2019 Volvo Xc40 Momentum on 2040-cars

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2024 Volvo EX90 SUV revealed as forward-looking electric flagship

STOCKHOLM — Volvo has unveiled its EX90 electric three-row SUV in Stockholm, Sweden, representing the future of the brand with a focus on sustainability, safety and technology-driven design. The EX90 will be offered with two twin-motor, all-wheel-drive powertrain options. The first offers a total of 402 horsepower and 568 pound-feet of torque, and a 0-60 time of 5.7 seconds. The performance version is good for a heaping 496 horsepower and 671 pound-feet of torque, and 0-60 shrinks to 4.7 seconds. Its 111-kilowatt-hour battery (107-kWh usable), supplied by CATL, will provide up to 300 miles from a full charge, replenishable at a DC fast charger from 10-80% in 30 minutes at a peak charging rate of 250 kW. It will feature bi-directional charging, allowing the EX90 to supply electricity to your home, appliances or another Volvo EV. As far as size, the EX90 is 198.3 inches in overall length, eclipsing the XC90 by 3.3 inches in length with an identical 117.5-inch wheelbase. On the exterior, we see the Hammer of Thor daytime lights with a vertical bar below representing the lightning strike of the hammer. The horizontal lighting opens up like eyelids tto reveal the nighttime lights behind them. Up top, the lidar unit is prominent, but artfully blended into the black of the roof. The 22-inch wheels feature aerodynamic inserts that reduce turbulence; 20- and 21-inch wheels will also be available. The door handles rise to greet you when you approach with your digital key — your phone — from 30 feet away. The rear lights borrow their vertical signature from the C40. In all, the design is very "Scandinavian," meaning clean, inspired by nature and harmonious with technology, as Volvo design head Robin Page explained to us. True to the Volvo brand, safety is paramount. The EX90 utilizes cameras, radar and lidar, along with Nvidia-powered software, to take stock of the vehicleÂ’s surroundings, as well as the driverÂ’s gaze and attention, to help keep the occupants safe. The lidar can detect objects ahead to centimeter accuracy from 250 meters (about 820 feet) away in glaring sun or total darkness, Volvo says. Volvo describes the EX90 as “a highly advanced computer on wheels” with the ability to improve over time thanks to over-the-air software updates.

Recharge Wrap-up: video touts Volvo electric buses, Nissan and BMW build EV chargers in S. Africa

Volvo is touting the advantages of electric buses in a new video. The short film, called Route 55, promotes the ElectriCity Project for public transport, and, more specifically, the new electric bus route in Gothenburg, Sweden. The new route debuts June 15 using Volvo electric and hybrid buses. In the video, two teenagers are seen waiting for the bus. As one boards, the other asks her out from the sidewalk, but she can't hear him over the noise of the diesel bus, which then closes its doors and drives away. The film asks, "What if this bus had been silent?" See the video above, and read more in the press release below. BMW and Nissan will build an EV charging network across South Africa. Through 2017, the two automakers will build fast-charging and AC stations around the country in order to encourage the adoption of EVs. Nissan has been selling the Leaf in South Africa since 2013, and BMW introduced the i3 and i8 in March. "In order for the introduction and expansion of electric vehicles as well as plug-in hybrid electric vehicles to be successful in this market, we need to work together," says BMW South Africa Managing Director Tim Abbott. Read more at Automotive News Europe. The Renault-Nissan Alliance will provide the United Nations with 200 electric vehicles for the COP21 climate conference in Paris. The fleet of vehicles includes the Nissan Leaf and e-NV200, as well as the Renault ZOE, Kangoo ZE and Fluence ZE. The entire passenger car shuttle fleet will use all-electric vehicles as some 20,000 UN attendees descend upon Paris from November 30 to December 11. "Thanks to the Alliance's fleet of 100-percent electric vehicles, it will contribute to our goal of achieving a carbon neutral event," says French Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development and COP21 President Laurent Fabius. "The technology of electric vehicles helps reduce greenhouse gases in the transportation sector efficiently." Read more from Renault. Visa will be the official title sponsor of the Formula E London ePrix. Officially called the "2015 FIA Formula E Visa London ePrix," the races on June 27 and 28 will be the last of the electric racing series's inaugural season. Visa Europe will award the Visa Fastest Lap trophy after the each round, and will have interactive activities at the race's eVillage.

Geely chairman is now the single biggest investor in Daimler

Li Shufu, the chairman and main owner of Chinese carmaker Geely, has built a stake of 9.69 percent in Daimler AG, the German carmaker said in a regulatory filing on Friday. The stake, worth nearly $9 billion at the current valuation for Daimler shares, makes Li the biggest single shareholder in the maker of Mercedes-Benz cars, trucks and vans headquartered in the German city of Stuttgart. A Daimler spokesman called the stake purchase a private investment by Li. "We are delighted, with Li Shufu, to have won over another long-term investor who is convinced of Daimler's innovative prowess, strategy and future potential," the spokesman said in response to a request for comment. "Daimler knows and respects Li Shufu as a Chinese entrepreneur of particular competence and forward thinking." Li's stake purchase makes him the top shareholder in Daimler ahead of the Kuwait Investment Authority, which owned 6.8 percent as of Sept. 30, according to Thomson Reuters data. Earlier this month, the German newspaper Bild am Sonntag reported that the Chinese industry giant was seeking to become Daimler's biggest shareholder, likely exceeding the 6.8-percent stake of the Kuwait Investment Authority. The paper said Daimler had reportedly turned down Geely's $4.5 billion offer for a 5-percent stake via a discounted share placement, saying that Geely could buy shares in the open market. Institutional investors currently own 70.7 percent of Daimler, and the company already has strong ties to Chinese automakers BAIC and BYD. Bild am Sonntag said the move was intended as a strategic alliance against Apple, Google and Amazon on autonomous and connected cars. And Reuters reported that Daimler wants to have bespoke "robo taxis" on the road quicker than Google's Waymo, and views Geely as a strong partner for that. Geely conversely is interested in Daimler's electric car battery technology, and sources quoted by the German paper say there are plans to establish joint electric car manufacturing in Wuhan, China, to meet China's smog-reducing quotas. Geely is developing the Lynk & Co. brand of electric and hybrid cars. Geely owns Volvo, which has enjoyed a renaissance under the arrangement, as well as the maker of London's black cabs. In December, it bought a stake in AB Volvo, the maker of Volvo trucks.