Every important car news story breaking today, in one convenient read
Thanks for joining us this Tuesday 13 August 2024. Notably in car news today: Nissan Australia announces a limited blacked-out edition of its Navara ute, and MG Motors announces it will build a production facility in Mexico, following in BYD’s footsteps.
Nissan Australia has announced a new Black Edition variant of its Navara range, but the special edition will be limited to just 400 examples.
Priced at $59,990 driveaway, the Black Edition is available on the ST trim level of the Navara.
Nissan says the Navara Black Edition will be limited to 400 variants
The special edition adds 17-inch gloss black alloy wheels, Yokohama Geolander all-terrain tyres, black sports bar, black door handles, black mirror caps and matte black front grille surrounds.
Nissan will also offer optional HSP accessories, including an electric roll top cover and central locking for the rear tailgate for a combined price of $60,490 driveaway.
The Nissan Navara Black Edition will arrive in Australia in early September, 2024.
MG Motors to build factory and R&D centre in Mexico
MG Motors has confirmed it will build a production facility in Mexico, following closely behind rival automaker BYD.
It’s part of MG’s global expansion to multiple markets. The brand already has factories in China, India and Thailand, but hopes to now serve the Latin American and Caribbean market.
MG has confirmed production expansion into Mexico
However, MG did not mention importing cars to the US market, although it did mention in a statement that its luxury sister brand, IM Motors, is also set to launch in South America soon.
In May, US president Joe Biden rolled out hefty tariffs for Chinese electric cars, which has likely prompted Chinese automakers to build cars elsewhere.
Automotive News Europe has reported that Elon Musk has put a hold on building a Tesla Mexico factory, as he waits to see if heavy tariffs on EVs made in Mexico are put into place if Donald Trump wins the upcoming presidential election.
The world is getting closer to solid state battery tech… but there’s a catch
Solid state battery technology is getting closer to being reality, but we might not see the technology in the mass market until at least 2030.
According to reports from Automotive News, a battery research scientist has said that while automakers have made solid state batteries work on a small scale, achieving larger capacities for cars is a challenge in itself.
Toyota, BMW and Nissan are some of the companies working on the tech in the hope of providing more energy density, smaller packaging, fast charging and greater safety than what lithium-ion batteries are capable of.
BMW is one of several manufacturers working on solid state battery technology
Solid state batteries work with a solid electrolyte, rather than a liquid electrolyte as found in a lithium-ion battery.
It’s unclear yet whether solid state can achieve similar pricing as lithium batteries when it debuts, but these things take time. For reference, according to research, the price of lithium-ion batteries has declined by 97 percent since 1991. One kilowatt hour battery cost $7500 in 1991 – in 2018 the same capacity cost $181.
McLaren looking at lifestyle SUV to stay profitable: report
McLaren is heavily considering an SUV to rival the likes of the Lamborghini Urus, the Ferrari Purosangue and even models like the BMW XM.
In an interview with Automotive News, McLaren’s chief executive officer Michael Leiters said that “we should extend our product lineup to something more lifestyle oriented. That could be an SUV or a 2+2”.
While it is synonymous with supercars, McLaren is considering an SUV model
Leiters also said that McLaren is looking for a suitable partner, but only one who has “a true interest in McLaren and our technologies, for example, our expertise in aerodynamics or carbon fibre … I’m open to share that with them in another segment (such as an SUV)”.
Michael Leiters also made mention of the possibility of a partnership in China – “There is no real limit… what the Chinese industry has done in the last five years is really impressive”.
But McLaren wants to still stay true to its roots. “Whatever we will do, it will remain a true McLaren product”.
Nissan Z Nismo reviewed
Chasing Cars contributor Dylan Campbell’s review of the 2024 Nissan Z Nismo was published, including his findings after driving and experiencing Nissan’s hottest version of its Z sports coupe.
Contributor Campbell found that the Nismo had old-school rear-wheel drive charm, friendly handling, and features meaningful changes, rather than just a sticker pack.
However, some points Campbell suggested for improvement included that the interior is already showing its age in place, the lack of a manual Nismo version and no wireless phone mirroring.
Campbell concluded his review by recommending the Nismo, even at $18,200 more than a base Z coupe, largely for its charm, head-turning presence and fun-to-drive characteristics.
