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Audi apprentices put an electric spin on an iconic classic car. The team “awoke” an NSU Prinz 4 from 1971 from its sleep, charging it up with technology from the Audi e-tron EV.

In honor of the 150th anniversary of its Neckarsulm site, Audi put its apprentices to the task of restoring a classic car with an all-electric drive train.

The Audi Neckarsulm site has produced several of the brand’s top-selling models and began building its first fully electric model, the Audi e-tron GT quattro, at the end of 2020. Over the years, Audi has transformed the site for the electric era with upgrades, including AI and 3D printing, to enhance efficiency and high-voltage battery production.

To commemorate the anniversary, “We wanted to build a car that was not only fast and looked cool,” explained Dean Scheuffler, an apprentice at the site. The NSU Prinz 4 was the perfect match, as it’s been off the road for decades.

The team revealed the NSU Prinz 4 EV, now called the Audi “EP4,” at Audi family day this week. The “E” stands for electric drive, while the P4 is in honor of the NSU Prinz 4, a classic car produced in Neckarsulm by NSU Motorenwerke from 1961 to 1963.

Meet the NSU Prinz 4 EV, or Audi EP4

Trainees from the mechatronics, bodywork, vehicle construction mechanics, and painting courses unveiled the restored electric car. As the body and paint specialists worked on the chassis and exterior of the vehicle, the mechanics tackled the powertrain, battery, and suspension.

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Audi NSU Prinz EV (Source: Audi)

Fitted with a 240 hp (176 kW) electric motor from a 2020 Audi e-tron at the rear, the EV is eight times more powerful than the NSU Prinz 4’s original two-cylinder gas engine that had 30 hp.

In addition, the team placed a battery from the Audi Q7 TFSI e-quattro plug-in hybrid under the front hood, once home to the fuel tank. The EV “breathes” through an open-air intake at the bottom bumper, while heat can escape through the opening in the hood.

The electric classic car’s tailgate can be fixed into a half-open position to highlight the “electric power plan,” reminiscent of the iconic racing cars based on the NSU Prinz 1000.

The NSU Prinz 4 EV conversion took significant modifications to the chassis and body. Its modified floor plan includes an Audi A1 as a base, including the brakes and axles. Adding muscular fenders from a 3D printer, the team mounted the modified (and significantly widened) body on top.

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Audi NSU Prinz EV (Source: Audi)

Apprentice auto painter Cynthia Huster explained, “The eye travels with you! We wanted the EP4’s performance to be visible from every angle.”

The inside has been stripped down to the bare essentials, with all other surfaces painted black, common among racing cars. A single-board computer and screen feature the instruments and displays.

Audi says NSU vehicles made history and continue inspiring car enthusiasts to this day. The automaker claimed, “With its charm and electric drivetrain, the EP4 stirs anticipation for the coming all-electric chapters in the continuing story of Audi’s Neckarsulm site.”

The project gave the apprentices a chance to learn more about how electric cars work and the development process while allowing them to showcase their talent.

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Coterra shifts its view on oil, again. Here are our 3 takeaways as investors in the stock

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Coterra shifts its view on oil, again. Here are our 3 takeaways as investors in the stock

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Solid-state EV batteries with +1,800 miles range? It sounds too good to be true

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Solid-state EV batteries with +1,800 miles range? It sounds too good to be true

Another company claims to have solid-state EV batteries in the works that will unlock well over 1,000 miles (3,000 km) of range and fast charging in just five minutes. And it’s not BYD this time. Is it too good to be true?

Can solid-state EV batteries unlock +1,000 miles range?

Last week, a local report surfaced, claiming BYD was already testing solid-state batteries in its Tesla Model 3-rivalling Seal sedan.

BYD addressed the rumors in a statement released on Monday (via CLS), saying, “Currently it is unknown, and the first model and parameters are not officially reported.”

In a new patent, discovered by CarNewsChina, Chinese tech giant Huawei filed for a sulfide-based all-solid-state battery. The new battery reportedly unlocks a driving range of up to 3,000 km, or over 1,800 miles, and supports ultra-fast charging in just five minutes.

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Is it really possible, though? To put that into perspective, the current longest-range electric vehicle you can buy, the 2025 Lucid Air Grand Touring, is rated with a WLTP driving range of up to 839 km (521 miles).

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Lucid Air electric sedan (Source: Lucid)

On the EPA scale, Lucid’s electric sedan is rated for a driving range of up to 512 miles and features fast charging (up to 200 miles) in 12 minutes.

That would mean Huawei’s new battery would unlock over three times the driving range while cutting charging times by over half. It would also have energy density that’s two to three times higher, between 400 and 500 kWh.

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BMW i7 equipped with all-solid-state EV battery cells from Solid Power (Source: BMW Group)

According to industry experts in Korea, the claims might be too good to be true. Yang Min-ho, professor of energy engineering at Dankook University, explained that “Even the most advanced lithium-ion batteries, which generally have higher capacity than solid-state prototypes, fall far short of that kind of range.”

Yang said that “Such performance might be possible in lab conditions,” adding “but real-world factors like energy loss and thermal management make mass production extremely difficult.”

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Mercedes EQS modified with a solid-state battery (Source: Mercedes-Benz)

The patent describes a new approach, doping sulfide electrolytes with nitrogen, to improve stability. According to a researcher for one of Korea’s major battery makers, the nitrogen doping approach is “a standard technique with limited scalability.”

“While nitrogen doping can help with interface stability, it’s usually done under vacuum and with great precision,” the researcher pointed out, adding “It’s not something you can scale for commercial production without major cost and time penalties.” They described it as “like trying to sprinkle pepper on a sandwich using tweezers.”

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BYD Seal test drive in Mexico (Source: BYD)

Although it sounds promising, Huawei’s patent needs additional third-party validation or other data to suggest it’s production-ready. “That’s the nature of patents. They grant rights, not credibility.”

According to the researcher, Korean battery giants, LG Energy, Samsung SDI, and SK On, don’t seem too worried. “We monitor developments in China closely, but this doesn’t look like a game-changer yet,” they said.

Samsung SDI has already sent solid-state battery samples to clients and aims to begin mass production by 2027: LG Energy and SK On both plan to introduce solid-state battery tech by 2030.

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(Source: Stellantis)

Are solid-state EV batteries capable of delivering ultra-long driving range as promised? It may, but it could be a few years before it hits the market. As Yang said, “Battery science doesn’t move in leaps. It moves in increments, and those increments take years to scale.”

Meanwhile, several automakers and others are also advancing solid-state EV batteries, promising longer driving range and faster charging.

Mercedes-Benz announced it had tested “the first car powered by a lithium-metal solid-state battery on the road” with Factorial Energy earlier this year using a modified EQS. Last month, BMW completed its first on-road tests using Solid Power’s all-solid-state battery (ASSB) cells. CATL, Stellantis, Nissan, Volkswagen, and Nissan have also announced plans to launch EVs with solid-state batteries in the next few years.

Will the “holy grail” of EV batteries live up to its hype? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Source: The Korea Herald

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HappyRun G300 Pro review: It’s an electric motorcycle with pedals and I’ve got some thoughts

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HappyRun G300 Pro review: It's an electric motorcycle with pedals and I've got some thoughts

The HappyRun G300 Pro is the epitome of an out-of-class electric bike. That is to say, it has many of the components of an electric bicycle, key among them the functional pedals, but its extremely high power and speed place it well outside the limits of traditional e-bike classifications. The result? Basically, an electric motorcycle with pedals. And I’ve got some thoughts about that.

But before I dive into those, this is one of those rides that you’ll want to see in action. Check out my review video below. Then keep reading for the full details.

HappyRun G300 Pro Video Review

HappyRun G300 Pro Tech Specs

  • Motor: 3,000W continuous and 6,500W peak-rated rear hub motor
  • Top speed: Up to 50 mph (80 km/h)
  • Range: Claimed up to 70 miles (121 km)
  • Battery: 72V 30Ah (2,160 Wh)
  • Weight: Heavy (well off the scale on my 100 lb scale)
  • Brakes: Quad-piston DYISLAND hydraulic disc brakes
  • Front suspension: inverted front fork
  • Rear suspension: “Yopi Box” rear spring suspension
  • Extras: Looks like a Sur Ron or Talaria-style bike, color LED display, included fenders, LED headlight and tail light with turn signals, very nice kickstand, two color options available.

What is this even for?

Despite looking like a bicycle in some regards, I definitely felt wrong using this in the bike lane. That meant for 95% of my road riding, I was simply in the lane like a motorbike. The only times I would use the bike lane were when I could see it was completely empty, and it was basically just a shortcut past the stopped traffic at red lights. And even then, it just didn’t sit right with me. I’m an e-biker and I live a car free life, so the safety of bike lanes is an important issue for me. I’m not going to jeopardize other riders or even make them feel unsafe in the tiny little sliver of asphalt that is supposed to feel like home for us, and so I ride this thing in the road when I’m on the road.

That being said, I don’t even think the road is the right place for this bike. Where it really shines is off-road. Between the long travel suspension, the enduro-style seat, and the unnecessarily high power for commuting purposes, the HappyRun G300 Pro is at home in the dirt and on the trails. In fact, I even enjoyed overlanding on it, going places where trails couldn’t take me. It felt like a great exploring-the-outdoors type of ride!

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If you watch my video above, you’ll see that this type of riding, recreational and exploring, is where the HappyRun G300 Pro really came into its own, and I think that’s precisely where it belongs. Just like how Sur Rons and Talarias shouldn’t really be taking over the streets, but instead should stick to the dirt trails they excel at, this is a great bike for that purpose. You’ll also notice in the video that I prefer to wear my motorcycle gear when I ride these types of bikes, and I’d make that recommendation to anyone else. A t-shirt and a bike helmet just don’t feel like enough here.

With that in mind, the included bicycle pedals start to seem superfluous though, and I really only pedaled at slow speeds, or when ghost pedaling because a cop was in the area and I didn’t want to get a bike impounded before I was even done reviewing it. So if you ask me, it doesn’t really need the pedals, and it doesn’t even really need the roads.

What about the build?

The HappyRun G300 Pro is an interesting mix of quality parts and merely acceptable parts. Nothing about it seemed terrible or dangerous, and a few components like the Sur Ron kickstand actually impressed me. But then the use of a bicycle-level handlebar stem and budget-level shocks seems to undercut that message.

On the other hand, the massive 72V 30Ah battery is huge and likely more than most people would need. I’d have preferred to see it being UL-listed, but I guess at least it claims to be underwritten by some Chinese insurance agency. I guess that’s better than nothing?

The geometry actually kind of sticks the landing, at least for me and my 170 cm (5’7″) height. The saddle is plenty comfortable, though my off-roading had me out of the saddle much of the time anyway and letting my legs join the full-suspension to better absorb the terrain.

What’s my verdict?

Here’s the thing: nothing about this bike is top shelf, but it still offers an incredibly fun, solid feeling ride. The power is more than most people need, the speed is faster than most people should ride (especially on trails), and the battery has more capacity than most people would require. So it’s not like they’re cutting corners on performance.

Some components could have been beefed up, and the decision to lean more towards bicycle-level components does make me question what a few years of hard off-road riding could do to this bike. But when used correctly, in an area where the bike is meant to be used (i.e., not where it legally isn’t allowed to be ridden), then it seems to fulfill the role of a fun adventure-style bike. At a price of $2,599 (or $100 off with the code ELECTREK), it significantly undercuts the cost of a Sur Ron or Talaria bike while giving a similar type of ride, even if the components don’t live up to the level of those costlier light electric dirt bikes.

My biggest worry, though, isn’t about the bike, but rather the potential for it to be misused. Look, it’s a fun ride and offered me more performance than I needed for all the different types of riding I tested it with. But like any bike, it has to be used in its element. We don’t blame the hammer if someone hits their thumb while driving a nail, and we shouldn’t blame the bike if someone wraps it around a parking meter. But it also really shouldn’t be used in that kind of environment, and it definitely shouldn’t be used in a way that could put others at risk.

It’s a fun ride for exploring, but this level of power requires some serious personal responsibility. If you’re a parent wondering if you should get this for your 16-year-old, the answer is probably “No.” But if you’ve got a fully developed prefrontal cortex and you want a fast and powerful ride without breaking the bank, this might be a decent option.

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