The Taiwanese company has officially taken over a former Caterpillar factory in the Walloon area of Belgium in order to set up production for a small EV named Chloe. The company also took the opportunity to present their BEV.
Read moreBorgward brings coupé: It is one of the sweeter surprises at this year’s IAA, the all-electric Isabella by Borgward. While the revived brand had mainly SUV plans, it draws from its history for this concept that comes in a modernised and sleek form. The e-Isabella bears two electric motors with a combined 220 kW. While Borgward speaks of 500 km range, it is unclear whether this racy four-door EV will ever see a production facility from the inside.
electrek.co, autocar.co.uk
Power hybrids by Toyota: The Japanese carmaker stays on course first set by the Prius and now wants to sway buyers in Europe with more performance. From 2018, two hybrid options will be on offer and the design of the stronger version will resemble the C-HR Hy-Power currently on display.
toyota.eu (strategy), carscoops.com (C-HR Hy-Power)
Thunder Power has turned the spotlight on its EV range at its booth in Frankfurt. Next to a camouflaged electric sedan said to be closer to the series version than 2 years ago, stands an all new electric SUV. The ‘Future Vision’ too sits on the dedicated EV platform the firm from Taiwan has been working on together with German engineers and there is some Italian influence in the bodywork.
carscoops.com, carmagazine.co.uk, tpev.com
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Wishful thinking: Since the power of emission regulation has dawned on the car industry, it has switched to a preemptive strategy. Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche, who currently leads the ACEA as well, now made an “offer” to reduce emissions by another 20 percent between 2021 – 2030 – if demand for EVs and infrastructure allows. The German Ministry for the Environment in a first reaction pointed out that such decisions belong to the realm of politics.
greencarcongress.com, acea.be, t-online.de (reaction, in German)
Chery’s plug-in SUV is out officially as the Chinese unveil the Exeed TX at the IAA. In Europe it will go on sale in all three electrified variants, EV, PHEV, and hybrid reportedly. The plug-in hybrid will be first and then come with a range of 70 kilometres.
carscoops.com, autocar.co.uk
Kia plugs into UK market: After introducing the Niro PHEV on the Isles, the Koreans have now launched the Optima Sportswagon PHEV. Prices start at 32,645 pounds after incentives.
electriccarsreport.com
Click tip: Tesla may not need to promote its cars but its energy offering is another matter. A Model X is currently towing the ‘Tiny House’ across Australia to demonstrate how renewable energy can be used for homes. The not so tiny trailer includes a configurator for home owners.
electrek.co
Reading tip: 58 out of 85 American Smart dealers have decided to quit all sales and offer service only after Daimler announced it would offer nothing but electric Smarts in the States. The 27 remaining dealerships can be found in states with favourable EV policies.
autonews.com
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“Our biggest problem with Ioniq is we don’t have enough of them. I think our only problem right now is insufficient supply.”
Mike O’Brien, VP of product, corporate and digital planning for Hyundai Motor America, when asked if Ioniq sales were slow (4,881 units through June), points to a problem of supply rather than demand, esp. for the EV variant.
wardsauto.com
“My lesson learned there is that we need to make 100 percent sure of the battery technology that we launch with, which is why we chose LG Chem.”
This is Henrik Fisker, who blames parts of his previous downfall on A123 Systems, which supplied batteries for the Karma before filing for bankruptcy in 2012. With LG Chem he went for the safe option.
autonews.com
Genesis to be electrified successively: Hyundai intends to develop electrified models of its luxury brand Genesis from 2019. The news followed the Japanese carmaker’s announcement to work on a platform for electric vehicles only but that will take some time. However, Hyundai is optimistic to launch a first Genesis plug-in hybrid model by 2019 already and to have an all-electric version only two years later by 2021 as well. More details have not been provided though.
electrek.co, motor1.com, reuters.com
Workers call for Audi EV: Audi’s workers council demands to produce electric models not just in Brussels and Neckarsulm but also at the carmaker’s main plant in Ingolstadt. Their request is to make the core factory “fit for the future,” which Audi’s labour leaders obviously see in electrification. As reported, the VW brand selected the smaller site in German Neckarsulm for EV production from 2020 but intends to build the first of three planned EVs in Brussels from 2018.
reuters.com, europe.autonews.com
Thunder Power to produce in Spain: The Taiwanese start-up was on everyone’s lips when it revealed its concept of a 650 km range EV at the IAA in 2015. Now, Thunder Power announced to start the production lines in Ganzhou, China by the end of 2018 in order to supply the Asian market. Furthermore, the company decided to establish R&D in Europe and a new factory in Spanish Catalonia.
www.tpev.com (pdf)
Chery almost triples its capacities: Chery seeks to significantly expand its output as the company is about to open a second assembly in Dezhou, China. First, compact EVs eQ and eQ1 will roll off the lines there at an annual capacity of 100,000 EV. Chery’s first site in Wuhu delivers up to 60,000 EV a year.
europe.autonews.com
Golf GTE to enter UK: Volkswagen’s updated hybrid Golf GTE has become available in the UK with a base price of 30,635 pounds (before incentives). The new model is thus 3,420 GBP cheaper than its predecessor, while the GTE’s powertrain remains unchanged.
electriccarsreport.com, autoexpress.co.uk
Electric motorbike made in India: Start-up Emflux Motors is developing an electric motorcycle to launch next year. The Indian company claims its new “superbike” goes from 0 to 100 kph in 3.5 sec, and charges 80% in 36 min for a range of 200 km. Emflux plans to produce 200 and is currently prototyping.
auto.ndtv.com
Thunder Power lifts curtain: The Taiwanese company officially introduced its Tesla-fighter concept in Frankfurt. There will be two variants of the electric vehicle – one with 230 kW and the other with 320 kW under the hood. Both will be able to go 650 km on one charge. Market launch in Europe is scheduled for 2017, followed by China in 2018. The U.S. will have to wait a while longer before seeing the EV hit the road.
carscoops.com
Sports car Scalo: Artega hopes to make a comeback with the Scalo, an electric version of the company’s late GT, which had caused it to go bankrupt. This time, the petrol engine was replaced by two electric motors with a combined peak power of 390 kW. The car is said to have a range of up to 400 km, while maximum speed is set at 250 kph. The Scalo will only be built to order.
autogespot.co.za, autoweek.nl (in Dutch), autobild.de (in German)
Nissan crossover concept: The Japanese presented the Gripz Concept at the IAA Tuesday, equipped with the ‘Pure Drive’ e-Power hybrid system. A petrol engine powers the electric motor also used in the Nissan Leaf. The sporty four-door crossover is said to be great for everyday routes, as well as fun to ride on the weekend.
carscoops.com, netcarshow.com
Toyota-premiere in Frankfurt: The manufacturer took the wraps off its updated version of the C-HR hybrid concept, nearly one year after showing a first glimpse at the Paris Motor Show. The production car will be shown at the Geneva Motor Show early next year, with sales to kick off in the second half of 2016.
worldcarfans.com, indianautosblog.com
Bugatti previews Veyron’s successor: Bugatti showed its newest vehicle at the Frankfurt Motor Show, dubbed the Bugatti Vision Gran Turismo. The car is essentially a real life version of the car in the PlayStation Gran Turismo videogame, but is said to strongly influence the planned hybrid sportscar Chiron. Meanwhile, this concept car will sell for around 2.6m dollars.
motoring.com.au, indianautosblog.com
Failed Mission: Manufacturer Mission Motorcycles is bankrupt. Considering the past year, this may not come as a surprise. Instead of beginning to sell it electric motorcycles in September of last year, the company underwent corporate restructuring and a name change, saying it wanted to venture into the automotive market. It was even hit with a lawsuit by one of its co-founders earlier in 2014.
autoblog.com
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Taiwanese Tesla-fighter: Thunder Power published a teaser photo of its electric car, which it will premiere in Frankfurt. The Taiwanese company promises over 370 miles of range, the ability to go from 0 to 60 mph in under five seconds, 316 kW under the hood and a maximum speed of 155 mph. The EV is expected to arrive in Europe in 2017, with a price tag of 400,000 yuan (63,000 USD).
autoexpress.co.uk, carscoops.com
Borgward BX7 SUV: Borgward released first official photos of and details about its upcoming compact SUV, scheduled for launch at the IAA (we reported). The plug-in hybrid version will boast 401 hp and can drive 34 miles fully electrically. The PHEV will first go on sale in China and emerging markets in 2016, while European buyers will have to wait until 2017.
carscoops.com
Mercedes concept car: Mercedes published two teaser shots of a new concept car that it will showcase at this year’s IAA. The carmaker says that this four-door coupé is “an aerodynamics world champion,” representing the brand’s future design language. A preview event will be held Monday evening.
autocar.co.uk, autoexpress.co.uk,carscoops.com
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The mobility of the future – powered by Siemens. As part of IAA 2015 from September 17 – 27, 2015, Siemens will present leading developments for topics like Connected Car, E-Mobility and Urban Mobility in the New Mobility World 2015 exhibition area. Learn more about our Siemens mobility portfolio. We are looking forward to your visit in hall 3.1 booth 17.
www.siemens.de/iaa
VW camper e-van: Volkswagen will present its all-electric Microbus camper concept at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January. The production version is expected to be smaller than the current Volkswagen Multivan and to have a range of 250 to 310 miles. The vehicle will be produced in Mexico from 2017.
autocar.co.uk
New four-door CLC: Mercedes will launch a new edition of the CLC in 2020, according to Auto Bild. The CLC II will be a four-door limousine, instead of the current two-door sports coupé, and the line-up will include two AMG models with hybrid options. An early version of the CLC 450 Sport plug-in is said to offer 90 kW of electric power, which will later be upgraded to 115 kW.
autobild.de (in German)
Proton Iriz EV: Malaysian automaker Proton unveiled its Iriz EV prototype, a compact car featuring a 39.6 kWh Li-ion battery developed by LG Chem and which is said to provide a range of up to 186 miles. The Iriz EV boast 155 hp and can drive at a maximum of 93 mph. First deliveries are expected by the end of 2016 or the beginning of 2017.
paultan.org
