Citroën has presented a new electric car concept: While the Ami One Concept shown at the Geneva Motor Show was designed for urban electric mobility, the 19_19 Concept, designed for autonomous driving, is now fully electric for long distances.
Weiterlesen
At the Birmingham Commercial Vehicle Show, the French PSA Group is currently offering a preview of future electric versions of the large Peugeot Boxer and Citroën Jumper vans, which are to be offered with two battery versions.
Weiterlesen
At the Geneva Motor Show, Citroën will be presenting the Ami One concept, a fully electric two-seater for urban mobility. The concept was developed as an alternative to public transit and two-wheeled vehicles such as bikes or scooters.
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After Renault, PSA will now also set up an electric vehicle sharing fleet to replace to EV sharing programme Autolib in Paris. Under the Free2Move brand, the company will launch a fleet of 550 Peugeot iOn and Citroën C-Zero electric vehicles on the 3rd of December for short term rentals.
Weiterlesen
PSA has announced plans to electrify their entire utility vehicle palette by 2025. Starting in 2020, the Peugeot Expert and the Citroën Jumpy will be electrified, while the Citroën Berlingo Electric and Peugeot Partner Electric will receive larger batteries.
Weiterlesen
Citroën of PSA is gearing up their electrification effort. PSA’s chief developer Gilles Le Borgne confirmed plans to launch the next generation of the C4 as a purely electric version by 2020 with the aim of competing with Volkswagen’s ID. reports Auto Express.
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The first fully electric vehicle by French manufacturer PSA will be launching in the second half of 2019. The technical specifications have now been announced and make the DS 3 Crossback a pretty decent option.
Weiterlesen
After cancelling their contract with the electric car sharing Autolib, Paris already found a substitute. Two in fact as both Renault and PSA rush to populate the French capital with exclusively electric vehicles to hire.
Weiterlesen
Citroën presented the European version of its new SUV model C5 Aircross, which is already on offer in China. The introduction of the C5 on the European market is scheduled for end of the year, and 2019 in Germany. The PHEV version will be available towards the end of 2019.
Weiterlesen
The French are coming to Portugal and carry the electric car sharing service emov as their baggage. 150 C-Zero are to take to the streets of Lisbon this April and shall be free to roam even beyond the capital’s centre.
Weiterlesen
PSA is going to cooperate with BMW subsidiary Digital Charging Solutions (DCS) to provide Peugeot and Citroën customers access to currently 6,360 charging stations throughout France, among them 460 fast-charging terminals.
Weiterlesen
The French carmaker reveales the new E-Mehari, which is based on the limited edition model ‘Styled by Courrèges’ presented at the IAA last year. Apart from an electric powertrain, the four-seat cabrio gets thus a strict hard top as well as windows at the sides and the back.
Weiterlesen
The PSA group prepares the implementation of a 220m euro joint venture together with Japanese company Nidec. Both partners seek to produce electric motors for BEVs as well as HEVs at a site close to Paris.
WeiterlesenFirst production EV by Mini: BMW’s small car subsidiary reveals the design of its premier production electric car, which is to debut at the IAA. The Mini Electric Concept does in fact look just like a conventional Mini, apart from some small details. While the brand has not specified any technology, it is likely that the BMW i3 system will also power the electric Mini, so output would be at 130 kW with a 94 Ah battery that lasts for about 300 kilometres.
carscoops.com, autocar.co.uk, bmwgroup.com
Honda’s EV concept for the IAA: It will be the first electric Honda to hit the European shores once ready but for now, the carmaker has prepared a concept for the Frankfurt show. The Honda Urban EV Concept also provides the backdrop for more information on Honda’s eMobility strategy for Europe. Also on display will be a prototype CR-V Hybrid.
carscoops.com, greencarcongress.com, electriccarsreport.com
E-Mehari special edition: Citroen want to make an “entrée” at the IAA and asked fashion designer Courrèges to dress up its electric crossover as a special edition. Black is the colour of this EV season it appears, together with a strict hard top and some hidden features. 61 such electric Mehari will be made.
motor1.com, carscoops.com
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BYD to enter Nigeria: Electric cars are to arrive by 2018 in Nigeria, as imports first. However, BYD sees potential in Africa’s most populous state and wants to establish EV assembly there together with local firm Enigus Enfinity from 2020.
naij.com, dailytrust.com.ng
Porsche’s revamped Cayenne due to debut at the IAA has been revealed with the order books open. However, the plug-in hybrid variant will only arrive at a later date.
autocar.co.uk, europe.autonews.com, porsche.de
Qoros retouches luxury EV: First revealed this April, Qoros has given its K-EV Concept a refresh, optically at least. The 640 kW electric drive remains unchanged and will make it into the small production run planned to commence by 2019.
carscoops.com
Expect a new electric Citroën by 2020 but it will not be a dedicated model. The group will instead leave it to consumers to make the sensible choice or opt for a gasoline version of the same make. Which model that will be is undisclosed but after the C-Zero und e-Mehari, Citroën will stay within the (sub-) compact segment with PSA’s planned platform e-CMP. It lays the foundation for up to 450 km range and is being developed together with PSA’s partner in China, Dongfeng.
autonews.com
Karma comeback: Former Fisker, Karma Automotive started deliveries of the Karma successor Revero this month and marks the occasion with a new TV spot. The firm hopes to send about 1,000 PHEVs on their way this year, each costing 130,000 dollars at least for an electric range of 80 km.
video, electrek.co, insideevs.com
Meanwhile the Model 3 has made a new appearance and this time all in white. The pictures were taken in California and truly look like spy shots, queer angles and “agents” included. Indulge.
electrek.co (Design), electrek.co (supercharging)
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Mahindra’s Brexit: The Indian carmaker has ceased sales of its e2o in the United Kingdom due to meagre demand. Mahindra will thus wind up all its British operations in fact, although it initially hoped to use the Isles as a gateway to European markets like the Nordics and the Netherlands.
reuters.com
Workhorse electric: This is the first time, the planned electric pick-up truck by Workhorse can be seen. The 338 kW strong W-15 lasts for 130 electric kilometres but also carries a range extender. Workhorse says it has received more than 2,000 pre-orders already and wants to produce from 2018.
insideevs.com
Make the Moke great again by giving the odd Mini beach buggy a new life as electric vehicle. Note that this e-Moke is not a Mini as it used to be but by a company called Moke America. The remake claims a 40 mile range at a top speed of 25 mph. Enough to shift some sand, surely and available now.
geeky-gadgets.com, autoblog.com
Quotas work wonders: China got VW to hurry its electrification and seems to have the upper hand with the upcoming tougher quotas. Volkswagen now wants to make an electric car for the masses together with JAC no later than 2018 – two years before EVs sitting on the MEB platform are scheduled. The JV’s first EV will be under a new brand name. In China, VW also hopes to deploy its new energy vehicles to ride-sharing partner Didi but the groups overall sales strategy for its largest market speaks of 400,000 PEV by 2020 and 1.5m electrified cars by 2025.
nytimes.com, autonews.com
Nio likes it big: The young brand hits the floor in Shanghai with its electric SUV ES8 that can take seven passengers. Performance data is sparse but Nio equipped its EV with two electric motors and wants a swappable battery pack. A production version is to be shown before the year’s end with on-sale starting soon after. Furthermore, Nio has opened the order books for what it calls its flagship supercar. The EP9 however, will only be made ten times for a price of about 1.5m dollars each.
autocar.co.uk, greencarcongress.com
BYD’s Dynasty: Shanghai just saw the debut of the all-electric SUV concept by the Chinese manufacturer. The Dynasty has been designed by Wolfgang Egger, formerly Audi but production is not planned. Also on display at the BYD booth are the electric and hybrid Song EV300 and Song DM.
autocar.co.uk, carscoops.com, electriccarsreport.com
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Baden-Württemberg Pavilion – Boosting Future Mobility 34 exhibitors will proudly present the accumulated know how of the German Southwest in the Baden-Württemberg Pavilion at the Hannover Messe from 24 to 28 April 2017 under the slogan “Boosting Future Mobility”. On more than 600 m² exhibition area, you will be able to get first-hand experience of the latest innovative products and key competences such as energy storage, charging infrastructure, precision components, subassemblies, novel test benches and mobility software. Come and visit us at hall 27. e-mobilbw.de (PDF)
Citroën crossover PHEV: The C5 Aircross that has been revealed in China will be Citroen’s first plug-in hybrid model and shall launch this autumn first in China and then in Europe by 2018. The PHEV couples two electric motors with a petrol-engine to 300 hp and an electric range of 60 km.
autocar.co.uk, autonews.com
Butterfly doors are not the only fancy the MG E-Motion EV sports at the show in Shanghai but the best news is that MG is actually looking to build the electric sports coupe by 2020 for below 30,000 pounds. Its electric drive has been developed in house and the concept claims a 310 mile range.
autocar.co.uk
VW has chosen battery supplier: The Germans have moved on from planning to the next stage as the design of the VW I.D. built upon the MEB platform is to be confirmed by August. At the same time, battery suppliers were selected and are under contract already, although it has not been disclosed, who will power Volkswagen’s electric concept/s. Two more electric models are to follow until 2022 of which one will be the I.D. Buzz microbus.
autonews.com
Citroën electrifies further: The French now offer the E-Berlingo Multispace with an electric drive. It is the same motor utilised in the van version of the Berlingo already and offers a range of 170 km. The latest electric car joins Citroën’s EV range consisting of the C-ZERO, E-MEHARI and Berlingo LCV.
greencarcongress.com, autoevolution.com, youtube.com
Demand for Teslas remains high and the company has now started deliveries of its new 100D versions of both the Model S and X in the States. And as it just opened the first showrooms in Korea, cues are forming – there is a 6-month waiting list to test drive the Model S.
insideevs.com (100D), forbes.com (Korea)
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Bolt bargain: Chevy Bolt prices have gone below 25,000 dollars after incentives at some stores, which already started to apply discounts as they seek to move their inventory. Deliveries geared up lately but it remains to be seen if demand will keep up with the pace.
electrek.co, autonews.com
Chinese Google EV: China’s search engine giant Baidu has taken a stake in NextEV and its electric car brand Nio. Baidu had led a financing round that collected over 600m dollars in total.
reuters.com
New blood for Formula E: BMW and DS Performance have been granted manufacturer status through FIA for the Formula E. While Mercedes had secured its entry option earlier, it did not make it (yet) for the 5th season that will run throughout 2018/ 19.
motorsport.com, fiaformulae.com
Autolivery: Ford brought its vision of electric and autonomous delivery vans to the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Its ‘Autolivery’ concept, developed for Ford’s Last Mile Mobility Challenge, imagines electric self-driving vans, which carry drones that can pick up and drop off packages in dense cities. The principle reminds of UPS’ real world application with the HorseFly octocopter (we reported). In Barcelona, Ford also displays the Carr-E electric platform and the folding electric tricycle TriCiti, both outcomes of the Last Mile Mobility Challenge as well.
electriccarsreport.com, youtube.com
Tesla lifetime insurance: The EV maker has started to include lifetime insurance and maintenance package in the purchase price of its cars in Asia in order to take safety features like the Autopilot and the benefits of an EV into account. It is unclear, what the exact price is, or when the offering will become widely available, but it is certain it will. If Tesla will keep it in-house or work with insurance partners has yet to be decided and depends on the providers’ flexibility.
mashable.com, businessinsider.de
New EV for Britain: Citroën extended its EV range in the UK with the introduction of the Berlingo Electric L2 550 LX van. The L2 version is bigger than the the existing Berlingo Electric L1 635 LX model and costs from 22,180 GBP (exc. VAT; Plug-in Van Grant).
automotiveworld.com, commercialfleet.org
Ioniq line-up complete: Hyundai has launched the plug-in hybrid variant of the Ioniq in Korea, making the trio of EV, hybrid and PHEV complete. The PHEV starts at 32.3m Won (about 27,000 euros). In Europe, the Ioniq PHEV will launch in August and in Q4 in the USA.
yonhapnews.co.kr, joins.com, theinvestor.co.kr
Yudo’s first models: China’s new EV brand called Yundu in Chinese, premiered its electric crossovers, the Pi 1 and Pi 3, which are to kick-off this June. The Pi1 is the smaller of the two and features two battery options that offer 200 and 330 km range respectively. The Pi 3 gets 300 km. Yudo‘s production facility in Fujian Province is said to be complete almost and will churn out up to 80,000 EVs a year.
carnewschina.com
Daimler’s new head for trucks and buses is Martin Daum, who previously oversaw the firm’s North American division. Daum has been with Daimler for the last 30 years and will be responsible to lead electrification of commercial vehicles in his new role.
daimler.com
Five new e-trons for China: Audi and its Chinese joint venture partner signed off their 10-year strategic plan. Next to forming its own brand for mobility and digital services, the two companies are also planning to produce five more e-tron models in China, on top of the already scheduled A6 L e-tron und Q7 e-tron, and introduce them to the market there. That includes purely electric vehicles.
greencarcongress.com, electrek.co, audi-mediacenter.com
Diesel-ban in Oslo: The Norwegian capital banned private diesel cars from its roads on Tuesday and Wednesday between the hours of 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. The ban could be extended. German magazine Der Spiegel reports that Oslo even wants kick all vehicles with combustion engines out of the inner city ring by 2024.
thelocal.no, theguardian.com, spiegel.de (in German)
Kia Stinger update: According to Auto Express, Kia could launch an all-electric version of the Kia Stinger GT, which it presented at the Detroit Motor Show. The sleek five-door GT would then rival the upcoming Tesla Model 3, but is not said to hit the road before 2019. But it could then be fitted with level 3 or 4 autonomous features.
autoexpress.co.uk
SUV Aircross as PHEV: Citroën wants to introduce its SUV Aircross to the Chinese market at the end of the year. It will also be available as a seven-seater, as well as a plug-in hybrid from 2018.
carnewschina.com
Rollout plan: GM has published a rollout schedule for the Chevrolet Bolt in the U.S. The EV is currently only available at dealerships in California and Oregon, but can already be ordered in a total of seven states. By September, the Bolt will be available across the United States.
insideevs.com
Tesla referral programme: Tesla launched a new round of its referral programme until March 15th. Clients who successfully refer seven new buyers will receive two invitation to the Model 3 delivery event. Those who sell five vehicles get a limited-edition Powerwall and those with three successful referrals get a Model S for kids. Tesla also kicked off an annual awards programme. The first person to successfully refer 20 new buyers in each sales region – North America, Europe, or Asia Pacific – will get a Tesla Model S or X P100D.
electrek.co, teslarati.com
News from Bavaria: BMW confirmed that it will build an electric Mini Cooper, as well as an electric version of the X3. The former will hit the road 2019, with the X3 to follow one year later. Bloomberg broke the news, citing no other than BMW CEO Harald Krüger himself. He calls it the “phase two” of electrification, while his competitors were only in “phase one.”
bloomberg.com
Tesla sales up: The carmaker reportedly delivered a total of 24,500 cars in Q3 of 2016 (15,800 Model S and 8,700 Model X). That’s a 70 percent increase compared to Q2. Moreover, the 5,500 EVs still on their way to meet their new owners were not figured in. In terms of production, Tesla announced an increase of 37%, churning out 25,185 vehicles in the past three months.
greencarcongress.com, marketwired.com
Peugeot and Citroën have given their Ion and C-Zero, which are of identical construction, an overhaul. That unfortunately doesn’t mean more range, but the possibility to start and stop the charging process remotely and an acoustic signal to warn pedestrians when the little EV approaches.
auto-motor-und-sport.de, saving-volt.de (articles in German)
Electric sports car from Japan: Green Lord Motors, known for the Tommykaira ZZ EV, presented its GLM G4 sports car concept in Paris. Boasting 400 kW and 1,000 Nm, the EV needs less than 3.7 seconds to go from 0 to 100 kph.
motorauthority.com, autoblog.com
Change in French EV subsidies: The country wants to implement a 40,000 euro price limit for EVs that qualify for subsidies, while cutting the bonus from 6,300 to 6,000 euros. Another 4,000 euros will be added, if the EV replaces a diesel of ten years or more. The 750 euro grant for hybrids without a plug will be scrapped completely. The measures will be voted on in December.
electrek.co, autoactu.com (in French)
e-Golf for all: The facelifted version with a range of 300 km (186 miles) will be made available in all U.S. states, while the current version is only available in select states. The EV will most likely debut at the LA Motor Show next month and go on sale early 2017.
vwvortex.com, insideevs.com
PHEV concept for C5 successor: Citroën wants to show its CXperience concept at the Paris auto show in October. The futuristic hatchback features an 80 kW electric motor and can go 60 km on electricity alone. It could also be the preview of a C5 successor.
electriccarsreport.com, autocar.co.uk, youtube.com
Tesla’s P100D priced: The new top-notch versions of the Model S and X have finally received a price tag in the UK and the rest of Europe. The luxury sedan will go for 114,200 pounds/127,700 euros and the SUV for 117,200 pounds/128,700 euros. The prices are before subsidies and VAT.
insideevs.com
The end of the Chinese EV boom? Apparently, the many start-ups that have sprung up on the heavily subsidised emobility scene, are getting too expensive for the Chinese government. In order to keep them in check, the country wants to put in place technical guidelines and limit the number of new EV start-ups to ten.
bloomberg.com
EVs from Down Under? It seems Australian start-up Clement Vehicles is re-employing hundreds of people from the company Holden and is looking to develop an electric vehicle. The company was awarded 10,000 Australian dollars in the State Government’s Low Carbon Entrepreneur prize to develop two prototype EVs to present to judges later this year.
indaily.com.au
Deadly EV fire: A flat fire that killed seven and heavily injured four in the Chinese city of Shenzhen was allegedly caused by a charging electric car. Investigations are still underway.
ecns.cn
There are now over 100,000 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV on road around the world. It is only the fourth electric car to reach that milestone, following the Nissan Leaf, Tesla Model S, and Chevrolet Volt.
hybridcars.com
VW plans EV quota: German Manager Magazin reports that in light of the diesel scandal, VW plans to cover 25 percent of its sales with all-electric cars by 2025 – which converts to about 1.5m vehicles. Moreover, these are said to boast a range of 300-400 km. In order to reach its ambitious goal, VW chief executive Matthias Müller even considers building a battery cell production facility.
manager-magazin.de
Volvo’s electrification strategy: The carmaker wants to sell one million electrified vehicles by 2025. The first pure EV from Sweden will arrive by 2019. On top of that, the manufacturer will continue its plug-in hybrid strategy, saying it will offer at least two hybrid variants of every model in its line-up.
autocar.co.uk, carscoops.com
Honda Clarity becomes electric: The car now at the forefront of fuel cell technology will also be offered as a pure EV and a plug-in hybrid variant sometime in 2017. The latter is said to go 60 km on one charge. Its cousin, the Honda Accord, will also again be offered as a hybrid from 2017. The drivetrain had not been part of the line-up this year.
autoblog.com (Clarity), worldcarfans.com (Accord)
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Baden-Württemberg Pavilion shows success factor e-mobility: During the Hannover Messe / MobiliTec the Baden-Württemberg Pavilion and its 43 exhibitors showcase the diversity of the e-mobility landscape in the southwest of Germany. With “Automated. Connected. Electrified.” as its guiding theme, the whole spectrum – from development and production to road tests of partially automated electric vehicles – will be covered. Visit us in hall 27.
www.e-mobilbw.de (PDF)
Electric Citroën for China: The French carmaker is bringing an electric version of its C-Elysée sedan to the Auto China next week. The car has enough battery capacity to go 250 km on one charge and could arrive on the streets of China as early as 2017.
autocar.co.uk
Take-off: The Solar Impulse 2 has taken off to attempt the final leg of its Pacific crossing. Next stop is the Moffett Airfield in Mountain View, California, on April 23rd. The solar-powered airplane was grounded last year after flying from Japan to Hawaii due to battery damage.
solarimpulse.com
Range doubled: The new Toyota Prius Plug-In-Hybrid is officially here and goes under the name of Prime. Its 8.8 kWh battery delievers enough power for a said electric range of 22 miles, twice as long as the previous Prius PHEV. The plug-in hybrid can drive with up to 84 kph in all-electric mode and will go on sale this autumn.
reuters.com, insideevs.com, greencarcongress.com
Beach buggy pricing: Citroen is taking orders in France for the E-Méhari. Prices for the fun vehicle start at 25,000 euros before incentives (6,300 euros) and without battery. The latter must be leased for 79 euros a month and comes from Bolloré’s BlueSolutions. Citroen hopes to sell 1,000 units a year.
ccfa.fr (in French) via insideevs.com
Price increase for Model S? Tesla’s basic model might become more expensive next month, says the web’s rumour mill. The price increase could be driven by new features, a facelift or maybe the planned battery upgrade. Quite a few people would probably happily pay more for a 100 kWh power pack.
teslarati.com, electrek.co
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Electromobility powered by Siemens – Siemens is presenting its drivetrain solutions for hybrid and electric cars on the “Vehicle Show Electromobility” in Bad Neustadt a.d.S on 16th and 17th. Find Siemens at the fairground of the demo city for electromobility and take a glance on the latest innovations.
www.siemens.com/electriccar
Daimler readies PHEV: The Mercedes GLC Coupé premiers at the New York Auto Show. It will eventually be offered in a plug-in hybrid version, but only in Europe, not in the States. The PHEV will feature a combined output of 320 hp and an electric range of 30 kilometres.
carscoops.com, autocar.co.uk
3 series plug-in pricing: BMW announces prices of its 330e iPerformance in the USA. The basic version starts at 44,695 dollars and dealers will receive the 3-series PHEV this summer.
autoblog.com, electriccarsreport.com, greencarcongress.com
New Subaru platform: The next-gen Impreza is the first model that sits on Subaru’s Global Platform. The new structure will also host the WRX STi, which is expected to be a performance hybrid featuring AWD with the electric drive powering the rear wheels. Combined output was given at 320 hp.
autocar.co.uk
Video tip: Barcelona not only had an electric cab fleet already back in 1943 but they were also charged by battery swapping as this black-and-white gem shows. The swap however required three men, a small crane and quite a bit of manual labour.
facebook.com
Reading tip: Top Gear took Citroën’s electric beach buggy (pre-production) for a spin. Well, while the e-Mehari might not be one for buying, it certainly could become one for hiring.
topgear.com
Citroën DS with new sportscar concept in Geneva: The French will lift the veil of all-electric E-TENSE at the Geneva Motor Show, releasing first images and a teaser video ahead of the show. The sports coupé features two electric motors with a combined 296 kW and a 53 kWh Li-ion battery pack, allowing for a maximum range of 360 km.
greencarcongress.com, autoblog.com, youtube.com (video)
Six times electric: According to insider George Kracher, the Volkswagen Group is considering six new electric models in addition to the upcoming Audi Q6 e-tron, Porsche Mission E and new VW e-Golf. That includes an electric New Beetle and Audi Q4 e-tron (we reported). On the more luxurious side, an Audi A9 or second electric Bentley SUV could be in the pipelines.
automobilemag.com
EV incentives: According to German magazine Der Spiegel, German ministers have agreed on a 5,000 euro bonus for purchasing an EV from July 1st. Businesses can qualify for a 3,000 cash incentive. The so-called ‘environmental bonus’ will run out by 2020 and will be reduced 500 euros per year until then. On the table at a next meeting in April are also the installation of 15,000 charging points, subsidizing R&D of batteries, and the implementation of a quota for newly purchased cars for government fleets.
reuters.com; spiegel.de (in German)
New Acura NSX: After a ten-year absence, Acura opened the order books for its all news 2017 NSX. The combined V6 engine and three electric motors provide a total of 573 hp. Acura does not intend to stop there, and is already looking into a more powerful, more extreme Type-R.
thedetroitbureau.com
Fresh off the line: Detroit Electric has handed off their first SP:01 vehicle. The car is headed to China where it will be used as a demonstration car for potential customers. The carmaker hopes to pursue the Asian market further and to soon announce a distributor for Japan.
carscoops.com
Leaked Toyota: First photos of a production version Toyota C-HR have been made public ahead of the Geneva Motor Show. In line with Toyota’s recent developments, the vehicle will be available as a hybrid.
worldcarfans.com, autocar.co.uk
Order books for Q7 e-tron open: From Tuesday, the Audi Q7 e-tron 3.0 TDI can be ordered for a base price of 80,500 euros. The first models of the diesel-plug-in will be delivered this summer. Audi is one of the first manufactures to combine diesel engine and electric motor. Fuel consumption is currently given at 1.7 litres/100 km.
carscoops.com, automotiveworld.com, audi-mediacenter.com
China pushes electrification: China wants to step up funding initiatives for alternative energy vehicles, especially for EVs and hybrids. Instead of the current 30 percent, 50 percent of new purchases for public fleets now need to be (partly) electric. The country also wants to see more electric buses and taxis hit the road, while using private capital to further develop charging infrastructure.
reuters.com, bloomberg.com
Tesla roadside assistance: If one of its luxury EVs breaks down at the side of the road, Tesla will now it 500 instead of the previous 50 miles. But that should no longer matter for Tesla drivers in New York. The EV maker now opened a showroom and service centre in Brooklyn.
insideevs.com (towing), businessinsider.de (New York)
Electric and fashionable: Citroën will show its electric Méhari in Geneva from Tuesday, after the EV was first presented in Paris in 2015 (we reported). For all who want something more stylish, the carmaker is taking along the Méhari concept car, for which Citroën partnered with couture house Courrèges. So expect something fashionable.
leblogauto.com, theautomobilist.fr (Artikels in French)
Volt rolls in: U.S. car dealers are beginning to take delivery of the first 2017 Chevy Volt, the first model year to be offered across the United States. Also, GM is offering financial incentives across the board, like 1,000 dollars cash back when buying a new Volt or a nationwide 2,300 dollars discount on the lease. Some offers could expire on Monday.
greencarreports.com, carsdirect.com
E-Class for off road: The Mercedes estate will also be offered as an all-terrain variant from October, featuring all-drive and some new body parts to hide the estate look. Moreover, it will be available with the same engines as other E-Class models, meaning there is a possibility of a plug-in variant.
autocar.co.uk, carscoops.com
Video tip: The summon function of the Tesla Model S can save the day. DragTimes utilises it to call the Model S in the rain, thus preventing the driver from getting wet.
youtube.com via insideevs.com
Reading tip: Four Wheels Under an Umbrella offers city tours to tourists in Paris in a Citroen 2CV. As the French capital is to tighten emission regulation, the firm managed to retrofit the “Deux Chevaux” with a 16 kW electric motor build by now extinct Mia Electric.
phys.org
Every Porsche a hybrid: The German carmaker plans to introduce hybrid version across its full model range, Porsche CEO Oliver Blume said. A 911 PHEV will reportedly be first in line and hit the road by 2018; the all-electric Mission E model will launch before the end of the decade.
electric-vehiclenews.com
Audi inspired by Tesla? A Model X was seen on the Autobahn sporting plates from Ingolstadt, Audi’s hometown. As Tesla currently struggles to fulfil U.S. orders, rumour has it that Audi might have secured a Model X early on to take a closer look at the competition for its own electric SUV, due by 2018.
electrek.co
Electric 9-3 not Saab: Swedish Saab AB, owner of the Saab brand, will not allow its name to be used for the EV based on the Saab 9-3, which will be produced by National Electric Vehicle Sweden (NEVS). Therefore, the multitude of EVs recently ordered in China will not bear a sign of its Swedish roots.
autonews.com via leftlanenews.com
Renault builds in China: Together with JV partner Dongfeng, Renault opened its first facility in China. Wuhan, capital of Hubei province, will see the production of SUVs. By 2017, the electric Fluence will be manufactured in the facility, too, and will thus enter the Chinese market.
reuters.com
Citroën in China: Pre-production for the Citroen C6 has started in China. Dongfeng-PSA will launch the model before the end of the year and also has a hybrid version in the pipelines. The DS9, which is built together with Changan and scheduled to arrive soon after, might be hybridised as well.
carnewschina.com
Volvo readies V90: The Swede’s latest station wagon will see the light of the day ahead of Geneva, Teknikensvarld learned. The V90’s debut is set for 18th of February in Stockholm. As with most Volvo models nowadays, a hybrid variant of the V90 is a given.
teknikensvarld.se via worldcarfans.com
BUDD-e debuts: Volkswagen finally took the wraps of its all-electric van. Sporting a 92.4 kWh battery pack, it is said to go 533 km and charge up to 80 percent in just 30 minutes at a 150 kW charging station. The all-wheel drive boasts 225 kW, allowing BUDD-e to go from 0-100 kph in about seven seconds. Moreover, it is Volkswagen’s first car based on the new MEB architecture.
electrive.net (in German); autoblog.com, caranddriver.com
Hybrid alliance: Honda and GM want to extend their cooperation from working together on fuel cell technology to also include plug-in hybrids. Moreover, the manufacturers may use joint procurement of parts to lower costs, and are considering the joint manufacture of PHEVs.
the-japan-news.com, greencarcongress.com
Citroën for China: The French carmaker may introduce a new sedan called the C6 in China in the third quarter of this year. The car will only be available in the Asian country and be built by Dongfeng-PSA. A hybrid version is planned. Moreover, the in 2012 introduced hybrid study DS Numero 9 is said to come to life as the DS9 in China. It will be built by Changan-PSA.
carnewschina.com, worldcarfans.com
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Gogoro update: The company has sold 4,000th electric scooters and opened 125 battery swapping stations in Taiwan. Gogoro now looks to expand to Amsterdam this summer, and will then work on getting a foot in the door on the U.S. market. In countries without swapping stations, Gogoro offers a charger for its scooter.
fortune.com, sys-con.com
New BYD bus: The Chinese manufacturer unveiled its K10A, especially designed for the Brazilian market. It is BYD’s first 15 metre bus. The batteries are stored in the vehicle’s floor, for more passenger comfort. Meanwhile, the joint venture Loxley-BYD assembly plant in Thailand is ready to kick off production of BYD buses for the Thai market.
automotiveworld.com (Brazil), nationmultimedia.com (Thailand)
Tax free EV: Indian state Maharashtra has scrapped taxes for electric vehicles, meaning they are not subject to value added tax (VAT), road tax or registration fees when bought in the state. At the moment, the Mahindra Reva e2o is the only electric car sold in Maharashtra.
indiatimes.com, cardekho.com