Day: December 2, 2021 (Page 1 of 2)

Polestar, the EV maker owned by China’s Geely, expects sales to hit 29,000 this year and to grow tenfold by 2025

2021-12-02 / Robert Vinet

The new Polestar 3 SUV will be built at Chinese-owned Volvo Cars’ plant in South Carolina starting in 2022.

Polestar expects global sales to hit 29,000 this year, and with plans to launch a new vehicle annually for the next three years, it expects to sell 290,000 units by 2025, Ingenlath said.

The Polestar 4 SUV coupe is scheduled to follow in 2023 and the Polestar 5 four-door GT in 2024. The company expects 40% of sales in the medium term to come from Europe and 30% each from North America and Asia.

Polestar expects revenue of $1.6 billion this year, double that amount next year, and is targeting $17 billion in 2025, according to Ingenlath.

Elsewhere » Yahoo Finance / The Detroit Bureau / Autocar / Electric Car Report

Polestar and Volvo Cars are subsidiaries of China’s Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co., Ltd.

Formula E Unplugged video series

2021-12-02 / Robert Vinet

If you are interested in electric open-wheel racing, Formula E has released Formula E Unplugged, a 15-video race-by-race recap of Season 7.

They are assembled below, should you wish to binge-watch them all.

Episode 1 » The Start Of A New Era

A new season, a new challenge. Formula E returns to the streets of Diriyah, Saudi Arabia for another season of all-electric, single-seater racing. Jaguar Racing are hoping to make a statement with their new driver pairing, as team leader Mitch Evans is joined by Sam Bird, the British driver making a bold move after six successful seasons with the same team.

Bold Move » Every new Jaguar will be electric, but they won’t arrive before 2025

2021-12-02 / Robert Vinet

Jaguar I-PACE

Motor Illustrated »

This means we will not see new products introduced by the British brand in the next two or three years, but the next time a new Jaguar is announced, it will be fully electric.

What is more surprising is the decision to reposition the company in the market. Indeed, Jaguar is currently aimed mostly at the German Luxury brands that are Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi.

With the transition to electric drivetrains, Jaguar wants to move significantly upmarket and become a competitor for other British brands like Aston Martin and Bentley, as well as Italian Maserati.

Elsewhere » Cars UK /

Motor Trend Review » 2022 Porsche Taycan GTS First Drive

2021-12-02 / Robert Vinet

2022 Porsche Taycan GTSMotor Trend »

The Taycan GTS is positioned in both price and power between the 482-hp Taycan 4S and the 616-hp Taycan Turbo. Output is 509 horsepower (boosted to 590 in launch mode) and 626 lb-ft, split between two motors, one at each axle. As with other all-wheel-drive Taycans, the GTS has a two-speed transmission for the rear motor, while the front remains single-speed.

2022 Porsche Taycan GTS

As with the GTS versions of other Porsche models, there are other performance tweaks, including bigger front brakes (with a carbon-ceramic package as an option), Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM, or Porsche-speak for adaptive damping), and height-adjustable air suspension as standard. Rear-axle steering and active anti-roll bars are options, but the racy blacked-out trim is part and parcel of the GTS package.

Nissan has revealed a new electric single-seat race car concept

2021-12-02 / Robert Vinet

Nissan Ariya Single Seater

Autocar »

Called the Ariya Single Seater, it serves to demonstrate “how the all-electric Nissan Ariya road car powertrain could be used in a bespoke single seater racing car chassis”.

The firm has not yet confirmed that it plans to produce a functioning, full-sized example – nor indeed plans for a dedicated race series using the car – but Autocar understands that Nissan hopes to produce a working version for dynamic displays at Formula E races.

The concept is related to the production SUV in more than just name: the front is decorated with a similar, light-up V motif, while the side is claimed to take inspiration “from the Ariya’s fluid and efficient surfaces, exaggerated to a maximum in carbonfibre”.

Elsewhere » Auto Express / Car Magazine / Motor Authority / EVO / Cars UK / Autoblog / Autoweek / Car and Driver / The Detroit Bureau / Robb Report / The Driven

Official photographs show the new electric 2022 BMW i7 winter testing

2021-12-02 / Robert Vinet

Autocar »

BMW has released the first official images of the i7 luxury electric saloon, which is currently undergoing winter testing ahead of an expected 2022 launch.

Disguised prorotypes of the forthcoming Mercedes-Benz EQS rival were shown completing final suspension tuning at the firm’s winter test centre in Arjeplog, Sweden.

BMW has confirmed the new EV will use its fifth-generation eDrive system, which is currently found in the iX electric luxury SUV. It will ride on BMW’s flexible CLAR platform, which is already used for the iX and the i4 electric saloon, as well as ICE models including the latest 2 Series Coupé.

Elsewhere » Motor Trend

Hyundai continues to invest in hydrogen powered vehicles

2021-12-02 / Robert Vinet

Hyundai Nexo

Bloomberg »

Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Euisun Chung has made a number of bold moves since he took the company’s reins late last year. He’s put more money into electric vehicles and orchestrated a deeper shift into the world of robotics. But another important part of his effort to transform the company from conventional carmaker to mobility giant involves embracing hydrogen-based technology. And on that front, the jury’s still out.

The experience of Song Young-jin shows just how tough it will be for Hyundai to succeed in a world increasingly embracing electric-battery-powered motors. The 38-year-old sales manager in Euiwang city bought a Hyundai Nexo, whose hydrogen-fuel-cell engine emits only water vapor, in March 2020. Wooed by Hyundai’s advertising, he felt a hydrogen car would be good for long commutes and better for the environment.