EV, News

Mercedes is building a charging station network in North America

The increased demand for electric cars necessarily requires an increase in the number of charging stations. Thus, Mercedes-Benz decided to start building a network of stations in North America, and the goal is to establish a complete network before the end of the decade.

Mercedes’ long-term plan is to go all-electric, and it’s currently trying to make that happen in North America. The company believes that this strategic move will significantly improve the usability and practicality of the new generation of electric vehicles, differentiate the Mercedes-Benz ownership experience and accelerate the transformation of electric vehicles.

Creating a network of stations will improve the customer charging experience, accelerate the journey towards an all-electric future and create a global infrastructure asset with future potential for value creation. Mercedes-Benz charging hubs will be located in key cities and urban centers of population, close to major arteries, convenient retail and service destinations.

Depending on the region and location, the hubs will offer 4 to 12, and eventually even 30 high power chargers (HPC) with up to 350 kW of charging power. Intelligent charging management will allow each vehicle to charge at its maximum capacity, which will keep waiting times to an absolute minimum.

Although the focus of this decision is on owners of Mercedes vehicles, this network will also be open to drivers of all other brands with compatible technology. This comprehensive initiative, with ongoing support from collaborative networks such as IONITY, also aims to drive the global adoption of electric mobility.

The total investment will be around 1 billion euros, and the plan is to realize it in the next seven years.

Source: Mercedes-Benz

News, Tuning

Widebody Toyota GR Supra

Debates about cars are constant, and one of them has been going on for years. It is about whether Toyota, by creating the A90 model, achieved what was expected with the GR Supra model. Opinions differ, but one car is undoubtedly attracting attention.

This example is the work of the company Wheels Boutique, which equipped the Supra with a special body kit and a new set of Anrky Wheels rims wrapped in Toyo R888R tires, which enhanced the aggressive look of the vehicle. Traditional Supra fans may not like it, but those who like tuned Japanese models will probably give it a positive rating.

The body kit was done by Street Hunter Designs and includes front and rear wheel arch extensions, a new splitter and a large rear wing that extends from the standard trunk lid spoiler, as well as a new diffuser.

Gallery:

Widebody Toyota GR Supra

Source: Wheels Boutique

News

2023 Kia EV6 GT at the Nurburgring

Last month, KIA unveiled the EV6 GT, the most powerful car KIA has ever produced. This concludes the story of the Kia Stinger, which has had several upgrades since its arrival on the market in 2017. Now this fast electric car has shown its performance on the famous Nurburgring race track.

2023 Kia EV6 GT - The most powerful Kia ever produced

The EV6 GT is built on Kia’s Electric Global Modular Platform (E-GMP) designed for high electric vehicle power. With powerful motors on both axles and a long-range, 77.4 kWh battery, located under the flat floor of the cabin, the EV6 GT offers a spacious interior in the elegant form of a coupé-inspired crossover. Its range on a single charge is up to 206 miles / 424 km (WLTP, combined), while its 800V charging technology allows it to charge the battery very quickly from 10 to 80 percent in just 18 minutes.

Kia EV6 GT is powered by a front and rear electric motor with a total power of 576 hp (424 kW) and 545 lb-ft (740 Nm) of torque. Power is transmitted to all wheels via a 1-speed automatic transmission. It reaches 60 mph in 3.2 seconds with a top speed of 161 mph (259 km/h). This means that it is not only a more powerful but also a faster car than the Stinger. It is mounted on a set of 21-inch wheels.

Driving at the Nurburgring was not aimed at breaking the record, but the very skilled driver showed that he can drift very controlled and long with the EV6 GT, but also achieve very high speed averages. Thus, for most of the circuit, the Kia EV6 GT was at speeds above 100 km/h, while on several flat and fast sections it easily reached 225 km/h.

In this test, the Kia EV6 GT showed that it will be a serious competitor to sports electric cars such as the Tesla Model 3, Model X, Audi E-Tron GT and BMW iX.

Source: L’argus via YouTube

Cars and catalogues