Is it enough to have a big battery? The comparison of 28 models in the test conducted on the highway is in our article.
We see more electric cars on the roads, but users have questions. For daily use, provided that you can charge it at home or at work, real use of an electric car may be sufficient in most cases, but this is different for long journeys.
Actual consumption
The consumption of electric cars is increasing, especially on the highway. We often find ourselves distant from official consumption calculated in mixed use. Well, is there a difference between the range of an electric vehicle traveling at a speed of 130 km/h on the highway and the officially announced range? Here are the results from the test on the highway:
StoreDot, an Israeli company specializing in electric vehicle technologies, has presented a new battery containing cells capable of repairing themselves.
The Israeli company StoreDot presented batteries that repair themselves, using self-healing cells. They should therefore last longer in vehicles.
StoreDot, an Israeli company specializing in electric vehicle technologies, has presented a new battery containing cells capable of repairing themselves, the 100in5. They will apparently be available from 2024.
SELF-REPAIRING BATTERIES MADE POSSIBLE THANKS TO AN ALGORITHM
Electric car batteries are made up of hundreds or even thousands of cells, which provide them with the combined power needed to run the vehicle.
Thanks to the StoreDot software, combined with an algorithm, in the event of overheating of one or more cells, the vehicle is able to simply disconnect the cell or cells concerned, even while driving.
The system then resolves the problem, by discharging it for example. Reconnection occurs when the problem is over.
This preserves the cell concerned on the one hand, but also isolates it from neighboring cells that it can damage when they have no problem. In extreme cases, preventive disconnection reduces the risk of battery fire, as well as faster degradation over time.
BATTERIES WITH A BETTER LIFETIME
The other advancement of these batteries is stable capacity and performance over the entire life of the vehicle. On a conventional battery, the capacity tends to decrease gradually, and therefore the autonomy it can offer you. The prowess is still mysterious.
The manufacturer explains “manage the charging current” in order to “stress the battery less at the start of its life”. The downside is slightly less battery life when purchased.
On the other hand, the capacity of the battery is theoretically identical on the day it leaves the factory or after several years of use, delaying the change of used batteries as much as possible and increasing the maximum possible mileage of the car. And that is a great point for the planet.
The company presented these cell packs in cylindrical 4680 format (like Tesla) or rectangular box. They should also benefit from a very fast loading time.
Indeed, the 100in5 is not called that by chance. According to StoreDot, its technology should charge 62 miles of range (about 100 km) in 5 minutes.
The next generation of “solid” batteries will arrive in 2028, the 100in3. In 2032, it will be the 100in2. And in 2036… We let you guess the name of the 2036 batteries. Anyway, StoreDot is already a partner of many car manufacturers such as Daimler, Volvo and Vinfast.
DS Automobiles’ new compact sedan has won the prestigious award given at the 2022 International Automobile Festival.
The new DS 4 won the Most Beautiful Car award on the occasion of the 37th Grands Prix du Festival Automobile International, which is chaired by a Jury consisting of motorsports, architecture, fashion, design, culture and media. This year, the DS 4 was honored against the other finalists, the BMW i4, Peugeot 308 and Citroën C5 X.
A PRESTIGIOUS AWARD FOR THE MOST BEAUTIFUL CAR OF 2022
Usually, the Most Beautiful Car of the Year award is determined by popular vote. This year, the International Automobile Festival chose to call a Jury of experts, among whom we found drivers of Paul Belmondo and Ari Vatanen, journalists and executives of large companies.
The jury chose the new French premium compact model for its “muscular lines” and “sharp features”.
Lamborghini unveils its roadmap for the electrification of its models, and announces the arrival of a first 100% electric sports car from 2025.
Like all car manufacturers, Lamborghini will not escape the electrification of its models in the coming years.
The brand’s management has established a strategic plan to develop this electrification gradually, so as not to put off the brand’s usual clientele, but also to convince them that the electric has a particular interest when it comes to sports cars.
A program in three phases spread over the next four years, and which represents an investment of 1.5 billion euros.
LAMBORGHINI’S PREFERRED THERMAL AND HYBRID MODELS
The first stage of this plan is called “Celebrate the combustion engine”. It runs between 2021 and 2022. It will be marked by the continued development of heat engines. Lamborghini recently introduced its all-new Huracan Tecnica.
The second stage of Lamborghini’s roadmap is that of the hybrid transition. In 2023, Lamborghini will launch its first production hybrid model. The objective is to halve the CO2 emissions of the brand’s cars by the start of 2025.
To compensate for the excess weight due to electrification, Lamborghini will work even more intensively on lightweight composite materials such as carbon fiber.
LAMBORGHINI WILL MAKE ITS ELECTRIC REVOLUTION FROM 2025
The date of 2025 has therefore been chosen to unveil the brand’s future 100% electric model. If no information has yet leaked on the nature of this model, several options are open to the Italian manufacturer.
The first would be to electrify the Urus SUV in order to continue to attract wealthy customers who could thus drive in an emission-free Lamborghini, but also considerably reduce the brand’s total emissions knowing that the Urus is the current best-selling model. .
The other solution is to produce a brand new 100% electric sports car. The basis of the Huracan or the Aventador could therefore be taken over.
The Italian brand has also been spotted testing a Ferrari SF90 Stradale very recently. The sporty prancing horse has an electric motor giving it a range of 50km.
Ferrari will also launch a 100% electric sports car by 2025. A face-to-face which therefore promises to be very pleasing, like a reminiscence of the 80s and the match of the V12 supercars in the central rear position.
Following the announcement of Suzuki’s unexpected withdrawal from the MotoGP class next season, championship promoter Dorna Sport was quick to open the door to the arrival of a new brand. And was it BMW?
On learning of Suzuki’s intention to leave the MotoGP championship next season, Carmelo Ezpeleta, boss of MotoGP championship promoter Dorna Sport, must have fumed.
Despite the will of the MotoGP boss not to give any gift to Suzuki, and his call to respect his commitments, the Japanese manufacturer will indeed leave the paddocks at the end of this season.
For the attractiveness of the MotoGP world championship, however, it is good to be able to count on the presence of as many manufacturers as possible. With Aprilia, Ducati and KTM on the European side, Yamaha and Honda on the Japanese side, the factories involved will be only five next year, with an omnipresence of Ducati.
Faced with Suzuki’s withdrawal, Carmelo Ezpeleta was quick to respond: “We have received requests from manufacturers. I can’t give names, but it’s possible that a big brand will enter the World Championship in the next few years. If a manufacturer is interested in the World Championship and decides to participate and invest in the long term, we are always open to discussion. »
If Ezpeleta did not reveal the name of the manufacturer in question, all eyes were on BMW. The German brand would thus flirt more with the MotoGP championship, as the P.-D.G. of BMW Motorrad, Markus Schramm: “At BMW, we always consider MotoGP. But it depends on who makes the final decision. Karlheinz Kalbfell and Herbert Diess wanted to join him, as did Hendrik von Kuenheim. But they were stopped by the board of directors of BMW, that is to say by the shareholders of the automobile branch. »
Perhaps burned by the failed experience in Formula 1 from 2006 to 2009, the leaders of BMW seem for the moment reluctant to engage the brand in MotoGP, with the research and development costs that this would include.
However, Ezpeleta, again, leaves the door wide open to the German manufacturer: “BMW has always impressed us with its strengths and its passion. »
When you buy second-hand, you often set a budget, you choose a few models from the shortlist, but also, you often set a maximum mileage, beyond which you won’t buy.
But is it relevant? And from what mileage does it really become risky? This is the opportunity question of the week.
You have certainly already heard it around you, or have already pronounced these sentences yourself: “Oh no, I will never buy a second-hand car with more than 200,000 km”, or “never more than 100,000 kilometers”. On the contrary, some say: “It’s above 200,000 km that we do the best business!”.
What is it really? Is there a mileage limit beyond which it clearly becomes risky to buy?
As you can imagine, the answer to this question is complex. Because depending on the make, model, history of a car, the answer can vary greatly.
For brands and models with recognized reliability, for example Japanese in general, hybrids, older generations of Mercedes or Volkswagen, or even Peugeot or Renault, the mileage from which it becomes risky is very high.
A Mercedes Class C, E or S from the 80s or 90s can be bought with your eyes closed at 200,000 km, as long as the maintenance has been properly followed. And even at 300,000 km, you can still take the leap. A Renault 21 from the 90s is indestructible in diesel, and even in gasoline. A Peugeot 406 HDI can display 400,000 km without incident. So buying them at 200,000 km is risk-free.
Toyota hybrids, or Honda, type Prius, Prius 2 or Prius 3, Honda Insight or Civic IMA, are very robust. Taxis sometimes reach 350,000 km or even 400,000 km without incident before parting with them. And they still drive great!
But for other models, known for their poor reliability, such as the Renault, Peugeot, Mercedes, Volkswagen from the years 2001/2002 to 2007/2008, or certain models equipped with particularly badly born engines (1.4 TSI Volkswagen engines, DSG gearboxes, 1.2 TCe Renault or 1.2 Puretech PSA engines, but also the 2.0 BMW N47 diesels, among other examples), it becomes risky to buy , even well before the 100,000 km!
This is why it is always necessary, before buying a second-hand one, to find out about the reliability of the coveted models. Caradisiac’s reliability sheets can help you, those of our colleagues too, or our forum, which is full of information.
Some generic rules
There are always more or less “generic” rules, which can define a degree of risk.
First, more than the mileage, it is the care taken in maintenance that can define the risk. If you are going to try a car and the seller is unable to provide you with a maintenance history, or invoices, regardless of the mileage, the purchase becomes more risky.
If we focus purely on mileage, we can effectively set a threshold of 200,000 km. Quite simply because it is, on average of course, the mileage from which the largest parts of a car begin to require replacement.
And this implies a greater risk of breaking down. Clutch, gearbox, shock absorbers (they can wear out much faster by the way), timing belt, alternator, starter, all these parts are likely to give up the ghost from this mileage, without it being possible considered abnormal.
So unless all of this has already been replaced on the model you went to try, yes, the risk increases greatly of having to bear large costs.
So either we assume this risk, or we have to negotiate the price accordingly, to deal with any eventuality.
Moreover, we see in the ad, all models over 200,000 km, except for those who have the reputation of being indestructible, suffer a big discount, because they have more difficulty selling.
It is therefore necessary to buy a car with more than 200,000 km knowingly. And it is the mileage that we set as the one from which it becomes risky. All while qualifying, you have understood, for the unreliable models that should be avoided well before this term, and for those, deemed hyper reliable, for which we raise the ceiling up to 300,000 km.
All, we repeat, conditioned to rigorous maintenance, otherwise, you have to flee, whatever the number on the meter.
