07 July 2018 | Is Bolt Production Increasing Enough, Model 3 Performance Seen Smokin’ At The Track and How Women Hold The Key To Electric Future
Shell Would Support UK Bringing Forward Petrol Ban From 2040 | 2019 Chevrolet Bolt Production Up By 20% | Tesla Release Footage Of Model 3 Performance Drifting On Track | Seat's Cupra Electric Racing Car Hits The Track | Do Women Hold The Keys To EV Take-Up? | Software Update Breaths New Life Into Tesla Model X 100D | Mercedes-Benz A-Class Plug-In Hybrid To Debut In 2019 | Mayor Launches Bid To Reduce Number Of Minicabs In C-Charge Zone | Faraday Future FF 91 Goes High-Speed Testing
Well good morning, good afternoon and good evening, wherever you are in the world, hello and welcome to the Saturday 7th 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.
SHELL WOULD SUPPORT UK BRINGING FORWARD PETROL BAN FROM 2040
- You don't need to rewind and play this next sentence back, even you'll think you mis-heard: "The chief executive of Shell, one of the world’s biggest oil and gas companies, has said he would support the UK bringing forward its 2040 ban on new petrol and diesel car sales." says Adam Vaughan in The Guardian: "Ben van Beurden said he welcomed the idea of bringing forward the ban, as it would provide clarity and make it easier for companies like Shell to make investment decisions and also shift consumer attitudes."
- “If you would bring it forward, obviously that would be welcome. I think the UK will have to go at a much higher speed than the speed the rest of the world can go.”
2019 CHEVROLET BOLT PRODUCTION UP BY 20%
- "Earlier this year, General Motors announced it planned to increase production of the 2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV electric car later this year. In the automaker’s latest U.S. sales report, GM specified an increase of more than 20 percent" according to Sean at GM Authority: "In the announcement, GM noted demand for the Bolt EV has outstripped supply in the United States, Canada and South Korea. Previously GM Authority reported Bolt EV buyers in Canada face lengthy delays as many wait for cars to arrive at dealerships.
- Kurt McNeil, U.S. vice president, Sales Operations, says: "The extra production coming online should be enough to help us keep growing global Bolt EV sales [and] rebuild our U.S. dealer inventory"
http://gmauthority.com/blog/2018/07/2019-chevrolet-bolt-to-see-20-percent-production-increase/
TESLA RELEASE FOOTAGE OF MODEL 3 PERFORMANCE DRIFTING ON TRACK
- Now the first of two internet videos which are basically EV performance porn. The official Tesla twitter account just posted some phone footage of a Model 3 performance yesterday. If you are a reservation holder, this must be so exciting to see. IT's a Model 3 doing donuts and drifting around in circles, rear wheels smoking. I'll hit play now. It's on an unidentified test track and it looks like a lot of fun.
SEAT'S CUPRA ELECTRIC RACING CAR HITS THE TRACK
- A new video landed from Seat Media Centre on YouTube, it's only 45 seconds but it's full of electric goodness. "Seat's performance brand, Cupra, has tested its 500 kilowatt, 100 per cent electric touring car, inventively named the e-Racer, at a race track for the first time in Zagreb, Croatia" reports Stuff.co.nz: "This was the first time the everything had been integrated and tested together on track, with what Seat call "very positive conclusions. This Cupra e-Racer is the first touring car that complies with the requirements for competing in the new E-TCR (Electric Touring Car Races) series, the first pure-electric, multi-brand touring car championship."
- Matthias Rabe, Seat vice-president for research and development, says: " "With the Cupra e-Racer we want to bring racing to the next level. We believe we can help reinvent motorsport and achieve success. Motorsport is one of the pillars of Cupra, and we are proud of the team that is making this electric touring racecar possible."
- A battery pack with 6,072 cells and four engines for a vehicle that accelerates to 100 km/h in slightly more than three seconds. There are four motors, enabling “the CUPRA e-Racer to reach 12,000 revolutions, compared to the 6,500 of a petrol powered race car, and all with a single gear
DO WOMEN HOLD THE KEYS TO EV TAKE-UP?
- A new piece of academic research show the largest areas for growth in electric mobility are women and retirees. In fact those markets are untapped. My first reaction was that this was a little sexist, I see loads of women on Twitter posting collection photo's of their Model 3s. But let's continue.
- "Researchers said highly educated women were an untapped but potentially lucrative market for EVs because they have "greater environmental and fuel efficiency awareness than men" reported by Business Green: "Women generally drive fewer kilometres per day, expect to pay less for their next car and have "considerably less experience" of driving EVs compared to men. They also rank ease of operations, running costs, safety and environmental impact higher in their decision making for buying a new car, making them well suited to EV ownership."
SOFTWARE UPDATE BREATHS NEW LIFE INTO TESLA MODEL X 100D
- Isn't it great when the car you bought gets better after you've owned it for a while? Yes I'm talking to you, Tesla owners. And I’d love to be talking to more owners from other makers, but not too many think like a Silicon Valley company constantly updating the OS.
- And now good news for early Model X buyers. I'll let Simon at Teslarati explain more: "In the recently-uploaded video, Brooks, the owner of the YouTube channel, stated that he became aware of the Model X 100D being eligible for an “uncorking” update from the electric car maker through the Tesla forum community. The YouTube host noted that selected Model X 100D vehicles are eligible for the update, depending on the vehicle’s VIN. Upon checking with his contact in Tesla, the drag racing enthusiast was informed that his Model X was indeed eligible for the speed and power update."
https://www.teslarati.com/tesla-model-x-100d-performance-upgrade-uncorking/
MERCEDES-BENZ A-CLASS PLUG-IN HYBRID TO DEBUT IN 2019
- The 2019 Mercedes-Benz A-Class is on track to be sold with a PHEV model for those who need some electric miles. As we know by now, everything electric from Merc will sport a nifty EQ badge on the back. The A-class is in the same space as the eGolf, the Audi A3 e-tron or the new VW I.D. pure BEV.
- How to do know? Well prototype have been spotted ahead of the Paris Motor Show where insiders say it will be unveiled this September, for a 2019 sale date.
- For the A-Class my best guess is that being a Mercedes Benz, the ICE wil drive two wheel and an electric motor will drive two more, for AWD, or 4Matic as they'd call it. Plugs Ins are a great gateway drug to electric miles, and after all, we want as many electric miles as possible. Are they optimal? No. Carrying round both engine and battery isn't ideal but with some commutes being on EV only, and buyers getting a taste of it, it's more likely their next car will be a full electric. Plus PHEV's will be very popular in cities…which takes me onto the next story nicely
MAYOR LAUNCHES BID TO REDUCE NUMBER OF MINICABS IN C-CHARGE ZONE
- In London, "A bid to reduce the “rocketing” number of minicabs circulating within the congestion charge zone was launched today by Mayor Sadiq Khan." according to the Evening Standard: "Tougher emission rules limiting the type of private hire vehicles able to claim a 100 per cent discount on the £11.50 weekday charge could be introduced from next April. Transport for London estimated this could cut the number of minicabs in the zone by up to 45 per cent — from 18,000 to 10,000 — and raise about £115,000 a day. Black cabs will continue to be exempt from the C-charge as they can carry wheelchair users."
- So who does this hit? IN a word Uber. And with the new rules that all cabs must be able to do 20 miles zero emission, another group impacted? Toyota Prius. In fact it's terrible news for soft hybrids.
FARADAY FUTURE FF 91 GOES HIGH-SPEED TESTING
- And Finally...no longer vapourware, but not exactly ready-ware, the Faraday Future FF 91. However following a recent $2bn cash injection they have more good news, a high speed test run. Jon Wong at CNET reports: "Faraday travelled to the Transportation Research Center in East Liberty, Ohio and extended an exclusive invite to Roadshow to be on hand. Over the course of three days, a fully caged FF 91 test mule nicknamed the "Panda Express" for its black and white vinyl wrap ran through the Faraday Future Autobahn test cycle that had the EV accelerate to and maintain 155 mph for 3 minutes." Jon says: "When it was all said and done, the Faraday team seemed happy with their efforts that did produce software changes to improve the thermal performance of the LG Chem battery pack".
- Good luck Faraday Future, the $200k won't be for everyone apart from the very top of the market. If you're going after buyers who are used to the finest German engineering, you better get it spot on.
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