2019 Jeep Renegade Limited 4x4Jil McIntosh Big changes are reportedly in store for everybodys favourite off-road brand, Jeep.The companys entire lineup is on track to get electrified by 2022, Jeep global president Christian Meunier revealed to Australias Car Advice at the debut of the 2020 Gladiator. This means in just a few years we can expect plug-in hybrid or battery-electric powertrains under the hoods of not just new products, but icons like the Wrangler as well.Its a lofty goal for the brand to complete in just two years, but its already got a start in the compact Hybrid Renegade.Jeeps also plans to expand its lineup into more on-road vehicles, according to reports from Auto Express, and has been confirmed to soon launch a rival to the extremely popular ultra-compact Suzuki Jimny.We want to make it more of a sustainable, iconic brand, not only an off-road brand, Meuniers said, which suggests this brand re-alignment rumour has legs. While its arguable Jeep is already an on-road brand, as probably less than half of owners actually take their vehicles out on the trails, a more road-friendly SUV would be a good move for Jeep.And a Jimny rival would do very well in North America, since Suzuki has decided not to bring the vehicle here thats a gap Jeep could potentially fill.With Jeeps new doctrine in mind, wed bet the vehicle could also be all-electric, making for the perfect little city car, especially for us Canadians that need a little more ground clearance for those particularly harsh winters.LISTEN: What do you get when you combine a cross-country electric vehicle road trip with a poignant love story? Mary Ann’s Electric Drive, that’s what. In this week’s episode of Plugged In, we chat with Harvey Soicher, a Vancouver man who tragically lost his soul mate 18 months ago but found some semblance of healing by embracing what he calls a ‘pioneer spirit’ to drive his Audi e-tron from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean and back.
Origin: Jeep wants to electrify its whole lineup by 2022, says report
wants
VW says no base to claims it wants a stake in Tesla
Herbert Diess, CEO of German car giant Volkswagen (VW), attends the companys annual general meeting on May 14, 2019 in Berlin.John MacDougall / Getty Volkswagen is denying reports that its CEO, Herbert Diess, is looking to acquire a stake in electric carmaker Tesla.German business publication Manager Magazin said August 22 that Diess would go in right away if he could on an investment in Tesla, quoting inside info relayed to its reporters via a high-level VW manager.But VW spokespeople told Reuters that the speculation about buying a stake in Tesla made by Manager Magazin is without merit.The magazines report suggested Diess was most interested in the California companys software developers, but that the families that own most of VW, the Piechs and Porsches, likely wouldnt approve of any sort of investment; and that buying Tesla outright for US$30 billion simply wasnt
Origin: VW says no base to claims it wants a stake in Tesla
Fisker wants to enter the electric pickup field, too
If you captain an electric car company, you get to announce stuff by social media. Those are the rules, apparently. The latest to exercise their right to bypass the PR department with a major announcement is Henrik Fisker, self-proclaimed “Husband, Father, Risk taking, innovation loving, protocol challenging designer entrepreneur who turns dreams into reality, never gives up” and the founder and CEO of the U.S. EV startup Fisker Automotive, who recently Tweeted out a photo of a mystery electric pickup truck. “ALL automotive segments have to be electrified! After our Fisker electric SUV, we have already decided on our next 2 EV’s on the same platform!” Tweeted Fisker.ALL automotive segments have to be electrified ! After our Fisker electric SUV, we have already decided on our next 2 EV’s on the same platform! #fisker #EVs #ElectricVehicle #Automotive #sustainability #cool #FutureTech #Trending pic.twitter.com/0FRt0yolsR Henrik Fisker (@henrikfisker) August 7, 2019The image shows the rear end of what appears to be a dual-tone pickup truck with “FISKER” lettered across the tailgate. So, there’s another player in a game that has yet to start. Elon has Tweet-confirmed the upcoming arrival of the Tesla pickup truck, Rivian is cooking up its own American-made challenger with the R1T, and now Ford has unveiled an electric F-150 capable of towing a 1-million-pound train. There are no further details about the Fisker pickup truck, but Henrik teasedthe ‘affordable’ US$40,000 electric SUV on his Facebook page with an image and a promise to unveil it fully in December. Perhaps alongside a pickup prototype? Better hurry. The competition is growing.
Origin: Fisker wants to enter the electric pickup field, too
Pininfarina wants to build an SUV and become a real automaker
Pininfarina BattistaDerek McNaughton Just months after revealing its incredible electric Battista hypercar, Pininfarina is already watering down looking to expand its brand by announcing itll build an SUV.The move no doubt stems from the fact that to be able to make any money in todays automotive world, you need to build a great all-rounder, and for everybody, thats been an SUV.Pininfarina wants to realize its potential as full-fledged automaker, with volume models on top of its flagship super-EV.The Battista makes 1,900 horsepower, but we dont expect Pininfarinas SUV will. What we do expect is that it will be extremely luxurious, electric and exclusive. It will ride on Pininfarinas new skateboard platform, still in development, set to underpin a few new models. The platform is being jointly developed with an unnamed supplier, and will likely be licenced to other brands to offset development costs.Pininfarina does not want to join up with a brand like Porsche, as tempting as that may be; the German automaker is currently developing a similar EV platform that will underpin the Taycan and the Audi E-Tron GT. Pininfarina says the platform works for cars, but wont support a vehicle like the high-riding SUV its developing. As for performance, the SUVs likely to come fitted with lithium-ion battery packs with a capacity of 100 to 124 kWh, will carry the vehicle up to 600 kilometres on a single charge.The SUV will likely fall in the 200,000- to 400,000-euro range ($300,000 to $600,000) meaning it will compete with offerings from Bentley and Rolls-Royce, as well as the upcoming Aston Martin SUV set to revive the Lagonda
Origin: Pininfarina wants to build an SUV and become a real automaker
Ford reportedly wants to build a Subaru Outback competitor
The 2019 Ford Focus Active crossover.Handout / Ford Ford has a history of taking on the greats of the automotive world, but lately its been taking road car brands to task.First, Ford set its sights on the Jeep Gladiator and Wrangler market with its forthcoming Bronco and (rumoured) Bronco pickup, and now its targeting Subarus Outback.Weve long known Ford would be killing off most of its car lineup, leaving only the Mustang, F-Series truck and a few select crossovers, but were now learning the automaker also wants to merge three of its vehicles into a single competitor aimed at the Subaru Outback.According to Autocar, in Europe, the yet-to-be-named crossover will replace the Mondeo (Fusion), S-Max and the Galaxy, and will see Ford exit the minivan market as well as the large hatchback segment there. Underneath the new vehicle will be Fords A2 platform which currently underpins the Focus, an architecture thatll eventually be stretched to fit everything from the Fiesta to the Ford Edge SUV.The Subaru Outback isnt exactly a best-seller in Europe, but in North America, the off-road-capable wagon sells about 200,000 units annually, so its not hard to see why Ford would want part of that action. This new rumoured crossover will be sold globally, after all.Fords take on the ute will be powered by a gasoline 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbo, connected to a 48-volt hybrid system. There will also be a 6d-compliant diesel option in Europe even less pollutant than a mild hybrid gasoline
Origin: Ford reportedly wants to build a Subaru Outback competitor
BMW wants your EV to sound like a ‘Batman’ movie
Composer Hans Zimmer working with BMW on a new sound for its electric vehicles.BMW Film soundtrack virtuoso Hans Zimmer has partnered up with BMW to create the sounds of electric cars for the future, to keep drivers as connected to their electric vehicle as they are their gas-powered ones.One of the greatest advantages to having an electric car is that it doesnt make any noise, making for a more relaxing and luxurious drive.For some, though, the lack of sound is a detriment to the driving experience, and if BMW is going to claim its still building The Ultimate Driving Machine, its going to have to do something about the sounds that its electric cars make.Enter Hans Zimmer, who is partnering up with Renzo Vitale, acoustic engineer and sound designer at the BMW Group, to create the sound for the BMW Vision M NEXT.We want to get BMW IconicSounds Electric in position for customers who value emotional sound, said Jens Thiemer, senior vice-president BMW Brand. With BMW IconicSounds Electric they will be able to experience the joy of driving with all their senses.For his par, the composer behind the Dark Knight Batman soundtrack says BMW is in his blood. I have always been a BMW enthusiast. As a kid, I used to recognize my mother coming home by the sound of her BMW, said Zimmer.I am thrilled to get the chance to design the sound of future electric BMWs and create emotion for the future electric driving experience.So Hans Zimmer is essentially going to create the sound that future generations of electric cars will makethats pretty cool. If Zimmer can come up with a sound that even comes close to igniting as much passion as a 3.0-litre BMW straight-six, well be seriously
Origin: BMW wants your EV to sound like a ‘Batman’ movie
Japan wants to limit seniors to driving cars with high-tech safety features
Statistics support driving tests for seniors over a certain age.Stock image Following a rise in fatal traffic accidents involving senior citizens in Japan, authorities are considering a change to licensing legislation that would require drivers over a certain age to only pilot safety-enhanced vehicles with features like automatic brakes. The changes, being developed by the National Police Agency in collaboration with various national ministries, will be proposed to Japan’s Cabinet along with the government’s growth strategy, sources recently told The Japan Times. According to Japan’s National Police Agency, the incidence of fatal accidents caused by drivers over the age of 75 in Japan has almost doubled in the last ten years. In 2008, fatal accidents caused by that age group accounted for 8.7 per cent of the total number in the country; in 2018, with 460 fatalities caused by drivers over 75, that figure was tallied at 14.8 per cent. The Agency commissioned three panels of experts to come up with some potential solutions to the growing issue. The new license would limit certain drivers to certain areas at certain times in certain vehicles, likely ones that include automatic braking and fail-safes for when the wrong pedal is pressed. This April, an 88-year-old driver and former government official struck and killed a mother and her daughter, and injured six others, in Tokyo. And even more recently in the city of Fukuoka, an 81-year-old driver collided with five other vehicles in an intersection, killing himself and his wife and injuring nine others. In both cases, it is believed the driver mistook the gas pedal for the brake pedal.
Origin: Japan wants to limit seniors to driving cars with high-tech safety features
Mercedes-Benz says it wants to be carbon-neutral by 2039
The 2020 Mercedes-Benz EQC.Andrew McCredie Mercedes-Benz mid-May announced its intentions to make its entire fleet carbon-neutral in the next 20 years. The plan, dubbed Ambition2039, represents the automaker’s latest environmental responsibility goals, and sets a target date of meeting them by the year 2039, undercutting Volkswagen’s similar milestone date of 2050. That’s just 20 years away, and in just 10 years M-B hopes that PHEVs and EVs will account for at least half of all its car sales. “Let’s be clear what this means for us: a fundamental transformation of our company within less than three product cycles,” said future Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG, Ola Källenius. “That’s not much time when you consider that fossil fuels have dominated our business since the invention of the car by Karl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler some 130 years ago. But as a company founded by engineers, we believe technology can also help to engineer a better future.” Other milestones set by Daimler include the use of more clean energy in the manufacturing process. The date for carbon-neutral European plants has been set for 2022. The latest product borne of this new era, the EQC electric crossover, left the factory earlier this month and will arrive in Canada sometime next year, giving Mercedes something to hook its public sustainability pledge on. The brand’s ambitious goals to help the climate also echo a similar movement in the U.S. where the so-called Green New Deal proposes lofty goals and drastic changes in the name of the environment.
Origin: Mercedes-Benz says it wants to be carbon-neutral by 2039
Maserati just wants to build race cars again, won’t go full-EV
A Maserati 6C 34 at the Panini Motor Museum.David Booth Maserati will have a totally new lineup by 2022, complete with a full suite of hybrid, PHEV and electric vehicles, but if you thought the marque was looking forward to a fully battery-driven future, well, North American head Al Gardner has a different plan. According to Gardner, Maserati needs to go back to its roots, which of course means racing cars. The Maserati brothers founded the company in 1914 and produced some great motorsports-focused machines, but never quite managed to keep up with the likes of Alfa Romeo and Bugatti. All that Maserati seems focused on these days is crossovers and electric vehicles, but Gardner says the brand will never go fully electric. This is a brand that needs combustion engines, he suggested. It needs that raw emotion. So Maser won’t lose the brand’s core values, even if it’s using engines from one of its oldest competitors, Ferrari. FCA CEO Mike Manley says there’s no problem with Maserati’s products, it’s a problem of awareness, Motor Trend reports. That’s why Maserati will receive some additional support from FCA in the sales and marketing department to help boost sales. The brand struggled with its first quarter 2019; shipments were down 41 percent and net revenue fell 38 percent. That’s not exactly stellar. Manley said the brand is gaining momentum again, though, after slowing sales in China, and the onslaught of new products that will be released, including performance versions of its Levante SUV, should help,
Origin: Maserati just wants to build race cars again, won’t go full-EV
Ontario’s transportation minister wants to raise the speed limits on 400-series highways
Night traffic on a busy city highway 401 in TorontoGetty Jeff Yurek, Ontario’s Transportation minister, has signalled that it is time for this Conservative government to revisit the posted speed limits on Ontario’s provincial highways. Currently set at 100 km/h, he points to their establishment back in the 1970s as an answer to that era’s fuel crisis, and that higher limits might now be in order. For a brief period of time in the late 1960s, the speed limit on the “super highways” like the 401 was raised to 115 km/h (70 mph) from 100 km/h (60 mph). Yurek says the government will consult with police and the public before moving forward with what he calls a pilot project. Police are remaining tight lipped about the politics; they know their job is to enforce the law, not make it. British Columbia raised speed limits to 120 km/hr on 1,500 kilometres of their highway system, including the famed Coquihalla, in 2014. Fatalities more than doubled, insurance claims skyrocketed 43 per cent and there was a 30 per cent rise in claims for injuries. Late last year, a third of the roadways had their original limit
Origin: Ontario’s transportation minister wants to raise the speed limits on 400-series highways
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