XPeng Inc., a Chinese manufacturer of electric vehicles, has set a record for China’s longest real highway autonomous driving by a mass-produced vehicle. Its fleet of P7 sedans travelled over 3,600 kms from Guangzhou to Beijing, of which 2,930 kms of highway driving were done under the control of the NGP (Navigation Guided Pilot) that enabled autonomous motoring.
0.71 human driver interventions
During the time when NGP was active, the human driver interventions per 100 kms was an average of 0.71. The average success rate for lane changing and overtaking was 94.41% during the 8-day expedition. The average highway ramp entering and exiting success rate was 92.76% and average tunnel pass-through success rate was 94.95% during the same period.
The drive was done in the public eye with 228 auto journalists, EV enthusiasts and industry experts participating along the way. The fleet numbered 12 to 15 cars and passed through 10 cities in 6 provinces along China’s eastern costal corridor. The route was chosen to cover some of the most complex yet representative road conditions and driving scenarios in China so as to fully test the NGP’s responses and effectiveness.
XPeng reported that the NGP delivered stable performance in rainstorm conditions, passing through tunnels, and on highways in mountain areas, demonstrating its high robustness and reliability even in difficult driving scenarios.
The NGP highway solution provides navigation assisted autonomous driving from point A to B, based on the navigation route set by the driver, and is available on highways covered by high-precision maps in China. Its full-scenario high-definition positioning capability solves HD-map positioning challenges for China’s highly complex road conditions, including areas with no GPS signals.
Most powerful autonomous system
The system is enabled by the P7’s strong underlying autonomous driving architecture, claimed to be the most powerful system in production vehicles in China. It has 14 cameras, 5 millimetre-wave radars, 12 ultrasonic sensors, centimetre-level high-definition positioning, decimetre-level high-definition mapping, NVIDIA Xavier system-on-the-chip computing platform, and a Bosch iBooster brake system. The P7 is also China’s only mass production car with a 360-degree dual camera and radar fusion perception system for added safety.
“The expedition has fully challenged the robustness and reliability of the NGP function. The results demonstrate that it is not only the strongest, but also the easiest to use autonomous driving function for production vehicles available in the market,” said He Xiaopeng, Chairman & CEO of XPeng Inc. “We strive to become the world’s top autonomous driving hardware and software provider, and our strategy and R&D capabilities place us well in achieving this goal.”
About XPeng Inc.
XPeng Inc. was founded in 2015 with the aim of designing, developing, manufacturing and marketing smart EVs in China. While it is currently selling its two models only in China, it has established a presence in America and has future plans to enter that market. It has a permit to conduct autonomous vehicle testing in California and has displayed a model at the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. The company’s stock is also publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange.
Honda Malaysia has a close relationship with the state of Melaka as its own assembly plant is located in the state at the Pegoh Industrial Park. The plant began operations in 2003 and assembles a wide range of models which also have a high degree of localisation.
One of the latest models is the all-new Honda City RS e:HEV which entered showrooms this year. Part of the new City range, the RS e:HEV is powered by a highly efficient 2-motor hybrid system with Intelligent Multi-Mode Drive (i-MMD). With a 1.5-litre i-VTEC engine as part of the powertrain, the e:HEV system can deliver an impressive 253 Nm of torque with 109 ps of power. It will certainly be a game-changer in its segment.
Latest Honda City RS e:HEV
Recently, in connection with its association with Melaka, Honda Malaysia presented one unit of the City RS e:HEV to Invest Melaka Berhad (IMB). The presentation was in collaboration with SOCAR Mobility Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. (SOCAR) and in conjunction with the 50th anniversary celebration of Melaka State Development Corporation (PKNM).
Commenting on the presentation, Sarly Adle Sarkum, President & COO of Honda Malaysia said: “We are delighted to be a part of the celebration by Invest Melaka Berhad and to be able to contribute to the development of our local automotive industry. Honda began operations at Pegoh Plant in Melaka over 17 years ago and currently has two production lines with a production capacity of up to 100,000 units of vehicles per year. We are committed to the Malaysian market and the growth of the automotive industry here. We would like to thank the Malaysian Government, the State Government of Melaka, Invest Melaka Berhad and all our valued customers for their continuous trust which enables Honda to be the company that society wants to exist. With the strong support received, we have recently celebrated our remarkable milestone of 1 millionth sales unit. Honda will continue to be committed in giving back to all Malaysians through various initiatives.”
Honda Malaysia’s assembly plant in Melaka.
Visit any authorised Honda dealer to view, test-drive or purchase the new City. To locate a showroom, visit www.honda.com.my or call Honda’s Toll-Free number at 1-800-88-2020.
The Toyota AE86 – also known by names such as Levin, Sprinter Trueno, Corolla GT. GT 86 and Hachi-Roku – was originally launched in 1983 as a sporty coupe variant in the Corolla fifth generation of what would become the world’s bestselling model. It was not the first coupe variant of the Corolla, nor was it the only one, but somehow, that particular model has become legendary long after it ceased production.
Low-priced sporty variants faded away after the 1990s as the sportscar segment diminished in size, leading to most carmakers not favouring them as the volumes did not present a good business case. Enthusiasts missed the cars although many had grown older and gravitated towards SUVs. But there were still those who remembered the sportscars and Akio Toyoda, President of Toyota Motor Corporation since 2009, was one of them. Wanting to bring back fun-to-drive cars, he encouraged the development of a new and sporty range of models that began with the 86 in 2012.
The original Toyota AE86 or ‘Hachi-Roku’ as it is known in Japan. Produced in the 1980s, it is still a much sought-after model today and can fetch high prices.
The modern 86 was conceived in the same way as the original with front-engine and, rear-wheel drive, delivering the sort of driving experience that was long missed. A total of more than 200,000 units have been sold worldwide, some used for motorsports.
When the 86 was launched, the GR high-performance brand was not in existence yet (although GAZOO Racing was) but in recent years, the company has promoted this new brand and used for models like the 86, Supra and GR-Yaris besides GR-customised versions being available in Japan.
After a rather long 9-year run, the 86 goes into its second generation as the GR 86 and again, its development was shared with Subaru which sells their model as the BRZ. Collaborating with Subaru makes sense given the potential volumes for this sort of car, economies of scale can only be good for a business case if they are combined by the two brands. That’s part of the reason why the Supra is shared with BMW although the GR-Yaris was a separate matter as it was intended as a ‘Homologation Special’ to support motorsport activities.
The BRZ, which made its debut earlier, has its own following and engineers from each company approached chassis tuning with their own philosophies. While the extensive resources of Toyota have utilised in the car’s development, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing (TGR) has focussed on the dynamic qualities of the new 86 with the aim of making it better than before.
Same size, more aerodynamic
The dimensions of the new GR 86, which will go on sale in Japan in the fourth quarter of this year, are almost identical to the previous model. It has a generally similar appearance to the previous model with the sleek coupe profile. The front end has been reprofiled for better aerodynamics and gets a GR-specific Functional MATRIX Grille. Some of the aerodynamic components have been developed for 86 models that participate in motorsports and include air outlets, side sill spoilers, and other parts that improve steering responsiveness and stability.
New generation has a improved aerodynamics with a restyled front end. Previous generation, launched in 2012, shown below.
Limiting both the overall height and hip-point of the vehicle helps lower the center of gravity and enhance turning performance, and so delivering the agility required. Under the skin, body rigidity has been improved, with torsional rigidity raised by approximately 50% over the previous model.
Size-wise, the dimensions are almost the same as the previous generation (below).
The use of aluminium for the roof panels results in a lower centre of gravity, while aluminium fenders and updated front seats and mufflers contribute to reduced weight. Keeping weight low has been a priority and is one reason why an all-wheel drive system has not been adopted (Subaru really wanted it but Toyota was against it).
Bigger engine, same flat-four layout
As before, a horizontally-opposed flat-four engine is used and while this configuration is common in Subarus, it is unique for a Toyota. The flat-four layout places the mass of the engine further down, which is good for lowering the centre of gravity.
The displacement has been increased to 2.4 litres from the previous 2 litres – with no turbocharging – raising power output to 235 ps with 250 Nm of torque. Toyota has installed their own direct fuel injection and port injection system known as TOYOTA D-4S for fuel delivery. 0 to 100 km/h acceleration is claimed to be 6.3 seconds, quicker than the 7.4 seconds before, and customers have a choice of a 6-speed manual or automatic transmission.
More comfort-oriented cabin
The previous 86 interior may have been designed with a rather purist approach, so it had a stripped-down look like a racing car. However, for this new generation, there appears to be a bit more ‘comfort-oriented’ philosophy with a 7-inch TFT screen that has an opening animation sequence inspired by the piston movements of the engine.
The cockpit has been designed with the hard driving in mind, and sightlines as well as the seating position have all been set from experiences in racing. While the centre display is a touchscreen, the interior designers have provided either rotary knobs or rocker switches, both of which are easier for the driver to operate while driving (especially if wearing gloves).
Subaru Eyesight system used
Although Toyota has its own Toyota Safety Suite (TSS), Subaru’s EyeSight Driver Assist Technology is used for the GR 86 with automatic transmission. Like TSS, the Eyesight system has active safety technologies using radar and camera sensors to help the driver avoid a collision or reduce the effects of one.
There had been feverish anticipation in the build-up to the weekend’s first Extreme E round – the Desert X Prix held in the remote Al-‘Ula region of Saudi Arabia. The new series, for electrically-powered SUVs, has the off-road challenges of the Dakar Rally but also uses the event to create awareness of environment issues at locations where it will be run.
Following the Qualifying time trials on Saturday, the teams – consisting of one male and one female driver – went wheel-to-wheel for the first time, generating some of the most spectacular images ever seen in the sport and drawing widespread acclaim from competitors and fans alike.
Rosberg X Racing duo Johan Kristoffersson and Molly Taylor were the pace-setters from the outset in, but the pair still had to dig deep in the desert to battle their way to victory and carve themselves out a piece of motorsport history.
Former F1 driver Nico Rosberg (left) with his winning drivers Molly Taylor and Johan Kristoffersson.
But, ultimately, nothing could stop the duo from storming to the top step of the podium – not a 60-second penalty for exceeding the 30 km/h limit in the driver switch zone yesterday, nor less favourable grid slots in both the Semi-Final and Final today. It was a virtuoso display of speed, skill and superhuman car control in the most challenging of conditions.
“This is insane. I’m so thankful to the whole team for the effort put in this weekend, which has been intense and really on-the-edge. Everything has come together so well and everybody has worked together so well,” said Nico Rosberg, Rosberg X Racing’s Founder and CEO, who is the son of Keke Rosberg, former F1 driver. Their car had No.6 on it, which pays homage to the senior’s racing number when he was in Formula 1.
“We have a fantastic team of engineers and mechanics, who prepared perfectly for this first weekend with so many unknowns, and Molly and Johan produced some phenomenal driving. Neither of them put a foot wrong in really tough conditions, and they both showed unbelievable speed out there – their performance was really inspiring and I felt really proud watching them. To come back to claim victory after a 60-second penalty caused by a technical problem is just awesome, and they are definitely deserving winners. For the championship as a whole, it’s really been a good start,” he said.
Shoot Out
The duel for seventh place in the overall classification was fought out between Segi TV Chip Ganassi Racing (Kyle LeDuc/Sara Price) and ABT CUPRA XE (Mattias Ekstrom/Claudia Hurtgen), both of whom endured difficult Qualifying runs. Price initially pulled ahead by using her Hyperdrive power boost, before Ekstrom repaid the favour on the exit of Turn One to snatch the lead.
Once the driver switch was complete, LeDuc set about chasing down Hurtgen, but almost within sight of the finish line, the American – unsighted by the dust – made contact with his German rival and the pair both ended their weekend beached in the desert.
Crazy Race
With just one spot up for grabs in the Final, the stakes were high for the three Crazy Race competitors – Andretti United’s Timmy Hansen/Catie Munnings, Hispano Suiza XITE Energy Team pairing Oliver Bennett/Christine Giampaoli Zonca and JBXE duo Jenson Button/Mikaela Ahlin-Kottulinsky.
A wild start by 2019 FIA World Rallycross Champion Hansen saw the Swede already clear of his adversaries before the trio arrived at the first gate, with Bennett narrowly sneaking in front of former F1 World Champion Button to snatch second.
Hansen opened up a 30-second margin before Munnings took over; after which, the 2016 European Rally Championship Ladies’ Trophy winner artfully managed the gap to safely bring the Andretti United car home. Giampaoli Zonca did a good job to peg her British rival throughout, with Ahlin-Kottulinsky similarly showing a strong turn-of-speed on her way to the finish line in third.
Semi-Final
As top qualifiers yesterday, the X44 crew of Sebastien Loeb and Cristina Gutierrez opted to start from the right-hand side of the grid for the Semi-Final – giving them the theoretical inside line for ‘Turn One’. ACCIONA | Sainz XE Team duo Carlos Sainz and Laia Sanz chose the middle slot, with Rosberg X Racing (Kristoffersson/Taylor) taking up position on the left.
When the action got underway, Sainz got the best launch to edge fellow multiple FIA World Rally Champion Loeb away from the line, with the pole-sitter briefly slipping back to third. Loeb then regained the advantage as the battling Sainz and Kristoffersson both drifted wide, but the Swede was not done yet and neatly undercut both of his adversaries on the exit of the first gate to seize the initiative.
Kicking up a sandstorm in his wake, Kristoffersson rapidly made his escape as his pursuers found themselves driving blindly through the dust – and by the time he arrived at the switch zone to hand over to team-mate Taylor, the Rosberg X Racing car was almost 13 seconds to the good.
Thereafter, the former Australian Rally Champion continued to extend the gap, crossing the finish line just under half-a-minute ahead of Gutiérrez, as both teams successfully booked their places in the all-important Final. Another 38 seconds in arrears, ACCIONA | Sainz XE Team wound up third to slip out of contention.
The Final Duel
As winners of the fan-led GridPlay vote, Andretti United had the luxury of choosing their starting spot for the Final. Hansen duly plumped for pole position on the right, with Kristoffersson lining up in the middle for Rosberg X Racing and X44’s Loeb taking up the third grid slot on the left.
Hansen replicated his lightning launch from the Crazy Race as Kristoffersson focussed his efforts on fending off Loeb for second, before employing the same tactic that had served him so well in the Semi-Final to sweep wide going into Turn One and undercut compatriot Hansen on the exit in a sensational switchback move.
The 3-time FIA World Rallycross Champion then wasted no time at all in stretching his lead, as Hansen settled into second and Loeb – grappling with power steering problems – trailed behind the pair in third. Kristoffersson handed the car over to Taylor with a half-minute advantage, and whilst Munnings would go on to narrow the deficit slightly over the course of the second lap, the Australian always had the situation under control and wound up just over 23 seconds clear at the finish.
Alejandro Agag, Founder and CEO of Extreme E, said: “We’ve worked so hard on this for many years, and finally everything has come together this weekend. It really has been beyond my wildest expectations. If I had written a script for the perfect weekend, I could not have come up with anything better than what we have witnessed these past two days – I’ve never seen such extreme racing in my life!”
About Extreme E
Extreme E is a totally new racing series which will see electric SUVs competing in extreme environments around the world which have already been damaged or affected by climate and environmental issues. During the 5 races at different locations, the impact of climate change and human interference in some of the world’s most remote locations will be highlighted. Extreme E also aims to promote the adoption of electric vehicles in the quest for a lower carbon future for the planet.
The first round was held in Saudi Arabia where desertification and water resources are serious environmental issues.
To minimize local impact, Extreme E races will not be open to spectators, with fans instead invited to follow the action through live TV broadcast, and on social media. Additionally, to minimize carbon emissions, a cargo ship – the St. Helena – transports the freight and infrastructure, including vehicles, to the nearest port for the round. Besides serving as Extreme E’s operations hub, the ship will used to facilitate scientific research through its on-board laboratory.
All the 9 teams use the same specially-developed SUV, including the powertrain.
Extreme E is also pioneering hydrogen fuel cell technology which will enable its race fleet to be charged using zero emission energy. This innovative solution from AFC Energy uses water and sun to generate hydrogen power. Not only will this process emit no greenhouse emissions, but its only by-product will be water, which will be utilized elsewhere on-site.
The flagship of the Mercedes-Benz range – the S-Class – finally goes fully electric as the third member of the EQ family of 100% electric vehicles. With the EQE business saloon and the SUV variants of the EQS and EQE, further models based on the new architecture will follow.
The EQS will allow customers in the luxury segment to benefit fully from all the advantages of an all-electric architecture with respect to space and design. This new generation of electric vehicles in the luxury and executive segment is based on a custom-developed architecture, which is scalable in every aspect and can be used across model series. The wheelbase and track as well as all other system components, especially the batteries, are variable thanks to the modular design.
770-km range
The vehicle concept is thus optimised to meet every requirement of a future-oriented, battery-electric model family. A range of up to 770 kms is claimed and applying every trick in the book to bring wind resistance down, the EQS sets a new world record in aerodynamics for production cars with a value of 0.202 Cd.
The electric powertrain, which has an output of up to 385 kW (a variant with a higher output is also mentioned), is positioned at the rear axle, while the versions with 4MATIC also have a second powertrain at the front axle. Maximum torque will be 568 Nm in the EQS 450+, and 855 Nm in the EQS 580 4MATIC, and a maximum speed of 210 km/h will be programmed as the limit.
High energy content in battery packs
The EQS marks the launch of a new generation of batteries with significantly higher energy density. The larger of the two lithium-ion batteries has a usable energy content of up to 107.8 kWh. That is around 26% more than the EQC. A major advance in sustainability has been achieved in the cell chemistry: the proportion of cobalt has been reduced to 10% while the optimised active material consists of nickel, cobalt and manganese in a ratio of 8:1:1.
The battery pack can also be preheated or cooled while driving to be at the optimum temperature temperature window at a fast-charging station, which enables faster charging at 200 kW. At home or at public charging stations, the EQS can also be charged with up to 22 kW with AC using the on-board charger. A 15-minute charge is said to be good providing a range of up to 300 kms.
The EQS will also allow bidirectional charging in Japan, ie charging in both directions. In addition, there are various intelligent charging programs that can be activated automatically depending on the location, and functions such as particularly battery-saving charging.
10-year ‘Performance Promise’
Mercedes-Benz is ensuring that the original battery packs are of a very high quality, with extensive testing before installation. A ‘Performance Promise’ is made through battery certificate for customers which covers loss of capacity of the battery pack. It will be valid for 10 years or up to 250,000 kms.
Navigation with Electric Intelligence means what it says. When a destination is chosen, the system plans the fastest and most convenient route, including charging stops, based on numerous factors and reacts dynamically to traffic jams or a change in driving style. Of course, this will be market-dependent as real-time traffic information and weather reports will be necessary to compute the route.
The new EQS model will be launched in Europe in August this year.
The very first round of the new Extreme E series for electric SUVs got off with a highly-charged (no pun intended) qualifying session at Al-‘Ula in Saudi Arabia yesterday. The round is known as the Desert X Prix and is run in the desert with stunning backdrops.
There was high drama throughout the qualifying session which saw each member of the 2-person crew (one must be a female) driving the specially developed electric SUVs around a challenging, high-speed 8.8-km off-road track. The layout was designed to push drivers and cars absolutely to their limits and apart from the unique noise of the electric motors echoing off the hillsides, there was also a heart-stopping moment when the car of ABT CUPRA XE’s Claudia Hurtgen flipped and rolled 5 times in the sand.
Winding its way spectacularly between canyons, through ravines, across deep sand dunes and punctuated by 33 waypoints, the rock-strewn course was bumpy and undulating in equal measure, with steep climbs offset by ‘The Drop’ – a 100-metre, 45-degree descent likened by some competitors to tackling a black ski run. For almost everybody, it represented a journey into the unknown – and it produced some memorable action.
Lewis Hamilton’s X44 team ended the day at the top of the rankings following a duel against Nico Rosberg’s competitive Rosberg X Racing outfit, as the two Formula 1 World Champions renewed battle in the desert dunes (through their teams) and mere fractions-of-a-second separated the leading drivers.
Sebastien Loeb, the X44 driver, said: “We’re very happy to have finished Qualifying in first place. Today went really well and the whole X44 team did a great job with the car in difficult conditions. We were the first drivers to get out onto the track so it was hard to know what to expect in the first Qualifying round, but obviously our strategy paid off and we achieved the time we needed to. Tomorrow is a new day and the standard of the other teams will be really high, so we’re just going to keep doing what we’re doing and pushing to win.”
Wile Hamilton and Rosberg did not actually drive, 2-time World Rally Champion Carlos Sainz did, with the ACCIONA | Sainz XE Team. There was no lack of commitment from the 58-year-old – possibly the oldest driver in the field – who was partnered by Laia Sanz – a 13-time Women’s Trial World Champion – who demonstrated her rapid learning abilities on 4 wheels to secure second place for the squad.
Veloce Racing, a British team, won’t be able to continue this weekend as Stephane Sarrazin’s roll. The accident resulted in severe damage to the roll-cage and it cannot be repaired in time to be safe enough for today’s races.
All teams use a vehicle called the ODYSSEY 21 which comprises a common package of standardised parts with a battery pack produced by Williams Advanced Engineering. The vehicle, which has a 400 kW (550 bhp) powertrain, has a niobium-reinforced steel alloy tubular frame, as well as crash structure and roll cage which protected the two drivers who crashed. “It is a testament to CBMM Niobium and their robust and tough chassis which was put to the ultimate test today and delivered,” said Alejandro Agag, Founder and CEO of Extreme E.
“I think the first day of Extreme E has been absolutely fantastic. I have been blown away by the action and the images – there was just so much to look at. It was even better than we expected, and the feedback on social media has been amazing – and this was only Qualifying! I really think we are onto something huge here!” he added.
The St Helena transports the teams and their vehicles as well as all the equipment for the event to each round’s location. It has been specially refitted to be environment-friendly and is being used, instead of aircraft, to minimise carbon emissions. It also has a Science Laboratory on board for research to be conducted at each site.
