After the great success of the New 500 “La Prima Launch Edition”, New 500 “La Prima by Bocelli” is at its debut. The new version, first city-car with level-2 assisted drive, has an autonomy of 320 km, certified by the WLTP homologation cycle, which rises up to 460 km if used in the city traffic. The electric motor is the most powerful in the entire range, able to unleash 117 HP and 220 Nm of torque.
The great clamour is due to the fact it is the first city car in the world equipped with “Virtual Venues” technology by JBL for excellent-level audio experience. The new high-end version of the Fiat icon offers the JBL Premium Audio mastered by Andrea Bocelli as standard, an audio premium plant featuring 320 W of total power, highly refined in architecture and performances. To make the JBL audio system tailor-made for the vehicle, FIAT has availed itself of the experience of the most popular living tenor in the world, Maestro Andrea Bocelli.
“The amazing success of New 500 La Prima, the high-end model of our electric icon, has made us understand that our customers want a premium product, which is very Italian and very iconic: in other words, they pursue and they want the best of the Made in Italy – he states -. Precisely in Italy, we can find the utmost expression of art, of beauty and of music. For this reason,
Olivier Francois, CEO FIAT and Global CMO of Stellantis declared: «Together with maestro Andrea Bocelli, we have created the perfect listening experience to enhance the silence of a car. Besides, due to JBL technology, enriched by the excellent Virtual Venues system, we assure an immersive perfectly tailored listening experience».
Electric releases: Fiat 500 “La Prima by Bocelli”
The electric car of 2022-year? The new Volkswagen ID. Buzz
Top Gear Electric Awards celebrate the electrification importance in the automotive sector. Recently, on such occasion, the new Volkswagen ID. Buzz has been crowned electric car of the year, especially for the spacious interiors and the practical drive, praising it also for its iconic style, inspired by the original design of Volkswagen T1.
ID. Buzz is the first fully electric vehicle by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles implemented on the Modular Electric Drive Kit (MEB) platform. Cian O’Brien, Director of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, affirmed: «As brand, we are living an important electrification travel, and the so longed-for ID. Buzz marks the beginning of this exciting experience. Being able to launch a car that is cool in design, with sustainability at the core of its creation, is an excellent way to show our customers it is still possible to do all things we like and travel wherever we want, even having a positive impact on the environment».
Moreover, here are the words by Ollie Marriage, Manager of Top Gear car tests: «People who pretend having an active lifestyle drive a SUV, those who actually do it drive a Volkswagen van. All those we have met have liked the brand’s rediscovery of its icon and have found ID. Buzz airy, fresh and energetic. Is it not phantastic that Volkswagen has finally had the courage of reinventing the original? It is charmingly simple and yet utterly uplifting. And, for this reason, it is our electric car of the year».
Harley Davidson: will LiveWire take off indeed?
It has been widely debated and it is a very controversial issue, which many Harley Davidson addicted do not like a lot. And if its first electric bike has not aroused a lively success in sales, it seems that the future holds another destiny. LiveWire, the electric “phalanx” of the famous American brand has in fact ambitious plans and states they are going to sell 100,000 units by 2026, which will become 190,000 by 2030.
Recently, HD has presented investors the financial prospect that reports how the market of electric bikes is in its early development phases but the forecasts of the global penetration of electric vehicles will expand from 6% of units in 2021 to 25% within 2030.
It would be a growth of the electric bike market worth $ 2.5 billion sales from about $ 20 billions to $ 28 billions in the same period”.
However, of what motor are we talking about? LiveWire is equipped with H-D Revelation, 105 HP (78 kW) electric permanent magnet motor, water cooled and featuring 116 Nm of instantaneous torque. Performances are equal to 0-100 in 3 seconds, resumption from 100 to 130 in 1.9 seconds and maximum speed of 177 km/h. It is powered by a 15.5 kWh lithium-ion battery encapsulated in a finned aluminium alloy casing to act also as heat dissipator and battery flanked by 12V for starting and remote control.
Here is the electric sports Lexus
Recently, Lexus has revealed a bit more about its next generation of electric battery sports car, showing various pictures. The new sports model will be part of a complete range of BEV that Lexus will release by 2030 under the vision of Lexus Electrified brand, through which the company aims at exploiting the electrification potential to increase the driving pleasure.
Lexus promises a unique driving experience based on the vehicle’s linear responses, consistently with the driver’s intentions, with the seamless connection of deceleration, of steering and of acceleration.
With its audacious proportions and the reduced height demanded for a high-performance sports car, the new model symbolizes the future of Lexus brand and revitalizes the spirit of the iconic Lexus LFA. The acceleration from 0-100 km/h in slightly more than two seconds and the autonomy will overcome 700 km, due to the possible use of solid-state batteries.
All-electric F-100 Eluminator concept
Good news for DIY enthusiasts who intend to drive an electric vehicle: Ford has released the EV Eluminator e-crate electric motor that costs 3,900 dollars and that might prove to be a key element in retrofit ambit. The motor debut occurred on a pickup F-100 dated1978: it was exported the original V8 motor featuring 302 cubic inches and the transmission to integrate two Ford Eluminator e-crate motors.
Based on a heritage 1978 F-100 pickup, the F-100 Eluminator concept features all-wheel drive via two powerful electric motors shared with the 2021 Mustang Mach-E GT Performance Edition.
Two electric traction motors drive the front and rear wheels, packing a powerful 480 horsepower and 634 lb.-ft. of torque. Eluminator, the first e-crate motor from Ford Performance Parts, is based on the Mustang Mach-E GT’s traction motor.
«Ford owners have personalized, customized and enhanced their vehicles since the beginning – from changing looks to bringing the power» – said Eric Cin, global director, Vehicle Personalization, Accessories and Licensing. – Our F-100 Eluminator concept is a preview of how we’re supporting customers as they go all-electric and embrace zero-tailpipe emissions performance, even for our heritage vehicles».
Ford has decided using two motors, each featuring 281 HP and 317 Nm of torque, providing the standard F-100 with a combined power of 480 horses and 634 Nm of torque and has chosen an 88 Kw battery system. The e-crate Eluminator still needs an inverter, battery cells, power supply controls and other to be fully operational, towards this direction Ford soon will add more parts and accessories for electric vehicles to Ford Performance catalogue, offering a broad range of options to customers.
Batteries: the new Audi research and test centre
Neckarsulm factory is at the core of the brand’s strategy that casts its spotlights on batteries and on the electrification process. Next years, the German automotive company will offer various opportunities of advanced training to workers, developing a centre dedicated to batteries to test high-voltage storage technologies. In the laboratory for pilot projects, the workers with more expertise will test the prototypes of new high-voltage storage modules for various electric vehicles. The new multifunctional building for the technical development unit will be accomplished by the end of 2022 and the structure is expected to start operating within 2023.
The decision of locating the development of batteries at Neckarsulm – explained Rolf Klotz, president of the works council – is a first important step to provide the technical development staff in that site with a safe prospect about the future, even after combustion engines will be stopped.
In Neckarsulm site, Audi is already creating the accumulators for plug-in hybrid cars and therefore it is already equipped for the electrification process that will lead the new models to be only electric starting from 2026.
«High-voltage batteries and electric motors constitute an important strategic component of the future value creation in a transformed automotive industry. For this reason, we are systematically enlarging our competence in the development of these important components» – stated Oliver Hoffmann, from Audi technical development.
Here are the three new motors for General Motors
Excellent performances for the electric vehicles where they will be installed and lower manufacturing costs are the targets of the new Ultium Drive motors signed by General Motors, which are part of a scalable family.
Besides the new motors, GM has revealed details on the controllers that share in determining more efficient ways to distribute the torque in three-motor systems: it seems the artificial intelligence and the machine learning are exploited, so permitting a broad array of vehicles, from high-performance cars to work trucks. Moreover, the American player has announced the inverter and other electronic components are directly integrated into Ultium Drive motors precisely to decrease the complexity of its production, then lower costs.
The units featuring 180 and 255 kW are permanent-magnet motors designed with the target of minimizing the dependence on heavy rare earth materials, whereas the 62-kW motor is induction type.
«Twenty years – said Mark Reus, General Motors President – of electric drive system development and more than 100 years of high-volume vehicle engineering are helping GM pivot quickly from conventional vehicles to EVs. Our vertical integration in this space, encompassing both hardware and software, helps give us control over our own destiny and a significant competitive advantage».
In electric … also the Pope
During his official visit in Slovakia, Pope Francesco travelled on the electric SUV EnyaQ iV by Skoda, purposely modified. Among the modifications, there are the rear windows with transparent glasses, and not darkened, to allow faithful people to see him, the supports for the Vatican flag and the official logo of the papal visit on the housings of the outer mirrors and a further handle in addition to the standard equipment to make getting in and out more comfortable.
Waiting for seeing the new full-electric Papamobile (that will be manufactured by Fisker), Pope Francesco has already started the transition towards a zero-emission hyper-technological mobility. As witnessed by the choice of using two EnyaQ iV, Skoda electric SUV, for the official visit in Slovakia to which he is committed precisely in these days.
Skoda manufacturer has intended to enhance the technological interaction at the service of the Pontiff: they have created a specific website that allows faithful people to send greetings that Pope Francesco can directly read on board.
After the Slovak experience in electric, there are high expectations for seeing what will become the new full electric Papamobile. To discover it, we have to wait until 2022: Fisker is at work on a new fully-electric version of Ocean SUV, equipped with a large modern dome fully made of glass to allow Francesco to greet faithfuls. Autonomy will be 480 km and the overall power of 300 HP, due to the use of two electric motors, one for each axis.
Renault, beyond innovation frontiers
Renault Group continues its electric race and it accelerates the strategy by proposing competitive, sustainable and popular electric vehicles, with the target of releasing the greenest mix in the European market in 2025 and 100% electrical vehicles in 2030. «What we announce today – stated Luca de Meo, CEO of Renault Group during the recent Renault eWays event- is a historical acceleration of Renault Group’s and of ‘made in Europe electric strategy. Renault ElectriCity is a compact electric eco-system, able to offer efficiency and high technology in northern France, but also a mega factory dedicated to electric motors in Normandy. We will train, we will invest and will establish partnerships with renowned, but also rising, players, each in the forefront of its competence sector».
Ten new electric models will be released on the market and up to one million electric vehicles will be produced by 2030, from urban cars at competitive prices up to high-end sports models. Moreover, the Group will cover 100% of future releases of its electric vehicles, in all segments, availing itself of NMC (Nickel, Manganese and Cobalt) chemistry and of a standard-cell architecture, which will allow it to implement up to one million of electric vehicles. Going into technological details, Renault will progressively integrate new technological ameliorations starting from 2024 on its wound-rotor synchronous motor: fork stator, glued motor stack, hollow shaft and brushless rotor, to decrease costs and to improve the motor efficiency. Moreover, the Group will be pioneer with an electric axial-flux motor on a broad scale starting from 2025 and it is working also on a more compact powertrain, renowned as “all-in-one” system, which houses electric motor, reducer and power electronics in a single unit.
Mercedes Benz, the fully electric is close
The automotive brands that announce their complete conversion towards electric are increasing. Among the latest news, there is also the one concerning Mercedes-Benz player that will complete this course by the end of the decade, where market conditions will allow it.
Within 2022, Mercedes-Benz will rely on battery electric vehicles (BEV) in all segments where it operates. Since 2025 onwards, all new vehicle architectures will be exclusively electric and customers will have the opportunity of choosing a fully electric alternative for each model offered by the company.
«The transition towards electric vehicles – declared Ola Källenius, CEO of Daimler AG and Mercedes-Benz AG – is speeding up, especially in the luxury segment, to which Mercedes-Benz belongs. The turning point is getting close and we will be ready when markets will shift to the fully electric by the end of this decade. This step marks a deep reallocation of the capital. Managing this accelerated transformation and safeguarding our profitability targets, we will assure the durable success of Mercedes-Benz. Due to our highly skilled and motivated manpower, I believe that we will be successful in this new exciting era».
After reorganizing its powertrain activities to manage the planning, the development, the purchase and the production under the same roof, Mercedes-Benz will deepen the level of vertical integration in manufacturing and development and will achieve the electric transmission technology. This shift includes the takeover of YASA electric motor company headquartered in the United Kingdom.
Moreover, Mercedes-Benz will need a battery capacity of over 200-Giga-watts hour and plans to create eight Giga-factories for the production of cells, together with its partners worldwide.