Archive for the ‘Concept Cars’ Category
A combined VW-Ford battery-car program seems to have come un-plugged, however.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Feb.11, 2019
An under-the-skin look at VW's modular MEB battery-car platform reveals the skateboard-like layout.
Volkswagen is plugging into battery power in a big way, the German automaker planning to launch 50 or more all-electric models by 2025, an aggressive push that will have it betting heavily on a single new platform it is developing. Dubbed the MEB, this flexible, modular “architecture” will be used to underpin the vast majority of battery-electric vehicles, or BEVs, that will be offered by VW’s dozen different passenger car brands.
The MEB has been a topic of discussion between VW and Ford Motor Co., the two companies recently launching a joint venture to develop light commercial vehicles. They also are exploring ways they may be able to work together on the development of electric vehicles, possibly using the new VW platform — though a senior Ford official cautioned that this might prove more difficult than originally hoped.
Beyond the Headlines!
“The future, for us, is really a dedicated EV platform,” said Matthew Renna, vice president of e-Mobility for Volkswagen’s North American Region, a platform “flexible enough to cover a broad gamut of products ranging from an entry level subcompact up to models like the ID. Buzz minivan and even midsize SUVs.
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Tags: Audi e-tron, VW MEB, auto news, car news, ford news, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, thedetroitbureau, volkswagen electric, vw battery car, vw electric, vw ford, vw ford ev.electric vehicles, vw id buzz, vw meb platform, vw news
Posted in Audi, Auto Shows, Automakers, Automobiles, Business, Chicago, China, Concept Cars, Crossovers/CUVs, EVs, Electrified Vehicles, Environment, Europe, Ford, Fuel Economy, Investors, Markets, Porsche, SUVs, Sales, Sports Cars, Technology, Tesla, Trends, U.S./North America, Volkswagen | No Comments »
The show features the industry's hottest products — trucks.
by tdb on Feb.07, 2019
The 111th edition of the Chicago Auto Show is in its second day and plenty of news has already been made. As expected we’ve seen plenty of new trucks, crossovers and sport-utes to make their debuts. While those three dominated the debuts in the Windy City, they weren’t the only unveilings.
The show attracts the biggest executives and industry watchers, and watching them will be TheDetroitBureau.com, We continue to cover the show, bringing you news as it happens — and even before in many instances. Check back often as the site is updated regularly. (more…)
Tags: 2019 chicago auto show, TheDetroitBureau.com., auto news, chicago auto show, joseph szczesny, michael strong, paul a. eisenstein, thedetroitbureau
Posted in Advertising, Auto Shows, Automakers, Automobiles, Business, Chicago, Concept Cars, Crossovers/CUVs, Executives, Markets, Personalities, Pickups, SUVs, U.S./North America | No Comments »
All-electric prototype hints of crossover set to mark the brand’s revival.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Feb.06, 2019
The Aston Martin Lagonda All-Terrain Concept will strongly influence a coming production model.
Automakers have a habit of reaching into the history books. We’ve seen a number of once forgotten nameplates rise from the dead lately, including the Chevrolet Blazer and Ford Bronco. And the upcoming Geneva Motor Show will mark the revival of two once-grand brands: Hispano-Suiza and Lagonda.
The return of the latter, a subsidiary of Aston Martin, has been in the works for several years, a show car called the Lagonda Vision making its debut in Switzerland a year ago. Next month, we’ll see the debut of a second prototype, the Lagonda All-Terrain Concept, and it seems a lot closer to the production model set to reach showrooms a couple years from now.
Geneva Motor Show News!
“The Lagonda All-Terrain Concept offers explicit clues regarding what will be the first Lagonda model to enter production, and further demonstrates how Lagonda’s zero emission powertrain enables us to create spectacular cars that will radically redefine their sectors of the market,” says Aston CEO Andy Palmer.
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Tags: aston electri, aston martin electric, aston martin lagonda, aston martin news, auto news, battery car, car news, electric vehicles, lagonda all-terrain conceot, lagonda electric, lagonda news, luxury electric vehicle, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, thedetroitbureau
Posted in Aston Martin, Auto Shows, Automakers, Automobiles, Business, Chevrolet, Classic Cars, Concept Cars, Crossovers/CUVs, EVs, Electrified Vehicles, Financials, First Look, Ford, Geneva, Investors, Lamborghini, Luxury Vehicles, Product Reveals, SUVs, Sales, Technology, Tesla | No Comments »
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Feb.05, 2019
A familiar name is making a comeback at the Geneva Motor Show. Hispano-Suiza is debuting a electric concept dubbed "The Carmen," next month.
An old luxury brand is looking to make a comeback with the launch of a very modern hypercar.
Barcelona-based Hispano Suiza plans to reveal a fully electric “hyperlux grand tourer” during the upcoming Geneva Motor Show. Dubbed the “Carmen,” the new model is named after the granddaughter of the founder of the once iconic brand. Curiously, the decision to adopt battery power actually brings Hispano Suiza back to its roots.
Product News!
The company – whose name means Spanish-Swiss – hasn’t put its name on a new car in nearly three-quarters of a century, but for a handful of concept vehicles meant to spur a revival. But it is now confident enough to begin taking orders for the new, all-electric tourer. (more…)
Tags: EV concept Hispano Suiza, Hispano Suiza Carmen concept, Hispano Suiza EV concept Geneva, Hispano Suiza Geneva Motor Show, Spanish-Swiss comeback, TheDetroitBureau.com., auto news, new EV concept, old car company develops new EV, paul a. eisenstein, thedetroitbureau
Posted in Auto Shows, Automakers, Automobiles, Business, Concept Cars, EVs, Electrified Vehicles, Europe, Events, Geneva, Markets, Sales, Sedans, Technology | No Comments »
Retro design, futuristic powertrain; concept to debut in Geneva.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Jan.31, 2019
Volkswagen is bringing a new electric concept to the Geneva Motor Show in March – what's old is new again!
Volkswagen is going back to the future with a ‘60s-tinged concept coming to the Geneva Motor Show in a little more than a month.
The show car is modelled after the classic dune buggies that hit American roads and beaches back in the 1960s and 1970s. But the new iteration offers something very different under the hood – or, more accurately, under the floorboards, the buggy concept making use of the same, modular electric drivetrain that will power an assortment of upcoming Volkswagen products.
Auto Show News!
“A buggy is more than a car. It is vibrancy and energy on four wheels,” suggested VW’s global design chief Klaus Bischoff. “These attributes are embodied by the new e-buggy, which demonstrates how a modern, non-retro interpretation of a classic can look and, more than anything else, the emotional bond that electric mobility can create.” (more…)
Tags: TheDetroitBureau.com., VW EV dune buggy, VW Geneva concept car, VW concept dune buggy EV, VW electric vehicle plans, VW's classic dune buggies, Volkswagen Geneva Motor Show, auto news, new Volkswagen EVs, paul a. eisenstein, thedetroitbureau, vw news
Posted in Asia Pacific, Auto Shows, Automakers, Automobiles, China, Classic Cars, Concept Cars, Designers, EVs, Electrified Vehicles, Europe, Events, Executives, Geneva, Markets, NAFTA, Personalities, Sales, South America, Technology, Trends, U.S./North America, Volkswagen | 1 Comment »
Automakers says show car hints at “next-generation technology and enhanced EV performance.”
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Jan.29, 2019
Mitsubishi's awkwardly named plug-in, the Engelberg Tourer Concept debuts in March.
Okay, perhaps the odd name resonates in the cantons of Switzerland but there’s no question, you’re likely to get some strange looks when you tell somebody about the Mitsubishi Engelberg Tourer Concept set to debut at the Geneva Motor Show in a little more than a month.
It’s the latest in a series of show cars rolling out from the long-struggling Japanese automaker, most – if not all – putting the emphasis on plug-based drivetrain technologies. For its part, Mitsubishi seems determined to keep us waiting for most of the details but does offer some hints about the latest prototype which, it turns out, is named after a popular Swiss ski resort that has some links to European motor sports.
All Charged Up!
The Engelberg Tourer, the company suggests, will “bring further developments in SUV styling and practicality, along with a focus on next-generation technology and enhanced EV performance.” (more…)
Tags: Geneva Motor Show, Mitsubishi Engelberg Tourer Concept, Mitsubishi Geneva Show concept, Mitsubishi battery electrics, Mitsubishi commitment to electric vehicles, Mitsubishi electric concept, TheDetroitBureau.com., auto news, mitsubishi news, paul a. eisenstein, thedetroitbureau
Posted in Asia Pacific, Auto Shows, Automakers, Automobiles, Business, China, Concept Cars, EVs, Electrified Vehicles, Europe, Executives, Geneva, Markets, Mitsubishi, NAFTA, Personalities, SUVs, Sales, Sales, South America, Technology, Trends, U.S./North America | 1 Comment »
Move raises questions about what will remain of Project Titan.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Jan.24, 2019
Apple Tim Cook had called self-driving vehicles "the mother of all AI projects."
Apple has cut at least 200 jobs at Project Titan, its autonomous vehicle project, sources told TheDetroitBureau.com, a report now confirmed by CNBC.
The operation has been underway in near secrecy for several years and had previously gone through several upheavals, according to sources, as the tech giant tried to figure out exactly what its long-term goals would be. While it appeared committed to the idea of developing self-driving vehicle technology, the big question was whether Apple should also build the cars that would use that technology and, if so, how they would be used.
Breaking News!
“We have an incredibly talented team working on autonomous systems and associated technologies at Apple,” a company spokesperson told CNBC overnight. “As the team focuses their work on several key areas for 2019, some groups are being moved to projects in other parts of the company, where they will support machine learning and other initiatives, across all of Apple.”
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Tags: Cruise Automation, apple autonomous vehicle, apple car, apple project titan, auto news, autonomous vehicle, car news, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, project titan, self-driving car, thedetroitbureau, waymo
Posted in Automakers, Automobiles, Autonomous Driving, Business, Chrysler, Concept Cars, FCA, Ford, GM, Jaguar, Land Rover, Maven, Ride-Sharing, Safety, Semi-autonomous Driving, Technology, Volkswagen, Volvo, waymo | Comments Off
“Electric Vision” model to usher in massive shift to battery power.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Jan.23, 2019
Honda will bring a production version of the Urban EV Concept to Europe in the coming year.
Honda plans to use battery power of one form or another in two-thirds of the vehicles it sells by the end of the next decade, and the Japanese automaker plans to give a sense of where its “Electric Vision” is going at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show.
The Honda Urban EV Concept builds on an early prototype shown at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show and is little more than a thinly disguised version of the battery runabout it soon will be launching in Europe.
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“Honda’s new electric vehicle is developed with a focus on functionality and purpose and the prototype sketch demonstrates this through its clean, simple and unique design,” the automaker explained in a statement accompanying this teaser shot. “A mass production version of the car will be on sale later in the year.”
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Tags: 2019 geneva motor show, Honda geneva motor show, auto news, battery car, car news, honda electric, honda news, honda urban evelectric vehicle, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, thedetroitbureau
Posted in Auto Shows, Automakers, Automobiles, Business, Concept Cars, EVs, Electrified Vehicles, Environment, Europe, Fiat, First Look, Frankfurt, Geneva, Honda, Kia, Markets, Sales, Technology, Trends | 2 Comments »
But can California carmaker survive the new onslaught of competition.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Jan.17, 2019
Tesla CEO Elon Musk showed off a prototype Model S in 2010, the last time he attended the NAIAS.
Battery-electric vehicles may still account for less than 1% of the U.S. new vehicle market, but they have had a notable presence at this year’s North American International Auto Show – something that many credit to a manufacturer that was notably absent from Detroit’s Cobo Hall convention center: Tesla.
Cadillac made a major splash during the first media preview of this year’s show, when it not only revealed the new XT6 utility vehicle but announced that it will be the first General Motors brand to use the automaker’s new all-electric platform for another SUV debuting in 2021.
Electrifying!
Throughout the show, automaker’s either revealed new battery cars and concepts or outlined their plans for an electrified future. Volkswagen, for one, announced plans to invest $800 million to add production of two new all-electric models at its plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
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Tags: 2019 naias, Cadillac EV, EVs, Rivian, auto news, auto show electric, cadillac electric, car news, elon musk, ev detroit auto show, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, tesla, thedetroitbureau, vw ev
Posted in Auto Shows, Automakers, Automobiles, Business, Cadillac, Concept Cars, Crossovers/CUVs, Detroit, EVs, Electrified Vehicles, Environment, Executives, FCA, Fiat, Financials, Ford, Fuel Cell, Fuel Economy, GM, Luxury Vehicles, Markets, Muscle Cars, Personalities, Pickups, SUVs, Sales, Sedans, Technology, Tesla, Trends, U.S./North America, Volkswagen | Comments Off
This could be “a direct blueprint” for the first pure-electric Infiniti.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on Jan.14, 2019
Infiniti revealed the all-electric QX Inspiration concept at the 2019 NAIAS on Jan. 14.
It’s been nearly a decade since Infiniti first promised to bring a battery-electric vehicle into its line-up, the automaker quickly deciding not to go with a gussied-up version of the decidedly down-market Leaf sold by parent brand Nissan.
With Infiniti now trying to plug back in and promising that it will electrify virtually everything in its line-up by 2021, you can expect to get a good idea of what’s coming with the QX Inspiration Concept making its debut at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
News You Can Trust!
“The Infiniti QX Inspiration marks the beginning of a new generation of Infiniti cars and establishes a direct blueprint for the brand’s first electric vehicle,” said Christian Meunier, the luxury brand’s new president and chairman. “Based on a new, dedicated electric vehicle architecture and inspired by Infiniti’s Japanese DNA, the SUV concept previews a product portfolio which will offer high performance, ultra-low emissions and range confidence.” (more…)
Tags: Infiniti EV Detroit, Infiniti QX Inspiration battery-car concept, Infiniti electric concept Detroit Auto Show, NAIAS 2019, TheDetroitBureau.com., auto news, new Infiniti battery electric, paul a. eisenstein, thedetroitbureau
Posted in Advertising, Auto Shows, Automobiles, Business, Concept Cars, Crossovers/CUVs, Detroit, EVs, Electrified Vehicles, Infiniti, Luxury Vehicles, Markets, Nissan, Sales, Technology, Trends, U.S./North America | Comments Off
