Tag: Toyota

Toyota pulls Suzuki firmly into its orbit through stake deal

TOKYO (Reuters) – Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) and Suzuki Motor Corp (7269.T) will take small equity stakes in each other, the Japanese car makers said on Wednesday, as they seek to develop newer technologies and meet sweeping changes upending the global auto industry. FILE PHOTO: The logo of Toyota is pictured at the Bangkok Auto… Continue reading Toyota pulls Suzuki firmly into its orbit through stake deal

GM wins US grant to develop solid-state batteries

General Motors is the latest automaker reported to be working on solid-state lithium batteries, thanks to a $2 million grant from Uncle Sam.

The money is part of a larger grant to develop more fuel-efficient powertrains, CNET reported. The company is expected to use the rest of the money to develop a lighter-weight, more efficient engine for medium duty trucks, perhaps to replace the company's 6.2-liter V-8.

Solid-state lithium batteries replace the flammable liquid organic solvents such as ethylene carbonate as an electrolyte in conventional lithium batteries with a solid, ceramic electrolyte that isn't flammable. That allows engineers to cram more lithium atoms into the battery to give it more energy without increasing volatility, which could lead to lighter, batteries for electric cars with longer ranges.

VW Battery Packs

So far, complex manufacturing challenges, cost, and power output have held the batteries back.

Other automakers, including Volkswagen, Toyota, Honda, Nissan, and startup automaker Fisker are also racing to develop solid state batteries for electric cars.

GM is also working with Honda in a joint venture to develop future electric-car and fuel-cell technologies, including batteries.

Nio ES6 battery

John Goodenough, an engineering professor at the University of Texas, who co-invented the modern lithium-ion battery, announced a breakthrough in solid-state lithium batteries in 2017, but with long automotive development lead times, it has not yet seen the light of day.

Not all automakers or battery companies are optimistic about the prospects for solid-state batteries. Panasonic, Tesla's battery partner, has said it doesn't expect solid-state lithium batteries to be commercially viable for another 10 years, and Tesla recently bought ultracapacitor producer Maxwell Technologies. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has said ultracapacitors have more promise for electric cars than lithium-ion batteries.

U.S. to test mirrorless, camera-based systems in autos

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration plans to test how drivers could use cameras to replace traditional rearview mirrors in automobiles, a technology already allowed in other countries, the agency said on Tuesday. FILE PHOTO: An Audi 55 e-tron is seen ahead of the company’s annual news conference at its headquarters… Continue reading U.S. to test mirrorless, camera-based systems in autos

Toyota and Pony.ai

The Japanese manufacturer Toyota and the Chinese startup Pony.ai are working together. The startup Pony.ai was founded in 2016 and has had some success last year. They started the first robot taxi service in China, they test in Peking and you have your own fleet elevated. This year you got one license for the operation… Continue reading Toyota and Pony.ai

Volkswagen ID 4X spy shots reveal production direction for Crozz electric crossover

The model that’s leading Volkswagen’s electric-car push—and what Volkswagen has called the replacement for the e-Golf, the city-focused ID 3 hatchback, isn’t coming to America.

Instead, the U.S. will be getting the second model, a rugged-themed, somewhat taller crossover hatchback based on the ID Crozz concept from 2017.

We’d previously expected the production Crozz—now potentially called the ID 4X—to be an ID 3 that was simply lifted an inch or two and fitted with some body cladding and rugged cues, a la Golf Alltrack or Subaru Crosstrek. But a new set of spy pictures published at our companion site Motor Authority underscores that there may be more of a difference between the two models.

Both models have a “cab-forward” design that takes advantage of how the platform doesn’t allow for an engine or transmission in front. A steep windshield and rounded roofline look good for aerodynamics. It also doesn’t borrow the ID 3’s unique segmented front window.

Volkswagen ID 3 and ID 4 (crop) – S. Baldauf/SB-Medien

Otherwise from these camouflaged prototypes, it appears that the production Crozz is “scaled up” a size from both the ID 3 and the Hyundai Kona Electric it was spotted testing with. The production ID 3 is 161.4 inches long, with a wheelbase of 108.3 inches, whereas the ID Crozz concept measured 182.1 inches long and had a wheelbase of 109.2.

Size-wise, it’s one of the most popular segments of the market, comparable to the Ford Escape, Toyota RAV4, or Honda CR-V—or the Tesla Model Y.

While the ID 3 will offer three different battery packs—48, 62, and 82 kwh (45, 58, and 77 kwh usable capacity)—we expect only the top two to be offered in the ID 4X. U.S. rated range has not been estimated as of yet, but both will have 100-kw CCS DC fast charging.

A new ID concept car that will sketch out the Volkswagen brand’s sixth production-bound vehicle on the MEB platform is likely headed to the LA auto show, in November.

The ID-4X is due to reach the market in summer or fall 2020, for the 2021 model year.

Lexus electric car, Audi AI concept, Tesla and LG Chem: Today’s Car News

Audi teases a rugged-looking autonomous-driving concept. Tesla hooks up with LG Chem. And the first of the new Volkswagen EVs we see in the U.S. should hit a sweet spot in the U.S. market. All this and more on Green Car Reports.

Lexus is reportedly set to reveal a new, production-bound electric vehicle—a tall, boxy hatchback—at the Tokyo motor show in November.

The Volkswagen ID 3 urban electric hatchback—the model that won’t be coming to the U.S.—is due for a full debut at the upcoming Frankfurt auto show. But we found a set of spy shots particularly informative about showing us what’s next—in the upcoming electric crossover inspired by the ID Crozz concept.

Audi has teased a new concept vehicle for the Frankfurt auto show next month. Called the AI:Trail, it appears to navigate the gray area between fully autonomous operation and our need to explore and go beyond the well-charted path.

Panasonic is no longer the exclusive supplier for Tesla. The EV maker has chosen LG Chem to be its supplier for its upcoming Shanghai factory, in what’s reported to be a non-exclusive deal.

And the Porsche Taycan electric sedan has pounded the pavement at Germany’s Nürburgring—and with a time of 7 minutes 42 seconds, it’s now the fastest EV ever to take on the circuit.

_______________________________________

Follow Green Car Reports on Facebook and Twitter

Auto, the obliged way to alliances. Investments push mergers

Servicethe intersections of the automotive sector Essential alliances between large groups that aim to reach the target of 15 million sales. The crux of the modular platforms: the Vw model and the Fiat Chrysler delay by Alberto Annicchiarico and Mario Cianflone 26 August 2019 5 ‘of reading Quota 15 million cars sold. This seems to… Continue reading Auto, the obliged way to alliances. Investments push mergers