Volvo Cars will become the first carmaker to implement global traceability of cobalt used in its batteries by applying blockchain technology. The announcement follows the reveal last month of the company’s first fully electric car, the XC40 Recharge.

Traceability of raw materials used in the production of lithium ion batteries, such as cobalt, is one of the main sustainability challenges faced by car makers. Volvo Cars is committed to full traceability, ensuring that customers can drive electrified Volvos knowing the material for the batteries has been sourced responsibly.

Blockchain technology, which establishes a transparent and reliable shared data network, significantly boosts transparency of the raw material supply chain as the information about the material’s origin cannot be changed undetected.

Volvo Cars has now reached an agreement with its two global battery suppliers, CATL of China and LG Chem of South Korea, and leading global blockchain technology firms to implement traceability of cobalt starting this year.

Technology firms Circulor and Oracle operate the blockchain technology across CATL’s supply chain following a successful pilot earlier this summer, while the Responsible Sourcing Blockchain Network (RSBN), together with responsible sourcing specialists RCS Global and IBM, is rolling out the technology in LG Chem’s supply chain.

“We have always been committed to an ethical supply chain for our raw materials,” said Martina Buchhauser, Head of Procurement at Volvo Cars. “With blockchain technology we can take the next step towards ensuring full traceability of our supply chain and minimising any related risks, in close collaboration with our suppliers.”

A blockchain is a digital ledger containing a list of records linked to each other via cryptography. Within supply chains, the technology creates records of transactions which cannot be changed, while also enforcing a common set of rules for what data can be recorded. This allows participants to verify and audit transactions independently.

In this particular case, data in the blockchain include the cobalt’s origin, attributes such as weight and size, the chain of custody and information establishing that participants’ behavior is consistent with OECD supply chain guidelines. This approach helps create trust between participants along a supply chain.

Volvo Cars last month launched the XC40 Recharge, the first of an upcoming family of fully electric cars under the Recharge banner. By 2025, it expects half of its global sales to consist of fully electric cars, with the rest hybrids.

Last month, Volvo Cars also launched an ambitious climate plan, which includes a radical reduction of carbon emissions by 40 per cent per vehicle by 2025, as well as a continued commitment to ethical business across its entire operations and supply chain.

CATL and LG Chem are renowned battery manufacturers, both with long and successful track records supplying lithium ion batteries to the global automotive industry. They fulfil Volvo Cars’ strict sourcing guidelines in terms of technology leadership, responsible supply chains, reduction of carbon emissions and competitive cost models.

The agreements between Volvo Cars, CATL and LG Chem cover the supply of batteries over the coming decade for next generation Volvo and Polestar models, including the XC40 Recharge.

The new plant of the SAIC Volkswagen joint venture has been completed. It is purely built for the production of all electric vehicles on Volkswagen’s Modular Electric Drive Matrix (MEB). Celebrating the start of pre- production, a first China-specific all–electric Volkswagen ID. model rolled off the production line. The plant sets the next milestone in Volkswagen’s global electrification strategy. The start of series production of all-electric cars based on the MEB platform in Anting is scheduled for October 2020.

“The Volkswagen Group projects a total volume of 22 million all-electric cars worldwide by 2028, with more than 50 percent of that from China. The country plays a crucial part in our electrification strategy, which will pave the way to Volkswagen’s goal of becoming net carbon-neutral by 2050”, said Dr. Herbert Diess, Chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG. “Together with the start of MEB production, we will launch the Volkswagen ID. family in China as well, a brand-new generation of fully electric and connected vehicles.

Dr. Stephan Wöllenstein, CEO of Volkswagen Group China, added: “It took only 12 months to see the completion of this innovative factory. Congratulations to our colleagues in Anting, who will further prepare to produce the first China-model of the Volkswagen ID. family here in Shanghai. We will speed up our NEV offensive even more, as we expect further e-mobility market growth.”

Pre-production begins just a few days after the first global ID. manufacturing started in Zwickau, Germany. Full series production in the new Anting factory is planned to commence in October 2020, with an annual capacity of 300,000 vehicles. The MEB production plays a key role in Volkswagen Group China’s e-mobility strategy, as it strives to transform into a provider of sustainable mobility. The Anting plant is scheduled to start ID. model production at the same time with a plant by FAW-Volkswagen in Foshan, resulting in a combined capacity of 600,000 units per year.

The first phase of pre-production in Anting starts now with a China-specific ID. model of the Volkswagen Brand. In the future, the plant will be manufacturing MEB platform-based BEV models for various Volkswagen Group brands. In total, it is planned to increase the local production in China up to 15 MEB models from different brands by 2025.

Fully intelligent and digitized, the Anting plant sets a new benchmark for green and smart factories for Volkswagen Group China and the whole Chinese auto industry. The area utilisation is highly increased, meaning less land and built-up space is needed compared to a standard plant. In terms of flexibility, the new MEB factory sets a benchmark in China by allowing for six different car projects running simultaneously.

As a unique platform specifically designed for the mass production of electric vehicles, MEB allows for vehicles with a longer wheelbase and a more spacious interior. Moreover, models produced on the MEB platform will see advanced digital and intelligent daily life integration, in terms of the latest infotainment systems and connectivity functionalities.

Kia Motors has revealed its new Futuron Concept, an illuminating all-wheel drive SUV coupe which proposes new designs for future electric vehicles.

The Futuron Concept represents the modern and confident image of a progressive electric SUV coupe envisioned by Kia. The Futuron name itself is a portmanteau of ‘future’ and ‘on’, hinting at the switched-on, electric nature of future SUV designs from the brand.

With a design based around the notion of dynamic purity, the Futuron Concept merges elegant proportions with pure shapes and surfaces. Its lightweight SUV coupe body incorporates a fully-electric all-wheel drive powertrain, wrapped in bold yet modern exterior surfaces, and with a flexible, high-tech interior.

The Futuron makes its public debut today at the 2019 China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai, where it will be on display to the public until 10 November.

The Kia Futuron Concept is built around a single, strong ‘360-degree’ design notable for its pure, smooth form devoid of ornament. The delicate diffusion of the body’s surfaces creates a series of taut, flowing shapes which twist, expand and contract around the body. The result is a sleek and streamlined shape, creating an aero-efficient profile.

The novel proportions of the car are immediately striking. Its low-profile SUV coupe body makes a strong statement of intent for Kia’s future cars, which will be confident, sporty and modern, yet also elegant. At 4,850 mm in length, 1,550 mm tall and with a 3,000 mm-long wheelbase, the Futuron’s elevated ground clearance is matched with a low, lean body to create a dynamic, confident posture.

The Futuron’s fully-electric powertrain makes this shape possible. A high-capacity battery is mounted low in the vehicle’s body, beneath the cabin floor, providing electrical energy to four powerful in-wheel electric motors. The elevated stance of the car is therefore matched with a low centre of gravity and a cutting-edge e-AWD system which delivers lightning-fast responses to driver inputs.

A sports car on an SUV platform, combined with comfortable, lean-back seats, Futuron offers users a new type of interactive driving experience suitable for urban city environments. Various elements of the vehicle’s structure and design foster the important connection and interaction between car and driver.

The front fender flows backwards from the front of the hood before plunging into the cabin itself, establishing a connection between the driving seat and the road ahead. The concept’s roof is a diamond-shaped panoramic glasshouse which sits atop the 360-degree core, in the best traditions of UFO and flying saucer design. While flooding the cabin with natural light, it also extends down the bonnet to give drivers an unparalleled view ahead. The glasshouse also incorporates a network of LiDAR (light detection and ranging) sensors capable of providing Level 4 autonomous driving features, enabling hands-off and eyes-off driving in most conditions.

Furthermore, the 360-degree theme is evident in the lighting that illuminates a sharp character line encircling the Futuron’s body. A playful and interactive new feature, this lighting responds to physical gestures and movements made outside the car, eliciting a close connection between vehicle and driver before they even set foot in the cabin.

The front of the Futuron features a new reinterpretation of Kia’s ‘tiger nose’ grille, a signature for Kia design now for over a decade. While maintaining the basic principle of the design – a clear outline with tabs in the middle – Kia’s designers have expanded the boundaries, widening the shape across the front of the car to create a restrained, yet elegant ‘tiger face’.

The newly-designed front of the car, like that of the Imagine by Kia Concept first revealed earlier in 2019, expresses a new design interpretation for Kia’s future electric vehicles.

With a wider ‘tiger face’ shape, the grille incorporates the Futuron’s headlamps, an innovative ‘Star Cloud’ design which gives the car a dazzling new night-time identity. The concept’s Star Cloud lighting not only highlights a new design form for the front of the car, but also embodies a new lighting concept for Kia, taking inspiration from nebulae in the night sky to create a geometric patchwork of matrix LED lighting. The Star Cloud is also incorporated into the rear of the car, displaying a distinct light signature to anyone following the Futuron.

Revealed for the first time in Shanghai, the Futuron also incorporates Chinese legend in the design and form of its new Star Cloud lighting. The Dragon Skin surface which covers the lighting area emulates the scaled armor that adorns Chinese dragons, both in mythology and modern-day cultural celebrations. The Star Cloud lighting incorporates a kinetic surface, enabling the car to alternate between daytime running lights and full-beam headlamps as the scales open and close.

The layout of the electric powertrain and incorporation of Level 4 autonomous driving systems has enabled the creation of a spacious and flexible cabin unlike any other vehicle on roads. The two front seats are created out of flexible materials and can offer an upright ‘driving’ position, or a reclined ‘rest’ position, similar to the flexibility afforded to first-class airline passengers. With the activation of the Futuron’s autonomous driving features, the two front seats recline as the steering wheel retracts. The ‘zero-gravity’ seating position this creates helps to reduce fatigue on long journeys.

The Futuron’s seamless interior also reflects its autonomous driving nature, with surfaces flowing uninterrupted from the dashboard and through the door panels. The doors feature the same Star Cloud lighting and scaled Dragon Skin motif found on the outside of the car, creating a glittering interactive ambient lighting system. The ventilation system is also housed behind Dragon Skin scales, which open and close to allow fresh air to circulate throughout the cabin.

One of the most prominent features of the cabin is the ‘cockpit’ area surrounding the driver. The graphical user interface (GUI) of the cockpit flows out of the driver-side door and wraps around the steering wheel in a seamless arc. This merges the instrument cluster directly with the audio-visual display at the centre of the dashboard and is linked to the display integrated within the surface of the steering wheel itself. The GUI is operated by artificial intelligence technologies, displaying useful information about the car various autonomous driving, powertrain and navigation features to create a unique user experience. The apex of the cockpit arc sees the GUI lunge forward towards the road, creating an interactive Star Cloud light display at the very front of the cabin.

Indian National Autocross Championship East Zone Qualifier gets underway amidst huge excitement at Haldia in front of nearly 10,000 strong local crowds. This is the consecutive second year of this championship taking place in Haldia and the drivers have got a thumping response from the locals, for whom a sporting event of this stature is a rarity. The event was initially scheduled on November 9 – 10, but the organiser had to postpone the same due to cyclone Bulbul. Now this event has been rescheduled on
November 30. The first day will consist of some practice and qualifying races where nearly 50 competitors will try to understand the track and make their strategies. The next day (December 1) will witness the final races.

Speaking on the occasion, Saurav Chatterjee and Sk. Ajgar Ali, former National TSD Rally Champions and the key organisers of this event explained the aim of the event is to woo the youth away from road racing to regulated motorsports, where safety of the drivers is of paramount importance. They explained autocross is not only about raw speed; one has to match that with driving acumen and physical stamina as well. This year the championship has nice categories, divided according to engine capacity and modification, to make the competition as fair as possible.

There is a separate event planned for the amateur drivers and ladies as well. The Haldia Autocross is a flagship autocross event in Federation of Motorsports Clubs of India calendar. The goal of FMSCI Indian National Autocross Championship is to identify young budding talents from the regional zones and thus Haldia Autocross is a big step forward to the eminent goal. Motor Sports Association of Eastern India, the
organising motorsports club, wants to be the guiding force of many raw talents in the near future. The championship would be a two day affair being held on 9th and 10th November, culminating with the prize distribution ceremony. The entire Haldia town is buzzing with excitement. It is a get set go in true sense.

Future Volvo customers will need to answer one fundamental question: do you want a new Volvo with a cord or without one? Volvo Cars has introduced the XC40 Recharge, the company’s first ever fully electric car and the first model to appear in its brand new Recharge car line concept.

The XC40 Recharge, based on the XC40 is the first of a family of fully electric Volvos. It represents a true milestone for Volvo Cars: the company’s first electric car and the first Volvo with a brand new infotainment system powered by Google’s Android operating system.

Over the next five years, Volvo Cars will launch a fully electric car every year, as it seeks to make all-electric cars 50 per cent of global sales by 2025, with the rest hybrids. Recharge will be the overarching name for all chargeable Volvos with a fully electric and plug-in hybrid powertrain.

From early 2020 customers entering the Volvo Cars website will first be asked whether they want a Volvo Recharge car or not. To further encourage electric driving, every Volvo Recharge plug-in hybrid model will come with free electricity for a year, provided through a refund for the average electricity cost during that period.

“We have said this several times before: for Volvo Cars, the future is electric,” said Håkan Samuelsson, Chief Executive. “Today we take a major new step in that direction with the launch of our fully electric XC40 and the Recharge car line.”

The XC40 Recharge is everything customers expect from a Volvo, with the addition of a state-of-the-art, fully electric all-wheel drive powertrain that offers a range of over 400 kilometres on a single charge and output of 408 hp (414 PS). The battery charges to 80 per cent of its capacity in 40 minutes on a fast-charger system.

The Android-powered infotainment system is fully integrated with Volvo On Call, the company’s digital connected services platform. Via Volvo On Call plug-in hybrid drivers can track how much time they spend driving on electric power.

To meet the anticipated growth in demand for its Recharge cars, Volvo Cars will triple production capacity for electrified cars and will as of next year prepare a Designer’s Choice selection of popular Recharge models, offering the potential for radically reduced delivery times. Volvo Cars aims for plug-in hybrid cars to make up 20 per cent of total sales in 2020.

Every Volvo model in the range includes a Recharge option, from the small XC40 SUV via the 60 Series cars to the company’s flagship, the large XC90 SUV. Volvo Cars is the only car maker to offer a plug-in variant on every model in its line-up.

The XC40 Recharge and the Recharge car line are also tangible proof points of the company’s ambitious new action plan, also launched today, which represents concrete actions in line with the Paris climate agreement and supports Volvo Cars’ ambition to become a climate-neutral company by 2040.

MG (Morris Garages) Motor India today announced Benedict Cumberbatch as the face and ambassador for their upcoming Electric Car ‘MG ZS EV’ in India. The announcement comes as a further extension of the ongoing association between two British icons.

The MG ZS EV, which is slated to be unveiled in India in December 2019, is a testimony to the carmaker’s long-term commitment towards environment friendly mobility in India. Benedict, who was recently announced as MG India’s Brand Ambassador as well as roped in for the brand campaign and seen in the launch commercial for MG in India sporting the Hector Hybrid; will now don a new avatar for the MG ZS EV.

Benedict Cumberbatch on his association with MG said, “Since my childhood, I have grown up seeing and reading about MG’s. With the iconic MG brand set to drive into the future, I am delighted to be part of the brand’s journey in India. The ZS EV – India’s first connected electric SUV focuses on and furthers the required change in the environment which is the need of the hour. It is a start in India and am glad to be part of this start.”

MG India’s association with the acclaimed British actor also builds from the shared values and beliefs where both endorse community-led causes like diversity. Benedict Cumberbatch has been known for promoting gender equality and ‘diversity across the board’ within the global entertainment industry. Benedict has also many a times demonstrated his focus on the humanitarian crisis and is known for adopting cruelty free fashion.

“We are extremely charged up and excited to extend our association with Benedict for the MG ZS EV in India. The pure electric SUV from MG’s global stable has seen robust demand from customers in the UK, Thailand and other markets. It is part of our commitment to promote environmentally friendly mobility in India. We realize there is a need to become a catalyst for change and we are happy to do so with the MG ZS EV,” said Rajeev Chaba, President & Managing Director, MG Motor India.

MG Motor India, on its part, has been driving its vision of facilitating the creation of a more equal and diverse society with various in-house and on-ground initiatives. Women professionals currently account for 31 per cent of the organisation’s workforce – the highest in the industry. MG Motor India has also associated with organisations such as IIMPACT an NGO engaged in providing quality education to the girl child through its learning centres in remote villages across the country. TRAX India to raise awareness on road safety across 200 schools and The Better India to raise awareness about community building through initiatives such as ‘MG Changemakers’.

Nissan today unveiled the Ariya Concept, a crossover EV with twin electric motors, powerful acceleration, driver assistance technology and a look that signals a complete reinvention of the brand’s design.

The new Nissan Ariya Concept, introduced today at the 46^th Tokyo Motor Show, signals the dawn of a new era for Nissan as the company embarks to redefine its brand philosophy for the next evolutionary phase of the automobile.

The Ariya Concept features a spacious, premium cabin with high-tech features and a body that conveys the pure, clean nature of electric cars. It embodies the Nissan Intelligent Mobility vision of personal transportation – one where electrification and vehicle intelligence will offer seamless and adaptive travel experiences free of accidents or harmful emissions.

The Ariya Concept expands on design elements first hinted at by the Nissan IMx Concept at the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show. They include the bold electrified V-motion signature “shield” and striking rear light blade, short overhangs, and an interior that feels more like a lounge than a conventional vehicle.

Although it’s a concept vehicle, the crossover EV’s bold styling and unconventional interior and exterior elements could make it into production in the near future.

“The Ariya Concept represents a strong collaboration between design and engineering,” said Yasuhiro Yamauchi, representative executive officer, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. “It is the next stage of Nissan’s future design language as we embark on a new era for the company – the next stage in our evolution.”

Over 35 million Golf in various versions have been produced worldwide since the first generation, 26 million of them at the Wolfsburg plant. Production of the new Golf at the main plant began in the summer and is currently in the run-up phase. The first vehicles will be in the showrooms at dealers in Germany and Austria in early December. To prepare for production, approximately 700 work steps were analysed at over 400 workshops to leverage existing efficiency reserves. Numerous process improvements have been implemented to make sure the eighth generation of the bestseller can be built more efficiently than its predecessor.

In Wolfsburg, 8,400 employees work exclusively on the Golf. The Golf 8 has over 2,700 individual parts and components. There are 962 wiring systems with 1,340 metres of cable in the fully-connected Golf. That is 31 wiring systems and just under 100 metres of cable more than in the Golf 7. Starting with delivery of the steel sheet, the Golf travels 69 kilometres on production lines until the finished vehicle leaves the factory.

Dr. Andreas Tostmann, Volkswagen Brand Board Member for Production, said: “The Golf 8 is much more complex than its predecessor. Nevertheless, we have cut average manufacturing time by about one hour. Because the Golf 8 belongs to the second-generation of MQB products, we achieved a significant reduction in production investments. Our platform strategy is delivering. The team in Wolfsburg have given their all for the Golf 8. Production processes have become more efficient overall. That is a great achievement and I would like to say a big thank you to all employees.”

Due to greater standardisation of plant and processes for the Golf 8, ramp-up investments for a successful start of production have been cut by more than half compared with the model’s predecessor. Total investments for the new Golf are in the mid three-digit million euro range. Given the current platform strategy, 80 per cent of existing body shop plant and equipment can be used. Like its predecessor, the Golf 8 is based on the Modular Transverse Toolkit (MQB). New equipment has been installed for the side panels of the Golf 8 with their striking tornado line. This new plant is not only much more flexible, it is also 40 per cent more productive that the equipment used for the Golf 7.

Commissioning the Golf 8, i.e. installing all data, is fully automated and carried out via a fast WLAN network while the vehicle is still on the production line. As a result, manufacturing time for this process step remains unchanged even though the volume of data is higher. From next year, a new fully-automated generation of driverless transport systems will ensure the faster supply of material, a key factor in efficient factory processes. Body shop logistics will see a seven percent improvement in productivity through the use of 23 transport robots.

The oldest Fiat in the UK, the 1899 Fiat 3½hp, is set to mark the 120th anniversary of the brand by taking to the road as a sponsor of the Bonham’s London to Brighton Veteran Car Run.

The 1899 Fiat 3½hp will take part in the 60-mile drive from Hyde Park in London down to Madeira Drive in Brighton as part of the world’s oldest annual motorsport events, which will run on 3rd November.

Owned by FCA UK Ltd, and on permanent display at the National Motor Museum in Beaulieu, the Fiat 3½hp can seat two adults in comfort with two children facing the driver, in a vis-à-vis layout. With a horizontal two-cylinder engine displacing 697cc and a three-speed (no reverse) gearbox, it can reach a top speed of 21mph while returning a very respectable 35mpg. The National Motor Museum collaborated with Fiat to return the car to the road ready for the iconic event.

The London to Brighton run celebrates the passing of the Locomotives on the Highways Act, which saw the abolition of the need for a motorised vehicle to be led by a red flag carrying man and raised the speed limit from 4mph to 14mph.

Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino (FIAT) was founded by a group of Turin investors in July 1899 and began assembling cars in a temporary factory. The newly founded company absorbed two smaller businesses, including a bicycle manufacturer which had a prototype car, called the ‘Welleyes’. The first dozen or so cars manufactured by Fiat in 1899 were derived from this prototype. A new purpose built factory started producing cars from March 1900 and from this Fiat grew to be an industrial giant and one of the world’s largest motor manufacturers.

Vikas Jhabakh, Managing Director, Benelli India with the Imperiale 400

Betting big on the Classic bike segment, the Italian superbike manufacturer Benelli, has launched one of its most awaited model – Imperiale 400 in the Indian market for Rs. 1.69 Lakhs (Ex-showroom, India).

The Classic bike strongly recalls the Pesaro based brand’s heritage. The Benelli Imperiale 400 is a reinterpretation of a historical model of the Benelli-MotoBi range produced in the 1950s. An authentic bike with a pure spirit that today finds its essence in an elegant and retro motorcycle.

Commenting on the launch of the Benelli Imperiale 400, Vikas Jhabakh, Managing Director, Benelli India, said, “We are delighted to launch a series of exciting models in the last two months in the Indian market and this clearly proves Benelli’s commitment to India. We are betting big on the segment, with the launch of the Imperiale 400 and are confident of capturing a significant market share with a number of dealership launches set to take place, to ensure that our services and the Imperiale 400 is within reach for every rider out there.”

The Imperiale 400 gets an all new SOHC, single-cylinder, four-stroke, air-cooled BS4 engine with electronic fuel injection. The maximum power produced is 21 PS at 5500 rpm, with a torque output of 29 Nm at 4500 rpm.

Extremely easy to ride and handle, the Imperiale 400 has a compact and durable double cradle frame. The front gets a 41 mm telescopic fork while the rear gets pre-load adjustable dual shock absorbers. The design of the exhaust, finished in black with chrome inserts, accentuate the vintage style of this new Benelli motorcycle, reinforced by the round front headlight – typically retro – and the teardrop tank, which bring out the motorcycle’s true essence.

The classic bike features a 300 mm disc on the front with a two-piston floating caliper and a 240 mm disc with single-piston caliper at the rear, with dual-channel ABS, thus ensuring an effective and balanced braking system. The spoked rims have different diameters: 19-inch on the front end, 18-inch at the back, respectively mounting 110/90 and 130/80 section tubed tyres.

Benelli India is also offering the Imperiale 400 with the ‘3-Year Unlimited Kilometre Warranty as Standard’. The Benelli Imperiale 400 is introduced with complimentary service for the first 2-years. The company has also introduced an Annual Maintenance Contract for the Imperiale 400 for hassle free customer experience, which can be availed after the completion of the first 2-years.

The Benelli Imperiale 400 is available in three colour options – Red, Silver and Black.