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An engineering partnership led by Lotus has won UK Government support and funding to develop an all-new next-generation Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) architecture. The news was confirmed today by the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC). The funding is awarded as part of the APC’s Advanced Route to Market Demonstrator (ARMD) competition. Funded by the UK Government’s Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), the competition is delivered on behalf of the APC by Cenex, the UK’s Low Carbon and Fuel Cells Centre of Excellence. The successful application is called LEVA, which stands for Lightweight Electric Vehicle Architecture. Led by Lotus, it is targeting the acceleration of and innovation behind new lightweight structures for next-generation BEVs. Incorporating cutting-edge UK-based engineering and digital manufacturing expertise, LEVA will be a showcase for pioneering new BEV chassis and powertrain concepts. Lotus will collaborate with supply chain partn...

General Motors will be the first automaker to use an almost completely wireless battery management system, or wBMS, for production electric vehicles. This wireless system, developed with Analog Devices, Inc., will be a primary driver of GM’s ability to ultimately power many different types of electric vehicles from a common set of battery components.   The wBMS is expected to drive GM’s Ultium-powered EVs to market faster, as time won’t be needed to develop specific communications systems or redesign complex wiring schemes for each new vehicle. Instead, the wBMS helps to ensure the scalability of Ultium batteries across GM’s future lineup, encompassing different brands and vehicle segments, from heavy-duty trucks to performance vehicles. Much like the pack design of GM’s Ultium batteries, which is flexible enough to incorporate new chemistry over time as technology changes, the wBMS’ basic structure can easily receive new features as software becomes available. Wi...

Lotus has launched an all-new ‘plug and play’ Digital Instrument Pack that’s pre-loaded with details of more than 4,000 race tracks from across the world. The perfect illustration of how Lotus is always ‘For The Drivers’, the digital dashboard features integrated GPS technology and lap performance indicators, allowing track day fans to measure, display and record data to perfect their racing lines and lap times. Designed for Lotus Elise and V6 Exige models built from 2008 onwards, the system’s software comes pre-loaded with details of 4,127 race tracks and automatically recognises when drivers are near a circuit. Drivers can download the start/finish line co-ordinates so they can calculate lap times, then analyse their performance in real time on the digital display or later by downloading data to a laptop. A unique Lotus-branded start-up screen further enhances the experience, and users can also customise the display of the high-contrast six-inch TFT screen to suit their ...

Stuttgart.  Have a quick look the presentation on the way to the office, and discuss minor changes with your assistant by telephone conference? Or while away the long journey to your holiday home with the latest online films, while your brother next to you listens to his favourite audiobook? Whether managers or children – in an S-Class, and especially in the main markets of China and the USA, the boss often sits in the rear. Accordingly Mercedes-Benz has systematically designed the new edition of its flagship model with the rear in mind. One example: passengers in the rear have the same extensive Infotainment and comfort features as the driver and front passenger. They have access to up to three touchscreens and a variety of different control options such as MBUX Interior Assist or the voice control assistant "Hey Mercedes". No other innovation in recent years has so radically changed the operation of a Mercedes-Benz as MBUX (Mercedes-Benz User Experience). The second ...