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New Dacia hybrids will combine LPG and electricity

Diesels were the most desirable cars in Europe for years, but the development of electric cars and increased demand pushed them into the background. However, it gave the opportunity to manufacturers to find new solutions like LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) used by Dacia cars. Starting next year, the new generation of cars will combine LPG with MHEV technology.

The EU heavily encourages the purchase of hybrid cars, primarily targeting current diesel owners. Adopting new regulations on internal combustion engines forced manufacturers to speed up the electrification of their cars. So Dacia also increased the number of its fully electric and hybrid cars, which resulted in a good positioning in the market, and the new decision to combine LPG and electrification will definitely make it even better.

The Romanian brand is currently developing a new generation of engines, which will be more powerful than the current 1.0 ECO-G with 100 hp (74 kW). The basis will be the new Renault 1.2 TCe gasoline engine, which means that the three-cylinder block remains, but in combination with 12 and 48-volt mild hybrid (MHEV) technology, with a total power of 120 hp to 150 hp. Buyers will be able to choose engines with manual and EDC dual-clutch automatic transmissions, and FWD and AWD versions. The first models that will be launched are the new Duster and Bigster, which are expected in late 2024 or early 2025.

Source: Dacia

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2025 Rolls-Royce Specter Semaphore

On August 16, Rolls-Royce will premiere a special version of its first ultra-luxurious electric coupé Spectre, the Rolls-Royce Specter Semaphore.

The Specter is considered by many to be a modern version of the Rolls-Royce Wraith, although Rolls-Royce disagrees. However, this version catches the eye at first glance with its intense Semaphore Yellow color, while the hood is decorated with Marble Paint Spill, part of California artists. This work of art required more than 160 working hours and was done with multiple layers of silver to create a look that resembles yellow and silver mixed together.

In the luxurious cabin, the seats are upholstered in a combination of white, lemon yellow and citrine yellow, and the same combination covers the central console, door panels and parts of the dashboard.

When it comes to the powertrain, the Specter Semaphore is powered by two electric motors with a total power of 585 hp (430 kW) and 664 lb-ft (900 Nm) of torque. It is equipped with a 120 kWh battery that enables a range of up to 428 km with a single charge.

Source: Rolls-Royce

Gallery:

2025 Rolls-Royce Specter Semaphore
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Oliver Zipse against the categorical ban on combustion engines

The European Union’s decision that from 2035, new cars with internal combustion engines can only be sold if they use synthetic fuels, is not considered a good thing by everyone. The chairman of the management board of BMW, Oliver Zipse, is against the categorical ban of ICE, he believes that this is a false solution due to the high development costs.

Zipse believes that lawmakers shouldn’t rush with shutting down internal combustion engines. Instead, the EU should encourage the adoption of low-CO2 fuels as soon as possible. Not only for new cars but also for the existing fleet, because there are over 250 million cars in 27 EU countries.

He also criticizes the European Commission for the lack of decisions and the lack of investment in synthetic fuels by the European Union. “At the moment there are many indications that the European Commission is looking for a false solution whereby the ban on internal combustion engines is relaxed through an obviously misleading solution in the form of synthetic fuels,” Zipse said.

His proposal is to increase investment in infrastructure across Europe to manufacture and sell synthetic fuel engines if they are seen as the solution for the near future.

Source: BMW

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