Under pressure from Western sanctions, Russia is making a new attempt at domestic electric car production. The Russian manufacturer Kamaz is reviving the Soviet-era Moskvich brand, yet, with Chinese involvement, and will produce the Moskvich 3 in a plant near Moscow given up by Renault.
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The Russian Lada manufacturer Avtovaz is planning its first electric model – but don’t expect to see the electric Lada before 2024. That is at the earliest, if at all: after the sanctions imposed on Russia due to its invasion of Ukraine and the withdrawal of Renault, Avtovaz is having great difficulty keeping car production […]
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Renault CEO Luca de Meo has presented his new strategy dubbed “Renaulution”. The Italian de Meo wants to give the French automaker a new business principle putting value above volume. Ten new electric models are to be launched by 2025.
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Tesla’s Cybertruck apparently inspired Russian mechanics to modify an old Lada to look like the electric pickup. Seemingly missing the point, the Cybertruck replica still runs on a conventional combustion engine – at least the maker of the project added that he is thinking about installing an electric motor in the future.
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Bristol Cars’ electric plans: With Bullet, the British manufacturer has presented its first model in 12 years. The roadster is powered by a V8 but is said to be the last petrol-powered car before making way for high-tech range extender models with technology adopted from the transport company Frazer Nash.
autocar.co.uk, autoexpress.co.uk
VDL presents electric bus: The 9.9-metre-long electric bus Citea LLE 99 Electric can now be ordered and features a 150 kW electric motor and 180 kWh battery pack. On top of being able to plug in, the bus can also be fast-charged with up to 270 kW via an overhead pantograph, says VDL.
vdlbuscoach.com
Chevy Bolt to arrives 2016: The all-electric Chevy Bolt will arrive at U.S. dealerships in the last quarter of 2016, Alan Batey, head of GM North America now confirmed. Official numbers of how many units will be available have not been released, but observers expect about 30,000 per year.
detroitnews.com
Lada electrified: Russian manufacturer AvtoAZ has presented a Lada prototype with an electric drivetrain. The Vesta EV is said to have a range of 170 km, but it is not clear when it will arrive on the market. And the carmaker aims for a sales price of 35,000 euros – five times as much as the petrol variant.
sputniknews.com, bizzenergytoday.com (in German)
Hybrid SUV from Subaru: The Japanese brand is now excepting orders for its XV Hybrid tS in its home market. The compact SUV with a 110 kw hybrid drivetrain is said to arrive at dealerships this autumn and sell for about 29,700 dollars.
greencarcongress.com, fhi.co.jp
South Korea extends subsidies: Until the end of 2019, buyers of fuel cell vehicles qualify for a 3,557 dollar tax break. Fleets that are made up of at least 50 percent electric cars receive a 30 percent tax cut.
koreaherald.com
EV incentives in Germany? The German government is working on a 2bn euro programme designed to spur electric transport in the heart of Europe. The scheme draws on public infrastructure, but also includes incentives, which had been ruled out before. Government officials themselves might also be asked to drive electrically, but no details have been published yet.
zeit.de, automobilwoche.de (articles in German)
E-Pace update: It looks like the electric Jaguar E-Pace will arrive already in 2018, auto motor & sport reports. A plug-in hybrid version is also in the cards. The E-Pace will be similar to the F-Pace, but a little more compact. Technology is lent from the Concept E by Land Rover (we reported).
auto-motor-und-sport.de (in German)
Kia teases its dedicated hybrid ahead of the Chicago debut, publishing images of the Niro’s glossy outlines. The dedicated PHEV will most likely share its system with Hyundai’s Ioniq that combines a four-cylinder with an electric motor for a combined output of 150 hp.
worldcarfans.com, autocar.co.uk
Lada EV: The Russian brand is working on an electric version of the Vesta sedan. AvtoVaz, better known as Lada, already has one EV called the E1, which is produced in very small numbers. The Vesta EV is currently being tested and features a 60 kW motor and lithium-ion battery.
automobil-produktion.de (in German)
Outlander goes west: In Detroit, Mitsubishi gave a sneak preview of its latest Outlander PHEV that is scheduled to finally arrive in the U.S. in August. It had been delayed multiple times, but the plug-in hybrid will make its official debut in New York this spring.
autonews.com, thedetroitbureau.com
Taking flight: Two senior Tesla engineers have joined drone start-up Skydio. Dan Adams joined Tesla as a Senior Mechanical Engineer and stayed with the EV maker for ten years. He now followed his colleague Benjamin Thompson, said to be responsible for many of the Autopilot features.
electrek.co
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This video shows an old Lada easily overtaking a Porsche 911. While the speed and dedication is truly impressive, the sound of whatever it is that powers the Lada roars rather unpleasantly. Maybe the Porsche driver wanted to be taken over and be left in peace and quiet?!
youtube.com
Some Russian government employees might have been reminded of times not so long ago, when Industry Minister Denis Manturov handed in a draft to limit the procurement of imported cars by state institutions. His proposal is meant to support the domestic car industry and the state’s pocket in the face of a falling rouble. So from now on it is bye-bye Benz and ‘Privét’ Lada!
uk.reuters.com
