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Renault 5 E-Tech Electric Roland Garros

For years, Renault has produced special editions of its Renault 5 model inspired by one of the biggest tennis tournaments in the world, Roland Garros. The same path was continued with the new electric version of this model, the Renault 5 E-Tech Electric.

The special edition will be offered in three body colors: Pearl White, Midnight Blue, Starry Black and Matt Slate Gray. Each car will be equipped with a Satin Black roof trimmed with chrome trim, featuring Roland Garros logos and a St. Andrew’s Cross pattern inspired by the stadium’s architecture. There are also 18-inch Ecrou Diamond Black wheels with Matt Slate Gray center caps.

Inside, the seats are covered in recycled textiles, inspired by the fabric used to make sports equipment. There’s also plenty of Roland Garros logos, even on the e-pop shifter shaped like a tennis racket handle. Also, the dashboard lighting displays the inscription “Roland Garros Paris” and pays homage to the clay surface of the court.

When it comes to the powertrain, the 40 kWh battery version is powered by an electric motor with 95 hp (71 kW) and 159 lb-ft (215 Nm) of torque or 120 hp (89 kW) and 166 lb-ft (225 Nm) of torque, which is enough to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 10 seconds. It weighs 1,350 kg. The slightly heavier version (1,450 kg) is equipped with a 52 kWh battery, and is powered by an electric motor with 150 hp (110 kW) and 181 lb-ft (245 Nm) of torque. It reaches 62 mph in 7.5 seconds with a top speed of 150 km/h (93 mph) and a range of 400 km.

Source: Renault

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Renault 5 E-Tech Electric Roland Garros
News

KAIST has developed a battery that can be charged in seconds

At a time when car manufacturers are struggling with production costs as well as battery quality, many of them are trying to find the best solution. Lithium-ion batteries are currently the most used on the market, but a new type of battery that is much more efficient has been talked about for a long time. These are sodium batteries that are more cost-effective and more sustainable because they can be produced almost entirely without rare metals. However, scientists from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) have developed a hybrid battery that can be charged in a few seconds.

The journal Energy Storage Materials published an article about a new type of battery that can be fully charged and discharged in just a few seconds. This was achieved thanks to the use of materials used for supercapacitors (a type of an electrochemical energy storage systems which have great power density and specific capacitance), known for high charging speeds, but they can only store a very small amount of energy.

It is believed that the combination of the best properties of the sodium battery and the supercapacitor could be an advantage in the production of batteries that, in addition to the enormous charging speed, would have a longer range than the current ones. Thanks to the high power density, the vehicles could also use significantly more powerful electric motors.

Sodium batteries are already in use, but they do not provide a short range (250 km). JAC Yiwei EV is the first car equipped with sodium-ion batteries.

Source: Energy Storage Materials

News

2025 BMW 4 Series

BMW presented the redesigned 4 Series Gran Coupé and i4 Gran Coupé that now come with more power. Both refreshed editions come a few months after the introduction of redesigned Coupé and Cabrio versions of the same BMW 4 Series.

Both versions come with lower LED front light housings, new 19″ and 20″ rims, rear light housings with laser technology taken over from the M4 CSL model and a new multimedia system. Also, the turbo-petrol engines have been improved, which are now assisted by a 48-volt mild hybrid system that brings an additional 11 hp.

The BMW 430i Gran Coupé is powered by a 2.0L four-cylinder turbo gasoline engine that produces 255 hp (290 kW), instead of the previous 245 hp (183 kW), and 295 lb-ft (400 Nm) of torque. BMW claims that this version consumes less fuel than its predecessor. Power is sent to the rear or all wheels via an 8-speed automatic transmission.

The BMW M440i Gran Coupé is powered by a 3.0L 6-cylinder turbo gasoline engine with 386 hp (288 kW) and 398 lb-ft (540 Nm) of maximum torque, instead of the previous 382 hp (285 kW) and 369 lb-ft ( 500 Nm) of torque. Power is sent to the rear or all wheels via an 8-speed automatic transmission.

The BMW i4 Gran Coupé (40 eDrive) is powered by a single electric motor with 340 hp and 430 Nm of torque, while the more powerful M50 version is powered by two electric motors that combine to produce 544 hp and 795 Nm of torque. Both versions are equipped with an 83.9 kWh battery that provides a range of 590 km (40 eDrive), and the more powerful version (M50) has a range of up to 520 kilometers.

Both versions (Series 4 Gran Coupé and i4 Gran Coupé) are equipped with a large curved display behind which is BMW’s new iDrive 8.5 multimedia system, which in the i4 version comes with a map of battery charging stations.

Production of the refreshed BMW Series 4 Gran Coupé and i4 Gran Coupé starts in a few months.

Source: BMW

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2025 BMW 4 Series