Hydrogen, News

Toyota Mirai with a range of 845 miles

When we talk about the records achieved with cars powered by ICE, the first thing we think of is speed and time. Electric cars have another goal, and that is battery range. Such is the case with the hydrogen-powered Toyota Mirai.

From August 23 to 24, the new Toyota Mirai covered 845 miles with just one charge, which is the new Guinness World Record. The entire process was controlled by Guinness World Records adjudicator, Michael Empric.

“As a Guinness World Records adjudicator for 10 years, I’ve had the opportunity to witness incredible attempts, including several distance-related feats. The Toyota Mirai’s journey without the need to refuel showcases the power of fuel cell electric technology. This technology and the design ingenuity by the team at Toyota led to a history-making moment, ”said Michael Empric.

For two days, the car was driven through the city rush hour traffic and on the highway. On the first day, the car covered a distance of 473 miles (761 km). On the second day 372 miles (598 km). The drivers of the Toyota Mirai were a well-known duo, Wayne Gerdes and Bob Winger, known for setting fuel efficiency records in the U.S.

For sure, Toyota tried to use this opportunity to push its hydrogen initiative even further, which is why they chose the Mirai model to set a record.

Source: Toyota

News

The Golf GTI Clubsport 45 was tested at the Nurburgring

With the special Golf GTI Clubsport 45, Volkswagen recently marked 45 years since the introduction of the first Golf GTI (Grand Touring Injection).

The Clubsport 45 is powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with 297 hp (218 kW) and 295 lb-ft (400 Nm) of torque. Power transmission to the front wheels is via a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. It reaches 62 mph in 5.6 seconds with a top speed of 166 mph (267 km / h). It rides on 19-inch wheels with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires.

The German magazine Sport Auto has decided that the most powerful Golf GTI so far will face the famous German track Nürburgring Nordschleife. Test driver Christian Gebhardt completed a lap in eight minutes and 2.66 seconds. That’s a slightly better time than the seventh-generation Golf GTI TCR (08: 04.92).

The Golf GTI Clubsport 45 was significantly slower than the Renault Megan RS Trophy-R whose best time of seven minutes and 55.12 seconds was achieved with the same driver.

The new Honda Civic Type R will soon be tested at the Nürburgring. Whether it will return the title of the fastest with front-wheel drive to Japan remains to be seen.

Source: Volkswagen

EV, News

Increased demand for electric vehicles in Norway

Norway is a country that, through its incentives, has enabled increased demand for electric vehicles. Also, in the next few years, Norway intends to become the first country to stop selling petrol and diesel cars.

Although it is among the 20 largest oil producers, Norway is seeking to increase the number of electric cars on its roads. The goal is 2025, but according to the current demand for electric vehicles, that could happen even earlier.

According to the Norwegian Information Council for the Road Traffic (OFV), 1 in 10 new cars sold in Norway is non-electric. Only 5% use gasoline, and even fewer are diesel-powered.

According to data for this year, only 20% of new cars sold were not electric. This means that sales of electric vehicles in September jumped by 46% compared to September last year, and the best-selling models are the Tesla Model Y and Model 3. The electric Škoda Enyaq broke through to third place. Interestingly, the fourth is the Toyota RAV4, the only hybrid in the Top 10.

Buyers of electric vehicles are exempt from taxes on the purchase and import of vehicles, taxes on roads, and they also have large discounts when paying tolls, parking and ferries.

“The tax is progressive – it depends on the mass, CO2 and NOx emissions, so large vehicles with high emissions become very expensive,” said the Norwegian Automobile Federation.

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