VAUXHALL is opening the next chapter of its comprehensive electrification offensive and will focus entirely on full battery electric vehicles from 2028. Paul Willcox, Managing Director of Vauxhall Motors, says as of 2028, Vauxhall would only offer fully electric cars and vans in this marketplace. Vauxhall believes that the future of the automotive industry is electric, and that it will lead that revolution.
At the Stellantis (Vauxhall’s parent company) EV Day 2021, held online, it was announced that a new, exciting, all-electric car, a modern-day version of the Opel Manta, will be introduced, following on from the positive public reception to the Manta GSe concept car. Incidentally, my favourite car from the 1980s is the Opel Manta, and although I am not a big electric car enthusiast, I will be at the front of the queue when this beautiful car is launched.
Today, Vauxhall offers nine electric or electrified cars and vans with the Corsa-e, Mokka-e, Grandland PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid), Combo-e, Combo-e Life, Vivaro-e, Vivaro-e Life and Movano-e.
In the first six months of this year, the Corsa-e was the bestselling battery electric supermini and Vauxhall itself is the number one electric van manufacturer supplying into our home marketplace. With the introduction of the all-electric Combo-e and Movano-e LCVs, Vauxhall will offer fully electric vans across its range by the end of 2021. Including the car range, the entire Vauxhall portfolio will offer electrified versions by 2024 in advance of the move to fully electric in 2028.
This move to being all-electric follows the announcement earlier this week that the Ellesmere Port plant in England will become the first Stellantis plant to produce solely electric vehicles when the Combo-e LCV and passenger version (together with their partner vehicles) go into production at the historic car building site at the end of next year.
The star of the show is the Lotus
THE Lotus Emira made its public debut last week at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. In front of tens of thousands of passionate motoring fans, the all-new sports car took part in the famous Hill Climb, visited the Supercar Paddock, and took part in the spectacular ‘Lotus Moment’ parade in front of Goodwood House.
Huge numbers of visitors came to the Lotus stand to see the Emira up close and such was its popularity that crowd control measures had to be implemented within minutes of the Goodwood gates opening at 7am, and a queueing system to access the stand was in force all day. Many were keen to discuss details of the car’s spec and indeed place their Emira order for this £60,000 supercar.
The Emira is a car that doesn’t just turn heads but turns conventional thinking on its head, with its exotic supercar looks, everyday usability and enhanced comfort combined with class-eading driving dynamics. It’s everything you’d expect from a Lotus. Lotus offer two powertrains in the Emira, including the much-loved and characterful 3.5-litre supercharged V6 and the world’s most powerful production 4-cylinder engine developed in conjunction with AMG and tuned to deliver a heart-racing 360hp.
Lotus was the ‘Featured Marque’ at the festival, and the Emira was joined on the Lotus stand by an Evija all-electric hypercar, an Elise Sport 240 Final Edition and a track bike developed in part by Lotus Engineering. The festival celebrated the sporting and technical achievements of Lotus and was the theme of the festival’s ‘Central Feature’ the dramatic art installation created in front of Goodwood House. Matt Windle from Lotus said: “Our stand staff didn’t stop talking to people about the Emira all day.
“The public love the way the car looks inside and out and wanted to share how thrilled they were to see the transformation that is taking place at Lotus.”
NIU launches brand new electric kick scooter
GLOBAL electric mobility company NIU has launched its brand-new KQi3 electric kick scooter. Launched on July the 13, the KQi3 is available from Indiegogo for a price of £339 at the Early Bird offer. The KQi3 has been designed to offer a comfortable, smart, and powerful alternative to urban transport with an 18.6-mile range combined with a top-speed of 15.5mph. A full charge takes just five hours to complete and for maximum convenience and easy storage, it’s foldable.
A long time was spent evaluating and understanding the commuter market before designing of the KQi3, and the company is confident the new model addresses issues where others fall short in relation to riding stability and comfort. Stating that safety was the first concern, there are many key design attributes that claim to make it a reliable and outstanding product. Extra wide handlebars which are 54cm in span offer greater control and comfort for the rider thanks to a natural hand placement. Plus: a wider deck which is 17cm across enables greater rider comfort, particularly when cornering, 5” x 2.5” pneumatic tyres, powerful performance from the battery located under the deck for a lower centre of gravity, an impressive range, and a top-speed of 15.5mph thanks to a powerful 48v lithium battery and a 350W motor with rear wheel drive. Regenerative braking with dual drive disc brakes returns power to the battery and can add up to 4 per cent more battery charge by harvesting braking energy into battery power.
The ultra-visible ‘halo’ front light is bright enabling the rider to see, and the KQi3 to be seen by others, in combination with the rear brake light it works to aid safety for the rider.
“We’re delighted to bring this innovative new electric scooter to the global market. We have worked hard to ensure it offers a comfortable and enjoyable ride for our customers at a competitive price,” said Dr. Yan Li, CEO of NIU Technologies. NIU is among the leading electric vehicle producers and its customers have enjoyed over five billion miles of electric power across the wide range of scooters and motorcycles first introduced in 2014. NIU has sold more than 1.8 million units across 48 countries with three brand ideals: to redefine urban mobility; to become the world’s leading brand in electric mobility; and, to deliver technology, style, and freedom.
