BEV Archives

Piston.my

BEV

Weismann Reveals Technical Details Of Project Thunderball

Weismann, a German luxury carmaker, was around as far back as 1988 but did not have much visibility. After disappearing for a while due to financial problems, it reappeared in 2016 and announced a plan to develop new models.

The first of these models, which has ‘Project Thunderball’ as its codename, will the world’s first fully electric convertible roadster. A prototype was revealed in May this year, showing much of the exterior and interior design. But technical details were brief, with the company saying that it will have a ‘highly engineered electric powertrain providing breath-taking performance’.

Weismann has now made further progress in the car’s development and has validated the various systems to be confident to talk about them. The 2-seater rear-wheel drive will have twin rear-mid mounted electric motors delivering up to 500 kW (680 ps) and 1,100 Nm of torque, with claimed 0 to 100 km/h time of 2.9 seconds.

(more…)

Toyota bZ Compact SUV Concept To Go ‘beyond Zero’

Toyota, it seems, is eager to show the world that even though it will continue to offer mobility solutions that include combustion engines, it is also giving a lot of attention to developing new battery electric (BEV) models. Behind the scenes, there must be a lot of R&D going on and at the end of last year, Akio Toyoda showed no less than 17 prototype BEV Toyota and Lexus models.

Since then, the company has been rolling out new models to show that it is making rapid progress and will have a growing range of BEVs in the near future. This will soon include a model that is presently known as the bZ Compact SUV concept. It looks production-ready so expect it to be on sale sometime in 2023.

(more…)

AEHRA Aims For The Ultra Premium Car Market With Electric SUV

In the early part of the 20^th century, many car companies were formed to make and sell the new ‘horseless carriages’. But over time, it was a case of Charles Darwin’s ‘survival of the fittest’ which applied to businesses as much as nature. By the end of the century, the number was considerably less than when it started and mega corporations were formed as a few companies merged.

Now, in the 21^st century, the same thing is happening again as a ‘new’ type of motor vehicle – the electric vehicle (EV) – is poised to move into the mainstream – even displacing combustion engined vehicles in another few decades. And again, we see many new companies or start-ups appearing to try to get even a tiny slice of the growing EV market.

Some have been around a few years already, quietly developing their models and approaching investors and now, it seems that many are beginning to reveal themselves and present their products. One of them is AEHRA, an Italian company that aims to ‘disrupt the existing automotive ecosystem by distilling the values of Italian design, world-class engineering and American customer service to leverage the advantages of next-generation EV powertrain packaging and technology’.

(more…)

New Porsche 99X Electric Gen3 To Race In Season 9 Of Formula E

The TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team will enter its fourth year in the all-electric Formula E single-seater World Championship from the 2023 season, running a Porsche 99X Electric Gen3. Seven automakers have registered to race the new Gen3 in Season 9. They are DS Automobiles, Jaguar, Mahindra, Maserati, NIO, Nissan and Porsche.

This third generation of racing cars will be the fastest, lightest, most powerful and efficient electric racing cars ever built. The intention behind the development of the new Gen3 cars is to set new benchmarks in motorsport in terms of performance, efficiency and sustainability – the goal of the FIA and the Formula E organization.

(more…)

EX90 – Volvo’s New Flagship Electric SUV

20 years after Volvo introduced its first SUV, the Swedish carmaker begins a new era with a totally new SUV that takes it into a fully electric future. Unveiled today in Sweden, the new EX90 is the first of a series of models that will enter the market at the rate of one per year. Volvo has declared that by 2030, it will sell only zero emission electric vehicles – one of the most ambitious electrification blueprints in the automotive industry.

“The Volvo EX90 is a statement for where we are, and where we are going,” said Jim Rowan, Volvo’s CEO. “It’s fully electric with a range of up to 600 kilometres on a single charge, designed to further raise our safety standards, the first Volvo car to be truly defined by its software and part of a wider ecosystem, connecting to your home and your other devices. The Volvo EX90 is the start of something new for Volvo Cars in many ways.”

(more…)

CT-1 – The Shape-Shifting Microcar For Urban Mobility

‘Shape-shifter’ tends to be associated with something scary as it has often been used to describe beings that can transform into something else – usually mean and nasty – like those Terminators. However, the term also refers to anything that can alter its shape and EV tech start-up City Transformer has a shape-shifting microcar that is ideal for urban mobility.

Called the CT-1, it is the world’s first microcar that can change its wheelbase to suit different traffic conditions. It can become narrower for better manoeuvrability and easier parking, and wider for better stability when travelling at higher speeds.

City Transformer presents the CT-1 as the next chapter in sustainable and intelligent urban mobility. With its small footprint, it can address issues of congestion in inner cities without sacrificing key core attributes such as safety, comfort, and the fun-to-drive factor.

(more…)

Genesis Electrified GV70 To Be Brand’s First Model Built Outside Korea

Following the launch of the Genesis GV70 SUV last year, an electrified version is now being introduced in selected markets outside its home market and will be made at the Hyundai Motor Group’s factory in Alabama, USA from next month. It will be the first Genesis model to be built in the USA and the first-ever Genesis production to take place outside South Korea.

The Electrified GV70, as it is referred to, shares the same design based on ‘Athletic Elegance’ as the GV70. The front end shows more attention to aerodynamic efficiency, vital for electric vehicles which need the lowest wind resistance possible. The Genesis signature Crest Grille has thus evolved into an aerodynamic crest that features an inverted G-Matrix Pattern and incorporates a hidden EV charging port, creating a minimalist yet sophisticated look.

(more…)

Volvo XC40 Recharge Updated For Model Year 2023

Volvo Car Malaysia has begun sales of an updated version of the Volvo XC40 Pure Electric, the first battery electric vehicle (BEV) from the Volvo range to be introduced in Malaysia. The model was well received when launched in March this year, with over 400 orders received within the first 2 months, all of which were delivered to customers by June 2022.

Priced at RM278,888 (excluding insurance for Peninsular Malaysia registration), the locally assembled XC40 Recharge gets a new colour (Fjord Blue) to join the choices of Black Stone, Crystal White, Sage Green, Silver Dawn, Thunder Grey. There are also minor cosmetic changes at the front and rear as well as new rims. Inside, Charcoal Connect Suede textile is used, with a new shift lever sculpted with leather-free charcoal material.

(more…)

e:N2 Concept Previews Design Of Next Honda EV Exclusively For China Market

With Chinese being the largest EV market in the world, any carmaker wanting to sell there must have EV models to offer. There is little time to waste as so many brands keep coming out with new models and Honda has already started selling its e:NS1 and e:NP1 electric SUVs earlier this year.

They will be joined by the e:N2 in future and to give an idea of what the second set of models will be like, the carmaker is showing the e:N2 Concept at the Fifth China International Import Expo in Shanghai. By 2027, Honda plans to have 10 models in the e:N series which will be identified by the luminescent ‘H’ emblem in the front .

(more…)

Hotel Hyundai Gets Electric Power From An IONIQ 5!

Apart from not generating toxic emissions as it moves, the battery electric vehicle (BEV) is also like a powerbank on wheels although most people may not see it that way. The battery pack that stores the electricity to power the motors has a large capacity (which keeps increasing) and when needed for running the motors, that energy can also be used for other purposes.

Newer BEVs are being designed so that electricity can be drawn from the vehicle for powering other devices like camping gear, power tools or even lights. In fact, cars have long had this capability through the 12V socket that was originally for the cigarette lighter and now, there are USB ports as well. But these outlets can only power small devices like GPS route navigation units or mobilephones.

Now, Hyundai Motor in the UK is showing how the IONIQ 5 BEV can provide electrical power for a hotel. Working with broadcaster and critic Grace Dent, ‘Hotel Hyundai’ has been created as the world’s first car-powered hotel. While the idea itself is a novelty, it is also a response to research by the Korean carmaker which showed a large number of people having the view that sustainability and the environment are more important to them now compared to 5 years ago when choosing holiday accommodation.

(more…)