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Some intriguing showstoppers from Auto China 2024

“Electric” may be the most appropriate word to describe the atmosphere at the recent Beijing motor show, now considered to be one of the worldÂ’s largest automobile exhibitions. ChinaÂ’s vision of the electric mobility future is on full display during the ten-day event, which ends this weekend. Organizers estimated that 117 new global and China-domestic models would debut in Beijing. In fact, about 30 foreign brands had stands, a turnout that hasnÂ’t been seen at auto shows since before the pandemic. The South Koreans and the Japanese came, and from Germany, representatives making the case for their brands included CEO Oliver Blume of Volkswagen Group, Oliver Zipse of BMW Group and Ola Kallenius of Mercedes-Benz Group. A few of the models would be powered by gasoline—by ICE, or internal combustion engines—but the vibe was clear: electrics are it. According to to show officials, Beijing hosted a total of 278 electric and plug-in hybrid models on display. After digesting most of the reveals unveiled during the show, weÂ’ve parsed a list to a select few of the more interesting models. Here it is, in no particular order: BYD Ocean-M concept BYD has launched off-roaders, SUVs and sedans in its global assault on the car market — and added a hot hatch concept at Auto China. The Ocean-M (above) is a Volkswagen Golf-sized five-door hatchback, meaning itÂ’s likely that BYD will pitch it as a rival for the Volkswagen ID.3 GTX. The show car has sporty design, rises sharply towards the rear window, and sharp surfacing at the front and along the flanks. The show car has a huge rear wing, aero diffuser and side blades.   Denza Z9GT BYDÂ’s luxury brand, Denza, a joint venture between BYD and Mercedes-Benz, showed the Z9 GT, a massive wagon carrying three electric motors putting out a stunning 952 horsepower. The EV weighs an extraordinary 6,338 pounds, almost 440 pounds more than a Rolls-Royce Cullinan. BYD's design boss is a German -- Wolfgang Egger, who previously worked for Alfa Romeo and Audi. Lamborghini Urus SE The Volkswagen subsidiary brought a bit of Italian sex appeal to Beijing in the form of “super” luxury SUV that received its first public premiere in China. The plug-in hybrid Uris SE SUV gets nearly 800 horsepower as well as a series of visual and technology updates inside and out.

Lamborghini launches Polo Storico heritage division

Lamborghini has always been more forward-looking than it has been focused on its past, but it has still left an undeniable wake of historically noteworthy and highly collectable classics. To tend to them, the company has launched Lamborghini Polo Storico. Sant'Agata's heritage division brings with it new initiatives and consolidates several existing operations under one roof. For starters, the new department will be responsible for the Archivio Storico Lamborghini, a historical archive detailing the company's past models as well as materials and techniques employed in their construction – all of which is being digitized for the first time. Polo Storico will also stockpile original parts and (if necessary) reproduce them from the original blueprints. The services will extend to offering customers the chance to have their classic Lambos restored by experts at the factory using original parts, and even have the vehicle's authenticity certified by a technical committee. Of course Lamborghini isn't the first European automaker to offer such comprehensive services for its historic models. Arch-rival Ferrari launched its Classiche department several years ago, and more recently Land Rover opened a similar operation of its own. These developments underline an increasing emphasis that automakers have been putting on their own heritage and the preservation of their history in the metal. Related Video: Lamborghini relaunches Restoration Center: "Lamborghini Polo Storico" provides unique knowledge and guaranteed authenticity for classic Lamborghini cars Sant'Agata Bolognese, 16. Aprile, 2015 – Automobili Lamborghini is relaunching its restoration center under the name of Lamborghini Polo Storico. The new department includes the brand's historical archives, the vehicle restoration center, vehicle certification, and guarantees the availability of numerous genuine spare parts for all historical Lamborghini models. With its new Polo Storico, Automobili Lamborghini emphasizes the importance of preserving its broad heritage and unique knowledge. A big part of this new formula is the Archivio Storico Lamborghini. This historical archive includes the documentation of historical Lamborghini car models, as well as technical schemes, body colors, leathers, images and several publications ever made by the company.

Weekly Recap: Autonomous driving goes commercial in Nevada

Nevada granted Daimler Trucks North America the first license to run an autonomous commercial vehicle on public roads in the United States Tuesday, marking another milestone in the technology's rapid advancement. Gov. Brian Sandoval and Daimler truck chief Wolfgang Bernhard promptly used the license to lap Highway 15 near Las Vegas in a newly revealed Freightliner Inspiration Truck. It was a clear signal that autonomous driving is big-rig reality, though it's still a long way from widespread use. Nevada certified two of Daimler's Freightliner Inspiration Trucks, which use the company's Highway Pilot system with a stereo camera, radar, and lane-keeping collision-prevention features to regulate the brakes and steering. The radar component has a long-range sensor that can cover 820 feet at an 18-degree angle and a shorter-range unit that stretches 230 feet at a 130-degree angle. The Inspiration trucks are based on the existing Freightliner Cascadia Evolution model used on US roads. In addition to the autonomous technologies, it also has futuristic design cues, including blue lighting in the front and a new hood and grille. While there are only two Freightliner Inspiration trucks in existence, Daimler expects to bring the Highway Pilot system into mass-produced big rigs by 2025, in time to capitalize on the market's predicted growth. The German truckmaker predicts the global hauling market will triple by 2050, and the United States will be a key part of that growth. Trucks carry 69.1 percent the nation's domestic freight tonnage and hauled 9.7 billion tons of freight in 2013, according to the American Trucking Association. Daimler expects autonomous driving to augment this growth, and perhaps evolve the role of the truck driver. Still, the company points out autonomous tech is not meant to replace drivers, but to assist them and relieve fatigue and monotony on long hauls. The driver has to stay in control for passing, in city traffic, and when hooking up the trailer. The company said autonomous driving also offers the potential for improved fuel economy – tests showed a five-percent gain – and lower maintenance costs. Daimler also said the technology could reduce congestion on the road. Much of this is attributable to the constant flow of traffic, which is aided by autonomous driving. While the benefits are becoming increasingly apparent, autonomous technology is still met with skepticism.