+++ Surely there’s no way BUGATTI could ever top the crazy Bolide, right? Well, the Molsheim brand is now in cahoots with electric hypercar expert Rimac Automobili and this unexpected association opens up possibilities for extreme projects. How extreme? Mate Rimac, CEO of the newly founded Bugatti Rimac, talked about how the future could be shaped beyond the Chiron. The man behind the Nevera, the world’s quickest production car ever, says he “might do something crazy” as he’s keen on expanding Bugatti’s horizons to something more than just 2-seat hypercars. The 33-year-old executive is not ruling out a stately coupe with a long bonnet or even an SUV. The latter isn’t frankly all too surprising considering most high-end brands have failed to resist the temptation of launching a sports utility vehicle. The Croatian innovator and businessman went on to say a future model could be “something absolutely insane that no one thinks about”. It appears the sky is the limit when it comes to how the French marque will evolve in a post-Chiron era, with Mate saying “you can do so much” with Bugatti. Needless to say, it’s only a matter of time before it will take advantage of Rimac’s EV knowhow. Mate is keen on diversifying the Bugatti family in the same vein as things were in the company’s golden era of the early 1900s. Per an interview in early July, Mate Rimac said a fully electric model will be launched before the end of the decade and it will be a bespoke product rather than a rebadged Nevera. In addition, a heavily hybridized combustion engine is being worked on for a separate model. The first order of business is likely to prepare a direct replacement of the Chiron, and it will be interesting to see whether the quad-turbo W16 will be retained. Bugatti has been exclusively using the 8.0-litre engine since the original Veyron debuted in 2005. The company’s first modern car in the VW Group era received many derivatives, which is the same thing we can say about the Chiron that followed, with all sharing the powerhouse in various states of tune. Meanwhile, Rimac will remain even more exclusive than Bugatti as production will be capped at 100 cars annually. While Bugatti’s lineup is all set to (eventually) expand, Rimac is going to stick to a one-car portfolio, with the Nevera’s successor scheduled to arrive around 2025 with a Croatian name. +++
+++ The new CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 will debut on 26 October. To hype the new sports car, Chevrolet released a teaser video showing the Z06 on the road in Germany and France, including at the Nürburgring and at Le Mans. The video clearly wants to create the connection between the new Z06 and C8.R race car because the competition machine makes several appearances in the clip. The rumour is that the 2 models also share an engine. The 5.5-litre V8 mill reportedly has dual overhead camshafts and a flat-plane crankshaft. It allegedly makes 660 hp and revs to a 9.000 rpm redline. This should provide for a sub-3.0-second 0-100 kph sprint and a top speed of around 320 kph. A recent video shows a development vehicle using a Tremec-sourced gearbox with what appeared to be a magnesium case. Recordings of the Z06 indicate the 8-speed dual clutch automatic transmission is capable of ultra-quick shifts. A manual 6-speed will not be an option. Compared to the standard C8, the Z06 has a larger front splitter with canards at the corners. There’s a larger opening in the centre of the lower fascia. The openings in the rear quarter panels are significantly bigger, too. At the rear, the Z06 in this video has a big wing with upturned sections on each side. A redesigned bumper has four exhaust pipes coming out of the centre and vents at the sides. There’s some recent evidence that there might be an optional performance package for the Z06. Spy shots show some development vehicles running with the big wheel and five-spoke wheels like the one in the teaser video. Other cars have a spoiler on the rear deck and wheels with seven pairs of Y-shaped spokes. We might not see the Z06 in showrooms until around the mid-point of 2022. That will feel like a long wait after the October unveiling. Once onsale, it will compete with the Porsche 911 GT3 and more expensive supercars like the Lamborghini Huracan STO and the McLaren 765LT. Helping the Z06 remain stable at high speed is the aforementioned new aero that features a huge fixed rear wing and a large rear diffuser that repackages the 4 exhaust pipes within the centre to optimise air flow. +++
+++ Hot on the heels of the reinvented Jazz, Civic and HR-V, the largest model in HONDA ’s European portfolio will be redesigned to bring it into line with the smaller models and distance it from the current car, which is itself a subtle evolution of its predecessor. The CR-V has already gone hybrid-only in line with Honda’s plan to go all-electrified in Europe by the end of next year, so we expect the sixth-generation car to be more of a visual and material reinvention, rather than a complete technical overhaul. It is highly likely to be underpinned by an evolved version of the current car’s Compact Global Platform, as is its new Civic sibling. The current CR-V’s 2.0-litre e:HEV petrol-electric set-up, therefore, will no doubt be retained. The new front end is the most obvious differentiator compared with the current CR-V, with its wide-format hexagonal grille flanked by slimline LED headlights, but specific details remain obscured on test cars by bulky camouflage at this early stage. However, the latest images suggest the new car will be wider and longer than its predecessor, likely in an effort to put more distance between the 2 SUV models Honda sells in Europe. Meanwhile, a straighter roof line and flatter back end are likely to increase room in the optional third row, which would make the CR-V a more obvious competitor to the Kia Sorento and Seat Tarraco. Expect a completely overhauled infotainment system to be the centrepiece of the new SUV’s interior, which will follow Honda’s newer models in adopting a minimalistic and “human-centred” design. Honda has yet to officially preview the new CR-V or give details about its unveiling, but given development timeframes for recent models, we would expect to see the wraps come off it around mid-2022 ahead of a market launch towards the end of that year. +++
+++ KIA will follow its first bespoke electric car, the EV6 crossover, with 2 electric SUV models. According to European product boss Sjoerd Knipping, the Korean brand’s second “EVx” car will be a large SUV targeting the US. But more importantly for us, it will be followed by a model developed for the European market. Knipping spoke of “balancing” the US and other territories. Kia holds trademarks for badges ranging from EV1 to EV9. The large SUV could be branded EV7 or EV8, and it will offer seven-seat capability similar to that of Hyundai’s Ioniq 7 SUV confirmed for launch in 2024. It will be followed by a crossover potentially called EV4, sized as a rival for the Volkswagen ID.3. Design cues heavily inspired by the EV6 will probably include the headlights and a full-width LED rear light bar, as well as muscular surfacing and Kia’s new logo. The EV4 will be based on the Hyundai-Kia Group’s E-GMP platform for electric cars. A slightly downsized wheelbase compared with the EV6 (2.900 mm) means its dimensions will be closer to those of Kia’s new European-spec, fifth-generation Sportage SUV. Clever packaging made possible by the versatile platform will maximise cabin space, with fewer compromises than in a combustion-engined car. And even with a shorter wheelbase, the EV4 is likely to make use of the EV6’s battery technology. That means 58 kWh and 77.4 kWh could be offered for a maximum range 500 km in the mid-size EV4. Expect dual-motor powertrains, too, giving four-wheel-drive capability and potentially up to 326 hp, although a 231 hp single-motor version is also expected to be available, lowering the entry price. With the E-GMP set-up offering 800-volt electronic architecture and a maximum 350 kW rapid-charge rate, the bigger battery should charge from 10 to 80 % in a mere 18 minutes, or take 100 km of range in only 5 minutes. While the E-GMP platform will form the basis of many future Kia EVs, Knipping also outlined that it “won’t serve all segments, in particular some smaller sectors”. He added, “Not all cars need 800 Volt tech, so could we use our 400 Volt tech in places? We need to see if the market segments we serve can be with derived platforms (such as the current e-Niro), or will there be a new platform?” Kia plans to have a line-up of 11 electric cars by 2025; 6 standalone EVs, with 5 “derivative” EV models. Knipping says: “We have to work out what is the priority; the sectors where to push EV, and where you can lean on ICE platforms”. As part of this full-electrification charge from Kia, we’ll likely see the brand’s EV7 or EV8 large SUV next year. Meanwhile, the EV4 could make its debut in 2022 or early the following year, with sales beginning later on in 2023. +++
+++ Italian hypercar manufacturer PAGANI has a new investor that promises funds for new tech development. Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund known as PIF has taken a minority stake in Horacio Pagani SpA to help fund the hypercar manufacture’s next steps in vehicle development. This minority stake in Pagani follows PIF’s investment in electric can manufacturer Lucid and will be a unique and exciting part of their investment portfolio. Pagani was founded in the early 1990s when Horacio Pagani, a long-time Lamborghini employee struck out on his own. Pagani began his independent career as a source of prototyping and carbon fibre components for Lamborghini. Pagani’s design expertise was also highly sought after which prompted Horacio to start Modena Design in 1991. The entire time Horacio Pagani worked to build his consulting businesses; he was working on his own car design. This design would eventually birth the original Pagani Zonda C12, the genesis of the now legendary Zonda lineup of hypercars. The chassis and aero were completed by Dallara and the V12 engine came from the team over at Mercedes-AMG to create one of the greatest cars of all time. Pagani refined the Zonda over time and created over 30 unique special editions to keep customers lining up for their multi-million-pound hypercars. Today Pagani continues their trend of excellence with the Huayra hypercar which debuted in 2011 to replace the Zonda. Although the Huayra had a difficult time converting the Zonda faithful at first, it has found its own place in the competitive hypercar market as one of the best vehicles money can buy. Horacio Pagani described the PIF deal to Arab News, “a key step in our long-term growth strategy, which envisages significant investments to ensure that our next hypercars will keep conveying unique emotions”. I look forward to seeing the impact of this investment on Pagani’s future vehicles. +++
+++ The passenger car registrations in Europe in the second quarter of 2021 amounted to 3.405.600 cars (up 66 % year-over-year) from the challenging same period in 2020. My attention focuses on the PLUG-IN SEGMENT , which, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA), expands quickly and is gaining higher and higher market share. In total, some 574.565 (up 237 %) new passenger plug-in electric cars were registered in the second quarter in the European Union, EFTA (Norway, Switzerland, Iceland) and the UK, which is 16.9 % of the market. All-electric cars are marginally ahead of plug-in hybrids. An interesting thing is also how fast the conventional hybrids expand; the rate of growth is even higher than in the case of plug-ins. Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV; plus Fuel Cell Vehicles) sold 289,625 times in the second quarter (up 220 %), which meant a 8.5 % marketshare. This was a bit more than PHEVs (284.940, up 256 %, 8.4 % share). Combined, total Plug-in (plus FCVs) sales were 574.565 (up 237 %), which meant a 16.9 % marketshare. Traditional hybrid cars sold 692,434 times (up 241 %) at 20.3 % share. Year-to-date numbers also look impressive, as more than 1 million new plug-ins were registered (up 157 % year-over-year), which represents almost 16 % of the market. I guess that soon plug-ins will also match and overtake regular hybrids. The total car market was up 27 % at 6.486.351 sales. The top 6 markets by volume in the period were Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Norway, Sweden and Italy. In terms of market share, 15 countries are above 10 %. Of course, nothing can really compare to Norway, where more than 4 in 5 new cars happen to be plug-ins. Such cars improved their market share in basically all the markets. The 6 top countries by market share (above 20 %) were: Norway – 82.7%, Iceland – 44.3%, Sweden – 39.9%, Finland – 28.4%, Denmark – 26.8% and Germany – 22. %. The number of countries with a BEV market share of at least 5 % increased to 14, while 10 % was exceeded in several countries. The top countries were: Norway – 57.3%, Iceland – 20.5%, Sweden – 13.1%, Austria – 11.4%, Germany – 10.7%, Netherlands – 10.0% and Switzerland – 9.9%. The number of countries with a PHEV market share of at least 10% increased to 7. The top countries were: Sweden – 26.9%, Norway – 25.4%, Iceland – 23.8%, Finland – 21.1%, Denmark – 19.1%, Germany – 11.8% and Belgium – 11.2%. +++
+++ As the SHORTAGE of semiconductor processing chips continues to impact the automotive and technology industries, several leading car makers have been forced to close production lines temporarily. The crisis has been affecting companies for almost a year. It initially stemmed from increased demand for personal computers, tablets and smartphones at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, which largely diverted supply away from the automotive sector, and now extends to Covid-related closures at semiconductor factories and international shipping ports. Previously, Autocar reported that a number of manufacturers were urgently seeking to overhaul their components supply chains as a workaround to ensure continued production. Analysis company IHS Markit said at the time that the shortage could cut global production by nearly 700.000 vehicles year on year, although the final figure could be even higher. The US firm will cut production output at its Cologne plant as a result of Covid-related supply issues from a chip producer in Malaysia, the firm told. “Due to a production stoppage at a semiconductor manufacturer, Fiesta production at our Cologne plant will be suspended from 23 to 28 August”, a Ford spokesperson confirmed. “We are working as quickly as possible to resume production”. Production of the Fiesta had been halted from May to mid-July, with the firm reporting previously that it could have lost half of all planned production in the second quarter of 2021. Workers will returned to the factory next week, following a month-long break. Management announced in a letter to employees that due to a lack of door modules, short-time work would be requested for the next 2 weeks. The Focus is not affected by the cuts, the firm said. Hyundai shortened hours at its Alabama plant in the United States because of the supply shortage, according to local news outlet WSFA. The same factory, in Montgomery, fully suspended work for 5 days and 1 week earlier in June and July, due to the shortage. Jaguar Land Rover issued a warning to leasing companies that the lead time for 53 model variants extends to over a year, with 2022 modelyear Defender, Discovery, Discovery Sport, Range Rover Evoque and E-Pace models all impacted. “Like other automotive manufacturers, we are currently experiencing some Covid-19 supply chain disruption, including the global availability of semiconductors, which is having an impact on our production schedules. We continue to see strong customer demand for our range of vehicles”, JLR said in an earlier statement. “We are working closely with affected suppliers to resolve the issues and minimise the impact on customer orders wherever possible”, it added. The German firm has had to temporarily reduce its optional equipment list on some models to minimise delays, Fleet News reported, “from late June production and until further notice”. Electronic options such as a foot-operated boot release, wireless mobile charging pads, audio devices and LED headlights will be removed on some models, impacting AMG-Line models most significantly.“Regardless of the model, we take into account how long a customer has been waiting for their vehicle and try to prioritise accordingly”, it said. “Nevertheless, handovers to customers are strongly dependent on the individual equipment and the short-term availability of parts”. The firm expects the impacts of the shortages to continue into the second half of this year.Nissan’s factory in Tennessee is set to shut down until the end of August because of supply problems caused by a Covid-19 outbreak at a Malaysian semiconductor producer. Toyota will cut production by 40 % in September because of the global semiconductor shortage and Covid-19 impacts in Asia, the company announced. The shutdown, which will impact 14 Toyota factories in Japan and 27 out of 28 production lines, is expected to run until the end of September, with major impacts expected in Japan, Europe, China and the US. Up to 360.000 vehicles are expected to be lost due to the closures, with 80.000 lost in the US, 40.000 in Europe and 80.000 in China. “Toyota is going to great lengths to minimise the impact of the semiconductor supply shortage that is globally impacting the automotive industry”, said a spokesperson. “Toyota Europe is working diligently with the supplier network to limit further impact on production and is making every effort to deliver vehicles to our customers as quickly as possible”. Volkswagen Group’s Wolfsburg factory will restart work after its annual summer break with only one shift, as the firm starts to feel the impact of chip shortages. The firm has said it faces further production cuts, which is a result of Covid-19 outbreaks in Asia taking its toll on shipping ports and chip production. “We currently expect supply of chips in the third quarter to be very volatile and tight”, VW told. “We can’t rule out further changes to production”. VW said it expects the situation to improve by the end of the year and aims to make up for production shortfalls in the second half as far as possible. Audi has extended its summer break by a week at its 2 Germany-based factories. Meanwhile, Seat has halted some assembly operations in Barcelona, the firm said in a statement, having opened its factory during the annual summer break to get back on track following a production shortfall earlier this year. +++
+++ TESLA could licence its Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology to other car manufacturers, CEO Elon Musk has said. The entrepreneur was speaking at Tesla’s AI Day presentation, during which he went into detail about recent developments behind the firm’s controversial autonomous driving system. Musk has for years insisted that Tesla’s self-driving tech is safer than having a human behind the wheel, but earlier this week, US authorities launched a formal investigation into the company’s Autopilot system after nearly a dozen crashes involving Tesla vehicles that resulted in 17 people being injured and one killed. Asked if Tesla would commit to open-sourcing its software, Musk replied: “Well, it is fundamentally extremely expensive to create the system, so somehow that has to be paid for. Unless people want to work for free. “But I should say that, if other car companies want to licence it and use it in their cars, that’d be cool. This is not intended to just be limited to Tesla cars”. Such a move would allow rival car manufacturers to introduce a degree of autonomous driving ability to their models without investing the vast amounts of money required to develop such a system from scratch. In any case, most industry experts believe that truly autonomous vehicles won’t be introduced for decades, while complex legal and insurance issues need to be resolved before such technology can be permitted on a global scale. However, Musk maintains that Tesla’s next-generation Full Self-Driving system “will be able to achieve full self-driving at a safety level much greater than a human, probably at least 200 % or 300 % better than a human”. He added: “Then, obviously, there will be a future hardware 4 Full Self-Driving computer 2, which we’ll probably introduce with Cybertruck, so maybe in about a year or so. That will be about 4 times more capable, roughly”. The comments come just a month after Musk announced that Tesla’s Supercharger network (often regarded as the most reliable and widely available in the world) will be opened up to non-Tesla vehicles for the first time later this year. +++
+++The first shipment of Made-in-China (MIC) TESLA MODEL Y has arrived in Oslo, Norway onboard the Glovis Supreme. It’s 1 of 3 ships carrying Model Y cars to Europe. A total of 1.300 Model Y were delivered, which is quite a significant number. The customer deliveries of the cars are expected to start soon. Norway is one of the halo markets where manufacturers often deliver hundreds or even thousands of all-new models, ahead of other European markets. As far as I know, in the case of MIC Tesla Model Y, the cars already reached multiple other countries. 2 of the 3 ships sent from Shanghai already unloaded at least part of their fleet. In July, Tesla exported some 8.210 Model Y cars. Let’s recall that Tesla launched the Made-in-China Long Range AWD and Performance versions in Europe in July, because the local production in Germany was delayed. Tesla’s Elon Musk said that he hopes to start the production in October, however, there are doubts about the volume and whether the new 4680-type cylindrical cells combined with structural battery packs are really ready. If not, then the plant will produce a similar version of the car as the Tesla Factory in Fremont and Giga Shanghai. +++
+++ I know about, appreciate and welcome progress. My first secondhand car was a beige, aircooled VOLKSWAGEN Beetle with 2 lap belts, an AM radio plus 1 speaker, bad brakes and an incurable drink problem. 5 years later my first new car was a black, watercooled Golf with 5 seatbelts, an FM/AM/LW radio-cassette plus 4 speakers, anti-lock brakes and a tendency to drink half as much fuel. How’s that for progress? The Golf, plus the under-estimated Polo, weren’t just spiritual/actual successors to the original Beetle; they were in an entirely different league in terms of improving the day-to-day lives of car occupants, while at the same time reducing road accidents, injuries and deaths. Wind forward 3 or 4 decades and VW-badged products (like the vast majority of new cars) have continued to progress at a deeply impressive pace. Even low-priced vehicles of the recent past have morphed from basic, often dangerous, unreliable upholstered skateboards to sophisticated motor cars boasting astonishing levels of comfort and reliability. In almost every way they’re better, safer, and higher-quality. Car design, engineering and production progress went far beyond the public’s hopes and expectations, and VW helped lead the charge. But lately I fear that progress has, in some respects, stalled and maybe even gone into reverse. Absurdly complicated, user-unfriendly infotainment systems are the main reason, and the VW Group is a big part of this avoidable relapse. Most of its cars I rank as good to great, but the latest infotainment systems in some of them aren’t fit for purpose. They’re worse and less intuitive than those in some previous generations. Try to locate the ‘controls’ for the radio and heater, or sat-nav when you’re on the move in the current Golf, then go back and do the same in the Mk7 or Mk6, and you’ll discover that newest and most advanced doesn’t mean best or safest. These problems are software and hardware-related, and to be fair, the group is understood to be working on software improvements. But what about the user-hostile hardware? It’s an integral part of the car. The ridiculous positioning of the heating/ventilation sliders and radio controls can’t be improved. These are inherent design faults, and they’re not just an inconvenient pain: they’re potentially dangerous, as they dictate that time that should be spent with hands on the wheel, and eyes on the road, is diverted. Concentrating on driving transforms into concentrating on how to work the damned infotainment; it’s a lose-lose situation. There are further losses when potential buyers like me walk away on the grounds that we love the cars, but couldn’t live with the tech. This is not solely a VW Group problem. It’s a plague that affects several car makers, big and small. But just as it’s right that I single out Volkswagen in particular, and the VW Group in general, for delivering colossal positive change and welcome progress to real-world motorists over the last half-century, it’s equally right that I acknowledge and warn you of this unwelcome and unnecessary infotainment system mess. +++
+++ A VOLKSWAGEN ID.3 burst into flames after a woman from the Dutch city of Groningen disconnected it from the curbside charger. She had just put her child in the vehicle and wanted to get behind the wheel when she noticed the car started to smoke, and not long after that it was completely enveloped by flames. They were able to leave the vehicle quickly and were unharmed, but the ID.3 itself was burnt beyond repair, even damaging a car (another EV, a first-gen Nissan Leaf) parked right behind it. Firefighters were quick to reach the scene, but the electric Volkswagen could not be saved and what was left of it was towed away. Volkswagen is reportedly going to thoroughly investigate the wreckage to try to uncover why the vehicle spontaneously combusted. There seems to be a consensus among manufacturers that electric vehicles don’t necessarily pose a greater fire risk than regular internal combustion-engined vehicles, yet EV battery packs are known for being very dangerous when exposed to very high temperatures. I didn’t find information about any other Volkswagen ID.3 or ID.4 fires, so this could very well be the first one. I will post a follow-up article to this one once the information as to why this particular ID.3 encountered this issue becomes available. It could be something charging-related (since the vehicle was plugged in shortly before it started smoking), but I’ll wait for the official version as to what exactly happened. The ID.3 didn’t get off to the best start in Europe, after being delayed, then recalled (in October and November 2020) for an issue with the protective earthed conductor (PE conductor) on the charger that could apparently become loose and eventually detach. It was also heavily criticised for its glitchy infotainment software, but these issues have been addressed to a degree . It’s still not perfect, but it’s better than before. +++