electric

Ford will have two electric cars based on the Renault 5. It is confirmation of a Ford that is diluted in Europe

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Ford will have at least six electric cars on the market. Four of them will not be “purely Ford” cars. And the American company has confirmed that it has reached an agreement with Renault to provide the brand with two “affordable” electric cars. The agreement also contemplates a future partnership for commercial vehicles. But above all, a concept floats in the air: what Ford do we expect for Europe? Two electric made in Renault. With a press release, Ford and Renault have confirmed that the first will use the Ampere platform to launch two “affordable” electric cars on the market in the coming years. The first, they point out from Ford, should reach dealerships in the early stages of 2028. That is to say, what seems certain is that we will see a kind of Renault 5 with the Ford logo. The question is whether we will see a second electric car based on the Renault 4 (to expand spectrum with something B-SUV type) or based on the Twingo to look for another type of client. For now, everything indicates pointing to new Renault 5 and 4 Ford. In France. These Ford cars with a French flavor will even be manufactured in Electricitythe plant that Renault has in France and where the aforementioned come from Five and Fourhence it is the couple that we will probably see on the street. The arrival of these new models is also a boost to the factory itself. It is where Renault’s small electric models are assembled, but also the Nissan Micra (brother of the Renault 5). They have the capacity to continue expanding production and had options from Alpine, Dacia or Mitusbishi, which are also part of the Renault Group or are collaborators. The arrival of the new Ford is an endorsement for a plant that has the capacity to assemble up to 620,000 vehicles annually. Ford, what Ford? In the statement, Ford wanted to mark territory and defend that the new cars that leave the French plant will have the hallmarks of the oval brand. “The two cars will feature distinctive driving dynamics, authentic Ford brand DNA and an intuitive user experience,” the company says. The truth is that in the medium term, Ford will have six electric cars on the market and four of them are mounted on external platforms. Thus, only the Puma Gen-E and the Mustang Mach-E They are purely Ford cars. The ford explorer and Capri have been launched on the basis of Volkswagen’s MEB, with the ID.4 as a brother of the Americans. Now two more electric cars will arrive from outside the company. The two speeds. The announcement does nothing more than reaffirm the strategy that Ford seems to have decided for Europe. The company has long been talking about a company at two speeds where the vehicles with the highest cost for the customer (and benefits for the company) are manufactured by Ford with its hallmarks and sold in exclusive families within the company itself such as Ford, Raptor or Bronco. The rest of the models, such as electric ones, for which you must make big investments and whose financial results are not being too good due to slower customer reception than expected, is what is being left in the hands of third parties. That is to say, Ford is trying to focus its efforts and make its highest-cost investments in those models that it knows work best for them. This has a counterpart. The brand risks being diluted between models that have their personal touch, like the Explorer, but where there is no doubt that they have a very characteristic Volkswagen car flavor. This strategy of “third party” models for Europe endangers the company’s brand image and could place it in a less dominant position if in the future they want to return to making their own investments for the European market. And Valencia? The announcement adds to the future Ford Bronco Sport for Europe, a model that will be assembled in Valencia, according to Automotive Newsand that comes to keep the plant alive with a “Europeanization” of the American model based on the Ford Kuga. A few weeks ago, The Automotive Tribune It also pointed out this possibility and that another second model would arrive at the Valencian plant. This strategy would help keep the factory alive by assembling models with combustion engines while electric ones (which require greater investment and lower return at low prices) are being left in the hands of third parties. Photo | Renault and Ford In Xataka | Until now, on Amazon you could buy practically everything except cars. That just changed with Ford

Ford CEO is completely obsessed with Chinese electric cars

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“Xiaomi is the Apple of China.” These are the words not of just anyone, but of Jim Farley, CEO of Ford. The boss of the American company is one of the bosses who has been the most talked about in recent years. And the reason is approach when studying rivals. It is rare to see the CEO of a company praising a rival, but Farley not only does not mince words, but is determined to air the details that need to be improved to catch up. And if there’s one thing that’s catching Farley’s attention, it’s Chinese cars and, in particular, the Xiaomi SU7. Knowing the competition. The automobile industry has embarked on electrification, and if this adventure is making one thing clear, it is that China is leading the way. Although Tesla struck first from the West, it is the Asian giant’s companies that are pushing both technology and batteries. This is generating an ecosystem in which chinese cars They are extremely competitive in the market, something that is making Western manufacturers nervous. To better understand his competition, Farley had the idea of ​​carrying out a series of trips to China to select cars to take back to the United States. Not to dismantle them – or not only – but to drive them on a daily basis on everyday trips. In a recent interview with La Naciónstates that the entire management team is going on that trip to choose 50 cars. He doesn’t want to get off his SU7. Of those 50, they keep five, and they are the ones they take back to Detroit. The one chosen by Farley? He Xiaomi SU7. He liked it to the point of saying that “it’s fantastic,” stating that he didn’t want to get off of it. Previously, already rated the company as “an industry giant and a much stronger consumer brand than automotive companies,” but now it has gone a little further. The Apple of China. “Everyone talks about the Apple car, but the Xiaomi car already exists and it is fantastic,” said before the official cancellation of the car was known. And, in fact, in that interview for La Nación, Farley commented that he is not surprised that Xiaomi is so successful. “It is the Apple of China.” Precisely, it is the “ecosystem” that stands out, something that is Apple’s strong point: “You get into the car with your phone and you don’t have to pair it because it automatically identifies it. It has facial recognition, an AI assistant and can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in three seconds with just the push of a button. It looks like a porsche taycan”, he assures. Humiliating. Is it perfect? “No, and we could surpass it in the segments in which we compete,” adds the manager. But Farley’s ‘flowers’ are not only for Xiaomi, but for the Chinese industry. At the Aspen Ideas Festival held in June of this year, CEO described what he saw in China as “lor most humiliating thing I have ever seen in my life”. The reason? That 70% of the world’s electric vehicles are manufactured in China and that they have cabin technology much superior to that offered by many Western brands. “Automatically, your entire digital life is reflected in the car.” Technology gap. Farley’s interest in competitors, both Chinese and domestic, is evident. When Ford entered the electric segment, He did it like an elephant in a china shopwith a Ford Mustang Mach-E which was very expensive to develop when its competitors already had much more optimized processes that allowed the price of cars to be lowered. Since then, they have been changing strategy and moving chips. They hired Doug Field, former chief engineer of the Tesla Model 3 and member in Apple car design, and was the one who opened cars to Farley. Field sincere: “Jim, your parts release system and development architecture are 25 years behind. You can’t compete like that with BYD”. The acid test will be the new electric pickup that Ford is preparing for 2027 with the aim of making it affordable. We will see, of course, how the market responds, but what is clear is that Farley does not fall short when it comes to praising the competition. Images | Xataka, Ford In Xataka | Ford invested 1 billion to produce electric cars in Europe. Now it will invest money in laying off 1,000 employees

Mercedes has the engine that wants to revolutionize electric cars

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Developing an engine, founding a startup and being bought by a company like Mercedes must be the dream come true of any engineer. Precisely, this is what happened when British manufacturer YASA. In 2009, members of the University of Oxford founded the company with one goal in mind: to create axial flux electric motors. After gaining clients like Ferrari, Mercedes saw potential and bought the company in 2021. Now they have created a “tiny” engine capable of delivering 1,000 HP. In this type of motor, a magnetic field and the force that rotates the rotor occur in a system parallel to the axis of rotation. Parts such as the rotor or stator are arranged in the form of flat, facing discs. In a traditional radial engine we have the classic cylinder with the stator outside, the rotor rotating inside and the magnetic field goes from the center to the outside. A axial flux electric motor It is a type of motor in which the magnetic field and the force that rotates the rotor run parallel to the axis of rotation. In a radial one, that happens from the center outwards. The radial is the one worn by the current hybrids and electricsbut the axial flow one arrives as a contender to revolutionize the interior of new energy cars thanks to a key advantage: space. The axial ones are smaller because all the elements are plates on top of each other, which allows them to be much flatter and lighter, as well as capable of developing a lot of power. By polishing its design process, YASA affirms who have achieved a latest generation engine capable of achieving 1,000 HP. The 1,000 HP engine to revolutionize electric vehicles It was a few months ago when the Mercedes-Benz subsidiary announced a prototype of an axial engine thatwith just 12.7 kg of weight, is capable of delivering a peak power of 750 kW. That translates into the aforementioned 1,000 HP and the power ratio is 59 kW/kg. The equipment surpasses the record they also held, that of the density of 42 kW/kg with a total of 55 kW which, in addition, weighed a few grams more, reaching 13.1 kg. Of course, that is the peak power, since YASA itself assures that the objective is for this new engine to be able to offer continuous power between 350-400 kW (about 530 HP). According to the team, they have achieved this increase in power thanks to improvements in both design and thermal dissipation, making the motor more efficient and constant and without using “exotic materials” to achieve those improvements in dissipation and performance. Tim Woolmer, CEO and founder of YASA, claims that his creation “will change the game in the high-performance automotive sector.” Because… yes, this engine is not focused on the electric street car at the moment. It is in the world of high performance where an engine this compact and powerful makes perfect sense. The less it weighs and takes up less space, the more the mass and volume are reduced. of the propulsion system, allowing more efficient chassis and larger batteries that improve final autonomy. Examples of cars that already have YASA engines? He Ferrari SF90 Stradale with three YASA engines that add up to 217 HP and serve as support for the thermal V8 to achieve 987 total HP, the Ferrari 296 GTB with a 165 HP YASA engine on the rear axle, the Koeningsegg Regera with three YASA engines that provide 700 HP or the Lamborghini Revuelto two YASA on the front axle. Mercedes-AMG itself also takes advantage of its technology in the GT four-door coupe. Now, the interest that this has for the average user is that these innovations They have the potential to end up reaching utility vehicles. At the moment, we drive cars with legacy technologies both competition and supercars, and scalable engines that are easy to mass produce and have a good relationship between weight, the power they deploy and the space they occupy is something attractive for the automotive industry. The problem? Precisely, the great virtue of this engine: that it represents a paradigm shift. The build platforms have been optimized for radial motor manufacturing processes and changing everything to accommodate an axial flux motor would involve a considerable investment. For the world of high performance, these engines are already a reality, but for the everyday car they still feel a bit far away. Images | YASA In Xataka | While Europe is thinking about what to do with the electric car, China already knows how to remain a leader in 2040. This is its plan

Europe had chosen the electric car as the only solution for the future. Germany is about to knock him down

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There is no official confirmation. It should arrive on December 10, but there is already a first warning that it is possible that the communication will be delayed until January 2026. “For good reasons,” the political leaders assure us. The same people in charge who already advance the guidelines that the review of the 2035 objectives will follow: allowing cars with combustion engines to remain alive. A preview. This is what Apostolos Tzitzikostas, European Commissioner for Transport, gave to the German newspaper Handelsblatt. Like almost everything in this life, neither the time nor the place chosen is coincidental. In this interview, the European official points out that in the European Commission “we are open to all technologies”, which already suggests that this ban on selling combustion engines in 2035 is close to falling. In the absence of knowing all the specific and official details, what it does say is that “the role of zero-emission fuels (known as efuels) and with low emissions and advanced biofuels.” And this is where some doubts arise. Why does an electric car have less autonomy than advertised? No emissions? What the European Union has to resolve is to what extent it is willing to open its hand. The efuels or synthetic fuels They have been sold as an alternative solution because, it is assumed, they do not generate CO2 emissions. When the car burns said fuel it does generate these emissions but they are neutral because the same or greater amount of CO2 is trapped in their production. The European Union has already opened the door to this possibility changing the wording of the ban. We went from talking about banning combustion engines that produced emissions to combustion engines that were not carbon neutral. The difference is subtle but key because with the burning of any fuel (including hydrogen) polluting emissions beyond CO2 are produced, such as NOx or the dangerous ones fine particles which, in both cases, are harmful to humans. “Low emissions”. Now the European Commissioner also speaks of “low-emission fuels.” It remains to be known what these low emissions are and in what quantities they will be allowed. And the alternative that was put on the table was to allow the sale of combustion engines as long as they were associated with highly electrified options. This would lead, for example, to extended range electric. Cars with long electric ranges but that, in essence, are plug-in hybrids because they have a gasoline tank for emergency use. One of the latest proposals is that the car itself, through software, cape the power when a specific number of kilometers has been traveled without recharging the vehicle. Another technically viable possibility is to geofence the cities. That is, using the vehicle’s navigator, the car always moves in completely electric mode when passing through a city or especially sensitive areas of it (hospitals, schools…). This alternative has been contemplated by some plug-in hybrids for years, like BMW’s. And why all this? Because, according to Tzitzikostas, Europe is risking part of its industrial and economic future. “We want to maintain our objectives, but we must take into account all the latest geopolitical events. We must try not to jeopardize our competitiveness and, at the same time, help European industry maintain its technological advantage,” he points out in the interview. In reaching this conclusion it seems that German pressures have had their effect. “Chancellor Merz’s letter has been very well received,” he told the German media. And Germany has been pushing for some time to go back in the face of the “all electric” that seemed decided for Europe. The German industry is facing one of the worst crises in its history and it is estimated that, in just the last two years, about 55,000 jobs have been lost. When will it be official? The idea is that in December we should already know what will happen to this ban in 2035. In recent days the idea had gained strength that it would be December 10 when the European Commission would confirm all these details but the person in charge of transport has already announced that it is possible that this communication will be delayed until January 2026. Photo | Sophie Jonas and Angelo Abear In Xataka | The Government presents the Auto Plus Plan to forget MOVES III: direct aid for the purchase of electric cars with doubts to clear up

direct aid for the purchase of electric cars with doubts to clear up

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New year, new help. That is what the Government has presented with the Auto Plus Plana project that replaces the MOVES III Plan and the discomfort with which the consumer has encountered until now if he wanted to receive aid to buy an electric or plug-in hybrid car. The aid plan is part of the Spain Auto 2030 Plana broader and more ambitious project in which 300 million euros in aid are also contemplated to promote the installation of charging points and the confirmation that another 580 million euros will be available to launch industrial activities with the PERTE VEC designed to promote the production of vehicles and automotive-related components in our country. Regarding aid, the Government will make up to 400 million euros available to buyers starting next January 1, 2026. It will do so with direct intervention in them, so this time the budget will not go through the Autonomous Communities, one of the main criticisms that consumers and manufacturers have been making for some time. What can we expect from the new Auto Plus Plan With almost two years of delay, it seems that we finally have a date for the electric car buyer in Spain to receive a discount just at the time of formalizing the purchase of the vehicle. And it is that in February 2024the Government committed to having this new deal available in the next aid package to be approved. In December of that year, without reaching an agreement, the Executive confirmed that MOVES III Plan funds were expanded with the same conditions as until now. In January 2025 the scare came: the omnibus decree that contemplated aid fell and the funds with him. days later would be reactivated with a new vote in the Congress of Deputies. Now, the Government assures that from January 1, 2026buyers of an electric car will have the funds available at the time of purchase. That is, at the promotional price they can discount the help they should receive for buying an electric or plug-in hybrid car. The presentation has not mentioned what the discounts will be, which, until now, are the following: Electric cars and plug-in hybrids with 90 or more kilometers of autonomy: 4,500 euros guaranteed discount and an additional 2,500 euros if a car that is more than seven years old is scrapped. Plug-in hybrid cars with more than 30 and less than 90 kilometers of autonomy: 2,500 euros guaranteed discount and an additional 2,500 euros if a car that is more than seven years old is scrapped. It has also not been confirmed if these aids will be available for kilometer 0 and pre-owned cars, a modification that applies from 2023. Or the price ceiling to which these aids are applied, which, until now, has been 45,000 euros before the application of VAT. What is certain is that the funds will not be transferred to the Autonomous Communities, such as It had been happening with the successive MOVES Plan. In that case, each region received some funds, which caused a buyer to find that their Autonomous Community lacked them and in other cases there was availability. But, also, bureaucratic obstacles are eliminated that required documentation to be presented in each region in a different way (in some areas it was mandatory for the beneficiary to present it and in others it was allowed for the concessionaire to manage it). Likewise, waiting times to receive aid should be completely eliminated, in some cases reaching 18 months and which have taken manufacturers to advance aid to the buyer with credits of up to 7,000 euros at 0% that had to be returned as part of a last installment or an intermediate installment after 18 months. Photo | European Union on Wikimedia In Xataka | An electric car is 54% cheaper to maintain than a combustion car. And it may not compensate because the data has a trick

The British skipped fuel tax by switching to an electric car. The Government’s solution: create another tax

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The British Government recently announced a new tax for electric vehicles in which drivers would pay per distance traveled (miles), with the intention of it coming into force in April 2028. The measure, which is included in this documenthas drawn criticism from many citizens and experts, and comes at a key moment, as the United Kingdom plans to ban the sale of new gasoline and diesel cars in 2030. Its public coffers are losing revenue from fuel taxes while the adoption of electric vehicles grows. How the system is planned so far. Electric car drivers will pay 3p per mile traveled (about 3.4 euro cents), while plug-in hybrids will pay 1.5 pence. The calculation will be made through an annual mileage estimate that drivers will declare when renewing their road tax, and will subsequently be verified during the technical inspection of the vehicle. According to the Government, an average electric car driver who travels 13,680 kilometers a year you will pay about 255 pounds additional (approximately 295 euros). Why this change matters. Just like share According to The Telegraph, Finance Minister Rachel Reeves justifies the measure as necessary to compensate for the drop in fuel tax revenue. According to Dan Tomlinson, MP and Secretary of the Treasury, if no action is taken, by 2030 one in five drivers will not pay fuel tax while others will continue to contribute an average of £480 annually. According to the media, the Office of Budget Responsibility predicts that this new tax could reduce sales of electric vehicles by 440,000 units in the next five years. Industry reactions. Manufacturers such as Ford and the British manufacturers’ association SMMT have harshly criticized the measure. Ian Plummer, Commercial Director at Autotrader, declared that “we need more carrot and less stick if we are serious about the electric transition.” From Ford they pointed out that the budget sends “a mixed message” about the government’s goal of driving the shift to electric vehicles. Implementation problems. The system presents several practical challenges. Drivers will have to estimate their annual mileage without it necessarily coinciding with the date of their MOT (the equivalent of the MOT in the UK), which complicates the calculation. New cars, which do not require inspection for the first three years, will need additional checks. Furthermore, the Government recognize which could increase odometer fraud, a practice which, according to The Telegraph, already affects 2.3% of British vehicles. A controversial issue. As the current regulations are stated, drivers who use their vehicles outside the United Kingdom They would also pay for those milesdespite not using British roads. The Government justifies this decision by arguing that the percentage of drivers traveling abroad is small, although it recognizes that it will especially affect residents of Northern Ireland, as they frequently cross into the Republic of Ireland. The impact on the pocket. Although the Government insist With the rate equal to half of what gasoline and diesel drivers pay, many electric vehicle owners are already starting to worry. Stephen Walton, a driver who bought an electric car in 2023, counted to the BBC that “it will be my first and last electric vehicle because there are no tax advantages for electric car drivers.” A unexpected advantage for China. Analysts such as Sam Goodman, from the China Strategic Risks Institute, warn that the new tax could encourage British consumers to opt for cheaper Chinese models such as the BYD Dolphin Surfwhich sells for 18,650 pounds compared to the more than 26,000 that some eligible European alternatives cost. During the third quarter of 2025, Chinese models They already represented 11.8% of the British new passenger car market, according to Schmidt Automotive Research. What’s coming now? The Government has opened a consultation period to define the final details of the system before 2028. It also announced an additional investment of 1.3 billion pounds in aid for the purchase of electric vehicles, although only four models currently qualify for the maximum subsidy of 3,750 pounds, the cheapest being the Ford Puma Gen-E (£26,245 applying subsidies). The Office of Budget Responsibility esteem The new tax will raise £1.1bn in its first year and £1.9bn by 2030-31, although the actual figure will depend on how many Britons decide to buy electric cars in the coming years. In Xataka | Your car windshield has hundreds of small black dots. It is not decoration, it is technology to save our lives

Spain already sells more electric cars and plug-in hybrids than gasoline. With a (big) asterisk

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The plug-in vehicle is expanding in Spain. For the first time, our country has recorded more sales of plug-in vehicles (plug-in hybrids and electric) than gasoline and, of course, diesel cars. Or, in other words, they add up to more than pure combustion vehicles per fuel type and come close to exceeding the sum of both. The data, however, has important nuances. you will have read it. And it makes sense, because the data is striking. For the first time, Spain has added more sales of plug-in vehicles than pure combustion vehicles. The figures for last November are, according to ANFACthe following: Gasoline cars: 21,147 units Diesel cars: 4,979 units Plug-in hybrid cars: 11,999 units Electric cars: 9,316 units Therefore, the duel is as follows: Sum of combustion vehicles: 26,133 units Sum of plug-in vehicles: 21,315 units. The first. The news is that for the first time the sum of cars with plug They have surpassed pure combustion gasoline. Cars that do not have any type of electrification continue to represent 22.47% (28.15% if we extend the photograph to the entire year 2025) but this energy is clearly declining. Cars with a plug have already reached 22.65% market share. But the big change is in the year’s accumulated results. This has shot up to 19.29% when a year ago it stood at 11.06%. Growth between January and November 2025 has skyrocketed by 100.12%. That is, twice as many cars of this type have been purchased. The hybrids. Once again, the non-plug-in hybrid is the best-selling type of car. According to ANFAC data, it was the best-selling type of car last November, with 41,034 units and a market share of 43.60%. This data does not stop growing. In the accumulated of the year, the market share is 41.85% and is almost four percentage points more than in the same period of 2024 (38.09%). In total, they have grown 26.04% in sales so far this year. These hybrids are mostly gasoline. But of the more than 40,000 units last November classified as hybrids, 3,852 of them are hybrids with diesel engines, which begins to give some clues about what we are talking about. Right now, non-plug-in hybrids that run on diesel are 1,000 units away from surpassing pure combustion diesels. Why do we talk about an asterisk? Because in their accounts, the microhybrid cars They count the same as a hybrid. There is no way to know how many of the more than 40,000 hybrids sold in Spain in November 2025 and the more than 437,621 units sold so far this year actually correspond to electric hybrids. What is popularly known as a “Toyota hybrid.” In fact, among the best-selling hybrids so far this year we find cars like the Citroën C4, the Dacia Dusterhe Renault Austral or the Nissan Qashqai. All of them have electric hybrid versions but also light hybrids (also called mild hybrid or microhybrids). In fact, the last two only have versions with the ECO label and although of the four engines, two are mild hybridthey all add up as hybrids in the final count. The controversy of mild hybrid. The controversy with the light hybrid or mild hybrid It comes because it is an effective formula for manufacturers to minimally electrify a car to receive approval from the authorities but with a purely cosmetic impact on the car’s consumption or emissions. With the same engine, a car that uses this type of hybridization barely improves the data approved by its pure combustion brother. In Spain, these cars have some advantages over pure combustion cars despite the fact that their real impact is minimal. In MadridFor example, a car mild hybrid It is exempt from paying 75% of the Tax on Mechanical Traction Vehicles (IVTM) during the first six years. These cars also receive the ECO label from the DGT, which is key when receiving more benefits in Low Emission Zonesspaces where circulation is restricted taking into account the car’s environmental labeling. In some cities they also have advantages such as discounts when parking on the street. A redefinition? It is not expected. Neither when it comes to defining them as hybrids nor when it comes to giving them the ECO label. Recently, in the Congress of Deputies The new Sustainable Mobility Law was approved. It was intended to include the study of a review of environmental labeling, but an amendment by the Popular Party prevented it from being included. this will take place. The creation of a new category or the non-provision of the ECO sticker to these cars is, however, a problem. The main obstacle is what to do with the thousands and thousands of cars mild hybrid that have already been sold and that have received their ECO sticker. Provide different labeling to the new cars, despite the fact that they are in the same situation as the current ones, can create a discriminatory situation, but a retroactive withdrawal of the stickers already delivered is not contemplated either. Photo | juice In Xataka | Catalonia wants to restrict circulation to cars with DGT label B in the ZBE: these are the deadlines and the cities

Porsche is approaching a turning point in its history with the electric 718. And they are very clear on who to look at: Hyundai

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In September 2019, Porsche finally presented the Taycanits first fully electric car. Well, we should better say something like “the first electric car of the modern era of Porsche“Be that as it may, the truth is that the car was a meteorite in the sports car industry. With the Porsche Taycan, the Germans had a statement of intent on their hands. With him they showed that their pulse was not going to tremble with that launch an electric car on the market no matter how much tradition and history it had behind it. Furthermore, they showed that they were one step ahead of the competition. With that electric car they could achieve scandalous figures… and dizzying sensations. Although we could expect modest sales, the truth is that the car achieved the embrace of the public and a very high volume of purchases. The cruising pace encouraged the company to think that yes, they had a market to exploit. Together with the strategy of a business group that is governed by European emissions regulations, it seemed clear that the majority of Porsche cars They would end up being electric sooner or later. The question is whether the Porsche Taycan distorted the strategy to be followed. The great success of a flagship model, exotic and far ahead of the rest of the market, did not have to anticipate a generalized embrace of this technology in all the company’s cars. The electric Porsche Macan, that once offered a V6 in one of the brand’s entry cars, it seems a good example of how not all Porsche customers are the same. Because a good part of the customers who opted for the Macan wanted to get closer to the sensations typical of Porsche at the price their pocketbook allows. These sensations have to do, in part, with that V6 heart that we mentioned before. And it is even more pronounced among those looking for a Porsche 718. While the Porsche Macan can be understood as a gateway to the brand, the Porsche 718 is understood as a gateway to “the Porsche experience”. Their customers don’t just want a Porsche, they want to enjoy the sensations that a central engine provides and the sound of a boxer engine. The latter is something that cannot be matched with an electric car, but the brand is convinced that it can simulate or equal the rest of the incentives that the Porsche 718 currently offers. And to achieve this they have looked to Hyundai. Hyundai as a reference Unlike most brands, which have limited themselves to jumping into electric cars by offering more and more powerful versions, Hyundai has done in-depth work with its cars to offer a truly passionate electric car. Or, at least, they have made an attempt to achieve it, which is much more than most brands. This strategy is part of the Hyundai Ioniq 5N. The first “electric N” was already born with a clear sporting vocation. Not only because of the jet of its 650 HP of poweralso for the sound of its soundtrack and a careful simulation of gear changes. The result has been so good that Porsche itself recognizes that the sports car has inspired them in the development of its next electric Porsche 718. a car that should simulate the sensations of a central engine placing the batteries behind the driver and thus shift the weight balance of the car to resemble what it now feels like with a mid-engine combustion engine. But the German company needs to put other incentives on the table. To questions from the Australian media DriveFrank Moser, responsible for the 718 and 911 ranges, has made clear the influence of the South Korean model. “We have learned a lot (talking about the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N). I have driven it several times. They have done it very, very well.” In his statements, Moser assures that the car was “developer”. He says that in one of these tests he notified Andreas Preuninger, responsible for the most radical area of ​​his sports cars, that he would come to pick him up at the controls of the South Korean car. Preuninger’s response was not encouraging, “leave me alone, I don’t want to see any of that.” However, he says that when he pressed the button that unleashes all the power and sportiness of the Ioniq 5 N, his partner was clearly surprised. One of the aspects that most surprised the Germans was the simulation of the sound and the gear change. Hyundai has done a great campaign highlighting the latter since it incorporates a mode that turns the vehicle into a sequential shift car. The idea is that despite being electric, the car does not always have the same thrust, taking away part of the torque that is available in the rev range in which it would supposedly be working. Toyota seems to be working on something similar and Honda incorporates the same mode into the new Prelude. In the absence of testing these innovations, what is certain is that Hyundai’s simulated gear change has received good reviews. In Top Gear They defined it as “quite funny.” “My more cynical disposition wanted to laugh at the Ioniq 5 N and its disguised gearbox. I wanted to say it was stupid and sad, and a waste of time. But in all honesty, I enjoyed it. Me impressed. It’s there if you want it. If you don’t, choose one of the quiet driving modes,” Ollie Kew noted in his article. Photo | Hyundai and Porsche In Xataka | China has turned the electric car market into a crazy race. And Porsche pays for it with billion-dollar losses

Hyundai’s electric sedan is silent, elegant, and gains a lot of autonomy

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Almost exactly two years ago my partner Alberto, a regular in these matters, was testing the Hyundai Ioniq 6 that the brand launched then. This time who gets behind the wheel of his successor, the Hyundai Ioniq 6 (2026)is yours truly, excited to experience the sensations of a sports sedan in which many things change. The update of this model affects both its exterior appearance – pay attention to the front – and its performance, which improves significantly to complete a most striking 100% electric vehicle. Shall we take a look at it? Technical sheet of the Hyundai Ioniq 6 (2026) Hyundai Ioniq 6 (2026) Body type Five-seater saloon. Measurements and weight. 4,925 mm long, 1,880 mm wide and 1,495 mm high. Wheelbase of 2,950 mm. 2,410kg Trunk. 401 liters Battery 63 kWh (Standard) 84 kWh (Long Range) Maximum power. 125 kW (170 hp, 350 Nm, RWD) 168 kW (229 hp, 350 Nm, RWD) 239 kW (325 hp, 605 Nm, AWD) WLTP consumption. 14.6 kWh/100 km WLTP autonomy Up to 521/680 km depending on battery. Environmental distinctive. Zero emissions. Driving aids (ADAS). Adaptive cruise control with level 2 automation and emergency braking, sign recognition, blind spot sensor, lane keeping, cross traffic alert, automated parking and emergency braking during maneuvers with pedestrian and object detection. Others Compatible with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay via Bluetooth, two 12.3-inch screens and connection for two phones. Four USB type C inputs and one type A, OTA updates, software with its own maps that indicate the available autonomy, dynamic lights for the interior. Vehicle to Load (V2L) reverse charging. Electric hybrid. No. Plug-in Hybrid. No. electric. Yes. Ultra-fast charging up to 350 kW (from 10% to 80% in 18 minutes) Price and launch. Not available. More than a restiling The family is growing, those responsible for Hyundai began by warning us before we set off. These new Hyundai Ioniq 6 (2026) are confirmation of the firm’s clear commitment to electrification, which in fact prepares the Ioniq 3 for next year. But that will be next year, because this Ioniq 6 begins by taking an important leap in the WLTP autonomy, which reaches 680 km in its version with long-range battery (84 kW). In the case of the model with a standard 63 kW battery, that WLTP autonomy is estimated at 521 km, both figures already serious. We were able to test the Ioniq 6 with the N-Line finish, better equipped and with an even sportier appearance. To give it those more distinctive lines, we have a more aggressive bumper and slightly different side skirts. There are also other distinctive elements such as the wheels and the lights, which have their own lighting signature. In both cases there have been clear changes in the nose, which is sharper and adopts a “shark nose” type front. The headlights are compressed to the maximum to be reduced to four fine lines of LED Parametric Pixel, while at the rear also use is made of that striking design element that, together with that spoiler and rear bumpers, allows them to be distinguished even more. In this design there are optional elements such as digital rearview mirrors – in the model we tested they were conventional – and others that come standard such as integrated handles that contribute to aerodynamics. Which is precisely one of the strong points of this model, although there are no changes here: it remains at some (fantastic) 0.21 Cx. The 401 l trunk is perhaps a bit short – the 45 l front one can alleviate the situation a little – but this sports sedan approach logically imposes certain sacrifices. Regarding the interior, the space and qualities are surprising here, but above all the physical controls stand out. Faced with the rise of “everything touch” of some firms, at Hyundai They rescue buttons, dials and other physical elements which among other things allow get a better grade in the Euro NCAP tests. And we, to be honest, are happy: no matter how attractive a touch screen is, we also think that in some cases it is a solution to a problem that did not exist. Buttons, buttons, buttons. We like buttons. The “interactive” steering wheel also has four Parametric Pixel LED elements that indicate the status of various vehicle systems, and on the dashboard we have dual 12.3-inch screens integrated into a single floating screen. Here we have, as in its predecessor, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay support. We tested the first one for navigation with Google Maps during the route, and we verified that the quality and response of the panel was perfect during the trip. We were only able to test the BOSE sound system, but it certainly shows promise. Somewhat hidden behind the steering wheel, on the right side, is the gear lever. I was not very used to that position and I must admit that to avoid confusion I needed to check if I had positioned the gear appropriately. The problem is that to see the position of the steering wheel spokes they can cover that line of sight. It’s a minor detail and that check will probably be irrelevant once we get used to the vehicle, but at first it’s something that caught my attention. Between both front seats, the bridge-type center console dominates everything, where we find the window controls and elements such as the wireless charging surface that allows us to comfortably recharge our mobile phone while we travel. At the top we have a generous sunroof that we can open or close with just the push of a button. The Ioniq 6 has a dual-zone automatic climate control to adjust temperatures independently. The controls (this time yes) are centralized on a lower touch panel, under the dual screen. If wireless charging doesn’t suit us and we prefer cables, we will be well served. In addition to the USB-C sockets (one of them with a charging capacity of 100 W) and USB-A, we even have a conventional … Read more

Chinese manufacturers are launching electric cars at a hellish pace. Toyota’s response: Kaizen philosophy

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Two years ago, Tesla was advancing at a dizzying pace. Their sales were growing and they were putting all their machinery in motion to maintain an advantage over competitors. Its production process allowed it to manage such high profit margins that later they could push hard on the price end. Part of his secret was machine called Giga Press. The we could see in their Berlin factory with our own eyes. Huge, imposing. With it, the company produces larger chassis parts more quickly. That allows you manufacture much faster than the competition because for rivals that same piece consists of many other smaller pieces that must be assembled. The revolution is such that large companies They seemed determined to get theirs own to be able to stand up. Tesla also announced that I was ready to create larger pieces and, therefore, further reduce times manufacturing with a larger Giga Press. Time has told us thatElon Musk’s are having problems to carry out this evolution of the Giga Press. And that the machine, no matter how much it can make copies at a great rate, also has its counterpart as very long machine breaks when you want to modify the part in question. But speed up development times seems to be the focus of large companies. Chery assured a long time ago that chinese rule It was kind of inevitable. For them, Europe has lost the battle because the development of their vehicles is much fasterresponding to public demands at a frenetic pace. And although we are talking about a Chinese brand defending its business formula, the industry does seems to be moving in that direction. Honda and Nissan explored a merger to save this second one from bankruptcy. One of the objectives to be exploited with this possible merger was to be more agile in the development of automobiles. Renault boasted just a few days ago that your Twingo has been developed in record time. In China, of course. But faced with the infernal pace and a frenetic launch number, Toyota seems to be opting for the complete opposite. Pause and perfectionism. In short: philosophy kaizen. Why does an electric car have less autonomy than advertised? Kaizen philosophy or how to perfect a product A good example of how the Chinese industry pushes to launch models on the market at a frenetic pace is that of BYD. The Chinese company is experiencing first-hand the dangers of following the devilish pace of less powerful startups when you aspire to manufacture more than five million cars a year. And 2025 has been marked by the announcement that they would incorporate their most advanced driving systems into all their cars in China. To all, without exception, including the BYD Seagull (BYD Dolphin Surf in Europe). A car that sells for less than 10,000 euros in the Asian market. This has become obsolete of their own cars and has had an immediate consequence, with customers waiting for the new and more advanced models, the units that do not incorporate this technology have accumulated in their dealerships waiting for a possible buyer. That strategy, that of launching a product on the market in the shortest possible time and fixing its possible defects on the fly, relying on a adaptive capacity Extraordinarily fast, it plays against what the Japanese philosophy has always been. In Japan they have made philosophy kaizen its greatest exponent. Guillermo García Alfonsín explains in this documentary on YouTube how Japan has built a car empire from nothing. One of the great secrets has always been to study to the point of exhaustion how to improve an existing product, paying obsessive attention to the smallest detail. The result is that Japanese companies are always at the top of the reliability tables. Chinese manufacturers are choosing to reduce development times to a minimum. Toyota bets on the opposite The culture shock is evident. Faced with companies that develop their products at a dizzying pace and apply all kinds of improvements in the shortest possible time, Japanese perfectionism prefers to play it safe, with lead feet but with the guarantee that what they put on the market is the best result they can achieve. a few months ago From Toyota itself it was implied that the rush had reached the heart of the company, that they felt they were missing the train of the technology of the future. To this narrative, it is now assured Nikkei, The conservative vision has prevailed: a generation of cars that will last up to nine years to safely face the leap to electric cars. Until now, each generation of Toyota lasted between five and seven years, moving at the same times as the rest of the industry. The Japanese newspaper assures, however, that Toyota is betting on renewals of the models that will approach the decade and that it will be the remote updates that keep the car up to date. Of course, in Nikkei They point out that the models for China will follow their own rhythm, with more constant launches. The decision also seems a response to a complicated regulatory market. Toyota is one of the few companies that has renounced the electric car As the only solution, he has been defending for some time that each market requires different cars and that it is necessary to adapt to them. And in that context, it is the automotive group that more cars sold by far. The Japanese are treading carefully before making the leap to electrification. He Toyota bZ4X It was a sales failure and aspires with its latest update to boost the units it has put on the market. High consumption, equally high price and an improvable production process They put an end to the company’s first electric model. The jump to the electric car is also a challenge for the company, according to the consultants employed by the same company. The reverse engineering company Caresoft Global It already alerted Toyota that its production process … Read more

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