+++ FERRARI has announced plans to shake up its leadership structure, in one of new boss Benedetto Vigna’s first major moves, and said 3 top managers will leave the company. Those who have decided to leave include Chief Technology Officer Michael Leiters, the carmaker said. The planned reorganization, to be unveiled in detail on Jan. 10, was consistent with Ferrari’s “strategic goals of exclusivity, excellence and sustainability”, it said. Vigna, an industry veteran, took the CEO role at the beginning of September with a task to drive Ferrari into the new era of electrification. The new management structure will “further foster innovation, optimize processes and increase collaboration both internally and with partners,” the carmaker said. Leiters, a German national who joined Ferrari in 2014, has helped develop Ferrari’s recent most successful models, including the 2019’s SF90 Stradale and this year’s 296 GTB, the house’s first 2 hybrid electric cars. Other top managers leaving the company are Chief Manufacturing Officer Vincenzo Regazzoni and Chief Brand Diversification Officer Nicola Bori, who oversaw Ferrari’s push into luxury, with the unveiling in June of its first in-house fashion collection. Key figures in the new organizational framework have been already identified through internal promotions and new hires, and will join the company starting from next month, Ferrari said. +++
+++ FORD has opened the order books for the 2022 Mustang Mach-E in the United States, while also confirming pricing details. As first revealed in September after the leak of an ordering guide, a number of updates have been made to the Mustang Mach-E for the 2022 model year. One of them is the launch of the new Ice White Appearance Package that is offered for Premium grade models. This package adds 19 inch aluminum wheels with oxford White painted pockets, Star White mirror caps, Star White Metallic Tri-Coat paint, Star White wheel-lip moldings, OxFord White front door badging, and Oxford White pony badges. The special touches continue in the cabin with gloss white leather across the dashboard, seats, door panels, center armrest, and the pony badge on the steering wheel. Ford has also increased the battery capacity of all variants. Models equipped with the standard range battery previously offered up 68 kWh of usable capacity but in 2022, that has been increased to 70 kWh. In addition, the useable capacity of extended range models has jumped from 88 kWh to 91 kWh. The automaker hasn’t officially revealed how much extra range is added as a result, but reports claim customers should see around 5-10 miles of additional range. Elsewhere, it has been confirmed that the Mustang Mach-E California Route 1 now comes standard with heated seats and steering wheel while a black-painted roof is standard on GT and GT Performance Edition variants. A new color of Iced Blue Silver Metallic has also been added to the range while Grabber Blue Metallic and Cyber Orange Metallic Tri-Coat are now available for all variants. Pricing for the 2022 Mustang Mach-E starts at $44,995 for the Select RWD Standard Range including a $1,100 destination charge and tops out at $69,095 for the GT Performance AWD Extended Range. +++
+++ China’s FAW Group is planning to start selling its vehicles in JAPAN next year and is looking to establish itself as a key EV player in the local market. Local media notes that Japanese car manufacturers haven’t moved fast enough to meet demand for electrified vehicles and that FAW will use this as an opportunity to establish itself. The first model it will sell in Japan will be a hybrid SUV under the Hongqi brand that will be followed up by an electric variant. Nikkei Asia doesn’t report if this will be an all-new model for the Japanese market but presumably, it will be either the existing HS5, HS7 or E-HS9. It is understood the vehicle will set back buyers at least 11 million yen ($96,700) before taxes and offer an all-electric range of up to 690 km, suggesting that it is likely the flagship E-HS9, a luxurious SUV that FAW also plans to export to Europe. It is also understood that FAW will modify the vehicle to comply with Japanese charging standards. Marking the automaker’s arrival in Japan will be the opening of its first local dealership, located in JR Namba Station in Osaka City. It will also open a store in Tokyo next year and plans to expand to other cities as well. A number of other companies are venturing into the Japanese market. For example, fellow Chinese carmaker BYD recently started selling EVs in Japan and is considering starting a new division in the country. +++
+++ Rumors have been circulating that MITSUBISHI will be doing some interesting things with its performance-oriented Ralliart brand. And it has launched some special variants in some overseas markets with the name, but that doesn’t seem to be the end of it. Next month at the Tokyo Auto Salon, Mitsubishi will show a Ralliart concept car. The company released a single teaser image of the concept, and it has us feeling optimistic. It shows a huge rear diffuser with a simple and stylish Ralliart badge attached. Unfortunately, that’s about all we can see. So there’s no way of knowing what kind of vehicle is attached to it. Could it be a fancy show car we’ve never seen before, or a way sportier version of a current model? At least one rumor suggests the concept could be based on the Outlander PHEV. It would certainly make some sense to revive Ralliart with a popular model such as the Outlander, not to mention one that’s completely new and representative of where the brand is headed. The PHEV would be an interesting choice for performance, and we’d be curious what Mitsubishi would change to make it sportier. Bigger electric motors would be very appealing, but a more minimal set of upgrades such as suspension and brakes would be more likely. The Ralliart concept won’t be the only concept on display from Mitsubishi, though. The company will also show an electric kei car, which is a car of extra-small proportions for a special class of cars in Japan. As such, there’s no way it will make our way to Europe, but it could still be a neat little machine to see. +++
+++ RENAULT ’s ambitious electrification plan is already underway, and the Mégane E-Tech Electric will soon be joined by the Renault 5 Electric, the 4ever, and a commercial vehicle variant inspired by the Renault 4 Fourgonette (1965-1992). The latter has already been teased by Renault so we decided to dive deeper with renderings and all the available information up to this point. The fully electric model will complement Renault’s commercial vehicle range sitting below the slightly larger Kangoo. It is expected to share the CMF-BEV platform and many other components with its SUV sibling, most likely including several body panels and parts of the interior. The front end will be identical, with a covered grille housing retro-inspired led lights and Renault’s new emblem. Unlike modern light commercial vehicles which have integrated the rear cargo space in an aerodynamic outer shape, the Renault 4 Van will follow the lines of its distant ancestor. The bump on the roof had the advantage of increasing cargo space, even though it does create more drag, which is not ideal for efficiency. However, Renault designers seem to prioritize style and practicality over the maximum possible range in this specific model, since its use will be often limited within cities. The old 4 Fourgonette had the unconventional “‘giraffon” rear hatch with the main door opening sideways and a small part opening upwards. We don’t know if this feature will be inherited by the new model, but it’s likely that Renault will opt for a set of “barn doors” which is the most common solution in panel vans nowadays. It is also likely that the R4 van will maintain the ground clearance and the plastic cladding of the SUV since those features come in handy for professionals and look like the perfect match for the commercial vehicle’s unpainted bumpers offering a purposeful look. Renault Group Design director, Laurence van den Acker, has admitted that the R5 and the mechanically related by slightly larger R4 will “tell stories from the past”, inheriting a separate design language from the rest of the French brand’s range, similar to what Ford is doing with the Mustang and Bronco nameplates. In terms of underpinnings, Renault has confirmed that the panel van will be based on the CMF-BEV architecture. The flat floor of the electric platform will be ideal for the interior layout making use of all the available space behind the front seats for cargo. The underfloor battery pack will feature nickel, manganese, and cobalt (NMW) technology, bringing the cost of the EV closer to ICE-powered vehicles. The batteries will be produced in France through Renault Group’s latest partnerships. The WLTP range of CMF-BEV based models will be up to 400 km (249 miles), although probably lower for the panel van. As for the powertrain, we expect front-mounted electric motors similar to the ones on the Renault 5 prototype. The stylish van bearing the R4 name is rumored to debut in 2025, alongside its SUV sibling. By then, Renault will have a range of 10 new electric models, with the goal of achieving a 90 percent electric sales mix in Europe by 2030 across the entire Renault Group. +++
+++ TESLA has upped the cabin refinement levels of its latest Model S and Model X in its latest software update, which activates an in-car noise reduction system. The most recent over-the-air update, which also introduces a number of other convenience features, brings a new ‘Active Road Noise Reduction’ feature. The system activates a pair of microphones embedded in the front seats, which measure cabin noise and, as Tesla puts it, “generate anti-noise through the speakers to create quiet zones around the occupants”. The system has received mixed reviews so far from Tesla owners online, which might reflect why Tesla has called it noise “reduction” rather than noise-cancelling. The feature is already found in a variety of competitor cars from other brands. It appears that the noise reduction feature is also only available on the very latest, refreshed Model S and X, which were revealed earlier this year. Neither car has reached UK buyers yet, so expect the feature to be present when they do. Further features introduced in the update (codenamed 2021.44.5) include the ability to preset driver profiles in the car’s navigation system, set the car to unlock only the driver’s door on approach, and adjust the rear climate control from the front touchscreen. Updated cars are also said to have the ability to report uneven tyre wear, while the Autopark function is now able to identify perpendicular parking spots. Also added, although in early ‘Beta’ test status, is a feature that synchronises a driver’s preferences including seat, mirror and steering wheel positions, and allows them to be applied in another Tesla owned by the same driver profile. +++
+++ VOLKSWAGEN doesn’t believe that the worst of the semiconductor chip shortage is behind us and is preparing for production numbers to continue to fall. The automaker is preparing for a scenario in which the chip crisis lasts until 2023. Its most pessimistic predictions see production falling to 8 million in 2022, down from 9 million this year. The report says that even if things go relatively well, it still expects production to be down from 2021. VW said that it anticipates a slight easing of chip scarcity in 2022, but believes the first half of the year will remain highly volatile. Its German competitors, BMW and Daimler, have said that they expect much the same, predicting that shortages will last well into next year. To deal with the continuing crisis, Volkswagen’s brands Audi and Skoda have said they will extend holiday breaks until January 10 because of the supply bottleneck, while Audi said it expects the situation to continue for months. “We expect to be occupied with this crisis for months on end in the coming year”, a spokesperson said. “The scarcity could extend for even longer”. Porsche, too, is pessimistic about the odds of the chip crisis ending promptly, arguing that automakers must take production into their own hands. “Anyone who believes the chip crisis will calm itself in the next year is mistaken”, CEO Oliver Blume told German media. In September, estimates suggested that the chip shortage cost the automotive industry $210 billion in lost revenue and has led to 7.7 million fewer vehicles being produced than would have otherwise been made in 2021. +++