07 Oct 2018 | BMW i3 Range Extender Not Extended, Recap On Major Auto Makers Current EV Plans and Question Of The Week

BMW i3 Range Extender Not Extended For New Model | First Hand Experience From Tesla Delivery Events | Automakers' Road Maps To Full-Electric And Plug-In Hybrid Cars | Your Answer To Question Of The Week

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Good morning, good afternoon and good evening wherever you are in the world, welcome to EV News Daily for Sunday 7th 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.

 

Thank you not one but two more Patreon supporters. Hello to Arild Geir Skaalsveen and Kevin Meyerson, the latest to become Producers of this show.

 

As usual for a Sunday, a quick bit of news and then it's over to you for Question Of The Week, plus we'll set a new question to answer by next Sunday.

 

BMW I3 RANGE EXTENDER NOT EXTENDED FOR NEW MODEL

• According to Autocar which is a UK publication: "The BMW i3 is now an electric-only model, as the range extender versions have been deleted from the line-up. The range extender, which uses a two-cylinder 650cc petrol engine to provide additional charge to the drive battery, has effectively been made redundant by the improved, longer-range pure-electric version of the i3 unveiled at this week's Paris motor show. The i3’s battery has been boosted to 42.2kWh from 33kWh provide 193 miles of range under new WLTP cycle. That's 34 miles more than the older version could manage and is sufficient, according to BMW, to negate the need for the range extender version."
• This came from Pete Glass who, earlier this week, was on the UK Facebook Group for BMW i3s and the French. And by the way, next Saturday nearly 100 BMW i3 owners [+passengers] are meeting up at BMW’s Academy near Reading. So hello to anyone who listens going to that.

 

• "As for the REx...These are technical constraints which have led to the abandonment of the REx thermal engine (~ 120 kg). Since 60 ah, there has already been a weight increase of + /- 50 kg with battery 94 ah (already limit for approval) and now with the new 120 ah practically 50 Kg plus? This was pure assumption because theoretically the weight and volume of the battery remain identical to 94 ah but obligation to pass for thermal engines at EURO 6 Grade With Particulate Filter. Etc.. but this motorcycle engine does not allow this transformation without loss of more than half its power!
• This is why the rex in its current version is definitely abandoned. (BMW source)"

 

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/bmw-cease-production-i3-range-extender

 

FIRST HAND EXPERIENCE FROM TESLA DELIVERY EVENTS

• One of my Canadian friends who listens to the podcast was helping out Tesla with the recent delivery event. As you can imagine he had to sign an NDA and I want to respect that. But I did as for some details of which he was allowed to share, and which you would find interesting: "Considering they delivered 300-400 vehicles over a one week period it was remarkable how smoothly it ran. At one point I stood among 60 Model 3s, and marvelled at how we could actually pull this off. I met several of the local Tesla-Owners-Club members who answered the call to greet and engage with the new owners as they arrived at the event.  I got to drive a few Model3Ps around, and a load of plain old 3s, and Ses, and Xes."

 

AUTOMAKERS' ROAD MAPS TO FULL-ELECTRIC AND PLUG-IN HYBRID CARS

• I'll link through in the show notes to an article in Autonews which takes a step back and looks at 13 of the current car makers and how their plans for electrification are going.
• BMW - Next year, BMW will expand its full-electric lineup beyond the i3 with the iX3 SUV
• Daimler - Mercedes-Benz will launch the EQC in 2019, Smart brand goes electric-only
• Fiat Chrysler - just one, the Fiat 500e. No pure electrics before 2020. No full electric Alfa Romeo, Jeep will not have full electrics in Europe
• Ford - just the Focus EV now. Full electric SUV from 2020.
• Honda - Urban EV concept going into production in 2020
• Jaguar Land Rover - I-PACE for now. All cars from 2020 electrified. Plug In's of Range Rover being launched now.
• Mazda - nothing on sale now. Excited to use a wankel engine as a REx.
• Nissan - LEAF still the worlds best selling EV, Model 3 will eclipse that. 60kWh LEAF coming soon. Plans for e-Power, using fossil engines as generators.
• PSA Group - plan to sit it out for now, and then be a "fast follower". Full electric Peugeot 208 over a year away.
• Renault - recently lost crown of Zoe being Europe's #1 EV to the LEAF. New Zoe coming soon. Under the guidance of Carlos Ghosn, I'm confident they'll expand their range.
• Volkswagen - Roadmap E will have 25 full electric cars by 2020. Audi e-tron Quattro launched. Seat has a full electric in 2020. Skoda will have Citigo minicar, based on VW eUp.
• Volvo - half of all sales will be full electric by 2025. Polestar 1 PHEV.

 

http://europe.autonews.com/article/20181006/ANE/180929838/automakers-road-maps-to-full-electric-and-plug-in-hybrid-cars

 

ANSWERS TO QUESTION OF THE WEEK

 

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COMMUNITY

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

 

What incentives are available where you live? Which ones have you taken advantage of? Which incentives, if any, are the most worthwhile at local or national level?

 

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