StaVari project looks to additive manufacturing for car manufacturing

StaVari is a research project, led by German-based automotive engineering service provider EDAG Group, aiming to create a fully integrated additive manufacturing process chain for the production of automotive components. The project, consisting of nine other research partners, aims to produce the parts using a newly developed steel powder alloy, tailor-made for car body applications,… Continue reading StaVari project looks to additive manufacturing for car manufacturing

Stockholm-based electric boat maker X Shore raises €1.5 million through crowdfunding

Stockholm-based electric boat maker X Shore has raised €1.5 million through a crowdfunding campaign on FundedByMe, which closed at midnight last night.

Founded in 2016, X Shore boats are fully electric and silent to combine minimal disruption of marine life with optimised user experience. Customisable through modular elements, the boat’s design offers an endless variety of features. The motor comprises an inverter designed to handle stress; a battery that has outstanding power to weight ratio; and a magnetic gearbox, which ensures silence and zero air friction. X Shore craft have a top speed of 40 knots and can hold up to 12 people.

X Shore has already brought its first range of fully-electric, silent boats to market, and the company’s flagship craft ‘Eelex’ will hit the waves in January 2019.

The capital raised through the crowdfunding campaign will be used for R&D, production, and the continuous development of X Shore’s boats.

X Shore had been funded in full by its founder and CE..

Lexus teases design of upcoming city-sized electric car

Lexus has released a teaser shot—and video burst—for a new electric-car concept, due to be revealed later this month at the Tokyo Motor Show.

The model, which is expected to be a production-bound small city car based on the Lexus LF-SA concept from 2015, will be what Lexus chief Koji Sato described to Autocar earlier this year as being “a tall, boxy hatchback.”

Reports have also suggested that a fully electric version of the Lexus UX crossover is also on the way, but these are likely completely different products. Although an urban-sized EV would be unlikely for the U.S., such a model could be an important step for Lexus in Europe particularly, where for minicompacts battery-electric powertrains are quickly becoming expected—and seen as premium and desirable.

The car is expected to be fitted with an evolution of the brand’s complex spindle-grille design—likely a challenging task to fit that to a small, blunt nose that doesn’t have the same cooling challenges as if an engine were underneath. The video released shows an especially creased-and-sharpened—yet curvaceous—look in front, with soft lighting strips that illuminate downward in a way that establishes motion.

In-wheel motor technology is also reportedly in the works from Lexus—perhaps sooner than other brands, and even in a new concept iteration at Tokyo—but it’s unlikely yet in a production model and this latest teaser contains no additional information for that.

Lexus LF-SA concept, 2015 Geneva Motor Show

Lexus does say that the new vehicle will be “leveraging continued advances in technologies such as electrification and autonomous driving.”

We’re curious to see how that matches up with what it then maps out as the brand’s future vision—one in which it “caters to consumers who are equally passionate about driving and uniquely crafted luxury experiences.”

Lexus is expected, potentially as soon as 2022, to also get an electric SUV based on the new electric-vehicle platform being jointly developed with Subaru.

VW signals with light, Lexus teases EV, Volvo delegates engine development: Today’s Car News

Volvo is done developing internal-combustion engines. Well, almost; it’s delegating them to a new joint venture with parent Geely. Electrify Canada is pushing out some very high-power fast-charging hardware. Lexus will show the new iteration of an electric city car that’s likely production-bound. And VW is using light to send messages. This and more today at Green Car Reports.

Volkswagen is introducing a new light-based communication feature in its ID 3 electric car—and potentially all ID models—that helps the driver understand alerts and status updates without chimes and warnings.

Electrify Canada is pushing ahead with plans to install 32 high-power DC fast-charging stations by the end of 2020. On Thursday it mapped out more than 20 of those—all 350-kw-enabled—to be installed at Canadian Tire locations starting this year.

Lexus has teased the design of its production-bound all-electric city car, potentially to be shown in concept or prototype form at this month’s upcoming Tokyo Motor Show.

By 2025, half of all Volvos by sales volume are to be battery-electric. But for the other half, which will be hybrids in some form, Volvo still needs internal combustion engines—and this week it merged engine-development operations with its parent Geely.

And car-to-infrastructure technology, or C2X, is being tested in Germany as a way of directing road-maintenance crews to respond quicker to road conditions like ice and snow on roadways—one of many potential important steps toward autonomous-vehicle tech becoming viable.

_______________________________________

Follow Green Car Reports on Facebook and Twitter

Autonomous trucking startup Einride eyes US market with $25 million in new funding

Einride, the Swedish autonomous vehicle startup known for its futuristic pods designed to haul freight, has raised $25 million in a Series A round that will be used to fund its expansion into the United States. The round was co-led by EQT Ventures and NordicNinja VC, a fund backed by Panasonic, Honda, Omron and the… Continue reading Autonomous trucking startup Einride eyes US market with $25 million in new funding

Dyson kills its electric car project and turns to solid-state batteries

Dyson said it will end its electric vehicle project after determining it could not make the car commercially viable or find a buyer. The company, known for its high-tech vacuum cleaners and fans, said in a statement Thursday that its automotive team had developed a fantastic car, but decided to close the project. Dyson also… Continue reading Dyson kills its electric car project and turns to solid-state batteries

Why venture capital firms need culture experts

When Susan Fowler’s 2017 blog post shined a light on Uber’s raucous culture, outlining rampant harassment and sexism, a debate erupted. What role do the deep-pocketed investors behind the company, those who allowed it to scale to monstrous proportions, have in developing and nurturing its culture? Entrepreneurs and venture capitalists themselves wondered aloud, how involved… Continue reading Why venture capital firms need culture experts

Dealers cite reconditioning work as the biggest barrier to a fast sale

Reconditioning work is the biggest delaying factor in getting a vehicle on sale according to 85% of dealers. The results of Manheim’s latest dealer sentiment survey show that 42% of dealers said that it takes an average of 3-4 days to list a newly-sourced vehicle, while just under a quarter reported an average of 5-6… Continue reading Dealers cite reconditioning work as the biggest barrier to a fast sale

LEVC expands UK network with three new dealerships

The London EV Company (LEVC) has increased its regional presence across the UK by opening three new dealerships. The new retailers in Nottingham, Slough and Southampton will offer sales and aftersales support.  LEVC’s existing retail network is spread across 12 UK cities. The new dealers will help underpin local authorities’ efforts to improve urban air… Continue reading LEVC expands UK network with three new dealerships

Renault board to meet, as CEO denounces potential exit as ‘coup’

PARIS (Reuters) – Renault SA’s (RENA.PA) CEO, Thierry Bollore, denounced as a “coup” his potential exit from the French carmaker, which has called a board meeting on Friday to discuss governance matters. FILE PHOTO: Renault CEO Thierry Bollore attends the 89th Geneva International Motor Show in Geneva, Switzerland March 5, 2019. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse Bollore also… Continue reading Renault board to meet, as CEO denounces potential exit as ‘coup’