Xiaomi, according to Chinese media, is working on extended range EV (EREV) systems for electrified models. The manufacturer is already recruiting development engineers with relevant experience.

According to the job descriptions, engineers will be responsible for developing and testing range extender systems, designing system components and helping to build the supply chain. Employees will also be responsible for researching future trends in range extending technologies.

The company is seeking engineers with a bachelor’s degree or higher with more than three years of experience managing the design and development of such systems. The candidate must also have experience working on multiple mass production and service projects. In addition to EREV developers, Xiaomi is looking for engineers for internal combustion systems, air intake and exhaust systems, as well as other engine specialists.

Xiaomi is known to be testing an electric car, but some media outlets have stated that the upcoming Xiaomi sedan is quite long, leading to speculation that the designers have left room for an internal combustion engine. Working as a generator, such an engine serves to increase the range of electrified models.

Back in August, Xiaomi began producing machines. As of early September, Xiaomi’s Beijing plant was producing about 50 vehicles per week.

Euro 7 regulations are due to come into force in 2025, and automakers are scrambling to ensure their lineups meet new emissions standards that haven’t even been finalized yet.

The latest proposal appears to be more lenient than previous proposals as it would retain “existing emissions limits and testing conditions for passenger vehicles.” The new Euro 7 rules will, for the first time, cover “passenger cars, vans and heavy vehicles in a single piece of legislation” and take into account “non-exhaust emissions such as particles from brakes and tires.”

In other words, for passenger cars the rules of Euro 7 will be practically no different from Euro 6. This means that today’s powertrains can also power tomorrow’s cars.

Alfa Romeo CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato stated that their 2.9-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine will remain in the lineup and will be used in future cars.

This engine is currently used in the Giulia and Stelvio Quadrifoglio, in which it produces 512 hp. and torque 600 Nm. While Imparato hasn’t specified which cars will use the engine, the company is preparing to release an assortment of new and upgraded models. According to rumors, the updated Giulia will appear around 2025. It is expected to be offered with three electric powertrains starting at 345 hp. up to approximately 986 hp

That Toyota wants to imitate a manual transmission in its all-electric cars with a shift lever and clutch pedal has been known before. However, Toyota decided to go further. The company wants electric cars to stall if started incorrectly, like cars with internal combustion engines with manual transmission.

The Japanese automaker detailed how it all would work in a recent patent document called “Electric Vehicle.” It begins with the engineers stating that if the car never stalled, it would result in “a feeling of discomfort for the driver who is familiar with the sensation of driving a car with a manual transmission.”

Along with a simulated manual transmission, the EV in question will also have a simulated tachometer and idle speed. If you drop below this idle speed while pulling away in the simulated manual, pressing the “clutch” will cause the car’s inverter to instantly set the electric motor torque to zero. In other words, you will no longer have cravings. The patent does not indicate whether the process will be accompanied by some kind of simulated engine noise.

In a real ICE car with a manual transmission, you will have to turn the ignition off and on again. What will need to be done in a Toyota electric car in this case is not specified. But it is known that users will always be able to disable this mode in favor of normal driving in an electric vehicle with an automatic transmission.

The document states that operating the shift knob, even a simulated one, can admittedly be a “labor-intensive operation.” However, this process is “indispensable for a driver who wants to enjoy driving an MT vehicle.”