03 August 2018 | Orders Open For Hyundai KONA EV In UK, Elon Musk Makes Billion Dollar Apology and VW Mulls Solid State Tech
UK Order Books Open For Hyundai KONA Electric | Trump Administration Unveils Its Plan To Relax Car Pollution Rules | Iceland’s New Hydrogen Plant Could Supply Cars And Buses Across The Nation | Volkswagen Mulls Own Production Of Battery Cells In Europe | Volkswagen Threatens Recall Of 124,000 Electric Cars | Elon Musk Makes The ‘Most Valuable Apology Of All Time’ | Here Are The Top 5 Trade-Ins For Tesla Model 3s | Another Tesla Software Update Coming
Read today’s show notes on https://www.evnewsdaily.com
Well good morning, good afternoon and good evening, wherever you are in the world, hello and welcome to the Friday 3rd August 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.
- First and foremost, I want to say thank you. I know you've tuned in for the news but bear with me. This is episode 200 and it has been a pleasure every day, without skipping a day to research and write this little show.
- As a few of you know, making radio shows is what i do for a living and I'm fortunate to work on two of the UK's most popular radio stations. So going from the safety of that during the day and coming home every night to make you a podcast was terrifying, because I had no idea if this would ever find an audience. Largely because in the first month literally nobody listened. But as the weeks went by it picked up, and I'm enormously grateful for that and your continued to support.
- But what do I mean by support? Well I shall spill the beans at the end of today's show. But I'll just say that thanks to you listening, it looks like I can connect with some folk in the EV community who want to help me out with the increasing podcast hosting costs. More at the end and if you're not bothered, you can always turn it off early!
- We'll get to all the reaction from the Tesla earning call just a tick.
ORDER BOOKS OPEN FOR HYUNDAI KONA ELECTRIC
- "Hyundai’s Kona Electric is now available to order in the UK via the company’s Click to Buy platform, with the new EV offered in two battery configurations." according to charging website Zap Map: "initially rolled out on the online-only service, the Kona Electric will be available through dealerships from next year. Until then, buyers will have to order via the website, with first deliveries expected from September."
- At the time of recording all the shipping dates have slipped back to 24 weeks apart from one spec. So the 39kWh SE, 39kWh Premium with 2 Tone Roof, 64kWh Premium, 64kWh Premium with 2 Tone Roof, 64kWh Premium SE, and 64kWh Premium SE with 2 tone roof all 24 weeks. So that has definitely slipped back from when i looked in the morning. If you're in a hurry the only spec is Premium 39kWh and only if you get it in Solid Black or Metallic White, Blue or Red.
https://www.zap-map.com/order-books-open-for-hyundais-kona-electric/
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION UNVEILS ITS PLAN TO RELAX CAR POLLUTION RULES
- "The Trump administration on Thursday put forth its long-awaited proposal to freeze antipollution and fuel-efficiency standards for cars, significantly weakening one of President Barack Obama’s signature policies to combat global warming." writes the New York Times: "The proposed new rules would also challenge the right of states like California to set their own, more stringent tailpipe pollution standards, setting the stage for a legal clash that could ultimately split the nation’s auto market in two. The move immediately faced opposition from an unusual mix of critics — including not only environmentalists and consumer groups but auto-industry representatives as well as individual states — who are now launching efforts to change the plan before it is finalized."
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/02/climate/trump-auto-emissions-california.html
ICELAND’S NEW HYDROGEN PLANT COULD SUPPLY CARS AND BUSES ACROSS THE NATION
- "An Icelandic power company says its new electrolyser will be able to supply every hydrogen car and bus currently operating across the country." says Jonny Bairstow for Energy live News: "ON Power says its facility, which is being installed at the Hellisheiði Geothermal Power Plant in the south-west of the country, will enter operation by the end of August. It believes the sale of hydrogen for use in vehicles could begin as early as October, meaning filling stations providing the gas would no longer have to wholly rely on imports.
- The firm plans to distribute the hydrogen in bottles to prevent losses in transport and admits it does not expect the operation to be immediately profitable but instead aims to catalyse the growth of a successful market for clean energy in the future. Bosses at the company say hydrogen cars do not need to compete with electric vehicles and imagine an ideal low carbon vehicle in the future could be powered primarily by electricity but be able to switch over to hydrogen during longer journeys."
VOLKSWAGEN MULLS OWN PRODUCTION OF BATTERY CELLS IN EUROPE
- "Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) is eyeing producing its own solid state battery cells, with possible serial production from 2024 or 2025, its chief executive said on Wednesday." according to a Reuters report: "A solid state battery factory would likely be in Europe, or even in Germany under the right conditions, Diess said. Battery cells are a key battleground in the automotive industry as it shifts to electric mobility."
- VW CEO Herbert Diess: "We must not make ourselves dependent on a few Asian manufacturers in the long term.”
VOLKSWAGEN THREATENS RECALL OF 124,000 ELECTRIC CARS
- "A charger containing traces of cadmium is causing headaches for Volkswagen, which says that because of the presence of the carcinogenic metal, the German automaker may be forced to recall 124,000 electric and hybrid vehicles." according to Bridie Schmidt, reneweconomy.com.au
- A spokesman for the group: "Clarification is under way for a recall order by Germany's Federal Motor Transport Authority."
- "Usage of cadmium, a metal used in electric appliances like televisions, has been banned in most types of car parts. An unidentified supplier has however delivered a batch of battery chargers containing cadmium, which has been installed in some electric and hybrid cars of the Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche brands between 2013 and June 2018." says Phys.org
https://reneweconomy.com.au/volkswagen-threatens-recall-of-124000-electric-cars-86876/
ELON MUSK MAKES THE ‘MOST VALUABLE APOLOGY OF ALL TIME’
- "Wall Street is happy over Tesla's quarterly results and guidance, but Elon Musk's apologies to multiple analysts may even be more important to the company's shares and investor sentiment." says Tae Kim for CNBC.com: "On Wednesday's post-earnings conference call, Tesla took its first questions from the two analysts Musk had dismissed three months earlier, when the company reported first-quarter results." That was the day of the now-famous "boring, bonehead questions" line.
- Analyst Alexander Potter said in a note to clients Wednesday. "This could be the start of something big. A few years from now, investors may conclude that 2Q18 was the quarter in which Tesla cemented its position as a truly formidable player in the global automotive market."
HERE ARE THE TOP 5 TRADE-INS FOR TESLA MODEL 3S
- "The top five models traded in are the BMW 3 Series, Honda Accord, Honda Civic, Nissan Leaf and Toyota Prius. There's no specific breakdown in trim, but all five have base MSRPs lower than available Model 3s. The long-awaited $35,000 Tesla isn't available yet" reports Reese for Autoblog.
ANOTHER TESLA SOFTWARE UPDATE COMING
- “Tesla is turning its cars into gaming devices. The firm’s next software update will add, among other features, at least three classic Atari games passengers will be able to play on the dash-mounted touchscreen. The update is coming soon to the Model 3, the Model S, and the Model X." according to Digital Trends: "Quizzed by journalists, he revealed he hopes to include Pole Position, Tempest, and Missile Command, games released in 1982, 1981, and 1980, respectively. While Atari games represent the highlight of V9.0, the update will include other important features outside of the infotainment system including what Musk calls full self-driving features for certain vehicles. This bolsters (but doesn’t confirm) earlier rumors claiming the next version of Autopilot will transition into a level-three system, meaning the driver will be able to take his or her hands off the wheel completely when the right conditions are met. Audi’s Traffic Jam Assist technology is an example of a level-three system. The Autopilot interface will evolve with the update, too."
https://www.digitaltrends.com/cars/tesla-v90-adds-atari-games-camper-mode-better-autopilot/
A plug for tomorrow, on Saturdays now I'm trying to always bring you an interview. It feels right to do it at the weekend, all our routines are different and not doing the commute to work. Tomorrow it's a company called CleanCar which is working with large fleets to use a piece of hardware which tracks drivers routes and journeys, then recommends which type or EV or Plug In is best.
JULY 2018 ENGAGEMENT – 07/01/18 to 07/31/18
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