Honda has confirmed that its new electric city car, the Honda e, will feature side cameras in place of wing mirrors as standard when deliveries start in 2020. The Urban EV concept, first revealed at the 2017 Frankfurt motor show, featured the camera system, which Honda claims reduces aerodynamic drag by around 90% compared to conventional wing mirrors. The firm says that improves the efficicency of the entire vehicle by 3.8%, playing a significant role in maximising range. The camera system will feature two modes: a normal mode, and a wide mode with an extended field of view, and Honda claims they reduce blind spots by at least 10% compared to normal mirrors. A special water-repellent coasting will be used to stop water blocking vision. Honda recently opened up ordering for the e, ahead of first deliveries beginning next spring. Mirroring the process of rivals such as Tesla and Peugeot with the e-208, potential customers are invited to cough up a reservation fee of £800 to get “priority status” on the order books. Those customers will be invited to place a full order later this year. The car’s pricing is still yet to be announced, but as with most reservations, the fee is refundable if buyers change their mind. A near-production version of the e was shown at this year’s Geneva motor show and dubbed the Honda e prototype. The car maker has confirmed that name will stay for the production version, and revealed a selection of available paint options for customers at launch. The firm believes the car’s retro design will give it an Apple-style appeal to customers. The prototype shown at Geneva motor show is “95% production ready”, according to the firm. It maintains the styling of the Urban EV Concept, albeit with the addition of an extra set of doors. While Honda has yet to reveal full technical details of the car, its designers told Autocar at the Geneva show that it would offer “more than” 98bhp and 221lb ft of torque. Honda said there have been more than 6,500 people who have expressed interest in the Honda e in the UK. Pricing has yet to be set, Autocar understands a ballpark figure is £35,000. Project manager Kohei Hitomi said the machine had been the subject of an internal “battle” over whether to put it into production, with the positive reaction to the concept being a key factor in it gaining approval. The car is slightly shorter than a Jazz and around 100mm taller than a Mini. Honda has said it will likely have an official range of around 125 miles, with fast-charging capacity to reach 80% charge in 30 minutes. The e prototype is built on a new platform designed for A and B-segment electric cars, with underfloor batteries produced by Panasonic that are similar to those used in the US market Accord plug-in hybrid. The rear-mounted electric motor drives the rear wheels, which employ torque vectoring to give a smoother response and improved handling in tight corners. Although the e prototype’s range is substantially lower than that offered by rival EVs such as the 282-mile Kia e-Niro or BMW i3, which offers 193 miles, Hitomi said it was necessary to keep the batteries small to fulfil its city-car role. “We believe the range is sufficient for this segment of car,” said Hitomi. “Some potential customers might not be satisfied, but when you think about bigger range and a bigger battery, it has drawbacks in terms of packaging. It’s a balance.” As well as featuring cameras instead of rear-view mirrors, there are also flush door handles to further boost aerodynamic efficiency, while the charging port is mounted centrally in the bonnet. The cockpit is dominated by two 12in touchscreens, built into a dashboard finished with a wood-effect trim. The seats – including a two-seat bench in the rear – are covered in polyester, which, as with the wood effect, is designed to make the interior feel like a living room. The e prototype will be built in Japan and go on sale in selected European markets in late 2019, with others following in 2020. It will also be sold in Japan. The firm has yet to set pricing. Hitomi said it is “important” the car is affordable but he added: “A low price is not always a guarantee of success. When you look at Apple products, they are not cheap, but everyone wants to have them because of their added value. We believe it is the same for the electric
Origin: New Honda e: side cameras confirmed for electric city car
City
41 per cent of Montreal roads in great shape, better than 2015: city
Construction detour road sign in Montreal Wednesday December 7, 2016.John Mahoney / Montreal Gazette A total of 41 per cent of Montreal’s 1,665-kilometre network of arterial roads are in “excellent or good condition,” a 2018 inventory of the city’s main thoroughfares has found. Sylvain Ouellet, the city’s executive committee member responsible for infrastructure, noted in a statement late May that only 21 per cent of the city’s main roads received a passing grade when the last checkup was conducted in 2015. “The investments made by the city of Montreal have borne fruit,” he wrote. “Montrealers can see that more and more roads have been redone and it shows. Our administration will continue on this course.” The latest survey, which was conducted between July 4 and Aug. 19, 2018, and examined 14,114 streets, found that 39 per cent of the city’s roads were in “very bad or bad” condition, compared with a finding of 55 per cent in the same category in 2015. The examination included assessments of cracks and fissures in road surfaces, variations in road levels and ruts caused by vehicular wear and tear, as well as potholes. The city will divide its road assessments into two categories—arterial roads that will be examined every two years because of heavier traffic, and local, less-travelled streets that will be inventoried every four years. The next assessment of local roads is scheduled to take place this year. The complete, street-by-street results of the city’s latest inventory can be found on its open data
Origin: 41 per cent of Montreal roads in great shape, better than 2015: city
Edmonton council hotly debates lowering city speed limits
B.C.s capital city of Victoria has lowered its inner-city limit to 40 kilometres an hour from 50 km/h.Aaron Lynett Those holding the reins in E-Town are once again debating the merits of lowering speed limits on local, residential streets. Proponents of the change want to see a 40 km/h city-wide maximum on local and collector roads, with the exception of those same streets in core neighbourhoods, which would be slapped with a 30 km/h limit. Most streets currently have a 50 km/h limit. It was decided this week in council where, after an interminable debate, 10 of 13 councillors voted in favour of a blanket 40 km/h rule. Six councillors voted against the 30 km/h motion, some of whom were in favour of a single-tier limit as a starting point. Given timelines set forth by council, it’s likely the new limits should come into effect in January 2020, assuming it passes successfully through the Byzantine network of votes that is Edmonton city council. Supporters of the change are already celebrating. A citizen group promoting the hashtag #yegCoreZone on social media say these lower speed limits will increase livability in the city, especially in the core. If you’re wondering, that area is suggested to be roughly from 118th Avenue in the north to 61st Avenue and Argyll Road in the south; and from 142nd Street in the west to 75th Street to the east. Under the old rules, only playground areas are 30 km/h zones. WHOA! Great to read the good news while I’m away in Toronto. Congrats to #yegCoreZone citizens for your vision and hard work! pic.twitter.com/REs3WDiXpL Donna Fong (@FongPageNews) May 15, 2019 Elsewhere in the country, Ontario just approved an increase in speed limits, albeit ones on major highways where most drivers are zipping by at those velocities anyway. Our own Lorraine Sommerfeld mused on the subject a couple of days ago, doing a great job outlining decision factors and attempting to “unbundle the ball of knots” that make up the speed limit debate. Predictably, some readers went into nuclear orbit while others had a more measured response. Additional safety measures, especially in residential areas where children play, are noble efforts. Any parent worth their salt would accept a slightly slower drive if it meant little Johnny could ride his bike safely. It’s worth remembering, however, that speed limits are like glitter: once you’ve got ‘em, it’s unlikely you’ll get rid of
Origin: Edmonton council hotly debates lowering city speed limits
Honda e confirmed as name for maker’s electric city car
Honda has confirmed that its upcoming electric city car wlll be called the Honda e when it goes on sale in Europe later this year. The model was first revealed as the Urban EV concept at the 2017 Frankfurt motor show. A near-production version was then shown at this year’s Geneva motor show and called the Honda e prototype. The car maker has now confirmed that name will stay for the production version. The firm believes the car’s retro design will give it an Apple-style appeal to customers. The protoype shown at Geneva motor show is “95% production ready”, according to the firm. It maintains the styling of the Urban EV Concept, albeit with the addition of an extra set of doors. While Honda has yet to reveal full technical details of the car, its designers told Autocar at the Geneva show that it would offer “more than” 98bhp and 221lb ft of torque. Honda said more than 15,000 people have already expressed interest in the machine in Europe. While pricing has yet to be set, Autocar understands the firm is aiming for a figure around £30,000. Project manager Kohei Hitomi said the machine had been the subject of an internal “battle” over whether to put it into production, with the positive reaction to the concept being a key factor in it gaining approval. The car is slightly shorter than a Jazz and around 100mm taller than a Mini. Honda has said it will likely have an official range of around 125 miles, with fast-charging capacity to reach 80% charge in 30 minutes. The e prototype is built on a new platform designed for A- and B-segment electric cars, with underfloor batteries produced by Panasonic that are similar to those used in the US market Accord plug-in hybrid. The rear-mounted electric motor drives the rear wheels, which employ torque vectoring to give a smoother response and improved handling in tight corners. Although the e prototype’s range is substantially lower than that offered by rival EVs such as the 282-mile Kia e-Niro or BMW i3, which offers 193 miles, Hitomi said it was necessary to keep the batteries small to fulfil its city-car role. “We believe the range is sufficient for this segment of car,” said Hitomi. “Some potential customers might not be satisfied, but when you think about bigger range and a bigger battery, it has drawbacks in terms of packaging. It’s a balance.” The e prototype features cameras instead of rear-view mirrors, which help improve aerodynamic efficiency. There are also flush door handles and the charging port is mounted centrally in the bonnet. The cockpit is dominated by two 12in touchscreens, built into a dashboard finished with a wood-effect trim. The seats – including a two-seat bench in the rear – are covered in polyester, which, as with the wood effect, is designed to make the interior feel like a living room. The e prototype will be built in Japan and go on sale in selected European markets in late 2019, with others following in 2020. It will also be sold in Japan. The firm has yet to set pricing. Hitomi said it is “important” the car is affordable but he added: “A low price is not always a guarantee of success. When you look at Apple products, they are not cheap, but everyone wants to have them because of their added value. We believe it is the same for the electric
Origin: Honda e confirmed as name for maker’s electric city car
Thieves are targeting luxury cars’ rear-view mirrors in New York City
Hondas clever mirror-mounted camera displays the passenger-side blind spot on the centre dash screen when the right-hand turn signal is activated. At the risk of giving criminals everywhere their next bad idea, the New York Post is reporting there has been a rash of high-tech car mirror thefts in Manhattan. The thieves are targeting newer models from luxury brands like Porsche, Lexus, Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, stripping them of their expensive side-view mirrors, which contain high-tech camera equipment and are valued between $2,000 to $2,600, and selling them on the black market. The NYPD says the criminals hit the Manhattan area a total of 19 times in March and April. “This is a local pattern in Manhattan North and does not appear to be a citywide condition,” an NYPD spokesman told The Post. Part of the problem, suggests Manhattan precinct commander Deputy Inspector Timothy Malin, is that we’ve become accustomed to the sound of car alarms in busy cities. “People tend to ignore car alarms nowadays,” he said, “but if you hear one going off in the middle of the night, take a look, and if you see something suspicious, call 911.” Sure, it may be Manhattan’s problem for now, but if it works for thieves there, it’ll work for them
Origin: Thieves are targeting luxury cars’ rear-view mirrors in New York City
Genesis unveils the Mint Concept, a teensy, luxury all-electric city car
Genesis just pulled the cover off its newest product at a rather avant garde NYC event ahead of the 2019 New York International Auto Show. There was music and dancing and even a sort of fashion show. We half-expected Kanye to appear from the mist. And of course, there was the car, the Genesis Mint Concept, a two-door, two-passenger all-electric vehicle with no trunk, scissors-style side openings and a screen in the centre of an oblong steering wheel. Now that’s how to unveil a concept! At least, that’s how to unveil a concept as funky as this. View this post on Instagram Oh hai, it’s the Genesis Mint EV Concept. #genesis #ev #conceptcar #mint #genesismint #nyautoshow #nyautoshow2019 A post shared by Roberto Baldwin (@strngwys) on Apr 16, 2019 at 4:20pm PDT Whatever casual vibe you get from its diminutive, hatchback-esque stature and Hunter Green matte paint evaporates when you catch a glimpse of the interior, or how the rear windows/trunk doors open. The interior experience is what Genesis calls reductive and decluttered, featuring lots of leather and a new digital UX. It’s got an oblong steering wheel, with a rectangular screen displaying primary info dead in its centre and six circular copper Graphic User Interface dials mounted around the wheel. In place of rear seats or any sort of conventional rear storage space is a “parcel shelf,” which is accessed by those nifty scissor-style openings. Specs are sparse, but Genesis says the mini-EV should manage 322 kilometres per charge and be capable of 350-kWh quick charging. In the “lightweight runabout,” that 350-kWh ability will probably result in a speedy re-up, making the Mint convenient for the city life it was designed for. So, is this concept just a hype machine or is it destined to come to fruition? According to Manfred Fitzgerald, the global head of Genesis, who addressed reporters ahead of the reveal, Genesis is all in if its parent company Hyundai Motor Group gives the green light.
Origin: Genesis unveils the Mint Concept, a teensy, luxury all-electric city car
Toyota iQ city car reborn as China-only Singulato iC3 EV
The Toyota iQ city car has been reborn in China, with the rising Singulato firm using it as the basis for a new electric-only iC3 machine that has been launched at the Shanghai motor show. Beijing-based Singulato was founded in 2014 as an EV-only firm, and is gearing up to launch a mid-size iS6 SUV later this year. It has agreed a deal with Toyota to use the eQ, a limited-run electric version of the iQ that was sold in the US and Japan, as the basis for its iC3 city car. Singulato has pitched its car as an “urban dream cruiser”. Besides switching from combustion engines to an EV powertrain, the iC3 is built entirely with iQ parts, including the chassis, brakes, steering and suspension. It also features some mild exterior design tweaks, and a new, bespoke infotainment system. Singulato has developed its own electric powertrain for the new model. While it has yet to reveal full technical details, it claims it will offer a range of around 186 miles on the NEDC test cycle. It is understood Singulato is aiming to sell the car in China for about £11,500. A Singulato spokesperson told Autocar that it bought the iQ design from Toyota for a “nominal cost”, as part of a wider agreement between the two firms. Reuters has reported that Toyota will be given preferential rights to purchase Chinese ‘green car credits’ from Singulato, which will help it meet government quotas in the country. Toyota recently announced it was offering rights-free access to around 24,000 patents, including those for electrified technology, and has been looking for partners to further its electrification and expansion plans. The iQ was revealed at the 2007 Frankfurt motor show and went on sale the following year. It was axed in 2015 due to slow sales. As well as the electric eQ version – sold in the US as the Scion iQ EV – Toyota developed a limited-run performance version tuned by Gazoo Racing. The iQ was also used as the basis for the short-lived Aston Martin Cygnet city car, which was produced from 2009 until
Origin: Toyota iQ city car reborn as China-only Singulato iC3 EV
Renault City K-ZE: production version of budget EV revealed
Renault has revealed its City K-ZE electric compact crossover at the Shanghai motor show ahead of sales starting in China later this year. The new model, which is understood to offer a 155-mile range on the NEDC test cycle, was first revealed in concept form at the Paris motor show last year and is a key part of the French’s firm’s plan to dramatically increase its sales in China. It becomes Renault’s smallest EV, sitting beneath the Zoe, being broadly similar in size to the conventionally powered Twingo, with a wheelbase of 2423mm and a boot capacity of 300 litres. Inside, the City K-ZE has an 8.0in touchscreen infotainment system with smartphone compatibility. It offers multiple charging modes, including a fast-charge function that can fill the battery from empty to 80% in 50 minutes. The City KZ-E will be built in China by eGT New Energy Automotive, a joint venture between the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance and Chinese manufacturer Dongfeng. It’s based on Renault and Nissan’s CMF-A platform, currently used on the Indian-market Renault Kwid and Datsun Redi-Go. Renault has previously said the platform will be modified heavily for the City K-ZE, both to accommodate the electirc powertrain and to fit the expectations of differing markets. While it will initially be launched in China, Renault says the City K-ZE has been designed to “European quality standards”. It’s due to be offered in a number of global markets, including Europe, if it proves a success in China. No decision has been made on where models for Europe would be built,
Origin: Renault City K-ZE: production version of budget EV revealed
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