It has been confirmed that Audi’s electric SUV, the Q8 e-tron, will officially enter the Malaysian market.
This jumbo-sized EV went through a hefty update including an increase in its battery capacity. In the front, the e-tron gets a new single-frame grille, different badges and a light bar that stretches between the headlights that seems to be fast becoming a signature of VW group cars.
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Kia has revealed its 2024 EV9 model and it is packed with tons of features including level three autonomy and clever aerodynamics that reduce drag and thus increase range.
Kia’s new three-row electric SUV comes with three, the RWD Long Range model, the Standard RWD model, and the AWD model. All three models are based on Hyundai Group’s E-GMP electric vehicle architecture.
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Subaru said a year ago that there wouldn’t be a WRX STI for the next generation since the company was focusing on electric models in the future.
With the now-standalone WRX being the brand’s only current performance vehicle in North America, it would make the most sense for either a hybridized performance WRX variation to replace the original STI or a totally electrified vehicle.
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The Japanese automaker has announced a new strategy to keep up with the electric competitive market by strengthening its electrification approach.
By the middle of the following decade, Mitsubishi plans for hybrid and electric vehicles to make up all new automobile sales.
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As the auto industry transitions towards electric vehicles (EVs), there is increasing use of common platforms which have been developed and engineered specifically to integrate electric motors, related systems and battery packs. These are flexible platforms which can be used for different vehicle types by varying the platform dimensions.
However, most of such platforms are suited for passenger vehicles which have limited payload demands. They may not necessarily be suitable for pick-up trucks which have greater load-carrying requirements, hence the continued use of the chassis frame instead of a monocoque structure.
Magna International, the Canadian automotive systems and parts manufacturer, has come up with new technology which provides a simple way to electrify a pick-up truck without losing truck capabilities. Known as eBeam technology, it is the first significant change to solid beam rear axle in trucks in more than 100 years.
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BMW has done it again and taken it all a step further with the all-new XM – a perfect combination of BMW M high performance and the innovation of a plug-in hybrid, making it the first ever electrified M high performance drive model.
Visually, there are many questions abound but to us it looks stunning. It looks like a muscular family SUV on steroids whose sleek headlights are overshadowed by the dominant kidney grilles.
Above it, sits two power domes as elements of what BMW calls an expressively sculpted bonnet.
The side view is what BMW calls a ‘coupe style with powerful proportions and styling highlights.’ According to BMW, both the 23′ light alloy wheels and the accent band make the shaping of the XM unique which creates an exclusive effect especially with the Night Gold colour accent.
With the government’s focus on vehicle electrification as one way to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, the private sector has many opportunities to participate and help to develop various areas from the sale of zero emissions vehicles to being energy providers. Supporting areas, such as the network of charging points, need to be developed quickly to accelerate adoption of electric vehicles (EVs).
Local tech start-up Powered by RISE is one of the many new companies that is getting involved with their new product called ONE RISE. It is said to be one of Malaysia’s first EV charging stations that is fully equipped with its own payment system.
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As Maserati heads towards a fully electric model range by the end of the decade, it is passing through a transitional stage of electrification where hybrid powertrains will be offered. The first hybrid model was the Ghibli saloon in 2020, followed by the Levante and then the Grecale GT Hybrid.
Following the launch of the Grecale in Malaysia last year, Naza Italia has now added the GT Hybrid version to the range with a price of RM598,000 (inclusive of duties but excluding insurance). The price includes 3 years warranty coverage with no mileage restriction.
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SUVs can be seen in every segment of the car market nowadays and now, Honda has even developed a SUV racing car with a hybrid powertrain. While SUVs have been used in competition before, this particular one is a special one-off project vehicle which is a sneak preview of the Honda’s technology to come.
Developed by Honda Performance Development (HPD), the racing arm of Honda’s North American subsidiary, the CR-V Hybrid Racer will make its debut at the 2023 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. In 2024, hybrid power units will officially debut in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES, bringing electrification to the event.
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‘Electrification’ is a term that the auto industry has been using a lot of in recent years. Basically, it is a transition that will see internal combustion engines being replaced by electric motors. That transition began a few years ago with commitments by some to sell only ‘electrified’ vehicles by the end of this decade.
However, the transition will not see the switch to only electric motors occurring so fast. In the coming years, there will also be another partial electrification with hybrid powertrains which still use a combustion engine but with an electric motor also helping. The technology for this has been in mass production models since the late 1990s when Toyota introduced the Prius and is less costly than fully electric powertrains at this time.
Models with hybrid powertrains can therefore be offered at lower prices, making them more widely adopted and achieving at least partial reductions in CO2 emissions. To wait for everyone to use a fully electric car will take time as economic circumstances in many regions may not make it possible for people to buy electric cars.
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