In this week’s e-mobility roundup, we look ahead to the Paris Auto Salon, where Chinese brands are expected to dominate; Bosch and Pirelli working on software-enhanced “cyber tyres’, and BMW’s partnership with Toyota to produce a hydrogen-powered car.
Paris motor show
Well, the Geneva motor show is officially dead, the Frankfurt round has been dropped from the show calendar, and interest is waning for the annual Detroit gig as well.
Paris somehow still clings on, and next month’s Auto Salon is ready for quite a tech spectacle even if some A-listers won’t be in attendance – brands such as Mercedes, Hyundai and Nissan are skipping the Paris show this year. Instead, Chinese brands will take their places.
Xpeng, for example, is using Auto Salon as a platform to showcase its next-gen AI-powered vehicle operating system, Tianji, designed for western markets.
Giants like BYD and GAC will also premiere EV and AI tech in Paris, as well as Dongfeng, Seres, and Leapmotor, while China’s ultra-luxury Rolls-Royce rival Hongqi will present its all-new 800-volt electric vehicle platform.
Cyber Tyres
Motorsport design legend Adrian Newey says tyres are the most misunderstood aspect of a car. That’s too bad, because tyres are also the most important aspect of a car, seeing as just four little rubber contact patches are all that’s between you and the road. It’s probably a good idea to try and understand them better.
Bosch and Pirelli think so – the two automotive giants have signed an agreement to bring software into the fold and work together on developing Cyber Tyres to improve safety and vehicle dynamics.
The real-time process collects and transmits data using the ‘Bluetooth Low Energy’ standard in an effort to enable “optimal use of the individual properties and performance of the tyres” – and, perhaps, one day, bring us closer to understanding the mystery of those round black things.
BMW and Toyota
BMW has recently announced plans to launch the company’s first-ever hydrogen-powered production car, scheduled in 2028.
For this to happen, the Germans are going to need a little bit of help from the experts in the field. Which is why BMW is pooling its resources with Toyota, since the Japanese have been producing and actually selling a hydrogen-powered vehicle for 10 years now, the Toyota Mirai.
Under the agreement, BMW and Toyota will jointly develop and share powertrain systems for hydrogen cars, with plans for both commercial and passenger vehicles on the cards.
Unlike Toyota, BMW will not launch an all-new model, but will instead introduce it into an existing model portfolio, most likely its X5 SUV line-up. No Hindenburg jokes, please.
EU sales
There’s panic in the EU where the car industry is calling on regulators for urgent actions regarding the transition to zero-emissions and the 2025 deadline.
As per the current policy, by next year car manufacturers have to strive for a fleet average of 95 grams of CO2 per kilometre, or face heavy fines for every vehicle sold.
The solution for many brands is to either halt production or change the policy.
Volkswagen is looking at factory closures in Germany for the first time in decades, and another Audi plant may shut shop in Belgium, citing poor EV demand in Europe on the back of a poor month of sales.
EU car registrations in August saw double digit drops in major markets such as Germany, France and Italy, and battery-electric vehicle sales decreased by nearly 44% year-on-year, with EV market share dropping from 21% last year to 14.4%.
Share