+++ AUDI will add a range-topping all-electric SUV to its line-up in 2026 with a new Q8 e-Tron model that will replace the existing e-Tron in the brand’s line-up. The new Audi Q8 e-tron will likely be based on the same PPE platform that will underpin the soon-to-be unveiled Q6 e-tron; PPE is being jointly developed by Audi and Porsche and will further develop the brand’s electric technology in the premium segment, building on Audi’s development of the e-tron GT, which shares its J1 platform with the Porsche Taycan. That means the new Q8 e-tron will feature a similar 800 volt electrical system to the most expensive Audi and Porsche EVs, which is compatible with DC rapid charging speeds of up to 270 kW according to Audi’s own information on the platform. Depending on battery size (details as yet unconfirmed) this could deliver a five to 80 per cent charge in less than 25 minutes. Given that the Q6 e-tron will likely offer in excess of 600 km of range on a full charge, depending on the Q8 e-tron’s battery size it could even eclipse this figure. The 2 SUVs will likely use the same powertrains and could carry over the dual-motor, 4-wheel drivesystem from the e-tron GT. In this car the base-model offers 476 hp, while a performance-focused RS version could match the RS e-tron GT’s 598 hp output. Unlike the Q6 e-tron (which will be assembled in Ingolstadt), the Q8 e-tron will be built at Audi’s plant in Brussels, which currently handles production of the e-Tron and e-Tron Sportback SUVs. When the e-Tron range reaches the end of its life in 2025, the factory will be retooled to suit the new Q8 e-Tron and the firm’s next-generation PPE architecture. Audi hasn’t yet released any images of the new Q8 e-Tron, but I expect the EV will feature the brand’s EV styling cues, including slim headlamps, a blanked-off grille and chunky proportions that we’ve already seen on the firm’s smallest electric SUV, the MEB-based Q4 e-Tron, as well as spy shots of the upcoming Q6 e-Tron. Expect Audi’s new flagship SUV to feature plenty of advanced technology inside and a bold new design that could draw inspiration from the firm’s Grandsphere concept, adopting some of the features from Audi’s newly developed MMI touchless response system. This adds gesture controls for the climate functions and increases the amount of autonomous driver assistance technology – potentially as far as a Level 3 system depending on legislation. +++
+++ The BMW iX may be polarising in terms of design, at least judging by comments in our articles and on social media, but no one can deny the fact that it’s a technological marvel. It’s easily one of the best electric vehicles on the market today and, as it turns out, it’s also one of the safest ever made in the entire automotive industry. The latest Euro NCAP tests (the same one that the Renault Zoe and Dacia Spring failed spectacularly) saw the electric SUV performing impressively in every category. Sure, it didn’t top any of the four main criteria, but it was among the best performers, which resulted in a 5-rating overall rating. Take for example the adult occupant protection, in which the iX had a 91 percent rating. In the child occupant category, it registered 87 percent protection and in the safety assist systems, it received an 81 percent rating. Thus, the iX was awarded 5 stars in all test categories of the Euro NCAP crash test. “The BMW iX sets new standards in sustainability, and its top rating of five stars in the Euro NCAP underlines the vehicle’s comprehensive sustainability concept”, Dominik Schuster, Head of Vehicle Safety BMW, says. “The extremely stable body structure and the extended range of restraint systems ensure an outstanding level of occupant protection”. It’s worth mentioning that, while the iX has the highest-possible 5-star rating, there are electric vehicles on the market that perform slightly better in the individual categories. The Mercedes-Benz EQS, for example, has higher ratings for both adult and child occupant protection. The Nio ES8, in turn, has a much higher rating for safety assist systems. Even the Ford Mustang Mach-E, a vehicle that is significantly more affordable than the iX, performs better in that category. ++++
+++ Henrik FISKER has unveiled the production-ready version of his eponymous EV start-up company’s first model, the Ocean SUV, a year ahead of its global launch. To be produced by Magna Steyr in Graz, Austria, the Ocean will arrive in the UK in the second quarter of 2023 with competitive performance figures, advanced technology and a range of between 400 and 520 km. Its design, 5-seat interior and technical make-up are largely unchanged from the prototype first seen in 2019, right down to the convertible-style California Mode function and roof-mounted solar panel, and a rough starting price of €50,000 in the Netherlands is expected. I spoke to Fisker at the Los Angeles motor show to find out more about how he plans to succeed this time, following the demise of his earlier, Karma-making automotive business. Queston: Have you been inspired by any other companies? Answer: “Not really. We’re doing it differently to Tesla, for example. They’re building their own dealerships; we will have Experience Centres where you can go and see the vehicle, but we won’t service and deliver vehicles from these centres because generally they’re expensive real estate. So we’re trying to cut costs by putting our distribution centres outside the cities and making partnerships for service. All this has allowed us to cut costs for the customer. If there’s anybody that has inspired our business model when it comes to manufacturing, it’s probably Apple. They don’t build their own products; they spend all their efforts on customer features and solutions. That’s the way we’re doing it”. Q: What does the UK market mean to Fisker? A: “The UK is among our top five in Europe. It’s very important, and I see a lot of growth there. Specifically, of course, because of London’s strict restrictions on cars, we’ve already seen a lot of interest and reservations. “When you think about the premium segment we’re in, the UK has traditionally always led when it comes to specialty vehicles, which is one of the reasons we’re establishing Magic Works in England: you have a lot of talent there. Getting ex-Aston Martin Racing boss David King on board, who I know from my days at Aston Martin, will allow us to do some exceptional, enthusiast-focused vehicles that will be higher-priced and lower-volume”. Q: Will Magic Works have a hand in series-production cars? “Right now, we’re looking at Magic Works running our higher-end vehicles. We’re dividing it into 2 different segments: one is high-volume vehicles below €90.000, then we’re looking at lower-volume vehicles (not one-offs) and they’re above €90.000. We will talk more next year about what those models are, but right now we have two vehicles that David is working with me on defining. We already have design concepts for those 2 vehicles. And then the second role for Magic Works is that if we end up doing specialty vehicles, like a police version of the Ocean, that will probably be done there”. Q: Can you imagine developing cars specifically for Europe? A: “I don’t think that has any value any more: those days are over. That’s why you see a lot of the big car companies cancel their small, Europe-only cars: it’s very hard to make money if you only serve one continent. I think you need to make global cars that appeal to the world and specifically the US, Europe and China, and that’s our aim. The Pear we’re developing with Taiwanese electronics giant Foxconn will be smaller than the Ocean, and it might appeal even more in Europe, but it’s still going to have to appeal in the US, so it will be very beefy, not too tiny; and it has to appeal to China as well”. Q: Will Fisker primarily be an SUV brand? A: “No. We’re planning an upper-end sports car that David and I are defining right now, and we’re looking at different business case scenarios for that. I want to go out and make a really cool enthusiast’s vehicle, but I want to redefine what that means as an EV. I think we’ve seen enough mid-engined two-seater vehicles that it’s almost like the market is flooded. So I want to do something different, something that fits into the future, which is probably more usable and a lot more fun than we’ve seen so far and maybe really radically designed, too”. +++
+++ ROLLS-ROYCE will soon begin on-road testing of its first all-electric production car, the Spectre, ahead of a market launch in the fourth quarter of 2023. By then, prototypes will have covered 150 million miles in a range of conditions, which Rolls-Royce equates to a simulated 400 years of use. The Goodwood firm’s CEO, Torsten Müller-Ötvös, is adamant that the prototype previewed earlier this summer is a faithful representation of the production car. This means the Spectre will be a swept-back two-door grand tourer with a characteristically long bonnet and muscular proportions; characteristics that line it up as a viable replacement for the Wraith, which first went on sale in 2013. Rolls-Royce has yet to confirm plans to end production of the Wraith, but it withdrew both the hard-top version and its Dawn soft-top sibling from sale in the US this year, suggesting a wind-down is imminent. Notably, the Wraith and Dawn are the only models in the Rolls-Royce line-up to still use a platform developed entirely by parent company BMW, derived from the F01-generation 5 Series, which arrived in 2008. The larger Phantom, Ghost and Cullinan now use Rolls-Royce’s own Architecture of Luxury platform, which can house a pure-electric drivetrain and will eventually underpin every Rolls-Royce model. The luxury brand first previewed its approach to electrification with 2011’s Phantom-based 102EX concept, which was devised chiefly to determine the viability of EV power as a replacement for its large-capacity petrol engines. The subtle visual differences between that one-off and its production counterpart hint at an evolutionary approach to design in Rolls-Royce’s electric era. Müller-Ötvös has strongly hinted that even the firm’s trademark imposing front grille will survive in some form, despite there being no petrol engine to cool. The Spectre will also retain the Wraith’s distinctive reverse-opening doors, and there is as yet no indication that it will ride significantly higher than its petrol-powered predecessor. That would allow it to viably maintain its luxury coupé billing and therefore sit largely unrivalled in its segment from launch. The unveiling of the much more radically styled 103EX concept in 2016 gave clues as to the direction of Rolls-Royce’s EV design plans, and although the Spectre adopts a more conventional silhouette, with more production-friendly design cues, the link is clear. The flexibility of the Architecture of Luxury means Rolls-Royce could continue to offer combustion options in the Wraith successor. The long bonnet of the prototype suggests there would be room for the twin-turbo 6.75-litre V12 that features in all other models based on this platform. However, Rolls-Royce has been vocal about its commitment to pure-electric drivetrains, bucking the trend of using hybrids as a bridge product. So it won’t electrify its existing conventionally fuelled powertrains, unlike rival firm Bentley, which now has three plug-in hybrids in its line-up. Müller-Ötvös has promised a “smooth transition” from petrol to pure-electric and that the V12 will be on the books for “a long time”. Nevertheless, it will depart by 2030 when the firm goes all-electric, bringing to an end 126 years of combustion-engined car production, a lineage that began with the 2-cylinder 10 HP (engineered by Henry Royce and retailed by Charles Rolls) in 1904. The Spectre will be handbuilt at Goodwood on the same production line as Rolls-Royce’s current models. The company proudly proclaims that it won’t be based on an existing BMW Group model. Questions therefore remain about the Spectre’s drivetrain. Rolls-Royce hasn’t revealed plans to usher in its own EV motor technology, but it also hasn’t confirmed that it will use propulsion units supplied by its parent company. A likely candidate for installation would be the new twin-motor set-up destined for deployment in BMW’s new top-rung iX M60, which promises to deliver upwards of 600 hp across both axles, likely shunting the 2.5-tonne SUV from rest to 62mph in around 4.0seconds. Such potency would be a good fit for Rolls-Royce’s first EV, as it would be well placed to emulate the attributes of its smooth, high-performing V12. Less likely is that Rolls-Royce will rush to profit from BMW’s development of longerrange solid-state batteries, which the German firm intends to showcase in a demonstrator vehicle in 2025, on the way to productionising the technology by the end of the decade. Rolls-Royce is aware its clients live predominantly in urban areas and don’t cover long journeys on a frequent basis so it is focusing its efforts on offering what Müller-Ötvös New coupé will draw on the 103EX, minus its outlandish elements Electric concept appeared in 2011 calls “digestible” range and charging figures. Hydrogen fuel cell powertrains are, however, of interest to the company boss, who highlighted the recent unveiling of the X5 Hydrogen as a signal of the BMW Group’s intent in this area. “Currently, we think that batteries are right for us”, he told, but he added it would be “wise” to have an alternative solution to hand. Industry bosses commonly regard hydrogen as the more suitable alternative fuel for larger, heavier vehicles – and Rolls-Royces are among the heaviest cars on sale so could benefit from an FCEV roll-out. +++
+++ According to a recent report, the TESLA Model Y crossover and Model 3 saloon may be getting a host of new updates and features soon. Reportedly, a test programme in Europe has brought the potential features to light. While Tesla doesn’t officially refresh or redesign its cars, it’s constantly improving them via over-the-air software updates. Moreover, since Tesla doesn’t rely on traditional model years, it has even made hardware updates at random times over the years. Not long after the Model Y came to market, Tesla updated the Model 3 to essentially mirror its new crossover sibling. Shortly thereafter, Tesla also made some notable updates to the Model Y itself. As the electric automaker launches factories and vehicles in global markets, its cars get new updates, additional features, and even battery packs with new chemistries. Typically, these changes abroad end up making their way to Tesla’s vehicles across the globe. Tesla may be planning a 2022 update for the Model 3 and Model Y. The versions of these cars that the company has provided for testing in Europe seem to have features that haven’t yet been implemented in current versions of the vehicles. The information about the potential updates came from a European Tesla forum, as shown below: Reports point out that the Model Y and Model 3 cars in question have a 12-volt lithium-ion battery pack, the Model 3 Performance has a new high-performance motor, and, like the Model Y Performance in China, the crossover has the new AMD Ryzen chip. The 2022 Model 3 is also expected to get the new double-glazed acoustic glass for its rear window. And, finally, Electrek says there’s a “Superhorn” feature coming that “combines the horn, alarm, and external speaker”. We’ll have to wait and see if and when these features make their way to US-built Model 3 and Model Y vehicles. +++
+++ As the supply chain issues brought on by the pandemic continue, automakers struggle with meeting their production targets. The latest victim is TOYOTA , who will be expanding the production halts at some of their factories in Japan. The stoppage will cut output by 9.000 vehicles and will affect production of Lexus models as well as the Land Cruiser, a vehicle whose supply is already struggling to keep up with demand. This is all happening at the same time as Toyota is trying to make up for prior, more serious supply chain disruptions in places like Vietnam and Malaysia. An earlier report stated that Toyota had even gone so far as to ask suppliers to make up for lost production so they could build an extra 97.000 vehicles between December and the end of March, with some considering running additional weekend shifts to meet the request. The automaker has set an annual production target of 9 million vehicles by March, which was reduced from the original target of 9.3 million units a few months back. A Toyota spokesperson was cautiously optimistic of hitting that goal, saying that “We would like to maintain 9 million units, but we will keep a close eye on the situation”. +++
+++ Current Skoda boss Thomas Schäfer will switch over to head up VOLKSWAGEN next year as part of a major reshuffle of the Volkswagen Group management team. Schäfer only took over as Skoda chairman in August last year, having previously served as the head of the VW Group’s South African operation. He will take up his new role as Volkswagen’s chief operating officer from 1 April next year. Current Volkswagen cars CEO Ralf Brandstätter will join the main VW Group board and from August next year will take over as the head of the group’s crucial China operation. Skoda has yet to name a successor for Schäfer. The move is one of several significant management changes confirmed by the Volkswagen Group’s supervisory board. Group chairman Herbert Diess will take direct control of Cariad, the firm’s software division, from the start of next year, succeeding Audi boss Markus Duesmann. Diess said the move will allow him to help “set important milestones in the development of our own operating system”. Hauke Stars, who most recently served on the board of German investment firm Deutsche Börse, has joined as the head of group IT, with a brief to further push the firm’s development of digital technologies. Meanwhile, Audi sales boss Hildegard Wortmann will join the VW Group board with responsibility for sales, with a particular focus on developing new digital sales formats. While the moves announced by the supervisory board are significant, they are not as extensive as had been rumoured, including reports that Diess could be shifted from his post as chairman of the board. +++