All posts by Francis Mitterrand

Future

Quintessenza – dynamic GT that can be turned into a pick-up truck

Italian design and engineering company Italdesign revealed the futuristic GT concept Quintessenza, which can easily be transformed into a pickup.

Quintessenza brings a design that combines the sporty and dynamic character of the GT with the character of a pickup. Sculpted aerodynamic body, high ground clearance and the size of the vehicle are the first things that attract attention. The car has a wheelbase of 3.2 meters, and for the sake of comparison it is longer than the shortest version of the Ford F-150.

The concept in the photos is finished in dark color and is decorated with black wide fenders, scissor doors, 24-inch wheels and a large windshield that extends to the rear, and the rear part of the roof can be removed turning the car into a pickup. The ground clearance can be increased up to 280 mm, making it suitable for off-road driving.

The cockpit of the vehicle is minimalisticly designed with an interface system that is compatible with numerous smartphone models, through which the functions of driving mode, speed, direction indicators, battery level, date and time can be managed. The central part of the cabin is occupied by a large central console, and thanks to the large glass roof, passengers can enjoy more natural light, which gives the feeling of more space. The rear pair of seats can be rotated 180 degrees to give passengers a rearward view.

The Quintessenza concept is powered by three electric motors, one at the front and two at the rear pair of wheels, with a total power of 777 hp (579 kW), which is enough to accelerate to 100 km/h (62 mph) in less than three seconds. It is equipped with a 150 kWh battery, and Italdesign did not reveal more technical details about this concept.

Source: Italdesign

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Quintessenza - dynamic GT that can be turned into a pick-up truck
News

XPeng is considering production in Europe

The European Union’s war with Chinese car manufacturers, which, with the help of state subsidies, are trying to dominate European soil, has been going on for a long time. New regulations on tariffs on cars imported from China have made it even more difficult for Chinese cars to dominate Europe. Therefore, some have already started production of their cars in Europe (BYD, Chery and Dongfeng), and XPeng may soon do the same.

XPeng, like other Chinese brands, wants to expand its international business in order to increase exports from 10% to 11-12% this year. XPeng already sells in the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Germany, and plans to enter other European markets, including France, Italy and the UK. The company intends to increase its investment in technological innovation, as customers demand more high-tech features when choosing their cars.

Two months ago, the company’s management pointed out that it plans to hire an additional 4,000 people this year and invest $482 million in the development of artificial intelligence and the next level of autonomous driving. However, after 10 years of development, XPeng also plans to launch a flying car, an eVTOL aircraft for vertical take-off and landing, but which can be a full-fledged road car. The aircraft should reach the market in the last quarter of this year.

In 2023, VW invested 700 million dollars in the Chinese car manufacturer XPENG, becoming the owner of nearly 5% of the company, with which it agreed a partnership on the production of two models of this German brand. Both models will hit the market in 2026.

Source: XPeng

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XPeng is considering production in Europe
News

Workers’ strike in Stellantis’ plants

Stellantis was recently discovered to be in debt to MacLean-Fogg, which led to the suspension of the supply of vehicle components. Now the multinational automotive manufacturing corporation is facing another problem, a labor strike at plants in France and the UK.

After Stellantis announced its intention to move production from France and the UK to Poland, workers in three factories went on strike, forcing Stellantis to temporarily suspend production. The reason is the suspension of the delivery of components from the MA France factory.

In 2014, PSA shut down production at the MA France factory, and in 2021 this factory was taken over by Stellantis (formed by the merger of the Italian-American conglomerate Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and the French PSA Group). This factory produces components that are sent to two plants in France and a plant in the UK where Stellantis cars are assembled.

In France, Stellantis produces the DS 3 and Opel Moka models at the Poissy plant, while the Hordain plant assembles the Peugeot Expert, Citroen Jump, Opel Vivaro and commercial vehicles. The factory in Luton produces Vauxhall commercial vehicles and from 2025 it will produce mid-range electric vans for Opel/Vauxhall, Citroen, Peugeot and Fiat.

Source: Stellantis