Tesla’s Norway Court Defeat Is A Bigger Issue Than Reported | 24 May 2021

Show #1092.

 

Today’s big EV stories:

·       Tesla faces a huge fine in Norway for throttling battery charging speeds

·       Audi to build network of lounge-style EV charging hubs

·       Hyundai IONIQ  5: Targeted 300 miles, 18-minute fast-charging for US-spec electric car

·       Ford promises businesses electric F-150 Lightning Pro will deliver more features, cost less

·       Prince William hits barrier as he races electric car around track

·       Rivian R1S And R1T Mules Caught In The Wild

·       Subscription-based e-scooter company rolling out in Nashville

·       SONY Spied Working On The Vision S Electric Sedan

 

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Good morning, good afternoon and good evening wherever you are in the world, welcome to EV News Daily for Monday 24th May. It’s Martyn Lee here and I go through every EV story so you don't have to.

 

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.

 

"Tesla has been ordered to pay 136,000 kroner ($16,000) each to thousands of customers in Norway for slowing down charging speeds. A 2019 software update was found to have affected the battery life in Tesla Model S vehicles manufactured between 2013 and 2015, sparking a complaint by dozens of Norwegian Tesla owners to the country’s conciliation council, according to Nettavisen." says The Verge: "The order, which was announced on May 17th, gives Tesla until May 30th to pay the fine. Otherwise, the company can file an appeal with the Oslo council.".

 

"Some owners saw precipitous drops in battery capacity of up to 11 percent, compared to the normal gradual declines expected. Those issues have led to lawsuits not only in Norway, but in Denmark, the US and elsewhere. " said Engadget today: "Tesla reportedly failed to reply to the suit, so the judgement was made in absentia. As a result, the 30 owners behind the lawsuit will be awarded $16,000 each unless Tesla appeals. "

 

InsideEVs explained the background: "In Norway, more than 30 owners sued Tesla in a conciliatory board for the issue with their battery pack, apparently with the help of Bilklager. This company organizes consumer consortiums to tackle legal problems as a group. That makes it more affordable to sue automakers. A conciliatory board is also referred to as a “semi-court,” and it works similarly to small claims courts. Norway has 10,000 other affected customers with cars made from 2013 up to 2015, but it is not clear if the decision includes them or if all of them would have to seek the same compensation in similar lawsuits. There’s a similar lawsuit against Tesla in Denmark, according to Politiken.dk, with 75 customers apparently demanding the same measures. Meanwhile, US courts and the five Chinese departments that were going to investigate this issue are yet to decide anything."

 

@johnvoelcker

"Tesla sent OTA updates to 85-kWh Model S + Model X #EV cars to "protect the battery + improve longevity." Range fell for many (Tesla said only "a small percentage"). Owners in various countries sued. Tesla didn't show for the hearing in Norway; it lost."

 

@DrAndrewThaler

"I got a ton of flack when I said my big problem with Tesla is that they're approaching cars like smartphones with disposability as part of their design.  Tesla has been ordered to pay $16,000 each to customers in Norway for slowing down charging speeds."

 

Issues:

where does this go next?

All car companies want to do OTA

Do you want your battery protected?

How much are they allowed to?

What level of this is care vs interference?

 

 

"Audi has shared its vision for a network of premium charging stations intended to improve EV infrastructure in residential areas. Beginning in the second half of this year, the firm will install six hubs in Germany to test the feasibility of the technology ahead of a “possible serial roll-out”. The precise locations have yet to be decided, but talks with possible partners are under way." says Will at Autocar: "These charging hubs will be high-power charging (HPC) stations that can be reserved in advance by Audi owners. They will have charging outputs of up to 300kW, allowing an E-tron GT to charge from nearly empty to 80% battery in around 23 minutes. Above the chargers themselves, the hubs will have a lounge area and canteen for drivers to use while they wait. ade up of a series of cube structures, the hubs can be transported and installed in individual locations quickly. Power will be stored, Audi claims, in lithium ion batteries taken from old EVs. The batteries are capable of storing direct electric current. This makes complex infrastructure with high-voltage lines and expensive transformer units unnecessary, Audi says."

 

 

 

"Hyundai Motor America on Monday provided the first details for the Ioniq 5 electric crossover—the brand’s first dedicated EV—that will be arriving to select U.S. dealerships this fall. Although the 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 was revealed in February, there have been some tweaks in how Hyundai’s positioning the model for the U.S. market. " says Green Car Reports: " One of them includes a staggered rollout that will deliver it first to California EV-mandate states. Although Hyundai has said earlier in the year that U.S. buyers would get a choice between Standard Range 58-kilowatt-hour or Long Range 77.4-kwh battery packs, the company has decided only to offer the Long Range pack.  Hyundai has released more information about driving range in U.S. spec, under EPA ratings, and they’re quite impressive. Dual-motor SE and SEL models will get a targeted 289 miles and the top-of-the-line dual-motor Limited should be rated around 244 miles in U.S. spec. It says that the Ioniq will achieve up to 300 miles, so look for that to be achieved in one of the single-motor models."

 

This artcile says the V2L capacity is 1.9kW not 3.6kW for the European spec cars.

 

 

 

"Ford revealed details of a less powerful version of its upcoming 2022 F-150 Lightning electric pickup for business and government fleets on Monday. Called the Lightning Pro, it’s equipped with a standard battery that’s good for an estimated 230 miles and costs $39,974, the same as the base price for retail F-150 Lightnings." says Detroit Free Press: "The base Lightning Pro’s two electric motors — one for each axle — are expected to generate 426 horsepower and 775 pound-feet of torque. The base model will be able to tow up to 5,000 pounds and carry a payload up to 2,000. Fleets tend to be consistent, long-term customers. They’re a large and profitable part of Ford’s business with the conventionally powered F-series pickup, which has been America’s bestselling vehicle for 44 years. Ford’s research shows that the average F-150 owners travel less than 174 miles 95% of the time"

 

Steve Carey, president and CEO of NTEA, the work-truck industry association: "Work vehicles present a growing opportunity for electrification, As electrified vehicles continue to evolve and availability expands, we anticipate an increased adoption rate in commercial applications. Proper training for fleets to determine suitable applications — both from a total cost of ownership, and drive and duty cycle perspective — will be extremely important. Effective and efficient charging solutions for fleet requirements and quality of guidance provided to equipment installers will also be vital to implementation in commercial applications."

 

 

"The Duke of Cambridge showed off his driving skills when he took an electric SUV for a spin in Scotland.  Prince William impressed professional race drivers as he drove a pioneering car round the Knockhill Racing Circuit in Fife with only a few bumps and scrapes." says Metro: "The duke drove the E Odyssey 21 car – equipped with a ‘Prince William’ decal with a British flag – around the muddy twists and turns of the circuit."

 

Read more: https://metro.co.uk/2021/05/23/prince-william-hits-barrier-as-he-races-electric-car-around-track-14629847/?ito=cbshare

 

"A couple of weeks ago, I was out doing some driving and spotted the Rivian R1T and R1S camouflaged mules doing some testing. I threw a camera on the front of my car and captured these Rivians in action."

 

 

"A new e-scooter company being referred to as "the Netflix of electric scooters" is hitting the streets of Nashville.  There are already several scooter companies operating in Nashville, but this one, called Unagi, is different. The key difference: you don't have to share your scooter." says WSMV.com: "“It’s clean energy, people love them — it’s the fastest most efficient way to get from point A to point B inside of a city," said David Hyman, founder and CEO of Unagi.  Hyman was fed up with ridesharing apps. He says he never knew when they would cancel a ride or show up late.  So instead he turned his attention to e-scooters, but wasn't crazy about the price. Hyman says Unagi scooters do their pricing on a month-to-month basis, like Netflix. If you do sign up to receive a monthly scooter, the company will deliver it right to your doorstep within 72 hours."

 

 

"Although Sony has said that it won’t actually produce the Vision S concept, that hasn’t stopped the Japanese tech company from continuing development." says CarScoops: "The prototype was first introduced by the electronics giant at CES in early 2020. The electric car features advanced level 2 autonomous driving technology and is filled to the brim with sensors tracking everything that is going on outside and inside the vehicle. Along with the gizmos that you’d expect Sony to be pretty good at (cameras, sound systems, fancy screens etc), Sony’s CEO also said that the car was based on a new electric platform that reports indicated was supplied by Magna. These spy shots would seem to suggest that the Vision S is back on the test track. Just how long it is before we start seeing driver aids and electronics in production vehicles (like Google has done) will be interesting to see."

 

 

Do you have an opinion on hydrogen power for personal transport? Yes or No, both good answers, and if yes then what do you think?

 

Email me your thoughts and I’ll read them out on Sunday – hello@evnewsdaily.com