27 April 2018 | Leaked Image Of VW ID ‘Neo’, $155k For Polestar 1 and EV Rental From IKEA
Episode 102, Apr 26, 2018, 11:01 PM
Image Of First VW I.D. Electric Car Leaks | 8th Generation VW Golf To Feature 48v Mild Hybrid | Polestar 1 Has $155k Price Tag | Ikea France Forms Partnership With Renault Mobility | Pininfarina Debuts K350 Electric SUV And H500 EV | Mack Trucks To Have Fully Electric Refuse Vehicle | Electric Toyota C-HR Revealed At The Beijing Motor Show
Friday 27th April 2018.
IMAGE OF VW’S FIRST NEW PRODUCTION ELECTRIC CAR REPORTEDLY LEAKS
- But the top story today. According to Bild newspaper in Germany, and a story spread by Electrek, an image of VW’s first full electric car was leaked today. This is the I.D. - there were previously three were calling the ID, the ID CROZZ and the ID BUZZ. This now has a name, the Neo, and it’s the Golf-sized full BEV.
- It’s being put into production in 2019 as a 2020 model year.
- Why this picture came to light today is up for debate. Maybe a supplier leaked, maybe a member of staff at VW, maybe it’s a really good photoshop.
- Assuming it is a picture of a production / prototype model, as in something that’s further along than the concept, what does it reveal? Well it’s very similar to the concept for a start. The short stubby nose remains, as we’re seeing with EV platforms which are designed for purpose, and not mutating a design which was to have an engine up front. The front bumper now has one long, horizontal, open area running the width of the car and along the bottom of the front bumper, which looks like it’s to suck in air for cooling. Above that, as we’re seeing with designs like the Hyundai Kona or Model 3, there is no grill because there doesn’t need to be one. The bonnet rakes quite quickly up to the bottom of the windscreen, which stats low down the front of the car and is a big piece of glass, same as the concept, for lots of light.
- The side is pictured and that’s pretty conventional, and similar to the concept too, what we don’t see is the rear. The wheels on this picture look like the Model 3 Aero Wheels which some extra silver detailing, but basically the same for maximum range.
- It’s very simple, very true to the one you might have seen Johnny Smith feature on Fully Charged. I hope it’s a real pic because it’s stylish without being cutting edge.
- A reminder of the specs, and this could all change, but real world range of 400kms which would be incredible, and a price of £25,000 or $30,000. The Bild article, which is behind a paywall, does say VW want to bring it in at $5,000 less than a base Model 3.
- We recently heard of the double digit billion Euro contracts signed for battery and tech supply, the factories being retooled and investment VW are putting into their MEB platform for this, and other, EVs.
- There was a lot of cynicism on forums and comments today, and that’s understandable given dieselgate, but I think VW are too far down the road to be bluffing. Add that to the change at the top of the company with Herbert Diess now in charge, remember the man who came from BMW and responsible for pushing the i3 and i8 when nobody else was doing electric stuff, this looks like it’s real.
VOLKSWAGEN TO OFFER 48V MILD HYBRID VERSION OF EIGHTH-GENERATION GOLF IN 2019
- Volkswagen will launcha 48V mild hybrid version of its Golf for the next generation, the 8th iteration of the car. Dr. Frank Welsch, Member of the Board of Management for Volkswagen Passenger Cars with responsibility for Technical Development said: “Electrifying conventional drives will enable us to further reduce consumption and emissions while also increasing dynamics and convenience. We are starting this extensive electrification campaign with Volkswagen’s best-selling vehicle to date—the Golf. Our newly developed, cost-effective 48-V mild hybrid will pave the way for introducing this type of technology to the mainstream.”
- “Volkswagen will combine the combustion engine with a 48-V belt-integrated starter generator and a 48-V battery. This combination represents the gateway to the future of Volkswagen hybrid models. The 48-V mild hybrid makes it possible to coast with the combustion engine completely switched off, thereby saving up to 0.3 liters of fuel over 100 kilometers. This mild-hybrid solution also offers much improved dynamics and convenience as a result of providing an electric boost upon start-up” says GreenCarCongress.
- It's rumoured that the new Golf will make its first appearance at the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show
- And of course by staying at 48v that’s not high voltage, requiring most cost and those orange cables you’re used to seeing on EVs. However the downside of soft hybrids is no pure EV propulsion
- Given our last two stories, the ID and the soft hybrid Golfs, i can’t see a future for the current eGolf.
POLESTAR 1 WILL START AT $155,000 IN THE UNITED STATES
- News from the Beijing show, not about a car now, but about the price of one you already know about. That’s the Polestar 1. Plug in hybrid, and available online only, several website today put a $155,000 sticker price on it. But at the Geneva auto show in March, Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath told Autoblog that "Polestar will be subscription service, 100 percent", 2 or 3 years. So what I still don’t understand, why is there even a sticker price? Is it just to frame it so you know what kind of cars it’s up against?
IKEA FRANCE FORMS PARTNERSHIP WITH RENAULT MOBILITY
- IKEA has signed a partnership with Renault MOBILITY to offer its customers in France access to zero emission cars and vans. The service will help customers make their way home with their shopping by providing vehicles to hire by the hour” reports Fleet Europe: “the fleet will be all-electric by 2020. Renault MOBILITY envisages nearly 300 cars and light commercial vehicles being based at IKEA stores. Rates start at just €7 per hour, which includes insurance and 100km range. Customers access the vehicles via an app
PININFARINA DEBUTS K350 ELECTRIC SUV AND H500 EV SEDAN IN CHINA
- We talked last week about legendary designer Pininfarina, and now we’ve seen two models revealed at Auto China 2018.
- They are the H500 – that’s a concept for a full electric sedan, the interior features 4 single seats with adjustable touch screens for both front and rear passengers, as well as a touchscreen that slides on the door panels making it easier to share entertainment.
- The K350 however is an SUV that does look lovely, very modern, but all compact SUVs are starting to converge.
- equipped with the cutting-edge technology developed by Hybrid Kinetic Group for the traction system, with battery, electric motors with a power rating of over 300 kW, control unit and a range extender that enables a range of over 1000 km (620 miles) to be achieved.
MACK TRUCKS TO HAVE FULLY ELECTRIC REFUSE VEHICLE OPERATING IN NEW YORK CITY IN 2019
- Mack Trucks, part of Volvo, plans to have a fully electric Mack® LR refuse model equipped with an integrated Mack electric drivetrain operating in North America in 2019. The New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY), one of Mack’s largest customers, will test the demonstration vehicle in its highly demanding operations.
ELECTRIC TOYOTA C-HR REVEALED AT THE BEIJING MOTOR SHOW
- As I hinted to yesterday, was confirmed today at Auto China 2018. The Toyota CHR crossover was announced to be ready for China in 2020. It’s one of 10 electrified cars heading from Toyota to China. it’ll be the first full-EV on the firm’s TNGA platform, which also underpins the Prius hybrid and forthcoming RAV4
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