Tesla and competitors race to dominate luxury car market: originally published in The Tartan

The Jaguar I-Pace at the 2017 New York City ePrix

     For a company founded 14 years ago and having only been making a true production vehicle since 2012, Tesla is doing quite well. But the established automakers, and particularly the German luxury giants, are not happy to see a new player joining their ranks. Over the past couple of years, companies like BMW, Mercedes, and Porsche have been announcing their intentions to introduce a luxury electric vehicle to battle the Tesla Model S or Model X, showing off flashy quasi-SUV concepts with electric powertrains and allegedly impressive specifications. The dominant carmakers were caught a bit off guard by the success of Model S, which is now more than five years old, and so their production models aren’t due to hit the streets until next year. However, through concepts and leaked information, Tesla should have a pretty good idea of what type of competition to expect. 

     Most luxury companies initially stated plans for slinky four-door “coupes” like the Model S, but the relative success of the Model X SUV and the general market trend towards crossovers have changed several automakers’ minds. Audi’s e-tron quattro and e-tron Sportback concepts preview an electric SUV rumored to debut within the next year. If the concepts are any indication, the SUV with use three electric motors (one on the front axle, two on the rear) that would propel the Audi to 60 mph in the mid-four seconds with a battery range of more than 300 miles. Jaguar is also prepping an SUV due next year, the I-Pace. The bodywork of the stunning concept is supposedly quite close to the production version, and with one electric motor at the front and one at the rear, the Jaguar matches the Audi’s acceleration figures. 

     BMW has taken a slightly different route. BMW has created a sub-brand, trendily dubbed “i,” and has already put two electric models into production, the i3 and the i8. The i3, a quirky little hatchback, has had relative success globally, while the futuristic and gorgeous i8 sports car has sold in small numbers. While the fate of these two models is undetermined, BMW has previewed a future “i” car, to be called the i5, with its i Vision Dynamics Concept. While this concept is a sedan, rumors also suggest a car called the iNext, which may be a codename for the i5 or a separate SUV model. 

     Mercedes is following in the footsteps of its Bavarian competitor, announcing its “EQ” electric sub-brand with the Generation EQ Concept two years ago. This concept, which had a two electric motor setup and scalable battery parts for different amounts of power, hinted at a midsize SUV that is due out next year. The EQA Concept, on the other hand, will be a swanky little hatchback when it comes out in 2020. With the same setup as the SUV, it will get less power but still be able to do the 60 mph sprint in 5 seconds and have a range of up to 400 miles. 

     Sports car connoisseurs Porsche have even jumped on the bandwagon, with its achingly beautiful Mission E Concept. Expected to arrive next year, the Mission E promises to maintain the classic Porsche look while delivering over 600 horsepower, 60 mph in less than 3.5 second, and a range of approximately 500 miles. The Mission E is also rumored to be a true performance car, and might spawn an SUV variant not long after. 

     A recent entry is Polestar—formerly Volvo’s performance arm, Polestar is now a separate electric sports car brand. Their first vehicle, the “1,” will actually be a hybrid coupe based on the handsome Volvo Concept Coupe, and will begin production in mid-2019. With financial backing from Chinese car giant Geely and track-car know-how from Lotus (who Geely also acquired), the Polestar brand looks to have a bright future. 

     While all of these automakers rush to bring their electric cars to market, Tesla is continuing to expand. Along with the Model S and Model X, a smaller sedan called the Model 3 is ramping up production now, a new Roadster supercar is coming in 2020 and a semi-truck arrives sometime before that. There are also rumors of a pickup truck, a passenger van, and a small SUV in the pipeline. The established carmakers are going to have to work even faster if they want to catch Tesla. 

**This story was originally published in The Tartan: http://thetartan.org/2018/2/26/scitech/teslacompetitors**

Reveal: Bollinger B1

The electric revolution is underway. Tesla's meteoric rise has sent established automakers scrambling to revamp their lineups and start-ups are materializing left and right. Most new EVs have fallen into two categories: sleek, luxurious spaceships like the Tesla Model X, or awkward but aerodynamic hatchbacks like the Nissan Leaf. The world's first electric sports utility truck, the Bollinger B1, bucks these trends. Unveiled July 27th at the Classic Car Club in Manhattan, the B1 is a work truck for the future and doesn't pretend to be anything else. With a simple but purposeful design and promising specifications, the B1 should be a hit if it manages to reach production.

The idea for an electric utility truck came to Robert Bollinger, a former advertising executive who had studied design at Carnegie Mellon, after he started a cattle farm in upstate New York. He decided he wanted a truck that could handle farming jobs and all-terrain trekking while also being able to comfortably drive around town and not burn any gas.

Bollinger designer Ross Compton stated that the B1's "ethos is simplicity," and this is immediately visible in the exterior design. The boxy, minimalist body reveals the B1's back-to-basics approach--as Compton affirmed, this is a work truck that "is meant to be used." The designer admitted to benchmarking competitors, and you can spot hints of other off-roaders: the front fascia features Land Rover Defender cues, while the stance is reminiscent of the 2004 Ford Bronco Concept. However, it doesn't feel like Bollinger is stealing these design elements, rather the design is paying homage and repurposing them for the EV era.

One of the most interesting pieces of the exterior design is the space where the grille normally resides; instead there is a metal door that folds down to open the frunk (front trunk). This is one of the few indicators of the B1's powertrain, but the grille-less front fascia doesn't look as odd as other EV's, since the hatch is flanked by two menacing cooling vents. Below sits a jet black bumper carrying tow hooks and a winch, announcing the trucks utilitarian intentions. As a fledgling company, the Bollinger team had many limitations to work around, and one was that the headlight shape had to be kept simple. According to Compton, there was debate over round versus square units, but eventually they landed on round LEDs, which lends the front end a classic mien.

Founder and CEO, Robert Bollinger, with the B1

This retro look is continued throughout the rest of the B1. Exposed rivets give off an industrial, handmade aura, while the relatively thin roof pillars harken back to the first generation Ford Bronco. Along the side, the visible door hinges, large rectangular vent, and knobby off-road tires look gritty and industrial. Out back, the minimalist design language is continued with understated round taillights and straight-edged proportions.

While the design is simple, the combination of tough and classic elements, along with the sinister matte grey and black paint job, creates a badass look: when the prototype emerged from a cloud of smoke at the reveal, it struck me as the perfect ride for a Bond movie villain.

The interior continues the design themes of the exterior: it is pared back but luxurious, similar to retro-modern feel of the Icon-modified Broncos. The dashboard is brushed metal, and unlike nearly every modern car, it is devoid of a touchscreen. Instead, four analog gauges sit behind the steering wheel (including one for the amount of electrical charge) and a round chrome radio sits alone in the center of the dash.

The pass-through tunnel runs the length of the car, and allows
long objects to be loaded easily.

The rear seats fold up to increase trunk space.

The seats are black leather and the inside of the door simply features a handle--opening the window is a manual operation. However, the best feature of the cabin is the full-length storage space. A small pass-through door from the frunk to the cockpit allows long objects that stretch the length of the car, like wood planks, to be easily loaded and transported. Furthermore, the rear seats easily fold up and to the side, increasing the already vast trunk space. Inside, the B1 sticks to its intent as a utility truck, with a minimal but upscale-feeling interior that maximizes usable space. Another helpful feature is the ability to transition the B1 into a two-seat pickup by removing the roof panels and side glass and sliding the C-pillar forward.

With a handsome, retro exterior and a clean, simple interior, the last piece of the puzzle is performance. The Bollinger B1, according to the company, is going to be more than capable enough for day-to-day farm or construction work and cruising around town. The electric powertrain combined with all wheel drive produces 360 hp and 472 lb-ft of torque, which will propel the B1 to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds and to a top speed of 127 mph. Two battery sizes are available, 60 or 100 kWh, which provide 120 and 200 miles of range respectively. The performance stats best those of other off-road SUVs and pickups, while the range is similar to other electric cars. The B1 also boasts 6100 lbs of towing capacity and 6100 lbs of payload capacity--more than the Jeep Wrangler and on par with midsize trucks like the Chevy Colorado. According to engineer Dan Aliberti, who owns a Wrangler as his daily driver, the B1 has a "relatively smooth ride because of the hydro-pneumatic suspension" while managing to be "more capable than a stock Wrangler."  Should these preliminary specifications translate to the final production version, the Bollinger B1 will prove to be an extremely competent workhorse.

Bollinger is currently working to secure a production partner and hope to have the B1 on sale in 2019. While cost is still unknown, the impressive numbers, simple construction, and attractive exterior should draw in customers looking for a work truck to putt around the construction site or farm in. Hopefully we will begin to see the B1 on roads in just a few years time.

Grades
Front: A
Back: A
Interior: A
Overall: A

Comuta-Car

1981 Comuta-car at LeMay-America's Car Museum in Tacoma, Washington

Until 2011, this tin can surprisingly held the record for the most road-legal electric cars sold in post-war U.S. with 4,444 units shifted. Known as the CitiCar, and later the Comuta-Car when the design was purchased by Commuter Vehicles in 1979, this trapezoidal hatchback was powered by a measly electric motor that had a decent range of 40 miles. This alternative powertrain was provoked by the 1973 oil crisis, when gas prices surged and many stations experienced fuel droughts due to an embargo by the member countries of the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries. While the Comuta-Car's historical significance is intriguing, its design, especially those of the early 1980's models seen here, is overwhelmingly repulsive.

1981 Comuta-car at LeMay-America's Car Museum in Tacoma, Washington

The poor exterior begins simply with the basic shape, which appears to have been designed with a ruler. The hood and windshield angle backwards away from the protruding bumper at a straight incline, before meeting the flat near-square roof. This almost vertically extends downwards out the back and sides, essentially creating a metal box. However, there have been attractive box design before like the spunky, and relatively popular, first generation Scion xB (R.I.P. 2003-2016) and the Nissan Cube. Yet the Comuta-Car's few exterior doodads just make it an even more hideous beast.

The most glaring offenders are the oversized bumpers. These massive plastic appendages hang off either end of the car and were added to meet more stringent safety regulations. (Further safety requirements would prove to be the demise of the small company.) While all U.S. market cars between 1973 and 1982 suffered from these bulbous bumpers, they look significantly larger, and therefore worse, on the Comuta-Car because it is so short to begin with.

Moving back, the hood features one of the other prominent design flaws. Rising out of the flat bonnet is a rectangular bulge, which does not appear to be functional. This protrusion is a pointless, odd-looking, and not very aerodynamic addition, disrupting what would have otherwise been a smooth hood. The roof, which appears to be vinyl, is also unattractive, making the car look cheaper. Vinyl roofs are also very prone to sun damage and tend to fade, crack, and peel.

1980 Comuta-car at The Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan

The bumpers, hood bulge, and vinyl roof all make the Comuta-car look insanely cheap, but what puts the bolt in the coffin are the visible bolts holding the car together. If you look along the sides of the hood and down the rear of the car, you can see where the different metal sheets were fastened together, which makes the car look unsafe, as if it's all about to fall apart into hundreds of little pieces. The car's one saving grace is the wacky paintjob, while consists of very '70s stripes and the lowercase word "electric." Other than these laughable but cool decals, the Comuta-car is a truly ugly car, even when compared to the myriad of unattractive cars from the design dark ages that were the late 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s.

Grade
Front: F
Rear: F
Overall: F

Renault Twizy (Technic Trim)

       For months I had marveled over the Renault Twizy in Top Gear, hoping that someday I would get to see this quirky French design in person. So when, on my recent trip to Spain, I saw a Twizy on the street, I was just as excited as I would be seeing a Lamborghini Gallardo or Ferrari 458.
      The Twizy lived up to the hype. It is a very skinny vehicle at about 4 feet wide, and in Europe it is legally classified, not as a car, but as a heavy quadricycle. The "car" seats two people surprisingly, if the second person is willing to squish in in a tandem position behind the driver. Oh, and those doors--they're optional (and cost extra). The driver and passenger sit in a sort of cage that is perched on top of a small base which is fitted onto the chassis and wheels. The bare wheel axles protrude from the plastic base piece, and lead to tiny 13 inch alloy wheels, which sport a clean looking three triangle design. The black base features an indented  Z.E. logo (which is Renault for electric vehicle) and two small orange turning indicators. Normally I dislike large pieces of plastic on cars (for example, the Honda Element), but it doesn't look too ugly on the Twizy. Onto the main body of the Twizy, the capsule has two circular headlights sandwiching a shiny blue Renault logo, all of which is set back about half an inch in to the body of the car. The vehicle features a contrasting white bit that runs around the side windows and the doors, almost coming full circle, and this reminds me of the design of the Smart Fortwo, which features a similar piece. The doors have a relatively skinny black glass and plastic rectangular piece just below the side windows (which are made of plastic), which holds the sideview mirrors. Below this is a large black piece that finishes off the rest of the door.
      Around back the Renault has a long, singular rounded taillight, that is placed in its own little indented area, and this creates a simplistic yet futuristic look. The rear of the Twizy is considerably skinnier than the front, and this gives the car a more streamlined look, and helps with aerodynamics and therefore boosts efficiency. The base, like the front, has two small orange turning indicators, but also features two more lights, possibly brake indicators, in little pockets on either side of the license plate.
     The Twizy is the perfect mix of quirky and simple design.


Grade
Front: A-
Back: A
Overall: A

2013 US Open

I was sitting in the front seat of a 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA45 AMG, pushing buttons and stroking leather armrests when I felt a raindrop fall through the open sunroof. As the rain began pouring down, the Mercedes-Benz representative closed up the skylight and the stand. But the hours during the rain delay allowed me to explore some of the interiors of the other cars on display at the 2013 US Open.

2014 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG
      Stepping into the E63 felt like I was stepping into a work of art. The cabin was almost completely covered in Black Nappa leather, which felt extremely soft and of the highest quality. Sitting inside it, wrapped up in the smooth seats, I felt very disconnected from the world outside the car, as if I were in a cocoon of luxury. The sophisticated interior was accented with chrome pieces and Burl Walnut Wood.
      The center console was adequate, but it was finished in a piano black surface, which may look fancy but smudges easily. Worse, the analog clock sandwiched in between the air conditioner vents was cheap and flimsy looking.  One detail that I particularly enjoyed was the AMG seal stamped onto the gearshift. I also had fun playing with the center compartment, which had two doors that swung open at the push of a button. It was overall a very luxurious and beautiful interior, and my only real issue was a cheap clock.



2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA45 AMG
     After bathing in the expensive leathers of the approximately $90,000 E63, the $56, 000 CLA45 felt considerably less luxurious. There were more plastics throughout the cabin, and the leather surfaces weren't as upscale feeling. The very pretty dashboard looked like it had been blown into its current shape, except I thought the placement of the screen, sticking up on top, was weird because it couldn't be folded down when not in use, which took away from the aerodynamic appeal of the dash. One detail that I really thought was a nice touch were the air conditioning vents, three of them, right below the screen in the center console. The four separators reminded me of airplane propellers, and I'm a big fan of airplane design elements appearing in cars. I also loved the rectangular hole that separates the headrest from the front seat, because I felt like it kept the theme of flowing air that is emphasized in the dash. In the backseat, the cup holders sprung out of the fold down center area with the push of a button. While it wasn't as nice as the more expensive E63, I thought it was overall a very beautiful design and a good interior for the money.

2013 Smart Fortwo Brabus Tailored
    Since Samrt is owned by DaimlerAG, who also owns Mercedes-Benz, therefore a Smart stand is present at the US Open, showing off the not-so-new Smart Fortwo. The first Smart car I sat in was the Smart Fortwo Brabus Tailored, which is designed in collaboration with Brabus, an aftermarket tuning company. This was probably the best-looking Smart interior I've ever been in, and the light brown pleated leather looked very nice. There were, however, a few issues I had. The first and foremost was how disproportionate the leather was placed throughout the cabin. The seats and doors are swathed in the stuff, while there is practically none on the dashboard. Also the cheap black plastic on the dash didn't contrast well with the rest of the car, making it seem as if the designers were too lazy to think of a unique dashboard. Also, I felt that while the interior was very unique, the exterior looked pretty much like every other Smart Fortwo,  which took away from the special feel of the car. Another small quip I had was the storage flap on the bottom of the door (it is mostly blocked by the seat in the photo), which felt very cheap and flimsy and incapable of holding much. While the Smart Fortwo Brabus Tailored's interior is unique, an unfinished dashboard and a boring exterior make it feel cheaper and more ordinary.




2013 Smart Fortwo Electric Drive
     The final car I sampled was the Fortwo Electric Drive, an EV version of the well-known Smart car. On the exterior, the vibrant green paint nicely contrasted the white body paint, but when I stepped inside, I immediately noticed something horribly wrong. While Smart did a nice job using green, commonly associated with EVs, on the outside, the designers had seemed to have forgotten about  the interior. Except around the gauges, green was absent from the cabin; the black interior instead being contrasted with an ugly, cheap, and boring silver plastic. If the bright green had been put on the steering wheel
 , door handles, around the radio, and instead of all the silver bits, it would have enhanced the Electric Drive's interior greatly. If this had been done, I would have really enjoyed the Smart Fortwo Electric Drive, and might have spent more than three minutes in it. (Side note: While not a bad thing, the gauges reminded me of those on the Mini Cooper Hardtop).