The DS brand…The surprise of the year

It should in principle apply in 2025. And the Commission, which was to enact the rules of the game at the end of last year, postponed the deadline to April 5. This is late for the automotive industry, which feels that it may not be possible to be ready in time. On the one hand, manufacturers are calling for clear and unambiguous rules as soon as possible to organize themselves. But on the other hand, they denounce in passing new reductions described as unrealistic. Europe wants to accelerate the exit of the heat engine. However, these objectives would only be achievable in the event of a massive increase in the charging infrastructure, to reach 7 million charging points, compared to the 3.9 million proposed by the Commission and the 200,000 currently available. In any case, this is what the ACEA, the association which brings together European manufacturers, says.

Nissan stops development of combustion engine

This is announced not by the manufacturer, but by the Nikkei, which is a serious Japanese newspaper. This decision applies above all to Europe, where the arrival of the new Euro 7 pollution control standard would lead to a rise in costs so great that the engines will no longer be profitable. But if the combustion engine seems doomed on this continent, Nissan plans to keep it a little longer in China and Japan for hybrids. And it will be the same in the United States, where the manufacturer offers a large pick-up, the Titan.

An electric model of 815 horses at DS. It’s the surprise of the year

The DS brand is a high-end French brand, which is part of the PSA group. Well now we say Stellantis. And it is entered in Formula E, the world championship for electric single-seaters. DS wanted to mark the occasion with the DS-E Tense Performance, a coupé which embeds two electric motors and accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in just 2 seconds. It pushes harder than any car, even a Bugatti. The car is also distinguished by an innovative battery, with impressive regeneration capabilities. At this stage, it is only a prototype. But there will be two models auctioned. And hold on tight, it will be virtual cars, to be paid for in NFT, so-called non-fungible tokens.

And then, the Twizy is 10 years old

You may remember this strange electric quadricycle, which appeared in 2012 at Renault. A 2.32 m long urban machine where you sit in tandem. The only car on the market where windows were optional. The success was not really there, because this cross between the cart and the two-wheeler did not offer any advantage in town, apart from a hell of a look. This model is still in the catalog, although production has been relocated to Korea. In fact, the Twizy is going to be replaced by another electric quadricycle. It’s called Duo and will be launched within Mobilize, the Renault group’s mobility brand. It will be aimed at businesses. The machine will have glass doors but will no longer have a key. This will be replaced by the smartphone.


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