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While the CLA concept will only be announced during IAA Munich Auto Show (5 - 10 Sep), prototype with production ready parts has been caught testing on the road in Europe. The upcoming sedan will be part of the newly founded Entry Luxury category. The smallest sedan to carry the three-pointed star will ride on the Mercedes Modular Architecture. The next-gen CLA won't have a bigger brother anymore since Mercedes is pulling the plug on the CLS at the end of this month. Stay tuned for more info.

This is the replacement model for the aging A4 (yes, you read it correctly, no typo). So is the A4 dead? Why not really. The reason for the new name plate has to do with Audi's new name strategy, where odd number are reserved for ICE model (petrol and hybrid) such as A3, A5, A7, Q3, Q5, Q7, while BEV will be allocated with even numbers, such as the new Q4 and Q6 e-Tron, got it? The new A5 comes with a fresh look, updated tech, and a pair of perky ICE engines that Audi hopes will keep drivers happy no matter their budget. The base model has a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder that sends 268 horsepower to all four wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. Variable turbine geometry for the turbocharger up the engine’s efficiency (actual fuel economy figures are TBD). The new S5 has a turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 sending 362 hp to all four wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch. It's the first time Audi has used this transmission in an S5. Its Quattro all-wheel-drive system is hooked up to a Quattro sport differential with torque vectoring. It's the first of many cars to use Audi’s shiny new Premium Platform Combustion architecture, which is set up for front- or all-wheel drive, as well as straight-up gas or hybrid powertrains. Let see how the new A4 looks like in a few weeks time. S5 Sedan (Liftback) S5 Avant (Wagon)

https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a33435923/toyota-solid-state-battery-2025/ Toyota built a working solid-state battery-powered prototype vehicle that was supposed to be shown off at the Olympic Games this summer. Toyota is partnering with Panasonic to put solid-state batteries into limited production in 2025, but don't expect them on your Toyota vehicle that soon. For one thing, the automaker still needs to solve the problem that plagues solid-state batteries: a short life span. Toyota has chosen to focus on hybrid and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles as the cornerstones of its green strategy, but that doesn't mean the automaker is forgoing an electric vehicle altogether. In addition to an EV crossover coming from the automaker and its partner Subaru in the near future and a lineup of six EVs (some of which are pictured above), which are likely to land in China first, Toyota is currently working on a technological breakthrough that will reach far beyond its use in an EV: the solid-state battery. Solid-state batteries charge quicker, last longer, and have a greater energy density. That means that a vehicle outfitted with one can go farther than it could with an equal-energy lithium-ion battery pack. Toyota was to show a working prototype of its solid-state battery at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. That, of course, has been rescheduled to 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic, but Toyota still wanted to share how far it has come in building its own battery pack. Speaking with Automotive News, Keiji Kaita, executive vice president of Toyota's powertrain company, said the company has a working prototype. However, because of safety and durability issues, it has yet to harness the true potential of a solid-state battery. One of the biggest issues with solid-state batteries is their short life span: they tend to fail after repeated charging. "To counter limitations, we're looking at how we might adjust the anode or other materials. We are trying to reduce disadvantages that are found," Kaita told Automotive News. The automaker, along with its partner, Panasonic, is focusing on a sulfur-based electrolyte that is said to allow for a more efficient ion transfer between the electrodes. Still, Toyota needs to figure out how to create an electrolyte that won't become deformed by simply charging and discharging the battery, leading to pack failure. Samsung is working on the same issue, but instead of replacing the electrolyte, it's replacing the lithium anodes with a silver-carbon composite to reduce the destruction of the electrolyte while the battery is being charged. Kaita notes that Toyota's breakthrough in this area might come from new materials or a new design. So sulfur might not end up being the solution Toyota is looking for in the long run. On the manufacturing end, Kaita said that because the cells need to be produced in an ultra-dry environment, the automaker is currently producing the cells in compact booths. Workers reach in to work on the cells through sealed rubber gloves. That doesn’t lend itself to large-scale manufacturing. Still, Toyota says that limited manufacturing is on track for 2025. These batteries will be expensive, but if the automaker and Panasonic can figure out how to mass-produce solid-state batteries for its hybrids and future EVs, it'll be a huge jump for all battery-powered electronics, let alone electric vehicles.

JUST A SCENARIO Car Growth Rate 0.5% No of ERP Gantries = 0, replaced by advanced GPS systems, where average charge will be by the km. Free OFF PEAK, rising to $2 per km during peak hours in the city. Average day time rate $0.25 per km. Average motorist doing 60km pays about $20 per day. Average bill for motorist $500 per month. Bill for those who drive 40km at 8am and 6pm every day and 20km outside these hours $1,500 per month Petrol price $2.5 per litre. Average bill for motorist $400 per month. Car price $60-80k for popular models. Average depreciation + financing + insurance = $700 per month, no road tax!! Average cost of driving = $1,600 per month or as much as $2,500 per month for those who drive during AM and PM peaks. Inflation not factored in. Number of motorists = 20% more than 2008 Population = 50% more than 2008 % who can afford to drive as reflected in the increased costs. Be mentally prepared..... If we continue as we are now without changes, we will be like Jakarta or Bangkok or KL - terrible jams.