Electric Cars
“Chinese Google” introduced a special version of its electric crossover. Robo-01 Lunar Edition is built on the Geely platform, accelerates to 100 km/h in 3.9 seconds and features oddly placed screens
The automotive division of Baidu Corporation (it is also called the “Chinese Google”) introduced a special version of the Lunar Edition of its serial electric car Robo 01.
The mention of the Moon in the title is not at all accidental, because the special version was created in conjunction with the Chinese project to explore the natural satellite of the Earth (Chinese Lunar Exploration Program, CLEP). While this is marketing, of course, there is no space technology in the Lunar Edition. But there are noticeable differences from the basic version. First of all, these are light gold and matte decorative elements that make the car stand out in the stream. The cabin also received new decor, and the seats have Lunar Edition lettering.
Robo 01 dimensions are 4853 x 1990 x 1611 mm, wheelbase – 3000 mm.
The electric crossover is very well equipped. The developers announced a level 4 autopilot for it, running on two Nvidia Orin X chips, supplemented by a Qualcomm 8295 SoC. In addition, the car received two lidars, 12 ultrasonic sensors and 12 cameras.
Jidu Robo 01 is based on Geely’s SEA architecture, which underpins the Zeekr 001, Radar RD6, Smart #1, some Volvo and Polestar models. The power plant, consisting of two electric motors, develops 544 hp. The car accelerates to 100 km/h in just 3.9 seconds. The CATL battery has a capacity of 100 kWh. The power reserve is 600 kilometers (according to the CLTC method).
In the cabin, attention is drawn to the large display with a diagonal of 35.6 inches and a very strange arrangement. It is not shifted to the left – so that the driver has a full-fledged screen, but is installed exactly in the center. But since the length of the screen is noticeably less than the length of the front panel, it turns out that the display only reaches half of the steering wheel.
There is also a screen at the back, and it is also placed very strangely: between the seats – in the area where the armrest ends. It is unlikely that the rear row passengers will be comfortable constantly looking down.
The Jidu Robo 01 Lunar Edition is priced at $55,120. The car will be released in a limited series of 1000 cars. Standard versions of Robo 01 will go on sale in China before the end of the year.
Electric Cars
A large study has shown that electric cars break down much more often than cars with internal combustion engines.
Consumer Reports decided to evaluate modern cars in terms of reliability, dividing them into different categories and separately evaluating electric cars. The result was a large and informative report.
So, if we talk about reliability in general, Lexus leads the overall brand ranking with 79 points, followed by Toyota, Mini, Acura and Honda. At the bottom of the list are Chrysler, Mercedes-Benz, Rivian, Volkswagen and Jeep. The report’s authors say they, as always, asked people about problems they had with their vehicles over the previous 12 months. This year, data was collected on more than 330,000 vehicles from model years 2000 to 2023, including several previously introduced 2024 models.
If we talk about the number of problem areas in certain categories of cars, then electric cars perform best: they have only 12 problem areas. The indicators for other classes are similar: 17 zones for cars with internal combustion engines, 19 zones for hybrids and 20 zones for rechargeable hybrids. But these are just types of problems that have nothing to do with the reliability of specific machines.
More indicative is the chart below, showing the number of specific problems on average for cars of a given class in comparison with cars with internal combustion engines.
As you can see, conventional hybrids perform best, while plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles perform much worse. These two classes break down on average twice as often as cars with internal combustion engines.
Yesterday we talked about the Toyota Tacoma 2024, which entered the US market, and today details appeared about its simplest version – the SR. It turned out that with a one and a half cabin there are no more seats in the back. At all.
The current Tacoma with the exact same body has seats. Even though they are folding, they are there. The Takoma 2024 doesn’t even have reclining seats: all the space behind the seats can only be used for transporting things. But this solution looks rather strange for a one and a half cabin.
At the same time, the Tacoma SR 2024 received an improved media system with an 8-inch screen and support for wireless (!) Apple CarPlay and Android Auto protocols, and the database already has a set of security systems Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 (for comparison, for its analogue in Chevrolet Colorado has to pay almost 2.5 thousand dollars extra).
The most important innovation is under the hood: replacing the 2.7-liter naturally aspirated engine with 159 hp. came a 2.4-liter turbocharged engine with 228 hp. The dynamics have become better, but you will have to operate the manual transmission: in the basic version it is a manual transmission.
Prices in the USA range from 33 to 38.5 thousand dollars. The top-of-the-line 2024 Tacoma SR will have a full cab with a back seat, all-wheel drive, and even a 270-horsepower engine. (still the same 2.4-liter), but the gearbox is still manual.
Electric Cars
This is the BMW X3 2025 with different nostrils. The new product was shown in high-quality images
The German automaker has been criticized for the design of its cars in recent years, and according to spy photos of the 2025 BMW X3 that surfaced this fall, the manufacturer has changed some elements.
The following images were created by Sugar Design based on photos of the prototype. There are fewer lines visible on the body of the new model, and the handles are located flush with the body.
The front grille may be perceived differently by fans. The nostrils will become larger, and they will abandon the traditional vertical slats in favor of glossy black plastic. The fenders and headlights have changed, which are similar in shape to the headlights of the X1 and the new 5 Series.
A test prototype has revealed that the new X3 will feature LED taillights that are radically different from the current model’s taillights, and Sugar Design has shown what they could look like.
Powered by petrol and diesel engines (for markets outside North America), as well as hybrid powertrains, the model is rumored to continue using an updated version of the current CLAR architecture. The all-electric iX3 is expected to ride on BMW’s Neue Klasse platform.
The next-generation X3 is expected to be unveiled in mid-2024.
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