+++ BMW has announced details of its next-generation lithium ion batteries for EVs, named Gen6. Due to arrive in the Neue Klasse series of cars from 2025, the batteries adopt a cylindrical cell shape (as favoured by Tesla) rather than the flat, prismatic cell shape currently used. Thomas Albrecht, BMW’s head of Efficient Dynamics, told: “Gen6 batteries will give us 30% or more range than our current Gen5, but we won’t go over 1.000 km of range, even though we can. We don’t think that such a long range is necessary”. DC rapid-charging time is also set to be improved by up to 30%, meaning the Gen6 era of BMWs will be able to support ultra-rapid charging of around 270 kW which is on par with the Porsche Taycan. It’s also estimated that the Gen6 battery packs could weigh some 10-20% less than the existing Gen5 batteries, which weigh roughly 300 kg for a mid-range pack. The forthcoming Gen6 cylindrical cells use a unique BMW chemistry. They measure 46 mm in diameter and either 95 mm or 120 mm in height. Using less cobalt but more nickel, they will be sourced from Chinese battery manufacturers CATL and EV, and are ultimately an evolution of the conventional lithium ion chemistry that’s common to today’s EVs. The change in cell shape has also brought about a new battery-pack design that’s slimmer and allows for a more versatile ‘pack-to-open-body’ installation process, whereby the battery essentially becomes an integral part of the car’s structure. Marie-Therese von Srbik, head of battery cell development at BMW, said: “With this next generation of battery, we will be much more flexible with how we integrate the cell. The whole vehicle is becoming more adaptive towards that”. Company experts wouldn’t be drawn on the longevity of the new batteries, but Albrecht confirmed: “Legislation is coming in to further guarantee battery life. For instance, the US will require a minimum 80% battery performance after 10 years. We’re performing better than that”. To cope with demand for the new Gen6 batteries, BMW plans 6 new battery plants in Canada, China, Europe, Mexico and the US. These will be located close to existing car-production facilities in order to reduce transportation needs. There are financial benefits, too, as BMW estimates that the changes in battery design and manufacturing process will result in production costs falling by some 50; a big saving, given that currently the battery accounts for around 40% of the whole cost of an EV. Those same changes, which include a push towards completely renewable energy in all of BMW’s facilities and in those of its third-party suppliers, are also said to result in a 60% reduction in the CO2 created during production. Recyclability is also a focus for BMW. Von Srbik explained: “We’re still aiming for a cyclical life with the metals in our batteries. We’ve even managed to achieve our first closed loop with one of our manufacturers in China. But overall it’s a very long loop. Batteries have a long life, and you have to think about a whole new industry in the meantime, but we can eventually get to a point where most if not all of the precious metals in our batteries can be from recycled sources”. More detailed information on the potential environmental improvements from Gen6 batteries will be forthcoming with BMW’s “battery carbon footprint declaration” that’s planned from 2024 onwards. Other battery technologies aren’t being ruled out but aren’t being confirmed either. Von Srbik confirmed: “We’ve investigated lithium ion phosphate batteries, but the energy density on a cell level is much lower, so for a highly integrated approach, it makes more sense to use this technology in lower-range vehicles”. Gen6 batteries will be used by all BMW Group brands, ranging from Rolls-Royce to BMW to Mini, following their introduction in 2025. +++
+++ Following the ‘Renaultlution’ strategy announcement in early 2021 that redefined the Renault Group’s vision for the value-focused DACIA brand, the firm has now completed a revamp that includes new design treatment for its models (including a new logo) as well as a totally revamped look for its dealers. The new, sharper design language for its cars is the most noticeable aspect of the firm’s rebrand, with sharper headlights and the new interlinked Dacia logo sitting pride of place on a de-chromed grille on all models. Alongside this, Dacia is subtly adjusting its position, focusing more on customers with an active lifestyle who are seeking design-led cars, without losing its focus on value. As a result, new innovations such as a camp bed system for its Jogger 7-seat family car and accessories that include a tent will all be offered in the future, as well as new colors and, increasingly, more recycled materials in its cars to improve sustainability. The target for recycled materials used in the production of the firm’s new Duster coming next year is 20 percent, with a new material called Starkle (a recycled polypropylene with a flecked finish that doesn’t need painting) a breakthrough to achieve this. An evolution of the brand’s Media Control app that now includes driver drowsiness detection tech will also be rolled out, while increased utilisation of owners’ smartphones will become a Dacia calling card in the future. Its dealers will also utilise more technology, with Dacia’s augmented reality app helping customers to configure their cars virtually. The brand will simplify the buying journey, while physical dealerships will very much remain and have undergone a total redesign. According to Dacia CEO Denis Le Vot: “Year after year, Dacia is attracting new customers who are looking for what may be most valuable in the world today: the essentials. These new customers are aiming for a sensible, responsible society and a new angle on cars. Cars you feel drawn to because they have the content, the comfort and the look, and are the most affordable by far. That’s Dacia! The essentials without cutting corners, the design without the extra cost”. +++
+++ The global movement by governments and automakers to boost electrification of cars does not mean ETHANOL will be dead as a product, according to an executive of one of the world’s largest producers of the biofuel. Beyond the demand that will continue to exist in countries that produce the biofuel and where adoption of EVs is seen as slower, such as Brazil and India, there are industries that will need to use biofuels to reduce emissions where electrification is not a feasible option, said Paula Kovarsky, chief strategy officer at Brazil’s Raízen. In an interview, where she is for the cycle of climate conferences in the coming week, Kovarsky said that so-called ‘hard to abate’ sectors such as shipping and commercial aviation are strong targets for the future of biofuels, as well as electric cars that could use fuel cells for conversion of ethanol into hydrogen to move electric motors. “I imagine that for automakers, in the same electric car model that would have a battery in Europe or the U.S., they could change that battery for a fuel cell in Brazil or India and use ethanol”, she said. Nissan, Toyota and Volkswagen are among car manufacturers developing the hybrid technology that uses ethanol to produce hydrogen inside the car, the gas that in turn will feed the electric motor. Experts believe that makes sense for places like Brazil where there is a broad ethanol distribution system. But since car manufactures have global production plans, there are doubts if they would produce cars for the needs of specific regions. Kovarsky sees potential for ethanol to be used in sustainable aviation fuel or as a bio bunker fuel for vessels; areas where batteries and electrification would be hard to use. +++
+++ Such is the pace of development in the compact SUV world that we’re never far away from a fresh debut, and the next car to take aim at the top of its class will be the second-generation HYUNDAI KONA . The compact SUV will break cover early next year, and development prototypes are already being tested around the world. As with sister brand Kia’s Niro family, it’s likely that the upcoming Kona will move to the Hyundai Motor Group’s latest K3 platform, and deliver greater practicality. Full-hybrid and all-electric models are expected to be offered, with the Kona HEV set to use a 1.6-litre 4-cylinder petrol engine and a 1.32 kWh battery that supplies an electric motor. Combined, these should produce 141 hp. Hyundai doesn’t currently offer a plug-in powertrain in its Kona, and this will probably be the case with the new car. However, it will continue with the full-electric version. The Kona Electric should get a slight increase in battery capacity compared with the current car, up from 64 kWh to 64.8 kWh, feeding a 204 hp motor on the front axle. Aero and efficiency tweaks could boost its range to just beyond 480 km. Alongside the firm’s Bayon and Tucson, there’s room for the Kona to grow. The new car will offer an increase in cabin space and practicality, with luggage capacity increasing from 332 litres to more than 400 litres in the hybrid model. The Kona will also take on a distinctive new design, with a full-width LED running light bar sitting just beneath the bonnet shut line. Hyundai’s parametric pixel lights will also feature at the extremes of the bumper, evolving the split-headlight design used on the original model. The Kona will get an equally significant makeover inside, too. It’ll draw on many elements first seen on the firm’s Ioniq 5 EV, such as a rotary gear selector mounted on the steering column cowl. The digital dash and infotainment panel should also reflect that car’s layout, with the potential for two 10.25-inch displays to sit on top of the fascia. Early spy shots show that there’ll still be physical shortcut keys for the system’s main functions, however. The original Kona was unveiled in 2017, and a similar life cycle would take the new car towards the end of the decade. It’s at this point when the nameplate may disappear, as previously outlined by the firm’s executive vice president of Product Strategy, Thomas Schemera. He’s previously commented that a replacement for the Kona could wear an Ioniq badge in time (potentially as a 3 or 4) underpinned by the firm’s all-electric E-GMP platform. +++
+++ The surge in prices of LITHIUM , the key battery material used to power electric cars, is seemingly unstoppable. Lithium carbonate hit a fresh record of 500.500 yuan ($71,315) a ton in China, according to data from Asian Metal. Prices more than tripled in the past year, inflating the cost of batteries used in electric vehicles, with recent gains driven by strong demand and disruptions at a domestic producing hub. Consumer support for new-energy vehicles has been gathering pace amid a global transition away from fossil fuels. The China Passenger Car Association has raised its forecast for sales of EVs to a record 6 million this year, double the total in 2021, while battery usage in the nation is also expected to almost double, according to Bloomberg Intelligence. Meanwhile, a power crunch during August in Sichuan province (home to more than one-fifth of China’s lithium production) caused 2 weeks of electricity cuts, hampering supply in an already-squeezed market. “EV production and sales have held steady in recent months”, according to Rystad Energy, a research firm, which added there are concerns over whether China’s power crisis could return this winter when demand for heating rises. “This could lead to new power shortages and hit lithium operations,” it wrote, expecting prices to stay firm around this level through to the end of the year. China held a meeting to review developments on Thursday and asked the top companies to help stabilize prices, according to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. Producers should not collude on pricing and not quote prices that deviate a lot from costs, it said. The government will take steps to encourage exploration, stabilize imports and promote recycling, it added. On Thursday, Quimica & Minera de Chile, the world’s No. 2 lithium producer, predicted a “very tight market” in the years ahead. SQM sees “slightly higher” prices this quarter from the previous 3 months and expects prices to stay at similar levels in the 4th quarter, according to a presentation to investors in New York. Battery-makers and the automobile industry have been rushing to lock in reliable and stable supplies of lithium. Still, the raw-material price hikes are likely to stoke inflation concerns and add cost pressures to the supply chain. A battery-making unit of China’s top producer, Ganfeng Lithium, told customers last week that prices for new orders would be reassessed amid a substantial hike in power-cell costs. The company supplies small polymer lithium batteries for smart wearable products and Bluetooth headset batteries for companies including Xiaomi. +++
+++ Carmakers Stellantis and Renault will partly halt their Spanish plants in the coming days and weeks as the lack of MICROCHIPS persists, 2 union representatives told. The global chip shortage, caused by pandemic supply chaos and booming demand, has ravaged the automotive sector with many companies halting production temporarily. 2 Renault factories in Spain’s Castile and Leon region will come to a temporary halt, with one shutting down entirely on Saturday and the other cancelling shifts on several days this week and the next, a representative from the CCOO union said. At Stellantis’ plant in Vigo, in northwestern Spain, the company has cancelled Saturday and Sunday night shifts. “They stopped production for 15 days in February. The supply shortage could mean more shutdowns in any moment”, a Stellantis union representative told. In recent months, both companies have halted output several times in Spain. +++
+++ PEUGEOT will bring its new 408 to the Paris Motor Show in October, giving the public a first opportunity to see it in the metal. The 408 arrives as a “dynamic fastback” to sit between the 508 large family liftback and the mid-size 3008 SUV. Similar to the Polestar 2’s bodystyle, the 408 is a raised-up 5-door with a large liftback tailgate, Peugeot says the 408 puts a focus on practicality and style, and is the first car of its kind on the market. Much of the 408’s styling is new ground for Peugeot, although there are clear nods to the latest 308. The underpinnings are shared with the 308 so in terms of powertrains there’ll be plenty of crossover. The 408 sits on the latest evolution of Peugeot’s EMP2 platform and will be powered by a single pure-petrol engine as well as plug-in hybrid powertrains from its launch in early 2023. The brand has also confirmed a fully electric variant (likely to be called the e-408) will follow “a few months later”. The only non-electrified version will be the entry-level 130 hp 1.2-litre 3-cylinder turbo petrol unit, and even this will be replaced by a mild-hybrid variant at the end of 2023, the firm says. The pair of plug-in powertrains consists of Peugeot’s 180 hp Hybrid 180 and the 225 hp Hybrid 225. Both variants use the same 1.6-litre 4-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine mated to an electric motor that’s fed by a 12.4 kWh battery, which will take 1 hour and 55 minutes to charge from a 7 kW Wallbox. The 308, and 508 and 3008 PHEVs that use the same plug-in hybrid system can cover up to 60 and 65 km respectively, so similar figures for the 408 seem likely. All engines are mated exclusively to an 8-speed automatic gearbox, so expect the 1.2 petrol to accelerate from 0-100 kph in around 10 seconds. The electric assistance from the plug-in hybrids means they’ll both be quicker despite carrying extra weight, so the Hybrid 225 could dip below 8.5 seconds for the same benchmark sprint. The fastest version will undoubtedly be the e-408, however. Power will come from a 54 kWh battery, which is slightly bigger than the unit you’ll find in the Peugeot e-2008 and e-208, but features a new chemical composition to improve range and efficiency. Peugeot claims the e-308 will be able to recharge 20-80 percent in less than 25 minutes with a 100 kW charging capacity, so we’ll expect the same for the e-408. A 400 km range for the e-308 has also been claimed, but with the more upright, less-aerodynamic stance of the e-408, it’ll probably not match the e-308 on that measure. “The new 408 started a few years ago with the objective of reinventing the saloon. The driving position is dynamic: higher than a saloon but not even as high as a coupe-SUV. It’s for people looking for something new. It’s a very dynamic saloon with the feeling of modern Peugeot DNA”. +++
+++ Despite the SKODA KODIAQ ’s recent facelift in 2021, images of the next-generation model are already surfacing. The test car we spotted is using the current Kodiaq’s body, however we have a good idea as to what will underpin Skoda’s 7-seat SUV when it launches in 2024. Having launched in 2016, the Kodiaq utilised parent company Volkswagen’s MQB A2 platform, which sits under similar-sized family SUVs such as the Volkswagen Tiguan and Seat Tarraco. I expect this new model to benefit from the updated MQB Evo architecture, first seen in 2019 on the current Mk8 Golf. MQB Evo is a versatile platform, with the new Ford Connect, Audi A3 and Cupra Formentor all using it. Skoda currently has just 1 car on MQB Evo: the Octavia. Like the Octavia, I expect the next-generation Kodiaq will offer a range of mild-hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains with diesel and petrol variants. MEB is VW Group’s pure-electric powertrain so we won’t see a fully-electric Kodiaq, because that position will eventually be filled by the Vision 7S concept. The test car we’ve spotted uses plenty of vRS trim but that doesn’t necessarily mean the sporty badge will carry over to the new model. As for the interior, the Kodiaq will most likely borrow plenty of technology from the VW Group stable. We’re likely to see two 10-inch infotainment displays on the dash, borrowed from the current Golf and all the safety features VW Group cars of the Kodiaq’s size currently offer. Given the lifespan of the outgoing Kodiaq, the new model will almost certainly be the last one offered with petrol and diesel engines ahead of VW’s switch to pure-electric cars. +++