Volkswagen built Electrify America, its U.S. multi-brand-compatible network of EV charging stations, as part of a settlement with authorities there over its Dieselgate scandal. But now the automaker has voluntarily expanded that effort with a Canadian arm to give electric vehicle owners that same level of charging access.Electrify Canada announced early October that it plans to open 20 350-kW-capable charging stations at Canadian Tire locations in Quebec, Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta.While you wouldnt be able to jet clear across Canada via the charging network, youll now probably be able to take reasonably long journeys in the western and central parts of the country with a properly long-range electric vehicle, that is.The only car that can utilize the 800-volt chargers to their full potential is, currently, the Porsche Taycan, which can be charged at up to 270 kW. (Electrify Canadas chargers offer up to 350 kW of charging power.) Teslas Model 3 can charge at only 250 kW right now, and other brands EVs charge at about 150 kW.Charging stations for multiple types of connectors will be available; all stations will have a 350-kW CCS DC fast-charging connector, as well as one with 50-kW CHAdeMO fast-charging. The rest of the stations chargers will offer 150-kW CCS fast-charging.Pricing is based on 75-kW-, 125-kW- and 350-kW-per-minute power levels. There is a $1 session fee per charge-up, but an Electrify Canada Pass+ is only $4 per month, which waives the session fee and knocks the cost down by roughly 20 cents per
Origin: Electrify Canada planning 20 new 350-kW charging stations across the country
planning
Mini planning smaller and larger models to expand range
Mini is keen to make models both larger and smaller than its current range, company boss Bernd Körber has revealed to Autocar. Speaking at the Frankfurt motor show, he said he’d like to see Mini “grow in some aspects” while he’d also “love to see the core Mini shrink again”. Autocar recently outlined plans for Mini to make a larger model than the current Countryman in the next generation of its line-up, potentially reviving the Traveller name. Körber said that although “it would be hard to imagine a Mini the size of a BMW X3 or X5”, there is a need in the next-generation Mini range “to address the growth in SUVs and look at if we need a compact SUV”. Körber added: “The Countryman is a very small SUV. In the US and China, there are certain needs. We will look at a compact SUV in the next generation. There’s lots of benefits with a car like that for urban use. For me, it’s a good match.” Körber said that although such a car would be the biggest Mini, it would still be one of the smallest SUVs in its segment. “There’s interest in the small car segments. We can stretch the interpretation of Mini always being the smallest but I can’t imagine being bigger in a segment. We need to fulfil a requirement on size.” As for making a smaller Mini, Körber was referring to shrinking the size of the current three-door hatchback rather than a production version of the Rocketman concept, which, Autocar understands, is also a live project within the company as part of a joint venture with its partner in China, Great Wall. “We are having proportion and design discussions at the moment,” he said. “The task now is to design it. In three to four years, I’d like to see the start of the next generation.” He added: “Hopefully in the next generation, we can make it even more compact, back to where Mini comes from.” Körber said Mini would continue to offer internal combustion engines in cars in the next-generation range alongside battery electric versions, something that would be the case for at least the next five to 10 years. In the long term, he believes Mini’s customer base and brand positioning are well placed for Mini to become a solely electric brand but that is some way off for
Origin: Mini planning smaller and larger models to expand range
Genesis planning to launch Tesla rival with new pure-electric EV
Genesis has been on a roll with its vehicles, taking on big names like BMW and Mercedes-Benz and taking home awards.But now its targeting an American manufacturer: Tesla.In 2021, Genesis will be launching its first pure electric car, reports Australias Drive, and it will come in two different body styles: a sedan and an SUV.Genesis has not revealed the vehicles yet, but we assume well soon hear about it considering the upcoming release date.Something we do know a little bit about is the Mint concept, shown at the 2019 New York auto show. The Mint is a small coupe designed for the city; it runs on pure battery power. We are very well positioned with alternative technologies. For now, we are focused on the near term, spake Genesis global boss Manfred Fitzgerald during the recent Australian launch of the Genesis brand.In 2021 we have our first fully dedicated new EV platform () We are moving very fast on this.In addition to the EVs, Genesis will also be bringing more hydrogen-powered models to market, although it has not revealed the full details of that range. Genesis will likely follow in parent company Hyundais footsteps and introduce a raft of hybrid, plug-in hybrid, pure electric and hydrogen-powered fuel cell
Origin: Genesis planning to launch Tesla rival with new pure-electric EV
Mazda planning new straight-sixes, rear-wheel-drive platform
Mazda Vision CoupeClayton Seams Mazda is shaking up the car world once again with what could be a brand-new entry into the sports car realm: for the first time ever, we could see a straight-six-powered Mazda, with concept-car-like styling and rear-wheel-drive. According to a Mazda presentation to its investors, the near-future will see two new engines from the Japanese brand with six cylinders in a row, to be fitted to a large architecture platform. One will be a gasoline-powered Skyactiv-X engine employing Mazda’s SPCCI technology, which essentially makes gas engines function like a diesel with little to no added spark to ignite the fuel. The other engine will be a second-generation Skyactiv diesel engine, also with six cylinders. The presentation also stated Mazda would mature its Kodo design language, and dropped a picture of the Mazda Vision Coupe right next to the words. We hope this means the vehicle might get a second chance at the showroom, instead of just wowing us in concept form. The result of Mazda’s efforts could be another great sports car to compete against the likes of BMW and even Toyota (the latter uses the former’s engine in its new sports car, the Supra). Mazda is a much smaller brand than Toyota, so it’s great to see it casually announce a brand new sports-car engine when Toyota said it would cost the company too much time and money in development. Jaguar and Mercedes-Benz are also developing a straight-six engine for various uses, so it seems like the time is right for Mazda to do the same. The straight-six engine has a history with sports cars since the very beginning; the smooth power delivery combined with the sonorous exhaust notes make it unmatched by almost any other engine on the
Origin: Mazda planning new straight-sixes, rear-wheel-drive platform
Volkswagen is planning some serious changes to the Golf lineup in the U.S.
2018 Volkswagen GolfHandout / Volkswagen Volkswagen is poised to release the eighth-generation of its venerable Golf hatchback, but the future of lower-end models could be in jeopardy in the U.S. According to Motor1, a spokesman suggests only the next-gen GTI and Golf R will be available in the U.S. as the base Golf will be dropped, leaving budget-minded buyers out in the cold. VW’s U.S. division hasn’t confirmed this, but sales figures support the rumour. VW Canada, however, remains committed to a full lineup. Almost half of Golf sales in 2018 were the GTI and R, with the GTI selling almost three times as much as the base model. Only 6,642 base hatchbacks were sold in the U.S., which accounts for less than two per cent of the brand’s overall car sales down there. The Golf Sportwagen is also on the chopping block in the U.S., which doesn’t bode well for the Alltrack on which it’s based. In Canda, a base Golf with a manual transmission starts at $22,500. Stepping up to the GTI requires an extra $8,345. The Golf R requires even more cash, starting at $42,495 — nearly double over a base hatch. Last year, Canadians bought just over 17,000 Golf models of all
Origin: Volkswagen is planning some serious changes to the Golf lineup in the U.S.
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