1 year ago

Formula 1: Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton To Make Shock Move To Ferrari For 2025 F1, Says Report

Seven-time Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton is on the verge of a surprising transfer to Ferrari for the 2025 season. While rumours of Hamilton’s potential move have circulated in the past, insiders suggest that this time, the claims hold substantial weight. An official announcement regarding the deal could be made as early as Thursday. The Italian and Spanish media initially reported the possibility of Hamilton joining Ferrari, and BBC Sport has since verified the credibility of these reports Both Ferrari and Mercedes have declined to comment on the matter, the report said, fueling speculation surrounding the potential transfer. At 39 years old, Hamilton recently signed a new two-year contract extension with Mercedes, covering the 2024 and 2025 seasons. However, it appears that an exit clause may allow Hamilton to leave after just one season, should he choose to do so. If the move materialises, Hamilton’s switch to Ferrari would undoubtedly send shockwaves through the Formula 1 community, similar to the impact he made when leaving McLaren for Mercedes ahead of the 2013 season, the report said. Hamilton’s partnership with Mercedes proved to be immensely successful, dominating the sport from the 2014 season onwards and establishing him as the most accomplished […]

1 year ago

Bahrain Investment Fund to Gain Control of McLaren – Report

Bahrain’s state-owned investment fund Mumtalakat Holding Company is reportedly gaining full control of the McLaren Group. The sovereign wealth fund will become McLaren’s sole shareholder once the deal is announced.  A reported 20 per cent stake in the company is changing hands as part of this deal, which would leave the Bahrain fund as the sole shareholder of the Woking-based automaker.  In late 2022, Mumtalakat owned a 60 per cent stake in the McLaren Group and reportedly invested a further $US101 million in early 2023.  McLaren has faced pandemic-related supply issues for a number of years, forcing the company to liquidate assets.  The brand first sold off its Surrey headquarters in April 2021, for $US240 million, while remaining as its tenant for the next two decades.  To secure funds for the development of the Artura supercar, McLaren sold off a number of its heritage collection in 2022.  Mumtalakat reportedly paid $US126 million pounds for an undisclosed group of vehicles which is said to have included a Formula One championship car. 

1 year ago

Elon Musk Says Chinese EV Companies Will ‘Demolish’ Competition Without Tariffs

Tesla CEO Elon Musk on Wednesday warned that Chinese automakers will “demolish” their global competition without tariffs or other trade barriers. His comments come after Chinese electric car company BYD, which makes cheaper cars and is backed by Berkshire-Hathaway, surpassed Tesla as the top-selling EV company last quarter. Chinese automakers were the “most competitive” and “will have significant success outside of China, depending on what kind of tariffs or trade barriers are established,” Musk told investors on a post-earnings call on Wednesday. “If there are no trade barriers established, they will pretty much demolish most other car companies in the world,” he said. “They’re extremely good.” Asked about Musk’s comments, the Chinese foreign ministry said at a regular briefing on Thursday that it was unaware of the reports but advocated “maintaining a fair, just and open business environment”. China has made an aggressive push to achieve dominance in the global EV market. The communist nation wants to have its two biggest EV makers generate 10% of their sales overseas by 2025 but has not indicated which companies that would include — though, analysts believe BYD must be one of those two due to production and sales volume, The South China Morning Post reported.  BYD’s sales were […]

1 year ago

Mercedes-Benz and Dubai-Based Binghatti Properties Launch New Luxury Branded Residences

Mercedes-Benz revealed the Mercedes-Benz Places | Binghatti, a new state-of-the-art venture to merge the worlds of automotive and architecture, at an event held at the Meydan Hotel in Dubai. This will take the form of a 65-story residential tower that will deliver a holistic, connected, and desirable luxury living experience. This business venture underlines Mercedes-Benz’s strategy to transfer the brand’s design DNA, emotion, and intelligence to branded residential living spaces. The residences will showcase mixed-use facilities comprising restaurants, sports and wellness zones, lounges, non-automotive retail, exhibition spaces, and parking. Mercedes-Benz Places, in conjunction with local Mercedes-Benz subsidiaries, developers, and third-party providers, will deliver a spectrum of advanced and innovative mobility solutions. These will include EV charging, smart mobility apps, ride-hailing, bike and scooter sharing, chauffeur services, and automated valet parking. Added together, these features will set new standards for intelligent and luxury living by offering individualised homes that are unmistakably “Mercedes-Benz.”. From automotive to architecture: translating the design philosophy of Sensual Purity Mercedes-Benz Places | Binghatti is characterised by its distinctive elliptical exterior, reminiscent of the flowing lines on a host of ultra-modern Mercedes-Benz cars. These include the futuristic VISION EQXX, the high-performance Vision One-Eleven and the Concept CLA Class […]

1 year ago

Toyota Chairman Says Electric Cars Will Never Dominate Global Market

Toyota’s chairman and former CEO, Akio Toyoda, is at it again: providing the public with a dose of reality that electric vehicles will never dominate the global car market. Toyoda, the grandson of the founder of the world’s largest car manufacturer, expressed at a business event this month, as reported by The Telegraph, that EVs will never capture 30% of global market share.  He explained that gasoline-burning vehicles and hybrids, along with hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, will dominate.  Toyoda made the point: How can EVs be the future when a billion people on Earth have no electricity?  Data from Statista shows nearly a billion people in the world are living without electricity. He noted: “Customers—not regulations or politics—should make that decision.”  Over the years, Toyota has openly demonstrated defiance against governments and NGOs pushing for 100% EVs in just a few decades, if not earlier.  In October, Toyoda told reporters at an auto show in Japan that EVs aren’t the silver bullet against the supposed ills of carbon emissions they’re often made out to be. Toyota has a history of being at the forefront of adopting new technologies. However, its slow EV adoption is because of its mistrust of lithium-ion batteries, and it has positioned itself […]

1 year ago

Abu Dhabi Startup’s ‘Made In UAE’ AI-powered Electric Vehicle For Military Operations

The largest edition of the Unmanned Systems (Umex) and Simulation and Training (SimTex) exhibitions is offering glimpses into the UAE’s majestic march into electric mobility for military operations. Kintsugi, the Abu Dhabi-based tech startup, is hogging the limelight on the opening day of the exhibitions with a locally made multi-purpose AI-powered hybrid vehicle named Magnus from its subsidiary Eneron. The ‘Made in UAE’ imposing six-seater 4X4 features an autonomous vehicle stack, six drones, robotics powered by AI, a payload capacity of 2,000 kg, an 805 HP electric motor, a top speed of 130 kmph, a driving range of 200km (electric) to 800km (hybrid), a ground clearance of 350mm, and standing on a massive gross weight of 6,000kg. “Kintsugi is a new but leading UAE government AI company that is finding innovative solutions for the private and public sectors. Magnus is a hybrid vehicle. i.e., electric and petrol. This concept vehicle has been made by our subsidiary Eneron,” Waleed Al Blooshi, corporate communications manager of Kintsugi Holdings, told sources. A command centre on wheels As the fully armoured doors open 90 degrees like a chopper, there are six exoskeleton-crafted seats, with foldable rear ones ensuring massive space for equipment, robots, laptops, radios and […]

1 year ago

In Pictures: World’s First Flying Cars Go Into Mass Production

Recent advances in computing power and fast-paced innovation across the world have resulted in a paradigm shift in how humans travel, and technology has made it possible for the world’s first flying cars to go into mass production. And with this, science fiction has now become a science fact, and the next evolution in transport is here and, most importantly, accessible. With flying cars set to change the way we travel, our lives are about to become immeasurably integrated with futuristic technology. The entity producing Alef’s Model A, a flying car prototype, Alef Aeronautics, says it plans to begin delivering the vehicles to customers by the end of 2025. The California-based tech company says it has been test-driving and flying its prototype vehicles since 2019. Alef’s Model A will cost $300,000 and presales are currently open, so customers can pay just a $150 deposit to get on the waiting list or $1,500 for a “priority” spot on the list. Also, HT Aero said their unnamed flying vehicle is slated to enter mass production by 2024 at a cost of less than $157,000. A new way to fly The result of cutting-edge technologies and years of research and development, a flying […]

1 year ago

Audi Secures Historic Victory at Dakar Rally

Audi made history as, for the first time, a low-emission prototype with an electric drive, high-voltage battery, and energy converter won the world’s toughest desert rally with the Audi RS Q e-tron. The Spaniards Carlos Sainz and Lucas Cruz secured Audi’s first victory in the Dakar Rally after around 7,900 kilometres with a lead of 1 hour, 20 minutes. Mattias Ekström and Emil Bergkvist also crossed the finish line. The Audi RS Q e-tron has electric all-wheel drive, where the energy supply is ensured by a high-voltage battery and an energy converter that runs on residual fuel-based reFuel, thus saving 60 percent of CO2 emissions compared to conventional fuels. At the Dakar Rally, Audi was up against the two brands Toyota and Ford, as well as the experienced opponents from Prodrive, who proved to be tough challengers. Carlos Sainz/Lucas Cruz secured their big lead after having been in the lead without interruption since the sixth stage. For the two Spaniards, who finished first in 2010, 2018, and 2020, this is their fourth success with a different brand, including the second from the Volkswagen Group. However, two-time World Rally Champion Sainz and his experienced co-driver could not be sure until shortly before […]

1 year ago

Saudi: Loeb Wins Final Stage To Secure Dakar Podium For Bahrain Raid Xtreme

Sébastien Loeb rounded off the Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia with another impressive stage victory for Bahrain Raid Xtreme today to secure third place in the event, as Carlos Sainz confirmed his fourth outright win. Loeb and Fabian Lurquin in the BRX Prodrive Hunter recorded their fifth stage success of the rally on the final 175km time trial, which started and finished in Yanbu, and they did it with more than five minutes to spare from Guillaume de Mevius in a Toyota Hilux. The BRX duo just fell short in their attempt to overhaul the Belgian to take what would have been a third successive overall runner up finish on the world’s toughest rally, although their final day display underlined what might have been but for some earlier misfortunes. The result means that Prodrive ended the 46th edition of the Dakar as the most successful manufacturer, with six victories overall for the Hunter, which had given Loeb the same number of stage wins in succession last year to set a record. The nine-time World Rally Champion had given BRX a strong chance of a first overall Dakar triumph before a combination of navigational and mechanical issues, and punctures, took their […]

1 year ago

Saudi Arabia Launches EVIQ Fast-chargers For Electric Vehicles In Riyadh

Saudi Arabia’s Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Company (EVIQ) has announced the commencement of its first fast-charge station operations for electric vehicles in Riyadh city. The station features two high-voltage quick chargers, each with a capacity exceeding 100 KW, allowing up to four electric vehicles to charge simultaneously. The CEO of EVIQ, Mohammad Baker Gazzaz, expressed the company’s determination to install more than 5,000 fast chargers in 1,000 locations across the Kingdom by 2030. EVIQ, a joint venture between the Public Investment Fund (PIF) and the Kingdom’s Electricity Company (SEC), is dedicated to delivering cutting-edge electric vehicle charging technology in a timely manner, Gazzaz added.

© Copyright 2024, Gulf Insider All Rights Reserved   | Terms and Conditions | Privacy Policy