Mazda has confirmed that its first electric car will be revealed at Tokyo motor show on 23 October. The model, previewed by the e-TPV prototype, is expected to adopt an SUV bodystyle, which can more easily accommodate an underfloor battery pack. It will use a similar set-up to the prototype, which has a 35.5kWh battery and a single electric motor delivering 138bhp and 195lb ft of torque to the the front wheels via a single-speed transmission. The EV is likely to have a range between 120 and 150 miles, similar to the new Mini Electric but significantly less than more obvious rivals, such as the 279-mile Hyundai Kona Electric. It will be able to accept 6.6kW domestic charging and 50kW public rapid charging. Mazda will also introduce a modern version of its famed rotary engine in a range-extender variant of the EV. Two years ago, Mazda boss Mitsuo Hitomi confirmed that, rather than being used in its purest form, a rotary engine will be used as an EV range-extender. He said: “The rotary engine isn’t particularly efficient to use as a range-extender, but when we turn on a rotary, it’s much, much quieter compared to other manufacturers’ range-extenders”. The Japanese firm’s range hasn’t featured a rotary-engined road car since the RX-8 went out of production in 2012, but it did produce a rotary range-extender Mazda 2 prototype – which Autocar drove – back in 2013. It has remained interested in reintroducing the technology to production since. The Mazda RX-Vision Concept, which was shown at the Tokyo motor show in 2015, used such a powertrain. Mazda has eschewed hybrid and electric models in recent years, instead choosing to focus on improving the efficiency of its petrol engines. This year, it introduced spark plug-controlled compression ignition to the latest Mazda 3, with the promise that it will “combine the economy and torque of a diesel engine with the performance and lower emissions of a petrol
Origin: Mazda confirms Tokyo show debut for first electric car
electric
Rivian gets order from Amazon for 100,000 electric delivery vans
Electric vehicle startup Rivian has just taken an order from e-commerce retailer Amazon for 100,000 battery-powered delivery vans, with delivery of the first such vehicles to start 2021, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos said September 19.By 2022, Rivian hopes to have shipped the first 10,000 of the vans to Amazon, a spokesperson told The Drive, will the full fleet of 100,000 operational by 2024.While the vehicles will be based on the Michigan-based automakers R1 platform and employ the same powertrain and battery, the suspension, application software and interior and exterior, all designed to Amazons specs, will be unique to that companys fleet. Rivian plans to optimize manufacturing by rolling out the vans on a separate assembly line in its Normal, Illinois plant so that it wont have to push back the late 2020 launch of its upcoming R1S and R1T SUV and
Origin: Rivian gets order from Amazon for 100,000 electric delivery vans
Porsche exec suggests next-gen 718 could be AWD, electric
At the recent unveiling of its all-electric Taycan, Porsche announced that by 2025, half of all its models worldwide would have some form of electrification.But we didnt expect this one: according to hints from a Porsche exec who talked to Top Gear, the next generation of the 718 Boxster and Cayman could be powered entirely by batteries.The 718 just fits EV, doesnt it? The next generation of these cars would be a good time to go all-electric, the magazine quotes Lutz Meschke, deputy chairman of the board.Furthermore, Meschke replied to a question about all-wheel drive with Yes, it needs to be, that makes sense, even though the platform has forever been rear-wheel-driven, as the driving gods intended.The automaker has been adding plug-in hybrid technology to its models for a while, of course, and along with unveiling the Mission E concept that prefaced the Taycan, Porsche took the wraps off the battery-powered Cayman E-volution concept car a couple of years back at an electric vehicle symposium in Stuttgart.It basically looked like a stock Cayman with some green badges, but the company stressed that it was just another EV development project and wouldnt go into production. And of course the Taycan isnt going to stand alone. A wagon version of it, the Taycan Cross Turismo, will come toward the end of 2020. After that, an all-electric Macan is expected to arrive in 2022. Meschke confirmed the current gas-powered Macan will initially be sold alongside it, but will be dropped after a couple of years.The Cayenne and Panamera are also planned for full electricity, but so far, theres been no word on replacing the dino-juice engine in the 911 for something that plugs into the wall. It seems even Porsche must realize that some things are
Origin: Porsche exec suggests next-gen 718 could be AWD, electric
Amazon orders 100,000 electric vans from start-up Rivian
Internet shopping giant Amazon has given a further boost to EV start-up Rivian by placing an order with the company for 100,000 electric delivery vehicles. The fledging manufacturer is aiming to produce a range of go-anywhere 4×4 EVs built on its own bespoke platform, showcasing the R1 SUV and R1T pick-up at last year’s Los Angeles motor show. Rivian has attracted high profile investments from firms including Ford, with which it is working on future vehicle development, and Amazon. The internet retailer invested $440 million (£350 million) to lead a $700 million (£544 million) investment round in Rivian earlier this year, and has now furthered those links with the massive order, which it says is the largest ever made in an electric delivery vehicle. Amazon says that the first Rivan-built vans will go into service in 2021, with the plan to have 10,000 on the road by 2022 and all 100,000 in operation by 2030. The order was announced by Amazon as it unveiled the Climate Pledge, calling on signatories to reach net zero carbon by 2040, 10 years ahead of the targets set by the Paris Accord. Amazon said that the investment and vehicle order in Rivian would “accelerate the production of electric vehicles critical to reducing emissions from transportation”. While no details of the technical specifications of the van, preview images released by Amazon showed it badged with the firm’s Prime delivery service, and ‘powered by Rivian’ on the side sill. That suggests they could be made on Rivian’s bespoke EV platform to a body design specified by Amazon. The retailer has long been looking for ways to reduce costs and improve the efficiency of its delivery operation, particularly in terms of ‘last mile’ deliveries to customers in cities. Switching to electric vans would both cut fuel costs and ensure Amazon vehicles were not affected by low emissions zones increasingly being established in cities. There is no indication where the vans will be deployed, although they are likely to focus on major cities in the USA. The order is a huge boost to Rivian as it gears up to start production at a plant in Illinois, in a facility previously used by Mitsubishi. The plant has a capacity to produce 350,000 units per year, with Rivian’s initial goal to sell 50,000-60,000 of its premium electric off-roaders per year by 2025. With an increasing focus on car pollution in cities, and the costs of fuelling large van fleets, an increasing number of car firms are developing electric vans. Nissan has the e-NV200, Vauxhall is developing an electric Vivaro, and Mercedes-Benz is working on a new version of its e-Vito. Volkswagen is also planning a cargo version of its ID Buzz
Origin: Amazon orders 100,000 electric vans from start-up Rivian
800 miles in a week in an electric car: 12 things I learned
Earlier this year, as part of a long-term test review, I had six months to discover just how good the Kia e-Niro is. But as the time neared its end, it became apparent that the car’s real-world 250-300-mile range meant I hadn’t driven anywhere that necessitated the use of the UK’s public charging network. So it was that I took the plunge, adding further jeopardy by making this pioneering journey with my entire family in tow, off on our summer holidays to West Wales. At worst, I wouldn’t return just on a flatbed truck but also divorced and with children who no longer wanted to know me. The challenge was complex, because we needed to travel to and from Wales on the motorway networks, whereas we would be looking for every kind of charger available while we were there, from rural public spots to those provided by local car dealers and even, on occasion, three-pin plugs where we were staying. However, 800 miles later and with two journeys of more than 250 miles under our belts, we were back home and still on speaking terms. It took some planning and there were fleeting moments of inconvenience and lost time, but it worked out just fine, a few ultimately minor dramas aside. Here, then, are some of the lessons learned from a trip that proved to me once and for all that the capability of today’s EVs and charging network make the switch from a petrol or diesel car far easier than most people imagine. 1. Electric car people are nice people I’ll be honest, I had my doubts. Social media is awash with virtue-signalling EV evangelists who jump at the chance to strike out at anyone who dare suggest even the slightest compromise of electrification. But everyone I met in an electric car was friendly, helpful and informative, and many went out of their way to help and educate me. This is the kind of advocacy needed to persuade anyone with doubts to switch to electric motoring, and it was a joy to discover a positive subject that bound people together in a common goal. 2. Some people can’t help behaving like idiots Based on my journey, ‘some people’ is actually mostly made up of BMW drivers. The chap who parked his diesel X6 in a charging bay and left its engine running for 20 minutes? Idiot. The BMW 5 Series plug-in hybrid buyer who dropped it in a charging bay but then got ticketed because he wasn’t smart enough to plug it in? Bigger idiot. The only upside was that they weren’t using disabled bays, I guess. 3. The Tesco/Podpoint/Volkswagen tie-up is a stroke of genius Parked up in Tesco in Cardigan taking on a quick top-up, I must have encountered close to 100 shoppers wanting to know what I and my Hyundai Ioniq-driving neighbour were up to. It helps, of course, that there are big signs and a video screen to catch the attention, but for most people I spoke to, it was the prospect of free fuel that had them intrigued and – from the quality of the questions – off to research more about electric cars. Greater news for EV uptake, even greater news if you’re about to launch the ID 3. 4. 7kW charging on the motorway is useless You don’t need big energy to charge overnight at home, but it’s all you want when you’re trying to get somewhere. Incredibly, I encountered numerous motorway outlets that could only trickle around 20 miles of range into the car in the maximum 45 minutes of charging allowable. That’s nigh-on useless and underlines that as well as expanding the network, providers must focus on upgrading it where appropriate. 5. Ecotricity’s motorway network needs urgent improvement I have pondered over naming and shaming, but the weight of evidence against Ecotricity is overwhelming, both from the fact that my only disrupted or failed charges came at its hands and the catalogue of complaints online. The company isn’t without its positives, but it’s regularly providing the sort of experiences that would put off many people from making the switch to an electric car and prompt hugely damaging headlines. If it won’t improve its act, someone else should be asked to step in. 6. Planning ahead isn’t that hard – but it helps to do it It sounds obvious, but if you’re like me, the only planning you’ve thought about ahead of long trips previously is trying to avoid rip-off motorway prices. Driving an electric car requires more care, but not much, and of course you get better with experience. There are apps to tell you where chargers are, how fast they charge, whether they’re working and whether they’re available to use. Even if you hate planning ahead, you’re looking at five minutes of homework. 7. Charging needs to be simpler That said, the infrastructure providers and legislators need to bang their heads together fast. I was delighted to discover a Welsh Government initiative trying to pull together the mishmash of providers under an umbrella scheme, so that users could access all the chargers using one app or card, rather than having to sign up to a patchwork of providers. Rumour
Origin: 800 miles in a week in an electric car: 12 things I learned
Volkswagen ID 4: 2020 electric SUV tests alongside ID 3
Volkswagen upcoming ID 4 SUV has again been caught testing, a week after it was on display in camouflage at the Frankfurt motor show. The electric crossover-style SUV will be a big part of VW’s ID brand’s range offensive in the US. The bodywork similarities of these two prototypes suggests 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 sporting a heavily camouflaged livery and is inside a glass box 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 Volkswagen Group chairman Herbert Diess at the concept’s 2017 unveiling. “But this is just the beginning. By 2025, annual sales could increase tenfold to one million vehicles.” Volkswagen had previously shown ID hatchback and ID Buzz concepts, which will lead to production models. Diess said the new electric car line-up will be offered alongside traditional combustion-engined and hybrid-powered Volkswagen models. The ID Crozz aims to combine the dynamic lines of a modern day sports car together 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 Volkswagen’s best-selling SUV model, together with a claimed 515 litres of luggage capacity. 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. It will have a wheelbase of 2773mm. The MEB-based ID Crozz is powered by the same zero-emissions driveline used by the original concept, featuring 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 Crozz is set to have a range of more than 311 miles, with no specific figure yet quoted. No performance figures have been revealed, though Volkswagen says it intends limiting the production version’s top speed to 112mph. With its large battery mounted low down within the floor structure and the electric motors also housed within the axle assemblies front and rear, Volkswagen also claims the ID Crozz possesses a front-to-rear weight distribution of 48:52. VW officials are already talking up the dynamic qualities, suggesting the new platform and chassis provide a “large spread between handling and comfort”. The ID Crozz has been built to offer a choice between manual and autonomous driving
Origin: Volkswagen ID 4: 2020 electric SUV tests alongside ID 3
Electric SUV megatest: Mercedes EQC vs luxury rivals
Tuesday, 8.43am, Milton Keynes Coachway: Britain’s latest and most powerful electric car charging station, installed by Ionity in a corner of Milton Keynes’ park and ride bus station, consists of four charging bays. And right now, it just so happens that we’ve got four EVs with batteries to brim ahead of an Autocar group test with a twist. What luck. Pretty soon, the brand-new Mercedes-Benz EQC that I’ve brought along – the newest boy in the electric luxury car class – is joined by fairly recent arrival the Audi E-tron, electric SUV old boy the Tesla Model X and current class favourite the Jaguar I-Pace. With the hum of flowing current and cooling fans that duly ensues, it’s as if we’re in some giant, open-air computer server cupboard. Plugged in and topped up, the Tesla makes the grandest promises – 287 miles of battery range advertised, compared with only 226 miles for both the Audi and Jaguar, joint least. Will any of those advertised range figures be enough to complete our planned convoy road trip to the Severn Estuary and back, though? And over the next 250 miles and 36 hours, which of these cars will prove itself to be the most practical, usable and all-round convincing electric luxury car in a newly metal-swollen niche of the market? Today, we’re heading to the Severn Bridge to overnight, via some dependably good roads for photography and driving, as a test of real-world, mixed-route energy efficiency and range. Tomorrow, we’ll turn around and head back, testing the current reliability and scope of the UK’s rapid charging network, as well as the various respective capacities of our cars to access and navigate it. Much as it would make life simple to say, here and now, that the first car to return to the point from which we’re about to depart will be our winner, I suspect the truth won’t be quite so straightforward. 10:52am, A34, near Oxford: It’s a good car, this Mercedes – quicker and more engaging than I reckoned a few months ago after driving it abroad – and yet classy, comfortable, spacious, rich and quiet. Right now, it’s wafting serenely around the Oxford bypass as part of a four-car convoy that few will hear coming, but that plenty will notice passing. Not that those onlookers will all have nice things to say about the sight of the Mercedes. Photographer Olgun Kordal had it about right when he described the EQC as looking like a GLC “that has been left in the oven too long”. Shame. The Audi is considerably smarter to my eyes, the Tesla marginally less so, with its bulbous proportions and its slightly incongruous sloping roofline. But it’s the Jaguar that’s the bedroom wall material. Chucking it in among its direct competition only serves to underline what a stellar job was done on the I-Pace’s design and how much more interesting an object it is to behold than pretty much anything else like it. Well, can’t sit here and admire it all day. As we peel off west towards Wantage, onto smaller and more testing A- and B-roads, I flag down a colleague and swap into the I-Pace. And how great to be reminded what a treat this car is to drive. As well as feeling a good deal lighter, tauter handling, more immediate and more agile than the EQC, it’s got wonderfully tactile and supremely well-weighted steering. And it rides uncommonly well, with a decent sense of cushioning even on 22in rims, and a present but entirely tolerable amount of road noise. For performance, it’s right up there: the EQC’s torque might allow it to pick up more briskly from roundabout pace, but the Jaguar’s almost as quick from low speed. Holding up on some local country roads we know well gives a chance to hop into all four cars for back-to-back comparisons of the driving experiences they offer – as well as to take some action photographs. My suspicions about the Audi E-tron prove correct: it weighs marginally less than the EQC and yet it feels bigger and heavier because its softer all-corner air suspension and steering are plainly tuned more for comfort and isolation than for handling dynamism. The E-tron is very good at smothering bumps, filtering surface coarseness and making you relax at the wheel. As everyone in the road trip party agrees, though, it’s not nearly as engaging as either the EQC or the I-Pace. Ask the same party to choose the car they’d drive every day, and without a second thought for where or how, and the result’s equally unanimous: Jaguar, please. 3:32, westbound M4, near Swindon: Our little electric caravan is doing just fine, although since it hasn’t yet been running for a full hundred miles, so it should be. After a few hours, for photos and a bite of lunch, we’re on our way west, taking in our first few motorway miles of the trip and homing in on our final destination for the day: the Alveston House Hotel just north of Bristol. My first few miles of the trip in the Tesla have just been followed by another few miles in the Audi – and you couldn’t have picked a pair
Origin: Electric SUV megatest: Mercedes EQC vs luxury rivals
Byton M-Byte: high-tech electric SUV could come to the UK
Chinese start-up company Byton will bring its the M-Byte electric SUV to right-hand drive markets such as the UK if there is enough interest, and “the signs are good”, according to CTO David Twohig. The M-Byte has been in development for two years. Launching on the Chinese market initially, with customer deliveries set to get underway in the middle of 2020, it’s planned to arrive in Europe in early 2021 at a starting price of €45,000 (£40,280). Twohig, formerly chief engineer at Alpine, claims the delay in getting the car to Europe is “mostly for software reasons”. The company gets mapping data from Baidu – effectively China’s Google – but must work with different partners in Europe. “We have to establish that and then iron out all the bugs, to ensure everything works as it should”. 100 prototypes have been built so far, with other half of those destroyed during testing. The production car on display – described as 100% finished – bears a strong resemblance to the concept that was revealed earlier this year and retains that car’s distinctive 48in curved ‘Shared Experience Display’, the largest infotainment screen yet fitted to a production car. The screen forms part of what Byton calls “a digital lounge feeling” and allows passengers to access connectivity services and vehicle controls. The display is no touch operated, instead it is designed to be primarily controlled via an 7.0in screen located in the centre of the steering wheel or a 8.0in tablet mounted between the two front seats, but can also be controlled by voice or gesture control. It is covered by a layer of shatter-proof glass to minimise risk of injury in a collision. Byton CTO David Twohig reiterated the development and production cost involved in such as screen, noting that it’s “automotive grade – meaning it has to last more than 10 years, is designed to cope with shocks of up to 2G, and extreme temperatures”. Other defining features of the interior are a flat floor (made possible by the lack of a transmission tunnel), a floating dashboard, rotating front seats and a comprehensive list of personalisation options. It also features autonomous functions in the Level 2 category, though Twohig railed against the over-simplification the levels create, stating the M-Byte is “probably between 2.5 and 2.99”. Some tech features from the concept, such as facial recognition for the doors and cameras replacing wing mirrors, have been removed for production. For the former, Twohig claims the tech “doesn’t offer anything to the customer” to justify the significant development cost, while the latter is “made difficult by regulations”. The M-Byte range opens with the 72kWh entry-level model that’s driven by a single, rear-mounted motor producing 268bhp and capable of 360 miles on the WLTP test cycle. An optional larger-capacity battery offers a range of up to 460 miles. The range-topping four-wheel-drive variant has a 95kWh battery that yields a 435-mile range as standard and uses a motor on each axle for a power output of 402bhp. There is no air suspension or adaptive dampers, instead Twohig insisted his team of chassis engineers focused on creating a comfortable ride “the good old-fashioned way” rather than trying to offer a compromise between sportiness and comfort. Twohig admits this allowed development costs to be spent elsewhere. All versions of the M-Byte are capable of 150kW rapid charging and can therefore be topped up to 80% capacity from empty in as little as 35 minutes. Byton is working with suppliers globally to ensure a 22kW home wallbox installation is ready for deliveries. Byton claims to have taken more than 50,000 reservations worldwide and has already subjected the M-Byte to a number of test processes, including stringent crash tests to US and EU standards. The pre-ordering process for US and European customers, however, will not open until early next year. There will not be traditional dealers, rather a handful of showrooms in regions served by a distribution partner. The start-up is Chinese owned and funded, but Twohig claims “we want to an have to be global to be taken seriously”. Twohig and a 400-strong technical and engineering team are based in Santa Clara, near the Silicon Valley in California. The design team is based in Munich, Germany, while production is based in Nanjing, China, with a new facility (described as “much like Nissan’s Sunderland plant by Twohig”) able to build 300,000 units annually. Byton CEO Daniel Kirchert said: “We’re on the verge of starting series production, and the feedback from media and especially from our future customers is of great relevance to us. “Today’s unveiling of the Byton M-Byte also shows the effort paying off for the team, which has worked relentlessly on the car for over two years. Within that short amount of time, we have taken a smart electric car from an initial idea on a white sheet of paper to series-production readiness, while also building
Origin: Byton M-Byte: high-tech electric SUV could come to the UK
Volkswagen ID 4: 2020 electric SUV on display
It is on display at Frankfurt sporting a heavy camouflage livery, and inside a glass box wrapped in a similar pattern. The set-up is similar to that used by VW when it launched pre-sales for the ID 3 hatch earlier this year. While VW was giving 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 much of the same exterior themes of the ID Crozz concept car, which was first shown over two years ago and then reworked for the 2017 Frankfurt motor show. Volkswagen ID 3 2020 review Two 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 Crozz 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 Diess at the concept’s 2017 unveiling. “But this is just the beginning. By 2025, annual sales could increase ten-fold to one million vehicles.” Volkswagen had already shown ID hatchback and ID Buzz concepts, which will lead to production models. Diess said the new electric car line-up will be offered alongside traditional combustion engine and hybrid-powered Volkswagen models. The ID Crozz is a crossover that aims to combine the dynamic lines of a modern day sports car together 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 Volkswagen’s best selling SUV model, together with a claimed 515 litres of luggage capacity. The ID Crozz concept is 4625mm long, 1891mm wide and 1609mm high, putting it in between the five-seat Tiguan and seven-seat Tiguan Allspace in terms of dimensions. It will have a wheelbase of 2773mm. The MEB-based ID Crozz is powered by the same zero-emissions driveline used by the original concept, featuring 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 Crozz is set to have a range of more than 311 miles, with no specific figure yet quoted. No performance figures have been revealed, though Volkswagen says it intends limiting the production version’s top speed to 112mph. With its large battery mounted low down within the floor structure and the electric motors also housed within the axle assemblies front and rear, Volkswagen also claims the ID Crozz possesses a front-to-rear weight distribution of 48:52. Wolfsburg officials are already talking up the dynamic qualities, suggesting the new platform and chassis provide a “large spread between handling and comfort”. The ID Crozz has been built to offer a choice between manual and autonomous driving
Origin: Volkswagen ID 4: 2020 electric SUV on display
Byton M-Byte electric SUV breaks cover in production form
Chinese start-up company Byton has revealed a near-production-ready version of its first model, the M-Byte electric SUV. The M-Byte has been in development for two years. Launching on the Chinese market initially, with customer deliveries set to get underway in the middle of 2020, it’s planned to arrive in Europe in 2021 at a starting price of €45,000 (£40,280). That’s slightly more than the expected European price of the new Tesla Model Y. The production car bears a strong resemblance to the concept that was revealed earlier this year and retains that car’s distinctive 48in curved ‘Shared Experience Display’, the largest infotainment screen yet fitted to a production car. The screen forms part of what Byton calls “a digital lounge feeling” and allows passengers to access connectivity services and vehicle controls. The display can be controlled via an 7.0in screen located in the centre of the steering wheel or an 8.0in tablet mounted between the two front seats and is covered by a layer of shatter-proof glass to minimise risk of injury in a collision. Other defining features of the interior are a flat floor (made possible by the lack of a transmission tunnel), a floating dashboard, rotating front seats and a comprehensive list of personalisation options. The M-Byte range opens with the 72kWh entry-level model that’s driven by a single, rear-mounted motor producing 268bhp and capable of 360 miles on the WLTP test cycle. An optional larger-capacity battery offers a range of up to 460 miles. The range-topping four-wheel-drive variant has a 95kWh battery that yields a 435-mile range as standard and uses a motor on each axle for a power output of 402bhp. All versions of the M-Byte are capable of 150kW rapid charging and can therefore be topped up to 80% capacity from empty in as little as 35 minutes. Byton claims to have taken more than 50,000 reservations worldwide and has already subjected the M-Byte to a number of test processes, including stringent crash tests to US and EU standards. The pre-ordering process for US and European customers, however, will not open until early next year. Byton CEO Daniel Kirchert said: “We’re on the verge of starting series production, and the feedback from media and especially from our future customers is of great relevance to us. “Today’s unveiling of the Byton M-Byte also shows the effort paying off for the team, which has worked relentlessly on the car for over two years. Within that short amount of time, we have taken a smart electric car from an initial idea on a white sheet of paper to series-production readiness, while also building a coherent infrastructure with locations on three continents and an efficient industry 4.0 production facility in
Origin: Byton M-Byte electric SUV breaks cover in production form
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