+++ While some companies are shifting their focus towards solid-state BATTERIES , Samsung believes lithium-ion batteries still have a future in the automotive industry. As such, researchers at the Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT) have developed what they call a ‘graphene ball’, a material that coats the electrodes and allows for a 45 percent increase in capacity and 5 times faster-charging speeds than standard lithium/ion batteries. In fact, Samsung says a battery with graphene ball material could fully charge in just 12 minutes. During its research, SAIT were able to synthesize graphene into a 3D form that resembles popcorn. It is this material that is applied to the electrodes. Speaking of the technology, project leader Son In-hyuk said the material could be applied to batteries without significant changes to current battery manufacturing techniques. “Our research enables mass synthesis of multifunctional composite material graphene at an affordable price. At the same time, we were able to considerably enhance the capabilities of lithium-ion batteries in an environment where the markets for mobile devices and electric vehicles is growing rapidly. Our commitment is to continuously explore and develop secondary battery technology in light of these trends”, he said. +++
+++ German carmaker Volkswagen is in talks to buy a stake in GAZ , a Russian manufacturer of light commercial vehicles (LCV), 5 sources familiar with the talks told. It was not immediately clear how big a stake is being discussed or the value of the deal. GAZ is a part of the Basic Element group that holds the assets of Russian businessman Oleg Deripaska. Both GAZ and Basic Element declined to comment, while a spokesman at VW headquarters said he does not comment on market speculation. “There are talks, they are trying to reach an agreement. Deripaska has long been looking for a partner and VW does not have a Russian partner”, one well-placed industry source said. Another well-connected car industry source, 2 financial market sources and another person familiar with the matter also said talks were under way. One of the sources said that a decision on the size of the proposed stake sale has yet to be made. A source close to VW also confirmed that talks were in progress but said the possibility of the German group taking a stake in GAZ is not the only mater under consideration. +++
+++ INFINITI is going after the likes of the BMW X3 and the Audi Q5 with its latest SUV: the new QX50, which has been revealed in full at the La Motor Show ahead of an European launch late next year. We’ve seen the car in concept form on a number of occasions, but the model is now finished, sporting a fresh design language, a new platform, new semi-autonomous driving tech and the world’s first variable compression ratio engine in a production car. The SUV has made the switch from concept to production car relatively unscathed; the showroom model boasts the concept’s bolder, square jaw at the front with a clamshell bonnet, while the large grille and headlight setup are in tune with the latest Q60 coupe. Elsewhere, the strong shoulder line and kinked window line at the c-pillar are transplanted directly from the design study, leading to an overall shape strongly mimicking the concept car’s shape. Measuring at 4,693 mm long, the QX50 is ever so slightly shorter than the new BMW X3, though it’s wider, taller and lighter than its German rival, with front wheel drive versions tipping the scales at 1,736 kg. It’s underpinned by a new platform, developed with interior packaging and practicality in mind; Infiniti claims a maximum luggage space of 1,699 litres with rear seats dropped. Arguably, the most intriguing aspect of the QX50 is the engine. It’s a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol developing 270 hp and 380 Nm of torque, which is intended to phase out the heavy 3.5-litre six-cylinder unit previously used by Infiniti. To achieve this hefty dose of downsizing it arrives with a unique party trick; variable compression ratio technology; a world first in a volume production car. The tech is called VC-Turbo, and the engine’s compression ratio seamlessly varies from between 8:1 (for harder driving) and 14:1 (for fuel efficiency). This is achieved by continually altering the reach of the pistons, so technically, the engine varies from 1,997cc to 1,970cc in size. Infiniti says it should be fast and frugal. All-wheel-drive models are said to take 6.3 seconds to get from 0-100 km/h, with a claimed top speed of 230 km/h. However, fuel economy figures have not yet been revealed. Both front-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive versions of the QX50 will be offered, though both will make use of a newly developed CVT gearbox. For drivers who prefer to ‘shift’ gears themselves, 8 virtual gears have been programmed into the Xtronic CVT system. A spread of selectable driving modes can alter engine, transmission and steering settings on demand, too. The optional all-wheel-drive system lies dormant most of the time, only sending power to the front axle. Up to 50 percent of the car’s torque can be sent to the rear wheels, while the drivetrain also features torque vectoring to limit understeer. Infiniti has raided Nissan’s war chest of ProPilot driver assist features, with support for semi-autonomous driving as the headline act from a technology perspective. ProPilot Assist means QX50 can drive itself in a single lane on motorways and in stop-start traffic, taking control of braking, acceleration and steering. Elsewhere, the new crossover is kitted out with autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection and a forward collision warning system, lane keep assist, blind spot assist, and adaptive LED headlights. With a US market release scheduled for early 2018, I don’t expect the QX50 to arrive on sale in Europe until late next year. Infiniti has yet to finalise Dutch specifications, but it looks set to go on sale priced from around 65,000 euro. +++
+++ JAGUAR engineers are flat out in the development of the I-Pace, using multiple test cars in several locations across Europe as the race to market ramps up. The I-Pace is targeted with beating the Audi E-Tron into showrooms next year in order to earn the title of first electric SUV from a premium car maker. Although the Tesla Model X, which is already on sale, is technically the first EV SUV, insiders claim the Jaguar and Audi will offer a more traditional SUV experience, so fall into a slightly different segment. Jaguar is tipped to reveal its production-ready I-Pace at the the Geneva motor show in March. This is also a likely venue for the production E-Tron’s public debut, emphasising how close the sprint to market is. The price of the production car is expected to be about 10-15% above that of an F-Pace of similar specification. Jaguar remains tight-lipped on precise details, but the I-Pace is expected to cost around 90,000 euro in The Netherlands. The I-Pace is billed by insiders as the most radical car in Jaguar’s 81-year history and will vault the brand directly into Tesla territory, with the Model X a key rival. Jaguar’s brief for its long-anticipated first electric vehicle was to “create a performance SUV that is spacious, sporty and usable”, but the final design isn’t just an electric version of the successful F-Pace SUV. Instead, the I-Pace exploits the packaging advantages of an electric powertrain to marry a sleek four-door bodystyle with generous cabin space, four-wheel drive capability and performance on a par with a rear-wheel-drive Jaguar F-Type R. +++
+++ LOTUS ’s owner Geely is already working on ambitious plans for its new British subsidiary, having completed its purchase of a majority stake in the Norfolk-based maker only 2 months ago. This includes a decision on whether to produce a Lotus SUV that will be made very soon. Geely executives are already considering which platform it would be built on, the most obvious candidate being the Compact Modular Architecture that underpins both the Volvo XC40 and Lynk&Co 01. The flexibility of this platform means that it has been designed to accommodate high-performance applications including cars featuring a powered rear axle. Beyond SUV plans, Geely is determined to keep Lotus making sports cars, and also sees strong growth potential in the brand. At the launch of the Lynk&Co 01 in China last week, Geely boss An Cong Hui said he was keen to emphasise how important his new subsidiary is. “We are making plans; we want to bring back the heritage of Lotus to be one of the top performers in the luxury sports car segment”, he said. “Lotus used to be ranked alongside Ferrari and Porsche, so we need to come back in that rank again”. The acquisition of Lotus was part of a bigger deal that saw Geely take a 49 percent stake in Lotus’s former owner, Proton, and which was done to give Geely right-hand-drive production capability. But company insiders say the chance to take control and unlock the potential of Lotus was a huge part of the appeal, especially to Cong Hui. Lotus has been struggling for investment cash for years, ever since former boss Dany Bahar’s grandiose plans to launch 5 all-new models was scrapped back in 2012. Although Lotus has returned to modest profitability (and, as I reported early this year, had started working on plans for an SUV), model development for the past 5 years has been restricted to tweaking and tucking the existing line-up. +++
+++ A plug-in hybrid version will be likely added to the 911 range mid-way through its next generation, according to PORSCHE CEO Oliver Blume. The new generation of the 911 expected to go on sale in 2019, which means that we’re going to see the first plug-in hybrid version of the Porsche sports car in around 2023 with the mid-cycle update of that generation. “We will come with the plug-in hybrid with the next battery generation and with the next evolution step”, Blume told. “It will be very important for the 911 to have a plug-in hybrid”. The model isn’t greenlighted yet but the Porsche CEO said it’s “my opinion that we will go for it”. This should clear the air around the plug-in hybrid 911, because Porsche had previously indicated that the project was dropped due to excessive battery weight. Blume also said that Porsche has prepared the platform of the next 911 to accommodate the plug-in hybrid powertrain. Waiting to launch it until the mid-life facelift will enable them to extract more power and more driving range from the batteries, targeting a pure electric driving range of 70 kilometers, he added. “The potential is very good with the new generation of batteries”, Blume said. +++
+++ Despite almost everyone was expecting ROLLS-ROYCE to name the first SUV in its history the Cullinan name, it appears that the British brand has chosen a different moniker. The brand’s chief for the Asia-Pacific region, Hal Serudin, pointed out that the ‘Cullinan’ is “just a working project title”, adding that the company should bring “more news on this in the coming year”. In the meantime, Rolls-Royce continues testing the SUV in various environments, including the Nurburgring. So, what should we expect? Well, mostly a Phantom-inspired exterior design and dashboard, and the same aluminum platform that’s found in the brand’s flagship saloon, but with different suspension settings and a new all-wheel drive system. The luxury SUV is said to come from the 6.75-liter twin-turbo V12 of the Phantom, where it makes 571 hp and 900 Nm, which is mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission. Last, but not least, Rolls-Royce is expected to unveil its Bentley Bentayga, Lamborghini Urus and Range Rover SVAutobiography rival in 2018. +++
+++ VOLKSWAGEN is aiming to fight back against the likes of the Tesla Model 3 when it brings its I.D. range of pure-electric cars to market from the end of this decade. The process will start with a VW I.D. hatchback that promises to trump anything else in the class on space and practicality. The production version of the I.D. concept that was shown at last year’s Paris Motor Show will make its debut in 2019, with deliveries due the following year. Underpinning the hatchback (and the full range of I.D. products) will be VW’s new MEB platform. Autointernationaal.nl understands that the architecture will be offered with a range of up to 4 battery capacities. Assuming that the entry-level I.D. hatchback uses the smallest of the units (to fulfil VW’s public promise that the car will cost the same as a well specced diesel Golf) and an electric motor of around 120 hp, it should have a range of about 480 kilometers. A higher capacity, more expensive I.D. hatch could conceivably add up to 220 kilometers to that figure. VW design boss Klaus Bischoff revealed in the autumn that the production version of the I.D. hatchback has now been signed off. Even if the final I.D. hatch is as long as the next Golf (also due in 2019), its electric powertrain and battery packaging should allow it to have a much longer wheelbase. This will help it to deliver interior space that’s on a par with the Passat’s, especially for rear-seat occupants. Bischoff also revealed details on which concept cues would make it to production. The show car’s radical doors have been ditched, replaced with conventional openings, a regular B-pillar and normal handles. However, all I.D. hatchbacks will get the show car’s gloss black roof and tailgate as a ‘compulsory’ design feature, similar to the black bonnet seen on the BMW i3. Bischoff told: “I’ve been arguing for the black roof to be a signature. So far, I have it on the hatchback and the SUVs”. Arguably the concept’s most radical feature (a steering wheel that slides into the dashboard) has also been dropped. But I do still expect the interior of the I.D. to look sophisticated, with a small instrument panel and a floating central infotainment screen to help maintain an ‘airy’ feeling. The car will also retain most of the concept’s autonomous tech, with advanced sensors positioned in the front bumper and around the number plate. And, despite the adoption of side mirrors, further cameras and sensors are fitted along its flanks. VW could use the car to introduce a version of the ‘augmented reality’ head-up display that it showcased on the I.D. concept. The system ‘projects’ navigation instructions on the windscreen in front of the driver, pointing directly into streets where it wants you to turn. VW boss Herbert Diess confirmed to earlier this year that the other models in the initial I.D. line-up would be a saloon, another larger SUV and a microbus. But he admitted the firm is considering “more emotional” EVs for early in the next decade, including a sports coupé (in effect, a replacement for the recently discontinued Scirocco) as well as an all-electric Beetle. +++