19 Oct 2018 | Munro Turns Critical Of Model 3, Toyota Forms New Zero Emission Team and Electric Taxis For Paris

Toyota Increases Size Of Zero Emission Team | Sandy Munro Is Back On The Case Of The Model 3 | New Audi e-tron Electric SUV: Pricing | Mitsubishi & GAC Making A $20,000 Electric SUV | Hybrid And Electric Cars Push Kia To Best-Ever European Sales | Bosch 'e-axle' Electric Car Prototype First Drive | Zipcar's New London EV Fleet Clocks Up 20,000 Trips In Three Months | LEVC Announces Launch Of Tx Electric Taxi In Paris In 2019 | Gigaflavor: Tesla Brings In Local Food To Feed The Gigafactory

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Good morning, good afternoon and good evening wherever you are in the world, welcome to EV News Daily for Friday 19th October 2018. It’s Martyn Lee here and I’ve been through EV story today so you don’t have to.

 

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.

 

TOYOTA INCREASES SIZE OF ZERO EMISSION TEAM

• Toyota has just announced that it is launching a division of 200 people whose sole responsibility will be to develop emission free vehicles. They have named it the Toyota ZEV Factory and it's about development, parts, preparation and production.
• The Mainchini says: "The new division is based on Toyota's EV business planning team, which was launched in December 2016 and directly headed by Toyota President Akio Toyoda, with 50 workers responsible for EV development, the sources said. The team in November 2017 became a unit of an in-house Toyota company that takes charge of the automaker's advanced technology development."

 

SANDY MUNRO IS BACK ON THE CASE OF THE MODEL 3

• There has been a weird soap opera around the company which tears apart cars, down to every nut and bolt, writes a report on the cost of each item and sells them for big bucks to other car makers.
• Thanks to a series of YouTube videos we'd had a bit of a soap opera.
• First Sandy Munro bought a Model 3 and hated it.
• Then later, on Autoline, he released his driving impressions and liked it.
• Then on Autoline Afterhours he started to rave about the electronics.
• Then in a final video, he said "I have to eat crow" and was astonished at the Model 3, the opportunity to have a 30% margin for profit and the battery & electronics.
• Then the weirdness started. He cancelled his next appearance on Autoline and the reason given was that he was being sued. But no more details. Given the tears apart Model 3's for people who might not necessarily want him making videos saying how great it is, he went quiet. And I presumed that legal action would be ongoing for a long time, but take on it at the time as was becoming a fan of Tesla wasn't necessarily the line his paymasters wanted him to take. So good on him for being honest.
• Well, today he has resurfaced. And once again, but also really weirdly, he's back to his original line of being heavily critical over Tesla. In fact he says he has since found 227 ways Tesla are showing their naivety in making cars. He says they're making mistakes that no other car maker would and that they're years behind. So which one is it? Are Tesla years ahead? Or following this sudden change of tune, are they years behind?
• I'm not saying there aren't some things Tesla can't do better and they're definitely on a steep learning curve, but how weird, to go from a racing fan to a big critic. Clearly he's an expert in some things, but his shock about the over engineered nature of the chassis is one area I'm surprised he is speculating about. Firstly the Model 3 just aced all it's crash tests, so sorry for buying a car which protects my family rather that cuts costs to make an extra dime of profit. Secondly, the battery requires the rigidity of the car to work in a way the battery didn't need in the Model S and X. You know when something just doesn't ring true, how has he changed his mind so much and developed all these anti-Tesla sentiments when previously he was them as positives.
• I do hope whoever he upset enough before to be threatened with legal action, whether it was the German car makers or the oil industry, are very happy now with his new comments.

 

NEW AUDI E-TRON ELECTRIC SUV: PRICING

• "Audi's first all-electric model, the e-tron SUV, will cost from £70,805 in the UK. Although officially due to go on sale early next year, interested buyers can put down a £1,000 deposit to secure 'priority' access. First customer deliveries are due in the spring." says Auto Express: "The charging set-up is particularly neat. The driver’s side gets a flap that folds down smoothly, in a piece of pure theatre, to reveal a DC port that’s capable of 150kW charging – enough to get the car back up to 80 per cent of charge in less than half an hour. Audi will also offer a couple of options for home, and should your parking layout require it, you’ll be able to spec a second AC-only charger on the passenger side, to make access easier."

 

https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/audi/e-tron/104641/new-audi-e-tron-electric-suv-pricing-specs-and-full-details

 

MITSUBISHI & GAC MAKING A $20,000 ELECTRIC SUV

• "Mitsubishi and GAC jointly kick-off production of their first electric SUV in the Chinese town of Changsha. The Eupheme EV offers a range of 410 kilometres" according to industry newsletter electrive: "The electric SUV will start at 20,000 dollars (about 17,360 euros) in China once all subsidies have been applied. The Eupheme EV will initially be offered in twelve Chinese cities."

 

https://www.electrive.com/2018/10/17/mitsubishi-gac-making-a-20000-electric-suv/

 

HYBRID AND ELECTRIC CARS PUSH KIA TO BEST-EVER EUROPEAN SALES

• Kia Motors Europe has recorded its best-ever year-to-date sales to the end of September, aided by growing sales of its expanding hybrid and electric model line-up.
• Much of Kia’s growth in 2018 has come from a 42.5% increase in sales of the brand’s expanding hybrid and electric vehicle range. Sales of the Niro Hybrid and Plug-in Hybrid have increased by 37.9% to 34,036 units, year-to-date, while the Soul EV is enjoying its best-ever sales year, with 4,936 units sold (+29.3%). In total, Kia has sold 43,099 electrified (hybrid or electric) cars so far this year.

 

https://www.kianewscenter.com/news/all/hybrid-and-electric-cars-push-kia-to-best-ever-european-sales-performance/s/0635d365-7eab-4188-8034-4def73a3675f

 

 

BOSCH 'EAXLE' ELECTRIC CAR PROTOTYPE FIRST DRIVE

• "While EVs that come as EVs from the factory are a thing of the present, Bosch tried to answer is a more prudent question and one that could bring about real change in the way the world moves. What if we could find a solution to retrofit current internal combustion engine cars to an electric powertrain. And what if we could make all that new technology fit exactly where the current powertrain sat?" reports NDTV: "we had Bosch's test track all to ourselves for a whole afternoon and after I acquainted the electric car with my heavy right foot, I must say I came out rather impressed. Firstly by the fact that a conversion like this did not feel like it was done in a hurry and felt like it was engineered correctly and could actually work in the mass market as a mobility solution too! And second because of course, I personally like how electric cars drive, with its instant torque and fast acceleration."

 

https://auto.ndtv.com/news/exclusive-bosch-eaxle-electric-car-prototype-first-drive-1934010

 

ZIPCAR'S NEW LONDON EV FLEET CLOCKS UP 20,000 TRIPS IN THREE MONTHS

• "Car-sharing firm Zipcar has revealed that its customers have made more than 20,000 trips in its new London-based fleet of electric vehicles (EVs), three months after the fleet was launched" according to edit.net: "The company this summer committed to make 325 fully-electric Volkswagen e-Golfs available to its members by the end of the year, with the first 100 having been rolled out by July 2018. These 100 EVs have been used by 6,000 members for 20,000 journeys around the capital to date"

 

https://www.edie.net/news/6/Zipcar-s-new-London-EV-fleet-clocks-up-20-000-trips-in-three-months/

 

LEVC ANNOUNCES LAUNCH OF TX ELECTRIC TAXI IN PARIS IN 2019

• The TX eCity, the world’s most advanced electric taxi, has now been approved by Parisian authorities and will legally be able to be used as a working taxi in the City. This news comes months ahead of the vehicle’s intended launch into the City and underlines the ongoing international interest in LEVC’s flagship commercial vehicle.
• The Paris launch is currently tabled for the first half of next year, with a launch date to be confirmed once negotiations with the favoured importer have been completed. This means that Paris will soon join Amsterdam, Berlin, Hamburg and Oslo in seeing this electric taxi on its streets.

 

GIGAFLAVOR: TESLA BRINGS IN LOCAL FOOD TO FEED THE GIGAFACTORY

• And finally a story for only the most hardcore of Tesla fans, but I thought it was a really interesting look at how you power the people to make the batteries.
• "At its Gigafactory east of Reno, Tesla is remaking an old idea — the company cafeteria — with a new economy spin, helping local food and drink vendors with the cost of setting up shop so they can feed 7,000 employees at the complex that produces batteries and drive units for Tesla's electric vehicles." I found in the Reno Gazette Journal: "The remote location all but demands on-site dining options for employees (a necessary convenience that also keeps folks close to work). A single food truck fed the Gigafactory when it opened in July 2016. Today, the culinary program has grown to encompass 20 trucks (with 12 to 15 on any given day), nine markets run by Rounds Bakery of Reno, an outpost of Roundabout Catering of Sparks, cafés from Sakana Sushi and Bangkok Cuisine of Reno, and a main cafeteria that stretches to 19,000 square feet. To make it easier for local food and drink outlets to serve employees, Tesla does not charge for space (or parking spots). The company supplies utilities and basic build-out and equipment. Concessionaires supply product and labor and do not share any revenue with the auto maker."

 

https://eu.rgj.com/story/life/food/2018/10/17/how-tesla-feeds-its-reno-gigafactory-local-food-and-drink/1649437002/

 

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What's more important...size of battery or efficiency? Tesla recently topped efficiency charts and the Hyundai IONIQ is another model which does well. But the race for a bigger battery is also on. So what would you rather on a new EV - a large battery or a smaller more efficient battery, even if it meant you had to stop more often?

 

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