Volkswagen electric car deliveries are up in 2022
The Volkswagen Group handed over 366,400 fully electric vehicles to customers in the first nine months of this year, around 25 per cent more than in the same period last year (293,000).
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Lamborghini plans first fully electric model for 2028
After Lamborghini published its electrification strategy last year, there are now more details about the brand’s electric-only plans. British media, citing Lamborghini boss Stephan Winkelmann, report that the brand’s first electric crossover is due in 2028.
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Italy wants emissions exceptions for Ferrari & Lamborghini
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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Lamborghini announces hybrid strategy for 2024
The Italian car manufacturer Lamborghini, which belongs to the Volkswagen Group, has published its electrification strategy. According to the strategy, Lamborghini will launch its first series-production model with hybrid drive in 2023 and hybridise its entire product range by the end of 2024.
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Volkswagen Group misses EU CO2 fleet targets narrowly
The Volkswagen Group just missed the EU’s CO2 fleet targets for 2020. The CO2 pool formed with other manufacturers fell short by around 0.5 g/km last year. By contrast, the VW and Audi brands exceeded their CO2 fleet targets, primarily due to the ramp-up of the ID.3 and rising e-tron sales.
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Diess gets full backing for Volkswagen transformation
After a few tense weeks of power poker at Volkswagen, it has now been announced that Herbert Diess will remain Group CEO with the Group’s unequivocal backing for his strategy and leadership.
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VW reconsiders three brands under electric strategy
As part of its realignment towards more economies of scale in the mass production of electric cars, Volkswagen is putting the future of its Lamborghini, Bugatti and Ducati brands to the test, according to a media report. A decision could fall next month.
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Lamborghini and Segway-Ninebot issue go-kart
Segway-Ninebot has developed an electric go-kart together with Lamborghini. The Ninebot GoKart Pro in the ‘Lamborghini Edition’ can reach speeds of up to 40 kph and is distributed through electronics manufacturer Xiaomi.
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Porsche to build own platform for electric sports cars
The German brand intends to create an own electric platform called SPE to develop two-door sports cars and super sports vehicles, according to Automotive News. Also Audi and Lamborghini are said to benefit from the new architecture.
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Lamborghini presents Urus – PHEV to follow in 2019
With the debut of its Urus, the Italian manufacturer Lamborghini is about to tackle the SUV market. In a first step, the company launchs a combustion-powered 650 hp version of the model by spring 2018. A plug-in hybrid shall follow later, according to “Auto Motor und Sport” by 2019.
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Pope Francis puts Lamborghini up for auction
Italian manufacturer Lamborghini transferred a special version of its Huracán to Pope Francis, who obviously considers the car too pretentious. So in support of charity organisations the car will come under the hammer.
Read moreMercedes, Hermes, Jeep, Lamborghini, BMW, Kia, Changan.
Strategic transport partnership: Mercedes and courier Hermes have finalised their previous agreement to make deliveries emission free. Hermes wants to deploy 1,500 electric Mercedes Sprinters and Vitos, first in Stuttgart and Hamburg but later nationwide. At the signing ceremony, they further detailed the deal. It includes plans for infrastructure for logistic hotspots, where the batteries assembled in Daimler subsidiary Accumotive’s new facility will be charged. The electric drives have been specifically developed by Mercedes to electrify its van business, which will also receive another 150m euros over the next few years. daimler.com, electrive.net (in German)
Jeep offensive: The outdoor brand wants to offer hybrid versions of most of its eight models, FCA CEO Marchionne announced. The leap into electric terrain is to take place within the next 2-3 years, so it looks like the Yuntu PHEV, displayed in Shanghai, was more than just a concept to test the waters.
marketwatch.com
Lambo likes it large: The Urus SUV by Lamborghini will have 650 hp under the hood. A first production run will see an initial 1,000 units hitting the road next year but Lambo plans to scale up to 3,500 pieces annually. By 2019, the Urus will also come as PHEV variant featuring the same V8 engine.
autonews.com
Spyder up close: The upcoming roadster BMW i8 has been caught on camera and bared almost all, or at least parts of its convertible new side. The innards of the super hybrid are expected to be stronger comes 2018, when a 380 hp engine will be combined with a bigger battery pack.
carscoops.com
Korea gets Kia Niro PHEV: Kia has begun to serve its local market, where it launched the dedicated plug-in hybrid as planned. The Niro went on sale for 33m Won (about 27,000 euros). Europeans will have to wait until autumn for the PHEV and Kia has scheduled an all-electric version for 2018.
yonhapnews.co.kr
Changan too bets on domestic buyers and just announced an electric version of its compact SUVs CS15, that will launch in China later this year. The Changan CS15 EV entails 55 kW and has a said range of up 300 km.
carnewschina.com
4 in 5 victories of this year’s Formula E racing series went to Swiss Sébastien Buemi. The Renault pilot just scored again at the ePrix in Monaco, where he overtook Lucas di Grassi (Abt Schaeffler Audi Sport) and Nick Heidfeld (Mahindra Racing).
electricautosport.com, youtube.com (highlights)
Too cool for school.
A grandfather in China build his grandson his own device to get to school – an electric mini car. But not any car but a Lamborghini and not just one Lambo but a fleet of four. The mini EV reaches a speed of 40 kph and has scissor doors. If it is street-legal is another question though.
shanghaiist.com
VW, Lamborghini, Zava, Tesla, Xpeng Motors.
About time: ‘Think New’ is Volkswagen’s motto for the Paris Motorshow. They will present a long range EV “for a new era” meaning one with a range between 250 to 300 miles. The size of a Golf, the concept shall hit the market by 2019 and is supposed to leave a similar impression as the iconic Beetle did in its days. The tease is on with first pictures having been released.
autocar.co.uk, insideevs.com, autonews.com
Electric Lamborghini: The Italian brand is working on the Vitola, a purely electric sports car, Autobild reports. The EV aims for hitting 62 mph in 2.5 seconds, powered by technology from the Porsche Mission E. Whether Lamborghini gets the go ahead for a very limited production run remains to be seen.
motortrend.com, youtube.com (video in German)
Another Italian supercar promises the start-up Zava. The Prometheus will utilise four electric motors to bring it up to 60 mph in less than two seconds. Range is given as up to 300 miles. So far, only renderings exist without any plans for production set yet.
topspeed.com
Tesla update v8.0: This Wednesday will see Tesla pushing a wide release of its latest software update. Version 8.0 includes changes to the Autopilot, which will reportedly rely more on radar sensors than camera data. Drivers will also have to take over steering sooner and for longer.
electrek.co
Electric SUV from China: Xpeng Motors has shown its first electric compact SUV. The Xpeng Beta has a said range of 300 km thanks to energy dense cells from Samsung. Production will start in 2017 and the Chinese manufacturer intends to scale up to 20,000 units by the end of 2018.
gasgoo.com, electromobile360.ru (pictures), youtube.com (video)
Shu Youxing (BYD), Stefano Domenicali (Lamborghini).
“Through our discussions, we have discovered our BEVs are being charged at night. During the afternoon and evening, the burden is very low on the grid.”
BYD General Manager for auto sales, Shu Youxing, still asks for speedy updates of the grid despite EVs being charged at night rather than at peak times. Once EVs will become widely adopted, the network has to be ready to carry the load at any hour.
just-auto.com
“Through our discussions, we have discovered our BEVs are being charged at night. During the afternoon and evening, the burden is very low on the grid.”
Says Lamborghini CEO Stefano Domenicali but points to the technology being too expensive in the luxury sports car market – of all markets. So when will that future finally arrive, we wonder?!
insideevs.com
“We cannot think that electrification, hybrids and fuel cells will not hit the super sports car segment. It will. It’s a matter of time.”Bosch, Aston Martin, Lamborghini, BYD, Barbus.
Bosch batteries: Bosch is evaluating the potential of solid-state batteries and may set up its own battery factory if the technology meets expectations. The world’s largest automotive supplier plans to make the investment decision two years from now, Wirtschaftswoche reports. Bosch recently acquired Californian start-up Seeo (we reported).
wiwo.de (in German)
Red Bull supercar? According to Autocar, Red Bull CTO Adrian Newey is developing a pure electric road car in cooperation with Aston Martin. Following the launch in 2018, the vehicle could potentially also be offered as a hybrid variant with a V8 petrol engine. Mercedes-AMG is said to be looking into contributing to the project.
autocar.co.uk
Lamborghini plug-in: The Urus SUV with an estimated production start in 2018 is likely to be Lamborghini’s first plug-in hybrid to hit the market. A report by Auto Express quotes CEO Stephan Winkelmann, saying that an SUV is better suited in terms of the power-weight ratio to carry the extra battery weight than other car types.
autoexpress.co.uk
Mercedes expands in Tuscaloosa: Mercedes-Benz is investing a total of 1.3bn dollars in the expansion of its production plant in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. 300 new jobs will be created in the process. The factory will i.e. serve as the production site for Mercedes’ next generation of SUVs, including hybrid variants.
greencarcongress.com
BYD Song photos: CarNewsChina.com shows pictures of the BYD Song, the plug-in hybrid version of the new BYD S3 SUV. According to the online news site, the car will feature an all-wheel drive and has an electric range of 70 km (43 miles). BYD is planning on launching the plug-in SUV by the end of 2015.
carnewschina.com
Brabus Tesla makeover: Brabus premiered its first customized Tesla Model S at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The Brabus ‘Zero Emission’ branch offers various refinement options for bodywork and interior of the Model S. A fully customised P90D costs 205,768 euros and includes cup holders that can be set to cooling or heating, as well as a wireless smartphone charger.
autoevolution.com, autoblog.com, transportevolved.com
Real Driving Emissions, Chevrolet, BMW, Connecticut, Lamborghini.
RDE regulation underway: The European Union member states yesterday supported the EU Commission’s proposal for the evaluation of Real Driving Emissions (RDE). CO2 emissions of vehicles will have to be measured not only under laboratory conditions, but also in real driving tests. However, as the ACEA pointed out, the full test cycle remains obscure.
acea.be
Volt prices hit a new low: Because of low petrol prices and the next generation Volt just around the bend, Chevrolet dealers are offering the current Volt model from 30,607 dollars before tax credit, around 5,000 dollar under MSRP. There are about 6,000 of the 2015 Volt left for sale in the U.S.
usatoday.com
BMW i8 reaches MRSP level: As extra eager buyers seemingly have had their share of the hybrid super car, dealers in the U.S. now offer the i8 at MRSP. Pricing starts at 136,500 dollars excluding a Destination & Handling fee. This year, BMW will allocate more than 1,000 i8 to the U.S.
bmwblog.com
CHEAPR is Connecticut’s rebate programme for electric and hybrid vehicles. Up to 3,000 dollars are offered to those who either lease or buy an EV or PHEV with a battery capacity of more than 18 kWh. The programme pays 1,500 dollars for vehicles with an 18 kWh battery or less.
insideevs.com, electriccarsreport.com
Tech demo live: Lamborghini will present its Asterion PHEV at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este in Italy this weekend. As we know, the super stylish hybrid will not go into serial production but remain a technology demonstrator only.
motoroids.com
Zinoro, Qoros, Volvo, Efficient Drivetrains, Lamborghini.
New Zinoro EV: The Chinese joint venture by BMW and Brilliance is teasing their upcoming study Next Concept, which will premiere at the Shanghai Auto Show next week. Just like the Zinoro 1 E, this concept will be powered by an electric drivetrain. More details will be released at the trade show.
carnewschina.com
Qoros SUV with plug: The Chinese brand will present a subcompact SUV concept in Shanghai, which will be equipped with a plug-in hybrid powertrain. The car will apparently be able to charge inductively and feature an automated charging arm which automatically connects to specialized chargers.
auto-motor-und-sport.de (charging details in German); tradearabia.com
Volvo becomes even more luxurious: The Swedes will debut their plug-in hybrid XC90 Excellence in Shanghai, a more luxurious variant of the SUV. Instead of seven seats, this version only has four, which feature massage and ventilation functions as well as an increased legroom. The Volvo XC90 Excellence will also be equipped with folding tables and a refrigerator.
electriccarsreport.com, indianautosblog.com
Plug-in SUV for Asia: U.S. drivetrain specialist Efficient Drivetrains introduces a plug-in hybrid SUV for Asian markets, with an all-electric range of 50 kilometres. The PHEV is said to be especially affordable, but the exact price has yet to be announced.
greencarcongress.com, businesswire.com
No Lamborghini hybrid: CEO Stephan Winklemann denied production plans for the Asterion concept shown in Paris last year. He says that the plug-in hybrid sports car is for technology demonstrations only and will not go into serial production. Too bad.
caranddriver.com
Who copied who?
The all-electric mini sports Lishidedidong Urban Supercar looks a lot like a Lamborghini, only this car has been around longer than its non-identical twin, the Asterion. So who is copying who? The Lambo Asterion is definitely higher up on the coolness scale.
carnewschina.com
Next level sustainability.
A Chinese carpenter has built a Lamborghini roadster out of carved wood. Not any wood. We are talking about a luxury car here, so he used mahogany. The icing on the cake is that it actually drives (on rubber tires) electrically up to 18 mph.
autoevolution.com
Audi, Lamborghini, Zero Motorcycles, Ford, Kia.
Super hybrid rumoured: Apparently, Audi plans to issue a hybrid super car by 2016, the Swedish edition of Auto Motor & Sport reports. This Audi R10 would not build on the diesel hybrid technology of the victorious Le Mans racer but take on its competitors like the Porsche 918 Spyder, McLaren P1 and LaFerrari with a 1,000-hp hybrid 6-litre V10 drivetrain.
autocars4x4.com, automotorsport.se (in Swedish)
Hybrid Lamborghini? The Italian carmaker is rumoured to also have a hybrid super car in the pipeline. At least this is what an Italian print magazine suggests when publishing images of what is said to be a hybrid Asterion, which is set to debut in Paris this week.
technologicvehicles.com
Updated Zero range: Zero Motorcycles introduced its 2015 line up. The Zero S, Zero SR and Zero DS all come with 10% higher capacity and upgraded standard equipment. Pricing starts at 9,845 dollars for the Zero FX and go up to 17,345 for the Zero SR. Orders are open now while the bikes are due to arrive in the States by December. Europeans will have to wait until February next year.
asphaltandrubber.com, electriccarsreport.com (with photos and video)
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Mondeo ready to order: Ford has started taking orders for its new generation Mondeo in Europe. In the UK, pricing starts at 20,795 pounds. The new Mondeo, which is built in Spain, finally comes in a hybrid version (24,995 pounds). Originally revealed in Detroit 2012, it´s about time.
carmagazine.co.uk, thegreencarwebsite.co.uk
The Kia Soul EV in Canada will only be available at 11 dealerships. Nevertheless, two reviewers recently took the angular EV for a ride. Brendan McAleer finds it “certifiable groovy,” given you live in an area of Canada where there are enough charge points around. Jim Robinson is also hooked on the looks and the Soul EV’s range of 150 kilometres.
driving.ca (McAleer), wheels.ca (Robinson)
Peugeot, KTM, Lamborghini, Kia, Renault, Volvo.
New Peugeot PHEV concept: The French carmaker will chose his home show in Paris to present its crossover study called Quartz. Its design speaks of strength which is matched by a 500-hp plug-in hybrid drivetrain featuring one petrol engine and two electric drives.
electriccarsreport.com, ecomento.com
Freeride E is ready: KTM finally presented its new electric Freeride E. It will be available in two different trims from October in Europe. With 42 Nm torque and 16 kW peak power, the Freeride can run for an hour with its removable 2.6-kWh battery. Price: 10,995 euros (14,200 dollars).
insideevs.com, asphaltandrubber.com
Lamborghini released a teaser image ahead of the Paris Motor Show. The graphic only shows a few lines but came with the slogan: “Once perfection is achieved, you can just double it.” Is the brand talking about two power sources and thus working on a plug-in hybrid?
autoexpress.co.uk, drive.com.au
Kia’s mild hybrid: The Korean company will show its diesel mild hybrid system at Paris Motor Show. It debuted earlier this year in Geneva and is now ready to be put to use in a concept Kia Optima T-Hybrid.
thenewsmarket.com
As exclusive as it gets: Top Gear got the chance to test drive Renault’s Eolab concept which will only be unveiled in Paris. They tried everything, from the “comfy seats” to the mainly electric “weekday” drive mode made for commuting and the “weekend” hybrid mode for more fun. We now know: this “concept” is actually a fully functional prototype. Still, Renault says it will not go serial.
topgear.com
Volvo XC90 R: The Swedish carmaker will unveil its new SUV in the R-design in Paris. It will become available to order next month and also the hybrid XC90 can be bought in the R-look that features a sportier look and includes paddle shifters and sports pedals.
inautonews.com, carbuyer.co.uk
Over the top.
Sometimes less is more though this does not seem true for the world of tuning. Watch this Lamborghini Aventador trying to move over a ramp, although “ramp” is actually an exaggeration – as is the extra-extra low setting of this car. At least the motor keeps roaring reassuringly.
youtube.com
High level austerity.
While Italy might seem to be in the middle of recession, the Italian State Police got their ride pimped by Lamborghini. The Huracán LP610-4 in blue and white comes outfitted with a siren system, and police radio. It is not the first Lambo in the force but actually replaces two Gallardos. Not exactly what we would call a cut in budget…
autoweek.com
Nissan, Lamborghini, Honda, Toyota, Fiat, Peugeot, Infiniti, Lexus.
Leaf to get battery pack options: Nissan CEO Andy Palmer said that two or even three sizes of battery packs might be in the cards for the 2016 or 2017 Leaf models. Apparently, capacities of up to 42 kWh are being discussed internally.
greencarreports.com, transportevolved.com
Lamborghini SUV with hybrid version: Now, also Lamborghini wants to get a share of the SUV segment and plans to introduce an off road vehicle that is based on Volkswagen’s modular platform. Also, a hybrid version is planned.
autocar.co.uk
Sporty Honda hybrid: The Japanese unveiled the new ‘Concept B’ in Beijing, without divulging much information. The hatchback is a preview for a hybrid designed for the Chinese market where the production model is set to go on sale by 2016.
indianautosblog.com, autoblog.com
Yaris gets facelift: Toyota released a photo of an updated version of its small car due to hit the stores this summer. The redesigned Yaris will have improved dynamics while the hybrid drivetrain will remain unchanged.
carscoops.com
The Fiat 500e will go on sale in Oregon, said Fiat’s U.S. chief Jason Stoicevich in New York. So far, the small but stylish electric car has mainly been sold in California and urban centres. Sales in Oregon are set to start this summer.
wardsauto.com via greencarreports.com
Picture collection: Here are the latest pictures from Beijing and New York portraying the concept Peugeot Exalt, the extended Infiniti Q70, the Lexus NX, the Mercedes Concept Coupé SUV, the new Hyundai Sonata and Toyota Camry as well as the X5 eDrive and the Vision Future Luxury Concept by BMW.
Lamborghini-EV.
A Chinese handyman by hobby wanted to make something special for his grandson and built him a miniature Lamborghini. Electric of course! Powered by five batteries, the car has a range of 37 miles and can reach 62 mph. The total production costs – around 600 euros (823 dollars).
thats-beijing.com
