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      Ford EcoSport Copycat Electric SUV Debuts In China

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      Image – China PEV
      Ford is currently testing a new facelifted version of EcoSport in India expected to make its debut by end of this year
      Some automakers are quite notorious for ripping off designs from models retailed in international markets. This time it is Ford EcoSport which has been the ‘inspiration’ behind Yuan Pro EV manufactured by BYD. One glance at the compact all-electric SUV and you can easily conclude that it is yet again a cheap knock-off of a famous car.
      Yuan Pro EV has been positioned as a budget electric vehicle for less affluent consumers. However, it isn’t all cheap when you get to know what it offers. For its low price, Yuan Pro Ev is extremely well-kitted and practical. It has been designed on the lines of what the company terms as ‘Dragon Face 3.0’ philosophy.
      External Design
      The overall external appearance of Yuan Pro, barring a few details, shares an uncanny resemblance with the subcompact crossover from the American brand. When viewed from its side profile or rear, readers are bound to mistake it for EcoSport. It gets a similar shoulder line with roof rails, character lines, black body claddings and alloy wheel designs.
      The electric car even flaunts a similar tailgate-mounted spare wheel just as EcoSport. The crossover, however, distinguishes itself with an EV-specific closed-off grille and sleeker headlamps at front. At 4.37 metres, Yuan Pro EV is more than 400mm longer than its inspiration. It also offers a longer wheelbase of 2,535mm.
      Ford EcoSport Copycat Electric SUV
      Interior Design & Features
      Step inside the cabin and one would realise it is not a complete knock-off with a distinct interior layout. It also offers a decently equipped cabin which is not cheap by any stretch of imagination.
      The SUV gets a pleasant dual-tone interior theme with an all-black dashboard and off-white upholstery. The cabin looks minimalistic yet very functional. It gets a similar shaped 10.1-inch touchscreen unit slightly larger in size.
      It also gets an 8-inch digital instrument display and rear parking camera housed inside the spare wheel mounted at rear. Top-spec trims are offered with safety features such as ABS with EBD, Electronic brake assist, Electronic safety program, traction control and more.
      EV Specs
      Yuan Pro EV is available in three variants and two battery options. The base trim is offered with a smaller 38.9kWh battery which claims a delivery range of 301km (NDEC) on a single charge. Other two variants are equipped with a larger 50.1 kWh battery that promises a range of 401km (NDEC) on a single charge. The battery feeds energy to an electric motor mounted on the front axle which delivers an output of 136 bhp and 210 Nm of peak torque. More

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      2021 Tata Dark Editions Launched – Nexon, Altroz, Harrier, Nexon Electric

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      Tata Nexon EV DarkApart from launching new Dark Edition models of Nexon, Nexon EV and Altroz, Tata Motors has updated the existing Harrier Dark Edition model
      After witnessing an immense success of Harrier Dark Edition, Tata Motors has now introduced similar Dark Edition models of Nexon, Nexon EV and Altroz. All these models sport a similar all-black exterior theme as the flagship trim of the midsize trim.
      Bookings of the cars have already commenced and units of the special edition model have started reaching dealerships across the country. Like Harrier, Dark Edition models of Altroz, Nexon and Nexon EV have been painted in a black colour scheme with a glossy treatment and have been offered at starting prices of Rs. 8.71 lakh, Rs 10.40 lakh and Rs 15.99 lakh respectively (ex-showroom).
      Tata Nexon Dark
      Exterior Updates
      Nexon and Altroz are both highest-selling models for Tata Motors and strong sellers in their respective segments of subcompact UV and premium hatchback. Nexon EV is currently the best-selling electric car in India.
      The glossy black finish on the exterior body panels help enhance the premium appeal of Dark Edition models. On all these models, the front radiator grille and air intake vents on the lower bumper also receive a blacked-out treatment with dark grey inserts.
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      These dark grey inserts could also be found on the boot and below window line. A contrast grey finish is further added to the front and rear bash plates giving it a sporty appeal. Similar to Harrier, Dark Edition trims of models mentioned above flaunt a chrome badge with the letters ‘DARK’ on front fenders. In addition, all cars get bold chrome lettering spread wide across their tailgates.
      Tata Altroz Dark
      Premium appeal of the car is further accentuated by 16-inch gloss black alloy wheels. Nexon EV also carries forward a similar exterior theme but retains some of the blue coloured elements seen on the regular variants.
      Interior Updates
      Like the exterior, the interior of the cabin of all Dark Edition models wear a Granite Black interior theme with a glossy black finish for the centre applique. The leatherette upholstery with deep Blue Tri-arrow perforations and deco blue stitching further add a nice contrast to the cabin. The front headrests feature Dark embroidery whereas the mid-panel of the dashboard gets a piano black finish. The centre console now houses a darkened branding unlike the chrome version in the regular variants.
      Tata Harrier Dark
      Updated Harrier Dark Edition
      Along with the new additions, Harrier Dark Edition has also been updated. The special variant of the mid-size SUV wears a new Oberon black colour with a tinge of deep blue on its exterior. It rolls on larger 18-inch Blackstone Alloys which complement its sporty stance. Rest of the cosmetic updates in Harrier Dark Edition are in line with its smaller Dark Edition siblings. The all-black Harrier is now offered at a starting price of Rs 18.04 lakh (ex-showroom).
      Harrier Dark Edition has been made available in three trims XT+, XZ+ and XZA+ whereas Nexon Dark Edition is offered in XZ+, XZA+, XZ+(O) & XZA+(O) variant of both in both petrol & diesel fuel options. All-black models of Atroz and Nexon EV are available in XZ+ and XZ+ Lux variants. More

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      Vanderhall Brawley is the electric UTV we've been waiting for – Roadshow

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      I’m always on the lookout for the next cool dirt-mobile, and Vanderhall has my curiosity piqued with the all-electric Brawley. This electron-powered enclosed side-by-side has a range of up to 200 miles with four electric motors producing 404 horsepower and 480 pound-feet of torque. It will be the first high-performance electric UTV when it comes online as a 2022 model.Vanderhall, famous for its whack-a-doo three-wheeled vehicles, teased a four-wheeled dirt-slinger called the Navarro last November. The Brawley looks to be the next iteration of that concept, albeit with a name change.

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      Visually the Brawley looks like it’s had a lot of inspiration from the Jeep Wrangler in the front end with its slotted grille and round headlamps peeking out from behind. However, with 22 inches of travel, 35-inch tires and internal bypass shocks, it’s likely going to be able to handle the whoops at a much faster pace. Also included is four-wheel steering, which seems like a bit of overkill with such a short wheelbase — but hey, if you want to turn on a dime, this is the machine for you. Energy for those 200 miles is stored in a 40-kWh or 60-kWh battery running on 300-volt architecture. That’s not going to allow for crazy-fast charging like in the 800-volt Porsche Taycan and Hyundai Ioniq 5, but DC fast charging is available to give you 80% of a charge in under an hour. I’m feeling a little Jeepish just posting this photo.
      Vanderhall
      Further, the company did not specify if those are 200 pavement miles or dirt miles. In my experience, a 60-kWh battery paired with a light-weight vehicle is only going to last that long on the pavement. I’d expect the dune-bashing as shown in the company’s promo video to yield a range closer to 50 or 60 miles on a charge. That soft sand offers a lot of resistance, y’all.The Brawley has a removable roof section and also comes with heating and air conditioning, a stereo system and optional heated seats. There is room for four adults in the two-door Brawley.One thing I don’t see on the Brawley is a spare tire, which is a bit worrisome. Hopefully Vanderhall adds a mount to the rear before launch. I’m certainly not going off-road without a spare, and neither should you. Vanderhall did not release pricing or availability, but you can preorder your Brawley starting July 15 on the company’s website.
      Vanderhall Brawley electric off-roader is part Jeep, part UTV

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      Volvo could be switching to real names – Roadshow

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      Like many other automakers, Volvo envisions an all-electric future.
      Volvo

      Could Volvo be pulling a Lincoln and switching to real names for its future products? Going by a report from our friends at Automotive News, the Swedish brand may be in the process of dropping its long-running alphanumeric nomenclature.On Wednesday during a presentation about the company’s upcoming electrified future, an event where it revealed the Concept Recharge EV, announced future battery technologies and talked about its new Android Automotive OS-based infotainment system, Volvo CEO Håkan Samuelsson said the company’s upcoming all-electric flagship will not carry the XC90 moniker. “This car will have a name, more like a child,” he noted. Whether that means it will be called Sven or Abigail or something more evocative like the Climate Cooler XL or the Ice Age Initiator remains to be seen.But why go with a new name when XC90 is already so solidly established? Well, Volvo is doing this for a number of reasons. First, the battery-powered utility vehicle rides on a new platform, will only be sold online and comes standard with lidar for better safety. Beyond that, it will eventually offer advanced hands-free driving capability and, like a Ford F-150 Lightning, be able to power your home during blackouts since it will be capable of bidirectional charging. Pretty important stuff, and thanks to its space-saving EV architecture, this new flagship-caliber product should offer a sprawl-out-spacious interior.This new, all-electric utility vehicle’s name will be unveiled when the production model debuts, likely next year. The machine is expected to be built at Volvo’s factory in South Carolina with deliveries kicking off in 2023. Curiously, this will not be the only product to feature the Swedish automaker’s new naming convention. According to the Automotive News report, the company’s upcoming EV onslaught will also benefit from the same nomenclature. These future vehicles will be built atop Volvo’s new second-generation Scalable Product Architecture.

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      GM to source lithium from the US – Roadshow

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      Southern California has vast quantities of lithium brine that could be used to power the future.
      Controlled Thermal Resources

      As the automotive industry slowly switches from internal combustion to electric propulsion systems, it may be trading one dependency for another. Instead of being at the mercy of fluctuating oil prices, car companies are increasingly reliant on lithium, a critical component in advanced electric-vehicle batteries. To ensure that it will have a stable supply of this material, GM is working to source lithium from its own backyard, the United States. On Friday, GM announced a strategic partnership with and “multimillion-dollar” investment in Controlled Thermal Resources, which was founded in 2013 and is headquartered in both California and Australia. When asked by Roadshow for some financial specifics about this deal, the automaker declined to comment. CTR will supply sustainably produced lithium sourced from its Hell’s Kitchen Lithium and Power project located near the Salton Sea in Southern California. If everything goes according to plan, GM could have all the lithium it needs because this region of California contains one of the world’s largest known sources of lithium brine, enough to potentially meet 40% of global demand. Today, around 95% of the world’s lithium comes from a handful of sources including Australia, China and South America. Extracting this material also typically involves destructive open-pit mining. But this is one area where CTR’s technology shines.Electric-vehicle batteries require large quantities of lithium to function.
      GM
      Using renewable power, CTR’s closed-loop lithium extraction process is expected to dramatically reduce the time it takes to produce battery-grade lithium while causing negligible environmental degradation. Basically, it extracts brine from deep in the earth, removes the lithium it contains and then pumps the brine back into the ground. CTR’s operations also have a near-zero carbon footprint and take up little physical space.Thanks to this investment, GM will have the first rights to lithium produced from this development, which is expected to yield significant volumes of usable material by 2024. If all goes to plan, the automaker’s partnership with CTR could make it possible for GM to meet its ambitious electrification goals. The automaker wants to eliminate tailpipe emissions from light-duty vehicles by the year 2035 and make its global operations carbon-neutral by 2040.Doug Parks, GM executive vice president of global product development, purchasing and supply chain said in a news release, “By securing and localizing the lithium supply chain in the US, we’re helping ensure our ability to make powerful, affordable, high-mileage EVs while also helping to mitigate environmental impact.” Parks said GM will work with “state and local leaders” as well as CTR.

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      Tesla Offered 1,000 Acres Of Land By Gujarat Govt – To Setup Electric Car Plant

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      Rendered image. Credit – Backstage With MillionairesTesla would enter the Indian auto market with the likely launch of Model 3 electric sedan slated later this year
      Tesla has already established its entity in India with its India headquarters based in Bengaluru, Karnataka. It has also decided to set up shops in three different cities of the country- Mumbai, New Delhi and Bengaluru. The electric car manufacturer is currently scouting for a place where it could establish the company’s first assembly line.
      While it has been reported that Karnataka, Maharashtra and Gujarat are all keen to welcome the American brand with open arms, the Gujarat Government has meanwhile offered 1000 acres of land to Tesla to build its local production facility. The company is presently scrutinizing all available options.
      Tesla Playing Out All Options
      According to a senior Gujarat government official, Tesla is undecided whether to opt for Gujarat or dig deep in Karnataka. The official quoted, “There is little or no social life in Gujarat, while it is not so in Bengaluru. They are trying to negotiate with both Gujarat and Karnataka governments.” The American EV brand officially set its foot in India on January 8, 2021, when it registered itself as Tesla India Motors and Energy Private Limited in Bengaluru.
      The recent further discloses that the Maharashtra Government has also offered a piece of land in the state for the purpose of building its local plant. However, talks didn’t materialize ever since.
      Tesla Model 3 Spied Testing In India
      It has come to light that Tesla officials wanted a big web of charging stations in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region as well as near the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust, the port where the cars will land following imports. Tesla has partnered with 27 vendors in India out of which 20 are said to belong from Maharashtra.
      Since their last interaction in 2020, Tesla hasn’t responded to the Maharashtra Government. Earlier, Karnataka Chief Minister had proclaimed that the carmaker will set up its factory and R&D facility in his state shortly after it registered itself with the Registrar of Companies with a Bengaluru address. However, the Karnataka CM later deleted that tweet that contained this information.
      Gujarat Likely Host
      Meanwhile, Gujarat has offered land both inside and outside Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) in Mundra. APSEZ has an area of 8,400 hectares out of which around half is lying vacant. SEZs are designated duty-free enclaves where the Indian customs law does not apply. What also holds in favour of Gujarat is its new EV policy introduced a few days ago that not only offers subsidies on purchase of EVs but also provides setting up of necessary charging infrastructure.
      Additionally, land in Gujarat is far cheaper than that in Karnataka. Reports claim that the Gujarat government is looking to build an electric vehicle hub in Mundra and, therefore, has also proposed to allocate land for ancillary units that would assist Tesla. This would include land for an EV battery manufacturing unit as well as other component manufacturers.
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      Audi E-Tron Electric SUV Booking Opens In India At Rs 5 Lakh

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      Audi eTron
      Upon its arrival in India, Audi e-Tron will compete against other luxury electric SUVs such as Mercedes Benz EQC and Jaguar I-Pace
      After a long and arduous wait, Audi will launch its fully electric SUV e-Tron in India on July 22, 2021. Bookings for the upcoming EV have officially opened from today, at a token amount of Rs 5 lakh.
      Two differed body styles
      e-Tron is Audi’s first brand of fully electric cars and the company will be launching three variants of the car in the country which will incorporate two body styles. It will be available in 50, 55 and 55 Sportback variants with the first two being SUVs and the last one being a Coupe-style SUV.
      Audi was expected to launch e-Tron much earlier but plans got deferred mainly due to outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in India. Like most modern EVs, Aufi will utilise a skateboard architecture. All variants will be equipped with two permanent magnet synchronous electric motors, one at each axle thus offering Audi’s famed quattro all-wheel-drive system. e-Tron will be brought to India as a Completely Built-Up Unit (CBU).
      Exterior Design
      Speaking of its design, e-Tron flaunts a massive octagonal single-frame grille with vertical struts upfront. It is flanked by Matrix LED headlights on both sides featuring four horizontal struts that form e-tron-specific signatures in LED DRLs.
      Audi eTron
      At rear, the SUV sports wraparound LED taillights connected to each other across the tailgate by a strip of LED light. In addition, the slats in the large diffuser is an attraction since it does not get an exhaust tailpipe.
      Other exterior highlights include glossy black claddings, diamond-cut alloy wheels and e-Tron logo on brake calipers and charging flap which truly stand out in its orange colour. The only difference between SUV and Sportback style is that the latter gets a coupe-like sloping roofline as opposed to a conventional roofline in the former.
      Specs
      In terms of specs, e-Tron 50 forms the entry-level variant with slightly lower specs whereas e-Tron 55 and e-Tron 55 Sportback share the same specifications slightly higher than the base variant. e-Tron 50 features a 71kWh battery pack which is paired to a dual-motor setup and cranks out 308 bhp and 540 Nm of peak torque. e-Tron 55 gets a larger 95kWh battery pack powering the same dual motor setup.
      This powertrain pumps out 355 bhp and 561 Nm of peak torque. These figures could be boosted up to 403 bhp and 664 Nm for a short instance. The base variant is offered with a claimed single-charge range of 341 km and a top-speed capped at 190kmph. The top-spec variant is offered with a range of up to 441km on a single charge and a top speed limited to 200kmph. Prices of e-Tron SUV is likely to start around Rs 1.0 crore and go up to Rs 1.30 crore for the top-spec 55 Sportback. More