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Added on the 19/04/2017 18:33:36 - Copyright : RT Ruptly EN
The Lotus Emeya hyper-GT completed the final stage of a rigorous global test and development programme in one of the world’s harshest environments.Over the winter, the all-electric grand tourer was in Ivalo, Finland, as Lotus engineers conclude their validation work. Around 250km inside the Arctic Circle, temperatures in recent weeks have been as low as -25 degrees Celsius… and still the team has put the car in a local automotive ‘freezer’ to test it to -40 degrees Celsius.It’s the culmination of a stringent three-year test and development programme across 15 countries in two continents1, supported by Lotus’ global engineering teams. It took place on a variety of terrain and conditions; from the UK's challenging B-roads to the smooth and fast-flowing German autobahn, through the highest Alpine passes and the remoteness of Inner Mongolia. Testing also took place at race tracks such as the Nürburgring Nordschleife and at proving grounds like the high-speed loop near the southern Italian town of Nardò.As well as extreme cold, Emeya also endured conditions as high as 40 degrees Celsius in these environments. Additional in-market testing will take place in the Middle East, United States and Australia ahead of deliveries in these markets.
Voters begin casting their ballots at a polling center in Goma, for the high-risk Democratic Republic of Congo general elections. President Félix Tshisekedi is facing a fragmented opposition, as he vies for a second term. IMAGES
The new generations of Škoda’s Superb and Kodiaq models have successfully passed intensive cold testing in the Arctic Circle. The vehicles’ functions, quality and durability were assessed in temperatures as low as minus 30 degrees Celsius. The main focus of these tests was on driving stability, passenger comfort in icy conditions and overall reliability during long winter journeys. In addition, the vehicles had to withstand the extra weight of ice and snow. With the extreme-cold trials completed, testing of the new models now enters the final phase. The new Superb and the second-generation Kodiaq will have their world premieres in autumn 2023.Intensive test drives in extreme cold conditions are part of the standard programme for new-vehicle development. Škoda Auto regularly conducts such tests in the Arctic Circle, where the fourth-generation Škoda Superb and the second generation of the Kodiaq SUV have now proven that they can cope with any winter challenge. Every part of the test vehicles was scrutinised: chassis, body, engine, heating, and the entire electrical system.To assess the vehicles’ general winter performance, Škoda Auto examines the impact of snow on the bodywork as well as the effects of snow entering the engine compartment and air intakes. All mechanical functions of the vehicle body as well as the electrics must perform flawlessly even at temperatures of minus 25 degrees Celsius, and the engine should start without problems at temperatures close to minus 30 degrees. All doors, the bonnet, and the tailgate as well as the fuel filler cap and the cover of the charging socket on PHEV vehicles must be capable of opening even under such adverse conditions.
Mercedes-Benz tested the latest generation of brake control systems on drives in Arjeplog, Sweden, near the Arctic Circle. For more than 20 years, an official branch of the Sindelfingen plant has existed here: its very own test centre for testing in the most extreme conditions. In addition to the EQE, EQS, EQS SUV and EQE SUV, models of future vehicle generations based on future platforms were also used in the drives across a frozen lake and up the region’s highest mountain.“During the test drives, our team is primarily concerned with safety, efficiency and driving comfort. The development team tunes the brake control systems individually for each model series – and pushes them to their physical limits.”Christoph Böhm, Head of Brake Control Systems, Mercedes-Benz AGOn the way to an all-electric future, the team is working on a new generation of stability control systems. These make use of the properties of the electric drive to precisely control the torque at the wheels. Most drivers will probably never notice how hard their Mercedes-Benz vehicles work to keep them out of dangerous situations – for Böhm and his team, this is the definition of a job well done.
For approaching 60 years, the Porsche 911 has been pushed to extremes on both the track and on the open road. Now, a fresh chapter is being written; a unique pair of experimental 911 sports cars are being tested where there are no roads, where the air is thin, where the temperature is far below freezing and even plant life can’t survive.A team, led by endurance racer and adventurer Romain Dumas, has set out to explore the limits of the 911 and have opted for one of the toughest places on earth in which to begin the adventure – on the sheer slopes of Ojos del Salado, Chile, the highest volcano in the world. The first test of the team and the cars has taken place. And, as a consequence, a Porsche 911 became one of very few vehicles of any kind to have ever reached such an extreme altitude.Exploring up to 6,007 meters (19,708 feet), the 911, with Romain Dumas at the wheel, took on bolder strewn gradients as well as ice fields that tested the abilities of both the car and the team in temperatures hovering 30 degrees Celsius below freezing and with half the available oxygen in the air compared to at sea level. Impassable walls of seasonal snow and ice high up near the summit provided the upper limits of the test, which provided a tantalizing glimpse of what the cars are capable of in the right conditions. For now though, the test is complete – and the team elated by the experience.
U.S. President Barack Obama attends an outdoor arrival ceremony in heavy rain, as the first sitting U.S. president to visit Laos. Rough Cut (no reporter narration).
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