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      Tesla Model S, Model X refreshes inbound as EV selldown starts, report says – Roadshow

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      Time for changes?
      Tim Stevens/Roadshow
      Tesla may finally be nearing a refresh for its oldest cars on sale, the Model S and Model X. According to a report from Electrek on Friday, citing sources familiar with the automaker’s plans, Tesla recently told employees to liquidate all Model S and Model X cars currently sitting in the company’s inventory, which likely points to refreshed EVs this year.The website also noted Tesla actually shut down assembly lines for the two flagship EVs from the automaker in December. Combined with the latest reported information, it certainly sounds like changes are afoot. Tesla does not operate a public relations department to field requests for comment, so as always with these kinds of Tesla rumors, take it all with a grain of salt.

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      However, if Tesla’s determined to sell off its current Model S and Model X stock, there may be some sweet deals afoot. Perhaps we’ll see the company sweeten the deal in other ways too with extended free Supercharging or something of the like. We’ll have to keep an eye out for any sort of extra incentives, which could be more evidence Tesla’s ready to usher in some new, refreshed EVs.We haven’t heard a whole lot about what refreshed Model S and Model X EVs may hold, but a purported sketch supposedly showed what the company concocted for both luxury cars. The rumored redesign looks to include a lot of elements from the Model 3 and Model Y with a more minimalist approach and a massive screen in the center.Refreshed Model S and Model X EVs weren’t on our what-to-expect list from Tesla in 2021, but they would be a welcome surprise. The cars may feel light-years ahead of other luxury EVs at the moment, but they are starting to look a little dated.

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      Kia teases its 7 new EVs that'll launch by 2027 – Roadshow

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      Whatever this is, we know it’ll be electric.
      Kia
      Korean automaker Kia detailed its new brand strategy on Thursday, starting with a new name (sort of), a new logo and an increased focus on sustainability and environmental responsibility. All of this will culminate with the launch of seven new battery electric vehicles by 2027. Formerly known as the Kia Motor Company, the brand’s official corporate name is now simply Kia. The renaming is said to signal the brand “expanding its business to encompass EVs, mobility solutions and services, purpose-built vehicles and more,” according to a statement. In other words, Kia hopes you’ll think of it as more than just a car brand.Frankly, we don’t know anyone outside of the automaker’s own HQ who’s ever referred to the brand as the Kia Motor Company, so at the very least, this brings the official name in line with what we’ve already been using.

      More visibly, the new name comes with a new logo that will be adopted across the brand’s vehicles as part of a wave of updates and refreshes over the next year. Expect the upcoming Kia Carnival minivan — formerly the Sedona — to be the first model to wear the new badge when it arrives in the second quarter of 2021.Along with the new branding, Kia is also shifting a large part of its focus to environmental sustainability, both in the vehicles it builds and how they are manufactured. The brand reaffirmed its plans to bring seven new dedicated battery electric vehicles to market globally by 2027. Kia is calling these “purpose-built vehicles” or PBVs, each designed to fill a specific transportation niche. We got a shadowy peek at a micro autonomous pod, an individual urban transporter, a bean-shaped midsize commuter and a larger logistics vehicle during Kia’s brand presentation. The mix also includes more traditional designs, such as a hatchback and what appears to be a vaguely Telluride-sized SUV.The new wave of EVs will also usher in a new design language and philosophy for Kia’s vehicles. The automaker says we’ll get our first look at its new look when the first of its new concepts is revealed later this year.

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      Sony Electric Car Starts Public Road Testing – 1 Year After Its Reveal

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      Sony Electric Car
      Vision-S electric car features a technology that alters the temperature of the cabin depending on the driver’s behaviour

      Electric vehicles are the new normals in the automotive world. Every now and then we hear about a new electric car being developed and tested around some corner of the world. But when we hear a name like Sony being attached to a car, everyone sits up to take notice of it.
      Yes, Sony indeed has been developing an electric car which the world came to know about a year ago when it was unveiled at Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2020 as Vision-S electric car concept. A new video from the Japanese tech giant shows that a prototype of the car has taken to the roads for testing.
      The video shows a prototype of the EV wearing a camouflage-style wrap and a number plate being tested on the snowy roads of Austria with alpine woods covered in snow. The company has its engineering center in Graz, Austria.
      After its maiden appearance at CES in January 2020, the prototype moved to Tokyo in July 2020 for advancing its sensing and audio technologies. Though testing on public roads has already begun, the EV does not go on sale anytime soon.
      [embedded content]
      Specs- No lag in performance surely
      Information about the Vision-S electric car has been scarce. The specs announced on the concept car included a dual-motor with an all-wheel-drive setup generating an output of 536 bhp, 0-100 kmph acceleration time of 4.8 seconds and a claimed top speed of 240 kmph. At the time of its unveiling, Sony admitted that the Vision-S concept was developed as a means to showcase the company’s in-car entertainment and autonomous driving systems.
      Features and Technologies galore on Sony Vision-S
      As expected, the tech giant has packed the prototype with high-end technologies including camera sensors and more. Speaking of technologies, Sony has equipped the Vision-S prototype with 40 sensors both inside as well as outside instead of the originally intended 33 claimed at ACE last year in order to enhance its autonomous driving capabilities. These sensors include Solid State LiDAR for day and object detection and night-time vision and CMOs image sensors which help in object detection, colour identification and road sensing.
      Elaborating further on the technology part, the most eye-grabbing moment is a large widescreen encompassing the entire dashboard. The cabin also features cameras which continuously monitor driver and passenger facial expressions, gestures, and lip reading.
      Sony Electric Car Dashboard
      Another highlight is 360 Reality Audio which offers an immersive audio experience. The infotainment system also offers a 5G connectivity which also allows one to play your favourite game on PlaySation.
      Currently, the prototype has been equipped with Level 2 autonomous driving technology with features such as adaptive cruise control, automatic lane changing and a self-parking system. However, with improvement in technology in the coming future, Sony intends the final production car to be equipped with Level 4 ability which means full self-driving capabilities.
      Other details
      Some of its technology on board seemed to have been developed in association with its partners including Blackberry, Bosch, Magna Steyr, Nvidia and others. In terms of dimension, the Vision-S prototype measures 4,895 mm in length, 1,900 mm in width and 1,450 mm in height. It offers a wheelbase of 3000 mm and stands at a ground clearance of 120 mm (up to 135mm). If and when this car actually hits the road, it will be nothing less than a spectacle. More

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      Renault's Alpine performance brand is going all-electric, will co-develop new sports car with Lotus – Roadshow

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      Alpine is working on three new electric models.
      Alpine
      As part of its Renaulution plan to restructure its brands and become a leader in electrification by 2025, Renault announced today that it’s turning the Alpine brand into a fully electric performance brand. Renault’s Sport Cars division (which produces Renaultsport versions of cars like the Mégane and Clio) and the Sport Racing division (which heads up the Formula 1 team) will both be absorbed into the Alpine brand as part of the restructuring.Three new models are coming as part of the new plan, and all of them should be awesome. The first is a Ford Fiesta-size hot hatchback, which looks to have a boxy silhouette, a short front end and quad square headlights. The second model will be a compact crossover riding on the same CMF-EV platform that underpins the new Nissan Ariya. 

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      It’s the third one that we’re most excited about, though. A fully electric replacement to the A110 sports car is on the way, and it’s being co-developed by Lotus. Yes, that Lotus. From the small amount that we can see in the teaser, it looks very similar to the existing A110, which is fine by us — the A110 is gorgeous. There’s no word on what platform the A110 EV will use, but it’s likely to be bespoke. The two companies say that the project will draw from Alpine’s motorsport experience and Lotus’ engineering expertise, with teams in both England and France working on the car.The current Alpine A110.
      Alpine
      This won’t be Lotus’ first foray into electric cars. The company is currently finishing development on the electric Evija hypercar, which is set to reach customer hands at some point this year. That stunner boasts nearly 2,000 horsepower, a light (for an EV) curb weight of around 3,700 pounds, a top speed of over 200 mph and a range of 215 miles on the WLTP cycle. Obviously the A110 EV won’t have performance as insane, but the Evija bodes well for the engineering know-how that Lotus will bring to the project.No exact timeline is given for the three new Alpine models, but they will all enter production by 2025. It also seems like future Renault performance models will gain Alpine badging instead of (or in addition to) Renaultsport badges — a hot version of the new Renault 5, for instance. None of the new Alpine models is likely to be sold in the United States, but we’re going to keep our fingers crossed anyway.This news comes after the Renault Formula 1 team was rebranded as Alpine F1 for the upcoming 2021 season. Renault says it aims for the Alpine brand to become profitable by 2025, including its investments into motorsport, and the announcement seems to hint that the Alpine brand could re-enter the rally racing scene. At the very least, all future Alpine models will be majorly influenced by the experience of the F1 team. More

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      Renault introduces new Mobilize mobility brand – Roadshow

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      This pod-like urban runabout will be super-maneuverable. 
      Mobilize
      French automaker Renault is getting into the mobility business with its new Mobilize brand, which, along with the EZ-1 Prototype electric car, was announced on Thursday. This division will offer car-sharing, energy and data-related services to help make transportation more sustainable.Mobilize is pushing to shift drivers from vehicle ownership to vehicle usage by offering adaptable mobility services for individuals, companies and even municipalities. Subscription-based car sharing, ride hailing, and last-mile delivery should all be part of its overarching strategy. In keeping with all this, it has three major goals. Mobilize is aiming to reduce the gap between vehicle usage and cost, since most cars are parked 90% of the time or more. It wants to improve the residual value of vehicles, to prevent it from being cut in half after just three years of ownership. And finally, Mobilize is promoting a greener future, shooting to contribute to a zero CO2 footprint.On the product side of the equation, Mobilize will offer purpose-built vehicles for a variety of uses. Even though it will have dedicated engineering and design teams, it will still rely on Renault’s 120-plus years of experience manufacturing cars, as well as its extensive electric-vehicle expertise.These could be a few of Mobilize’s future vehicles. 
      Mobilize
      The Mobilize EZ-1 Prototype is a new urban mobility solution, one that’s designed to be shared. With a pod-like body and lots of chamfered edges, it looks like nothing else on the road today. And at just 2.3 meters in length, less than 91 inches, it has very city-friendly dimensions. Three of these little buggers can fit in the space occupied by your typical car. Thanks to its small size, the EZ-1 Prototype should be super-maneuverable, even in the worst congestion. Letting the sunshine in for its two passengers, this machine’s duet of doors feature top-to-bottom glass. But one feature that sets this vehicle apart from other electric cars is its battery-exchange system, which allows continuous use. Apparently, you won’t have to find a charger and wait for the EZ-1 Prototype to slowly absorb electrons.Underscoring its eco-friendly design, the EZ-1 Prototype is made of 50% recycled materials. And once it reaches the end of its life, 95% of it can be recycled. Mobilize can even reuse the batteries once their automotive life expectancy is over, employing them as stationary energy-storage devices.There’s a lot more to Renault’s new Mobilize division than has been shared. More information should be released before 2023 when the company’s subscription services are expected to become available.

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      Tesla asked to recall Model S, Model X over touchscreen failures – Roadshow

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      The Model S’ large touchscreen is the subject of this problem.
      Manuel Carrillo III/Roadshow
      Following an investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration late last year, Tesla is being asked to recall approximately 158,000 Model S and Model X vehicles due to touchscreen failures. Tesla Model S sedans from the 2012 to 2018 model years and Tesla Model X crossovers from 2016 to 2018 are affected by this recall, according to a NHTSA document published Wednesday (PDF).In its detailed report, NHTSA explains an initial investigation was opened due to “concerning incidents of media control unit (MCU) failures resulting in loss of rearview camera and other safety-related vehicle functions” in these electric vehicles. In addition to the rearview camera, the outage can affect things like the windshield defogger, turn signal chimes and the Autopilot driver-assistance system.NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation notes that the touchscreens in these Tesla models are equipped with Nvidia Tegra 3 processors with an integrated 8GB memory card. The ODI report says the memory card’s cell hardware “fails when the storage capacity is reached, resulting in failure of the MCU.” Upon conclusion of its probe, ODI reports “the failure rate in this investigation is significantly greater than the failure rate for vehicles involved in prior recalls involving similar behavior.”Tesla distributed a number of over-the-air updates in an effort to remedy this problem, according to the report, but NHTSA says these updates were “substantively insufficient.” Should Tesla choose not to initiate a formal recall, the automaker must submit a full explanation and supplemental analysis to NHTSA by Jan. 27, or it could face further penalties.Tesla is unable to comment on this story, as the company does not operate a public relations department.

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      First Hyundai Ioniq 5 EV teasers reveal concept car looks, generator capability – Roadshow

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      Lots of retro cues here.
      Hyundai
      We already knew Hyundai’s upcoming Ioniq 5 electric car would look a lot like the awesome 45 EV concept from 2019. But on Tuesday, Hyundai released the first official teaser photos of the Ioniq 5, and it looks nearly identical to that retro concept. That’s a very good thing.The three images show the front and rear views of the Ioniq 5, as well as a close-up of the wheel. In front, the Ioniq 5 has a more traditional bumper design with low-set intakes, but otherwise it’s just as angular as the 45, with square LED lights shrouded by a transparent panel that’s like a helmet visor. In place of the concept’s light-up emblem there’s a chrome badge on the nose, and the Ioniq 5 is the first Hyundai to use a clamshell hood design.Check out those awesome pixel lights.
      Hyundai
      At the rear there’s a more complex diffuser, but otherwise it’s just like the 45. The Ioniq 5 retains the concept’s pixel-style LED taillights, which are also placed behind a transparent cover that mirrors the one on the front. The Ioniq 5 appears to have a slightly taller and boxier greenhouse than the 45 concept, but otherwise the proportions look spot on.The Ioniq 5 will be available with 20-inch wheels, a first for a Hyundai EV, and they have an incredible directional design. The grey body cladding on the wheel arches has some interesting slashes, and the cladding extends to the side skirts and bumpers to give the Ioniq 5 a slightly crossover-ish vibe. I’m a fan of the green-ish, cream-ish matte paint, too.These are the largest wheels ever fitted to a Hyundai EV.
      Hyundai
      The Ioniq 5 will be available with cameras in place of rear-view mirrors, like the Honda E and the Euro-spec Audi E-Tron. Don’t expect those to be available in the US, though — at least not at first — because government regulations still don’t allow that sort of tech to be used on American roads. While Hyundai hasn’t released any interior teasers yet, the Ioniq 5 should have a minimal, modern design scheme, with a wide infotainment screen sitting atop the dash.The Ioniq 5 will ride on Hyundai Motor Group’s new E-GMP platform, which is set to underpin 23 new electric models over the next five years. Hyundai says that EVs on the new platform will get over 310 miles of range on the European WLTP test cycle, and 600-volt capability enables charges from 0% to 80% in just 18 minutes (or a gain of 62 miles in just 5 minutes). The E-GMP platform is rear-wheel-drive based, but all-wheel drive will also be offered. Recently leaked specs show the Ioniq 5 will be available with multiple battery pack sizes, a max range of 345 miles and a 0-to-62-mph time of 5.2 seconds.
      One new feature that Hyundai is touting for the Ioniq 5 is its Vehicle to Load (or V2L) capability. The Ioniq 5 has a 3.5-kW onboard generator that can power all sorts of equipment. A series of teaser videos shows the Ioniq 5 on a camping trip, where it powers everything from a treadmill to a sound system and even an oven roasting a turkey. Hyundai says the Ioniq 5 will make its full debut in February, and expect even more teasers before then. The Ioniq 5 should go on sale in the US in the second half of the year, followed by a number of other Ioniq-branded EVs.

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      Everything GM debuted in its electrifying CES 2021 keynote – Roadshow

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      Underpinning GM’s electrification strategy is something the automaker calls Ultium. It’s a tech-heavy modular battery architecture that allows for varying cell arrangements, making it so the same battery cells can live in a low, flat pack for sportier vehicles, or in stacked, beefier packs for delivery vans and heavier-duty vehicles like the GMC Hummer EV.

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