Show #1333
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Good morning, good afternoon and good evening wherever you are in the world, welcome to EV News Daily for Friday 7th January. It’s Martyn Lee here and I go through every EV story so you don’t have to.
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VW POISED TO UNVEIL RETRO-MICROBUS EV IN MARCH
– Volkswagen Group plans to unveil the ID Buzz, an electric iteration of its iconic hippie-era microbus, on March 9. CEO Herbert Diess announced the date Thursday in a Twitter post that sketched out the contours of the new design, which draws on the lines of the original model.
– VW’s original microbus — the colorful, bread loaf-shaped van that was a regular sight in the 1960s at music festivals including Woodstock — has a dedicated fan following.
Original Source : https://europe.autonews.com/cars-concepts/vw-poised-unveil-retro-microbus-ev-march
VOLKSWAGEN TO PREMIERE RETRO ID BUZZ EV ON 9 MARCH
– The model is planned for UK sale during the latter half of 2022 and will become Volkswagen’s fourth dedicated electric model, following the ID 3, ID 4 and newly unveiled ID 5.
– It will also be the first ID model to be offered both as a passenger vehicle and a commercial vehicle, with production planned to take place at VW’s commercial vehicle plant in Hannover, Germany from early this year.
– Based on Volkswagen’s MEB electric vehicle platform, the new MPV will be offered in both standard- and long-wheelbase guises
– The production ID Buzz adopts a squarer shape than the earlier concept in a move that, Volkswagen officials have told Autocar, is aimed at providing it with maximum interior space.
– As with the Microbus, the production version of the ID Buzz adopts two conventional front-hinged doors at the front as well as two parallel sliding doors at the rear.
Original Source : https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/electric-cars/volkswagen-premiere-retro-id-buzz-ev-9-march
US: TOYOTA SOLD OVER 52,000 PLUG-IN CARS IN 2021
– In 2021, Toyota offered two plug-in hybrids: the Toyota Prius Prime and Toyota RAV4 Prime, while Lexus launched the all-new Lexus NX 450h+ in December (18 units). The total Toyota brand volume was: Q4: 10,376 (up 76%) at 2.5% share 2021: 52,749 (up 195%) at 2.6% share
– The Toyota RAV4 Prime noted a relatively strong Q4 with 7,741 units and a total of 27,703 units in 2021.
– The aging Toyota Prius Prime (the 2nd model evolution after the original Prius PHEV) noted 2,635 units in Q4 (down 29% year-over-year). However, the year 2021 was the second-best year for the plug-in hybrid Prius.
Original Source : https://insideevs.com/news/558967/us-toyota-plugin-sales-2021/
– The incentive has a limit of 200,000 units per manufacturer, which was reached in 2018 by Tesla and shortly thereafter by General Motors. Reaching the limit triggers the phase out of the incentive, over the following six quarters. Tesla lost its eligibility for the federal tax credit with the end of 2019, while GM lost it on April 1, 2020.
– Recently, Lexus started sales of the plug-in hybrid Lexus NX 450h+ (18 units in December), which, as far as we know, adds to the Toyota counter, marginally increasing the total.
– It means that those who are waiting for the launch of the Toyota bZ4X in mid-2022 will be only shortly supported by the full incentive.
– That should make the Subaru Solterra noticeably more attractive, as it’s basically the same car, but eligible for the incentive.
Original Source : https://insideevs.com/news/558975/toyota-federal-tax-credits-190000/
VIETNAM CAR MAKER VINFAST TO BUILD US BATTERY FACTORY AS IT GOES ALL-ELECTRIC
– Vietnam’s VinFast plans to build electric vehicle battery cells and packs in a new U.S. manufacturing complex, its global chief executive told Reuters, as the company pledged to transform itself into an all-electric automaker by the end of this year.
– VinFast, part of Vingroup JSC, the largest conglomerate in the country, became the country’s first full-fledged domestic car maker when gasoline-powered models built under its own badge hit the streets in 2019.
– The company, which began selling electric vehicles (EVs) in Vietnam at the end of 2021, said in a statement on Thursday it planned to become what it said would be the first car company to cease making gasoline-powered cars and transition to all-electric vehicle production from late 2022.
– VinFast will initially assemble battery packs with cells sourced from its supplier at its U.S. complex before starting its own production there.
– The company is looking to initially produce 100,000 battery packs per year, with $174 million in investment, and then upgrade capacity to one million.
– The company said that on Thursday it was seeking to establish an EV plant in Germany.
Original Source : https://e.vnexpress.net/news/business/vietnam-car-maker-vinfast-to-build-us-battery-factory-as-it-goes-all-electric-4413250.html
GM UNVEILS NEW SELF-DRIVING CADILLAC CONCEPT VEHICLE
– General Motors unveiled a new personal self-driving electric concept car from GM’s luxury brand Cadillac on Wednesday during the CES technology show.
– GM CEO Mary Barra, during a keynote address, also revealed that GM and its majority-owned subsidiary Cruise plan to offer a personal autonomous electric vehicle to consumers as soon as mid-decade.
– GM’s time frame for personal autonomous vehicles may seem aggressive given setbacks in the development of self-driving vehicles in recent years. Cruise was initially supposed to commercialize an autonomous ride-hailing fleet in San Francisco in 2019 but indefinitely delayed those plans to conduct further testing and acquire needed permits.
Original Source : https://www.cnbc.com/2022/01/05/gm-ceo-mary-barra-unveils-new-self-driving-cadillac-concept-vehicle.html
RESIDENTIAL PARKING OPTIONS AND ACCESS TO ELECTRICITY WILL IMPACT ELECTRIC VEHICLE ADOPTION
– Access to charging infrastructure is one of the biggest barriers to plug-in vehicle adoption. In an online survey conducted in May of 2020, respondents provided information on their household parking options, existing electrical access, and potential electrical access.
– Parking for single-family detached housing (SFH Detached) was most often a driveway/carport, followed by a personal garage or on-street parking. Most of those with a personal garage had electrical access or potential electrical access, while less than half of those with driveways/carports had electrical access.
– SFH Attached housing had a smaller share of electrical access for their parking in personal garages and driveways/carports. Apartment residents had the least access, with each of the three apartment categories having less than 25% access or potential access to electricity.
Original Source : https://www.energy.gov/eere/vehicles/articles/fotw-1219-january-3-2022-residential-parking-options-and-access-electricity
JAPAN’S HONDA TO BUILD BATTERY EV PLANT IN CHINA
– Honda’s Chinese subsidiary Dongfeng Honda plans to build a battery electric vehicle (BEV) production plant in central China’s Hubei province, targeting commercial operations in 2024.
– Dongfeng Honda, a 50:50 joint venture between Honda and China’s Dongfeng Motor, aims to build a 120,000 unit/yr BEV production plant. The firm will buy batteries mainly from Chinese battery manufacturer CATL through a contract to obtain 56GWh of batteries to equip Honda’s all-EV and plug-in hybrid vehicles until 2027.
– Honda plans to sell BEVs manufactured at the new plant in the Chinese market. The company sold 10,151 EVs in China during 2021.
Original Source : https://www.argusmedia.com/en/news/2289110-japans-honda-to-build-battery-ev-plant-in-china
MAGNA SHOWS HOW HEAVY-DUTY PICKUPS CAN GO ALL-ELECTRIC WITHOUT LOWER TOWING, PAYLOAD
– Automotive supplier Magna on Wednesday unveiled an electric powertrain and four-wheel drive system for pickup trucks and light commercial vehicles that’s scheduled to reach production by 2025.
– Magna’s solution, dubbed EtelligentForce, is designed for larger three-quarter ton and one-ton vehicles, according to a company press release—heavy-duty trucks, essentially.
– Drive components are packaged between a truck’s existing frame rails, providing a way to make trucks into plug-in hybrids while preserving towing capacity.
– The new system takes things a step further by adding another electric drive unit for the front axle. The front motor can deliver up to 180 kilowatts (241 horsepower), while the rear eBeam can be tuned for 250 kw to 430 kw (335 hp to 576 hp), according to Magna.
Original Source : https://www.greencarreports.com/news/1134659_magna-heavy-duty-pickups-all-electric-without-lower-towing-payload
‘RIGHT TIME’ TO END ELECTRIC VEHICLE GRANTS, SAYS POD POINT CEO ERIK FAIRBAIRN
– he boss of car charging business Pod Point says the government is right to wind down grants for electric vehicles, despite calls for continued subsidies from others in the sector.
– Erik Fairbairn said it was “exactly the right time” for the state to cut grants as new figures showed a quarter of vehicles bought at the end of last year were battery powered.
– “What subsidies are for is to encourage activity before it’s commercially viable,” Fairbairn told the Standard. “I think electric vehicles stand up on their own two feet now.”
– Fairbairn’s views are in contrast to SMMT boss Mike Hawes who has called for the government to maintain subsidies. A grant towards EV purchases was reduced from £2,500 to £1,500 last month and a scheme offering up to £350 towards installing home charging infrastructure is due to be closed in April.
Original Source : https://www.standard.co.uk/business/end-electric-vehicle-grants-podpoint-ceo-erik-fairbairn-b975240.html
INNER MONGOLIA LAUNCHES FIRST 5G UNMANNED NEW ENERGY MINING VEHICLE PROJECT IN ORDOS
– Inner Mongolia announced on Tuesday that the first 5G unmanned new energy mining vehicle project in the province was officially put into production. This initiative can help promote the local construction of green and smart mining facilities.
– In addition, the vehicles are equipped with environmental perception systems, behavior control, positioning systems and high-precision mapping, which can complete cycle operations according to mine dispatching instructions.
Original Source : https://pandaily.com/inner-mongolia-launches-first-5g-unmanned-new-energy-mining-vehicle-project-in-ordos
TOP GOOGLE MAPS RIVAL ANNOUNCES NEW-GEN FEATURE FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLES
– Digital Charging Solutions, or DCS, currently operates one of the largest charging networks in the world, with estimates pointing to over 280,000 connectors in Europe and Japan. If you believe you’ve heard of DCS before, it’s because this is the company that provides charging services for big names like Mercedes, BMW, and Hyundai.
– The partnership with HERE will allow the two companies to offer the charging station information pre-loaded on new cars. This company is the provider of navigation solutions for many large carmakers out there, so thanks to this collaboration, the location of charging points operated by DCS will make its way to HERE’s maps.
– Once the maps are updated with such information, they can become available on any new car whose navigation is powered by HERE.
Original Source : https://www.autoevolution.com/news/top-google-maps-rival-announces-new-gen-feature-for-electric-vehicles-178408.html
EV CHARGING COMPANIES PUSH FASTER AT-HOME CHARGES, V2G AND CONNECTIVITY AT CES
– Charging companies and smaller startups that showed up at CES this year seemed cognizant of that shift and pitched products that were faster, more connected, easier to use, easy to install and built to work with the electrical grid. The takeaway: EV charging companies, keen to reach this bigger customer base, revealed products designed to hit just about every use case, from commercial fleet charging to at-home charging, from vehicle-to-grid tech to monetizing advertising space on chargers.
– Blink came to play, with four new charging products this year, including one DC-fast wall-mounted charger and three Level 2 chargers — one designed for fleet and multiunit applications, another for home applications and the last for integrating advertising displays.
– E-Lift came to CES to introduce its new customizable GS Pop-Up charging station, which the Dutch company hopes to launch in North America soon.
– JuiceBar, a Connecticut-based EV charging company that’s really playing the Made in America card, unveiled its first residential charger at CES — the Cheetah, aptly named for being quick, so the company says. The Cheetah will be available in 16, 32, 40 and 48-amp configurations and 120, 208 and 240 input voltages
– Wallbox introduced its Quasar 2 at CES this year, the latest generation of its bidirectional home charger. The Quasar 2 provides 48 amps of power, comes with CCS compatibility for rapid-charging vehicles like the Jaguar I-Pace or BMW i3 and connects to the myWallbox app through Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ethernet or 4G.
– Meredot unveiled its first commercial Wireless Charger designed for e-scooters, e-mopeds and other vehicles like food delivery robots and wheelchairs. The charger takes the shape of a physical pad that can either be placed above or below ground, and it charges vehicles that have been equipped with a receiver when they are parked on top of it.
Original Source : https://techcrunch.com/2022/01/06/ev-charging-companies-push-faster-at-home-charges-v2g-and-connectivity-at-ces/
NIU BQI ELECTRIC BIKE PRICE AND SPECS REVEALED AHEAD OF US/EU LAUNCH
– The electric mobility company NIU has several interesting electric motorcycles and scooters headed to the US and Europe this year, yet the company’s new BQi electric bicycle has drawn just as much attention recently. And now we’re finally getting pricing and tech specs as NIU displays the new e-bike models at CES 2022.
– Powered by a 500W continuous and 750W Bafang hub motor in the rear, the bike will reach a top speed in the US of 28 mph (45 km/h).
– European versions will be more limited thanks to stricter e-bike regulations, forcing the bike to carry just a 250W motor and cut power at 25 km/h (15.5 mph).
– NIU has announced that the BQi will be priced at $1,499 in the US
Original Source : https://electrek.co/2022/01/06/tech-specs-and-pricing-revealed-for-nius-innovative-new-electric-bike-ahead-of-us-eu-launch/
RIVIAN STOCK CRASHES FOLLOWING AMAZON’S DEAL WITH STELLANTIS
– Electric vehicle company Rivian saw its stock crash after Amazon announced on Jan. 5 that it agreed to buy competitor Stellantis’ battery-electric vehicles, due in 2023.
– Following the announcement, shares of Rivian tumbled 11% to $90.01, the biggest drop since Nov. 18, 2021, about a week after its blockbuster initial public offering, Bloomberg reports.
– Rivian started its initial public offering on Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2021, in what has become 2021’s biggest IPO
– Rivian shares were up 57% in their first two days on the Nasdaq. Rivian ended its first day as a public company valued at almost $88 billion, more than tripling its last private valuation. However, shortly after, its stock crashed following the announcement that it no longer planned to co-develop an EV with Ford.
Original Source : https://finance.yahoo.com/news/rivian-stock-crashes-following-amazon-152335011.html
HOW E-MOBILITY IS DRIVING A FOUNDATIONAL SHIFT IN TRANSPORTATION
– Charlotte Bailey, Regional Manager – North Europe at Bird, discusses the micro-mobility provider’s efforts to develop accessible and versatile mobility solutions that tackle climate change whilst offering a viable alternative to the private car.
– Bird believes so strongly in micro-mobility’s role in transitioning people out of gas-powered or ICE cars and into micro-electric vehicles, that we decided to release another e-bike4 of our own, this time for consumer purchase. Dubbed the Bird Bike, this new vehicle allows riders to take all of the benefits of our shared bike home for their own personal enjoyment.
– Consumers are clearly hungry for eco-friendly options and e-bikes top the list, as it is estimated that Americans bought an e-bike every 52 seconds in 2020, and in the UK it is every three minutes.
Original Source : https://www.intelligenttransport.com/transport-articles/130674/e-mobility-driving-foundational-shift-in-transportation/
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