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<Dodge Sets 2024 Death Date For Charger And Challenger To Make Way For The Brand's "eMuscle" The best selling muscle cars in America will be gone in the next two years as Dodge transitions EVs Dodge Charger and Challenger Jailbreak models. Image: Dodge It’s finally happening: The Dodge Charger and Challenger muscle machines will be no more by 2024. Motor Trend spoke with Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis about the brand’s plans for the next two years as the company tries to appease muscle fans and appeal to EV buyers. Kuniskis is aware that a lot of people won’t be happy with the direction the brand is taking (he’s already receiving death threats for the changes). He calls it, “feeding the beast.” Image: Dodge The discontinuation of the Charger and Challenger, and the start to the brand’s EV models are all a bigger part of its “Never Lift” plan. Within the 24 months of the plan, Dodge plans to release special editions of each departing model: Editions they think will get people talking like the recently introduced Jailbreak. It’s really more of a softening of the blow to muscle car fans who will soon be robbed of their Hemi fix from the brand. Image: Dodge So, you’re asking, “what’s replacing the Charger and Challenger?” Those of you waiting for an EV muscle car won’t have to wait long. Kuniskis says a concept version of the “muscle EV” is coming in the next four or five months. And in a surprising nod to automotive outlets, it’ll be able to be driven and tested. Dodge also has a plug-in hybrid expected to go into production at the end of 2022. We speculate it may be a version of the Durango, but Kuniskis didn’t say whether or not the Durango would be moving to a new platform or if the model would be around at all. A third new model is also in the works. Kuniskis is light on details, but says “The third one is going to be a very, very, very, significant car at the end of the year.” And in a move that should make our very own Jason Torchinsky very happy, Dodge’s made up Fratzog badge will be used exclusively on EVs. Whatever floats your boat, or rather, charges your batteries. So you muscle car fans who are mad about this: calm down. Chances are the power output is even better than your Hemis anyways, and it needs to be done for the planet. You can expect these new models to take the stage at major auto shows next year, presumably in Dodge’s Detroit home, at the North American International Auto Show.>
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https://www.thedrive.com/tech/43172/ev-fire-extinguisher-pumps-water-straight-into-the-batteries <EV Fire Extinguisher Pumps Water Straight Into the Batteries The extinguisher hopes to make fighting EV fires easier for emergency crews. Electric vehicles pose a unique risk on the road, in that their lithium-ion batteries can catch fire and burn fiercely in an accident. Fighting these fires poses a challenge for emergency responders, which Austrian firm Rosenbauer hopes to solve with its new extinguisher specially designed for the task, as reported by Rideapart. The system consists of an extinguishing unit which is placed under the target vehicle, and a control unit which can be operated by firefighters from a safe distance, with the two connected by hoses. For cars on their side or roof, the extinguisher unit can be placed on the top of a vehicle, or even in the interior or luggage compartment, in order to best access the battery. Once activated from the control unit, the extinguisher drives a piercing nozzle into the battery pack, allowing it to pump water directly where it's needed to cool the battery modules or the cells themselves. It's an effective way to bring the battery temperature down, calming the thermal runaway that makes lithium-ion battery fires so spectacular. Being able to directly fill the battery with water is a far more efficient way of fighting a battery fire than simply blasting away with a hose from the outside. Rosenbauer notes that this has multiple benefits, allowing crews to put out EV fires more quickly, while also reducing the amount of harmful smoke and gases released along the way. The system also allows firefighters to remain at a safe distance, 25 feet away from the vehicle, operating the control unit rather than having to hold a hose. The extinguishing unit can also be left attached to the vehicle during transport, once the fire has been put out. Damaged batteries can sometimes catch fire again after initially being extinguished, so having the unit still attached allows more water to be pumped into the battery if necessary at a later time. The system has been tested in partnership with several organizations to ensure the hardware is fit for service. Patrick Looß, head of the Securitas Fire and Safety department in Leipzig, Germany, noted that "The extinguishing system is currently one of the best and most innovative of its kind to contain the spread of battery fires. Operation is very user-friendly and effective. From my point of view, the system is a must-have for every fire department." Expect to see this and other similar solutions become popular with fire departments as more electric cars get on the road. Alternatively, if solid-state batteries ever go mainstream, their lower flammability could also go a long way to solving the fire issue. Until then, however, fire crews around the world will need to be prepared to deal with battery fires, and gear like this goes a long way to helping in those situations.>
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Price difference between EVs and non-EVs to be gone in five years
chitchatboy posted a blog entry in MyAutoBlog
Nissan believes that price difference between (Electric Vehicles )EVs and non-EVs will be gone in the early years of the next decade. In a study conducted by Morgan Stanley, Nissan pointed out that EVs will reach price parity with normal gasoline vehicles in 2024. In fact, Nissan reckons it might even happen earlier than that. Speaking with Car Advice, Nissan’s global head of electric vehicles Nic Thomas said, "They estimate in 2024, in Europe, so where you have European emission regulations, you’ll get a crossover where batteries will come down below US$100 per kilowatt hour, and the price of NOx and CO2 and these things which is driving up the price of petrol and diesel engines will crossover,” “We’re actually more confident than that. We see in the products we’re developing for the early 2020s, we would expect to see that crossover. There are many different factors involved in that. What that means is that the product we might be able to launch in the early 2020s will be a beneficiary of that lower price.” That said, while batteries might be getting cheaper as more are produced, the raw natural materials like nickel and lithium are still subjected to market changes, possibly hindering the cost of battery production falling. -
Renault has signed on as official Technical Partner of Spark Racing Technology to supply Formula E cars that will contest in the FIA Formula E Championship. Formula E is a class of auto racing governed by the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) and is intended to be the highest class of competition for one-make, single-seat, electrically-powered racing cars. The series was conceived in 2012, with the inaugural race to be held in 2014. Demonstration events have been planned for the second half of 2013. Former Formula One driver Lucas di Grassi will be the series' test driver. Forty two cars were ordered have been ordered with Formula One team - McLaren - providing the motor, transmission and electronics that will be used by all the cars while Dallara Automobili will construct the chassis. Ten host cities are planning to hold the races and will occur exclusively on street circuits including in cities like Rio de Janeiro, Rome, Bangkok, Beijing and Miami - among others. The agreement was signed by Patrice Ratti, Renault Sport Technologies Managing Director and as a Renault SAS representative, Alejandro Agag, CEO of Formula E Holdings and Frederic Vasseur, President of Spark Racing Technologies. Renault's ongoing involvement in motor racing's series provides it with a unique technological laboratory, giving it an edge not only in the world of production vehicles but also on the race track. Renault's technological excellence extends not only in F1 but also in all Z.E. range. The forty two Formula E single-seaters built for the beginning of the first season will be aptly named 'Spark-Renault'. -
[extract] After dealing in the Chinese automotive market for 30 years, the German automaker Volkswagen (VW) is enjoying a sustainable growth. As a matter of fact, it has been determined to have invested an amazing figure, totaling
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The Renault Zoe was recently showcased at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show and even before the official launch, later this year, the Zoe has set a new world record for distance traveled in an electric car in 24 hours. It really looks like Renault wants to prove that an electric car can travel sensible distances in a sensible period of time. Renault ran a pair of production-spec Zoes at the Aubevoye speed ring in Normandy, France. The Renault Zoe is powered by a 22kWh lithium ion battery pack which drives a 87bhp synchronous electric motor. The car has a maximum torque of 220Nm and a top speed of 135km/h. The car's NEDC Cycle range is 210km and it's Cameleon charger allows the Zoe to charge at any power level, taking around 30 minutes to nine hours. In the record attempt, the car covered 1,617km or 363 laps of the Aubevoye, in 24 hours and it took 15 drivers to take turns at the steering wheel. The feat averaged to an average speed of just 67km/h but it also included the stoppage time for the car to recharge its batteries. Since the Cameleon charger could take power of any level, the car relied on a fast 43kW charge during the record attempt and this allows to batteries to restore an eighty percent charge in less than 30 minutes. The car had to be charged nine times during the attempt. Renault is hailing this record as proof that the Renault Zoe is just as practical as a normal car. A Renault spokesperson in charge of their electric vehicles mentioned that this feat is a superb technical and human adventure and the victory is a joint commitment to showcase the quality of Renault electric vehicles. The previous record for the above mentioned feat was held by Citroen with their AX CEA which covered 1,279km and the Nissan Leaf could only manage to cover 1,250km in 24 hours. Photo credit: Left Lane News
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[extract] Mazda has used the Wankel rotary engine for nearly fifty years. Other than Mazda
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The Euro NCAP system has now been applied to electric vehicles as well, and that meant a bashing for the Mitsubishi's i-MiEV. All the 'I's in the names of these electric vehicles are getting a little irritating though. Ipod.. well yes, i-MiEV? That's quite a handful to say let alone type. Who knows, the NCAP system for electric vehicles can become the iNCAP test. Anyway... The Mitsubishi was the first electric car to be tested and it scored a respectable 4 stars which equaled its rivals, the Citroen C-Zero and the Peugeot iON (get what I mean about irritating names?) The safety tests do not differ that much when compared to the normal fossil fueled cars just that for electric vehicles, the Euro NCAP engineers analyse the structural integrity of the batteries after the crash and the effectiveness of the battery cut-off switch which ensures the car does not end up being a fireball. In other results, the Nissan Juke, the Mitsubishi ASX and the Hyundai ix20 all scored 5 stars.
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Audi has announced it is working on a sound design paradigm for its upcoming slate of electric vehicles. Up to 25km/hr, electric cars make practically no sound at all, which can feel odd to the driver, and dangerous for the pedestrians. Past the 25km/h mark, only the sound of slipstream and rolling tires remind the driver that he is actually driving a car. There are laws on the books in Japan and the United States meant to protect the visually impaired from silent cars. To address this concern, Audi is working on a soundscape design, using the e-tron model as a prototype. This will artificially create some noise for its future all-electric vehicles. Audi doesn't want to simply mimic the sound of an internal combustion engine. The automaker is developing a sound design that's in concert conceptually with an electric vehicle. "The sounds used for space ships in films are reminiscent of car sounds, yet are also very different, making this a rather interesting approach," says Dr. Ralf Kunkel, Head of Acoustics at AUDI AG. "But the sound will be new and unusual. The Audi RSQ from the Hollywood film I, Robot gives an indication of how an Audi might sound in the future."
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Now we all know that going green is essential or so it seems, to our survival and our future generations as well. However, when this noble act of saving the earth becomes obsessive and as you will see, rather far fetched, it seems like car manufacturers are just jumping on the bandwagon to show that they're being 'green' and 'environmentally friendly' when in actuality, it may just be marketing ploys and the influence of pop culture. In one of the most surprising revelations in the recent weeks, Indonesia has revealed their latest creation. A hybrid car. Which is both amusing and rather desperate when you find out how long it takes to start up. The Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) revealed their car and unfortunately, it took 15 minutes to actually move. No doubt it still is in it infant stages, but when you reveal a car to the world, at least make sure it works! The ride was bumpy, slow, and there isn't even power steering. So is this a step forward or backwards? It becoming rather confusing. The main idea of a hybrid car would send the message that a country is moving forwards in the spectrum of technology, but this? I highly doubt so. The LIPI produced car is just one extreme. On the other hands, there are geeks all over the world who congregate together and think of ideas and designs which frankly only people who live in a world where everyone travels around in bubbles can ever think of. And if you thought a Chinese-American union was a good idea, this is what results. General Motors and the Shanghai Automotive Industry have come up with this: the EN V concept which is their idea of a 'new global urban mobility vehicle'. I can't really be bothered to talk about the designs but they can be described with one word; hideous. And this is a quote which explains what these 'urban mobility vehicles' are all about: "The EN-V concepts are GM's solution for the congested urban centers in which we're all likely to live by 2030. Their all-electric, two-wheel drivetrains take care of the emissions problem. They're also fitted with the latest GPS, vehicle-to-vehicle connectivity and an array of sensors and cameras that allow fully autonomous driving. The effect of all this tech is less congestion on city roads and the virtual elimination of accidents. Zero emissions, zero traffic jams and zero accidents
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As we are all familiar by now, hybrid cars run on both petrol engine and an electric motor. And this has caused a rather unusual problem. They're too quiet and that poses a source of danger to pedestrians like children or old people who can't really hear that well. Amazingly, hybrid cars such as the Prius only emit 30 decibels which is as loud as a Careless Whisperer.. The Japanese government is stepping in to tackle this new problem on their hands, one which they created for themselves in the interest of public safety and being environmentally friendly. What they plan to do is to install a simple device that makes a noise while the car is operating on its electric motor. The biggest problem that the Japanese government faces is the kind of sound that the car should make. Some suggested the sound of a horse's hooves, the voice of a person shouting out warnings, or the amplified sound of tyres. One thing's for sure is that the Japanese never fail to entertain just by looking at the suggestions to solve the problem! However, the Transport Authorities aren't going to make it compulsory to install such sound-generating devices into hybrids or electric cars even though they are becoming increasingly popular in Japan. Just imagine the roads of Japan with sounds of ducks, horses, monkeys? A jet fighter, a bomb, a phone ringing, an ice-cream van jingle. The list can go on... Which is why the authorities want to standardize the type of sound emitted before they implement such measures. Since Japan is always at the forefront of technological advances, I believe that if Singapore follows their example of promoting environmentally friendly vehicles like hybrids and EVs (electric vehicles), we will face the same problem they are facing now one day. So get our heads cracking and decide whether your car should go 'Moo' or 'Ruff ruff!'... But come on, what's wrong with conventional engine noises? Stuff your eco-friendly car with some Bose speakers and blast the sound of a burbling Supercharged V8 from a Mercedes SLR or something and the problem is solved. Well that's one possibility. What do you think?
