TOP EV NEWS #1 – XPENG PLANS NASDAQ IPO

Yet another EV startup is going after the hot money thrown by US investors at the EV sector. Xiaopeng Motors (Xpeng) is planning an IPO on the NASDAQ later this quarter. The Chinese EV startup is also busy with a funding round to raise $300 million before floating on the American bourse. Some reports show that Xpeng will get part of the funds from Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund.

Xiaopeng Motors emerged from a C+ funding round in July, where it secured nearly $500 million from a consortium of funders, including Aspex, Coatue, Hillhouse Capital, and Sequoia China. Xpeng also obtained US$400 in November 2019 from smartphone maker Xiaomi and other investors. The US listing, which is expected to raise around $700 million, is arranged by Bank of America, Credit Suisse, and JPMorgan Chase.

To date, Xiaopeng Motors has completed ten rounds of financing since its establishment in 2014. Investors include Alibaba, IDG Capital, Morningside Capital, and CICC Capital.

Xpeng currently has two EV models for sale in China, the G3 compact SUV, which has been available since 2018, and the recently released P7 sedan. Xiaopeng Motors has already sold 4,698 vehicles this year, which include 477 of the new P7 EV. If successful, Xpeng will be the third Chinese EV startup to list on US bourses in the past two years, joining NIO (NYSE: NIO) and CHJ Leading (NASDAQ: LI). Kandi (NASDAQ: KNDI), which has recently announced that it would sell some of its EVs in Texas, has been listed on the NASDAQ since 2007.

TOP EV NEWS #2 – YUDO REFRESHES EV STRATEGY

Yudo revealed its refreshed EV strategy on the 6th of August at Xiamen, Fujian. The new plan spanning over the next five years includes a new platform to be unveiled in 2021.

Yudo will commence its five-year plan by launching upgraded versions of its existing π1 and π3 series at the end of August. Established in 2015, Yudo New Energy has been an early entrant to the EV market, with great things expected from the company as a result of its early-mover advantage. However, the EV start-ups fortunes changed as a flood of exciting new start-ups such as Hozon Neta, Xiaopeng, NIO, and Ideal edged it aside. To date, Yudo has only sold around 400 cars this year.

Lin Mi, CEO of Yudo New Energy, said that the company is developing a modular electric and autonomous platform with a price range between 100,000-150,000. The first model, equipped with a Level 2 self-drive system, will be unveiled in Q1 2021, after which it will ramp up to full autonomy by 2025. The company further aims to have three EV brands under its banner, including a brand dedicated to commercial electric vehicles.

The new platform can accommodate affordable small to medium cars with multiple drive modes. Yudo will also expand to Fuel Cell technology and hope to have a pilot project up and running by 2021 and reach full-scale production of FCEVs by 2025. The company is also exploring the development of a new lithium-sulfur battery with a higher density.

TOP EV NEWS #3 – LORDSTOWN REVERSES ONTO THE NASDAQ

Lordstown Motors, named after the GM plant it acquired in 2019, announced that it is going public through a reverse listing into a special purpose acquisition company, Diamond Peak (NASDAQ: DPHC). The ticker code of the new company is “RIDE,” and the company will be re-named to Lordstown Motors Corp. This is not the first time that reverse mergers have been used to take EV manufacturers public, both Nikola and Fisker has used the process recently.

Lordstown has its roots in another NASDAQ listed entity, Workhorse, from which it leases the technology to bring its first full-size electric pickup, the Endurance to market. The market value of Lordstown Motors Corp after the business combination is set at $1.6 billion based on a $10.00 per share PIPE price.

Lordstown, which had to secure funding to complete the acquisition of the plant from GM, can now proceed with the production of the 27,000 pre-orders for the Endurance it has already received. Lordstown valued the pre-orders at $1.4 billion.

TOP EV NEWS #4 – NEW EV MODELS LAUNCHED THIS WEEK

DS opened the order book for its flagship model, the DS9 this week. The DS9 is produced in China and shipped from there to other markets. The DS9 is available in four trims, the Rivoli, Opera, Montmartre, and sports version, each with Level 2 Advanced Driver Assistance system as standard. The DS9 Plug-in Hybrid’s powertrain consists of a 1.6T petrol engine with a maximum power of 215 horsepower, and when combined with the electric motor produces 250 horsepower. The maximum EV only speed of the DS9 is 135km/h (84mph). For detailed specs of the DS9 PHEV, please go to the model page here.

FAW will open the order book for the latest electric compact SUV of its recently rebranded Besturn brand, now Bestune on the 12th of August. The Bestune E01 is aimed at a young generation of buyers.  The E01 is equipped with a dual 12.3-inch LCD instrument panel and multimedia screen. The power system of the E01 has a max output of 190 horsepower with a maximum torque of 320 Nm. Find detailed specs of the E01 here.

The Geely Geometry C is officially launched this week. The Geometry C sells from 139,800 yuan and is available in a 400km (250mile) and 550km (343mile) version. The aircon system includes PM2.5 filter, ION air purification, and AQS filter, which combined kills 95% for particles with a diameter of 0.3um, the same as an “N95 mask”. Customers can choose between leather and fabric seats. For detailed specs and comparing the Geometry C to other models, please go to the model page here.

TOP EV NEWS #5 – CADILLAC LYRIQ UNVEILED

GM’s luxury car brand, Cadillac unveiled its first EV on Friday (Cover Image). I will try not to be critical, but the Lyriq is yet another example way Tesla is valued at what it is currently. Legacy automakers, such as Cadillac, are putting forward cars that will be launched in three years’ time but with EV technology that competes with Tesla models of three years ago.

Not a lot of data was made available of the Lyriq Crossover EV since it is unveiled as a show car, which is 85% of what the final model will be. Cadillac announced that the Lyriq would go into production by the end of 2022 and available early 2023. The Lyriq is aiming for a range of 300miles (480km) with a 100kWh battery pack. The Tesla Model X currently achieves 325 miles (520km).

The Lyriq’s battery pack is the new GM Ultium battery with NCMA (nickel, cobalt, manganese, aluminum) cells that use 70% less cobalt than current GM batteries. The charging system of the Lyriq consists of a 19kW onboard charger and has a 150kW fast charging capability. The current Tesla Model X is equipped with a 250kW fast-charging system.

What the Lyriq will not have in EV technology in 2023, it tries and makes up in bling. The Cadillac Lyriq EV has a new road noise-canceling technology and a 33 inch-diagonal advanced LED display. In terms of Advanced Driver Assistance, the Lyriq has GMs Super Cruise autonomous system.

TOP EV NEWS #1 – A SUCCESSFUL IPO FOR CHJ AUTO

In my Week 29 Top 5 EV newsletter, I reported that CHJ Automotive (“Leading Ideal”) filed a prospectus to raise a $100 million on the NASDAQ. The company floated its shares on the 30th of July under the stock code “Li” at $11.5, which saw it raise over $1 billion. The price closed up 43.13% on the day at $16.46, giving it a market cap of $13.917 billion, slightly lower than its compatriot, NIO’s US$14.42 billion market value.

The company proved that it could efficiently apply its funding, bringing its first model to market with as little as 1 billion US dollars. To date, the company has raised over two billion dollars and will use the current injection to develop its L4 autonomous driving platform, strategic expansion, and the development of new models.

Leading Ideal is one of the success stories in the current EV start-up environment. The company has already sold over 10,000 units of its large range-extended SUV, the Ideal One, which was launched in December 2019. In contrast to NIO, Leading Ideal has already achieved a positive gross profit margin while holding a large cash reserve.

Previously company founder and CEO Li Xiang disclosed that 50% of the capital of Ideal Auto is invested in research and development, 30% in the plant, and less than 20% in personnel and marketing.

In Q1 2020 Leading Ideal already achieved a gross profit of 68.288 million yuan, which it expects to double in Q2 2020. The Q1 gross profit margin is 8.01%. Li Xiangzeng set a goal for the company of being cash flow positive within five years, and not be depended on external funding for its growth. He further targets a 20% share of China’s new energy vehicle market by 2025 and be a leader in autonomous driving. In 2019 Leading Ideal developed its own operating system, called Li-OS.

The company plans to bring a second large SUV to market in 2022 and further plans to develop mid and high-end SUVs priced between 150,000 and 500,000 yuan. Like Tesla, Leading Ideal has also adopted a direct sales model and had 700 sales and service personnel 21 retail stores, 18 distribution centers, and 17 service centers throughout China, enough to support a sales target of 100,000 vehicles.

“Li” is certainly a stock to keep a close eye on.

TOP EV NEWS #2 – KANDI TO LAUNCH TWO EVs IN AMERICA

In 2018 Kandi partnered with SC Autosports to launch the K22 and EX3 in the USA. The Chinese KANDI, which is also listed on the Nasdaq (NASD: KNDI) acquired in SC Autosports in 2018 as Kandi America, but to date have not delivered on initially planned K22 and EX3 launch. This week Kandi America announced that it would hold a virtual event on the 18th of August to launch two models in the USA, initially focusing on the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex.

The two models that will be launched on the 18th of August are the K23 MPV and K27 city car, which will be the cheapest EV in the USA, priced at $12,999 after incentives. The K23 MPV is priced at $22,499 after federal tax credits and have an estimated range of 180 miles (288km), while the K27 with its 17.69kWh battery can achieve a 100 miles (160km). The vehicles are available pre-launch for a refundable deposit of only $100. Interestingly enough Kandi sold a K27 model in China in 2018, which looks vastly different than the one now introduced to the US market.

Kandi‘s fortunes lagged after being an initial top seller in the Chinese small EV segment in 2017. As a reflection of its performance, the company’s share price has been struggling until now but jumped over 300% on the announcement.

The jump in Kandi’s share price is another testament to investors’ craziness rushing head-on into anything EV related. It is yet to be seen how US consumers’ biasses towards range anxiety, Chinese cars, and their safety aspects will play out for Kandi. It is a proper Pig market out there as greed rather than sensibility prevails, similar to the rush and subsequent flight from Nikola, a company that has yet to produce a production vehicle. 

TOP EV NEWS #3 – NEW MITSUBISHI EV STRATEGY

One by one, the chickens are coming home to roost for failing to see the shift to the electrification of the transport sector. After announcing horrific results for a second year running, the rumor mill has been churning that Mitsubishi will exit the European market.

This week Mitsubishi presented a new strategy, which sees the Japanese company culling one of its popular ICE models, the Pajero, and indeed partly exciting the European market in an effort to slash costs. The new strategy also shifts towards electrification as the company will introduce a new electric Kei car offensive.

Mitsubishi is retreating to its base as the company announced that it would freeze the launch of new models in Europe, essentially killing the anticipated launch of the new Mitsubishi Outlander on the continent in 2021. Mitsubishi still plans to bring a new Outlander to the ASEAN market in 2022, as well as a plug-in version of the Eclipse Crossover and a new EV for the Chinese market.

In 2019 Mitsubishi announced that it would partner with Nissan in reviving its Kei car range popularised by the i-Miev early in the previous decade. This week, the company announced that it gave the green light for the investment of 8 billion yen (ca $76 million) in its Mizushima plant to produce a new range of Kei-cars. Kei-cars are light automobiles, or city cars, and are the smallest highway-capable vehicles.

TOP EV NEWS #4 – NEW MERCEDES T-CLASS

Mercedes announced that it is bringing a new small van to market which will also be available in a pure electric platform. The new small van is named the T-Class and will be developed in cooperation with Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi. The T-Class designation stands for efficient room concepts.

According to Mercedes the T-Class is created for the families and active leisure enthusiasts and will be available from the first half of 2022. The T-Class offers a spacious interior suited for a range of uses, including ride-hailing and tourism applications. The new T-Class has wide-opening sliding doors on both sides of the vehicle. No further specifications or designs related to the electric vehicle platform or the design have been released to date.

Mercedes have one other vehicle in the small van segment, the Citan, which is targeted at commercial customers. Mercedes announced the electrification of the Citan in 2019.

TOP EV NEWS #5 – NEW EV BRAND FROM POLAND

In 2016 the Polish Government, through four state-owned energy companies, created ElectricMobility Poland to develop the countries first indigenous car brand and establish itself in the EV sector. The company was founded with 70 million zloty.

Auto manufacturing is the second-largest contributor to the Polish economy, but none of the brands are Polish owned. The Polish Government aims to aggressively electrify its transport sector and targeted 1 million EVs on its roads by 2025. This plan received a boost in the past week with the unveiling of the new car brand by ElectricMobility Poland. The new brand is called Izera, inspired by the Izera Mountains on Poland’s border with the Czech Republic. The company plans to open an assembly line in Silesia in southern Poland, by the middle of 2021.

During the launch, the company presented two prototypes, a hatchback, and crossover. Both cars are fully electric, which is said to be developed on a third-party platform. Although now indication has been given on who will supply the EV platform for Izera’s ambitions, talk is that it could either be the new PSA eVMP platform or even licensed from Tesla.

The prototypes were designed by the Italian firm Torino Design with the help of the Polish designer Tadeusz Jelec. Headline specifications released at the launch indicated the Izera targets a range of 400 km (250 miles) and acceleration to 100km/h in 8 seconds. Izera also plans to make its cars available throughout Europe. 

TOP EV NEWS #1 – ANOTHER EV STARTUP IPO

Last week I reported on failed Chinese EV startups and highlighted Neta, Hozon Auto’s EV startup, as an exception. This week at the Chengdu Auto Show, Neta announced that it is kicking off a 3 Billion yuan C-Series funding round and intends to go public in 2021 with a listing in China. Neta has already sold over 16,000 cars since the launch of its first model, the Neta 01 in 2018.

Currently, Neta produces the Neta 01 A0 class SUV, already on its second generation and the Neta U compact SUV, launched earlier this year. The company recently announced that its third model will be the Neta V, yet another SUV. The Neta V will be launched in Q3 2020, sofar, the only visual clue we have to the new car is the sketch below on the right. The Neta V is expected to have a range of 401km (250miles) on the NEDC testing cycle.

Neta also released teaser images of its third concept car, the Eureka 03, a luxury four-door coupe, developed on the Neta HPC platform. Neta revealed that the ultra-thin power battery structure, wide-body, and transparent cockpit design of the Eureka would contribute to an elegant and sporty appearance.

TOP EV NEWS #2 – JEEP’s FIRST PLUG-IN MODELS

TOP EV NEWS #3 – JAC VW RECAPITLIZED

Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Group Co., Ltd. (JAC Motors) and VW Group finalized the recapitalization of JAC Volkswagen in line with the agreement reached at the end of May whereby VW became the majority owner of the company.

The increase in capital will be used to develop five new electric vehicles and increase the plant capacity to 250,000 units per annum by 2025 and 400,000 units by 2029. The partnership produces the SOL EV brand currently.

JAC VWs capital, which stood at 2 billion yuan prior to the recapitalization, is now 7.356 billion. The capital contributions by JAC and VW Group are made pro-rata to complete Volkswagens ownership increase to 75% of the electric vehicle manufacturing entity. VW Group is one of the first international companies that took advantage of the Chinese Government policy change on foreign ownership of vehicle producers.

The amount VW Group injected in JAC VW is 5.217 billion yuan, while JAC Motors contributed 1.285 billion yuan. JAC VW will also apply for a 1.29 billion yuan 2 years credit facility to meet its operational requirements.

TOP EV NEWS #4 – CHENGDU AUTO SHOW

One of the few auto shows to be held in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic is currently on. The Chengdu Auto Show, one of the four A-class auto shows in China, is currently running from the 24th of July to the 2nd of August. The show allowed the opportunity for various companies to physically introduce new models, rather than digital reveals as has been the norm for most of the first half of 2020.

Some of the new models showcased for the first time are the new ORA compact SUV (codenamed ES11), SOL (JAC VW) E40X, and AIWAYS U6ion. Please follow the links to the dedicated model pages for detailed reviews and specifications.

Some auto manufacturers also officially list new models for sale at the event.

Buick listed the Velite 7 pure electric SUV, which is expected to be a look into the new BOLT EUV, and the Velite 6 Plug-in Hybrid EV. The Velite 7 EV is priced from 179,800 yuan to 199,800 yuan after subsidies, while the Velite 6 PHEV goes from 159,800 yuan to 179,800 yuan.

Other vehicles listed included:

• Dongfeng Citroen (Fukang) listed the C5 Aircross Hybrid from 234,7000 to 264,700 yuan.
• SAIC Roewe R ER6 listed from 160,000 to 220,000 yuan.
• NIO EC6, a coupe of the NIO ES6, available in various range options priced between 368,000 and 526,000 yuan.

TOP EV NEWS #5 – MERCEDES eVITO TOURER LISTED

Mercedes listed the 421km (263miles) eVito Tourer in Europe, priced from €53,990. The 2020 eVito Tourer offers a vast improvement over the previous model, which only achieved a maximum range of 186 km (116 miles), and had no DC fast charging capability.

Charging the Mercedes eVito Tourer is done through a charge port located at the front bumper left of the vehicle. Charging the eVito Tourer takes 10 hours through the 11 kW onboard charger for home and fast charge in 45 minutes to 80% when charged at a 110 kW DC charging stations.

The eVito Tourer can accommodate up to nine people and is available in a long and extra-long version. The eVito long version measures 5140mm (202.2 inches) in length, while the extra-long model measures 5370mm (211.2 inches) long. The 150kW electric motor achieves a top speed of 140km/h (87.5mph), which can be improved to 160km/h (100mph) as an optional extra.

TOP EV NEWS #1 – HARDSHIP FOR CHINESE ELECTRIC VEHICLE STARTUPS

With over 200 EV startups in China, we always expected there would be casualties, but we never expected that it would be the result of a pandemic. Nevertheless, the economic fallout from the COVID-19 epidemic is sowing havoc under prominent electric vehicle startups in China. In Week 27, 2020, I reported on the financial difficulties at BYTON, but in recent weeks the pains of more EV startups came to light.

Like Byton, Bordrin Automobile, founded by Huang Ximing in 2016, has not paid its employees for several months. A recent shareholder meeting saw the company stranded without direction, and its CFO, Yi Xiaochuan, resigned. The only way forward is for the company to be closed, and a new company formed under the leadership of Bordrin’s HR director, Zhang Chang. The new company is depending on it attracting capital. The new company will limit its headcount to 300 employees, and employees will share in the shareholding if they forfeit some of their salaries to keep the overheads low. Recent efforts by Bordrin to sell the IP to its B31 EV platform has not attracted any interest.

This week, Saleen Automobile filed papers against its state-owned shareholders for breach of contract, resulting in the company not being able to pay salaries. According to a letter to employees by Wang Xiaolin, the Chairman of Saleen, the startup’s trouble stems from nonperformance by these shareholders, despite demands for them to contribute to capital as agreed.

Zotye Automobile has also not been able to pay its employees for the past seven months. Zotye has been a top-selling EV producer in 2017/2018 with the Zotye E200 but has failed to build on its success as new entrants started competing in the small car segment. Sales for Zotye’s car dropped 90% from 2018 to 2019, to only 21,224 units. Further trouble for Zotye comes from the financial difficulty of its parent, the Tie Niu Group, which is rumored to have filed for bankruptcy, a claim denied by Zotye.

Evergrande New Energy, the owner of Swedish carmaker NEVS, Koenigsegg, battery producer Shanghai Carnegie New Energy, and electric motor manufacturer Netherlands Tate Mechanical & Electrical Co, was also caught off-guard with a considerable debt book going into the pandemic. Evegrand bet heavily on electric vehicles with the acquisition of the four entries in 2019. This week Evergrande spun out its EV business into a new structure under Evergrande New Energy Vehicle (Guangxi) Co., Ltd, with a registered capital of 1 billion yuan. To survive, the new unit plans to mass-produce its first car in 2021. The Hengchi 1, will be listed under the new EV brand named Hengchi and debut within the next couple of months. 

Financial hardship is not limited to EV manufacturers exclusively, but also battery manufacturers. The Chinese battery manufacturer Guoxuan Hi-Tech announced that it expects its net profit to drop by around 90% in H1 2020. Fortunately, the drop in revenue does not put Guoxuan HiTech on the critical list as it supplies batteries for the popular Hongguang MINI manufactured by SAIC-GM-Wuling.

On a positive note, I leave the article with a cover image of the new Hozon Neta U. Neta is ranking third among emerging EV companies in 2020, with sales of over 5000 units for the year to date from the Neta 01 and the Neta U. Neta plans to bring five models, covering the A0 to A+ segments on its HPA and HPC EV platforms.

TOP EV NEWS #2 – INVESTOR FRENZY FOR EV EXPOSURE IN THE USA

On the flip side, investors in the USA are in a frenzy for any exposure to electric vehicles and associated technologies. Companies that are already listed, such as Tesla. Nikola and NIO are rallying well above rational levels. This week Fisker Inc also announced a potential listing to take advantage of the hipe. Even struggling, Karma Automotive raised $100million from US private equity firms and plan to raise a further $300 million.

Another Chinese EV startup, CHJ Automotive filed a prospectus to raise funds on NASDAQ. The Chinese EV startup is targeting to raise $100 million and have the stock code “LI.” The funds raised will be mainly used for new product development, capital expenditure, including production equipment, and working capital.

CHJ Leading Ideal Motors revealed that it plans to launch a full-size SUV in 2022, which will be equipped with a new-generation range-extending system. The CHJ Leading Ideal One SUV surprised the market with a successful launch, already selling over 10,000 units. According to the prospectus, the company sold 2869 vehicles in Q1 in 2020, generating 850 million yuan, which equaled a gross profit of 68.3 million yuan (8% profit margin).

The financial information in the prospectus shows that the startup showed a net loss of US$344 million in 2019 and US$10.89 million for Q1 2020. Leading Ideal holds cash and cash equivalents of US$149 million. The shareholding structure is divided into two classes of shareholding, Class A shares, and Class B shares. Class A shares correspond to 1 vote, and Class B shares correspond to 10 votes. Class A shares cannot be converted into Class B shares, and Class B shares can be converted into Class A shares. Currently, CEO and founder Li Xiang is the largest shareholder, holding 115,812,080 Class A shares, 240,000,000 Class B shares, 25.1% of the shares, and 70.3% of the voting rights. Wang Xing and Meituan hold 332,664,073 shares Class A shares hold 23.5% of the shares and have 9.3% of the voting rights.

TOP EV NEWS #3 – NISSAN ARIYA UNVEILED

Nissan unveiled the Ariya pure electric SUV, the Japanese automaker’s first new electric model since the Leaf and E-NV200 in the early part of the previous decade. Nissan based the new electric SUV on the Ariya Concept revealed at the Tokyo Motor Show in 2019, and developed the EV on the new Nissan-Renault-Alliance platform. The design thinking behind the design of the Ariya is Nissan Intelligent Mobility. The Ariya will launch by mid-2021 in Japan and available in two range options, each with a choice of either a 2WD or AWD powertrain.

Nissan claims a range of up to 610km (381 miles) for the 2WD 90kWh battery version, based on the Japanese WLTC test cycle. The drivetrain of the Ariya 90kWH AWD produces 290kW (389hp) with a torque of 600N.m (443lb.ft), achieving a top speed of 200km/h and accelerates to 100km/h in 5.1 seconds. The twin electric motor AWD system, dubbed “e-4ORCE”, manages power output and braking performance for a smooth and stable ride. The Ariya is equipped wth ProPilot 2.0 Advanced Driver Assist System and ProPilot Remote Park. The system uses seven cameras, five millimeter-wave radars, and 12 ultrasonic sonar sensors.

The Ariya is the first Nissan model that is equipped with Over the Air firmware updates. The OTA system is called Remote Software Upgrade and utilizes a dual memory bank system for receiving updates on the go. Drivers interact with the Ariya by saying “Hello Nissan” or “Hey Nissan.” The display interface consists of two 12.3 inch displays oriented towards the driver in a wave-like shape.

Pricing for the Ariya starts from around 5 million Japanese Yen, which is 41,000€ or $47,000. Nissan will launch the Ariya in Japan first, with deliveries expected from mid-2021. I can only assume that the USA and other markets will only see first deliveries late 2021 or early 2021.

View the detailed specifications for all four Ariya model versions on the dedicated model page here.

TOP EV NEWS #4 – BUICK PROVIDES INSIGHT INTO THE BOLT EUV DRIVETRAIN

Buick in China this week gave further insight into the drivetrain for the upcoming BUICK Velite 7, which is expected to be the same platform for the BOLT EUV expected next year. The BUICK Velit 7 Buick is the first model built on GM’s new electric vehicle platform.

The new Buick eMotion electric drive technology used in the Velite 7 consists of a 288 cell LG-Chem lightweight battery pack with a battery capacity of 55.6 kWh. The electric motor delivers a maximum power of 130kW (174hp) and torque of 360N.m (255lb.ft).

Foam is used to isolate the thermal diffusion between the battery cells to relieve the cell’s expansion at the end of its life and comply with IP67 safety requirements. The battery management system of the liquid-cooled battery pack allows operation between 25 ~ 55 ℃.

TOP EV NEWS #5 – WORKHORSE C-SERIES DELIVERIES START

NASDAQ listed Workhorse (Stock Code WKHS) started deliveries of its C-Series all-electric step van through the transportation and logistic company, Ryder System. The Workhorse C1000 is available through Ryder’s ChoiceLease and SelectCare product lines, and for short-term rentals.

Ryder is placing the first batch of Workhorse C-1000 step vans through its peer-to-peer truck sharing platform, COOP, which connects fleet managers to businesses that are looking to rent vehicles. The C1000 is also available for longer-term leases to the Ryder customer base with service and charging capabilities available out of Ryder’s eleven-facility charge network across California, created in partnership with In-Charge Energy.

The Workhorse C-Series are powered by a modular battery pack system, which provides between 35 kWh when equipped with two module battery and 70 kWh in its standard four-module configuration. The Workhorse C-Series is built with composite lightweight material, saving 4,000 lbs in body weight compared to a competing internal combustion van. The 70kWh C-1000 delivers nearly 100 miles of range at 37 MPGe.

TOP EV NEWS #1 – PRE-ORDERS FOR LEVC VN5 OPENS

The Geely owned LEVC, previously London Taxi CO opened the order book for the LEVC VN5 eCity range-extended electric city delivery. Deliveries for the right-hand-drive version of the VN5 starts in Q4 2020 with the left-hand drive to follow in March 2021. The LEVC VN5 comes in three variants, a Business, City, and Ultima trim. The LEVC VN5 eCity has a zero-emission range of 58 miles (93km) and a range extended.

The LEVC designed the VN5 eCity around the needs of delivery and service teams. The rear wing doors can each open 90° or 180°, permitting flexible use of the load compartment, which can take two Euro pallets. A wide step grants easy access for a person or cargo to the rear compartment and comes with preparations for installing drainage or floor ventilation systems. The flat floor is ideal for the installation of cabinets or racking systems. The electric delivery has a payload of 830kg and a further 100kg on the roof.

The interior of the VN5 electric van comes with Dual-Zone climate control as standard, three Driver Profile settings that enable the driver to tailor the van’s seating, audio, and drive settings. A high definition 9-inch touch screen infotainment system in the center of the dashboard is standard and comes with DAB and Bluetooth. The fully customizable interface ensures every interaction is optimized for ease of use. Start & Stop system improves operational efficiency and convenience in busy urban environments.

The LEVC VN5 comes ready to accept geofencing technology, enabling the vehicle too automatically modify its operating settings based on its current location, saving the operator any emissions charges when entering a low-emission zone in an inner-city area. The two-stage regenerative braking energy recovers energy by capturing much of the vehicle’s kinetic energy while braking to convert it into electricity to maintain the battery charge level – helping the driver go further and reduce wear on brake pads. The service intervals of the VN5 is once every 40,000 km or 25,000 miles, making operators more productive and saving operating cost.

The LEVC VN5 electric van can be leased from £493.92 per month based on a Lex Autolease Contract Hire (without maintenance) over 60 months/20,000 mile pa with nine months’ initial payment. The VN5 purchase price range from £46,500 to  £52,500, subject to OLEV approval allowing for a 20% discount up to a maximum of £8,000. The LEVC plat in Antsy, Coventry has a production capacity of 20,000 units per annum.

TOP EV NEWS #2 – AUDI Q4 E-TRON SPORTBACK REVEALED

TOP EV NEWS #3 – BESTSELLING SUV GOES ELECTRIC

TOP EV NEWS #4 – OTHER MODELS THAT TOOK A BOW THIS WEEK

It has been quite an active week as we some EV newbies bringing their first models to market and existing brands upgrading older models or showcasing new models. Newbies Mapel Auto and Skywell introduced their first models this week, while Great Wall’s ORA and SEAT lifted the veil on new models. SAIC MG brought a new version of an older model to market.

SAIC MG listed the 2020 MG 6 PHEV on the 10th of July. The MG 6 plug-in hybrid has been around since 2017, with the new version being the second generation. The 2020 MG 6 PHEV is equipped with a 1.5T engine and permanent magnet synchronous motor, and a 10-speed EDU intelligent electric drive gearbox. The latest version is 9mm longer than the 2019 model and is equipped with an active liquid-cooled battery pack that delivers a pure electric range of 70km. The combined fuel consumption of the MG6 is only 1.1L/100km.

SEAT held a press conference confirming the 2021 launch of the SEAT Cupra el-Born and released some electric car images, which is based on the VW ID3. The Spanish company revealed limited information on the el-Born, which was first introduced at the Geneva International Motor Show in 2019. The el-Born is fired with an 82kWh battery pack with a nominal capacity of 77kWh, which will provide a range of 500km / 313mi. With the exclusively developed DCC Sport package, the el-Born can accelerate to 50km/h in 2.9 seconds. The e-Born will be assembled at the Zwickau plant.

Great Wall’s ORA brand listed the production version of the R2 Concept EV unveiled in 2018. The ORA R2 is listed as the ORA Baimoa, which means “White Cat.” The Baimoa was designed by the Great Wall Japan Technology Research Corporation Yokohama styling room, with the from resembling the face of a cat. The ORA Baimoa is available in two range and power versions. See the available specs here on the model page.

EV newbie Skywell is opening the order book for the ET5 on the 18th of July. The mid-sized SUV has a range of 500km / 313mi. The only other information we know now is that the car is 4700mm long and has a wheelbase of 2800mm, and the battery has an energy density of 170Wh/kg.

Maple Auto launched its first EV the Maple 30x small SUV at a starting price of 68,800 yuan after subsidies. The 30x is based on the Geely Vision X3. The electric motor of the Maple 30x produces 70kW power and generate 180N.m torque. Performance-wise the 30x has a top speed of 120km/h and accelerates to 50km/h in 4.5 seconds. The 160Wh/kg has a range of 306km / 191mi.

TOP EV NEWS #5 – HYUNDAI FUEL CELL TRUCK COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE

Hyundai shipped the first ten from a consignment of fifty units of its Fuel Cell 36ton heavy-duty truck to Switzerland. The South Korean manufacturer is planning to produce 1600 units of the XCIENT by 2025. The XCIENT can travel 400km / 247mi on a single charge with its 190kW hydrogen fuel cell system. Hyundai is also busy developing a 1000km tractor unit.

TOP EV NEWS #1 – BYTON IS DEAD, LONG LIVE BYTON

The future of one of the most anticipated luxury EVs now seems dark. The Chinese EV startup, Byton, dismissed most of its staff at its operations in mainland China. Operations if California and Munich are also affected, each only retaining around ten employees. Although not dead, the company has gone back to the drawing board with a small team to assist management and shareholders to access its future.

Byton opened its first experience store in Shanghai in January 2019 and planned to start selling its first cars at the end of 2019. Byton was on the verge of testing the first pre-production models of the M-Byte when the Covid-19 related stoppage halted the company’s progress.

Byton announced at a general staff meeting that it would pay its employees the arrears of March wages before July 10, and the salary for April, May, and June will be paid in stages as soon as possible. For employees who took the initiative to resign from June 30 and completed the resignation before July 3, Byton will pay their unpaid remuneration in full, but the quota is “limited.”

Since its launch in 2017, Byton has completed four funding rounds, raising around 8.4 billion yuan. Byton North America, based in Germany, has started bankruptcy filing procedures.

TOP EV NEWS #2 – NEW EV MODELS AND MODEL UPDATES

SAIC Wuling is listing three small electric cars this month. The first two are in collaboration with GM through the SAIC Wuling sub-brand, Boajun. The three-seat Baojun E300 and four-seat Boajun E300 Plus are priced below $10,000. The other small EV by SAIC Wuling coming to market this month will be the cheapest EV around, priced below $5,000. The Wuling Hongguang electric car will reach the market by the middle of July.

Pre-orders for the first model from SAIC’s new high-end R EV brand, the Roewe ER6 opened this week. The SAIC Roewe R ER6 comes equipped with SAIC’s new SKYEYE biometric system whereby a driver can start the vehicle by just brushing his face. The Roewe ER6 has a range of 605km (NEDC), for a detailed review go here.

The Changan CS55 E-Rock pure electric SUV will be launched in July. The E-Rock is available in a 403km and 605km battery option, priced from 164,900 yuan to 205,900 yuan after subsidies and discounts. Potential buyers can earn discount points through sharing details of the CS55 E-Rock on social platforms. The E-Rock looks similar to the CS55 combustion version.

The Jonway subsidiary China UFO unveiled the FEIDI Q pure-electric delivery van, available from September 2020. Chinese couriers deliver over 60 billion parcels a year, and a delivery vehicle delivers around 200 parcels a day, traveling 200km in urban areas to do so. The FEIDI Q offers class beating safety in the form of a reduced full-load braking distance of 42.7 meters, compared to 50 to 60 meters by its peers. For more details go here.

TOP EV NEWS #3 – BYD LAUNCHES IN EUROPE

Earlier the year, BYD announced that it would expand its electric vehicle range to the European market. In May 2020, it partnered with the Norwegian firm RSA to distribute its cars in the Scandinavian country. Europe is the most exciting market for electric vehicles, giving Chinese EV manufacturers a golden opportunity to promote their brands.

Last month Chinese EV startup Aiways delivered the first batch of its U5 SUV to Corsica. The first EV to be introduced by BYD is the pure electric BYD Tang SUV. BYD will also target commercial applications through the introduction of an electric panel van, a 7.5-tonne rigid truck, a 19-tonne rigid truck, and a yard tractor.

At a launch event in Oslo this week, BYD and RSA launched the BYD TANG EV. The Tang’s launch in Norway is seen as a pilot project for further expansion to other European countries. The BYD Tang will sell from 599,999 NOK (ca $63,000) and be fitted with the new Blade battery, which increases safety.

TOP EV NEWS #4 – CHINESE STATE-OWNED OEMs JOIN TO CREATE EV TECHNOLOGY

The Stata-owned vehicle manufacturers, Changan, FAW, and Dongfeng this week, brought their planned EV technology JV to life with the formation of two companies in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province. The three OEMs together command around 30% of the Chinese vehicle market.

The three OEMs formed two companies referred to as the T3 Technology Platform Company to develop autonomous and electric platforms within five years. Talk of the partnership goes back as far as 2017. The Joint Venture was formalized in December 2018 with the signing of the “T3 Technology Platform Company Joint Venture Cooperation Intention Agreement”. The JV has a registered share capital of 16 Billion yuan ($2.264Bln).

The shareholding structure consists of:

• 3.125% Changan Automobile – 500 million yuan
• 25.0% FAW – 4 billion yuan
• 25.0% Dongfeng – 4 billion yuan
• 25% Jiangning Economic Development Technology – 4 billion yuan
• 21.875% Military Equipment Group

TOP EV NEWS #5 – VOLTA TRUCKS SECURE PILOT PARTNERS

Swedish electric truck startup, Volta Trucks, signed up some of the leading delivery companies in Scandinavia, Bring, and Posten to pilot its Zero electric truck in 2021. The 16ton Volta Zero electric truck will operate between urban mail and parcel pick-up and drop-off locations in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Finland.

The Volta Zero is developed as a clean and safe truck for urban use and will be custom manufactured to clients’ needs and contracted to customers through an innovative “TaaS” model.

In January, Volta announced that it would commence pilot operations in London and Paris. At the time, Carl-Magnus Norden, co-founder of Volta Trucks, said, “Heavy Good Vehicles are a significant contributor to pollution in urban areas, and due to archaic, clunky designs, these have also grown to become some of the greatest safety hazards to pedestrians and cyclists. Innovation within transportation is underway, but the logistics and retail industries, though willing to change, are moving slowly due to a lack of good alternatives and so struggling to keep up with new regulations. Making it easier for fleet operators to go electric and improve the safety of the vehicles they use, we see that we are able to speed up the pace of positive change, to ensure safer and less-polluted cities.”

The Bring VP of logistics, Per Öhagen, said: “By 2025, our goal is that all our vehicles and buildings will be emission neutral. To reach that goal, partnering with companies like Volta Trucks are crucial. To be the first pilot user of a Volta Truck in Scandinavia sends a clear message of our sustainability intent, and we look forward to a good collaboration to develop the emission-free trucks of the future.”

TOP EV NEWS #1 – CALIFORNIA PUSH THE WORLD TO ELECTRIC TRUCK FUTURE

The California Air Resources Board unanimously voted in the world’s first electric truck standard, giving truck manufacturers a clear signal to change. Since California is one of the Top 5 economic regions in the world, the vote will surely drive the adoption of electric trucks throughout the world.

Like the Electric Vehicle standard in the State, the rule sets zero-emission truck sales targets for OEMs from 2024 and ends in 25 years with a 100% zero-emission fleet goal.

Shifting the world to electric trucks is the final nail in the coffin of combustion vehicles and a carbon-based economy. It is estimated that by 2035 the ruling will bring 300,000 electric trucks to Californian roads. The other upside of the rule is that it saves the State $9 billion in health cost and support job creation in the thriving EV industry, which generated nearly 300,000 jobs in the State already.

When one looks at what has transpired since California introduced its EV sales targets for passenger vehicles, we can safely say that the electrification of the global truck market received a significant boost.

TOP EV NEWS #2 – EV MODELS LAUNCHED THIS WEEK

BYD announced the pricing for the Han EV, which will be listed early next month. Pricing for the Han range between 230,000 and 280,000 yuan after subsidies, around $35,000. The BYD Han is the first vehicle in the world to be fitted with Huawei’s 5G technology and uses BYDs DiPilot advanced driving assistance system (ADAS). The Han is available as a plug-in hybrid and a pure electric, but for the first time, BYD styled the BEV and PHEV differently from each other.

BAIC launched the Beijing X7 PHEV along with the combustion model this week. Altogether, the Beijing X7 is available in 8 versions, of which three are plug-in hybrid versions. The Beijing X7 PHEV SUV is priced between 184,900 and 216,900 yuan while the combustion versions start from 104,900 yuan. The Beijing X7 SUV is developed on the BAIC BMFA platform and is equipped with Level2 driving assistance.

Buick revealed more information and pictures on the upcoming Velite 7, which is expected to be a close resemblance of the Chevrolet Bolt EUV due next year. The latest details show that the Velite 7 EV, shown in the cover image above, has a wheelbase of 2675mm (105inch) and a 10inch central control screen. The Velite also offers ample cargo space and 20 other internal storage spaces with a total volume of 38.75 liters (1.4 cubic ft). The rear luggage compartment accommodates 363liters, which can be increased to 1331 liter by flattening the rear seats.

Cadillac released a teaser image of its Lyriq pure electric crossover ahead of its August 6 launch.

TOP EV NEWS #3 – OPEL EV LINE-UP GAINS TRACTION

Fortunately for Opel lovers, the German automaker’s acquisition by the PSA Group gives them a wider selection of EVs to choose from than what they would have had if the company stade in the GM stable.

Previously Opel sold the Ampera plug-in hybrid sedan and the Bolt EV, branded as the Ampera-e, but now that company has access to the PSA Group’s CMP platform. The CMP platform allows Opel to electrify its complete line-up. Already Opel offers two pure electric options, the Ampera-e, which it still sells for GM, and the Corsa-e and one plug-in hybrid, the Grandland X SUV. Earlier the year, the company started introducing its electrified commercial vehicle line-up, the Zafira-e Life and Vivaro-e, which will be followed by the Combo-e in 2021. This week Opel introduced the Mokka-e, its pure-electric compact SUV.

The Mokka-e has a range of 322km (201miles) WLTP and a 100kW (134hp) electric motor and will be available early 2021.

TOP EV NEWS #4 – BRITAIN ADVISED TO FAST TRACK EV PUSH

In the UK, the Committee on Climate Change published its 2020 Progress Report, recommending to fast track the 2040 ban on internal combustion vehicles (ICE) by eight years.

The Committee feels that a 2032 goal is achievable due to the advancement in technology and progress by the auto sector over the last three years since the 2040 proposal was first made. The Committee also called for an upgrade of electricity distribution infrastructure. Furthermore, the report stated that the rollout of a charging station network should be facilitated throughout the country, including workplaces.

Some criticism from the industry suggested that the 2032 goal is too tight, taking into consideration the challenges in transitioning the commercial vehicle sector to electrification in only 12 years.

TOP EV NEWS #5 – AMAZON ACQUIRE AI RIDE-HAILING STARTUP

In a move that could be seen as a shot across the bow of Uber and Lyft, Amazon on Friday acquired autonomous ride-hailing startup, ZOOX.

ZOOX was founded in 2014 to develop a level 4 autonomous passenger car from the ground-up, is acquired by Amazon for an estimated $1.2Bln, according to the Financial Times. Uber and Lyft took the cheaper path to autonomous vehicle development, attaching AI drive systems to commercially available vehicles. Ultimately developing purpose-built cars is the better option, but much more difficult and costly. ZOOX raised around $1Bln to achieve its goal.

According to Amazon, the acquisition is to assist the company in bringing its ride-hailing vehicle program to fruition the company made no mention if it will use ZOOX’s technology for its logistics demands. The transaction is not the first for Amazon; it also owns an AI driving system company, Aurora, who is developing self-driving technology for trucks.

TOP EV NEWS #1 – LYFT TO GO ALL ELECTRIC

Ride-hailing company Lyft this week committed to a plan for it to transition its fleet to be 100% electric by 2030.

Without mentioning how much the plan will cost, the company said it would work with auto manufacturers to reach its goal. Like Uber, Lift drivers are only contractors to the company, using their personal cars to supply ride-hailing services. Thus, these gig workers expected to fork out the capital or lease cost associated with the vehicle and its operation.

To me, this is not such a big news story rather than proving what this platform and thought leaders such as Tony Seba have been saying all along. The lifetime of an electric vehicle is around five times that of a combustion vehicle, making it the obvious choice for heavy users such as Lyft riders. It is not strange to see more and more electric cars around airports where many of these gig workers operate.

Tony Seba, in his book Clean Disruption of Energy and Transportation, predicted that by 2030 car ownership will drop by 80% and that most passenger miles will be done by ride-hailing and other alternative mobility solutions. Tony Seba also tied the disruption purely to a financial decision.

The other impetus for the decision to change its fleet to electric is regulatory. For long ride-hailing companies have claimed that they provide a cleaner footprint than private road users, which are now being dispelled by various studies. City and state regulators are seeing ride-hailing companies as a low fruit for reaching clean transportation goals, and are in the process of planning EV mandates for these operators.

TOP EV NEWS #2 – A WEEK FOR ELECTRIC PICKUPS

There is certainly a lot of activity around the topic of electric pickups recently, which will be no different this coming week. Ohio base EV-startup Lords Town Motors will launch the Endurance Pick-up this Thursday.

Founded by ex-Workhorse CEO, Steve Burns, started Lordstown Motors in 2019. The start-up took over the GM plant for the Chevrolet Cruze in Lordstown, Ohio. A deal with Workhorse whereby the company leases the intellectual property for the Workhorse W15 introduced in 2017 enables Lordstown Motors to bring a vehicle to launch so quickly. NASDAQ listed Workhorse (NASDAQ: WKHS) gained a 10% shareholding in Lordstown Motors and will receive a royalty on the first 200,000 units sold as payment for the lease of the IP.

But all is not as it seems, Lordstown needs to raise capital to pay for the plant and its conversion, and the deadline is at the end of August 2020. After an initial payment of $20 million by Burns, GM still holds a mortgage on the plant of $40 million.

In related news, Ford will unveil the combustion version of the F150 this week, two years ahead of the electric version.

Should Lordstown succeed in bring ing its $52,000 Endurance EV Pickup to market in 2021 as planned, it will have a valuable headstart on Ford.

TOP EV NEWS #3 – EVs LAUNCHED THIS WEEK

GAC Automobile officially launched its third model from the Aion series, the Aion V. The pure electric GAC Aion V SUV is available in five versions and four battery/range options, priced between ¥159,600 and ¥239,600.

The Aion V is built on the new GEP2.0 platform.
If purchased before the end of August, buyers qualify for a zero down payment and interest offer. Also, the optional ADIGO 3.0 autopilot system is offered at a 50% discount.

The Aion V is called the world’s first 5G intelligent car. It is equipped with Huawei’s latest generation Baron 5000 5G chip, enabling “5G+V2X”. The ADIGO 3.0 autopilot is an L3 autonomous system.

Geely opened the order books for its first pure electric SUV this week. The Geometry C is available in two range options, a 400km and a 550km, priced form ¥139,800 after subsidies.

The Geely Geometry C is equipped with the SEM advanced battery management system, which utilizes an algorithm to increase the battery’s efficiency, ultimately optimizing the range a driver gets from the car. The battery pack has an energy density of 183Wh/kg.
Further optimizing the Geometry Cs efficiency is its lightweight and aerodynamic design. The drag coefficient of the car is only 0.273Cd.

Other energy optimizing enhancements include the Bosch IBOOSTER regenerative brakes, which can increase the range by 10%. The Geometry C is also equipped with an industry-leading heat pump aircon, which operates by absorbing temperature from outside of the car.

For a detailed review go to the model page on wattev2buy.

TOP EV NEWS #4 – MORE EVs EXPECTED IN 2020

GMs Chinese Buick unit registered the Velite 7 EV SUV for release later this year. The Velite 7 is based on the Chevrolet Bolt and looks strikingly similar to be the Bolt EUV that was spied earlier this year, see the image below on the right. The Chevrolet Bolt EUV is expected to be released next year.

The Buick Velite 7 is the company’s second pure electric EV and has an NEDC range of 500km (313 miles). The Velite 7 has a 130kW (174hp) electric motor with a top speed of 145km/h (91mph).

Citroen unveiled two pure electric models this week, the electric C4 compact hatchback and 9-seat electric SpaceTourer.

The Citroën ë-C4, pictured on the cover of the newsletter, will be presented in detail on the 30th of June, 2020, and released later the year.

The Citroen Ë-SPACETOURER all-electric MPV is available in 3 lengths, 2 range options, and 4 finish levels. The Ë-SPACETOURER comes in XS of 4600 mm long, M of 4950mm long, and an XL of 5300mm. The interior layout can accommodate up to 9 people depending on the four finish levels, Feel, Shine, Business and Business Lounge.

TOP EV NEWS #5 – VW GROUP INCREASES QUANTUM SCAPE SHARE

In its effort to gain an advantage in the EV sector VW Group this week increased its shareholding in US-based solid-state battery start-up, Quantum Scape.

Quantum Scape, founded by Jagdeep Singh in 2010, is a Stanford University spinout and is headquartered in San Jose, California. VW Group and Quantum Scape has been collaborating since 2012 and created a joint venture in 2018. Before the current investment of $200 million, VW has invested $100 million in the JV.

“Volkswagen is taking e-mobility to the mainstream. A strong position in the field of batteries is a decisive factor in this regard,” said Frank Blome, Head of the Battery Cell business, Volkswagen Group Components. “We are securing our global supply base with efficient producers, gradually building up manufacturing capacities and driving the development of cutting-edge solid-state battery technology. Our focus in this context is on long-term strategic partnerships.”

The partnership aims to commercialize solid-state batteries by 2025. Solid-state battery technology is seen as the holy grail for electric mobility, offering comparable “fueling” time and range to combustion vehicles.

TOP EV NEWS #1 – LAUNCH DATE UPDATES AND CHANGES

In the past week, we gained further clarity on expected launch dates for some highly anticipated electric vehicle models. Unfortunately, some of these announcements kicked the can further down the road.

The Tesla Semi reveal has been moved a couple of times, so was the expected launch date, which was first scheduled for late 2019 or early 2020/ The lastest reports saw the release only in 2021, despite the Semi prototype frequently being spotted on public roads.

This week a leaked email of Elon Musk announced that it is time for the Tesla Semi to enter into production. Elon Musk confirmed the email in a tweet.

On the flip side, in an interview with CNBC, Jim Farley (Ford COO) indicated that despite the launch of the combustion version of the F150 are on track for July 25, 2020, we can only expect the electric version in 2022.

What could be seen as a consequence of the news, EV start-up Nikola Motor Company overtook Ford’s market capitalization. Nikola Motors, which was only listed last week, announced that it would open the order book for the Nikola Badger SUV, which will be available as an FCEV and a battery-electric model in 2022.

Citroen announced the world premiere of the Citroen eC4, based on the Cactus C4. The Citroen eC4 reveal is set for June 30, and first deliveries as early as September 2020. Obviously, the eC4 is meant for the European market only.

Volkswagen also confirmed that first deliveries for the V.W. I.D. 3 will start in September 2020.

TOP EV NEWS #2 – EV MODELS LISTED THE PAST WEEK

Fiat launched the second version of the ‘la Prima’ limited edition 500e this week, priced at £26,995 or €34,900. The ‘la Prime’ was first launched in March as a convertible and now in a hatchback. Fiat justifies the high price with the inclusion of a 3kW home charger.

Changan launched the E-Rock SUV, based on the CS55 combustion SUV. The E-Rock is available in two battery options, with the long-range version having a range of 605km (378miles) as measured on the NEDC test cycle. The E-Rock is priced from 164,900 to 205,900 ¥ (ca $25,000).

BMW launched the X5 xDrive45e plug-in hybrid SUV, priced at $65,400 before incentives. The X5 is not a new model and has been available in Europe since June 2019.

Mercedes launched the plug-in hybrid version of the B-Series MPV. Unlike the previous version of the B-Series, which the German auto manufacturers only pure electric model, the 2021 model will only be available with a hybrid drive train. The B250e PHEV is available from £35,280.00 in the UK and €40,778 in Europe.

TOP EV NEWS #3 – H2X FUEL CELL EV START-UP DOWN UNDER

A new EV start-up from down under, H2X, announced this week that it would start selling fuel cell electric vehicles in Australian by July 2021.

The founding members of H2X Australia Chris Reitz, who helped design the Riversimple Rasa FCEV, Fiat 500 and the Alfa Romeo Giulietta, and Brendan Norman, a former BMW, and VW executive, both worked at the Chinese FCEV company Grove.

The pair is bolstered by a team of 70 hires, including Peter Zienau, a project leader of the Chevrolet Bolt, and Ian Thompson, the development lead for the Tesla Roadster.

H2X showed illustrations of some vehicles it might produce, including heavy vehicles and passenger vehicles. H2X plans to start building prototypes for testing as early as November 2020. The company plans to start with the heavy vehicles, which is a better use case for the technology. H2X further plans to bring an SUV to the market by 2024. The SUV featured in the presentation is called the H2X Snowy.

H2X operates from Port Kembla, New South Wales, and was formed with the help of investments from a construction company, Elvin Group and Ken Mathews, owner of the Denzo Group, a renewable energy company.

The H2X strategy is to develop two platforms, a 300 kW to 550 kW powertrain consisting of fuel cells and ultra-capacitors, and a 60 kW to 190kW fuel cell with a battery pack. The larger platform is for trucks and busses, while the smaller ones for the SUV and tractors. Initially, the company will produce only 3,700 vehicles per annum and then ramp-up to 25,000 vehicles by 2025.

H2X will also roll-out between 5 and 15 refueling stations in its first year of operations.

TOP EV NEWS #4 – EV INCENTIVES GETS SECOND BREATH

2020 was supposed to be the sunset period for most EV incentives. Now, with a renewed focus on a clean environment brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic, we are seeing extensions and new incentives being activated. The incentives are also used to bolster a slump in demand brought on by the economic fall-out of the pandemic.

The Netherlands this month announced a €4,000 rebate when purchasing a new pure electric vehicle, and €2,000 for used models. The refund will run from July 1, 2020, for a year. The incentive only applies to vehicles with a minimum range of 120km and priced between €12,000-€45,000.
The incentive is capped though at €10 million for new purchases and €7.2 million for second hand EVs.

Across the channel, the British Government is considering a scrappage scheme where the driver will get a £6,000 trade-in when swapping an internal combustion model for an electric car. The British Prime Minister is expected to announce the measure in July 2020.

EV grants in the UK were being called down, with the latest incentive effective from March 2020, reducing the subsidy to only £3,000, nearly half of what it was at inception.

In Germany, the Government updated its EV incentive that will save buyers of EVs a further €3,000. The increase forms part of a €130 billion stimulus package. The incentive, which with the further €3,000 announcement now stands at €9,000, only applies to vehicles less than €40,000.

TOP EV NEWS #5 – LOTUS EMBRACE AN EV FUTURE

Auto Express reported that the Geely owned British icon, Lotus, is fully embarrassing an EV future. The company will jump the hybrid powertrain step preferred by most legacy automakers, and move to pure electric drive trains only from 2022.

Lotus CEO, Phil Popham told Auto Express, “BEV is really well suited to sports cars – the torque characteristics, the weight distribution, design and flexibility of dynamics. For me, it all leads to BEV as the ultimate technology for sports cars.

Lotus will launch the Evija Hypercar, pictured below, in a limited run of only 130 models in 2021. Priced at an eye-watering £2.4 million it is clear Lotus is rebranding itself into a more exclusive market segment. According to Auto Express, once Lotus has established itself with its new fleet of electric sports cars, it will expand its offering to saloons, GTs, and potentially SUVs.

TOP EV NEWS #1 – BUSY WEEK FOR VW EV STRATEGY

It has been a busy week for the VW Group as it implements its EV strategy.
In China, VW signed a letter of intent to expand its cooperation with and ownership of JAC (Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Group Co.) According to the agreement, Volkswagen will invest 1 billion euros in obtaining 50% of the holding company and increasing its stake in the two companies EV JV, effectively gaining full management rights.

Dr. Diss, CEO of Volkswagen Group, said: “Volkswagen joins hands with a strong and trustworthy partner to further promote the Group’s electrification strategy in China. At present, the rapid development of electric vehicles also brings more opportunities for JAC Volkswagen. In-depth cooperation will promote Volkswagen ’s electrification strategy in China and help the Group achieve its carbon neutrality target by 2050. ”

JAC Volkswagen aims to sell 1.5 million EVs in China by 2025 and reach carbon neutrality by 2050.

Volkswagen also invested a further ca €1 billion in battery producer Gotion High-Tech Co., Ltd. The investment gained Volkswagen a 26% stake in the battery manufacturer, to secure the supply of batteries.

In the USA, the Volkswagen board approved some of the multibillion-dollar projects it announced in July 2019 to further the VW Ford Global Alliance. The approvals will result in two co-developed EVs on VW’s MEB platform, and an equal shareholding with Ford in its ARGO AI autonomous driving unit.

TOP EV NEWS #2 – COBALT FREE BATTERIES COMING

The Chinese battery manufacturer, Honeycomb New Energy, held an online conference on a “Cobalt-Free Future,” during which it revealed two cobalt-free batteries.

Cobalt fee batteries are seen as the key to bringing the cost of batteries down to parity with combustion vehicles. Tesla is also to hold a battery day where it is expected to announce its new million-mile battery technology, which is said to be cobalt-free.

Honeycomb claims that its new cobalt-free batteries, available from the latter part of 2021, has a range of 880km (550 miles), and decrease battery decay.
The first battery pack is a 115Ah capacity pack, which consists of 590 modules and 245Wh/kg energy density. The battery is guaranteed for 15 years or 1.2 million km (750,000 miles), and fit on most modern EV platforms. The second is an L6 thin battery with a capacity of 226Ah.

The NMx cobalt-free battery chemistry has passed safety tests in both China and Europe, and are safer than traditional NCM batteries. Honeycomb proved that NMx battery has thermal stability exceeding 150 degrees celsius.

TOP EV NEWS #3 – CHEAPEST ELECTRIC CAR YET

In 2017 the GM SAIC joint venture in China, Wuling, brought us the cheapest EV at the time, the Baojun E100. Priced below $10,000 and available in some municipalities, effectively just above $5,000.

This week, Wuling Hongguang launched the Mini EV, priced at $4,200 after subsidies. The Wuling Hongguang Mini EV is available in two battery options, a 13.82kWh model version with an NEDC range of 170km (106 miles), and a 9.2kWh version with a 120km (75 miles) range.

The cheapest EV in the USA is the Chinese import Kandi K22 priced at $18,995 before incentives.

TOP EV NEWS #4 – SOME NEW EVs WE WILL SEE IN CHINA

The Chinese EV market still provides the most model options to the consumer, and traditionally the second part of the year sees the bulk of new model launches. Here are some of the H2 2020 models we gained additional specifications of during the past week.

The most anticipated EV is the compact SUV from NIO, the NIO EC6 pictured above, which will be listed in July for release in September. The NIO EC6 will be available in two power options and four range options.

Other pure electric models we can expect are the new Geely Geometry C compact SUV, Volkswagen e-Tharu, and Qiantu K20.

Plug-n hybrid models coming to the Chinese market in the next six months include the Beijing X7 PHEV and Link & Co 06 PHEV. The Beijing X7 is the first model from the newly created BAIC marque developed on its BMFA platform.

Please follow the links to the dedicated pages of the cars above to see all the specifications available at this time.

TOP EV NEWS #5 – BMW LAUNCH NEW PLUG-IN HYBRID MODEL

BMW announced the pricing and specifications for the BMW X2 xDrive 25e Sport Active Coupé plug-in hybrid.

The X2 is available only in Europe and developed on the latest BMW eDrive technology, now in its fourth generation. The BMW X2 xDrive 25e SAC is priced from €47,250 and offers a range of 53km (33 miles) as measured on the WLTP cycle. The drivetrain pairs a 3 cylinder 1.5-liter engine with a 95hp electric motor. For the complete specs here.

BMW also announced the upgrade of the BMW 530e and BMW 530e xDrive executive sedan. The 7th Generation 5-series offer 40hp more power and a slightly smaller battery pack. The 5-series is also equipped with Level 2 driver assist technology. The 5-series plug-in hybrid line-up will be expanded to five models. The BMW eDrive technology is now also offered for the BMW 530e Touring, BMW 530e xDrive Touring, and BMW 545e xDrive Sedan.

THE WATTEV2BUY TOP 5 NEWSLETTER IS BACK

For those who thought wattEV2buy is dead…, it’s the furthest from the truth. Here is what I have been up to over the last year to improve wattEV2buy.

I was one of the first to put a shoulder behind the effort to promote and create awareness of electric vehicles online. wattEV2buy has been growing as a personal obsession with EVs since 2014. Unfortunately, I did this at my own expense in money and time. As the market grew, I started spending 18 hours a day, creating content and loading data. I had to do things differently or stop the effort altogether.

wattEV2buy has been a pioneer in many ways, being the first to allow users to search EVs from the perspective of their personal needs and situations to the very popular country and price lists. These tools have been copied by some of my competitors but also ended up on some OEMs pages.

The problem was that with the growth of the market, the time between new car data becoming available and added to the price and year release lists became longer, due to the static designs I utilized. I wanted the user to have accurate and dynamic data as soon as it became available. To this end, I spent the past year, creating a dynamic backend, redesigning, and linking the website to a professional database system. I am now able to update various lists and vehicle specs with the press of a button.

I have also created EV-Genius, the world’s first dedicated EV-Classifieds app. The dealer section went live this week, allowing dealers to quickly upload and share EVs across their social feeds. The customer side, already live as a website, will move from prototype to live shortly. Replacing annoying ICE based clutter with relevant EV information when you look for an EV. And in the new COVID world, the move to the cloud away from physical properties will accelerate. Does this sound like an exciting business idea? I am actively looking for large auto companies to develop EV-Genius to its fullest potential. If you are interested in finding out more, contact me through the wattEV2buy contact form.

So what is new on wattEv2buy’s front-end? I mentioned the country price lists and model lists, which have been improved so you can sort according to price and speed, imperial or metric, and pure electric or plug-in hybrid. There are also other improvements on the vehicle specs sheets, such as a compare section, ratings, and owner reviews. The frontpage is also improved so you can quickly find your preferred model or brand. Also, models available for sale from EV-Genius feed through to corresponding models on wattEV2buy.

Yes, I know the design of assets is still homemade, but hey, I make it myself to save costs, and you get all the data for free, so don’t judge. There are also some other exciting collaborations forming that will influence wattEV2buy’s future, which I am excited to share with you once official.

Now that all these improvements are completed, I can focus again on creating the weekly Top 5 EV News you depended on to stay current with the exciting market. The first official newsletter will commence next week. In the meantime, here are some highlights from the past two weeks you might have missed.

Thanks for showing interest and taking the time to read this far. Stay safe and healthy.

TOP EV NEWS #1 – GAC TRUMPCHI AION V LAUNCH DATE

GAC Trumpchi set the launch date for its third model in the Aion series, the Aion V compact SUV. The GAC Trumpchi Aion V EV SUV (cover image above) will launch on the 16th of June 2020 and is already available on pre-sale from ¥170,000 after incentives. The compact SUV is available in three range options, a 400km (250 miles), 530km (331 miles), and 375 km (375 miles).

The design of the Aion V flows from its larger brother the GAC Trumpchi Aion LX, and the stitched center armrests and door handles give the vehicle a more luxurious feel. The Aion Vs driver display and infotainment system are incorporated in a dual LCD setup.

The drivetrain of the Aion V SUV delivers a maximum power output of 135kW and 350N.m torque. The dimensions of the compact SUV competes favorably with its competitors. We will update more information related to the Aion Vs pricing and specifications as it becomes available.

TOP EV NEWS #2 – NEW ROEWE LOGO FOR A NEW DIRECTION 

​On May 7th, 2020, the Chinese owned SAIC Roewe digitally revealed its new logo to herald in a new development direction. The new brand image is designed to signal Roewe’s aggressive direction change as the auto industry adapts to electrification and interconnectivity of the vehicle with the world around it through 5G.

With 300 designers, sixteen design teams designed 500 different options over ten months to get to the chosen result. The design of the previous Roewe logo, and its name, for that matter, was quite controversial as it looked end felt like a Rover knock-off. At last, Roewe can claim they developed a unique identity.

The R logo signifies “Technology inwards, humanity outwards.” The relationship between humanities and technology is the cornerstone of Roewe’s new development direction. The R-mark projects exclusivity as Roewe shifts to the mid-to-high-end market in its new vision.

At the same time, Roewe gave us a glimpse into its future through the unveiling of the world’s first full cabin interactive 5G production car, the Roewe MARVEL-R. The SAIC Roewe Marvel-R EV embodies the elements of its new brand image and will be the first vehicle to herald in Roewe’s new direction. The Marvel-R will not be the first EV from the Roewe stable to carry the badge, as images of the SAIC Roewe ER6 EV, due in July this show, emerged sporting the new symbol.

TOP EV NEWS #3 – MORE DETAILS REVEALED OF NEW BYD HAN EV

BYD revealed more information on the BYD Han EV, which will reach the Chinese market in June 2020. The BYD Han is available in an All-Wheel Drive and Single Motor version. The AWD has a max range of 550km on the NEDC testing cycle. The FWD version is available in a short-range with 506km and a long-range with 605km.

The BYD Han is the first model to showcase the company’s new Blade Battery and DiPilot advance driving assist system. It is also the first series where the plug-in hybrid and pure electric have different designs of the front. Both the Han EV and the Han DM (PHEV) uses BYDs Dragon Face design style, but the Han EV uses a semi-closed front face design to identify its pure electric identity. The overall design of the Han series follows a streamlined “front and rear” design concept with a low resistance coefficient of 0.233Cd for improved efficiency. BYD aims to create a taste of luxury to compete with the XPENG P7 and Tesla Model S. The Han is also the first BYD with hidden door handles. The instrument adopts a full LCD instrument panel with a brand new UI design and improved visual effect. The infotainment system used in the Han series is BYDs DiLink 3.0 system, developed with the Android operating system.

The Han EV is the first electrified model to use the new Blade Battery architecture, which, combined with lithium iron phosphate, enables BYD to control the battery cost while improving energy density. The Blade battery architecture uses a Cell To Pack (CTP) technology, where the battery cell is directly integrated into the battery pack, eliminating the need for intermediate modules, as opposed to the traditional battery packs, which uses a single-module-battery grouping of packages. Apart from a cost saving of 30%+ and an improved life cycle of 1.2M km, the Blade Battery architecture also offers improved safety.

The patent images of the Blade battery disclosed by BYD shows thinner and extra-long prismatic cells of 430mm to 2500mm. Compared with the traditional square battery, it presents “flat” and “long” shapes, cells in the Blade Battery are arranged together in an array and inserted into the battery pack like a “blade”. By utilizing the CTP design, the BYD Blade battery uses fewer components such as side plates, end plates, fasteners, beams, and longitudinal beams of each module, ultimately improving the energy density per unit mass to 180Wh/kg. The result of the savings and design is an improved space utilization of around 50%, compared to a traditional NCM811 block battery. Furthermore, the CTP battery design increases the charge capacity by about 20% -30%, and the cruising range also increases by 20% -30%.

The Blade Battery offers four distinct safety features, such as slow heat release and low heat generation, a high starting temperature for exothermic reactions, while not releasing oxygen when damaged, or easily catch fire. The safety enhancements mean the Blade Battery has much lower surface temperatures when punctured of around 30 C to 60 C, compared to 500 C of traditional ternary batteries. BYD tweeted that in extreme condition testing where the battery was punctured, heated to 572 F, overcharged by 260%, crushed and bent, it did not catch fire.

BYD announced last week that the HAN will also reach European shores later this year, and is expected to be priced between €45,000 and €55,000.

TOP EV NEWS #4 – JAC iC5 TO GO ON SALE

JAC is launching it’s highly efficient new EV, the iC5, developed on the 432 platform, on the 10th of May. The iC5 went on pre-sale on the 16th of March this year and is available in three trims. Pricing for the iC5 starts at RMB 155,000 and is based on the JAC Jiayue A5 ICE, which prices from RMB 84,800. 

The JAC iC5 uses the same 21700 lithium-ion type of battery cells as the Tesla Model 3, with a highly efficient energy density of 240 Wh/kg. The iC5 is also equipped with an energy-saving heat pump air-conditioning unit, which reduces energy use by more than 40%, allowing the car an additional 50km in range in the winter. The iC5 can charge enough energy to travel 200km in 30min.

The new JAC iC5 follows the new design language, designed by Daniele, an Italian star designer and former design leader at Alfa Romeo. The closed front grille is equipped with breathable LED headlights and fitted with Michelin’s latest generation Haoyue PRIMACY4 low rolling resistance tires, providing comfort and lower road noise.

Interestingly enough, JAC markets equipped the new EV with the newly developed “mobile anti-epidemic cockpit,” making the EV Covid-19 proof. The “mobile anti-epidemic cockpit “consists of powerful filtration, advanced oxidation, fresh air functions, and has 360-degree active disinfection. There is also a mobile phone APP to remotely activate the “mobile anti-epidemic cockpit,” switching on the internal circulation, block harmful germs, and purify the vehicle before entering it.

Employing the automaker’s new +3.0 drive technology, the JAC iC5 delivers a peak torque of 340 N.m, and comfortably accelerate to 100km in 7.6 seconds, WIth the unique E-type multi-link rear suspension, the chassis can be adjusted to perfect balance between sport and comfort.

TOP EV NEWS #5 – FAW TOYOTA LAUNCH THE CH-R TWIN AS A PURE EV

FAW Toyota launched the Toyota IZAO EV this week, at the same time as the combustion model. The Toyota IZAO EV is a rebadged Toyota C-HR EV, which will be available under the GAC Toyota brand label. The subsidized price range of the FAW Toyota IZAO starts at RMB225,800.

The IZOA is based on Toyota’s new TNGA architecture and has a maximum power of 150kW and a 400km (250 miles) range as measured on the NEDC test cycle. The range and battery spec of the IZAO disappoints when compared against its competitors. The compact SUVs battery has an energy density of only 131 Wh/kg, compared to its peers, all of whom have battery specifications closer to 160Wh/kg. Does this reflect Toyota’s limited EV track record? Or is it since the IZAO is only available as an EV in China, and therefore can be seen as a compliance vehicle.

To identify the car as an electric FAW Toyota placed the EV logo to the closed grille. The interior design is similar to overseas models. The low- and mid-range models are equipped with a 7-inch LCD instrument panel and the high-end model with a 12.3-inch full LCD instrument panel. In terms of functionality, the IZAO EV has automatic parking and an electronic handbrake. The infotainment system is equipped with Baidu CarLife.

TOP EV NEWS #1 – BYD e-SERIES LAUNCHED

BYD launched its e-Series range which is dedicated to pure electric vehicles. The first model from the BYD e range of cars, the e1 will be launched on the 1st of April 2019. The BYD e1 with its electric range of 305km is loosely based on the BYD F0 compact car.

The BYD e-series will is positioned in parallel with BYD’s dynasty series and have an independent sales channel. BYD indicated that it would target the ride-hailing and taxi-market with its e-series car’s which deliver a better return on investment for such operators. The e-series will cover most market segments and range in price from RMB 550,000 to RMB 150,000 before subsidies.

BYD plans to produce 300,000 new energy vehicles at its Changsha plant, including the e1, e2, and e3.

TOP EV NEWS #2 – NEW AND UPDATED MODELS

SAIC MG launched its compact SUV, the MG eZS and released images of the 2019 eMG plug-in hybrid release. The MG eZS is expected to be sold in Europe as mentioned in the Week 49 2018 newsletter. The order book for the SAIC MG eZS SAIC will open on March 30, 2019 with three trims available priced from ¥119,800 after subsidy. The MG eZS is equipped with an electric motor producing a  maximum power of 110 kW and its liquid-cooled 44.5 kWh battery pack provides a range of 335 km as measured on the NEDC cycle.

The 2019 eMG 6 TROPHY plug-in hybrid electric vehicle is equipped with SAIC’s “Blue Core” 1.5T engine, matching the new SAIC’s second-generation 10-speed EDU intelligent electric drive gearbox, with a maximum power of 224kW (304Ps) and a maximum torque of 480Nm, delivering a 0 to 100km/h acceleration time of 5.9 seconds.

Neighbourhood electric vehicle manufacturer Tianjin Qingyuan Automobile this week teased two images of an A00 class EV and a larger Estate EV. The lesser-known Tianjin Qingyuan Automobile joins other NEV manufacturers crossing over to the highway capable segment as stricter regulations in the NEV market starts to bite. There was no more information available at the time of the two models teased.

Electric vehicle legend, Henry Fisker, announced the planned release of a sub $40,000 electric SUV. The Fisker SUV will be revealed at the end of 2019 and available in the second half of 2021.

Last week mentioned that Hozon is to unveil its second production vehicle, following on the NETA 01 A00 class car. This week Hozon revealed the HOZON “U” with a 500km (313miles) range. The Hozon U will be unveiled at the Shanghai Auto Show in April at which time its pricing will be announced. The official launch of the Hozon U is set for the Guangzhou Auto Show later this year. The Hozon U is available in two power specs, a 2WD with an acceleration to 100km/h in 6.6 seconds and a more powerful 4WD with a maximum power of 270kW and a maximum torque of 615N·m delivering a 0-100km/h acceleration of 4.9s. The U is equipped with level 2.5 Advanced Driving Assistance aided bu 20 sensors including a mobileye Q4 chip.

EV startup CHJ Auto announced that its first EV, the order book for IDEAL ONE would open on the 10th of April 2019 with a reservation deposit of ¥5,000 for Q4 2019 delivery. The Ideal ONE is positioned as a range-extended large 4WD SUV with a total operating range of up to 700km (438 miles). The Ideal One is available as a 6 or 7 seater and Advanced Driving Assistance labeled as Level 2.5. In 2018 it was speculated that the Ideal One would be priced at around ¥400,000 after subsidy.

TOP EV NEWS #3 – XPENG OPENS FAST CHARGING STATIONS

EV start-up Xiaopeng unveiled its first fast-charging station capable of 180kW double DC fast charging delivering a maximum of 120kW to a single car, allowing for 30min fast charging. The Xpeng fast chargers have a maximum output current of 200A, with 500A planned for the future. Xpeng will construct 30 supercharging stations in five cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Wuhan. The Xpeng stations will provide up to 2 hours of free parking and super fast WiFi service. Xiaopeng Automobile has completed the signing of 100 supercharging stations in more than ten first- and second-tier cities and will operate nearly 200 supercharging stations in nearly 30 cities by the end of 2019.

Also this week Xiaopeng Automobile Chairman and CEO He Xiaopeng confirmed that Xiaopeng Automobile’s new intelligent electric coupe internal code E28 is under development and testing. The E28 is positioned in the mid-size smart electric coupe and will be powered by the NVIDIA DRIVE Xavier chip, which will be unveiled at the Shanghai International Auto Show in mid-April and will release more product information. This means that the E28 will have an advanced autonomous computing platform with a hardware base to support L3 autopilot.

TOP EV NEWS #4 – BMW STRATEGY UPDATE

Earlier the week it emerged that BMW is said to put production of EVs on ice in China until there is certainty surrounding the trade war and tariffs. Today the BMW board provided further insight into the German automaker’s NUMBER ONE > NEXT strategy which is now in its third year at the group’s Annual Accounts Press Conference and the BMW Group Analyst- and Investor Conference 2019 held in Munich.

Like most auto manufacturers BMW’s bottom line is under pressure due to the disruption in the industry due to mobility trends changing since with the advent of ride-hailing apps such as Uber, electrification and self-driving technologies which demand used investment in R&D and assembly lines. To a larger extent than in other regions, European automakers also have to deal with the significantly higher cost of complying with stricter CO2 legislation.

The impact of the disruption clearly shows on BMW’s finances, with it’s capital expenditure in 2018 increasing to € 5,029 million, 7.3% higher than the 2017 high of € 4,688 million, resulting in a Capex ratio of 5.2% (2017: 4.8%). R&D expenses in 2018 were significantly higher (12,8%) at € 6,890 million from € 6,108 million in 2017or equivalent to 7.1% of Group revenues (2017: 6.2%).

Our industry is witnessing rapid transformation. In this environment, a sustained high level of profitability is crucial if we are to continue driving change,” said Nicolas Peter, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Finance. “In view of the numerous additional factors negatively impacting earnings, we began to introduce countermeasures at an early stage and have taken a number of far-reaching decisions. Discipline and a clear focus on rigorous implementation are essential as we aim to emerge from these challenging times stronger than ever.”

BMW announced strategic steps to enhance its operating performance on a sustainable basis. As well as systematically implementing its strategy NUMBER ONE > NEXT, the company is also focusing on faster processes, leaner structures, and therefore greater efficiency. Some of these steps which relates to the electric vehicle sector include:

• Shortening of development times up to a third through the implementation of digital simulations and virtual validation which will cut the need for around 2,500 expensive prototype vehicles by the year 2024
• Through consolidation of technology, BMW will from 2021 onwards eliminate 50% of its current drivetrain variants as the company transition to more sophisticated and flexible vehicle architectures.
• From April 1, 2019, the BMW, MINI, and Rolls-Royce brands will be combined into a single sales division gaining cost savings through leaner processes and more efficient structures.
• Going forward, the BMW Group will be capable of manufacturing models with all-electric (BEV), hybrid-electric (PHEV) and conventional (ICE) drivetrains on one production line.

BMW’s product line-up is seeing more electrification with the new plug-in hybrid versions (PHEV) of the BMW 3 and 7 Series, and BMW X5 and BMW X3. By the end of 2020, the BMW Group will have more than ten new or revised models equipped with fourth-generation electric drivetrain technology (“Gen 4”). Starting with the all-electric MINI Electric manufactured at the Oxford plant from 2019 and, from 2020, the BMW iX3, which will be produced for the world market in Shenyang, China. Together with the pioneering BMW i3, the BMW i4, and the BMW iNEXT, the Group will have five all-electric models on the market by 2021, and the number is scheduled to rise to at least twelve models by 2025. Including the rapidly growing range of plug-in hybrids, the BMW Group’s product portfolio will then comprise at least 25 electrified models.

BMW will equip Level 3 automation in its cars from 2021, starting with BMW iNEXT which will also be Level 4-enabled for pilot projects.

BMW and Daimler are creating a new global player that provides sustainable urban mobility. The two companies are investing more than one billion euros to develop and more closely intermesh their offerings for car-sharing, ride-hailing, parking, charging and multimodal transport. The cooperation comprises five joint ventures: REACH NOW (multimodal), CHARGE NOW (charging), FREE NOW (ride-hailing), PARK NOW (parking) and SHARE NOW (car-sharing).

TOP EV NEWS #5 – GEELY GEOMETRY A LAUNCH A SUCCESS

In the Top 5 EV News Week 11 edition I introduced the Geely Geometry A which went on sale the past week. Within the first 6 hours of Geely received orders for 3,786 units, including 395 orders from overseas. The Geely Geometry Ais designed according to European standards and aims to compete with the Tesla Model 3. The order book for the Geometry A included orders from Europe, Southeast Asia, and South America. Local sales for the Geometry A consisted of 1816 units from Beijing and 1575 from the rest of China. The Geely Geometry A is available in two battery/range options priced from ¥150,000 to ¥170,000 after subsidies, or $22,000 but foreign buyers won’t qualify for the subsidy pushing the price up by over $10,000.

The Geometry A includes Advanced Driving Assistance (ADAS) of level 2 as measured by the SAE nut the company labels it 2.5. The Geometry A also includes advanced technologies such as heads-up-display (HUD).

The Geely Geometry A is developed on the company’s PMA platform from which ten new models will be launched by 2021.

TOP EV NEWS #1 – MODEL Y LAUNCH

Tesla launched the Model Y crossover SUV on Thursday the 14th of March 2019 but the rockstar launch failed to impress commentators who were disappointed with the late entry of the car. The Model Y will enter the market at the same time when a flood of new EVs from all major brands are launched.The Tesla Model Y will be available in 2020 in three specs, a long range rear wheel drive priced at $47,000, a long-range all-wheel drive priced at $51,000 and a performance model priced at $60,000. For detailed specs and pricing see our easy to use infographic below. The standard range version with a range of 250 miles (400km) will only come to market in 2021.

The Model Y will be produced in Nevada and Shanghai and a possible third location, maybe Freemont. Tesla has already opened the order book for the Model Y CUV which can be ordered for a refundable deposit of $2,500 on the Tesla website. Based on the rollercoaster pricing habits of Tesla over the last couple of months expect the pricing to change closer to the launch. The Tesla Model Y is available as a five-seater in 2020 and a seven-seater option form 2021.

I don’t fully share the comments that the market will be crowded when the Model Y finally comes to market, it is a pity though that Tesla did nor bring a product for the most popular car segment to market earlier. Sure the Model Y will enter at a time when all the big automakers finally join the party but at that time I expect the market to be big enough to still see long waiting lists for cars. The consumer has woken up and now demand electric vehicles are continuously surprising on the top side. Consumers are putting off the buying decision for a new car until an electric option becomes available for fear of seeing resale values of combustion vehicles crash. Tesla’s share price nonetheless took a dive and is currently trading close to a big support level of $250. I will definitely be an interested buyer should the stock reach the $220 to $200 range, which could be a healthy correction, but by no means a new bear trend.

TOP EV NEWS #2 – NEW AND UPDATED MODELS

VW ID NEO

Volkswagen announced that it will open the order book for the I.D. NEO on May the 8th 2019. The VW I.D. Neo is expected to be available in three battery packs delivering commute ranges between 205 miles / 330km and 600km priced from €25,000 euros (about 30,000 US dollars). Volkswagen will produce 100,000 electric vehicles per year at the Zwickau plant, which is Volkswagen’s first new electric vehicle factory to assemble cars on its MEB platform.

VW ID Neo Gordons Bay Cape Town (Images by Theo Calitz)

NEW BYD MODELS

BYD released teaser images of its new luxury SUV which will be released this year. The SUV which is based on the Tang Dynasty series is known currently as the SA2 (Dragon Face 2.0) will be available as a combustion, dual motor plug-in electric and pure electric vehicle. 

BYD announced the launch of the BYD e1 F0 class EV and BYD S2 compact SUV, based on Yuan platform. The BYD e1 and BYD S2 will enter the market on April 1, 2019. The BYD S2 has a range of 305km (191 miles) and the BYD e1 a range of 300km (188 miles) both on the NEDC test cycle.

BYD opened its order book for the BYD Song MAX DM MPV and set the price range for the three trims from ¥160,000 to ¥200,000 after subsidies. The combustion version is priced between ¥80,000 and ¥130,000. The 1.5L BYD SONG MAX DM has a combined fuel consumption of 1.2l/100km and can accelerate to 100km/h in 6.9 seconds. The SONG MAX competes with the Geely Jia-Ji and can be upgraded via OTA technology. The BYS SONG MAX is equipped with SAE Level 2 advanced driver assistance. The SONG MAX DM MPV is available in two battery configurations providing a 51km (32miles) and 81km 51miles) NEDC electric range.

BYD e1 | BYD S2 | BYD SONG MAX DM

AUDI E-TRON SPORTBACK

AUDI announced that the e-tron Sportback, first introduced as a crossover coupe concept of the recently released AUDI e-Tron Quattro, will enter production at the end of 2019 as its second EV. AUDI plans to introduce 30 electrified models by 2025. The slip-back styled production version is said to include a rear-view camera instead of a mirror. The AUDI e-tron Sportback drive train consists of two electric motors delivering max power of 300kW (407Ps) and a maximum integrated torque of 664N·m. A performance version named “60 Quattro” might also see the light of day with a max power exceeding 370kW, The e-tron Sportback will share the same 95kWh battery as the e-tron Quattro.

NEW GEELY EV MODELS

Geely launched the Geely Jia-JI PHEV, known pre-production as the VP11 and introduced as a concept vehicle during the 2017 Shanghai Auto Show. The 1.5TD Geely Jia-Ji PHEV’s drive-train produces a combined max power of 190kW and peak torque of 385N.m and delivers combined fuel consumption of 1.6L per 100km. The Geely JIA-JI PHEV is available in three trims priced between ¥159,800 and ¥182,800.

The Geely FY11 PHEV Coupe, the Chinese automaker’s first high-end sports SUV based on the CMA architecture will be unveiled on March 25, 2019, The Geely FY11 is powered by a Volvo Drive-E series VEP4 T5 engine an available with combustion, mild hybrid and plug-in electric hybrid drive train.

KARMA EV MODELS

Karma Automotive announced that itis to present three models during the 2019 Shanghai Auto Show in April. The models are the Karma Revero, Karma Vision pure electric concept car and the collaboration with Pininfarina below on the left.

Pininfarina Karma | Karma Vision EV

CHANGHAN MPV EV

Changan launched the Changan Honor A600 EV, its six-seat electric MPV this week. The Changan A600 EV is priced at ¥149,800 before subsidy and has a range of 405 km / 253 miles NEDC. The 4.5 meters long A600 EV is equipped with a 90kW electric motor and luxuries such as a right-side rearview mirror with a camera, front/rear reversing radar, trip video recorder and electric sunroof.

HOZON N03

Hozon announced that it will reveal its second production EV on March the 21st 2019 and unveil it at the Shanghai Auto Show in April. The new EV is based on the N03 concept which followed on the Eureka 01 concept EV. The new EV has a range of 500km (313 miles) and equipped with Level 2+ advanced driving assistance and a large digital display.

NEVS 9-3

NEVS and its white knight shareholder, Evergrande Health, announced that it will finally bring the NEVS 9-3 to market and that it will be sold globally from June 2019. After its failed entry into Faraday Future Evergrande is making a huge play in the EV space with recent investments in its own Charging infrastructure company, an investment in Koenigsegg, the Dutch e-Traction drive technology company, and Carnegie New Energy, a clean energy company.

BORDRIN MOTORS

Chinese EV startup Bordrin Motors released a set of teaser images of its upcoming mid-sized electric SUV to be revealed at a company event on 11 April 2019. Bordrin is expected to launch the EV SUV which will be assembled by FAW Jilin at the end of the year. The mid-sized fice seat electric SUV has a wheelbase of 2900mm and is available in two power options with a 0-62mph acceleration of around 6 and 8 seconds for the two options. The Bordrin EV SUV has an NEDC range of 550km (344 miles) and will be equipped with SAE Level 2 autonomous capabilities.

TOP EV NEWS #3 – DEMAND FOR EVs COULD BE TROJAN HORSE FOR CHINA’s AUTO BRANDS

Earlier I mentioned that NEVS announced the international release of the NEVS 9-3 V in June 2019 now Geely takes aim at Tesla with the launch of its latest electric car. Geely named the Geely GE11 as the Geometry A and target it to compete head-on with the Tesla Model 3, not just in China but regions such as Europe. The Geely Geometry A will be launched on the 11th of April 2019 and is already available for pre-order. The price of the entry-level Geometry A is expected to be in the region of ¥200,000 after subsidies. The Geometry A is available in two battery choices, a 61.9kWh 500km (313miles NEDC) and 51.9kWh pack delivering an NEDC range of 410km(256mile). The Geometry A battery charges in 33 minutes between 30% and 80% for the larger pack and 30 minutes for the smaller pack. The Geely Geometry A is also equipped with what it calls Level 2+ self-driving capabilities.

The Geometry A advanced driving assistance includes camera and radar to enable AEB (automatic emergency braking system), ACC (Adaptive cruise control) and S&G (Stop/Go). The AI system is active from 0 to 150km/h and also include RCW (rear collision warning system), DOW (door opening warning system), LKA (lane keep assist system), BSD (blind spot detection system) and LCA (lane change assist system).

Various Chinese other automakers such as GAC, SAIC, Kandi, and Qiantu have already started selling models in limited numbers in either the USA or Europe or have announced plans to open sales operations there. The Western consumer has always been skeptical of the quality of Chinese cars, but so have they in the 1950s of Japanese vehicles and later Korean vehicles. The current “crisis” in the auto sector where there is a huge demand for electric vehicles might be the opportunity for Chinese auto brands to change perceptions and use the demand to introduce their cars to a starving consumer market for electric vehicles.

TOP EV NEWS #4 – GM AND SAIC SETS FIVE YEAR STRATEGY

GM and its Chinese partner SAIC this week announced its 5-year plan which will see the introduction of nine electrified vehicles by 2023. In total the company plans to bring 60 new models to market, making the EV component seem insignificant. Some of the new electric vehicles from the GM brand to be sold in China include the new Chevrolet EV and Buick Velite 6 plug-in hybrid and pure electric models.

With new stringent electric vehicle production requirements, GM is forced to be more aggressive in its EV strategy in China than it is in its home market the USA. Currently, GM which is selling around two million units annually in China has an “energy credit gap” of 200,000 points, requiring them to produce 100,000 pure electric vehicles.

SAIC-GM entered into a strategic partnership with CATL in September 2018 which will see them cooperating in the field of automotive battery technology and research and development of SAIC GM’s next-generation new energy battery.

TOP EV NEWS #5 – VOLKSWAGEN SET SECOND WAVE IN EV STRATEGY

Volkswagen is introducing a second wave to it’s EV strategy, increasing the number of EV models it will introduce throughout the Group from 50 by 2025 to 70 by 2030 which will be equal to 22 million cars over the next decade. To achieve the production of huge amounts of electric vehicles, VW has entered into battery purchase agreements with LG Chem, SKI, CATL and Samsung and is also considering the construction of battery factories in Europe. VW and Stanford founded battery research company QuantumScape is also forging ahead with a joint venture to achieve the mass production of solid-state batteries by 2025

The company is also aiming to become completely carbon neutral in its fleet and operations by 2050. The company has set its first target to reduce its emissions by 30% from 2015 levels by 2025 and 40% by 2030. The Volkswagen Group has also established a company Elli Group GmbH (Elli Group GmbH) to develop power and charging solutions. The Berlin-based Elli will develop energy and charging-related products and services for Volkswagen’s brands and strengthen Volkswagen’s capabilities in electric mobility services.

TOP EV NEWS #1 – POLESTAR VS TESLA

TOP EV NEWS #2 – NEW AND UPDATED EV MODELS

TOP EV NEWS #3 – WILL $35k TESLA MODEL 3 MAKE SOME EV MODELS OBSOLETE ?

Tesla announced the release of the cheap Model 3 starting at $35,000 for a lower specced version of the popular EV. The affordable Tesla Model 3 has a range of 220 miles (352km) measured on the EPA test cycle and can accelerate to 60 mph in 5.6 seconds reaching a top speed of 130 mph (208km/h). According to Tesla estimated delivery is between two and four weeks.

Elon Musk earlier in a late-night e-mail informed employees that the company had to tighten its belt to profitably produce the cheap version of the Tesla Model 3 and that it will have to lay off staff in the process. It now transpires that many of the cuts will come from its sales teams as the company now moves to online orders only for its models.

Although many industry commentators feel that the release of the $35,000 Tesla Model 3 might be late the impact of the car will be felt far and wide in the US auto marked where the car is a top seller. The introduction of the $35,000 will challenge the Nissan Leaf e+, which with its 226-mile range which was priced this week at $36,650, despite the Leaf still qualifying for the $7,500 Federal grant. Looking at the wattEV2buy price/range page sales for compliance EVs such as the Honda Clarity, on the other hand, will be obliterated. Even buying the BMW i3 priced from $45,000 with its paltry 114-mile range makes no sense.

TOP EV NEWS #4 – FLOOD OF NEW PLUG-IN HYBRID EVs

VOLVO also recently announced that it is taking a significant step towards electrifying its car’s, making upgraded and newly-developed electrified powertrain available across its entire model range. The company has upgraded its existing T8 and T6 Twin Engine plug-in hybrid powertrains, while at the same time confirming that plug-in options will now be available on every model it produces. Volvo has also increased the production capacity of plug-in hybrid cars to 25% of the total production of Twin Engine PHEVs.

In the press release Volvo stated:

The upgraded T8 Twin Engine plug-in hybrid with up to 420 horsepower features a new battery and brake-by-wire advanced battery charging. The range of the T8 powertrain has increased by around 15 per cent and this powertrain is available on all 90 and 60 Series cars.

An upgraded version of the smaller capacity T6 Twin Engine plug-in hybrid is also combined with the new battery and brake-by wire-technology. This powertrain also offers an approximate 15 per cent range increase and is available on the V60 estate and S60 sedan.

Jaguar Land Rover also announced that it would introduce its third plug-in hybrid car this year, the Range Rover Evoque PHEV.

TOP EV NEWS #5 – HYUNDAI FEELING PINCH OF ELECTRIFICATION

Hyundai Motors unveiled its long term plan to secure sustainable growth earmarking the bulk of the plan to refurbish plants and securing the competitiveness of its products as the automotive industry experiences disruption due to electrification and mobility trends of its consumers.

According to the plan, Hyundai will invest KRW 30.6 trillion towards refurbishment and refreshing its products, while it will invest KRW 6.4 trillion in smart mobility, KRW 3.3 trillion for electrification, KRW 2.5 trillion in autonomous driving and connectivity technologies and KRW 2.5 trillion for the development of artificial intelligence and other advanced technologies. As part of the plan, Hyundai announced that it would launch its first pure electric vehicle on a new dedicated EV platform in 2020.

Hyundai Motor Group announced earlier that it would have 44 electrified models by 2025 with projected annual sales of 1.67 million units as it aims to be one of the top 3 EV manufacturers. On the other hand, Hyundai is sticking to its guns to have a “first mover advantage” in FCEVs by 2030, investing KRW 8 trillion towards producing 500,000 fuel cell cars per annum by 2030.

The cost of adapting to a new future requires Hyundai to increase annual investments by 58% over the next five years and raising liquidity requirements to between KRW 14 and 15 trillion.

TOP EV NEWS #1 – FLOW BATTERIES TO REDUCE CHARGING TIMES

The term “range anxiety” is one most EV drivers are familiar with and fear! Although progress has been made by many manufacturers to overcome this, there is still the belief that EV’s cannot match the range of combustion-engined cars.

A new style of electric car battery could remove range anxiety and even surpasses the capabilities of petrol and diesel engines. A newly developed refillable technology is responsible for advancement in the battery “flow” concept and testing showed that the battery could provide enough power to allow cars to travel as much as 3 000 miles. According to John Cushman, Professor at Purdue University this is a game changer for the next generation of electric cars due to its potential cost savings. It is also much easier and safer to use. According to Cushman, one could convert gas stations to pump fresh electrolytes and discards depleted electrolyte and convert oil-changing facilities to anode replacing stations. This new technology would allow you to replace the fluid in batteries about every 300 miles which will be similar to how you would refill your combustion car.

TOP EV NEWS #2 – THE USED EV MARKET IS COMING OF AGE

According to Shoreham Vehicle Auctions (SVA) there has been a significant rise in the demand for used electric cars. EV numbers are increasing to the point where higher numbers are available to the secondhand market. According to the managing director of SVA the Nissan e-NV200 van has appreciated in value year-on-year by around ₤1000.

The SVA team has collaborated with the Energy Saving Trust to launch an electric vehicle training course for car and van dealer sales staff to help educate dealers on which customers will benefit most from buying and running an electric car. As trust in the electric vehicle increases, the remarketing industry needs to keep pace to provide a market and service at the same level for EV customers as customers have been expected from petrol and diesel used cars.

We are launching our EV-genius tool shortly! Watch this space for all your second-hand EV needs.

TOP EV NEWS #3 – THE END OF THE CHEVROLET VOLT

Associated Press reported that GM has pulled the plug on their Chevy Volt. Their once “star”, an electric car with a gasoline engine as backup could do 38 miles on electricity after which the small gasoline engine would kick in as a generator. Sadly sales were below expectations despite solid reviews and a loyal following. Increasing gas prices was blamed as one of the reasons for the Volt’s demise as well as the assumption that trucks and SUV’s would be unaffordable for the majority of buyers.

GM is re-inventing themselves and 2021 could expect a launch of the first dozen of all-electric cars, which will include EV’s and trucks. According to GM the Volt has served a valuable purpose and many lessons have been learned such as advances in lithium-ion batteries.

TOP EV NEWS #4 – NEW AND UPDATED EV MODELS

TOP EV NEWS #5 – TRUE TESLA AUTOPILOT IS HERE, BUT NOT YET

During an appearance on an ARK Invest podcast, Elon Musk predicted that the company will be able to achieve full self-driving by the end of the year but that the implementation thereof be delayed by regulatory hurdles.

“The car will be able to find you in a parking lot, pick you up and take you all the way to your destination without an intervention, this year,” Musk said. “I would say I am of certain of that. That is not a question mark.”

The entrepreneur went further saying:

“My guess as to when we would think it is safe for somebody to essentially fall asleep and wake up at their destination? Probably towards the end of next year. That is when I think it would be safe enough for that.”

TOP EV NEWS #1 – RIVIAN GETS BIG BACKERS

Speculation was rife last week that GM could acquire the electric car start-up Rivian. While those rumors are still swirling around Rivian announced this week that Amazon took part in a $700 million funding round. The investment by Amazon makes it the tech company’s second mobility associated investment the week, following a $530 million investment in autonomous drive start-up Aurora.

Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas put out a note on Thursday Tesla or Rivian “could be a serious problem for the Detroit-based traditional automakers.” Jonas warned that traditional players such as Ford could lose its first mover advantage with the arrival of compelling vehicles such as a Tesla pick-up or Rivians RiT pickup and R1S SUV.

The latest funding round into Rivian increase at shareholder base which currently consists of Japanese company Sumitomo Corp the Saudi auto distributor Abdul Latif Jameel Ltd.

TOP EV NEWS #2 – NEW AND UPDATED EV MODELS

Renault is to launch a pure electric version of the KWID in China later this year. The Renault KWID EV is expected to have a range exceeding 250km (156 miles).

Mitsubishi UK launched a commercial version of the Outlander plug-in hybrid electric vehicle. Named the Outlander PHEV Juro Commercial the vehicle is classed as an Ultra-Low Emission Vehicle making it eligible for the UK government’s Plug-In Van Grant resulting in a saving of £7,900 resulting in an on-the-road price of just £25,113 (excluding VAT including the PiVG, VED, and First Registration Fee).

The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV has a WLTP fuel economy combined cycle figure of 139mpg (159 NEDC), a WLTP EV range of 28 miles (33 NEDC) and CO2 emissions of just 46g/km (40g/km NEDC).

The 2020 KIA Soul received its official EPA rating, coming in at 243 miles (389 km). The 2020 KIA Soul, therefore, will more than double the range of the current 30kWh model which has an EPA rating of 111 miles (178km).

Changan launched its A00 class EV, the Changan NIOU II. The NIOU II has a range of 205km (128 miles) and is priced between ¥44,800 and ¥56,800 for the three trims after subsidy.

TOP EV NEWS #3 – CRAZY DEMAND FOR NEW EVs

Automakers globally are experiencing a broadly declining market fueled in part by the persistent weakness in key markets such as China and America. VW Group recorded a sales decrease of 2.9% in China and -5.2% in North America for January. The trend, however, is not playing through to the electric vehicle segment which saw 2.1 million sales in 2018, nearly double that of 2017. The market is hungry for new models with Audi reporting that it has already pre-sold 20,000 units of the Audi Quattro e-tron which is available from March 2019. Another VW Group company Porsche is also seeing substantial interest in its upcoming Taycan EV.

According to Bloomberg VW, this week adjusted its EV sales forecast up by 50% to 15 million by 2025 by which time it would have released 20 EV models.

Mercedes (down 6.7% in January 2019) also announced recently that it already had sold its first year of production for the EQC SUV. Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche said “We are sure that we will not be able to meet the demand in 2019 and probably not by 2020. But we do everything we can to achieve the maximum capacity.”

TOP EV NEWS #4 – BYD LAUNCH EV ASSAULT IN 2019

Fresh from its success in 2018, selling nearly a quarter of a million electric vehicles BYD is to launch ten electric vehicles in 2019. Three of the new models are brand new cars, being the e1 small EV, e2 compact SUV, and e3 compact sedan while the rest improved or electrified models of current combustion series.

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TOP EV NEWS #5 – WHAT EVs TO EXPECT AT GENEVA AUTO SHOW – PART 3

Polestar teased the second picture (right below) of its upcoming pure electric vehicle, the Polestar 2 and announced the digital reveal of the vehicle on the 27th of February, a week before the Geneva International Auto Show. Previously the company announced that the production capacity for the Polestar 2 would be around 50,000 units. The Polestar 2 is available in early 2020 and priced around the €40,000 / $46,000 mark.

Audi unveiled sketches of the upcoming Q4 compact electric SUV concept which it will unveil at the Geneva International Auto Show early March. The Q4 EV is expected to be launched as a 2022 Model following the launch of the combustion model this year in Europe and as a 2021 model in the USA.

TOP EV NEWS #1 – DAIMLER AND TESLA COURTING EACH OTHER AGAIN

Within weeks of Ford and VW announcing their collaboration on commercial vehicles, Automotive News Europe reported that Tesla and Mercedes are in similar discussions. It is not the first time that Tesla and Mercedes collaborates, the companies have a long history together spanning from Mercedes white knight shareholding in Tesla and the EV producer assisting with the powertrains of the first Mercedes EV. The latest interaction was flamed by a tweet from Elon Musk in November 2018 praising the Mercedes Sprinter van. Mercedes is releasing an electric version of the Sprinter, the eSprinter later in 2019. The eSprinter will benefit from a successful conclusion of talks as it currently only has a range of around 150km (93 miles).

TOP EV NEWS #2 – WHAT ELECTRIC CARS TO EXPECT AT GENEVA AUTO SHOW

Over the past couple of weeks, we saw many automakers announcing their electric car line-ups for the 2019 Geneva International Motor Show (GIMS) such as the Honda Urban prototype and VW ID Dune Buggy. This week we saw more glimpses of electric cars to expect at the Geneva auto show, including some Chinese EVs.

One year after announcing the creation of it’s EV specific luxury brand called Lagonda Aston Martin announced that it will debut its All-Terrain EV Concept due in 2021 at the 89th Geneva International Motor Show. The Lagonda All-terrain EV is based on the Vision Concept (right in the image below) introduced at last year’s GIMS.

Andy Palmer, Aston Martin Lagonda President and Group CEO, said: “The ways in which automotive brands reveal new product has changed beyond recognition in recent years, but there’s still something compelling about the unique atmosphere of a great motor show. Historically Geneva has always been good for us – the buzz surrounding the stand last year when we revealed the Lagonda Vision Concept was truly remarkable – so it’s fantastic to return to the scene of such great success with another world debut. The Lagonda All-Terrain Concept offers explicit clues regarding what will be the first Lagonda model to enter production, and further demonstrates how Lagonda’s zero emission powertrain enables us to create spectacular cars that will radically redefine their sectors of the market. I’m expecting the Aston Martin Lagonda stand to be busier than ever, and very much look forward to seeing the crowd’s reaction first-hand”

The Chinese automaker BAIC BJEV in which Daimler owns a 4% stake will unveil a crossover concept EV and the second generation of the Arcfox 7, its electric supercar first unveiled in 2016. To date, the Arxfox brand has only one production model and that is the Arcfox Lite or Arcfox 1 as it was first known. Sales for the premium high tech Arcfox Lite is surprisingly week in the popular small car segment in China, to date only 588 units of the Arcfox Lite were sold. The second generation Arcfox 7 was first unveiled on the 3rd of September 2018 in Barcelona Spain. It is not clear if BJEV’s appearance at the Geneva International Auto Show heralds its entry into the European market. BJEV and the Canadian company Magna entered into an agreement earlier to jointly develop EVs at a plant in Zhenjiang from 2020 while Daimler is in talks with it to assemble the smart ED for the Chinese market.

TOP EV NEWS #3 – NEW AND UPDATED EV MODELS

VW announced that the 2020 Passat would make its debut at the Geneva Motor Show, including the Passat GTE, its plug-in hybrid electric vehicle. Pre-sales for the VW Passat GTE PHEV will start in May 2019 and the market launch will take place in September in Germany. The Passat GTE is equipped with VW’s new “Travel Assist” advanced driver assistance system making the Passat GTE the first VW models with automated driving capabilities. Travel Assist is available at any speed up to 210km/h through the new IQ.DRIVE system.

VW was forced to discontinue sales of the Passat GTE after the introduction of the WLTP test cycle in September 2019. The 2020 Passat GTE sports a consideredly better battery-only driving range of 55km (34 miles) as measured on the new WLTP cycle, which is around 70km on the old NEDC cycle.

The Chinese automaker BYD is following in the footsteps of its competitor SAIC Maxus by entering the European market with a pure-electric delivery van. The BYD T3 EV van has 3,500 L of cargo space and a range over 200km (125 miles). BYD showcased the T3 EV van with two commercial electric vehicles in Spain, all destined for the European market. The other two commercial vehicles are the 7.5 tonnes T6 truck and Q1M Yard Tractor with its gross combination weight rating of 46 tonnes.

Renault will launch its latest version of the popular Zoe EV in April 2019. The new Zoe S Edition is available in two power configurations, the Q90 with its 64kW (87 hp) electric motors and the more powerful R110 with a 79kW (108hp) electric motor producing 225N.m of torque. The Zoe S has a range of 300km (188miles) as measured on the WLTP scale and is equipped with a 65kW charging system which can fats charge to 80% in 65 minutes.

BMW announced that it completed winter testing of the much anticipated iNEXT SUV due in 2021. The iNEXT SUV underwent testing in Sweden to analyze how the electric vehicle re-charges, how electricity is transferred to the electric motor, how the electrical system is supplied with energy and how the heating and air condition systems respond. Earlier the week the AAA stated that electric vehicles in the USA suffered a drop of around 40% in range during the freakish cold snap experienced there, mostly due to the HVAC heating system draining the battery pack, a claim refuted by Tesla.

TOP EV NEWS #4 – GM SHIFTS GOAL POST ON EV PROFITS

GM CEO Mary Barra warned investors in the company’s 4th quarter earnings call earlier this week that the company’s electric car strategy will not be profitable till early in the next decade. The statement seems to shift the goal posed from her earlier bold claims that GM will turn a profit selling EV’s in 2021 already (Week 2 2019 Top 5 EV News). In the company’s 10-K filing required by SEC GM warned that the auto sector would “continue to experience a significant change in the coming years” due to the shift to new technologies in an uncertain environment due to the disruption caused by electric mobility and automation. As mention in the Week 2 newsletter GM aims to get ahead of the curve by reducing battery cost and using shared platforms.

TOP EV NEWS #5 – NIKOLA MOTORS TAKES ON TESLA SEMI WITH A PURE ELECTRIC CLASS 8

Nikola Motors, the developer of hydrogen-electric trucks tweeted this week that it is also entering the race to bring pure-electric trucks to market. In a tweet in the run-up to the company’s annual event called Nicola World in April 2019 the company said it will also unveil an electric class 8 semi with a range of 400 miles. According to industry commentators, the shift towards battery powered trucks is due to the interest that the Tesla Semi 8 has received since its unveiling. Nikola Motors claim there is a space for both technologies but that it will remain a 50 to 1 ration in favor of fuel cell trucks. Nikola is a bitter rival to Tesla and has filed a lawsuit against Tesla for patent violations, claiming damages of $2 billion. Nikola’s success is dependent on a robust hydrogen charging network, which to date has been challenging, with hydrogen shortages causing Toyota to provided rented vehicles to its Mirai FCEV users in 2018.

TOP EV NEWS #1 – CHINESE LOVE AFAIR WITH SWEDISH BRANDS CONTINUES

Chinese automakers seem to have a thing for Swedish car brands. Shortly after announcing that Evergreen has become the majority shareholder in the old SAAB Automobile, now called NEVS, the company acquired a stake in Swedish supercar brand Koenigsegg.

The strategic partnership consists of a €150 million investment in a joint venture with Koenigsegg to develop electric vehicles. NEVS is the major shareholder in the joint venture with a 65% ownership. Koenigsegg will pay for its 35% shareholding through contributing its intellectual property, technology licenses, and product design. NEVS also acquired a 20% direct shareholding in Koenigsegg through a capital injection of €150 million

NEVS Chairman Kai Johan Jiang was quoted saying “Koenigsegg is an enticing company developing advanced cars with unique technology and with a customer base that is one of a kind. To be able to expand our investment in the Swedish automotive industry through a company that we know and have an established relationship with is an important step for us. We have both competencies and facilities to support Koenigsegg on their journey forward, something we look very much forward to.”

According to Koenigsegg the strategic partnership will enable the development of parallel vehicle models in slightly higher volumes with emphasis on electrification, as well as strengthening growth opportunities in the hypercar segment.

Koenigsegg will have access to NEVS production facilities in Trollhättan, Sweden while maintaining its center of excellence in Ängelholm. NEVS capacity in China also opens opportunities for Koenigsegg in the Chinese market as NEVS major shareholder Evergrande also has a wide distribution platform through its ownership in one of China’s largest car retailers.

Ironically Koenigsegg was one of the failed bidders for SAAB Automobile when NEVS acquired it in 2011. Koenigsegg has dabbled with electrification and equipped its Regera supercar with its revolutionary Koenigsegg Direct Drive transmission (KDD) which incorporates a hybrid system with three electric motors and a 4.7kWh battery.

TOP EV NEWS #2 – VW TEASES ITS DUNE BUGGY

TOP EV NEWS #3 – CHEAPER TESLA MODELS

Over the last couple of weeks, investors and potential buyers were surprised by changes in Tesla’s drop in prices and the discontinuation of the Tesla 75kWh Models S and X, which started at around $75,000 for the Model S and $82,000 for the X. The 2019 Model ranges move away from the previous naming which included the battery pack size to distinguish between the models. The 2019 models are all equipped with the same 100kWh battery pack which is limited to just 310 miles for the Model S and 270 miles for the Model X. The Model S now starts at $85,000 down from $94,000 and the Model X starts at $88,000 down from $97,000. The extended range can be unlocked by paying an extra $8,000. The Performance version is now also made cheaper by providing the Ludicrous Mode as an add on for $20,000. See our handy pricing guide for the Model S and Model X below.

Tesla made some other changes to its line up to make them more appealing for potential buyers such as equipping all European models with CCS charging adapter, increasing the charging options in the region.

Tesla also opened the Model 3 for pre-order in China at a reservation price of ¥10,000 down and starting at ¥433,00 for the Model 3 RWD. The Model 3 AWD starts at ¥499,000 and the performance version at ¥560,000.

TOP EV NEWS #4 – MERCEDES V-CLASS MPV TO GO ELECTRIC

Mercedes unveiled the new V-class transporter van and announced that it will showcase a concept electric version thereof at the upcoming Geneva International Motors Show to be held in March this year. Mercedes claim they will soon be the first premium car brand to offer a fully-electric MPV. The Mercedes EQ Van is expected to be released in 2022, around the same time as the VW ID Buzz. The announcement is exciting news for outdoor lovers that are looking for an all-electric Mercedes Marco Polo.

TOP EV NEWS #5 – AUDI E-TRON CHARGING COST

Audi released the pricing structure to charge the new Audi e-tron at charging stations in Europe through a premium charging service which covers 80% of public chargers in the region. The service gives Audi e-tron owners access to 72,000 public chargers from 220 providers including the Ionity network. The charging service for the e-tron will be implemented in ten markets after which another six will be added in Q2 2019 and then rolled out further to eight Eastern Europe during the remainder of 2019.

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The pricing above is for German registered owners, pricing for the rest of the markets will be unveiled shortly.

Let’s look at the fee structure in practice for traveling in the EU. The WLTP consumption for the Audi e-tron is between 26.2 and 22.6 kWh per 100km (62 miles), and the WLTP range of the e-tron is 400km (250miles) from a 90kWh available battery capacity. If you are a long distance traveler and subscribe to the Transit Tariff, and you fill your battery to 80% at an Ionity station you will pay €31,76 or €0.10 per km (excluding subscription rate which is a further €0.056 per km if you only fill once) compared to around €0.21 per km for a Audi Q5 combustion model.

TOP EV NEWS #1 – 1st BYTON EXPERIENCE STORE OPENED

Byton opened its first Byon Place experience store on the 20th of January 2019 in Shanghai, China. During the launch, Byton announced that it would employ a multi-disciplined sales direct sales model which will include the use of the Byton APP, official website, WeChat, call center and other online channels combined with physical outlets in the form of the experience stores and service centers. The second store will be opened in Chongqing by the middle of 2019 followed by up to 30 more in first and second-tier cities in China such as Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Nanjing, Hangzhou and Chengdu after which the company will expand to North America and Europe.

TOP EV NEWS #2 – NEW AND UPDATED EV MODELS

It was quite a busy week for me as I added another 30 new electric models to wattEV2buy, here is some news related to new EV models.

Japanese automaker teased the Honda Urban which is destined for the European market at the end of the year. Honda will unveil the Honda Urban prototype at the Geneva Auto Show which commence on the 7th of March 2019.

Aston Martin CEO tweeted a video of the first validation prototype of the Rapid E which will be developed in limited numbers later n 2019. Aston Martin will build only 155 units of the legendary British automakers first electric car which is estimated to be priced from $250,000. The rapid E which is developed in conjunction with Williams Engineering is equipped with an 800V battery providing a range in excess of 320km (200 miles).

BAIC listed the EX5 EV SUV which is developed on its third generation EV platform with a range of 415km (259 miles) and a 160kW electric motors. The EX5 is based on the ET400 concept SUV and is available in four models starting at ¥169,900 going up to ¥199,900 after subsidies.

JAC opened its book for reservations of the JAC iEVS4 EV which is based on the Refine S4 compact SUV.

TOP EV NEWS #3 – KANDI TO DELIVER 300,000 EVs FOR RIDESHARING

The NASDAQ listed Kandi Technologies announced that they had secured an agreement to provide 300,000 EVs to an ‘Online Ride-sharing Alliance’ in Hangzhou, the company’s hometown. Kandi which last week received approval from the municipality of Jiangsu to develop a new 50,000 unit EV plant in the City will deliver the 300,000 units over the next five years. The opportunity for Kandi arose out of the current chaos in the three million strong ride-hailing market, where 90% of the cars operate illegally. To operate as a driver for a ridesharing company you need a drivers license and an additional license to transport passengers. Furthermore, once you register your car in the ridesharing network, the insurance premium escalates with RMB10,000, which coupled with the requirement of an additional license leads to a 90% non-compliance rate currently. The benefit for authorities is that electric cars by Kandi can be switched off if not compliant.

TOP EV NEWS #4 – CHJ LEADING ONE IN TRACK FOR 2019 RELEASE

CHJ Automotive announced that it will open 13 retail stores for its new luxury EV brand called Leading Auto. The first vehicle from this stable, the Leading One is on track for delivery later this year. CHJ acquired Lifan Motors earlier for an amount of 650 million yuan, and in the process secured Lifan’s production qualification, allowing it to start producing EVs. The thirteen cities where CHJ Leading will open retail shops are Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Tianjin, Chengdu, Chongqing, Suzhou, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Zhengzhou, Xi’an, and Wuhan

The co-founder of CHJ Li Xiang shared images of the plant where its range extended Leading One with a range of 1,000km (620miles) is produced indicating to his followers that the company is determined to bring the first car to market late 2019.

TOP EV NEWS #5 – HYUNDAI KONA EV PRICING IN THE USA

Hyundai announced pricing for it’s award-winning Kona Electric CUV this weekend.  Sales for the Kona Electric in the USA will start in California followed by other ZEF states. Additional freight charges for the 2019 Hyundai Kona EV are $1,045. The 258 mile Hyundai Kona EV is available in three trims, the SEL, Limited and Ultimate.

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TOP EV NEWS #1 – EV UPTAKE QUICKER THAN FORECASTED

Forecasting EV sales are becoming a rather difficult task as EV sales reach new records on a monthly basis. Predictions for EV sales are continuously adjusted upwards while the time between each new million cars sold milestone decreases rapidly. The five million electric car sales milestone is expected to be reached in January 2019, which is only four short months after reaching the four million EVs sold threshold in September 2018. In September 2018 industry commentators forecasted that the five million milestones will be reached in six months or March 2019, now it seems the target will be reached two months early. It took nearly five years before one million EVs were sold in late 2014 and seventeen months to reach 2 million EVs sold in June 2017. Ten months later, in March 2018, EV uptake reached three million vehicles.

How quickly will we get to six million electric cars sold? My guess is that it will be before the second half of 2019 which will put the seven and half million cars milestone reachable by the end of the decade, which is unfortunately far short of the Paris 2015 country commitments of 12.5 million.

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TOP EV NEWS #2 – NEW AND UPDATED EV MODELS

Geely G11

Geely became the first Chinese automaker to develop a mass market for the global market. The Geely GE11 pure electric sedan is expected to be released in the first quarter of 2020. Judging from the visible radar on the front of the car it is assumed it will be equipped with high-level advanced driving assistance or Level 2 to 3 autonomous driving capabilities. The Geely GE11 is equipped with a battery pack from CATL and an electric motor with a maximum power of 130kW (175hp) helping it to achieve a top speed of 150km/h (94 miles).

BMW 7 SERIES

BMW held the world premiere of the new BMW 7-series in China, its key market contributing 40% of the luxury saloon sales. The 2019 7-series follows the BMW 740Le xDrive iPerformance was first released in the USA in August 2016. The 2019 BMW 7 series plug-in hybrid EV variants are available in three models, the 745e, the740Le, and 745Le xDrive iPerformance. The BMW 745 PHEV variants are equipped with specially adapted six-cylinder in-line petrol engines and upgraded 12kWh high-voltage batteries with an improved range of between 50km and 58km (31miles to 36 miles). BMW did not indicate on which test cycle so I assume its NEDC equivalent and not real world ranges which I expect is closer to 20 miles. The system output of the BMW 7 series plug-in hybrid variants produces 290kW / 394hp in ‘SPORT’ mode. For full specs and pictures of all three variants go here.

NISSAN IMs CONCEPT

Nissan unveiled the Nissan IMs Concept AWD EV at the NAIAS which it claims heralds a new segment, an ‘elevated sports sedan’. The Nissan IMs Concept is developed on the Japanese automaker’s three design pillars, namely Nissan Intelligent Mobility – Intelligent Driving, Intelligent Power and Intelligent Integration.

Nissan defines the new segment based on the IMs being a pure electric vehicle with the 115kWh battery located under the body, elevating cabin height. The large battery delivers a 380-mile range (608km) and energizes a 360kW electric motor delivering 800N.m of torque.

The IMs has an extended wheelbase allowing for a stretched interior space, which features a unique “2+1+2” seating configuration with pivoting front seats and a rear seat which can accommodate three people or by folding the slim rear outboard seats creating a spacious “Premier Seat” for two in the center. Nissan claims the IMs is an advanced study based on ready to launch technology. Go to the Nissan IMs specs here.

INFINITI Qx INSPIRATION

We have seen the digital images of the Infiniti crossover which previews its first EV expected in 2021, this week Infiniti unveiled that concept, the midsize Infiniti QX Inspiration SUV.  The Infiniti QX is based on an all-new e-AWD platform with a battery pack below the floor of the vehicle which energizes two electric motors, one on each axle.

HYUNDAI IONIQ PHEV

Hyundai announced the release of the second generation Hyundai Ioniq plug-in hybrid in the second half of 2019. From the press release, it seems that changes are related to connectivity and advanced driving as it did not indicate any changes to the electric performance of the 2019 Hyundai Ioniq. According to Hyundai, the new Ioniq PHEV will get a design refresh and feature advanced Bluelink telematics services, the SmartSense active safety, and driving assistance systems, Adjustable Regenerative Braking and state-of-the-art infotainment delivered as standard across all trims.

Hyundai said that an enhanced IONIQ Electric to follow soon after, probably in early 2020.

TOP EV NEWS #3 – FORD AND VW ENTER INTO ALLIANCE

Although it is not officially stated as such it is my opinion that the fast pace of electrification which caught many traditional automakers by surprise has caused the formation of a new alliance, this time between Ford and Volkswagen. It seems the two companies which have been in talks for six months on how to work together to develop self-driving, electric technologies, and cut cost could only agree to an alliance extending to commercial vehicles. The two companies postponed their planned joint NAIAS appearance in Detroit due to a lack of details. VW and Ford will work together in the following manner to leverage their strengths to compete better, innovate and serve customers:

• The VW/Ford Alliance does not involve cross-ownership between the two companies
• By 2022 Ford will engineer and build medium-sized pickups for the alliance both companies.
• Ford will engineer and build larger commercial vans for European customers while Volkswagen is responsible for a city van.
• The alliance will start yielding improved annual pre-tax operating results from 2023 for the two alliance partners.
• Volkswagen and Ford also entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) exploring potential collaboration on EVs, autonomous vehicles and mobility services.

Earlier the week Volkswagen announced that it would invest €700 million ($800 million) in its Chattanooga plant in the USA preparing it to assemble the automaker’s electric cars based on the MEB platform. The first EV to roll off the Chattanooga assembly line will be the ID  Crozz in 2022. The Chattanooga plant is one eight MEB enabled plants which will be in operation by 2022 over three continents, namely Europe, Asia, and North America. The European plants are in Emden, Hanover, Dresden and Mlada Boleslav in the Czech Republic while the Asian plants situated in Anting and Foshan. The German automaker targets the global production of one million electric cars per annum by 2025. VW will still produce combustion versions of the Atlas and Passat at the Chattanooga plant.

The formation of the alliance will make the development of an electric Ford F150 a reality, in fact during the Deutsche Bank Global Automotive Conference in the MGM Grand in Detroit, Ford’s president of global markets, Jim Farley announced that the 40-year-old F-Series would be available in battery electric and plug-in hybrid versions. The announcement is just further proof that traditional automakers are scrambling to protect their cash cows, the Ford F-150 has been the best selling pickup truck in the United States for many years, but with the imminent arrival of Rivian’s amazing R1T electric pickup and the Tesla Model P, the future is not that certain anymore. GM’s CEO Mary Barra also commented this week that the company is looking at an electric pick-up as the company shifts from hybrid to pure electric platforms.

TOP EV NEWS #4 – TIRED OF FF EVERGRANDE SHIFTS TO NEVS

The Chinese owned NEVS which acquired the bankrupt Swedish automaker SAAB this week got a new owner as Evergrande Group of China acquired 51% of the struggling automaker keeping the Chinese healthcare company’s electric car aspirations alive. In the newsletter of Week 1/2019, I reported on the agreement reached between Evergrande, a Fortune Global 500 company, and FF, where FF entered into an agreement whereby it could buy-back the Evergrande 31% shareholding within a five-year period. Evergrande came to the rescue of FF mid-2018 but FF founder Jia Yueting soon had a legal fallout with its white knight. Now, Evergrand which is owned by Hui Ka Yan once ranked (2017) the richest person in China invested $930 million (€816 million) in NEVS for the 51% share valuing the company at nearly $2 billion. NEVS has been delaying the launch of the electrified SAAB 9-3 since it initially planning it’s listing in 2017. The NEVS opened the books to pre-order the 9-3 EV in December 2018 for ¥169,800. NEVS is in the process of developing its third plant in Shanghai, which follows on a recent 50,000 unit plant constructed Tianjin and the original SAAB plant in Trollhättan, Sweden. The original founder of NEVS, Kai Johan Jiang, with his company, NE Holding, will retain 49% of NEVS AB.

NEVS Trollhattan and Tianjin plant

TOP EV NEWS #5 – BIG CHANGES AT TESLA

This week saw huge shifts at Tesla as the focus now change to be competitive and viable when big auto enters its market in 2020. The three major shifts which occurred at Tesla this week were the scraping of its referral program, the increase of pricing at the Supercharger network and the announcement that the company will cut its workforce by 7%, or 3,000 people. The changes are made as Elon Musk streamlines the automaker to ensure profitability and longevity.

Shares for Tesla (NQSA:TSLA) closed down around 13% for the week at $302.26. Elon Musk wrote in an email to staff on January the 18th that the company will cut 3,000 jobs to ensure that it could deliver a profitable $35,000 Model 3. Hidden in text Elon also eluded that the Q4 profits will be less than that in Q3. The positive note is that there will still be a profit. Tesla has $920 million of convertible bonds maturing on the 1st of March and with a conversion rate which is at $359.87 it seems Tesla might have to dive into its cash pile which is needed for production. With the current negative financial market sentiment refinancing could be a challenge and expensive.

In another cost-cutting effort, Elon Musk informed followers via a tweet that the innovative referral program which started in 2015 is to come to an end earlier than planned, on the 1st of February. Based on reports that Tesla has to give away 80 Tesla Roadster it seems that clients and sales teams started gaming the program.

Finally, Tesla announced large increases in its Supercharger rates to fund the expansion of routes and to adjust to differences in local electricity cost.

TOP EV NEWS #1 – CHINESE EV MARKET BOOMS IN 2018

China 2018 EV sales summary

China became the first country to sell over 1 million passenger electric cars in one year as EV sales in December showed a 60% year-on-year increase over December 2017 and an 82% increase on 2017 for the full year. Pure electric vehicles remained the best performing technology, contributing to 77% of the sales while A0/A00 class cars remained the best performing category. Electric cars increased its share of sales compared to combustion vehicles, making up 7.2% of total sales in December 2018 compared to 4.7% in December 2017. For the full year, EVs made up nearly 5% of all cars sold in China, double that of 2017. The full report is available on request here.

BYD is China’s top performing EV brand

BYD reported total electric vehicle sales for 2018 at 247,811, an increase of 227% over 2017. Passenger cars were the largest contributor with BYD selling 227,152 plug-in hybrid and pure electric models of which 5 models were Top 10 sellers. BYD sold a record 46,650 electric vehicles in December 2018, an increase of 55.11% from the previous month which in its own was a record month. Total EV sales for the year is well above the target of 200,000 units set at the start of the year. In 2017 BYD was the best performing company in the Chinese electric car sector selling a total of 108,956 models. We have seen over the last couple of months how sales for combustion vehicles shrank while those of electric cars showing robust growth. To put it in perspective BYD sold only 272,900 internal combustion vehicles (ICE) during the year, far below its stated target of 400,000 for the category. December was particularly bad for BYD’s combustion sales as the company only sold 23,000 ICE units. Although BYD sold marginally more than Tesla in 2018 which sold 245,240 units one should take in consideration the BYD data includes plug-in hybrid vehicles and represent nearly 10 models while Tesla achieved its record sales with only three pure electric models.

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TOP EV NEWS #2 – NEW AND UPDATED EV MODELS

TOP EV NEWS #3 – FORD TO ELECTRIFY ITS EUROPEAN MODELS

Ford this week unpacked its strategy to turn its European operations around, a key to which is the electrification of its entire model range in the region. The European market is very receptive of electric mobility and it is therefore imperative for the company to be more aggressive in its electric car strategy here as opposed to its home market. In a press release by the Ford Europe, it states:

Every Ford nameplate from the all-new Ford Focus onwards will include an electrified option. This includes new nameplates and new versions of existing vehicles. From Fiesta to Transit, either a mild-hybrid, full-hybrid, plug-in hybrid or full battery electric option will be offered, delivering one of the most encompassing line-ups of electrified options for European customers.

A niche portfolio of imported iconic nameplates for Europe that builds on the heritage of the Ford brand will include Mustang, Edge, and another SUV to be revealed in April, along with an all-new Mustang-inspired full-electric performance utility in 2020.

TOP EV NEWS #4 – GM TO TAKE THE FIGHT TO TESLA WITH CADILLAC

Tesla’s dominance in 2018 is forcing traditional automakers to continuously adapt and rethink their strategy to keep up with the “surprising” shift by consumers to cleaner and more advanced products offered by the auto start-up. I am using the term start-up lightly as it now relates more to the relatively young age of the company compared to its competitors rather than its operations. Reuters this week indicated that GM is redirecting a large portion of its engineering talent to focus on electric vehicle technology to back GM CEO Mary Barra’s bold promise to investors that the US automaker will turn a profit selling EVs by 2021.

According to the Reuters report, GM is working very hard to follow Tesla in reducing the cobalt content of its EMC1.0 battery system by increasing the use of nickel in its battery chemistry, thereby reducing the cost of its batteries to below $100/kWh by 2021 from the current $145/kWh. GM and its Chinese strategic partner SAIC is also working to bring down the cost of EV assembly by developing dedicated electric car plants which are less complex than combustion plants. A third focus area is the creation of flexible, modular plug-and-play platform on which battery systems and fuel cells of various sizes can be added. All-in-all 1,700 engineers and other professionals are already exclusively focusing on GM’s electrification strategy.

In a press release by the company following an investor update on Friday the 11th of January GM put Cadillac front and center of its EV strategy making the brand its lead EV brand. Cadillac will develop GM’s first pure electric EV following the Chevrolet Bolt on the groups new flexible BEV3 platform, To date, Cadillac was only able to sell around 4,000 plug-in hybrid versions of the Cadillac ELR and CT6 luxury sedans.

Furthermore, GM announced to investors that it would start to commercialize its self-driving vehicles in dense city environments this year. GM’s Seattle based autonomous vehicle subsidiary Cruise also signed a partnership with food delivery company DoorDash this week.

In related news, Tesla backed away from purchasing one of the three assembly plants closed in GM’s recent restructuring. According to GM Tesla were not willing to take on GM’s unionized employees at the Ohio plant.

TOP EV NEWS #5 – BYTON M-BYTE ONE STEP CLOSER TO REALITY

BYTON reveals a near production-ready version of the upcoming M-Byte SUV displaying the digital cockpit (see cover image) at the 2019 CES in Las Vegas. The premium intelligent electric vehicle brand sees the automobile of the future as a smart device with its models a mobile digital lounge. According to Dr. Carsten Breitfeld, CEO and Co-founder of BYTON “BYTON’s M-Byte represents the transformation of the traditional car into a next-generation smart device for every user,” on which he adds “We achieve this through the combination our state-of-the-art EV platform and our proprietary BYTON Life digital ecosystem.” The Byton M-Byte showcased at the 2019 CES has the largest in-car display screen of any model available to date. Byton calls its huge 48-inch wide curved screen a Shared Experience Display (SED) which displays vehicle, driving information and content options in an intuitive way. Users interact with the SED through either a 7-inch Driver Tablet at the center of the steering wheel or an 8-inch TouchPad placed between the driver and front passenger seat. The driver and front passenger can also rotate their seats inward by 12 degrees while passengers in the rear of the Byton cockpit has access to entertainment screens. Although the 48-inch screen itself is not a touch-pad to interact with the car users, have access to various interaction modes including voice, buttons and gesture controls.

Byton offers a unique user experience through its Byton Life digital ecosystem which is open source and includes advanced machine learning capabilities. Byton is also taking advantage of Amazon’s Alexa voice control system. The final production model will be unveiled in the summer of 2019 and mass production at the 150,000 unit Nanjing plant in China will commence at the end of the year.

In the meantime, Reuters reported that Byton is to raise $500 million to fund the production and development of the M-Byte and its EV strategy. The C-round funding values the company at $4 billion and aims to attract foreign shareholders. Current shareholders include Chinese retail giant Suning, Hong Kong-based Fullshare which is a property and healthcare holding company plus B-round investors FAW and CATL.

TOP EV NEWS #1 – LEAPMOTOR TAKES THE SPOTLIGHT

One of the most talked about new EVs expected in China over the last month is the Leapmotor S01 launched on the 3rd of January 2019.  The Leapmotor S01 has a top speed of 140km/h and accelerates to 50km/h in 2.9 seconds and 100km/h in 6.9 seconds with the help of its 170hp electric motor producing 250N.m of torque. The LP S01 can fast charge in 60 minutes or between six and eight hours on level 2 charge.

The Leapmotor S01 Coupe EV price revealed

Leapmotor will launch four trims of the small four-seat coupe. The four trims are divided into two range/battery configurations each with a Standard and Pro version. The Leapmotor S01 EV380 series is equipped with 18650 cell type battery pack and the Leapmotor S01 EV460 with a 21700 cell type battery pack. The S01 Coupe EV is available from as little as $16,000 after incentives.

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Leapmotor S01 autonomous driving capabilities

The Leapmotor S01 is equipped with the “Leap In” and “Leap Pilot” onboard assistant and advanced driving assist system. The Leap Pilot is an SAE Level 2.5 autonomous drive system which can be upgraded to Level 3 via an OTA over the air system. As seen from the images below the S01 Coupe identifies occupants through biometrics, allowing access to the car and to interact with the driver.

Leapmotor EV pipeline

The founder of LeapMotor, Zhu Mingjiang, announced during the launch event of the S01 EV Coupe that the next car to come out of the Leapmotor stable will be an AO class city car in 2019 developed on the Chines automakers T platform followed by a second EV on the S platform in 2020 and an SUV developed on the C platform in 2021. Leapmotor shares 70% of its parts across the three platforms. Currently, the S01 is assembled by Changjiang Automobile, but the company will start production later in Q3 at its newly constructed advanced manufacturing base in Jinhua, Zhejiang Province. Leapmotor is developing its own AI chip in conjunction with Dahau. The AI chip “Lingxin 01” will be tested in the second quarter of 2019 and when produced will be the first intelligent driving chip independently developed by the Chinese according to the company. Leapmotor will also unveil a concept EV at the Shanghai Auto Show on 18 April 2019.

TOP EV NEWS #2 – NEW EV MODELS AND MODEL UPDATES

The top three EV brands in China all launched updated versions of their popular models.

SAIC Roewe launched the second generation Ei5 pure electric station wagon on the 2nd of January. Since it’s launch in March 2019 the Roewe Ei5 sold nearly 23,000 units, making it the 13th highest selling car in China for the year to date in November and the second best selling SAIC EV. The 2019 SAIC Roewe Ei5 is available in four trims and range in price from ¥128,800 to ¥158,800 after subsidy ($19,000 to $23,000). The SAIC Roewe Ei5 is equipped with the company’s Roewe OS 2.0 connected car system and Advanced Driving Assitance System for the top of the line model which include CCS (cruise control), LDW (lane departure assist), AEB (automatic emergency brake), FCW (front collision early warning system), and SAS (speed assist system).

BAIC opened its books or pre-orders of the BAIC EX5 EV SUV on the 1st of January and will list the vehicle on the 27th of the month. The BAIC EX5 has a cruising range of 520km (325 miles) when driven at a constant speed of 60km/h and is equipped with a 160kW electric motor. The BAIC EX5 includes BAICs eMotion Drive 3.0 intelligent control system which manages batteries, motors and monitors traffic for safety.

BYD released more information the pure electric version of its best selling Tang PHEV SUV. Following in the tracks of the plug-in hybrid version of the Tang SUV the pure electric version will also be available in a five and seven-seat configuration priced between ¥260,000 and ¥360,000 before subsidies ($38,000 to $52,500). The second generation of the BYD Tang PHEV has been the top-selling EV in China for the months of August and September 2018. The five-seat BYD Tang EV600 has an NEDC cycle rating of 500km (313miles) and a cruising range of 600km (375miles) while the seven-seat BYD Tang EV600 an NEDC range of 520km (325miles) and a cruising range of 620km (388miles). The BYD Tang EV600’s battery pack consist of NCM622 cells and boasts an energy density of 161Wh/kg. For propulsion, BYD equipped the Tang EV600 with the same AWD system of the PHEV model which consist of two 180kW motors front and rear which produces 330N.m of torque each.

BYD also released more information on its compact SUV, the pure electric Yuan EV535 which indicates a cruising range of 525km (335miles). The BYD Yuan EV535 will replace the Yuan EV360 which sold over 28,000 units since its launch in June 2018. The Yuan EV535 has the same appearance and 70kW electric motor as the BYD Yuan EV360.

ROEWE Ei5 | BAIC EX5 | BYD TANG EV600 | BYD YUAN EV535

Spy images of the Dorcen G60E SUV emerged this week. The Dorcen G60E follows on the Dorcen E20 A0 class EV revealed last week and is based on the combustion version the G60S. It is expected that Dorcen will launch the G60E SUV in the third quarter of 2019. Official data from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology shows the G60E is equipped with an electric motor with a maximum power of 85kW delivering a top speed of 140km/h and an NMC battery pack produced by Guoxuan Hi-Tech.

DORCEN E20 | DORCEN G60E

Nissan Infiniti, Volvo Polestar and the Mahindra owned Pininfarina all kicked off the marketing campaign for the reveals of their EVs this year.

Infiniti digitally revealed the design of the pure electric crossover concept that it will unveil at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) to be held from the 14th of January to the 27th of the month. See the image below and the cover image.

Polestar teased an image of the back end of the Polestar 2 EV which will also be revealed at the NAIAS and produced in 2020. The Polestar 2 is expected to be priced in the range of €40,000 ($46,000) and have a battery electric range of around 480km (300miles).

Pininfarina teased the nose of its hypercar which is to be unveiled at the Geneva Auto Show from 7 March to 17 March 2019 and delivered to customers in 2020. The hypercar, previously only know as the PFO is now named after the founder of the company Battista Farina. The pure electric Pininfarina Battista will be equipped with a drivetrain supplied by Rimac which produces maximum power of 2,000 horsepower and a range of 500km (313 miles). The Battista accelerates to 60 miles in less than 2 seconds and can accelerate from standstill to 300km/h in 12 seconds.

INFINITI CUV EV | POLESTAR 2 | PININFARINA BATTISTA

Official sources of SAIC-owned MG announced that the former iconic brand from the UK is to launch a number of EVs this year that will be available in international markets serviced by the brand. Most of the new models are electrified versions of combustion models, such as the MG eHS plug-in hybrid crossover and MG eZS battery-electric. The eHS PHEV will be listed in te first half of 2019 followed by the eZS.

SAIC’s commercial brand Maxus is to launch the EV30 pure electric delivery van on the 14th of January 2019. The Maxus EV30 is developed on a new platform designed around an all-aluminum body compensating for the weight of the battery pack. The Maxus EV30 will be available in various battery configurations and have a maximum range in excess of 300km (188miles).

SAIC MG eHS PHEV | SAIC MAXUS EV30

TOP EV NEWS #3 – INDIAN STARTUP SHOWS BATTERY WITH 1000KM RANGE

The Indian Nano-tech start-up, Log-9 Materials, based in Bengaluru and founded by Akshay Singhal showcased its metal-air battery fitted in a Mahindra e20 show-car named Ranger at the India UK Future Tech held in New Delhi in December 2018. Log-9 is experimenting with Graphene Nanotechnology to develop long-range battery packs. Through the use of Graphene with an energy density tenfold of current battery chemistries Log9 aims to develop batteries for EVs with a range exceeding 1,000km (620 miles). Coupled with a Metal-Air battery which uses aluminum and water to generate energy the battery pack can charge itself rather than being charged, similar to fuel cell vehicles. Log9 is working on reducing the size of the bulky prototype Metal-Air battery which fills the back seat of the Ranger. Akshay Singhal told the online publication, Hindu Business Line this week, “The user can fill water after every 200 km instead of charging the battery and the water and aluminum metal will regenerate the lithium-ion battery of the car for another 200 km,” he explains. However, after 1,000 km, the user has to change the metal (aluminum) which costs around ₹4,500.”

According to Akshay Log-9 received a second pre-series A funding injection of ₹3 crore topping up an initial Pre Series-A funding received from GEMS Advisory in 2017. The latest funding came from Metaform Ventures, Hemant Luthra, Chairman, Mahindra CIE, GEMS, and other angel investors. 

TOP EV NEWS #4 – TESLA 2018 DELIVERY DATA AND PRICING

As we approach the next decade and the next phase in the evolution of the electric car we see government incentives for EVs running out. In the USA Tesla is the first company to reach its tax grant threshold triggering a phase-out of the $7,500 incentive towards the purchase of any Tesla model. According to the phase-out schedule, Tesla customers are now only eligible for a $3,750 credit to June 2019. Incidentally, GM became the second company this week to reach the 200,000 cars sold threshold, triggering its phase-out from April 2019.

To assist new customers, Tesla announced this week that it would slash prices for all its models with $2,000 triggering a sell-off in its shares whereby the price dropped 7% from $332 to $307 shortly after the company made the announced and released its production and delivery data for Q4 2018. According to the data, Tesla showed a 15% increase in production of the Model 3s over Q3 and delivered a record  90,700 vehicles in total, an 8% increase on Q3. The deliveries were 63,150 Model 3s, 13,500 Model Ss and 14,050 Model Xs. The total data delivery data for Tesla in 2018 stand at 245,240 units, consisting of 145,846 Model 3s and 99,394 Model S/Model Xs. It seems the market where roiled by the weekly production data of “only” 4,700 Model 3s per week. The share price regained lost ground since as Tesla announced that it received orders for 14,000 Model 3s in the first couple of days since opening its order books in Europe and in China, where it is to break ground on Gigafactory 3 in the coming week.

TOP EV NEWS #5 – THE FF SOAP OPERA CONTINUES

It has been two years since the disastrous unveiling of the FF91 at the CES in Las Vegas and the Faraday Future soap opera is continuing. In the latest round of drama by FF’s founder, Jia Yueting entered into a spat with its most recent white night investor Evergrande Health Industry Group which saw the parties facing each other off in the Hong Kong courts. Fortunately, FF and Evergrande reconciled this week allowing the production process of the FF91 to continue…., until the next episode in the FF soap opera. According to the settlement FF and Evergrande entered into a restructuring agreement whereby Jia Yueting can buy back 32% of the company’s shares over the next five years. FF also issued a statement saying that according to the agreement signed by both parties, Furthermore, FF’s asset preservation pledge and equity financing rights will be released, which can be used for the company’s future debt and equity financing. At the same time, the statement said that the FF’s A round financing before the investment was valued at 2.45 billion US dollars while the post-investment valuation was adjusted to 3.25 billion US dollars.

The buyback value agreed to is $600 million in year one, or $700 million in year two, or $800 million in year three, or $920 million in year four, or finally $1.05 billion in year five.

TOP EV NEWS #1 – CHINA TO SELL OVER 1 MILLION PASSENGER EVs IN 2018

 

TOP EV NEWS #2 – NEW ES8 AND ES6 AT NIO DAY SHANGHAI 2018

TOP EV NEWS #3 – NEW EV MODELS

Leapmotor announced that its S01 two-door four-seat electric coupe will be launched on the 3rd of January 2019. The S01 which is targeted at the young consumers will be available in two different range configurations and in four trims. The S01 will be priced after taking subsidies into account between an estimated ¥100,000 and ¥150,000. The four trims will be the 380 Standard Edition and 380 Pro with a range of 300km (188miles) and the 460 Standard and 460 Pro with a range of 380km (238miles).

Environmental filings by FAW Toyota revealed that the company is re-tooling its plant in Jilin Province and preparing to produce 16,200 RAV4 plug-in hybrid electric vehicles annually from April 2021.

The Japanese auto brand Infiniti announced that it will unveil a pure electric concept SUV at the 2019 North American International Auto Show to be held in Detroit in January 2019. The CUV EV Concept will reflect the Nissan owned brand’s vision for its electrification strategy which will commence in 2021. Infiniti showcased its sedan vision car, the Inspiration Q, at the 2018 event and Prototype 10 at the 2018 Pebble Beach Concours d ’Elegance which showcased the company’s in-house developed EV platform.

“The concept car we will show in Detroit is the beginning of a new era for INFINITI, and an illustration of where we want to go with the brand. Electrification and other new technologies have given us the opportunity to evolve our design philosophy,” said Karim Habib, Executive Design Director, INFINITI.

INFINITI will preview a vision for its first fully-electric crossover at the 2019 North American International Auto Show in Detroit

TOP EV NEWS #4 – CHINESE EV SUBSIDIES SLASHED IN 2019

The Chinese authorities are busy revising its EV subsidy policy for 2019 and based on feedback from the industry it seems that the subsidy will be slashed by around 40%. I have compared the current EV incentives in China to the proposed new table. According to the 2019 Chinese EV subsidies, pure electric cars with a range below 200km (125miles) will not qualify for subsidies anymore, and the top band moves from 400km (250 miles) to 500km (313 miles). Other than in 2018 where there was a transition period which allowed for the 2017 subsidies to phase out only by March 2018 the 2019 subsidies will come into effect on the 1st of January, which will result in a run on EV models during December 2018. I will post the full 2019 EV subsidy policy once its made public.

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TOP EV NEWS #5 – FIRST EV CAMPERVAN AVAILABLE IN 2019

A group of German companies came together to develop the Iridium EV campervan which will be unveiled at the CMT Travel fair to be held in January 2019 in Stuttgart. The Iridium is by no means the first electric campervan shown but it will be the first to come to market in 2019. The developers of the Iridium is the Stuttgart based campervan seller, WOF and vehicle retrofitting company ElektroFahrzeuge Stuttgart (EFA-S) and Swiss campervan manufacturer Maurer Fahrzeugbau. The drivetrain developed by EFA-S is the same that has been used in UPS electric delivery vehicles. The Iridium electric campervan has a range of around 200km (125miles) and can be charged either by a wall socket, through a 22kW wall box or 50kW CCS charger.

TOP EV NEWS #1 – CHINESE ELECTRIC CARS FLOCK TO EUROPE

Great Wall Motor plans to launch its ORA electric vehicle brand in the European market from 2020. ORA has released its first EV, the iQ SUV which sells below ¥100,000 (€12,700 / $14,500) and placed an A0 class EV the ORA R1 available for pre-order at a price of ¥61,800 (€7,800 / $8,900), both after the application of subsidies. The ORA iQ SUV has sold 1,417 units in ys first two months. GWM is joining a growing list of Chinese auto companies which have identified Europe as a viable market for electric vehicles, competing with European brands which have been slower in shifting toward electrification and which in turn has identified China as their preferred market, launching some electrified versions of existing models only in China. Other Chinese electric vehicle brands with intentions to move to Europe include Lynk&Co, Qoros, and GAC.

SAIC MG also announced this week that it intends to sell some of its models in Europe starting with its first pure electric vehicle the MG EZS SUV shown in the cover image above. MG did not elaborate on which countries in Europe would get the EZS electric SUV, but testing will kick off in two months in the United Kingdom, Belgium, Luxembourg, Spain, Germany, and France. The SAIC MG EZS SUV has an estimated range of 335km or 210 miles on the WLTP cycle. SAIC MG has already sold over 4,000 units of its plug-in version of the MG6 since its launch in April 2018. The SAIC MG EZS SV will join the Korean brands as the only brands selling affordable pure electric compact crossover SUVs in Europe, taking advantage of their lead over European brands. The MG EZS SUV will be listed in China in the first half of 2019.

TOP EV NEWS #2 – THE LATEST ELECTRIC CARS OF WEEK 49 2018

Lotus is to unveil a concept model of its upcoming electric supercar at the start of 2019. The Lotus EV which is developed under the code name Lotus Omega is equipped with a dual motor delivering 750kW/1014hp and have a range in excess of 400km or 250miles. Reports indicate that the Lotus Omega will come at a price tag of over £2 million. Below are images of the Concept Esprit and 2018 Lotus Evora 400 and 2018 Lotus Exige to provide some insight into the possible design style for the Lotus Omega.

The neighborhood electric vehicle maker turned highway-capable electric car maker, YGM, listed the first EV under its new name Link Tour. The pure electric compact SUV Link Tour K-One is available in a 300km and 400km range version starting at ¥87,900 ($12,800) after subsidies. For detailed specs please go to the K-One page on wattev2buy.

AIWAYS presented the production version of the Aiways U5 EV SUV to the world on the 29th of November. The Aiways U5 is to be listed in Q4 2019 and will be equipped with L2 self-driving capabilities. The Aiways U5 is developed on the Chinese automakers MAS platform which can be extended to MPVs, sedans and pickup trucks. The Aiways U5 is designed as a “smart mobile home” according to AIways and interfaces with the occupants via a 12.3inch floating large screen and 10.25inch drivers display. For detailed specs please go to the U5 page on wattev2buy.

TOP EV NEWS #3 – BMW iX3 PRODUCTION CAPACITY

Ever wondered how many of the BMW iX3’s will be built? BMW announced in April 2018 that the BMW iX3 is to be assembled by its JV partner BMW Brilliance’s Shenyang Dadong factory in China and exported from there to the US and Europe. Well, that was before the trade war, and their plans might be changing. Local reports this week indicated that the authorities approved the BMW Brilliance New Energy Vehicle Technical Reconstruction Project as published by Liaoning Provincial Department of Ecology and Environment. The ¥1.759 billion ($255million) project will add capacity for the production of 40,000 BMW iX3 units per annum, bringing the total production of the plant to 160,000 units of which the balance is combustion engine based. The approved application by BMW Brilliance also included Phase 3 of the battery plant expansion which will add production of 266,400 battery packs.

TOP EV NEWS #4 – HONDA TO STOP SELLING DIESEL CARS IN EU

Honda announced that it would stop selling diesel cars in Europe and shift focus to electric and hybrid models. Honda has a dedicated strategy for the European market which is to be the only region getting the new Honda Urban EV in 2020. The phasing out of diesel vehicles will be gradual and accomplished by 2021 when the new Honda Civic comes to market. Honda said it hopes that in 2025, two-thirds of its models sold in Europe will at least be plug-in hybrids as it electrifies all its model ranges. The head of Honda UK, the Japanese automakers biggest market in Europe said to AM Online that two mistakes made by the company over the past decade were pursuing small cars after the recession and not having an EV strategy leaving it without a “foot in the door.” He went further elaborating on the company’s hydrogen strategy, saying “Clearly, Honda thinks hydrogen, but I don’t think that’s going to happen until many, years away when we have genuine hydrogen cars available commercially that aren’t supported by manufacturers,” said Hodgetts. On the Honda Urban EV, he had the following to add, “They will be very expensive cars,” dampening the sales prospects of the city car.

The Swindon plant in the UK, which currently produces 1.6T diesel engines, will not be affected much and will continue to produce diesel engines that match the new CR-V for India, Thailand, and the Philippines confirming my suspicion that emerging markets will become the dumping ground for combustion vehicles.

TOP EV NEWS #5 – BYD TO SPLIT

In April 2018 we reported that BYD planned to split the company two carving out battery production from the auto business. At the time there were little further details on the plan. This week Bloomberg reported that the process can conclude by the end of 2022 with an IPO of the battery unit to allow it to raise funds to capitalize on the EV boom, citing BYD Chairman Wang Chuanfu in an interview. BYD is also strategizing to establish EV plants in Europe and the USA over the next couple of years. Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway now owns around 24% of the company. BYD is to increase its 24GWh capacity in 2018 produced at its Qinhai Nanchuan plant by adding a further 34GWh in two phases at its Chongqing Bishan plant by 2020. The company also has a JV with Changan which has a capacity target of 10GWh.

TOP A-EV NEWS FROM PAST WEEK

TOP EV NEWS #1 – NISSAN WOES IMPACT LEAF e-PLUS LAUNCH

The Nissan Leaf e-Plus 60kWh was supposed to be unveiled on the 28th of November 2018. Nissan canceled the launch indefinitely due to the scandal surrounding its CEO and Chairman Ghosn which was arrested due to financial misconduct. Nissan gave no indication when the long-awaited extended drivetrain for the Leaf will be only saying that the company will wait for the scandal to blow over. Currently, the Nissan Leaf is only available with a 40kWh battery pack delivering a range of 243k (152 miles). The Leaf e-Plus with its 60kWh battery has an expected range of 362km (226 miles).

TOP EV NEWS #2 – NEWLY UNVEILED EVs

Illinois based electric vehicle start-up Rivian Automotive digitally revealed its first electric vehicles, the R1T electric pick-up, andR1S electric SUV. The quad powered electric sports utility truck is available from 2020, first in a 400mile version and then 12 months later in a 250-mile version. The two range options are equipped with either a 180kWh or a 135kWh battery pack. The Rivian R1T EV pick-up is available for a refundable deposit of $1,000 and is priced from $61,500 after applying the federal tax incentive. The Rivian R1T EV has a wading depth of 3 feet and extra trunk space of 330L in a gear tunnel.

Similar to the R1T electric pickup revealed a day earlier the quad powered electric sports utility vehicle is available from 2020, first in a 400mile version 250-mile version also following 12 months later. The Rivian R1S EV SUV is priced from $65,000 after applying the federal tax incentive. The Rivian R1T EV has a wading depth of 1 meter and extra trunk space of 330L where a combustion engine would have been. The rear bin storage is 180L, and the SUV has six rows of seats.

KIA unveiled its long-awaited upgrade of the KIA Soul EV at the LA Auto Show. The 2020 KIA comes in a GT-line for the combustion drivetrain and X-Line for the electrified model. KIA doubled the size of the New KIA SOUL EV battery pack to 64kWh which will result in a doubling of the range to over 320km (200 miles). KIA did not provide range estimates as the car is still undergoing testing. The New KIA Soul EV also has an improved motor producing 150kW (200hp) and 395N.m(291 lb.ft) torque, up from 81kW (108hp) and 285N.m (210lb.ft) torque. On the design front, the New KIA SOUL EV MPV gets a rugged crossover-like theme for the X-Line. The KIA e-SOUL is available in the first half of 2019 in Europe and early 2020 in the USA.

Audi unveiled the Audi Sport E-Tron GT coupe at the 2018 LA Auto Show. The e-tron GT is available from the end of 2020 and promises a range of over 400km (250miles) measured on the WLTP cycle. For complete specs, please go to the dedicated page on wattEV2buy here.

Fiat announced that it would start producing the Fiat 500e at the FCA Mirafiori plant in Turin, Italy. The upgrade version of the 500e is developed on the new small electric car platform developed by FCA. Newly appointed CEO Mike Manley said, “Mirafiori will represent the first installation of a full BEV platform applied on the new Fiat 500, capable of scaling to other applications worldwide. Additional investments across our Jeep, Alfa Romeo, and Fiat brands will realize the benefits of existing plant capacity as well as scale and sourcing efficiencies from a common vehicle architecture, and Plug-in Hybrid Electric propulsion (PHEV) system, while preserving traits unique to the brands.”

TOP EV NEWS #3 – GM EV STRATEGY SHIFT

Signs of Tesla’s transformation of the auto sector is emerging in boardrooms all over the globe and with its competitors all rehashing their EV strategies no seemingly every year GM announced this week that it would double its investment in electric and autonomous vehicles. The news came with the announcement that the Chevrolet Volt and Cadillac CT6 PHEV will be killed off by March 2019 as the company joins the direction taken by Ford earlier focusing on trucks, crossover and SUVs and not sedans. The restructuring and discontinuation of the Volt which has sold nearly 160,000 units to date will result in the closure of three assembly plants and two drivetrain factories leading to job losses amounting to 15,000 employees. The plants in question are:

• Oshawa Assembly in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada.
• Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly in Detroit.
• Lordstown Assembly in Warren, Ohio.
• Baltimore Operations in White Marsh, Maryland.
• Warren Transmission Operations in Warren, Michigan.

The announcement caused the ire of Donald Trump which promised to make American jobs his priority. Donald Trump’s actions seem to have the opposite effect as the world including America is now spiraling towards a recession and instead of his denialism of the impact of greenhouse gasses on the climate the world is rushing towards greener transport and energy sources. Trump threatened that he would take away GMs EV subsidies if they don’t plan to replace the lost capacity and build another car in the USA prompting the following reaction by GM stating their commitment to the US economy.

GM is committed to maintaining a strong manufacturing presence in the U.S., as evidenced by our more than $22 billion investments in U.S. operations since 2009. Yesterday’s announcements support our ability to invest for future growth and position the company for long-term success and maintain and grow American jobs. Many of the U.S. workers impacted by these actions will have the opportunity to shift to other GM plants where we will need more employees to support growth in trucks, crossovers and SUVs. GM’s transformation also includes adding technical and engineering jobs to support the future of mobility, such as new jobs in electrification and autonomous vehicles.

We appreciate the actions this administration has taken on behalf of industry to improve the overall competitiveness of U.S. manufacturing.

TOP EV NEWS #4 – BIG AUTO PUSHING EVs IN MAINSTREAM

Earlier the month VW Group CEO said that the company is geared to push EVs into the mainstream as the German automaker plans to produce 15 million electric vehicles on its mass-market MEB platform and take the fight to Tesla. Group CEO Herbert Diess said “We will be aggressive on the pricing. We will be much lower than Tesla, but we have all the huge economies of scale, and the car is specifically designed now.” The plan by VW to produce Evs in this kind of volumes makes it the first traditional automaker in the West to aggressively push the needle in favor of EVs. Up to now most EV strategies of traditional automakers mostly focussed on developing competencies and provide EVs in limited volumes not exceeding around 10% of their total sales. This month saw one of the last domino’s fall to push EVs into the mainstream as Toyota shifts away from Hydrogen cars, kicking and screaming. Toyota created a new subsidiary for its EV push and although the start-up seams insignificant with only four people from different branches of the Toyota group. The Japanese automaker stated that the small team would result in the accelerated development with fast-to-market products thanks to “unconventional work processes”. Comments by Toyota president Akio Toyoda saying that the start-up “will embrace speed in its approach to work” indicates that the company is fast changing tact to catch-up with its competitors to make up for time lost pursuing fuel cell cars. Toyota believed that consumers would prefer hydrogen which refueling rate compares with that of combustion vehicles but the lack of hydrogen fueling infrastructure means that FCEVs can’t compete with the adoption rate of EVs. VW is Toyota’s closest competitor in terms of volume, so the remarks by VW’s CEO certainly had an impact on Toyota’s desition related to EVs. VW CEO Scott Keogh told reporters this week at the Los Angeles Auto Show that the company is scouting for a location for a US plant to produce a mass-market EV by 2020. It is rumored that Toyota is working on a mass-market EV that will hit the market by 2020 with a range of 300km (186 miles). Speculation is that Toyota could use the Prius platform to save development time and produce an electric Aygo as a mass market city car.

Providing further clues of Toyota’s thinking comes from Toyota’s European President & CEO Johan van Zyl saying to the UK publication Auto Express, “We already have some electric vehicles undergoing trials here in Europe – short-range, inner-city transport. So I think that in the future, if you look at that spectrum of technologies that we offer, then EVs will be part of that.” He expanded further expanding on if the company’s city car could be a candidate for pure-electric power “Yes, that’s going to be very interesting. Will people use vehicles which will completely emissions-free in certain areas? We see a stronger growth of that type of thinking in cities where they’re saying, ‘We’d rather have emissions-free vehicles so it should be a plug-in or a pure-electric vehicle.’”

TOP EV NEWS #5 – PRODUCTION UPDATE

Chongqing Jinkang New Energy will start production of the SF Motors SF5 EV Crossover by the end of 2018 as the plant in Chongqing official came in operation this week. The first units of the line will be test cars with the expected list date of the SF5 is only in Q3 2019. Jinkang new Energy is in possession of a 50,000 annual unit permit for the production of electric vehicles from the Chinese Ministry of Information and Technology. The plant employees over 800 robots to automate the welding, stamping, painting and assemble assembly, transportation and loading processes in four workshops. The Jinkang plant also uses AGV robots with autonomous capabilities to identify and distribute parts within the plant. The production line can produce any type of vehicle form compact cars to luxury SUVs and is designed to quickly adjust between different model types. The official investment for the plant is ¥2.5 billion.

Chery Jaguar Land Rover Automobile Co., Ltd. has entered into an agreement with the Jiangsu Changshu Economic and Technological Development Zone to build a new energy vehicle R&D center. The total investment of the project is ¥7 billion and will include an R&D  center to develop and testing electric vehicles and will include a test track. Chery JLR started the construction of its plant which currently produces combustion vehicles in 2014. The second phase of 70,000 units is to be completed by the end of 2018 bringing the total capacity of the plant to 200,000 units. The JLR EV strategy is to electrify its fleet by 2020 by producing all its models with fuel, plug-in hybrid, hybrid, and pure electric drivetrains.

The new brand by CHJ Auto “LEADING IDEAL” entered into an agreement with the Chinese OEM Lifan to assemble its first EV, the Leading Ideal One range extended SUV at a new plant in Changzhou, Jiangsu Province. The new plant will with a production capacity of 150,000 electric vehicles is to be completed by August 2019 and comes at a cost of ¥182million and covers 490,000m². The plant will produce only 5,000 units of the Leading Ideal One in 2019 and ramp up to 100,000 in 2020.

TOP EV NEWS #1 – INDIAN RIDE-HAILING CO TO BUILD OWN EV

I have highlighted previously that the advent of the EV drivetrain will lead to a multitude of new mobility solutions and developers as entrepreneurs such as the team of Open Motors find that electric drivetrains do not require the set architecture needed by combustion vehicles and are easier to assemble. Indian based ride-hailing company Ola, co-founded by its CEO Bhavish Aggarwal is said to showcase its concept electric vehicle solutions developed from a multi-modal EV project in Nagpur shown in the image below. The Ola concept EVs will include three and four-wheel vehicles designed according to the company’s requirements. Ola is not the first ride-hailing company to consider developing cars to its needs. It’s not just the large ride-hailing companies that are toying with the idea to build their own cars, even bike-hailing companies have partnered with EV start-ups to develop solutions together such as the Sitech DEV-1 which is a collaboration with the Chinese company Mobike.

With Ola’s business expanding to the UK, Europe and Australia the company certainly has the base to justify investment in building its own EVs. Ola’s mobility team under the stewardship of Anand Shah is apparently already in talks with electric vehicle component suppliers and manufacturers but no final decisions have been taken. Ola’s multi-modal project in Nagpur tested e-rickshaws, buses and electric cars in conjunction with each other covering over 5 million kilometers ((3.125 million miles).

TOP EV NEWS #2 – NEW ELECTRIC CARS

TOP EV NEWS #3 –PRICE AND RELEASE DATE FOR MODEL 3 IN CHINA

Tesla set the pricing and release date for the Model 3 in China. The Model 3 will be available from April 2019 to the Chinese EV market. 

Pricing for the Model Dual motor starts at ¥580,800 and the Performance version at ¥690,800. SEQ filing data showed earlier that Tesla intends to produce around 3,000 models at its new Shanghai plant at first.

Tesla is facing some headwinds in its second-biggest market with the release of locally produced EVs the NIO ES8 and the Marvel X while itself is being taxed with import duties as high as 40%. The NIO ES8 and Marvel X competes for customers with Tesla and has sold 8,000 units in the last couple of months. In light of the situation, Tesla also slashed prices on its Model S and Model X ranges by between 12% and 26% eating into its margin as it will absorb the cost internally.

TOP EV NEWS #4 – VOLVO DELAYS LYNK&CO PRODUCTION IN EU

Reuters reported that Geely Volvo decided to delay its plans to produce Lynk&Co models at its Ghent plant in Belgium. The decision does not seem to impact on the launch of Lynk&Co in Europe set for 2019 as the company will export models to Europe from China. The decision is based on macroeconomic uncertainty due to the ongoing trade war between the USA and China and the secondary slow down in created in its major market, China. The production plan set in March 2018 will now be altered to look as follows:

• Q4 2018 – Production of its best-selling XC60 SUV destined for the USA to start Torslanda, Sweden instead of Chengdu, China as originally planned.

• The S60 luxury sports sedan will now also be produced in China as opposed to just being manufactured in the USA as per the March 2018 plan.

• The V60 Station wagon will now be produced at Ghent and in China and not in Sweden as planned.

Geely Volvo still plans to export the Lynk&Co series to the USA in 2020.

In related news, Volvo India announced that it will introduce four new electrified models in the country over the next three years. Volvo’s first electric vehicle for the Indian market is the XC90 which started selling earlier in 2018. Volvo India will assemble the XC90 plug-in hybrid electric SUV in Bengaluru from Q4 2019. Auto NDTV quoted Charles Frump, Managing Director, Volvo Car India, saying  “The localization of plug-in hybrids marks the future of electrification for us. Our customers are increasingly becoming aware about the rise in pollution levels and degrading environment. As a responsible luxury car company, we believe electrification is the future. However, till the time we have a supporting infrastructure, plug-in hybrids offer the intermediate solution.” We can, therefore, expect that the majority of the four EV models introduced over the next three years to be plug-in hybrids as Volvo wait for the charging infrastructure in India to justify the release of pure electric models.

TOP EV NEWS #5 – LAMBORGHINI AVENTADOR PLUG-IN EV RELEASE DATE

Speculation has been that the VW Group supercar maker will kick off its EV range in 2019 with a Plug-in electric Urus SUV based on the Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid drivetrain. In an interview with Automotive News CEO of Lamborghini gave some insights into the VW Group company’s electrification strategy. Automotive News quoted Mr. Stefano Domenicali, saying “probably around 2021, with the Aventador replacement that will add a motor to its V12 engine.” He added that “the same will happen later also on the V-10 family when we replace the Huracan. A plug-in model is the only way to maintain performance and keep Lamborghini’s engine sound while also reducing emissions,” he concluded. Lamborghini settled on the Panamera drive-train after dabbling with the six-cylinder Bentayga PHEV. Mr. Domenicali also indicated that a fourth model could be introduced as a grand tourer to resuscitate the Espada after 2025.

EV DATABASE AVAILABLE IN OUR SHOP

TOP EV NEWS #1 – ZOTYE GOES WEST

Following in the footsteps of Kandi, Ford‘s Chinese JV partner started with the process to enter the US auto market. Zotye partnered with HAAH Automotive, a company specializing in the development of sales networks for foreign brands since 2014. The distributor Zotye USA recruited ex Hyundai America sales executive Bob Pradzinski as senior vice president of sales. It is not clear which vehicle Zotye will debut with and if it will have an electric drivetrain. Speculation is that it will start with the Audi Q5 like T600 compact crossover by either late 2019 or 2020. The T600 is not currently available with an electric drivetrain and retails for around $12,000 in China. Zotye partnered with HAAH Automotive, a company specializing in the development of sales networks for foreign brands since 2014. Earlier this year Kandi announced that it will bring its K22 and EX3 EVs to the USA through its subsidiary Sportmans Country. The Kandi models qualified for the full $7500 IRS tax credit. The Kandi EX3 has a rated speed of 75 mph speed and a 188-mile range. Other Chinese auto brands such as GAC also has ambitions to come to the USA but such ambitions are made difficult with the current trade war between the two countries. Duke Hale, owner of HAAH Automotive was quoted by Automotive News China saying “Even if the tariffs go forward, it won’t stop our deal.” Mr. Hale also said, “We’re looking at different ways to do business, as opposed to the old brick-and-mortar approach,” providing some insight on its distribution plans.

TOP EV NEWS #2 – CHINESE EV SALES FOR OCTOBER

Chinese lite vehicle sales take a nosedive with imported brands leading the fall, well that is for combustion vehicles. Brands such as Ford which had no defined electric car strategy sales dropped as much as 40% over the last couple of months. Sure the trade war and slowing economy is a factor but EV sales in China stood at 124,000 in October, while lite-vehicle sales declined for the fourth consecutive month as it dipped below 2.05 million units, 13% lower than October 2017. Electric vehicle sales now account for 6.1% of passenger car sales in a slowing auto market in China where new vehicle stock now average 56 days, nearly two months on the dealership floor. It is expected that auto brands will dump more cars before year-end to achieve annual targets. It is going to be interesting how these year-end promotions will impact the sales of electric vehicles.

From the chart above, showing sales patterns for the various vehicle classes it is clear Chinese city dwellers have a preference for A0 and A00 class micro and compact cars. The EV sales reported here is excluding of so-called “low-speed” electric vehicles, or neighborhood electric vehicles (NEV’s). Although not specifically covered by wattEV2buy the NEV market in China consists of over 100 manufacturers with an annual capacity of around one million vehicles. I have reported over the last couple of months how NEV manufacturers such as YGM is transitioning from NEV manufacturing to producing compact highway-legal electric cars. For YGM which was acquired by GAC for its EV credits the strategy paid of as the Chinese Government this week announced that it is cracking down on the NEV sector, halting approvals for any further plant capacity and authorizing the buyback of such vehicles in an effort to phase them out. Electric three-wheelers and NEV equipped with obsolete drivetrains are the cause of over 800,000 accidents resulting in 18,000 deaths over the past five years. The crackdown will certainly add further support for A00 and A0 class EVs in China in the coming months.

If you require and more in-depth analysis of October’s EV sales, you can purchase our monthly report here.

TOP EV NEWS #3 – GUANGZHOU AUTO SHOW

The Guangzhou Auto Show kicked off this week and as expected were jam-packed with electric vehicles which are the new normal in China and way ahead with EV offerings compared to similar events in the West. I have updated all the relevant models with the specs and prices on the dedicated pages on the website and will for ease list them here to get a good overview of most of the models presented there. Some of the models have been introduced as concepts at the Beijing Auto Show with their production versions going on pre-order or even listed at the Guangzhou Auto Show. The show was also used to showcased improved versions of existing EV models as many companies updated A0 class vehicles to a 300km (188 miles) range and sedan’s to over 500km (312 miles). Here is a list of some of the electric vehicles showed at the 2018 Guangzhou Auto Show:

BAIC | Updated Arcfox Lite, BAIC 407 EV LDV

BMW | BMW i8 Roadster

BYD | Tang EV | Tang PHEV 5 seater | BYD SONG Max DM

Changhan | Changhan Niou II

Dongfeng Yueda KIA KX3 EV

FAW | Besturn X40 SUV

GAC | GAC Aion S (aka A26)

GWM – WEY P8 GT

GWM – ORA R1 | ORA iQ5

Hozon | Neta 01 | Neta 03

Honda | Everus VE1

Han Teng | Han Teng e+ ” happiness”

JMC | JMC E300

Luxgen |  Luxgen U5+ EV

Qoros | Qoros 3 EV

Zotye | Zotye Z500 | E200 Pro

TOP EV NEWS #4 – NEW AND UPDATED EV MODELS

BMW unveiled the specifications of the 2019 BMW 330e iPerformance. The 2019 BMW 300e model is available from the summer of 2019 and boast a 50% increase in range and reduced emissions by 10%. The BMW 300e plug-in hybrid offers a range of 60km (38miles) from a 12kWh battery. The performance of the BMW 330e sedan is also enhanced through XtraBoost which further increases drive output on a temporary basis to as much as 30 kW/41 hp. For the full specs go here.

KIA announced that the Kia e-Soul would be unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show on the 30th of November 2018. The next generation of KIA electric car will be available from 2019 in Europe and the following year in the USA. KIA teased an image of the rear of the e-Soul EV in anticipation of its launch. KIA also released the specifications of the 2019 KIA SOUL EV. Unfortunately, the 2019 KIA SOUL EV kept its 30kWh battery and 111mile range.

Mercedes‑Benz delivered the first series production model of its eCitaro City Bus to the Hamburg public transport company, Hochbahn AG in Hamburg. The total Hochbahn AG order of 20 eCitaro buses is the largest so far since the world premiere of the City bus at the IAA in September 2018. 2020 Hamburger Hochbahn AG which operates a fleet of 1000 buses will electrify its entire fleet by 2020. The eCitaro has a modular battery system, allowing operators to choose buses for different ranges. The total capacity of the battery system is 243kWh.

TOP EV NEWS #5 – VW SECURES BATTERY SUPPLY

Volkswagen Group EV strategy, Roadmap E, will see the company German auto group bring 50 electric vehicles to market by 2025, which requires battery supply equivalent to four “Gigafactories”. Securing the battery supply in major markets has been a key factor for the success of the company’s EV strategy as it competes with other big companies and their battery demand. This week VW contracted with the South Korean battery cell manufacturer SK Innovations to supply part of 150GWh required annually by VW. SK Innovations will join LG Chame and Samsung as suppliers to Volkswagens European plants and be responsible for supply in North America from 2022. Volkswagens Chinese requirements will be met by the Chinese supplier, CATL.

TOP A-EV NEWS FROM PAST WEEK

Brian Wolf, the Director, Business Development, Ford Autonomous Vehicles LLC wrote in a Medium post that the company is teaming up with Walmart and Postmates to test the commercial application of its self-driving technology through a pilot project in Miami Dae-County, Florida, USA.. Mr Wolf wrote “Through this collaboration, we are exploring how self-driving vehicles can deliver many everyday goods such as groceries, diapers, pet food and personal care items. Enabled by Postmates delivery as a service, we were able to quickly set up a pilot program that explores how our self-driving vehicles can complement Walmart’s existing delivery offerings.” Ford aims to get ahead of the curve on autonomous driving after falling behind in the EV race. The company aims to become more a mobility company than a motor manufacturer in the future.

Daimler and Bosch recently announced that it will pilot an autonomous ride-hailing service, similar to that of Waymo in Phoenix Arizona. The two German companies which are both permitted to test autonomous vehicles in California revealed that the pilot project will be geo-located in San Jose, south of Silicone Valley. The two companies will test level 4 and 5 autonomous drive systems in the San Carlos/Stevens Creek corridor between downtown and west San José.

LATEST IN EV DATABASE AVAILABLE IN OUR SHOP

TOP EV NEWS #1 – TESLA COMPETITORS LOOKING AHEAD

A famous saying from my trading days was “the bus waits for nobody.” This week we saw Tesla‘s market cap exceed that of BMW as investors ditched the German automaker as punishment for losing sales to Tesla (remember the charts of all manufacturers I posted in Week 31? Don’t say you have not been warned!). The EV bus has left the station and many automakers are left scrambling to catch up. Seeing the impact of the Model 3 on sales some are now looking ahead at what the launch of the Model Y crossover will do to their sales. Bloomberg reported this week that VW could be adding a subcompact crossover to its EV line-up which can cost as little as €18k ($21k). According to the report the plans for the subcompact EV crossover still needed to be approved by the supervisory board, but it seems the that the company plans to produce 200,000 units of the car at the Emden plant in Germany.

TOP EV NEWS #2 – BYD EV STRATEGY

BYD will launch the pure electric version of the best selling Tang plug-in SUV, a smaller five-seat version of the TANG PHEV and the plug-in BYD SONG MAX. BYD has been on a full-out assault to be the leader in the electric car sector in China. BYD announced that the reduction EV subsidies, especially on plug-in hybrids, has impacted on its bottom line and that its full-year earnings are to drop by a third. BYD also announced a change in its strategy whereby the company will focus more on pure electric vehicles. The “e” series will deviate from the current “Dynasty” line-up which consists of the Tang, Yuan, Qin, and Song models. The “e” series will consist of 8 EV models named the BYD S2, S3, S5, e1, e2, e3, e5, and e6.

TOP EV NEWS #3 – NEW MODELS UNVEILED AND LISTED

There is much excitement ahead of the Guangzhou Auto Show which starts this coming week, and we expect even more electric cars at this year’s event than in 2017. I will publish a complete list next week of all the cars launched during the event. Some Chinese EV manufacturers will be using the 2018 Guangzhou Auto Show to launch new models that will be on sale by the end of 2018 or early 2019. You can look forward to the launch of various EVs including the LUXGEN U5, SAIC MG EZS, GAC A26, BAIC EX3, Zotye Z500 Pro, Zotye TE450 SUV, Zotye E200 Pro, YUEDA KIA K3, JMC E300, Changan Eado XT.

Chery launched the Arrizo 5e EV450 sedan this week. At a post-subsidy price of ¥109,800 for the upgraded Arrizo 5e 450 buyers get over 400km (259 miles).

The Citroen JV brand Dongfeng Fukang listed its first EV this week. The Dongfeng Fukang ES500 is available in two trims ranging in price from 13.86 to14.86 million yuan after subsidy. The ES500 is a compact sedan with a maximum power of 90kW, top speed of 150km/h and a cruising range of 351km. Dongfeng Fukang provides three years of free charging and battery warranty of 8 years or 500,000 kilometers.

VW listed the Passat PHEV this week in China. The Chinese version’s specifications differ from the model currently on sales in Europe. The Chinese Passat plug-in has a larger battery providing a longer range of 63km (40 miles).

The start-up Dearcc listed the upgraded version of the E10 EV first launched in 2017. The upgraded model is named the Dearcc E10 Pro 300 EV with a range of 270km (168miles) on the NEDC cycle. Dearcc’s new brand Enovate also unveiled its first EV due 2019, the ENOVATE ME7 EV SUV.

EV start-up Thunder Power officially announced the specification of the production version of Thunder Power TP488C first introduced in 2016. The pure electric sedan is currently named the TPEV and is expected in 2019 first as a limited edition with a range of 650km (406 miles) from a 110kWh battery pack consisting of 21700 cylindrical cells. The TPEV is constructed from lightweight aluminum alloy in a  ratio of aluminum alloy/high-strength steel and carbon fiber of 95% and 5% giving the car a total weight of only 1900-1950kg. The electric motors on the front and rear axle provide a combined maximum power of 430kW and can accelerate to 100km/h in only 3.2 seconds.

FAW Toyota hosted an information session on its upcoming Levin plug-in hybrid or as it is named in China the Corolla Twin Engine E+. The Corolla PHEV is expected in March 2019 and will kick-start the electrification strategy of Toyota in the country. Toyota will launch a pure electric version of the Toyota C-HR in 2020. According to Toyota hybrid models will contribute to 50% of its 5.5 million sales target in China by 2030. In addition EV (pure electric) and FCV (hydrogen fuel cell) models will make up 10% or 1 million units in 2030. The battery pack behind the rear passenger seats for the first generation Corolla Twin Engine E+  will only support 220V/16A Level 2 charging which will fill the battery in about 2 hours.

TOP EV NEWS #4 – BENTLEY CHARTS A PURE ELECTRIC COURSE

The new CEO of Bentley wants a more aggressive electrification plan. Chief Executive Adrian Hallmark told Reuters that he wants Bentley cars to be more environmentally-friendly and presented a strategy to achieve this to the board earlier the year. Bentley which is a Volkswagen company since 2012 will be developed on the Audi/Porsche platform which is also the backbone of the new Porsche Taycan electric car.

On the presentation, Mr. Hallmark told Reuters, “It was taking stock of all the models, all the powertrains, all the future technologies that we needed to invest in and re-cut the plan to be more electrified than we were.” He went further indicating that the first electric Bentley will be here before 2025 but did not indicate which type of vehicle it will be.

TOP EV NEWS #5 – CHINA CRACKS THE WHIP ON AUTOMAKERS

In Week 36 I reported that the Chinese Government was looking to introduce curbs to the auto sector. The rules aimed not only to curb new investment in combustion capacity but also pull in the reigns of rampant EV investment. Automakers will now have to comply with certain conditions which will look at their financial viability and EV strategy. This week saw the first results of the implementation of the rules as the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology put 27 auto manufacturers on notice whereby their ability to produce EVs would likely be revoked. The list included passenger vehicle manufacturers such as Brilliance Auto, Hafei Automobile and Changan Peugeot Citroen, and Wanxiang Group which also produce the Karma Revero in the USA. (Please note the rules only apply to production in China.) According to the notice the companies on the list needed to be vetted before they can produce EVs. The automakers listed also stand to loose qualifying for tax exemption on their EVs.

TOP A-EV NEWS FROM PAST WEEK

At the recent Baidu World Congress held on November 1, 2018, Baidu and Chinese state-owned carmaker FAW unveiled the Red Flag E-Boundary level 4 autonomous electric car. The Red Flag E-Boundary is based on the E-HS3 by the luxury brand Hongqi. The E-Boundary will be launched in small batches in 2019 followed by mass production in 2020. Chairman of FAW Dr. Xu Liuping said at the conference, “Last month we released the red flag technology brand ‘阩旗计划’ R.Flag with its branded autonomous system i.RFlag.

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TOP EV NEWS #1 – BMW GEARS BATTERY PRODUCTION FOR MINI EV

BMW Group is remodeling the Dingolfing plant 02.20 which has produced batteries and electric motors for BMW plug-in hybrid models since 2015 to ready itself for higher future demand for electric drivetrains, starting with the Mini EV in late 2019. According to BMW, a mid-double-digit-million-euro amount will be channeled into structural measures and equipment to produce batteries for the all-electric MINI alone. The battery manufacturing and assembly line covers an area of around 6,000 square meters in the west wing of the Dingolfing component plant and currently employee over 300 people.

Roland Maurer, head of Planning and Production E-Powertrain at the BMW Group said: “With the launch of new models and growing demand for electrified vehicles, we will be stepping up production of electric components significantly over the next few months and years.”

The fully electric MINI will be built in Oxford in the south of England, starting in late 2019. Batteries for the car will come from the new battery production facility in Dingolfing, with electric engines from the neighboring BMW Group Plant in Landshut. From 2020, the plant will also produce fifth-generation electric drive systems for the BMW iX3, the BMW i4, and the BMW iNEXT.

TOP EV NEWS #2 – POTENTIAL BYTON IPO IN THE WORKS

Investors looking for opportunities to invest in pure EV producers such as Tesla and NIO can now look forward to more choice. The German news publication Automobilwoche quoted Carsten Breitfeld, Chinese EV startup Byton’s co-founder and CEO who indicated that the company could explore an IPO to broaden its capital base.

Breitfeld told the publication, “With the capital-intensive nature of business and our expansion, the topic of listing on the stock market will become relevant.”

Byton has designs to enter the US market and showcased its concept M-Byte SUV there earlier the year. Byton previously announced a successful $500 million Series B funding round partly subscribed by Chinese state-owned FAW and the battery maker CATL. Other than its peer NIO, who contracted JAC to manufacture its electric cars, Byton acquired struggling subsidiary of FAW to gain access to a manufacturing license. Byton acquired Tianjin Huali Automobile Co. for 1 yuan ($0.15) and took responsibility for the company’s outstanding debt totaling 800 million yuan, which must be retired before the end of September 2019.

TOP EV NEWS #3 – NEW LISTINGS AND UNVEILS

The Chinese EV start-up NEVS which acquired the SAAB 9-3 technology opened its books for the pre-ordering of the long-awaited revival of the SAAB 9-3 Aero Concept in the form of the NEVS 9-3. Pricing starts at 169,800 yuan should a buyer qualify for the maximum EV subsidy in his/her home city. Pre-orders range 600 yuan to  2,000 yuan for different privileges. The NEVS 9-3 battery pack is supplied by CATL, and the electric motors produce a maximum power of 130kW and a peak torque of 280Nm.

SOUEAST released an upgraded version of its DX3 compact SUV. The Soueast DX3 400 follows the DX3 300 EV SUV and has an improved range of 351km (219 miles) on the NEDC cycle from a battery pack that is 7kWh larger than the one used in the DX3 300. For more specs click here.

JMC unveiled the Jianling New Energy JMEV E300 EV with its 251km (157miles) and the JMC T500EV Pickup with its 320km (200miles) range.

Jiangsu Min’an, one of the first producers to qualify for an EV manufacturing permit in China, unveiled its SUV with the designation A2001. The Min’an A1002 is expected to be listed by the end of 2019 or early 2020. No technical specifications on the A2001 are currently available,

The Spanish automaker Hispano Suiza teased an image of its EV supercar that it will unveil during the Geneva Auto Show in March 2019.

TOP EV NEWS #4 – HYUNDAI GOES SOLAR

The Hyundai Motor Group announced this week that it plans to introduce solar charging technology on selected Hyundai and KIA vehicles. The solar panels will be incorporated into the roof or the hood of all its powertrains including internal combustion vehicles reducing emissions, increasing fuel efficiency and range.

Hyundai is developing three solar roof solutions:

•  First-generation silicon solar roof system – includes a structure of mass-produced silicon solar panels that are mounted on an ordinary roof is developed for Hybrid models and charge 30 to 60% of the battery per day, weather permitting.
• The second-generation semi-transparent solar roof system is applied as a panoramic sunroof on combustion vehicles or electric vehicles.
• Third-generation lightweight solar-lid on the vehicle’s body is currently in a pilot phase and includes a structure that mounts solar panels on a bonnet and roof of a car to maximize energy output.

The panels consist of a controller with Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) which controls the voltage and current to increase the efficiency of the panel. The 100W solar panel produces 100Wh of energy per hour.

TOP EV NEWS #5 – TOYOTA MR2 RESURRECTION

Toyota has not been able to clearly define its EV strategy as the Japanese automaker sticks to a largely hydrogen based strategy. Autocar UK reported that the company’s European vice president of sales and marketing Matt Harrison said at the Paris Auto Show earlier this month that the company is in the discussion stage of resurrecting the MR2 as an electric model. The MR2 was a popular mid-engined roadster from 1984 to 2007. According to Autocar, the electric MR2 could be next to a charging station by early in the next decade.

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TOP EV NEWS #1 – VOLVO INVEST IN EV CHARGING START-UP

Volvo reinforced its commitment to supporting the widespread transition to the electrification of the automobile through an investment in San Francisco based FreeWire. FreeWire’s EV charging technology aims to solve the problem of fast charging stations being cost and labor intensive. FreeWire’s Mobi Charger can plug into a wall outlet and charge up to 10 cars a day, alleviating the need to uproot or upgrade the power infrastructure of any facility, so there is no need for permitting. The Mobi Charger is compatible with any electric vehicle. Choose the Mobi Charger to fit your EV drivers’ preferred charging speed. If preferences change, just plug in a different Mobi. The Mobi Charger allows corporates to deploy fast chargers for their fleets or staff easily and cost-effectively. Through taking advantage of Time of Use utility rates a company can load the charger in offpeak periods and dispatch the power at that rate any time of day. FreeWire is currently working on a 120kW DC Fast Charging Mobi unit which can charge 480miles in an hour.

TOP EV NEWS #2 – DYSON EV STRATEGY SHIFTS GEARS

After months of speculation on where Dyson will establish its EV plant for its £2.5bn bet on developing an electric car, the manufacturer of electric household appliances announced in an internal memo that it chose Singapore. Dyson engaged with authorities in the UK, China, Malaysia, and Singapore in its decision-making process but the sovereign city-state in South East Asia was chosen due to its proximity to “high-growth markets.” Dyson looked at factors such as supply chains, access to markets and the availability of skilled labor. Dyson CEO, Jim Rowan, told staff that the company was making excellent progress on developing the car. “Clearly we now need to move quickly towards manufacturing and assembly,” he said in the memo. Dyson’s EV plant will be completed in 2020, allowing for the launch of Dyson’s first electric vehicle in 2021.

TOP EV NEWS #3 – EV MODELS LAUNCHED THIS WEEK

Tesla surprised the market last week Friday with the launch of a new unscheduled mid-range version of the Model 3. Within less than a week, Tesla made some changes though in the pricing structure of the Model 3 midrange and increased the 260 mile EVs price from $45,000 before incentives to $46,000. At the same time, the company reduced the dual motor price to $53,000.

The Great Wall Motors new EV brand ORA made its second electric car the R1 A0 class compact available on pre-order this week. The ORA R1 EV is available online on TMALL for a ¥99 refundable deposit. The ORA R1 EV is expected to be available from January 2019 and final pricing and specifications will be announced on the 18th of December 2018. The R1 has a range of 310km (194miles) and accelerates to 100km/h (62mph) in 20 seconds. For more of the ORA R1 EV specifications click here.

The Dongfeng KIA JV, Yueda KIA, launched its first pure electric EV this week, following the K5 PHEV listed earlier the year. The Yueda KIA KX3 compact SUV is based on the 2019 fuel version of the same series with the noticeable difference of the closed grill, which gives it the same look as the KIA NIRO EV (on the right in the image below). The Yueda KIA KX3 has a range of 300km (188 miles) on the NEDC cycle and is propelled by an 81kW electric motor. For more of the YUEDA KIA KX3 EV specifications click here.

The Lifan 820EV sedan, based on the combustion version, was launched earlier this week and priced from ¥256,800 to ¥279,800 before subsidy in four trims. The Lifan 820EV has a range of 330km (206 miles) from its 60kWh battery. The 820EV is not particularly well endowed for its size, equipped with a 60kW (81hp) electric motor it can only reach a top speed of 130km/h (81mph). A higher powered version of the car is to be released later with a range of 400km (250 miles) and equipped with a 100kW (134hp) electric motor delivering a top speed of 150km/h (94mph).

Hozon listed the Neta N01, its first production EV this week. The Neta N01 is available in three trims, the 380e, 380i and 380s at post-subsidy prices that range between ¥60,000 and ¥75,000. The most significant differentiating factor between the base model and 380i and 380s is that the base has a 3,3kW onboard charger while the other two a 6.6kW charger, allowing them to fully charge in 8 hours as compared to 14 hours.

XPENG is to launch the XPENG G3 at the Guangzhou Auto Show held from the 16th of November 2018 for delivery by the end of the year. The G3 is now available on pre-order for a non-refundable ¥10,000. Not only will pre-ordering clients receive priority delivery XPENG will also unlock some exclusive privileges such as free charging for four years or 100,000km (62,000 miles) at any one of the EV start-up’s 1,000 fast charging stations or 100,000 third party charging points, lifetime warranty and a personalized commemorative logo. For more of the XPENG G3 EV SUV specifications click here.

TOP EV NEWS #4 – TESLA KILLS THE TESLA KILLERS

In 2017 Tesla sold around 9% of all the electric vehicles sold that year, in the first nine months of 2018 Tesla now contributes to over 13% of all sales when looking at EV sales for the top 10 EV countries (pure and plug-in electric combined). Tesla now profitably sells electric vehicles, a feat yet to be achieved by any of its Western competitors and most of those in China. Another interesting fact is that so far this year Tesla sold more pure electric vehicles than its German, French, Japanese and South Korean competitors put together and 65% more than its closest competitor, BAIC.

In filings submitted to the Chinese authorities this week, it has emerged that Tesla plans to produce the Model 3 and Model Y at its 250,000 per annum capacity plant in Shanghai from 2020. If one would consider that Tesla produced nearly a 1,000 EVs per day in the last quarter the company is comfortably on its way to produce 750,000 electric vehicles per annum by the start of the next decade. No other auto manufacturer can make that claim. Most automakers don’t even plan to produce close to 750,000 EVs. Volkswagen, which has an aggressive EV strategy plans to produce 100,000 EVs in Europe and 300,000 in China by 2020 making it the closest rival, but they will not be profitable in doing so for some years.

This week Tesla posted a surprise larger than expected Q3 net income of $311.5 million and Revenue of $6.82 billion and announced that it expects to continue the trend going forward except in periods where it pays down its debt. Tesla’s share price closed 26% higher for the week at $330.90 on the back of it achieving adjusted earnings of $2.90 a share while the market expected a loss of 19 cents per share on Revenue of $6.33 billion. (Q3 2017 Revenue $2.362Bln loss of $619.4 million, or $3.70 per share. Q2 2018 Revenue of $4 billion).

The media, competitors and the general public like to label many new EVs as potential Tesla killers. One of these is the NIO ES8. NIO which currently trades around 30% down from its high after its IPO earlier this year this week announced that its sold 3,268 NIO ES8s in Q3 2018 and is on track to deliver 10,000 units in 2018. The main reason why NIO is labeled a Tesla killer is that it competes in Tesla’s second-biggest market, China, where Tesla is burdened with high import taxes. NIO does not produce its own EVs, but production is done by JAC at a specially developed plant in Hefei for at least the next five years. In February this year, NIO budgeted to lose nearly a billion dollars in its first year of operations. NIO is also experiencing other teething problems which put it in its infant shoes when compared to Tesla, such as customers complaining of charging problems and that the NIO ES8 doesn’t live up to its promised range.

A self-labeled Tesla killer is Faraday Future‘s FF91, well that is if the car can get off the production line. This week Faraday Future announced that it would cut its workforce by 20% as it is experiencing financial difficulty, again. Faraday Future’s latest financial problems are linked to a dispute with its white knight backer, the property giant and China’s third richest man Hui Ka Yan (Evergrande Health).

The reality of Tesla’s dominance is starting to sink in as vocal short seller Andrew Left announced before the Q3 earnings call that he turned long, surprising all as Mr. Left filed a suit against Elon Musk for his infamous tweet in September. Left’s comments trumpets earlier comments in wattEV2buy’s newsletters that “there is now Tesla killer” and went on saying that the company is destroying the competition. Mr. Left said in a note published by his firm, Citron Research that the media has been fixated with Elon Musk’s personal behavior and in doing so failed to notice Tesla’s dominance. Mr. Left’s change of heart is driven by the fact that no other electric vehicle can compete with the high level of connectivity and “upgradeability” in Tesla cars, allowing it to easily beat traditional automakers.

Elon Musk announced this week that the $35,000 base version of the Model 3 is still six months off as the company can’t yet produce it profitably. It is therefore expected that the “short” long range rear wheel drive Model 3 will reach the market around the same time as the unveiling of the Model Y on the 15th of March 2018.

TOP EV NEWS #5 – BRITISH ICONS LOSING THEIR ROOTS

British icons MG and Lotus now owned by Chinese auto groups SAIC and Geely this week clarified their EV strategies and it’s moving further and further away from their roots.

According to various Chinese publication the Geely owned Lotus plans to set up an engineering department in Hangzhou and a research and development center in Ningbo, China. In addition, a Lotus flagship model will be officially unveiled at the Shanghai Auto Show next year. Lotus will share its core competencies associated with lightweights materials and aerodynamics will be shared within the Geely group while at the same time benefiting from Volvo’s safety, power, and electric technologies.

MG India announced that it will launch a pure electric SUV in 2020. It is understood that the MG India company has finalized about 45 dealer partners to start new car sales next year. Currently, the automaker produces about 80,000 cars a year at the Halol car manufacturing plant in Gujarat, and will expand to 200,000 in the future. The plant currently employs 300 people and is expected to employ nearly 1,500 employees by the end of 2019. Executive Director of International Business, SAIC Motor & President of SAIC Motor International Company, Michael Yang, said, “MG will launch a globally-competitive pure-electric SUV in India, to make our contribution to India’s energy and environmental strategies. The pure electric SUV will be a breakthrough chapter in the EV space in India, being one of its kind in the market.” The new SUV is to hot the market by the second quarter of 2019 and based on the SAIC Roewe MARVEL X platform.

Staying on the topic of British icons, Rolls Royce CEO this week acknowledged that electrification is the trend and the brand will electrify its models over the next 10 years. CEO Torsten Müller-Otvös revealed that the company will not follow the road to electrification via plug-in combustion vehicles but will move directly to pure electric vehicles. Mr. Torsten Müller-Otvös said that it is not clear yet is RR will develop a new electric car or alter existing model ranges but the company will adopt BMW’s technology to accomplish its electrification strategy.

TOP EV NEWS #1 – EVs ARE ACTUALLY THE ANSWER TO RANGE ANXIETY

ZIM EV SALES….. 1.

Maybe the auto industry got its whole approach wrong. The first week the local BMW dealer gave me a BMW i3 to test there was a fuel strike and gas stations started running dry, and guess what? Ironically that week I was the only one without range anxiety. No matter what, I was able to refill at no cost from solar power instead of being dependent on a fuel that has so many issues attached to it. This week a forward-thinking person imported the first EV to Zimbabwe, a country which has experienced years of economic hardship caused by backward policies of its ruling party, Zanu PF. Zimbabwean residents are used to long lines at the fuel stations as the country frequently runs out of fuel. One of my active readers, Joseph Kuhudzai, sent me the pictures of the first EV in the country, a white Tesla Model X. Like I the unknown owner of Zimbabwe’s first EV will experience the feeling of freedom you get when you experience the angst of combustion vehicle owners when the pumps run dry. Herein lies an opportunity for automakers in China producing low-cost EVs, there are many people in third world countries that would rather own an EV as it offers a practical solution to expensive and scarce fuel. Joseph and I will be happy to be their distributors.

TOP EV NEWS #2 – PRODUCTION ANNOUNCEMENTS

Porsche showcased a production-ready version of its concept study Mission E Cross Turismo at the Geneva Auto Show early this year. At the time there was big excitement around the car and calls for it to be produced. This week the Supervisory Board of Porsche AG gave the go-ahead for the company to add the Cross Turismo as the second EV to its line-up, creating an additional 300 new job-opportunities at its Zuffenhausen plant. The four-door Cross Turismo is a derivative of the Taycan EV sharing the car’s 800-volt architecture, system output of 600 hp and a range of 500 km (NEDC). The Mission E Cross Turismo is expected in 2020.

In the meantime, the publication Auto News Europe reported that Porsche’s model line director for the Taycan indicated that the pricing for the base model of the Taycan available in 2019 will be somewhere between that of the Cayenne and Panamera, pitching it around $75k. Porsche Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Lutz Meschk indicated that the fully loaded performance version could cost as much as €200k.

Workhorse, the Nasdaq listed electric vehicle and autonomous drone maker from Ohio, this week announced the serious production of its second pure electric commercial vehicle, the Workhorse N-GEN 1000 electric van. Workhorse, which started out as AMP Electric Vehicles, entered into a joint venture to custom design 50 postal delivery trucks with USP based on its E-100 electric truck (pictured left). The Workhorse N-GEN 1000  EV van has a capacity of 1,000 cubic feet and can carry a payload up to 6,000lbs (2,722kg). The N-GEN 1000 can work in conjunction with the company’s Horsefly autonomous delivery drone. Workhorse and commercial fleet management company Ryder System announced a partnership where Ryder System becomes the primary distributor and service provider for Workhorse’s commercial electric trucks.

TOP EV NEWS #3 – THUNDER POWER TO START PRODUCTION IN BELGIUM

The Belgian investment fund SOGEPA and Chinese EV start-up Thunder Power entered into an agreement on Friday this week which will see the Thunder Power establishing a production line in Gosselies in the Walloon region of Belgium creating 4,000 jobs. SOGEPA will invest €50 million in the project which will be based at the deserted Caterpillar plant in Gosselies. Thunder Power unveiled the Chloe two-seater city EV to the European press at the event. It is expected that a version of the Chloe adapted for the European market will be the first EV to roll off the production line at the site from 2020.

TOP EV NEWS #4 – RENAULT BRILLIANCE TO PRODUCE COMMERCIAL EVs

Renault and its Chinese local partner Brilliance Auto announced their plans this week to capitalize on the surging market for electric commercial vehicles in China to help the company turn around its ailing sales. The joint venture created in December 2017 will see seven electric models by the end of the decade of which three targeted at the commercial sector. The first electric delivery van will be based on the combustion version of the Jinbei F50 MPV followed by one of Renault’s electric delivery vans in 2020.

TOP EV NEWS #5 – NEW MODELS ANNOUNCED

The young entrepreneur Lex Hoefsloot hosted the design unveiling of the Lightyear One Solar EV in Eindhoven. The team behind the Lightyear One won the Solar challenge a number of times in Australia giving them valuable insights into the development of a Solar EV. The Lightyear One will not be cheap. Lightyear plans to produce 10 launch edition cars in 2020 at a price of €119,000. The funds will be used to facilitate a larger production run in 2021. The Lightyear One can gain between 80 and 70km (44 to 50miles) from its solar system.

CHJ Auto launched its EV brand earlier this year. The new brand named “Leading Ideal” in English from the Chinese name  “Lixiang Zhizao” unveiled its first EV this week, the Leading Ideal One SUV. The Leading Ideal One SUV is a range-extended Ev with a pure electric range of 700km (NEDC) and generator which can carry it a further 300km. Pre-sales of the Leading Ideal One will start in April and deliveries are expected in the second half of 2019. The luxury 4WD EREV SUV will be equipped with OTA (over the air upgrade) and Level 2.5 autonomous driving capabilities according to the company.

TOP EV NEWS #1 – EV INCENTIVES

Israel’s Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz announced earlier the week that the company would ban the sale of combustion vehicles from 2030 when the country shifts to alternative fueled vehicles such as battery electric cars and trucks that run on compressed natural gas. The minister told Reuters that Israel is supporting the transition by near-zero rating taxes on EVs and funding the establishment of 2,000 charging stations. To date, Isreali EV s sales have been lackluster, but by 2025 the minister sees 177,000 cars on the road jumping to 1.5 million in 2030. The Israeli Government is expected to approve regulation by the end of the year which will force companies to import electric cars and downstream oil companies to install charging points at gas stations.

The British Department of Transport changed its EV subsidy policy again this week scrapping its Plug-In Car Grant for all vehicles except battery electric vehicles that comply with Category 1 requirements which is a range of 70 miles (112km) and emit emissions below 50g/km. Incidentally, the grant available for Category 1 EVs has also been slashed to 3,500 from 4,500. Budget constraints are seen to be the reason behind the reduction in the Grant program that saw the sales of 160,000 EVs in the UK since 2011.

TOP EV NEWS #2 – MODEL LAUNCHES

Mercedes opened its order book for the 2019 Mercedes Benz S560e PHEV to be launched this month. The MB S560e 9G-Tronic is exclusively available with a long wheelbase and priced in Germany at €96,065 (Excl 19% VAT). The new improved 13.5 kWh, the first in the series from Daimlers Deutsche ACCUMOTIVE battery subsidiary offers a range of up to 50km in the NEDC cycle and can be charged with the new improved Wallbox through a 7.4kW onboard charger. Charging the Mercedes S560e PHEV from 10 to 100% can be achieved in only 1.5 hours with the Wallbox or 5 hours through a 220V wall socket. For the full secs click here.

Volkswagen and its local partner SAIC will be launching the Tiguan L PHEV on the 19th of October. The plug-in version of VW Tiguan is exclusive to the Chinese market and priced from ¥299,800 to ¥309,800 and packs a 12kWh battery delivery a range of 52km (33 miles) on the NEDC cycle. The combined fuel consumption of the 1.4l turbo engine and the 85kW electric motor is 1.9L/100km. The Tiguan will compete with SAIC’s own Roewe eRX5. For the full secs click here.

TOP EV NEWS #3 – MARUTI SUZUKI STARTS EV TESTING

Maruti Suzuki, the Indian JV of Japanese Suzuki auto brand started field testing its electric vehicle powertrain this week using a fleet of 50 WagonR test mules. Maruti Suzuki is collaborating with Toyota Motors India to launch its first electric vehicle in 2020 in India. The key to cracking the price-sensitive Indian market is through local production of electric vehicles. Maruti Suzuki has already invested Rs 1,137 crore in the establishment of a battery JV with Toshiba and Denso in Gujarat. The plant will be ready to produce its first batteries in 2020, in time to support the launch of Suzuki’s first low-cost EV. Maruti Suzuki introduced the WagnR test mules for the first time at the Move Summit 2018 in September.

Suzuki’s Director of Engineering, CV Raman, flagged off the test fleet of electric WagonR MPV’s from the company’s Gurugram plant. Maruti Suzuki is not the only company that transformed the WagonR to an electric vehicle, in China the BAIC brand Changhe has been selling the WagonR as the Changhe X5E EV with a range of 260km (162miles).

TOP EV NEWS #4 – FORD STARTS SERIOUS PRODUCTION OF WORK XL

Ford announced that it commenced with the serious production of the Deutsche Post StreetScooter WORK XL electric delivery van at its Cologne plant in Germany. The WORK XL is a collaboration between Streetscooter, a Deutsche Post DHL Group start-up and Ford using the Ford Transit chassis produced in Turkey and body and drivetrain by the German start-up. DHL will use the WORK XL to support its urban parcel delivery business in Germany. Although the Work XL is currently for DHL’s exclusive use it is considering leasing it to third-party customers. Currently, Streetscooter is leasing the smaller WORK delivery van to customers from €270 per month.

180 Ford employees and Streetscooter can produce 3,500 units of the WORK XL per annum, churning out 16 units a day using two shifts. The Streetscooter WORK XL can load around 200 parcels in its 20m² hold weighing up to 1,275kg (2,811lbs). According to Ford, each electric delivery van will offer a reduction in CO₂ emissions of 5 tonnes each year and a saving of 1,900 liters of fuel.

Electrified powertrains will play a key role in Ford’s European product line-up. The company is investing €9.5 billion and plans to deliver 16 fully electric vehicles within a global portfolio of 40 electrified vehicles through 2022.

TOP EV NEWS #5 – BOLLINGER UNVEILS THE B2 PICKUP TRUCK

Bollinger unveiled CAD images of its second pickup truck, the B2. Bollinger will prototype the B2 and B1 in 2019 as test vehicles so it can further engineer pre-production vehicles for the 20,000 reservations holders the company claims to have. The B2 Class 3 work truck s based on the B1 and packs a 120kWh battery and dual electric motors. Bollinger makes use of the technological advantages of electric vehicles by utilizing the free space normally used by combustion engines freeing up valuable load space.

According to Bollinger, the B2’s load bed is 4’ 1” wide by 5’ 9” long. With the internal cab tailgate down, the BollingerB2 can carry full 4′ x 8′ sheets of plywood. The rear glass also opens up like the B1, allowing storage to the top of the cab, accommodating 72 sheets of 1/2” plywood.

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TOP EV NEWS #1 – PARIS AUTO SHOW

The Paris Auto Show kicked off this week featuring a number of electric vehicles we are already acquainted with including the Mercedes EQC, Audi e-Tron Quattro and the Tesla Model 3.  The French auto manufacturers used the event on their home turf to “wow” and “surprise” us with their line up of future EVs and a look into their strategies. The PSA brands Citroen, DS, and Peugeot showcased the EVs they digitally unveiled in the weeks prior to the event. The DS 3 Crossback is the only pure electric model with a confirmed production schedule in 2019 with the rest of the line-up plug-in conversions of existing models and concept vehicles.

CITROEN C5 AIRCROSS HYBRID, DS 3 CROSSBACK E-TENSE EV, DS D7 CROSSBACK E-TENSE 4×4 PHEV

One of the most exciting vehicles at the show is the Peugeot 504 e-Legend 100kWh pure electric coupe, unfortunately, it just a concept vehicle. Peugeot also showed its plug-in models, the 3008 compact SUV and 508 sedan and station wagon that will enter the market in 2019.

PEUGEOT 3008 PHEV, PEUGEOT e-LEGEND EV CONCEPT 504 COUPE, PEUGEOT 508 PHEV

Renault Chairman and CEO Carlos Ghosn announced the release of a new affordable urban EV, the Renault K-ZE which will be available in 2019, although only to the Chinese market at first. Mr. Ghosn also announced the electrification of existing model ranges in the form of a Hybrid Clio and plug-in hybrid Megane and Captur. The electrification of the three existing models will start in the 2020 product refresh cycle. Renault also left the door open that these models could get pure electric drivetrains.

The Renault K-ZE will be assembled by the French company’s local partner Dongfeng at the company’s e-GT New Energy Automotive Co, a JV with Nissan. The K-ZE A-segment EV is to have a range of 250km NEDC and equipped with luxuries such as rear parking sensors, rearview camera and a central screen with connected navigation and services.

BMW AG Chairman of the Board of management, Harald Krüger highlighted in his address that by 2021 BWM will have five fully electric core models. Mr. Krüger confirmed that the fifth vehicle will be the BMW i4 which will enter production in 2021. The BMW i4 will follow the Mini Electric (2019), BMW iX3 (2020) and BMW iNEXT (2021). BMW also showcased the new 120Ah BMW i3, the company’s first commercially available battery electric vehicle. It was confirmed that the BMW i3 REx is to be phased out with the model not available to the European market.

Daimler’s smart celebrated its 20 anniversary at the Paris Motor Show with the smart forease show car, interpreting and embodying the fun urban driving brand. The smart forease is based on the standard-production smart EQ fortwo cabrio and can, therefore, be driven.

TOP EV NEWS #2 – GAC TO DITCH USA FOR EUROPE?

The Chinese auto manufacturer GAC has been frequenting the Detroit Auto Show since 2013 with the eye on opening a distribution channel in the USA starting with a mid-sized EV in 2019. In the light of the current trade war between the USA and China GAC is now reconsidering its EV strategy and is moving a potential entry out to 2020. The news was announced by Mr. Yu Jun, the President of GAC to reporters at the Paris Auto Show this week.

It now seems that GAC has designs on entering the European market with its debut at the Paris Auto Show. GAC showcased its latest models including the GAC Trumpchi GE3 mid-sized EV SUV to the European market at the event. Mr. Yu admitted that they were looking at the European market, but that timing was uncertain as it needed to address some technology related issues prior to entering the EU market as not to create a reputational risk. Mr. Yu said that the charging system which differs from Europe needs to be addressed and eluded that the company is struggling to secure enough batteries, limiting its current production of the GE3 to 1,500 units per month.

TOP EV NEWS #3 – MAZDA EV STRATEGY

Mazda announced its connectivity and electrification strategies this week. The strategies are based on the Japanese auto manufacturer’s long-term vision named “Sustainability Zoom-Zoom 2030”. The company said that it will leverage its alliance with Toyota in the development of connectivity and that it will introduce electric vehicles in regions where energy is derived from a high percentage of clean resources. Mazda whishes to reduce its corporate “well to wheel” emissions from 2010 levels by 90% in 2050. Mazda, which does not have a huge capital base will include electrification in some form in 95% of its internal combustion engines by 2030. The Mazda EV strategy targets the production of battery electric vehicles that will account for 5% of its output in the same timeframe. Mazda will also use its patented rotary engines to produce range-extended EVs.

TOP EV NEWS #4 – HOLDEN UNVEILS A VIRTUAL CONCEPT HYPERCAR

Design and engineering teams of the Australian automobile import brand Holden unveiled a virtual concept electric hypercar this week on the 50^th anniversary of Holden’s first win at the Bathurst. Holden, a GM company, does not manufacture vehicles anymore and therefore does not take part at Motors Shows decided to use virtual development to showcase its prowess.

Holden’s design chief, Richard Ferlazzo said “The cessation of Motor Shows in Australia left a hole in our automotive culture in some ways and we lost a forum to showcase our passion and creativity to the Australian public with physical concept cars. However, with the realism and detail achievable through modern technology, I felt we could still deliver uniquely Holden concepts via virtual technology and digital media.”

The Holden Bathurst Time Attack hyper EV with its 25kWh Graphene Hybrid Power Pack and 4 x 250kW electric motors completed a simulated lap of Mount Panorama in 1 minute 29.3 seconds. The reconfigurable battery pack can be charged in 90 seconds with a 1000kW, 800V, 1250A charging system. The Bathurst Time Attack produces a max lateral G-force of 6.5G and max braking G-force of 6G. The hypercar is equipped with an Advanced Driving Assist System through an augmented reality helmet, showing essential technical information and racing line and braking zone benchmarks in 3-D.

On Holden’s strategy, Mr. Ferlazze added “Automotive Design and Engineering remains a core strength and competitive advantage for Holden and for Australia. The Time Attack Concept racer is an illustration of how we can utilise cutting-edge technology to develop transportation solutions for the future. You can see from the extremely detailed approach to incorporating the advanced technology in our Time Attack Concept racer that this is more than just a visual exercise. Holden’s recent announcement of the expansion of 150 new engineers to our Advanced Vehicle Development team means we have the talent, resources and technology to continue delivering to that charter.”

The Bathurst Time Attack now joins other real-world hypercars with 1 megawatt power output such as the Toroidion from Finland and the Rimac C2 from Zagreb, Croatia.

TOP EV NEWS #5 – USA EV SALES AND THE TESLA MODEL 3

BMW AG Chairman of the Board of management, Harald Krüger announced at the Paris Auto Show this week that the company sold more than 100,000 electrified vehicles worldwide by the end of September, surpassing the benchmark three months earlier than 2017 taking the company’s total plug-in and pyre electric sales to 300,000. But in the same week, US auto sales figures for September showed that BMW and other auto brand’s were trashed by the Tesla Model 3, selling more than ten times its closest rival, the Toyota Prius in the same month. Tesla confirmed that it delivered more than 83,000 Model 3’s in the third quarter of 2018. Taking out the Tesla Model 3 from 2018 EV sales data shows that other brands have shown no significant increase. It’s not just EV sales but the whole sector that’s experiencing pressure from the Model 3. BMW’s USA chief, Bernhard Kuhnt, admitted in an interview aired on Bloomberg that Tesla is putting pressure on the BMW 3 series’s market segment.

AUTONOMOUS NEWS OF THE WEEK

Renault unveiled its robo-vehicle, the EZ-ULTIMO, this week completing its trilogy of concept robo-vehicles introduced this year. The EZ-ULTIMO follows the EZ-GO public transporter and EZ-PRO last-mile delivery vehicle. According to Renault the EZ-ULTIMO is a robo-vehicle equipped with level 4 autonomous driving capability and designed for urban environments and highway infrastructure, such as going to an airport or from a hotel to a tourist site. Last month Volvo introduced a similar concept the Volvo 360c with the difference that Volvo identified a niche competing with short-haul air travel.

The US-based Consumer Reports published it’s first ranking of Automated driving systems this week placing the Cadillac CT6 Super Cruise on the top of the list ahead of the Tesla Auto Pilot followed by Nissan Pro-Pilot and Volvo’s Pilot Assist. Tesla came out tops in one category, namely “Capability & Performance”.