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      Old Volkswagen Beetle Modified Into An Electric Vehicle By IIT Delhi

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      1948 Volkswagen Beetle converted into an EV
      An old vintage VW Beetle has been successfully converted into an electric car

      Setting an example of how a fully electric ecosystem can be achieved much faster, folks at IIT Delhi have successfully converted a 1948 Volkswagen Beetle into a fully electric car. The project was executed by Center For Excellence for Research on Clean Air (CERCA), which functions as the academic think tank of the premier educational institute.
      If this technique can be improved further and made available commercially, existing fossil fuel car owners won’t have to invest in buying an electric car. The existing high cost of ownership of electric vehicles can be reduced significantly with this conversion technique.
      1948 Beetle electric project details
      One of the notable aspects of this project is that it has been executed with minimal changes to the 1948 Volkswagen Beetle. Only the engine and some components have been removed to make way for the battery and electric powertrain.
      This has ensured that the car can be easily switched back to its petrol format if the need arises. This would be sufficient to take care of any concerns that people may have about questions such as ‘what if something goes wrong with their car’s conversion to electric’.
      Team at IIT Delhi with the modified 1948 VW Beetle
      The ability to convert fossil fuel cars to electric would also be a great help to collectors who own classic cars. Parts for such cars are often difficult to source and there may be issues with the engine or it may have stopped functioning.
      An electric powertrain would be useful, as the exteriors and interiors of the car can be retained in their original form. Another benefit of electric powertrains is that they produce minimal vibrations. This can help prolong the life of vintage cars that are several decades old.
      Environmental gains
      The biggest gain of converting existing fossil fuel cars to electric will be the positive impact it will have on the environment. Adverse weather events are on the rise and most of it can be attributed to global warming linked to human activity. Vehicular emissions are among the biggest sources of pollution on earth, which is why we need to switch to an all-electric ecosystem as soon as possible. By converting existing fossil fuel cars to electric, we can reduce the time to reach that goal.
      The combination of renewable energy sources (solar, wind, hydro, etc.) and electric vehicles can transform the planet like never before. Electric cars have zero emissions and if their batteries are charged using renewable power sources, it would create a completely pollution free ecosystem. More

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      The Porsche Taycan just drifted its way into the Guinness World Records – Roadshow

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      The drift was completed in a Chinese-spec, rear-wheel-drive Taycan.
      Porsche
      The Porsche Taycan set a new mark recognized by Guinness World Records on Monday for the longest drift with an electric vehicle. Completed at the Porsche Experience Center at Germany’s Hockenheimring, instructor Dennis Retera held a drift in a rear-wheel-drive Taycan for 55 minutes, covering 26.2 miles at an average speed of 28.6 mph.The rear-wheel-drive Taycan is not currently on sale in most countries, so the car Porsche used for this record was a Chinese-spec model. The roadworthiness of the RWD Taycan was verified by Denise Ritzmann from European vehicle inspection company Dekra, herself a former drift champion.Guinness World Records judge Joanne Brent officially certified the attempt, which took place on the PEC’s wet skid pad. “GPS and yaw rate sensors within the vehicle were used for documentation purposes, as was a camera installed on the roof of the track’s control tower, with which the record ride was filmed,” Porsche said in a statement. Impressive as this is, it’s sort of a hollow victory. According to the Guinness World Records website, there is no current record for the longest drift with an electric vehicle, so the Taycan earns this honor simply because it’s the first to try. But again, this is still a pretty great feat. I struggled like hell to get an all-wheel-drive Taycan to drift for even 30 seconds during my recent stint at the Porsche Experience Center in Los Angeles, let alone holding a slide for nearly an hour. Of course, the technique for drifting the AWD Taycan is different from that of the RWD Taycan, but that just makes me want to hit the skid pad in one of these Chinese-spec cars for some tail-out fun.
      The Taycan Turbo S hits the track at Porsche’s Experience Center
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      MG Hector, Hector Plus, ZS Electric – Discount Offers / Benefits For 1st Time

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      Image – Ram
      This is for the first time MG Motor India cars are on offer with any sort of discount or benefit

      MG Motor India, has recorded sales of 3,625 units of the Hector, Hector Plus and ZS EV in October 2020, the highest sales numbers ever since the automaker made its debut in the Indian market in June 2019. MoM sales increased 47.81 percent over September 20 sales which had stood at 2,537 units.
      This success was marked increased sales, normally seen during the festive season. However, this was mostly a pent-up demand and the real test of the auto industry sales is expected to start now – post the festive season. This has now resulted in MG Motor India dealers offering their cars Hector, Hector Plus and ZS EV at attractive benefits and discount offers.
      Never before have MG cars been offered with any sort of discount or offer earlier. Ever since the brand launched their first car in mid 2019, their cars have enjoyed a really good demand; always with waiting period. But now, demand is not like earlier, and authorized dealers are offering discounts and free benefits with MG cars for the first time.
      MG Car Discount / Benefits – Nov 2020
      There are offers on the Hector, Hector Plus and ZS EV. There is no offer on the new Gloster which is a recent addition to the company lineup in the country. The benefits depend on stock available at dealerships and are restricted to certain variants only.
      MG Hector Plus
      Benefits on Hector and Hector Plus
      Benefits on the Hector and Hector Plus extend upto Rs.25,000 as an exchange bonus scheme; while customers making bookings during the said period will be offered a 3 year AMC maintenance pack for FREE. Waiting period for MG Hector and Hector Plus is no longer multiple weeks, as it was at the start (up to 10 months in some cases). Post lockdown, the waiting periods have comparatively reduced.
      Benefits on MG ZS EV
      The electric MG ZS SUV comes in at a discount of Rs.40,000, an exchange offer of Rs.25,000 along with a 3 year AMC maintenance pack. Earlier this year, when the ZS EV was launched, MG Motor India had to close the bookings due to tremendous demand. Bookings had crossed the 2,800 mark in a few days. As per sales data available, MG Motor has not delivered 2,800 units of their electric SUV till date.
      MG ZS Electric
      The ZS EV is priced from Rs.20.88-23.58 lakhs and comes in with a 44.5 kWh lithium ion battery and a 3 phase permanent magnet synchronous motor that develops 142.76 hp power and 353Nm torque. The SUV offers an ARAI claimed drive range of 340kms.
      The company’s new Gloster full sized premium SUV is not a part of these discount or exchange schemes. In fact, the company has received such demand for the new Gloster that it is all sold out for 2020. Deliveries for the new Gloster have commenced.
      Disclaimer – Discounts are offered by dealers, and they vary from dealer to dealer, depending on the stock. Please check with company authorized dealers in your city for exact amount of discount / benefit offered. More

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      Hyundai Mistra Electric Sedan Debuts With Creta Inspired Front Look

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      Hyundai Mistra Electric With Creta Inspired Headlight setup
      The Guangzhou Motor Show is being held from 20-29 November 2020

      2020 Guangzhou Motor Show is currently underway. It is one of the few automotive shows which has been held this year, as most others have cancelled due to the ongoing pandemic. Several automakers are in attendance at the 18th Guangzhou International Automobile Exhibition, being conducted under the theme of “New Technology, New Life”, where they show off their latest models and technologies.
      Hyundai Mistra
      The new Hyundai Mistra is in attendance at the auto show. This electric vehicle is in the mid size sedan segment and has been designed exclusively for the Chinese market. It will be officially launched sometime in early 2021 and promises to come in with a travel range of approximately 520 km.

      Hyundai Mistra is being made by Beijing-Hyundai, the joint venture between Hyundai and BAIC. It receives sleek styling with a front fascia dominated by a wide front grille with chrome finish, LED headlamps and flowing body work.
      It is smaller in dimensions as compared to the Hyundai Sonata standing 4,780mm in length, 1,815mm in width and 1,460mm in height with a 2,770mm long wheelbase commanding extensive interior space which the company states is the best in its class.

      Interior Features
      Hyundai Mistra gets several cabin comforts and technologies. It boasts of a 12.3 inch digital instrument cluster, a 12.3 inch infotainment system and driver assistance systems. Interior highlights also include a panoramic sunroof and a surround view monitor while safety equipment includes forward collision avoidance system, highway driving assistance and navigation based cruise control along with rear cross traffic alert etc.
      Engine specs include a 1.8 liter engine that offers 141 hp power and 176 Nm torque while buyers will also receive an option of a 1.5 liter engine making 168 hp power and 252 Nm torque. The electric variant gets its power via a 56.5 kWh battery pack with power and torque figures at 181 hp and 310 Nm respectively.

      The electric Mistra offers a range of 520 kms. Charging from 30-80 percent is possible in 40 minutes while full charge via a slow charger can be accomplished in 9.5 hours.
      There is soon to be a shift in favor of electric vehicles in China which is set to make up 20 percent of China’s new car sales by 2025 from a current 5 percent as on date. The State Council states that a policy paper is part of the country’s 14th 5 year plan and the Chinese government is set to improve green car quota system to guide automakers to produce more environmentally friendly vehicles. Companies such as Tesla and Volkswagen along with Nio Inc are boosting production of their electric vehicle lineup in China; with sales set to touch 1.1 million this year. More

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      Hummer Electric SUV Unofficially Revealed During Investor Meet

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      Hummer Electric SUV
      General Motors had revealed its plan for reviving the ‘Hummer’ moniker some time back in a fully electrified avatar

      GMC officially unveiled the first part of its highly ambitious project of fully electrified vehicles last month. The Hummer electric pick-up truck revealed that it has nothing to do with its predecessors and it is indeed a start of a new revolution by the American auto giant.
      Now, GMC has unofficially given us a sneak peek at the second part of this mega project- Hummer Electric SUV and visually it shares a lot of commonalities with its sibling. Images of the SUV were inadvertently revealed during an investor conference recently.
      Common Design & functionalities
      The SUV prototype is seen parked behind the company’s presenter’s, Executive Vice President, Doug Parks and CEO Mary Barra. The long roof derivative of the Hummer EV seems to be a near final production-spec model.
      The SUV shares its front end and bloated fenders with the pickup truck model while its overall silhouette is identical to the latter. It also shares the blacked-out roof and white colour scheme from the pick-up truck revealed earlier which is the limited-edition first-year Edition-1 model.
      Hummer Electric SUV Teaser
      Edition 1 Hummer EV went on sale a few days back and was completely sold out for the entire year in a few moments. As expected, the SUV is essentially the pickup truck rebadged with a permanent roof over the bed area. In all probability, the SUV version will share most of its features and mechanicals with its SUT sibling. This means the SUV will carry similar design elements such as center LED headlights with each letter of ‘HUMMER’ embossed in individual panels.
      Expected similar 35-inch alloy wheels with the option of 37-inchers like the military Humvees. Rear of the SUV has not been revealed yet but expect it to be in line with the design of Hummer electric pick-up truck so is the case with its interiors. It is also expected to be provided with a body-armour underneath to protect it from all sorts of damages which is set to protect the vehicle essentials while venturing off the tarmac.
      Functionalities of the pick-up truck too are also set to be retained in the SUV with a large central screen and a digital gauge cluster. It is offered with tonnes of off-roading features which enhances its off-roading prowess, the highlight being a ‘crab walk mode’ which enhances its maneuverability on a tricky path by moving diagonally.
      Expected Launch
      Hummer Electric SUV is also likely to draw energy from General Motors’ all-new Ultium batteries paired to a three-motor setup. This powertrain can generate up to a humongous 1000 bhp and 15,600 Nm of torque. While GMC has already revealed that the pickup truck will be launched late next year, the SUV will be made available a year later in 2022 as a 2023 model.
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      Tesla is bringing automatic payment to Level 2 wall chargers and here's why that's good – Roadshow

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      Telsa is giving building managers and landlords incentive to install more Level 2 chargers.
      Tesla
      Charging your Tesla at home is an integral part of the ownership experience for most people. Not only does it ensure that you have a full battery at the start of every day, but it cuts down on time spent twiddling your thumbs at a Supercharger station. Unfortunately, if you’re a renter, overnight Level 2 charging is a slightly more complicated proposition.That isn’t to say that there aren’t ways around it or that some apartment buildings don’t have Tesla’s Level 2 wall chargers installed already, but if you’re a landlord, apart from the marketing benefits, there hasn’t been a lot of motivation for you to install a Tesla charger. That’s changing because now Tesla is enabling automatic payment for its Gen 3 wall chargers, according to a report Tuesday by Electrek.

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      What does that mean? It means no more free rides for people using the Tesla wall chargers in their building. It also means that other charger owners in the destination charging network can now get paid for their investment or recoup some of the electricity costs.Now, if you’re a Tesla owner, this might sound like kind of a bummer. Charging for free is cool, right? But if there’s now an incentive for building owners and managers to install more chargers since they won’t be a drain financially, then they’re more likely to be installed in a wider variety of places.Of course, Tesla isn’t blazing any new trails here. ChargePoint has been offering apartment and condo charging systems with built-in payment processing for a while. Still, as Electrek points out, Teslas are among the best-selling EVs on the market, so opening this up to those owners without their needing adapters will further encourage EV ownership.

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