Auto IQ weekly news update, including the future of the DTM, Ford
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The big news this week is that Automotive IQ’s home city of Berlin has been selected as the location for the next Tesla Gigafactory.
We’ve taken a look at how this might impact the city here. We’re also still on the hunt for people who work with connected cars to take our survey. It takes just five minutes to fill out, the data shared is anonymous, and the results will be used to help shape our next industry report. Thanks in advance for your help!
Here’s some other stories that caught our eye this week:
DTM’s hydrogen future
Formula 1 embraced hybrid technology a decade or so ago, and Formula E is about to head into its sixth season, but the German DTM championship has been somewhat slower to adapt to changes in the industry. For 2019, the cars switched from eight to four-cylinder engines, and hybrid power will be added in 2022.
However, ITR, the organizer of the German DTM championship, has unveiled the results of its early explorations into what the more-distant future of the series might look like.
Hydrogen fuel cells are proposed, with tanks, and tires, changed exclusively by robots in mid-race pit stops. The cars would run with around 1,000hp, up from 600hp today, and be capable of speeds of up to 185mph. As long as the car’s weight can be kept under control, this sounds like a future we could get behind.
Ford’s Mustang Mach-E leaks out
Earlier this week, Ford revealed that its Mustang-inspired EV SUV would be called the Mustang Mach-E. The car itself isn’t due to be unveiled until and event on Sunday evening, but thanks to a minor slip, the reservation site for the car appeared on Ford’s website long enough for various blog sites to take screenshots.
In addition to the pictures, the information shared included the fact that the car will come in rear or all-wheel drive, with a range of between 230 and 300 miles, depending on version. In the US, the car will come in a choice of five trim levels, and cost from $43,895 to $60,500, before you apply the $7,500 federal EV tax credit.
Ford also claims a range boost of 47 miles for a 10-minute charge. The Mustang Mach-E is built on a bespoke EV platform developed by Ford. The cars built on VW’s MEB will come later. Given how much emphasis Ford is placing on its plug-in future, the numbers seem pretty competitive. We await the official info with interest.
