All posts by Francis Mitterrand

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Xiaomi will produce one SU7 every 76 seconds

In March, Xiaomi premiered its first car, the SU7. This powerful all-electric sedan has attracted a lot of attention as well as the interest of customers, receiving more than 100,000 orders so far, of which over 50,000 in 27 minutes after the presentation. Now, we know that the car will be produced at the Super Factory in Beijing, which has a production capacity of 47 cars per hour, which is one SU7 every 76 seconds.

Super Factory is an almost fully robotized factory with more than 700 industrial robots, and only 20 employees. Under normal conditions, this factory can produce 40 cars every hour, which means that one car leaves the assembly line every 90 seconds. However, when the factory is operating at full capacity, one Xiaomi SU7 is produced every 76 seconds.

Robots perform most of the operations such as installation, inspection and transportation, while 20 employees manage eight robotic arms per workstation, or four on each side of the car. The robotic arms are programmed to install the doors, install the front windshield, the rear window, and the panoramic roof. Xiaomi claims that from the moment of taking the parts to the connection to the car body, the robots need less than 30 seconds. That is impressive, but also twice as fast as in traditional car companies, Xiaomi points out.

SU7 comes in three versions: SU7, SU7 Pro and SU7 Max. The standard version is powered by an electric motor with 299 hp (220 kW) and 295 lb-ft (400 Nm) of torque, and will have RWD. It will accelerate from 0 – 100 km/h (62 mph) in 5.28 seconds with a top speed of 210 km/h (130 mph). It is equipped with a BYD Blade 73.6 kWh battery that provides a range of 700 kilometers. It will cost $29,900.

The more powerful version of the SU7 Pro will be equipped with an 800V architecture, a 94.3 kWh battery that provides a range of 830 km, and will cost $34,000. However, the most powerful version, Xiaomi SU7 Max, is really impressive. It is powered by two electric motors with a total output of 673 hp (495 kW) and 618 lb-ft (838 Nm) of torque, and has AWD. It reaches 100 km/h (62 mph) in 2.78 seconds with a top speed of 265 km/h (165 mph). It is equipped with the Xiami Pilot Max ADAS system, 800V architecture, and a CATI Qilin 101 kWh battery that enables a range of 800 km, or 510 km after a 15-minute charge. It costs $41,500.

Xiaomi has big plans with this car, aiming to produce 900,000 units in the next three years.

Source: Xiaomi; Photo: Discover ChinaAuto

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Xiaomi will produce one SU7 every 76 seconds
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The new generation of Renault Clio is coming in 2026

In 1990, Renault launched its supermini B-segment car, the Renault Clio. It is a popular model of the French manufacturer, which has been produced in five generations so far, and soon a new generation should arrive on the market as the only Renault hatchback with an internal combustion engine.

The new generation should fill the gap between the R5 and Megane, and the hybrid option will play a major role at least until customers get used to fully electric cars. It will use an upgraded version of the existing CMF-B platform. The Ampr Small platform (CMF-BEV) used by the all-electric R5 shares about 60 percent of components with the CMF-B platform, meaning a crossover is possible. This would mean that the hybrid and all-electric versions will have an identical design.

Speaking about the design, the new Clio will stand out from the current offer with its aesthetics, and the goal is to attract the attention of young families. Also, the sixth generation will face strong competition from rivals such as the Peugeot 208 and Opel Corsa, models that offer electric and hybrid variants.

It is now certain that Renault will continue to develop the hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrain options used by both the existing E-Tech-badged Clio and Captur. By 2026, electrified cars could offer greater range while reducing fuel consumption.

Source: Renault

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Porsche is developing the next generation Taycan

In February, Porsche introduced the updated Taycan with more power, longer range, better performance, better stability and faster charging. Now comes word that the Stuttgart-based company is developing the next-generation Taycan.

“We ushered in a new era of e-mobility with the Taycan at the end of 2019. It immediately proved to be a turning point and a leader of innovation in the e-vehicle segment. Now we continue this success story with the extensively updated Taycan. The model line has reached new heights in terms of performance, with exceptional dynamics. At the same time, we have managed to significantly improve efficiency, range, everyday usability and comfort,” said Kevin Giek, Vice President of Model Line Taycan.

The new Taycan will be offered in three versions (Taycan, Taycan Cross Turismo and Taycan Sport Turismo) and all of them come with many modifications, four powertrain options as well as rear or all-wheel drive options. The Sport Chrono package with the push-to-pass function brings a power increase of up to 70kW in a period of 10 seconds, depending on the model. This means 60 kW more than before for the standard Taycan, or 140 kW more for the Taycan Turbo S with Launch Control. The range has also been increased by 175 kilometers, to a maximum of 678 km.

In an interview with CarSales, Taycan Manager of Charging and Energy Systems, Sarah Razavi, confirmed that the new Taycan is already in development, and said that it will not be built on the J1 platform. Although not confirmed, this could mean that the new generation will use the SSP Sport platform. Razavi also said that the goal is a longer range, and the J1 platform has limitations, so it is not able to provide it. This means a bigger battery which will be a big task for the engineers to maintain the current weight of the vehicle.

Also, last month porsche presented its most powerful production car ever, the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT, which embodies its track-oriented character with a redesigned body kit. It will be offered in six colors including the new Pale Blue Metallic and Sky Purple Metallic. Customers have the option to further customize the car with decals through the optional paint-to-sample program, offered by the Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur department.

When it comes to the powertrain, the Taycan Turbo GT is powered by two electric motors, one on each axle, with a total power of 789 hp (580 kW) and 988 lb-ft (1,340 Nm) of torque. Thanks to Launch Control, the power increases to 1,033 hp (760 kW) or to 1,108 hp (815 kW) for two seconds. That’s quite enough to propel the car from 0-100 km/h (62 mph) in 2.2 seconds (2.1 with the optional Weissach package), 200 km/h (124 mph) in 6.6 seconds (6.4 Weissach package) with a top speed of 306 km/h (190 mph).

Source: Porsche, CarSales