Lunaz, a new classic car electrification company, has chosen Silverstone as its global headquarters as it prepares to bring its first models to market. The start-up, led by ex-Renault F1 technical director Jon Hilton, claims it will make “the most beautiful and celebrated cars in history ready for the future”, with a focus on fully electrifying mid-century British luxury and sports cars. Currently under development are electric versions of the 1961 Rolls-Royce Phantom V, the 1956 Rolls-Royce Cloud and the 1953 Jaguar XK120. At the time of its launch, the latter was the fastest production car in the world. Each car will be sympathetically restored before electrification, with Lunaz offering a range of one-off paint schemes and interior packages designed by bespoke automotive styling specialists. The Phantom V, a large eight-seater, is equipped with a 120kWh battery pack, while the lighter Jaguar has an 80kWh unit. All models feature EV-specific functions, such as fast-charging capabilities and regenerative braking, with modern additions such as traction control and cruise control enhancing their usability. The XK120, powered by a twin-motor setup producing 375bhp and 516lb ft, is said to be undergoing its final stages of testing before it’s launched as Lunaz’s first model. Lunaz has confirmed that the entire powertrain is built and assembled in-house but refused to give any more details. The process of electrifying each vehicle begins with a comprehensive analysis of its shape, weight and intended driving dynamics. The original powertrain and its associated hardware are then removed before the car is 3D-scanned so that Lunaz engineers can use scale models for reference. The vehicle is then subject to a thorough restoration process that involves taking the paint back to bare metal and rectifying any imperfections by hand. Upon completion, the interior is modernised with the addition of sat-nav, wi-fi and a contemporary infotainment system. Existing vehicle hardware, including the fuel filler cap, dials and vents, is retained and reconfigured to suit the electric powertrain, but braking, suspension and steering components are uprated to cope with the added power. Company founder David Lorenz said: “I wanted a car like a 1953 Jaguar to be my daily driver. Lunaz takes a history we all love and gives it a bright future. We are innovating to create cars that are usable, dynamic and stand as the ultimate drivers’ classics.” Prices for a Lunaz-converted electrified classic start from £350,000, with order books opening in November. Build slots can be secured only through direct connection with the
Origin: Silverstone start-up Lunaz to electrify British classic cars
start-up
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
Ex-Jaguar executive explains shock move to Chinese start-up
Mark Stanton was one of the big beasts in the British car industry. He built his career at Ford and Jaguar Land Rover, becoming JLR’s director of vehicle engineering and then head of its Special Vehicle Operations division. But he has joined the exodus of senior automotive talent to China, where he is now chief technical officer for bold EV start-up Human Horizons. The firm revealed its first car, the HiPhi 1, last month. A six-seat coupé-ish SUV with high levels of autonomy, it’s due on sale in China by 2021. But why did Stanton, 59, leave JLR’s high-performance arm to gamble on a Chinese start-up? “SVO was meant to be the pinnacle and to begin with it felt that way,” he said. “I don’t want to speak ill of JLR because I still have a passion for them and the product, but the frustrations grew and grew. It should have been a great swansong but it didn’t turn out that way… “I could have gone on another three or four years and retired, but I didn’t want to do that. I wanted to change direction and do something different.” Moving to China has been financially rewarding, but Stanton said he had offers from several manufacturers, two of which would have kept him in the UK. But he said: “I didn’t want to go and work for another big OEM. I didn’t want that management style and that baggage. I was looking for more freedom.” After meeting with Human Horizon co-founders Kevin Chen and Ding Lei, both of whom have worked with western brands in China, Stanton decided it was a match. He relocated to Shanghai last year and now leads a team of 400 engineers. “We could never have moved so quickly in any traditional OEM,” he said. Stanton said his contacts in the automotive supply base have been useful, with many components for the HiPhi 1 sourced from top-tier European firms. Those include Michelin low-rolling-resistance tyres, which, Stanton said, “aren’t widely available in China.” Stanton had another reason to switch to an EV-only firm: “I got religion, I guess.” Having been involved with JLR’s electrification programme, “the environmental side has become really important to me. Cars have been around for 110 years and I’ve been working in the industry for 35 years. During that time, I think I’ve made the world a worse place. I’ve been contributing to the problem (of emissions). “Conventional OEMs are trying to move forward, but it is so difficult with everything else they need to do. It’s much easier to create a new world from scratch.” Asked how he squared that with his role at SVO, Stanton looked slightly uncomfortable – “yeah, there were a lot of V8s” – and said he doesn’t own a conventional car any more. He said he doesn’t know if Human Horizons will be one of the Chinese EV start-ups that breaks through, but he insists it has the funding and connections to succeed. “I’m in a lucky position because if it doesn’t work out, I don’t really suffer. I can retire and put my feet up,” he said. “But I want this to succeed, because we’ve got 1000 employees now and I want it to work for
Origin: Ex-Jaguar executive explains shock move to Chinese start-up
Chinese start-up Human Horizons unveils radical electric SUV concept
Chinese start-up Human Horizons, whose technical team is led by the former boss of Jaguar Land Rover’s Special Vehicle Operations division, has unveiled a radical electric SUV concept called the HiPhi 1. The machine closely previews the new firm’s first production car, which it says is due on sale within two years. Human Horizons describes itself as a technology company that’s focusing on “smart vehicles, smart transportation and smart cities”. It plans to develop a range of machines for the growing Chinese premium EV market, designed for both private owners and shared use, featuring advanced autonomous systems and vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication. The HiPhi 1 concept is the first car the firm has revealed. Technical development has been led by Mark Stanton, who formerly worked for both Ford and Jaguar Land Rover. The machine features 562 sensors to offer ‘higher-level autonomy’ using V2X communication systems. It will also monitor the interior using facial recognition cameras and even smell sensors to detect unwanted odours. The HiPhi 1 features nine power-operated doors, flaps and stowage compartments, including gullwing-opening rear doors, and a handleless entry system that uses a facial recognition system matched to a smartphone. There will be a number of different modes for accessing it, including a ‘superstar’ setting that opens all the roof and door systems. There’s also a ‘parade’ mode that will allow the car to move slowly with the gullwing flaps raised. The exterior design has been informed by Chinese tastes, with a tall crossover design and a large, coupé-like glasshouse. Human Horizons says the lack of a combustion engine has allowed the front bulkhead to be pushed much further forward than in a conventional car, with the 5.2-metre overall length – similar to that of a long wheelbase Range Rover – allowing huge interior space. The HiPhi 1 also features fins designed to direct airflow at the trailing edge of the rear doors and a similar channel built into the front wing; Human Horizons boss Kevin Chen says that these have been inspired by aircraft and promote high-speed stability, with the car having a drag co-efficient of 0.28Cd. The HiPhi also features smart headlights capable of beaming patterns onto road or walls, with examples including a zebra crossing effect to show pedestrians that it’s safe to cross. The larger panels beneath the lighting units contain hundreds of LEDs and are capable of displaying patterns or even messages. The interior features three rows of two seats, all of which are power-operated and can be switched into numerous configurations. The car’s structure incorporates both high-strength steel and aluminium, with the battery compartment under the floor. The dashboard is largely formed of display screens, with a digital instrument pack, portrait-orientated touchscreen in the middle of the dashboard and another in front of the passenger for playing media. It also features a camera-based rear-view system, although this isn’t currently legal in China. Stanton, who leads a team of around 400 engineers, said both rear and four-wheel-drive versions will be offered, the latter with a pair of 268bhp motors and a 0-62mph time of around 3.9sec. Differently sized battery packs will also be offered, with the biggest 96kWh unit giving a range of up to 400 miles with the rear-drive powertrain under the NEDC testing protocol. Stanton wouldn’t give a weight figure but confirmed that we can expect something so large and highly specified to be more than two tonnes. While there are no plans to sell the HiPhi 1 outside China in the short term, the firm has global ambitions in the longer term. Pricing is yet to be set, but the HiPhi 1 is likely to be at the higher end of the Chinese EV market. Deliveries are due to being in 2021. Production will take place in a plant – currently being refitted – that was formerly used by Kia’s Chinese joint venture
Origin: Chinese start-up Human Horizons unveils radical electric SUV concept
Chinese EV start-up Human Horizons unveils radical SUV concept
Chinese start-up Human Horizons, whose technical team is led by the former boss of Jaguar Land Rover’s Special Vehicle Operations division, has unveiled a radical HiPhi 1 SUV concept. The machine closely previews the new firm’s first production car, which is says is due on sale within two years. Human Horizons describes itself as a technology focused company, that is focusing on “smart vehicles, smart transportation and smart cities”. It plans to develop a range of machines for the growing Chinese premium EV market, designed for both private owners and shared use, featuring advanced autonomous systems and vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication. The HiPhi 1 concept is the first machine it has revealed, and technical development has been led by Mark Stanton, who formerly worked for both Ford and Jaguar Land Rover, most recently as the head of Special Vehicle Operations. The machine features 562 sensors to offer ‘higher-level autonomy’ using V2X communication systems. The HiPhi will also monitor the cabin using facial recognition cameras and even smell sensors to detect unwanted odours. The HiPhi 1 features nine power-operated doors, flaps and stowage compartments, including gullwing-opening rear doors, and a handleless entry system that uses a facial recognition system matched to a smartphone. The machine will feature a number of different modes to access it, including a ‘superstar’ setting that opens all the roof and door systems. There is also a ‘parade’ mode that will allow the model to move slowly with the gullwing flaps raised. The exterior design has been informed by Chinese tastes, with a tall crossover design and a large, coupe-like glasshouse. Human Horizons says the lack of a combustion engine has allowed the front bulkhead to be pushed much further forward than in a conventional car, with the 5.2 metre overall length – similar to that of a long wheelbase Range Rover – allowing huge cabin space. It also features fins designed to direct airflow at the trailing edge of the rear doors, and a similar channel built into the front wing; Human Horizons boss Kevin Chen says that these have been inspired by aircraft and promote high-speed stability, with a drag co-efficient of 0.28. The HiPhi also features smart headlights capable of beaming patterns onto road or walls, with examples including a zebra crossing effect to show pedestrians that it is safe to cross. The larger panels beneath the lighting units contain hundreds of LEDs and are capable of displaying patterns or even messages. The cabin features three rows of two seats, all of which are power operated and can be switched into numerous configurations. The car’s structure incorporates both high-strength steel and aluminium, with the battery compartment under the floor. The dashboard is largely formed of display screens, with a digital instrument pack, portrait-orientated touchscreen in the middle of the dashboard and another in front of the passenger for playing media. It also features a camera-based rear-view system, although this isn’t currently legal in China. Stanton, who leads a team of around 400 engineers, said both rear- and all-wheel-drive versions will be offered, the latter with a pair of 268bhp motors and a 0-62mph time of around 3.9 seconds. Differently sized battery packs will also be offered, with the biggest 96kWh unit giving a range of up to 400 miles with the rear-drive powertrain under the NEDC testing protocol. Stanton wouldn’t give a weight figure – but confirmed that we can expect something so large an highly specified to be over two tonnes. While there are no plans to sell the HiPhi 1 outside China in the short-term, the firm does have global ambitions in the longer term. Pricing is yet to be set, but is likely to be at the higher end of the Chinese EV market, with deliveries due to being in 2021. Production will take place in a plant formerly used by Kia’s Chinese joint venture partner, which is currently being
Origin: Chinese EV start-up Human Horizons unveils radical SUV concept
Chinese EV start-up boss: new premium firms won’t survive
The boss of new Chinese EV firm WM Motor believes the challenge of establishing a brand means that premium start-up firms will struggle to survive – which is why his firm will focus on the mainstream market. Originally known as Weltmeister, WM Motor was founded in 2015 and last year launched the electric EX5 SUV in the Chinese market, where it sells for between £22,000 and £34,000. The firm has long-term plans to expand internationally. Chinese regulations to encourage electric car sales have made it the world’s largest market for such cars, with a number of Chinese start-ups attempting to establish themselves. These include well-funded firms such as Nio and Xpeng, both of which are pitching themselves as premium brands to rival the likes of Tesla. But speaking at the Financial Times Future of the Car Summit in London, WM Motor boss Freeman Shen, who previously headed Volvo’s Chinese division, questioned whether a premium-focused start-up could survive. “We have aimed for the mass market, as history shows independent premium brands don’t tend to survive,” said Shen. “Look at Lincoln, Cadillac, Porsche and more – they tried, but in the end they have been absorbed. Good luck to Tesla, we’ll see. “In China, the new generation of car buyers are looking for new brands with new technology at an affordable price; that’s where we sit. The change is such that I don’t need to spend 30 years building a premium brand to then move it mainstream. The same is true in the US, where there’s not so much choice in the mainstream below Tesla.” While Shen admitted that WM Motor was “not profitable today”, he added that “we are one of the first that can be”, although he declined to give a timescale for that to
Origin: Chinese EV start-up boss: new premium firms won’t survive
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