New Ford Focus, Model 3 Dyno’d and Bolt Award | 26 Feb 2018
New Generation Ford Focus To Be Revealed Soon Could Feature Electric Drivetrain | Elon Says The Tesla Semi Could Beat Announced Specs As Others Say Its Impossible | 1000bhp EV Coming From China’s LCVHI | Model 3s Shown Dyno Testing | Consumer Reports Put Chevrolet Bolt In Their Top 10
Monday 26th February 2018.
FORD FOCUS READY FOR NEW ELECTRIC MODEL
…but first, a name not mentioned too much around electric vehicles is Ford. We’ve heard a lot of positive news from Chairman Bill Ford, such as the Detroit Auto Show announcement of spending $11bn by 2022 with 40 electrified models. Of course Tesla exceeding the Ford market cap must have caused a few boardroom conversations.
Well now the next generation Ford Focus has been spotted on a commercial photo shoot. The current Focus Electric has to be customised from a car not designed to be an EV, it’s a 35KWh battery, and only sold in 10 states in the US. It has a 6.6kW on board charger and DC Fast Charge up to 50kW, so it’s not exactly cutting edge but it’s a solid compliance car.
However the next Focus has been built for multiple powertrains in mind, from petrol to Plug In to full electric. And as the covers are off for photo shoots, it means we’re close to hearing what could be a hidden gem for 2018. The announcement won’t be at March’s Geneva Motor Show but shortly after, and sales could begin in the Summer.
The focus isn’t just a car that looks like a ‘normal’ car, much like the e-Golf it actually IS a car millions of people own, as EVs move from being something quirky and funky looking to being regular cars.
https://pushevs.com/2018/02/22/2019-ford-focus-spied-uncovered-portugal/
TESLA SEMI WILL “BEAT” ADVERTISED SPECS
Recent stories about the Tesla semi truck have been around the tire-smoking burnout we saw captured on YouTube, or Daimler saying the specs are physically impossible to achieve using current technology.
Now Elon Musk has…taken to Twitter. And not only does he address the price, saying they’lll hit $150k for the 300 mile version and $180k for the 500 miler, but also the specs which the German makers say are a dream.
https://insideevs.com/musk-optimistic-tesla-can-overdeliver-semi-specs-announced-price/
SUPERCAR FROM CHINA
Another electric supercar looks like it’s coming from China. LCVHI is a Shanghai based company with a design studio in Italy, and for the past two years they’ve been working on their new car the Venere, to be unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show.
They say it will be almost 1000bhp, have a 100kWh battery, twin motors and have two gears. At this stage that’s all they have – a press release and two photos of some headlights. We want everyone to succeed and good luck to them, but it’s a tough market to enter as a new Chinese company selling a supercar.
https://www.carwale.com/news/chinese-carmaker-lcvhi-to-showcase-992bhp-venere-ev-at-geneva/
MODEL 3 ON THE DYNO SHOWS OFF ALL THE TORQUES
As Tesla Model 3s get into the hands of more buyers, and non-Tesla employees who don’t have Non Disclosure Agreements, we’ve even someone hack one into factory mode to see the stats of the 74-76kWh battery.
However now, not one but two dyno videos have surfaced on YouTube. One of them being Drag Times who also showed it up against a P100D. Next step – get one on a drag strip!
https://www.autoevolution.com/news/tesla-model-3-hits-the-dyno-has-all-the-torque-123826.html
CHEVROLET BOLT GETS CONSUMER REPORTS TOP 10 AWARD
Consumer Reports has placed the Chevrolet Bolt in their Top 10 new cars. They haven’t finished testing the Model 3 in case you were wondering, but they have done thousands of miles in the Bolt. They praise the mainstream price.
“The Bolt offers consumers further proof that mainstream electric cars can deliver strong driving performance. This pure electric is built around a 60-kWh battery pack that holds a generous charge, reducing any anxiety of running out of power and getting stranded. The driver sits high up in the Bolt, with a commanding view on par with a small SUV,”
https://www.autoevolution.com/news/tesla-model-3-hits-the-dyno-has-all-the-torque-123826.html
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