One of the fastest growing industries, the automobile industry is at the forefront of luxury with style, design and sustainability at its core. While concept cars and new EV designs make an appearance, the introduction of eBikes is the one to watch out for. Take a look at all the latest updates in the automobile industry below.
Cadillac’s New All-Electric Celestiq Grand Tourer Concept
Photo Courtesy: Cadillac
Cadillac joins the EV movement with its first EV design — the Celestiq Tourer Concept, which is said to hit the market in 2025. The exterior of the concept EV shares a resemblance with the Lyric SUV, while maintaining defining elements of its own with clean lines and a sleek design. A reinvented grille adds a newness to the vehicle while the dramatic interior is highlighted by red leather upholstery, inspired by early Cadillac models, a 55-inch digital dashboard, tinted glass roof, and Eames-inspired bucket seats. While not much has been revealed about the show car, reports state that an upcoming model based on the Celestiq is slated for production by late 2023, the price of which is said to be somewhere around USD 300,000.
Photo Courtesy: Cadillac
Ducati’s First Electric Motorcycle
Photo Courtesy: Ducati
Earlier this month Ducati released information about its very first all-electric motorcycle, the V21L, which was unveiled in a teaser last October. The new motorcycle is said to be a part of the company’s MotoE race series which will start in 2023. The V21L prototype will feature sleek, carbon-fibre bodywork, and is said to be able to churn out 150hp and 140Nm of torque, with a top speed of 171 mph. Powering the V12L is an 800V 18 kWh battery pack housed in a carbon-fibre case. Weighing 242.5 pounds, the battery can take in an 80 per cent recharge in just 45 minutes. It also comes equipped with an innovative cooling system and an advanced inverter derived from high-performance racers. While the V12L is a prototype, Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali shared that company will build a production machine for the public which might not hit the markets before 2025.
Lamborghini Huracàn Tecnica to debut in India on August 25
Photo Courtesy: Lamborghini
A revival of the iconic entry-level coupe, the Huracàn Tecnica was globally unveiled in April this year and is set to make its India debut later this month. Lamborghini’s chief technical officer, Rouven Mohr, described the Tecnica as a combination of the workaday Huracan Evo and the track-focused Huracan STO. Under the hood, the Tecnica has a 640hp, 5.2-litre naturally aspirated V10 engine, which is the same the STO; it has the ability to achieve a top speed of 202mph. When it comes to performance, the car is said to go from 0-100kph in a claimed 3.2 seconds, and 0-200kph in 9.1 seconds.
Mini Cooper Aceman Concept
Photo Courtesy: Mini Cooper
Another marque to unveil its first EV concept, Mini recently showcased its all new electric Concept Aceman. Calling it a crossover between the Mini hatchback and the Countryman SUV, the concept is a representation of sustainable, connected cars combining technological advances with charismatic simplicity. Some of the signature Mini elements like short front and rear overhangs are evident with newer elements like a more muscular side-profile, flush door handles, triangular headlamps and an LED outline around the hexagonal grille. While the exterior follows a futuristic pattern, the interior takes on a minimalistic design with colourful upholstery and a horizontal floating dashboard that is reminiscent of a surfboard. While this is a concept design, it has been pointed out that several of these designs might make it to the new Mini design that is set to launch in 2024.
Photo Courtesy: Mini Cooper
Mercedes Benz EQ Formula E Team eBikes
Photo Courtesy: Mercedes-Benz
One of the finest marques’ in the world, Mercedes has created an impressive selection of EVs in the past two years. And so, its latest venture into the eBikes comes as no surprise. Teaming up with n+, Mercedes unveiled the n+ Mercedes-Benz EQ Formula E Team eBike. Packed with power and supported by a strong battery and motor, the concept of the eBike draws knowledge from road cars and Formula E racers. Constructed from a lightweight aluminium 6061 frame, the eBike swaps traditional design for a more simplistic design with a Gates CDX Carbon Belt Drive, Tektro Hydraulic Disc brakes, Kendra Ks puncture-resistant tires, and LED lights embedded into the frame which indicates battery levels. The eBikes are available in three different trim levels optimized for riders with different heights. Each eBike also features a different range that is subject to ambient temperature, rider mass, and ride style.
Mercedes-Benz EQB
Photo Courtesy: Mercedes-Benz
In addition to the eBikes, Mercedes also unveiled its third all electric vehicle, the EQB. Set to launch by the end of this year, the EQB will be the first 7-seat EV in the country. In terms of design, the EQB looks like a standard Mercedes SUV, with a boxy, old-school pattern, long and high bonnet, squared-off wheel arches and a strong shoulder line. The inside resonates with other Mercedes models as well, with a standard MBUX system made up of two 10-inch screens, aluminium insert on the dashboard, and door pad with simple door control knobs. A new set of rose gold air vents adds a newness to the interiors. Asdie from these, the vehicle is pretty much the same. The EQB comes with two power outputs, the EQB 300 which develops 228hp, and the EQB 350 which produces a 292hp. Both versions use a 66.5kWh battery and offer a claimed range of 400km, which under real-world driving conditions would add up to 300-320km.
Rolls Royce’s first EV
Photo Courtesy: Rolls Royce
Rolls-Royce’s first full-production electric vehicle called Spectre has been in the news for the longest time. It is one of the few vehicles that have made the most news despite its delayed production. A full-size battery electric luxury car, Spectre will have a design similar to the Rolls-Royce Wraith coupe. Although the concept was unveiled a while back, the model has been under tremendous amounts of testing, the latest being a test phase on the French Riviera, clocking 625,000 km in Southern France. Over the past months, the marque’s test and development engineers shifted focus from extreme conditions to more formal scrutiny in a location that reflects the EV’s everyday use. With testing still on, the EV has an expected release in 2023.
