- Olga Kokorina
- Translated by Olga Apetenok
- Ru Fr He
Munich 2021. Premieres of the Motor Show
Following a series of cancellations of the largest international motor shows due to the pandemic, the first large-scale IAA Mobility motor show was held in Munich. A major event in the new environment brought together many new models. Munich is the capital of Bavaria and it is located 400 kilometers from Frankfurt, where the international motor show was held before. The new models from the world’s leading automotive are especially important for the IAA Mobility. Interestingly, more and more car manufacturers name the exact dates on which they plan to terminate the use of internal combustion engines and to switch to hybrid and electric technologies. Hyundai plans to end sales of ICE vehicles in Europe from 2035. Mercedes-Benz plans to do it by 2025, so a half of the cars sold by the company will be electric vehicles. Volkswagen has promised to stop developing new internal combustion engines in the near future. So, most of the premieres of the Munich exhibition are electric vehicles. We have already reviewed some of them earlier. This review is about the world premieres that were presented in September 2021 and didn't get their separate article.
BMW Group
BMW unveiled two new models: an SUV and a compact city electric car. The first is called the iX5 Hydrogen, and its serial production is scheduled for the end of 2022. The vehicle has been developed for several decades. The manufacturer equipped it with a 170 hp generator and an electric motor mounted on the rear axle with a peak power of 374 hp, which is developed for a short time and in the presence of the fully charged battery.
The i Vision Circular concept shows you what ‘personalized, sustainable and luxurious urban mobility’ might look like in 2040. Apart from being made from 100% recyclable or renewable materials, the car itself is also completely recyclable.
Mercedes-Benz
We have already written about the electric Gelandewagen, so let’s turn our attention to the EQB Electric SUV. This 7-seater SUV may become one of the first and most affordable electric vehicles of the brand. First, all-wheel drive EQBs with 66.5 kWh batteries and 168 kW or 215 kW motors will enter the conveyor, next the manufacturer plans to release the front-wheel drive versions, which will finally be followed by a version with a long driving range.
Mercedes actually presented five new electric vehicles at the show: the Mercedes-Maybach EQS (the first production Maybach powered by batteries), the new mid-size sedan EQE (the electric analogue of the traditional E-Class that looks like a smaller copy of the EQS), the EQB SUV, the full-size Mercedes-AMG EQS 53 4MATIC+ sedan (the first battery-powered AMG) and EQG concept car.
Volkswagen
This German manufacturer brought back the ID.Life Crossover, the prototype of a small electric vehicle. The five-door crossover hatchback is four meter long and features a soft top that can be removed so that you can look at the eternal sky, which seems to become brighter if everyone switches to electric vehicles. The interior is super minimalistic, offering to display the readings of the devices and the video from the rear-view cameras on a projector or on a smartphone connected to the vehicle. Surprisingly, transmission control and direction indicator activation can be found on the touch panel in the steering wheel hub. Climate control and headlights are also activated by touch-sensitive ‘keys’ on the front panel. A powerful engine (234 hp) can accelerate this little vehicle to 100 km/h in 6.9 seconds, and a 57 kW/h battery will allow you to drive 400 km without stopping.
Cupra
SEAT’s young offshoot unveiled the UrbanRebel charged hatchback. This is an urban three-door hatchback, 4,080 mm long, 1,795 mm wide and 1,444 mm high. The stylish predatory concept with a huge spoiler and a large diffuser is powered by an electric motor with a rated output of 340 hp and a peak output of up to 435 hp. The declared acceleration to 100 km/h occurs in just 3.2 s.
Porsche
Porsche is also unwilling to create production models. The Mission R, unveiled at the exhibition, is a racing concept car with interesting solutions, which, however, can go into serial production. The car features unusual doors, fenders and sills, as they are made of plastic reinforced with natural linen fibers. The frame of the driver’s seat is made of the same material. The rest is made of traditional carbon fiber reinforced plastic. The Mission R is 4,326 mm long, 1,990 mm wide and 1,190 mm high. And most importantly, the car is equipped with four-wheel drive and two electric motors. The front one produces 435 hp, while the rear one can generate 653 hp, but this is at the peak. The charger has a capacity of 340 kW and allows you to charge an 82 kW/h battery from 5% to 80% in just 15 minutes. This is definitely something to learn!
Smart
Smart unveiled the Concept #1, its first SUV. The model is similar to the Mini Countryman. It is 4,290 mm long, 1,910 mm wide and 1,698 mm high. The vehicle has a five-door body with a glass roof, without B-pillar and with frameless doors. The compact SUV demonstrates what future awaits the brand after its move to China under the wing of a joint venture between Daimler and Geely. It is the latter who owns the SEA electric modular platform and all the technical ‘stuffing’. Production will begin at new factories in the Middle Kingdom. The production model of the Smart SUV will appear in 2022 and will be sold in many countries around the world, including Europe.
Hyundai
The Ioniq 5 Robotaxi is the first commercial vehicle to operate in the self-driving taxi service from 2023. Robotaxi has the penultimate, fourth level of autonomy according to the classification of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). This means that the traditional controls have not yet completely died, but such a car is capable of driving without any driver. It doesn’t need you to show the way either: more than 30 sensors of different types, including cameras, radars, laser rangefinders, evaluate where and how safe the vehicle is going. Passengers of this taxi of the near future will be able to communicate with it through clear interfaces. And in the event of a non-standard situation, you can request remote assistance from an operator who will correct the route. We hope all the operators won’t busy…
Micro Mobility Systems AG
Micro Mobility Systems (Switzerland), which produces electric scooters, has finally completed and presented its long-standing project called Microlino 2.0. They have even presented the production version to the guests of the motor show. This is a tiny city electric car, the exterior design is inspired by the appearance of the legendary BMW Isetta ‘bubble car’ sold in the middle of the last century. The Microlino has a two-seater interior with a minimum of amenities and with no security systems, as this baby is certified as a heavy ATV. Its unladen weight without battery is 435 kg. And the modern ‘bubble’ has one front door, while the electric motor rotates the rear wheels. Its power is 12.5 kW (17 hp) and 118 Nm, and in just 5 seconds the electric car can reach… 50 km/h. The maximum speed is 90 km/h, and there three battery options: 6 kW/h (driving range of 95 km), 10.5 kW/h (driving range of 175 km) and 14 kW/h (driving range of 230 km).
City Transformer
This amazing tiny electric car that can get even smaller was created by City Transformer from Tel Aviv. And the Israeli-made newcomer should soon reach dealers. The car is a unique transformer for city driving. It is distinguished by the ability to change the body width and the lane. The City Transformer is about one and a half meter wide in the driving mode and folds down to a meter if you need to park. Therefore, a standard parking space can accommodate four of these microcars. The foldable car is clearly electric, featuring two 7.5-kilowatt engines and batteries that provide 180 kilometers of driving range. The maximum speed of the transformer is 90 km/h, while acceleration to 50 km/h occurs in 5 seconds.
Audi
The 5.35 m concept luxury sedan is a harbinger of what the next generation of the luxury Audi A8 could be. The interior was the starting point for the design of this prototype. Since the manufacturer claims that this car will have the fourth level of autonomy, which is one of the highest, the presence of a steering wheel and pedals here becomes unimportant. The concept car is equipped with a 720 hp power unit with a torque of 960 Nm. Its driving range will be equal to 750 km, while it will take you 10 minutes to replenish the range by 300 km from an 800-volt station.
