+++ AUDI has revealed the production version of its E-tron electric SUV will be powered by a 2-motor powertrain, 95 kWh lithium-ion battery and capable of 150 kWh DC fast-charging. The latter is claimed as a world first and is more rapid than the Tesla Supercharger network. Releasing more technical details ahead of its launch in August, the E-tron was shown to the press at a Siemens heavy-duty electrical engineering test centre in Berlin, where the car was subjected to a symbolic 500 kV test to ‘spark’ the car into life. The exact output of each E-tron motor, however, remains a closely guarded secret, but it’s expected to be a maximum of 160 hp with overboost to give a total peak output of around 320 hp. That also suggests the E-tron will be badged ‘55’ under Audi’s new naming system that has been introduced to put combustion-engined, hybrid and battery-powered electric vehicles on an even footing in the hierarchy. “We have decided to keep the E-tron name and use it like Quattro”, a source told. “The first of our sporty models was simply named the Audi Quattro. Our first all-electric car will simply be badged Audi E-tron”. While powerful, the production E-tron’s output is less than the 500 hp quoted for the 2 concepts shown so far because those featured a 3-motor powertrain with a single front motor and twin rear motors. However, the choice of a twin-motor layout at launch paves the way for Audi to introduce a performance E-tron powered by 3 motors a couple of years later. Details of the E-tron’s production lithium-ion battery pack have also been revealed for the first time. Mounted in the floor, between the front and rear axles, to keep the centre of gravity as low as possible and maximise crash protection, the battery pack will use pouch-type cells packaged into 36 shoebox-sized models. Each module contains 12 pouches, supplied either by LG Chem or Samsung, and each rated at 60 Ah; that’s higher than those used by both Nissan and Tesla. The bulk of the modules are in a flat main casing, but some are housed in a supplementary ‘saddle’ casing above the main battery and under the rear seat. The battery is not light, though, contributing at least 700 kg to the E-tron’s kerb weight. A key part of the battery is a water-based ‘lattice’ cooling system, bonded to the underside of the modules to maximise heat transfer and shedding heat through a conventional, front-mounted radiator. A second heat pump system with a plate heat exchanger (in effect an airconditioning system) can boost cooling or heating to keep the battery at its optimum operating range of 25-35 degrees in extreme climates. Charging at home or mainstream-roadside will be via an AC source and is rated at 11 kW, although a 22 kW charger will be on the options list. The 150kW DC fast-charger (said to be capable of filling the battery to 80 percent capacity in 30 minutes) will be standard and takes advantage of the Ionity rapid-charge network being set up by a consortium of Europe’s car makers. +++
+++ BMW has revealed more of its plans to make its cars more intelligent, but full autonomy is still some way off, according to board member Peter Schwarzenbauer. Speaking at the company’s FIZ Research and Development centre near Munich, Schwarzenbauer said that while BMW’s upcoming models (which will be connected to a vast cloud network of real-time safety and driving information) will be capable of Level 3 autonomy (where the car can take over in certain circumstances, such as in slow-moving motorway traffic, but the driver has to be ready to regain control), he believes that “society might not yet be ready” for self-driving vehicles. “Will society accept this? I don’t believe society is ready to hand over responsibility for its life to a machine. We will go step by step. Level 3 will probably be acceptable, but anything further than that will take a lot of time” said Schwarzenbauer, who is responsible for the Mini and Rolls-Royce brands. In the near future, however, BMW is betting that highly detailed live driving information that will appeal to today’s more ‘hands-on’ drivers. A significant amount of real-time data is generated by the cameras and sensors fitted to BMW’s connected cars, allowing the compilation of detailed information on local weather conditions, hazard information (such as ice on the road) and live traffic information. There are currently around 250 million ‘requests’ per day generated by the 700,000 cloud-connected BMW cars already on the roads. This information is collated and anonymised by BMW’s own ‘back-end’ server and then sent back down from the cloud to other connected BMWs. Even more live information is added by similarly connected Mercedes and Audi vehicles, all of which feed into the open-platform Here mapping system, which is owned by the German big3. It’s this currently unrivalled live information, along with super-accurate lidar mapping (which is updated in real-time), that could give the trio a significant lead in fully autonomous driving, whenever that is judged ready for the market. In any case, BMW engineers say it’s connected cars that will be significantly safer, thanks to the level of driver information about the route ahead. This is already provided by more than 2 million vehicles; a figure that will increase exponentially. BMW engineers are also working with specialist camera maker Mobileye on an artificial intelligence programme that allows the windscreen-mounted camera and associated software to identify approaching vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists in milliseconds, as well as anticipating the likely trajectory of the vehicles travelling in front. +++
+++ Johan de Nysschen has pointed to his blunt style as a contributing factor in getting ousted from his position as head of CADILLAC . The executive had been poached from Infiniti to help transform the struggling luxury brand in 2014, providing a valuable outside opinion and creating more independence from General Motors’ core leadership. “GM is a very complex organization to navigate. I saw my role to act as a change agent to challenge the status quo, in the reasoning that more of the same would not lead to a different outcome”, he told. “I suppose in the process, I did not endear myself to everyone”. The executive immediately focused on long-term goals, aiming to increase Cadillac’s brand value and reduce reliance on profit-killing incentives to help drive sales. Ignoring near-term performance apparently ruffled a few feathers, however. “I greatly admire and respect the GM top leadership but, in the end, I would conclude that in their opinion, I did not challenge hard enough”, de Nysschen added. “It happens. It’s not personal, it’s business”. Cadillac is currently being led by GM lifer Steve Carlisle, promoted from a leading role at GM Canada. +++
+++ FORD is apparently fast-tracking development of a hybrid Mustang, one of 13 new electrified vehicles promised by 2021. The Mustang recently staked its claim as the best-selling global sports coupe for the third year in a row. Adding a turbocharged, fuel-sipping EcoBoost configuration has apparently helped boost sales in overseas markets. First confirmed early last year, the hybrid Mustang is said to be on target for a 2020 debut, according to Ford marketing manager Corey Holter. “A hybrid Mustang will help further unlock Mustang’s potential in some of those markets”, he added. Additional details are being kept under wraps for now. The company has promised its electrified Mustang will not be solely focused on fuel efficiency, however, with “V8 power” and “even more low-end torque”. +++
+++ INFINITI , the luxury arm of Nissan, has announced an ambitious new plan to more than triple its sales in China over the next 5 years. Infiniti says it will support its goal buy building more of its vehicles locally. Infiniti’s China onslaught will begin with a locally built version of its all-new QX50 crossover. Infiniti says this car will go on sale in China by the end of 2018. Infiniti hasn’t announced what other models it will bring to China, but the company says it will steadily roll out those new products over the next 5 years. Infiniti currently builds 2 models in China in cooperation with Nissan-partner Dongfeng (the Q50L and Q70L), both of which are stretched versions of luxury sedans also sold in Europe. Last year Infiniti’s China sales jumped 16 percent to 48,408 vehicles. By 2023 Infiniti wants to sell 150,000 vehicles annually in the world’s largest auto market. Infiniti says it will also bolster its electrification efforts in China. Within 7 years Infiniti wants half of the vehicles it sells in China to be electrified. “As part of our roadmap to electrify our portfolio, we anticipate that by 2025, more than 50 percent of new Infiniti vehicles sold globally and in China will be electrified”, Infiniti President Roland Krüger said. “Infiniti is pursuing localization in China for China”. Foreshadowing that shift to electrification, Infiniti is currently showing its Q Inspiration concept at next week’s Beijing Motor Show. +++
+++ An updated KIA Sportage is in the pipeline and will go on sale this autumn. Introduced in 2015, the Sportage is due a facelift to keep it fresh alongside sharp new rivals such as the Seat Ateca and the Skoda Karoq. A series of exterior design revisions are on the way such as a new set of headlights. The new units boast the firm’s now trademark “ice cube” lighting signature, with 4 small LED projectors. A slightly redesigned front apron will likely join the new headlights. The range topping GT-Line model, which can be identified by the twin exhaust exits at the rear, will get a new set of alloy wheels too, while the taillights receive a fresh lighting signature. Under the skin, the updated Sportage should arrive with 48-volt mild hybrid technology. Earlier this year, Woong Chul Yang, vice chairman of Hyundai Motor Group’s R&D division said: “For Europe there is demand for mild-hybrid 48-volt technology, so we are working on that for the Sportage and for medium sized SUVs, and we are working on that for the new Ceed. This is to meet all those tough CO2 requirements”. +++
+++ LAMBORGHINI will launch a faster and more extreme Aventador called the SV J this year. The all-wheel-drive model is part of the latest Aventador S range and so is predicted to offer similar boosts in performance compared with its predecessor, the limited-to-600-cars SV. Evidence for this added potency comes with the number of new aerodynamic pieces added to the exterior. Up front, there’s a significantly larger front splitter that rivals that fitted to the McLaren Senna, while at the back a new rear wing is held in place by 2 curved arms and a centre arm. The car also sports new a dual-pipe exhaust system that blows engine waste gases out through the middle of the back end, rather than in the centre of the diffuser like the SV. This new technique, also used by the Huracán Performante, enhances the diffuser’s effectiveness by removing exhaust gases from an aerodynamically sensitive area. The Aventador SV J will arrive later this year with a more powerful version of the Aventador S’s atmospheric 6.5-litre 12-cylinder engine. The Aventador S, which arrived in the second half of 2017, produces 740 hp, 40 hp more than the previous version. Applying the same jump to the SV J suggests it could have an output of around 800 hp; that would make it one of the market’s most potent supercars. To put that figure into perspective, that’s 100 hp more the wild Porsche 911 GT2 RS has. Backing the prospects of this extreme performance is the use of the letter J, which stands for Jota. Jota, the Spanish word for the letter J, has been applied to some of Lamborghini’s most hardcore models, including race-homologated versions of the Miura and Diablo. Although the Aventador will not compete in motor racing (Lamborghini’s competition efforts are focused on the lighter Huracán) it emphasises the car’s abilities. Jota models have a history of being produced in extremely low numbers. No more than 28 Diablo Jotas exist, while the Miura Jota and a more recent Aventador J were produced just once each. This suggests Aventador SV J build numbers might be kept below the 600 units of the SV. If that’s the case, the SV J’s pricing would likely jump substantially from the original SV’s. +++
+++ MAZDA has officially joined the ranks of auto-makers who still believe the diesel engine has a future. “I think the current hype around diesel will weaken when the new Real Driving Emissions measurement method is introduced. We then measure emissions in the real world and they are pretty good. The new emission targets for diesel engines are not much different from petrol engines. There will be a shift in opinion,” predicted Jeff Guyton, the president and CEO of Mazda’s European division, in an interview. The company believes in the American diesel market, too. Mazda still plans on selling a diesel-powered variant of the CX-5 in the United States, though it has delayed the model several times. The brand’s consumer website lists the model as a future vehicle. Interestingly, Guyton reiterated Mazda’s interest in algae-based bio fuels. The company is working with 2 universities in Japan to make it a reality, though bio fuel remains expensive to make. “I think that if a fraction of the money goes to developing a bio fuel instead of electric propulsion, we can take a big step and actually have a positive impact on the environment”, Guyton opined. Mazda will nonetheless jump on the electrification bandwagon next year when it introduces its first-ever electric car. The list of options will include a Wankel range extender, and rumors indicate the engine could later power a successor to the RX-8. Guyton didn’t rule that out, but he said the company has no plans to do another rotary-engined sports cars in the near future. +++
+++ Drivers’ MOBILE PHONE signals will soon be used to track and manage traffic flows, after the Government issued funding for 2 new schemes in the city of York. The 4 million programme comprises of a series of beacons located at traffic lights, bollards and other street furniture, which collect anonymised data from mobile phones to determine traffic levels and flow. This information will then be used to help synchronise traffic light sequences in order to reduce jams in the medieval city. The data will also help in the designing of future road junctions and minimise the disruption caused by roadworks, while in the long term York says it will allow for greater automation of traffic-management systems. Data from sat navs and connected cars will also be collected by the beacons, and the programme will provide “ready-made” technology for use by autonomous cars in the future. York says the schemes will represent the first time live data from vehicles has been used to manage traffic flow and signal timings. Councillor Ian Gillies from City of York Council, said: “This will make York one of the most advanced cities in the country. Being able to build things like traffic light signalling based on the journeys people really make every day will mean better decisions, less congestion and improved air quality. We can’t simply build more roads in the city, so this is a really innovative way to get the city moving as efficiently as possible”. +++
+++ NISSAN is set to cut hundreds of jobs at its Sunderland factory due to declining demand for diesel-engined cars. It is unclear exactly how many jobs will be lost due to the layoff. Around 6.700 people are currently employed at the Nissan plant, which produces the Qashqai, Juke, Leaf and X-Trail, along with the Infiniti Q30 and QX30. The rapid decline in demand for diesel (in the UK, sales of diesel cars fell by 37% in March) is understood to be behind the move. Around a quarter of the cars produced at Sunderland are diesel-engined. A spokesman said the job cuts are linked to the facility “transitioning to a new range of powertrains”. He added: “As we make the operational changes to support this, we will be managing a short-term reduction in powertrain supply and plant volumes in line with our 2018 business plan”. The new Leaf is being built at Sunderland, 1 of 3 worldwide Nissan plants producing the second-generation electric vehicle. While Nissan has previously said the failure to agree a deal over Britain’s departure from the European Union could lead to the Sunderland factory’s closure, the spokesman said the move was “not related to Brexit” and added that volumes are expected to increase at the plant when the new Juke, Qashqai and X-Trail are launched in the coming years. Jaguar Land Rover recently cut 1.000 contracted agency workers at its Solihull plant due to the fall in diesel sales. +++
+++ General Motors (GM) has rolled out a software update to address Chevrolet Bolt ( OPEL Ampera-e) battery failures. “Certain 2017 model year vehicles may have a condition where the calibration will not detect the difference in the state of charge between the cell groups of the battery”, the company wrote in a notification to owners. “This condition may not provide sufficient warning prior to a battery cell low voltage condition, which may result in a loss of propulsion”. Many formal safety recalls have been associated with loss of propulsion. GM is handling the Bolt defect via an informal satisfaction campaign, however. The reprogrammed hybrid powertrain control module will provide more warning that a vehicle must be brought in to have its battery replaced under the free repair program. “Only certain vehicles will experience the battery low voltage condition”, the owner notice says. +++
+++ PORSCHE powertrain development boss Jörg Kerner has been taken into custody following a raid on offices and homes belonging to high ranking officials from the German car maker by lawyers and staff of the Stuttgart public prosecutor’s office and the German police this week. According to information from the Stuttgart public prosecutor’s office, the 48-year-old German engineer was arrested on suspicion of fraud related to the dieselgate emission manipulation scandal. Research and Development boss Michael Steiner was also among the officials being investigated for possible involvement and/or knowledge of matters relating to the manipulation of diesel emission figures via secret software programs. In an official statement on the accusations being levelled at Porsche and its employees relating to the fitment of so-called defeat devices in various diesel models, including the Macan and Cayenne, Porsche chairman, Oliver Blume said: “Porsche does not develop or produce any diesel engines or diesel software. The prosecution has accused Porsche of being aware that impermissible control equipment was installed. We reject this accusation”. +++
+++ The VOLVO XC90 has often been heralded as one of the safer cars money can buy, and a new analysis of official accident figures back up its many accolades. Experts from Thatcham Research have analysed official police-provided Government accident statistics, cross-matching them against insurance data, and found no record of anyone ever dying inside an XC90 (either as a passenger or driver) between 2004 and 2017, the earliest and latest years for which figures are available. Matthew Avery, director of research at Thatcham, told: “Often when a vehicle is new, you don’t see fatalities, as it takes time for models to build up sales numbers. But we have around 14 years’ history of the XC90, and that stands out”. Around 70,000 XC90s have been sold in the UK since the original model launched in 2002, and Avery explained that the data applies to both the original car and the current model, launched in 2014, meaning the Mk 1 is likely to account for the majority of those years of non-fatalities. “The old XC90 is very good. In terms of people being killed, in 14 years, I can’t see any”, Avery said. The news does much to bolster Volvo’s ‘Vision 2020’ mission statement that nobody should be killed or seriously injured in one of the company’s cars by that date. “When you look at Volvo’s 2020 claim, and their blend of active and passive systems, maybe they can achieve it”, Avery said. While ‘active’ safety systems like autonomous emergency braking (AEB) have a huge role to play in car safety, Avery said: “Only the second-generation XC90 has autonomous emergency braking as standard. AEB wasn’t even offered as an option on the first-generation car, though it had blind-spot detection”. The standout protection offered by the XC90 is, Avery explained: “Not only down to crash avoidance, it’s due to its excellent passive systems, like seatbelts, airbags and its fundamental structure”. He added: “I’m sure the new XC90 is avoiding crashes, and in a few years’ time, when we analyse the data again, I’m sure it will look even better”. Avery told me other models also stood up well to analysis: “We can see the second-generation Audi Q7 has a similar level of performance to the XC90, but that hasn’t been on sale as long as the Volvo”. But he added: “We are struggling to find many vehicles with similar exposure (i.e. numbers sold). It’s unlikely anyone has been killed in the UK in a Bugatti Veyron, for example, but there are a lot of XC90s; it’s a popular large SUV”. Asked what he thought other manufacturers should learn from the XC90’s performance, Avery said: “The clear message is that safety is a mixture of active and passive systems. You need the passive systems to protect people in the even of a crash, while active systems help prevent them in the first place”. He cautioned, though, that: “We don’t want manufacturers fitting lots of active systems in place of passive systems; you’ve got to have fundamentally good passive safety”. Is there something about Volvo that drives their quest for improving road safety? “It’s a very Volvo/Swedish thing, about corporate responsibility, about keeping people safe. It’s part of their psyche”, Avery said. “Every time we test Volvos for EuroNCAP, they tend to be at the top of the tree. They do much more than they need to in order to get 5 EuroNCAP stars”. Avery singled out other car makers for praise, too: “Other manufacturers, like Mercedes, continue to raise the bar; I’d put them up there with Volvo”, he added. “But if you look at the brands, only Volvo and Land Rover have 100 percent standard fit of AEB across their ranges. Mercedes has 88 percent, which is brilliant, but Volvo has 100 percent”. Returning to the XC90’s blend of active and passive safety systems, Avery concluded: “It’s delivering real-world benefits”. +++