Show #133

 

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Good morning, good afternoon and good evening wherever you are in the world, welcome to EV News Daily for Wednesday 12th January. It’s Martyn Lee here and I go through every EV story so you don’t have to.

 

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MERCEDES PLANS TO BUILD NEXT-GEN EV POWERTRAINS IN-HOUSE

 

– Mercedes-Benz plans to build the complete powertrain for its new MMA and MB.EA electric architectures entirely in-house starting in 2024, a top executive said.

 

– Markus Schaefer, head of development at Mercedes parent Daimler, told Automotive News Europe sibling publication Automobilwoche. “To do this, we are significantly increasing the depth of added value and are also switching from third-party sourcing to in-house production. Until now, the electric powertrains have come from external partners. We want to control the overall system of electric motor, battery and power electronics as much as possible, similar to what is the case with the combustion engine”

 

– This also includes the inverter, which transfers the energy from the battery to the engine.

 

– Among them are ZF Friedrichshafen, which supplies powertrain modules for the EQC midsize SUV, and Valeo Siemens eAutomotive, which supplies motors for the EQS, Mercedes’ luxury EV flagship.

 

Mercedes has announced that it will build high-performance axial-flux electric motors developed with the British startup Yasa – which Daimler acquired — in Berlin, and Schäfer said a second “kit,” with radial electric motors for smaller vehicles will be built in Mercedes’ Untertürkheim plant. In addition, battery cells developed in-house will soon be ready for use in Mercedes vehicles.

 

Original Source: https://europe.autonews.com/automakers/mercedes-plans-build-next-gen-ev-powertrains-house

 

TESLA’S SHANGHAI GIGAFACTORY DELIVERS OVER 480,000 VEHICLES IN 2021

 

– Deliveries at the Shanghai Gigafactory stood at 484,130 vehicles last year, an increase of 235 percent from 2020.Last year, over 160,000 of Tesla’s made-in-China cars were exported to over 10 countries and regions in Europe and Asia.

 

– The localization rate of spares reached 90 percent

 

Original Source : http://www.china.org.cn/business/2022-01/12/content_77984467.htm

 

KIA EV6 WHOLESALE SHIPMENTS ABOVE 5,600 IN DECEMBER 2021

 

– The most important new Kia model from the perspective of electrification – the Kia EV6 – continues its ramp-up at a rate of several thousand per month. In December, Kia reports 5,605 wholesale sales (closely related to production), which includes 1,495 units sold in South Korea, and 4,110 exported.

 

– Cumulatively, the company produced almost 30,000 EV6, out of which about a third were sold in South Korea, and two-thirds were exported (mostly to Europe).

 

– In 2021, the company sold over 87,000 electric cars:  EV6: 19,052 – 11,023 (South Korea) and 8,029 (outside South Korea/Europe) Niro EV: 59,396 (outside South Korea) (up 69% year-over-year) Soul EV: 9,412 (outside South Korea) (up 69% year-over-year)

 

Original Source : https://insideevs.com/news/560120/kia-ev6-wholesale-december-2021/

 

POLESTAR HITS 2021 EV TARGETS

 

– The company delivered on its global sales target of 29,000 vehicles in 2021, representing year-on-year growth exceeding 185%.

 

– Polestar increased its global presence from 10 to 19 markets in 2021, with growth in Europe and Asia Pacific. In the first half of 2022, Polestar plans to add Spain, Portugal and Ireland to its European market footprint, and enter the Middle East with presence in the UAE, Kuwait and Israel. By the end of 2023, Polestar aims to be operating in at least 30 global markets.

 

– Polestar’s retail footprint more than doubled in 2021 to 100 locations globally and the company aims to have 150 in operation by the end of 2022. In addition to the openings of inner-city Polestar Spaces, the company debuted its new, larger, out-of-town Polestar Destinations. The first permanent Polestar Destination opened in December 2021, outside Gothenburg, Sweden.

 

– Polestar also announced its plans to launch three new cars in the coming three years. Polestar 3, a premium electric performance SUV, is set to launch in 2022 and will be the first Polestar to be built in the US. Polestar 3 will benefit from advanced technologies from Luminar, Nvidia and Zenseact that will provide cutting-edge unsupervised autonomous driving functionality.

 

 

VOLKSWAGEN AIMS TO DOUBLE ELECTRIC CAR SALES IN CHINA THIS YEAR AFTER MISSING TARGETS

 

– Volkswagen AG (VOWG_p.DE) said it would likely double sales of its ID battery electric vehicles in China this year and aims to do even better but the automaker could be hamstrung by a shortage of semiconductors.

 

– The German automaker sold 70,625 of its ID electric vehicles in China last year, missing its goal of selling 80,000 to 100,000 cars

 

– While China’s EV market is seeing very strong growth, most foreign automakers have lagged their Chinese counterparts in designing smart cars that appeal.

 

Original Source : https://www.reuters.com/technology/volkswagen-says-it-sold-70625-id-electric-cars-china-2021-2022-01-11/

 

WHY RIVIAN’S COO DEPARTED DURING CRUCIAL LAUNCH PERIOD

 

– Rivian Automotive Inc.’s COO stepped down last month while the EV maker was in the midst of its inaugural production rampup.

 

– Rod Copes left the company after he had held the title since March 2020, according to his LinkedIn profile.

 

– The fast-growing truckmaker, which in November completed the year’s biggest initial public offering, has hit a rough stretch recently, saying in December that it would fall “a few hundred vehicles short” of its goal to build 1,200 units for the year

 

– it produced 1,015 vehicles last year and delivered 920.

 

Original Source : https://www.autonews.com/executives/why-rivians-coo-departed-during-crucial-launch-period

 

PORSCHE EV MAKES WORLD RECORD CLIMB UP PIKES PEAK

 

– The feat, documented in a video released by Porsche on January 11, covers the entire five-state, 1,400-mile journey into the record books for the greatest altitude change ever achieved by an electric car.

 

– The driving team began its journey at the bottom of the Eagle Nickel and Copper Mine in Michigan, the lowest driveable point in the United States, and trekked across five states, ascending 15,889 feet and ending at the summit of Pikes Peak in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains.

 

– In total, it took 33 hours and 48 minutes

 

– Dai Yoshihara, who was a 2020 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb class winner, managed to get the Taycan Cross Turismo across the line for the record.

 

Original Source : https://interestingengineering.com/porsche-ev-breaks-world-record-for-three-mile-climb-up-pikes-peak

 

MONTPELLIER FOREGOES HYDROGEN PROJECT FOR BATTERY-ELECTRIC BUSES, FOR NOW

 

– A project in Montpellier to procure over 50 hydrogen buses has been scrapped, with the French city now opting for battery-electric buses. French media look at the reasons behind the decision that involves a change of management but more so, the question of operating cost.

 

– A portal from La Tribune broke the news following an announcement by Michaël Delafosse, President of the city of Montpellier, who had decided to discontinue the project before it was to take off.

 

– Montpellier is foregoing the purchase of the hydrogen buses in favour of battery buses claiming operating costs for the H2 buses would be more than six times higher than for battery buses. Specifically, the city calculates it would cost them 95 cents per kilometre for the H2 buses versus 15 cents per kilometre for the battery buses.

 

Original Source : https://www.electrive.com/2022/01/11/montpellier-foregoes-hydrogen-project-for-battery-electric-buses-for-now/

 

STELLANTIS SAYS “BYE” TO DIESEL AS CITROËN, PEUGEOT, OPEL VANS GO EV-ONLY

 

– Just days after revealing the new Chrysler Airflow Concept electric crossover at CES and promising to go 100% electric by 2028, Stellantis began to take steps toward meeting that goal by reducing the engine options for its European Citroën Berlingo, Opel Combo Life, and Peugeot Rifter models down to one. And it’s electric!

 

– In three separate press releases (one for each brand), Stellantis announced that it had removed both the 1.2 PureTech (gas) and 1.5 Blue HDi (diesel) engines from the consumer-facing options sheets of its compact people-mover in most European markets.

 

Original Source : https://electrek.co/2022/01/10/stellantis-says-goodbye-to-ice-as-citroen-berlingo-peugeot-rifter-and-opel-combo-go-ev-only/

 

NEW ENTRY-LEVEL CITROEN E-C4 SENSE LAUNCHED PRICED FROM £28,495

 

– Citroen has revised the e-C4 range, ditching the car’s previous entry-level Sense Plus trim in favour of an even cheaper Sense variant. Now, prices for the electric coupe-SUV start from £28,495 including the government’s £1,500 plug-in car grant, making the car around £2,500 cheaper than it was at the end of last year.

 

– Buyers still get 18-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, electrically folding door mirrors, rear parking sensors and keyless go.

 

– Inside, there’s dual-zone climate control and a 10-inch infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and an integrated tablet mount for the passenger side of the dashboard. Citroen has also thrown in its Advanced Comfort suspension and seats as part of the package, which promise to keep the driver better isolated from bumps in the road.

 

– The previous Shine variant has been renamed “Shine Edition” and given a new starting price of £30,495

 

Original Source : https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/citroen/c4/357061/new-entry-level-citroen-e-c4-sense-launched-priced-ps28495

 

2022 VW ID.4 EV PRICE AND RANGE CHANGES ARE COMING TO THE US

 

– Volkswagen has revealed plans to increase the price of its 2022 VW ID.4 electric vehicle in the United States by $765 USD. The price change will impact the entire model range, including the Pro RWD, and arrive alongside the other changes VW has planned for its 2022 EV model in the US.

 

– the entry-level version of the ID.4 starts at $41,955. The next step up in the range would be the 2022 ID.4 Pro AWD starting at $45,635. The ID.4 Pro S RWD starts at $46,455, while the Pro S AWD starts at $50,135.

 

– VW is waiting for official EPA numbers, but it has said 2022 models will be able to drive for more than the 240 to 260 miles of last year’s models per charge.

 

– The new charger can charge the EV battery packs at 135 kW.

 

– US-built ID.4 electric vehicles will be available for the 2023 model year and will utilize batteries from SK Innovation. Vehicles being imported to the US currently use battery packs from LG. Another change for the ID.4, once it goes into production in the US, will be a new center console that will appeal more to American buyers.

 

Original Source : https://www.slashgear.com/2022-vw-id-4-ev-price-and-range-changes-are-coming-to-the-us-11706623/

 

RECURRENT SHOWS EV PRICES SOARED IN 2021, BENEFITTING TESLA

 

– Recurrent, the car industry’s leading analyst of electric vehicle (EV) battery health, today released its Q1 2022 Used Electric Car Buying Report. Most notably, the report found that EV demand drove up sales and prices across different makes and models, indicating a continued rise in consumer confidence along with limited supply. Tesla benefitted the most, as its used sales nearly doubled the closest competitor and pricing on its new and used vehicles saw double-digit increases over the course of 2021.

 

– Used EV prices were up about 15% overall, and a Kelley Blue Book report found that there was a 60% increase in used EV sales year-over-year – really highlighting the growth and interest in the EV market as well as it’s resiliency against other market pressures.

 

Original Source : https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2022/01/10/2364211/0/en/Recurrent-Shows-EV-Prices-Soared-in-2021-Benefitting-Tesla-the-Most.html

 

DAKAR | AUDI’S ALL-ELECTRIC RS Q E-TRON FIRES INTO FIRST

 

– Team Audi Sport’s Mattias Ekström showed tenacity as he won today’s special stage 8 at Dakar 2022 from Al-Dawadimi to Wadi ad Dawasir, his very first stage win at the prestigious rally raid event. Ekström is the second Audi driver to win a stage this year after fellow four-rings pilot Carlos Sainz.

 

Original Source : https://www.news24.com/wheels/motorsport/dakar/dakar-audis-all-electric-rs-q-e-tron-fires-into-first-second-and-fourth-place-in-stage-8-20220110

 

FRANCE PLANS $1.1 BILLION TO SAFEGUARD METALS FOR EV BATTERIES

 

– France is aiming to raise 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) to help secure enough supply of metals for industries like battery manufacturing as prices of raw materials skyrocket.

 

– The plan unveiled Monday includes 500 million euros in public money, according to the environment and industry ministries. The government wants to reduce reliance on supplies of nickel, cobalt and lithium from outside the European Union, it said.

 

– France has also put pressure on manufacturers Renault SA and Stellantis NV to produce batteries at home. Both companies have taken steps to ensure long-term supply of some of the metals required for output.

 

Original Source : https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/france-plans-1-1-billion-to-safeguard-metals-for-ev-batteries-1.1705466

 

CALIFORNIA PROPOSES $6.1 BILLION ON ELECTRIC VEHICLE INITIATIVES

 

– California Governor Gavin Newsom presented a $286.4 billion budget proposal, dubbed the “California Blueprint,” for the state on Monday. The plan suggests spending $22.5 billion to address the burgeoning climate crisis in the state, allocating a fresh $6.1 billion to electric vehicle related initiatives.

 

– California also became the first state to say it would effectively ban sales of new, internal combustion engine or gas-powered vehicles by 2035.

 

– The governor said such aggressive spending was justified, in part, to counter greenhouse gas emissions from vehicle tailpipes and fossil fuel extraction. The transportation sector is responsible for over 50% of the state’s greenhouse gas emissions.

 

– Willingness to spend on electrification has drawn new zero-emission vehicle companies to the state, the governor said without naming those businesses. They include automakers like Rivian and Lordstown Motors, and charging infrastructure players like Volta and Ample, among others following in Tesla’s footsteps.

 

– $1.2 billion on 40,000 passenger electric vehicles and 100,000 new charging stations in California by the end of 2023 and $1 billion on other zero emission vehicle initiatives.

 

– $3.9 billion for the electrification of ports, heavy-duty trucks, school and public transit buses in the state.

 

Original Source : https://www.cnbc.com/2022/01/10/california-proposes-6point1-billion-in-new-incentives-for-electric-vehicles-.html

 

OREGON DOUBLES ELECTRIC VEHICLE REBATES FOR LOWER-INCOME FAMILIES

 

– Oregon is now offering up to $7,500 in cash rebates for low- and moderate-income households that buy new or used electric vehicles. The state recently doubled the rebate in one of its clean vehicle programs to make it among the largest electric vehicle incentives in the country.

 

– The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality’s Charge Ahead Rebate program applies to households making anywhere from $51,000 to $251,000 depending on the number of people living together. Those households could be eligible to receive up to $5,000 back — up from $2,500 last year — after purchasing or leasing a new or used battery electric or plug-in hybrid vehicle.

 

– Oregonians can also qualify for the Standard Rebate Program, which offers up to $2,500 back to anyone who purchases a new battery electric vehicle or plug-in hybrid under $50,000.

 

– If they sell their electric vehicle prior to the two-year requirement, they will have to return some of the rebate money.

Original Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2022/01/10/oregon-doubles-electric-vehicle-rebates-for-lower-income-families/

 

 

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