Tag Archives: reports

Report: Ford to Discontinue Escape SUV in 2025

September 1, 2023 Prafful Singh

According to a report by Automotive News, Ford is planning to discontinue its Escape SUV. Motor1.com has reached out to Ford to confirm this information and obtain more details.

A spokesperson from Ford responded by saying, “The Ford Escape is and will continue to be an important part of our lineup. The new 2023 Escape was released earlier this year, featuring a new ST-Line trim, as well as hybrid and plug-in hybrid options, and we are pleased with its sales.”

It is alleged that the Escape will remain in production until 2025, at which point it will reportedly be replaced by an electric vehicle.

Technology

Why Apple’s First Laptop Was A Terrible Failure

August 11, 2023 David

Apple’s first laptop, the Macintosh Portable, had a similar software to the Macintosh II, with a faster 16 MHz 68000 CPU. Although it received positive reviews, the Portable failed due to several reasons.

Firstly, the Portable was extremely heavy, weighing around 16 pounds. This made it inconvenient to carry around and defeated the purpose of a portable device. Additionally, the battery life suffered due to the introduction of backlit displays in later models.

Furthermore, the Portable’s exorbitant price range of $6,500 to $7,000, adjusted for inflation, made it unaffordable for most consumers. This high price tag was a major deterrent to potential buyers.

It’s no surprise that the Macintosh Portable failed to sell as well as Apple’s desktop computers at that time. Thankfully, Apple made significant progress towards their current line of successful MacBooks with the introduction of the PowerBook in 1991.

Image: Wojciech Pędzich via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC BY 4.0

VolvoCars

Volvo Cars sales up 21 per cent in July

August 4, 2023 David

Volvo Cars has announced that its global sales for the month of July have increased by 21 per cent compared to the same period last year. This growth marks the 11th consecutive month of year-over-year sales increase.

From January to July 2023, Volvo Cars sold a total of 395,856 vehicles globally, representing an 18 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2022.

The company’s Recharge line-up, which includes fully electric and plug-in hybrid models, nearly doubled in sales compared to July last year. Recharge models accounted for 35 per cent of all Volvo cars sold globally in July, with fully electric cars making up 10 per cent of the total.

In Europe, Volvo Cars reported a 28 per cent sales increase, reaching a total of 20,286 vehicles sold. Recharge models accounted for 56 per cent of sales in the region, while fully electric cars accounted for 13 per cent.

Meanwhile, sales in the United States saw a significant increase of 57 per cent, with 10,785 Volvo cars sold in July. The number of Recharge cars sold in the US grew by 226 per cent compared to last year, and Recharge models made up 29 per cent of all vehicles sold in Volvo Cars’ second-largest market.

In China, Volvo Cars experienced a decrease of 8 per cent in sales, with a total of 14,182 vehicles sold in July. Recharge models accounted for 8 per cent of the total sales in China.

During the month of July, the top-selling model for Volvo Cars was the Volvo XC60, with 18,259 units sold. This was followed by the XC40 with 14,594 units sold, and the XC90 with 8,640 units sold.

	July	July		Jan-July	Jan-July
	2023	2022	Change	2023	2022	Change

Europe	20,286	15,893	28%	167,229	135,663	23%
Recharge	11,285	6,344	78%	101,545	64,890	56%
– Fully electric	2,712	994	173%	42,329	14,048	201%
– Plug-in hybrid	8,573	5,350	60%	59,216	50,842	16%

China	14,182	15,487	-8%	92,708	85,720	8%
Recharge	1,170	815	44%	8,735	5,857	49%
– Fully electric	253	342	-26%	2,054	1,228	67%
– Plug-in hybrid	917	473	94%	6,681	4,629	44%

US	10,785	6,868	57%	70,535	57,453	23%
Recharge	3,132	961	226%	20,621	16,866	22%
– Fully electric	1,255	94	1,235%	8,858	3,905	127%
– Plug-in hybrid	1,877	867	116%	11,763	12,961	-9%

Other	8,912	6,416	39%	65,384	57,129	14%
Recharge	3,115	1,476	111%	24,219	15,944	52%
– Fully electric	1,284	153	739%	11,523	4,622	149%
– Plug-in hybrid	1,831	1,323	38%	12,696	11,322	12%

Total	54,165	44,664	21%	395,856	335,965	18%
Recharge	18,702	9,596	95%	155,120	103,557	50%
– Fully electric	5,504	1,583	248%	64,764	23,803	172%
– Plug-in hybrid	13,198	8,013	65%	90,356	79,754	13%

VolvoCars

Volvo Cars Reports Significant Increase in Global Sales in June

July 6, 2023 David

Volvo Cars announced that it experienced a 33% growth in global sales in June compared to the same month last year. The boost in sales can be attributed to the company’s fully electric cars, which recorded a fourfold increase compared to last year. The figures for June 2022 were also affected by production constraints stemming from supply chain issues.

During the first half of this year, Volvo Cars sold a total of 341,691 vehicles, reflecting a 17% increase compared to the same period in 2022.

The Recharge line-up of chargeable models, which consists of fully electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, saw a remarkable surge of 129% in June. These models accounted for 37% of all Volvo car sales worldwide during the month, with fully electric cars making up 14% of the total.

In Europe, sales grew by an impressive 70% compared to last year, reaching 27,196 cars. Recharge models held a 58% share of overall sales in the region. For the first six months of this year, European sales increased by 23% to 146,943 cars.

In the United States, Volvo Cars sold 12,933 vehicles in June, marking a 53% increase compared to last year. Sales of Recharge models grew by 79% and accounted for 29% of the total sales. Overall sales in the US for the first half of 2023 amounted to 59,750, an 18% increase compared to the same period in the previous year.

In China, sales reached 15,405 cars, which is a 7% decrease from the same month last year. Recharge models represented 8% of the total sales in China.

The top-selling model in June was the Volvo XC60, with 21,053 cars sold (compared to 18,275 units in 2022), followed by the XC40 with total sales of 18,170 cars (compared to 10,194 units in 2022) and the XC90 with 9,895 cars sold (compared to 9,949 units in 2022).

	June	June		H1	H1
	2023	2022	Change	2023	2022	Change

Europe	27,196	16,039	70%	146,943	119,770	23%
Recharge	15,708	5,426	189%	90,260	58,546	54%
– Fully electric	5,487	883	521%	39,617	13,054	203%
– Plug-in hybrid	10,221	4,543	125%	50,643	45,492	11%

China	15,405	16,468	-6%	78,526	70,233	12%
Recharge	1,294	675	92%	7,565	5,042	50%
– Fully electric	270	118	129%	1,801	886	103%
– Plug-in hybrid	1,024	557	84%	5,764	4,156	39%

US	12,933	8,434	53%	59,750	50,585	18%
Recharge	3,793	2,118	79%	17,489	15,905	10%
– Fully electric	2,123	553	284%	7,603	3,811	100%
– Plug-in hybrid	1,670	1,565	7%	9,886	12,094	-18%

Other	10,845	8,963	21%	56,472	50,713	11%
Recharge	3,625	2,426	49%	21,104	14,468	46%
– Fully electric	1,655	584	183%	10,239	4,469	129%
– Plug-in hybrid	1,970	1,842	7%	10,865	9,999	9%

Total	66,379	49,904	33%	341,691	291,301	17%
Recharge	24,420	10,645	129%	136,418	93,961	45%
– Fully electric	9,535	2,138	346%	59,260	22,220	167%
– Plug-in hybrid	14,885	8,507	75%	77,158	71,741	8%

Featured

Too Good To Be True? Massive Discounts On Toyota Hilux Officially Denied

July 1, 2023 Prafful Singh

The carmaker has responded to reports of heavy benefits on the Toyota Hilux worth many lakhs

Several reports claimed that the Hilux is available with discounts of up to Rs 10 lakh.
Toyota has confirmed that the reports are incorrect and there are no discounts available with the Hilux.
It gets a 2.8-litre diesel engine with manual and automatic transmissions and 4X4 as standard.
Offered in just two variants with comforts like cruise control, dual-zone climate control and powered driver’s seat.
The Hilux is priced from 30.40 lakh to Rs 37.90 lakh (ex-showroom).

Several reports have been suggesting heavy discounts on the Toyota Hilux ranging from Rs 6 lakh to Rs 10 lakh, depending on the variant. However, Toyota has denied the validity of any such offer claims.

In an official statement, Toyota has responded stating: With regards to certain media reports on the Toyota Hilux being offered at a highly discounted price, this is to officially communicate that the reports are incorrect. Toyota Kirloskar Motor continues to strictly follow the price list officially announced by the company which ranges from Rs. 30,40,000 – Rs. 37,90,000/- (ex-showroom).

The claimed discounts

According to the reports, dealers are offering the top-end automatic variant of the Hilux for an on-road price of around Rs 30 lakh instead of the regular on-road price that is around Rs 44 lakh. This would have made it cost similar to the fully-loaded Isuzu V-Cross. The deal definitely sounds very attractive, but has been officially denounced by the manufacturer. In fact, there are no known offers on the pickup and it even has an average waiting period of three months.

Also Read: We Took The Toyota Hilux On An Off-road Expedition!

Toyota Hilux details

The Hilux is equipped with a 2.8-litre diesel engine, which produces 204PS of power and up to 500Nm of peak torque. It offers a choice of 6-speed manual and automatic transmissions, and comes with 4X4 as standard. The pickup also features a low range gearbox with a transfer case, traction control, and electronic differential lock for better off-roading capabilities.

The Toyota Hilux comes with LED headlamps, an 8-inch touchscreen system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, dual-zone climate control, and cruise control. Safety features include vehicle stability control, hill assist / descent control, seven airbags, front parking sensors, and a rear camera.

Also Read: Top 5 Toyota Hilux Accessories Price Revealed – Tent, Canopy, And More

The Toyota Hilux is priced higher and serves as a premium alternative to the Isuzu D-Max V-Cross.

Volvo Cars global sales up 31 per cent in May

June 8, 2023 David

Volvo Cars reports global sales of 60,398 cars in May, up 31 per cent compared with the same month last year. The company’s fully electric cars were the main contributor to the growth, rising 196 per cent during the period. Furthermore, figures from May 2022 were negatively affected by lower production due to last year’s supply chain constraints.

For the first five months of the year, Volvo Cars sales reached 275,312 cars, up 14 per cent compared with the same period during 2022.

Sales of Volvo Cars’ Recharge models of fully electric and plug-in hybrid cars increased by 55 per cent in May, accounting for 40 per cent of all Volvo cars sold globally during the month. The share of fully electric cars stood at 18 per cent.

Sales in Europe for May reached 26,272 cars, an increase of 40 per cent compared with last year. The share of Recharge models reached 63 per cent of overall sales in the region and the share of fully electric cars ended up at 29 per cent.

US sales grew by 14 per cent in May to 10,723 cars. The share of Recharge models reached 28 per cent of overall sales and sales of fully electric cars increased by 66 per cent compared with last year.

In China, sales reached 14,121 cars, an increase of 49 per cent compared with the same month last year. Sales of Volvo Cars’ Recharge models grew by 116 per cent, accounting for 8 per cent of the total sales in China.

In May, the Volvo XC60 was the top-selling model with sales of 18,052 cars (2022: 15,117 units), followed by the XC40 with total sales at 17,596 cars (2022: 12,097 units) and the XC90 at 9,058 cars (2022: 8,790 units).

	May	May		Jan-May	Jan-May
	2023	2022	Change	2023	2022	Change

Europe	26,272	18,752	40%	119,747	103,731	15%
Recharge	16,481	8,813	87%	74,552	53,120	40%
– Fully electric	7,655	1,847	314%	34,130	12,171	180%
– Plug-in hybrid	8,826	6,966	27%	40,422	40,949	-1%

China	14,121	9,488	49%	63,121	53,765	17%
Recharge	1,181	547	116%	6,271	4,367	44%
– Fully electric	263	143	84%	1,531	768	99%
– Plug-in hybrid	918	404	127%	4,740	3,599	32%

US	10,723	9,372	14%	46,817	42,151	11%
Recharge	3,039	3,348	-9%	13,696	13,787	-1%
– Fully electric	1,342	807	66%	5,480	3,258	68%
– Plug-in hybrid	1,697	2,541	-33%	8,216	10,529	-22%

Other	9,282	8,340	11%	45,627	41,750	9%
Recharge	3,266	2,737	19%	17,479	12,042	45%
– Fully electric	1,566	855	83%	8,584	3,885	121%
– Plug-in hybrid	1,700	1,882	-10%	8,895	8,157	9%

Total	60,398	45,952	31%	275,312	241,397	14%
Recharge	23,967	15,445	55%	111,998	83,316	34%
– Fully electric	10,826	3,652	196%	49,725	20,082	148%
– Plug-in hybrid	13,141	11,793	11%	62,273	63,234	-2%

Automoto Hub