Latest news with #FrankieYoud
Yahoo
25-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Karma Automotive unveils the Kaveya hypercar at Goodwood Festival of Speed
At this year's Goodwood Festival of Speed, Karma Automotive, an American luxury EV company, debuted their latest hypercar; The Karma Kaveya. The Kaveya, which took part in the famous Goodwood hill-climb can achieve up to 1,000 horsepower and has a fully electric power train. The Keveya is equipped with a 120-kWh battery pack that provides a targeted range of over 250 miles. The vehicle can DC fast charge from 10-80% in approximately 45 minutes. Switch Auto Insurance and Save Today! Great Rates and Award-Winning Service The Insurance Savings You Expect Affordable Auto Insurance, Customized for You According to the brand, the Karma Kaveya aims to redefine luxury and performance, designed to accelerate from 0-60 mph in under three seconds and reach a top speed of 180 mph. Frankie Youd spoke with Nicholas David, vice president of global design, Karma Automotive, to learn more about the vehicle, the design itself and future plans. Frankie Youd (FY): Could you provide some background on Karma Automotive and what you are showing at Goodwood Festival of Speed? Nicholas David (ND): Karma Automotive is based in California. The design and R&D facility is in California, as well as the factory near Palm Springs. We've been going now for about eleven years. I've been with the company for about three years. The brand is now moving towards the ultra-luxury space. I think that's going to be great for us; we want lower volume, a higher margin and far more exclusivity. What we have at Goodwood this year is the Karma Kaveya. There will be around 1,800 units made and sold. There might be some different variants. What we have here today is the four-motor electric version; it will also come as a two-motor, rear-wheel drive. The two-motor starts at about $300,000 and the four-motor will start at about $400,000, but you will be able to spec it accordingly. What we want to do with Karma Automotive is get a lot of personalisation, to have people come in and configure it. It's also really good for people to see if moving at this event. It's good to see the car running up the hill. People can see it and say: 'wow look at that!' What was the design process for this vehicle? With the Kaveya we were trying to design a supercar that no one looks at and thinks 'oh, it looks a bit like something else'. It looks completely unique. When we are at the design studio, we have a 'no' list, which is a list of attributes that other car companies are doing, especially supercars, that we say we will not do on our car. I think as designers, we can come up with something new, but sometimes we fall back on what we feel is safe in some areas. Some of the designs we came up with were phenomenal but we said no, too close to something else. We really did make a point of trying to be unique. I think as designers, we can come up with something new, but sometimes we fall back on what we feel is safe in some areas. I think we have come up with something very unique, clean, very simple. We have this master line; it goes from the rear fender, around the cowl into the other fender. We call it a comet line. That is a signature now for all our Kaveya models; all the other surfaces drape from it. Within the design industry I think there's been this bit of 'anti-design' where there are lots of slashes, weird forms, strange volumes, to make it 'new'. I think we really wanted to concentrate on the proportion and then reduce, reduce, reduce. People with a V10, V12 want noise, and you have to have some theatre with that. So, what is our theatre? We've removed all the door seals, and made them hidden seals; the windshield wiper panel slides back and forth to hide the wipers, which is also good for aerodynamics. To open the door you have a touch sensor on the panel; at the back of the vehicle at high speeds the spoiler comes out, and slides in when you want it to. Could you discuss the design of the interior? The interior that you see on the car today is more the demo car interior that we've been using. The screens hide away when you don't want them, or they reduce down. The armrest moves to expose the cupholder, when you get in it is a very clean and simple design. The car allows you to hide elements and bring them out when you want. We are also looking into passenger side screens. Do clients want to have minimal or maximum interaction? We are listening and thinking about it; a lot of clients are saying it would be nice for this model. There are some things that we do have to consider doing when we listen. Does the company have a global reach or is it focusing more on the US? The current car we're producing, the Revero, is available in mainland Europe. It's been homologated for there, as well as North America. The split is a bit more biased towards America. This one will be globally homologated. We'll be showcasing in China, Middle East, Europe and America. The Amaris will probably be a global vehicle, but they will remain left-hand drive. The Gyesera, is homologated for North America currently, but it can be adapted for Europe. We definitely are trying to become more of a global brand We definitely are trying to become more of a global brand, to have them in UK and everywhere. We've been building up the dealership network. We've got a lot of dealers in North America already and in Europe. What is the reaction to a hypercar which is electric? When we first showed it, I think it was at the peak of 'let's go electric', and there was really good influence on those early adopters. However, in the industry news at the moment it's about pulling back away from electric a little bit and going more towards maybe for hybrid as a stepping stone. A lot of the people who have put down a deposit already have a lot of ICE supercars, and they were okay with it, because they wanted something different; they want a different experience with each car they have. They like a performance, the looks, and the drama. This model is supposed to be full electric; we're not going to do an ICE version. We've also tried to hit a bit of a nice niche area, because you have Hyundai, BMW, Volkswagen, down in the more affordable EV vehicles. This falls in, as I said, about the $300,000-$400,000 mark, so it's a bit more of a niche area where people usually own quite a few cars, it's not their only one. They like a performance, the looks, and the drama. "Karma Automotive unveils the Kaveya hypercar at Goodwood Festival of Speed" was originally created and published by Just Auto, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
23-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Using AI to build battery value chains is vital for West – Monolith [includes podcast]
China has amassed a considerable global competitive lead in developing automotive battery tech and associated supply chains, according to an executive from AI engineering specialist Monolith, speaking exclusively to Just Auto. London-based AI start-up Monolith says it is doubling down on its mission to reinvent battery development, presenting its ongoing work in developing its next generation of AI technology for battery R&D. At this year's Battery Show Europe, the company showcased its agentic battery expert – an AI tool being developed to act as a virtual scientific co-pilot for engineers tackling the toughest challenges in battery R&D. Speaking to Frankie Youd in the Just Auto podcast series, Marius Koestler - VP AI for Batteries at Monolith – described the challenges facing the global development of automotive batteries as an increasingly political-technical discussion for governments around the world to face up to. This embedded content is not available in your region. 'Beijing is bringing all the forces together, strategically,' he said. 'It has gone with LFP [Lithium Iron Phosphate] technology which is winning big-time, while Europe, the US, Korea and Japan are still mainly on NMC [Nickel Manganese Cobalt] tech.' However, Koestler also said that there is a huge opportunity to utilise AI solutions to speed up battery tech development times. 'China has amassed a huge supply chain presence when you look at high-growth companies like CATL, but it's a highly dynamic situation. AI solutions are becoming highly relevant to this space and how the world's major economies and industries will look in the future.' This embedded content is not available in your region. "Using AI to build battery value chains is vital for West – Monolith [includes podcast]" was originally created and published by Just Auto, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
Yahoo
18-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
MG launches new IM range at Goodwood Festival of Speed
During this year's Goodwood Festival of Speed, MG unveiled its brand-new IM range, the MG IM5 sedan and MG IM6 SUV - marking a bold move into the premium EV segment under its "Intelligence in Motion" banner. On the performance front, the MG IM5 Long Range features a 100-kWh battery, and targets a maximum range of up to 441 miles charging from 10 to 80% in approximately 17 minutes, with 0-100 km/h in just 3.2 seconds. The IM6 SUV comes with a 100kWh battery pack and is capable of up to 388 mile (WLTP) combined range. Prices in the UK start from around £39,450 for the MG IM5, (75kWh Standard), climbing to approximately £48,500 for the Performance variants. The MG IM6 begins around £47,995. With deliveries set for later this year. Frankie Youd spoke with David Allison, head of product and planning, MG UK, to discuss the new launches and his thoughts on the developing brand. Frankie Youd (FY): Could you tell me about the new badge design on the front of the vehicles? David Allison (DA): These cars are sold in China under a separate brand, IM – which is part of the SAIC group. In international markets – including the UK – it will be a premium sub-brand of MG. MG is very much an international brand, sold in over 113 markets around the world. We sell 80,000 cars a year, we have over a 4% market share. MG provides us with a solid base. These two models fit perfectly into our range as a technology showcase, but that is still positioned very much within the MG family and these cars will be sold in Britain through our MG dealer network. I think the strength and the power of the broader MG brand is so influential, and the fact that we spent the last four or five years building this brand up to the fact that it's now so recognised. You see them everywhere and that has helped us establish a position where we can confidently sell a car at between the £40k to £53k price-point area. This fits nicely between the core range of MG4 EV, MGS5 EV, and the halo Cyberster model. Could you provide an overview of the two models? They are built on a dedicated EV platform; looking at dimensions they're around 4.9 meters long. Wheelbase is 2.95 meters so they're relatively big cars, bigger than an MG HS to put it into context. We've got the 100-kilowatt hour battery, the biggest battery we do on any of our cars is 100 kilowatts. They sit on an 800-volt platform and can charge up to 396 kilowatts; you can't find one of those in this country at the moment, but we are future proofing. When someone eventually brings out a 400 or 500-kilowatt hour charger, these vehicles can really perform. We could charge from 10% to 80% in 17 minutes, but the more powerful charging infrastructure isn't there in numbers yet. We do single motor and dual motor variants, the MG IM5 long range can travel up to 441 miles on a single charge. The MG IM6 long range has a 388-mile range. We do a 75-kilowatt hour version in the MG IM5, to get to an entry price point below the expensive car supplement - that's why we've done it - but even that has a range of 307 miles, so it's still decent. We felt that the 100-kilowatt platform was the best one to use. The dual motors are branded the performance versions, the MG IM5 can do zero to 62 in 3.2 seconds, the MG IM6 can do it in 3.5 seconds. With the influence of the design, you probably find there's a little bit more emphasis in rear seat space than there is boot space. But the MG IM6 still has 665 litres, and there are 32 litres of frunk. The thing for me about these cars - it's about the refinement. They are incredibly quiet. You've obviously got the levels of performance, but the level of comfort you get in the cars, allied with the range is absolutely sensational. What do these two new models mean for the MG brand? We are positioning this as very much a technology showcase. I've always taken the view that technology filters down. The technology that we have in these cars will at some point find their way into the core range of cars. I can list ten features off the top of my head, which we can talk about with these cars, which we can't talk about on MG4 EV or MGS5 EV. They have an 800-volt platform, 396-kilowatt hour charging, 441 miles of range, four wheel steering, air suspension, active damping control system, 26.3 inch infotainment screen. The level of tech that's in these cars is unbelievable. When you think about it, it fits really well in terms of what we're doing. We have to keep evolving this brand. We can't keep selling the cars that we are doing and expect to keep growing. We've got to keep taking this brand in as many different directions that we think it's capable of doing. I absolutely believe we're going to achieve this. At this year's event there are several Chinese OEMs, so how do you aim to stand out – from others - in the market? It's a great question. I always come back to the heritage and I always come back to the fact that this brand has been in existence for 101 years. It's an affectionately held brand in over 113 markets worldwide. We have two of the oldest functioning owners' clubs and car clubs around the world. Looking at all of the brands that are coming in or scheduled to come in, will all of them survive? Maybe not. I think with this one, when you've got that heritage to fall back on and that genuine affection then - providing we're respectful of that - and we keep bringing out products that are worthy of it and fit, and positioned well in the marketplace, I think we can continue to be successful. This was a very logical step for me. It was only ever a logical decision to put an MG badge on this car, because, like I said earlier, why go through all the expense and the resource that you need to try and establish a separate brand? We can put this in over 150 UK showrooms across the UK and we've got some fantastic dealers. We've got some great dealer partners and some amazing salespeople in our network. They're absolutely all over this car. Can't wait to start selling them. One of my jobs is to make sure that we're not just introducing cars for the sake of introducing cars. Every single one of these that we sell, couldn't have been another of our models – they are highly differentiated for market segment and customer needs. We will absolutely add incremental volume as a result of having these new models in the market. That's how we keep moving forward. When we spoke last year, you said there would be cars on the stand next year that weren't on the stand, so what can we expect to see next year at Goodwood? Yes, I remember saying to you last year that in 12 months' time it's very possible that we could have cars on the stand that we didn't have then. I think that's true. We have Cyberster, and a MG HS, which we introduced last year. We have MGS5 EV, we have the MG ZS, which weren't available this time last year. We've got the two MG IM variants, we've got Cyber X, and we've got the Cyberster Black Edition. The way that this brand keeps changing and evolving, it is entirely possible that 80% of the cars, maybe even 100% of the cars, could be completely different if we come back in 12 months' time. It's a fantastically dynamic brand to be working with, it's really exciting. "MG launches new IM range at Goodwood Festival of Speed" was originally created and published by Just Auto, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
