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.
(more…)
Group Lotus, once owned by Proton and now owned by its shareholder, Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, has big plans for the rest of the decade, with a product plan for the next 5 years that will see at least 5 new models. The ongoing strategic plan, known as Vision80, outlines the transformation of the company ahead of its 80th birthday in 2028.
Also of significance to the journey of global expansion is the establishment of Lotus Technology. This is a new division of Group Lotus, a global ‘intelligent technology’ subsidiary which augments the brand’s DNA and technology accumulated over the 73 years that Lotus has been in business. Its role is to accelerate innovation in the fields of batteries and energy management, electric motors, electronic control systems, intelligent driving, intelligent manufacturing and more.
Expanding the global footprint
Working hand in hand, China-based Lotus Technology and the UK-based Lotus team are at the core of Group Lotus’ future development strategy. Lotus in the UK will be responsible for the development and production of sportscars, as well as coordinating global sales for the Lotus brand. Lotus Technology in China will be responsible for integrating a new generation of lifestyle products, bringing together China’s EV and manufacturing specialisms, UK’s design and advanced performance centres and Germany-based R&D resources (at the Lotus Technology Innovation Centre in Raunheim), as well as the global development and production of premium intelligent drive technologies.
“Transforming Lotus from a UK sportscar company to a truly global performance car company has always been at the core of Vision80. The launch of Lotus Technology is a major milestone on the road to making that a reality, while adhering to the unwavering Lotus principles of pure performance, efficiency, motorsport success and, above all, being ‘For the Drivers’,” said Matt Windle, Managing Director of Lotus Cars.
New factory for Lotus EVs in China
The new Lotus Technology headquarters will be completed in 2024, while an all-new Lotus factory, to manufacture Lotus electric vehicles for global markets, will open later this year. The new plant, located in Wuhan has an investment of over £900 million (about RM5.17 billion). It will complement existing UK sportscar manufacturing and performance facilities in England. It is being built with the world’s most advanced manufacturing technologies to become a global centre of excellence for Lotus’ premium lifestyle models.
The new plant is the first in the world with an integrated intelligent test track. It features an advanced system whereby vehicles can be transported into workshops using autonomous driving technology without any human intervention. It is designed to accommodate vehicles driving at speeds up to 230 km/h) through 16 corners.
In the field of intelligent drive, Lotus has also unveiled the concept of ‘track-level intelligent drive’ as a 10-year technological development target. The new technology’s aim is to assist drivers to perform as well as an F1 driver on track, while increasing driver safety and improving performance on the road through advanced software and hardware. The result is a more rewarding and reassuring experience in any environment.
5 new models in 5 years
As for the new models, which are in addition to the Evija all-electric hypercar and the Emira (the last petrol-powered sportscar from Lotus), the first one will be an E-segment SUV codenamed ‘Type 132’ which will be launched next year. It will be followed in 2023 by an E-segment 4-door coupe (Type 133), and in 2025 by the Type 134, a new D-segment SUV. This trio will be joined in 2026 by the Type 135, an all-new electric sportscar.
The development of the brand’s new premium lifestyle vehicles will take place on the Lotus Premium architecture, one of the four new vehicle platforms announced at the Driving Tomorrow global strategy conference in April. The Premium architecture supports a wheelbase range from 2889 mm -3100 mm and could be further expanded in the future. It supports the development of all types of passenger vehicles from C+ to E segments. Using 92 – 120 kWh batteries, it is compatible with the industry’s most advanced 800V high-speed EV charging system. Products developed on this platform will be capable of 0-100 km/h acceleration in under 3 seconds.
Since being founded by Colin Chapman in 1948, Lotus has been among the industry leaders in innovation with its commitment to pure driving, outstanding ride and handling, lightweight technologies and aerodynamic engineering. Today, with the backing and global resources of Geely Holding Group, the company benefits from new capabilities in R&D, manufacturing and supply chain management.
Mercedes-Benz is getting ready to go all electric by the end of the decade – but only where market conditions allow. The carmaker, like a few others, understands that there will be some markets where electrification may not be sufficiently wide and conventionally powered vehicles will still be in demand.
Mercedes-Benz began in journey to electrification some years back and by 2022, it will have battery electric vehicles (BEV) in all segments which the brand competes in. From 2025 onwards, all newly launched vehicle architectures will be electric-only and customers will be able to choose an all-electric alternative for every model the company makes.
“The EV shift is picking up speed – especially in the luxury segment, where Mercedes-Benz belongs. The tipping point is getting closer and we will be ready as markets switch to electric-only by the end of this decade,” said Ola Kallenius, CEO of Daimler AG and Mercedes-Benz AG. “This step marks a profound reallocation of capital. By managing this faster transformation while safeguarding our profitability targets, we will ensure the enduring success of Mercedes-Benz. Thanks to our highly qualified and motivated workforce, I am convinced that we will be successful in this exciting new era.”
To facilitate this shift, Mercedes-Benz has a comprehensive plan which includes significantly accelerating R&D. In total, investments into battery electric vehicles between 2022 and 2030 will amount to over €40 billion. Accelerating and advancing the EV portfolio plan will bring forward the tipping point for EV adoption.
The Technology Plan
In 2025, Mercedes-Benz will launch three electric-only architectures – MB.EA, AMG.EA and VAN.EA. These will cover a broad spread of products, including those in the commercial vehicle sector. MB.EA will be for all medium to large size passenger cars, establishing a scalable modular system as the electric backbone for the future EV portfolio. AMG-EA, as the three letters hint, will be a dedicated performance electric vehicle platform, while VAN.EA will usher in a new era for purpose-made electric vans and Light Commercial Vehicles.
After reorganising its powertrain activities to put planning, development, purchasing and production under one roof, Mercedes-Benz will deepen the level of vertical integration in manufacturing and development, and insource electric drive technology. In-house electric motors, such as the eATS 2.0, are a key part of the strategy with a clear focus on efficiency and the overall cost of the entire system. China, the world’s largest new energy vehicle market, which is home to hundreds of companies and suppliers specialized in EV components and software technologies, is expected to play a key role in accelerating the Mercedes-Benz electrification strategy.
Ensuring supply of batteries
To ensure that there will be an assured supply of batteries, Mercedes-Benz will need a battery capacity of more than 200 Gigawatt hours. This calls for setting up 8 Gigafactories for producing battery cells, and is in addition to the already planned network of 9 plants dedicated to building battery systems.
Next-generation batteries will be highly standardized and suitable for use in more than 90% of all Mercedes-Benz cars and vans while being flexible enough to offer individual solutions to all customers. Cell production will give Mercedes-Benz the opportunity to transform its established powertrain production network. By continuously integrating the most advanced battery cell technology in cars and vans, Mercedes-Benz aims to increase range during the production lifecycle of a model.
The recharging network
For EV owners, the issue of recharging is an important one and unless they can be assured of a convenient and widespread network, switching to an EV will not be readily considered. In this area, Mercedes-Benz is also working on setting new standards in charging that will allow customers to plug-in, charge and unplug without extra steps needed for authentication and payment processing.
As for networks, Mercedes me Charge is already one of the world’s largest charging networks and currently has more than 530,000 AC and DC charging points worldwide. Mercedes-Benz is also working with Shell on expanding the charging network which will have over 30.000 charge points by 2025 in Europe, China, and North America.
© Copyright – Piston.my 2023 Trademarks belong to their respective owners. All rights reserved
