QUICK READ
ELECTRIC
TOYOTA plans to introduce 15 electric vehicles globally by 2025, and the new bZ4X concept shows the way forward. Toyota says there will be a production version of this car, developed in conjunction with Subaru and ‘drawing on the specific skills and experience of each company’. The vehicle is built around a new TNGA modular platform that was developed specifically for battery vehicles. Thanks to its long wheelbase, cabin space is said to be on par with a D-segment sedan, in spite of its compact dimensions. | Motoring staff
FUTURE
AUDI is pushing ahead with its ‘e-volution’ towards electric mobility and has unveiled its A6 e-tron concept. Unlike the e-tron GT sports car that shares its gizzards with the Porsche Taycan, the new A6 and luxury EVs from Audi will be built on the company’s new ‘premium platform electric’, or PPE for short. Depending on the selected model, an Audi A6 e-tron is expected to have a range of more than 700km (based on the WLTP standard) – and the most powerful members of the family will sprint from 0 to 100km/h in less than four seconds. | Motoring staff
RAMPING UP
HONDA is aiming to increase its ratio of electric vehicles and fuel cell vehicles to 100% of all sales by 2040, chief executive Toshihiro Mibe said. Speaking at his first news conference since taking the helm of Japan’s second-largest car company at the beginning of April, Mibe said Honda supported the government’s green goals: “I believe it is the responsibility of an automaker to achieve our carbonfree goal on a ‘tank-to-wheel’ basis.” The company expects EVs and FCVs to account for 40% of sales by 2030 and 80% by 2035. | Reuters
FLAGSHIP
MERCEDES-BENZ has revealed the electric ‘sibling’ of its flagship S-Class sedan, taking the fight to market-leader Tesla in the battle for market share as electric car sales take off. The EQS is the first of Mercedes-Benz cars built on a dedicated electric vehicle platform built from the ground up. The flagship EQS 580 4Matic model has a motor on each axle and a system output of 385kW. The EQS interior has been described as a ‘Digital Deep Dive Design’ in which almost the entire dashboard is a giant screen. | IOL and Reuters
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