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Lexus Electrified Vision starts with the new RZ 450e

Lexus began its electrification journey back in 2005 with the RX400h hybrid, followed by hybrid variants of other models as well as the CT-200h, which was only available with a hybrid powertrain. Today, with the world premiere of the new RZ 450e, Toyota’s luxury brand begins a new era of battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) and the Lexus Electrified vision.

As the brand’s first BEV built on a dedicated platform, the RZ heralds the transition of Lexus into a BEV-centred brand. Besides a brand new design, it also offers advanced electrification technologies developed over many years of hybrid vehicle development.

New visual identity for BEVs
The exterior design presents a new visual identity as the familiar spindle grille is replaced by a minimalist BEV Spindle Body which focuses on aerodynamic efficiencies, optimized proportions, and style, versus serving the cooling and exhaust needs of an internal combustion engine. The rear features the spelled-out LEXUS logo as part of a clean and simple horizontal design that highlights the wider rear track while above is a distinct roof spoiler.

The interior is likewise minimalist, with an airy and luxurious environment that Lexus has long been known for, along with high-quality craftsmanship. Based on the tazuna concept, the cabin advances the human-centred philosophy of Lexus by welcoming occupants with intuitive controls oriented around the driver, ensuring maximum concentration on driving.

New steering wheel design
The application of shift-by-wire has resulted in a Lexus-first dial shift knob mounted on the centre console. More eye-catching will be the compact yoke-like steering wheel which is said to greatly reduce the driver’s workload by eliminating the need for hand-over-hand operation (eg in u-turns and parking). It also enabled the designers to lower placement of the instrument panel for better forward vision.

The RZ’s long wheelbase of 2850 mm within an overall body length of 4805 mm provides spacious rear-seat accommodation. An electronic ‘e-latch’ system is used to operate the doors while highly efficient Lexus-first electric radiant heaters, combined with a heat-pump system, ensure passenger ambient comfort. Three types of seat materials are used, including Ultrasuede, a refined material that uses 30% bio-based sustainable materials.

Overhead, some variants have a panoramic roof which is designed with heat shielding, thermal insulation and 99% UV protection. The glass also has a Lexus-first dimming function which, without a physical curtain, can instantly block light according to the needs of the occupants.

Different challenges for quietness
Quietness has been a hallmark of Lexus models since the very first one and besides generous use of high quality insulation, the engineers have also looked for the sources of noise and eliminated them. With the RZ powered by electric motors, new challenges were presented to the engineers who had to create a balance between sound generation and a very quiet interior space.

The underfloor battery functions as a sound barrier, the bonnet perimeter is sealed to eliminate noise caused by turbulent airflow. and acoustic glass suppresses other unwanted sounds. Additionally, the engineers have tuned sound frequencies to the vehicle’s speed and sound levels during dynamic actions such as acceleration.

2023 Lexus RZ 450e EV — *New RZ 450e uses the e-TNGA platform specifically developed for BEVs.*

Lexus Driving Signature
Regardless of the type of powertrain, the Lexus Driving Signature of impressive fundamental acceleration, steering and braking performance must be present. The electric powertrain system uses a front and rear e-axle, each equipped with a high-torque electric motor, transaxle and inverter in a compact unit. As each motor (front: 150 kW, rear: 80 kW) is directly connected to the wheels by a single driveshaft, power transmission is instantaneous.

The new DIRECT4 system takes the Lexus Driving Signature to an even higher level. It uses acceleration, cornering-speed and steering-angle information to automatically adjust front-rear torque delivery and braking force to all four wheels. The system uses a front-to-rear drive-force ratio between 60:40 and 40:60 for minimum vehicle pitch.

When the steering wheel is turned, drive force is biased to the front wheels between 50 and 75% for nimble response and excellent steering feel. When exiting a corner, torque distribution to the rear wheels is increased to between 50 and 80%, ensuring ample traction while controlling vehicle pitch.

Steer-by-wire
A Lexus-first steer-by-wire system contributes to enhanced vehicle manoeuvrability while blocking out unnecessary vibrations from the tyres and brakes. Optimum steering-gear ratios provide nimble and agile performance on winding roads and high-speed stability on highways.

Long experience in battery technology
Toyota’s experience in developing ever better hybrid electric technology has also included advancing battery technology. Some of the advanced technologies are the high-capacity 71.4 kWh lithium-ion battery packs, Lexus-first silicon carbide elements in the inverters and the incorporation of low-loss technologies to deliver an estimated single-charge cruising range of 450 kms.

Battery-control technology ensures a world-class battery capacity retention rate claimed to be at least 90% after 10 years. Contributing to the long life with even higher battery capacity is a timer charging function that avoids over-charging.

100% BEVs globally by 2035
Pricing has not been announced yet but exports of the RZ 450e, which will be made in Japan, will begin during the fourth quarter of 2022. In the years following till the end of the decade, Lexus will introduce entirely new BEVs covering every segment. By 2035, the brand expects to be selling only BEVs globally and fully contribute to the Toyota Group’s objective of carbon neutrality.

Lexus releases pictures of electric sportscar on the track as well as other future BEV models (w/video)

Fuel Price Updates For April 21 – April 27, 2022

Ferrari 296 GTS – the top comes off the 296 GTB

Perhaps our climate is not the best for open-top motoring but in other places in the world, conditions are perfect for driving around with the top down and there’s enough demand for convertibles that manufacturers still offer them. The Ferrari 296 GTS is the latest convertible to join the list, offering those who want a topless version of Ferrari’s mid-rear-engined PHEV a factory-built model.

As explained before with the report on the 296 GTB, the engine is a new V6 unit and the first 6-cylinder engine installed on a road-going spider from Ferrari. While it’s not Ferrari’s first V6 (the first one was in the 1957 Dino 156 F2), it does usher in a new V6 era for the company. Total system output from the 2992 cc turbocharged engine is 830 ps/740 Nm, of which 165 ps comes from the electric motor.

This is the first ever Ferrari spider with a rear-wheel drive-only PHEV architecture in which the engine is integrated with a rear-mounted electric motor. This is derived from Ferrari Formula 1 racing cars and communication between the motor and engine is via the Transition Manager Actuator which allows them to run together efficiently and optimally.

Although the 296 GTS is about 70 kgs more than the 296 GTB, the performance claims are pretty much the same – 0 to 100 km/h in 2.9 seconds and a top speed of 330 km/h, while the range from the 7.45 kwh battery is said to be good for 25 kms running on electricity alone.

As with the SF90 Stradale, customers who require more extreme power and performance, especially if they are going to be on the track, can take the Assetto Fiorano package which includes lightweight features and aero modifications.

From a chassis perspective, at 2600 mm, the wheelbase is 50 mm shorter than previous Ferrari mid-rear-engined berlinettas to the benefit of the car’s dynamic agility. The 296 GTB’s chassis was redesigned and optimised for the 296 GTS to improve torsional rigidity and bending stiffness compared to previous spider applications. This was achieved to the tune of 50% in the case of the former and 8% in the case of the latter.

The styling of the 296 GTS has kept the clean and sophisticated lines of the 296 GTB. There was, of course, a clear focus on minimising the impact of any modifications on the exterior bodywork, always a challenge for a convertible variant. With the RHT stowed, the sleek silhouette remains very similar to that of the 296 GTB.

The need to stow the RHT (Retractable Hard Top) inside the engine compartment required the creation of a new tonneau cover design. While on the 296 GTB, the engine bay is completely horizontal and dominated by two flying buttresses in a nod to the 250 Le Mans, the 296 GTS’s tail is absolutely unique.

2022 Ferrari 296 GTS PHEV — *296 GTS with Assetto Fiorano package.*

As is the case with the 296 GTB, a dominant feature of the car’s architecture is the signature ‘aero bridge’. The overall effect is of an extremely compact cabin effortlessly integrated with the wings and flanks. The buttress theme is further enhanced by contrasting sculpted extensions that frame the engine cover screen and integrate the novel fuel filler and battery charge covers, avoiding architectural disharmony.

The lightweight RHT takes 14 seconds to retract or deploy at speeds of up to 45km/h. The separation line between the car’s body and the roof is above the B post. As a result, the folding roof splits into two sections that fold flush over the front of the engine, thus maintaining the engine bay’s thermal dissipation characteristics and the balance of the overall design. This also allowed the designers to introduce a window in the rear section of the engine cover through which the new V6 is clearly visible.

The 296 GTS has several radical and innovative solutions with regard to aerodynamics which have turned the active aero paradigm, introduced from the 458 Speciale onwards, on its head. The car has an active device used not to manage drag but to generate extra downforce. The LaFerrari-inspired active spoiler integrated into the rear bumper allows the 296 GTS to generate a high level of rear downforce when required (up to 360 kgs at 250 km/h with the Assetto Fiorano package).

The aero development work done on the 296 GTS means that even in low-drag configuration the car can deliver more downforce than previous applications. In high-downforce configuration, there is an additional 100 kgs in downforce, thanks to the active spoiler.

The rear diffuser has a very clean, linear design with a central channel that makes it possible to modify the direction in which the airflow sucked along the underbody is released into the car’s wake. This contains the vertical expansion of the car’s wake and thus drag.

Turbulence in the cockpit area is something which convertibles cannot escape but thanks to modern solutions, this can be effectively reduced to make things comfortable for the occupants. For the 296 GTS, the geometry of the trim behind the headrests is optimised to channel as much of the air as possible towards the tonneau cover to reduce the amount of flow recirculating inside the cabin. Aerodynamic flaps have been integrated into the rear trim structure to reduce buffeting and increase comfort in open-top driving.

As with the 296 GTB, the 296 GTS’s cockpit was developed around the new concept of an entirely digital interface. From a formal perspective, when the engine is off, the onboard instruments go black for a minimalist look. Exclusive Italian leather trim to the seats and trim is further enhanced by the noble technical materials used on the functional components.

Ferrari has not announced how much the 296 GTS will cost, but it would certainly cost more than the 296 GTB which, in Malaysia, is priced from RM1.228 million.

Naza Italia introduces Ferrari 296 GTB PHEV, priced from RM1,228,000

Dangerous games at night being played by kids

With the overturning of the acquittal of Sam Ke Ting in the ‘basikal lajak’ case in Johor, it seems that young children may now believe that they are protected by the law even if their action of dangerous and irresponsible. They now feel emboldened to play on roads and not only inconvenience other road-users but also put themselves and others in danger.

This 19-second video posted by Facebook user Che Kumar recently shows a group of children along a narrow road said to be in the Taman Anggerik area in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur. The video shows them purposely lying on the roadside as a car approaches, and because the area is not well lit, the driver might only see them at the last moment.

They take positions lying down right next to the path of the car and just after it passes, one boy rolls across the road, perhaps to give the impression that he had been hit. Had the driver been shocked or confused by such a strange situation, he or she might have lost control of the car in panic and then an accident would have occurred.

Source: FB Che Kumar

Hopefully, the police (who are quick to notice videos on social media) will take action before someone does get hurt and an innocent motorist might be jailed even though he may not be aware that such ‘games’ are played in the area at night.

Still considered guilty even after two acquittals in ‘basikal lajak’ case?

EV charging network in Malaysia steadily growing along North-South Expressway

While driving from Singapore up through Peninsular Malaysia to the border with Thailand has been possible for decades, in the coming era of electric vehicles (EVs), a network of recharging stations needs to be set up so that such vehicles can complete the whole 862-km journey without running out of electrical ‘fuel’. While the range of EVs continues to increase, places to recharge along the way will still be needed in the same way as petrol stations as travellers may detour or take breaks in various places.

Companies like Shell, in collaboration with Porsche Asia Pacific, have taken the initiative to start setting up a network of high-speed charging stations along the North-South Expressway. No doubt, as the EV population increases, other companies will also start contributing to the network.

*Access to the Go/EVC charging stations requires the use of a mobile app.*

Singapore’s sole piped town gas provider, City Energy, is among them and has launched its Go by City Energy (Go) EV charging service to offer a seamless operational service across Singapore and Malaysia using a mobile app on smartphones. Operated by its new subsidiary, City Energy Go Pte. Ltd., Go will be the first EV charging service provider to offer EV charging solution as a service

*This Caltex station near Sjudai in Johor is one of the stations with EV charging facilities.*

Go, which finances, operates and maintains the network of EV charging stations, has a strategic partnership with EV Connection Sdn. Bhd. to extend charging connectivity into Malaysia. The two companies recently signed an agreement to extend connectivity into Malaysia. Go will be the first service in Singapore that extends EV charging capabilities into Malaysia.

EV Connection is one of Malaysia’s pioneers in EV charging solutions and an authorised EV charging station distributor registered with Suruhanjaya Tenaga, CIDB, Tenaga Nasional Berhad and MyHijau. With this partnership, Go drivers will be able to access EV Connection’s network of charging stations in Malaysia.

Depending on the location, the charging stations and power levels may vary. Go says that the charging levels can be 22 kW or 43 kW (AC) or 50 kW (DC). The higher the charging level, the faster the charging will be but each EV will be designed to accept a specific charging level. To cater for different EV models, the charging stations will have different ports for the popular types of charging cable connectors.

Shell and Porsche team up to provide first cross-border high-performance charging network in Southeast Asia

Audi urbansphere concept shows what the luxury MPV of the future could be like

The third of Audi’s ‘sphere’ concept cars showing its idea of premium electric vehicles in future in three different segments has been unveiled today: the Audi urbansphere. Where the 2021 skysphere was a roadster GT concept and the grandsphere that followed was a luxury sedan, the urbansphere takes the form of an MPV.

2022 Audi urbansphere concept ev — *urbansphere*

2021 Audi Skysphere concept — *skysphere*

2021 Audi grandsphere concept — *grandsphere*

‘Co-created’ with Chinese customers
Designed by teams in China and Germany, the urbansphere has been conceived with Chinese customers involvement as well. For the first time, potential customers in China could also take part in the development process, contributing their own perspectives as part of a process known as ‘co-creation’. “In order to meet the demands of our Chinese customers, Audi’s design studios in Beijing and Ingolstadt worked together closely to jointly develop the Audi urbansphere concept car,” said Markus Duesmann, Chairman of the Audi Board of Management and responsible for the Chinese market.

It is the largest model in the sphere family and even of all Audi concept cars to date, measuring 5510 mm in length, 2010 mm in width and 1780 mm tall. The silhouette of the body features traditional Audi shapes and elements, combined to create a new composition featuring the signature Singleframe. The implied wedge shape of the vehicle body is emphasized by the large, flat windscreen.

At the front, the Audi Singleframe is shaped like a large octagon. Even though the grille has lost its original function as an air intake because this is an electric vehicle, it still remains prominent as an unmistakable signature of the brand. The digital light surface lies behind a slightly tinted, transparent visor that covers a large area of the front.

The 3-dimensional light structure itself is arranged in dynamically condensed pixel areas. The upper and lower edges of the Singleframe are still made of aluminium and the vertical connections are formed by LEDs as part of the light surface. The lighting units to the right and left of the Singleframe look narrow, like focused eyes.

These digital lighting units, known as ‘Audi Eyes’, echo the brand’s four rings as they enlarge and isolate the intersection of two rings to form a pupil – a new, unmistakable digital light signature. The illuminated surfaces – and therefore the expression of the ‘eyes’ – can be adapted to the traffic situation, environment, or even the mood of the passengers. As a daytime running light, the gaze can be focused or open, and the ‘iris’ can be narrow or wide. A digitally created ‘eyebrow’ also functions as a dynamic turn signal when required.

MPV of the future?
Though it may be considered an MPV by today’s definition, Audi feels that the urbansphere defies classification into conventional vehicle categories. The monolithic design shares commonalities with the other two concept cars, as do the sculpted, soft shape of the wheelarches. Despite the stately proportions, elegance, dynamism, and an organic design language should come to mind.

‘Third living space’
The 3.4-metre long wheelbase allows a spacious interior designed as a lounge on wheels, serving as a third living space during the time spent on the roads of densely populated cities like Beijing. It can also have a role as a mobile office in which occupants can have meetings or work while moving around. Four individual seats in two rows offer first-class comfort and the seating can also cater to passengers’ changing social needs in a variety of ways.

The interior of the urbansphere is not subject to the dimensional constraints nor limited by the physics of driving. The interior designers had what is the largest interior space in an Audi vehicle to date to prioritize occupant comfort. To this end, it can be a mobile interactive space that provides a gateway to a wider digital ecosystem.

“To make e-mobility even more attractive, we think about it holistically and from the customer’s needs,” said Duesmann. “More than ever before, it is not just the product that is decisive, but the entire ecosystem. That is why Audi is creating a comprehensive ecosystem with services for the entire car. The Audi urbansphere concept offers everyone onboard a wide range of options to use that freedom to provide a highly-personalized in-car experience: communication or relaxation, work or withdrawal into a private sphere as desired. As such, it transforms from being strictly an automobile into an ‘experience device’.“

Customized infotainment offerings are available, such as the seamless integration of onboard music and video streaming services. There is a large-format and transparent OLED screen that pivots vertically from the roof area into the zone between the rows of seats. Using this ‘cinema screen’, which occupies the entire width of the interior, the two passengers in the back row can take part in a video conference together or watch a movie.

Wellness zone, suggested by Chinese customers

The urbansphere also qualifies as a wellness zone, thanks to digital options that emerged in no small part through input from the co-creation process with Chinese customers. Stress detection is a prime example – this adaptive program uses facial scans and voice analysis to determine how passengers are feeling and offers personalized suggestions for relaxation, for example with a meditation app that can be used via the personal screen and the private sound zone in the headrests.

Many of the materials in the interior, such as the hornbeam veneers, come from sustainable sources. This choice of material makes it possible to use wood that has grown close to the site, and the entire trunk can be utilized. No chemicals are used during the manufacturing process.

Audi Light Umbrella
As a special tribute to China, the designers provide a luminous accessory that passengers can take with them when they leave the urbansphere – the Audi Light Umbrella. This self-illuminating umbrella inspired by traditional Chinese umbrellas acts as a protective companion and multifunctional light source. The inner skin is made of reflective material, so the entire surface acts as a glare-free lighting unit.

Because the urbansphere has level 4 autonomous technology which frees its occupants of the need to be directly involved in its operation, it can pick up passengers at their home or office and independently takes care of finding a parking space and charging the battery.

Premium Platform Electric
The urbansphere is a concept and design study so much of what it shows are proposals for the future. However, the Premium Platform Electric or PPE is something that is already in use by Audi and Porsche. It has been specifically designed for battery-electric drive systems and the is a battery module between the axles. Audi has succeeded in achieving a flat layout for the battery module by using almost the entire base of the vehicle between the axles.

The battery module can store around 120 kWh of energy to power 2 electric motors capable of delivering a total system output of 295 kW/690 Nm. There is one electric motor on each of the front and rear axles which, by means of electronic coordination, implements the permanently available all-wheel drive as required. The motor on the front axle can be deactivated as required in order to reduce friction and thus energy consumption when coasting.

The powertrain has 800V charging technology which will make it possible for recharging with up to 270 kW at fast-charging stations in the shortest possible time. This will enable charging times to approach those of a conventional stop to refuel a car powered by a combustion engine. Just 10 minutes would be enough to charge the battery to a level sufficient to cover more than 300 kms. Audi expects that a fully charge battery module would be able to provide a range of up to 750 kms, even when used for more energy-intensive city and short-distance trips.

“These concept vehicles embody our brand strategy. They show how we imagine the near future of premium mobility,” said Henrik Wenders, Senior Vice-President of the Audi brand. For him, the future is a design space to offer people new experiences in ‘spheres’ during their journey.

Audi Charging Hub concept could be refuelling station of the future

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