Toyota will unveil a vehicle powered by solid state batteries at the 2020 Olympics as a means of showcasing its battery capability, the firm’s chief technology officer Shigeki Terashi has revealed ahead of the Tokyo motor show. However, the solid state battery technology – which promises the potential for longer range in smaller and potentially cheaper battery packs which can also take charge faster – will not reach mass production until the middle of the decade, he added. When the technology is used in mass production vehicles it will be rolled out across the firm’s entire line-up of EVs, he said. “We will produce a car with solid state batteries and unveil it to you in 2020,but mass production with solid state batteries will be a little later,” said Terashi, who also highlighted the battery know-how Toyota has accrued through its hybrid leadership developed with the Toyota Prius. That timeline still puts Toyota at the forefront of solid state battery technology. While Volkswagen has talked of a similar timeline, BMW, with which Toyota has various partnerships, has indicated that it doesn’t expect to be selling electrified vehicles using solid state batteries until 2030. The Olympic show car is expected to be based on the Toyota e-Palette, an autonomous platform that the firm has developed and which it is offering to partners to use to showcase their own self-driving technologies. An updated version of the e-Palette is expected to be shown at this year’s Tokyo motor show. Terashi also confirmed that Toyota expects to launch its first electric car for sale in Europe at the sart of the 2020s, with multiple varients expected to be developed across the Toyota and Lexus brands according to where public demand is
Origin: Toyota to reveal solid state battery-powered car next year
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Nebraska State Patrol still uses a beautifully preserved 1993 Ford Mustang
Every now and then, it’s great to haul out an old piece of hardware to get the job done. If it’s got a bit of a cool factor, all the better. Nebraska’s finest have a weapon in their arsenal which checks both of those boxes. Remember the Ford Mustang SSP? Most gearheads do. SSP stood for Special Service Package, a trim which appeared in the early 1980s, imbuing the Fox-body’ Mustang with a goosed 5.0L V8, heavy-duty suspension parts, and a growly dual-exhaust. Ford’s no stranger to building machines to make the Blues Brothers drool — cop engine, cop shocks, cop brakes, and so forth — but the Mustang SSP holds a special place in the hearts of most car fanatics. Unless it’s sitting behind them roadside with the reds and blues flashing, of course. Sure, this 1993 Mustang might not have the snazzy tech of a modern Dodge Charger or Ford Explorer cruiser, but it has an undeniable road presence that can’t be replicated by either of those present-day machines. Remember, the ‘trunk-style’ Fox-body notch was the Mustang of choice for those in the know, thanks to its light(er) curb weight and slightly-under-the-radar appearance. While the Nebraska force does deploy its sole remaining Mustang SSP — it was once part of a fleet of Mustangs — in road duty from time to time, PR reps for the force say it generally spends its semi-retirement years travelling to public service events, like fundraisers or school-day presentations to kids. In a profession where most cars are ridden hard and put away wet, it’s great to see one of these survivors make it through years of service and still be allowed to stretch its legs from time to time. It has even retained its OE-style wheels, fer chrissakes. As cool as it is, though, I don’t want to spy one in my rear-view
Origin: Nebraska State Patrol still uses a beautifully preserved 1993 Ford Mustang
Qiantu plans to build its K50 EV in Washington State
Mullen Technologies has revealed the build location of its first North American product. The sporty Qiantu K50 electric coupe will be made in Spokane, Washington. The Chinese automaker signed a letter of intent with the West Plains Airport Area Public Development Authority of Spokane, asking them to build a 1.3-million-square-foot facility to research, manufacture and assemble the K50. The compound will be home to around 55 jobs off the bat with the potential to grow that number to over 850 by 2026 as Mullen introduces other, more mainstream models to North America. And that’s in addition to the facility that will be used for battery development and production in the interim — with that included, job numbers could be as high as 3,000. The K50, which has been ripping around roads in China since summer 2018, is set to land in North America as the Qiantu flagship with 430 horsepower coming from two electric motors, and a zero-to-96 km/h run of 4.2 seconds. For the moment, driving range is pegged around the 200-mile mark (322 kilometres). Mullen’s initial offering will include 1,000 signature series models, which are expected to be priced above US$100,000, perhaps as high as US$150,000.
Origin: Qiantu plans to build its K50 EV in Washington State
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