2019 Mercedes-AMG G 63 The Mercedes-Benz G-Class has been a long-standing staple of the German brands stable, and, like everything these days, its now set to get the green-car treatment, in the form of electrification.According to a speech at the Automobilwoche Kongress in Berlin on Thursday, Daimler CEO Ola Kllenius confirmed the iconic SUV will be going full EV.It isnt likely well see the electric vehicle, which could be dubbed the EQG, in the near-future. Battery tech still has a long way to go before it can take the G-Class any sort of distance on pure electric power, meaning it likely wont be one of the 10 EVs that Mercedes-Benz plan to release by 2022.#Daimler CEO Källenius: ”There will be a zero-emission #EV version of the #MercedesBenz G-Class. In the past there were discussions whether we should eliminate the model, the way I see things now Id say the last Mercedes to be built will be a G-Class #AMWKongress #eMobility pic.twitter.com/tAS6tzpR3Y Sascha Pallenberg 潘賞世 (@sascha_p) November 7, 2019Mercedes-Benz will first release a plug-in hybrid model before we see the full EV, and both could be slotted under the AMG brand. The automaker plans to introduce electrification across its range, and with the powerful V12 soon making its departure, itll need something to fill that gap in performance. The current clientele of G-Class owners seems to, at least partly, be made up of egoists with too much money who want a 500-horsepower truck, so were not sure how an electric model will fare.Of course, the fact you get all the torque all the time with electric motors might impress those who like to stamp the loud (or in this case, quiet) pedal 0.1 milliseconds after the traffic light turns
Origin: Electric Mercedes-Benz G-Class confirmed
electric
Seat to launch electric scooter as urban mobility vehicle
Seat will launch a new electric Scooter later this month, as part of the Spanish firm’s attempts to become a leader in ‘urban mobility solutions’ to tackle congestion in large cities. The eScooter, which is being developed in collaboration with Barcelona-based motorcycle maker Silence, will join the upcoming Minimo and the eXS Kickscooter in the company’s new urban transport line-up. While Seat has not given performance details, it says the eScooter features a 100% electric powertrain equivalent to a 125cc petrol bike. It will be presented at the Smart City Expo World Congress in Barcelona later this month. In recent years, an increasing number of car companies have started targeting solutions for crowded cities. Earlier this year, Seat announced that it would spearhead efforts in the segment within the Volkswagen Group. Last year the brand piloted a fleet of prototype car sharing vehicles, modelled on its upcoming Seat eMii, which users could rent through a mobile app, and a forerunner to its eScooter, the Segway-based eXS. In 2021, Seat will introduce a new small electric city car. The Minimo develops the concept of the Renault Twizy and fronts the firm’s increasing emphasis on small and environmentally-friendly transport alternatives. Seat boss Luca de Meo said that “the constant growth of large cities makes achieving efficient mobility one of the main challenges to
Origin: Seat to launch electric scooter as urban mobility vehicle
5 Electric Vehicles for under $45K
Clockwise from top left: Chevrolet Bolt, Nissan Leaf, Hyundai Kona and Kia Niro.Handouts Its only been the last couple of years that putting together a list of five electric vehicles for under $45,000 was possible, and given the coming wave of new, affordable EVs on the horizon, a top-10 list will be do-able in the next two years or so.For now though, these five zero emission vehicles will have to do. But it should be noted that that price threshold of $45k is far from arbitrary, as that figure is the ceiling of a base priced model to qualify for a federal government rebate of $5,000 (and no, its not a coincidence the base prices of these five EVs are mere dollars, or in the case of the Tesla and Hyundai one loonie, below that threshold). B.C. and Quebec residents can further whittle down the MSRP with provincial incentives of $3,000 and $8,000 respectively. The Doug Ford government in July of last year canceled Ontarios EV rebate program.So, in no specific order, five EVs that the average family can afford.Tesla Model 3By far the best-selling EV in Canada so far in 2019 by June some 7,585 had been delivered to Canadians, compared to the second place Nissan Leaf (1,476) the Model 3 is a formidable contender and worthy of its top-selling crown. With a full-charge range between 350 and 500 kilometres (depending on the battery pack), over-the-air software upgrades and Teslas distinctive, yet spartan, exterior and interior design language, the technically advanced Model 3 exemplifies many of the best attributes of an electric vehicle. Then theres Teslas Supercharger network, which enables fast charging from coast-to-coast to the tune of up to 290 km of range is just 15 minutes. Using a Tesla 48A home wall connector charger, an hours charge provides about 70 kilometres of range. One caveat surrounding the Model 3, in fact regarding all Tesla models, is an increasing number of owner complaints about service. Specifically, how long somewhat routine repairs are taking and also the wait time for certain parts. To be sure these are, given the surge in Model 3 sales, growing pains as the company deals with a much larger footprint in Canadaparticularly in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal. Base price (Standard Range): $44,999Nissan Leaf PlusNissan was at the forefront of the EV passenger vehicle revolution with the debut of the Leaf nearly 10 years ago, and in 2018 released the all-new, second-generation model, featuring new styling inside and out and a 40 kWh lithium-ion battery. For the model year 2019 Nissan upped the ante with the Plus model, its 62 kWh battery pack increasing the regular Leafs range by 50 per cent for an NRCan full-charge range of up to 363 kilometres. The Plus also has a more powerful motor (160 kW compared to 110 kW) that produces 45 per cent more power (214 horsepower) and a very respectable 250 lbs.-ft of torque. The second-gen Leaf benefits greatly from Nissans decade-long experience in the EV space, with advanced systems like the semi-autonomous ProPilot assist feature and the ePedal function that enables one-pedal driving perfectly suited for daily commutes in high-traffic urban centres. In terms of charging options, the Plus model offers the standard Level 1 and Level 2 ports, and adds a high output charge port (up to 100 kW) that provides an 80 per cent charge in just 45 minutes. And for those cold Canadian winters, heated seats, steering wheel and side mirrors come standard. Base Price (S Plus): $44,898Chevrolet BoltGM brought the Bolt to Canada in 2016 and set the new high-bar for range in an affordable EV with a full-charge range of 383 kilometres and a distinctively fun-to-drive personality. For 2020 theyve upped that very good range by some 10 per cent (417 km) without increasing the size or weight of the 66 kWh battery pack. That is thanks to a tweaked battery chemistry, but it does add 30 minutes to a full-charge session on a 240V system (10 hours) but improves on the DC Fast Charge time (160 km in 30 minutes). Apart from that range increase, the only real changes to the new Bolt are a textured front grille and bumper, and two new exterior colours (Cayenne Orange and Oasis Blue). One of the helpful features for Bolt owners is free access to the myChevrolet App2, with an Energy Assist function that allows you to view and search for charging stations, plan a trip with multiple waypoints and/or charging stops and receive alerts if the set route becomes invalid. A new feature of the app projects that Energy Assist screen to the Bolts infotainment system using Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. Base price: $44,998Kia NiroThe new-for-2019 Niro combines an all-electric powertrain with the popular crossover body style. Based on the gas-powered CUV of the same name, the front-wheel drive Niro EV features a liquid-cooled 64 kWh lithium-ion polymer battery with a full-charge range of 385 kilometres. Power output is 201 hp and 291 lbs.-ft of torque, and the standard DC Fast Charge
Origin: 5 Electric Vehicles for under $45K
Fisker’s new electric SUV has a name
The Fisker revealed October 31 that the brands newest electric vehicle will be named Ocean; the SUV will take on a more conventional shape and layout for the needs of todays buyers.Instead of revealing a concept car followed by a production model, Fisker will show a fully running production-intent prototype sitting on the actual, completely engineered platform, or at least it will January 4, 2020.As far as we can see, the vehicle essentially looks like an electric Jaguar F-Pace. Fisker calls the Ocean the Worlds Most Sustainable Vehicle, a claim aided by way of the trucks building materials. The interior is completely vegan, being made of 100 per cent polycarbonate polyurethane surfaces and 100 per cent reinforced Rayon backing.Other key parts of the vehicle are also made of reclaimed materials: the carpets are made of regenerated nylon from abandoned fishing nets, pulled directly from the ocean; the so-called Eco-suede upholstery is made from old t-shirts and recycled bottles. Fisker also says that recycling instead of producing new polyester reduces CO2 emissions by 80 per cent.Just like Fisker vehicles previous, the Ocean will have a solar panel roof to recoup more energy. The electric range will be between 250 and 300 miles (400 to 480 km) thanks to an 80-kW battery pack.Production of the Fisker Ocean will begin at the end of 2021, with deliveries starting 2022. Early reservations will take place on November 27, 2019, and will be done through Fiskers proprietary app.Pricing should be around the US$40,000, so the Ocean can put Teslas Model Y square in its
Origin: Fisker’s new electric SUV has a name
Volkswagen ID 4: 2020 electric SUV shown in disguised form
Volkswagen’s upcoming ID 4 has been displayed again as the maker confirms it will also be produced in China alongside the ID 3. The electric crossover-style SUV will be a big part of the VW ID brand’s range offensive in the US, as well as in Europe. Previous spyshots gave us the best glimpse of the production model next to its hatchback sibling. The bodywork similarities of the two prototypes suggest the ID 4 will be closely linked to the ID 3 it is testing alongside, albeit slightly larger and sporting more evident SUV design cues. The ID 4 was on show at Frankfurt inside a glass box and wrapped in a similar pattern. The set-up was similar to that used by VW when it launched pre-sales for the ID 3 hatch earlier this year. Although VW was giving away little information about the car at Frankfurt, to keep the focus on the company rebranding and the launch of the production ID 3, the Kia e-Niro rival is set to go into production next year. Despite the camouflage, the new EV appears to retain many of the same exterior themes as the ID Crozz concept car, which was first shown more than two years ago and then reworked for the 2017 Frankfurt motor show. Volkswagen ID 3 2020 review Two production versions of the ID Crozz will be offered: a coupé-SUV in the vein of the original concept and this straight SUV model with a more conventional roofline and tailgate design. We can also see it has conventional rear doors, ditching the sliding items of the 2017 car. It’s not yet clear if the coupé variant will also adopt this approach, but it’s likely. The ID 4 will be built in Europe, the US and China, cementing its status as a truly global model and a crucial kingpin of the brand’s rapid EV rollout. “As early as 2020, we aim to sell 100,000 all-electric Volkswagens (per year),” said VW Group chairman Herbert Diess at the Crozz concept’s 2017 unveiling. “But this is just the beginning. By 2025, annual sales could increase tenfold to one million vehicles.” Diess said the new ID electric car line-up will be offered alongside traditional combustion-engined and hybrid-powered VW models. The ID 4 aims to combine the dynamic lines of a modern-day sports car with the all-terrain capability of a dedicated off-roader. It’s said to offer interior space on a par with the Tiguan Allspace, a new long-wheelbase version of VW’s best-selling SUV model. The ID Crozz concept is 4625mm long, 1891mm wide and 1609mm tall, putting it in between the five-seat Tiguan and seven-seat Tiguan Allspace in terms of dimensions. The wheelbase is 2773mm. The MEB-based ID Crozz features two electric motors – one mounted within the front axle, and one at the rear – powered by an 83kWh lithium ion battery housed within the floor structure. The front electric motor sends its 101bhp and 103lb ft to the front wheels. The rear unit delivers 201bhp and 228lb ft to the rear wheels, giving the car a combined output of 302bhp and 332lb ft of torque. This is just under 100bhp more than the powertrain used by the rear-wheel-drive ID hatchback, intended to offset a likely weight increase. The ID 4 is set to have a range of more than 311 miles, with no specific figure yet quoted. No performance figures have been revealed, though VW says it intends limiting the top speed to 112mph. With the car’s large battery mounted low down within the floor structure and the electric motors also housed within the axle assemblies front and rear, VW also claims it possesses a front-to-rear weight distribution of 48:52. VW officials have talked up the dynamic qualities, suggesting the new platform and chassis provide a “large spread between handling and
Origin: Volkswagen ID 4: 2020 electric SUV shown in disguised form
2020 Fisker Ocean: affordable electric SUV detailed
American start-up company Fisker has revealed that its upcoming electric SUV will be called the Ocean and unveiled in production-ready guise on 4 January 2020. The company is claiming to have designed “the world’s most sustainable vehicle”, with recycled, vegan and other natural products used throughout. Its American-Danish founder, Henrik Fisker, recently confirmed that the production model will only be available via a ‘flexible lease’ plan, with no long-term contract necessary. It’s now emerged that this scheme will operate through a bespoke smartphone app that will also allow owners to book servicing and maintenance visits. Final pricing, specification and performance details will be detailed when order books for the new model open on 27 November 2019, with full-scale production set to get underway at the end of 2021. Preview images shows that the Tesla Model Y rival rides high and has modern, utilitarian styling. Flared arches hint at its performance potential, while narrow headlights and chrome detailing are a nod to last year’s Fisker Emotion concept. Like the Model Y, the Ocean will be priced from less than $40,000 (£30,200) in the US. It features what the firm calls “captivating design touches that have been traditionally reserved for supercars in the past”. Prominent styling details include a front-mounted radar in place of a grille, a large front air intake, flared wheel arches and a futuristic headlight design. The Ocean also features a targa-style removable roof section with an inbuilt solar panel that boosts the capacity of the car’s 80kWh lithium ion battery pack. Fisker states: “With the touch of a button, an extended open-air atmosphere will be made possible without compromising the rugged and safe structural integrity of an SUV.” The battery is claimed to provide of a range of up to 300 miles. The Ocean will be available in four-wheel drive form, with an electric motor mounted on each axle. Fisker also claims that the SUV’s interior will offer class-leading space, a large head-up display and an intelligent user interface. It’s not yet confirmed where the Ocean will be produced, but Fisker says prototype testing will begin before the end of this year. The company is also at work on developing solid-state battery technology, which it says would allow future vehicles to gain 500 miles worth of charge in as little as one minute. Fisker Inc. was formed in 2016, succeeding the bankrupted Fisker Automotive company that launched the Karma range-extender electric luxury saloon – now re-engineered and on sale as the Karma Revero – in
Origin: 2020 Fisker Ocean: affordable electric SUV detailed
Fisker to show electric SUV prototype in January 2020
American start-up company Fisker will show a ‘production-intent prototype’ of its upcoming electric SUV in January 2020, according to a tweet by the firm’s founder Henrik Fisker. The American-Danish entrepeneur also confirmed that the new model’s name will be officially revealed later this week, and that the production variant will only be available via a ‘flexible lease’ plan, with no long-term contract necessary. Next week. Announcement: name of the sustainable luxury electric Fisker SUV , together with other info.#Fisker #Sustainable #ClimateChange #ElectricCar #Automotive #cleanenergy #CleanUp #cool #technews @FiskerInc pic.twitter.com/OGVUHFWBwD — Henrik Fisker (@henrikfisker) October 27, 2019 Preview images shows that the Tesla Model Y rival will ride high and feature modern, utilitarian styling. Flared arches hint at the EV’s performance potential, while narrow headlights and chrome detailing are a nod to the brand’s 2018 Emotion concept. Like the Model Y, the as-yet-unnamed Fisker will be priced from less than $40,000 (£30,200) in the US. It features what the firm calls “captivating design touches that have been traditionally reserved for supercars in the past”. Confirmed styling details include a front-mounted radar in place of a grille, a large front air intake, flared wheel arches and a futuristic headlight design. Performance details haven’t been revealed, but an 80kWh lithium ion battery pack is claimed to provide of a range of nearly 300 miles. The car will be available in four-wheel-drive form with an electric motor mounted on each axle. Fisker hints at the presence of a targa-style removable roof section, stating that “with the touch of a button, an extended open-air atmosphere will be made possible without compromising the rugged and safe structural integrity of an SUV”. It also claims the interior will offer class-leading space and feature a large head-up display and an intelligent user interface. Henrik Fisker previously said the new model will take the form of “a desirable, luxuriously rugged and green vehicle that’s accessible to people across the US and the world”. It’s not yet confirmed where the new model will be produced, but Fisker said prototype testing will begin before the end of this year. The company is also at work on developing solid-state battery technology, which it says would allow its vehicles to gain 500 miles worth of charge in as little as one minute. Fisker Inc. was formed in 2016, succeeding the bankrupted Fisker Automotive company that launched the Karma range-extender electric luxury saloon – now re-engineered and on sale as the Karma Revero – in
Origin: Fisker to show electric SUV prototype in January 2020
Electric turbochargers to enter production in 2021
Electric turbochargers are finally coming to a production car near you.Garrett Motion is readying its first electric turbocharger for 2021, to be used on production vehicles. This will be the first real electric turbo ever to sit under the hood of a mainstream car or truck.Electric turbochargers arent really all that new even now, you can pick one up on eBay for a few hundred dollars and strap it to your Civic for some extra power, though theres no guarantee it wont grenade into a million pieces.Nor is Garrett the only industry player to consider electric forced induction. In fact Audi was the first to introduce an electric compressor on a production vehicle, on its SQ7, where it was used to eliminate lag on the 4.0-litre sequentially turbocharged diesel V8.Think of Audis unit more like an electric supercharger, running off electricity generated by the motor instead of a belt from the engine; its separate from the actual turbos. Garretts is a true turbocharger, however, as it uses an electric motor in between the two halves of the turbo to compress air into the engine before the hot exhaust gases get to the unit. This eliminates the small amount of time it takes for the exhaust gas to get around the various pipes and into the turbocharger.According to Garrett, the E-Turbo can spool the engine to target torque in one second, compared to the 4.5 seconds of a conventional turbo. It can also work in reverse, so to speak. Because the electric motor is built into the turbo, at higher RPMs when the exhaust gasses are flowing enough to turn the turbo by itself, the electric motor can use that energy to regenerate electric power for the
Origin: Electric turbochargers to enter production in 2021
Electric Ariel Nomad created as one-off technology showcase
Leading automotive engineering firm BorgWarner has converted an Ariel Nomad off-roader into a fully electric vehicle. The one-off machine was produced as a showcase for electric powertrain technology developed by the US company and its partners. It swaps the 235bhp Honda-built 2.5-litre petrol engine usually found in the Nomad for an electric system that uses two motors to deliver a total of 268bhp. The converted Nomad is rear-wheel drive, with each motor independently driving a rear wheel through two separate eDriveGear gear sets managed by torque vectoring. BorgWarner says the set-up offers “more power and durability”. The motors draw power from a liquid-cooled 350V 30kWh power pack. BorgWarner says the machine’s extensive use of torque vectoring through the electric powertrain improves steering response, and allows for regenerative braking to extend range. The British-built Nomad was chosen for the project in part because the open-top design makes it easy for BorgWarner’s team to easily install and remove components, and it is purely intended as a one-off showcase. Kahan Yilmaz, BorgWarner’s tech boss, said the converted Nomad was a “high-voltage demonstration” that “gives us a fantastic tool to showcase our extensive capabilities, collaborate with industry partners and evaluate current and future technology at a system level”. Ariel was not involved in the project, and is currently working on a fully electric machine of its own: a 1180bhp
Origin: Electric Ariel Nomad created as one-off technology showcase
New Seat Mii electric priced from £19,300 in UK
Seat has announced UK pricing for the Mii Electric, its first zero-emissions model, will begin at £19,300, making it one of the cheapest mainstream electric cars available in the UK. Seat is also offering the first 300 buyers fitment of a wall-mounted home charger, a three-pin home charging cable, three years servicing and roadside assistance free of charge. The supermini’s sub-£20,000 price tag is lower than that of its Vauxhall Corsa-e, Peugeot e-208, Mini Electric and Honda e rivals. The new Renault Zoe is available from £18,670 under the firm’s battery leasing scheme, but monthly costs have yet to be revealed. As part of Seat’s ‘easyMOVE’ range simplification strategy, only one trim is available from launch. Standard equipment includes metallic paint, lane assist, fast charging capabilities, 16in alloy wheels, air conditioning and automatic windscreen wipers. Owners can also make use of an associated smartphone app, which allows the climate control, lights and locks to be activated remotely, and gives information on journey times and the car’s location. The Mii Electric shares its drivetrain with the recently revealed Skoda Citigo-e iV and replaces the petrol-engined Mii, which went out of production in July. With an 82bhp electric motor mated to a single-speed transmission, the Mii Electric produces 156lb ft torque, enabling it to accelerate from 0-31mph in 3.9sec and onto a limited top speed of 81mph. A 36.8kWh battery pack gives a WLTP-certified range of 162 miles. That’s 2 miles less than the 164 miles offered by the Citigo-e iV but 79 more than the ageing Volkswagen e-Up. Styling changes over the outgoing Mii are subtle, limited to 16in alloy wheels and the addition of illuminated badging to the back and sides. Unlike the Citigo-e iV, the Mii retains the mesh grille fitted to the petrol car. Inside, the Mii Electric sports a redesigned dashboard, heated, ‘performance-inspired’ seats and a leather steering wheel, handbrake and gear selector. Boot space is unchanged, at 251 litres. The Mii Electric is aimed squarely at “those who spend the majority of their time traversing metropolitan and suburban streets”, says Seat. It can be charged in around four hours to 80% capacity from a 7.2kW home wallbox or one hour from a 40kW public fast charger. Seat said the Mii’s shift to electric power will help prepare its dealerships for the arrival of the el-Born in 2020. Company president Luca de Meo said: “In Europe, the electric vehicle market grew by 46% in the first four months of the year. Moving forward, we expect electrified vehicles to play an important role within our range. “The Mii Electric is the start of that journey and at the same time brings to the market an affordable electric car.” The Mii Electric is the production version of the 2017 e-Mii concept, of which five examples have been used in a car-sharing trial scheme in Barcelona, Spain as part of the new car’s development programme. Production of the Mii Electric will begin at Skoda’s plant in Bratislava, Slovakia later this year, with customer deliveries scheduled to begin in early 2020. The launch of the Mii electric comes as Seat gears up to introduce the el-Born EV, a plug-in hybrid variant of the next Leon and the plug-in hybrid Cupra Formentor sports
Origin: New Seat Mii electric priced from £19,300 in UK
All about car 