+++ The dramatically styled new ALPINE ALPENGLOW concept serves to preview the French sporting brand’s upcoming road and race cars, and showcases a potential means of safeguarding the future of the combustion engine. Inspired by the firm’s involvement in top-flight motorsport (Formula 1 and the World Endurance Championship most notably), the single-seat Alpenglow is, the firm says: “the starting point for all future Alpine car designs, technologies and breakthroughs”. It is obviously a track-focused proposition, conceived first and foremost to embody “the spirit of competition” that underpins all Alpine models, new and old. “This is what motorsports needs to look like tomorrow”, the brand says, calling attention not just to its outlandish form but also its means of propulsion. The Alpenglow, like the similarly conceived Alpine A4810 concept designed by students at Turin’s Istituto Europeo di Design earlier this year, is fuelled by hydrogen. But only this time the brand has categorically confirmed it uses an electrically assisted internal combustion engine, rather than a fuel cell arrangement. Alpine has given no technical details of this engine, nor suggested that this element of the concept in particular points to any future products in its portfolio, but says: “A hybrid hydrogen internal combustion engine is environmentally friendly and comes with the inimitable driving pleasure that this technology provides, including the sheer might, weightlessness and enthralling soundscape”. Similar attributes of a gas-burning engine (namely its soundtrack and power delivery) have been cited by Toyota, whose own efforts to refine hydrogen combustion technology for the eventual purposes of series production have also leaned heavily on its motorsport activities. Also, Alpine notes, the motor “releases practically nothing but steam”, and so presents an intriguing vision of how sports cars, both for track and road, could continue to use combustion power in the years to come, while essentially running carbon-neutral, if using ‘green’ hydrogen, the refinement of which produces no CO2. Alpine is “very actively” exploring the use of hydrogen as a means of safeguarding combustion technology. CEO Laurent Rossi told: “It’s only normal we look at parallel paths, and I say parallel on purpose; the idea is we want to find alternatives that are not necessarily incompatible with electrification, because electrification is, whether we like it or not, the future of automotive for at least 60-70% of the automotive parc. “For the rest, it will depend on the type of usage, the characteristics, the features you want to have; I’m thinking LCVs with a high payload and fixed trips could afford to use different solutions, or high-output cars”. So far, Alpine has only confirmed plans for 3 upcoming road cars: a hot hatch based on the 2024 Renault 5, a rakish crossover called the GT-X Over and a follow-up to its flagship Alpine A110, all using Renault’s battery-electric platforms and due by 2027. But Rossi said: “Hydrogen has the green merit of being very compatible with electrification, because the parallel path to hydrogen as a fuel is hydrogen as a fuel cell, which produces electricity. That’s good because the end-to-end industrial path for hydrogen will be compatible with electrification, so we believe that could be one way forward”. He went so far as to hint that Alpine could showcase its hydrogen-combustion vision with a bespoke, track-focused prototype. It is now clear he was referring to the Alpenglow. Notably, Alpine says this concept is “as lightweight as the rest of the brand’s cars”, suggesting that even with its two 700-bar cylindrical hydrogen storage tanks running either side of the driver, it weighs in the region of 1.000 – 1.200 kg; around the same as the A110. Extensive use of recycled carbonfibre in its construction will have played a large role in keeping weight down, and will do too on future cars. More concrete suggestions of what to expect from future Alpine models come in the form of the concept’s defining design cues. Its dramatic front light bar and vertical stacked tail-lights, for example, will adorn its future production cars, and so will a variation of the Alpenglow’s LMP1-inspired steering wheel. Likewise the prevailing focus on aerodynamic efficiency (already confirmed to be a defining tenet of Alpine’s future design language) which here is manifested in a sharp, V-shaped front end, huge air channels down the side, a roofline that sits just 1 meter off the ground and an active, lightweight rear wing, in this instance completely transparent. Alpine has confirmed that its upcoming LMDh racing prototype will take heavy design inspiration from the Alpenglow. Revealing the concept, Rossi said: “Alpenglow’s mighty and lavish design hints at what Alpine cars will be like tomorrow and at our vision for motorsports moving forward. With hydrogen technology on board, we are strengthening our pledge to bring about a future where emissions are clean and driving pleasure is as real as ever”. It will make its public debut at the Paris motor show next week, alongside a similarly future-looking ‘Manifesto’ concept from sibling marque Dacia, and parent brand Renault’s new 4 electric crossover. +++
+++ After covering the Detroit Auto Show last month, I was left with 2 lingering impressions: AUTOSHOWS have a future as public events, but as media opportunities they will likely be limited going forward. Auto shows have always been great opportunities for car buyers and enthusiasts to see and touch the latest new products. There’s only so much you can get online (though I think I do a pretty good job…) and most people don’t carve out time to go to a dealership until they’re well into the buying process. Wandering a large convention center with the kids is an easy way to figure out what might be the next family car, or simply a way to get excited about future sports cars or off-roaders that may or may not ever end up in your driveway. As long as automakers still value this direct-to-consumer experience, car shows have a future, especially in cities like Detroit that revere that automobile. New York, Los Angeles and Chicago also take their shows seriously and are exhibiting no signs of pulling back the consumer element. From a media perspective, it’s murky. There’s no real reason for automakers to debut their new vehicles in a convention center on a random Wednesday, simply because they always have done it that way. It actually makes a lot of sense to pivot to livestreams, social media and even streaming networks or apps to generate excitement around new products. Maybe even the metaverse will pan out for car reveals. So from a press perspective, are auto shows dead? Probably not. The days of a dozen press conferences with CEOs and media from around the world jammed into a convention center for a Super Bowl level of attention are gone. Really, they have been fading for at least 5 years. But there’s still opportunity for carmakers to create a buzz around new launches, which would in turn give auto shows something to pitch to the public. It could be mutually beneficial for companies and the shows. For example, the Detroit show was headlined by the 7th generation Ford Mustang’s debut, and enthusiasts were genuinely fired up to see it. When president Biden showed up in Detroit, it was a bonus. The press event was slimmed down, but that matters less than perhaps you might think. Organizers emphasized attractions for consumers, like the enormous duck and an exhibit of dinosaurs trampling by vehicles. Shows only need a few spotlight reveals to get significant press attention, which in turn generates publicity to get the public to put aside their weekend plans and come to an auto show. Rather than treat these reveals as traditional press conferences, companies and the shows would be wise to think unconventionally, perhaps streaming them on Amazon Prime, Peacock or Hulu and packaging them up to create content that is interesting for consumers, highlights the new products and casts a sheen back onto the shows themselves. Don’t do a lame infomercial, obviously, but there’s opportunity here to try something new. Next week the Paris Motor Show returns after missing the 2020 rotation due to Covid (Paris is an every-other-year event), followed by Los Angeles in November. CES in January is sporadic for car news and the Chicago show in February is usually a fairly quiet affair from a news perspective. By the time the New York event rolls around in the spring, we’ll have a better feel for what’s next, and hopefully have witnessed some creative ways shows can evolve. +++
+++ After decades of selling the ultimate driving machine, BMW is expanding its résumé by offering the ultimate gaming machine. The company announced it will offer the AirConsole in-car gaming platform developed by Switzerland-based N-Dream in some of its cars starting in 2023. BMW explained that the AirConsole platform is a good match for the Curved Display available in models like the iX. While details remain few and far between, it doesn’t sound like playing a game in your BMW will require investing in hardware modifications; the games are beamed to the car over-the-air, run through the infotainment system, and designed to be played using a smartphone as a controller. There’s no word on which titles motorists and their passengers will be able to play in a BMW. AirConsole lists over 180 games on its website including classics like checkers, Mario Kart-like racing games, and a casino simulator called Drunk Casino. We don’t know which BMWs will be compatible with in-car gaming, but the company told that the new 7-series will be one of the first cars to adopt this technology. “AirConsole gaming requires computing capabilities which are only met with a hardware update of the head unit, which is first available in the new 7 Series and will be rolled out to further models starting in 2023”, a BMW spokesperson confirmed. Looking beyond the big 7, it’s reasonable to assume that this technology will be available on BMW’s of electric cars. Nothing is official, but you’re more likely to want to spend time gaming when you’re waiting for an i3 to charge than when you’re lapping Laguna Seca in an M3. BMW will roll out in-car gaming in 2023. Pricing information and additional details will be announced in the coming months. +++
+++ BYD on Wednesday received a coveted 5-star Euro NCAP safety rating for its electric ATTO 3 crossover, the latest Chinese carmaker to receive top marks as it seeks to gain a foothold in Europe’s competitive car market. 2 other Chinese-made cars (the Citroën C5 X, built by a joint venture between Stellantis and Dongfeng, and the Mobilize Limo, an electric sedan made by Renault together with Jiangling Motors, received 4-star ratings. Ratings from the European New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) are not binding, as it does not certify vehicles for road use. But European consumers pay attention to Euro NCAP’s safety tests, and carmakers aggressively market good ratings. Last month Chinese rival Great Wall Motor received 5-star ratings for its WEY brand Coffee 01 hybrid SUV and its ORA brand Funky Cat electric sedan. Just this week BYD launched the ATTO 3 in India, which sells in China as the Yuan Plus. Last week, German car rental company Sixt said it has committed to buying around 100.000 electric vehicles from China’s BYD in the coming years. Among the other cars receiving a 5-star rating on Wednesday was Mercedes-Benz’s EQE. The EQE’s driver assistance system (including one that moves the car to the slowest lane on a highway and brings it to a halt if the driver becomes unresponsive) made it the highest-scoring car so far for assisted-driving functions, Euro NCAP said. +++
+++ The Mercedes-Benz EQE has been praised by safety testers as “excellent”, especially its new semi-autonomous emergency stop system, as part of the latest round of EURONCAP ratings. The expensive saloon, the latest from the German brand’s all-electric EQ range, comes equipped with an Active Emergency Stop Assist function (the first of its kind to be assessed by Euro NCAP) which, if the driver becomes unresponsive, safely manoeuvres the car to the slowest lane before bringing it to a stop. The team graded this feature as “very good”, making it the highest-scoring car tested for this category. Overall, the car was given a maximum 5-star mark, with the report noting its “excellent all-round performance”. Euro NCAP’s secretary general, Michiel van Ratingen, said: “Fully autonomous driving is still some way away but the groundwork is being laid by robust, high-performing assisted-driving systems like this one from Mercedes”. The EQE was joined in the top marks pool by 8 other cars, including the new BYD Atto 3, which continues the successful run for Chinese brands in Euro NCAP, following similar results for Wey and Ora earlier this year. Another car praised by testers was the updated Volkswagen Golf, which, along with a facelifted body and refreshed tech, has received some safety upgrades. These include the addition of a center airbag, lap pretensioners, junction assist and a fatigue detection system, which all contributed to its new 5-star rating. Van Ratingen was impressed with the Golf. He said: “There is a lot of pressure on car manufacturers to extend the lifetimes of their vehicles, especially those of combustion-engined cars, which will soon be replaced by all-electric models. Most vehicle manufacturers tend to ride it out. Some may even consider safety cutbacks to maintain competitiveness. So it is excellent to see Volkswagen continually improving the safety of the Golf, to keep abreast of the latest developments and keep pace with competitors”. Other cars to achieve top marks included the Mazda CX-60, BMW X1, BMW 2 Series Active Tourer, Seat Ibiza and Seat Arona. 2 cars, the Citroën C5 X and the Mobilize Limo, achieved 4-star ratings. Testers noted they were “general solid performers” but “did not stand out due to the omission of equipment or marginal performance in some of the active safety tests”. +++
+++ HONDA says it will build a $3.5 billion joint-venture battery factory in rural southern Ohio and hire 2.200 people to staff it as the company starts to turn the state into its North American electric vehicle hub. Honda, which announced its first Ohio factory 45 years ago, also plans to invest $700 million and add 300 jobs at three existing Ohio factories to prepare them to start making EVs and components. The battery plant, to be built jointly with LG Energy Solution of South Korea, could see a total investment of $4.4 billion. The plant site is off Interstate 71 in Fayette County, about 40 miles southwest of the state capital of Columbus. In addition, Honda’s assembly plants in Marysville and East Liberty, northeast of Columbus, and its engine plant in Anna north of Dayton, will share in the $700 million investment. The Anna plant will make cases to hold the battery cells, while the other two plants will build complete electric vehicles. Construction on the battery plant will start early next year, with mass production of pouch-type lithium-ion cells to begin by the end of 2025. The plant will produce batteries exclusively for Honda vehicles assembled in North America, including the company’s Acura luxury brand. Bob Nelson, Honda executive vice president, said at a news conference Tuesday at the Ohio Statehouse that his company has found a strong partner in Ohio, where 5 of its 12 U.S. factories are located. “We appreciate our strong bond with Honda. Truly, today is a great day for Ohio”, governor Mike DeWine said. The company is still working out details of an incentive package with the state for the battery plant, to be run by the joint venture that will be formed this year, Nelson said. “We feel the resources will be good to run and operate the facility”, he told reporters. “This will give us a good chance to have an impact on the community”. Last week Honda showed off the design of its Prologue electric SUV that will be developed on General Motors’ Ultium electric vehicle platform and will go on sale in 2024. The Prologue will be a little larger than the current CR-V. Nelson wouldn’t say where the Prologue will be built. Honda plans to start selling models built on its own EV underpinnings starting in 2026, but it will also continue to co-develop affordable EVs with GM, to be built by Honda. The Japanese automaker plans to introduce 30 new electric vehicles globally by 2030, with plans to sell all zero-emission automobiles by 2040. Company workers in Ohio have been building gas-electric hybrid vehicles for years, and that experience will help in the switch to EVs, Nelson said. The Marysville plant currently employs 3.500 people, while East Liberty has 2.500. The Anna engine plant has about 2.300 workers. Honda’s announcement follows several waves of battery and electric vehicle assembly plant announcements in the U.S. and North America as automakers try to establish a domestic supply chain for the next generation of vehicle propulsion. Ford, General Motors, Toyota, Hyundai-Kia, Stellantis and VinFast of Vietnam have announced plans for 10 U.S. battery plants, many with joint venture companies. In addition, Ford, GM, Hyundai-Kia and VinFast have announced plans to build new electric vehicle assembly plants in the U.S., or to retool older plants to handle EVs. A new U.S. law, the Inflation Reduction Act, gives them even more incentive to build batteries in North America. It includes a tax credit of up to $7.500 that could be used to defray the cost of purchasing an electric vehicle. But to qualify for the full credit, the electric vehicle must contain a battery built in North America with 40% of the metals mined or recycled on the continent. Nelson said the company has been planning the battery and plant investments for years, well ahead of the law’s passage earlier this year. Electric vehicle sales are expected to rise dramatically between now and 2030 in the U.S. and globally, but even at the start of the next decade, they will be just over one-third of U.S. new vehicle sales. The LMC Automotive consulting firm expects EVs to be 5.6% of U.S. sales this year, rising to 13.5% by 2025 and 36.4% in 2030. +++
+++ MERCEDES-BENZ and Microsoft announced a partnership on Wednesday using Microsoft Cloud for a data platform intended to improve production efficiency at over 30 passenger car plants globally, the carmaker said on Wednesday. The data platform, called MO360, is already available in Europe, the Middle East and Africa and will also be launched in the United States and China, the statement said. The aim is to gather data from across the production process from components to logistics to the assembly line to create a virtual replica that allows teams to identify potential supply chain bottlenecks more quickly. The collaboration should lead to a 20% increase in vehicle production efficiency by 2025 from 2022 levels, the statement added. +++
+++ The next-generation MINI CONVERTIBLE will be built in at the Oxford plant, the firm’s boss has confirmed. Stefanie Wurst said production of the Convertible would switch to Oxford from the Netherlands in its next generation in 2024 or 2025, and be built alongside petrol-powered versions of the upcoming 3- and 5-door Mini models in their next era, due to launch from November 2023. “The Convertible is coming home”, said Wurst on the decision. The next-generation of Minis will span 6 different models built on 3 platforms in 3 different factories. In Oxford, there will be petrol versions of the 3-door, 5-door and Convertible models. In Leipzig, there will be electric and petrol versions of a new, bigger Mini Countryman. As part of Mini’s tie-up with Great Wall in China, there will be an electric version of the 3-door hatchback and a new larger 5–door model called Aceman. All versions built in Oxford (as well as the 3-door hatch built in China) will be known as the Cooper. Although the 3-door models built in Oxford and China will look identical, they will be different cars underneath. There will be no electric version of the Oxford-built 5-door Cooper for China; that role instead being indirectly filled by the larger Aceman. Wurst confirmed the Mini One would be no more and the Cooper would instead fill the entry-level role. High performance versions of both petrol and electric Coopers would be offered, meaning the petrol range would span Cooper, Cooper S and Cooper JCW models and the electric versions; Cooper E, Cooper SE and Cooper JCW E. The switch in this new era for Mini sees the Oxford plant lose the electric hatchbacks that it currently builds, but Wurst confirmed that electric cars would ultimately return to the factory. “There are major investments taking place and going to take place”, she said, hinting that a mid-life facelift for the models in around 2027 will provide an opportunity for the switch to take place. Indeed, Wurst hinted that the Oxford plant was secure was secure in the long term as part of the brand’s desire to stay true to its British roots and origin. To that end, it was inevitable the plant would go electric given the brand plans only to make electric cars from the early 2030s. Wurst also said that more models were possible beyond the 6 in the next-generation line-up, but nothing was yet confirmed. On the subject of a long-rumoured ‘mini’ Mini inspired by the Rocketman concept a decade ago, Wurst said the model was “more than a dream but not yet a concrete plan”. On the Urbanaut concept from year, she said it was a car “thinkable under the Mini brand but we cannot decide yet, as we can’t do all at the same time”. More generally, she added: “Minis can be bigger or smaller, higher or flatter. We have a strategic group working on our decisions and we could decide our future by the end of the year. If there is another bodystyle on top that is feasible, we need to decide. We need to look at the economics. We never stop looking at what is next. We need to look at growth curves and not let them stagnate, so it’d be stupid not to look at what’s next”. Yet even so, the focus was on making the confirmed 6 models a success. “These Minis will have to be the most successful as they have to sell in huge quantities around the world”, said Wurst, noting in particular the growth potential for China and Japan where it is yet to sell an electric car. Wurst also hinted that Mini was open to getting into other areas of mobility, saying that the brand was “not always four wheels and a roof”. +++
+++ PORSCHE has announced a change in leadership for the Porsche 911 and Porsche 718 with Frank Moser taking over the development responsibility of the 2 sports car model lines from Frank-Steffen Walliser. Moser, aged 52, joined Porsche in 1996 and worked in road car development for more than 16 years before moving to production and becoming head of quality at the German car maker’s main Zuffenhausen factory in 2013, where he also oversaw corporate quality. Commenting on the move, Moser said he intends to preserve and develop the core values of the 911, while reiterating plans for an electric version of the 718. He said: “I have exciting tasks ahead of me. On the one hand, I will be preserving the core values of our iconic 911 while carefully further developing these. On the other, we aim to electrify our 718 model line by the middle of the decade”. Walliser, aged 53, rose to prominence as the project leader of the Porsche 918 Spyder and head of Porsche Motorsport before taking over development responsibility for the 911 and 718 model lines in 2019. He will continue to play a key role in the development of future Porsche models as vice president complete vehicle architecture and characteristics. Walliser said: “Our 911 and 718 sports car series have a pair of safe hands in Frank Moser. He knows our cars to the very last detail. He was the one who gave our models the final blessing before they were launched, until now, from a quality point of view”. +++
+++ The RENAULT GROUP has previewed the first model to come from its partnership with Geely, as the French firm begins to strengthen its foothold in East Asia. A large hybrid SUV designed, developed and set to be sold in South Korea, the lines of the car were pictured obscured by shadows. Renault says the model will form the basis of the brand’s style that will be extended to an entire model range in the future. Renault says it will offer a high level of digital technology, and that it “will take its occupants into a future where technology and innovation will connect mobility and digital life”. Renault Korea will also launch an all-new vehicle range, all driven by hybrid powertrains with the “latest Geely-Volvo technologies”. First announced back in 2021, the partnership will focus initially on launching Renault-badged hybrid models, using Geely-derived underpinnings, in the Chinese and South Korean markets. While Geely will supply the vehicles, Renault will maintain control of “branding strategy, channel and service development” in the regions. The financial terms of the deal haven’t been disclosed. The partnership doesn’t affect Renault’s 80.1% stake in Korean manufacturer Renault Samsung Motors, which builds a range of Renault-based models for local sale. However, Geely and Renault said that they will “explore localisation of vehicles based on Lynk&Co’s energy-efficient vehicle platforms for local markets”. The move comes as the latest step in Renault’s drastic Renaulution transformation strategy under new boss Luca de Meo. It will allow it to “share resources and technologies” with the Geely Group, which owns LEVC, Lotus, Lynk&Co, Polestar and Volvo, among others. The arrangement is similar to Geely’s 50:50 joint venture with Mercedes-Benz, under which the former will build Smart-badged electric cars for global retail; the first of which will be shown in concept form at next month’s Geneva motor show. Renault also collaborates with Mercedes on the development and production of small commercial vehicles (the new T-Class will be a twin of the Kangoo, for example) but this is completely unrelated to the new Geely-Renault partnership. In April of 2020, Renault withdrew from a joint venture with Chinese manufacturer Dongfeng Motor Group, bringing to a halt the sale of non-electric Renault-badged cars in that market. Electric models were to continue on sale as part of other joint ventures with Brilliance Jinbei Automotive, eGT and Jiangxi Jiangling. +++
