American automotive giant General Motors (GM) is considering a revival of the Hummer brand for a new line of premium electric SUVs and pick-up trucks, according to Reuters. The company is reportedly aiming to put a new range of large luxury EVs, codenamed BT1, into production at its Detroit-Hammtramck factory by the end of 2021. The first BT1 model, currently known as Project O, is said to be a pick-up for an as-yet-undetermined brand, with internal sources suggesting use of the Hummer name is “under consideration”. It will be followed by a hardcore performance version in 2022. Claimed to also be in development are an electric pick-up for GMC and an electric SUV for Cadillac. Both are set to arrive in 2023. GM is investing $7.7 billion (£5.9bn) into preparing its US factories for the shift to electrification over the next four years, with the Detroit-Hammtramck facility being upgraded at a cost of $3bn (£2.3bn) to produce electric trucks and vans. The large EVs will sit stop a new skateboard-style chassis, similar to that of start-up company Rivian, which combines motors and batteries for cheaper production costs. Around 80,000 units per year are expected to be produced. Regarding GM’s choice to develop premium EVs before more affordable models, Auto Forecast Solutions’ Sam Fiorani told Reuters: “It makes perfect sense to hit the high end of the market in order to generate some revenue that might actually turn a profit.” Such a move, he noted, has proved lucrative for Tesla, which launched with the low-volume Roadster before going on to rival BMW and Mercedes-Benz with the Model S. GM recently ended production of the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid, citing a decline in demand for saloon models. Its replacement, the Bolt, is an electric hatchback that’s expected to cost its maker between $8000-$9000 per unit as a result of the augmented cost of EV production compared to that of conventionally powered cars. Production of the iconic Hummer H2 and smaller H3 ended in 2009, as GM eyed a return to profit following a high-profile bankruptcy announcement. The BT1 electric pick-up is likely to be priced to compete with the Rivian RS1 and could beat Tesla’s long-awaited truck to
Origin: General Motors could revive Hummer as electric SUV brand
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Jaguar could revive C-X75 concept as next-gen F-Type
One of many stumbling blocks to developing the new sports car is the platform itself, which – if to be designed from scratch and bespoke to the model – would require lots of cash and resources at an uncertain time for Jaguar Land Rover. The company lost £395 million in the last financial quarter and hopes models such as the updated Jaguar XE, new Range Rover Evoque and heavily revised Land Rover Discovery Sport can offset significant recent investments and a slump in demand from China. One cost-effective solution is to again join forces with BMW. The British and German makers recently announced they would develop and assemble electric drive units for future models together, but already sources suggest BMW will supply combustion engines to JLR too. As previously revealed by Autocar, JLR may also use BMW’s FAAR front-driven platform for a range of compact models, including Land Rover SUVs. BMW bosses are said to be deciding whether to turn the next-generation i8 into a fully electric sports car. Prototypes of such a model have already undergone testing, according to a Munich-based engineering source. By sharing development of an EV sports car platform, BMW and JLR could considerably reduce costs while at the same time pooling engineering expertise and resources. Another alternative is to make use of Jaguar’s well-proven electric car platform used in the I-Pace. This would require investment to adapt it for a different purpose, but EV platforms tend to be easier to modify to suit different bodystyles and drive configurations than ICE ones. With Callum’s departure, the F-Type has immediately become his legacy in terms of Jaguar sports cars. With global sales of around 62,000 (70% in coupé form, 30% as convertibles), the model has helped rebuild Jaguar’s reputation as a maker of alluring sports cars – as it also strives to become renowned for other types of car such as SUVs. While the F-Type’s sales continue to significantly trail those of class leaders such as the Porsche 911, Callum is adamant that a successor is integral to the brand. “We will also do sports cars,” he said. “End of story.” The C-X75 was a groundbreaking supercar originally conceived to use jet turbines as generators for an electric propulsion system when Jaguar first unveiled the concept in 2010. Working prototypes were then produced that instead used a more conventional petrol-electric hybrid system. But by the end of 2012, the decision was taken to pull the plug on the whole project, meaning Callum’s highly praised exterior design never made it to
Origin: Jaguar could revive C-X75 concept as next-gen F-Type
Mini to revive Traveller name for BMW i3-based MPV
Mini plans to enter the shrinking market for small MPVs with a new electric model. It will be the brand’s most practical car yet, and it’s thought it will revive the Traveller name. The new Mini MPV has been conceived to appeal to family car buyers seeking greater levels of interior versatility and space than the existing Clubman and Countryman. It will be based on parent company BMW’s FAAR platform, which supports front- and four-wheel drive. There will be versions powered by internal combustion engines, a plug-in hybrid and, later in its seven-year life cycle, a battery-electric driveline in a Traveller SE model. It will rival the Volkswagen ID 3, which will be revealed next month. In pure-electric form, the new Mini model is set to be twinned with the successor to the BMW i3. That means it will be offered with the very latest in battery cell technology and a range exceeding 250 miles. Autocar understands the move is part of a comprehensive realignment of Mini’s global operations that will divide its line-up into two distinct areas. Future models will based on either the FAAR platform or a new entry-level one being developed in a joint venture with Chinese car maker Great Wall Motors. The realignment, masterminded by recently departed BMW chairman Harald Krüger, aims to provide Mini with a less cost-intensive operational base and the scope for a broader range of models. In future, Mini’s production activities will centre on three plants: Born in the Netherlands; Zhangjiagang, China; and Oxford, UK. Satellite operations will continue in India, Malaysia and Thailand. As well as planning replacements for today’s hatch, Clubman and Countryman, Mini is developing two crucial new models that will arrive by the end of 2023. The aim is to increase annual sales volumes well beyond the 361,531 achieved in 2018. One will be the long-awaited production version of the Rocketman, as previously reported by Autocar. The entry-level Smart Forfour rival will be fully electric and based on a development of Great Wall Motors’ ME platform. It will be produced under a joint-venture operation called Spotlight Automotive, based in China. The second approved new model, expected to be called the Traveller, will rival the likes of the Mercedes-Benz B-Class. Plans are in place for it to be developed using technology from the next BMW i3. Described to Autocar as being very much in the mould of BMW’s 2 Series Active Tourer, the new five-seater is intended to complement existing Mini models. Production is likely to begin in the Netherlands near the end of 2022, according to senior Mini
Origin: Mini to revive Traveller name for BMW i3-based MPV
Vauxhall to revive VXR performance line with hot Corsa
Vauxhall is planning a revival of its now-dormant performance sub-brand, VXR, and a hot Corsa is on the cards as the next model in the pipeline. Although a source at the firm indicated that Vauxhall’s rival to Ford’s ST and Honda’s Type R is “in a bit of a hiatus now”, Autocar understands company executives are considering a return to the hot hatch sphere in the near future. There was some concern that new owner PSA, engaged in a dramatic profit-driven turnaround of the Luton brand, would consign VXR to the history books. The French firm is yet to officially confirm a new GTI version of the Corsa’s platform-sharing sibling, the Peugeot 208. But bosses are understood to be waiting to decide between petrol or electric propulsion for a new hot supermini, likely based on how sales of the standard electric variant take off. The Corsa is considered the best hope for a revival of VXR on account of its historic sales success in the UK, and in mainland Europe as an Opel. The past three generations of the Corsa have been available with VXR variants. The chosen power source for a new Corsa VXR will hinge on PSA’s decision for the 208 GTi. Our source was keen to point out that the VXR sub-brand is synonymous for being “track focused, a bit lairy and very much hardcore” – qualities that would suggest petrol power is the most natural fit. An output of more than 200bhp would be needed to compete with the best in the small hot hatch sector, the Ford Fiesta ST. A decision has yet to be made on the exact debut date for a performance-oriented Corsa, but insiders suggest nothing will arrive until 2021 at the earliest. The brand is first focusing on rolling out the models that are core to its crucial electrification strategy, including the new Corsa, plug-in hybrid Grandland X and the new Mokka, which is due next year and will join its supermini sibling in being offered as a pure-electric version. Also arriving in 2021 will be an all-new Astra, based on PSA’s modular EMP2 platform, unlike the current GM-developed car. The new Astra will almost certainly include an electric version alongside regular petrol and diesel units, although EMP2 hasn’t been developed to take hybrid
Origin: Vauxhall to revive VXR performance line with hot Corsa
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