1978 Alfa Romeo Spider Veloce Convertible 2-door 2.0l on 2040-cars

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Stellantis aims to eliminate separate inverter, charger to improve EV efficiency

Stellantis has announced that, in collaboration with French battery company Saft and French National Center for Scientific Research, has made significant progress in eliminating two major components of an electric vehicle powertrain: the on-board charger and the power inverter for the motor. The company claims that doing this will allow for better space use in vehicles, as well as improvements in efficiency, cost and reliability of components. As a quick primer, also explained in the below video, the on-board charger and power inverter are sort of translators to get the right current to different parts of the electric powertrain. The on-board charger takes AC power from the grid and converts it to DC to charge the batteries. Then when power goes from the batteries to the electric motor, the power inverter converts that DC power back to AC. These components aren't exactly small. Frequently you'll find them packaged somewhere under the hood. What Stellantis and its cohorts have developed, and have been using on a test vehicle since last summer, are small power inverter boards that can be mounted very closely to the battery packs. They can handle both conversion needs, for charging and discharging, instead of needing two separate devices. The most obvious perk to this is that you can do away with those traditional components and free up more space, either for making smaller vehicles without losing interior volume, or adding space to a vehicle that wouldn't have had it otherwise. There's the additional benefit of reduced weight, something that EVs struggle with. Stellantis also claims improvements in efficiency, reliability, and cost, however, it didn't go into detail as to how this setup would do that exactly. We'll try to get in touch with representatives from Stellantis in order to get more information. We're still a ways out from seeing this technology in production Stellantis vehicles. The company said it aims to apply it to vehicles by the end of the decade. Saft is also looking at using it on stationary battery systems as well. So maybe we'll see it on a 2029 Ram 1500 REV, but for now, we'll be living with traditional chargers and inverters. Related Video: Green Alfa Romeo Chrysler Dodge Fiat RAM Technology Electric

Amazon opens contest for The Grand Tour tickets in the US

British enthusiasts already had the opportunity to win tickets to the first taping of The Grand Tour, and now Amazon has opened up a similar chance for customers in the US. In celebration of Prime Day, which starts today, customers in the US can enter The Grand Tour Prime Day Prize Draw. The prize includes travel, $200 to spend, accommodation, and a meet and greet with Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May. Customers that are interested fulfilling a childhood dream should visit Amazon's website and fill out the entry form soon as the draw closes on July 12. The Grand Tour will launch this fall as an exclusive for Amazon Prime members with the exact city locations for studio records set to be revealed later this summer. Amazon, however, did reveal that the trio will host shows in the UK, US, and Germany. So there's no need to get too upset if you don't win the draw. With Top Gear getting a major shakeup with the departure of Chris Evans, we're itching to see Clarkson, Hammond, and May behind the wheel of cars again. The trio, it seems, is also excited to get the new show rolling as Clarkson posted a drifty video on his Facebook page. The trio are currently in Italy filming a comparison between an Aston Martin DB11, a Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat, and Rolls-Royce Dawn. The five-second clip has the Challenger Hellcat and DB11 drifting head-on into the camera crew, which is behind the wheel of an Alfa Romeo. News Source: Amazon, FacebookImage Credit: The Grand Tour TV/Movies Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Dodge the grand tour

Alfa's upcoming EV sports car poised as a 4C Spider successor — the 4E?

Expanding its ambitious plans for its future electric cars, Alfa Romeo is working on an electric sports car — one that might be badged the 4E and live on as a successor to the 4C Spider — for introduction before the end of the decade "There are some items from Alfa Romeo that we don't kill: One is the Spider, the other is a love of cars. We do want to continue them because that's the brand,” Daniel Guzzafame, Head of Products at Alfa, said in an interview with Autocar. “The main point is to make sure that when we do it, we are credible, are sustainable, and don't just throw something on the market for the sake of it.” The ItaliansÂ’ prospective scenario would hinge on the success of its new multi-car/SUV lineup that includes the Tonale, introduced earlier this year; a baby SUV spotted online recently that could come next year, and upcoming electric versions of the Guilia sedan and Stelvio. A new Alfa Romeo will arrive each year for the next five years, Alfa executives say, to build up the “sustainable” inventory foundation to which Guzzafame referred. In past years, he said, “we went to the dealers, and they had the 4C, Giulietta, and Mito, and that was all they had. First, you need to have a solid lineup, and then, of course, the Spider has to be the cherry on the cake.” The sports car discussed by Guzzafame may borrow styling cues from the newly revealed 33 Stradale supercar, available with Alfa's first-ever electric drivetrain. The company may also look to mimic the dynamics of todayÂ’s mid-engined sports cars by locating its battery in the center of the chassis, a placement that would allow a traditional cab-forward shape.  Alfa Romeo has suggested that all of its ICE vehicles will go out of production by 2027. As far as a “noiseless” Alfa is concerned, Guzzafame explained the company may try to emulate the sounds and vibrations of a gasoline motor in the new car. “ItÂ’s not what you hear, itÂ’s what you feel,” he said. “WeÂ’re working on how to transfer that into a vibe, more than sound, and something that will resonate in your ear, because you need to get something from your gut.” As for the gorgeous mid-engined Stradale, the engine is a version of the twin-turbo V6 from the Alfa Romeo Quadrifoglio models, and apparently some aspects of the active suspension are also taken from the Giulia Quadrifoglio GTA.