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      in Motor News

      RV Solar Awning Can Help Power Appliances While Keeping You Cool

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      RVs are incredibly popular right now, and anything that allows you to spend more time off-grid certainly has an audience waiting to check it out.The latest such accessory is the Xpanse Solar Awning, which can provide up to 1.2 kW of solar power to power up an RV full of appliances while it shades your comfy seats below.Xponent Power will take your pre-order $100 deposit and is offering the awning at an initial price of $7500 through October 30, but buyers after that will pay $10,000. Deliveries should happen sometime next year.There’s been an unmistakable boom in RV sales during the pandemic. According to the RV Industry Association (RVIA), there were just over 55,000 RV shipments in the U.S. in September 2021, a 32.2 percent increase over the same month in 2020. September 2021 was also the highest month for RV sales that the RVIA has ever tracked, which helped 2021’s third quarter (July to September) become the highest sales quarter ever, with 152,370 RVs shipped. In other words, if you’re getting ready to launch the “first commercially available retractable solar awning for RVs,” now’s the perfect time.

      Xponent Power, which is coming out of stealth mode today, is right on time with its new Xpanse solar awning. Instead of a fabric awning to provide shade near the camper, the Xpanse awning is made up of thin, high-efficiency solar panels that fold together in a zigzag fashion and hide inside a protective shell on the top of the RV when not in use. Xponent said it takes 30 seconds to extend or retract the awning, which in standard form is about 16 feet long and can be mounted anywhere there is space available to mount two side arms 16 feet apart, company founder Rohini Raghunathan told Car and Driver, adding that Xponent is working on designing other sizes and ways of attaching it to an RV.”The Xpanse solar awning can be sized anywhere from three feet to 16 feet,” Raghunathan said. “We are in the process of designing the next-generation product that will not require side arms and hence will be compatible with a broader base of models, including Sprinter-type vehicles.”

      Palmer Morse/Xpanse

      The Xpanse awning can provide up to 1.2 kW of solar power to run onboard appliances and is unsurprisingly compatible with the kinds of electrical components used in traditional RV solar installations, including charge controllers, batteries, and inverters, plus RV appliances such as refrigerators, lights, and microwaves, the company said. It can be installed on either side of an RV, so if you like the shade awning you already have but want an additional power source, that’s not a problem.

      Xponent Power

      Xponent said it designed the Xpanse so it doesn’t cause problems when the wind picks up. For one thing, the solar panels are separated from each other to let air pass through and thus stay stable “even at relatively high wind speeds,” the company said in a statement. At higher speeds, the awning uses built-in sensors detect wins speed and automatically retract when needed. The awning decides when to retract using what Xponent calls “extensive machine learning” that has helped the company identify situations when it is no longer safe to have the awning out.There are still some details pending. For example, Raghunathan said Xponent is currently in discussion with manufacturing and assembly partners in the U.S. and hasn’t yet finalized the assembly location. “We are also in discussions with solar cell manufacturers for sourcing and final decisions have not yet been made about where these cells will be sourced from,” she said. Even more interesting, the company said it is also in talks with automotive and RV manufacturers to offer the Xpanse as a pre-installed option on new vehicles.

      Xponent Power

      Xponent Power plans to charge $10,000 for this solar awning system but initially is offering it for $7500 for those who order by October 30. The company will start taking $100 refundable pre-order deposits today even though the first product deliveries won’t happen until 2022.

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      in Motor News

      Hertz Buying 100,000 Teslas in $4.2 Billion Deal, Making EVs 20 Percent of Its Fleet

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      Rental giant Hertz announced this morning that it is ordering 100,000 Tesla Model 3 EVs, giving it “the largest EV rental fleet in North America” and making EVs 20 percent of the Hertz fleet.Hertz promised that customers will start to find Tesla Model 3 cars at some locations in the U.S. and Europe starting in early November. The full 100,000-car order is expected to be fulfilled by the end of 2022.Hertz said it will also install “thousands” of charging stations in its locations, which will supplement Tesla’s already expansive Supercharger network, and will set up an expedited app-based booking process for the EVs.In a major move both for Tesla and the rental-car market, Hertz has announced it has ordered 100,000 Teslas. The rental-car company’s $4.2 billion order represents the largest single EV purchase to date, as Bloomberg noted this morning. Tesla Model 3 cars will start appearing in Hertz airport and other rental locations next month, and the cars will continue to roll out across U.S. and Europe locations through the end of 2022. Hertz also announced today that customers who rent a Model 3 before February 1, 2022, who use the Tesla charging network will get free charging privileges. The announcement did not specify whether all 100,000 cars will be Model 3s but did not mention other Tesla models.

      A big part of this deal, of course, is that Hertz customers will get to use Tesla’s expansive Supercharger network, and Hertz also said it will install “thousands” of chargers across the U.S. and Europe. The Hertz plan is to set up Level 2 and DC fast-charging stations in 65 cities by the end of 2022 and more than 100 by the end of 2023, although the rental company alluded to “semiconductor chip shortages or other constraints” as one reason that ambition could be delayed.Hertz is also promising faster booking through an EV-specific function on the Hertz app.The rental-car company first offered EVs in 2011 and started offering the Tesla Model S at airports in California in 2013, but as recently as 2017 Hertz and Enterprise both told Car and Driver that they were cutting their EV fleets because of low demand. One obvious difference between 2017 and today is that the growth of Tesla’s Supercharger network makes an EV rental a much more practical proposition.

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      in Bike

      Enigma Electric Motorcycle Bookings Open Ahead Of Launch – 140 Kms Range

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      New Enigma Electric Motorcycle – Cafe RacerEnigma plans to achieve 100 percent localisation of Cafe Racer by 2022 and is also working on a home-grown lithium-ion battery unit
      Electric vehicle (EV) startup Enigma Automobiles have announced the commencement of pre-bookings of its upcoming electric motorcycle named ‘Cafe Racer’. The electric bike is expected to be launched in the coming few days ahead of Diwali next month. Interested consumers can register their bookings through authorised dealerships or the official company website.
      Enigma claims that Cafe Racer has been completely designed and developed in India. Cafe Racer will be launched at a Pan India level. The bike will be available in five paint schemes namely Earl Grey, Military Green, Thunder White, RMS Red and Log Orange.
      Enigma Electric Motorcycle ‘Cafe Racer’ Styling
      Starting with its design, as its name clearly suggests, Cafe Racer has been designed as a cafe racer with neo-retro styling elements. These include a round headlamp, fork gaiters, a teardrop-shaped fuel tank, wire-spoked wheels and a single-piece piece seat with a signature Cafe-Racer-style cowl. Other highlights include a clip-on handlebar, a short front fender and a rear tyre hugger.
      The motorcycle gets a nice contrasting appeal with a silver-coloured faux tank, a white tail section and blacked-out central panels and rims with a glossy finish. That said, the central panel of the motorcycle which houses the electric motor and battery looks slightly odd in profile.
      Enigma Electric Scooter and Motorcycle Dealership
      Speaking on this development Anmol Bohre, Founder & CEO, Enigma Automobiles, said, “When we started designing our motorcycle, our ambition was to create a motorbike that would serve as a powerful exploration tool but also balance the everyday commuting without breaking the bank. Keeping that in mind, we are extremely thrilled and delighted to launch our first Electric motorcycle – Café Racer, which is advanced and capable.”
      Powertrain Specs
      Powering Enigma Cafe Racer is an electric motor that delivers a peak power output of 5.6kW. This motor derives energy from a 72V 50 Ah LifePo4 (Lithium ferrous phosphate) battery cell that has the capacity to offer up to 5000 cycles and a claimed range of 140km on a single charge. Top-speed on this electric motorcycle has been rated at around 136 kmph.
      Performance of Cafe Racer is claimed to be at par with the IC engine-powered motorcycles. Using a standard charger, the battery could be juiced up 0-80 percent in 3 hours or a full 100 percent in four hours. The company is providing a 5-year warranty for the battery pack with unlimited kilometers while spoke wheels of the motorcycle are offered with a 3-year tyre warranty.
      Bohre further revealed that the vintage-inspired motorcycle will offer the convenience of a commuter in combination with off-roading capabilities. The electric Cafe Racer is simple, demands low maintenance and is high on power. As mentioned earlier, the bike has been indigenously developed and is currently being manufactured at the company’s facilities in Bhopal and Hyderabad. More

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      in Motor News

      Hear the 2023 Chevy C8 Corvette Z06's Unbelievable V-8 on a Dyno

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      Emelia Hartford / Instagram

      We already know the C8-generation Corvette Z06 will rev to an astonishing 8600 rpm. Now, we have studio-quality audio showing what that outrageous number sounds like in action.
      This content is imported from TikTok. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

      The video, from automotive content producer Emelia Hartford, shows a C8 Z06 test car in what has become very familiar camouflage. It is doing a pull on a dyno in a sound-standardized anechoic chamber, where Hartford says the Corvette team has spent “countless hours perfecting the noise” of what is expected to be an outlandish high-revving flat-plane-crank engine that shares elements with the engine used in the current C8.R racing car.

      Thanks to a few previous teaser videos, we already know this will be the most outlandish sounding Corvette ever. As in previous audio released by Chevrolet, this video seems to indicate that the most extreme mid-engine Corvette yet will sound more like a V-8 Ferrari than any previous high-end Corvette. Given that the car was benchmarked against those same V-8 Ferraris at the Nürburgring, it may perform at that level, too.While the C8 Z06 will not be revealed in full until Tuesday, October 26, GM has already shared a photo of the car. It looks nearly as extreme as it sounds, but we still do not know exactly how fast it will be. The final reveal is set for 12:30 p.m. ET, so come back then for specific details on what makes the latest track-focused Corvette so special.

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      TVS Sales, Exports Breakup Sep 2021 – Apache, Jupiter, XL100, Ntorq

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      Image – MRD VlogsTVS Motor Company was the third best selling two wheeler maker in India in the past month, after Hero and Honda
      Two wheeler sales in India were on the decline last month. Every leading two wheeler automaker posted negative growth with the exception of TVS Motor Company. TVS Motor Company’s domestic sales in September 2021 stood at 2,44,084 units, as compared to sales of 2,41,762 units in the corresponding month last year. This was a marginal 0.96 percent YoY growth.
      TVS Sales, Exports Breakup Sep 2021
      TVS XL commuter continued to be the best selling two wheeler from TVS, with 61,664 units sold last month. This is a declined of 10.54 percent over 68,929 units sold in September 2020. The XL 100 currently commands a 25.26 percent share in total TVS two wheeler sales for Sep 2021. More recently, the company added a new Coral Silk colour option to its palate in addition to existing colours of Mint Blue, Luster Gold, Red Black and Grey Black
      TVS Jupiter was at No. 2 with 56,339 units sold last month and was the second best-selling scooter in the country after the Honda Activa. This was a 0.45 percent growth over 56,085 units sold in September 2020 while its share in the company lineup stands at 23.08 percent. The new TVS Jupiter 125 has been recently launched in India at Rs 73,400. It is based on a new platform, gets a new engine and comes with disc brake or a drum options upfront.
      The Apache range of motorcycles in the 160cc to 200cc segment, noted sales of 40,661 units last month, up 7.60 percent over 37,788 units sold in September 2020. Currently holding a 16.66 percent share, the company has just introduced the 2022 Apache RTR 160 4V in the Indian market starting from Rs 1,15,265 onward.
      TVS Sales Sep 2021
      TVS Raider 1st Month Sales
      TVS Ntorq, Sport and Radeon each posted YoY growth. The NTorq 125 grabbed a fifth position in terms of scooter sales in September 2021 with 29,452 units sold, a 12.63 percent growth over 26,150 units sold in September 2020. Sport sales also increased 3.59 percent to 14,650 units while Radeon sales increased 3.40 percent to 13,296 units in the past month.
      Sales of TVS Star City also increased 8.16 percent last month to 8,766 units, up from 8,105 units sold in September 2020. Next up was the new TVS Raider, which was launched recently. In its first month, it has registered sales of over 7k units. However, sales de-growth was reported in the case of the TVS Pep+ (-42.78 percent) and TVS Zest (-15.41 percent). It was the TVS iQube electric scooter that noted a surge in demand up 10842.86 percent to 766 units, from just 7 units sold in September 2020.
      TVS Exports Breakup Sep 2021
      In export markets, TVS Motor Company has posted a 22.11 percent growth in a YoY basis. Total exports which had stood at 70,684 units in September 2020, increased to 86,313 units in the past month.
      TVS Exports Sep 2021
      In global markets, it was the Star City 125 and Star City that were most in demand. Star City 125 sales increased 41.37 percent YoY to 32,619 units, up from 23,073 units sold in September 2020 with a 37.79 percent share. Star City sales increased 6.71 percent to 28,712 units last month, up from 26,907 units shipped in September 2020.
      At No. 3 it was the Apache, with a 23.31 percent YoY sales growth. Sales which had stood at 9,913 units in September 2020, increased to 12,224 units last month. TVS Ntorq and Sport also found increased demand in global markets, up 53.25 percent to 6,208 units and up 25.09 percent to 4,038 units respectively.
      Export de-growth was reported in the case of TVS Victor and XL, both of which dipped 28.57 percent and 14.35 percent respectively YoY in the past month. TVS Radeon, Raider and Wego saw exports increase to 440 units, 280 units and 230 units respectively while exports of the RR310 stood at 52 units. TVS Jive and Jupiter failed to find any buyers globally. More

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      in Bike

      Ultraviolette F77 Electric Motorcycle Performance Testing – New Teaser

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      Ultraviolette F77 Electric Motorcycle – New TeaserUltraviolette has set up its manufacturing facility near Electronic City in Bangalore and plans to produce 15,000 EVs annually
      Ultraviolette, like many other promising electric vehicle startups in recent times, has managed to grab attention from all corners even before it could launch its first product. Speaking of its first product, the company revealed its first product in the form of an electric motorcycle prototype named F77 back in October 2019.
      Recently, it was revealed that the F77 electric bike is slated to undergo series production from the first quarter of CY2022 with its launch expected to take place by March next year. Ahead of its productions, the brand has released a new video on YouTube which reveals the advanced testing being carried on the upcoming motorcycle.
      Ultraviolette F77 Performance – New testing protocols
      Unlike conventional pre-launch test trials, the one conducted by Ultraviolette involved the use of many electronic sensors to obtain various kinds of data. The tests involved evaluation of handling, stability, acceleration and braking of F77. As explained in the video, there are two parts to vehicle testing- qualitative and quantitative.
      Qualitative means obtaining data through evaluation by riding in different conditions and getting responses, feedback, efforts, etc. Quantitative means correlating the information obtained from the former with tangible data such as pitch, roll, yaw, stiffness and more. Different sensors have been used to capture and monitor various parameters of F77.
      [embedded content]
      Quantitative Tests
      Starting with the quantitative evaluation, LVDTs (Linear Variable Differential Transformer) are mounted on front forks and rear shock absorbers to determine suspension travel and behaviour. Further, accelerometers are installed on multiple points of the motorcycle such as wheels, swingarm and handlebar to measure forces induced when traveling on road.
      Strain gauges are used to determine minute deformations on critical components which are also attached on multiple points in the chassis. In addition to these, several temperature sensors are employed to capture a thermal map of the motorcycle under various scenarios.
      Qualitative Tests
      Coming to qualitative assessments, these involve multiple tests like Slalom, braking, acceleration, wobble and weaving which are conducted by almost every automotive manufacturer to evaluate various parameters of a vehicle’s on-road performance. Other attributes evaluated are feedback from the rider, tyres locking up and how much the bike dives while braking and so on.
      The upcoming F77 is claimed to be the fastest motorcycle in the electric two-wheeler space in India. Based on the initial prototype revealed earlier, the bike could attain a top speed of 140 kmph and a 0-60 kmph acceleration in just 2.9 seconds. The battery pack involved is expected to return a range of 150 km on a single range though there have been talks of Ultraviolette launching another variant of F77 with a greater range. More

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      in Electric Cars

      New Tata Electric SUVs, Cars In the Making – Rs 15,000 Cr Investment

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      New Tata Sedan Render For ReferenceUnder the new EV subsidiary, Tata Motors will launch new electric cars with larger batteries which will be rolled out from the company’s existing facilities
      Tata Motors recently made a big move towards cleaner mobility solutions as it announced the creation of a new EV subsidiary. The carmaker has entered into a partnership with investment firm TPG Rise Climate which will invest around Rs 7,500 crore for about 11 percent to 15 percent stake in the new company.
      This translates to an equity valuation of USD 9.1 billion. The new EV vertical from Tata will create future intellectual property rights for zero-emission vehicles. This means the company will design and own future electric vehicle IPs while manufacturing operations will be taken care of by Tata Motors.
      In addition to the above, Tata Motors will be investing another Rs 15,000 crores to launch new electric vehicles. Tata Motors is expecting green vehicles to generate 20% of their total sales in the next 4-5 years.
      Tata Motors currently has only two electric cars on offer, Nexon EV and Tigor EV. These have monthly demand of about 3,000 units per month. But Tata is only able to manufacture 1,000 units per month. The new investments will not only help to boost production of existing EVs, but will also help launch new EVs.
      Tata Nexon EV Dark Edition. Image – Car Duniya
      New EV Subsidiary
      Temporarily titled EVCo, the new firm won’t have any manufacturing facilities of its own and instead will depend on its parent company to roll out new electric vehicles. Manufacturing capacities of Tata Motors will be available “on a “tolling basis” to the EV firm. Further, it has been revealed that the new EV brand will have access to the passenger vehicle capacities of Tata Motors which already exists.
      For utilising the PV facility of Tata, the new EV company will pay a fee to its parent company’s PV division. Tata Motors is currently the highest-selling EV manufacturer in the passenger vehicle segment in the country. It currently offers two electric cars- Nexon EV and Tigor EV. Both models will continue to be produced from their existing locations. The final brand name for EVCo will be finalised in the coming months.
      New Tata Electric SUVs to be based on existing platforms
      The homegrown manufacturer is not looking to develop EVs based on new born-electric platforms and instead is focusing on developing new EVs on existing platforms like ALFA (Altroz, Punch) and OMEGA (Harrier, Safari). The current EV lineup of Tata- Nexon EV and Tigor EV is underpinned by the Ziptron powertrain technology which is likely to feature in the upcoming EVs as well.
      No Hybrids, Only Pure EVs
      Tata Motors has also revealed that it plans to have ten electric vehicles in the next five years and all of them will be pure electric. The company has also ruled out hybrids as they do not help manufacturers meet CAFE norms. Moreover, the Government of India doesn’t consider hybrids as EVs and hence they are not liable to any tax benefits introduced as per FAME II regulations.
      Therefore, it is clear that future PV lineup for Tata Motors will comprise petrol, diesel, electric and CNG models. The upcoming range of EVs is expected to offer multiple body styles, motor specifications and range capacities catering to different segments. The carmaker will also be developing a widespread charging network across the country in partnership with sister company Tata Power.
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      Royal Enfield Himalayan 650cc Gets Green Light For Launch

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      Image for reference. Credit – Bike ExifThe upcoming 650cc Himalayan is being developed at Royal Enfield’s UK-based technical centre
      A few months ago, rumours of Royal Enfield developing a more powerful version of Himalayan broke out on the internet. The Chennai-based bikemaker has given a green light to the project and that the new Himalayan will be powered by a 650cc parallel-twin engine.
      Fresh details regarding this upcoming motorcycle have emerged which give us more insights. Himalayan 650 wasn’t initially part of Royal Enfield’s plan when it decided to build the 650cc parallel-twin motor. Development work on this motorcycle started around 18 months ago.
      Demerits of current Himalayan
      The primary concern for the company is that Himalayan in its current form weighs around 199 kilos which is on the heavier side. Therefore, plonking it with a larger power plant will only make it heavier. Hence, Royal Enfield is likely to retune the chassis of the adventure bike in the new 650cc iteration.
      Moreover, the excess weight of the current Himalayan is also one of its prime negative attributes in the otherwise popular motorcycle. The current 411cc single-cylinder air-cooled motor delivers a fairly modest output of 24.3 bhp and a peak torque of 32 Nm while the additional weight doesn’t help its case either. The motorcycle isn’t lively on roads and is unable to hold triple-digit speeds while cruising.
      2021 Royal Enfield Himalayan 410
      Himalayan 650cc Launch
      The new Himalayan 650 will have many critical variations with respect to the current model. For instance, the new 650cc iteration of Himalayan would not be as capable on rough terrains as the current model. It will be available in two derivatives- one with alloy wheels and one with spoked rims. The former will be pitched as a sports tourer while the latter will be a road-biased adventure tourer.
      This means it will not be a proper adventure bike by any stretch of imagination and the adventure tourer variant will be more of a tour-orientated soft-roader. Royal Enfield is also expected to downsize the front wheel from 21-inches to a 19-inch unit for more road-friendly usage. Further, the bikemaker may not even call this upcoming motorcycle as ‘Himalayan’ and allot it a brand new moniker.
      Rider will be mounted on a higher saddle in the new Himalayan 650 and ground clearance will be impressive as well. The exhaust pipe will also be mounted higher. Around 80-85 percent design of the current model will be carried forward in the new motorcycle. Therefore, we can expect Royal Enfield to retain its overall rugged styling.
      Expected Features & Powertrain
      The company might equip the new Himalayan with features such as a new instrument console with a TFT display. It might also offer Bluetooth connectivity along with multiple riding modes and also a one-level traction control system. Braking setup of the motorcycle will also be enhanced.
      Powering this upcoming derivative of Himalayan will be a familiar 648cc, parallel-twin engine sourced from Interceptor and Continental GT. This motor pushes out 47 bhp and 52 Nm of peak torque and is coupled with a 6-speed gearbox. However, we still have to wait for at least three years since the new Himalayan 650 isn’t coming before the last quarter of 2024.
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