Fisker EMotion sedan targets Tesla Model S
Reinvigorated electric-car maker Fisker has revealed its upcoming EMotion sedan, promising a 640-kilometre range and a 255-km/h top speed. Unlike the previous Karma, Fisker’s original extended-range sedan that charged its batteries with a gasoline generator engine, the EMotion is a pure battery-electric using new graphene battery technology, says auto lifestyles webmag Motor Authority. Comfort will be another improvement over the Karma, with “superb” rear legroom and more interior space overall than its main rival, the Tesla Model S. The car has been designed from the outset to incorporate self-driving technologies and will be priced to compete with high-end Tesla Model S variants, meaning a $100,000 US-plus MSRP. Carr-E takes care of the “last mile” problem: Mobility pundits talk of “last-mile solutions” where urban commuters, having parked their cars or getting off public transit, either walk or ride on something compact and portable the final distance to their destination. Ford threw “the commute conundrum” over to its employees in the Last Mile Mobility Challenge, reports emerging-technologies website New Atlas, and the electric Carr-E, developed by a Cologne, Germany-based systems engineer, is a finalist. It can carry people or objects weighing up to 120 kilograms at speeds up to 17.5 km/h for 20 kilometres. The rider stands atop the threewheel device, or he or she can load it with baggage and the Carr-E will dutifully follow behind. New Nissan electric drive system sounds a lot like a Chevy Volt: Nissan Motor Co.’s new e-Power drive system marks a change in the company’s strategy. The system borrows from proven electric technology in the Nissan Leaf plug-in battery electric sedan. Unlike the Leaf’s battery-only system, however, it uses a small gasoline engine to charge the high-output battery, eliminating the need for an external charger. It’s a system that operates in principle just as the Chevrolet Volt does. The wheels are driven by the electric motor, and the gas engine’s only function is to charge the battery. Because it’s electric, e-Power delivers “massive torque almost instantly” and without having to worry about charging the battery.
Focus was on future mobility at
Detroit auto show: The Michigan Economic Development Corporation sponsored Planet M, the state’s partnership branding initiative to grow the mobility sector, at the 2017 North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January. Mobility encompasses ride-hailing, ridesharing and autonomous-vehicle ideas and technologies. A display within the Planet M display highlighted mobility companies and initiatives happening in the state. Planet M messaging touts Michigan’s leadership in talent development, auto-related research and development and vehicle-to-infrastructure testing. Planet M will itself be part of a larger initiative called Automobili-D, giving industry executives, experts and journalists first-hand experiences with developments in all aspects of mobility development. The MEDC says Michigan ranks first in the nation for its concentration of engineering talent and number of automotive-related businesses. Military Colorado makes its first public appearance: Chevrolet’s newest military vehicle, a beefedup hydrogen-powered Colorado pickup named the ZH2, made its first public appearance at the Specialty Equipment Market Association show in Las Vegas, Nevada, in November ahead of being shipped off for field testing early this year. Standing 15 centimetres taller than the civilian Colorado, it has a 177-horsepower electric motor powered by a hydrogen-fuel-cell stack that sends 236 pound-feet of torque through a four wheel-drive system with front and rear electronic locking differentials. Its 48-degree approach angle (39-degree departure angle) and 30-centimetre-inch ground clearance give it uncommon capability in extreme off-road conditions. It can ascend and descend 40 per cent grades and can navigate a 20-degree side slope. In brief: • A modified Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid hatchback set a new certified land speed record of 253 km/h on Utah’s Bonneville Salt Flats in November. The hybrid retained its stock powertrain but used lessrestrictive intake and exhaust systems and added a nitrous-oxide injection system. • Electric vehicles pose a “resoundingly negative” threat to oil companies, which should be planning now for eventual “radical change,” reports the Financial Times. It might take some years for EVs to rival oil, says credit agency Fitch Ratings, but electric cars soon will be price-competitive with internal-combustion vehicles.