Tag: BMW

Great Wall, Ford hitch up to burgeoning Chinese demand for pickup trucks

BEIJING (Reuters) – Grey Liu bought his third vehicle four months ago – a Foton pickup truck, lured by its $7,000 price tag and its ability to transport his sports motorcycle to the grasslands of northern China where he likes to ride. A worker closes the back of a Toyota Tundra pickup truck at Pickup… Continue reading Great Wall, Ford hitch up to burgeoning Chinese demand for pickup trucks

The new BMW 1 Series: final test phase in Miramas.

Munich. Camouflaged pre-series vehicles of the third-generation BMW 1 Series are currently still undergoing extensive test drives at the BMW proving ground in Miramas, Southern France. The facility’s diverse handling tracks offer the optimal conditions for refining agility and dynamics of the new BMW 1 Series. This was preceded by five years of intensive development… Continue reading The new BMW 1 Series: final test phase in Miramas.

Volvo to boost plug-in hybrid production to 25 percent of fleet

2020 Volvo XC90
While other automakers are moving away from plug-in hybrids to electric powertrains, Volvo is finding unexpected success with its lineup of plug-in hybrids.

At a recent roundtable with journalists in Sweden, Volvo CEO Hakan Samuelsson said the company is disappointed that it underestimated demand for its plug-in hybrids.

DON'T MISS: Volvo XC90, XC60 T8 plug-in hybrids add electric miles for 2020

“We are not happy because we could sell more [plug-in hybrids],” he said, according to Automotive News (subscription required.) “We underestimated the demand.” He said the company did not have a big enough supply of batteries, motors, and other electrical components to build more of its plug-in hybrids, which sell for about 30 percent more than non-hybrid versions of the cars.

Samuelsson said the company will boost its capacity for those plug-in hybrid components for 2019, from its current 10 or 15 percent worldwide, up to 25 percent of its sales.

READ THIS: Audi plans new plug-in hybrid Q5, A6, A7, and A8 for Geneva reveal

Last year in the U.S., Volvo sold a little less than 1,500 XC90 T8 PHEVs, a little more than 2,100 XC60 T8 PHEVs, and fewer than 500 S90 T8 sedans, but it sold almost 27,000 plug-in hybrids in Europe, combined.

At the same time, the company announced an upgrade to upcoming XC60 and XC90 T8 hybrids to boost their plug-in range by about 15 percent.

CHECK OUT: Fiat Chrysler lays groundwork to build electrified Jeep models

The new models haven't been rated by the EPA, but current models have an estimated 17 miles of electric range, which would put the new ones up around 20 miles. The Volvos use a 2.0-liter turbo-4 and an 8-speed automatic transmission to drive the front wheels, and an electric motor to provide another 87 horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque to the rear wheels.

Volvo also announced a new B5 line of mild-hybrid SUVs for Europe.

Other automakers, such as Audi, BMW, and Jeep have also announced plans to boost their lineups of plug-in hybrid SUVs, earlier this month at the Geneva auto show, so the new Volvos will have plenty of competition.

Lynk&Co tests fifth model in run-up to European launch

The new Lynk&Co 05 SUV-coupé, which is set to rival the BMW X6 and Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupé, has been spotted testing in Germany ahead of an expected unveiling at the Shanghai motor show next month. The high-riding model will be offered by the Chinese brand, which is owned by Volvo parent firm Geely and intends to… Continue reading Lynk&Co tests fifth model in run-up to European launch

Lidar and perception startup Innoviz raises $132 million

Innoviz, the Israel-based startup developing solid-state lidar sensors and perception software for autonomous vehicles, has raised $132 million in a Series C funding round that includes major Chinese financial institutions. The round, which makes Innoviz one of the better capitalized lidar startups, includes China Merchants Capital (SINO-BLR Industrial Investment Fund, L.P.), Shenzhen Capital Group and… Continue reading Lidar and perception startup Innoviz raises $132 million

Daimler open to sharing battery cell design with rivals – Yahoo News

FILE PHOTO: The Daimler logo is seen before the Daimler annual shareholder meeting in Berlin, Germany, April 5, 2018. REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke More GENEVA (Reuters) – Daimler is open to collaborating with a rival on the design of electric car battery cells as carmakers struggle to bring down the costs of launching electric cars, research and… Continue reading Daimler open to sharing battery cell design with rivals – Yahoo News

Lots of voltage, little power

Officially, the German automakers have settled their dispute over the mobility of the future. But that is only temporary. For which technology and which company will win, is unclear. Uli deck / DPA VW boss Herbert Diess in an electrical ID. buggy Saturday, 23.03.2019 15:55 clock Everything was just a misunderstanding. After days of public… Continue reading Lots of voltage, little power

Electromobility under extreme conditions: The BMW iX3, the BMW i4 and the BMW iNEXT undergo cold testing in the Arctic Circle.

Munich. BMW i is preparing to launch the next generation of solely electrically powered models. Three of the brand’s electric models are currently going through a key phase of their series development process at the BMW Group’s winter test centre in Arjeplog, Sweden. Together with the BMW iX3 already due to go on sale next… Continue reading Electromobility under extreme conditions: The BMW iX3, the BMW i4 and the BMW iNEXT undergo cold testing in the Arctic Circle.

New EV startup Canoo will only sell cars on a subscription basis

Electric vehicle startup EVelozcity, which was founded in late 2017 by three former BMW executives (and ex-Faraday Future employees), has a new name and a new direction. The company announced Monday it’s rebranding to Canoo, and also clarified that it will only sell its upcoming vehicles on a subscription model. Those vehicles will be human-controlled… Continue reading New EV startup Canoo will only sell cars on a subscription basis