Carmakers Warm to Evs, but Still See Role for Hydrogen
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AAB unveils all-new flagship sedan Lexus LS500 and LS500h PAGE 03 Feature-rich subcompact Kia Rio provides tremendous value WEDNESDAY 29 NOVEMBER 2017 SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT PAGE 05 Reuters Underlining its point, Toyota introduced two new FCVs at the show: the six-seater “Fine-Com- armakers are finally embracing fort Ride” concept car, and the “Sora” fuel-cell electric cars, showcasing concepts Carmakers warm to EVs, but bus, which will be launched next year. ranging from compact sportscars to all-wheel-drive mini SUVs at Tipping Point this year’s Tokyo Motor show, still see role for hydrogen although they haven’t given up on Honda Motor Co announced it would launch Calternative technologies. a compact EV in Japan in 2020, following Nis- After years of investing in hydrogen fuel cells san Motor Co, long a proponent of EVs and maker and electric-petrol hybrids, Japanese manufac- of the Leaf, the world’s best-selling battery elec- turers are talking up all-battery electric vehicles tric car launched in 2010. (EVs) at the annual gathering. As advances in lithium ion battery technol- Many are looking to catch up with global ogy improve charging times and lower rivals amid rapidly tightening global emissions production costs, some automakers and suppli- regulations and improving technology that may ers expect increased demand will boost EV sales make EV batteries a price-competitive option within the next decade, lowering their price to petrol engines in the coming years. towards gasoline vehicles. “As far as green cars go, vehicle powertrain “We see this tipping point happening around electrification is a must,” said Soichiro Okudaira, 2025. By then for the customer to buy petrol or president of Daihatsu Motor Co, a fully owned EV it will be practically same cost,” Nissan Exec- subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corp, which showed utive Vice President Daniele Schillaci said. its concept of the “Pro Cargo” multi-use mini “And then ... if you have the same price for electric van at the show. EVs and petrol why would you buy traditional “EV (technology) is a great match with small technology?” cars people use everyday to commute, go shop- While global automakers acknowledge the ping, because it’s easy to charge and internal combustion engine may become obso- maintain.” lete in the coming decades, smaller automaker Even Toyota, the country’s largest automaker Mazda Motor Corp continues to squeeze more which set up an EV development team just a year efficiency out of petrol engines, developing its ago, said pure EVs would be one of the “key solu- spark-ignition compression engine which it says tions” for cleaner vehicles in the near future. could improve fuel economy by as much as 30 Still, the maker of the Mirai fuel cell vehicle percent. (FCV) is sticking to its view that the hydrogen Others argue that reports of the death of the fuel cell is the ultimate “green car” technology. petrol engine have been greatly exaggerated. Analysts say FCVs can refuel faster than an “Many in the media appear to be saying that EV can recharge and can travel longer distances, EVs are going to take over the world, but given making them a potentially attractive option for ongoing technology and cost limitations, it will Students from Aichi Highschool of Technology and Engineering pose next to their electric larger vehicles - though the cost and limited refu- be difficult for that to happen anytime soon,” vehicle named Collapse during the 45th Tokyo Motor Show in Tokyo, Japan. elling infrastructure pose challenges. Subaru Corp CEO Yasuyuki Yoshinaga said. CHAIRMAN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Sheikh Thani bin Abdullah Al Thani Dr. Khalid Al-Shafi ACTING MANAGING EDITOR ADVERTISING MANAGER SUPPLEMENT EDITOR ADVERTISING COORDINATOR DESIGN PRODUCTION Mohammed Salim Mohamed Ali Wahba Pramod Prabhakaran Muhammad Shammas Abraham Augusthy Sebastian TK 2 WEDNESDAY 29 NOVEMBER 2017 Skoda's new SUV, Kodiaq, launched in Qatar koda Auto launched Kodiaq will do in Qatar and the their first large SUV, Middle East,” Timmermann said. Kodiaq, in Doha mar- “We are thrilled to introduce ket. The Kodiaq has a the first large SUV from Skoda to sporty appearance and Doha’s market,” said deputy man- crystalline design. aging director of Ibin Ajayan SAt the launch that took place Group Ayman Farouk. recently at the re-branded show- “The Skoda Kodiaq will be a room of Ibin Ajayan Automobiles, game changer in its segment as Skoda’s Octavia, which has been well as a breakthrough product. It’s given a facelift, was also revealed. no secret that Kodiaq is offering The launch also marked Ibin everything our brand promises. It Ajayan Automobiles and Skoda's has features that are premium and “15 years of success in Qatar." innovative even for SUVs in higher With a length of 4.70m, a segments. With its striking design, seven-seat configuration and the guaranteed performance, comfort “largest boot space within its class”, and safety and the best in next- the Skoda Kodiaq represents the generation technology, I am sure brand’s strengths, design that is full Kodiaq will attract audience inter- of character, extraordinary inte- est,” he said. rior space, practical intelligence Farouk said their company and and innovative technology on par customers were not only welcom- with vehicles from higher seg- ing the new Kodiaq but also ments, according to a press celebrating 15 years of success and statement. great relations with partners Skoda Skoda’s regional director for Auto. Officials of Ibin Ajayan Automobiles and Skoda at the launch of Kodiaq sales, Asia and Middle East, Stefan “The Octavia is also getting a Timmermann, said at the launch new facelift on this occasion,” he that the Kodiaq marks the begin- said. ning of Skoda’s SUV campaign in Skoda sales manager for the more seats in the third row are available reiterating Skoda’s strong emphasis on “meets the latest standards stipulated by the country. Middle East Martin Kolar also as an optional extra, making the vehicle safety and remains the segment automobile makers”, the statement noted. “Wherever we have launched attended the launch. Skoda’s first seven-seater. benchmark. “The re-branded showroom elements the Kodiaq so far, the feedback and The Kodiaq boasts of spacious The range of petrol engines consists For the first time, the Smart Link all- ensure a great customer experience that the order intake are exceeding our interiors, a large boot space with of two 1.4 TSI engines and one 2.0 TSI. in-one app also integrates SmartGate in leads to making the right decisions when expectations. We have markets a volume of up to 2,065 litres, and On an average, the engine returns a fuel the Kodiaq SUV – alongside Apple Car- it comes to the most suitable model and where you place an order today is equipped with “state-of-the-art” efficiency of 16.25km/litre. The Kodiaq Play, Android Auto and MirrorLink accessories for their needs,” Timmer- and the expected delivery time will infotainment systems and new accelerates from 0-100km/h in 10.1 sec- standards. Meanwhile, the new show- mann added. be the first quarter of 2019. Know- connectivity features. onds and reaches a top speed of up to room of the local importer and distributor ing that, I am very curious but The Kodiaq’s rear seats can be 192km/h. confident how this beautiful folded in the 60:40 ratio and two The nine airbags come as standard, Your future Special delivery: commute could Carmakers make be by taxi drone Bloomberg plug for electric vans Chinese startup has developed a flying car that it plans to roll A out as soon as next year. Reuters said Ashwani Gupta, head of the light EHang Inc.’s E-184 drone can commercial business at the automaking carry one passenger in its small n the rush toward electric vehicles, alliance of Nissan and France’s Renault cockpit, but the firm says it’s work- carmakers are increasingly spar- SA. ing on a model that can carry two. ing a thought for the humble “There’s no other option but to go Four battery-powered propel- Idelivery van, an often overlooked electric.” lers lift the drone off the ground, and segment with big growth potential given Nissan plans to launch the refriger- it’s equipped with fully-automated tightening pollution restrictions in urban ation model in Japan next year, Gupta navigation, according to CEO Hu. areas. said. Both Nissan and Renault already Passengers select a pre-programmed Given lingering consumer concerns market electric vans in Europe. flight path and then strap in for the about cost and charging infrastructure, Nissan is also looking to introduce ride. The E-184 has a cruising speed many in the industry expect it will take the e-NV200 series in China in the near Toyota Auto Body's LCV D-Cargo concept model is displayed at the 45th of up to 100 kilometers (62 miles) an at least a decade for electric vehicles term as it expects demand will “explode” Tokyo Motor Show in Tokyo, Japan. hour and can stay in the air for 25 (EVs) to win over mainstream car as big cities in the country effectively ban minutes, the company says. owners. gasoline and diesel trucks and vans in It’s currently being tested at But as e-commerce begins to dom- an effort to crack down on emissions. services, Toyota Auto Body, a wholly on Toyota’s gasoline-hybrid minivan EHang’s headquarters: a disused inate the retail sector and cities clamp At the moment, the country’s elec- owned subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corp, models marketed in Japan, and can be theme-park on the outskirts of down on pollution, more vehicle mak- tric light commercial vehicle market has was thinking about the harried delivery adapted to operate as an all-battery Guangzhou, southern China, a city ers see opportunities for faster take-up yet to be tapped by major foreign auto- van driver when it designed its LCV electric.