29 July 2018 | U.S. Buyers Can Get Their Audi e-tron In 49 Days, Mercedes EQC Debut In September and Fiat Chrysler Reveal EV Plans
Episode 195, Jul 28, 2018, 11:18 PM
U.S. Reservations For The Audi e-tron Open September 2018 | Mercedes EQC To Debut In Stockholm | Auto Trader Reveals The Best Electric Cars Of 2018 | Tesla Production Rising Toward 7,000 Vehicles A Week | Land Rover's Least Pricey Model Due For Makeover, Plug-In Variant | FCA Reveals Their Plans For Hybrids And Electric Vehicles | Big Automakers Are Breaking Themselves Apart To Compete With Silicon Valley
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 Sunday 29th July 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.
US RESERVATIONS FOR THE AUDI E-TRON OPEN SEPTEMBER 2018
- S. customers will be able to configure and reserve their 2019 Audi e-tron, the first all-electric vehicle from Audi, on Sept. 17. The e-tron will make its global debut on the same day at an event in San Francisco.
- T-minus 1 month 18 days. I'm excited for this one now!
- On Sept. 17, full e-tron specifications, including pricing, will be available at www.audiusa.com, giving customers the details needed to configure their e-tron and reserve their vehicle with a refundable $1,000 reservation fee.
- This new Audi reservation system is part of how Audi of America will create a digital ecosystem for Audi owners to confidently go electric. After customers place a reservation, they will be able to track it online and with their local dealer. Audi will share more details on this ecosystem and offerings for U.S. customers at the San Francisco event.
- As an electric SUV that includes integrated digital tools, in-home charging solutions and the support of Audi of America’s 303 dealer partners—e-tron owners can confidently choose electric performance knowing they have Audi support of a full ecosystem.
- "The 2019 E-Tron is a battery-powered, two-row crossover featuring dual electric motors and Audi’s brand new electric Quattro all-wheel drive system. Along with a range of about 245 miles from a 95kWh battery and, presumably, the automaker’s impressive driving dynamics, the SUV includes a number of integrated digital tools, in-home charging options, and what Audi describes as “ample cargo room and towing capacity.” reports Dan at New York Daily News.
- The E-Tron marks the first of three purely electric vehicles Audi plans to release by 2020. The company predicts that by 2025, up to 30 percent of its U.S. customers will have gone electric.
- Audi also touts a dedicated cooling system to help keep the battery operating at an optimal temperature, and to ensure repeatable performance. On top of that, Audi has put the e-tron Quattro's battery through extensive crash testing. According to Audi, the battery's "solid casing" is designed to withstand a collision.
- You can rapid charge at 150kW.
https://www.audiusa.com/models/e-tron-preview
MERCEDES EQC TO DEBUT IN STOCKHOLM
- Mercedes-Benz today confirmed the official premiere of the EQC production model on September 4, 2018 in Stockholm
- The EQC's two electric motors - front and rear - each with about 150 kW, should mean 0-60 in less than five seconds.
- However the battery on the EQC is smaller than the Audi, at 70kWh, and they're promising 400+kms. CCS DC Fast Charging will be possible up to 115kW.
- I've said before those numbers confuse me, either somewhere along the way the specs are wrong and the battery will be larger, or the range won’t be that far. How can a 2.5tonne SUV get 18Kwh/100kms? That's up there amongst very efficient cars. The Jaguar I-PACE certainly doesn't do 18kWh / 100km, if anyone listening now knows of a road test which has measured it, i'd love to know.
AUTO TRADER REVEALS THE BEST ELECTRIC CARS OF 2018
- Auto Trader has published a list of the best electric and hybrid cars according to affordability, luxury and range. The Renault Zoe has been named the best budget option, while the Tesla Model S has been named as the best for long ranges.
- The best budget option - Renault Zoe
- The Renault Zoe has been ranked as the best budget option. It’s one of the cheaper options on offer, and it can also be bought on a deal where you lease the battery from Renault, making the purchase price even more affordable. What’s more, the Zoe is smart-looking with a hi-tech interior, and also has a five-star Euro NCAP crash test rating.
- The best for long ranges - Tesla Model S
- A single charge of the Tesla Model S can get you almost 400 miles, making it a more viable option for consumers wanting to do more than pop into town. It boasts serious performance and some clever interior technology including a 17-inch touch-screen up front.
- The most aspirational - BMW i3
- BMW has delivered a truly aspirational electric car, thanks not only to its badge, but also to its sharp, innovative design. It gives you plenty of speed and fun handling, too. The i3 car comes with a premium price tag, but you certainly get a premium product for your money.
- The most understated - Volkswagen e-Golf
- The e-Golf looks a lot like its non-electric counterpart, except with blue-tinted headlights and a different front grille. And, like any other Golf, it boasts all the same attributes - meaning high quality, family car practicality and a sophisticated driving experience - but with the added bonus of zero exhaust pollutants.
- The best British-built option - Nissan Leaf
- The British-built Leaf was the first vehicle to convince people in large numbers that an electric car was something to consider, and now there's a new one. Built in Sunderland, with an improved battery, more power, bigger range and better affordability, it is the perfect option for the middleweight buyer.
TESLA PRODUCTION RISING TOWARD 7,000 VEHICLES A WEEK
- Zach at Clean Technica has been tracking Tesla production numbers and quoting a Twitter user who claims to have an insider who supplies daily Tesla production numbers. Of course there's no proof! "If you look at the broad trend, you see slow production growth over the past month, with some dips and with some days over 1,000/vehicles a day. The last update put yesterday’s daily production total at 1,100, with 780 of those being Model 3s. Of course, 1,100/day = 7,700/week if you extrapolate.
- But if you want the source of Tesla news, not a random Twitter account, from Elon himself is a good place to start: "He indicated a few days ago that Tesla has risen to ~6,000 Model S, X, and 3 per week, but many people have taken that ~6,000 to mean just the US because of what prefaced it, which could mean ~7,000 globally. Either way, we’re getting up there."
LAND ROVER'S LEAST PRICEY MODEL DUE FOR MAKEOVER, PLUG-IN VARIANT
- "The Discovery Sport serves as an entry point to the Land Rover lineup, retailing in the U.S. for $37,795 before delivery and offering a similarly sized, cheaper alternative to its Range Rover Evoque platform mate." according to The Truth About Cars: "the Discovery Sport undergoes a significant revamp for 2020, and should make its public debut early next year. A hybrid version of the model will appear (though whether it will be available at launch isn’t known), combining a new three-cylinder engine with an electric motor. A plug-in hybrid variant is also on the horizon, as are mild hybrid models."
FCA REVEALS THEIR PLANS FOR HYBRIDS AND ELECTRIC VEHICLES
- FCA has finally released the details about their introduction to the two new auto markets.
- The Plan…Over the next five years, FCA released these specifics about their plans:
- Invest $10 billion into electric vehicle development between 2018 – 2022
- Place a larger focus on the breadwinners of the FCA Group: Jeep, Ram, Maserati, and Alfa Romeo
- Move away from diesels and methane-powered engines
- Produce 14 electric vehicles and four battery-electric vehicles for Jeep by 2021
- Mixing up SRT and electric vehicles by making performance-oriented electric vehicles
- Compete with Tesla by making electric versions of popular Maserati models
- Expand the Fiat 500e with a wagon model
BIG AUTOMAKERS ARE BREAKING THEMSELVES APART TO COMPETE WITH SILICON VALLEY
- "Daimler AG, the parent company of Mercedes-Benz, is splitting itself up into three companies in order to make itself “fit for the future,” the automaker announced today. Mercedes-Benz, Daimler’s truck division, and Daimler’s mobility division will all become independent entities as a result of the effort " according to Sean O'Kane at The Verge: "By splitting these different pursuits into more discrete companies, Daimler says it hopes to give each one more “entrepreneurial freedom,” stronger “market and customer focus,” and the ability to strike up “faster and more flexible partnerships” in order to better compete in the constantly evolving auto industry. On Monday, Ford spun out a new entity called Ford Autonomous Vehicles LLC. The American automaker also announced on Wednesday that it is planning a restructuring of its global business model “to enhance competitiveness.”
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