Renault suspends officials over 'electric car industrial espionage'

French car maker Renault suspended three senior managers in what a source close to the company said on Wednesday was a move linked to the suspected leaking of secrets on its new electric vehicle models and possible industrial espionage.

A Renault spokesman said on Tuesday that it had suspended three senior managers over unspecified ethical issues. Sources who asked not to be named told AFP that the suspensions were linked to the alleged leaking of company secrets.

"It centres on the electric vehicle," a source close to the car maker told AFP on Wednesday.
Renault aims to mass produce electric cars for the general market, a key strategic move for years to come as auto makers face up to demand for more environmentally friendly modes of transport.

"In late August 2010, an ethical alert was brought to the attention of the compliance committee," a Renault spokeswoman told AFP on Tuesday.

"The investigation that followed led to the suspension of three Renault executives," she added, without giving further details. The spokeswoman added on Wednesday that Renault had not made any formal complaint in the affair.

Sources said that those suspended had all headed electric vehicles projects and one was a member of the company's management committee. They were required to leave their offices on Monday, the sources said.

Renault says it plans to launch electric versions of its Fluence model priced at about 25,000 euros (34,000 dollars) and its Kangoo Express for about 20,000 euros in mid-2011 and its smaller Twizy and Zoe models in late 2011 and 2012.

It forecasts that electric cars will make up 10 percent of the market by 2020. Along with its Japanese partner Nissan, it is investing 200 million euros a year in the programme.

Nissan has already launched an all-electric car for the mass market, the Leaf, in Japan and the United States, where it sold out on pre-orders.

The five-seat hatchback Leaf -- short for Leading Environmentally-friendly Affordable Family car -- is set to be launched in select European markets in early 2011.

In an earlier scandal in 2007, Renault brought charges for industrial espionage after a magazine published pictures and plans for two of new models it was developing.

Industrial espionage scandals have also struck elsewhere in France's huge, automotive industry, including tyre maker Michelin and auto parts maker Valeo.

Volt and Leaf Year-End Sales Deliveries

• GM delivered 326 Chevrolet Volts in December.
• Nissan delivered 19 Leafs during the same month.
• Both new models went on sale last month.

General Motors Corp. says it delivered 326 of its Chevrolet Volt extended-range plug-in hybrid sedans, while Nissan Motor Co. tells us it delivered 19 of its groundbreaking battery-electric Leaf hatchbacks to U.S. buyers.

The automakers say that production and deliveries will ramp up now, with GM promising 25,000 Volt deliveries in the U.S. by the end of the year and Nissan shooting for about 15,000 in the U.S. and 25,000 globally by years' end.

GM got the jump on Nissan in terms of December sales volume because it is building the Volt at home, in its Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant, while Nissan must ship all Leafs from Japan until the Leaf assembly facility it is building at its Smyrna, Tennessee, manufacturing campus comes on line in 2012.

VW & Audi in dispute over Electric Vehicle strategy

The sparks are flying in Germany as Volkswagen and Audi are fighting over the brand's EV strategy.

Details are sketchy, but the Financial Times Deutschland is reporting Audi wants to develop electric vehicles independently of Volkswagen. This hasn't made the parent company happy as sources have indicated VW has "frowned upon" Audi's "anarchist project."

The real problem seems to be Audi's refusal to drop the Wankel engine from the A1 e-Tron. If Audi keeps the engine, it would be a costly move as Volkswagen doesn't build a rotary engine and they'd be forced to develop it with another partner - possibly Mazda.

As we have previously reported, the A1 e-Tron features a 12 kWh lithium-ion battery which powers an electric motor that produces a continuous 45 kW (61 PS / 60 hp) and 150 Nm (111 lb-ft) of torque. It can travel up to 50 km (31 miles) on electricity alone, before a Wankel engine activates to recharge the batteries.

Source: Financial Times Deutschland

Ford Focus electric car makes debut at electronics show, not car show

Ford says it will unveil the battery-power Focus, going into production late this year, on Friday at the big Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, not at the Detroit auto show next week.

The Detroit show, officially the North American International Auto Show, is the most prestigious car show in the U.S. because it gets the most support from automakers and draws the biggest media crowd. Of course, that means automakers have to work oddball angles to stand out among the clamor at the NAIAS. Using the CES is Ford's answer.

The Focus EV is based on the not-yet-launched 2012 gasoline Focus small car, meaning that Ford didn't have to create a unique electric-car chassis.

Focus EV is expected to have a battery range of about 100 miles. That's the same as the Nissan Leaf electric that went on sale last month.

French Government Planning to Prolong Electric-Car Incentives Beyond 2012

France will prolong electric-car incentives beyond 2012, Industry Minister Eric Besson said at a press conference in Paris today. He said the reduction of the bonus on electric cars will be gradual.

“There will be no abolition of the bonus after 2012,” he said.

Source: Bloomberg

Electric Motorsport: Trophée Andros Alpe d'Huez 2010

The last race from the Trophée Andros Electrique round at Alpe d'Huez.

Each EV racer is rear wheel drive, weighs just 800 kg and is equipped with a 90 Kw (122 hp) Siemens 3 phase AC electric motor with 200 Nm of torque powered by a Lithium Ion although battery pack.

Top Bike Launches Expected In India In 2011

Year 2010 has been a very eventful year where Car and Bike Launches are concerned. Recently we covered – 94 Top Indian Car & Bike Launches Of Year 2010 on Car Blog India. We hope that with the recovering economy globally and a strong economic growth in India, we will see another eventful and prosperous year ahead for Indians and Indian industries. In this article we look forward to the coming year 2011 and see what all is expected from Indian automobile industry in this year to come.

1. Kawasaki Ninja 650R For India

Had i been a wealthy person, i would have bought the bike that we are going to talk about today. I am talking about the soon to be introduced Kawasaki Ninja 650R which is sibling of very popular motorcycle already running on the roads on India, Kawasaki Ninja 250R.Kawasaki is a world renowned brand which initiated the trend of bikes with Ram Air engines. The line-up offered globally is certainly worth its price with a host of features and breathtaking performance right at a push of the throttle and now with the addition of Ninja 650R in March 2011, the expansion plans of the company seem to take shape.

2. KTM Duke 125 For India

KTM will soon launch its KTM 125 Avatar concept 2010 variant in India. The Sporty Dirt bike will be called KTM Duke. The bike looks sporty, feels sporty, and don’t go by the 125 CC mileage, because this monster gives 20 PS power which is much higher than the normal 125 CC commuter bikes which deliver 12 to 13 PS power.

3. KTM Duke 200 For India

With the entrance of the Yamaha FZ-16 and Yamaha R-15, the India two-wheeler market scenario has been transformed and taken to another and certainly a much better level. Earlier where it was only a dream for bikers to buy a stripped down version of a performance bike, now has been drastically changed.For the Indian market the most important thing to keep in mind is the price tag and one can only offer performance bikes at affordable prices by stripping down some of their features. The trend was brought by Yamaha and is being followed by a number of brands like Kawasaki, Honda, Suzuki and now KTM.

4. Honda CBR250R Launch In India

In February 2011 Honda will open Honda CBR 250 booking in India. It will start receiving token money for booking, the deliveries will start in April 2011. The pricing of the Honda CBR 250 has not been announced as of now but it is believed that it will take on Ninja 250 in a big way by competitive pricing. We are keeping our eyes on it and will update you as soon as any official information arrives.

5. TVS Apache RTR 180 With ABS

Fuel Injection, Delta Frames, Disc Brakes, Digital gizmos are the desires that every young man wants to be an integral part of his life. So far no Indian company has evolved with their bikes, but TVS seems to be taking much interest in different technological stuff and even Bajaj is there with TVS. TVS already has one of the finest motorcycles in India in the form of TVS Apache RTR 180 which is not only one of the fastest in production but also upholds the tag of being the best stopper among all the machines produced in its segment in India.

6. Yamaha Gearless Scooters For India

Honda Activa, Mahindra Rodeo, TVS Wego and Suzuki Access are one of the most popular and hot selling gearless scooters in India these days. Yamaha is correct in gauging this demand and claim its share of the pie. With demand of popular scooters like Honda Activa being as much as two months, it’s a right move for Yamaha to enter the segment and create more choices in the segment.

7. BMW Motorcycles For India

BMW is going extremely well with appreciable car sales still increasing at a good rate and has also confirmed its plans of launching motorcycles in India. On one hand where Yamaha, Honda, Ducati, Suzuki and Harley Davidson have already entered the two-wheeler arena with high end performance bikes, BMW has to make sure that it offers everything to attract customers.Now the question arises which are the bike that the brand is going to launch? The answer is BMW R1200GS and BMW S1000RR are the two machines that this German manufacturer will offer initially. The S1000RR is a sport bike whereas the R1200GS is a dual-sport one.

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