All posts by Francis Mitterrand

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VW Polo will be manufactured in South Africa

Four decades have passed since Volkswagen started production of its B-segment supermini car, the VW Polo, in Spain. However, from now on this model for the European market will be produced in South Africa.

The VW Polo was introduced in 1975 and over time became one of the German manufacturer’s best-selling cars, with over 8 million cars produced in the Spanish factory. The growing pressure to produce electric cars forced Volkswagen to transfer the production of this model to another contingent. Two new affordable electric cars that Volkswagen plans to launch by 2026 will be produced in Spain. It will be the Volkswagen ID.2 X and Škoda Epiq, based on the MEB Entry platform.

Thus, VW plans to invest more than one billion euros in order to adapt the production plant to new electric models. However, the workers employed in this factory are asking what will happen until the moment when the production of electric cars starts. We are talking about a period of less than two years. Forecasts say that the factory will produce 1/4 million vehicles this year and only 150,000 units in 2025.

The new VW ID.2 will be produced at the Martorello plant and will hit the market at the end of 2025, while its SUV version will be built in Navarre and will have to undergo a transformation to adapt to these new small electric cars.

Source: Volkswagen

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13 of 80 EVs suitable for long-distance driving

The largest European automobile association, ADAC, tested more than 80 electric vehicles and showed that only 13 of them are suitable for long-distance driving.

ADAC first tested vehicles with a range of over 750 kilometers. The best results were achieved by the Hyundai Ioniq 6 with a 77.4 kWh battery and rear-wheel drive, and a range of 931 kilometers with one stop and an additional short charge. The Lucid Air achieved the second best test with 859 kilometers, the BMW iX traveled 835 kilometers, the Mercedes EQS achieved a range of 825 kilometers, the EQE SUV achieved a range of 806 kilometers and the Polestar 2 traveled 801 kilometers.

After that, vehicles with a range between 500 and 750 kilometers were tested (42). These vehicles are considered to be suitable for long distances or vehicles suitable for long distances with a slightly longer charging time.

Also, 14 vehicles with a range of 400-500 km were tested, and vehicles with a range of less than 400 km, such as the Fiat 500e with a 23.8 kWh battery, which had a range of 233 kilometers despite additional charging.

The measurement was carried out with the battery charged to 90 percent, which is the case in most situations, because drivers usually go on the road with a deviation of up to 10 percent. The test also included the additional autonomy that can be achieved after charging on a fast charger during a 20-minute break in ideal conditions.

In conclusion, when purchasing an EV, buyers should pay attention to battery size, power consumption, and charging time.

Source: ADAC, Photo: Authors’ Union Mobility/ADAC/Ralph Wagner

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Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut holds four speed records

In July 2021, Koenigsegg revealed the first pre-series production Jesko, and only 125 units are planned to be produced. Recently, the Swedish company presented a special version of this model, Jesko Absolut, which became the owner of several records, including the fastest production car that reaches a speed of 400 km/h.

The Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut is powered by a 5.0-L bi-turbo V8 engine with 1,622 hp (1,209 kW) and 1,106 lb-ft (1,500 Nm) @ 5,100 rpm (on E85). The engine is paired with a 9-speed Koenigsegg Light Speed ​​​​Transmission (LST). Unlike its Jesko sibling, the Absolut was fitted with a cage and seat from a Koenigsegg One:1.

This version is built primarily for speed racing and does not use active aerodynamics. The car was tested at an airport in Sweden, where it set four world speed records. It is now officially the fastest production car to reach a speed of 400 km/h (18.82 seconds), and the fastest car to go from 0 – 400 km/h and back to 0 km/h, in 27.83 seconds (almost a second faster than Koenigsegg Regera). It also has the fastest acceleration from 0 to 250 mph (19.20 seconds) and the fastest car to go from 0 – 250 mph and back to 0 mph (28.27 seconds).

It should be noted that the car was driven by Markus Lundh, and after setting the record, founder Christian von Koenigsegg said: “This record confirmed the accuracy of the Jesko Absolut’s simulated and calculated performance, which gives us great confidence in its ability to be the fastest fully homologated production car in the world .”

Source: Koenigsegg

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Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut holds four speed records