William Maley

Volkswagen put forth an ambitious plan to offer an electric version of each model it sells. The automaker set aside about 20 billion euros ($23 billion), but that will not be enough according CEO Herbert Diess. “The burden for our company, such as the cost of bringing to market electric cars, will be higher than expected,” Diess said in a interview with Volkswagen's internal newsletter, obtained by Bloomberg. “This is particularly so since some of our competitors have been making more progress.” Diess didn't give a new figure in the interview, but did say the company needs to "reduce expenses more to be able to invest in future technology and weather crises". Volkswagen has been working on improving its profitability since a 2016 labor pact and massive reorganization of its 12 brands. The Volkswagen brand has seen its profitability increase from 1.8 to 4.1 percent last year. But Diess said they need higher profits. “We need higher profits to finance our future. Four percent is a minimum, 5 percent to 6 percent allow for some future investments and with 7 percent to 8 percent we’re crisis-ready.” Source: Bloomberg (Subscription Required) View full article

At first glance, you might be wondering why a spy photographer took photos of what appears to be a standard Bentley Continental GT. But then why would this particular Continental GT have two fuel doors, one on each fender? The one on the right is the for fuel. The one on the left is most likely a charging port - leading to many thinking this is a mule for a plug-in hybrid variant of the Continental GT. What is most likely under the skin is a reworked version of Porsche’s hybrid system which is comprised of a turbocharged V6 and an electric motor. Bentley will be using a variant for the upcoming Bentayga Hybrid, although power figures are being kept quiet. Considering the undisguised state of this mule, we're thinking Bentley could reveal a production version sometime next year. Source: Autoblog, Motor1 View full article

General Motors is recalling 1,015,918 pickup trucks from the 2015 model year due to a problem with the electric power steering (EPS) system. In a letter published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration yesterday, the EPS may momentarily lose assist before regaining it. "If EPS assist is lost and then suddenly returns, the driver may have difficulty steering the vehicle, especially at low speeds, increasing the risk of a crash," wrote NHTSA. The models affected include, Cadillac Escalade Chevrolet Silverado Chevrolet Suburban Chevrolet Tahoe GMC Sierra GMC Yukon The fix is simple as dealers will update the EPS software. No word on when GM will begin the recall. GM issued a similar recall for about 700,000 Chevrolet and GMC trucks in the US last year. Source: NHTSA (PDF) Pic Credit: William Maley for Cheers & Gears View full article

Porsche announced two new short-term loan programs that will launch as pilots in the United States: Porsche Drive and Porsche Host. Porsche Drive could be described as "Diet Porsche Passport". Subscribers will be able to reserve a Porsche model from four hours to a full week. After making their selection, a white-glove delivery service will drop off the Porsche vehicle within two hours in the Metro Atlanta area - where the pilot will take place. Pricing will range from $269 for four hours with a Macan or a 718 Cayman or Boxster; to $2,909 for a week-long rental of a 911. Prices don't include taxes and fees. Porsche Host is a partnership between the company and peer-to-peer car sharing service Turo. Host uses Porsche-approved and trained Turo hosts to offer users a "five-star Porsche experience". Vehicles are owned by the hosts and users have the option of renting the vehicle for day to over a month. The program will be launched in Los Angeles and San Francisco next month. “We want to offer a choice in how people experience the thrill of driving a Porsche. Our market research shows that consumers want options across a spectrum from access to ownership. The Porsche Drive and Porsche Host pilots are exciting, non-traditional ways to let customers choose how they get behind the wheel of a Porsche,” said Klaus Zellmer, President and CEO of Porsche Cars North America, Inc. Source: Porsche Porsche Launches New Short-Term Access Pilots ‘Drive’ and ‘Host’ in U.S. Drive a Porsche for a day to a week or longer with rental or peer-to-peer models Atlanta, Georgia. Porsche is unveiling two pilot programs on the U.S. East and West Coasts to give drivers short-term, on-demand access to Porsche sports cars. “We want to offer a choice in how people experience the thrill of driving a Porsche,” said Klaus Zellmer, President and CEO of Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (PCNA). “Our market research shows that consumers want options across a spectrum from access to ownership. The Porsche Drive and Porsche Host pilots are exciting, non-traditional ways to let customers choose how they get behind the wheel of a Porsche.” Porsche Drive PCNA is following up on its monthly subscription plan, Porsche Passport, with a short-term rental pilot called Porsche Drive. The program, powered by Clutch Technologies LLC (Clutch), offers a wide range of new Porsche models for periods from a few hours to a week. It launched this week in Atlanta. Porsche Drive includes white-glove concierge delivery service. Once a reservation is confirmed, the vehicle will be delivered within two hours to the customer's requested location in metro Atlanta. The service features hourly (four-hour minimum), daily, and weekly usage options for current model cars from all six Porsche model lines, including the iconic 911. Access to specific model variants will depend upon availability. Prices for Porsche Drive run from $269 (+ taxes and fees) for four hours in a Macan or 718 Cayman or Boxster, to $2,909 (+ taxes and fees) for weekly usage of a 911. Clutch will manage customer interaction as well as the end-to-end service delivery for Porsche Drive. To reserve a Porsche Drive vehicle, customers can make contact with Porsche directly through a chat on the www.porschedrive.us website, by phone at 678-831-6291, or by email at [email protected]. Porsche Host A second short-term program, Porsche Host, is a peer-to-peer pilot developed by Porsche Digital, Inc. with car-sharing marketplace provider Turo. The Porsche Host program will be available in Los Angeles and San Francisco via the Turo platform. Porsche cars in the program are owned by Turo hosts. The Porsche Host program will launch October 8 in Los Angeles and San Francisco. The program includes a group of outstanding Turo hosts who have been trained to offer a five-star Porsche experience. Guests can book a Porsche from a Porsche Host via the Turo app or website, for periods ranging from one day to a month or longer. View full article

September is turning out to be a month focusing on electric vehicles. Already, Mercedes-Benz has pulled the cover off the EQC and Audi is planning to reveal the E-Tron crossover next week. Now Aston Martin has announced official specifications for its first electric vehicle, the Rapide E. The model being worked on with Williams Advanced Engineering will use two electric motors on the rear axle to deliver 602 horsepower and 700 pound-feet of torque. 0-60 mph is said to take under 4 seconds and the Rapide E can hit a top speed of 155 mph. A 65-kwh lithium-ion battery pack is estimated to provide a range of over 200 miles on the new WTLP test cycle - somewhat disappointing when compared to the likes of the Tesla Model S 75D which offers a range of 259 miles. Using a 50kW charger, the Rapide E can get a 150 mile charge in just an hour. There will also be a 100kW charger that provides a charge of 5 miles per minute. The Rapide E's exterior and underbody has been tweaked to improve aerodynamics. This includes a unique design for the wheels. The Pirelli P Zero tires feature sound deadening to help make the vehicle as quiet as possible. Aston is only planning to build 155 Rapide Es when production kicks off late next year. The model will be used as a rolling testbed for future Aston and Lagonda electric vehicles. "As our first all-electric production model, Rapide E will fast-track our knowledge and help us ensure the character and high-performance capabilities of our future EV models and enhance the unique qualities found in all Aston Martins as we know them today. Rapide E will also serve as a critical step on our path to re-launching Lagonda as the world’s first zero-emission luxury marque," said Andy Palmer, CEO of Aston Martin. Source: Aston Martin Rapide E: Secrets of First All-Electric Aston Martin Revealed Rapide E to be Aston Martin’s first Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) Product name confirmed as ‘Rapide E’ Aston Martin developing Rapide E with Williams Advanced Engineering Production run of 155 units Twin electric motors to produce over 610PS and 950Nm of torque creating most powerful Rapide model Features innovative 800V battery system; DC/DC converter facilitates fast charging, even on 400V network Cars will be built in dedicated facility at Aston Martin’s St. Athan site First customer deliveries scheduled for Q4 2019 12 September 2018, Millbrook, England: With development of Aston Martin’s first all-electric production car – the Rapide E – progressing apace, the luxury British marque has today confirmed a raft of technical details for the strictly limited 155-unit special edition. Working closely with Williams Advanced Engineering (WAE) as its development partner, Aston Martin has utilised the hugely successful leader in Electric Vehicle (EV) technology to kickstart a new era for Aston Martin’s powertrain technology and overcome the technical challenges associated with packaging the battery system and motors within the space available. Throughout the development process, the engineering team have focused on achieving effective cooling of the batteries and motor to ensure consistent performance, while strict weight targets have been stringently observed using lightweight alloys and carbon composite materials. Rapide E will be powered by an 800V battery electrical architecture with 65kWh installed capacity using over 5600 lithium ion 18650 format cylindrical cells. These are mounted in a bespoke battery pack where the original 6.0-litre V12, its gearbox and fuel tank were located. This battery system powers two rear mounted electric motors producing a combined target output of just over 610PS and a colossal 950Nm of torque. Rapide E’s range target is over 200 miles under the Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP), while the model is capable of charging at a rate of 1851,2 miles of range per hour using a typical 400V 50kW charger. However, the car’s 800V high-voltage battery system enables faster charging of 3101,2 miles of range per hour, using an 800V outlet delivering 100kW or higher. Being an Aston Martin, the Rapide E is being developed with a high-performance objective. Projected top speed for the Rapide E is 155mph, with a sub-4.0sec 0-60mph time and a 50-70mph time of just 1.5sec. It’s important to stress that these figures are not restricted to a narrow window only when the batteries are fully-charged. Instead the target is for maximum performance on-demand throughout majority of the battery state of charge window, as would be expected from a conventional internal combustion-engined car. This includes the ability to drive a full lap of the Nürburgring with absolutely no derating of the battery and the ability to cope with the daily demands of repeated hard acceleration and braking. The car’s exterior and underbody has also been aerodynamically optimised and complemented with newly-designed aerodynamic wheels. Shod with Pirelli P-Zero low rolling-resistance tyres featuring noise-cancelling foam, Rapide E aims to achieve higher levels of aerodynamic, frictional losses and cooling performance over the standard Rapide S. It has also been an objective of the project to retain and enhance the feel, character and delivery of the V12-engined Rapide S. To this end, careful attention will be paid to the development and tuning of both the electric powertrain and the chassis, with particular focus applied to software integration. The rear-wheel drive Rapide E’s twin electric motors will drive through a Limited-Slip Differential, which combined with revised spring and damper rates ensures the pure handling characteristics for which the petrol-powered Rapide S is already renowned. Though the Rapide E will be built in low volumes, it is being subjected to Aston Martin’s stringent and exhaustive testing protocols, with the dedicated WAE team working closely alongside Aston Martin personnel to ensure every aspect of the prototype test programme follows the marque’s established procedures. Uniquely, customers will be an extended part of the ongoing Rapide E programme, with their comments and driving experiences providing an invaluable stream of feedback that will help shape and improve future Aston Martin EVs. In addition to WAE, the Rapide E programme enjoys the support of other technical partners including Hyperbat Limited – a new joint venture company between Williams Advanced Engineering and Unipart Manufacturing Group – as the battery manufacturer, Integral Powertrain Technologies for the electric motors, Xtrac for the transmission and the H1PERBAT project consortium with grant funding from the Advanced Propulsion Centre. Speaking of the Rapide E programme, Andy Palmer, CEO Aston Martin, commented: “Environmental responsibility and sustainability is a global challenge faced by us all. As a career automotive engineer, I’m proud that the car industry is leading the way in finding long-term solutions and reducing harmful emissions. As Aston Martin’s CEO, I take particular satisfaction working with Williams Advanced Engineering and our other associated technology partners to bring Rapide E to reality. As our first all-electric production model, Rapide E will fast-track our knowledge and help us ensure the character and high-performance capabilities of our future EV models and enhance the unique qualities found in all Aston Martins as we know them today. Rapide E will also serve as a critical step on our path to re-launching Lagonda as the world’s first zero-emission luxury marque”. Rapide E will be built at the upcoming St. Athan production facility, announced as the future ‘Home of Electrification’ for both the Aston Martin and Lagonda brands. Aston Martin is accepting expressions of interest via its global dealership network, with pricing available on application. Customer deliveries are set for Q4 2019. View full article

My hunch is that it would be slightly less, but the only people who know that is BMW.

Lexus will soon be joining the subscription service fray. Roadshow reports that Lexus will introduce Complete Lease for the first quarter of 2019 to coincide with the launch of the UX crossover. The service will offer two-year leases with a 20,000-mile limit for one non-negotiable price. This price includes lease payment, insurance, and maintenance coverage. Lexus will launch Complete Lease in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Miami. According to Cynthia Tenhouse, Lexus general manager of product and consumer marketing, these locations were chosen in part to UX is aimed at those living in the city, and the high insurance costs in those cities make a subscription service that includes insurance very appealing. There are still a number of details that Lexus is keeping quiet on, such as how much it will cost, who will be providing the insurance, and whether a buyer needs to go into a dealership to order their UX. Source: Roadshow View full article