Toyota Canadas Stephen Beatty, right, with the companys FCEV, the Mirai.Toyota Canada Toyota has led the hybrid charge for two decades, and as Toyota Canadas Stephen Beatty tells Plugged In host Andrew McCredie, is now all-in on EVs, particularly fuel cell vehicles.The companys vice president also has some interesting things to say about some provinces push to create electric vehicle sales quotas for 2030, and tells us about Toyotas fascinating, and potentially game-changing, work with Quebec to produce green hydrogen. Plugged In is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and Google
Origin: Plugged In: Toyota’s circuitous route to full electrification
electrification
Mazda MX-30 spearheads electrification plans for maker
The electric Mazda MX-30 spearheads a new electrification strategy for the Japanese car maker. This will include plug-in hybrids and hybrid variants of existing models plus more EVs, the latter developed as a result of its EV tie-up with Toyota and Denso. Mazda has not yet confirmed when we’ll see the next electrified model in its line-up, but we expect a plug-in hybrid to arrive in the next 18 months. This is likely to be based on a high-volume model such as the Mazda 3 in order to help achieve new European emissions targets coming in 2021. While the Mazda MX-30 is a standalone electric vehicle, there are no definitive plans to create a separate range of EVs. Talking at Tokyo motor show, Ikuo Maeda, design and brand boss, said: “Some manufacturers are creating a separate brand for EVs, but we are not doing that. We want to establish EVs in our existing Mazda portfolio.” Mazda also wants its EVs to have the same styling as existing models. Talking about the MX-30, Maeda said: “We wanted to maintain a high quality of design. Instead of just pursuing something new simply because its EV, we want to make sure it fitted with our Kodo design language.” However, he added that the model is intended to trial a slightly different take on Mazda design. “If we don’t trial different things, design would not evolve, but the fact we did this with the MX-30 is unrelated to it being an
Origin: Mazda MX-30 spearheads electrification plans for maker
FCA boss sees a future of electrification for Dodge’s performance cars
2019 Dodge Challenger Hellcat RedeyeNick Tragianis / Driving Dodge has always hung its hat on power and performance. With vehicles like the 797-horsepower 2019 Dodge Challenger Hellcat Redeye shouldering the legacy set by decades of angry, old-school American muscle cars, whatever comes next had better bring the grunt. If you ask Tim Kuniskis, head of passenger cars for Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, what the future of Dodge looks like, the answer is simple: electric.“I think the absolute future is electrification of these cars,” Kuniskis said in an interview with Automotive News following the recent unveiling of the wide-body versions of the Charger SRT Hellcat and Scat Pack. “That’s not necessarily bad. It could be (battery electric), it could be (plug-in hybrid), it could be regular hybrid, could be e-axles, any one of the number of electric technologies. But I am a firm believer that electrification will be the key to high performance in the future.”While using the phrase “not necessarily bad” doesn’t exactly set the bar sky high, you can understand what Kuniskis is getting at. What’s keeping Dodge on the sidelines of the performance electrification race is the price. While high-end brands like Porsche, Ferrari and Acura are finding success in the segment, Dodge’s brand tenant of affordability has limited the pursuit of fully or partially electric Dodge performance vehicles. “We don’t have the price points of the batteries down to a place where, quite honestly, it’s a mainstream proposition,” Kuniskis said. “You do see it in the upper end. You see it in the new Ferrari that just came out, you saw it in the LaFerrari before that, you saw it in the 918, you saw it in the NSX.” “So there’s absolutely a performance advantage to it, it’s just a question of when the consumer acceptance is going to be for that. And I think it’s going to be as soon as the price points come down, it becomes a mainstream viable option.”But what would a Hellcat be without its angry howl? I guess we’ll find out sooner or later. Until then, rev it if you’ve got
Origin: FCA boss sees a future of electrification for Dodge’s performance cars
BMW accelerates electrification programme
BMW is speeding up its ambitious electrification programme, bringing forward its goal of launching 25 electrified models – more than half of which will be fully electric – from 2025 to 2023. The German firm says that it has accelerated the programme due to the growth of electrified vehicle sales, which it projects will increase by more than 30% per year between now and 2025. BMW chairman Harald Krüger says that, by 2021, the firm will double its electrified vehicle sales compared with this year. BMW has invested in a flexible vehicle architecture that accommodates fully electric, plug-in hybrid and combustion-engine powertrains, and Krüger says this is key to being able to advance its electrification plans. The firm will launch plug-in hybrid versions of the new 3 Series in saloon and estate forms, and has also unveiled PHEV versions of the 7 Series, X3 and X5, with the X1, 5 Series and 2 Series Active Tourer due to get similar powertrains in the future. BMW is also putting the finishing touches to an electric iX3 SUV and the new Mini Electric. At a Next Gen event in Munich today, it launched the BMW Vision M Next, previewing a high-performance plug-in hybrid two-seater. BMW’s Motorrad bike division also previewed a Vision DC Roadster electric bike. “Our vision is clear: sustainable mobility, produced in a sustainable manner,” said Krüger, adding that BMW is aiming to only buy electricity from renewable sources by 2020. The firm has also announced that it will trial new BMW eDrive Zone technology, which will be offered as standard in plug-in hybrids it sells from 2020. The system will use geofencing technology in cities that feature ‘green zones’ where only emission-free driving is allowed, with the car automatically switching to pure electric mode when it enters such
Origin: BMW accelerates electrification programme
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