13 Apr 2019 | Elon Claims Million Mile Life For Model 3, GM Cools On Deal With Rivian and Kia Could Make EVs In Europe

Elon Claims Million Mile Life For Model 3 | GM Reportedly Won’t Invest In Electric Pickup Truck Startup Rivian | Tesla Model 3 Lease Program Opens Door To Future Ride-Hailing Network | Tesla Opens Orders For Cheaper Model 3 Version In Europe And China | Autocar First Drive: Redesigned, Euro-Spec Kia Soul EV | Top Gear Dissects The Pininfarina Battista, The 1,874-Hp EV | Car And Driver Says Kia Niro EV Is A Spectacular Electric Car | Kia Might Start Making Electric Cars In Europe

Show #442

 

Good morning, good afternoon and good evening wherever you are in the world, welcome to EV News Daily for Saturday 13th 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.

 

ELON TWEETS

• We'll kick off with a series of tweets by Elon Musk and because I'm being selfish I'll start with the one which is of most interest to RHD buyers in the UK. I actually missed this tweet but it was sent to me by podcast supporter David Finch...

 

• "Model 3 drive unit & body is designed like a commercial truck for a million mile life. Current battery modules should last 300k to 500k miles (1500 cycles). Replacing modules (not pack) will only cost $5k to $7k." "Ahem RHD"

 

• Journalist Tom Randall: "Tesla shares fell after Nikkei reported that Panasonic is freezing spending on more Gigafactory expansion. Panasonic said it reached 35 GWh/yr capacity in March. That's already enough to build over 500k Model 3/yr+Powerwalls—more than Tesla can handle"
• Elon replied: "Incorrect. Pana cell lines at Giga are only at ~24GWh/yr & have been a constraint on Model 3 output since July. No choice but to use other suppliers for Powerwall/Powerpack cells. Tesla won’t spend money on more capacity until existing lines get closer to 35GWh theoretical."

 

• As for Full Self Driving Elon said: "Please note that the price of the Tesla Full Self-Driving option will increase substantially over time" "Starting May 1"

 

• On the subject of reliability: "Model 3 drive unit & body is designed like a commercial truck for a million mile life. Current battery modules should last 300k to 500k miles (1500 cycles). Replacing modules (not pack) will only cost $5k to $7k."

 

• On the subject of Full Self Driving, Patreon Supporter Cesar Trujillo said to me: "Shooooot. With all the Tesla news I wondered if FSD autopilot would come down in price again. I looked on my car and on my Tesla account and there is no where to upgrade anymore. I should have done it when it was cheap. I only bought the enhanced autopilot not full self driving during the fire sale."

 

• And on the AI podcast: "“Buying a car today is an investment into the future. I think the most profound thing is that if you buy a Tesla today, I believe you are buying an appreciating asset – not a depreciating asset. The cars currently being produced, with the hardware currently being produced, are capable of full self-driving.”

 

GM REPORTEDLY WON’T INVEST IN ELECTRIC PICKUP TRUCK STARTUP RIVIAN

• "A proposed tie-up between the largest U.S.-based automaker and a fledgling company trying to make an electric pickup truck may be doomed, based on a new report from Bloomberg. The publication reported Friday that General Motors and Rivian have ended discussions that would have had the Detroit-based auto giant give the startup a healthy cash infusion to bring its products to market." says Zac fro InsideEVs.com: "The deal would have placed GM alongside Amazon as a major investor in the startup manufacturer, as the tech giant announced a strategic investment with Rivian in February that was part of a $700 million equity round. GM’s role was reportedly to help Rivian with manufacturing and parts purchasing, while GM would have received the engineering it needed to make an electric pickup truck before key rivals Ford and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles would be able to. Trucks are essential to all three of those automakers’ profits."

 

https://insideevs.com/gm-rivian-electric-pickup-truck-amazon/

 

TESLA MODEL 3 LEASE PROGRAM OPENS DOOR TO FUTURE RIDE-HAILING NETWORK

• "Tesla has officially launched its Model 3 leasing program to include any variant of the all-electric midsize sedan." says Teslarati: "Unlike traditional agreements, the Model 3 vehicles under lease will not be available for purchase once the lease matures. Tesla intends to use those vehicles as part of its coming autonomous ride-hailing network, a service dubbed as the Tesla Network. The decision to maintain ownership of its leased Model 3 fleet for such future use indicates Tesla’s high level of confidence in the development of its Full Self-Driving program. Any revenue lost from not offering its used cars for purchase is clearly expected to be generated through other profitable means"

 

https://www.teslarati.com/tesla-model-3-lease-ride-hailing-network/

 

TESLA OPENS ORDERS FOR CHEAPER MODEL 3 VERSION IN EUROPE AND CHINA

• "Along with the changes to its vehicle lineup last night, Tesla also opened orders for a cheaper version of the Model 3 in European markets and China." writes Fred at Electrek: "After removing the Mid-Range and Long-Range RWD Model 3, Tesla is now offering only Standard Range Plus along with the Long Range AWD and Performance versions. Tesla says that the other versions can still be ordered as “off-the-menu” items, but that’s now Tesla’s main Model 3 lineup. For European markets, the introduction of the Standard Range Plus version results in the cheapest Tesla ever being available on the old continent. In Norway, Model 3 now starts 377,020 Kroners, which is equal to about $44,375 USD."

 

https://electrek.co/2019/04/12/tesla-opens-orders-cheaper-model-3-europe-china/

 

AUTOCAR FIRST DRIVE: REDESIGNED, EURO-SPEC KIA SOUL EV

• "We recently shared Autocar’s first drive of the all-new Kia Soul EV. However, that drive took place in South Korea. Now, the publication has access to a Euro-spec model and provides initial insight." says InsidEVs.com: "The gas-powered Soul is a popular vehicle in the U.S. due to its low price and considerable versatility. However, Autocar points out that it’s not nearly as sought-after in Europe. Kia is moving to change that by offering a completely redesigned all-electric Soul with a 64-kWh battery pack and plenty of range. In addition, while the new, gas-powered Soul will still be sold in the U.S., European customers will only be able to buy the battery-electric variant. Autocar says that while Kia’s e-Niro may be more practical due to its greater cargo capacity, the Soul has an edge when it comes to its interior, and it’s performance is about equal to that of the Niro EV

 

TOP GEAR DISSECTS THE PININFARINA BATTISTA, THE 1,874-HP EV

• "During the Geneva Motor Show last month, we saw the most powerful road car ever to come from Italy. No, it wasn’t a Ferrari or a Lamborghini – actually, it was the first creation from Automobili Pininfarina, which is now an automaker, not just a design studio. Pininfarina says the Battista is the “world’s first pure electric luxury hyper GT” and the car deserves every single word from this colorful description. In a new video, the folks over at Top Gear explain why." reports Motor1: "Probably the most interesting part of the video shines more light on the construction of the Battista, starting with information about the 120-kWh battery, which is, in fact, the same battery package you can find in a Rimac Concept_Two. Reid then talks about the four electric motors that propel that car – and one important thing we learned is that most of the car’s driving modes actually limit the amount of torque you have available in order to make the machine more easily controllable for the driver."

 

https://www.motor1.com/news/344319/top-gear-dissects-pininfarina-battista/

 

CAR AND DRIVER SAYS KIA NIRO EV IS A SPECTACULAR ELECTRIC CAR

• "Kia isn't helping its sales prospects by limiting the Niro EV to only 12 states (California and seven of the other ZEV states—but neither Vermont nor Maine—plus Georgia, Texas, Washington, and Hawaii). Although Niro EVs are already being produced in Kia's Hwaseong, South Korea, plant and are en route to U.S. dealer lots, pricing has yet to be announced. But a safe bet is that they will arrive at the same $37,495 the Kona Electric demands. Plus, Hyundai and Kia have sold so few electrified vehicles that theirs will get the maximum $7500 federal tax credit for years to come—a perk for which Teslas and Chevys no longer qualify."

 

https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a26144426/2019-kia-niro-ev-driven/

 

KIA MIGHT START MAKING ELECTRIC CARS IN EUROPE

• "Kia is experiencing a success story with its lineup of plug-in hybrids and full electric vehicles. Which has now presented it with a problem of making enough to satisfy demand. That’s why it’s reportedly looking into building its electrified cars in Europe." reports InsideEVs.com: "While the Niro, Optima and Soul hybrids and electrics are currently all made in South Korea for global consumption, Kia may leverage its plant in Slovakia to supply European markets, according to Automotive News Europe. Kia Europe Chief Operating Officer Emilio Herrera told the publication the company would need to sell 32,000 EVs every year from 2021 to comply with the EU’s emissions regulations. Kia is being pressured by the EU to cut its fleet average for C02 emissions to 94 g/km by 2021, something it can only do by selling more plug-ins."

 

https://insideevs.com/kia-electric-cars-europe-production/

 

COMMUNITY

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Would you buy a very high mileage EV?

 

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