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Discuss: Refreshed Tesla Model S has a Knight Rider steering wheel
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About that steering wheel…
Tesla
As part of its fourth-quarter earnings announcement on Wednesday, Tesla unveiled the long-rumored refresh for its Model S sedan. (The Model X SUV received major updates as well.) On the outside, the Model S has a new front bumper with slightly different intakes, a tweaked rear diffuser and new 19- and 21-inch wheel designs. All of the exterior trim is now finished in black to match the Model Y, but the paint color palette remains the same, with white being the only no-cost option.The interior is the star of the show, though. It’s been completely redesigned, marking the Model S’ first major update since its debut in 2012. There’s a large 17-inch central screen much like that of the Model 3 and Model Y, but the S retains a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster in front of the driver, as well. Tesla says the new center screen is basically a gaming computer with 10 teraflops of processing power, and the released images show it running the popular fantasy RPG game Witcher 3.Exterior updates were kept to a minimum.
Tesla
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Most radical is the new steering wheel. It isn’t exactly a wheel anymore, instead looking like a yoke right out of Star Wars or Knight Rider. There are no stalks, either, meaning the turn signals, lights and other typical features are now controlled by touch buttons on the “wheel.”There’s more carbon fiber or wood trim covering parts of the dashboard and door panels, and the door cards have been redesigned. The new center console has more storage space and looks a lot nicer, and it has wireless charging for multiple devices. The rear seats look more sculpted and have a new fold-down armrest with cupholders. Rear-seat passengers get an 8-inch screen that offers the same infotainment and gaming functions as the main screen, and it even works with wireless gaming controllers. The Model S has three-zone climate control, a 22-speaker audio system, heated seats all around (and ventilated front seats), ambient lighting and a glass roof as standard. White, black and beige remain the only interior color options.Rear-seat passengers get a screen for gaming, too.
Tesla
The Model S is now available in three different specs. The $79,990 Long Range version has two motors and all-wheel drive, with Tesla quoting a 3.1-second 0-to-60-mph time, a 155-mph top speed and a range of 412 miles. The $119,990 Plaid gains a third motor, “carbon-sleeved rotors” and torque vectoring. The Plaid has 1,020 horsepower boasts a 2.0-second 0-to-60 time (Tesla technically says 1.99 seconds), a 200-mph top speed and a 390-mile range.Then there’s the $139,990 Plaid Plus, which is the real big deal. Tesla says it has over 1,100 hp and will hit 60 mph in under 2 seconds. It also boats a sub-9-second quarter-mile time, a top speed of 200 mph and a range of over 520 miles. Tesla also says the Model S is now the most aerodynamic production car in the world, a claim likely achieved by the Plaid Plus modelThe only option besides color, trim and wheels is Tesla’s Full Self-Driving suite of driver-assist systems, which costs $10,000. (Tesla’s basic Autopilot setup is standard.) The updated Model S is available to order now, with Tesla saying that estimated deliveries for the Long Range and Plaid models will begin in March. If you want the Plaid Plus model, you’ll be waiting until late 2021.
Refreshed Tesla Model S has a Knight Rider steering wheel
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OneH2’s mobile fueling solutions should help as the industry continues to build out proper hydrogen infrastructure.
Navistar
When it comes to electrifying the logistics industry that underpins modern society, building the trucks themselves is only part of the equation. There’s a whole support system that needs to be in place as well, which is why going it alone isn’t possible to make the sort of impact needed in this situation. To that end, General Motors is teaming up with multiple companies to create a soup-to-nuts solution for electrifying long-haul trucks.Navistar, the company formerly known as International Harvester, announced on Wednesday that it’s partnering with GM and OneH2 for a “complete solution for customer implementation of a zero-emission long-haul system,” which is a fancy way of saying an entire ecosystem devoted to electric trucking. The group will work together on the trucks themselves, in addition to the ancillary stuff required to keep them operating.It starts with the trucks, which in this case will be International RH Series hydrogen fuel-cell electric trucks. Each RH Series semi will get two GM Hydrotec fuel cell power cubes, each of which contains more than 300 hydrogen fuel cells in addition to the management systems that run the whole show. Navistar plans to have these trucks ready for commercial purchase in the 2024 model year, with test models operating in a pilot phase by the end of 2022. The hope is that these trucks will pack a range of 500 miles or more with a fueling time of less than 15 minutes and Navistar hopes that its propulsion system will sport a per-mile cost similar to diesel. Here’s a peek at GM’s Hydrotec fuel cell cube, which is, clearly, not actually a true cube. Calm down, pedants.
Navistar
When it comes to the fuel itself, that’s where OneH2 comes into play. Navistar will rely on the company for the production, storage and safe delivery of the compressed hydrogen required to power the trucks. To deepen the partnership, Navistar announced that it will purchase a minority stake in OneH2, as well. OneH2 doesn’t just deal in gas-station-style fill up locations; the company has a mobile fueling solution, too, which should help in the early stages as the US’ hydrogen fuel infrastructure is still very much in its infancy. “Hydrogen fuel cells offer great promise for heavy duty trucks in applications requiring a higher density of energy, fast refueling and additional range,” said Persio Lisboa, Navistar president and CEO, in a statement. “We are excited to provide customers with added flexibility through a new hydrogen truck ecosystem that combines our vehicles with the hydrogen fuel cell technology of General Motors and the modular, mobile and scalable hydrogen production and fueling capabilities of OneH2.”Navistar has chosen J.B. Hunt Transport to be in charge of its vehicles during the pilot program. J.B. Hunt, a name you’ve likely seen on the highway, will put Navistar’s GM-powered International models on dedicated routes to see how these vehicles perform in place of traditional diesel-powered semi trucks.
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Maruti Dzire Electric by – Hemank Dabhade / Northway Motorsport EV
On a full charge, the modified DZire EV can do 250 kms when driven at moderate speeds
The electric vehicle culture in India is on the rise as every automaker is making some headway into this segment. Tata Motors Nexon EV has crossed the 2,200 sales mark since launch and the MG ZS EV got 200 bookings just in December 2020 alone. The Hyundai Kona Electric has also seen its share of success in Indian markets.
Maruti Suzuki is yet to launch any electric vehicle in the country. There was some talk of Maruti WagonR EV some time last year but there have been no further updates even as the company had been actively testing the model in India. In international market, Suzuki already sells the electric WagonR.
Maruti Suzuki DZire VXI Electric
Northway Motorsport EV has now modified a brand new Maruti Dzire into an all electric car. The car was purchased last year, only to modied as an electric car. The company has been noted for converting several other petrol and diesel powered vehicles into electric models, but this DZire VXI by far excels them all.
Developed in-house, the Maruti DZire now receives a 15 kW motor that can peak upto 35 kW. It produces 170 Nm torque that goes up to 842 Nm at the wheels. Even as the team has developed several battery packs, the DZire received 3 options each mounted on the fuel tank, transmission tunnel and extension exhaust area respectively.
Maruti Dzire Electric
The pack on the fuel tank is at 13 kWh while that in the tunnel stands at 15 kWh and at 1 kWh in the exhaust area. The Maruti DZire is water sealed at IP67 rating and receives a 5 speed manual transmission. Yes, a manual transmission. This is the first electric car in India to have a manual transmission.
Modifications made to the vehicle for conversion to electric power sees a reduction in overall weight by 3 kgs from 950 kgs to 947 kgs. This changes see a lighter fly wheel and usable reverse gear. The new DZire also gets VCU compatibility and full integration with all CAN functions.
Apart from minimal changes, all other features such as instrument cluster, throttle peddle and power steering along with safety equipment of ABS, EBD and airbags remain unchanged. For its air conditioning system, the DZire EV uses a Brushless Direct Current Motor (BLDC).
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The radiator fan works to keep battery and other electronics cool and he instrument cluster now gives off all vital EV information. The tachometer indicates motor RPM and the fuel gauge details the battery level. Temperature gauge shows off the temperature of the battery while charging level is also indicated on the instrument cluster when the engine is switched off.
DZire EV Charging and Top Speed
The new Maruti Suzuki DZire EV can be charged via a CCS 2 Port. It is positioned in the place of the fuel nozzle behind the fuel filling lid. Charging from 0-100 percent is done via a 15 Amp socket in 8 hours while the team is also devising a fast charging system.
Top speed is at 160 kmph while the EV can also take on a gradient of 34 percent and can tow a 3 tonne vehicle with free rolling. In full charge, the EV claims a 250 km range when driven at moderate speeds.
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Nio ET7 Electric car
NIO’s ET7 all-electric ET7 sedan to take on Tesla Model S in China
Tesla faces some serious competition in China as NIO has launched the ET7 electric sedan that promises an every higher range as compared to Tesla’s Model S. The new ET7 electric sedan was unveiled at the Sichuan provincial capital of Chengdu by NIO’s Chief Executive William Li Bin. Bookings are now open.
The ET7 electric sedan will be ready for delivery from 2022. Pre-orders open in China with the company not yet confirming launch in other markets. ET7 is offered in Standard, Premium and Extended Editions and priced at 448,000 Yuan (approximately $69,160) or at 378,000 Yuan without the battery.
Driving Range
The Standard Edition offers a range of 500 kms with a 70 kWh battery pack which is around 7 percent higher than that offered by the Tesla Model S. This goes up to 700 kms on the Premium Edition with a 100 kWh battery while the Extended Edition has a range of 1000 kms with a 150 kWh battery.
These figures are as per China’s NEDC testing standards while on Europe’s WLTP test it could give a lower figure. The Premium Edition is priced at 536,000 yuan while no price details of the Extended Edition have been revealed as on date.
Nio ET7 Electric car
ET7 Design
The ET7 is a large sedan measuring 200.7 inches in length making it around 5 inches longer than the Tesla Model S. It comes in with a single screen serving as an instrument cluster and one with a portrait orientation serving as an infotainment hub. This can be controlled via a digital assistant known as “Nomi’.
NIO ET7 gets Nio autonomous driving or NAD with a self-driving system with sensing technology, control software and computing power. The system consists of 33 sensors with radar, lidar and high resolution cameras along with 4 NVIDIA Drive Orin computers and vehicle to infrastructure communication and a capability to process 8 gigabytes per second. Buttons are very few and the steering wheel sports a two-spoke design.
Battery And Motor Options
NIO’s ET7 electric sedan will be powered by a single powertrain. This dual motor system offers a combined 644 hp power and 626 lb/ft (850 Nm) torque. Acceleration from 0 to 100 kmph is achieved in 3.9 seconds.
Nio ET7 Electric car
As is also seen with other NIO electric vehicles the battery of the ET7 can be swapped via the company’s network or power battery stations. The owner can drive into any of the stations wherein the automated system handles the swap.
The NIO ET7 is the company’s first electric sedan. They already have ES8 and ES8 models in the SUV segment. The ET7 electric sedan is aimed squarely at the Tesla Model S, and could be launched in global markets to take on the US electric car giant. More
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Tata Nexon Electric
An exchange bonus of Rs.15,000 is being offered on the purchasing the Nexon EV
Tata Motors has announced their discount offers for January 2021. These are across product range and in the form of cash discounts, exchange benefits and corporate discounts. The Tata Tiago and Tigor can be had at a cash discount of Rs.1,000 and corporate benefit of Rs.3,000 while exchange bonus is at Rs.10,000 and Rs.15,000 respectively.
Buyers of the Tata Nexon petrol variant do not receive any cash discount or exchange benefit but corporate buyer receive a Rs.3,000 discount. The diesel variant is being offered at an exchange bonus of Rs.15,000 and corporate discount of Rs.3,000. The Tata Harrier gets the highest discounts at cash discount and exchange bonus at Rs.25,000 and Rs.40,000 respectively.
Discount on the Tata Nexon EV
The Tata Nexon EV, which completes its 1st anniversary, is at a special discount at company dealerships with an exchange discount of up to Rs.15,000. The Nexon EV also receives 8 years/1,60,000 km battery and motor warranty.
It is priced from Rs.13.99 lakhs onwards and has emerged as the best-selling electric car in India in 2020. Sales in the past year stood at 2,529 units making the Nexon EV a leader in its segment. The MG ZS EV and Hyundai Kona EV were at second and third position with sales of 1,142 units and 223 units respectively.
Tata Nexon Electric Discount Offer
Not only is the Tata Nexon EV the most sold electric car in India but it is also the most affordable electric SUV in the country. The Nexon EV was launched on 28th January 2020 and celebrates its first anniversary in the next week.
Tata Nexon EV is presented in variants of XM, XZ, and XZ+ Lux and priced from Rs.13.99-16.25 lakhs. This makes it the cheapest electric SUV in India and another major attraction is the fact that the company also offers the Nexon EV at a subscription plan of Rs.29,500 for a 36 month tenure.
Tata Nexon EV- Power and Performance
The Tata Nexon EV boasts of a long list of features. It receives a semi digital instrument panel, 7 inch touchscreen system, automatic AC and a dedicated Nexon EV app called ZConnect which offers a total of 35 connectivity features that include charging station locator, driving behaviour analytics, vehicle tracking, remote diagnostics, etc.
Tata Nexon EV is powered by a 30.2kWh battery and a 3 phase Permanent Magnet Synchronous motor that offers 127 hp power and 245 Nm torque. It claims to deliver range of 312 kms per charge and is capable of acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in 9.9 seconds. Charging is via a standard 15A power output which can charge the Nexon from 20 to 100 percent in 8 hours or from 0 to 80 percent in 1 hour via a fast DC charger. More
