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Category: Automotive

Retail News Asia is committed to providing both local and global retailers with the latest Auto and Car news throughout the Asian market. This on a daily base.

  • Suzuki Hayabusa Bookings Begin Again

    Suzuki Hayabusa Bookings Begin Again

    Suzuki Motorcycle India has reopened the bookings for the 2021 Hayabusa. The company sold out the first batch of 101 motorcycles in April 2021 in just a couple of days after opening bookings. While deliveries of the first batch have already begun, the company says that the second batch of the Hayabusa is likely to come to India in August 2021. The motorcycle was showcased in a new-generation avatar last year and made its way to India earlier this year. The new-gen Suzuki Hayabusa is priced at ₹ 16.40 lakh.

    The new Hayabusa gets comprehensive updates for the first time in 13 years. The bike now features improved aerodynamics, as well as an updated electronics suite too. It gets a 1,340 cc, four-stroke, fuel-injected, liquid-cooled, DOHC, inline-four engine which makes 187 bhp at 9,700 rpm and 150 Nm of peak torque at 7,000 rpm. Top speed is still rated at 299 kmph and kerb weight sees a marginal drop of 2 kg to 264 kg.

    Along with the updated engine, the motorcycle also gets a wide variety of electronic rider aids and a six-axis inertial measurement unit (IMU). The USP is the Suzuki Intelligent Ride System (S.I.R.S) under which you get three riding modes and three user-defined modes, with different settings for traction control, anti-lift control, engine brake control and so on.

  • Volvo And Google Extend Partnership For VolvoCars.OS

    Volvo And Google Extend Partnership For VolvoCars.OS

    Volvo and Google have announced that they are extending their partnership for Android Automotive which will not hook into a new user experience that the Swedish brand is developing called VolvoCars.OS. VolvoCars.OS uses an assortment of operating systems be it Android Automotive, QNX, and Linux. But the big deal is that it will hook into the cloud, or Android Automotive in its electric cars, and will also have a new front end for in-car displays.

    This is a more integrated approach mirroring what Google is doing with its other platform – wearOS on the smartwatch platform which is now merging with Samsung’s Tizen OS or even on the phone with its partnership with Reliance Jio in India for the Jio Phone Next. It is integrating more closely with OEMs and creating a more unique and customized experience.

    Of course, on the car, especially on Volvo’s cars, which are known the world over for their safety. This new UI is going to optimize safety. As always, this starts with a high-resolution infotainment screen and even a heads-up display, and everything will be available through voice, embedding the Google Assistant at the heart of the experience. Volvo and Google are already doing this, but what they will probably end up making is something more unique for Volvo than something stock that makes every Android Automotive car feel the same.

    “Our teams have spent a lot of time with Google to further develop and improve our user experience for the next generation of Volvo Cars,” said Henrik Green, chief technology officer, Volvo.

    “Especially in terms of safety, serenity, and simplicity, we have made great strides thanks to a deeper integration of design and technological development. We are convinced that it will allow us to create even better Volvo cars and set a new industry standard,” he added.

    Of course, these cars will also integrate better with mobile phones and the phone will act like a key leveraging a car key feature that Google unveiled at Google IO earlier this year. Volvo will also have an app that will connect you to everything else that comes with owning a modern electric car, the company claims in an official release.

    It is building features for paying for charging and connecting the with home devices and also pre-cooling and preheating the vehicle remotely. All these cars will also support OTA updates, but that’s something that has become a standard-issue these days with connected cars.

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  • Volkswagen Polo GTI Facelift Unveiled

    Volkswagen Polo GTI Facelift Unveiled

    Now before getting into the details of the new Volkswagen GTI facelift, let us tell you how these official pictures of the 2021 model year surfaced online. So we actually don’t know whether it is one of Volkswagen’s marketing strategies, or Ralf Brandstatter – CEO, Volkswagen Passenger Cars got so excited by looking at these official pictures of this new hot hatch, that he couldn’t help sharing them on his linked in profile. Yes! This is how the range-topping 2021 Volkswagen Polo GTI was unveiled, almost two years after the global debut of the line-up.

    In terms of design, the new GTI gives you exactly what you expect of a facelift as the changes remain subtle and it’s a predictable evolution if you will. It gets fully redesigned headlights along with the slim DRLs extending to the new grille, just like the Golf GTI. Then, there are wider taillights and the overall design has been spruced up with the usual red accents, dual exhaust tips, and a honeycomb grille. It also sports chunkier two-tone alloy wheels with upgraded brakes featuring red calipers and other sporty elements include contrasting black mirrors and roof.

    On the inside, it gets VW’s Discover Pro and Discover Media systems as optional, and the car also receives Volkswagen’s new ‘digital cockpit’ dashboard setup, as used by the Golf and ID 3. Other elements include a 9.0-inch touchscreen unit, panoramic sunroof, voice control, wireless charging, Beats sound system, and 18-inch alloy wheels. In the safety department, the new Polo gets Volkswagen’s Travel Assist system for the first time, which includes adaptive cruise control, lane assist, side assist and rear traffic alert. Autonomous emergency braking is also standard, as is a driver alert system and automatic post-collision braking.

    The new Polo GTI also comes with three driving modes – Eco, Normal and Sport with the last one tuned for enhanced exhaust note. The Polo GTI also gets a bespoke, performance-oriented chassis tune, lowering the body by 15 mm compared with the standard Polo and adding a large stabilizer on the car’s front axle, rigid coupling rods at the front and stiffer axle-locating mounts at the rear. Now Brandstatter is promising a powerful TSI engine under its hood, but mechanical details are not confirmed yet. We expect it to feature the same 2.0-litre, four-cylinder Turbo TSI motor tuned for optimum performance and it should come with the options of both six-speed manual and DSG transmission. Talking about the India context, the new Volkswagen Polo GTI is based on the sixth-generation Polo and both models are not likely to join VW India’s line-up anytime soon.

  • Energica Unveils Liquid-Cooled Electric Motor

    Energica Unveils Liquid-Cooled Electric Motor

    Italian electric motorcycle manufacturer Energica has joined hands with Italian engineering company Mavel, to co-design a new liquid-cooled electric motor that will be used in Energica’s upcoming electric motorcycle range. Called the EMCE (Energica Mavel Co-Engineering), the new liquid-cooled powertrain increases peak power to 126 kW (169 bhp), compared to the outgoing unit’s figures of 110 kW (147 bhp). The motor also offers an increased range by 5-10 percent, while decreases overall weight by as much as 10 kg. The new motor will be used in the firm’s electric motorcycle models for the 2022 model year.

    “The introduction on the market of the new EMCE engine was scheduled for release in 2022, but following the difficulties of our supply chain – due to the global pandemic situation – we decided to anticipate this timing and instead, in just 6 months we have developed this co-engineering with Mavel, into our current model year production,” said Giampiero Testoni, CTO of Energica.

    According to Energica, the new motor features innovative rotor and stators’ geometries that minimize energy losses and maximize performance. The innovative and patented cooling of the rotor is capable of generating an internal flow of air that laps the magnets and cools them. This allows the engine to exploit its potential even at high speeds. According to Energica, the new EMCE powertrain will be introduced in electric motorcycles in Europe later this year, followed by the US, and then Asia. Energica however, doesn’t have a presence in India yet.

  • Canoo Reveals Renders Of Manufacturing Campus In Oklahoma, USA

    Canoo Reveals Renders Of Manufacturing Campus In Oklahoma, USA

    Canoo, the electric car startup which went public recently via a SPAC merger has shared renders of its manufacturing campus that will be built in Oklahoma. Canoo calls it the mega micro-factory and it is scheduled to be opened up in 2023. In the Tulsa region, it is expected to create more than 2000 jobs. Canoo recently lost both its co-founders, with one, Ulrich Kranz, who led the development of BMW’s i3 and i8 electric cars and then moved to Faraday Future has joined Apple. In fact, Canoo was of great interest to Apple with the company interested in its skateboard. But Apple being Apple wanted to acquire Canoo while the team at Canoo wanted to retain its independence.

    “Oklahoma has always been a pioneer in the energy industry, and this partnership with Canoo shows that our state is an innovation leader in electric vehicle technology,” said Governor Stitt.

    “We are thrilled to partner with Canoo and Chairman & CEO Tony Aquila to provide high-paying jobs for Oklahomans and position America as the global leader for vehicle manufacturing for decades to come,” he added.

    It is developing an all-purpose delivery van and a modular pickup truck. It has a 400-acre campus which will be Tulsa. In a tweet, Canoo shared a 55-second video showcasing the concept design of the campus that it will start building soon.

    As per the tweet, it is right now in a design phase and remains on track to be up by 2023. It expects the facility to be over 1 million square feet. It plans on beginning production and delivery of its first vehicles by Q4 2022 with the help of a third-party manufacturer.

    “We invested millions of dollars to find the right location for our manufacturing facility. We’re proud to be American-made and to bring more than 2,000 jobs to Oklahoma,” said Tony Aquila, Investor, Chairman & CEO, Canoo, Inc.

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  • Nissan Will Build The First EV Factory In UK

    Nissan Will Build The First EV Factory In UK

    Japanese automotive giant Nissan will be making the first battery facility in the UK as per Sky News. The factory is slated to open in Sunderland in 2024 and is expected to produce batteries in 200,000 electric cars every year. Nissan will be partnering with Chinese specialist Envision AESC to build the batteries. It will produce 6 gigawatts of battery capacity per year which is far more than 1.9-gigawatt-hours of capacity that an existing Envision AESC Sunderland plan has. Of course, all of this is made to look tiny compared to what Tesla has in the US with the 35-gigawatt hour Gigafactory in Nevada.

    Of course, the cost is in the hundreds of millions and the British government will be contributing to the cost. The cost, however, is not known.

    “It is hoped the new plant will be producing batteries in time for 2024 when the level of UK-made components in UK-made cars is required to start increasing in line with the terms of the UK’s trade deal with the European Union – where most of Nissan’s Sunderland-assembled cars are sold,” reported the BBC.

    “Industry sources expect the scale and size of the new facility may closely match that of a new facility in Douai, France, recently announce by Renault – which is a major shareholder in Nissan and a partner in a global manufacturing alliance,” the report added.

    Nissan of course is known for the Leap EV which is also made in Sunderland. It could be there is a new electric car launch on the cards.

  • EU Extends Investigation Into Samsung’s EV Battery Plant In Hungary

    EU Extends Investigation Into Samsung’s EV Battery Plant In Hungary

    EU competition enforcers have extended a near two-year investigation into Hungarian state aid for South Korean manufacturer Samsung SDI Co Ltd’s electric vehicle (EV) battery factory after Hungary submitted new data to back its case.

    Samsung SDI, an affiliate of South Korean tech giant Samsung Electronics Co Ltd, began production at the Hungarian plant in 2018, making batteries for 50,000 EVs a year.

    The European Commission opened an investigation in October 2019 to assess whether Hungary’s plans to grant 108 million euros ($128.5 million) in state aid complied with the bloc’s competition rules.

    “Hungary now argues that Samsung could have benefited from an investment grant and a tax exemption in an alternative location outside the EU, which would have increased the viability of the alternative location with respect to Hungary,” the Commission said.

    It said Budapest has also produced new documentary evidence to show that Samsung’s search for a location for the plant had also included a number of new production facilities in Europe and an alternative location in a less developed region in the EU.

    Extending the EU investigation will allow third parties to comment on the Hungarian aid.

    Earlier this year, Samsung said it would invest 942 billion won ($849 million) to expand the plant.

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  • Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT Breaks Cover

    Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT Breaks Cover

    Porsche has revealed the new Cayenne Turbo GT and yes, it looks absolutely stunning. But let’s directly talk about the engine. The Cayenne Turbo GT gets a 4-litre biturbo V8 which pushes out 632 bhp and 850 Nm of torque. The Cayenne GT Turbo gets 90 bhp more power and an increase of 80 Nm as well compared to the Turbo Coupe. The 0-100 kmph sprint takes 3.3 seconds (0.6 s less than Turbo Coupe ) and top speed is now 300 km/h (an increase of 14 kmph). With even sportier lines and available exclusively as a four-seater Coupé, the Cayenne Turbo GT comes with all available chassis systems fitted as standard and performance tyres developed specially for this model.

    The powertrain and chassis also have a unique set-up specifically tuned for the Cayenne Turbo GT. This has been proven by Porsche test driver Lars Kern, who lapped the 20.832 km Nurburgring Nordschleife with the Cayenne Turbo GT in a time of 7:38.9 minutes, setting a new official SUV record.

    Compared to the Cayenne Turbo Coupé, the Turbo GT rides up to 17 millimeters lower. Based on this, both the passive chassis components and active control systems have been re-engineered and optimized for handling and performance. They also feature specific calibration to guarantee perfect interaction between them. As an example, the rigidity of the three-chamber air suspension has been increased by up to 15 percent, and the damper characteristics of the Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) as well as the application of the Power Steering Plus and rear-axle steering have also been adapted. The Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control (PDCC) active roll stabilisation system now operates with performance-oriented control software.

    The result is even better roll stability as well as more precise turn-in behavior at higher cornering speeds. In line with this, the Porsche Torque Vectoring system allows higher torque bias ratios. The comprehensively optimized front axle also improves handling. Compared to the Turbo Coupé, its front wheels are an inch wider and the negative camber has been increased by 0.45 degrees to give the new 22-inch Pirelli P Zero Corsa performance tyres, specially developed for the Turbo GT, a larger contact patch. Braking duties are performed by the standard-fit Porsche Ceramic Composite Brake (PCCB) system.

    The faster-shifting eight-speed Tiptronic S and the Porsche Traction Management (PTM) system have also been modified. There is also additional water cooling for the transfer case. The standard sports exhaust system, with its central tailpipes, is unique to the Cayenne Turbo GT. From the middle of the vehicle, the exhaust system, including the rear silencer, is made from lightweight and particularly heat-resistant titanium. An additional weight saving is achieved through the omission of the centre silencer.

    Optionally available with paintwork in the new Arctic Grey color, the Cayenne Turbo GT gets a GT-specific front apron with striking spoiler lip and enlarged side cooling air intakes, which create a unique front view. A contoured carbon roof and black wheel arch extensions, together with 22-inch GT Design wheels in Neodyme, dominate its side view. The carbon side plates fitted lengthwise to the roof spoiler are GT-specific, as is the adaptively extendable rear spoiler’s lip, which is 25 mm larger than that fitted to the Turbo. This increases downforce at the car’s top speed by up to 40 kilograms. The rear view is rounded off by a striking diffuser panel made of carbon.

    Inside you get eight-way adjustable sport seats and each come GT-specific with perforated seat centre panels in Alcantara, contrast accents in Neodyme or Arctic Grey and ‘turbo GT’ lettering on their headrests. With the Turbo GT, Porsche also brings in the next-generation Porsche Communication Management (PCM) system. PCM 6.0 is fully compatible with Apple CarPlay but now also allows for in-depth integration of Apple Music and Apple Podcasts. In addition, the infotainment system now also includes Android Auto, which means that all popular smartphones can now be integrated.

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  • Ride-hailing firm Grab to launch electric cars in Vietnam

    Ride-hailing firm Grab to launch electric cars in Vietnam

    Ride-hailing firm Grab plans to launch electric car services in Vietnam and Indonesia after piloting a program in Singapore at the end of this year.

    Grab is partnering with South Korea’s automotive manufacturer Hyundai Motor to encourage the adoption of electric vehicles in Southeast Asia.

    Both parties will test new business models including battery and electric vehicles leasing, thus lowering the entry barrier for its driver as the cost to own an electric car is high.

    Grab had said in an earlier report that some of the concerns that make drivers reluctant to use electric vehicles are their price, lack of charging stations and long waiting time for the battery to be fully charged.

    Russell Cohen, Grab’s managing director of operations, said that the company hopes governments will have incentive policies and essential infrastructure like charging stations so that electric vehicles will have many opportunities to develop.

    Grab and Hyundai have been partners since 2018. In 2019, the ride-hailing firm purchased 200 Hyundai Kona electric cars for its car-hiring service GrabRentals in Singapore.

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  • Tesla Owner Gets Ticket For Parking At GM Plant

    Tesla Owner Gets Ticket For Parking At GM Plant

    In a crazy incident, a Tesla owner was fined with a parking ticket at a GM plant in Wentzville in the US. Apparently, the parking ticket was issued as the attendant thought the vehicle was not an American car. In many American factories, they have dedicated parking lots for brand-owned vehicles, foreign vehicles and made-in-America vehicles. In the case of this parking lot, it was just meant for American vehicles but the attendant didn’t realise the Model 3 in question was as American as a car gets.

    The car was parked in the lot which was meant for non-GM vehicles, so the mistake was quite clear, but regardless the news of this ticket was quite surprising. GM even bothered to comment on the situation.

    “Wentzville, like many of our manufacturing sites, has a parking policy and designated parking locations for GM vehicles, non-GM domestic vehicles and foreign nameplates. Plant security inadvertently thought the Tesla was a foreign car and wrote a ticket accordingly,” the Detroit based automaker revealed.

    The Model 3 is the best-selling electric car in the world. It is also the best-selling executive sedan in the world. It was also voted most American-made vehicle by cars.com’s American-made index just last week.

    In fact, the Model 3 has more American DNA than even GM’s vehicles including the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon which are manufactured at the Wentzville assembly plat. This ticket was revealed on a Facebook group called Useless, Unsuccessful and/or unpopular signage and has gone viral since.

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  • Apple Car Team Rejigged Again

    Apple Car Team Rejigged Again

    The one thing that the Apple Car project at the legendary company has lacked is consistent management. After more changes late last year, a slew of executives left the Cupertino-based giant earlier this year revealed a report by Bloomberg. Three top members of the tear Benjamin Lyon, Jaime Way, and Dave Scott left, but Apple has made amends by hiring some more people like Ulrich Kranz who helped BMW make the i3 and i8 and was more recently the co-founder of Canoo.

    Apple has promoted Hanns Teppeiner, who was the co-founder and former president of robotic toy car startup Anki that was even featured by Apple at WWDC 2013. Similarly, Tim Cheng, formerly of Drive.Ai, a self-driving company Apple acquired two years ago has also been promoted.

    Apple also recently hired Hans Lee, the co-founder of Freedom Robotics which creates software to control fleets of robots. Martin Levihn, who now leads AI-based decision-making for self-driving cars has also been promoted. Apple also promoted Paul Costa who has been a longtime Apple hardware engineer.

    Day-to-day operations of the Apple Car project is run by Doug Fields who was a VP at Tesla for the Model 3’s development.  He spent five years at Telsa before returning to Apple where he used to be the VP for Mac hardware engineering. Before Apple, he used to be the CTO at Segway. He reports to Apple’s AI boss John Giannandrea who joined Apple previously in 2018 from Google. Giannandrea was handed reigns of the project from Bob Mansfield, an Apple veteran and a trusted confidant of Steve Jobs who used to run hardware engineering, before Dan Riccio.

    Bob Mansfield had retired but was pulled out of retirement by Tim Cook to run the project, but he has retired again and this time around it seems like it is for good. Recently at a conference, Tim Cook eluded to keep some secrets when asked about the Apple Car. In the past, he has called the self-driving car the mother of all AI projects.

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  • Honda’s First All-Electric SUV To Be Called Prologue

    Honda’s First All-Electric SUV To Be Called Prologue

    Honda today announced that its first new mass-market battery-electric vehicle will be called Prologue, signaling a new electrified era that will lead to the company’s vision for 100% zero-emission vehicle sales in North America by 2040. An all-new SUV coming to market in early 2024, the battery-electric Honda Prologue will be, according to the company ‘highly competitive’ but specific details about the new vehicle will be released over the coming months.

    In addition to the Honda Prologue, the company will introduce an all-electric Acura SUV in the 2024 calendar year. Both will utilize the highly flexible global EV platform powered by Ultium batteries based on the company’s strategic partnership with General Motors. Honda also plans to launch a new series of EV models in the second half of the decade based on a new e:Architecture, with development led by Honda.

    In April 2021, Honda global CEO, Toshihiro Mibe, announced a vision to achieve carbon-neutrality for its products and corporate activities by 2050, including key targets for sales of electrified vehicles. This vision calls for the sales ratio of battery-electric and fuel cell electric vehicles in North America to progress from 40% by 2030 and 80% by 2035 to 100% by 2040.

    Honda has a long history in bringing electrified vehicles to market in the U.S., beginning almost a quarter-century ago with the EV Plus electric vehicle (1997); to America’s first hybrid, the Honda Insight (1999); the Honda FCX (2002), the industry’s first fuel cell vehicle in the hands of individual customers, and the Clarity series (2017). As Honda prepares for the launch of Prologue, the company will introduce hybrid-electric systems to more core models to continue to reduce CO2 emissions and bridge customers to the volume of battery-electric vehicles now in development.

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  • Chinese EV Battery Maker CATL Extends Deal With Tesla

    Chinese EV Battery Maker CATL Extends Deal With Tesla

    Chinese electric vehicle battery maker CATL said on Monday it has extended a battery supply deal with U.S. EV maker Tesla Inc to 2025.

    Ningde-based CATL said in a stock exchange filing that it would supply battery cells to Tesla, which is making Model 3 sedans and Model Y sport-utility vehicles in Shanghai, until December 2025.

    Other Tesla battery suppliers include Panasonic Corp and LG Energy Solution.

  • Chinese Automaker Geely Auto Scraps STAR Market Listing Plan

    Chinese Automaker Geely Auto Scraps STAR Market Listing Plan

    China’s Geely Automobile Holdings Ltd said on Friday it is dropping plans to list new shares on the mainland’s Nasdaq-like STAR Market.

    Zhejiang-based Geely Auto, China’s highest-profile automaker thanks to parent Zhejiang Geely Holding Group’s investments in Daimler AG and Volvo Cars, is listed in Hong Kong with a market capitalization of HK$255 billion ($32.85 billion).

    In September, Geely Auto said in a filing that it planned to raise 20 billion yuan ($3.10 billion) from the STAR Market listing.

    Geely Auto is aiming to sell over 1.5 million vehicles this year. It also said would seek external funding for its newly-launched electric Zeekr brand.

    In February, Geely Auto said it abandoned the merger plan with sister company Volvo Cars.

  • China’s Automaker Great Wall Aims To Sell 4 Million Cars In 2025

    China’s Automaker Great Wall Aims To Sell 4 Million Cars In 2025

    Great Wall Motor is targeting an annual sales of 4 million vehicles in 2025, Chairman Wei Jianjun said on Monday, as China’s top pickup truck maker sees an increase in the demand for leisure use.

    Great Wall’s revenue is expected to reach 600 billion yuan ($92.86 billion) in 2025, Wei said in a briefing on the company’s strategy at its headquarters.

    Great Wall, which sold 1.1 million cars last year, aims for 80 percent of its annual sales in 2025 to be new energy vehicles, including battery-electric, plug-in hybrid, and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

    It targets to sell 2.8 million cars in 2023 with a product lineup of more than 60 models, Meng Xiangjun, a senior executive at Great Wall said.

    China, the world’s largest auto market, rolled out supportive policies for hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles last year, which require local governments and companies to build a more mature supply chain and business model for the industry.

    Baoding-based Great Wall is building a car plant in China with BMW for electric vehicles. The company plans to be carbon-neutral in 2045, earlier than China’s overall target of 2060.

    Great Wall, which competes with Geely and BYD, is also planning to manufacture cars in Russia and Thailand.

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