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Jaguar Land Rover’s Parent Company to Invest £4bn in UK Battery Factory
Tata, the owner of Jaguar Land Rover, has confirmed plans to build a flagship electric car battery factory in the UK.
The Twitter account of Rishi Sunak, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, posted: “This investment will also create up to 4,000 new direct jobs and thousands more in the wider supply chain. That’s more highly-skilled jobs for people around the country, spreading opportunity and growing our economy. What’s more – it’s good for the planet. The new gigafactory will provide almost half of the car battery production needed in the UK by 2030. And it will mean the UK is perfectly positioned to be a global leader in battery technology.”
The new plant will be located in Somerset and Tata will invest £4bn in the site, with the Treasury reported to have offered up to £500m in subsidies to Tata to secure the plant.
The plant is described as the most important investment in UK automotive since Nissan arrived in the 1980s.
The new gigafactory, at 40GWh, will be one of the largest in Europe and will make batteries for Jaguar Land Rover vehicles.
The plan is to supply other car manufacturers as well, with production at the new factory due to start in 2026.
The plant is Tata’s first outside India and is expected to help the car manufacturing sector transition from petrol and diesel to making electric vehicles.
The UK government has outlined a series of net zero goals, including a ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030.
Tata Group, an Indian multinational, did consider a rival site in Spain for the battery plant. Its decision to choose the UK is likely to be viewed as a big win for Britain by the government.
Germany’s EV Market Soars in June
In June 2023, Germany saw a significant increase in plug-in electric car registrations at 68,918, an 18% increase from the previous year, accounting for 24.6% of the total market.
All-electric car registrations in June reached 52,988, a 64% increase year-over-year, capturing 18.9% of the market.
So far in 2023, over 299,000 passenger plug-in electric cars have been registered in Germany.
The top three brands with the highest number of new plug-in electric car registrations in June were Volkswagen, Tesla, and Mercedes-Benz.
The best-selling plug-in electric car and all-electric car was the Tesla Model Y followed by the Volkswagen ID.4/ID.5 duo and the Fiat 500.
Volkswagen ID. Buzz AD: Self-Driving Electric Van Set to Offer Test Rides in Europe
Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles (VWCV) is gearing up to offer test rides in Europe using self-driving prototypes of the ID. Buzz electric van.
The self-driving prototypes feature the same Autonomous Driving (AD) technology used in the ID. Buzz prototypes currently being tested in North America.
The tests will be carried out on public roads and at a test site in Munich, Germany, to study as many traffic scenarios as possible.
The all-electric ID. Buzz vehicles are equipped with a self-driving system from tech company Mobileye and are classified as Level 4 vehicles according to the SAE standard.
The vehicles are equipped with cameras, radar, and lidar technology, and the test fleet will be used to collect data on miles driven in a variety of driving scenarios.
The Volkswagen ID. Buzz AD offers space for four passengers and can be produced in large quantities once it is ready for series production.
VW’s EV Wireless Charging
Volkswagen is developing its own patented coil and charging pad design for wireless electric car charging, using silicon-carbide materials.
The project aims to achieve charge rates that are currently on par with DC fast-charging territory.
The original prototype was a 6.6-kw unit, comparable to home Level 2 systems. However, early trials with a silicon carbide inverter have seen the system perform up to 120 kw, with a future goal of 300 kw.
GM Pledges to Accelerate EV Production in 2023
General Motors (GM) has promised to increase the production of its new electric vehicles (EVs) in the second half of 2023, as it works to secure more battery modules needed for these vehicles.
The GMC Hummer EV pickup and SUV, as well as the Cadillac Lyriqs, all of which use GM’s new Ultium system, have been slowly rolling out of factories despite full order banks.
For the first half of this year, GM delivered 49 Hummer EV pickups, which are made at Factory Zero located on the border of Detroit and Hamtramck. This is a decrease from the 371 Hummer pickups delivered in the first half of 2022.
GM delivered 2,316 Lyriqs in the first half of 2023. The Lyriq is assembled in the Spring Hill Assembly plant in Tennessee.
GM President of North America, Rory Harvey, stated that GM is building momentum in battery capacity and anticipates a significant increase in EV production in the second half of this year.
Supply challenges, particularly with battery module availability, have been a significant factor in the slow rollout of the Lyriq and Hummer.
Mini John Cooper Works EV Spotted
The 2025 Mini Cooper hatch, including its John Cooper Works performance grade, is set to debut later this year.
The electric version of the new Cooper will use a dedicated EV platform developed by Spotlight Automotive, a joint venture between Mini’s parent company, BMW Group, and Chinese automaker Great Wall Motors.
The electric version will be produced in China, with a 54.2-kwh battery pack with an electric motor rated at 300 hp or more.
Toyota RAV4 Prime and Lexus NX PHEV Recall: Avoid Charging in Cold Weather
Certain 2021 and 2022 Toyota RAV4 Prime and 2022 Lexus NX 450h+ plug-in hybrids are being recalled due to a potential fault in their DC-DC converters.
The recall affects 43,442 vehicles and the issue could result in a short circuit, creating a fire risk.
Toyota is advising owners not to charge their vehicles when the ambient air temperature drops below 41 degrees Fahrenheit.
Rocket Launchers on Electric Bikes: The New Gear for British Soldiers?
British soldiers might soon be using electric bikes equipped with rocket launchers.
This concept is not new, as Ukraine has successfully used high-powered electric bikes to position anti-tank missiles and disable Russian tanks.
The British Army is considering adopting this tactic among others used by Ukraine.
The electric bikes used in combat roles are Delfast e-bikes, produced in Ukraine. They can be operated in purely electric mode or with functional pedals, extending their range to over 200 miles.
These bikes can reach speeds as high as 50 mph and are capable of carrying heavy loads, making them useful for navigating forested trails or overlanding.
The bikes have been modified to carry NLAW rockets, or Next Generation Light Anti-Armour Weapons, which are designed to allow a single operator to destroy an enemy tank.
Colorado Ushers in New Electric Vehicle Tax Credit
Colorado has introduced a new state tax credit to encourage the transition to electric vehicles.
The tax credit, which came into effect on July 1, 2023, offers Colorado taxpayers a $5,000 tax credit for the purchase or lease of a new electric vehicle.
The state aims to have 940,000 electric vehicles on its roads by 2030, and this tax credit is part of the policies and incentives put in place to achieve this goal.
The tax credit is available immediately for the purchase or lease of a new electric vehicle, allowing consumers to save $5,000 on their purchase.
This tax credit can be combined with a federal tax credit for electric vehicles, which is up to $7,500, allowing consumers to save up to $12,500.
There are additional incentives available for fleets and for medium and heavy-duty vehicles, including school buses.
The state tax credit is in effect until January 1, 2025, after which it will be reduced.
Starting January 1, 2024, the state will be offering an additional $2,500 tax credit for those EVs that have an MSRP of $35,000 or less.
Colorado currently has about 85,000 electric vehicles registered in the state. In 2022, over 10% of all new car sales were electric vehicles, and in the first quarter of 2023, it was over 13%.
Massachusetts Greenlights Tesla Megapacks for 800 MWh Energy Storage Facilities
Tesla Megapack units are set to power two battery energy storage facilities in Massachusetts with a combined capacity of 800 MWh.
Once operational, they will meet 80% of the 1 GWh energy storage deployment target set for 2025.
The Medway facility, located in Medway, Massachusetts, will be connected to the Eversource substation. It plans to install 140 Tesla Megapacks on the site.
The Cranberry Point Energy Storage, a 150 MW/300 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS), will be located in Carver, Massachusetts. It will also use Tesla Megapack batteries and lithium phosphate batteries.
Tesla Co-founder’s Battery Recycling Start-up Nears $5 Billion Valuation
Redwood Materials, a battery recycling start-up founded by a co-founder of Tesla is approaching a valuation of $5 billion, following a new fund raising of $700mn.
The company has made significant progress in developing innovative recycling technologies to extract valuable materials from used batteries and reintegrate them into the production of new batteries.
The increasing demand for electric vehicles has led to a surge in battery production, making battery recycling crucial for a sustainable future.
By recycling batteries, valuable resources can be recovered, reducing the need for raw materials and minimizing the environmental footprint of the electric vehicle industry.
The valuation of $5 billion highlights the potential of battery recycling as a profitable and impactful business model.
Ohio DOT Awards $13.8M to EVgo and Partners for 20 Fast Charging Stations
The Ohio Department of Transportation (DOT) has granted EVgo and its partners a $13.8 million contract to establish 20 fast charging stations along interstate corridors.
This initiative aims to expand the charging infrastructure in Ohio, making electric vehicle travel more convenient and accessible.
The fast charging stations will be strategically located along major interstate highways, enabling EV drivers to charge their vehicles quickly during long-distance trips.
Fastned’s Electric Charge: Denmark Debut and 1500th Fast Charger in Europe
Fastned, a leading European fast charging company, has won a tender by the Danish road authorities construct three fast charging stations in Denmark. This marks Fastned’s first venture into Denmark and Scandinavia.
Two of them are set to open by the end of 2023, and the third one is expected to be operational by the summer of 2024.
Denmark aims to have a million electric vehicles on its roads by 2030.
The first Fastned stations in Denmark will offer a total of 24 chargers of 400 kW, the fastest in the industry. Two locations will each have 4 chargers and are expected to be operational by the end of 2023. Langeskov Syd will have 16 chargers and is expected to be operational by the end of August 2024.
Fastned recently installed its 1,500th fast charger near Rouen, France, ahead of the summer holidays. The number of chargers across the Fastned network grew by over 50 percent last year.
There are now more than 270 Fastned fast charging stations across Europe. Almost all chargers at Fastned’s newly built stations in the past year have a charging capacity of 300 kW or more.
Kempower and GP Joule Connect Join Forces to Boost EV Charging in Europe
Kempower, a Finnish charging hardware manufacturer, has partnered with GP Joule Connect to distribute its product range in Germany, Denmark, Austria, and Poland.
The partnership will focus on the heavy-duty sector, covering the sale, installation, operation, and maintenance of charging infrastructure for passenger cars and commercial vehicles in both private and commercial sectors.
This collaboration will enable Kempower to offer customized solutions for various charging scenarios, contributing to the continued success and expansion of the electric mobility transition.
GP Joule Connect is also collaborating with other charging hardware manufacturers. At the end of 2022, the company partnered with ADS-TEC Energy to initiate the development of numerous battery storage-based fast charging stations in Germany and Europe.
T&E Report: Smaller EVs Could Reduce Demand for Critical Metals
A report by Transport & Environment (T&E) suggests that the adoption of smaller electric vehicles (EVs) could significantly reduce the demand for critical metals.
Smaller EVs require fewer raw materials, including metals such as lithium, cobalt, and nickel, compared to larger EV models.
By focusing on the production of smaller and more efficient EVs, manufacturers can mitigate the environmental impact of mining and reduce the reliance on scarce resources.
ALD LeasePlan Finance Deal to Accelerate Uptake of Electric Vehicles
ALD LeasePlan has announced a finance deal aimed at accelerating the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs).
The deal aims to provide attractive financing options and incentives to businesses and individuals to encourage the transition to electric mobility. ALD LeasePlan’s finance solutions will make EVs more accessible and affordable, addressing one of the barriers to widespread EV adoption.
By offering competitive financing packages, ALD LeasePlan aims to stimulate the demand for electric vehicles and support the growth of sustainable transportation.
Royal Mail Achieves Milestone of 5,000 Electric Vehicles
Royal Mail has reached a significant milestone by surpassing 5,000 electric vehicles (EVs) in its fleet.
Their LinkedIn account said: “We’ve now passed the milestone of 5,000 electric vehicles across our delivery and collection fleet. Our 5000th electric vehicle was deployed at Sheffield City Delivery Office, where over 50 electric vehicles on site are being used for delivery and collection functions. So far, over 160 delivery or collection units across the country have made the transition to move to either full or part electric deliveries and collections. The first site that went live with an all-electric fleet was Bristol in June 2021 with 22 all-electric units now operating. The latest site to make the switch to an all-electric fleet is Urmston Delivery Office with 19 electric vehicles on site.”
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