Show #1380
Good morning, good afternoon and good evening wherever you are in the world, welcome to EV News Daily for Sunday 20th February. It’s Martyn Lee here and I go through every EV story so you don’t have to.
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VOLTA TRUCKS RAISES $260 MILLION TO FUND ELECTRIC VEHICLE LAUNCH | REUTERS
– Volta Trucks said on Friday that it had raised 230 million euros ($260 million) in Series C funding round, which will finance it through the launch of series production of its Volta Zero electric truck in late 2022.
– Stockholm-based Volta Trucks, which also operates in the UK, said that the funding round was led by hedge fund Luxor Capital, which had previously invested in Volta Trucks.
– Protoypes of the Volta Zero, a 16-tonne fully-electric truck, will be delivered to customers in mid-2022, with series production due to start in late 2022.
– The company said its order book now exceeds 5,000 vehicles with a value of 1.2 billion euros.
Original Source : https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/volta-trucks-raises-260-million-fund-electric-vehicle-launch-2022-02-18/
DACIA SPRING REPLACEMENT OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCED FOR 2024 LAUNCH
– In a press conference held this morning, the Renault Group detailed its financial results for 2021 when it returned to profitability after two years of losses.
– It did more than just that as it also outlined its EV roadmap until 2025. We’ll cut to the chase and focus on 2024, which is looking rather busy. No fewer than four Renault-badged electric models will be out that year, including the revival of the iconic R4 and R5, another Renault EV, and a van. Already teased, that Alpine with a rear wing will serve as a hot hatch version of the reborn Renault 5.
– More important for those interested in affordable electric mobility is the Dacia EV also coming in 2024. It’s destined to replace the popular Spring.
Original Source : https://www.motor1.com/news/568342/2024-dacia-ev-announced
GET READY FOR THE 670-HP ELECTRIC MASERATI GRECALE | CARBUZZ
– Ahead of its imminent reveal, Maserati has shared several teasers of the upcoming Grecale SUV. First, we saw the Macan rival sliding about in the slow, as the Italian carmaker conducted cold-weather testing. Just recently, the Italian brand let the compact SUV loose on the streets of Modena, covered in graphics teasing information about the vehicle.
– But now a recent report claims the luxury brand may go one step further, with the all-electric Grecale Folgore (Italian for lightning). As per Australian publication drive, the Italian SUV could offer as much as 670 horsepower courtesy of dual electric motors.
– The uncovered report notes a battery-powered Grecale will be launched for the 2023 model year. With the conventional derivative preparing for its reveal next month, it’s possible that the electric sibling may be a part of the unveiling. Information suggests the Folgore will utilize two electric motors on either axle, for a combined output of 670 hp. This would make the compact SUV the most powerful production Maserati ever produced, pipping the 580-hp Quattroporte Trofeo.
Original Source : https://carbuzz.com/news/get-ready-for-the-670-hp-electric-maserati-grecale
JEEP SET TO DROP SOLE ICE CARS ACROSS EUROPE FROM 2022
– Jeep’s electrification strategy across Europe is now complete, with the Grand Cherokee plug-in hybrid giving every model an electrified option.
– Announced as a part of the new Grand Cherokee range rolling out globally, the 4xe variant is the sole offering for the model across Europe, utilising a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine, coupled with a pair of electric motors
– According to Autocar, all European countries bar Italy will be impacted by the transition, as CEO Christian Meunier believes electrification can help enhance Jeep’s core capabilities.
– By 2025, Jeep aims to have at least one fully-electric model across each SUV segment, with electrified vehicle sales tipped to make up 70 per cent of its global deliveries in the same time period.
Original Source : https://www.whichcar.com.au/news/jeep-to-drop-ices-europe-from-2022
VOLKSWAGEN PLANNING NEW EV FACTORY, INCREASE IN OUTPUT
– VW is looking to expand their operations in Germany with a new EV factory. The exact location of this plant will reportedly be finalized in March, however it will be near the firm’s headquarters in Wolfsburg.
– The new plant is part of VW’s Trinity Project, which will see the firm build a flagship electric sedan in Wolfsburg from 2026. Volkswagen is particularly conscious of EV expansion in Europe, with the firm planning to stop ICE sales there by 2035. For other markets it will have a more relaxed approach.
– VW also plans on increasing overall output in the second half of this year, despite the semiconductor shortage. Diess noted various models from VW’s more premium brands, such as Porsche and Audi, are sold out for 2022 meanwhile the firm’s truck business is also thriving.
Original Source : https://insideevs.com/news/568524/vw-new-ev-factory/
AIRBNB MAKES IT EASIER TO FIND RENTALS WITH EV CHARGERS
– Now Airbnb, the popular service used for booking stays in privately owned homes, is promoting its special filter on its website so EV owners can find rentals, offering access EV charging, which is vital to the growth of electric vehicles.
– Airbnb, which is based in San Francisco, also is encouraging its “hosts” to install EV chargers and now has 850,000 listings now feature an EV charger as an amenity for modern travelers.
– The number of searches by guests for EV chargers — among the new updates rolled out last year — doubled between June and December of last year, totaling more than half a million unique searches by year end, Airbnb said. It is actively encouraging host to install EV chargers on their property.
Original Source : https://www.thedetroitbureau.com/2022/02/airbnb-adapting-to-rise-of-ev-sales-with-ev-charger-search-parameter/
TESLA PLUNGES SEVEN SPOTS ON ANNUAL CONSUMER REPORTS RANKING – CNN
– Consumer Reports took a decidedly more negative view of Tesla in this year’s rankings of vehicles.
– The Model 3, which had been its top pick among EV models, lost that distinction to the Ford Mustang Mach-E.
– Tesla plunged seven spots to No. 23 in the overall ranking of best car brands. The drop was mainly due to the difficult-to-use yoke steering wheel the automaker recently debuted on the updated version of those models. Consumer Reports said the steering wheel was enough of a problem to lower their road-test scores.
– The Model 3 remains the lone Tesla model that is CR recommended.
Original Source : https://edition.cnn.com/2022/02/17/cars/tesla-consumer-reports-drop/index.html
ELON MUSK TWEETS THEN DELETES TRUDEAU-HITLER COMPARISON
– Elon Musk compared Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau with Adolf Hitler in a tweet that appeared to support truckers protesting vaccine mandates
– Musk sent the tweet on Wednesday just before midnight in California, and had deleted it by midday on Thursday, without explanation.
– Responding to a tweet describing how Trudeau’s government had ordered banks to help cut funding to the protesters, Musk posted a meme of a photo of Hitler, with “Stop comparing me to Justin Trudeau” written above his head and “I had a budget” below it.
- Original Source : https://www.autoblog.com/2022/02/17/elon-musk-hitler-tweet
ELON MUSK’S HITLER TWEET HIGHLIGHTS RIGHT-WING FAUX-POPULISM
– Musk’s crass, joking use of Hitler’s image. But Musk’s effort to present himself as a hip, irreverent, anti-establishment man of the people is also grotesque, not least because it’s so familiar.
– Right-wing populism often allows wealthy, powerful people to defend the status quo while pretending to care about the little guy. Trump, an extremely rich real-estate heir, embodied this phenomenon. One of his main achievements in office was a massive tax cut, which allowed billionaires to pay less than the working class for the first time in U.S. history.
– Yet Trump constantly presented himself as an outsider, a brand his base embraced. He was somehow supposed to be fighting against the elite establishment while a firmly embedded member of the establishment.
– The truckers protesting in Canada give Elon Musk and other wealthy reactionaries a new opportunity to pose as working-class heroes.
Original Source : https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/elon-musk-s-hitler-tweet-highlights-right-wing-faux-populism-ncna1289377
ELECTRIC VEHICLES AND MARITIME TRANSPORTATION – FIRE HAZARDS IDENTIFIED
– Fire onboard a ship can be catastrophic. Many types of fires have standard firefighting procedures, but innovative installations onboard or different cargoes lead to new risks. One of those emerging risks is in the carriage of electric vehicles (EV) onboard roll-on/roll-off (ro-ro) vessels in particular.
– The recommendations from the German BMVBS included :
BEV/HEV and FC vehicles should be transported in special areas (equipped with appropriate detectors, fire-extinguishing equipment and fire-extinguishing agents). In the case of a fire, possibly separation of such vehicles by means of a water wall or mobile partitions (roller blinds).The awareness of fire-fighting teams should be raised with regard to the dangers arising from BEV/HEV and FC vehicles and their training should be extended accordingly.
– As EV become more common, they are increasingly being carried by ocean transportation. While not specifically implicated in a number of recent ro-ro fires, the hazards of batteries in general have been identified by the U.S. Coast Guard
– The U.S. Transportation Research Board has funded a study for 2022 noting, “Lithium-ion battery fire risks are currently undermanaged in transit operations.” More immediately, the Ship Operations Cooperative Program (SOCP) hosted a presentation by Captain Jim Staples of Ocean River LLC, “Understanding the Risk when Carrying Electric Vehicles on a Vessel,” on February 17th.
– Felicity Ace continues to burn in the Atlantic Ocean to the Southwest of the Azores. The Portugese Navy is standing by after rescuing the crew of Felicity Ace and salvors are said to be enroute. If salvors are able to contain the fire and bring the vessel to port, we can hope there are lessons learned that will be made public.
Original Source : https://gcaptain.com/electric-vehicles-and-maritime-transportation-fire-hazards-identified/
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