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      Vanderhall teases new 4-wheel electric off-roader in the funniest way possible – Roadshow

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      Watch out, world. The Vanderhall Navarro is coming.
      Vanderhall
      I love a company that can poke fun at itself, and this teaser that Vanderhall released Monday for its first four-wheeled vehicle, the Navarro, is hilarious. Touting the expansion of its manufacturing facility, the video starts by showing off a new off-road three-wheeler concept, followed by… well, I don’t want to ruin the surprise. Just watch the video real quick.
      Pretty good, right? I don’t know much about the new Navarro except that it has an electric powertrain — perhaps similar to the one in the Edison — and is made for off-roading. “The four-wheel, all-electric, off-road Vanderhall Navarro will have many groundbreaking technologies and firsts for any production powersports model,” company COO Scott Bell said in a statement.From the teased silhouette I can see a short wheelbase that should make the Navarro pretty maneuverable. The wheels are pushed all the way to the corners which means the Navarro should, in theory, be able to climb over obstacles that might challenge a larger Jeep. There looks to be plenty of room between the meaty tires and the wheel wells, possibly speaking to a long-travel suspension kit, and I dig the door cutouts. This thing also looks wired to light up the night with an LED light bar and two LED cube lights on the front. Until now, Vanderhall has only ever built zippy little runabouts for paved roads. Available with both gasoline and electric powertrains, Vanderhall products are thought of as three-wheeled motorcycles, sometimes called autocycles. The driver and passenger sit side by side, and the autocycle has two wheels up front and one wheel in the rear.It may just be a silhouette, but there are a lot of clues as to the final form of the new Vanderhall Navarro.
      Vanderhall
      Roadshow reviewed the Edison and Venice models, finding them to be a mixed bag in terms of performance. They’re fun to drive and quirky as hell, sure, but also terrifying at highway speeds for those not used to the vulnerability that comes with driving what’s essentially a toy car with little to no protection for its occupants.Vanderhall promises it’ll release more information about the Navarro on Oct. 19, and the full specs and features will be released early next year. Preorders should begin next summer with the Navarro launching shortly thereafter as a 2022 model. 

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      Tata Nexon Electric XM Base Variant With Steel Wheels – First Look

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      Nexon EV’s base variant- XM is well equipped and features distinguishing elements from its ICE counterpart
      Tata Nexon is currently the most affordable electric car in India for general consumers and therefore forms 60 percent of market share in the electric vehicle (EV) segment in India. Even though the EV segment is still at a nascent stage in our market, Nexon EV has managed to garner attention as a fruitful offering with zero emissions.

      Nexon EV is offered in three variants- XM, XZ Plus and XZ Plus Luxury. Most of the videos we have seen till now, were of the top variants only. But now, thanks to a video uploaded by Narru’s Auto vlog’s, a walkaround video of the base XM trim highlights each and every detail of the base Nexon EV.
      Exterior Highlights
      Nexon EV is available in three different colours- Signature Teal Blue, Moonlight Silver and Glacier White. The car shown in the video sports the white paint scheme. The XZ Plus and top-end XZ Plus Lux trims are only provided in dual-tone colour options. Apart from single tone colours, instead of body-coloured door handles, this variant receives black door handles. It gets 16-inch steel rims with wheel covers with blue inserts as opposed to the 16-inch alloys in the higher-spec trims.
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      The ORVMs too are blacked out instead of receiving body-coloured ORVMs, so are the A and B pillars. The ORVMs do come with integrated turn indicators. Black body cladding on either side is another standard visual on all trims. The base XM gets a pole-type antenna instead of a shark-fin antenna. Fog-lights are also missing from this variant. It gets a blue-coloured strip underneath the piano black grille which adds a nice contrast so that people get to know that this is an EV.
      The tri-arrow shape detailing can be seen at a lot of places including the blue-inserts on the front and rear bumpers, tail lamps and DRLs. ‘EV’ badging has been sprayed generously all over the car. The tailgate gets a piano black finish between the tail lights which also sports the ZIPTRON badging. There are no more visual differences when compared to the higher-spec trims.
      Features on offer

      In terms of equipment, it gets projector headlamps with integrated DRLs, electrically adjustable ORVMs, LED taillights, automatic climate control, start-stop button, passive keyless entry and much more. It gets a standard 2-DIN stereo system with a 4-speaker setup from HARMAN with Bluetooth connectivity and steering mounted audio controls. The base variant has been well-kitted since it targets general audiences, not fleet operators, who aspire to make a transition from an IC engine car to an EV.
      Powertrain
      Nexon EV is built on Tata Motors’ latest ZIPTRON powertrain which uses a 3-phase Permanent Magnet synchronous motor which draws its power from a 30.2KWH Lithium-ion battery pack. This setup produces a maximum of 129 PS power and 245 Nm of torque.
      The company claims a range of 312 km (ARAI) with an approximate charging time of 8.5 hours from 10 percent to 90 percent. Real world mileage claimed by owners is in the range of 170 – 250 kms. A DC fast charger takes 60 minutes to charge from 0-80 percent. The base XM variant is retailed at a price of Rs 13.99 lakh (ex-showroom). More

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      GMC Hummer reveal hits Oct. 20, and the EV may crab-walk its way onto stage – Roadshow

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      Four-wheel steering, crustacean style. 
      GMC
      General Motors is bringing back the Hummer, previously one of the thirstiest gas-guzzlers in its portfolio. This time, the Hummer is being dramatically reinvented as an electron-sipping truck under its GMC brand. On Monday, GMC announced that the much-anticipated electric truck’s release date will be Tuesday, Oct. 20. You may remember that the model was supposed to debut months ago, but its unveiling fell victim to the coronavirus pandemic.  What’s more, GMC has released a new teaser video showing one of the model’s key new off-road features, Crab Mode. In the video, you can see the rear tires turning at a fairly extreme angle. Thus far, the company isn’t providing any details as to the actual angle of that four-wheel-steering setup, but it looks to be enough to allow drivers to navigate around large obstacles instead of having to go over them. This isn’t the same as Rivian R1T and R1S’ Tank Turn mode. With four electric motors capable of sending power in different directions at the same time, Rivian’s Tank Turn mode allows the truck to spin on its own axis. Crab Mode is more of a side-stepping motion.
      The same teaser video also reveals the truck’s infotainment screen, which clearly shows a special splash screen for Crab Mode, and the inclusion of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Not only will the Hummer be officially revealed on Oct. 20, GM has revealed that reservations will be accepted the same day. GM says that its Hummer EV will go big, offering 1,000 horsepower and 11,500 pound-feet of torque. Don’t get too excited about that torque number though. It’s more likely axle torque, not the SAE-approved spec we usually use when talking about twisting power. (Let Engineering Explained’s Jason Fenske tell you what we mean.) Regardless, GMC says that power will be enough to propel the big EV to 60 mph in 3 seconds flat. With the Hummer EV coming online, as well as the Rivian R1T, the Bollinger vehicles and whatever the Tesla Cybertruck ends up being, the electric truck wars are heating up. We can’t wait to see which truck ends up on top.

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      Renault Kwid 800cc modified into an Electric Hybrid in Kerala

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      A group of 5 mechanical engineering graduates from Kerala have been working upon modifying a Renault Kwid into a hybrid vehicle
      The group had graduated from Rajagiri School of Engineering back in 2018 and had worked upon converting a Maruti 800 into an electric vehicle (with a range of around 50km). They had displayed the modified vehicle at multiple expos and got appreciation for the same.

      Iype Koshy, a businessman from Trivandrum also came across their previous project and decided to set up a company with the group which now specializes in converting cars into hybrid vehicles and has aspirations to get into Hydrogen and Electric powered cars. The company is known as HyMotiv and their latest project involves the Renault Kwid Hybrid, which is the focus of our story.
      Powertrain
      The highlight of the project happens to be its Hybrid powertrain. The team has retained Kwid’s petrol engine but additionally added electric motors in the rear wheels to make the vehicle an hybrid. So now, the vehicle can run on petrol alone, electric power alone or a combination of both the two.

      The engine produces power like in a conventional Kwid, however the 34 hp motors in the rear wheels help with additional power output for the Kwid. All 4 wheels have been fitted with disc brakes, which help with sufficient braking power to safely maneuver the vehicle.
      The total range of the electric-only powertrain is 150 km. The battery of the project has been sourced from China but the team intends to replace it with an Indian-made battery soon. The motors and controllers have been imported from USA. Overall for the drive, the major traction comes from the electric motors which contributes to around 65% of the power output.
      A synchronizer further helps to balance the speeds between the front and rear wheels of the vehicle. Combined mileage of the powertrain stands at 48 km/l. The team also states that they have installed a pollution reduction mechanism through which they can reduce the emissions by 60% and improve the mileage by 20%. Team claims that they have already filed a patent for the same.

      The battery takes 5 hours for a complete charge via a standard wall mounted charger. On the inside, the car includes an electric motor drive selector on the dashboard. Upon start, the car automatically starts in the ICE mode and then manually needs to shifted to EV-only mode or Hybird mode, as per requirement.
      Additional Tech
      The team has also worked upon a fatigue detection system which includes smart spectacles which can detect closing of driver’s eye lids. The first level alarm includes a vibration in the spectacles while the second level alarm includes a pronounced warning from the speakers. They are also working upon monitoring brain waves to further improve the accuracy of their fatigue detection system.
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      Taking a cue from Global OEMs which have worked upon autonomous driving technology, the team has plans to introduce auto park function which will allow the car to park in a designated spot while taking directions from the mind of the driver remotely. This technology too is under preliminary development stage and it will be interesting to see the final result sometime in the future.
      Overall, the Renault Kwid Hybrid Electric is an impressive attempt at localized modifications, however it is still far away from being commercially viable. However, we are hopeful that in the coming years, similar entrepreneurs can possibly help to change the auto-landscape of the country. More

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      Tata Nexon Electric Driving Experience Improved With Software Update

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      There could be marginal improvement in driving range as well
      The Tata Nexon EV, India’s best selling electric passenger car, has received a new software update that is aimed at improving the overall driving experience. The latest software version 2.07 can be installed by taking the vehicle to the authorized service center.
      Tata Nexon EV software update – what’s new?

      The Nexon EV’s V 2.07 software update is reported to have improved the vehicle’s creep function by reducing the response time between releasing the brake pedal and the vehicle moving forward. The overall operation is said to be smoother than before.
      Another significant upgrade comes in the form of improved brake energy regeneration which was considered to be intrusive by some owners when the state-of-charge (SoC) is less than 20%. The brake pedal effort has also been reduced and this could be partially due to the changes made to the regeneration operation.
      Tata Nexon EV – Hemank
      Furthermore, Tata Motors’ engineering team has brought forth improvements in sensor calibration to achieve more accuracy in energy consumption (Wh/km) reading. The coasting function has also been optimized for better driving experience on the highway. The overall changes are expected to improve the range marginally but there is no data to prove at this point.
      Nexon EV Performance
      Priced from Rs 14 lakhs, ex-sh, Nexon Electric is powered by an PMSM (Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor) which is powered by a 30.2 kWh lithium ion battery pack. Power delivery is rated at 129 PS while torque output is 245 Nm. Two drive modes are on offer called Drive and Sports. The system is powered by Tata Ziptron technology.
      Drive range of Nexon EV on a fully charged battery is claimed to be at 312 kms. But real world drive range is a lot lesser. Some owners have reported getting range of 170 kms while some have even managed to get 250+ kms. It largely depends on how you drive the car, in what conditions.
      Nexon EV Sales
      Since its launch, Nexon has been the best selling passenger electric car in the country. In the current fiscal year, Nexon EV sales have reached almost 850 units. While sales of other passenger EVs – MG ZS was at 387 units while Hyundai Kona was at 71 units. It is also to be noted here that Nexon is the most affordable of the three.
      Along with Tigor EV and eVerito, the total passenger E-Car sales in India for April 2020 to Aug 2020 stood at 1,408 units. Nexon EV has lion’s share in the market, which is at 60.23%. In the future, Tata plans to launch electric Altroz as well as electric HBX. This will help the company improve their market share in the electric car segment even further.
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      Delhi Govt to deposit Electric Vehicle Subsidy in bank account of EV buyers

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      Under this new EV Policy, the Delhi Government will provide subsidies to buyers of electric vehicles
      Delhi Government is set to become the first state government in India to implement its Electric Vehicle policy. The state is likely to roll out the subsidy schemes under the new electric vehicle (EV) policy next week.

      The Delhi Government had notified the EV policy for the national capital last month after a formal announcement by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. The policy was adopted with the aim to boost economy and reduce pollution levels in Delhi which is considered to be one of the most polluted cities in the world.
      At the time of the announcement, CM Kejriwal said that the new policy aimed at registering five lakh new EVs in the next five years. Officials of private nationalised bank- ICICI demonstrated a software to Transport Minister Kailash Gehlot which would be used for the disbursement of subsidies under the policy.
      Ather e-scooters will soon launch in Delhi. File photo
      Provisions Under This Policy
      This new EV policy will provide incentives up to Rs 30,000 for two-wheelers, three-wheelers, auto-rickshaws and e-rickshaws while offering a massive incentive of up to Rs 1.5 lakh for electric cars. This new EV policy will be valid for three years after which the government will review the conclusion of the policy. All the benefits offered under this policy will be relevant over and above the already existing Central Government’s FAME 2.0 policy.
      According to the payment mechanism of this policy, the subsidy will be transferred to eligible owners within two days to their bank accounts after confirmation from concerned motor licensing officers. Also, the dealers of EVs need to be self-registered with the Transport department of Delhi government so that they are able to transfer the subsidies to the beneficiary’s bank account.
      Also, the road tax and registration fee will be waived off by the state government under this scheme. Financial institutions will also provide low-interest loans to commercial EV owners. Not only this but the government will provide a 100 percent subsidy for purchasing charging equipment priced under Rs 6,000 for the first 30,000 charging sockets across the city. The new policy also mandates new residential societies and offices to reserve 20 percent parking space for EVs.
      After introduction of the new EV policy, Delhi is set to become the nerve centre of electric vehicles in India. Until the previous month, over the 11 million vehicles plying on Delhi roads, currently, only 83,730 are electric vehicles out of which majority are e-rickshaws. A similar policy in other states would definitely boost the EV movement in India. More

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      Tata Nexon Electric PDU of Rs 1 Lakh Replaced For Free During 1st Service

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      Owner of brand new Tata Nexon Electric has revealed that the service center replaced Power Distribution Unit or PDU for free
      Tata Nexon EV is priced between INR 13.99 lakh to 15.99 lakh (ex-showroom, Bangalore). It is currently the most affordable passenger electric SUV. It holds a 60% market share in the country’s electric four wheeler electric passenger car space for April-Aug 2020 period. The green crossover recently received a further INR 1.5 lakh subsidy from the Delhi government under its updated EV policy.

      With sales of the Nexon EV growing, more and more owners are sharing interesting facts about the new SUV. Some days ago, a Pune based owner shared real world mileage of Nexon EV. Now, Nexon EV owner from West Bengal, has shared the cost of first service.
      Nexon EV owner from Bengal (Youtube channel GodSpeed) gave his car for first service when the car had done about 1,500 kms. The service center said that they will need to keep the car for two days. They called him on the 2nd day and said that they will need to replace the Power Distribution Unit (PDU) of his Nexon EV.
      Tata Nexon Electric PDU replaced
      PDU is more or less the brain of electric car. It has multiple functions like battery charging and management system, electric motor control, air condition control system, electric steering system, short circuit protection, electric current leak protection, IP protection as well as control braking system.
      This is the reason that it does not come cheap. As per the service bill shared, PDU of Tata Nexon EV costs about Rs 1.02 lakhs. As the car was under warranty, this unit was replaced for free. The bill was Zero Rupees. It is to be noted here that the Nexon EV comes with an 8 years / 1.6 lakh kms warranty for battery and motor. It is not clear as to why the PDU was replaced, as the owner had not reported of any issues.
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      Tata Nexon EV at a glance
      To recap, the compact electric SUV is powered by a PMSM which is rated at 129 hp and 245 Nm of torque. Battery pack is a 30.2 kWh lithium-ion unit which offers a range of 312 km. The Tata Nexon EV is claimed to accelerate from rest to ton in 9.9 seconds.
      The estimated regular charging time (from 10% SOC to 90%) stands at 8.5 hours via any 15 A plug point while fast charging takes 60 mins from 0 to 80%. The vehicle’s energy efficiency is rated at 100 Wh/km.
      Tata Nexon EV’s Ziptron Power Electronics
      Feature highlights include regenerative braking, hill ascent assist, hill descent assist, powered sunroof, leatherette interiors, alloy wheels, touchscreen infotainment system, smartphone connectivity, automatic climate control, leather wrapped steering wheel and so on.
      With several noticeable improvements, the Tata Nexon EV software has made the crossover more appealing. With the festive season approaching, we expect the Nexon EV to maintain its segment leadership by garnering more sales. Competition comes from the Hyundai Kona EV and MG ZS EV. More

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      GM shares more secrets of its Ultium battery technology – Roadshow

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      Wireless management reduces the number 
      GM
      GM is sharing more information about its upcoming Ultium battery system, a potentially transformative technology that underpins the automaker’s future electric vehicles. On Wednesday, GM announced a new wireless battery management system (WBMS), which should improve scalability and simplify manufacturing, among many other things.Working with a company ironically called Analog Devices, Inc., GM has essentially figured out how to fit its battery packs with Wi-Fi. WBMS allows individual modules in the system to communicate through a wireless network instead of traditional cables. This reduces the amount of wiring needed in battery assemblies by up to 90%, which reduces weight, cost and results in cleaner, easier-to-build batteries. But that’s not all.

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      WBMS is designed to help balance battery chemistry right down to individual cell groups for improved performance. Periodic health checks of the pack can also be conducted in real time as well, things that should improve the working lifespan of batteries. And once their usefulness in automotive applications is over, they can be reused, combined with other compatible battery packs to provide power to homes or other facilities.
      GM
      Beyond that, WBMS will provide greater scalability, making it easier for GM to offer a broad range of electric vehicles, everything from high-performance sports cars to family-friendly crossovers to heavy-duty trucks. And that’s exactly what the automaker plans to do. Shared battery components make it far simpler to bring vehicles to market since engineers don’t have to develop specific components for every make and model or put together new wiring systems for each vehicle application. Aside from enhanced scalability and reduced complexity, WBMS makes it easy to add new features as they become available in the future, something enabled via over-the-air updates. And if you’re worried about hackers accessing your future vehicle’s Ultium battery, don’t lose any sleep over this. Cybersecurity measures are baked right into GM’s latest automotive electrical architecture, called the Vehicle Intelligence Platform.Ultium is the future of GM and WBMS will be standard in every one of its vehicles that use this battery technology. When it launches, this should be the first nearly wireless battery management system used in production cars and trucks. 
      The Cadillac Lyriq electric SUV is ushering in a new era at GM
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