Ferrari wants to electrify more than half of its models by 2026, as the Italian manufacturer writes in its now presented strategic plan. 60 per cent of Ferrari models are to be equipped with either an electric or hybrid drive by that year.
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The Italian government wants to obtain an exemption from the EU for domestic sports car manufacturers such as Ferrari and Lamborghini from 2035, as these cars are a niche market with small production numbers.
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Respirators are not the only necessity that carmakers can produce: More and more carmakers want to donate medical face masks during the coronavirus crisis. In Europe, manufacturers are already retooling their production lines.
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Ferrari has officially introduced their first plug-in hybrid, named the SF90 Stradale, which features a 4.0 litre V8 engine coupled with three electric motors. This makes for an impressive 735 kW total performance capacity.
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Italy’s foremost sports carmaker is looking to launch their first SUV. The Purosangue which Ferrari prefers to call a Crossover or “FUV” is set to hit the market by 2022. Despite its name it will not be so pure blooded though as Ferrari has a hybrid drive lined up.
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In mid-2019, Ferrari’s first production hybrid car will see the light of the day, says CEO Sergio Marchionne, following the very limited hybrid hypercar La Ferrari. Once the new system gets through testing it will likely power the Italians’ hybrid SUV.
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Ferrari is working on an electric sports car to finally fight Tesla. The electric Ferrari is due to hit the market before the Roadster, said FCA boss Sergio Marchionne.
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Electric Sprinter from Düsseldorf: Mercedes wants to remodel its Düsseldorf plant into a competence center for the Sprinter ED and it will roll off the lines together with the conventional van, thus benefitting from economies of scale. The electrification effort of the commercial range that also includes the Vito is to cost 150m euros over the next few years. Reportedly, Hermes is the first client to employ the electric Sprinter and awaits delivery of 1,500 electric vans for its own operations before the end of 2020.
greencarcongress.com, daimler.com
Renault-Nissan means business in China: After yesterday’s mini-buses from Renault, Nissan liberates some details on its compact electric car planned at a price point suitable for the People’s Republic. 1.5m yen, that is, about 11,500 euros and half the price of the Leaf and the EV could hit the shelves already next year, Nikkei reports. Based on a platform locally shared with Renault and Mitsubishi, the former may have local manufacturer Dongfeng build an electric Kwid on it from 2019 too.
asia.nikkei.com
In Europe Renault bets on performance rather than price as its Sport branch may make the Zoe e-Sport Concept a production reality before 2020. At least that is what Renault-Sport-Chef Patrice Ratti told Autocar. He said studies on a Zoe RS had begun now that battery performance improved.
autocar.co.uk
Secret hybrid Ferrari: Italy’s luxury poster boy is working on a SUV crossover codenamed F16X, according to Car Magazine, which believes there might be a hybrid version too. Market entry is allegedly set for 2021 at a price point of 300,000 euros.
carmagazine.co.uk
Affordable EV coming to UK: Made in Aachen by the same institutions that conceived the initial StreetScooter, the e.Go Life is an urban EV fit for purpose and headed for the Isles. It could arrive by 2018 and cost just 14,000 pounds. Its 80 mile range has city dwellers in mind and ZF is on board too.
autocar.co.uk, electrive.net (our test report, in German)
Watchmaker wants EV start-up: Hong Kong-based watchmaker O Luxe has acquired Green Lord Motors (GLM), known for the Tommykaira ZZ EV and a spin-off from Kyoto University. O Luxe holds 85.5% worth 114m dollars and hopes to buy the rest as well to take full control of “Japan’s Tesla.”
asia.nikkei.com
Smart ED details: Daimler has revealed it all, technology and accessories of the electric versions of the Smart Fortwo and Smart Forfour, which will be available from March, 10. Prices start at 21,940 and 22,600 euros before incentives. The new Smart Fortwo ED convertible will hit the market this summer, while autumn will see the introduction of fast-charging at 22 kW.
daimler.com
Seat is moving swiftly on electrification as it plans to present an EV prototype at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona next Monday. The electric model that may be a Mii shall serve in a car sharing pilot project for Seat employees in the Catalan capital.
seat.com
Range Rover PHEV(s) in Geneva: Jaguar Land Rover published the first official picture that shows the Range Rover Velar SUV due to debut at the Geneva Auto Show. A plug-in hybrid variant is likely. Not official but photos nonetheless emerged of the Range Rover PHEV that will go on sale next year.
autocar.co.uk (Velar), autocar.co.uk (Range Rover PHEV)
LaFerrari special edition? Patent drawings hint at an anniversary model, created by Ferrari’s Special Projects division. It primed the familiar LaFerrari shape but with futuristic styling elements such as thin headlights and larger air intakes.
autocar.co.uk
Electric Ariel Atom: Honda filed a patent for a minimalistic sports car that resembles the 2015 concept Ariel Atom. It looks as if the racer will have an electric drive.
autocar.co.uk
Ferrari eyes Formula E: It look as though another carmaker is interested in joining the all-electric racing series, though CEO Sergio Marchionne still sees two hurdles. One, he is not a fan of the necessary car swap during the race, which will supposedly be a thing of the past from 2018. And two, he wants Ferrari to be have more technical freedom during vehicle development. Here, too, the ePrix is racing in the right direction.
autosport.com, eurosport.com
Electric waste management: BYD has unveiled and all-electric 3.9-ton rubbish collection truck, said to offer around 100 miles (160 km) of range. Exact battery capacity is still kept under wraps. Meanwhile, Ratto Group has taken Wrightspeed’s very first rubbish collection truck with range-extender and a turbine-electric powertrain into service in Sonoma County, California.
electrek.co (BYD), trucks.com (Wrightspeed)
Possible in-wheel drive: Under the name “Reinvent The Wheel,” Faraday Future released a new teaser video of its first series model. One reason for the focus could be that FF will actually use individual motors connected to each wheel, as suggested by recent patent applications. The latter states that the “motor may be built into a wheel such that the wheel may rotate co-axially with a rotor of the motor.”
thetruthaboutcars.com
Lower energy consumption: The Michigan Technological University received 2.8m dollars in funding from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), to develop control systems for hybrid and electric vehicles that will help lower energy consumption by about 20 percent. The idea is to use on-board or cloud-based sensors, data and computers to help the car better process and react to surroundings.
wnmufm.org, mtu.edu
Tesla acquires Grohmann Engineering: Tesla announced that it has entered into an agreement to buy German engineering firm Grohmann in order to ramp up automated manufacturing of its electric cars. Grohmann Engineering will be renamed Tesla Grohmann Automation after the deal, which still needs to be approved by cartel authorities. The acquisition, whose financial terms were not disclosed, is expected to add over 1,000 engineering and skilled technician jobs in Germany over the next two years.
electrek.co, autonews.com, tesla.com
Toyota confirms BEV plans: Toyota said it will introduce BEVs to the market, but did not confirm any details of the recent Nikkei report. The carmaker states it will continue to improve on the development of HEVs and PHEVs, as well as FCVs and BEVs. According to Toyota CFO Tahahiki Ijichi, “FCV as well as EV will be utilized, depending on the country and market and their energy and infrastructure situations.”
forbes.com, autoblog.com
Ferrari to go hybrid: Every Ferrari sold from 2019 onwards will get hybrid power, according to CEO Sergio Marchionne. He sees hybrid powertrains as the best way to improve performance as well as efficiency, hoping to boost the brand’s profits by lifting Ferrari sales above 10,000 a year by 2025.
autocar.co.uk, autonews.com, roadandtrack.com
Vespa goes electric: Piaggio is presenting an electric version of its legendary Vespa scooter at the Italian bike show EICMA. This concept will be translated into the final version of the Vespa Elettrica, for which production and sales are planned for the second half of 2017.
piaggiogroup.com
Nissan sold 7,500 of its electric Leaf and e-NV200 to fleet operators in Europe this past fiscal year. That is an increase of 45 percent compared to the year before and a new record. To date, a total of 20,000 Nissan have been sold to fleet customers on the old continent.
greencarcongress.com, fleetnews.co.uk
Hybrid Ferraris? A patent application details plans for hybridisation of the Italian luxury racer, Autocar suggests. The patent in question outlines a model with an electric motor attached to the rear-mounted transmission and slim batteries snuggled into the floor that could last for 30 miles. The set-up would enable Ferrari to hybridise cars with both front and mid-mounted engines.
autocar.co.uk
Electric scooter by Bosch: The German supplier granted autonomy to its motorcycle division. The Two-Wheeler and Powersports Division was set up in Japan to deliver electronic parts to the bike industry. That now includes a 1.8 kW electric hub motor for scooters, destined for the Chinese market.
bikesrepublic.com, gizmag.com
H2 for wheel and well: Toyota intensifies its hydrogen strategy, looking to also power forklifts and air conditioners with hydrogen. The H2 will be produced with renewable energy from Fukuoka, and with Kyushu University on board, Toyota hopes to adapt the technology at its Mirai production plant by 2020.
nikkei.com
Video tip: Translogic has tested a 1978 Ferrari 308 GTS, which EV West converted to an electric beauty. The show also teamed up with virtual reality specialists to deliver a 360-view of the test drive. Take a seat and a good look around.
youtube.com (VR test ride) via autoblog.com (making of)
Research tip: According to Navigant Research, about 7.4 million plug-in light-duty vehicles could be sold in North America between 2015 and 2024. Navigant admits however, that its rather optimistic outlook is based on growing infrastructure.
navigantresearch.com, autoblog.com
Hydrogen lorry: A consortium led by Intelligent Energy and backed by British Gas, DHL and others is to develop a fuel cell commercial vehicle destined for mass production. The three-year project is estimated to cost 12.7 million pounds (18.6m dollars).
leicestermercury.co.uk, hydrogenfuelnews.com
Google battery research: The internet corporation’s research arm, Google X, is working on improving battery technology with a focus on Li-Ion and solid-state power packs, Wall Street Journal reports. The batteries could serve in Google’s own EVs in the future.
wsj.com
9 million dollars will be invested by the California Energy Commission in three companies that are looking into electrifying heavy-duty vehicles and their components in the Golden State. Proterra, TransPower, and Efficient Drivetrains are to get about 3m dollars each.
greencarcongress.com
Mild hybrid Ferraris: The Italian sports car brand says it would keep its V12 engine as pure as possible but has to look into electrification. Instead of a turbo, future V12’s will be complemented by 48-volt systems, helping Ferrari to comply to tightening EU regulations.
autocar.co.uk via digitaltrends.com
Porsche 918 Spyder eAxle: The eAxle system used on the 918 Spyder was developed in conjunction with GKN. It supports full-electric mode, all-wheel drive and provides a boost function. The module has maximum power of 95 kW and can deliver up to 1500 Nm of torque to the front wheels via a fixed gear ratio. At speeds above 265 km/h, a clutch isolates the electric motor to prevent it from over-spinning.
greencarcongress.com
Dual-clutch potential: Getrag kicked off production of its seven-speed dual clutch transmission at its plant in Neuenstein, Germany. Hybrid versions of the 7DCT300 can be used in vehicles without major changes in installation space, starting in 2016. The transmission will also be produced in China.
greencarcongress.com
Ferrari FXX K on the test track: Sebastian Vettel was given the opportunity to test drive Ferrari’s 1050-hp hybrid on the track in Fiorano. He clearly enjoyed the ride in this 2.5-million race machine.
motorsportstalk.nbcsports.com, espn.co.uk
VW invests in more range: Bloomberg reports that VW has bought a five percent stake in U.S.-based battery start-up Quantum Scape, founded in 2010 by former Stanford University researchers. The alleged goal is the development of solid-state batteries that could more than triple the range of EVs and are said to be fireproof. Audi’s “Tesla Fighter” seems to get one step closer to reality.
bloomberg.com
New Oerlikon transmissions: Oerlikon Graziano will present its newest solutions for EVs and hybrids at the CTI Symposium in Berlin this week, including the hybrid transmission “OGeco” with an integrated 120 kW electric engine as well as a two-speed automated manual drive system for EVs.
greencarcongress.com, oerlikon.com
Bentley invests in SUV: The British manufacturer will add a new research and development centre to its headquarters in Crewe. It is part of Bentley’s efforts to develop its SUV, which will also be offered as a plug-in hybrid variant. Construction will begin next year and the centre will create 300 new jobs.
automotive-business-review.com, indianautosblog.com
Sold out! Barely presented to the public all units of Ferrari’s hybrid track car LaFerrari FXX K are already sold out. The Italians had limited production to 40 units, which each come with 2.5 million dollar price tag.
topgear.com
French-German battery alliance? At an EU summit in a few weeks, Germany and France want to present common flagship projects, i.e. in the field of e-mobility. According to German Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel, the development of a new generation of batteries for EVs could be one such project.
yahoo.com
Hyper-hybrid Ferrari unveiled: The Italians take the wraps off their race track version of the LaFerrari, called the Ferrari FXX K. The hybrid is said to deliver a maximum output of 1050 hp and 900 Nm of torque. Prices and production numbers haven’t been announced yet.
worldcarfans.com, hybridcars.com
7-Series drivetrain details: According to the Spanish website “motor.es”, more than one version of BMW’s 7-Series will become available as a plug-in hybrid. Possible variants are the 730e and 740e, as well as a long version of the latter (740Le).
motor.es via indianautosblog.com
Germany passes e-mobility measures: Yesterday, the country’s cabinet approved a national energy efficiency programme (NAPE), which amongst others includes tax breaks for EVs used as company cars, an EV procurement initiative on a national and federal level, as well as a field test for the use of electric drivetrains for heavy duty utility vehicles.
reuters.com, bmwi.de (NAPE, in German)
Dutch EVs? Sports car manufacturer Spyker has filed for financial restructuring, which was approved by a Dutch court. The company´s restructuring plan sees Spyker merge with an unnamed U.S. based electric aircraft manufacturer. The latter’s technology will supposedly be used for the sports cars.
autonews.com, motorauthority.com
Chinese-made REx model: Guangzhou Auto introduces its Trumpchi GA5 REV to the Chinese market. The car combines an electric engine with an output of 44 kW and a one-litre range extender with 30 kW. Pricing starts at 132.800 yuan (21,600 dollars) after subsidies of central and local governments.
carnewschina.com
Skoda plug-ins in 2016: A Czech newspaper reports that the Volkswagen subsidiary plans to build plug-in hybrids at its plant in Mladá Boleslav in the Czech Republic, under reference to a company application to expand its production site. Starting in 2016, the manufacturer allegedly plans to produce 250 Skoda Superb PHEV per day, followed by the Octavia plug-in hybrid in 2017.
radio.cz
Hybrid cars from Africa: Uganda-based Kiira Motors presents its plug-in hybrid Kiira EV SMACK, a further developed version of the Kiira EV built by students from Makerere University in 2011. Starting in 2018, some 300 units of the PHEV are planned to be produced every month.
newvision.co.ug, theinsider.ug
Audi Q7 spy shots: Ahead of its official presentation at the NAIAS in January, a barely camouflaged Audi Q7 was caught on camera during test drives. The new model will also be offered as a plug-in hybrid variant next year (we reported).
cardekho.com
Electrified ATVs: Ford is selling its F-150 SVT Raptor electric in the U.S., a small EV with a top speed of of 25 mph and a range of 30 miles. The price is more impressive, as it sells for 25,000 dollars. With its 8,500 dollar price tag, the Cruser Sport by Ecocruise is not only cheaper, it also has a range of 60 miles.
greencarreports.com (Ford), bbc.com (Ecocruise)
LaFerrari XX in the starting blocks: According to Top Gear, the 1,500 hp race track version of the hybrid supercar LaFerrari will be unveiled in Abu Dhabi in December. Apparently, only a small number of the LaFerrari XX will be build.
topgear.com
Gigafactory update: Tesla’s application for subsidies in Nevada reveals new details about the battery production site. 1.1 billion dollars will be invested in the building and site infrastructure, another 3.9 billion in machinery and equipment including materials processing and product assembly. Tesla wants to start with 300 employees in 2017 and plans to have 6.500 employees by its eighth gigafactory year.
rgj.com
Power boost for the i8? George Kacher, European Bureau Chief at Automobile Magazine, rumours that there are two drivetrain combinations being evaluated, both with more than 500 hp, to make the BMW i8 more powerful. He says the BMW i8S could be available by late 2017.
automobilemag.com
MyCar getting closer: GreenTech Automotive just opened its production facility in Tunica, Mississippi, where it wants to begin building its all-electric MyCar starting next month. At the same time, GreenTech is working on setting up a distribution network for the two-seater.
electriccarsreport.com
Kandi develops new EV: The Chinese manufacturer wants to introduce a new model even before the end of the year. The only thing that has been revealed so far is that the four-seater, jointly developed by Kandi and Geely. will be named “Cyclone”.
insideevs.com
Spy shots of LaFerrari XX: First pictures and a short video of the camouflaged hybrid supercar have emerged on the web. The XX version is said to deliver more than 1,000 hp, and only 30 units will be produced (we reported).
worldcarfans.com, youtube.com
Electric Saab prototype: Despite the crisis at Saab owner NEVS, the company presented a prototype of the electrified 9-3 EV. The batteries are placed under the floor and have a said range of 200 kilometres. If the EV will ever go into serial production remains to be seen.
greencarcongress.com, cision.com
Prius fighter from Hyundai? The Korean carmaker is working on a new hybrid model which could take on Toyota’s hybrid bestseller, Autoguide reports. The portal spotted four different cars being tested so its guess is that there is more than one new hybrid in the making.
autoguide.com
Concept Ferrari F80: What could be the successor of the LaFerrari only exists on paper so far. Designer Adriano Raeli dreamed up a car with 1,200 hp and a top speed of 500 kph, which would be powered by a twin-turbo V8 and a 300-hp KERS system.
racingnewsnetwork.com, boldride.com
Terra in Tehran: Terra Motors has started selling its electric scooter A4000i in Iran due to favourable new EV policies in the country. The company that is based in Japan, plans to roll out global sales of the e-scooter later this year and is looking for distribution partners.
greencarcongress.com
Electric folder: Tern will present its first electric folding pedelec at the Eurobike in Germany next week. The ‘eLink’ is driven by a 250 W Bafang mid-motor and a 374 Wh battery that offers a range of up to 50 kilometres. Its weight has not been specified yet.
bike-eu.com
Early adopter backed off: Michael Goldstein took his time to decide if to go for a Hyundai Tucson FCV. First, he had to convince his wife, then the logistics sorted out and find a dealer. Just when he was just about to buy the car, the price tag put him off, esp. as you would expect a company trying to please rather than to squeeze its early adopters.
green.autoblog.com
CrossBlue made in Tennessee: Volkswagen confirmed that it will build a new mid-size crossover SUV, based on the CrossBlue concept, at its site in Chattanooga. The seven seater is likely to come with a plug-in hybrid drivetrain and thus compete with the upcoming plug-in SUVs from Volvo and Mitsubishi.
forbes.com, transportevolved.com
China to promote EVs further: After scrapping the purchase tax for new energy vehicles (we reported), the Asian government now urges its officials to integrate electric and plug-in hybrids into their fleets. By 2016, 30% of all new vehicles sourced by the government are supposed to be (partially) electric.
automotive-business-review.com, techtimes.com, reuters.com
New LaFerrari editions: The Italian carmaker confirmed its plans for launching a 1,050 hp racing version of its hybrid supercar by 2015. However, only 30 units of the FXX will be build. The LaFerrari Spider convertible is limited to 50 cars and is said to cost about 2.8 million dollars.
autoguide.com, youtube.com (video of the LaFerrari FXX testing)
Tesla to stand alone: While the White House favours more consumer choice for fuel-efficient vehicles, it sees itself unable to regulate direct-to-consumer car sales. A petition had called on the Obama administration to preempt state laws preventing the Californian EV maker to sell through its concept stores (we reported) but this would be a matter for Congress, advisor Dan Utech said.
thehill.com
Chargemaster recharged: A fresh injection of capital by investment company Beringea will help the British company to further strengthen its posision in its domestic market. Moreover, Chargemaster wants to use the three million pounds to expand to the continent.
startups.co.uk, angelnews.co.uk
Toyota’s fuel cell vehicle has just been presented revealing some ground-breaking figures. In April 2015, The FCV will first debut in Japan before it goes on sale in the US and Europe a few months later. The price for customers in Japan is set at about 7 million Yen (69,000 dollars). The FCV is said to go as far as 700 kilometres on one tank filling on the Japanese cycle.
bloomberg.com
Ferrari is going hybrid: The EU requires any carmaker to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by at least 20 percent by 2021 – that also applies to luxury carmakers like Ferrari. Vittorio Dini, responsible for engine technology at Ferrari plans to reach that goal through hybridisation of its V12 models.
autonews.com, greencarreports.com
Toyota is Korea’s sole supplier of hybrids, or almost as it holds a marketshare of 97.1 percent of all imported hybrids. That is a total of 2,558 vehicles the Japanese manufacturer sold in the Asian country this year. Already in 2012 and 2013, Toyota has been equally successful in South Korea.
businesskorea.co.kr
Electric MG review: Autocar was allowed to drive MG’s EV concept on the Silverstone circuit. The electric mini car is based on the Roewe E50 and is already being sold in China. Apart from the rather confined space, Autocar was impressed but only sees a future for the mini MG if it is offered notedly cheaper than its competitors VW E-Up and Nissan Leaf.
autocar.co.uk
Premium hybrid competition: Auto Express has compared the Mercedes S300 hybrid with the Lexus LS 600h. While the Lexus beats Mercedes “hands down for performance,” in the end the reviewers got lulled in by the luxury a Mercedes’ S-class has got to offer.
autoexpress.co.uk
Japanese subsidies for FCVs: Toyota and Honda are getting high-level support before the 2015 launch of their fuel cell vehicles. The Japanese government released its plan for subsidising hydrogen vehicles through incentives and tax rebates, putting them on par with conventional hybrid models. Additionally, Japan plans to increase its H2 stations network sixfold until 2016, while the price of installing a hydrogen station is said drop 50 per cent by 2020.
reuters.com, the-japan-news.com
Brilliant partnership: BMW extends its joint venture with Chinese partner Brilliance prematurely by ten years. Originally, the JV was to terminate by 2018 but will now run until 2028, giving the Bavarian carmaker the chance for long-term expansion. The Chinese government signed off on the contract extension.
bloomberg.com, europe.autonews.com
Hero literally leaps into hybrid market: The electric motorcycle company plans to launch its series-hybrid scooter “Leap” in February 2015. It will be produced in rather small volumes (around 6,000) and is scheduled to arrive on the European and U.S. first, before eventually being introduced in India.
autocarpro.in, indianautosblog.com
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LaFerrari convertible? Apparently, Ferrari not only plans a race version of its latest hybrid super car (we reported) but also a convertible called Spider. Rumour has it that the manufacturer will build only 50 of these topless LaFerraris.
automobilemag.com, motorauthority.com
Chevy calls for improvements: GM asked owners of Chevy Volts built between 2012 and 2013 to swing by their local garage to have a possible problem with the battery cooling fixed. The company insists, however, that this is not an official recall.
greencarreports.com, transportevolved.com
Maxi e-scooter review: Roland Brown took the BMW C Evolution for a spin. Brown finds that the electric scooter, which is being produced close to Electrive’s Berlin HQ, surges forward at a “very entertaining rate.” His only doubt is if the “British motorcycling public is ready” for it.
telegraph.co.uk
A plug-in VW Touran? The first spy shots of the next-gen Touran have been released. They do not show much, but it is said that the famous family van will get a plug-in hybrid drivetrain when making its debut at the Paris Auto Show in October. We hope so!
autoevolution.com, autozeitung.de (in German)
Volvo XC90 sneak preview: Ahead of its full revelation in August, Volvo has released imagery and videos of the interior of the redesigned XC90. The Swedish SUV will be offered as a plug-in hybrid and fully electric at some point (we reported).
worldcarfans.com, indianautosblog.com
Bentley teaser: Bentley published a video for its upcoming SUV, due to arrive in 2016. While the video does give any new details, we hope Bentley will stick to its plan and introduce a plug-in version in 2017.
indianautosblog.com
Toyota Yaris redefined: Being the only car in its class to offer a full-hybrid drivetrain, the small Toyota Yaris is quite successful in Europe – every third customer chooses the hybrid version. This summer, the Yaris will undergo a facelift and be introduced to the Australian market shortly after.
caradvice.com.au (Australia), autobild.de (Europe, in German)
First premium hybrid for India: In June, BMW will introduce the 7 Series ActiveHybrid to the Indian market. It will be the first hybrid-driven car from BMW in India or more precisely, the only one of any premium brand.
motoringworld.net via indianautosblog.com
Four miles to the gallon: Andrew English from The Telegraph was lucky and drove the LaFerrari for a day. Among the many details he provides in his review, some facts clearly stand out. It is not the mileage (4 mpg at test day) nor the price (1.15m pounds) that keep Ferraristi from wanting to get their hands on the vehicle. All 499 units have already been sold.
telegraph.co.uk
Toyota considers new hybrid: Once the technology gets more affordable, the carmaker might offer its new Toyota Aygo as a hybrid. Just not yet. The combustion version will hit the streets this summer.Meanwhile, with every third car sold being a hybrid, the Yaris hybrid has proven to be a success story for Toyota. The same is true for the Auris with 40% and Auris ST estate with 60% of the customers going for hybrid.
auto-motor-und-sport.de (in German), welt.de (in German)
Ferrari plans new hybrid models: Especially the 458 might be offered as a hybrid version in the near future. But here too, cost is still an issue. Ferrari-Chef Amedeo Felisa says, he wants to wait for further technological development and lower battery prices.
automobil-produktion.de (in German)
First BMW i3 delivered in the U.S.: Charles Rabie, a professor at Tulf University in Boston was the lucky first to drive off the lot on Friday. On the other end of the U.S., California buyers are happy to hear that even the BMW i3 with extended range will receive the same 2,500 dollar incentive as the fully electric version.
electriccarsreport.com (Boston), greencarreports.com (California)
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Electromobility powered by Siemens: Siemens is presenting its drivetrain solutions for electric and hybrid cars on “Vehicle Show Electromobility” in Bad Neustadt a.d.S on May 10th and 11th. Find Siemens at the fairground of the demo city for electromobility and take a ride with an electric car.
www.siemens.com/electriccar
B-Class Electric Drive priced in the UK: As of the first quarter 2015, the Mercedes will be available for 32,000 pounds (54,000 dollars) before rebates. And with the 5,000-pound (8,440 dollars) government grant extended to 2017, the Mercedes B-Class Electric Drive will cost only 1,320 pounds (2,230 dollars) more than the BMW i3.
thegreencarwebsite.co.uk, autocar.co.uk
Introducing C evolution: BMW’s all-electric maxi scooter is available as of today and is said to combine the qualities of a motorcycle and agility of a scooter. The 15,000-euro price tag (20,800 dollars) puts it in the ‘Tesla category’ among scooters. An investment that pays off. C evolution can save the driver 6,000 euros (8,300 dollars) per 10,000 kilometres driven.
designboom.com
The European Union is happy with how fast carmakers are achieving their climate goals, saying the 2015 target has already been met. Climate organisations, on the other hand, accuse manufacturers of lying about their vehicles’ CO2 emission figures.
greencarcongress.com, green.autoblog.com
LaFerrari test drive: Rory Caroll describes it as ‘otherwordly,’ as he sits behind the steering wheel of the new super hybrid. Only 499 units will build and sold to selective customers. And despite its 1.4 million dollar price tag, they have already sold out.
autoweek.com