27 September 2018 | Version 9 Software Begins Tesla Rollout, BYD Adds To U.S.A. Investment and UK Study Shows Huge Interest In EVs
Daimler CEO Resigns To Mark A New Era | Musk Brother Positive On Model 3 Deliveries | Version 9 Software Gets Warm Reaction | Tesla Gets Panasonic's Help With Ahead-Of-Schedule Battery Plant | DS Automobiles Will Present Four Electrified Models In Paris | BYD Invests Millions To Up Production In U.S. | EV And PHEV Demand Set To Increase By 2020, Carwow Study Shows | Here Are The EVs That Are Electrifying America
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Well good morning, good afternoon and good evening, wherever you are in the world, hello and welcome to the Thursday 27th September edition of EV News Daily. It’s Martyn Lee here with the news you need to know about electric cars and the move towards sustainable transport.
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.
This is show 248 so by the end of the week we’ll be on Show 250. Every 50 shows I’ve changed things up so far, added new features or even the script at the start. If you have any comments, suggestions or feedback please email me hello@evnewsdaily.com
DAIMLER CEO RESIGNS TO MARK A NEW ERA
- There's a change at the top of Daimler so what does it mean for EVs? In brief Dieter Zetsche will be elected as a member of the Supervisory Board in 2021 but there has to be a two year period before then and stepping down from his current role. So Dieter Zetsche steps down as CEO to be replaced by a long term exec from their R&D which includes EVs.
- Tech Crunch says; "Daimler has picked Ola Källenius to head up Mercedes-Benz vehicles and Daimler, the first non-German, to hold the top spot. Källenius most recently headed up research at Daimler and development at Mercedes-Benz Cars. Källenius’s appointment comes at an interesting and potentially transformative time for the maker of Mercedes-Benz vehicles and Daimler trucks. The old business of building, financing and selling cars, trucks and SUVs has changed as automakers seeking new ways to make profits. Daimler is among those with plans to launch a series of new electric vehicles, develop autonomous vehicles and ramp up its “mobility” business, a unit that includes car-sharing and ride-hailing."
MUSK BROTHER POSITIVE ON MODEL 3 DELIVERIES
- Kimbal Musk, he of fond persuasion to a cowboy hat, has been talking about Model 3 deliveries: “I think that if you have a Model 3, and you’d like it delivered, we could probably get it done for you by the end of this week. So if we haven’t reached out to you, reach out to us. I do know that the company is working very hard to focus on deliveries, and we want to respect all of the government processes to make sure all the T’s are crossed and I’s are dotted, and we’re doing all the right things.”
- Of course he's also a board member so he should know what he's talking about. Tesla has increasing taken the tack taken by those other auto makers, those who have criticised Tesla so much in the past, by making stock of common configurations without a specific buyer in mind. That's new for Tesla and is frustrating for someone who is in line, but others can come along and get a car immediately if they're willing to accept what it's in stock.
VERSION 9 SOFTWARE GETS WARM REACTION
- On Twitter today I've seen a growing number of Tesla owners with access to the Version 9 update, with many owners posting pictures. One of the most striking is blind spot notifications and the icons used to show the location of vehicles around you. In the Model 3, trucks look like trucks, motorbikes look like motorbikes, and other cars look like, well you know!
- This update is a visual homogenisation for S & X with 3 firstly. By the end of this week the mass rollout should start barring any bugs. Model 3 owners also get the web browser and reports are that it's pretty snappy.
- Electrek says: "As we previously reported, the update includes a new ‘Drive On Nav’ Autopilot features, which brings capabilities similar to the ‘On Ramp/Off Ramp’ feature that Tesla promised with the release of Enhanced Autopilot. The Autopilot UI is also getting an update in the instrument cluster. Musk said that Tesla is finally going to release its dashcam feature using Autopilot cameras in version 9. Finally, the update also includes the promised classic Atari games that Musk said would be included as Easter eggs in the update."
- Tesla says about it: "“You can now record and store video footage captured by the car’s forward facing camera onto a USB flash drive. Note that you must manually add a base level folder in the flash drive called “TeslaCam” (without quotation marks) before it can be used for Dashcam. Refer to the owner’s manual for details on how to use Dashcam.”
https://electrek.co/2018/09/25/tesla-release-version-9-update-week-elon-musk/
TESLA GETS PANASONIC'S HELP WITH AHEAD-OF-SCHEDULE BATTERY PLANT
- Meanwhile, "Panasonic, the sole battery supplier for Tesla Inc.’s best-selling Model 3, is taking steps to help Elon Musk solve the “production hell” problem that has plagued the car that’s key to making profits." according to Bloomberg: "The Japanese company had proposed to add three production lines at Tesla’s Gigafactory in Nevada by the end of the year. It’s now aiming to complete the plan ahead of schedule, Yoshio Ito, head of Panasonic’s automotive business, said in an interview Tuesday in Tokyo. Ito wouldn’t specify an exact date for opening the facility that feeds the Model 3. Panasonic produces cells, which Tesla uses to make battery packs for its EVs. The three new lines will bring the total to 13 with a combined capacity of 35 gigawatt hours at the Gigafactory, Ito said."
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/tesla-gets-panasonics-help-ahead-142924239.html
DS AUTOMOBILES WILL PRESENT FOUR ELECTRIFIED MODELS IN PARIS
- With DS 3 CROSSBACK E-TENSE presented as a world premiere at the 2018 Paris International Motor Show, the 100% electric version will be on sale and available from the second half of 2019, equipped with an advanced level of performance from its electric motor to offer a dynamic experience without compromise:
- Potential range of 200 miles / 320km (WLTP drive cycle standard) and 265 miles / 430km (NEDC cycle),
- up to 20% regenerated energy when decelerating
- 0 to 30mph (0 to 50kmph) in3 seconds and 0 to 62mph (0 to 100kmph) in 8.7 seconds.
BYD INVESTS MILLIONS TO UP PRODUCTION IN U.S.
- For many years BYD has said they're coming to the US from China but, for various reasons, that's never happened on a large scale to sell cars. They have been investing $53 million into the project to build electric vehicles and sell them in the USA. They currently have 820 employees in North America.
- Steven at InsideEVs says: "This newest investment by BYD applies to a 100,000-square-foot warehouse facility in Lancaster, which will cost some $5 million to complete. It will further the manufacturer’s presence in the U.S. and lead to more efficiency and production capability, primarily for the company’s ramp-up of BEV buses."
- BYD says: "We have the capacity to produce up to 1,500 battery-electric buses a year, which will go a long way toward creating a cleaner climate and a quieter, more efficient way to travel."
EV AND PHEV DEMAND SET TO INCREASE BY 2020, CARWOW STUDY SHOWS
- "One-in-three (28%) car buyers are looking for a plug-in hybrid option with 42% of millenials pledging to ‘go green’ by 2020, according to a carwow study of 2,034 motorists." as reported by AM-Online.
- Carwow’s chief operating officer, Andrew Hooks, said: “As an industry barometer, dealing with more than 6,500 enquiries per month, we’ve seen the demand for electric and plug-in hybrid increase significantly across the UK’s major cities, as consumers are becoming more aware of green alternatives in everyday life.
HERE ARE THE EVS THAT ARE ELECTRIFYING AMERICA
- According to published reports, around 114,200 full-electric vehicles were sold in the U.S. through the first eight months of 2018. If we include plug-in hybrid models, the total of all electrified rides delivered to customers reached a record-high 190,046 units during that period. While that represents steady growth, EV sales still stand at a slim percentage of all light-duty vehicle sales. According to estimates from Edmunds.com, the industry sold a total of around 11.2 million cars and trucks in the U.S. through the end of August.
- #5 Nissan Leaf
- #4 Chevrolet Bolt
- #3 Tesla Model X
- #2 Tesla Model S
- #1 Tesla Model 3
https://www.myev.com/research/comparisons/best-selling-electric-vehicles
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