Toyota to reveal new European-focused electric SUV in 2021

 

Toyota will reveal a new electric SUV next year as the first model built on a bespoke BEV platform, kick-starting what will be a fast-expanding range of electric vehicles.

The as-yet-unnamed model will be similar in size to today’s RAV4, although as a dedicated BEV on a dedicated architecture it’s set to take a new name. Toyota says the SUV has been tailored specifically for the European market and will be built at its dedicated zero-emissions factory in Japan.

The SUV will be the first of six BEVs planned to use the new e-TNGA platform that Toyota has co-developed with Subaru. This architecture is designed to be highly adaptable and can be used for vehicles of differing length and wheelbase. It can also be used for front, rear and four-wheel drive powertrains by allowing for motors across both axles, and with a wide range of battery capacities.

Toyota also claims that learnings from its hybrids will allow it to increase both range and battery lifespan.

Toyota’s European product development boss, Andrea Carlucci, said the new car will be “very European in the DNA and design.” He explained that a RAV4-sized SUV was chosen for Toyota’s first BEV because “the car will be a global model, and it offers the best balance to out together the needs of all regions.” He added: “It’s quite obvious that there’s volume in more compact models, and this is where we will look in the future with other models for the European market.”

Toyota has previously said that other models planned for the e-TNGA platform will include a compact SUV that it’s developing with Suzuki, a crossover, a large SUV, a saloon and an MPV. Toyota is also investing in solid-state battery research and has said that it plans to launch a “mass-produced” BEV using this transformative technology “in the first half of the 2020s”.

As well as the new electric SUV, Toyota will also launch BEV versions of its Proace and Proace City vans next year. While the arrival of e-TNGA-based models will quickly flesh out Toyota’s BEV offering, the firm remains committed to offering a range of electrified options, with hybrid, plug-in hybrid and hydrogen fuel cell models. It aims to be selling 5.5 million electrified cars per year by 2025.

In Europe, Toyota is planning to launch more than 60 new or updated electrified models by 2025. By that date, it expects more than 70% of its sales to be of hybrid models, with PHEVs, BEVs and FCEVs accounting for slightly more than 10% each.

The new electric SUV will also join a fast-expanding SUV line-up. Along with as the similarly sized RAV4, offered with hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains, Toyota's crossover range now includes the Yaris Cross, C-HR, Highlander and Land Cruiser.

UK's first all-electric car charging forecourt opens in Essex

 Britain’s first all-electric car charging forecourt is set to open for business in Braintree, Essex, to charge electric vehicles with 100% renewable energy.

From Monday, the super-fast electric forecourt will deliver 350KW of charging power, or enough to add 200 miles of driving range, within 20 minutes, to up to 36 cars at a time.

It will use clean energy sourced from one of the UK’s first subsidy-free solar farms at Clayhill in Bedfordshire, overhead solar canopies, and a battery capable of storing enough energy to drive 24,000 miles.

It is the first of more than 100 electric forecourts that Gridserve, a clean energy company, plans to roll out across the country over the next five years as part of a billion-pound “sun-to-wheel” infrastructure.

Toddington Harper, Gridserve’s founder and chief executive, said he hoped to update the traditional petrol station model for a net zero carbon world by offering drivers the confidence to replace their fossil fuel car with an electric alternative.

“Charging has to be simple and free of anxiety,” he said.

The forecourts will offer super-fast wifi, and stand alongside a range of “Best of British” shops including WH Smith and Boots as well as Costa Coffee and the Post Office. Some will offer business meeting pods, a children’s play centre and a “wellbeing area” with exercise bikes that generate electricity.The standard rate for charging up at a Gridserve electric forecourt will be 24p per kilowatt hour of clean electricity, which beats the current lowest ultra-high power charging rates. This means a typical charge for an average electric vehicle – from 20% charged to to 80% – would cost under £10.

Rachel Maclean, the transport minister, said: “As we accelerate towards cleaner and greener transport, I’m delighted to see the future of service stations being brought to life with the opening of the UK’s first all-electric forecourt.

“There has never been a better time to make the switch.”

Tata Nexon EV surpasses 2,000 sales milestone in 10 months

 It may not seem like a milestone to rave about at first but that its battery-powered heart has helped Tata Nexon become a cornerstone in the electric vehicle movement in India is now underlined by the fact that 2,000 units of the EV have been sold here in a little over 10 months since being launched. The sales of the Nexon EV reached 2200 units last month.

After rolling out its 1000th Nexon EV in August this year, the car clocked in another 1000 sales units in 3 months making it one of the best-selling electric car in India.

Recently, Tata Motors increased pricing of its all-electric Nexon SUV by ₹26,000. The battery powered version of the Nexon was launched in the country earlier this year.

The Tata Nexon EV was introduced in three trims - XM, XZ+, and XZ+ Lux. While pricing of the base XM trim remains unchanged at ₹13.99 lakh, the XZ+ and XZ+ Lux variants have become slightly costlier at ₹15.25 lakh and ₹16.25 lakh, respectively. All prices are ex-showroom.

The EV houses a 30.2 kWh battery which juices up an electric motor producing 127 PS of maximum power and 245 Nm of peak torque. The motor propels the SUV across the 0-100 kmph line in just 9.9 seconds. It has an ARAI-certified full charge range of 312 kilometres.

Some of the key feature highlights of the battery powered Nexon SUV include dual-pod headlamps, LED tail lights, 16-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels, a seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system, reverse parking camera, electric sunroof, rain-sensing wipers, leather-wrapped steering wheel, push-button start, climate control, and a wearable key.

Shailesh Chandra, President of the Passenger Vehicle Business Unit at Tata Motors, said, “This is a moment of great pride for us and those working with us in our journey to accelerate the adoption of EVs in India. The Tata Nexon EV, since launch, has captured the imagination of the entire nation and has consistently led the way for the electric vehicle segment. Offering thrilling performance, connected drive experience with zero emissions and at an attractive pricing, the Nexon EV has found widespread acceptance among its customers. This growing demand is on the back of increased awareness, growing charging infrastructure, encouraging government incentives, breaking myths that surrounds EVs, and most importantly the undisputed benefits that it offers i.e. lower operating cost. Further, with the continued support from the government in terms of incentives such as benefits on registration and road tax, we hope that EVs will soon become the most desirable and a mainstream choice for the customers in India."

Pravaig Electric Car Debuts – Made In India, Claims 5 Star Safety .

 Even as the Indian electric car segment is currently ruled by EVs such as the Hyundai Kona, MG eZS, and Tata Nexon, there would soon be a rival in the form of the new Pravaig Extinction electric sedan. This new electric car from Bengaluru based Pravaig Dynamics has now been officially unveiled in India ahead of official launch, which is only slated for sometime late next year.

 Pravaig Dynamics has estimated sales at around 250 units per annum with the new Extinction to be initially sold in Delhi and Bengaluru with markets to be extended to Mumbai, Chennai and Hyderabad later. The company is slated to offer the new Extinction as an exclusive lease model and will even provide chauffeur services if the customer so requires. Hence, no prices have been announced as on date.

 Pravaig Electric Car Pravaig Extinction design and dimensions The Pravaig Extinction sedan will boast of a low couple style design with special focus on aerodynamics. It will be presented as a four door model with a swooping roof, LED projector headlamps connected by an LED. It will get a similar arrangement at the rear with LED tail lamps with an LED connecting bar.

 Pravaig electric car will get a minimalistic side profile, distinctive shoulder line, blacked out alloy wheels and a ‘Pravaig’ logo prominently positioned in the middle of the tail lamps. Dimensions would stand at 4,820mm length, 1,934mm width and 1,448mm height with 3,038 mm long wheelbase.

 Pravaig Electric Car The interiors will be in a lounge like arrangement, much in the same way as is seen on the Volvo XC90 Excellence Lounge. This would give passengers extended leg room and relaxed posture. The company has also stated that the new Extinction could come in with recline of left rear passenger seat at around 165 degrees.

 Apart from its well designed interiors, customers will also be able to incorporate their own designs while liaisoning with a tie up with architects and fashion and interior design professionals, so as to get a bespoke interior set up. For example, for the music system, they have tied up with France based Devialet audio technology company. 

 Pravaig Electric Car Pravaig also plans features such as autonomous driving technologies while this has yet to get Government of India approvals, swappable battery pack, HEPA air filters and a total of 8 air bags. Regenerative braking and smartphone connectivity could also be a part of its features. 

Battery and Range 

 Pravaig Extinction electric sedan will be powered by a 96 kWh battery pack offering max power of 150 kW or 200 hp with an electric range of 504 km and a top speed of 196 km/h. Acceleration from 0 top 100 km/h could be achieved in 5.4 seconds and fast charging upto 80 percent charge in 30 minutes. Pravaig aims to rival Tesla in terms of battery performance, and offer Mercedes S-Class like luxury. 

Pravaig Electric Car Speaking about safety, Pravaig claims that safety has been their top priority, and that the car offers 5 Star Safety. But it is not clear if the car is actually crash tested by any other body or it is an internal claim of 5 star safety. The full debut presentation can be watched on YouTube.

 Pravaig Dynamics targets corporate customers like fleet operators and hotels with the new Extinction and hence this sedan will not be seen in any showroom for purchase by private buyers and will be exclusively on lease. The company will itself reach out to potential customers and will even offer chauffeur service with the car if the customer so desires. Interiors of the cars were not revealed. The car still seems to be far away from production. If the production variant can manage to achieve all the above claimed figures, that is a matter of discussion for another day. For now, the company has started accepting interests from buyers at their website – defy.city

Copyright (C) 'RUSH LANE' Read more at... https://www.rushlane.com/pravaig-electric-car-debut-launch-details-12383488.html .

Aston Martin-backed report overstates electric car climate harm

 Electric-vehicle researchers are criticizing an automaker-sponsored report they say overstates how many miles battery-powered cars need to be driven before they’re cleaner than those running on combustion engines.

The report compiled by British carmaker Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings Plc and several of its industry peers made headlines in the wake of U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s 2030 ban on vehicles lacking a plug. One widely covered claim was that it takes 78,000 kilometers (48,000 miles) for EVs to be cleaner than conventional cars because of production- and charging-related emissions.

Auke Hoekstra, a researcher at the Eindhoven University of Technology, puts the figure at more like 16,000 miles. He says the report underestimates emissions from combustion-engine cars by roughly half and doesn’t take into account fuel production. It also bases its approximation of the carbon footprint of EVs on one model built by Polestar, the carmaker jointly owned by Sweden’s Volvo Cars and China’s Geely Holding Group.

The discord reflects the strain automakers are under to meet government mandates that fundamentally reshape their industry. The U.K. and state of California have set targets to phase out combustion engines entirely by 2035, while China is drawing up plans for the majority of vehicles sold in the world’s biggest market to be electric by then.

“The momentum for EVs is being powered by governments and manufacturers investing billions in batteries, vehicles and associated infrastructure," said David Watson, chief executive officer of EV-charging company Ohme Technologies U.K. Ltd. “That’s a juggernaut that won’t be stopped by the odd piece of misinformation, especially when the claims as so easily disprovable."

Aston Martin contributed to the report with the intention of exploring the best approach to achieving the U.K. government’s goals to reduce road-transport emissions, a spokeswoman said in an email. Other companies listed on the report include Honda Motor Co. and McLaren Automotive Ltd.

Honda said it supports a multi-pathway approach to decarbonization. McLaren contributed information pertaining to its expertise with regard to reducing vehicle weight.

Johnson’s gas and diesel car ban poses a serious threat to Aston Martin. The Gaydon, England-based company put off the launch of an all-electric Lagonda marque by three years, to 2025, and paused work on its first battery-powered model, called Rapid E, in January. It announced a deal with Daimler AG in October to access the Mercedes-Benz maker’s electric and hybrid powertrains through 2027.

To meet stricter emissions standards for passenger cars in Europe this year, Honda has joined Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV in pooling its fleet with Tesla Inc.’s EV lineup. While McLaren plans to start rolling out gas-electric models next year, the company has said it won’t launch a fully electric car until the second half of this decade.

Michael Liebreich, a clean-energy and climate adviser and founder of the consultancy now known as BloombergNEF, which Bloomberg LP acquired in 2009, wrote in a blog post that Hoekstra had “comprehensively debunked" the carmakers’ report.

“Myths and misinformation" about EVs “slow down attempts to address climate change, they cause public money to be wasted and they destroy good investments," Liebreich said.

Electric vehicle rally comes to a halt as hurdles emerge

 A rally in global electric-vehicle makers that pushed the stocks to multiyear highs fizzled after growth prospects for some startups came into question.

Shares of Workhorse Group Inc. tumbled as much 25% Wednesday, leading the sector lower, after reports that the U.S. Postal Service further delayed a contract for new mail trucks. The company, which is working on making commercial vehicles for use in last-mile deliveries, was considered among the frontrunners for the bid.

The setback at Workforce highlights the challenges ahead for the startups, many of which have yet to post any profits or even, in some cases, revenue.

“Because of Covid, the EV industry has been hampered with both personnel and supply constraints," said R.F. Lafferty analyst Jaime Perez, who rates Workhorse a buy. “We expected production delays and temporary setbacks throughout the EV industry, especially among the startup companies."

EV stocks have surged over the past month after Joe Biden was elected U.S. president and it was announced that Tesla Inc. will join the S&P 500 Index. Tesla is up 45% since the end of October, while Workhorse has gained 33% over the same period.

“We get the sense that some investors consider the USPS award a ‘done deal’ for Workhorse, since its product is electric and can save the USPS money over the years," Colliers Securities analyst Michael Shlisky said. The analyst continues to assume Workhorse won’t win the award, adding that “value of it is so unclear if it must be shared with partners and could take multiple years to be realized, reducing the present value."

Chinese EV makers Nio Inc. and Li Auto Inc. also plunged. Li earlier on Wednesday said it would offer about 47 million American Depositary Receipts, weighing on the stock, while Nio has now fallen for three straight sessions.

Tesla Inc. also posted a rare decline, falling as much as 7.5%. The stock surged 43% through Tuesday since its inclusion in the S&P 500 Index was announced on Nov. 16, lifting most EV names along with it.

Other smaller peers were also dragged lower, with Lordstown Motors Corp. falling 15%, Kandi Technologies Group Inc. dropping 18%, Fisker Inc. weaker by 12% and ElectraMeccanica Vehicles Corp. off by 17%.

Nikola Corp. was the standout in the group, rising as much as 8.1%. Nikola lost 38% of its market value earlier this week after General Motors Co. on Monday scrapped a plan to take a stake in the startup.

Hyundai Unveils EV Platform, Will Have 23 Global Electric Vehicles by 2025

 EVs today have become major parts of auto companies' road maps. By now, automakers have come to the realization that shoving electric vehicle parts into vehicles built to run on gasoline doesn't always result in the type of efficiency an EV and a manufacturing line need. With that in mind, Hyundai is the latest automaker to announce a modular EV-only platform, also announcing that it will produce 23 battery-electric vehicles by 2025.

The new Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP) will be the underpinning of new Hyundai and Kia EVs starting in 2021. The first vehicle will be the Hyundai Ioniq 5 that we've so far only seen in concept form. It will then be used in other vehicles from Hyundai and Kia, likely to include the other Ioniq EVs we're expecting from the Korean automaker. It will also be used for future Genesis EVs. The platform’s main components will be a battery pack under the cabin and an all-in-one motor, transmission, and inverter designed and developed by Hyundai. By bundling the components, Hyundai said, it raised the maximum speed of the motor by up to 70 percent compared to existing motors, despite its small size. The company says that it can squeeze up to 600 horsepower from the system and that the company will show off a high-performance vehicle next year.

Both Tesla and Lucid design their own motors for the sake of efficiency. Hyundai doing the same thing instead of using something off the shelf from a supplier could help it accomplish they type of efficiencies found in EV-centric automakers.Hyundai says that the planned high-performance vehicle on the E-GMP platform will be capable of doing zero to 60 mph in less than 3.5 seconds and have a top speed of 161 mph, with rear- and all-wheel-drive versions available. The all-wheel-drive version will be powered by two electric motors instead of one. To save energy, the front motor will decouple from the wheels when it's not needed.EVs based on the new platform, Hyundai said, would be capable of about 310 miles of range on the WLTP scale and capable of charging to 80 percent in 18 minutes, thanks to an 800-volt architecture that supports charging speeds up to 350 kW. A five-minute charge can add about 60 miles. Hyundai did not release details on battery sizes that will be available on any of the upcoming vehicles or even a range of battery-pack sizes for the upcoming platform. It does note that the batteries will sit under the cabin and the vehicles will have a long wheelbase that would enable more cabin space for occupants and cargo.Albert Biermann, president and head of R&D for the Hyundai Motor Group, said the rear-wheel-driven-based E-GMP will extend Hyundai's "technological leadership into segments where customers demand excellent driving dynamics and outstanding efficiency."Finally, the E-GMP supports bidirectional charging. This means that with a charging station that supports the feature, a vehicle using the E-GMP platform can discharge its energy from its battery back to the grid or to a house that supports such a feature. The vehicle-to-load (V2L) function supplies 3.5 kW of power which, according to Hyundai, can operate a mid-size air conditioner and a 55-inch TV for 24 hours. A customer could conceivably use that to get the power out of a vehicle during a heat-wave-induced power outage. But more important, it can be used to charge another EV.