – stays in operation and is known to be unaffected by the transfer.
A spokesperson informed Autocar: “The Lunaz Group is presently restructuring its enterprise to rescope timelines for the beginning of manufacturing for business car merchandise. This means the enterprise entity Lunaz Applied Technologies has stopped operations.
“This choice rebalances enterprise focus to passenger vehicles, which stay in manufacturing, with order books open for [Lunaz’s] 5 engineered EV platforms.
“It is meant that engineered business car platforms will start manufacturing at a later date, in response to confirmed and anticipated delays on the legislative requirement for fleets to transition to zero-emissions autos.
“This restructure will ensure demand for passenger vehicles can be met while ensuring commercial vehicles can be produced once market conditions drive demand.”
LAT deliberate to finally be changing 1100 diesel-engined industrial autos to electrical drivetrains annually, “to meet surging demand for electrified vehicles in the run-up to the 2030 [now 2035] ban on the sale of fossil-fuelled vehicles”.
Last yr, it agreed to provide waste administration firm Biffa with 10 Upcycled Electric Vehicles, in a deal that it stated would save as much as 210 tonnes in embedded carbon.
It then agreed a provide take care of Buckinghamshire Council, with plans to ship the primary lorry final autumn.
British agency launches off-the-shelf hydrogen FCEV powertrain
The first off-the-shelf hydrogen powertrain has been developed by UK engineering agency Viritech and is focused at producers which can be seeking to “rapidly deploy” FCEVs.
The powertrain, named VPT60N, has been created to exhibit the benefits of FCEV know-how over typical electrical powertrains.
Primarily to be used in prototype and improvement automobiles, the system is designed to be as versatile as potential and may be utilized in highway automobiles, mild business automobiles, diggers and tractors, in keeping with its developer.
Although the system will not be highway authorized off the shelf, Viritech says it may work with producers to homologate the powertrain.
Viritech CEO Timothy Lyons mentioned: “The launch of the first powertrain in our vehicle powertrain family realises years of hard work at Viritech. We are excited to make available to OEMs and tier-one manufacturers a viable, available and easily integrated fuel cell powertrain which enables vehicle manufacturers to accelerate the delivery of fuel cell vehicles on and off highway.”
The powertrain makes use of a 59bhp gas cell working with a 16kWh 400V battery. Both are mixed with an electrical motor producing 268bhp and 302lb ft.
It is probably going to make use of a modular model of the agency’s Graph-Pro know-how, which implies it has built-in mounting factors to allow it to be fitted to the chassis of an present car with out the necessity for added framework, which reduces weight.
It additionally makes the strain vessel – the place the hydrogen is saved – particularly sturdy to the purpose the place it may face up to important forces, resembling in a crash. The hydrogen is stored in two containers which can be pressurised to 350 bar.
Both the storage unit and battery could be reconfigured to go well with a selected car. A standardised unit pre-configured by Viritech can be out there and can be used for automobiles that have to be developed and launched rapidly.
The complete vary it gives is unspecified, however it’s possible to attract learnings from the agency’s Apricale hypercar, which focused a spread of round 500 miles.
The powertrain was developed on the MIRA proving floor in Warwickshire, the place the UK agency has been ready to make use of the expansive testing models on web site, thereby saving on the appreciable value of constructing and homologating its personal amenities.
Volkswagen ID 7 Tourer electrical property brings 426-mile vary
The Volkswagen ID 7 Tourer has damaged cowl as a glossy electrical estate which the German agency hopes will broaden the enchantment of its flagship EV and solidify its place within the government market.
Described because the “electric all-rounder of the new era”, the Tourer will arrive within the second half of 2024 to tackle the BMW i5 Touring and forthcoming Audi A6 E-tron Avant.
Measuring 4961mm lengthy, 1862 mm extensive and 1536mm tall, the property is proportionally similar to the ID 7 saloon, however is shorter, wider and taller than the next-generation Volkswagen Passat, for which the Tourer serves as an oblique electrical different.
It has a 545-litre boot, marginally smaller than the BMW’s 570 litres, however that rises to 1714 litres with the again seats folded to provide the Tourer a load-lugging edge over the likes of the Peugeot E-308 SW and MG 5 estates.
Visually, the Tourer builds on the aerodynamically optimised styling of the ID 7, with its lengthy, rakish silhouette netting a drag coefficient of 0.24 – simply 0.1Cd greater than the saloon.
From launch, the ID 7 Tourer will likely be provided in two trims: the Tourer Pro will arrive with a 77kWh battery able to charging at speeds of as much as 175kW for a 10-80% charging time of round 28 minutes.
Topping the line-up is the Pro S, which utilises Volkswagen’s bigger 86kWh battery for a WLTP vary of 426 miles – simply 9 miles lower than the saloon model, and the longest vary of any electrical property on sale. The S may also cost barely faster, with a most pace of 200kW.
Both variations characteristic Volkswagen’s newest APP550 electrical motor, creating 282bhp and 402 lb ft of torque, on the rear axle – which ought to give a 0-62mph time of just below 7.0secs. A performance-oriented, four-wheel-drive GTX variant is predicted to be added later.
Inside, the Tourer makes use of the identical 15in touchscreen infotainment show because the saloon, which was closely up to date in a bid by Volkswagen to enhance its usability, graphics and processing occasions.
It additionally will get Volkswagen’s new IDA voice assistant system, which makes use of ChatGPT to supply extra ‘human’ and conversational interactions – though this can come as an over-the-air replace post-launch.
Optional options embrace an electronically managed panoramic roof which may both be made opaque or clear on the contact of a button, therapeutic massage seats, and a brand new Wellness app which adjusts the lighting, stereo and local weather management for a calmer surroundings when wanted.
UK pricing is but to be revealed, however Volkswagen’s first electrical property automobile ought to command a premium over the saloon and begin from round £55,000.
Kimera Evo38 set to launch as rally weapon impressed by Lancia 037
Italian motorsport agency Kimera Automobili is making ready to launch the Evo38 – the newest iteration of its considerably modernised and up to date tackle the Lancia 037 Stradale.
Set to be unveiled on 22 February earlier than showing on the Geneva motor present, it’s going to have wide-reaching dynamic revisions to make it much more potent than its predecessor, the Evo37, together with the introduction of four-wheel drive.
Said by the model to be “the Group B [car] that everyone would have wanted and that never came to be”, the road-legal rally racer will likely be proven at Geneva sporting the enduring Team Martini Racing livery and is predicted to characteristic a slight evolution in design from its predecessor.
Official preview photos present a silhouette just like each the Evo37 from 2021 and the legendary 037 Stradale. It will get round daytime-running lights harking back to the Delta S4, two crimson grille openings, a big bumper-width rear spoiler, and aero-optimised entrance and rear wings.
The model mentioned the Evo38 will “take up the philosophy and spirit of a legendary team that had brought Italian technical excellence to the world, which wanted once again to surpass its limits, and progressively to improve its creation.”
The previous Evo37 was powered by a 2.1-litre twin-turbocharged four-pot, producing 500bhp, 369lb ft and a claimed 0-62mph time of three.0sec. Power was despatched to the rear wheels through a six-speed guide gearbox.
Official efficiency figures for the Evo38 have but to be launched. However, we anticipate it to ship much more spectacular numbers than the Evo37, thanks partially to the introduction of four-wheel drive.
CES 2024: brief on automobiles, nonetheless one of many world’s largest automotive exhibits
Missing in motion at CES: the Tesla Cybertruck. You’d have thought the most recent mannequin from the agency that has accomplished probably the most to speed up the automotive trade’s tech transformation could be a shoe-in for the world’s main tech present, however no.
An early hearsay that the divisive electrical pick-up truck was a part of the fleet on Tesla’s underground Vegas Loop, which hyperlinks halls on the metropolis’s huge conference centre, have been rapidly scotched. Would it have even match into the tight tunnels anyway?
That Tesla itself wasn’t at CES wasn’t so shocking, given its patchy attendance at motor exhibits (Goodwood Festival of Speed however), however you’d have thought some enterprising automotive tech firm would have gotten maintain of a Cybertruck to make it a characteristic on their stand, on condition that deliveries have now began.
Love or hate it, you would not move it by. Perhaps the scrutiny from the world’s tech press was an excessive amount of to resist for Tesla as the corporate irons out early teething issues.
Also lacking from the fray this 12 months have been the US massive three of General Motors, Ford and Stellantis (which owns Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram).
Stellantis mentioned it had pulled out to save lots of prices incurred by the gruelling UAW union stand-off final 12 months, and it is possible the opposite two felt the identical.
Ford had been a daily attendee because it confirmed off an electrical Focus in 2011, and Chevrolet two years ago took the covers of its electric Silverado pick-up.
Honda and Kia each stepped in with unveilings of thought-provoking ideas, Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz teased the new Golf and electrical G-Class respectively, whereas Turkish EV maker Togg confirmed a brand new saloon.
BMW is a CES common however dialled again its participation this 12 months, demonstrating smaller-scale tech advances, akin to augmented-reality glasses.
CES is undoubtedly now one of many world’s largest auto exhibits in an period when conventional shows of metallic are dwindling. But it wants extra of the tangible illustration of the long run envisaged by the tech-focused suppliers that flip up in nice numbers yearly, this 12 months being no exception.
Bosch, Hyundai Mobis, Magna, Marelli, Mobileye, Qualcomm and plenty of others did not disappoint, with early perception into what’s coming in automobiles 5 years’ time. But they want the producers to ramp up the thrill in tandem.
Mullen Five RS is 1000bhp, 200mph super-crossover
US agency Mullen Automotive has revealed a 1000bhp electrical super-crossover that is aiming to crack 200mph.
The California-based EV agency, based in 2014 by David Michery, took to CES in Las Vegas to point out its new flagship mannequin, the Five RS – based mostly on the Five it confirmed final 12 months.
The RS – little doubt conceived as a rival to the likes of the Tesla Model X Plaid and Lucid Air Dream Edition – claims greater than 1000bhp, a 200mph-plus prime pace and a 0-60mph time of lower than two seconds.
Founder Michery gave few technical particulars away on the automobile’s unveiling, however did verify that the RS contains a twin-motor four-wheel-drive powertrain, 800V charging structure which is alleged to permit for a 0-80% top-up in simply 21 minutes.
Mullen additionally says the RS is fitted with six- and four-piston Brembo brake callipers clamping carbon-ceramic discs, an ‘Ultra-Performance Race Track’ mode for optimum energy and extra participating steering, and an AI-powered voice assistant with facial recognition expertise.
It will not be clear whether or not the RS – or certainly the Five on which it’s based mostly – is able to enter manufacturing on the agency’s new manufacturing facility in Robinsonville, Mississippi. The automobile on present in Las Vegas was clearly a prototype constructed only for the stage.
It does, nevertheless, have a full inside, full with Alcantara-finished sports activities seats, carbon-effect trim and bespoke orange ambient lighting.
Michery stated in 2022: “From the inception of Mullen, it has been my mission to convey an ultra-high-performance EV to market.
“The Five RS is intended to be one of the fastest vehicles on the planet, competing with some of the best and most well-known and regarded automotive marquees.”
He additionally pledged to showcase the automobile’s efficiency on monitor final spring, however the automobile has but to be seen driving in public.
Mullen holds a controlling stake in electrical business automobiles agency Bollinger Motors, which revealed a hardcore choose up and SUV duo at Los Angeles in 2019, however has since shifted focus to full-scale HGVs.
The firm was imagined to launch a sports activities automobile referred to as the Dragonfly K50 – based mostly on Chinese agency Qiantu’s K50 – in 2021, however has but to ship any automobiles to clients.
Lucid Air Electric Saloon Heading to UK Market by 2025
American electric vehicle (EV) company Lucid plans to enter the UK market in approximately two years, once it completes development programs for new models.
Lucid CEO Peter Rawlinson revealed at the LA motor show, where the company unveiled its new Gravity SUV, that the firm needs at least 18 months to prepare for right-hand drive production.
The increased demand for premium electric vehicles, such as the Lucid Air, in specific European markets is a primary motivator for Lucid. However, the company’s current focus is on bringing the Gravity SUV to production and developing subsequent models.
Rawlinson emphasized the significance of the German and UK markets, stating that they are significantly larger than any other country when it comes to luxury EVs. He outlined the challenges of preparing for right-hand drive production and the ongoing prioritization of the Gravity SUV’s development.
Additionally, he mentioned that Lucid’s mid-sized models are scheduled to be available by around 2027, with an estimated starting price of $50,000, and indicated that development is well underway for these models.
When questioned about the possibility of offering the Air in its left-hand-drive form in the UK, similar to Tesla’s approach with the Model S, Rawlinson dismissed the idea, citing low demand and high costs associated with implementing such a strategy. He expressed concern about meeting customer needs with such a limited market impact.
JLR CEO Apologizes for Parts Delays as 5,000 Cars Await Repair
Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) CEO Adrian Mardell expressed his dissatisfaction with the delays at the company’s new parts logistics hub in Leicestershire, which have resulted in thousands of cars in the UK being unable to be repaired.
During a discussion on JLR’s financial performance in the previous quarter, Mardell openly discussed the challenges that have arisen from downsizing JLR’s UK parts supply network from 18 warehouses to one large facility known as Mercia Park in Leicestershire.
According to a report by Car Dealer Magazine, around 10,000 cars in the UK were taken off the road due to delays at Mercia Park, with dealers unable to fit replacement parts. Autocar then revealed that dealers were advised to use second-hand parts in order to address the backlog.
Mardell confirmed to Autocar that the delays have had an adverse impact on after-sales performance, and resolving this issue is a top priority for the company in the coming months.
He explained, “Although this transition was planned, it has taken longer than we anticipated. I want to make it clear that nobody wanted this, and as an organization, we take responsibility for this change, along with our partner.”
Mardell also expressed the company’s apology for the delays.
“To be absolutely clear, we are extremely unhappy about this. Just like the challenges we face with vehicle theft, this issue has the highest priority within our organization and our partner organization, Unipart Logistics,” Mardell emphasized.
Mardell stated that he is in regular communication with Unipart as resolving this issue is of utmost importance to both parties.
He also mentioned that in October, the number of parts waiting to be shipped to dealers decreased for the first time since Mercia Park became operational. Although reports indicated that approximately 10,000 JLR cars were off the road in the UK awaiting parts, Mardell stated that the number has reduced, and the current count is under 5,000.