Tesla Fighters, Aston Martin, Mini, Prodeco, Saab, Tesla, Mercedes.
German Tesla fighters: Audi, BMW, Mercedes and Porsche plan to take over the electric luxury segment by 2018, German Auto Bild reports in its print edition and in an online report by its employee Georg Kacher. Under a program known internally as Ecoluxe, Mercedes is planning four new electric models to be built in a new plant. According to the reports, Porsche is working on the all-electric 717 with a range of 500 kilometers. BMW will issue the i5 while Audi is going to start with the Q6 e-tron.
presseportal.de (Autobild teaser in German) automobilemag.com (Details in Englisch)
Aston Martin hybrids? The British carmaker is preparing to generate between 100 million and 150 million pounds by issuing new shares or bonds, Reuters reports exclusively. The money is intended for new models including hybrids as part of a recovery strategy until 2020.
reuters.com
Vision to become true: Apparently, Mini is planning to create a production version of its electric roadster concept Superleggera Vision as patent drawings have surfaced on the world wide web. However, the sketches show a slightly less extravagant EV.
autoevolution.com, motorward.com
PayMeOn to acquire Prodeco: Already a minority holder, PayMeOn now signed a letter of intent to fully take over the American e-bike manufacturer Prodeco. Its e-bikes are mainly throttle-operated although a pedal-assisted version for the European market debuted at this year’s Eurobike show.
bike-eu.com
Grace period for Saab: The Swedish district court dealing with the restructuring of Saab-owner NEVS has granted the process another three months. NEVS now has time until March 2 2015 to reorganise its business. All 19 creditors apart from one have agreed.
saabplanet.com
Tesla goes big in Canada: Last week, the Californian carmaker opened a 45,000-square-foot Tesla Store in Montreal. It is the biggest outlet of all 60 stores in North America to date.
montrealgazette.com, cbc.ca
Review C300 BlueTEC Hybrid: Alex Grant takes Mercedes’ diesel-electric hybrid on the road and finds it to be a true hybrid not only by engine but by built, too. The system works effectively in both the city and on the motorway, but will not make a “a big dent in overall running costs,” Grant thinks.
evfleetworld.co.uk
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