02 Apr 2020 | Jeep Has EVs Coming Soon
Charging Networks Help During Covid-19 | Jeep Renegade 4xe And Compass 4xe PHEVs on an epic trip | Toyota and BYD announce electric car venture | First details on PPE electric car platform for future Audis and Porsches | AIWAYS to start taking online orders for U5 electric SUV in Europe | Facelifted BMW 5 Series spied in saloon and estate forms | Today The $1,875 Federal Tax Credit For GM Is Gone | Tesla Model Y meets Sandy Munro | Last Coal-Fired Generating Plants Closing In UK & New York
Show #736
Good morning, good afternoon and good evening wherever you are in the world, welcome to EV News Daily for Thursday 2nd April 2020. It’s Martyn Lee here and I go through every EV story so you don't have to.
A massive thank you to MIA OPPELSTRUP who becomes a partner for the month of April because she wants to support the podcast, and the community of people who make this show what is.
CHARGING NETWORKS HELP DURING COVID-19
From Volta Charging in the U.S.:
"We are using our ad-supported free charging network to spread CDC messages about staying home, social distancing, self care etc. Over a thousand screens in the US and majority located directly in front of essential businesses like grocery stores to make sure people see it."
At @BPChargemaster , we’re responding as best we can:
Free charging for emergency services fleets
Waiving April & May subscription fees for individuals
Lending @EVEC_MK cars to @metpoliceuk and @mkcouncil
Supporting staff volunteering for @NHSuk
JEEP RENEGADE 4XE AND COMPASS 4XE PHEVS ON AN EPIC 3,800 KM ROAD TEST
"After showcasing the duo for the first time at the Geneva Motor Show last year, Jeep has commenced cold-weather testing of the Compass and Renegade plug-in hybrid in Arjeplog, Sweden. The American carmaker is taking a 3800-kilometre road trip with both the SUVs from their Mirafiori plant in Turin to the Proving Ground in the Lapland." according to Car Wale: "Both the SUVs are powered by a turbocharged 1.3-litre petrol engine mated to an electric motor. The standard combustion engine powers the front wheels whereas the electric motor takes care of the rear axle lending both the SUVs an electrified all-wheel-drive system. The Renegade has a combined output between 190bhp and 240bhp which is good enough for a 0-100kmph time of seven seconds. On the other hand, the Compass plug-in hybrid variant puts out 240bhp but the final number is yet to be officialised as they are pending homologation. Both cars are reported to have a pure electric range of approximately 50 kilometres and a top speed of 130kmph."
A website giving customers in Europe the first chance to pre-order the Jeep Renegade 4xe and Compass 4xe now allow for full orders to be made. Jeep showrooms are going online with Google Hangouts so customers can discover the new models in the line-up, chat to a sales consultant and go ahead with the order of their vehicle. Italy is the first market to use this ‘remote’ contact technology, which will be extended to other countries.
Green Car Reports say: "While FCA hasn’t confirmed whether the PHEV Renegade and Compass are headed to the U.S., it has heavily teased the Wrangler, which is built on some components carried over from the Pacifica Hybrid van, as one that America will get. Global president, Christian Meunier said that the U.S. will move to electrification faster than most predict, and he noted that going electric is “an opportunity to improve the capabilities of our trucks and SUVs and make it even more exciting off-road and on-road.” Meunier said that in plug-in hybrid or fully electric form, the Wrangler Rubicon will be able to get to 60 mph in six seconds and outperform the gasoline or diesel Wrangler. “You’re going to get the most capable Jeep ever,” he declared.
https://www.carwale.com/news/jeep-compass-and-renegade-plugin-hybrid-undergoing-testing-in-arjeplog/
TOYOTA AND BYD ANNOUNCE ELECTRIC CAR VENTURE
"Toyota Motor Co. and Chinese electric automaker BYD Co. announced a partnership Thursday to develop battery-powered vehicles, adding to a flurry of industry tie-ups to share soaring development costs." writes the Washington Post today: "Volkswagen AG, Ford Motor Co. and other brands have linked up with Chinese producers to create lower-cost electric models. BYD also has a separate electric vehicle venture, Denza, with Daimler AG’s Mercedes-Benz. Toyota and BYD “determined that there is much we can learn from one another’s expertise,” the companies said in a statement. They gave no financial details or sales plans."
www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/toyota-chinas-byd-announced-electric-car-venture
Operations are scheduled to commence in May 2020. The name of the new company is BYD TOYOTA EV TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD. (BTET).
Newly appointed CEO Zhao Binggen commented, “This joint venture company will focus on the research and development of battery electric vehicles with technology and know-how from both China and Japan. The company is committed to promoting and populating high-quality technologies that make battery electric vehicles more environmentally friendly, safe, comfortable, and intelligent. Our vision is to create a future customer-first mobility style, and a harmonious society for humans and nature.”
FIRST DETAILS ON PPE ELECTRIC CAR PLATFORM FOR FUTURE AUDIS AND PORSCHES
"Audi and Porsche, both brands from the Volkswagen Group, have developed separate platforms for their first volume electric cars. Audi's E-Tron and E-Tron Sportback for example ride on a battery-electric version of the flexible MLB Evo platform that underpins most of Audi's lineup. Meanwhile, Porsche uses a dedicated EV platform known as J1 for the Taycan. The J1 will also underpin Audi's upcoming E-Tron GT super sedan and possibly other models at the Volkswagen Group." says Motor Authority: "The PPE will have an 800-volt architecture, just like the J1. The high voltage, in combination with efficient cooling systems, means cars based on the PPE will be able to charge at rates of up to 350 kilowatts, making 80-percent charges in about 20 minutes possible. The PPE is designed for vehicles of the size of the Audi A4 and up, and it's suited to both low- and high-riding applications. And because of superior packaging of EVs, vehicles based on the PPE will have more interior space compared to internal-combustion vehicles of a similar size."
AIWAYS TO START TAKING ONLINE ORDERS FOR U5 ELECTRIC SUV IN EUROPE
AIWAYS, the Shanghai-based personal mobility provider, is to start taking online orders for its U5 all-electric SUV from European consumers from the end of April.
Secured via a small deposit, the U5 will be offered exclusively via a direct-to-customer sales model, and not retailed or leased through traditional dealerships. European pre-sale markets and the required deposit amount will be announced by AIWAYS in April.
AIWAYS has re-started production of the U5 at its manufacturing facility in Shangrao, China, following the interruption caused by COVID-19 (coronavirus). Production of the European U5 will start in July, with the first deliveries now slated for August 2020.
FACELIFTED BMW 5 SERIES SPIED IN SALOON AND ESTATE FORMS
"New prototypes of the facelifted BMW 5 Series have been caught revealing new details ahead of its scheduled launch later this year. " says Greg at Autocar: "The prototype displayed here is propelled by a plug-in hybrid powertrain, shown by the mandatory identification on its front doors as well as the flap for the charging port integrated into the front-left wing. As part of a push to take its plug-in hybrid drivelines into the performance car class, BMW is said to be planning a new 545e model running the same set-up as the 745e. This would use a more powerful turbocharged 3.0-litre six-cylinder engine and an electric motor making a combined 388bhp and yielding an electric-only range of up to 36 miles."
https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/facelifted-bmw-5-series-spied-saloon-and-estate-forms
TODAY THE $1,875 FEDERAL TAX CREDIT FOR GM IS GONE
"Today (April 1, 2020), with the beginning of a new quarter, plug-in electric cars manufactured by General Motors are not eligible for the U.S. federal tax credit anymore." reports InsideEVs: "During the first quarter, it was already lowered to a maximum of $1,875 for cars delivered by the end of March 2020. Three months earlier, also Tesla lost its eligibility. Manufacturers are eligible for up to $7,500 per plug-in electric car only for the limited number of 200,000 sales. Reaching the limit triggers a gradual phase-out over several following quarters."
https://insideevs.com/news/407295/today-federal-tax-credit-gm-gone/
TESLA MODEL Y MEETS SANDY MUNRO
"With a trusty gap-measuring device, he measures panel gaps on the hood, hatchback and other areas and finds a lot of inconsistencies, especially at the rear near the taillights. Most of them are things buyers likely won't notice, but other areas -- including the hood and taillights -- aren't exactly what should be expected of an SUV starting at $60,990 as shown." writes CNET: "Munro also remarks on the paint and notices dirt and other impurities stuck underneath the coat. But, overall, he likes it and has plenty of positives. The doors are bang-on with wonderful fit and finish, Munro loves the load level for the back hatch with a totally flat floor. He also thinks it drives mighty well."
https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/tesla-model-y-sandy-munro-auto-manufacturing/
LAST COAL-FIRED GENERATING PLANTS CLOSING IN UK & NEW YORK
"The end of burning coal to generate electricity is continuing. In the UK, two large coal-fired facilities have been closed recently — Fiddler’s Ferry in Cheshire and Aberthaw in Wales. Fiddler’s Ferry was first commissioned in 1973 and had a peak capacity of 2,000 megawatts. Aberthaw was rated at 1,560 megawatts." says Clean Technica: "CNBC reports the UK government said last week that electricity from coal declined 60% in 2019. In all, coal provided 6.9 terawatts of power to the UK last year, a record low in modern history. In 1990, 70% of the country’s electricity came from burning coal. Last year it was 3%."
Whereas in the U.S. Steve Hanley says: "In the next few weeks, the Somerset Operating Company, the last coal-fired generating plant in New York, is scheduled to close. According to The New York Times, Beowulf Energy, which owns the plant, says it wants to convert it into a data hub and server farm, but many locals worry they will not be qualified for jobs in the tech area after a lifetime as attendants at the coal generating station."
https://cleantechnica.com/2020/04/01/last-coal-fired-generating-plants-closing-in-uk-new-york/
QUESTION OF THE WEEK
With VW ID.3 facing software rewrites, how hard should we be on legacy auto makers when they hit EV speedbumps?
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