BEV Archives

New BMW i7 electric luxury flagship in final stages of testing, will launch later in 2022

It may seem like a fun job being a test-driver in a car company, driving prototypes of new models long before they are revealed to the world. While there may be some element of enjoyment at certain times, the work of a test-driver is largely planned and precisely run to verify performance as well as test many different parts and systems in a variety of conditions.

Every new vehicle must go through such demanding test programs and depending on the model, it might be in different parts of the world. The BMW i7, for example, is now entering its final phase of development work and is being tested in extreme road and weather conditions. It will be launched later this year, along with the new 7-Series.

During so-called hot-region testing on tracks and public roads all over the world, the development engineers primarily verify the performance and reliability of the electric motors, the all-wheel drive and the high-voltage battery when being exposed to maximum stress from high temperatures, unpaved roads, dust and large differences in altitude. They will travel over gravel tracks into deserts, into the mountains and on a whole series of highly dynamic routes, besides BMW’s own test courses.

The endurance test in the hot regions of various countries and continents serves in particular to test and safeguard all components of the electric drive system. The components of the fifth-generation BMW eDrive technology developed for the i7 demonstrate their unrestricted functionality – even under the most adverse conditions when being used continuously in extremely high outside temperatures, permanent sunlight and dry conditions.

Within a firmly defined test programme for the prototypes, loads are simulated that correspond to the challenges faced by a series-production vehicle during a complete product life-cycle. Supported by sensitive on-board measurement technology, experienced test engineers register every reaction of the electric motors, the high-voltage battery, drive control and the integrated cooling system as well as the charging technology and energy management to weather and road-related influences.

The testing programme, which covers tens of thousands of kilometres, includes long-distance and high-speed driving as well as stop-and-go traffic in high temperatures. In addition, test sections with particularly large differences in altitude were selected at the hot-region test sites. In this way the temperature behaviour of the electric motors and the torque control of the all-electric BMW xDrive can be analysed during a particularly dynamic and long-lasting uphill drive.

To further increase the load on the drive system, the test programme also includes mountain driving in trailer mode. At the same time, the high-voltage battery shows how it able to continuously deliver peak power to supply the e-motors. As an extreme scenario and a particular challenge for energy management and power electronics, the test also involves driving downhill with a high-voltage storage system that is already fully charged at the start and can therefore no longer absorb any recuperation energy.

The gruelling hot-region test procedure is also used to put the performance of the air-conditioning and other on-board electronics, as well as the temperature resistance of the materials used in the interior, to a particularly tough test. This is all to ensure that the world’s only purely electrically powered luxury sedan will delivers reliable performance in any situation, anywhere in the world.

BMW Group Malaysia moves into next phase of electrification with new BMW i model range

Toyota’s C+ Pod costs RM60,000 – is that low enough to attract Malaysians to buy an EV?

From this month onwards till the end of 2023, electric vehicles (EVs) imported to Malaysia will be exempted from all taxes and excise duties and even roadtax. This applies only to battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and not hybrids, for which the government provides other incentives for those which are assembled locally. Companies which decided to also assemble BEVs will get the full tax exemptions up till 2025.

To Malaysians, always frustrated by the high duty structure that makes cars expensive, the thought of duty-free cars gives them the idea that they can get cars much cheaper. However, BEVs are not cheap anywhere in the world if they are the type that are equivalent of the small and medium sedan or SUVs with combustion engines. They cost more and governments offer various incentives to reduce their prices for buyers so that adoption is faster.

If volumes can go up quickly, then production costs can come down and they can be sold more cheaply. This has happened in China where, since 2009, the government has offered subsidies to buyers of BEVs and the sales of such vehicles has grown to almost 5 million units a year. The volume is considered high enough and the subsidies will stop after this year.

Because of the sudden announcement only in October last year, plans to import vehicles have had to be put in place in the past few months and some companies have indicated they will be adding BEVs to their range later this year. Contrary to what those in the government may think, vehicles cannot be supplied right away. Orders have to be placed and factories have to slot in the orders and if demand is high from other markets, then it may take longer to get the vehicles. So many have indicated that they will start selling from the second half of this year, perhaps towards the last quarter.

*The Hyundai Kona Electric is the first BEV which has a price officially announced in Malaysia and it costs between RM150,000 to RM200,000 – duty-free.*

The prices indicated are not exactly low and many seem to be RM150,000 upwards – even with no taxes imposed. That sort of price level does not put BEVs within the reach of the masses which means that the volumes will not grow fast like in China and other markets. Not being able to reach a high volume will also slow the pace of infrastructure development as those who spend on it will see returns being slow.

As mentioned earlier, BEVs are expensive due to the technology which is still young compared to the technologies for combustion engines which have been developed and used for over 100 years. The ones that cost RM150,000 upwards are the ‘conventional’ type but in places like Japan and Europe, there are also smaller BEVs that cost much less though they can only seat two.

One such model is Toyota’s C⁺ Pod, an ultra-compact BEV which costs around RM60,000 in Japan. It went on sale in 2021 but only to corporate customers and government agencies. However, last month, Toyota announced that it would also make the C⁺ Pod available to the general public. The cars will be offered via lease contracts from Toyota dealerships

The C⁺ Pod is classified as a kei car, a category of minivehicles in Japan. It’s just 2.49 metres long and 1.29 metres wide; in comparison, the old Perodua Kancil was 3.4 metres long and 1.4 metres wide and could accommodate 4 persons. Although it has a light powertrain, the 9 kWh battery pack does add weight and makes the C⁺ Pod as heavy as a Kancil (690 kgs).

The small electric motor is positioned at the rear and can generate up to 9.2 kW with 56 Nm of torque. With the typical characteristic of an electric motor which delivers maximum torque from start-up, the little C⁺ Pod has good acceleration. However, it is clearly intended for city use and has a range claimed to be up to 150 kms.

The recharging infrastructure is well developed in Japan (almost 10,800 points nationwide) so owners can conveniently top-up the battery pack almost anywhere (though it will take 5 to`16 hours if the battery pack is completely empty).

Additionally, the C⁺ Pod is designed to be a mobile power supply system which can provide electricity in disaster areas. It’s an idea which developed after the big tsunami and earthquake in East Japan as there was urgent need for power supply by rescuers. There are sockets on the car to connect to and power can be supplied for up to about 10 hours, depending on conditions.

The cabin is like a car’s, with a simple layout that maximises use of the 1100 mm wide space, an important consideration since it is such as small vehicle. The exterior panels are made of plastic to keep weight down. But Toyota has ensured that safety standards (for this vehicle category) are met and there is a structure that efficiently disperses and absorbs impact energy across multiple components. This protects the occupants from serious injuries in the event of frontal, side or rear impacts. At the same time, the structure is also designed to reduce pedestrian injury.

To help the driver avoid accidents, there is also a Pre-collision Safety System which can detect other vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists. An Intelligent Clearance Sonar with Parking Support Brakes (Stationary Objects) is also included to help avoid collisions, or mitigate damage, with walls and other obstacles during low-speed operation.

The C⁺ Pod is just one of many small BEVs now on sale and they are popular in more developed countries like Japan where people appreciate having simple, personal transport. But will Malaysians accept such a small car priced at RM60,000, which is still almost double the price of a Saga? Incidentally, a Honda N-Box, the bestselling kei car in Japan, is priced between RM70,000 and RM80,000. As long as EVs do not have prices at the same level as the cheapest models of the two national brands, it will be hard for the country to move towards electrification.

Toyota to step up investment and development of fully electric vehicles during this decade

China to end subsidies for New Energy Vehicles after 2022

There were electric vehicles 100 years ago; in fact, even Henry Ford’s wife, Clara, drove and electrically-powered car because it was easy to start and had no transmission. However, battery technology at that time was not advanced and poor performance made electric cars unappealing, allowing cars with internal combustion engines to grow and then dominate the planet. With poor interest in electric cars, the manufacturers stopped developing them and would not consider them again till the 21^st century.

During the 100 years, many technological advances have been made and in the past 20 years especially, battery technology – an important element for electric vehicles (EVs) – has advanced greatly. The incentive to accelerate technological development has been the tightening of emission regulations, especially in the more developed nations, which has forced carmakers to start switching to emission-free powertrains. There is urgency as well due to climate change, with exhaust emissions of motor vehicles being identified as one of the causes.

The technology and manufacturing processes for the internal combustion engine (ICE) have been developed over more than 100 years so production costs have stabilized and as volumes grew, economies of scale kept pushing the costs down. EV technology is relatively young and the volume of EVs has not reached a point where economies of scale have fully kicked in. As such, the technologies – which are still evolving and advancing – are still expensive and EVs equivalent to ICE vehicles are still more expensive.

In order for EVs to be adopted by more people, the auto industry expects governments to help. Obviously, funding cannot be provided directly but the prices to buyers can be offset by subsidies. The lowering of retail prices can then attract motorists to consider them, while other elements like infrastructure and performance continue to get better.

Many countries have subsidies for EV buyers and the nature of the subsidy varies. Typically, there is a fixed sum provided based on the price although in Malaysia, from this year, the government has decided to exempt battery electric vehicles (BEVs) from duties and other taxes and even the annual roadtax will not be charged. It’s a bold move but it does not necessarily bring prices down below RM100,000 so a large segment of the population will still not find it easy to buy one. And there is no point using the argument of ‘saving the planet’ because many Malaysians today have to save themselves and their families from financial difficulties, so they certainly won’t care to pay more for their car.

China, as the world’s largest car market, has had an incentive program since 2009 when it introduced subsidies for New Energy Vehicles (NEVs), ie BEVs, plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) and fuel cell vehicles (FCEVs). The NEV program actually began in the 1980s but the incentive policy only began in 2009, with nationwide adoption from 2013. To qualify for subsidies, the vehicles must meet minimum technical and performance requirements, and the size of the subsidy is indexed to a variety of vehicle specifications and utility parameters. Every few years, the qualification criteria have been tightened, forcing manufacturers to push their technology further.

*As qualification criteria for subsidies tightened during the past decade, the manufacturers had to keep improving their EV technologies.*

By the end of 2020, the NEV push had resulted in 4.92 million NEVs being put on China’s roads, or 1.75% of the vehicle population. The number almost meets the 5 million target set in 2013 and having reached this level, the government now believes that acceptance has been achieved and NEVs are in the mainstream of the car market. This year NEVs are expected to account for 18% of all vehicle sales in China (13% greater than in 2019) and add another 5 million NEVs according to industry forecasts.

*With this year being the final year that EVs will be subsidised, there should be increased interest and higher sales in China.*

And with that target achieved, it has now decided that subsidies can be phased out completely. In fact, in April 2020, there was already an indication of this when it was announced that subsidies would be reduced by 20% in 2021. This year, the cut will be 30%, after which there will be no more subsidies provided from January 1, 2023.

The subsidies have typically applied to vehicles costing less than RMB300,000 (about RM197,130). A typical subsidy has been around RMB18,000 (about RM11,800), and in 2022, it will fall to around RMB14,400 (about RM9,500).

*Tesla Model 3 was among the best-selling NEVs in China last year.*

The domestic carmakers have already reached large volumes that allow them to have economies of scale. BYD, an early EV manufacturer, was already doing over 753,000 EVs in 2019, second after world leader Tesla which sold 900,000 EVs.

Toyota to step up investment and development of fully electric vehicles during this decade

Magna’s ETelligent Reach powertrain to debut in a new EV model this year

US-based Magna, a mobility technology company, is supporting the accelerated shift towards electrification by carmakers with its all-electric connected powertrain, EtelligentReach. This latest innovation will be used for a new model that will debut this year. The complete system comprises 2 electric motors, inverters and gearboxes, and uses advanced software to maximize vehicle range and driving dynamics.

eDrive technology advancements and the holistic vehicle development approach of the EtelligentReach achieve a range increase that is said to be up to 145 kms, or 30% compared to certain production BEVs (battery electric vehicles) in this segment which is a key differentiator in the growing electrification space.

Magna’s intelligent operating strategy controls the two eDrives: the eDS Mid+ with next-gen eDrive technologies and decoupling on the front, and another eDS Mid+ with torque vectoring on the rear. This powertrain solution is said to set a new standard in range, driving dynamics and safety.

The next-gen innovations include Decoupling+, inverters with silicon carbide technology, and a boost function for a short-time increase of drive power (eg overtaking maneuvers). Magna’s Decoupling+ function on the front drive is unique in its competitive field and helps increase range without compromising driving dynamics and safety. Increased efficiency also reduces CO₂ emissions, while the torque vectoring function can improve the safety margin by up to 10% by controlling each axle individually in all road conditions, as well as significantly reduce steering effort during dynamic cornering.

“This is definitely a story where the sum is greater than the parts,” said Tom Rucker, President, Magna Powertrain. “The EtelligentReach reduces range anxiety and improves driving dynamics, providing automakers with a complete all-electric powertrain system with AWD that is exciting and efficient. We can create maximum efficiency by precisely orchestrating how every component works in concert to achieve the best possible performance.”

Besides EtelligentReach for passenger cars, Magna also has EtelligentForce technology for light commercial vehicles (LCVs) like pick-up trucks. Also using the eDS Mid+ DCU at the front drive, there is a game-changing eBeam electrified beam axle at the rear, with an electric locking differential.

This eBeam technology is a direct replacement for traditional beam axles, requiring no restructuring to existing architectures. It utilizes existing suspension and brake systems designs, resulting in no compromise of payload or towing capacities. It is thus a structure-oriented design for high-payload vehicles with continuous-duty usage, a requirement of LCV operators.

With the shift to electrified vehicles speeding up in the industry’s pursuit of cleaner and more efficient mobility, Magna is enabling global automakers to electrify their vehicle platforms with a full range of hybrid and fully electric powertrain solutions.

Magna’s powertrain expertise is supplying power to the wheels, regardless of the power source. The company is able to supply traditional products as well as electrified components and systems to automakers as they migrate their vehicle offerings toward hybrid and electric vehicles.

The company will also supply a Hybrid Dual-Clutch Transmission (HDT) to Mercedes-Benz for its next generation compact and mid-size vehicles, another example of Magna’s continuing transformation in the electrification of mobility. Two other HDT programs will launch soon with other global carmakers as the company further extends its foothold into powertrain electrification.

Experience living with an electric vehicle for RM24.90 an hour

Ken Block teams up with Audi for next Gymkhana video and this time it will be electrified…

Ken Block is well known for his thrilling, heart-stopping gymkhana series of videos where he has pushed Fords and then Subarus to extreme limits to entertain viewers. Earlier this year, he parted company with Ford and teamed up with a new carmaker – Audi. So he can now say he’s worked with American, Japanese and now German carmakers… maybe one day with Chinese or Korean too?

A new Hoonitron
His move to Audi is going to see him drive not just another specially prepared car with a powerful engine. In fact, it will be a major change for him as he will be doing his driving sideways using electric power. Audi has developed a special S1 e-tron quattro ‘Hoonitron’ for the American drift specialist and with this car, a new video (the working title is ‘Elektrikana’)will be produced which we will see sometime in the first quarter of 2022.

New interpretation of Pikes Peak car
The entire development, including the technology, of the S1 Hoonitron was conducted by Audi Sport at its own facility. Audi Design was responsible for the styling, which has been anything but a run-of-the-mill job for the design team. The challenges were tremendous as they aimed to create a modern, all-electric interpretation of the legendary quattro S1 Pikes Peak car. This car, evolved from the successful World Rally Championship-dominating cars, raced to the summit in the famous Pikes Peak Hill Climb in America, boosting the level of performance in the event much higher.

The S1 Hoonitron has two powerful electric motors and all-wheel drive, a carbonfibre chassis, and the full safety standards as prescribed by the FIA. How Audi Sport has boosted output from the motors to give Block the kind of power he will need for his tyre-smoking stunts remains a secret.

A new experience going electric
Last month, he got to know the car for the first time. “Audi gave me the opportunity to test it for a few days in Germany,” he revealed. “I’m familiar with a wide variety of cars using internal combustion engines and transmissions, but there were a lot of new things for me to learn here. Spinning into a donut at 150 km/h directly from standstill – just using my right foot – is an all-new experience for me! Our work was focused on getting the car and I used to each other. My thanks go to the whole Audi Sport squad for their outstanding teamwork.”

“The S1 Hoonitron combines a lot of what Audi was already famous for in the 1980s,” added Block. “For instance, the car’s spectacular aerodynamics have now been translated into a totally modern form. I think it’s cool that the Audi designers have been inspired by their own past and uniquely transferred the car’s technologies and appearance into the present.”

“The collaboration with Audi is a very special partnership for me. The brand and its passion for motorsport motivated me to get into rallying,” Block revealed. “That Audi has now developed this car for me and my team, and has joined us in our next project, has made a dream come true for me. The Hoonitron is writing the next chapter in our history and taking our Gymkhana story into the future.”

*The Audi S1 quattro racing up Pikes Peak in 1987 with Michele Mouton at the wheel.*

We’re certainly looking forward to seeing the new video and wonder if Audi will be able to convince the German authorities to allow him to do his spectacular driving in the carmaker’s home city of Ingolstadt. With his Fords, he’s burnt rubber on the streets of cities like London and Detroit, right in front of the police (who blocked off roads just for him).

*Insane action from Ken Block’s Gymkhana series of videos with Ford (above) and Subaru (below).*

Audi aims to be first carmaker to win Dakar Rally with fully electric rallycar

1,900 ps Pininfarina Battista hyper GT undergoing final tests before deliveries commence

2022 looks like the year of electric hypercars as some manufacturers will either unveil their products or start deliveries. Among them is Automobili Pininfarina which has announced that its Battista hyper GT – Italy’s most powerful production car ever – will start going to customer in early 2022. Final production prototypes have been running with test-drivers completing assessments of various systems.

Nick Heidfeld, ex-Formula One and Formula E driver, is a Test and Development Driver for Automobili Pininfarina who has been working with the engineers for the past 2 years. “From the first time I experienced Battista’s performance in 2019 in an advanced simulator, to today on road and track, I believe the Automobili Pininfarina team has successfully developed a unique hyper GT that is enormous fun, as well as incredibly fast,” he said.

Heidfeld has experienced the Battista on the road and track in Italy in production-intent form, accompanied by its emotive soundscape for the first time. “In this test, I was able to drive Battista with full power available. The effect under acceleration is completely mind-bending – drivers will never bore of the experience, no matter how many times they feel it. This roadcar sprints faster than a Formula 1 car, and in Furiosa mode, I was left with a huge grin on my face every time. Every client that experienced Battista with me was positively overwhelmed by the experience – there is simply nothing like it!” said Heidfeld.

The Furiosa mode mentioned unleashes the full 1,900 ps, which also utilises the full torque available from the 4 independent electric motors. Originally projected to produce 2,300 Nm of torque, the Battista is now developing an increased 2,360 Nm. This comes from two 250 kW motors at the front, and two 450 kW motors at the rear, with 280 Nm of torque for each front motor and 900 Nm at each rear motor. Their combined output makes it possible to go from 0 – 100 km/h in a claimed time of less than 2 seconds and reach a top speed of 350 km/h.

Besides the Furiosa mode, there are 4 others – Pura, Calma, Energica, and Carattere. Control of the driving experience is provided by a beautifully-milled rotary dial, ergonomically situated right next to the driver, allowing for quick changes in driving mode, each one lending a unique character to the Battista’s drive, perfectly adapted to a range of driving conditions.

Calibrated using thousands of kilometres of software simulation before being introduced to development cars, the driving modes allow the driver to fine-tune the driving experience and unlock both the full potential of the advanced torque vectoring system and honed characteristics of the Battista.

The system recuperates and transfers electrical energy without using the brakes – the active energy shifting takes place directly via the 4 electric motors, resulting in a much faster, more precise and efficient shift of torque compared with torque vectoring by braking.

The motors are powered by a powerful 120 kWh lithium-ion battery and, depending on driving style and other conditions, the range is claimed to be up to 500 kms.

“The handling on open roads – even on unpredictable surfaces – proved Battista to be beautifully balanced. Just how a hyper GT should feel. Battista’s performance on track had already surprised and impressed me after I experienced it in Nardo earlier this year, so my expectations on this occasion were set high. This test however confirmed that the team has achieved its target of creating a new type of hyper GT which is rewarding on all surfaces. The ride quality and damping both feel excellent, and the steering feels natural and the perfect fit for what we want to achieve in Battista. I am very sensitive to steering feel as a racing driver, and the sweet spot here is for it to feel light yet connected, and direct yet smooth,” explained Heidfeld.

Paolo Dellacha, Automobili Pininfarina’s Chief Product and Engineering Officer, commended Heidfeld for his input which has helped the engineers to fine-tune the car. “Nick has been a brilliant partner throughout the whole development programme, not only for his driving skills and unique experience in both Formula 1 and Formula E, but also for his ability to evaluate and improve the programme in its various stages of development by delivering the anticipated view of our customers,” he said.

The Battista in production form made its global debut at California’s Monterey Week in August this year. Potential customers had an opportunity to experience the hypercar on the scenic coastal roads and listen to its ‘tailor-made exterior soundscape’. Those who decided they must own one would have to book a unit which will cost from €1.98 million (about RM9.37 million).

NIO to add fifth EV model – the ET5 – in 2022, and increase presence in northern Europe

NIO may not be known in Malaysia or even in most countries, but it is one of the steadily growing car companies from China which started business focusing on just electric vehicles. It’s a ‘new generation’ carmaker, just 4 years old, and already has at least 4 models on sale. Though most of its sales are in China, it has also entered Norway and next year, will be in Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and Denmark. By 2025, NIO expects to have a presence in over 25 countries and regions worldwide.

Joining the carmaker’s 4 models in 2022 will be a new model known as the ET5. It is the brand’s most compact car to date and used the concept of ‘Design for Autonomous Driving’ during its development. It has the latest NIO Autonomous Driving (NAD) systems with NIO Aquila Super Sensing and NIO Adam Super Computing. Additional NAD features will be gradually introduced after further development and validation.

Having started off with electric vehicles, NIO has naturally gained much expertise in developing fully electric powertrains and now has various types for different models. For the ET5, it will use a high-performance powertrain with proven dual motor architecture. This consists of a 150 kW induction asynchronous motor in the front and 210 kW permanent magnet motor at the rear generating peak torque up to 700 Nm.

Straightline acceleration is impressive with 0 to 100 km/h achieved in a claimed 4.3 seconds. The range claims are also impressive: reaches over 550 kms with a 75 kWh Standard Range Battery; over 700 kms with the 100 kWh Long Range Battery; and over 1,000 kms with a 150 kWh Ultralong Range Battery.

NIO developed and promotes the battery-swapping concept which reduces some cost to the customer who can then pay for fresh batteries when swapping. Since opening the first battery-swapping station in China in 2018, it has set up over 500 stations and by the end of October this year, 4 million battery swaps had been done. The NIO Power Swap is an automatic process where the car parks itself inside a station and it takes less than 5 minutes. The company also has 6,000 Power Chargers and 10,000 destination chargers across China.

*A NIO Battery-Swapping station in China.*

With these new generation of carmakers, the question of experience in making cars safe is sometimes asked. They may be able to have great designs and advanced technology but what about the car’s performance in accidents? According to NIO, the ET5 has been designed to meet the stringent 5-star C-NCAP (China’s NCAP) and Euro NCAP standards. This is achieved using an ultra-high-strength steel-aluminium hybrid body with the very high torsional stiffness. The ultra-low centre of gravity, at 482.6 mm, and wheel track of 1685 mm, are also said to enable the ET5 to achieve a rollover-resistance rating of 1.7, above the US NHTSA’s 5-star criteria.

The sleek 4.7-metre long body is aerodynamically efficient with a Cd of 0.24, important for an electric car. Contributing to this level of efficiency are the rear ducktail spoiler and details such as the air curtain, flush door handles and frameless windows that create cleaner lines. Its form draws on the fluid silhouette of the ET7 while the muscular haunches are inspired by the EP9 supercar.

Evolving NIO’s concept of the ‘second living room’, the cabin of the ET5 was inspired by trends in furniture, fashion, and footwear, so it’s a sophisticated space with a warm touch. A larger glasshouse and panoramic glazed roof create a bright interior complemented by natural and organic hues including the brand’s new Terracotta, a deep and fiery orange.

Recycled and more sustainable materials are used as much as possible. The Clean+ sustainable fabric not only forms a relaxing cocooning ambiance but is also said to improve the acoustic performance of the cabin. Smart invisible air vents were developed for a neater and more cohesive design whilst a 256-color ambient light feature offers the chance to create an atmosphere to suit various moods. The standard audio system uses Dolby Atmos 7.1.4 surround sound system.

Set to be an industry first, the ET5’s PanoCinema is a panoramic and immersive digital cockpit with Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) technologies. NIO partnered with NREAL, an AR device company, to jointly develop AR glasses (exclusive to NIO) which can project an effective screen size of 201-inch at 6 metres.

NIO also collaborated with NOLO to jointly develop the VR Glasses that employ ultra-thin Pancake lenses, to create a binocular 4K display effect. The 10.2-inch HDR instrument cluster boosts the vividness of images.

The ET5 will be priced from RMB 328,000 in China (about RM216,700) but customers can also get subsidies to reduce the cost. First deliveries are expected to start in September 2022 although before then, the flagship ET7 will have started going to customers in March.

China’s NIO Inc. launches all-electric ET7, its first autonomous car

Honda gives little ones in hospital a chance to get familiar with EVs (w/VIDEO)

Many of the next generation of motorists will almost certainly be using electrifed vehicles, either with hybrid powertrains or full electric powertrains. Familiarizing them and making them regard electric vehicles as commonplace when they are young may be a good idea, and Honda has a project in America which can do that.

Working with CHOC hospital in California, Honda has provided ‘Shogo’, an electric ride-on vehicle specifically designed to travel along hospital hallways to transport children. Developed in-house by Honda engineers, Shogo is equipped with features and elements to help bring joy to young patients as they continue on their road to recovery.

Randall Smock, a senior exterior designer of vehicles at American Honda Motor Company, played a significant role in the design of Shogo, as well as the testing of the vehicle. “As someone who spent time in the hospital as a young child, I really wanted the No. 1 objective of our Honda team in developing Shogo to ease the hardship of a hospital stay by providing kids a lasting positive memory about that experience,” he said.

“Every element of Shogo was designed to accommodate different needs of young children, making it as easy as possible to get in and out, simple to drive, and for the entire experience to leave them a bit happier,” he explained.

As the first hospital to utilize Shogo in caring for young patients facing hospitalization, CHOC played a key role in verifying its feasibility and safety. “Our team greatly appreciates Honda bringing innovative solutions that support our ongoing commitment to providing an exceptional patient experience and infusing joy into a patient’s stay,” said Brianne Ortiz, Manager of the Cherese Mari Laulhere Child Life Department at CHOC. “We were impressed from the beginning when we first saw Shogo, and by the Honda team’s dedication in collaborating with our staff to ensure a vehicle that is perfect – and safe – for our young patients.”

Shogo, based on a Japanese word and intended to mean ‘soaring into the future’, was built to focus on young patients, aged 4 through 9, who can easily drive with power controls, manage the go/stop mechanism on the steering wheel, and an adjustable speed of 1-5 miles per hour (1.5 km/h to 8 km/h), which is controlled by a handler such as a nurse or caregiver.

Developed with patient safety in mind, Shogo was built without doors to be safely and easily accessible for youth. Other features include central seating with steering controls suitable and accessible for a child, and smooth and soft-to-the-touch surfacing that is easy to keep clean in a hospital setting.

Shogo also includes an IV pole holder and a pushbar that offers caregivers the option to manually push the vehicle when needed. Features to make the child’s experience more comfortable include a toy bucket in the front of the vehicle for items the child would like to bring along with them, cupholders, a centre horn with different sound options, and a customizable license plate slot to display the name of each rider.

Honda engineers worked hand-in-hand with the staff at CHOC to verify the feasibility of the concept. This included testing Shogo through a dedicated course inside the company’s R&D facility designed to replicate a hospital hallway route with actual children and parents, to ensure the electric ride-on vehicle was safe to operate when delivered to the hospital. The collaboration with CHOC was critical in understanding how Shogo was being used in the actual hospital environment, so the team could continue to make further adjustments.

Developing Shogo as an electric vehicle was an obvious requirement for Honda engineers to ensure it could be accommodated in a hospital environment. But the electrified Shogo also aligns to the company’s recently-announced vision to make electrified vehicles represent 40% of sales in 2030, on the way to 100% EVs by 2040.

Honda will stop selling models with combustion engines from 2040, range to be fully electric

Nissan Newbird – body of a Bluebird, heart of a LEAF EV

During the 1980s, Nissan was among the early Japanese carmakers to begin setting up overseas plants – not plants merely assembling cars but full-fledged factories that carried out the almost all the manufacturing processes. As the brand was very popular in Europe, the company decided to establish a factory there and after considering a few countries, it settled on Britain.

At a former airbase in Sunderland, in the north-eastern corner of England, was chosen for the factory site and operations began from 1986. It has assembled both Nissan and Infiniti models (Q30 and QX30) as well as the LEAF EV since 2012.

Combining past, present and future
Celebrating 35 years of production at the Sunderland plant, Nissan commissioned a very special project which would combine a major past product with the technology of today and tomorrow. Called the ‘Newbird, it is a conversion of the Bluebird model – the first car off the factory’s production line in 1986 – which has its combustion engine replaced by the fully electric drivetrain of a LEAF.

The project was managed by Kinghorn Electric Vehicles, a family-run company based in Durham, just 24 kms from the Nissan factory. Kinghorn EV specialises in the conversion of classic cars to full electric using second-life Nissan LEAF motors, inverters & batteries so they are very familiar with the powertrain.

“Electric vehicles are not just the future, they’re the now! Converting older vehicles to electric gives you everyday use of these iconic vintage models, but they’re just as enjoyable to drive. They’re more reliable and, importantly, don’t produce harmful emissions when driving. With this project, we think we’ve created a car that captures the soul of the Nissan Bluebird, with the heart of a Nissan LEAF, said George Kinghorn, owner of the company.

Change of heart
The Bluebird was extensively modified to integrate the LEAF’s electric drivetrain. The original petrol combustion engine and gearbox were removed and a LEAF motor, inverter and 40 kWh battery pack installed, with the battery modules split between the engine bay and boot for optimised weight distribution.

Updates and modifications were made to the power steering, braking and heating systems to enable them to be electrically powered. A custom suspension was also installed to support the additional weight from the battery packs. To match the car’s electric updates, the original Nissan bonnet badge received a LED backlight (for when the vehicle is static).

For the exterior of the 5-door hatchback car, Nissan Design Europe created a new graphic motif inspired by design cues of 1980s consumer technology, combined with a 21st century aesthetic.

The car is recharged through the original fuel flap on the left side which provides access to the charging port. The battery can be recharged at up to 6.6 kW and the original driver instrument panel has been connected to the EV system to enable the fuel gauge to show the charge level in the battery pack.

2021 Nissan Newbird EV — *As the Bluebird was not originally designed to carry a battery pack, it has to be installed in the boot.*

The car’s range from a single charge is estimated to be up to 210 kms and should be able to go from 0 to 100 km/h in under 15 seconds. Given the high torque from start that is characteristic of an electric motor, the performance should be zippier than the original. However, the Newbird is not homologated so it cannot be used on public roads.

Production time halved
In 1986, it took over 22 hours for the first Bluebird to be completed. Today, modern manufacturing processes and technologies have halved that time to 10 hours. To date, after 35 years, the number of vehicles produced by the factory has exceeded 10.5 million. Although some scenarios which suggested manpower would drop with more automation, the number of staff employed at the Nissan factory has grown from 430 in 1986 to 6,000 today.

*Nissan Manufacturing UK began operations 35 years ago.*

Incidentally, for those who recall the Bluebird being sold in Malaysia, the one in the UK was different. In fact, in the 1980s, Nissan had two Bluebirds produced in different parts of the world and one had front-wheel drive, while the other had rear-wheel drive. So when discussing the model with Nissan executives, one had to first clarify which market was being referred to. The one sold in Malaysia in 1986 was the older one with rear-wheel drive whereas the one built in the UK had switched to the newer front-wheel drive model and was produced in sedan, hatchback and stationwagon bodystyles.

The last Bluebird sold in Malaysia by Edaran Tan Chong Motor was the Bluebird Altima in the 1990s. Nissan officially ended the Bluebird line in 2001 although it did continue with a smaller model called the Sylphy that also carried the Bluebird name.

To know more about current Nissan models available in Malaysia, visit www.nissan.com.my.

Nissan to invest £1 billion in establishing Electric Vehicle (EV) Hub as a world-first EV manufacturing ecosystem

2022 Lexus RZ 450e will lead brand’s BEV offensive

At the recent press conference where Toyota’s President, Akio Toyoda, gave a broad overview of the company’s electrification strategies during this decade, 16 fully electric – also known as BEVs or battery electric vehicles – were shown on stage. Most are probably just 3-dimensional models of future products but they certainly attracted a lot of speculation and attention, especially the electric Hilux and a SUV that has styling reminiscent of the FJ Cruiser.

To date, Toyota has launched one BEV model which will go on sale in 2022. This is the bZ4X, which is said to have been developed with involvement of Subaru, which will sell a similar model it calls the Solterra. Mr. Toyoda also showed a video of himself and Koji Sato, President & Chief Branding Officer of Lexus International, testing a Lexus BEV prototype around a test course. It’s typical of the Toyota President who, being a racing driver himself, also gets involved in product development.

An uncamouflaged model of that BEV appeared to be in the group of Lexus prototypes also displayed. The BEV will go into production in 2022 and while details have not been released, Lexus has shown more uncamouflaged pictures of the car. The BEV prototype will be the new RZ, a SUV crossover that will be the first of range of Lexus vehicles that have been designed from the start to be BEVs. Apart from having sold hybrids for many years, this will not be the first fully-electric Lexus model as the all-electric UX 300e has been available for about 2 years now. However, that model was not developed only as a BEV.

*UX 300e is the fully electric version of the UX compact crossover.*

e-TNGA
With the RZ, which will start with a 450e variant, the vehicle is built on a completely new dedicated platform called e-TNGA, a version of the TNGA (Toyota New Generation Architecture) that has been used for all recent new models. While the bz4X is RAV4-sized, the RZ 450e looks like a RX-sized model with similar styling themes but a closed front end typical of EVs.

All-wheel drive with DIRECT4
Not many details are available at this time though it can be expected that the powertrain will be something similar to what is in the bZ4X, with higher output and a bigger battery pack. The all-wheel drive system will be an exclusive control system called DIRECT4 which dynamically controls the drive force to the wheels constantly optimizing the power delivery. It can be fully front wheel drive or rear wheel drive or varying combinations of front and rear drive as conditions require.

The new RZ will also be available with a steer-by-wire system. This is said to eliminate the traditional hand-over-hand action for lower speed driving or parking. It would be possible to do a full U-turn with a simple rotation of the steering wheel.

*Steering wheel in the Toyota bZ4X which will initially be offered in SUVs for the China market.*

Lexus says there will be a ‘comfortable and unique shape’ which provides a clear view to all relevant information from the instrument panel to the heads-up windshield display. This suggests that the RZ may also have that steering column with a wing-shape. In the bz4X, it will initially be offered in China and then progressively appear in other markets.

Battery warranty up to 10 years
As a measure of the brand’s confidence in its BEV technology, Lexus is offering (in some markets) a 10-year (or up to 1,000,000 kms) extended care on all functional defects of the vehicle’s main battery pack and capacity degradation below 70%, provided that the regular health checks foreseen in the maintenance program are followed. This is a separate warranty from the vehicle warranty which covers the powertrain.

The new RZ range will begin the Lexus offensive to have BEVs in every segment, and account for 100% of the brand’s total sales in Europe, North America, and China by 2030.

*LF-Z Electrified concept shows design direction for future BEVs from the brand.*

External designers create Virtual Interiors for Lexus LF-Z Electrified concept

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