+++ BMW has started production of hydrogen fuel cell systems for its next-generation iX5 Hydrogen model, with the first vehicles set to hit the road for testing later this year. Built at BMW’s competence centre for hydrogen in Munich, the FCEV powertrain consist of a fuel cell, 2 hydrogen tanks and a fifth-generation eDrive electric motor. It’s all used in tandem with a high-performance battery, in the architecture for the existing X5. The German car maker will use individual fuel cells supplied by Toyota, with which BMW has collaborated on hydrogen powertrains since 2013. BMW will then fit other components, including wiring harnesses, compressors, and anodes and cathodes. Oliver Zipse, BMW chairman, said: “As a versatile energy source, hydrogen has a key role to play on the road to climate neutrality. And it will also gain substantially in importance as far as personal mobility is concerned. We think hydrogen-powered vehicles are ideally placed technologically to fit alongside battery-electric vehicles and complete the electric mobility picture. By commencing small-scale production of fuel cells today, we are demonstrating the technical maturity of this type of drive system and underscoring its potential for the future”. The BMW iX5 Hydrogen produces a total of 374 hp. Around 170 hp comes from the bespoke hydrogen fuel cell system. BMW says its hydrogen powertrain will offer a “unique form of drive system for the premium segment”. The BMW iX5 Hydrogen was tested earlier this year in winter conditions in Sweden and makes use of several new technologies, including a high-speed, turbine-powered compressor and a high-voltage coolant pump. BMW says it has vastly improved the efficiency of the fuel cell system following years of research and development. Frank Weber, BMW board member, said: “We have managed to more than double the fuel cell’s continuous output in the second-generation fuel cell in the iX5 Hydrogen, while weight and size have both decreased drastically”. Just 100 iX5 Hydrogen cars will be produced initially. They won’t be sold but they will be used by drivers who will test them in everyday conditions in the US, Japan, Europe, China and South Korea. +++
+++ The new Luxgen n7 is the first car designed and developed in partnership with FOXTRON , the newly formed automotive division of Taiwanese electronics-manufacturing giant Foxconn. Previewed by the Foxtron Model C concept revealed last November, the electric 7-seat crossover is set to go on sale in Taiwan in October. Exports of the model are planned, according to Luxgen officials, although details of planned markets and possible delivery dates haven’t yet been made public. The styling of the n7 is heavily influenced by the Model C concept, which was designed in partnership with Pininfarina. The production car retains the same basic silhouette but receives new detailing, including lightly restyled front and rear ends. Luxgen is also holding back on providing technical specifications to the n7 until closer to its planned Taiwanese market introduction. Earlier information provided by Foxtron revealed that the Model C measures 4.640 mm in length and boast a wheelbase of 2.860 mm. Similar dimensions are expected for the n7. The basis for the new crossover is Foxtron’s open-source MIH platform for EVs. This supports a number of different driveline layouts, including single-motor/rear-wheel drive and dual-motor/four-wheel drive. The battery of the n7 is integrated wholly within a skateboard-style chassis. Luxgen is a subsidiary of Yulon Motor, Taiwan’s largest car maker. +++
+++ The new LAMBORGHINI Countach LPI 800-4 is now officially on US soil. Shown during the 2022 Monterey Car Week, the reborn nameplate has been delivered to its first US owners. Even better, these two cars will be rare with unique traits that are not seen in other Countach units in North America. The private ceremony held during the Monterey Car Week at Pebble Beach was attended by Stephan Winkelmann, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Automobili Lamborghini, joined by Head of Design, Mitja Borkert and Chief Technical Officer, Rouven Mohr. Only 112 examples of the Lamborghini Countach LPI 800-4 will be ever made worldwide; all of them sold out. 2 of these hybrid supercars, as seen in the gallery above, come in Luci Del Bosco and Bronzo Zante colours. According to the automaker, these 2 Countach units are the only ones painted in these exterior colours in North America, chosen from a wide array of paint colour choices offered by Lamborghini. “As we initiate the first deliveries of the Countach in the US to our valued customers, it is an honour to present these masterpieces to their owners at the Lamborghini Lounge Monterey. The Countach has inspired the Lamborghini design DNA for decades and it was only fitting that we delivered the new Countach LPI 800-4 during the world-renowned Monterey Car Week celebrating automotive excellence”, said Stephan Winkelmann. “It is always very special for me to experience the excitement and emotion a customer senses when seeing their Lamborghini for the first time”, concluded Winkelmann. The new Lamborghini Countach LPI 800-4 is the quickest and fastest Countach ever. Powered by a V12 engine working in conjunction with an electric motor, it makes a total of 820 hp, allowing a sprint to 100 kilometres per hour in 2.9 seconds. The top speed is 356 km/h. +++
+++ MG is riding the crest of a wave right now. Sales are up this year, there’s a solid order bank stretching months ahead, and the brilliant new 4 is about to arrive in showrooms. Also, the whole MG line-up will be refreshed or replaced by the end of 2024, while the brand is set to be electric-only by 2027. First up after the arrival of the 4 hatchback will be the updated 5 estate, arriving by the end of the year and already previewed with sharper styling, improved interior quality and upgraded tech. Towards the middle of 2023, the 4 range will be boosted by a hot model, as Guy Pigounakis, MG Commercial Director, explained in an exclusive interview. “We’re bringing out a high-performance version of the 4 in about 6 months”, he said. “It gives us the option of erring on the side of comfort with the standard car because of the very high-performance, twin-motor derivative”. Rumours suggest that the hot model could offer over 400 hp, while rekindling the X-Power brand is also a possibility: MG has already used it on a limited-edition 6 model in China. The hot 4 will play a big role in changing the current MG brand image. “I’d like to see the brand transitioning more towards a sporty image”, said Pigounakis. “We have very sensible cars today. That’s about to change into sensible and fun cars”. Although the striking new 4 heralds a new design language for MG, the 5 estate gives more clues to how another new model might look. “The 4 looks like a very different car from every other model we currently build, but it’s a sign of our future. However, some of the cars in the transition (such as the 5) won’t just go straight to that sort of design”, said Pigounakis. A facelifted HS is expected to arrive in 2024 with similar design tweaks to the 5, with updated styling, improvements to quality and the latest infotainment systems. Like the current car, it will be available as a plug-in hybrid to ease MG customers towards that 2027 date of full electrification. The popular ZS however is likely to receive a more substantial overhaul. As well as taking its design cues from the new 4, it could also include a shift to the modular, scalable electric car-only MSP platform used for the electric hatchback. That would mean a couple of battery options and the potential for four-wheel drive, as with the 4, as well as serious improvements to in-car tech and quality. It’ll probably go on sale at the end of 2024. Before then, the 3 supermini will also be replaced by a new model, although it’s unlikely to feature any electrification, which could mean its lifespan is relatively short. Asked about the future of the 3, Pigounakis told me: “The MG 3 will continue for another 12-18 months, before it’s replaced. But we won’t call it MG 3”. As well as a revamp of the existing range, two new models are expected, starting with the eagerly awaited roadster. Although the car won’t take the Cyberster name from MG’s concept (the brand has trademarked MG C EV), Pigounakis did confirm when the car will be in showrooms. “It’ll be early 2024”, he said. “And it’ll be a sports car that’s outstanding and staggeringly good value for money”. The final addition (for now) is likely to be a new version of the Marvel R. “The new version of it, probably in 2 to 3 years, is a distinct possibility”, said Pigounakis. “We’d like it. The new one won’t be called Marvel R, though”. +++
+++ The MUNRO Mark 1 is an electric SUV currently under development in Scotland. The company is aiming it at folks who really use their off-roaders like farmers, forestry workers, and people in the mining industry. If this sounds up your alley, the fledgling automaker already has a deal to bring this rugged machine to the United States. Munro has an agreement with EV-leasing specialist Wyre for that company to sell and distribute the SUV in the US. The automaker plans to make an initial run of 50 vehicles, with half of those earmarked for the US. The first deliveries in the UK should happen in March or April of 2023. “We are delighted we have the opportunity to make it a big success in the United States”, Wyre director Rebecca Hansen told. The boxy vehicle in these photos is still a prototype. “We are launching the production-intent version in November this year”, a Munro spokesperson told. “The visual design (interior and exterior) has been completely modernised”. The company posted a teaser on Instagram. According to the preliminary specs, the Munro has a single electric motor making 382 hp and 700 Nm. It has a permanent 4-wheel-drive system with a 2-speed transfer case and a locking centre differential. Front- and rear-axle differential locks are optional. Its battery pack has an 80.1 kWh usable capacity. This provides an estimated 270 km range or about 16 hours of off-highway driving. The system supports DC fast charging at 100 kilowatts and 22 kW AC. For hauling stuff, the Munro has a 1.000 kilo payload and there’s room for a European-sized pallet. It can tow 3.500 kilo. Munro is positioning the electric SUV as rugged and repairable. It has a galvanised steel chassis and aluminium body panels. The brakes and suspension are “widely available OEM parts”, according to the company’s site. The electrical components have protection from water and dust. When the path gets tough, the approach angle is an impressive 88 degrees, and the departure angle is 70 degrees. It can wade through 1 metre (3.281 feet ) of water. The Dutch expected price is about €75.000. +++
+++ SOUTH KOREA ’s national security adviser said the United States has promised to review the impact of its new rules on subsidies for electric vehicles following concern they could hurt South Korean automakers. Kim Sung-han made the comment after meeting U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan in Hawaii, where they gathered for 3-way talks with Japan chiefly to coordinate their Indo Pacific policies in the light of tensions between China and Taiwan. Concerns have mounted in South Korea over the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), signed into law by U.S. president Joe Biden last month. Measures under the new law would include halting subsidies for EVs made outside North America, which could affect companies like Hyundai and its affiliate Kia. Kim said he raised the issue at a bilateral meeting with Sullivan, who in response pledged to look into the law’s impact at the National Security Council. “He said the IRA is likely to bring more pluses than minuses to South Korea, but he would take a closer look at how the electric vehicle subsidy issue will develop going forward and what impact it will have”, Kim was quoted as telling reporters. South Korea’s parliament on Thursday passed a resolution expressing concern over the new rules, which have eliminated the federal tax credits for which South Korean automakers’ EVs were previously eligible in the United States. The resolution called for the South Korean government to respond, saying the law was discriminatory. Lee Do-hoon, a South Korean vice foreign minister, said on Tuesday that Seoul has asked Washington to postpone the new rules until Hyundai completes building its Georgia factory in 2025. Seoul officials have also said the law may violate a bilateral free trade agreement. +++
+++ TOYOTA is looking to expand its all-electric line-up of cars with a new BZ3 model. We can see what the new car will look like thanks to leaked images on a Chinese patent website and it seems as though it’ll take plenty of design cues from the concept model seen during Toyota’s 11-car concept unveiling last year. The new BZ3 adopts plenty of the sharp, angular styling from the BZ SDN concept as well as elements from the BZ4X. The lower front bumper has received a slight redesign but the full-width headlight bar remains the same. At the side we can see the 2-tone colour combination working to give the BZ3 a lower-looking profile, helped by a gently rising windscreen. The roof extends quite far to the rear, giving the saloon car a hatchback-like rear end. The uplift of the side skirt just in front of the rear wheel gives the look of a sportier pinched waistline, too. The rather upright rear features another full-width lightbar and we can see the use of a ‘BZ3’ badge on the boot lid. Unlike on the BZ4X, the charging port is located on the rear 3-quarter panel, rather than on the front wing. We’re yet to see inside the BZ3 but Toyota’s 12 inch infotainment screen will surely dominate the dash. The optional yoke-style steering wheel in the bZ4X could also make its way over to the saloon. Toyota hasn’t revealed any technical details on the new BZ3, but it’ll certainly sit on the same eTNGA platform as its bZ4X sibling, meaning we should see the same battery capacity of 71.4 kWh. In the bZ4X there are 2 output choices: 4-wheeldrive with 218 hp and 337 Nm or a front-wheeldrive with 204 hp and 266 Nm. As for range, I’m sure the lower BZ3 will offer better aerodynamic efficiency than its BZ4X counterpart so expect better range as a result. The BZ4X offers 410 km for the front-wheel drive version and 360 km miles for the 4-wheeldrive model. At 4.725 mm long, 1.835mm wide and 1.475 mm tall, the BZ3 is a similar size to the Camry. With pure-electric power on its side, the BZ3 should at least prove more popular than its old internal combustion engined predecessor. +++
+++ VOLKSWAGEN will accelerate its transition towards electric vehicles, but needs to find the right “rhythm” as it makes the shift, new chief executive Oliver Blume said at an internal conference on Thursday, the first day of his tenure. At a gathering of global top managers in Lisbon, Blume said he had developed a ten-point plan focusing on topics including financial robustness, sustainability, the capital market, and development in China and North America. “I am a fan of e-mobility and I stand by this path. We will keep the current pace and, where possible, increase it”, Blume said. Volkswagen aims to overtake Tesla as the world’s largest electric vehicle maker by 2025 and for half its global vehicle sales to be battery-electric by 2030. Blume, CEO of Porsche since 2015, is an advocate for synthetic fuels, raising questions upon his appointment to the helm of the Group over whether he would water down the strong focus of former boss Herbert Diess on battery-electric vehicles. Still, the new chief said in an interview that e-fuels remained “primarily a topic for Porsche”. Volkswagen must find the right rhythm for a stable transformation by defining and following through on a clear strategy, he added in his speech in Lisbon, which was peppered with references to the importance of teamwork and collaboration. Sources have said Blume was chosen in part because he is seen as a calmer and more consensus driven leader than his predecessor, who was known for radical shifts in strategy and a single-minded approach which at times angered the carmaker’s powerful workers council. In an interview, the 54-year-old attempted to allay concerns that his dual role as chief of Porsche and Volkswagen would cause problems, pointing out he was giving up 10 of his mandates. Blume will also take over responsibility for software unit Cariad, which was set up on Diess’ watch and is far behind on its goals. The software unit could be more open towards partnerships, Blume told, reasoning that if global standards exist, it was inefficient to reinvent the wheel. +++