+++ The next-generation BMW X3 is expected to hit the production line this August and will remain available with petrol, diesel and hybrid powertrains. The new X3’s body will be 4.755 mm long, 1.920 mm wide and stand 1.660 mm tall, making it approximately 40 mm longer and 30 mm wider than the outgoing model, depending on specification. The wheelbase will grow by 1 mm to 2.865 mm and it should offer 570 liters of cargo capacity with the second row up, or 1.700 liters with it folded down. Different powertrains and trim levels will be offered in different markets. If the report is correct, key models to be offered will include the 20d xDrive, 20i xDrive, 30e xDrive and M50 xDrive, while the U.S. could also be offered a M50 xDrive variant. A flagship X3 M will also be offered, although technical details about it are not yet known. BMW is also working on a next-generation version of the all-electric iX3 but it will switch to the Neue Klasse platform and be further differentiated from ICE variants than the current model. Interestingly, the carmaker is not expected to sell the overhauled X3 with any new engines but will make it more luxurious than the outgoing SUV. For example, it will be offered with the same Iconic Glow front kidney grille surrounds as the new 5-Series and have an interior trimmed in better materials. The same driver-assistance technologies of the current model will be carried over, meaning no Level 3 autonomy is on the horizon. The new X3 will remain in production until October 2033. Among the standard colors to be offered will include Dark Graphite, Black Sapphire, Arctic Race Blue, Mineral White, Mineral Red, Skyscraper Gray, and Brooklyn Gray. +++
+++ Whose cars are equipped with the best DRIVING ASSISTENCE TECHNOLOGY ? If you guessed Tesla, or even Mercedes, you’d be wrong, says the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The real winner is Lexus, though “winner” might be overselling it. According to the IIHS, every automaker has plenty of work to do when it comes to autonomous tech. The IIHS tested 14 different systems from Lexus, General Motors, Ford, Genesis, BMW, Mercedes, Nissan, Volvo and Tesla, its evaluation going far beyond simply seeing if they could keep a car driving along a freeway without trying to send it headlong into oncoming traffic. Testers looked at factors such as how drivers were monitored and reminded to pay attention, and what action they took when drivers ignored those reminders. That last one is important because the driver might not be “ignoring” the warning, but could have suffered a medical episode, meaning the car needs to be slowed down for safety’s sake. Shockingly, 11 of the 14 systems were ranked as “poor” by the IIHS team, including both Tesla’s Autopilot and the same company’s expensive Full Self Driving tech. Mercedes’ Level 3 Drive Pilot wasn’t evaluated (none of the cars had Level 3 autonomy), but the Distronic system on the C-Class (which doesn’t have a face-detect camera) was graded poor, as was the BlueCruise on Ford’s Mustang Mach-E, though that did win praise for its prompt alerts issued when the driver covered his face. “The shortcomings vary from system to system”, said IIHS senior research scientist Alexandra Müller, who led the development of the new program. “Many vehicles don’t adequately monitor whether the driver is looking at the road or prepared to take control”. But surely some automaker’s systems live up to the hype? The bronze medal went to ProPilot Assist on the Nissan Ariya and GM’s Super Cruise on the GMC Sierra, both of which were rated as “marginal”, which is hardly a ringing endorsement. And the top-performing system (the only one to achieve a stellar “acceptable” rating) was the Lexus Teammate tech on the LS 500h. “Some drivers may feel that partial automation makes long drives easier, but there is little evidence it makes driving safer”, IIHS president David Harkey said. “As many high-profile crashes have illustrated, it can introduce new risks when systems lack the appropriate safeguards”. But Harkey also pointed out that while none of the systems was outstanding, they each had different strengths, meaning automakers have the ability to produce safer systems, in most cases by making little more than software changes. +++
+++ A woman in Nebraska stands accused of exploiting a GLITCH AT THE GAS STATION to fill her vehicle up, as well as others, with more than 28.000 liters) of free fuel between November 2022 and June 2023. The local police has arrested Dawn Thompson, 45, and charged her with theft by unlawful taking worth more than $5.000. She is accused of stealing gas from a Pump and Pantry, by exploiting a vulnerability that sent the pump into a demo mode after a rewards card was swiped twice. The software error has since been corrected and the Pump and Pantry alerted police to the possible theft in October 2023. Investigators managed to find Thompson by tracing the information associated with the rewards card that exploited this hack. Police say that Thompson’s card was used to get free fuel 510 times over the course of the 6-month period in question and video surveillance footage shows her filling her vehicle up at the station. Authorities add that the card received minimal rewards over the period in question because it was associated with such small purchases. In all, the gas station’s manager estimates the total losses up to $27.860.27. Police say Thompson wasn’t the only one using the card, though. Another person who used it claimed that Thompson had charged her to use the card on as many as 10 occasion, in order to get “discounted fuel”. Thompson was arrested in the wake of a months-long investigation. Her bond was set at 10 percent of $7.500. Theft over $5.000 is considered a Class IIA felony in Nebraska and can carry a penalty of as many as 20 years in prison. +++
+++ MERCEDES boss Ola Källenius believes that Europe should lower tariffs on electric vehicles imported from China, expressing his belief that increased competition will force European brands to build better cars. Källenius made his comments during a recent interview as the European Commission considers raising import duties on Chinese-made EVs, believing that they are unfairly subsidized by the Chinese government. “Don’t raise tariffs”, Källenius said. “I’m a contrarian, I think go the other way around: take the tariffs that we have and reduce them”. Mercedes-Benz’s boss added that Chinese brands exporting to Europe is a “natural progression of competition and it needs to be met with better product, better technology, more agility. That is the market economy. Let competition play out”. As it stands, Chinese EVs are hit with a 10% tariff when imported to Europe while European carmakers pay a 15% tariff when exporting to China. Companies such as Stellantis and Renault have been outspoken about the threat posed by Chinese EVs but Källenius insisted Mercedes “did not ask for this probe”. “We are not asking for protection and I believe the best Chinese companies are not asking for protection”, he said. “They want to compete in the world like everybody else. It has been opening up markets that has led to wealth growth, especially in the economic wonder of China, that has lifted hundreds of millions of people out of poverty. If we believe protectionism is the thing that gives us long-term success, I believe history tells us that is not the case”. Executives from German automakers like Mercedes likely fear retaliation from China should the European Commission enforce new tariffs. This could hurt Mercedes as more than one-third of all its car sales come from China. Geely and SAIC also own a fifth of its shares, so it has strong ties to the country. “We live in a pragmatic world and realize there are some expectations to the general market economy rule . . . but if we seek our fortune in increased protectionism, we are going the wrong way”. +++
+++ SUZUKI has confirmed that the production version of the EVX will debut in 2025, but new reports from India suggest that the company is also working on a related model. A fully electric MPV is rumored to debut in the Indian market by September 2026, sharing its underpinnings with the upcoming Vitara-sized SUV. The model is codenamed YMC and will be the first electric MPV to bear the Suzuki emblem. It will reportedly ride on the “27PL skateboard” architecture, which is currently under development as a joint project by Suzuki and Toyota, designed to accommodate multiple body styles. As for the powertrain, it is expected to inherit the battery options and electric motor of the EVX. As a refresher, the SUV will be available with 40 kWh and 60 kWh battery packs, offering an estimated electric range of up to 500 km alongside AWD capability. If the reports are true, the company could preview the MPV with a concept sometime in the next few years, giving us an idea of its styling. Chances are that the MPV will be longer than the EVX (4.300 mm), making room for a 3-row seating layout. At the same time, it could share some components with the SUV, including the dashboard and digital cockpit. Maruti Suzuki plans to expand its local lineup with as many as 8 new cars that will arrive sometime in the next few years. 3 of them will feature fully electric powertrains, with the rest being ICE-powered or hybrids. Before the debut of the production version of the EVX concept and the upcoming MPV, Suzuki will roll out a full hybrid derivative of the Swift as part of its electrification strategy. +++
+++ Production has recommenced at TESLA ’s German Gigafactory after an arson attack left the facility without power for a week. Last week, a group of environmentalists dubbed ‘The Volcano Group’ took credit for lighting a blaze at an electrical pylon near the Tesla facility. The group claimed to have attacked Tesla because it “eats up earth, resources, people, labor and spits out 6.000 SUVs, killing machines and monster trucks per week”. On Monday, German energy network firm E.ON said that repairs over the weekend had allowed it to restore power. Tesla was reconnected to the grid at 8:45 p.m. local time and said it would gradually restart systems at the factory. Local radio broadcaster RBB states that production has resumed at the factory. Tesla says the disruption in production will have cost it hundreds of millions of euros in damages. It also revealed that Tesla chief executive Elon Musk will visit the site this week. “The machines have been restarted in a controlled and safe manner so that the early shift can resume”, the head of the works council at the site, Michaela Schmitz said. “We will have a team huddle and Mr Musk will also be there”. The outage prevented Tesla from building approximately 1.000 vehicles per day at the factory. Tesla’s factory near Berlin has come under criticism in recent months due to a planned expansion of the site. The carmaker intends on doubling production at the plant to 1 million vehicles annually and to do so, will need to cut down large parts of the nearby forest. Some locals have expressed concern about how this could impact local drinking water supplies. +++
+++ The USED CAR MARKET is set to be upended over the next few years, with supplies of ICE-powered vehicles set to drop. It comes as manufacturers aim to meet government targets that prioritize or mandate sales of EVs. According to a report by Cox Automotive, the influx of internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles into the second-hand market is projected to decrease by up to 69 percent by 2028. Despite recent reports of price volatility and growth slowdown in the electric vehicle (EV) market, the organization anticipates strong demand for used ICE and hybrid models. Consequently, dealerships are expected to compete for the most sought-after models in this segment. The prediction aligns with many automotive companies’ decision to go EV-only before the government stops selling non-electric powertrains in 2035. Amongst those is Jaguar, which will kill all gas-powered cars as early as June this year to focus on EVs. In 2023, ICE cars accounted for 94.3 percent of used car sales. But with new ICE registrations predicted to drop from 71 percent to just 38 percent by 2028, a larger share of the used car market will be made up of EVs. However, it cautions that there may be an oversupply of EVs in the used car market in the medium term, at least “until values become less volatile and consumer confidence grows”. Used car buyers are likely to be reluctant to switch to EVs immediately, with the prediction being that many will prefer to replace an ICE like for like. This is also where hybrid options will be favored, as while they may not be the first choice of buyers, their availability in the used market will be greater. However, Cox recommends that dealers target growing their EV stocks long-term, with the used market predicted to increase by 11 percent by 2028. “If you’re a dealer looking now at a forecourt that’s 90% ICE vehicles, consider how that will look 12 months from now and another year from then, knowing that the availability of ICE vehicles is shrinking at a rate of 10-16% a year going forward”, says Philip Nothard, Insight Director at Cox Automotive. +++
+++ Since 2018, VOLVO has been investing in small companies developing technology that it thinks could be useful to its vehicles. Now, it says that one of those companies has developed software that can reduce battery charging times (from 10-80 percent) by between 15 and 30 percent. The UK-based company is called Breathe Battery Technologies and it uses algorithms to manage the charging process. Whereas EVs traditionally keep their batteries safe with a stepped charging program that uses pre-determined rules, Breathe’s technology can dynamically control the energy flow in real time. “The investment and commercial partnership with Breathe helps us address a familiar pain point for electric car customers and makes our charging performance even more competitive”, says Ann-Sofie Ekberg, CEO of the Volvo Cars Tech Fund. “Faster charging times, in the range where customers typically fast charge, represent a major step in the right direction as we continue to boost electric mobility and make it available to more people”. Not only does the technology speed up the charging process significantly, its dynamic control means that owners benefit from improved charging times throughout the life of their vehicles. And it will be a long life, as Volvo claims that the technology works without harming the battery pack. Breathe’s software monitors the health of the battery to avoid lithium plating, which can shorten the energy store’s lifespan. Volvo says that it is the first automaker to use Breathe’s technology and that it will be available to drivers in its upcoming EVs. Once the technology is out in the real world, further improvements are possible. “Deploying our technology at scale on Volvo’s next generation EV platform opens doors to innovative car designs and performance improvements”, said Ian Campbell, Breathe’s CEO. “We’re very pleased with this investment and sourcing agreement with Volvo Cars and support their exciting journey towards full electrification”. +++
