Author: Ersin Kara

Hyundai’den yeni lüks modeline Türkçe isim Koreli otomotiv devi Hyundai, BMW, Mercedes ve Audi’ye rakip olmak için ürettiği yeni sedan marka otomobiline Türkçe bir isim verdi. Hyundai, yeni sedan otomobilinin markasının ‘Aslan’olduğunu kamuoyuyla paylaştı. Mayıs ayında uluslar arası Busan Motor Show’da ‘AG’ adıyla tanıtılan yeni Hyundai, Kore’de yılın yarısında showroomlarda yerini alacak. Aslan’ın Kore’deki satış fiyatı 40 bin dolardan başlıyor. Aracın 3 litreden 3.3 litreye kadar farklı versiyonları olacak. Aslan’ın ismi dahil tüm aşamasının tüketici taleplerine ve market araştırmalarına göre dizayn edildiğini söyleyen Hyundai yetkilileri, Aslan’ın otomobil üreticileri için yeni bir pazar yaratmasını bekliyor. 4.96 metre uzunluğundaki Aslan, Hyundai’nin 4.91 metrelik Grandeur marka otomobilinden daha büyük, 4.99 metrelik lüks sedan markası Genesis’den daha küçük olacak. Ancak Aslan, konforlu iç hacmi özelliği ile diğer modellere fark atacağı belirtiliyor. Geçen Kore’de ithal otomobil satışları lüks sedan markaların liderliğinde yüzde 26 artarak 112.375 adede ulaştı. 2013’te Kore’de en fazla satılan lüks sedan marka 6.700 adet ile 520d BMW oldu. Audi A6 modeliyle 6.100 adetlik satış rakamına ulaşırken Mercedes E sınıfı 5.980 adet satıldı Hyundai’den yeni lüks modeline Türkçe isim http://www.sakaryametropol.com/gundem/koreli-otomotiv-devi-hyundai/4327/

Mitsubishi Motors lineup at Moscow International Automobile Salon 2014 Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) presented the world’s first four-wheel drive (4WD) SUV plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), the Outlander PHEV at the Moscow International Automobile Salon 2014*1(Moscow International Motor Show). The sales of the Outlander PHEV will start in Russia from September, 2014. In addition two concept models, the MITSUBISHI Concept GC-PHEV*2 and MITSUBISHI Concept XR-PHEV*3, will also be displayed, for a total of 12 models. The Outlander PHEV comes with the advanced Plug-in Hybrid EV System based on the electric vehicle (EV) technology of the 100% electric i-MiEV, achieving superior environmental performance together with great economic efficiency, offering environmentally-friendly all-electric operation for everyday use and mainly motor-powered hybrid operation for longer journeys. Through its Twin Motor 4WD system with independent motors in front and rear, smooth acceleration and quietness of a luxury car are achieved. Outlander PHEV (Russia-spec) Outlander PHEV (Russia-spec) In addition to the Outlander PHEV, MMC presents two more options utilizing PHEV systems suitable for different markets or segments through two PHEV concept models: Concept GC-PHEV: a next-generation full-size PHEV SUV with full-time 4WD. Its front-engine, rear-wheel drive PHEV architecture includes a 3.0-liter V6 supercharged MIVEC*4 petrol engine mated to an eight-speed automatic gearbox, a high-output motor and a high-capacity battery to deliver all-terrain performance truly worthy of an all-round SUV. Concept XR-PHEV: a next-generation compact plug-in hybrid electric crossover, which offers “driving pleasure” through use of a front-wheel drive layout PHEV system including a 1.1-liter direct-injection turbocharged MIVEC petrol engine, a lightweight, compact and high-efficiency motor and a high-capacity battery. At today’s media briefing Mr. Tetsuro Aikawa, President and COO of MMC touched on the significance of the Russian market: “Like the title of our New Stage 2016 business plan, we are working toward a ‘new stage of growth’ and Russia is one the most important markets in achieving the business plan’s goals.” Then Mr. Aikawa spoke on the Outlander PHEV: “The Outlander PHEV is the culmination of our electric vehicle technology, SUV knowhow, and four-wheel drive/four-wheel drive control technologies. This is the only twin-motor four-wheel drive plug-in hybrid in the world.” *1:August 27 through September 7 (opens to the general public on August 28). For more information please visit http://eng.mas-expo.ru/mas/ *2:GC: Grand Cruiser. Named to bring the vision of an imposing yet eco-friendly vehicle speeding across a vast terrain *3:XR: X(cross)over Runner. Naming combines the concept’s stylish crossover lines with peppy and dimple performance around town. *4:Mitsubishi Innovative Valve timing Electronic Control system Mitsubishi Motors lineup at Moscow International Automobile Salon http://www.automotiveworld.com/analysis/safety-analysis/

[wwps_quote]Look, no hands! Test driving a Google car[/wwps_quote] The car stopped at stop signs. It glided around curves. It didn’t lurch or jolt. The most remarkable thing about the drive was that it was utterly unremarkable. This isn’t damning with faint praise. It’s actually high praise for the car in question: Google Inc.’s driverless car. Most automotive test drives (of which I’ve done dozens while covering the car industry for nearly 30 years) are altogether different. There’s a high-horsepower car. A high-testosterone automotive engineer. And a high-speed race around a test track by a boy-racer journalist eager to prove that, with just a few more breaks, he really could have been, you know, a NASCAR driver. This test drive, in contrast, took place on the placid streets of Mountain View, the Silicon Valley town that houses Google’s headquarters. The engineers on hand weren’t high-powered “car guys” but soft-spoken Alpha Geeks of the sort that have emerged as the Valley’s dominant species. And there wasn’t any speeding even though, ironically, Google’s engineers have determined that speeding actually is safer than going the speed limit in some circumstances. “Thousands and thousands of people are killed in car accidents every year,” said Dmitri Dolgov, the project’s boyish Russian-born lead software engineer, who now is a US citizen, describing his sense of mission. “This could change that.” Dolgov, who’s 36 years old, confesses that he drives a Subaru instead of a high-horsepower beast. Not once during an hour-long conversation did he utter the words “performance,” “horsepower,” or “zero-to-60,” which are mantras at every other new-car test drive. Instead Dolgov repeatedly invoked “autonomy,” the techie term for cars capable of driving themselves. Google publicly disclosed its driverless car program in 2010, though it began the previous year. It’s part of the company’s “Google X” division, overseen directly by co-founder Sergey Brin and devoted to “moon shot” projects by the Internet company, as Dolgov puts it, that might take years, if ever, to bear fruit. So if there’s a business plan for the driverless car, Google isn’t disclosing it. Dolgov, who recently “drove” one of his autonomous creations the 450 miles (725 km) or so from Silicon Valley to Tahoe and back for a short holiday, simply says his mission is to perfect the technology, after which the business model will fall into place. Judging from my non-eventful autonomous trek through Mountain View, the technology easily handles routine driving. The car was a Lexus RX 450h, a gas-electric hybrid crossover vehicle — with special modifications, of course. There’s a front-mounted radar sensor for collision avoidance. And more conspicuously, a revolving cylinder perched above the car’s roof that’s loaded with lasers, cameras, sensors and other detection and guidance gear. The cylinder is affixed with ugly metal struts, signaling that stylistic grace, like the business plan, has yet to emerge. But function precedes form here, and that rotating cylinder is a reasonable replacement for the human brain (at least some human brains) behind the wheel of a car. During the 25-minute test ride the “driver’s seat” was occupied by Brian Torcellini, whose title, oddly, is “Lead Test Driver” for the driverless car project. Before joining Google the 30-year-old Torcellini, who studied at San Diego State University, had hoped to become a “surf journalist.” Really. Now he’s riding a different kind of wave. He sat behind the test car’s steering wheel just in case something went awry and he had to revert to manual control. But that wasn’t necessary. Dolgov, in the front passenger’s seat, entered the desired destination to a laptop computer that was wired into the car. The car mapped the route and headed off. The only excitement, such as it was, occurred when an oncoming car seemed about to turn left across our path. The driverless car hit the brakes, and the driver of the oncoming car quickly corrected course. I sat in the back seat, not my usual test-driving position, right behind Torcellini. The ride was so smooth and uneventful that, except for seeing his hands, I wouldn’t known that the car was completely piloting itself — steering, stopping and starting — lock, stock and dipstick. Google’s driverless car is programmed to stay within the speed limit, mostly. Research shows that sticking to the speed limit when other cars are going much faster actually can be dangerous, Dolgov says, so its autonomous car can go up to 10 mph (16 kph) above the speed limit when traffic conditions warrant. In addition to the model I tested — and other such adapted versions of conventional cars — Google also has built little bubble-shaped test cars that lack steering wheels, brakes and accelerator pedals. They run on electricity, seat two people and are limited to going 25 mph (40 kph.) In other words, self-driving golf carts. Google’s isn’t the only driverless car in development. One of the others is just a few miles away at Stanford University (where Dolgov did post-doctoral study.) Getting the cars to recognize unusual objects and to react properly in abnormal situations remain significant research challenges, says professor J. Christian Gerdes, faculty director of Stanford’s REVS Institute for Automotive Research. Beyond that, there are “ethical issues,” as he terms them. “Should a car try to protect its occupants at the expense of hitting pedestrians?” Gerdes asks. “And will we accept it when machines make mistakes, even if they make far fewer mistakes than humans? We can significantly reduce risk, but I don’t think we can drive it to zero.” That issue, in turn, raises the question of who is liable when a driverless car is involved in a collision — the car’s occupants, the auto maker or the software company. Legal issues might be almost as vexing as technical ones, some experts believe. Self-driving cars could appear on roads by the end of this decade, predicted a detailed report on the budding driverless industry issued late last year by investment bank Morgan Stanley. Other experts deem that forecast extremely optimistic. But cars with “semi-autonomous” features, such as collision-avoidance radar that maintains a safe distance from the car ahead, are already on the market. And the potential advantages —improved safety, less traffic congestion and more — are winning converts to the autonomy cause. “This is not a toy,” declared the Morgan Stanley research report. “The social and economic implications are enormous.” http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20140823215579

[wwps_quote]Wirelessly charging electric cars could arrive by 2017 by MotorTorque[/wwps_quote] Electric cars which are charged wirelessly could be on British roads as soon as 2017, according to a leading wireless energy company. Wireless vehicle charging pioneer Qualcomm Halo claims that the introduction of wireless electricity could be the final step needed to make electric vehicles a fully viable choice for drivers. Qualcomm’s technology has already been tested on the streets of London with a fleet of 50 vehicles in October last year. As well as that, the technology is also currently running the safety cars for Formula E, the world’s first fully-electric racing series. From next year, the race cars are also due to be charged wirelessly. Based on the success of the London test and the feedback received from Formula E, Qualcomm believes that the technology is ready to roll out for full-scale production. The chargers work via wireless pads that are bolted to the ground. The pads transfer electricity to a receiver on the base of the car, so all the driver has to do is park over the pad to start charging. Joe Barrett, Qualcomm’s marketing director, said: “Simply put, it works in the same way as an electric tooth brush, only on a larger scale. “Basically we use a copper coil in a pad on the ground under the car and a second pad on the vehicle. Using the magnetic field, we transfer energy from the ground based pad to the vehicle based pad.” The wireless pads work to a maximum of 25cm, meaning that most cars will be able to make use of them, including high-riding SUVs and lorries. That said, the wireless technology has its own set of limitations, with cost being the major concern for Qualcomm. Anthony Thompson, VP of development and marketing for the company, said that any vehicles fitted with wireless receivers won’t come cheap: “The first wirelessly charging electric cars will be premium vehicles, and the technology will then filter down to other models in lower price brackets.” Practicality and reliability are also concerns, with the first models probably needing a dual-charging system with a cable for backup due to infrastructure limitations. Regardless, the Qualcomm technology has come on leaps and bounds since its introduction last year, with constantly improving efficiency that puts the wireless pads close to the power of Tesla’s Superchargers. The pads are available in 3.3kW, 6.6kW and 20kW units, with the latter providing a usable amount of charge in just half an hour. Apparently, a number of car manufacturers are current collaborating with Qualcomm to offer their cars with wireless capability. Although the specifics are still under wraps, BMWs i3 and i8 support vehicles for the Formula E series have benefitted from the technology, so it’s not unthinkable that the German marque will have something in the works. http://www.motortorque.com/news/wirelessly-charging-electric-cars-could-arrive-by-2017-25981

[wwps_quote]Free electric vehicle charging points for UK homes[/wwps_quote] Electric car owners can have a free charging unit installed at their home thanks to new Government funding. The Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme will run from September 2014 to March 2015, or until the £9m fund is depleted, and it’s available to all eligible residents in England, Scotland and Wales. To be eligible, you must either own, be the main user of, or have an Office for Low Emission Vehicles–eligible electric vehicle (EV), on order. EV charging point manufacturer, Chargemaster, is fitting the 3kw units at eligible homes around the UK for free. A 7kw unit – which can charge a car in three hours – is available for an additional charge of £95. Chargemaster says: “Charging your electric car at home couldn’t be easier and more straightforward, as long as you have the appropriate equipment. “While you are relaxing with your family at home or asleep in your bed, your car can be charged safely and quickly, often using low cost electricity.” The Government grant is a 75% contribution towards the cost of one charge point and its installation up to a maximum of £900, but some companies, such as Chargemaster, are covering the remaining 25%. For a full list of eligibility terms and conditions, click HERE. In summary, you need: To own an EV, be the designated main user of one, or have one on order Off-street parking, either on a driveway or garage Permission from the property owner To allow Chargemaster to collect data remotely, by GPRS, to supply to the Government for research purposes For more information on the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme click HERE http://www.admiral.com/news-articles/10291/free-electric-vehicle-charging-points-for-uk-homes/

[wwps_quote]Samsung begins penetrating into the automotive battery market in China[/wwps_quote] ◇ A groundbreaking ceremony was held for an automotive battery plant at Xi’an in Shanxi Province, China. ◇ This plant will start running in October 2015, supplying batteries for over 40,000 electric vehicles annually. Steady investment will be made up to $600 million by 2020, aiming to achieve over $1 billion in sales. ◇ ‘Samsung-ARN (Xi’an) Battery Group Co., Ltd.’ was established for the purpose of entering the Chinese market. Pre-orders for first produced batteries were made by global/local OEMs already. ◇ “Xi’an Plant will become the top automotive battery factory in the world,” said Sangjin Park, a CEO of Samsung SDI. □ Samsung SDI took a first step towards China rising into the biggest EV market. Samsung SDI hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for a Chinese automotive battery plant at GaoXin Industrial Development Zone located at Xi’an in Shanxi Province, China, attended by 300 people including Sangjin Park, a CEO of Samsung SDI, Wonkie Chang, a president of Samsung China headquarters, Liu Chin-Chen, a governor of Shanxi Province, Dong Jun, a mayor of Xi’an City, and officials from global/local automakers. Xi’an Plant is expected to be built and fully run from October next year. This factory will be large enough to run the entire process for producing automotive battery cells for the first time among global battery companies in China, enabling battery supply for over 40,000 EVs annually. Also, steady investment will be made up to $600 million by 2020, aiming to achieve over $1 billion in sales. This January, Samsung SDI signed a MOU with Anqing Ring New Group (hereinafter “ARN”), the best car engine piston and cylinder manufacturer in China, and Xi’an Gaoke Group, a real estate investment company. This June, they finally established a joint venture ‘Samsung-ARN (Xi’an) Battery Group Co., Ltd.’ (hereinafter ‘Samsung-ARN’). Samsung SDI and ARN own 50% of Samsung-ARN shares respectively. Also, Daehyoung Cho, a senior vice president of Samsung SDI, has been appointed as a first representative. Samsung-ARN will supply batteries to global/local automotive OEMs in China after beginning its mass production in October 2015. It will also supply batteries to an ESS (Energy Storage System) joint venture expected to be established in the second half of next year. In fact, Samsung-ARN has already obtained enough pre-orders to run a production line at full capacity in 2016. □ The Chinese government intends to distribute 5 million EVs and PHEVs by 2020 to solve nation’s environmental problems caused by rapid increase in car penetration and oil consumption. In order to encourage people to purchase electric vehicles, the government exempted purchase taxes and provides subsidies for eco-friendly cars and ordered public institutions to maintain a certain percentage of government vehicles with eco-friendly cars. Samsung-ARN plans to pioneer and dominate the Chinese EV battery market with Samsung SDI’s top battery technology in the world and ARN’s auto parts business know-how and marketing synergy. According to global market research agencies (B3, IHS) and Samsung SDI, global EV battery market demand is expected to grow from 2.4 million batteries in 2014 to 8 million in 2020. Samsung SDI is currently supplying automotive batteries to prominent global automotive OEMs such as BMW and Chrysler. BMWi3, a BMW’s electric vehicle adopting Samsung SDI batteries is becoming popular worldwide and was sold over 5,000 units in the first half this year. Samsung SDI is reinforcing cooperation and partnership with global automotive OEMs. This July, Samsung SDI signed a MOU with BMW on automotive battery supply worth trillions of KRW and joint development of next generation battery materials. This June, Samsung SDI and Ford, one of Big 3 U.S. automakers, decided to jointly develop ‘Ultralight Lithium-ion Battery’ in collaboration. On August 15 (Fri.), Samsung SDI signed a MOU on a joint venture with Sungrow of China to target the Chinese EV and ESS market. □ “Combining know-how and knowledge of Samsung SDI and Anqing Ring New Group, then creating synergy between both companies, I am certain that Xi’an Plant will become the top automotive battery factory not only in China also in the world,” said Sangjin Park, a CEO of Samsung SDI. “I hope Xi’an City to become the Silk Road for new renewable energy and bring a beautiful future with energy technology” http://www.4-traders.com/news/Samsung-SDI–begins-to-penetrate-into-the-automotive-battery-market-in-China–18924389/

[wwps_quote]Samsung SDI Steps into the World’s Largest Electric Car Market[/wwps_quote] Samsung SDI stepped into the world’s largest electric vehicle market China. Samsung plans to gain a larger share in the world’s electric car battery market by establishing a clear presence in China first. The world’s electric car battery market is forecast to grow to 8 million units by 2020 from 2.4 million units in 2014.Samsung SDI announced on August 18 that it held a ground-breaking ceremony for a new electric car battery factory in China’s Xi’an in Shanxi Province. The Xi’an factory is expected to begin operations from October 2015. The plant will be the first of its kind in the world to have an integrated production system for the entire lineups of electric car battery cells. Samsung SDI plans to invest US$600 million by 2020, aimed at boosting the factory’s annual sales up to more than $1 billion by 2020. To make effective forays into the Chinese market, Samsung SDI recently signed an agreement with Anqing Ring New Group and real estate investor Xian to establish the joint venture Samsung ARN (Xian) Power Battery.

[wwps_quote]VW could be world’s biggest carmaker in 2014[/wwps_quote] A new study predicts that Volkswagen Group, which wants to be the world’s biggest automaker in terms of unit sales by 2018, could achieve that goal this year already. Europe’s largest automaker has “a good chance” to reach the target in 2014 after selling more cars than Toyota in the first half of the year, according to the “Automotive Performance 2014″ report published by Germany’s Center of Automotive Management (CAM). The VW Group, which is comprised of 12 car brands, sold 5.11 million passenger cars and light commercial vehicles in the first six months of the year, compared with 5.02 million units sold by Toyota and 4.92 million by General Motors. For the full year, CAM projects that VW will sell 10.1 million vehicles, Toyota 10.05 million and GM 10.0 million vehicles. The researchers said that the positions of the brands in core markets such as the US, Europe and China are decisive in determining how big they will be. VW in particular grew 17.5 pc in China, the world’s biggest market, in the first half of 2014. “Auto manufacturers are benefiting in different ways from the basically positive outlook for the global market,” said Stefan Bratzel, head of CAM. “Important preconditions for success are a broad market position, an intelligent product diversification strategy and high innovation competence.” A ranking of carmakers by profitability, measured as EBIT as a percentage of sales, showed a different lineup. In the first half, Subaru led the table with an EBIT margin of 13.3 pc, followed by BMW with 12.3 pc. Volkswagen Group positioned itself in the middle of the table with a margin of 6.3 percent, which was slightly above the industry average of 6.5 pc. But the core VW brand’s margin was only 2.1 pc. VW has embarked on a cost-savings plan to shore up the profitability of the brand. By comparison, competitor Toyota posted an EBIT margin of 9.6 pc in the first half, CAM said. Study: VW could be world’s biggest carmaker in 2014