Are Electric Vehicles the Future of Automotive Industry?

The global population growth and increasing demand for oil in emerging economies due to industrialisation drove up the demand for oil. As a result, we saw an increase in the prices of oil a couple of years ago, which further led to electric vehicles as an alternative. Hence, now the question arises, even after the decrease in oil prices, are electric cars the future of mobility; specifically sports cars?

    On the left is a 6.2L V8 Mercedes SLS AMG and on the right is a battery powered Mercedes SLS

Why wouldn’t electric cars be the future of mobility?

The biggest advantage for a car enthusiast is the fact that rather than accelerating the car at every single gear until it produces the maximum amount of torque. Tesla Model S, for instance, produces 687 lb.ft of torque at 0 RPM. No need to wait for the turbos to get started. In fact, the torque is right on the pedals when accelerated. If an electric car can produce more power or even the same amount of power, a car enthusiast eventually wouldn’t care if it were electric or petrol. We are also well aware of Volkswagen’s recent emission scandal. With electric cars, there will be no such thing as emissions.
However, no gas or diesel in the system means no sound, which many car enthusiasts wouldn’t appreciate. Especially if you have anything above 300 horses inside the hood, you would want your car to remind that to everyone every time you rev. Also, charging electric vehicles is still an issue. For instance, the electric version of Mercedes SLS requires 20 hours of charging whereas; filling a tank in the petrol version of SLS AMG would take no more than 5 minutes.

Watch: Ferrari LaFerrari, McLaren P1 And Porsche 918 Spyder Go Head To Head!

Let us now consider the perspective of some industry giants on the future of electric cars. Mr Sergio Marchionne, the current CEO of Ferrari, claimed electric cars to be “obscene”, therefore Ferrari will never make one. Really? Similarly, to what the Ferrari’s CEO said Maserati’s Boss Mr Harald Wester also said that they wouldn’t want to make an electric vehicle but will eventually have to. Both Ferrari and Maserati’s CEOs do not appreciate the idea of electric cars and the similar ideology. It is of no surprise as Ferrari and Maserati both have a history of working together. However, Mr Wester does accept that Maserati will eventually have no other option but to produce electric vehicles.
Contrary to what Ferrari’s and Maserati’s CEOs said, Porsche Chairman of Executive Board Mr Oliver Blume claimed in an interview, according to Porsche’s newsroom, that Porsche Mission-E is due to come out at the end of the decade, which is not too far. In fact, Mr Blume also mentioned that Tesla had set a new trend of electric cars, and Tesla deserves respect for this.

As much as I hate to say it, in my opinion, electric vehicles are the future of the automotive industry. Also, based on the perspective of the three industry giants, and the many benefits associated with electric cars, it will be wise to say that if not now, somewhere down the line all car manufacturers will have to adopt the necessary technology required for producing an electric car to stay competitive. However, the conversation on the trends of the auto industry just doesn’t end here. In fact, it will be interesting to see the effect of ride-sharing, autonomous driving cars and even passenger drones on the automobile industry soon.

                             A concept version of Porsche Mission E, due to launch in 2020

Renault Agrees to Invest in Pakistan

Earlier today, the Board of Investment revealed in a Press Release that the French Automobile manufacturer Renault will start assembling cars in Pakistan by 2018.

“As the result of Finance Minister’s hectic efforts and persuasion, Renault has decided to invest in Pakistan. They will start assembling cars in Pakistan by 2018.” the BOI said in a statement.
It should be noted that Finance Minister and Chairman of Board of Investment have made quite a few visits in the last few months to France and had several meetings with the top officials of Renault and Peugeot.

Even more surprising are the statements being released by the Chairman of BOI. And as per The Express Tribune, the chairman elaborated

 The company will invest $100 million to expand the capacity of Ghandara plant where it

will assemble the vehicles.

This investment might bring the much-needed diversity in the stagnant, locally manufactured vehicles line-up. It is being speculated that the company will bring the Duster in Pakistan; expected to be priced at PKR 2.5 million. The Express Tribune further elaborates that the company will also introduce 1200 cc cars, which will be aimed to cater the requirements of middle class consumers.
It seems that the government’s strategy to persuade a new player to enter in the local auto-manufacturing market of Pakistan is definitely shaping up for a better outlook

The All new Land Rover Discovery 2017

The all new Land Rover Discovery 2017 is going to be full of innovative technology and will come with a revolutionary design. This car will be equipped with the latest technology available in 2017. This car is expected to set a new benchmark for the automakers.
The car is going to have a spacious and modern interior that will have a seating capacity for seven adults. The interior of all new discovery will be designed by making use of high quality materials. Moreover, it will have a panoramic roof.
Land Rover Discovery 2017 will be equipped with the world’s first intelligent seat fold system that can automatically fold the rear seats. This intelligent seat folding system will be controlled remotely from a smartphone as well.
It will feature gesture control that would allow a person to open its boot. Land Rover Discovery will also be equipped with more storage spacing to store gadgets. The arm rest will have a storage capacity to store two-2 litre water bottles. The availability of 9 USB ports will make it much easier for people to travel with their gadgets. Another exciting feature of Land Rover Discovery 2017 will be the first ever activity key, a wrist band that will enable the driver to lock and unlock the vehicle.

Watch a wonderful video to find out more on the details on this amazing upcoming car at :   https://youtu.be/DDCUjCe7JLI
             

The Worlds fastest SUV unveiled by Toyota

Toyota just unveiled the fastest SUV ever built at the SEMA (Speciality Equipment Market Association) show in Las Vegas. The new Land Cruiser has been named as “Land Speed Cruiser”. The SUV has achieved a world record of being the fastest SUV. The engine is a twin turbo 5.7 litre V8 that produces 2000hp, which is 500hp more than Bugatti’s Chiron. Its estimated top speed is 354km/h.

Toyota had to modify it to make sure that it could handle the extreme load of the components in the engine. SUVs are not aerodynamic and have a great ride height, which is not ideal for achieving top speeds. In order to overcome the issue of aerodynamic, Toyota had to lower the suspension, and smoothen the lower area to make it more aerodynamic. The lowered suspension makes the air pass under the vehicle, creating less turbulence at high speeds, less drag and more stability at super speeds.


For some amazing videos you may visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zv6wFPJvYUE

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Kitchen Foil, Microwave Oven And Fridge – Things That Can Protect Your Car From Thieves

Most people use security systems and key fobs in their vehicles to protect them when they are parked in parking lots or outside their homes. And considering that is the only standing between their pride and joy, why shouldn’t they? I recently read an interesting blog post written by a world renowned technology blogger Kim Komando.

The rapid advance of technology, in particular to increase security devices has not deterred criminals; they also have become more sophisticated in their tactics. You’d be amazed to know how easily thieves can steal your car using the signal emitted by the key fob.

How do the key fobs work? Roughly speaking, a key-chain remote control uses a computer chip to create unique code that sends the command to the security system chip installed in your car. The security system controller installed in the car has the same algorithm to generate codes. If the codes match, the system will open your car.

But always active key chains pose a serious security weakness, says Kim Komando in a recent column for USA Today. Therefore, new car models do not unlock unless the key fob and car are not in a close proximity.

Criminals can get an amplifier that detects signals from key chains to up to 300 feet (91 meters), and then transmit them to your car. In other words, the keys could be in your home, and criminals using this device would be able to open your car. There is an even more sophisticated way to steal cars.

Fortunately, there are ways to block the electronic signal emitted by your key-chain. One simple method is to cover your security remote control in a piece of kitchen foil. Or you can make yourself a small box covered with foil where you can store your car keys. This interrupts the signals of the key fob.

Another way of doing this is to keep the key in the microwave or put it in the refrigerator if the manufacturer says it can be done without damaging the device. That is a bit impractical if we’re honest. You can’t keep your car keys in your fridge or microwave all the time. What if someone at your home turns the microwave on with the keys in while heating the last night’s pasta.

The question is, if thieves here in Pakistan have these gadgets as well. Although I doubt they have them, but I don’t think a security system has ever been able to stop a thief. Cars like Toyota Corolla X are favorites of thieves. They are imported from Japan, and you would think they would have sufficient security systems installed from the factory, but even then thieves have been able to steal them. They usually keep an ECU with matching car key. And as soon as they find an unattended Corolla X, they hook the ECU in, and use the matching key to start the car. It doesn’t take them much longer, and your precious car is gone.

So as much as these security systems are there to help you protect your car, it is better not to solely depend on them.

1980s: An Era Never Remembered For The Variety of Cars

In terms of the number of options available for an automobile buyer in Pakistan, we are definitely witnessing the worst period ever. There are currently only three sedans (Civic, City and Corolla) and 4 hatchbacks (Mehran,Cultus, Wagon-R and Swift) to choose from. If you are to buy a 1300cc sedan, you have to choose either between City, or a Corolla…and that’s it. In 1800cc segment, the competition revolves around Civic and Corolla Altis, while the hatchback segment is all but Suzuki’s playground. If we add the Bolan and Ravi Carrier and a couple of options recently offered by FAW, the total number of car buying options still remains around 10. A lot of people blame the buyer for being “resale-obsessed” and “not willing for a change” but in reality the market has been engineered in such a way, that the automakers can churn maximum profits out of a non-competitive monopolized market.
 Before the imports were halted in favor of local production of automobiles which started in our country back in the early 90’s, the options available to a car buyer in Pakistan were almost five times more than what we have today. Ask anyone who has observed the market in the 1970s and 80’s, things were absolutely different. People were free to explore a variety of brands and the concept of resale while still existed to a certain extent, wasn’t a topmost priority as it is today. Let’s try to sneak back into the past and have a little comparison between the number of options available today versus those available during the 80’s.

It was during the mid-1960s when Japanese brands started to dominate our market. Before that, European and American brands were sold here, but their size and fuel consumption was a major point of concern, whereas the Japanese brands were smaller and fuel efficient. Most popular Japanese cars of the 60s were the Toyota CoronaRT40, Mazda 1500 and Datsun Bluebird. Then during the 70s, more Japanese vehicles made their way to our market, Toyota Corolla became the most popular car here alongside Datsun Sunny and Mazda Familia. Later towards the late 70s Suzuki, Mitsubishi and Daihatsu cars also made their way into our automobile market.

The 80’s was probably the golden era of our automobile market in terms of the variety of options we enjoyed. Not only this, we used to get a new shape approximately every 3rd year which resulted in a magnificent variety of cars to choose from within a single decade. Just put it this way, talking about 1000cc hatchbacks from 1980 to 1989, within a decade there were 3 generations of Daihatsu Charade alone. They were offered in several trim options and engine variants (Diesel/ Petrol/ Turbo etc). While if we add up the likes of Toyota Starlet, Nissan Pulsar, Suzuki Swift, Subaru J10 etc. the number (including the trims) would exceed 20 whereas from 1991 to 1999 there was only one option, the Suzuki Khyber available in only one trim, with no metallic color offered before 1999. Towards the late 90’s, Kia Pride made its way and was available for a couple of years only before the company packed up and left.

Not only this but hatchbacks that we had in the eighties were better equipped than those offered locally by 2010. Take local Suzuki Alto as an example, it was never offered with rear window defrosters or proper retract side mirrors while cars of the eighties have had much more than this to offer.

If you were to buy a 1300cc sedan, the options available during the 80’s included Daihatsu Charmant, Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, Toyota Sprinter, Mazda 323, Mitsubishi Lancer, Nissan Sunny, and a few more, each available in multiple trims. Not only that the options were so many, the liberty to choose between the trims as well as the interior color was something a buyer of today can never enjoy. Take Honda Civic, for example, the 3rdgeneration Civic was available in as many as ten exterior colors and four interior colors (Black, Brown, Maroon and Blue) to choose from. Most of the cars we had during the 80’s were offered in multiple interior color options. Today if we are to buy a local car, we are bound to get a single interior color, which remains same in all the range of available trims.

The 1500cc+ category was filled with options like Honda Accords, Toyota Corona, Crown, Mitsubishi Galant, Mazda 626, 929 while a long list of cars with bigger engines were also found frequently on the roads. In 4x4s the Mitsubishi Pajero was considered as the status symbol of the 80’s, followed by Toyota Land Cruiser, Nissan Patrol and smaller ones like Daihatsu Rocky and Suzuki SJ410 were there to be offered.

Tyre TIPS

DO’S & DONT’S

TYRE CARE TIPS FOR PASSENGER CAR TYRES

1. Check air pressure in all your tyres, including the spare, once every week preferably from the same outlet. Tyres should be cold when checking pressure. Drive to an outlet, preferably when the tyres are cold. Maintaining proper air pressure will ensure good fuel economy & a longer life of the tyres.
2. Rotate your tyres every six months or say 10000 kilometers distance covered or whichever comes first. Rotation should be simple. Front left should move to rear left and this tyre should move to front left position. Similar is the case with the right side.
3. Align your wheels every six months. Due to ruts and even protruding “cats eyes” alignment gets disturbed and tyre will wear out faster from any one side. Fuel economy will reduce.
4. Purchase well-known brands that carry warrantee. It is better to buy once and cry once than to keep crying when you go for used or very cheap tyres with no warranty.(Used tyres have hidden injuries which are repaired & disguised. Such tyres can cause serious blow outs while driving.)
5. Never buy a used tyre whose history you do not know.
6. Never reduce air pressure when traveling long distance as this will generate more rolling resistance, more heat and could result in a blowout. Remember heat is the worst enemy of tyre.
7. Never purchase bigger or heavier tyres as they add weight to the rims, increasing fuel consumption and possibly damaging the suspension.
8. Never buy low aspect ratio tyres (i.etyres with small heights or sidewalls) as such tyres are very hard and will ruin your suspension unless the car manufacturer puts in such tyres as original equipment.
9. For our roads and climatic conditions purchase tyres that are not too soft and neither too hard as such tyres will give longer life.
10. Always use the vehicle manufacturer recommended tyre size and ply rating for better mileage and safety.
11. Whenever the tyre gets a puncture, always repair the tyre from a proper tyre repairer shop and use cold patches.

“CARE FOR YOUR TYRES AS THEY CARE FOR YOU”
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Oil Guide - Shell

SHELL HELIX ULTRA 5W-40

FULLY SYNTHETIC MOTOR OIL

SPECIAL FEATURES	BENEFITS
Shell’s ultimate active cleansing technology	Helps to protect high-performance engines from power and performance robbing deposits
Superior wear and corrosion protection	Helps to extend engine life by protecting surfaces from wear and by helping to neutralise corrosive combustion acids
Unsurpassed sludge protection?	No other motor oil can keep your engine closer to factory clean
Active clean-up	Helps to remove sludge left behind by inferior oils
Superior resistance to oil degradation	Helps to maintain protection throughout the oil drain interval
Low evaporation formulation	Low oil consumption for less frequent top-up
Exceptional low-temperature performance	Faster oil flow for quicker engine warm-up
Approved by car manufactures	Approved for use by numerous makers of high-performance vehicles
Long life	Exceptional protection and cleaning, even at the longest manufacturer-recommended oil-drain intervals
Multi-fuel capability	Can be used for gasoline, diesel and gas engines, and is also suitable for biodiesel and gasoline/ethanol blends

SHELL HELIX HX7 5W-30

SYNTHETIC TECHNOLOGY MOTOR OIL

SPECIAL FEATURES	BENEFITS
Shell’s unique active cleansing technology	Actively locks away harmful performance robbing deposits
Active clean-up	Helps to remove sludge left behind by inferior oils
Excellent wear protection	Helps to extend engine life by protecting against wear, even in daily traffic conditions
Excellent resistance to degradation	Helps to maintain in protection throughout the oil-drain interval
Low viscosity and low friction	Provides enhanced fuel economy
Low-temperature performance	Faster oil flow for quicker engine warm-up
Low-evaporation formulation	Low oil consumption for less frequent top-up
Multi-fuel capability	Can be used for gasoline, diesel and gas engines, and is also suitable for biodiesel and gasoline/ethanol blends

SHELL HELIX HX5 10W-40

SYNTHETIC TECHNOLOGY MOTOR OIL

SPECIAL FEATURES	BENEFITS
Active cleansing technology	Actively locks away harmful performance-ribbing deposits
Active clean-up	Helps to remove sludge left behind by inferior oils
Excellent wear protection	Helps to extend engine life by protecting against wear
Resistance to degradation	Helps to maintain protection throughout the oil-drain interval
Low-evaporation formulation	Low oil consumption for less frequent top-up
Multi-fuel capability	Can be used for gasoline, diesel and gas engines, and is also suitable for biodiesel and gasoline/ethanol blends

SHELL HELIX HX3 20W-50

MULTIGRADE MOTOR OIL

SPECIAL FEATURES	BENEFITS
Specifications: API SL/CF
Active cleansing technology	Helps to protect against harmful sludge and vanish deposits
Anti-wear additive	Provides reliable wear protection
High viscosity	Helps to reduce leaks in older, high-mileage engines
Multi-fuel capability	Can be used for gasoline, diesel and gas engines

2012 BMW S1000RR

That BMW is a company with huge engineering resources shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone. After all, it’s been building motor vehicles for more than 90 years and has a German stereotype to uphold. 

Nevertheless, my biggest surprise at the launch of the 2012 S1000RR was the boundless enthusiasm each engineer, no matter if gray hair or no hair, showed in regard to sportbikes. There’s a lot more to this performance-driven crew than just building transportation appliances, as we found out at the Ricardo Tormo circuit in Valencia, Spain, where the bike’s 2012 edition was sampled by the world’s media last week.

For example, Ralph Schwickerath, the S1000’s chassis project manager, is not only a mechanical engineer but a former racer who is nearly as quick as Jurgen Fuchs, a BMW test rider who has raced in 250cc and 500cc Grands Prix. And the RR’s dual project managers, Rudi Schneider and Josef Machler, were both suited up and ripping around the grand prix circuit in a rare display among OEM senior managers. And then there’s 58-year-old Markus Poschner, BMW’s general manager for the K and S series platforms, who chooses the hardcore S1000RR among BMW’s selection of more comfortable models when he takes his wife out for rides in the Alps.

Honda Atlas Is Gearing Up To Sell Honda HR-V At The Start Of 2016 In Pakistan

Good new! As James May would say; Toyota, Honda, and PakSuzuki are planning to launch more cars in Pakistani in 2016-17. Reports coming from sources say that Indus Motors is planning to start assembling its ever popular Vitz in coming couple of years, although they have denied it but we are going to hold on to the news for now. Also, Pak Suzuki is going to replace their Cultus with Celerio. But the most imminent launch by any local manufacture is of HR-V by Honda Atlas.

According to the news, Honda Atlas has already ordered for the HR-V CBUs (completely built units) from Thailand. Honda Atlas has taken help from their Thailand counterpart before in the shape of previous Honda Accord. It was mostly known as the ‘Thai Accord’ all over Pakistan. The sources from carmaker have said that the HR-V is going to cost customers somewhere around 3.5 million PKR.

If you look at it, Honda Atlas is currently far behind the competition. I mean they skipped a generation of Honda City and are dragging the current fifth generation City until seventh generation is launched internationally. By the way, the sixth generation Honda City made its global debut in India in November of 2013 and it looks beautiful. They skipped a whole generation and shoved a different shape grille in the mouths of their consumers as a soother and launched the ‘refreshed’ Honda City. They did the same thing again with their Civic; another chrome grille for the Honda loyalists. Current generation Civic has continuously seen a decline in its sale. 9thgeneration Civic was launched in September of 2012. The numbers in the graph below are from fiscal year to fiscal year (July to June). In FY 2012-13, the first couple of months had been where Atlas was still selling 8thgeneration Civic. Honda City has been selling fine though, and the number of total units have increased every year since FY 2012-13. That magic front grille has worked. No wonder they are not bothered with sixth generation City. And since the 10th generation Honda Civic is on the horizon, I don’t see current Civic selling more units of it as well. But until that happens, Honda Atlas needs something more than just Honda City.

And that ‘something more’ can be this HR-V. It can potentially drag Honda Atlas to the front. At least that is what they are hoping for.

HR-V is basically a rebadged and faintly restyled Honda Vezel. The front grille is the most notable difference. The grille…its always the grille. Vezel is an all-Japanese vehicle and is built and sold locally in Japan, whereas HR-V was made to sell internationally. Vezel went on sale in japan in late 2013, whereas HR-V went on sale in late 2014 in Thailand, and in last May in USA. Initially, the HR-V was revealed at New York Motor Show as a concept car.

Vezel and HR-V both come with a 1.5l or a 1.8l engine. I did a quick search on PW used car section and found three 1.8l Vezel cars as well. However, the news is that the Thai HR-V sold by Atlas will come with a 1.5l engine. Vezel comes with a clever 7 speed CVT gearbox. Initially, Vezel along with new Honda Fit Hybrid were diagnosed with a couple of software bugs, and you can read about that in our previous blog post linked below. But those were found in only the early editions (2013-2014) of both cars.

Also Read: You Can Read Vezel And Fit Hybrid Thread Here

I’m pretty sure new Vezel or HR-V have updated software that fixed the potentially dangerous bug that could make the car speed up unintentionally. The Thai HR-V went on sale in Q4 of 2014. So unlike early Japanese Vezel, we can expect it to be bug-free. Is it me or the new cars depend way too much on softwares?! Anyway, moving along…

HR-V stands for Hi-rider Revolutionary Vehicle. The first generation of HR-V was absolutely hideous and was on sale from 1998 to 2006. And we must thank Honda for killing it. The second generation, however, is far better looking than its predecessor. The 1.5l motor in HR-V and Vezel (L15B) is a different variant of the same L15 we have in our 1.5l Honda City (L15A). The 1.8l of HR-V and Vezel must also be related to the R18 we find in our local Honda Civic.

Now the thing is, you can buy a new 1.5l Vezel from the market for 3.0 to 3.3 million PKR, depending on the color and variant of the car (fancier Vezel can cost more than that). And as mentioned above rumors are that the HR-V will be sold for 3.5 million PKR. And it is just a rumor. It is a possibility that HR-V will end up its customer costing more than 3.5 million. If it’s less than 3.5 million, than kudos to Honda and Honda Atlas, but a cynic in me don’t see that happening.

The question is, why would anyone want to spend 3 to 5 lac more on the same car with a different badge? Also, you can always argue that the Japan imported cars have better build quality and features than the Thailand imported HR-V. Toyota Indus tried doing that and failed miserably. They tried selling their Prius for PKR 40 million plus whereas you could buy the imported Prius for PKR 30 million at that time. I did a little research and PakWeels is filled with imported Prius for 2.2 to 2.5 million PKR including 2015 model Prius. And on Toyota Indus Motors website, it says exactly ‘PKR. 4,449,000/-‘ and that is a huge difference. You can buy another car in that difference. A friend working at a Toyota dealership in Lahore told me that they have sold only one Prius until now.

Same can be the case with HR-V. Right now importers and dealers know their Vezel are selling like hot cakes, so they can demand whatever they like. But when the market will get saturated, and Honda Atlas will have their Thai HR-V, the importers and dealers will reduce their asking prices as well. I don’t think there would be a lot of customers who would prefer spending literally hundreds and thousands of rupees extra just so they can have a multimedia system that is in English and not in Japanese, like Vezel’s.

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Bugatti Chiron Spy Shots

Volkswagen may be facing the worst crisis the company will ever see in its existence but it isn’t allowing all that drama to stall the final testing for Bugatti’s replacement model for the Veyron rumored to be called the Chiron, which incidentally was just spotted testing on the public roads in Lavis, Italy but not one Chiron but two near identical Chirons finished in matte black were seen casually cruising the streets.

We may not be able to get a sense for the styling due to the heavy camouflage but we can get a sense for general body shape for the Chiron and from initial impressions the hypercar seems to sport a very unique design language. The overall body shape of the Chiron may look almost identical to the Veyron at first sight but there are a series of changes, the roof line is now considerably sleeker than before and the roof now features a fin that continues all the way to the rear deck lid, presumably there to help out with the aerodynamics of the Chiron. The exhausts now feature aggressively styled twin outlet tips and the rear end seems to be all grille to help cool the Chiron’s monstrous engine.

And speaking of engine, rumored specifications for the car include an 8.0 Liter quad electric turbo W16 with 1500bhp, 0-60 in less than 2 seconds and top speed of over 280mph. Around 100 Chirons are rumored to have already been sold at a base price of over US$ 2.5 Million when Bugatti revealed the Chiron to a group of potential customers at a private party a few months ago.

If the Chiron is anything like the Veyron then in just a few months time when the car is finally revealed at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show, we might just have our new fastest road car.

                                                                                                     

First Ride: E Bike T80 Sport

I have been riding a bike for more than 10 years now but never in those 10 years was I ever stopped at every intersection by people asking about my bike. However, this past weekend things were a little different for me. That’s because I was riding the sporty looking E Bike T80 Sport – one of the three Electric Scooters launched earlier this month.

Editor’s Note: We were contacted by TAZ Trading that they want PakWheels to review the E Bike. We were given the bike for only a day, so we could not calculate the kilometers per charge thoroughly as the scooter requires at least 8 hours of charging to reach the full capacity of the batteries.

INTRODUCTION

The E Bike T-80 Sport is company’s top of the line model with a sporty shape powered by an 800 watt electric motor coupled with five 12volts batteries and an automatic transmission. The bike retails for Rs. 95,900 and comes with two years motor and one-year battery warranty.

LOOKS

In terms of looks, the E Bike is a beautiful bike considering all you get to see on the roads are Honda 70cc, its Chinese clones and a couple of other motorcycles, which look exactly the same from 10 feet distance. However, this little machine looks different. It has a sleek design with lots of curves. The overall shape is very much inspired by some kind of sports bike which is a good thing in my opinion. The headlamps have integrated front indicators in them and look like they are from Kawasaki Ninja or Yamaha R6 but on a smaller scale. The taillamp and the rear indicators are integrated with the rear fairing and do not protrude like those on the conventional motorbikes. The T80 Sport comes with aluminum 12 inches wheels with tubeless tires with a disk brake at the front wheel.

    

The speedometer is also very good looking but very impractical. To start with, the T80 Sport does not have an odometer (currently only T70 offers an odometer), so you cannot tell how much the bike has been ridden. I had to resort to the GPS in my phone to get the idea of how many kilometers I have travelled, which was very inconvenient and in future if you plan to buy a used E Bike from someone, you cannot tell how many kilometers the bike has been used. Also, the battery indicator does not work the way it should. In my case it always showed me 100% charge even when the bike was ridden for 40 kilometers according to my GPS.

    

COMFORT & RIDE 

In terms of comfort, the bike did not disappoint us. The seat is comfortable for two full sized adults weighing over 170 pounds each and it gets a little cramped when you put three adults of the same size (Yes. We tried that just for the sake of this review). The ride quality is very good on properly paved roads but as soon as you get on a road with inadequate carpeting or patches, the ride quality deteriorates and you feel vibration in your hands; all thanks to the small wheel size which provides less air cushioning. On unpaved metal roads, the ride quality is surprisingly good and the bike takes the potholes and bumps easily due to its soft suspension.

As with any electric vehicle, the bike makes minimal noise when running and it is barely audible in traffic. There is no self-starter or kick-starter in this bike, obviously because it is an electric bike. You just have to switch on the ignition and it comes to life silently. There is no sound when you switch on the ignition so you have to rely on the battery indicator to see whether it is ON or OFF.

PERFORMANCE

In an electric bike, how fast it goes is not as important as how far it goes. In my experience, I could not test it fully how far it goes due to the scarcity of time but I did test how fast it goes. The bike goes up to a maximum speed of 50kmph as opposed to the claimed top speed of 60kmph. The speed comes down to a 45kmph as the batteries discharge. The bike can haul two full sized adults without any problem and the weight does not affect the speed on straight roads but it makes an effort when you take it on ramps or flyovers. Acceleration on the E Bike was smooth and quick due to the electric motor and automatic transmission. The acceleration was quicker than that on the 70cc motorcycle. Just switch on the ignition, twist the handgrip and you are good to go.

ECONOMY

We could not test the economy of the E Bike thoroughly as we only had the bike for 24 hours and it takes more than 8 hours for the batteries to be fully charged. The company claims this particular model runs for 80 kilometers per charge, which I think is a bit optimistic considering the performance reduced after only riding the bike for 40 kilometers due to less current remaining in the batteries. I think 60-65 kilometers per charge is a good estimate of the economy of this bike. It is also to be noted that I rode the bike for long distances and electric vehicles consume more power when driven constantly at their full speeds. If you ride this bike in traffic, it will give you a better economy, as opposed to the conventional motorcycles.

VERDICT

To sum it up, the initiative of introducing something new in the monopolistic auto industry of Pakistan should be commendable as it is a bold move for a small player like TAZ Trading compared to Atlas Honda and other motorcycle manufacturers and importers, but I think the product itself has a long way to go if they plan to replace the 70cc motorcycles with electric motorcycles. Sure, the product is very economical but it is not very practical for long hauls. If you want to go to a place which is 5 to 8 kilometers far from your place, this bike is good but if you want to go to a place which is 20 kilometers far, then you will get frustrated with the constant low speeds. Also, the amount of time it takes to fully charge the bike is too much as compared to refueling a conventional motorcycle. You have to leave the E Bike connected to the power outlet overnight for it to get fully-charged and if you are like me, who lives in an apartment, then charging the E Bike becomes a challenge as apartments do not have personal garages and finding a power outlet for that long is next to impossible.

However, if you have a garage at your house, you live near your office or university and want an easy-to-ride eco-friendly mode of transportation, then this bike is for you.

Pictures from: pakwheels.com

10 Vintage Cars You Must Know

Vehicles being a passion for a number of people out there become a choice based on the class and luxury they offer. Driving an ordinary vehicle and driving a vintage automobile are two completely different things.

The class and luxury offered by the vintage cars are worth your time as well as your investment. Decades ago, vintage cars were considered to be a status symbol for a number of high profile people, and the tradition continues till now. Vintage cars not only offer attractive interiors and exteriors but also offer profound performance that beats the usual vehicles.

Following are some of the most prestigious vintage cars you must know:

Shelby 427 Cobra – 1966

Looking for a luxury that offers a great ride must call for the name of Shelby 427 Cobra. This vintage vehicle is itself a perfect blend of contemporary class equipped with a modern touch and sophistication as well. Despite being a highly expensive electric-blue deal, this vehicle has been the apple of everyone’s eye owning it.

Jaguar E-Type – 1961

The Jaguar E – Type being a vintage vehicle released in the year 1961 was a major setback for a number of well-known vehicles of that time. This vintage car was deemed to be the most beautiful launch for the year due to its outstanding exterior and worth enjoying interior. An ideal beauty to enhance the appearance of the owner’s garage it has been.

Maserati Ghibli 4.7 – 1969

Maserati Ghibli 4.7 a beauty launched in the year 1969 has been a great shot by the makers that almost cleaned bold the automobile manufacturers of that year. The vehicle was a success which everyone dreams of. Due to the immense outlook and a flawless performance offered by this vintage ride, a number of automobile manufacturers tried to copy the features.

Aston Martin DB5 – 1964

The list of vintage vehicles remains incomplete if  James Bond’s all time favorite Aston Martin DB5 is excluded. This beauty, being the favorite of the most favorite personality James Bond, has been a famous lead for the fans as well. A number of people tried and wished to keep this vintage in their garages just for the love they have for Agent 007.

Mercedes 300SL Gullwing – 1957

As the name suggests this beauty seriously was equipped with the wings. The Mercedes 300SL Gullwing was the unanticipated launch in the year 1957. This vehicle was famous for the two main reasons and the first one was the style of doors that resembles the wings and the second one was the performance of the vehicle. This vintage beauty offered a tremendous speed to the rider which was a perfect shot of the makers.

Corvette Sting Ray – 1963

A vehicle that looks stylish and offers a great performance is a complete package of vintage ride. In the same way, when it now comes to seeking for such a vintage material the name of the Corvette Sting Ray takes the lead. This vehicle being launched in the year 1963 was an improvement worth the investment due to its impressive style.

Ferrari Dino 246 GT- 1969

The red beauty by Ferrari launched in the year 1969 was none other than the Ferrari Dino 246 GT. This vehicle offered a premium under the hood capabilities. The ride being offered by this vehicle has been the fast and furious due to the terrific speed and performance offered by this vintage.

Alfa Romeo Spider Duetto – 1966

Cars falling under the name of Alfa Romeo have always been the most appealing and contemporary vehicles which are unmatchable in several aspects. Alike is the case with the perfectly appearing Alfa Romeo Spider Duetto being launched in the year 1966. The vehicle offers a classy and luxurious appearance and with that a smooth must have performance is also its part and parcel.

Dodge Charger – 1969

When it comes to the maintenance of the American appearance associated with the vintage cars nobody can forget the name of Dodge Charger. This vintage vehicle has been an all time favorite of the Americans due to the outstanding American touch in its appearance.

Toyota 2000 GT – 1969

The most amazing vintage you would ever come across in terms of the Toyota collection is none other than the Toyota 2000 GT. This glossy white roadster is worth every penny you invest due to the splendid appearance and a perfect performance.