Ford will return to Formula 1 from 2026 after more than two decades – as Red Bull’s technical partner. Red Bull Powertrains and Ford will collaborate on the development of the next-generation hybrid powertrain for the Oracle Red Bull Racing and Scuderia AlphaTauri teams.
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Audi will compete in Formula 1 from 2026. As the manufacturer has now officially announced, its own hybrid drive unit is being developed for this purpose at Audi Sport’s Motorsport Competence Centre in Neuburg an der Donau. Around half of the power is to come from the electric motor.
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The FIA has approved the engine regulations for Formula 1 from 2026. The electric share of hybrid drives will then increase to up to 50 per cent, and the combustion engines must also run on 100 per cent “sustainable fuel. The new drive regulations pave the way for a possible entry of the VW brands […]
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Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced that the company is working toward Tesla achieving same-hour service on its vehicles as often as possible by using “Formula 1 pit crew techniques”.
Read moreBentley hybrid: Bentley unveiled the EXP 10 Speed 6 concept in Geneva. The two-seater features a hybrid drivetrain, combining a six cylinder engine and two electric motors. If the concept will make it to serial production depends on customer feedback.
autoexpress.co.uk, digitaltrends.com
Gigafactory delayed? According to a local job posting from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers at the end of January, work at Tesla’s Gigafactory in Nevada has been “cut back by 80%.” Tesla meanwhile says the factory is on schedule and first batteries should be delivered by the end of 2016.
rgj.com, wsj.com
Shocked by a hybrid? Formula 1 teams are considering boycotting the race in Melbourne, following a still unresolved accident by Fernando Alonso. Rumour has it he experienced an electric shock from his Honda’s hybrid KERS system. The Grand Prix Driver’s Association (GPDA) said that “all the rumours of an electric shock are false,” but is waiting for medical reports to “understand the full picture.”
sportbild.bild.de (boycott; article in German), telegraph.co.uk (GPDA)
Good year for Accell Group: The company released its figures for 2014. Overall bikes sales increased 23 percent, while e-bikes made up 41 percent of sales last year. Moreover, e-bikes are also responsible for an increase of the average price of bicycles from 336 to 377 euros (364 to 408 dollars).
bike-eu.com
New Leaf look? Green Car Reports wonders whether Nissan’s Sway concept presented at the Geneva Motor Show could be a glimpse at the next Nissan Leaf. The author bases his prediction on Nissan design chief Shiro Nakamura’s statement that one should expect “less EV-ness.” The carmaker says the concept shows the potential direction of the next generation of the Micra.
greencarreports.com
One Tesla fits all: In order to make the Model 3 attractive for as many potential customers as possible, Tesla wants to offer a number of derivatives. According to Tesla’s vice president for engineering Chris Porritt, it could i.e be available as a SUV or an estate – a product strategy similar to that of VW’s Golf.
autoexpress.co.uk, hybridcars.com
Elon Musk announces new leasing conditions for the Model S in the U.S. Working with US Bank, monthly leasing rates will drop around 25 percent. Moreover, if a customer is not satisfied with the car, he or she can return it within three months of purchase.
teslamotors.com, insideevs.com
Detroit Electric teases SP:01: The U.S. carmaker shows its upcoming electric sports car piece by piece. This time, it released a back shot of the final exterior. The SP:01 is said to be the world’s fastest production electric sports car when it becomes available next year.
carscoops.coml, electriccarsreport.com
Citelec for USA: Cenntro Automotive has begun building the small electric utility vehicle for the U.S. market at its production site in Nevada. It can carry up to 635 kilos, has a range of 200 kilometres and comes with a price tag of 20,000 dollars. In Europe, the Citelec is available since 2013.
automotive-business-review.com
Audi A9 as plug-in? The German manufacturer will unveil a design study at the LA Auto Show, which will most likely become available as the new Audi A9 in 2016. German Autobild published a rendering of what the car could look like and Autocar reports, that Audi plans two plug-in hybrid options.
autobild.de (rendering), autocar.co.uk (plug-in rumours)
Audi to hit the F1 track? UK’s Auto Express sites insiders saying that Audi will quit Le Mans and DTM by the end of next year and plans to join forces with Red Bull for the Formula 1 in 2016. So far, Audi officially says that is just a rumour.
autoexpress.co.uk, carthrottle.com
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Video tip 1: This weekend, Formula 1 gets ready to rev their engines again. Supported by impressive animations, drivers Sebastian Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo explain the new regulations and technical changes of the upcoming season, including the new Energy Recovery System (ERS).
youtube.com
Video tip 2: The E-move.me team has come up with a solution tackling charging difficulties when using automated parking systems. In their video they show how it can be done using a Tesla Model S.
youtube.com
The Tesla Model S beats the BMW i3 in terms of influence on the web: According to the latest edition of our eMobility-Buzz, the Model S could benefit from the hype around Tesla’s Megafactory announcement in February and overtake its German rival. Every month this new service of our German edition electrive.net will measure the mentions of all available electric cars in german-speaking online media.
electrive.net (in German)
Formula 1 with ERS: For this year’s Formula 1 season, FIA changed the regulations of the Energy Recovery System significantly. Renault is the first to publish details about their latest race engine that is now capable of giving an extra boost of 120 kW, mainly regenerated from braking and by the exhaust system.
autoblog.com, electric-vehiclenews.com
Silicon-carbon composite: EnerG2 has introduced a composite of silicon and carbon to improve the performance and capacity of lithium-ion batteries. The company claims that the new anode composite will improve the cycle times of batteries by a factor of five.
greencarcongress.com
BYD put to the test: In Canada, a 40-foot BYD electric bus has completed the first ten months of road trials rather successfully. Supplemented by a small diesel-powered heater, the bus was able to achieve an average consumption of 15 kWh per 100 km with air conditioning and full passenger loads. Société de transport de Montreal (STM) will continue tests until spring of 2014.
greencarcongress.com
Hybrid versus Diesel: Although comparisons between diesel and petrol-powered cars are always like comparing apples and oranges, it is worth mentioning what Whatcar? just found out. In the magazine’s most recent real-world MPG test of executive cars, the Lexus IS 300h not only was the most powerful car but also came out as winner by beating all four German diesel competitors in terms of fuel efficiency.
whatcar.com, lexus.co.uk
