2025 Ford Puma Gen-E

Although Ford is struggling to survive in the European market, and the latest information about the reduction of production at the Cologne plant shows the situation facing the American manufacturer. However, Ford is not thinking about giving up on all-electric cars, so they have launched a new model on the European market, the Puma Gen-E.

The Puma Gen-E is slightly different visually from the hybrid version, and this primarily refers to the new front bumper with a closed grille and more elegant intakes inspired by those on the Mustang Mach-E, and a new rear spoiler. Inside, the digital cockpit with a 12.8-inch digital instrument cluster and a 12-inch infotainment screen has been retained. The center console with a new storage compartment is positioned slightly higher. The luggage compartment has also been increased to 574 liters with an additional 43 liters under the hood. Also, the Megabox compartment under the trunk floor is larger and is now called the Gigabox.

In terms of powertrain, the Puma Gen-E is powered by a single electric motor mounted on the front axle with 168 hp (123 kW), which puts it in second place, behind the ST model with a 1.0-L EcoBoost Hybrid and 170 hp (125 kW). It accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 8 seconds with a top speed of 160 km/h (99 mph). It is equipped with a 43 kWh battery that provides a range of between 347 and 376 km. Thanks to 100 DC kW fast charging, the battery is charged from 10 to 80 percent in about 23 minutes.

Ford announced that the car will be manufactured in Romania and the first deliveries can be expected at the end of Q1 2025. Speaking of price, the Puma Gen-E in Germany starts at 36,900 euros.

Source: Ford

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2025 Mobilize Duo and Bento

The lack of parking spaces is one of the big problems that cities are struggling with, so owning a small car is a win-win for every driver. That’s why Renault has launched two small city models, the Mobilize Duo and the Mobilize Bento.

This is not the first time that Renault has launched a small city car. We will remember a two-seat electric microcar that was produced from 2012 to 2023, but it did not achieve the expected results.

The Mobilize Duo is 2.43 meters long and 1.30 meters wide, and can accommodate two people. The doors do not open sideways, but upwards like the Le Mans racing hypercar, which is practical because it makes it easier to get in and out of tight spaces. There are two LED lights at the front, while the LED light strip at the back gives off its unconventional look. Inside, there is an interesting dashboard that somewhat resembles a game console with real buttons that make driving the car easier.

Mobilize Bento cargo van with one seat and a 649-liter rear box. It is 11 cm longer than the Duo model, and is powered by a 48-volt electric motor with 21 hp mounted on the rear axle. Maximum speed, depending on the version, can be 45 or 80 km/h.

Both models are equipped with an NMC battery with a useful capacity of 10.3 kWh, which gives the Duo a range of 161 km, and the Bento 149 km. A one-hour charge provides a range of 25 km, while the battery is charged from 20 to 80 percent in 3 hours and 50 minutes.

When it comes to price, the Bento starts at €10,000 + VAT while the Duo starts at €11,200 + VAT.

Source: Auto Express

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Increased export of hybrid cars from China to Europe

After the European Commission imposed new tariffs on electric cars imported from China, Chinese manufacturers have been trying to find ways to avoid them, one of which is production on European soil. However, the decline in demand for electric cars in Europe has forced them to focus more on hybrids.

The new tariffs of 35% on all imported electric vehicles made in China that came into effect in November do not include hybrids. This type of vehicle has been recording a growth in sales recently, and in October every third vehicle sold was a hybrid. This gave an opportunity to Chinese manufacturers to increase the export of this type of car to Europe.

The new regulations will be in force for the next five years and apply in addition to the already existing 10 percent tariff on imports of cars from outside the European Union. How important the European market is for Chinese manufacturers is shown by data from the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA). According to these data, 65,800 hybrid cars were exported to Europe from July to October. That’s three times more than the same period in 2023.

Hybrids and plug-in hybrids also accounted for 18 percent of Chinese car sales in Europe in the third quarter of this year. That’s more than double the share of these vehicles compared to the first three months of this year, when Chinese hybrid car sales in Europe accounted for just 9 percent of total sales.

Source: Reuters

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