Author: Green Car Online News

Honda plans larger, high-performance platform for US EVs

Honda is stepping up its EV game going forward—well, more than five years forward.

At a “Honda Meeting” company briefing for investors and media in Japan last week, the company revealed that it is working on a new dedicated electric vehicle platform.

The platform, which will first be used by 2025, will provide the basis for mid-size sedans to large SUVs and will add to the new electric lineup taking form with Honda's dedicated electric city car, the Honda E, which arrives in Europe in spring 2020.

At the event in Japan, Honda's managing officer in charge of power unit development, Ayumu Matsuo noted that the Honda E is designed to accommodate larger batteries that could give it a longer range, but that it's also designed for urban use, so the company has not decided to put larger batteries in it yet.
2020 Honda E prototype
2020 Honda E prototype

Although Honda says the Honda E has received 6,500 “expressions of interest” in Britain alone, it isn't big enough to attract many buyers in the U.S.

The new electric platform for mid-size and large cars, “has a different aim from the Honda E,” Honda's general manager and chief engineer for electric vehicle development, Tetsuya Hasebe, told the conference. “This one aims for intercity, long-distance travel,” he said, noting it has room for more batteries.

Honda E powertrain infographic

Like the platform under the Honda E, the larger one will be a skateboard chassis, with batteries housed flat in the floor. Unlike the Honda E platform, which will only support batteries from Panasonic, the new one will be engineered to use batteries from multiple suppliers, including Panasonic and Chinese supplier CATL, to give Honda flexibility in building the car around the world.

The basic format will be rear-wheel drive, to benefit sporty handling and give the cars a tight turning radius, but the Japan-developed architecture will be designed to allow a front motor for all-wheel-drive applications as well, Hasebe said.

In a release from the meeting Honda summed that the platform “will enable flexible product development, including body design, adoption of battery types to accommodate the desired EV range and whether to employ an all-wheel drive system.”

The EV vision also builds on a commitment Honda CEO Takahiro Hachigo made in May—that it will expand its two-motor hybrid system, which underpins the company's plug-in hybrids, to its entire lineup in Europe.

The announcement echoes a similar move last month by Toyota, in announcing that it will develop a new large electric platform with Subaru, potentially for an SUV.

As emissions and fuel-economy standards around the world are set to tighten dramatically in coming years, and development of hydrogen distribution has lagged, Japan's big automakers who focused on fuel-cell development, rather than battery-electric cars, are scrambling to come around to build their own BEVs.

Electric Ford F-150 prototype shown towing a freight train

In Ford's first official tease of an all-electric F-150, released Tuesday—with a video here—a test mule is shown towing more than a million pounds.

The prototype electric F-150 pickup pulled ten double-decker rail cars, weighing that amount, a distance of 1,000 feet.

Then Ford loaded those cars up with 42 gas-powered F-150s, representing 42 years that the F-150 has been America's best-selling truck, and did it again—all overseen by F-150 chief engineer Linda Zhang. The company concludes its look at the stunt by specifically stating: “The all-electric Ford F-150 is coming.”

Ford F-Series electric truck prototype

Ford has been making references to an electric F-150 pickup, and it states that “development continues” on the truck, but it hasn't physically presented the project until now.

Chairman and family scion Bill Ford first alluded to the electric truck last September, when he told a gathering of investors and media: “When it comes to building the best trucks in the world, we never rest. Whether they're gas, diesel, hybrid—or when the time comes fully-electric—we will ensure they power the world in a sustainable way.”

Then in January, the company confirmed that it will build the electric F-150. It is expected to debut in 2022.

Ford F-Series electric truck prototype

In April, Ford announced a $500 million investment in rival electric truckmaker Rivian, but it says that investment is part of a separate program to use Rivian's technology rather than its hardware. The company has also said it is working on its own electric SUV, tentatively called the Mach E and plans to roll out a hybrid F-150 in 2021.

In the meantime, cross-town rival GM has confirmed it is working on its own electric pickup.

Relatively low-speed pulls like this should be taken as stunts, as they don't entirely prove what a vehicle is capable of at highway or in hard use cycles. They merely demonstrate the vehicle's available torque, multiplied through available gear ratios.

Tesla sets world record towing Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner

For instance, Tesla in 2018 demonstrated the towing prowess of the Model X by towing a Boeing 787 and set a world record in the process. And Toyota in 2012 used a gasoline Tundra to tow the space shuttle Endeavor to its final resting place at the California Science Center in Los Angeles.

Choice of new BMW CEO solidifies automaker’s electric plans

BMW is doubling down on its strategy of building electric versions of its mainstream cars, rather than a separate line of EVs.

That strategy was pushed by Oliver Zipse, who will take over as CEO from Harald Krueger on August 16, and it gives the company more flexibility to produce electric cars—on the same assembly lines as internal-combustion and plug-in hybrid versions.

Incoming BMW CEO Oliver Zipse

The new approach has a template: BMW has built its battery production facility as part of a flexible space inside its main car factory in Dingolfing, in case demand for electric cars doesn't materialize. That also saves billions of dollars in engineering as the company faces the need to develop new self-driving cars (some in partnership with Daimler) alongside new electric powertrains and the surrounding support infrastructure.

According to its latest plans, BMW expects to build 25 new plug-in models, including 13 all-electric cars by 2023, the first of which will be the all-new 2020 Mini Cooper SE.

2018 BMW i3s

The approach is quite a course change from BMW's former electric-vehicle trajectory. With the i3 and i8, introduced in 2014 and 2015, respectively, BMW became an early leader in electric cars. It made grand plans for some of the ancillary points, laying plans to develop a support network of car-sharing programs, charging infrastructure, and apps to support them. But the weight-saving carbon-fiber bodies for these vehicles are expensive to build, and sales of the i3 have continued to lag early expectations.

Although little of the surrounding infrastructure came to be, critics have charged that the company squandered that early lead when it ceased developing new dedicated EVs after those models, and focused instead on developing slow-selling, short-range plug-in versions of its existing sedans and SUVs.

Perhaps with the flexibility to produce electric versions of nearly its entire lineup, the brand might regain some of that lost momentum.

CO2 emissions in US could fall again in 2019, federal agency projects

A new report by the U.S. Energy Information Agency forecasts that for the first time in two years annual carbon dioxide emissions in the U.S. will decrease.

The report, issued last week, forecasts that U.S. CO2 emissions will fall by 2.2 percent in 2019, in what it says is the largest decrease since 2015.

After rising by 2.7 percent in 2018, the EIA also predicts that U.S. CO2 emissions will fall by a further 0.7 percent in 2020.

The agency chalks up the drop to more coal-fired powerplants being retired and replaced by natural gas plants. Coal currently makes up 27 percent of U.S. power generation, which the EIA forecasts will fall to 24 percent in 2019 and 23 percent in 2020. Natural gas generates 35 percent of American electricity in 2018, which is expected to rise to 38 percent in 2019, before falling back slightly in 2020.

Part of the slowing decrease may come from the scheduled retirement of five nuclear reactors in 2020, the EIA report says.

EIA expects U.S. CO2 emissions to fall in 2019

Renewable energy is also forecast to grow over the next few years. Wind and solar power make up 10 percent of U.S. power generation in 2019, which the EIA expects to rise to 11 percent in 2019 and 13 percent in 2020. (Hydro power is forecast to remain flat, at 7 percent.) Recent reports have shown that the cost of installing new wind and solar power has dropped below the cost of keeping old coal plants running.

With all these improvements, why are the decreases so small? The EIA Annual Energy Outlook shows that while efficiency continues to improve for all types of energy use, the demand for energy continues to rise with economic expansion, population growth, and increased travel, making the switch to cleaner and more efficient fuels more imperative. Indeed, the International Energy Agency says worldwide energy demand grew by 2.3 percent in 2018.

Carbon dioxide is an unavoidable byproduct of combustion, so the only way to use it is to reduce the use of fossil fuels. That could come with more electric cars and more renewable generation of electricity.

2019 EIA Annual Energy Outlook transportation energy usage

The EPA lists transportation as the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, at 28.9 percent of U.S. CO2 emissions in 2017.

The drop in U.S. CO2 emissions comes despite efforts by the Trump administration to pull out of the global Paris Climate Accords, which seek to limit global temperature rise to 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit over pre-industrial levels by the year 2100.

Even then, the U.S. improvements likely won't be enough. The International Energy Agency reported that worldwide CO2 emissions rose 1.7 percent in 2018.

Lotus Evija supercar marks start of a new electric era for sports-car brand

Lotus is no newcomer to electric cars, having produced the chassis for the original Tesla Roadster.

On Wednesday, the British sports car company unveiled its own electric sports car, the Evija, which it says will be the most powerful car on the market with electric motors producing 1,973 horsepower. The company didn't list its battery size, but says it will be able to charge fully in nine minutes.

With the Evija, the brand is climbing away from the attainable sports cars it currently produces—including the Elise, on which Tesla based its original Roadster—back toward supercars like the Elite, only with an electric drivetrain.

The Evija was designed in conjunction with British engineering consultancy Williams Advanced Engineering, and only 130 will be made. The car will compete with the upcoming Pininfarina Battista, targeted to have 1,877 horsepower. Pininfarina, a new automaker from the renowned Italian design house, will produce 150 Battistas starting next year.

Phil Popham at the Lotus Evija launch

The Evija is based on an updated version of Lotus' current platform.

Chinese auto giant Geely, which owns Volvo, has a controlling stake in Lotus. The British brand plans other new models to follow the Evija, based a Geely platform designed for electric powertrains, CEO Phil Popham told British auto magazine Autocar in an interview.

The new models will be more focused on practicality and affordability and will be designed to carry both batteries and electric motors and gasoline powertrains. Every new model from Lotus, however, will offer an all-electric version, Popham said, though those future models are still several years off.

Echoing plans from 2008, when the company introduced the larger Evora, Lotus plans to expand production with a range of more mainstream sports. cars. Popham cited a target of 10,000 cars a year to fill out its manufacturing facility in Hethel, England. It also has plans to expand production in China.

Superchargers at the Strip: Tesla rolls out first entire V3 station in Las Vegas

Want to leave whatever happened in Las Vegas? Tesla is allowing its owners—especially those with a Model 3—to do just that, with a very speedy recharge right on the Strip.

That’s where Tesla, on Thursday, officially opened its first station that entirely features V3 fast-charging hardware. Although V3 has already been introduced at several locations, including Tesla’s Fremont, California, manufacturing base, this is the first station that doesn’t pair it alongside V2 hardware.

Tesla Supercharger V3 station – Las Vegas Strip

With V3 hardware, vehicles no longer split charging power between posts, so every single V3 charger there will run at up to 250 kw—if and when the car allows it—even when they’re all in use. With the V3 hardware, Tesla owners will be able to recover up to 180 miles of range in just 15 minutes (in a Model 3 Long Range).

The station includes 24 V3 Superchargers, along with 15 Level 2 Tesla Wall Connectors for those parking at the site for a longer time.

The Strip location will be Tesla’s largest Supercharger station in Nevada. Tesla says that the site can service 1,500 owners per day—far beyond the 6,500 Supercharging sessions per month seen in the Las Vegas area prior to this site’s opening.

Tesla Supercharger V3 station – Las Vegas Strip

Tesla says that the Supercharger site is built on Caesars Entertainment property located just off the Strip, below the High Roller or the LINQ promenade. Tesla says that it supports Caesars’ “CodeGreen” goal to cut greenhouse-gas emissions 30 percent by 2025.

Access to the site is free for those staying under an hour, and Caesars says that its guests with Platinum, Diamond and 7-star Status will get complimentary Supercharger access with their card.

The station also serves as a new design template for Tesla Supercharger stations, with solar canopies providing shade to users plus solar energy to on-site Powerpack batteries.

So while you might end up leaving what happened in Las Vegas in Las Vegas, you’ll be seeing plenty more like that new Supercharger station that helped you get away.

Toyota expands battery supply with CATL deal

As it gradually moves to begin selling more plug-in and electric cars, Toyota is widening its net to secure more batteries.

Japan's largest automaker signed a deal this week to buy batteries from Chinese suppliers Contemporary Amex Technologies (CATL) and BYD. The agreement adds to a January deal Toyota signed to buy batteries from Panasonic.

All three deals go beyond simple battery supplies. Toyota will work with the three battery suppliers on everything from developing new solid-state batteries to building out systems to recycle the batteries they produce.

Toyota executives have said in the past that they don't believe lithium-ion batteries are the best solution for electric cars, and that they expect better chemistry to emerge to make electric cars more affordable, reliable, and safer.

With the electric-car market looking set to expand dramatically in the next few years, Toyota and other automakers that have stood on the sidelines are scrambling to ramp up their own supply chains to begin producing EVs.

Toyota announced in June that it is developing its first dedicated electric-car platform, potentially for a mid-size SUV, in conjunction with Subaru.

Executive vice president Shegeki Terashi told reporters in Japan last month that the company expects half of its sales by 2025 to come from hybrids, electric-cars, or plug-ins, according to a Reuters report. “There may be a gap between the amount of batteries we can produce, and the amount of batteries we may need,” he said at the time.

Seres EV startup postpones US launch amid downsizing

Seres, the startup electric carmaker formerly known as SF Motors, is shelving plans to bring a new electric car to market in the U.S.

The electric-car company was founded in 2017 when the Chinese industrial company Sokon bought the battery-technology company founded by former Tesla CEO and founder Martin Eberhard.

At the Shanghai auto show in April, the company introduced its first car, an electric SUV for the Chinese market called the SF5. That's when the company, headquartered in Santa Clara, California, in the Silicon Valley, also announced its name change to Seres.

Sales of those models in China have also been suspended, according to a recording of an internal meeting by Co-CEO James Taylor, reported by The Verge last week.

SF Motors SF5 and SF7

The SF5 was to be built at a factory in Chonqing, China. SF Motors—now Seres—also purchased the former AM General Hummer factory in South Bend, Indiana, in 2017, with plans to produce the car there for the U.S. market. Now those plans are on hold, and the factory sits idle.

Along with suspending sales in China and putting its U.S. plans on hold, Taylor also announced that the company would lay off 90 workers at its Santa Clara headquarters in sales, marketing, IT, HR, legal, operations, and design. The moves are designed to ensure the company's “short-term survival,” and “long-term success,” Taylor said in the recording.

Taylor cited a lagging car market in China and an unpredictable trade environment with the U.S. as factors in the layoffs and delays.

The electric SF5 was expected to have a 90-kilowatt-hour battery and motors producing 684 horsepower and 767 pound-feet of torque. The plug-in hybrid had a 33-kwh battery, which should have produced impressive range for a plug-in hybrid.

In Shanghai, the company also showed a larger SUV called the SF7, along with the “skateboard” architecture underpinning both models.

Lexus developing electric-car platform, considering in-wheel motors

Electric cars are winning over even the most skeptical of automakers.

Last month, Toyota announced it was teaming up with Subaru to develop a dedicated electric platform for a new SUV. Now the company's luxury division has told Digital Trends that it is also developing a new all-electric architecture for a future model.

That's not all, though. Koji Sato, the executive vice president of Lexus International, told Digital Trends that the brand plans to “electrify” its entire model lineup, that it has developed a new design language that can better incorporate electric cars, and that it is working to develop new in-wheel electric motors for its electric cars. Toyota has also said it is working on developing solid-state batteries for electric cars.

2016 Lexus RX 450h F Sport

In Lexus's case, “electrification” could also involve fuel-cell cars, since former Japanese Emperor Akihito incentivized Japanese companies to prioritize development of hydrogen fuel cells over batteries. Lexus's parent company, Toyota, sells the compact Mirai fuel-cell sedan for $58,500 in California.

Of course, Lexus's electrification plans could also include more conventional hybrids, such as the ES 300h or RX 450h, the brand's most successful hybrids to date.

Sato told Digital Trends that the company is making a substantial investment in a new dedicated electric-car platform, though it's not clear whether that will come in addition to the electric-SUV joint-venture between Toyota and Subaru or if it's part of the same program.

One thing that could change as a result is Lexus' design language. The most recent theme is built around huge “spindle” grilles that electric cars might not need, because of generally lower (and different) cooling needs.

Lexus design chief Koichi Suga told Digital Trends that the company has developed a new design language with a front end more appropriate for electric cars, but that it has not yet been approved by Toyota president Akio Toyoda. That new design language is likely to debut at the Tokyo Motor Show in October.

Polestar 2 performance package cues rivalry with Tesla Model 3

Quite a few automakers are gunning for Tesla, especially startup automakers in Silicon Valley and China.

Perhaps the most direct, credible threat, however, comes from Polestar, Volvo division that plans to focus on performance-oriented electric cars.

The Polestar 2, planned to debut late this year, is aimed directly at the Tesla Model 3, with a base price of about $45,000 when it goes on sale next year.

The brand has now confirmed that the Polestar 2 will come with a performance package, similar to the Model 3.

Several details of the performance package have already leaked out, but it wasn't clear whether the high-performance components would be standard, available as individual options, or part of a package.

Autoblog first reported the package last Tuesday. Now Polestar has confirmed to the website that the performance package will include Brembo brakes, Öhlins shock absorbers, 20-inch forged alloy wheels, and unspecified grippier tires. It will also include some eye-catching trim, including body adornments and apparently yellow seat belts.

Polestar 2
Polestar 2
Polestar 2

The launch edition of the Polestar 2 is expected to sell for $63,000, though even that may not have all the elements of the performance package. The Tesla Model 3 Performance starts at $61,100 with delivery. The price of the Polestar 2 Performance Package hasn't been set, but the company is reportedly targeting a price of about $5,000.

Both will include all-wheel drive. The Polestar 2 with its performance package is expected to have 408 horsepower and 487 pound-feet of torque from two electric motors and reach 60 mph in less than five seconds. It is expected to have a 78-kwh battery and Polestar is targeting a 275-mile EPA range rating.

The Polestar 2 is a fastback design based on parent-company Volvo's XC40 small SUV. The XC40 itself will likely be offered with a fully-electric powertrain beginning later in 2020, for the 2021 model year.

Polestar will launch with a high-performance plug-in hybrid coupe called the Polestar 1 later this year. A “low, aerodynamic,” electric Polestar 3 SUV is expected to follow in 2022 or 2023.