Tag Archives: introduce

New Isuzu S-Cab Z Offers More Features at a Lower Price

September 1, 2023 Prafful Singh

The S-Cab Z is currently only available as a commercial pickup, but many believe Isuzu should introduce it for private use as well

Isuzu has recently launched the new D-Max S-Cab Z as the top variant of its commercial pickup lineup. Priced at Rs 15 lakh (ex-showroom), it is priced Rs 2 lakh higher than the regular S-Cab but offers several additional features for a more premium experience.

The S-Cab Z serves as a bridge between the base variant of the Isuzu D-Max and the Hi-Lander, which can be used as a private vehicle. Despite its additional features, the S-Cab Z is still priced around Rs 4.50 lakh below the Hi-Lander.

Similarities And Differences Between S-Cab Z And Hi-Lander

Despite its lower positioning, the S-Cab Z includes several feature advantages over the Hi-Lander. These include LED projector headlamps, LED DRLs, leather-wrapped power steering, a 7-inch touchscreen system, rear parking camera, and day/night IRVM. Both vehicles also share features such as dual front airbags, ISOFIX child seat mounts, adjustable driver’s seat, automatic AC, and multiple USB ports. The S-Cab comes with a 78PS 2.5-litre diesel engine with a 4X2 drivetrain and a 5-speed manual transmission, while the Hi-Lander is powered by a 163PS 1.9-litre diesel engine with a manual stick and rear-wheel-drive only.

Also Read: Isuzu D-Max V-Cross Vs Toyota Hilux

Should Hi-Lander Get A More Feature-Rich Variant?

Many believe that a similar Z (or equally equipped) variant should also be introduced for the Hi-Lander. The Hi-Lander is considered the base variant of the D-Max pickup for private buyers and costs Rs 2.5 lakh less than the V-Cross 4X2 Z variant. To offer an enhanced experience, a new variant with additional features could be introduced for the Hi-Lander, which would still be more affordable than the entry-level option of the V-Cross.

When Can It Launch?

While there is currently no information about Isuzu launching any updates for the D-Max for private buyers, a new variant for the Hi-Lander may not arrive until the second half of 2024. The Isuzu V-Cross, which is a more affordable alternative to the Toyota Hilux, is currently priced between Rs 22.07 lakh and Rs 27 lakh (ex-showroom).

Kia Tasman Pickup Truck To Enter Production In First Half Of 2025: Report

August 17, 2023 Prafful Singh

Kia has announced plans to introduce two electric pickups by 2027, one of which will be a dedicated model while the other is targeted for emerging markets. Additionally, there is a ladder-frame pickup truck called the “Tasman” that will debut in 2024. The world premiere of the Tasman is scheduled for next year, with production set to begin in South Korea in the first half of 2025. Dealers will receive the first trucks in the middle of that year. Testing is still underway with prototypes of the Tasman.

Unlike the dedicated model, the Tasman will be available with a diesel engine and may also offer both ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) and EV (Electric Vehicle) powertrains depending on the market. In diesel form, it is expected to have a body-on-frame double cab design with a payload capacity of nearly 1,000 kilograms (2,204 pounds) and a tow rating of 3,500 kg (7,716 lbs).

The exact design of the Tasman remains a mystery, as only a few test mules have been seen so far, all of which had a modified Mohave body. The Mohave, previously sold as the Borrego in the United States, is a body-on-frame SUV that is still available in certain markets. It is unclear whether the Tasman will be a pickup variant of the Mohave or an entirely different vehicle.

Kia’s Australian division is heavily involved in the development of the Tasman, as the Australian market is expected to be a key region for the pickup. However, the codenamed TK workhorse has not yet been tested in Australia, with plans to conduct final validation testing next year.

Motorsport

2024 Audi RS6 “GT” Spied: The Ultimate Wagon

July 18, 2023 Prafful Singh

Audi has announced plans to exclusively produce electric vehicles starting from 2026. However, there is still time for one more high-performance internal combustion engine (ICE) model. The RS6, which has already received the Performance treatment, is now being tested at the Nürburgring with an even more powerful variant. According to various reports, this meaner version might be called the “GT” and could be introduced alongside a facelift for the standard RS6.

Although it may appear to be more of the same, there are some noticeable changes upon closer inspection. The front bumper has been redesigned with reshaped air intakes, and the bulging fenders now feature a vertical vent. At the rear, there is a new beefy spoiler inspired by the aggressive 2020 RS6 GTO concept. Audi has also made modifications to the bumper, which now includes horizontal reflectors to create the illusion of a wider car.

News

Chevrolet Silverado EV vs GMC Sierra EV: Which One Should You Buy?

July 2, 2023 David

First introduced in 2022, Chevrolet is getting ready to introduce its all-electric version of the Silverado, the Silverado EV into the market. Alternatively, GMC is all set to release its all-electric version of the GMC Sierra, the Sierra EV. Both of these electric trucks come with stellar features and performance specs. To begin with, both of these electric trucks offer an impressive driving range. First off, the GMC Sierra EV can go up to 400 miles on a full charge, while the Chevrolet Silverado EV can go nearly 450 miles on a single charge. Additionally, they also come with batteries that are strong enough to power your house for a total of 21 days, and a range of other spectacular features. But if you want to choose the best possible all-electric truck for you, it’s the small details that matter, while both of these electric trucks are unique in their own way, you need to choose the one that suits your needs the best. Here are a few points which you can go through to help make your decision.

1. The GMC Sierra EV And The Chevrolet Silverado EV Are Equally Powerful

If performance is what you’re after, then the GMC Sierra is the better choice out of the two. The Chevy EV Silverado comes fitted with two electric motors that are capable of generating a combined 516 horses, this is for the base trim. With the costlier RST trim, the number goes up to 664 horses. But if you were to use the Open-Wide Watts mode, then you can unlock a staggering 754 ponies alongside 785 pound-feet of torque.

Sierra EV and Silverado EV Specs

Quite similarly, the GMC Sierra EV also comes studded with two electric motors and is capable of generating a whopping 754 ponies alongside 785 pound-feet of torque when Max Power mode is in play. Furthermore, this all-electric truck is capable of accelerating from a standstill to 60 mph within just 4.5 seconds.

2. The Chevrolet Silverado EV Is Cheaper Than The Sierra EV

Although the Chevrolet Silverado EV is as powerful as the GMC Sierra EV Denali Edition 1, it is more affordable than GMC’s Sierra EV. Both seem to be quite similar in a lot of ways, the Chevy Silverado EV price starts at around $75,000 for the 3WT trim and can go up to nearly $107,000 for the RST. Chevy had earlier announced that there will be a cheap base WT trim starting at $39,900, but has now pulled the plug on it. A $50,000 trim is in the reckoning, but at the time of writing this, there are just three trims available.

Pricing

The GMC Sierra EV’s only available trim, on the other hand, will cost you an approximated $108,695 which is slightly more expensive than the Silverado EV’s most expensive RST trim. But even though the Silverado EV costs less, it does not fall short of power nor does it have any dearth of features.

3. The GMC Sierra EV Features “CrabWalk”

Although both of these all-electric trucks come with four-wheel steering technology and multiple driving modes, the GMC Sierra EV is better suited for off-roading. For starters, the all-electric pickup truck comes with “CrabWalk”, a unique feature that allows the electric truck to move diagonally. To be accurate, this feature lets the rear wheels turn in the exact direction and angle as the front wheels, this way the all-electric truck can quite literally move diagonally, which makes it easy for the electric truck to get out of tricky spots. But the “CrabWalk” feature can only be used at low speeds. This feature can also be of great help in maneuvering the EV through tough terrains and trails.

4. The Silverado EV Is Better Suited For Off-Roading

In comparison to GMC’s Sierra EV Denali Edition 1, the Chevrolet EV Silverado is better suited for off-roading. Silverado EV’s Trail Boss trim is meant for off-roading purposes. This electric truck will cost you roughly about $85,000 (destination included). There isn’t a lot of information that has been released about this, but you should expect this trim to have slightly smaller wheels and offer a little less than 400 miles of driving range. Moreover, you can also expect it to have lifted suspensions, all-terrain tires, locking differentials as well as air springs. Another reason for Silverado taking the lead here is because the GMC Sierra EV Denali Edition 1 was meant to be driven on city roads, and GMC is also releasing the 2024 GMC Hummer EV this spring which comes with better off-roading capabilities.

5. The Sierra EV Is Much More Feature-Rich

Although there are limited details available, it does seem like the GMC Sierra EV comes with a lot more features as compared to the Silverado EV. The standard Chevy Silverado EV comes with 11.0-inch touchscreen infotainment display system and if you were to opt for the higher models you will get a 17.0-inch display system alongside an 11.0-inch digital gauge display, standard for all trims. On the other hand, the GMC Sierra comes fitted with a standard 16.8-inch infotainment display system as well as an 11.0-inch digital display gauge and a 14.0-inch diagonal multicolor Head-Up display. The panoramic roof on the Sierra EV comes with tinted glass and infrared/UV coatings to keep the interiors as comfortable as possible. Furthermore, the SuperCruise Driver Assistance technology offers a plethora of safety features such as hands-free driving, automatic lane change, and much more. If you’re looking for an electric truck with tech-laden interiors, then the Sierra EV does seem like the right choice.

6. The Silverado EV Is Available In More Trim Levels

The GMC Sierra EV as of now is set to be released in just one trim, although there are a couple of trims set to be released in the coming years, the GMC Sierra EV Elevation and the GMC Sierra EV AT4. Currently, the only available trim is the Denali Edition 1, whereas, Chevrolet offers the Silverado EV in three trims, although you can expect up to six in the near future. The 3WT, 4WT, and RST are the ones confirmed for now. Expect Trail Boss and High Country to join the fray, too.

7. The GMC Sierra EV Comes With A Rather Luxurious Interior

If you’re paying over $100,000, then you ought to expect to get luxurious interiors. The interior of the Denali Edition 1 features leather and open-pore wood. Apart from all the premium materials used to make the interior, GMC uses a top-tier seating material “CoreTec”, this material is custom-engineered and can provide better stain resistance as well as durability. Furthermore, GMC also gave the Sierra EV a Galvano chrome finish to the all-black interior. Whereas the Silverado EV dawns interiors that make use of vinyl, PVC, and a slew of other sustainable and recycled materials.

8. The Chevrolet Silverado EV Boasts A Better Towing Capacity

When it comes to towing capacity, the Chevrolet Silverado EV takes the cake here as it clearly comes with better towing capacity as compared to the GMC Sierra EV. To begin with, the GMC Sierra EV Denali Edition 1 offers a total towing capacity of 9,500 pounds, falling a little short as compared to the Silverado EV. To Chevrolet’s credit, the Chevrolet EV Silverado can tow up to 10,000 pounds which is almost as much as the Ford F-150 Lightning. Furthermore, it can also haul up to 1,300 pounds of payload. In addition to that, Chevrolet plans on introducing models that can tow up to 20,000 pounds. The base WT trims, on the other hand, come with a maximum towing capacity of 8000 pounds.

9. The Sierra EV Offers More Cargo Space

The GMC Sierra EV comes fitted with a 5-foot-11-inch bed along with the MultiPro Midgate system that can be opened to give way to additional cargo space of 9-feet-11-inches. In addition to that, the MultiPro Tailgate can be further used as an extension which allows the all-electric truck to offer a combined generous 10-feet-10-inches of cargo space. The Chevy Silverado EV also offers a total of 10-feet-10-inches of cargo space with an additional “frunk” which offers about 10.7-cubic-feet of space, while the Sierra offers a total of 11.0-cubic-feet of space.

Interior Dimensions

10. The Chevrolet Silverado EV Will Arrive Before The Sierra EV

The Chevrolet Silverado EV was first introduced to the public in 2022 and is all set to go on sale by the fall of 2023, on the other hand, the GMC Sierra EV will go on sale early next year, 2024. So, if you’re looking to buy an electric truck as soon as possible, then the Chevrolet Silverado EV is a very fine choice. You can expect the base trim to be released first, after which you can expect the costlier trims to go on sale. The Sierra EV Denali Edition 1 will be released early next year, and you can expect the Sierra AT4 and Elevation to go on sale by 2025.

Volkswagen

Sustainable and Affordable Batteries: PowerCo Develops “Gamechanger” Technology for Cell Production

June 17, 2023 Prafful Singh

PowerCo SE is planning to introduce a completely new manufacturing process in its battery cell production plants in Europe and Northern America. The new technology will significantly boost efficiency and sustainability in volume battery cell production. A subsidiary of Volkswagen Group and based in Salzgitter, Niedersachsen, the battery company aims to industrialize the so-called Dry Coating procedure. The technology allows a decrease in energy consumption of about 30 percent, internal tests have already proven successful. Together with German printing machine specialist Koenig & Bauer AG, PowerCo will further develop and industrialize the Dry Coating procedure.

Thomas Schmall, Group Board Member for Technology at Volkswagen AG and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of PowerCo SE, said, “Technologies like Dry Coating showcase PowerCo’s technological prowess. We have the necessary know-how and the right experts to take cell production to a new level and offer significant cost advantages to our customers. Our objective is to establish an industrial production of sustainable and affordable batteries.”

To achieve this goal, PowerCo and Koenig & Bauer have signed a Joint Development Agreement. Together they will develop a roller press for powder coating electrodes at a large industrial scale. The Dry Coating procedure allows manufacturing electrodes without wet-coating and subsequently drying them at high costs. With the new procedure, the most energy-intensive part of cell manufacturing and the use of chemical solvents are no longer required. PowerCo is already testing and optimizing the technology in a pilot line in one of its laboratories in Northern Germany. As a printing specialist, Koenig & Bauer will develop a machine for the industrial powder coating.

According to PowerCo estimates, the new technology has the potential of saving about 30 percent of energy as well as 15 percent of required floor space, resulting in saving hundreds of millions of Euros each year. Frank Blome, CEO of PowerCo SE, stated, “What the solid-state cell is to the product, Dry Coating is to production – a real game changer. If scaled successfully, it will give us a unique position on the market and definite competitive advantages.”

Powder instead of Slurry: Specifics of the Dry Coating Procedure

The electrodes (cathode and anode) are the “centerpiece” of the battery cell, defining energy density and battery performance. In modern industrial electrode production, the battery materials are mixed with additives and liquid solvents to form a slurry. Afterwards, they are coated onto foils of copper or aluminum, then dried and calendered.

PowerCo’s Dry Coating procedure allows for calendering the powdery basic materials directly onto the foil, similar to a printing procedure. As a result, two of the four process steps in electrode manufacturing become obsolete. The powder coating can be applied onto the foil in an extremely fine and even manner, resulting in a layer that is about as thin as a hair. This guarantees excellent spatial energy density and a long life cycle, while improving the fast-charging ability of the battery.

Breakthrough for Green Batteries

The new technology reduces the required floor space by 15 percent, which has an enormous saving potential. Per building block of a regular Gigafactory with a production capacity of 20 GWh, four parallel coating and drying lines can be saved, equaling an area of 7,000 square meters. As a result, the exterior length of the plant can be reduced by about 100 meters. Not having to operate the energy-intensive drying furnaces and suction systems will save energy equivalent to the annual consumption of 40,000 private households.

Furthermore, the use of chemical solvents that have to be laboriously recycled at high energy costs in silo-like towers outside the plants is no longer necessary.

Koenig & Bauer: Leading Printing Press Manufacturer Worldwide

As the oldest manufacturer of printing presses in the world, Koenig & Bauer offers the industry’s largest product portfolio. The core competency of our partner is the manufacturing of technologically innovative and cost-efficient printing systems. The new processing technology is expected to exit the development stage at the end of 2024. For the time after, exclusive rights have been agreed upon. The contractual details are confidential, and separate agreements have also been made. The estimated start of production is 2026/2027. PowerCo’s Chief Operation Officer Sebastian Wolf stated, “Our plants are designed for quick and easy retrofits. In total, we have anticipated about 30 foreseeable innovations in products and production, so we are able to adjust our plants to all relevant new processes as soon as they enter the market.”

The game changer in battery cell production: Dry Coating

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