AD #3204 – Mercedes Shares EQB EV Details; McLaren Denies Being Bought by Audi; Acura Reveals the All-New Integra

This is Autoline Daily, the show dedicated to enthusiasts of the global automotive industry.

MCLAREN DENIES BEING BOUGHT BY AUDI
Earlier today, Autocar reported a bombshell that Audi had acquired McLaren in order to give the Volkswagen Group access to Formula 1 tech. However, McLaren is now denying that it’s been bought by Audi. But some sort of partnership does seem possible. In response to the report, Audi told Reuters “as part of our strategic considerations, we are constantly looking at various cooperation ideas.” McLaren has been struggling financially, so teaming up with Audi would give it access to the resources it needs.

TOYOTA TESTING HYDROGEN ICE IN RACING
As we reported last week, Toyota was one of several automakers that declined to sign a pledge for all new vehicle sales to be zero emission globally by 2040. Toyota says there’s still large parts of the world that aren’t ready for zero-emission vehicles. And it’s one of the few automakers that hasn’t made a huge commitment to full BEVs. That’s why Toyota is now touting its Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engine Vehicle. The company has been testing the engine in a Corolla Sport racecar. Unlike a fuel cell system, it does not rely on a chemical reaction to generate electricity to power the car, instead the engine burns hydrogen as a fuel, similar to a gasoline engine. But it’s not technically a zero-emission vehicle since it creates a small amount of emissions and trace amounts of NOx. However, Toyota sees the technology as a way to greatly reduce emissions and as a way to preserve jobs for workers who build internal combustion engines and components.

JAPANESE OEMs FORM CARBON-NEUTRAL FUEL PARTNERSHIP
And in related news, Toyota formed a partnership with Kawasaki, Subaru, Mazda and Yamaha to expand options for producing, transporting and using fuel in order to achieve carbon neutrality in racing. The collaboration will focus on participating in races using carbon-neutral fuels as well as the possibility of using hydrogen engines in motorcycles and other vehicles.

MERCEDES SHARES EQB EV DETAILS
Mercedes revealed the EQB earlier this year, but now we’re getting the details. You can think of this like a GLB stuffed with electric components from the EQA. And despite its compact size, there’s a third row of seats available for seating for up to seven. Two versions will be offered at launch in Europe. Both are AWD, while one has 168 kW of power and the other has 215 kW. The battery pack has 66.5 kWh of usable space, which returns about 420 kilometers or roughly 260 miles of range on the WLTP test cycle. And that’s the same for both models. Mercedes says it will also offer a FWD version of the EQB and has a longer-range version planned as well. In the design department, the EQB is distinguished by a glossy black grille, unique LED lighting, two large display screens combined into one unit and Mercedes’ signature turbine air vents. Production has already kicked off. The EQB is being made in China, for China, and in Hungary for everywhere else.

ACURA REVEALS THE ALL-NEW INTEGRA
Acura has been teasing the all-new Integra and now here it is. It certainly wears the Acura look, but features unique LED lighting in the front and rear, Brembo brakes with bright yellow calipers as well as a more muscular and aggressive rear end to make it look wider. Under the hood of the Integra is a turbocharged 1.5L engine and while it didn’t reveal output, the power will be fed through a 6-speed manual transmission. And despite the design being done in Japan, the Integra will be made in the U.S. for the first time. Production kicks off next year in Marysville, Ohio.

NIO OPENS FIRST BATTERY SWAPPING STATION OUTSIDE CHINA
Chinese EV maker NIO built its first battery swapping station outside of China. The station will open in Norway in a few weeks and will swap batteries for its ES8 model, which launched there in September. NIO plans to open 20 swapping stations in Norway by the end of 2022 and Germany is next on its list. NIO currently has more than 600 swapping stations in China and by 2025 plans to have 4,000 globally, including 1,000 outside of China. The stations can swap 312 batteries a day or one an average of every 4.6 minutes.

FORD UPDATES MUSTANG LINE-UP
Ford is adding a couple of options to the Mustang lineup. First up is a new paint color for the GT500, called Code Orange, which is exclusive to Ford Performance vehicles. Sticking in the paint department, a new Heritage Edition is also available on the GT500 and comes in an exclusive Brittany Blue color with either hand-painted or vinyl white stripes. The package with vinyl stripes costs an additional $2,140 over MSRP, which is nearly $74,000, while the hand-painted version cost over $12,000 more. Lastly is a nearly $2,000 package for EcoBoost Mustangs, called Coastal Limited Edition, that includes 19-inch wheels, unique vinyl stripping that goes down the side and over the hood, rear spoiler, lighted sill plate and special badging. Sales kick off in the spring. 

But that’s it for today, thanks for watching.