Category: Automotive

Wed 11 Sep 2019Lotus appoints David McIntyre as Regional Director, Asia Pacific and ChinaDavid brings 25 years’ experience in luxury and performance a…

David brings 25 years’ experience in luxury and performance automotive experience, including 15 years in the region Tasked with building a strong and comprehensive retail network across Asia Pacific markets and China Further evidence of Lotus’ ambition to deliver significant growth in global markets (Hethel, UK – 11 September 2019) – Lotus has strengthened its… Continue reading Wed 11 Sep 2019Lotus appoints David McIntyre as Regional Director, Asia Pacific and ChinaDavid brings 25 years’ experience in luxury and performance a…

CO2 minimization: VW boss Diess sees industry because of environmental requirements on the edge of the load capacity

Herbert dies By 2020, the VW Group is expected to sell a total of 200,000 e-cars worldwide. (Photo: AFP) Frankfurt Volkswagen happy to be finished in time and with the ID.3 his first real electric car on the IAA to be able to present. But for CEO Herbert dies is that no reason to give… Continue reading CO2 minimization: VW boss Diess sees industry because of environmental requirements on the edge of the load capacity

Hyundai hatches an electric future with retro 45 EV concept

Hyundai is channeling nostalgia for a past product that Americans never had with its 45 concept car revealed Tuesday at the Frankfurt auto show.

But that won’t get in the way of Americans appreciating the design of this strikingly different concept—or seeing it as retro. The concept, according to Hyundai, evokes “emotional connections from the past to create a consumer lifestyle brand for the future of mobility.”

To Americans, it will bring to mind the handsome hatchbacks of the 1970s from AMC, Volkswagen, and others—and the Plymouth Horizon.

Hyundai 45 concept

The intended reference is the Hyundai Pony, a rear-wheel-drive hatchback that came to be in the mid-1970s—45 years ago—and was later sold in Europe.

The 45 concept mates those distinct hatchback geometries with a front-end look that bears hints of muscle cars and sport coupes from the same era, and brings in some uniquely modern contouring (and sliding doors).

As Hyundai terms it, the overarching language is “Sensuous Sportiness,” with a “kinetic cube” theme for the front and rear lights. A lattice grille also harks back to the ‘70s and ‘80s.

It’s not the only concept to go retro in a quite charming way. The Honda E (originally called the Urban EV Concept) is one of those.

The 45 concept uses side camera mirrors with a built-in cleaning function. And at the bottom of the door, a battery-level strip shows quickly how much range is left in the car, without the need to open up the car or flip through an app.

Hyundai 45 concept

Inside, the concept “reimagines the in-car experience in the age of electrification and autonomous technologies), with a wide-screen layout that occupies about two-thirds of the dash width, and a curved shelf running the full width. It’s clean and light, with a warm, textured look (from wood, fabric, and leather), and lounge-style seats in front pivot to the side for easier entry and exit.

The 45 concept has a skateboard layout, with the batteries set low in the floor. Hyundai offered no additional technical details about the vehicle, although it’s considering this as a global model, to be built on the company’s upcoming E-GMP dedicated EV platform due around 2021.

In an earlier teaser for the concept, the company called it “a symbolic milestone for Hyundai’s future EV design.” Given this concept’s reception so far at the show—and its refreshingly different design, we’ll likely see more of these lines in the next year or two.

New all-electric Vauxhall Corsa-e to start from just over £26k

UK prices for the pure-electric version of the next-generation Vauxhall Corsa have been confirmed. Including the Government’s plug-in car grant, the new Corsa-e will start from £26,490, while the first 500 customers to place an order will receive a free home charging kit. When first deliveries begin in April 2020, the Corsa-e will be the first… Continue reading New all-electric Vauxhall Corsa-e to start from just over £26k

European automakers tell governments they must help sell electric cars

FILE PHOTO: CEO of the PSA Group, Carlos Tavares attends the 89th Geneva International Motor Show in Geneva, Switzerland March 5, 2019. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse FRANKFURT (Reuters) – Europe’s carmakers are telling governments they must help build electric car charging points and provide consumer subsidies to boost sales of battery-powered vehicles and assist the industry in… Continue reading European automakers tell governments they must help sell electric cars

Via Expands in Austin, Launching Four New Pickup Zones with Capital Metro

Published September 5, 2019 2:42 pm, Via NYC
Via Expands in Austin, Launching Four New Pickup Zones with Capital Metro
Pickup has grown to a total of five service zones within just three months of launching the popular on-demand public transportation service

September 5, 2019 (AUSTIN, TEXAS) — Via, in partnership with the leading Austin public transportation provider Capital Metro, has officially launched four new zones of its popular Pickup on-demand public transportation service, bringing the dynamic shuttle to even more residents. The rapid success of the Pickup deployment is a testament to the appetite in Austin for dynamic on-demand mobility solutions.

Pickup first launched in June 2019 in the Austin suburb of Manor, with Capital Metro adding four new zones in Austin starting in September: Walnut Creek, East ATX, Northeast ATX, and Exposition. The new zones serve the four areas included in the MetroLink pilot program.

The swift expansion in Austin mirrors its fellow Texan city, Arlington, which also uses Via’s technology to power local public transportation. Since Via launched in Arlington in late 2017, ridership has grown 29 times larger, the service zone has expanded three times to cover almost a third of the city’s population, and there is a 94 percent daily weekday increase in ridership compared to the previous fixed-route bus system the service replaced.

It’s evident from Pickup’s tremendous expansion in its early months of operation that it is on the same path as Arlington to successfully overhaul outdated fixed-route public transit, giving residents more reliable and efficient transit options using Via’s technology.

“Pickup is an innovative way to build connections and bridge gaps that naturally occur in any transit network,” said Chad Ballentine, Capital Metro’s vice president of demand response and innovative mobility. “It provides reliable and accessible service in zones throughout the community that otherwise have limited access to transportation.”

Using the Pickup app, riders can hail a shuttle directly from their smartphone. Via’s advanced algorithms will enable multiple riders to seamlessly share the vehicle. The powerful technology will direct passengers to a nearby virtual bus stop, allowing for quick and efficient shared trips without lengthy detours, or inconvenient fixed routes and schedules.

Commuters can use the service by downloading the Pickup smartphone app powered by Via, available on iOS and Android. Those in the service zones without access to the smartphone app may call 512-269-6200. A single ride costs $1.25, the same charge as a Single Ride pass used to take MetroBus and MetroRapid services. A Capital Metro Day Pass, 7-Day Pass or 31-Day Pass will cover a Pickup ride as well. All Pickup zones are available weekdays between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., while East ATX and Northeast ATX also serve customers on Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Via has been tapped by cities and transportation players around the world to help re-engineer public transit from a regulated system of rigid routes and schedules to a fully dynamic, on-demand network. Via now has more than 70 launched and pending deployments in more than 15 countries. To learn more about Via, visit www.platform.ridewithvia.com.

About Via

Via is re-engineering public transit, from a regulated system of rigid routes and schedules to a fully dynamic, on-demand network. Via’s mobile app connects multiple passengers who are headed the same way, allowing riders to seamlessly share a premium vehicle. First launched in New York City in September 2013, the Via platform operates in the United States and in Europe through its joint venture with Mercedes-Benz Vans, ViaVan. Via’s technology is also deployed worldwide through dozens of partner projects with public transportation agencies, private transit operators, taxi fleets, private companies, and universities, seamlessly integrating with public transit infrastructure to power cutting-edge on-demand mobility. For more information, visit www.platform.ridewithvia.com.

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Press Releases – New study highlights lack of progress on infrastructure & incentives for alternatively-powered cars

Frankfurt, 11 September 2019 – At the start of a new EU political term, the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) is urgently calling for a comprehensive plan to enable the transition to zero-emission mobility in Europe. This should include a major ramp-up of charging and refuelling infrastructure, as well as meaningful purchase incentives to stimulate… Continue reading Press Releases – New study highlights lack of progress on infrastructure & incentives for alternatively-powered cars

Klaus Rosenfeld: Schaeffler boss: Supplier industry can no longer afford “fat deposits”

Schaeffler boss Klaus Rosenfeld “Our core competence is precision mechanics.” (Photo: Bloomberg) Frankfurt The auto industry is facing serious problems. Klaus Rosenfeld, however, refuses to poke his head in the sand. “I and our shareholders see this change and transformation in the automotive industry as an opportunity rather than a risk,” said the head of… Continue reading Klaus Rosenfeld: Schaeffler boss: Supplier industry can no longer afford “fat deposits”

LEVC’s new light van makes European debut in Frankfurt

11th September 2019, Frankfurt The new LCV light commercial vehicle from leading green mobility solutions producer, London EV Company (LEVC), has made its European debut at an exclusive preview event in Frankfurt, Germany. Designed to meet rapidly increasing European demand for green, electrified commercial transport, the zero-emission capable LCV van draws on more than 70… Continue reading LEVC’s new light van makes European debut in Frankfurt