Robert Llewellyn takes a short and at times very fast first drive in the £100,000 BMW i8 plug in hybrid supercar.
All filming done on closed roads at Millbrook proving ground.
Fully Charged BMW i8 Test Drive [VIDEO]
Sales of BMW’s electric car jump in August [VIDEO]
Sales in the United States of BMW electric cars jumped in August, inching closer or, depending on whom you ask, even surpassing sales of Tesla Motors luxury Model S sedan.
The continued success of BMW’s i3 model, which sells for about $41,000 in the U.S., could pressure Tesla and dampen enthusiasm for its Model 3, Tesla’s mass-produced car that is expected to hit the road within the next two or three years. The Model 3 would carry a sticker price of about $35,000.
Tesla last week said it chose Nevada as the site of its battery factory, expected to churn out more and cheaper batteries -- enough to power Tesla’s through its expansion into the mass market.
Tesla shares rose on intraday and closing records of $291.42 and $286.04, respectively, on Thursday. The stock was hit by profit-taking — and comments by CEO Elon Musk, who called Tesla shares “kind of high” — on Friday.
BMW sold 1,025 BMW i3s in August, according to industry and analyst reports, up from less than 400 units in the previous three months. The car was launched in the U.S. in May.
Tesla’s Model S sales in August were estimated at around 1,600 by Autodata Corp, 18% lower year-on-year. Tesla does not release monthly car sales.
Tesla is expected to launch the next vehicle in its line up, the crossover Model X, next year.
Back in May, analysts at Barclays flagged BMW’s electric-car offerings — which include the more expensive, sporty hybrid plug-in i8 — as a threat to Tesla. Tesla’s target audience is likely sandwiched between the i3 and the i8 models, the analysts said.
Fully Charged VW Golf GTE Plug-In Hybrid [VIDEO]
Robert Llewellyn takes a brief test drive of the soon to be launched Volkswagen Golf GTE, the first plug in hybrid Golf.
With a 1.4 litre TSI petrol engine, 100 HP electric motor coupled to a 6 speed DSG gearbox and 8.8 kWh battery pack, the GTE can cover 0 - 100 km/h in 7.6 sec and returns 1.5L/100km.
Kia pushes energy-density frontier with Soul EV battery [VIDEO]
Kia Motors is using a 360-V lithium-ion battery pack of “class-leading” energy density (200 W·h/kg) in the 2015 Soul EV to give it range of about 200 km (125 mi) on the European Driving Cycle, and “real-world” range of 80-100 mi (129-161 km) in the U.S. The cells and the battery are the same in all regions.
The battery in the 2015 Kia Soul EV is the result of a three-year development program with lithium-ion cell maker SK Innovation. The 192 cells are packaged into eight modules and deliver a total battery capacity of 27 kW·h. The cell cathode is of nickel-rich NCM (nickel-cobalt-manganese) chemistry, with the raw materials for that and other components optimized for energy density, durability, and safety.
Kia says high-performance anode and gel electrolyte additive materials were developed. The new electrolyte additive allows for better range by more effectively dealing with low and high temperatures. A “special” ceramic separator with improved thermal resistance properties is used.
The cell casings are of polymer pouch type (as opposed to metal), and the battery pack is air-cooled. Standard equipment on the Soul EV includes receptacles for SAE J1772 Level 1 and Level 2 ac charging, as well as CHAdeMO dc fast charging (480 V).
The car goes on sale in the U.S. in third quarter 2014.
LG Chem signs battery deal with Volkswagen [VIDEO]
LG Chem has agreed to supply electric-vehicle batteries to Volkswagen, a company executive said Tuesday.
"Volkswagen has designated LG Chem as one of its key battery-sourcing channels to push its electric car projects," the executive said by telephone on condition of anonymity, citing the sensitivity of the issue. "LG is going to supply battery packs and solutions to the German carmaker."
The deal with Volkswagen is not as big as similar deals between LG and other leading carmakers such as General Motors and Ford, said the executive.
The partnership also involves collaboration on various products the German car manufacturer is working to develop as part of its electric-vehicle projects, part of its efforts to reduce carbon emissions.
For example, Volkswagen is working to attain "ultra-low-carbon mobility" for its new eGolf electric vehicle, said officials.
The vehicle is a fully electric version of Volkswagen's popular Golf.
"LG Chem will join futuristic electric car business projects such as [projects to develop] plug-in hybrid electric vehicles led by the German carmaker thanks to the latest battery deal," said the official.
An LG Chem spokesman declined to confirm.
LG Chem has been in talks with Volkswagen over the past four years regarding a business partnership involving batteries for electric vehicles.
The executive said it was Beijing's approval to proceed with LG's plans to build a battery joint venture in China that helped the LG Group affiliate land the partnership with Volkswagen.
Volkswagen plans to spend more than $2 billion on models and on two new facilities in China, increasing total investments in the world's biggest auto market to nearly $8 billion.
LG Chem Chief Financial Officer Cho Suk-jeh told investors and analysts that the company aimed to generate nearly 2 trillion won in revenue from its large battery business, including energy systems, by 2016.
The petrochemical business is the biggest cash cow for LG Chem, accounting for 77 percent of its 5.87 trillion won in sales in the second quarter. Batteries accounted for 12.3 percent and electronic information materials 12.1 percent.
LG Chem is gradually cutting its reliance on petrochemical products as part of an effort to diversify its revenue sources.
On a related note, in 2016 the company plans to begin providing carmakers with batteries capable of powering electric vehicles for at least 200 miles (322 kilometers).
LG Chem currently supplies lithium-ion batteries to General Motors, Ford, Hyundai-Kia, Renault, Volvo, and other carmakers. The 200-mile-plus range of the new batteries is roughly double that of the company's current, first-generation electric-vehicle batteries.
Silicon Valley startup Renovo Motors unveil $529,000 EV supercar [VIDEO]
When they started their company in 2010, the founders of Silicon Valley startup Renovo Motors saw a hole in the market for a pure electric supercar.
Today they revealed their first product, the $529,000 Renovo Coupe, scheduled to launch in the United States next year.
Performance specs for the all-electric two-seater, built on the Shelby CSX9000 chassis, include 0 to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds, with a top speed of 120 mph. The company says the car will deliver 370 kw (500 hp) and 1,356 Nm (1,000 ft-lbs) of torque almost instantly from its twin sequential axial flux motors. Power is controlled by dual RMS inverters which are fed high-voltage from a 740 volt lithium ion battery pack, with output power transmitted to the rear wheels via a single speed differential.
After developing the car in secrecy for the past four years, Renovo launched the running prototype last weekend at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. The company plans to begin taking orders for a production run of less than 100 cars, with the first cars due to be delivered in California next year.
Renovo’s founders, Christopher Heiser and Jason Stinson, previously worked at the computer security company Verisign and chipmaker Intel. Though they are new to the industry, they hope to find space in the supercar market alongside venerable names such Ferrari and Lamborghini, and relative newcomers such as Pagani and Koenigsegg.
Though many luxury brands and exotic car companies are starting to offer plug-in hybrids and pure EVs, including Ferrari and McLaren with their LaFerrari and P1, Heiser said in an interview Thursday that no one offers a product like the Renovo Coupe. That includes their Silicon Valley neighbor and inspiration of sorts, Tesla Motors Inc., which stopped selling its Roadster sports car in 2012.
Source: Renovo Motors
Fully Charged – Tesla Model S Road Trips [VIDEO]
Robert Llewellyn has had the opportunity to do a couple of long road trips in the Tesla Model S this year.
One to Cornwall and the Eden Project with co-driver Simon Hackett and more recently to Edinburgh and the Fringe Festival.
Consumer Reports: Tesla Model S: Problems After 15,000 Miles
The Tesla Model S electric car earned the highest score ever in Consumer Reports tests, and owners love them.
But after 20 months and over 15,000 miles, CR’s test car has had more than its fair share of problems.
Smart electric drive drag race [VIDEO]
The smart fortwo electric drive is a champion of urban mobility. But is it a champion of the drag strip? Against some of the fastest cars in the city?!
Remember, in urban driving top speed means nothing, it's the first 5 meters that count!
Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV Best Seller on UK Gov Grant Scheme
The Outlander PHEV is helping Mitsubishi sales success in the UK.
In July Outlander PHEV outsold all other vehicles which qualify for the governments Plug-in Car Grant, accounting for 43% of successful applications. This car has received huge levels of public interest, driven by the vehicle’s outstanding fuel consumption of 148 MPG and low emission credentials – 44g/km.
Toby Marshall, Director of Sales & Marketing for Mitsubishi Motors in the UK, said: “Now that the sales figures are in for July, it is clear to see we have made significant progress so far this year. The addition of the game-changing Outlander PHEV to our vehicle line-up has helped boost Mitsubishi brand awareness, increasing sales of all models in our range.”
