This week's gossip from the automotive industry has news of Toyota's alternative fuel ambitions, What's planned for the Bugatti Chiron, Lada's plans outside of Russia, and who is most likely to produce the next great powertrain.
Toyota hydrogen fuel cell bus:
Toyota will launch a hydrogen fuel cell bus in Tokyo next year, using an upscaled version of the powertrain in the Toyota Mirai. Around 100 hydrogen buses will be on the roads in Tokyo in time for the 2020 Olympics, each with the capacity to carry 78 passengers over a 124-mile range. By 2030, Toyota hopes all new buses in Japan will be hydrogen-powered.
The last of its kind:
The Bugatti Chiron's quad-turbocharged 8.0-litre W16 remains the most powerful production engine in the world, but Bugatti boss Stefan Winkelmann can already confirm it will not be replaced by a comparable unit.
“Sooner or later, the legislation will force everybody to take radical steps,” he said. “There will be no new 16-cylinder. This will be the last of its kind.”
Lada's return to Western Europe:
Russian maker Lada, now owned by Renault, has no current plans to return to western Europe, including the UK, because of increasing regulations and the presence of Dacia as Renault’s affordable brand. However, the boss of Lada parent company Avtovaz, Yves Caracatzanis, said the firm could “discuss if there is interest in specific niche models”, such as the 2022 successor to the Lada Niva 4x4.
Small car firm powertrains:
Small firms are better placed to launch innovative powertrains than established car makers, reckons Alexander Klose, vice president of Chinese start-up Aiways – the brand behind the RG Nathalie. “There’s some disadvantage because we’re smaller, but we’re completely liberated from all this legacy of petrol and diesel cars,” he said.
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Bugatti Chiron review
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While I agree with...
...Mr. Winklemann, I feel it must be pointed out that, whether it was as result of it's complexity, legislation or had just simply going out of fashion, the automotive application of 16-cylinder had been dead a looong time! The V16 had been relegated to the history books, until the mad men and women of the VW Group revive the 16 cylinder in a W configuration. Being as compact as it is, it was championed as being much more powerful then a V12, but being able to fit into the same space and was just as fuel efficient! Being the new heart of the Bugatti brand, it was always my hope to see this claim tested out and see this power plant put into a flagship sedan and watch it go head-to-head with Rolls-Royce's Phantom limousine. If legislation truly is the reaper of death for the W16, it would strike a mortal blow to the Bugatti brand. Yet the same VW Group has been responsible for keeping the heart of the Bentley flagship, it's trusty 8-cylinder, in production for more than 50 years now. Maybe they may still have some tricks up their sleeve, to keep the mighty W16 in circulation for a few more years to come? That is until the electric vehicle brings all internal combustion engines to their end!
And Orkney... ...for ferries...
http://www.itm-power.com/news-item/big-hit-creates-exemplar-hydrogen-islands-energy-system-for-orkney
Come on UK!
Japan is going to put 100 Buses powered by Hydrogen on the Roads, why do these things take so long in the UK to happen...?
they do?
as in https://www.scottishcities.org.uk/media/blog/dundee-successful-in-european-hydrogen-bus-funding
32 in Scotland alone.
Peter Cavellini wrote:
Suggestion...do some homework by looking into the subject BEFORE you post, then you won't be pulled up/rebuked by those who have and know better...see responses below.