19 Jan 2020 | Farewell, BMW i8

Episode 671,   Jan 20, 2020, 10:24 PM

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BMW i8 Production To End In April | Sono Motors Hits €50m-Target Through Crowdfunding | Renault Zoe & Tesla Model 3 Pull France To Record Heights | Fossil Vehicle Sales In Global Freefall | Tesla Model 3 = 7th Best Selling Car In USA | New Jersey Passes Landmark EV Legislation Including $5,000 Rebate

Show #671

 

Good morning, good afternoon and good evening wherever you are in the world, welcome to EV News Daily for Sunday 19th January 2020. It’s Martyn Lee here and I go through every EV story to save you time.

 

Thank you to MYEV.com for helping make this show, they’ve built the first marketplace specifically for Electric Vehicles. It’s a totally free marketplace that simplifies the buying and selling process, and help you learn about EVs along the way too.

 

New review from Mark in Vancouver: On my way to work I get my daily fix of EV news. Mostly cars, but I enjoy the few energy solar stories too as I have a 31 panel system. I have a Tesla Model 3, but what I like about this podcast is that he covers all EVs. I also have a gas honda accord (yuk) and will be getting a second EV in the next 3 years. Show is dynamic. I’ve listened since about 8 months ago, but recently went back and listed to the first 40 episodes. It is an EV time machine! Thanks Martin, so good. And remember, there is no such thing as a self-charging hybrid. Mark from Vancouver, Canada”

 

BMW I8 PRODUCTION TO END IN APRIL

"It was September last year when BMW released the Ultimate Sophisto limited edition models based on the i8 and i8 Roadster, effectively signaling the assembling of the hybrid sports car will come to an end very soon. We may now know when the 2+2 coupe will go out of production." says InsideEVs: "According to Autocar, BMW will kill the i8 in April this year nearly six years after it was launched. No exact date is confirmed at this point but a UK spokesman for the company told the publication that “UK customers interested in a built-to-order car will need to have placed their order with their local retailer by the end of February.” BMW’s director of development Klaus Frölich confirmed the Vision M Next Concept isn't going to be the successor of the i8. Back in July last year, he told Australian media that "there is no direct successor for the i3 and no direct successor for the i8."

 

https://www.motor1.com/news/393129/bmw-i8-production-end-april/

 

SONO MOTORS HITS €50M-TARGET THROUGH CROWDFUNDING

"Sono Motors has exceeded its crowdfunding target of 50 million euros and has extended the campaign until 20 January. The Munich-based company announced this on Saturday evening on Twitter – two days before the deadline." acccording to electrive today: "A key factor in the campaign’s success was the participation of existing investors, who gave Sono Motors a financing commitment of a further 10 million euros earlier this month. In the initial crowd-funding round, which was scheduled to run until 30 December 2019, Sono Motors had failed to meet the target of 50 million euros it had set itself. In the period since the beginning of December, however, just over 32.5 million euros had been raised – partly through new reservations including down payments, and partly by increasing existing down payments, donations or loans. Sono Motors has thus generated the difference to the 50-million-euro target within three weeks by extending the campaign. The proceeds will be used to finance tooling and further series prototypes of the Sion, the company’s debut solar electric car."

 

https://www.electrive.com/2020/01/19/sono-motors-hits-e50m-target-through-crowdfunding/

 

RENAULT ZOE & TESLA MODEL 3 PULL FRANCE TO RECORD HEIGHTS

A triple set of sales stories from Clean Technica, first up France: "The French plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) market registered a record 7,250 units in December, +28% year over year (YoY), a new all time record. That was thanks to leader Renault Zoe (2,097 units, a new year best), which seems to be past the worse of the production ramp up, and the Tesla Model 3, which moved 1,250 units, its best result ever in France. "

 

https://cleantechnica.com/2020/01/17/renault-zoe-tesla-model-3-pull-france-to-record-heights-2019-ev-sales-report/

 

FOSSIL VEHICLE SALES IN GLOBAL FREEFALL

"The world’s fossil fuel vehicle sales have continued to freefall in 2019, dropping by around 4.35 million, or some 4.7%, compared to 2018, accelerating a now inexorable trend. Global electric vehicle sales meanwhile have continued to rise, with 2019 EV market share reaching 4.7% in China and 3.8% in Europe. (Note that “electric vehicles” in this report concerns both fully electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids.)"

 

https://cleantechnica.com/2020/01/18/fossil-vehicle-sales-in-global-freefall-down-4-7-in-2019-electric-vehicle-sales-continue-to-grow/

 

TESLA MODEL 3 = 7TH BEST SELLING CAR IN USA*

"The Tesla Model 3 ended up being the 7th best selling car in the United States in the 4th quarter of 2019 and the 9th best selling car across the whole year*. (Note that the numbers and rankings in this article are only for cars, not SUVs or light-duty trucks.) The Model 3 was actually the #1 best selling car in the country in December, based on our estimates as well as official figures from automakers, but Tesla has an unbalanced delivery process in which the bulk of US deliveries are made at the end of the quarter, so I don’t think it’s appropriate to compare or highlight December sales."

 

Camry, Corolla, Civic, Accord, Elantra, Altima and Model 3

 

https://cleantechnica.com/2020/01/19/tesla-model-3-7th-best-selling-car-in-usa/

 

NEW JERSEY PASSES LANDMARK EV LEGISLATION INCLUDING $5,000 REBATE

"On January 17, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed into law sweeping legislation that has the potential to dramatically accelerate the sale of electric vehicles within the state. New Jersey residents will now get up to $5,000 off the purchase of an electric vehicle, the most aggressive state EV incentive in the nation. New Jersey currently has a sales-tax exemption for BEVs, and that policy will remain. " says InsideEVs: "he amount of rebate is based on the electric range of the vehicle, with a $25.00 credit given for every mile of electric range the car is rated at. Plug-in hybrids are eligible for the same rebate, however only for the next 3 three years."

 

https://insideevs.com/news/393646/new-jersey-passes-landmark-ev-legislation/

 

QUESTION OF THE WEEK

 

From E:

The traditional OEM that I am most concerned about is Honda.

 

Reason is because I work at Honda and our President Mr. Hachigo keeps talking about how there is no demand for EVs and how Honda is sticking to Hybrids. 

I don't just work at Honda.  I grew up a fan of Honda.  My favorite F1 driver was Aerton Senna and he drove for McLaren Honda, so I was actually a fan growing up.  I always admired Mr. Honda's principles such as "Blue Skies for Our Children", "Be a company that society wants to exist", and I believe that Mr. Honda would have been very disappointed that his company is not the one leading the charge towards Carbon Free Society.

I personally feel that we could be one of the Nokias of the automotive world and that we have to realize that speed is absolutely critical in order to stay relevant going forward. 

 

Josh and Brenna, Space Coast EV Drivers

After renting a Subaru Outback on a vacation my wife and I agreed it would make a perfect EV. We think Subaru should be making an EV version of every car they make.

 

Dan Herscher

I would like to see Subaru doing more. They've crafted an image of being for outdoorsy people. You know the kind who care about clean air, water, and climate. They've even made a big deal about some zero waste factories.  So a clean, green, EV seems to fit into their desired public perception. If Love truly made a Subaru a Subaru I wish they'd show a bit more love for the planet by ditching the fossils. Sadly I've seen very little from them to date.

 

Stephen Murdoch

I want to see (or demand if I could) General Motors make more BEV's as GMHolden is an iconic part of Australian motoring. Or even releasing the Chevy Bolt down under would be a step in the right direction.

 

Steve James

I would like to see Dacia hit the EV market because they would obviously make a cheap EV which would mean it would make the other car companies look at there pricing structures.

 

SuperFrikky

Car maker to make greater EV strides....Ford. EV Fiesta can't be far away surely

 

NEW QUESTION OF THE WEEK

The MYEV.com Question Of The Week…

 

With increasing attacks on EVs and vandalism caught on camera, why do some people have a problem with EVs?

 

 

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