EV

First all-electric Range Rover

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In 1970 British Leyland launched the first generation of 4×4 luxury SUV, the Range Rover. Since then, 54 years have passed, and five generations of this model have been produced, and now the time has come for the British company to present its first all-electric Range Rover.

After testing in desert conditions, the car is currently on the snowy roads of the north, where it faces temperatures of minus 40ยบ Celsius in the Arctic zone. In the same conditions, new traction and braking control systems were tested, and the British car company announced that the electric Range Rover will be built on the MLA platform and based on an 800-volt system.

This model should be the British manufacturer’s response to the all-electric Mercedes G-Class revealed at the beginning of the year. At first glance, without camouflage, the electric SUV shares the same design with models powered by internal combustion engines.

When it comes to the powertrain, there are no details yet, but rumors say that an unknown number of electric motors will deliver around 500 hp (373 kW). This means that the SUV will not be far behind the current Range Rover in terms of power. As a reminder, the Range Rover is powered by a 4.4-liter biturbo V8 engine with 530 hp (395 kW) and 553 lb-ft (750 Nm) of torque.

The date and place of the official debut of the first all-electric Range Rover is currently unknown.

Source: Land Rover

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First all-electric Range Rover
EV

Smart Concept #5

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The German automotive marque Smart is known as a manufacturer of small city cars, but even small ones eventually become big. This is how this company announced the presentation of Concept #5 of its largest and most spacious car for the Beijing Motor Show 2024.

Designed with slightly sharper lines compared to previous Smart models, the Concept #5 with its size takes a place between the other two German cars Audi Q3 and Mercedes-Benz GLB, which is not accidental because Smart cars are designed by the Mercedes design studio.

This premium mid-size SUV is built for all-terrain adventure. There for, it is equipped with off-road tires, underbody protection, roof racks with integrated LED lights and ropes on the hood, which is not the final list of equipment. The production model is expected to have higher ground clearance and a retractable rear step for roof access.

Concept #5 is the most spacious model of the German company equipped with four heated and ventilated seats and a footrest and integrated airbags. Additional equipment includes a digital instrument cluster and two OLED screens for the infotainment system, stellar ambient lighting in the doors, a portable speaker located on the center console and a glass bottom of the trunk.

It should also be noted that the car has the potential to integrate AI technology that allows passengers to participate in entertaining conversations with a virtual assistant, who will provide answers to almost any possible question.

When it comes to the powertrain, the SUV will be powered by two electric motors and will have all-wheel drive. It is believed to use Geely’s SEA platform, and will use 800V architecture instead of 400V technology. It will be equipped with a 100 kWh battery that will provide a range of 549 km. The battery can be charged from 10 to 80 percent in just 15 minutes.

We will have more information on April 25, when the official premiere will be held.

Source: Smart

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Smart Concept #5
News

Car sales in the EU drop by 5.2%

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The price of new cars is on the rise and so is the demand. Customers are looking for compact and fuel-efficient cars, especially hybrids. However, last month car sales in the EU dropped by 5.2 percent compared to the same period in 2023.

According to ACEA (European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association), last month’s sales led to a change in the market structure, so electric cars now have a 13% market share (-0.9%), while hybrid cars recorded a growth of 4.6% (29 %). Gasoline and diesel cars still have a high market share of 47.8 percent, although they recorded a decline of 4%.

In March, 134,397 electric cars were sold on the EU market, which is 11.3 percent less than in 2023. The German market recorded the biggest drop of 28.9 percent, while demand for BEVs in Belgium and France increased (+23.8% / 10.9%).

When it comes to hybrids, France and Italy are one of the biggest markets for these cars, where demand grew by 29.6% (France) and 8.3% (Italy). This segment achieved sales of 299,426 units (29 percent of the market). Demand for plug-in hybrids dropped by 6.5% in March, with 73,029 PHEV vehicles sold. It should be noted that Belgium (-15.3%) and Germany (-4.5%) had the worst results. France is one of the few countries that managed to achieve sales growth (3.6%).

Diesel and gasoline cars had the worst results. Sales of gasoline cars fell by 10.2%, the most in France (-17.7%), Spain (-10.1%) and Germany (-3.4%), while Italy was the only one to record growth (5.7%). Also, diesel cars had a drop in demand of 18.5%, mostly in France (-32.1%), Spain (-38%) and Italy (-27.6%), while in Germany demand fell by 0.5%.

Source: ACEA

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