Groupe Renault Launches Nouvelle Vague (New Wave) Vehicle Roadmap with Seven Fully Electric Vehicles by 2025
French Automaker Groupe Renault has heralded their new strategic product roadmap with the unveiling of the Renault 5 electric prototype. While strictly for show at this stage, the concept captures the original car’s boxy and angular aesthetic beautifully, but adds a taught muscularity with sharply-creased lines giving the R5 the appearance of a tight skin wrapped over the body.
Images: Groupe Renault
French Automaker Groupe Renault has heralded their new strategic product roadmap with the unveiling of the Renault 5 electric prototype. While strictly for show at this stage, the concept captures the original car’s boxy and angular aesthetic beautifully, but adds a taught muscularity with sharply-creased lines giving the R5 the appearance of a tight skin wrapped over the body.
Many of us growing up in the 80’s and 90’s fondly remember the screaming mid-mounted Renault 5 Turbo carving up the international rally scene, and Renault has captured and re-made elements of that car beautifully.
Renault claims that these styling elements are more than nostalgia, rather they hide very high tech features. The bonnet air intake hides the charging hatch (that paintwork is going to get scratched in no time from the charging cable, but let’s allow Renault their fun), the rear lights include aero flaps, and the fog lamps in the bumper are daytime running lights. The side guard and wheels feature the numeral ‘5’, and the front end and the textile roof are supposedly drawn from the world of furniture.
The front and rear logos light up, bringing the car ‘to life’. The French flag in the rear-view mirrors to underline the “invented in France” side of the vehicle, the headrest lights and the name displayed on the small transparent screen on the dashboard, invite you to hop in for a ride.
A shift from the Carlos Ghosn era
In a marked departure from leadership under disgraced former boss Carlos Ghosn, Chief Executive Luca di Meo has told the Financial Times the company is undergoing a strategic shift from “volume to value”, and that cutting the number of its vehicle platforms, overhauling its factories, and sharing 80% of components with Nissan vehicles will lead to a 3 per cent operating margin by 2023, rising to 5 per cent by 2025.
Renault will aim to evolve into a brand of three tranches, as outlined below:
- a Tech brand, with an ecosystem approach that aims at creating world-leading, next-generation mobility OEMs and suppliers. This ecosystem called “Software République” will allow Renault, other founding members and future partners to develop joined expertise, build European know-how and defend our sovereignty in key technologies from big data to electronics. It will also allow Renault to equip its vehicles with leading artificial intelligence and cyber-security systems.
- a Service brand, offering the best connectivity and high-tech services embedded natively in our vehicles. In 2022, Renault will be introducing My Link, a new infotainment system with Google Built-in. Renault will be the first carmaker to bring Google services to mass-market cars.
Becoming more intelligent everyday, our vehicles will gain value over time. They will also live longer. Further, Renault will try to break the consumerist cycle and generate value up until vehicles’ end-of-life, all thanks to its Re-Factory in Flins (France). The plant will recondition more than a 100,000 used cars per year, repurpose Diesel LCV and convert them into biogas and pure EV. Renault also has a clear advantage when it comes to second life and end of life of batteries. The control of these parts of the value chain has the potential to generate new business cases and value.
- a Clean Energy brand, becoming a leader of the energy transition. Challenging leaders on the hybrid markets thanks to its revolutionary E-TECH technology, Renault will sustain its leadership on the electric market with new families of products based on our two dedicated electric platforms CMF-EV and CMF-B EV. The brand will also offer market-ready, end-to-end hydrogen solutions for LCVs. The target is to reach the greenest mix in European market.
Where this really interests us is is that Renault plans to double-down on both electrification and mix improvement. With a new line up of vehicles on new platforms sharing a greater number of components, Renault plans 7 new all-electric models by 2025. Whether the company can achieve this remains to be seen; Renault and Nissan have both been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, and Renault plans to cut investment in electrification from 10 per cent of revenue to 8 per cent from this year.
Read the full press release here: RENAULT’S “ NOUVELLE VAGUE ”
Hyundai Teases First Images of IONIQ 5 EV: First Production Vehicle Based on New E-GMP Platform
The IONIQ 5 features angular design, and 20 inch aero wheels. Images: Hyundai Motor Company
Hyundai Motor Company has released two teaser images, and a selection of short video clips to highlight design elements and Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) capabilities of its upcoming IONIQ 5 SUV, ahead of the vehicle’s worldwide reveal in February.
According to the company, a new era of clean mobility begins with the IONIQ sub-brand, as the IONIQ 5 will debut the use of the Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP), an architecture developed by Hyundai specifically for electric vehicle drivetrains.
The IONIQ 5 also debuts a new design language for the company, which from what we can see so far is crisp, geometric and unlike Hyundai’s mainstream models. According to Hyundai, these new design elements take inspiration from Parametric Pixels, the smallest unit of digital imaging, and are most clearly observed in the front and rear design details. To our eyes, the IONIQ 5 posesses a delightful hint of Alfa Romeo SZ in its front end (call us crazy), and is unlike anything else on the market today, with other EV manufacturers such as Tesla, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen opting for a more curved, softer design language.
The IONIQ 5’s front end features arrays of pixel-inspired lights suggestive of the digital technology within, and is capped off with a clamshell hood that spans the entire width of the car, for a clean and high-tech look.
While we don’t have a firm launch date from the company, prototypes have been seen out and about with increasing frequency. One IONIQ 5 was recently spotted fast-charging in Australia, and another was spotted in Korea with the vehicle’s widescreen display revealed.
Porsche Taycan 4S Outperforms EPA Range Estimates
The Porsche Taycan has faced a lot of criticism for underwhelming range and efficiency, but the good news is that similar to Porsche’s performance and power output figures for its internal combustion engined models, the company seems to quote quite a conservative range for its first all-electric model range.
The Porsche Taycan has faced a lot of criticism for underwhelming range and efficiency, but the good news is that similar to Porsche’s performance and power output figures for its internal combustion engined models, the company seems to quote quite a conservative figure for its first all-electric model range.
According to the EPA, the Porsche Taycan 4S has a range of 203 miles (325km) from a single charge, which seems quite inefficient for a brand new EV with a 79kWh battery pack. The good news for Taycan 4S owners is Inside EVs tested the vehicle in real-world conditions. Although the test vehicle had the largest optional wheels available, Using range mode with the air-conditioning switched on, the team drove the fully charged Taycan 4S, cruising at 70 mph (112kmh) and managed to cover 278 miles (447km) until the vehicle literally came to a stop in the middle of the road. An impressive effort for such a heavy, performance oriented EV.
Source: Inside EVs
NIO Reveals Striking ET7 Sedan with 1,000km Range
NIO has pulled the covers off the new ET7 Sedan at its annual NIO Day. NIO claims exceptional range, performance and luxury from this striking sedan, as well as the introduction of Lidar technology — a first in all-electric consumer vehicles — to aid autonomous operation.
NIO has pulled the covers off the new ET7 Sedan at its annual NIO Day. NIO claims exceptional range, performance and luxury from this striking sedan, as well as the introduction of Lidar technology — a first in all-electric consumer vehicles — to aid autonomous operation.
Exterior Design
Clearly carrying cues from the ET Preview displayed in 2019, the ET7 is objectively a handsome car. The short, squat front end is muscular and sporty, and its small, narrow headlights and grille-less front end are reminiscent of Hyundai’s 2021 Kona. The deliberate, triangular slots for the additional front lights remind us of the Kia Stinger (no bad thing).
Images: NIO
With a large glasshouse profile, NIO designers have kept the side of the vehicle simple yet cohesive. One accentuating crease near the top of the door plays beautifully with light, while a rising ‘power line’ on the lower part of the doors is reminiscent of Audi’s A5 and A7 Sportback models.
The tapering rear roofline and chunky three quarter panel remind us of the Polestar 2, without the squared-off edges. It’s elegant — if a little unexciting — but does well to give the rear presence while masking the bulk of the vehicle.
The rear itself shares design elements the Audi A7 and Tesla Model 3, with what looks to be an integrated retractable spoiler as well as a fixed ducktail lip in the boot (trunk) lid, and plenty of horizontal lines to accentuate dynamism and presence. Plus the (now ubiquitous) LED light bar running the width of the vehicle as seen on vehicles from Polestar to Porsche.
Interior
The interior is a clean combination of Volvo Scandi-minimalism, Tesla austerity and familiar design cues from the NIO family. NIO has made a big deal about "invisible" smart air vents on both front and rear row, frameless windows and soft close doors with flush door handles.
NIO has compared the interior of the ET7 to a second living room, and it appears to be a comfortable space for four adults on a long trip. Standard equipment includes smart air suspension, heating, ventilation and massage functions all round. There is a full length glass roof, a 23 speaker audio system, dual-LCD screen dashboard and NIO’s Nomi; the automotive world’s first in-vehicle digital assistant.
Battery and Drivetrain
The NIO ET7 will initially be offered with two battery options; a 70 kWh with 500km (310 miles) of range, and 100 kWh with 700km (440 miles) range.
NIO plans a version with a solid-state battery packing 150 kWh and a density of 360wh/kg for later in 2022, which the company claims will offer 1,000km (620 miles) of range. While a number of automakers including Toyota have publicly discussed plans to develop solid state batteries and claim many advantages over Tesla’s technology, for now, solid state batteries have inferior cycle life to batteries with liquid electrolytes, such as Tesla’s setup.
NIO has also revealed Power Swap 2.0, it’s battery-as-a-service (BaaS) swap technology. While many — including us to a degree — remain sceptical about the scalability of this battery swap model, many NIO owners and Chinese customers generally are fond of the technology, which allows drivers to either turn up or book in a time to swap their vehicle’s battery pack in a matter of minutes. NIO claims the stations will be able to store 13 battery packs and provide up to 312 battery swaps per day. NIO plans over 500 battery swap stations by the end of 2021. NIO will offer a monthly payment option for this battery swap technology.
The ET7 offers an all wheel drive dual motor setup, with a permanent magnet motor in the front and an induction motor in the rear. It has a peak system output of 480 kW and 850 Nm of torque. NIO quotes a 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) time of 3.9 seconds.
Autonomy and Vehicle Technology
One hundred million. That’s the number of real-world kilometres driven using Tesla’s Autopilot system, and its the reason Tesla will be so hard to beat when it comes to autonomous driving. During NIO’s presentation of the ET7, the company praised the new NAD (NIO Autonomous Driving) system, with its Lidar, eleven eight-megapixel cameras and crazy powerful — 1,016 Tera Operations Per Second (TOPS) — Nvidia chip, but what they didn’t talk about was software.
Elon Musk has long dismissed Lidar on passenger vehicles as unnecessary, and has even claimed “LiDAR is a fool's errand…anyone relying on LiDAR is doomed.” Tesla has stuck with a system of cameras and radar for the “eyes” of its autopilot system, but Tesla has had vehicles gathering data in the real-world for years now, with its Neural Network processing trillions of data points. In the video by Whole Mars Blog, a Tesla Model 3 successfully navigates from San Francisco to Los Angeles with almost zero human intervention, with just its computing power, and Tesla’s radar and camera system. Seriously impressive.
The NIO ET7 is due for release sometime in 2022, and pricing is as follows:
NIO ET7 (70 kWh)
448,000 yuan (US$69,185)
with BaaS: 378,000 yuan ($58,375) plus 980 yuan ($151) per month
ET7 (100 kWh)
506,000 yuan (US$78,142)
with BaaS: 378,000 yuan ($58,375) plus 1,480 yuan ($229) per monthET7 Premier edition (100 kWh)
526,000 yuan (US$81,230)
with BaaS: 398,000 yuan ($61,463) plus 1,480 yuan ($229) per month
Xpeng Teases new Electric Sedan
Chinese automaker Xpeng or Xiaopeng Motors is set to unveil the third model in its lineup after the G3 and P7. The company has announced that the vehicle will utilise LiDAR technology, with CEO He Xiaopeng stating in November that Xpeng will be the first production vehicle to market with the technology.
Image: Xpeng Motors via Twitter
Chinese automaker Xpeng or Xiaopeng Motors, also known as XMotors.ai is set to unveil the third model in its lineup after the G3 and P7. The company has announced that the vehicle will utilise LiDAR technology, with CEO He Xiaopeng stating in November that Xpeng will be the first production vehicle to market with the technology. It’s likely that this will be utilised for various driver assistance systems, rather than for a Tesla-like autonomous Autopilot system. Further detail on specifications will have to wait for the unveil, expected sometime in Q1 2021.
This new model from Xpeng appears smaller than the company’s P7 sedan, and features an interesting front LED light signature, mimicking the Xpeng logo. In China, the P7 sedan starts at a price of 229,900 yuan (US$32,470) after green vehicle subsidies. The company is pushing for rapid growth in the increasingly competitive BEV market, with global expansion on the cards for 2021. In December, Xpeng commenced delivery of the first 100 G3 SUV models to Norwegian customers, at a price of 358,000 NKr (US$41,000).
Mercedes-Benz Reveals Unique Hyperscreen for Upcoming EQS EV
Mercedes-Benz is premiering its new MBUX (Mercedes-Benz User Experience) multimedia interface, which will debut in the upcoming EQS battery electric sedan. Dubbed MBUX Hyperscreen, the digital experience promises to transform how we interact with the vehicle, and provide a “wow” effect according to Mercedes-Benz.
The new MBUX Hyperscreen comprises three individual OLED displays underneath a single piece of Gorilla Glass. Images: Mercedes-Benz AG
Mercedes-Benz is premiering its new MBUX (Mercedes-Benz User Experience) multimedia interface, which will debut in the upcoming EQS battery electric sedan. Dubbed MBUX Hyperscreen, the digital experience promises to transform how we interact with the vehicle, and provide a “wow” effect according to Mercedes-Benz.
The marketing video (below), was almost like one which you might expect from Apple or Samsung, with the carmaker spruiking the technical specs of the computing power behind the new in car system. With 8 CPU cores, 24-gigabytes (GB) of RAM and 46.4 GB per second RAM memory bandwidth, Mercedes-Benz is promising a next-generation infotainment system that delivers an intuitive experience, and actually learns driver behavior.
According to Gorden Wagener, Chief Design Officer Daimler Group, “We merge technology with design in a fascinating way that offers the customer unprecedented ease of use. We love simplicity, we have reached a new level of MBUX.”
Sajjad Khan, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz AG and CTO states that the MBUX Hyperscreen continually gets to know the customer better through machine learning, and delivers a personalised infotainment and operating offering before the driver has to even access or scroll through menus.
With context sensitive awareness, the MBUX system proactively displays the right functions at the right time for the user, supported by artificial intelligence. The system is optimised by changes in the surroundings and user behaviour. The so-called zero-layer provides the user at the top level of the MBUX information architecture with dynamic, aggregated content from the entire MBUX system and related services; deep menu layers — a criticism of complex current generation infotainment systems — are a thing of the past.
Mercedes-Benz provides these four examples as use cases:
The user can accept or reject the respective suggestion with just one click:
If you always call a certain friend on the way home on Tuesday evenings, you will be asked to make a corresponding call on that day of the week and at this time of day. A business card with its contact information appears, and - if stored - its image appears. All MBUX suggestions are linked to the user's profile. If someone else drives the EQS on a Tuesday night, this recommendation is not made – or there is another, depending on the preferences of the other user.
If the EQS driver regularly uses the massage function according to the hot stone principle in winter, the system learns and automatically suggests the comfort function in wintry temperatures.
If the user regularly switches on the heating of the steering wheel and other surfaces for seat heating, for example, this is suggested to him as soon as he presses the seat heating.
The chassis of the EQS can be lifted to provide more ground clearance. A useful function for steep garage entrances or sleep policemen. MBUX remembers the GPS position at which the user made use of the "Vehicle Lift-Up" function. If the vehicle approaches the GPS position again, MBUX independently proposes to lift the EQS.
In terms of design, Mercedes-Benz has integrated ambient lighting behind the glass, making the display unit appear to float on the seamless instrument panel. There is also a separate passenger display, a-la Porsche Taycan. If no passenger is seated, the display becomes an animated decorative pattern of stars, so as not to distract the driver with additional infotainment content.
Central and passenger displays utilise OLED technology, where non-active pixels remain switched off, meaning that they appear as deep black rather than a greyish black that is visible on many computer monitors. With a multifunction camera and light sensor to adjust the brightness of the display and pre-empt driver actions, it’s expected that the EQS’ active and passive safety systems will work seamlessly with the MBUX Hyperscreen.
It appears the MBUX Hyperscreen takes the best of the 2021 Mercedes-Benz S-Class infotainment system, and builds upon it, seamlessly integrating multiple displays into a single panel. It’s a distinctly different approach from other EV manufacturers such as Telsa, who prefer to combine all features into a single, centrally-mounted touchscreen. Mercedes-Benz spends billions on R&D and probably millions determining customer preferences, so it’s likely their customers still prefer something akin to a traditional instrument cluster.
While the Mercedes-Benz system provides haptic touch feedback, There’s much criticism about the trend to remove all buttons from a vehicle’s interior. While we think it’s great to seamlessly integrate all system functions into one unit, presumably minimising cost and improving reliability, if that comes at a cost — the ease of quickly operating essential controls — then its not worth it. We hope Mercedes’ “zero-layer technology” and voice control systems can make basic actions like adjusting the climate control temperature or re-routing a navigation destination quick and painless, but we’ll have to wait until the vehicle’s reveal for more information. Mercedes-Benz will reveal the EQA SUV on January 20, and we think the EQS should break cover sometime in the first quarter of 2021.
Lucid Air Named Best Car Design for 2020 in the Good Design Awards
The Lucid Air has been named Best Car Design for 2020 in the Good Design Awards. One of the world’s most prestigeous design prizes, The Good Design Awards have been an annual fixture since 1950, and are hosted by The Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design.
The Lucid Air was awarded a Good Design Award for 2020 by The Chicago Athenaeum.
Images: Lucid Motors
The Lucid Air has been named Best Car Design for 2020 in the Good Design Awards. One of the world’s most prestigeous design prizes, The Good Design Awards have been an annual fixture since 1950, and are hosted by The Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design.
Christian Narkiewicz-Laine, architecture critic and chief curator of The Chicago Athenaeum’s Good Design® awards said: “In a word: Bold. The new battery-electric Lucid Air is an aesthetic shotgun approach to vehicle design that will clearly transform, if not revolutionize the transportation industry in the future,”
“Designed for Lucid Motors by former Audi-Volkswagen designer Derick Jenkins, the new luxury sedan is sleek and elegant, sculpted like a streamlined aircraft, while its futuristic details exit in a very clean and orderly approach, something more relatable, clearly future-focused, but still enduringly smart and sophisticated.”
“What’s more, the new electric car, unofficially dubbed ‘Tesla killer,’ is also giving Tesla a run for the money in terms of pricing, technology, and performance.”
“The California-based startup Lucid Motors is a game-changing electric vehicle in the near future, standing out from the fold with proven performance and a new vision developed by industry veterans, skilled designers and, crucially, all the financing in the world,” Narkiewicz-Laine continues.
“Jenkin’s amazing muscular design for Lucid Air is a stunning break-through vehicle from the otherwise dull, monotonous American car industry as we know it.”
While there is no doubt the Lucid Air nails its design brief, I would rather wait until the vehicle has had a successful market introduction and is in the hands of journalists and customers before dubbing it a ‘Tesla killer’ or ‘game-changer’. Many manufacturers, from established automakers like Nissan and Mercedes-Benz, to fresh startups such as Fisker and Rivan have exciting EV concepts in development.
Their financial success and ability to compete with Tesla depends on how quickly — and profitably — they can scale their EV manufacturing. A task that has taken Tesla many years to perfect.
You can read more about the Lucid Air’s Good Design Award below:
Source: The Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design
NIO's First Autonomous Driving Sedan to be Unveiled on NIO Day
Chinese automaker NIO is set to unveil the company’s first autonomous driving sedan at an event on January 9, 2021. NIO claims the vehicle will premiere the latest autonomous driving technologies and a 150 kWh battery pack, which would be the largest fitted to a production passenger vehicle. We can expect NIO has Tesla’s Long Range Model S in its sights with this battery, and will be aiming to exceed the 647km (402 mi) range of the Model S.
Chinese automaker NIO (NASDAQ: NIO) is set to unveil the company’s first autonomous driving sedan at an event on January 9, 2021. NIO claims the vehicle will premiere the latest autonomous driving technologies and a 150 kWh battery pack, which would be the largest fitted to a production passenger vehicle. We can expect NIO has Tesla’s Long Range Model S in its sights with this battery, and will be aiming to exceed the 647km (402 mi) range of the Model S.
From the teaser released by NIO, the new sedan appears similar — in silhouette at least — to the company's ET Preview Concept released at the 2019 Shanghai Auto Show, with the fastback roofline, pronounced hip flare running from the front fender to the rear, and the short, squat front end.
According to NIO, “the event will feature a range of exciting activities, including performances by the famous music composer Shi Lei Chang, NIO BAND, whose NIO Day 2020 theme song "The Future is Ahead," and leading Chinese musician Wang Feng.”
NIO ET Preview Concept. Images: NIO
Top 5 Battery Electric Vehicles to Look Forward to in 2021
For fans of the premium German automotive establishment, it would be hard to go past a svelte 4-door EV from Ingolstadt. Audi plays it safe with a traditional long hood, wide grille and aggressive vent design — one doesn’t want too many people to know one is driving an electric vehicle — but I’ll forgive these design features that serve very little practical function on an EV because of the wide hips, high-door line/low roof line and beautifully shaped rear.
It was difficult to narrow this list down to five vehicles; we would have liked to include many other makes in this list but have restricted it to our favourite vehicles that have a high probability of hitting the market in 2021. It’s going to be an exciting year for Electric Vehicles, with Tesla looking to move into the Indian Market, Volkswagen ramping up its ID.3 and ID.4 production, NIO entering the year with good cashflow and healthy sales, worldwide release of luxury models from Chinese automakers BYD and Xpeng, and more.
Here's the top 5 battery electric vehicles to look forward to in 2021:
5. Tesla Model Y
Tesla’s Model Y is a common sight on US roads, but its international launch in 2021 is expected to drive big profits for Tesla.
Image: Tesla Motors
Tesla’s styling isn’t exactly scintilating, but it does age well, and is more a victim of its popularity than anything else. The Model Y has been on sale in the US since March 2020, and has proven popular with US consumers. It just hit the market in China as production began at Gigafactory Shanghai in December, and Tesla stores across the country have seen long lines to experience the vehicle.
The Model Y takes the Model 3’s formula, and elevates it — quite literally — to a new level. Consumer preferences have shifted toward SUVs, and globally sales of the jacked up vehicles make up over 50 per cent of the passenger car market.
It’s easy to see why the Model Y has been such a sales success; it’s $45,000 USD base price gives you a car with 483km (300mi) range, Tesla’s brilliant autopilot system, regular over the air updates, all the tech and gadgets consumers love from the brand, and the best fast charging network in the world.
The Model Y is sure to continue its sales success, as Europe, Australia and India await its introduction in 2021.
4. Audi E-Tron GT, E-Tron GT RS
Audi’s E-Tron GT is one svelte looking low-slung EV.
Image: Audi AG
For fans of the premium German automotive establishment, it would be hard to go past a svelte 4-door EV from Ingolstadt. Audi plays it safe with a traditional long hood, wide grille and aggressive vent design — one doesn’t want too many people to know one is driving an electric vehicle — but I’ll forgive these design features that serve very little practical function on an EV because of the wide hips, high-door line/low roof line and beautifully shaped rear.
The E-Tron and E-Tron RS are based on Porsche’s Taycan, but it’s expected that Audi will heavily re-engineer the platform for its own models, and that the Renn Sport version will have even more power than Porsche’s Taycan Turbo S. Audi’s press department promises up to 434 kW (590 hp) and a 0-100kmh (0-62mph) of 3.5 seconds, and an interior familiar to Audi owners, but dressed in sustainable materials and vegan ‘leather’.
The Volkswagen Audi Group is now quite experienced at producing EVs, with a number of popular models on sale. I am confident that the development of the E-Tron will be smooth for Audi, and that it will enter the market in late 2021, pending any (futher) catastrophic global events for the company or the world.
3. Rivian R1T, R1S
Rivian’s R1T promises a no-compromise adventure-focused EV.
Image: Andy Hedrick
Surely Rivian is just another automaker startup with big dreams and impossible odds? Many back Rivian as the next Tesla in the marketplace for good reason; Chief Executive RJ Scaringe is an engineer who completed his training at MIT’s prestigious Sloan Automotive Lab, and plans for Rivian to design and build everything in house.
Rivian has received close to $3 billion in funding from the likes of Saudi-backed JIMCO, Cox Automotive, Ford and Amazon, and It’s R1T Pickup and R1S SUV plan to beat Tesla to the line of the popular — and profitable — global SUV and pickup truck market.
With in-house designed battery, platform, thermal system, drivetrain and software, Rivian will likely hold a similar competitive advantage to Tesla against manufacturers who simply outsource component design to third parties. Rivian is planning a range of battery sizes from 105kWh to a massive 180kWh, and up to 680km (400mi) range, but has yet to provide any range figures for a vehicle towing a large load. When you get to your remote campsite in a national park, how do you charge up? The company plans a high-speed charging network at popular camping, hiking and kayaking sites in parks around the US.
The R1T and R1S are handsome vehicles, and are sure to attract the EV buyer who finds Tesla’s Cybertruck a little ostentatious. The Launch Editions of the R1T and R1S start at $75,000 and $77,500 USD respectively, and include a 300mi range, quad-motor setup, a 5 ton (11,000lbs) towing capacity, the offroad package, 4x 110V and 3x12V outlets, and options that including a full camp kitchen that slides out of the side of the vehicle.
2. Lucid Air
The Lucid Air in its top specification produces 1,080 hp from a 113kWh battery.
Image: Lucid Motors
Sure, the Audi E-Tron GT, Tesla Model S or Porsche Taycan will appeal to those who appreciate a tech-focused performance EV from an established name, but none can compete with the futuristic beauty of the Lucid Air. Designed by Derek Jenkins, formerly of Mazda, Volkswagen USA and Audi USA, the design language of the Air isn’t restrained by a family heritage or recognisable face that must be continued; it is fresh, premium and futuristic.
Lucid claims the most aerodynamic sedan on the market, with a drag coefficient of 0.22cd. The Air features a 34 inch 5k display cluster, up to 895kW (1,080hp) of.power in the Dream Edition, and Lucid DreamDrive, the company's autonomous driving system that utilises LiDAR, radar, ultrasonic sensors and multiple cameras.
Lucid signed a battery deal with Samsung in 2016, and in 2018 received $1 billion in funding for its new Californian factory from a Saudi Arabian investment fund, and is expected to begin deliveries of its Air Dream Edition mid-2021.
Rivian/Amazon Delivery Van
Amazon’s custom delivery van, developed and built by Rivian.
Image: Rivian
The only commercial vehicle on this list, and it takes top spot? Let us explain. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we live and work, and its likely the majority of workers in the service sector/office environments will at least have the option to work from home even with the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines. With massive demand on postal and delivery services as consumers favour online shopping, It will be critical to minimise diesel particulates and emissions in our communities, and for transport companies to reduce fuel and maintenance costs. Amazon has already ordered 100,000 vans, in a bid to significantly reduce their carbon footprint by 2030.
Although specification details are limited at this stage, it’s expected that production of the bespoke delivery van will begin in late-2021 at Rivian’s Normal, Illinois factory. Reports in the press suggest the van may be based on a version of the ‘skateboard’ electric platform from the R1S/R1T, with a stretched wheelbase. Amazon has reported that the vehicle will feature Alexa voice control to assist drivers, as well AI controlled delivery routes to optimise efficiency and speed. While there are other exciting commercial EVs coming to market from companies like Arrival, Morris Commercial, Volvo and Daimler Trucks, Rivian’s promise is seen in the vote of confidence from Amazon, and the seed funding the company has received.
Tesla Closes 2020 with a Record Q4 and 500,000 Vehicles Delivered
Tesla delivered 499,500 vehicles for the 2020 calendar year, and produced 509,737 vehicles. That’s almost 10x the production output from 2015. Many Wall Street analysts dismissed Tesla’s 500,000 unit goal for the year, as the onset of COVID-19 impacted the automaker’s production facilities around the globe…
Freemont Outbound Delivery Lot - Image: Tesla
Tesla delivered 499,500 vehicles for the 2020 calendar year, and produced 509,737 vehicles. That’s almost 10x the production output from 2015. Many Wall Street analysts dismissed Tesla’s 500,000 unit goal for the year, as the onset of COVID-19 impacted the automaker’s production facilities around the globe, and negatively affected sales across the broader passenger car market.
Image: Tesla
Five years ago, the company’s CEO Elon Musk emphasised a plan to reach a delivery target of 500,000 vehicles per year by 2020. At the time, this number seemed overly ambitious, as production difficulties, cashflow troubles and quality concerns seemed to be the most interesting stories to the media.
After a string of profitable quarters, successful launch of the Model Y and massive capital expansion, 2020 culminated in Tesla’s listing on the S&P 500 index, and a massive push to increase production by year end.
Tesla produced 179,757 vehicles and delivered 180,570 vehicles in Q4, up 42 per cent and 36 per cent respectively on Q4 2019 numbers. In Q3 2020, Tesla produced 145,036 vehicles and delivered 139,300 vehicles.
Elon Musk took to Twitter to mention the thousands of employees who contribute to Tesla’s continued success:
Investors and the majority of analysts have been very bullish on Tesla at the end of 2020, and the stock has surged past $705 US per share as at market close on December 31. Despite this, The New York Times, amongst other media outlets still falls into the trap of labelling Tesla as an “upstart automaker [that] will probably face stiffer competition in 2021.”
While its true Tesla has ongoing customer service and quality issues to address, and a huge amount of work ahead to continue to scale to meet future production and delivery targets, it’s dangerous to not see Tesla for what it now is; an energy company with the best automotive software on the market, and likely the best electric vehicles available today.
We can expect the full Q4 and calendar year 2020 earnings to be reported in late January or early February.
Tesla Launches Model Y in China with MY2021 Upgrades and Sharp Pricing
Tesla Model Y orders are now open in the Tesla China Design Studio, priced from 488,000 yuan ($68,500 USD) for the Model Y Long Range, and 535,000 yuan ($75,200 USD) for the Model Y Performance.
Tesla Model Y orders are now open in the Tesla China Design Studio, priced from 488,000 yuan ($68,500 USD) for the Model Y Long Range, and 535,000 yuan ($75,200 USD) for the Model Y Performance.
According to Tesmanian, sources within Tesla China indicate over 100,000 orders were received upon release of the pricing information, and the company had to post an update on an update on Weibo stating the following:
"CURRENTLY, THERE ARE TOO MANY ORDERS ON THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE AND MAY NOT BE REFRESHED. PLEASE BE PATIENT."
While cheaper than expected, The Model Y’s main competitor is expected to be the NIO ES6, which starts from 358,000 yuan in China. The Model Y has also received some updates for the 2021 model year, including the revised centre console also seen on US-made Model 3s, new wood trim on the doors and an integrated wireless phone charger.
There’s currently no update regarding Australian pricing or delivery information for the Model Y, but as the China rollout — and the Model 3 Australian rollout — has demonstrated, Tesla often waits until the last minute to open the online design studio for the newest vehicles.
British Columbia Leading Canada's Green Transition, COVID-19 Brings Economic Opportunity
B.C. also set new 2025 emissions targets earlier this month. George Heyman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy said in a press conference “Across the province, people are working every day to tackle climate change and make our economy cleaner and stronger.
Clean Energy Canada brings us a story that demonstrates the importance of climate action to British Columbians. According to a poll in July by Clean Energy Canada, 79 percent of British Columbians agree that COVID-19 has brought about economic change that presents opportunities to mitigate climate change.
B.C. also set new 2025 emissions targets earlier this month. George Heyman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy said in a press conference “Across the province, people are working every day to tackle climate change and make our economy cleaner and stronger. It’s clear we still have much more to do in order to meet our CleanBC targets – and I won’t be satisfied until we see a significant and steady decline in emissions. To make sure we stay on track to build a cleaner and stronger future, we’re putting in place a new near-term emission target that is both ambitious and achievable. This is another key step on the path to reaching our climate targets for 2030 and beyond.’
The new emission target requires greenhouse gases in B.C. to be 16% below 2007 levels by 2025. and also provides a benchmark on the road to B.C.’s legislated emission targets for 2030, 2040 and 2050 of 40%, 60% and 80% below 2007 levels, respectively. The Province will also set sectoral targets, which are yet to be established, but shoud be finalised before March 31, 2021, and will develop legislation to help B.C. reach net zero by 2050 targets.
Source: B.C. 2020 Climate Change Accountability Report
The 2020 Climate Change Accountability Report provides new estimates for provincial emissions for the next four reporting years (2019-22) and modelling of the estimated impacts of CleanBC actions by 2030, as well as data on progress made through CleanBC in sectors like transportation, industry, buildings and communities and the public service.
Merran Smith, executive director at Clean Energy Canada, made the following statement in response to the above report:
“B.C. has emerged as not only a Canadian leader but a world leader when it comes to climate action. It was the first government in North American to price pollution, the first to legislate a ban on the sale of gas-powered vehicles, and it was among the first to make its emissions targets legally binding.
“B.C.’s climate leadership hinges on a new, rigorous system of climate reporting and accountability, which means celebrating our successes while also acknowledging—and acting—when more needs to be done. Climate policies are only as successful as the results they accomplish.
“While the B.C. government’s new goal of reducing emissions by 16% below 2007 levels by 2025 is a commendable start, it’s also a reminder of how far the province has to go to reach its 2030 goal of 40%. Emissions have been heading in the wrong direction, and we certainly hope we don’t have to say that again next year. We look forward to seeing the province’s updated plan, due next year, for how it will reach these targets.
“Polling shows that the vast majority of British Columbians want to see B.C. put fighting climate change at the centre of COVID recovery plans. And with a Biden presidency kicking off the new year and game-changing clean stimulus plans from countries like Germany, the U.K., and South Korea, it’s clear that B.C. must compete on climate if it’s to compete economically into the future. The province’s climate plan, CleanBC, provides an excellent platform on which to do so. Now is the time to increase its ambition—and there is no time to waste.”
Electric Vehicles
B.C. has had a Zero-Emission Vehicles Act since 2019, which sets phased-in annual targets and other compliance requirements, ensuring automakers increase the number of EVs that they sell in B.C. to meet consumer demand. Automakers will be required to achieve 10% provincial ZEV sales by 2025, 30% by 2030, and 100% by 2040 (for light-duty vehicles).
Source: B.C. Climate Change Accountability Report
From the above report:
The province is backing Battery Electric Vehicles with clear and simple goals including:
making electric cars more affordable
shifting to renewable fuels
investing in charging and hydrogen refuelling stations, active transportation and public transit”
B.C., together with a range of partners, has made good progress in setting a path for lower emissions, particularly for passenger vehicles. ¡ In 2019, electric light-duty vehicle sales more than doubled compared to the previous year to over 17,000, making up nearly 9% of all light-duty vehicles sold in B.C. This brings us close to our 2025 target of 10% ZEV sales for new vehicles five years early.
To help expand availability of ZEVs, B.C. also completed regulations that mandate 100% of new lightduty vehicles sold to be ZEVs by 2040. ZEV compliance requirements start for the model year 2020.
Supported by the CleanBC Public Charger and Hydrogen Fuelling Programs, there are currently more than 2,000 public Level 2 charging stations, 190 public fast charging sites,6 and three public hydrogen fuelling stations. Since 2018, the number of fast charging sites across B.C. has increased by 55%. Another 1,900 charging stations were installed in homes and workplaces with the Go Electric Charger Rebates. Work is underway to continue expanding these networks.
To help reduce emissions from heavier vehicles, B.C. launched a Go Electric Commercial Vehicle Pilot Program. The government increased funding for its Go Electric Specialty-Use Vehicle Incentive in Budget 2020, which is available for eligible medium- and heavy-duty transport trucks, delivery vans, electric cargo bicycles, passenger buses, and low-speed utility trucks.
Together with the BC Trucking Association, the Heavy-Duty Vehicle Efficiency Program completed its first year, exceeded training goals and providing over $1 million for equipment.
Hyundai's Ioniq 5 EV Leaked; Possible 2021 Australian Debut
Hyundai’s popular Kona and Ioniq Electric models will soon have a new stablemate in the form of the Ioniq 5. The EV crossover will debut the new stand-alone Ioniq sub brand (similar to Genesis, but electric only), and is expected to be an important vehicle for the Korean automaker.
Images: Hyundai Europe
Hyundai’s popular Kona Electric and Ioniq Electric models will soon have a new stablemate in the form of the Ioniq 5. The EV crossover will herald the launch of the new stand-alone Ioniq sub-brand (similar to Genesis, but electric only). The Ioniq 5 is expected to be an important vehicle for the Korean automaker, competing in the compact crossover market and will share design cues with the above Hyundai 45 concept.
Hyundai Australia played an important role in the development of the Ioniq 5 according to an interview with Hyundai Motor Company Australia (HMCA) general manager product planning Andrew Tuitahi published in Go Auto.
Tuitahi stated “We’ve participated in design reviews for Ioniq 5, (and) we just got our first prototype at the office recently. We’ve been involved in the Ioniq program in terms of the planning process since it first came up as a concept.”
He went on to state about the production car “it’s so very close [to the concept] (the Hyundai 45 EV concept), they changed almost nothing. I think the wheel size dropped from 22s to 20s but other than that…The first prototypes where you’d really start focusing on fine-tuning are only just coming to the different R&D centres now. So we’ll have a look at the car we’ve got, chat with our colleagues in Korea and we’ll work out a plan.”
Hyundai recently teased details about the Ioniq 5 on YouTube, using the phrase “Extra Power for Life” to hint at the vehicle’s bi-directional charging capabilities.
Thanks to the Korean Car Blog we have some specification details about the Ioniq 5:
The Ioniq 5 First Edition:
Dual motor 233kW
58 kWh battery, 450km combined range (WLTP) (73 kWh with 550km range to come later)
0-100km/h time of 5.2 seconds
4.64 metres long, 3 metre wheelbase, 1.89 metres wide, 1.6 metres high
Solar roof
800V charging system
According to Go Auto, the colour range will be revealed on the Hyundai website on February 16, and deliveries are scheduled to begin mid-2021.
Tesla End of Year Wrap Up
The electric vehicle market is booming, despite COVID-19 putting the brakes on the auto industry generally. Of course Tesla has become a darling of investors, with the company seeing a 50% share price increase since the announcement in early November that the automaker was entering the S&P 500.
The electric vehicle market is booming, despite COVID-19 putting the brakes on the auto industry generally. Of course Tesla has become a darling of investors, with the company seeing a 50% share price increase since the announcement in early November that the automaker was entering the S&P 500. Not since Yahoo and the dot com boom in the late nineties have we seen such confidence in the future of a company.
Tesla isn’t one to slow down for the holiday season, and with a final production and deliveries push expected, Gigafactories across the world under construction, charging infrastructure and vehicle updates, we look at the news this week, and what we can expect to see in the new year.
Sales & Deliveries
North American and European sales of Model 3 and Y remain strong, and the company has apparently met (admittedly low) Model S and X targets for the year, and has halted production for these vehicles.
Tesla sales are strong in China, and this is the market that will help push Tesla to its 500,000 unit goal in 2020. Indeed, many analysts and commentators believe Tesla will surpass this target. With over 20,000 ‘made in China’ Model 3s sold in November, that demand looks set to continue through December, just as the Model 3 was recently awarded Number 1 electric vehicle in China by owners in a recent Net Promoter Score (NPS) index survey. Any concerns around battery availability have subsided, as Tesla’s Chinese production recently moved to lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries from supplier CATL.
In Q4 2019, Tesla delivered 112,000 vehicles. Tesla has been ramping production in Q3 and Q4, and Rob Maurer of Tesla Daily has projected just over 24,000 units of Model 3 in production from Giga Shanghai in December. His other projections include:
53,000 Model Y units produced in Q4;
58,000 Model 3 units produced in Q4;
19,000 Model S and X units produced in Q4;
530,000 total units produced in 2020
Tesla needs 181,000 deliveries worldwide to achieve the 500,000 unit annual target. Watch Tesla Daily’s Q4 prediction video below:
Factories
As was expected, construction of Giga Texas is powering forward, with the skeleton and roof of the facility already under construction, and the first phase of the project due for completion in 2021.
Over in China, Tesla completed the Model 3 and Model Y production lines in record time, and new single-piece body castings have been spotted at the factory, suggesting Tesla’s new ‘Gigapress’ casting machines are now online.
Tesla certainly isn’t resting though, and it appears the company is continuing to expand the production facility east of the current footprint:
Meanwhile, over in Germany, Giga Berlin is also charging full steam ahead, with ‘Gigapress’ casting machines arriving at the factory, and external walls being erected, despite a number of hold ups due to permits, environmental concerns and missed payments. Again, Tesla is expected to commence operations on time if not earlier, with production tests due for July 2021, some 13 months after construction on the site began.
FSD pricing and updates
Tesla’s autonomous Full Self Driving package is set to become a cash cow for the company, with the billions in R&D dollars spent set to be recouped over the next few years. Previously available as a stand-alone option before or after delivery for a cost of $10,000, Tesla announced 2021 will bring a subscription pricing model for owners who wish to pay for the option in instalments.
Tesla has also just released its holiday 2020 update, as part of Firmware 2020.48.25. There are some notable changes mentioned in the release notes including:
“The driving visualization has been refreshed and now offers a larger visualization to allow drivers to view more details of the road surroundings. The next turn will now appear above the visualization if the navigation turn list is covered by another app.”
“Schedule departure can now precondition your battery and cabin even when your car is unplugged. To account for different utility rate plans, you can now set the time when your off-peak rates end to save on charging costs. To access, tap SCHEDULE from the climate control or charging panel when parked.”
“Supercharger pins on your touchscreen will now display the number of available stalls at charging sites. Quickly search for nearby amenities by tapping an amenity icon on the Supercharger popup display.”
Teslarati has a full rundown of software changes listed here
Superchargers
Can electric vehicles from brands other than Tesla now charge at Tesla Superchargers? Not quite. Marques Brownlee asked Elon Musk on Twitter “Why don't more electric car makers take up Tesla on their offer to use the Supercharging network? Incompatible tech? Hidden fees? Pride? There's gotta be a good reason.” to which Elon Musk replied: “They are, although it’s kind (sic) low-key. Tesla Superchargers are being made accessible to other electric cars.”
Naturally, the internet went crazy, though you won’t see Porsche Taycan owners at a Supercharger any time soon. Tesla is focused on rolling out Superchargers for its customers, installing the high-speed Tesla-only chargers in more locations, and updating more Supercharger sites from 150kW version 2 models to 250kW version 3 models. Construction of Tesla's Supercharger factory in China appears to be ramping up too, and has a 10,000 unit per year production goal.
S&P 500 Inclusion
The big news this week is the inclusion of Tesla into the S&P 500 club; a move that many have signalled since Tesla achieved four straight profitable quarters in July this year. According to the Wall Street Journal, shares have surged some 70% since the announcement of the company’s addition in November.
Tesla’s listing on the stock market benchmark represents the biggest company ever to join the S&P 500, and its USD$650 billion market capitalisation figure means Tesla is the sixth largest publicly listed company in the United States.
1990 to 2020: Largest Companies Added to the S&P 500
Elon Musk appeared extremely grateful on Twitter, Tweeting on December 22 “Thanks to everyone who worked so hard to make Tesla successful. My heart goes out to you.”
Tesla is now the world’s most valuable automaker, with huge growth potential and some serious competitive advantages in the market place (more on that below).
The Street has just named Tesla as its ‘number one stock of the year’, with 12 of 16 panellists agreeing Tesla stood above Zoom Video, Moderna, Amazon and Netflix (numbers two to five respectively)
Image: The Street
What about Tesla Energy?
The growth of Tesla Energy is part of the reason many investors see so much future potential in the company; while solar and household battery growth has been slow over the last few years, Q3 and Q4 2020 were good quarters for the business, and Tesla energy looks to have generated around $1.85 billion in revenue for the 2020 calendar year.
According to The Motley Fool, During Q3 2020, Tesla shipped 759 megawatt-hours (MWh) worth of batteries, an 81% increase from Q2's 419MWh. That’s a higher rate of growth than Tesla’s automotive business, which saw shipments for Q3 at 139,593 units, a sequential increase of 54% over Q2's 90,650 units.
We can expect to see more grid-scale battery projects boosting the energy business in 2021; recently a number of large projects utilising Tesla Powerpack and Megapack technology have been completed, including Yorktown New York’s 490 MW Tesla battery, and an upgrade of an additional 50 MW added to the Hornsdale battery in South Australia. Construction commenced in October on the 182 MW (730MWh) Moss Landing battery in California, which consists of 256 Megapacks, and will be able to power every home in San Francisco for up to six hours according to Tesla.
Tesla Solar has been bubbling away for a few years now, and the company’s energy products have become on average 30% cheaper than the US average primarily due to their online business model. By reducing ‘soft costs’ or non-component costs of each system, customers are able to purchase customised packages that suit their homes, and can even pay off the installed system through a subscription program.
Many in the industry believe that Tesla Energy can generate revenue equal to that of the automotive side of the business, and that it’s just a question of scaling up production, and expanding subscription-based solar and battery systems outside the United States.
What else could possibly happen in 2020?
Well now that you mention it, according to Reuters, there’s a little something called ‘Project Titan’ that the Cupertino tech giant Apple is working on. It’s an electric vehicle that has been in the works since 2014, and part of the secret vehicle’s competitive advantage will apparently be a new battery design that could “radically” reduce the cost of batteries while maximising range.
Gene Munster from Loup Ventures doesn’t see Apple’s entry into personal mobility as a threat to Tesla’s market share; Munster stated that the firm believes traditional automakers are Apple’s target.
Loup Ventures predicts that electric vehicles will account for close to 30% of all auto sales by 2025, with one third of that market to be dominated by Tesla.
Elon Musk dropped quite the Tweet today, stating that during the company’s Model 3 design and engineering phase, he approached Apple to see if Tim Cook was interested in acquiring Tesla: “During the darkest days of the Model 3 program, I reached out to Tim Cook to discuss the possibility of Apple acquiring Tesla (for 1/10 of our current value). He refused to take the meeting.”
How different the automotive and energy landscape could have been…
What’s in store for 2021
So what will next year bring? Like many investors (myself included), Tesla experts see exceptional growth for the company, based on strong demand for electric vehicles generally, and increasing market share in key markets such as China. Wedbush analyst Daniel Ives believes China’s demand dynamic in the EV market will disproportionally benefit Tesla, and that the Chinese market could account for over 40% of Tesla’s sales within eighteen months.
Gali from Hyperchange demonstrates that Tesla has already figured out how to build electric vehicles profitably, with a gross margin figure of 23 percent. He sees a lot more growth potential on a profit per car basis, as the company focuses on software, and begins to recoup costs associated with the research and development of the Full Self Driving software. Gali is projecting a gross profit amount of $2.5 billion for Q4 2020, $2.7 billion in cashflow, and he expects capital expenditure to increase to $4-$6 billion per year from 2021 as Tesla pours more money into factories.
Model Y sales and deliveries are expected to get off the ground early in 2021, and with the Cybertruck Gigafactory due for completion mid-year, 2021 could be the year that Tesla brings the first mass-market electric pickup truck to consumers.
Tesla also unveiled its new 4680 battery cells in September, and the new tabless cells are expected to offer exceptional thermal and electrical efficiency. These cells are expected to be at the core of Cybertruck and Semi performance and efficiency, and while Tesla has these cells currently deployed in prototypes, the company lacks a facility to manufacture them at scale.
One of Tesla’s main goals is terrawatt-hour (TWh), or one trillion watt hour scale battery production, and the company has a manufacturing goal of 3TWh by the year 2030. Elon Musk has also used Twitter to suggest Tesla may be able to manufacture 20 million vehicles a year by this date:
Clean Technica has an excellent article on Tesla’s future that delves deeper into the above, however any future light commercial vehicles from the company are notably absent. With Rivian, Arrival and other manufacturers seeing this segment as a growth market for EVs, I wouldn’t be surprised to find Tesla leveraging their expertise to manufacture delivery vehicles.
2020 has been a difficult year for the automotive industry, but I am cautiously optimistic that Tesla’s battery and vehicle roadmap will play out in their favour, and that we will continue to see the company scale and grow at a rapid rate. Say what you like about Elon Musk; Tesla is now much bigger than one man, and the company has driven the global automotive market rapidly towards electrification and zero emissions transportation.
Mercedes-Benz Accelerates EV Rollout; 8 BEVs In Production by 2022
Mercedes-Benz has today announced announced its ambition to fully electrify the entire product portfolio by 2039 as part of a plan to achieve CO₂ neutrality, and this includes the rollout of eight all-electric Mercedes-EQ models from 2022 built on dedicated electric architecture. The first mass-market Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) from Stuttgart, the Mercedes-Benz EQC has been available around the world since 2019, and is based on the pre-existing GLC SUV platform.
Images: Mercedes-Benz AU
Update: Mercedes-Benz has released an additional rendering, which you can find below. This vehicle looks to be pretty close to final production design, and will be Mercedes’ first D-segment vehicle without a traditional grille.
Mercedes-Benz has today announced announced its ambition to fully electrify the entire product portfolio by 2039 as part of a plan to achieve CO₂ neutrality, and this includes the rollout of eight all-electric Mercedes-EQ models from 2022 built on dedicated electric architecture. The first mass-market Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) from Stuttgart, the Mercedes-Benz EQC has been available around the world since 2019, and is based on the pre-existing GLC SUV platform.
The Mercedes-Benz EQS, as shown above and below will be the first to commence production in early 2021, and is essentially the luxurious S-Class reimagined for a zero emissions future. From the camouflagued vehicle, we can see an imposing physical presence -something the S-Class has always been known for- and a low, wide nose, possibly with a faux grille a-la Jaguar i-Pace or an indentation around the badge. The bonnet (hood for you North Americans!) rises steeply into a huge windscreen, which appears to continue above the driver’s head, as is the trend nowadays.
The high bootline and almost fastback look is unusual for the S-Class segment, however the large tail lights with some presumably funky graphics and lightbar spanning the width of the rear should provide a visual family reference to the EQC, while defining the EQS’ unique character.
The side profile looks a little slab-sided under camouflague, with the C-pillar, doors and rear fender covering a large area relative to the glasshouse, however it looks like there may be some interesting surfacing hiding under that blue wrap. The Goodyears on the test car look to be hugging at least 21-inch or 22-inch wheels, as is the trend these days. That’s aesthetics over efficiency for you.
The EQS will be produced in Sindelfingen from early 2021, while the less expensive EQA and EQB models will be produced at the Rastatt and Kecskemét (Hungary) plants respectively. We can expect the world premiere of the EQA on January 20, 2021 according to Mercedes-Benz.
Fast forward to the second half of 2021, and Mercedes-Benz states that the EQE ‘business sedan’ will begin production at the Bremen plant, as well as in Beijing for the Chinese domestic market only. Continuing the the Germans’ fondness for manufacturing SUVs in the United States, the EQE and EQS SUV variants will be manufactured at the brand’s Tuscaloosa Alabama plant.
According to Mercedes, a total of eight Mercedes-EQ electric vehicles will be produced at seven locations on three continents by 2022.
Daimler’s Battery Plans
Battery development, manufacture and supply will obviously be a critical part of this increase in BEVs, and Mercedes-Benz plans to increase investment in the energy side of manufacturing, alongside battery specialists.
Mercedes-Benz and BAIC have jointly set up a battery production plant at the existing location in the Yizhuang Industrial Park in Beijing (China) for vehicles sold in the domestic market.
In addition to two battery plants in Kamenz (Germany) already producing battery systems for Mercedes-Benz, the company plans a future battery plant at the Sindelfingen site, increasing capacity already available from the nearby Untertürkheim plants in preparation for locally built electric models.
Furthermore, Mercedes-Benz is upgrading the Jawor (Poland) battery plant, currently manufacturing battery packs for plug-in hybrid variants of the C,E and S-Classes, to include battery systems for upcoming EQ models, as well as planning a battery plant in the vicinity of the Tuscaloosa Alabama factory.
You can read the full press release below, alongside an interview with Jörg Burzer, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz AG, Production and Supply Chain.
Mercedes-Benz Sindelfingen plant (Germany): Launch of electric luxury sedan EQS in Factory 56 in first half of 2021
Mercedes-Benz Rastatt plant (Germany): Production of first all-electric compact SUV EQA started - also at Beijing plant (China) in 2021
Mercedes-Benz plant in Kecskemét (Hungary): Decision to locate second all-electric compact SUV EQB. Production launch in 2021 - also at Beijing plant (China)
Mercedes-Benz Bremen plant: Production launch of electric EQE business sedan in 2021 - at Beijing plant soon thereafter (China)
Mercedes-Benz Tuscaloosa plant (USA): SUV variants EQS und EQE begin in 2022
Mercedes-Benz battery production network: Production start of battery systems for EQS and EQE in Untertürkheim/Hedelfingen (Germany) imminent. Production of compact SUV battery systems in Kamenz (Germany), Jawor (Poland) and Beijing (China) plants. Tuscaloosa battery plant will produce batteries for SUV variants of EQS and EQE beginning 2022
15 December 2020, Stuttgart. Mercedes-Benz is targeting leadership in electric drives and vehicle software. The consistent electrification of the entire product portfolio is a key element of the strategic focus "Ambition 2039" and a prerequisite on the way to CO₂ neutrality. In 2022 the portfolio includes eight all-electric Mercedes-EQ models. The global Mercedes-Benz production network is ready for the company’s electric product offensive and is integrating its Mercedes-EQ models into series production in its existing plants.
Markus Schäfer, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Mercedes-Benz AG; responsible for Daimler Group Research and COO Mercedes-Benz Cars: “With its ‘Electric First’ strategy, Mercedes-Benz is consistently on the path to CO₂ neutrality and is investing heavily in transformation. Our vehicle portfolio becomes electric and thus also our global production network with vehicle and battery factories. We intend to lead in the field of e-mobility and focus in particular on battery technology. We are taking a comprehensive approach, ranging from research and development to production, and also including strategic cooperation.”
The EQS, the first electric luxury sedan from Mercedes-Benz, will start in the first half of 2021 in Factory 56 at the Sindelfingen site (Germany). With the production launch of the electric compact SUV EQA at the Rastatt plant (Germany) and the current decision to locate EQB production in the Hungarian plant in Kecskemét, the company is taking further important steps toward making its product portfolio CO₂ neutral. The course has also been set toward “Electric First” in the global powertrain production network as well. High-efficiency battery systems will also be manufactured and assembled within the production network.
Jörg Burzer, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz AG, Production and Supply Chain: “The Mercedes-Benz production network is global, digital and flexible, and ready for the upcoming electric offensive – thanks, of course, to our highly qualified and motivated employees worldwide. We are now beginning a real Mercedes-EQ fireworks display. Six electric product launches by 2022 underscore the strength and competence of our Mercedes-Benz production sites worldwide. The production network will have a total of six Mercedes-EQ car locations. Local production of highly efficient battery systems plays a central role in the Mercedes-Benz strategy - coupled with a comprehensive sustainability concept that spans the entire life cycle of the battery all the way to recycling.”
Mercedes-Benz vehicle plants consistently implement electric offensive
In May 2019 production of the EQC (combined power consumption: 21.5 kWh/100 km; combined CO₂ emissions: 0 g/km) at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Bremen (Germany) was integrated into ongoing series production. Just a few months later the German-Chinese production joint venture, Beijing Benz Automotive Co. Ltd. (BBAC), launched EQC production for the local market in China. In 2020 production of the EQV premium electric MPV (combined power consumption: 26.4 kWh/100 km; combined CO₂ emissions: 0 g/km)1 started in Vitoria, northern Spain.
Compact car class customers can look forward to two fully electric compact SUVs in the EQA and EQB in 2021. EQA will celebrate its world premiere on January, 20 2021 as the first fully electric derivative of this compact car. The EQA production launch at the Mercedes-Benz Rastatt plant went smoothly. As with the EQC from Bremen and Beijing and the EQV from Vitoria, which are already on the market, the fully electric models at the Rastatt plant run on the same production line as compact vehicles with conventional and hybrid drives. That means all five vehicles produced in Rastatt are electrified: In addition to the fully electric EQA, the AClass, A-Class sedan, B-Class and the compact SUV GLA are also produced at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Rastatt - with classic combustion engines as well as plug-in hybrid drive. With that the Mercedes-Benz Rastatt plant is making an important contribution on the road to a CO₂ neutral vehicle fleet and to the Mercedes-Benz AG electric offensive. EQA production will also follow next year (2021) at BBAC in Beijing for the Chinese market.
EQB production will launch in 2021 at two locations in the global Mercedes-Benz Cars production network: in the Hungarian Mercedes-Benz plant in Kecskemét for the world market and in the German-Chinese joint venture BBAC in Beijing for the local market. Plant preparation, including employee training and renovation work, is already underway. The compact SUV EQB will be the first purely electrically powered production vehicle from Hungary and will complement the plug-in hybrid portfolio consisting of the CLA and CLA Shooting Brake. The A-Class will also be produced in Kecskemét with a plug-in hybrid drive, in addition to production in the German Mercedes-Benz plant in Rastatt.
Furthermore, in the first half of 2021 production of the EQS electric luxury sedan will begin in Factory 56 at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Sindelfingen (Germany). EQS is the independent, fully electric member in the new S-Class program and is the first to use the new electric architecture for luxury and upper-class electric vehicles at Mercedes-Benz. In Factory 56 the S-Class and, in the future, the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class, and the EQS will be produced in a fully flexible manner on the same line. Factory 56 embodies the future of production at Mercedes-Benz and sets new standards for automobile construction. In Factory 56 efficiency gains of around 25 percent are achieved compared to the previous S-Class assembly. This is made possible by optimizing the entire value chain and full digitalization with MO360, the digital Mercedes-Benz production ecosystem. For further information on this: https://media.daimler.com/marsMediaSite/ko/en/47014243
Furthermore, the Mercedes-Benz plant in Bremen will begin production of the EQE business sedan in the second half of 2021, followed shortly thereafter at the Beijing plant. The EQE thus complements the allelectric portfolio of the two plants. The Beijing plant will then produce a total of four Mercedes-EQ models for the local market.
The Mercedes-Benz plant in Tuscaloosa (USA) is also preparing for production of the EQE SUV and EQS SUV in 2022, which will be produced in the future on the same line with SUVs with conventional and plug-in hybrid drives.
In 2022 a total of eight Mercedes-EQ electric vehicles will be produced at seven locations on three continents. This is possible because the company made early investments worldwide in flexibility and technical equipment with future-oriented Industry 4.0 solutions. In the Mercedes-Benz AG plants, vehicles with different drive types can be produced in parallel thanks to highly flexible structures. With a view to the strategic goal of generating more than half of sales with so-called xEVs, i.e. plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles, from 2030 on and gradually increasing the purely electric share, the high degree of flexibility is a decisive advantage. It enables production to be adjusted at short notice depending on market demand.
smart rounds off the electric Mercedes-Benz Cars portfolio with three additional models. The smart EQ fortwo (combined power consumption: 16.5 kWh/100 km, combined CO₂ emissions: 0 g/km)1 and smart EQ fortwo Cabrio (combined power consumption: 16.8 kWh/100 km, CO₂ emissions combined: 0 g/km)1 are produced in Hambach, France, and the smart EQ forfour (combined power consumption: 17.3 kWh/100 km; combined CO₂ emissions: 0 g/km)1 in Novo Mesto, Slovenia. The next generation of smart electric vehicles will be produced by the joint venture smart Automobile Co., Ltd. in China. This is a joint venture of MercedesBenz AG and the Zhejiang Geely Group (Geely Holding).
Plug-in hybrid drive is important as a key technology and intermediate step toward a purely electric product portfolio. More than 20 plug-in hybrid model variants are already an integral part of the Mercedes-Benz product portfolio. The portfolio will be expanded to include more than 25 model variants by 2025. Their production therefore also plays an important role in the global production network. Plug-in hybrid vehicles are already rolling off Mercedes-Benz Cars assembly lines in almost all car plants.
Global battery production network: a key success factor in the Mercedes-Benz electric offensive
The batteries for the Mercedes-EQ electric vehicles are supplied by a global battery production network with plants on three continents. Local battery production is a key success factor for the Mercedes-Benz electric offensive.
Two plants in Kamenz (Germany), have been producing battery systems for hybrids, plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles since 2012. The second battery factory at the site began operations in 2018 and has been producing the EQC's battery systems since 2019. It was designed from the start as a CO₂ neutral plant and combines, among other things, solar energy, geothermal energy and a combined heat and power plant. The battery systems for the EQA have also recently rolled off the production line at the site. Since the start of production at Accumotive, more than a million batteries based on lithium-ion technology for electric, plug-in hybrid vehicles and 48-volt systems have been produced at the Kamenz site.
Mercedes-Benz and BAIC have jointly set up local battery production at the existing location in the Yizhuang Industrial Park in Beijing (China). This supplies the nearby vehicle plant, which has also added all-electric Mercedes-EQ models to its portfolio with the EQC. Production of battery systems for the EQC started there in 2019. With the start of production of the EQA, EQB and EQE, the plant will manufacture battery systems for a total of four Mercedes-Benz EQ models beginning in 2021.
This year the battery plant in Jawor (Poland) started producing plug-in hybrid batteries for the C, E and SClasses. In the coming year the location will expand its portfolio to include battery systems for the compact Mercedes-EQ models, the EQA and the EQB. Much like the battery plant in Kamenz, the plant was designed from the outset for CO₂ neutral production.
In the future at the Untertürkheim (Germany) site two plants will produce battery systems. Final preparations for the production of the battery systems for the EQS, which will roll off the production line in nearby Sindelfingen in the first half of 2021, are currently underway at the Hedelfingen plant. The battery system for the EQE will also be produced in Hedelfingen. Another battery plant is currently being built in the Brühl facility, which will manufacture battery systems for Mercedes-Benz plug-in hybrids starting 2022. The work on the building has already been completed. The battery plant in Brühl will be fitted with the corresponding equipment in the coming months.
Production of the EQS and EQE SUV models will start in 2022 at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Tuscaloosa (USA). A battery plant is currently being built in the immediate vicinity and will supply highly efficient battery systems for both models. Work on the building has already been completed. The ultra-modern systems will be installed in the coming months.
In addition, the Mercedes-Benz production strategy currently provides for another battery plant at the Sindelfingen site.
Together with local partner Thonburi Automotive Assembly Plant (TAAP), Mercedes-Benz Cars set up a battery production facility in Bangkok (Thailand) and began operations in 2019. Battery systems for the current C, E and S-Class plug-in hybrids are manufactured at the site. Preparations are also being made there to manufacture drive batteries for all-electric Mercedes-EQ brand vehicles.
Electric First und Ambition2039: CO₂ neutral mobility und production
Under “Electric First,” Mercedes-Benz is pursuing the consistent electrification of all model variants and vehicle types as a clear objective. The decisive factor here over the next few years is the gradual increase in the purely electric share of the vehicle portfolio. So-called xEVs, plug-in hybrids and fully electric vehicles, should account for more than half of sales by 2030 - and the trend is rising. Electrically powered vehicles from Mercedes-Benz are enjoying increasing popularity. The company delivered a total of 45,000 electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids (xEVs) worldwide in the third quarter of 2020.
With “Ambition2039,” Mercedes-Benz introduced its path to CO₂ neutrality over a year ago. Vehicle production plays a crucial role in this regard. As early as 2022 the company’s Mercedes-Benz car and van plants will produce CO₂ neutrally around the world. This includes more than 30 car and van plants, as well as battery plants.
Brief interview
“We’re producing the Mercedes-EQ models the Mercedes way: Completely digital and flexible, highly efficient and maximally sustainable.”
Questions for Jörg Burzer, Member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz AG, Production and
Supply Chain
Mr. Burzer, are you equipped for the production of electric vehicles in your production network?
The Mercedes-EQ production network is ready for our electric offensive. We started this transformation several years ago and set up our plants with maximum flexibility. The Mercedes-EQ electric models are gradually being integrated into our existing vehicle plants worldwide. They come off the same lines as vehicles with combustion engines or plug-in hybrid drives. The same applies to all of our Mercedes-Benz car plants - a total of six on three continents. This concept is particularly advantageous because demand for electric and electrified vehicles is developing very differently by region and we can adjust our production planning accordingly on short notice. In this way we can manufacture exactly what our customers want.
What specifically does your production planning for the upcoming model offensive look like?
One thing is certain: the proportion of all-electric vehicles in our portfolio will increase sharply in the coming years. By 2030 more than fifty percent of our vehicles will roll off the assembly line as so-called xEVs. Plug-in hybrids and hybrids will therefore continue to play an important role in our production planning over the next few years. However, our target is clearly designed for 100 percent Mercedes-EQ and we are directing our capacity precisely in this direction. We are preparing our production, as well as our employees, step by step for this change. Our sustainability concept is also a central focus: from 2022 on we will produce CO₂ neutral in our Mercedes-Benz plants worldwide.
What, specifically, were the challenges?
Every vehicle launch during ongoing production comes with challenges. That, of course, also applies to electric vehicles. However, thanks to the know-how in our plants and cross-location system planning, we could quickly develop and implement flexible solutions. The consistent digitalization of our processes through our digital production ecosystem MO360 also made a significant contribution. An important factor here, of course, is attaining targeted qualifications for our colleagues in our plants, which we consistently promote.
How will powertrain production continue in the future?
For the global Mercedes-Benz powertrain production network, the shift toward e-mobility poses a special challenge. However, we are determined to continue aligning our drive division to this change and make it sustainable for the future. We have already built up extensive know-how in our powertrain plants in recent years. It starts with the expansion of our battery production network and includes, among other things, manufacturing and assembling parts of the electric drivetrain ourselves. Still, it’s also clear that the drivetrains of the future will differ significantly from those of today.
You will manufacture the batteries for the Mercedes-EQ models in house?
The local production of batteries is an essential success factor in our electric offensive. With a view to steadily increasing demand and, in accordance with our production planning, we are setting up our global battery production network to be flexible worldwide. Today we already produce batteries in Kamenz, Bangkok and Beijing. The ramp-up of our battery plants in Hedelfingen and Jawor is imminent and our colleagues in Brühl and Tuscaloosa are already preparing to start production in 2022. Our production network is very well positioned for the Mercedes-EQ model offensive.
Which new electric model are you personally most looking forward to?
Basically, I look forward to every new Mercedes-Benz. A very special milestone is certainly the upcoming EQS production launch. It will roll off the assembly line, together with the S-Class, in our new Factory 56 at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Sindelfingen. Here we’re setting the course for our entire production network: With the most modern production technologies Factory 56 is a blueprint for our global network. At the same time, it bolsters our claim - the Mercedes way - to the production of the Mercedes-EQ models: completely digital and flexible, highly efficient and maximally sustainable.
Mazda MX-30 e-Skyactiv Electric, Mild-Hybrid Set for Australian Release in 2021
Like the every other carmaker on the planet, the Japanese automaker has been cashing in for years from sales of internal combustion engine SUVs, and this trend looks set to continue as manufacturers race to develop electric and hybrid variants of high-riding platforms. The MX-30 electric is a good looking thing, but has received a fair amount of criticism overseas for its small 35.5kW battery, 200km WLTP range (real world range is closer to 175km) and maximum DC charging speed of 50kW.
Mazda MX-30 e-Skyactiv:
Battery: 35.5kW prismatic cell lithium-ion
Charging: Up to 50kW DC (CCS), 6.6kW AC
Range: 200km (WLTP)
Engine: AC synchronous motor - 107kW, 271Nm
Like the every other carmaker on the planet, the Japanese automaker has been cashing in for years from sales of internal combustion engine SUVs, and this trend looks set to continue as manufacturers race to develop electric and hybrid variants of high-riding platforms. The MX-30 electric is a good looking thing, but has received a fair amount of criticism overseas for its small 35.5kW battery, 200km WLTP range (real world range is closer to 170 km) and maximum DC charging speed of 50kW.
Mazda claims the MX-30 has been designed with a ‘right sized battery’, based on the fact that the average European commute is 48km per day -well within the capabilities of the MX-30- and that a smaller battery offers a reduced environmental footprint in manufacturing, less vehicle weight and greater energy efficiency. Without debating these points, consumers still feel at ease with a greater range, and one can’t help think that either Mazda is not able to compete with offerings from Hyundai, Kia and Volkswagen, or is deliberately handicapping its EV offerings so as not to poach sales from petrol and diesel product lines.
The fully electric MX-30 e-Skyactiv will go on sale in Australia from mid-2021. Read the full press release below:
11th December 2020: Mazda Australia is excited to confirm the local arrival of its first ever Mazda MX-30 crossover in 2021.
The first ever Mazda MX-30 combines truly individualised styling cues with a choice of green powertrain solutions: e-Skyactiv G with mild hybrid technology, or the fully electric e- Skyactiv system.
“MX-30 is the bold next step of Mazda’s Sustainable Zoom-Zoom 2030 strategy,” said Mazda Australia Managing Director, Vinesh Bhindi.
“Combining modern design and sustainable, tactile interior materials, the MX-30 has been created to stimulate the senses and connect with the driver and its occupants.
“While furthering our ‘well to wheel’ emissions reduction strategy, the MX-30 remains a Mazda at heart: it is poised, agile and fun to drive with exceptional handling.
We are looking forward to seeing MX-30 in Mazda dealerships next year,” he said.
The MX-30 M Hybrid will arrive in the first half 2021, with the MX-30 Electric going on-sale in the middle of the year.
MX-30 pushes Kodo design further than ever
Mazda’s first-ever MX-30 has pushed the boundaries of Kodo design further than ever before.
The MX-30’s design team focused on emerging new values and lifestyles among its target audience. Young, metro and forward-thinking, these people live for experiences, are continuously connected, and adore modern design: the resulting MX-30 shape is the result.
Its exterior is designed to emphasise the vehicle’s solid mass, creating an impression of strength and beauty by minimising clutter.
As first impressions last, particular emphasis was placed on the MX-30’s unique front-end styling. Here, the central Mazda logo is the focus point, with surrounding surfaces designed to reflect onto the logo, conveying vitality and reliability.
This solid mass impression extends along the vehicle’s side profile, with its upright A-pillars, sweeping D-pillars and curved side panels conveying strength.
With the Soul Red Crystal, Polymetal Grey and Ceramic Metallic exterior finishes, a blacked- out roof section and metallic upper body sections are available, offering a stunning three- tone contrast.
Single colour bodies in Machine Grey, Polymetal Grey, Ceramic Metallic, Jet Black and Arctic White will also be available.
An airy, relaxing interior space with premium, sustainable materials
Referencing the legendary Mazda RX-8 sports car, opening the MX-30’s Freestyle doors introduces a forward-thinking cabin that combines a sense of light and space with a wide range of sustainable materials.
Following Mazda’s characteristic driver-centric cockpit design, the MX-30’s interior makes use of floating elements and spaces that are designed to declutter. Touchscreen air- conditioning controls add simplicity, while the floating centre console, upper instrument panel and dash displays convey lightness.
Rear-seat occupants are treated to a couch-like experience, with the Freestyle outer-hinged door system offering a true sense of occasion upon entry.
During the MX-30’s design phase, interior materials that blended high sustainability with passenger comfort were deemed essential.
Heritage cork – a tribute to Mazda’s 1920 founding as the Toyo Cork Kogyo company – exemplifies this. The MX-30’s cork interior surfaces are made from sustainable raw materials, derived from tree bark without cutting the tree down. Mazda applies a unique coating to ensure durability and installs the finished product into the door grips and console trays.
Premium Vintage Leatherette upholstery is created from non-animal materials and manufactured with water rather than solvents, showcasing a tactile quality and premium appearance while being kind to the environment.
Upper door trims are finished in a breathable fabric that is created from recycled PET bottles and the fabric seat trim elements use up to 20 per cent recycled thread.
Five-star rated safety
The five-star Euro NCAP rated MX-30 evolves the Mazda Proactive Safety philosophy with a comprehensive suite of active and passive safety measures.
The MX-30’s i-Activsense system introduces a Turn-Across Traffic functionality to the Smart Brake Support System, which helps prevent collisions when turning ‘across traffic’, for example at an intersection.
Road Keep Assist, which maintains the right track even without lane markings, and Emergency Lane Keeping with Blind Spot Assist, are also included.
A rigid body, optimal driving position and structures that efficiently absorb impact energy provide additional peace-of-mind.
For the EV, the high voltage electric power flow is shut down the instant a collision occurs, and the battery module is covered with high-strength steel and a rigid surrounding frame for solid impact protection.
Ten airbags are included as standard: front, curtain, front-side, rear-side, front far-side (driver) and a driver’s knee airbag.
Human Machine Interface shapes in-car technology
From the interior layout and packaging through to infotainment and connectivity options, the Mazda MX-30 is designed to integrate with its owner’s connected, tech-savvy lifestyle.
A new, 7.0-inch touchscreen display sits on the central console and adapts its graphical display to suit the temperature and time of day. Once started, the interior climate control system (including air-conditioning and seat heating) is controlled via this screen.
An 8.8-inch widescreen central display, as seen in the Mazda CX-30 acts as an information centre, while a 7.0-inch TFT LCD meter panel sits in the instrument panel.
The latest-generation Mazda Connect system functionality ensures rapid and reliable interaction with the MX-30’s on-board systems and extended applications.
New-generation Jinba-ittai
Since 1989’s original Mazda MX-5, a Mazda bearing the MX nameplate has stood for
innovation and unparalleled driver engagement. The first ever Mazda MX-30 is no exception.
Based off the innovative Skyactiv-Vehicle Architecture that debuted in 2019, the Mazda MX- 30 range uses new-generation structural technologies to enhance Mazda’s Jinba-ittai – oneness between car and driver – philosophy.
Improved body rigidity provides the suspension a more responsive platform with which to work, enhancing roadholding and driver feedback as well as safety.
The Electric model incorporates a specific Electronic G-Vectoring Control Plus (e-GVC Plus) system that specifically leverages the electric motor’s torque to enhance chassis response by actively altering the front axle torque split.
For the M Hybrid model GVC Plus uses the braking system to manage traction and aid directional stability.
The result is a vehicle that is a pleasure to drive, with a sense of engagement, agility and handling balance that one expects from a Mazda vehicle.
The Mazda MX-30 M Hybrid System
The Mazda MX-30 M Hybrid is powered by a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder direct-injection ‘Skyactiv- G’ petrol engine, paired with Mazda’s own ‘M Hybrid’ mild hybrid system. Combined outputs are 114kW and 200Nm, while consuming 6.4L/100km on the combined cycle (NEDC).
Combining the virtues of Skyactiv-G with the M Hybrid system provides improved fuel efficiency, a smoother transition from idling stops and a more refined driving feel.
M Hybrid can recover energy generated from vehicle deceleration, improving efficiency and braking ability. The system can shut the internal combustion engine down before the MX-30 comes to a complete stop, thanks to a new belt-driven integrated starter motor (ISG). Not only does the ISG smooth the transition to an idling stop, it also aids re-start by assisting to spin the engine’s crankshaft. The result is a reduction in noise and vibration.
The M Hybrid battery majors on safety, durability and cold weather performance, and works with the regenerative braking system to store energy levels. The redeployment of this energy is intelligently controlled, and can be used to assist engine torque, enhance braking power or prolong idle stop time – all while improving fuel efficiency.
A six-speed automatic Skyactiv-Drive transmission is equipped with a torque converter and drives the front wheels.
Mazda MX-30 e-Skyactiv: A Mazda first
Mazda’s new e-Skyactiv powertrain provides the MX-30 Electric with purely electric power. Our engineers envisioned a way to apply Mazda’s human-centric development philosophy to the EV space, combining a 35.5kWh lithium-ion battery pack and a 107kW/271Nm electric motor into a vehicle that prioritises driver connection – an enduring Mazda value.
The electric motor, inverter, DC-DC converter and junction box are integrated into a single high-voltage unit that is mounted towards the front of the vehicle.
Sizing for the high-voltage battery was carefully considered to fit the inner-urban lifestyle of the target market, while minimising CO2 emissions throughout its life cycle, from resource extraction through to battery disposal.
Mounted low underneath the floor for maximum driving engagement, the result is a system that can supply 224km of vehicle range (combined, NEDC) while being light, compact, safe and easy to charge.
Using the average Australian daily commute of 32km ‘round-trip’, the MX-30’s range ensures fuss-free, silent driving over the course of a five-day working week – without the need to charge.
When it is time to plug in, both regular AC and rapid charge DC ports are packaged as a set, accessed on the right rear side of the vehicle.
Here next year
The first ever Mazda MX-30 will arrive in Australian showrooms in 2021. Full lineup, pricing and specifications will be confirmed closer to market launch.
Ford's Mustang Mach-E: An In-Depth Look with the Designers
Cars are so good these days that we often fail to understand the planning, design and engineering that goes into our personal transport. This great video from Ford dives in-depth with the company’s designers, looking at the exterior design, Ford SYNC and connectivity, the interior design and performance and charging.
Cars are so good these days that we often fail to understand the planning, design and engineering that goes into our personal transport. This great video from Ford dives in-depth with the company’s designers, looking at the exterior design, Ford SYNC and connectivity, the interior design and performance and charging.
Also worth watch is Jay Leno’s introduction to the Mach-E and the 7-motor (!) 1400hp Mach-E below.
The Mach-E is expected to go on sale in the US in the first quarter of 2021; sadly Ford has no plans to bring the Mach-E to Australia.
Hyundai's New 'E-GMP' Platform to Underpin Future BEVs
Designed exclusively for electric vehicles, the E-GMP platform architecture marks an engineering step change from Hyundai. With the company’s current range of EVs based on platforms designed for internal combustion engines, The E-GMP platform provides increased development flexibility, powerful driving performance, increased driving range, strengthened safety features, and more interior space for occupants and luggage according to Hyundai.
Designed exclusively for electric vehicles, the E-GMP platform architecture marks an engineering step change from Hyundai. With the company’s current range of EVs based on platforms designed for internal combustion engines, The E-GMP platform provides increased development flexibility, powerful driving performance, increased driving range, strengthened safety features, and more interior space for occupants and luggage according to Hyundai.
During an online digital discovery event, Albert Biermann, President and Head of R&D Division for Hyundai Motor Group. stated “Today our front-wheel driven Hyundai and Kia BEVs are already among the most efficient ones in their segments. With our rear-wheel driven based E-GMP, we are extending our technological leadership into segments where customers demand excellent driving dynamics and outstanding efficiency.”
According to Hyundai, E-GMP reduces complexity through modularisation and standardisation, allowing rapid and flexible development of products which can be used across most vehicle segments, such as sedans, SUVs and CUVs.
Hyundai claims that future vehicles based on E-GMP architecture can provide range over 500km on a full charge (WLTP) and be charged up to 80% within 18 minutes through high-speed DC charging.
E-GMP will be based on an 800V system architecture, while also allowing 400V charging. The company claims a world first for this multi-charging system, which operates the motor and the inverter to boost 400V to 800V for stable charging compatibility.
Hyundai plans to showcase a flexible charging system through its Integrated Charging Control Unit (ICCU). This unit allows bidirectional charging, and enables a new vehicle-to-load (V2L) function up to 3.5kW, which can additionally discharge energy from the vehicle battery without additional components. Hyundai claims this enables any BEV based on the E-GMP to operate other electric machinery, charge another EV, or operate “a mid-sized air conditioner unit and a 55-inch television for up to 24 hours.”
You can read the full press release below:
2 December, 2020 – Hyundai Motor Group has unveiled its new Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP), a dedicated Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) platform. Revealed online today during an ‘E-GMP Digital Discovery’ event, the platform will serve as the core technology for Hyundai Motor Group’s next-generation BEV line-up.
The event was broadcasted through the Group’s official YouTube channel and Channel Hyundai, an online global content platform.
From 2021, the E-GMP will underpin a range of dedicated new BEVs, including Hyundai Motor Company’s IONIQ 5; Kia Motors Corporation’s first dedicated BEV to be revealed in 2021; and a series of other models.
Designed exclusively for BEVs, E-GMP provides various advantages compared to the Group’s existing platforms, which have each been engineered predominantly to accommodate internal combustion engines. Benefits include increased development flexibility, powerful driving performance, increased driving range, strengthened safety features, and more interior space for occupants and luggage.
“Today our front-wheel driven Hyundai and Kia BEVs are already among the most efficient ones in their segments,” said Albert Biermann, President and Head of R&D Division for Hyundai Motor Group.
“With our rear-wheel driven based E-GMP, we are extending our technological leadership into segments where customers demand excellent driving dynamics and outstanding efficiency.”
“E-GMP is the culmination of years of research and development and brings together our most cutting-edge technologies. Our BEV line-up will evolve and be strengthened by this innovative new platform,” said Fayez Abdul Rahman, Senior Vice President of Vehicle Architecture Development Center for Hyundai Motor Group.
Maximising development flexibility through modularisation and standardisation
E-GMP reduces complexity through modularisation and standardisation, allowing rapid and flexible development of products which can be used across most vehicle segments, such as sedans, SUVs and CUVs. Moreover, flexible development can satisfy various customer needs for vehicle performance. Among these, a high performance model will accelerate from 0 to 100kph in less than 3.5 seconds and achieve a maximum speed of 260km/h.
E-GMP will be highly effective in expanding the Group’s EV leadership position as it will enable the company to enlarge its EV line-up over a relatively short period through modularisation and standardisation.
Designed for Driving Performance, Safety and Maximised Space
E-GMP is engineered to offer improved cornering performance and driving stability at high speed. This is due to optimal weight distribution between front and rear, a design which enables a low centre of gravity thanks to its low-mounted battery pack, and the adoption of electric motors located in the space previously occupied by an engine.
The high-speed electric motor raises the driving performance of E-GMP vehicles. A five-link rear suspension system, which is typically used for mid and large sized vehicle segments, and the world’s first integrated drive axle (IDA), which combines wheel bearings with the drive shaft to transmit power to the wheels, enhance ride comfort and handling stability.
The platform secures battery safety through a battery support structure made of ultra-high strength steel. Hot-stamped steel components surround this structure for additional rigidity. Collision energy can be absorbed efficiently thanks to energy-absorbent sections of the body and chassis, effective energy load paths, and a central section of the battery pack tightly bound to the vehicle body.
Moreover, by strengthening the structure of the load support section, located in front of the dashboard, engineers have been able to minimise collision energy to the power electric system and battery. The A-pillar’s load distribution structure also prevents deformation of the passenger cell.
E-GMP maximises interior space through its long wheelbase, short front and rear overhangs and slim cockpit module. With the battery pack mounted beneath the floor, the E-GMP creates a flat floor for the cabin. This provides more legroom for passengers, while enabling various arrangements for the front and rear seats.
The battery pack itself - mounted between the front and rear wheel axles - will be the most power-dense system that Hyundai Motor Group has ever created. This is partly thanks to its enhanced cooling performance, a result of a new separate cooling block structure which helps make the battery pack more compact. With energy density enhanced by around 10% compared to existing EV battery technology, the battery packs are lighter, can be mounted lower in the body, and liberate more cabin space.
Efficient and Powerful Electrification System
The E-GMP’s compact new power electric (PE) system consists of a powerful motor, EV transmission and inverter. These three components are integrated into a single compact module. This ensures powerful performance by raising the motor’s maximum speed by up to 70% compared to existing motors. The high-speed motor is smaller than other motors while providing comparable performance, and it gives efficiencies in both space and weight.
Additionally, a standardised battery system can be tuned to offer performance appropriate for a specific vehicle segment, to maximise driving range, or to meet various customer needs.
The motor is controlled by the inverter power module, which adopts silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductors. This motor can enhance system efficiency by around 2-3 percent, which means the vehicle can be driven for approximately 5% longer on the same battery energy.
E-GMP relies on the rear wheel for propulsion. Customers will be able to choose between rear-wheel and all-wheel drive configurations; models with the latter can be equipped with an additional motor. The all-wheel drive system includes an EV transmission disconnector, which can control the connection between the additional motor and front wheels, and switch between two-wheel and all-wheel drive modes to enhance efficiency by offering the ideal level of power or performance for current driving conditions.
All vehicles developed with the E-GMP platform use a standardised single type of battery module. This module is composed of pouch-type standard cells and can be packed in different quantities as required for each vehicle.
Multi (800V and 400V) and Bi-Directional Charging System
Most existing EVs and the fast-charging infrastructure provide 50kW-150kW charging for EVs equipped with a 400V system; however, the development of 800V infrastructure, with up to 350kW charging, will gradually enable even more fast-charging.
In line with this trend, Hyundai Motor Group has invested in IONITY, Europe’s leading high-power charging network, as a strategic partner and shareholder. IONITY operates 308 high-power charging (HPC) stations - using a charging capacity of up to 350 kW - along highways in European countries. The company plans to increase this number to 400 HPC stations by 2022, including 51 currently under construction.
E-GMP offers 800V charging capability as standard and enables 400V charging, without the need for additional components or adapters. The multi-charging system is a world’s first patented technology which operates the motor and the inverter to boost 400V to 800V for stable charging compatibility.
A BEV based on E-GMP is capable of a maximum range of over 500km with a fully charged battery, according to the Worldwide Harmonised Light-duty vehicle Procedure (WLTP). Moreover, it can high-speed charge up to 80% in just 18 minutes and can add up to 100km of driving range in just five minutes.
Unlike previous BEVs, which only accept one-way charging, the E-GMP’s charging system is more flexible. The E-GMP’s newly developed Integrated Charging Control Unit (ICCU) represents an upgrade from existing On-Board Chargers (OBC), which typically only allow electricity to flow in a single direction from an external power source. The ICCU enables a new vehicle-to-load (V2L) function, which can additionally discharge energy from the vehicle battery without additional components. This enables BEV based on the E-GMP to operate other electric machinery (110 / 220V) anywhere. The system can even be used to charge another EV.
The new V2L function can supply up to 3.5kW of power and operate a mid-sized air conditioner unit and a 55-inch television for up to 24 hours.
E-GMP to underpin future EV sales growth worldwide
Hyundai Motor Group has put in considerable effort to prepare for the era of electrification. Kia Motors Corporation launched its first mass-produced BEV in 2011, the Ray EV, in Korea, with the Soul EV sold in global markets from 2014. The Group completed the introduction of a mass production system for all electrified vehicles in 2015, including those with HEV, PHEV, BEV, and FCEV.
The E-GMP will underpin Hyundai Motor Group’s plans to introduce a total of 23 BEV models including 11 dedicated BEV models, and sell more than 1 million BEVs worldwide by 2025. As part of its BEV vision, Hyundai Motor Company launched its dedicated ‘IONIQ’ BEV brand in August 2020, which includes three dedicated BEV models, the IONIQ 5, IONIQ 6 and IONIQ 7 by 2024. This currently covers various vehicle segments.
Kia is also undergoing a transformation for the era of electrification, based on its ‘Plan S’ mid-to-long term strategy. In September, Kia announced plans to increase the share of BEV sales volumes as a proportion of total sales to 20% by 2025. The company also recently published an early image of seven dedicated BEV models to be released sequentially by 2027.
GM Grows EV Investment to $27bn, Charges Ahead Toward Electric Future
On Thursday, GM announced an addition $7 billion will be invested in the company’s electrification and autonomy program, hopefully accelerating the US automaker to the forefront of battery, electric vehicle drivetrain and autonomous technology.
On Thursday, GM announced an addition $7 billion will be invested in the company’s electrification and autonomy program, hopefully accelerating the US automaker to the forefront of battery, electric vehicle drivetrain and autonomous technology.
"Climate change is real, and we want to be part of the solution by putting everyone in an electric vehicle," said GM Chief Executive Mary Barra.
"We are transitioning to an all-electric portfolio from a position of strength and we're focused on growth."
GM’s EV platform will underpin the majority of its brands’ architecture over the next decade.
GM Estimates 40% of it’s model range will be electrified by mid-decade, and the company is currently developing new Ultium-based battery packs with claimed efficiency gains, a 450mi range, and cost savings of 60% over current battery technology used by GM’s brands. Some battery highlights include:
Cell design that enables higher energy density and uses less non-active material, making more room for the part of the battery that produces energy.
Manufacturing efficiencies through GM’s Ultium Cells LLC joint venture with LG Chem.
Better integration between vehicles and their battery packs, enabling fewer cells and modules.
Less expensive cathodes, reduced active material, novel electrolytes and the first use of lithium metal anodes in a GM battery.
No official EPA testing has verified these range claims, and much of the industry is still cautious about GM’s ability to produce competitive cells.
The capital spend is welcome however, and represents an important shift in the company; for the first time, investment in electrification outweights investment in combustion engine technology.
Full press release below.
Source: GM
GM’s new Ultium Battery Cells. Image: GM
Thirty new global EV launches planned through 2025
More than $27 billion in planned EV and AV product spending to exceed GM’s gas and diesel investment
By mid-decade, GM’s Ultium battery packs projected to cost 60 percent less than today’s packs with twice the energy density
GM ups full-charge maximum range of Ultium-based EVs to 450 miles
DETROIT – General Motors Co. (NYSE: GM) Chairman and CEO Mary Barra revealed that the company will offer 30 all-electric models globally by mid-decade. Forty percent of the company’s U.S. entries will be battery electric vehicles by the end of 2025. Barra also announced an increase in GM’s financial commitment to EVs and AVs today to $27 billion through 2025 – up from the $20 billion planned before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Climate change is real, and we want to be part of the solution by putting everyone in an electric vehicle,” said Barra. “We are transitioning to an all-electric portfolio from a position of strength and we’re focused on growth. We can accelerate our EV plans because we are rapidly building a competitive advantage in batteries, software, vehicle integration, manufacturing and customer experience.”
At the virtual Barclays Global Automotive Conference, Barra and Doug Parks, GM executive vice president of Global Product Development, Purchasing and Supply Chain, will share key elements of GM’s plan, including:
By 2025, GM will launch 30 EVs around the world, and more than two-thirds will be available in North America. Cadillac, GMC, Chevrolet and Buick will all be represented, with EVs at all price points for work, adventure, performance and family use.
Engineering advances have increased the previously stated GM-estimated maximum range of Ultium-based vehicles from 400. GM’s Ultium-based EVs, when produced, will be capable of driving ranges up to 450 miles on a full charge1.
GM’s versatile Ultium platform provides the building blocks for everything, from mass market to high performance vehicles – all from a single, common cell in most markets and a set of interchangeable propulsion components.
More than half of GM’s capital spending and product development team will be devoted to electric and electric-autonomous vehicle programs.
GM’s second-generation Ultium chemistry is projected to deliver twice the energy density at less than half the cost of today’s chemistry. GM is already prototype testing this next-generation technology, which is expected to be available mid-decade.
Ultium technology, supported by hundreds of granted patents and pending patent applications, is expected to bring EVs closer to price parity with gas-powered vehicles.
Both the GMC HUMMER EV and Cadillac LYRIQ programs were accelerated, along with other vehicles to be revealed at a later date.
GM is hiring 3,000 electrical system, infotainment software and controls engineers, plus developers for Java, Android, iOS and other platforms.
GM continues to explore third-party licensing for its Ultium EV architecture, batteries and propulsion systems, along with its Hydrotec fuel cell technology developed with Honda.
GM, in collaboration with its dealers, will leverage its sales and service capabilities and software-powered innovations to deliver an exceptional customer experience for EV loyalists and new EV customers alike.
GM innovates in EV propulsion despite COVID-19
Ultium already represents a milestone achievement in electrification, with battery pack costs nearly 40 percent lower than those in the Chevrolet Bolt EV. Despite the pandemic, GM’s work on EVs accelerated during 2020.
Now, just eight months after the technology was first revealed, GM is projecting that second-generation Ultium packs, expected mid-decade, will cost 60 percent less than the batteries in use today with twice the energy density expected.
These second-generation cells will get closer to cost parity with gas-powered engines due to:
Cell design that enables higher energy density and uses less non-active material, making more room for the part of the battery that produces energy.
Manufacturing efficiencies through GM’s Ultium Cells LLC joint venture with LG Chem.
Better integration between vehicles and their battery packs, enabling fewer cells and modules.
Less expensive cathodes, reduced active material, novel electrolytes and the first use of lithium metal anodes in a GM battery.
GM has completed hundreds of test cycles on the multi-layer prototypes of this next-generation Ultium cell chemistry. Production cells are expected by mid-decade.
The Ultium platform is flexible enough to accept new chemistry and even cell types, without redesigns to its architecture. Ultium batteries will be easy to service at the module level, which makes repair costs less expensive than having to replace the whole pack.
“GM’s EV development times are speeding up and costs are going down rapidly, so we expect our Ultium EV programs to be profitable from the first generation on,” said Parks. “It’s not just the cost and performance of our innovative EV components that will give us a competitive advantage in a fast-changing industry, but how we integrate them with other advanced systems like Super Cruise, our Vehicle Intelligence Platform electrical architecture and other technologies pioneered in our traditional portfolio.”
GM is doing most of the development work on these cells internally at its Chemical and Materials Systems Lab, located at the Global Technical Center in Warren, Michigan. This facility features a fabrication line with polymer mixing, slurries, a coating machine and a cell assembly room.
Next year, GM will break ground on an all-new Battery Innovation Lab and Manufacturing Technology Center to develop the next-generation Ultium battery chemistry.
GM speeds its EV rollout and pace of innovation
The modular and highly flexible qualities of the Ultium system, along with engineering advances in battery technology, the use of virtual development tools and lessons learned during the HUMMER EV development process, have enabled GM to bring EVs to market much faster than originally planned.
The 2022 GMC HUMMER EV’s development time of 26 months – down from about 50 months – is now the benchmark.
The development schedules for 12 vehicle programs have been moved up, including:
GMC HUMMER EV
Three other GMC Ultium variants, including an EV pickup
Four Chevrolet EVs, including a pickup and compact crossover
Four Cadillacs
In addition, Buick’s EV lineup will include two Ultium-based EVs.
After the GMC HUMMER EV, the next EV to launch will be the LYRIQ, Cadillac’s first all-electric vehicle, which will arrive in the first quarter of 2022, nine months ahead of schedule.
“Ultium is already changing the way customers – and investors – view our company,” Barra said. “We are resolved as a management team to move even faster to expedite the transition to EVs. The all-electric future we are building integrates all the things we do better than anybody else – so we can put everyone in an EV, generate profitable growth and create shareholder value.”
US Big Corporates Push for Zero Emissions Vehicle Regulations
With a President-elect pledging to take meaningful action on climate change, Corporate America stands ready to act and take advantage of pro-renewables and clean-tech policies. The Zero Emissions Transport Association (ZETA) is a new federal coalition “advocating for national policies that will enable 100% electric vehicle sales throughout the light-, medium-, and heavy-duty sectors by 2030."
With a President-elect pledging to take meaningful action on climate change, Corporate America stands ready to act and take advantage of pro-renewables and clean-tech policies. The Zero Emissions Transport Association (ZETA) is a new federal coalition “advocating for national policies that will enable 100% electric vehicle sales throughout the light-, medium-, and heavy-duty sectors by 2030."
Comprising some of America’s largest corporate entities ranging from Tesla and Rivian, through to Uber, conEdison and Duke Energy, ZETA wants to see the full adoption of electric vehicles to secure American global EV manufacturing leadership, and reduce carbon pollution and therefore, emissions.
Policy goals of ZETA include:
Expanded incentives, which means not only lifting the per-manufacturer cap on the $7,500 consumer tax credit, but also making it a "point of sale" rebate. Other goals include a program to incentivize trade-ins of fossil fuel-powered vehicles.
Federal emissions and efficiency performance standards that will send the "correct market signals" for faster electric vehicle deployment by the auto industry.
New federal infrastructure investments and support for domestic manufacturing, and support for local pro-electric vehicle policies.
According to Joe Britton, the Executive Director of ZETA, “Transportation is responsible for more carbon emissions than any other sector of the U.S. economy. By embracing EVs, federal policymakers can help drive innovation, create hundreds of thousands of new jobs, and improve air quality and public health.”
ZETA believes that consumer incentives drive adoption of new technology, and represent one real way to drive the shift to EVs in the US. Providing credits for older combustion engined vehicles will help to speed the transition, and will also boost domestic economic growth. ZETA hopes that a Biden administration would use policy mechanisms to encourage job creation in the EV manufacturing and supply chains. Biden has already stated that he wants the federal government to move towards a 100% clean energy fleet, and wants to work closely with state governors and mayors to roll-out 500,000 new public chaging stations by 2030.
Electric car sales are increasing in market share across the world, while conbustion-engined passenger car sales are slowing. This has been further exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic. The overall market share of plug-in vehicles is still relatively small however, comprising 326,000 or 2% of the total market in the US in 2019, 564,206 or 3.6% of the total market in Europe, and 1,180,000 or 6.8% of the market in China.
For more information visit https://www.zeta2030.org/
Source: Axios
Image: ZETA
Image: ZETA
