16 Apr 2019 | Best New EVs At Auto Shangai Motor Show, Mini Says 75 Miles Of Range ‘Satisfies’ and Tesla Price Changes Frustrate Buyers

Episode 445,   Apr 16, 2019, 09:40 PM

Episode image

Auto Shanghai 2019: The Electric Vehicles To Look Forward To | Renault Kwid EV Revealed | New NIO ET Preview Electric Car Revealed | Karma Debuts Beautiful Pininfarina Designed Electric Coupe | Electra Meccanica Ships Solo From China To North America | Hyundai 1,600 Fuel Cell Trucks For Europe | Mini Claims 75 Miles Of Range Satisfies| Tesla's Price Changes Frustrate Buyers | Toyota Sells Technology In Return For Green Car Credits | Chevy Bolt EUV Name Trademarked | Why Tesla Defines American Luxury

Show #445

 

Good morning, good afternoon and good evening wherever you are in the world, welcome to EV News Daily for Tuesday 16th April 2019. It’s Martyn Lee here and I’ve been through every EV story I could find today, and picked out the best ones 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.

 

ANDERS HOVE – PATREON EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: “I was listening this morning to your guesses about the pronunciation of AI.ME. Since the concept was released at the Shanghai auto show, and could be intended for China, this is probably a play on words, since "ai" is the verb "to love." It'S pronounced the same as "aye" in "aye aye, captain." So "aye ... me.".

 

Reasons to have Sentry Mode: An email from Brian Thompson. “Willie Singletary, Council Candidate Hits Tesla Model 3 with Escalade and leaves scene.”

 

AUTO SHANGHAI 2019: THE ELECTRIC VEHICLES TO LOOK FORWARD TO

  • "it's no surprise that the Auto Shanghai 2019, which begins on April 16, will have more EVs and EV concepts on display than you can point a finger at. Here's some of the ones that we think will stand out." says Overdrive.in. Their picks are: Possibly of most interest to us is the production version of the Renault K-ZE. As the looks suggest, this will be the electric version of the Renault Kwid. It will be based on a heavily modified version of the Kwid's CMF-A platform and will have a 250 km range. The Buick Velite 6 is a heavily revised version of the second generation Chevrolet Volt. The PHEV version debut first and be powered by the same 1.5 litre petrol motor and 18.4 kWh battery pack. The full EV version is expected to have a 85 kW motor with a claimed range of 291 km." They also rate the NIO EP7 performance sedan, the Audi Q2 etron which is like an electric A2 for China only, the Aston Martin Rapide E and the Geely GE 11 - "the first global model from Geely's newly-created EV brand "Geely New Energy". Internationally it will be available under the Geometry brand. "

 

http://overdrive.in/news-cars-auto/auto-shanghai-2019-the-electric-vehicles-to-look-forward-to/

 

RENAULT KWID EV (CITY K-ZE) REVEALED AT SHANGHAI MOTOR SHOW

  • "Renault has showcased the production version of the Kwid EV at the 2019 Shanghai Motor Show. The EV is based on the same CMF-A platform as the Kwid, albeit with a few modifications to accommodate batteries and an electric motor. However the specifications of the same haven't been revealed yet." reports ZigWheels: "while it has not been officially revealed, the City K-ZE will have an approximate range close to 250Km. Inside, the cabin remains largely similar to the Kwid with a functional setup. Key highlights include an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system which also gets online navigation, real time monitoring for EV features, 4G WiFi and voice recognition. the Renault City K-ZE packs PM2.5 sensors and an air quality control system, which evaluates cabin air quality and switches between interior and exterior air circulation automatically. It also gets features like a rear camera and a tyre pressure monitoring system."

 

https://www.zigwheels.com/news-features/news/renault-kwid-ev-city-kze-revealed-at-shanghai-motor-show/33576/

 

NEW NIO ET PREVIEW ELECTRIC CAR REVEALED IN SHANGHAI

  • "At the Auto Shanghai 2019, Chinese EV startup NIO showed off its all new sedan product lineup with the ET Preview and exhibited its entire NIO Power service solution as well as some cutting-edge technologies such as the 220kW permanent magnet synchronous motor electric drivetrain." reports Gasgoo for InsideEVs.com "The EV maker also showcased such products as the high-performance electric flagship ES8 SUV; the high-performance long-range, intelligent electric ES6 SUV; the ultrafast electric car, the EP9; the NIO EVE Vision car and NIO Formula E Team car, the NIO 004."

 

https://insideevs.com/new-nio-et-preview-electric-car-revealed/

 

KARMA DEBUTS BEAUTIFUL PININFARINA DESIGNED ELECTRIC COUPE

  • "Aside from the Karma Revero GT (yes, it’s an updated variant of the Fisker Karma from 2016) which is a production vehicle going on sale soon, Karma Automotive has an interesting two-door concept debuting at the 2019 Auto Shanghai. The so-called Pininfarina GT is based on the Revero GT and, as its name suggests, has been designed by Pininfarina." according to Anthony Karr from Motor1.com: "The official press release says this is the “first result of a partnership with Pininfarina, the iconic Italian design and engineering house,” which hints at potential future products developed in cooperation between the two companies. While the coupe has the exterior dimensions of the Revero GT, the overall appearance is sportier thanks to the shorter rear overhang and the long hood. We believe the two-door vehicle has the same powertrain as the Revero GT, which means there’s a BMW-sourced 1.5-liter three-cylinder turbo engine, an onboard electric generator, and two electric motors for a combined output of 535 horsepower (399 kilowatts) and 550 pound-feet (746 lb-ft) of torque."

 

https://insideevs.com/karma-debuts-pininfarina-electric-coupe/

 

ELECTRA MECCANICA SHIPS SOLO FROM CHINA TO NORTH AMERICA

  • "Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker, Electra Meccanica Vehicle, has signed a contract with Crane Worldwide Logistics to move its single-passenger, three-wheel Solo model from its assembly plant in Chongqing to the ports of Los Angeles in the US and Vancouver, Canada." according to the website Automotive Logistics: "Electra Meccanica is currently ramping up mass production of its Solo electric vehicle at its Chongqing manufacturing facility in China for delivery to customers there and abroad in 2019. According to official figures from the EV maker it has 64,000 pre-orders on its books."

 

https://automotivelogistics.media/news/157291

 

HYUNDAI & H2E: 1,600 FUEL CELL TRUCKS FOR EUROPE

  • "Hyundai and the Swiss company H2 Energy (H2E) have confirmed their commitment to establishing a joint venture called Hyundai Hydrogen Mobility. The JV’s first goal is to open up the European hydrogen mobility ecosystem with fuel cell trucks." writes Carrie Hamel for electrive.com: "Hyundai will supply a total of 1,600 fuel cell-powered heavy trucks to Hyundai Hydrogen Mobility from 2019 to 2025 – 600 more than originally announced in a memorandum of understanding signed in 2018 between H2E and Hyundai. The Swiss company H2E specialises in the production and supply of renewable hydrogen in Switzerland with subsidiaries in Germany, Norway and Austria and they will be responsible for marketing the fleet."

 

https://www.electrive.com/2019/04/15/hyundai-h2e-1600-fuel-cell-trucks-for-european-market/

 

MINI SURVEY CLAIMS CUSTOMERS ARE HAPPY WITH 75 MILES OF EV RANGE

  • "In this survey from MINI USA, the brand asked 1,004 adults over the age of 18 (502 men and 502 women) a series of questions to determine what a necessary average range. While the questions asked were not disclosed to us, the brand claims that a resulting average range of 75 miles was deemed “sufficient”." says BMW blog: "MINI also learned from this survey that the majority of customers find EVs to be best used in city driving or for commuting. The latter of which is assuming it’s a relatively short commute. This information is likely to factor into the size of battery packs used in upcoming EV MINIs. The first one to come is the upcoming MINI E, which is said to use the same 42.2 kWh battery pack as the BMW i3 and get around 120 miles of range."

 

https://www.bmwblog.com/2019/04/15/mini-survey-claims-customers-are-happy-with-75-miles-of-ev-range/

 

TESLA'S CONSTANT PRICE CHANGES FRUSTRATE BUYERS

  • "Last week, Tesla changed the prices on their cars again. In just the last few months there have been a huge number of price changes, particularly on the Model 3" says a Forbes article which goes on to track every price change since, a 12 point list which follows the changing face of Autopilot and the $35,000 Model 3 which came and (partially) went. It's a toughtful article by Brad Templeton and talks about buyers remorse, how cellphones have been commodotised. "Elon Musk has had a few things to say about this. First, he points out that prices on other maker's cars fluctuate all the time due to specials, dealer rebates, and plain old negotiation. He says Tesla is just doing it transparently and should not be blamed for doing the right thing. There is some merit to this, but the fact that somebody can get $3,000 off a car by negotiating at the dealer does not affect the price of existing cars nearly as much. He also points out that Teslas, unlike other cars before them, keep getting new features with software updates, which are given to all owners whose cars can handle them."

 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/bradtempleton/2019/04/15/teslas-constant-price-changes-frustrate-buyers-even-more-is-likely-as-cars-become-computers/#6bba873e5da9

 

TOYOTA SELLS ELECTRIC CAR TECHNOLOGY TO CHINESE STARTUP IN RETURN FOR GREEN CAR CREDITS

  • "Toyota has agreed to sell its electric car technology to Chinese startup Singulato, in a move which will give it preferential rights to buy green credits under China’s new quota system for electric vehicles (EVs)." according to City AM newspaper: "The green car credit system, introduced in January, requires a significant portion of car makers’ production or imports in China must be electric or hybrid. Those that do not meet the quota themselves can purchase credits from rivals that exceed it, but if they do not have enough credits they face government fines for their operations in China. Singulato is developing a mini EV which it hopes to release later this year. This will generate credits for the startup, some of which Toyota will then purchase. Toyota has already said that initially it won’t be able to meet its quotas without buying credits from others."

 

http://www.cityam.com/276295/toyota-sells-electric-car-technology-chinese-startup-return

 

CHEVY BOLT EUV NAME TRADEMARKED, ELECTRIC CROSSOVER COMING?

  • "An interesting patent filing by General Motors hints the upcoming second electric vehicle from the automaker could be a high-riding machine. First unearthed by GM Authority, the Bolt EUV moniker has been trademarked by GM earlier this month and will be used for “motor land vehicles, namely, automobiles.” says Motor1.com today: "As GM Authority reports, the name is probably going to be used for Chevrolet’s next Bolt-based EV. In March this year, the American manufacturer confirmed it will build the all-electric car at its Orion facility where the Bolt is currently produced. A new $300-million investment in the factory was also confirmed and a plan for approximately 400 new jobs at the site."

 

https://www.motor1.com/news/344658/chevrolet-bolt-euv-trademark-rumors/

 

WHY TESLA DEFINES AMERICAN LUXURY, NOT CADILLAC OR LINCOLN

  • "Americans are at our best when we look forward instead of at what others are doing. Cadillac and Lincoln used to epitomize this idea." says MotorTrend: "While Cadillac has spent the past three decades copying BMW's homework, and Lincoln spent the same time building cost-cut, rebadged Fords and Mercurys, the soul of American luxury escaped Detroit. Today, it has settled in sunny California. Tesla's tech and engineering is class leading, and delivers benchmark EV performance and range. And the vehicles are (relatively) expensive, requiring early adopters to be of a certain socio-economic status. They have become part of the fabric of today's luxury consumer society, a car many buyers of mainstream automobiles now aspire to own because of what it would say about their own status. Tesla is therefore a genuine modern luxury brand."

 

https://www.motortrend.com/news/why-tesla-defines-american-luxury-not-cadillac-lincoln/

 

COMMUNITY

And thanks to MYEV.com they’ve set us another Question Of The Week. Keep your comments coming in on email and YouTube…

 

Would you let your car be used when you’re not drivng it, as part of a self-driving fleet or a ride-hailing service?

 

I want to say a heartfelt thank you to the 212 patrons of this podcast whose generosity means I get to keep making this show, which aims to entertain and inform thousands of listeners every day about a brighter future. By no means do you have to check out Patreon but if it’s something you’ve been thinking about, by all means look at patreon.com/evnewsdaily

 

 

PHIL ROBERTS / ELECTRIC FUTURE (PREMIUM PARTNER)

BRAD CROSBY (PREMIUM PARTNER)

 

DAVID ALLEN (PARTNER)

OEM AUDIO OF NEW ZEALAND AND EVPOWER.CO.NZ (PARTNER)

SASCHA PALLENBERG (PARTNER)

PAUL O’CONNER (PARTNER)

ALAN ROBSON (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER)

ALEX BANAHENE (EXECUTIVE PRODUCER)

ALEXANDER FRANK @ h...