The two companies have built a prototype chassis and they’re working on adapting it to switch from internal combustion engines to a zero-emissions setup. Some would argue it’s a controversial solution to keep an automotive icon alive, building replicas without a traditional gasoline engine mounted in the middle.

Everrati certainly knows a thing or two about converting classics to EV propulsion, having given the Mercedes SL Pagoda (W113), Porsche 911 (964), and the Land Rover Series IIA the purely electric treatment. The GT40 already shows up on the company’s configurator where customers can choose from various liveries, including the iconic Gulf finish.

Since the vehicle is still in the development phase, Everrati and Superformance won’t disclose technical specifications until later this year or early 2022. The EV transformation is seen as a way to futureproof the classic GT40, even though this technically isn’t an original version of Ford’s iconic race car from the 1960s.

Superformance’s CEO Lance Stander says he is impressed with how Everatti has been able to keep the character and weight distribution of the real GT40 even though the powertrain couldn’t be any more different. He admits that he “will always love a V8-powered vehicle,” but argues “electrification is the future in so many ways and adds another option for those who love classic sports cars.”

Pricing details have not been disclosed, but you can imagine the electric Ford GT40 replica won’t come cheap given the complexity of the build and what will likely be ultra-low production numbers. It goes without saying it will still be more affordable than an actual GT40, for which someone paid as much as $11 million in 2012. Granted, that was the car Steve McQueen drove in the 1971 racing film Le Mans.

Source: Everrati, Superformance

The post Ford GT40 electric replica might upset purists in more ways than one appeared first on EVGLOBE - News on Electric Vehicles and Hybrids.

The BMW iX will be manufactured alongside other successful models from the Bavarian brand, like the 5 Series, 7 Series or 8 Series. In order to make room for the iX as well, the plant has been recently expanded and refurbished, following an investment of 400 million euros. BMW is planning to double the percentage of electrified vehicles produced at the Dingolfing plant by the end of the year with the introduction of the iX and the i4 later on.

“The launch of the BMW iX marks another milestone in our expansion of electrification and demonstrates our production network’s successful transformation towards electromobility and digitalisation,” said Milan Nedeljković, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, responsible for Production. The Bavarian location is also responsible for making the e-drive and fifth generation battery for the iX on site, making logistics a lot easier overall.

The production process itself has been designed so that resource consumption is reduced to a bare minimum. BMW aims to reduce CO2 emissions per vehicle produced by 80 percent by 2030. In order to do that, the BMW iX is produced exclusively using regional and directly sourced green power from two hydroelectric power plants located on the Isar and Lech rivers. The entire plant, like all BMW Group locations, will also be net carbon neutral from this year, through the use of corresponding offsets and certificates.

The post BMW iX production kicked off at Dingolfing appeared first on EVGLOBE - News on Electric Vehicles and Hybrids.

Reuters reached out to Audi representatives for a comment, as did I, and there’s yet to be a response from Audi USA. However, this is huge news.

Though, don’t get all bent out of shape just yet. This report states that Audi will stop introducing new internal combustion engine vehicles in 2026. That doesn’t mean it will stop selling the internal combustion engine vehicles it’s already selling at the time. It just means that 2026 will be the last year that Audi will introduce a new vehicle, powered by an internal combustion engine, to the market. There’s no word on if Audi has an official stop-sale date on internal combustion vehicles but 2026 will stop all new ones from hitting the market.

That includes hybrids, apparently, as well. So don’t expect even new plug-in hybrids, which also use piston-engines, to be sold after 2026. All new Audi vehicles from that date on will be fully-electric.

It’s not entirely surprising, though. Audi already has its future mapped out and it plans on releasing several new electric vehicles by then. By 2030, Audi is going to have at least one electric vehicle for every market segment, thus ridding the need of internal combustion. Especially considering how far battery tech is coming.

Will we be sad to see Audi’s great internal combustions engines go, especially the legendary 2.5 liter turbo-five and 5.2 liter V10, but the electric future looks bright for Audi, with cars like the RS e-tron GT leading the way. So while we’ll miss some of Audi’s great engines, the brand is moving onto a new, exciting chapter.

[Source: Reuters]

The post 2026: Audi To Stop Making New Internal Combustion Engine Cars appeared first on EVGLOBE - News on Electric Vehicles and Hybrids.