Musk $182bn Payday, VW e-Golf Sells Out and BMW Confirms Electric Lineup | 22 Mar 2018
Elon Gets 10 Year Incentive Worth Megabucks | VW e-Golf Sales Soar | BMW Press Conference Confirms Future Line-Up | VW Factory Investment In North America | Pod Point Breaks Record In UK | Hyundai Electrifies Tucson | New BMW 3-Series Spied
Thursday 22nd March 2018.
MUSK PAYDAY NEWS!
His payday has been approved for a nominal value of $2.6bn, however that could be as much as $55bn worth of shares if he hits all the targets of Tesla being worth a mind-blowing $650bn. Including his current holding and presuming he doesn’t sell any shares, Elon Musk would then own 28% of Tesla, worth $182bn. As of 2017 the World’s richest person is Amazon’s Jezz Bezos at $112bn.
VW EGOLF OFF THE MENU
- We’ll start with some good news about e-Golf sales, but if you’re listening in North America wanted to drive a new VW eGolf you better be quick. According to insight from InsideEVs, sales have been so strong here in Europe, they are almost out of stock. After all it was the best selling BEV in Western Europe according to InsideEVs sales scorecard.
- VW chairman Herbert Diess said: ““Our electric vehicle sales were three times more popular in 2017 than 2016 and the e-Golf nearly sold out, so it’s clear customers are willing to switch to EVs once the price is right.”
NEXT STEPS FOR BMW
- Fresh news from just a few hours ago, at BMW’s Annual Accounts Press Conference they confirmed their next electric car will be the iX3. Then we’ll get the i4, previously known as the i Vision Dynamics. The only look we’ve had at it is in pure, utterly bonkers concept car form, but if the production EV was anywhere near it, it’s going to look great.
- From one pure battery electric vehicle (BEV) now in the guise of the i3, the i4 will be one of 12 battery-electric models BMW aims to have in showrooms by 2025.
- BMW CEO Harald Krueger said the i4 will be produced at the BMW's factory in Munich where it builds 3- and 4-series models.
- There’s also the electric MINI going into production in 2019, made here in the UK in Oxford as well as Mexico, before the electric version of the X3, the iX3, to be unveiled this year and available in 2020. In 2021 comes the iNEXT as their innovation flagbearer. But he wouldn’t say where in that timeline the i4 sits.
- BMW do expect, within 3 years, pure electric ranges will be 435 miles as the norm and 62miles normal for PHEVs.
- Autonews say BMW has secured naming rights for the badges i1 to i9 and iX1 to iX9.
VW FACTORY INVESTMENT IN USA
- According to Fortune VW will be investing $340million in their Chattanooga factory to build a 5-seater SUV. At the New York International Auto Show on 30th March we’ll see their new SUV concept based on the MQB platform, which of course is designed for hybrid and PHEV options. The Chattanooga factory has been viewed as the likely location for VW’s plan to produce electric vehicles.
POD POINT BREAK RECORDS
- In the UK, charging provider Pod Point has installed 67 charge points for Skanska, and it looks like it breaks the record for the largest in the country. And one of the largest in Europe too.
- It took them 2 weeks to install the 7kW chargers but, the key detail, they also included the infrastructure to add another 243 more. That would be 310 charge points in one location for Skanska employees to charge their cars whilst they work.
- Erik Fairbairn, chief executive of Pod Point, said: “This is the largest single site charge point installation that we’re aware of in the UK, but also a sign of a larger shift over the past six months, as more businesses wake up to the benefits of EVs. We’ve certainly seen a big increase in enquiries from companies wanting future proof charge point installations that can be scaled up as their fleets make the switch to electric.”
- Utility Week say “Recent research commissioned by Ovo Energy suggests existing EVs in the UK could contribute more than 114MW to the National Grid, enough to power over 300,000 homes.
HYUNDAI ELECTRIFIES THE TUCSON
- “Hyundai will present the facelifted version of the third-gen Tucson next week” according to CarScoops, “on March 28, during a press conference at the New York Auto Show, which will be streamed live. The crossover slots between the Kona and Santa Fe Sport has been spied numerous times in prototype form with heavy camouflage covering its body. Hyundai has also confirmed hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions of the SUV”.
- “The 2019 Hyundai Kona Electric will join the other two in New York. The zero emission vehicle comes straight from the Geneva Motor Show, where it was revealed with a 133hp (135PS) electric motor and 39.2kWh battery pack. This version can be driven for up to 186miles (300km), whereas the long-range variant can travel up to 292miles (470km) and uses a 201hp (204PS) electric motor, paired to a 64kWh battery pack. As a final note, you can watch Hyundai’s press conference, which starts on March 28, at 12:45pm EST (5:45pm CET)” on CarScoops.com
BMW 3-SERIES SPIED
- Finally the all new BMW 3-series has been spotted testing in the concept form and in full-on camo gear. This car will be huge for BMW. It simple must be a huge success. They want Audi A4 buyers to choose the 3-series instead, same for Merc C-Class buyers. It’s all new from the ground up.
- I have no doubt there will be a strong emphasis on plug ins and hybrids in the range. The hybrid tech might be the mildest of mild, just a 48v system to run systems and take the pressure of the ICE, or to do things like spool up the turbo ready for when the engine needs it. Anything which gets the CO2 down under the new WLTP emissions system which all cars must use from September this year.
Since the first version of the Ford Fusion Energi in 2013 not much has happened on their electric front. Well, nothing actually apart from announcements. Now they’re updating it for the 2019 model year which includes a Hybrid and Phev.
The Fusion Energi, the only plug in Ford sell now the C-Max Energi is no more, gets a very little battery bump. From 7.6kWH to 7.9kWH. It sits in the same space as before but, considering other auto makers like Renault have done the same but with much bigger capacity increases, like the new LEAF or the Zoe ZE40, at least we know the technology exists to do that. It’s an EPA range of 25 electric miles.
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