Tag Archives: vehicles

Hybrid

2024 Fiat 600 Hybrid

After recently introducing the all-electric Fiat 600e that comes almost a decade after the production of the Fiat 600 was discontinued, the Italian automaker is now introducing the 600 Hybrid.

This model is the same size as the all-electric 600e, but lighter. The interior is made of recycled materials, and the instrument panel is made of bioplastic. Fiat claims that thanks to the electric motor, the car can be driven partly without emissions in the city and in parking lots. This technical solution reduces fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by 15%.

Fiat 600 Hybrid is powered by a 1.2L three-cylinder engine that, combined with an electric motor, has a total power of 128 hp (94 kW), which is enough to reach 62 mph (100 km/h) in 11 seconds. The car is equipped with a six-speed dual-clutch transmission and a 48 V lithium-ion battery that enables a range of one kilometer with a top speed of 30 km/h.

For now, it will be available in Italy and other countries where the sale of electric cars is not so popular, and the starting price will be 25,000 euros.

Source: Fiat

News

Chinese Gotion is building a battery factory in Europe

After the Chinese manufacturers of electric cars seriously set out to conquer the European market, another company is expanding its operations in Europe. In cooperation with the Slovakian startup Inobat, the Chinese Gotion is building a battery factory that will start operating in 2026.

The executive director of Inobat, Marian Bocek, said that the construction of the plant will start next year and will last for two years. The start of battery production is expected in 2026, from when a gradual increase in production can also be expected. Gotion and Inobat are currently looking for a location for the factory, and several European countries are among the options.

VW, which is the largest shareholder of Gotion, will benefit the most from this project. VW has an exclusive contract with Gotion to supply EV batteries outside of China. Gotion is also building a $2.36 billion battery plant in Michigan and a $2 billion plant in Illinois.

Europe’s efforts to build its own electric vehicle battery industry and reduce reliance on dominant Asian battery manufacturers are obvious and reasonable. Last month, Swedish lithium-ion battery maker Northvolt – whose customers include VW and Volvo – told Reuters it had raised $1.2 billion from investors. At the same time, French battery startup Verkor announced that it has secured more than 2 billion euros in funding for the construction of a gigafactory in Dunkirk.

Source: Reuters

News

BMW cancels subscription to heated seats

A year ago, BMW enabled car owners to activate the heated seats service via subscription. Weak interest was the reason for the quick failure of this project, so the Bavarian company decided to cancel this option.

This service was not the only one on offer, there were others such as a subscription to a heated steering wheel. BMW provided this service only in certain markets and in South Korea it cost 18 dollars per month. Quite expensive, considering that some models come with these options as standard.

Obviously, BMW’s expectations were high, but this service did not attract enough customers and the Bavarian manufacturer abandoned it. The information was confirmed by Pieter Nota, a member of the BMW management in the sales and marketing department. He stated that the subscription rate was too low, as users felt they were paying double for this service, since they could pay for the same when buying a car.

BMW has announced that the subscription will remain for other functions, so the focus will be on subscriptions for parking assistance, improved navigation or other advanced assistance systems.

Source: BMW