Billion Dollar Deals Show Why Batteries Are The New Oil | 28 June 2021

Episode 1127,   Jun 28, 2021, 11:00 AM

Today’s big EV stories:
• Honda changing course, will build its own electric vehicles
• China: LFP Battery Share For MIC Tesla Model 3 Reaches 88% In May
• Nissan may confirm this week it is building a battery plant in UK
• Renault signs EV battery deals with Envision, Verkor for French plants
• China’s Envision to Build Renault $2.4 Billion Battery Plant
• Rivian showcases R1T Camp Kitchen’s features in new video
• About 11 Percent Of Rivian R1T Customers Opt For $5,000 Camp Kitchen
• Britain aims to capture £8bn electric car spending spree
• 2023 Audi E-Tron facelift rumoured to get new battery, more range
• Volkswagen Is #1 In Electric Vehicle Sales Across These 10 European Countries

Show #1127.

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Good morning, good afternoon and good evening wherever you are in the world, welcome to EV News Daily for Monday 28th June. It’s Martyn Lee here and I go through every EV story so you don't have to.

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HONDA WILL BUILD ITS OWN ELECTRIC VEHICLE

- Although General Motors will build Honda’s first two fully electric vehicles for North America, the Japanese automaker plans to change course and manufacture its own later this decade.
- Company officials say they’re developing their own EV architecture, and after two GM-made EVs go on sale in 2024, Honda will start building its own.
- Honda and GM have been partners on hydrogen fuel cell and electric vehicles. Earlier this year they announced that GM would build one Honda SUV and one Acura SUV using its Ultium-branded electric vehicle architecture and battery system. The company said the Honda SUV would be named the Prologue
- both SUVs will have bodies, interiors and driving characteristics designed by Honda.
 
 
CHINA: LFP BATTERY SHARE FOR MIC TESLA MODEL 3 REACHES 88% IN MAY
 
- According to very interesting insurance data released by EV Observer (via Moneyball), Tesla Model 3 sales in China are dominated by the version with LFP (lithium iron phosphate) batteries.
Tesla produces in China two versions of the Model 3 that, as far as we know, are equipped with LG Energy Solution's NCM batteries or CATL's LFP batteries
- The data - assuming it is correct - indicates that the SR+ version stands for a record share of 88% of all Made-in-China (MIC) Model 3 sold in China in May 2021
- One of the most interesting things is what will happen once Tesla introduces the entry-level Model Y with LFP batteries? According to rumors, such a version might be launched in July
 
 
NISSAN MAY CONFIRM THIS WEEK IT IS BUILDING A BATTERY PLANT IN UK
 
- Nissan Motor Co will confirm as soon as this week that it will build a battery gigafactory in Sunderland, northeastern England, as part of its electric vehicle strategy, a reporter for broadcaster Sky News said on Monday.
- Japanese media firm Nikkei reported last month that Nissan would partner with China-based battery maker Envision AESC group to build new battery plants for electric vehicles in Japan and United Kingdom.
 
 
Revealed: I understand Nissan will confirm as soon as this week details of its EV strategy for the UK, including the construction of a battery gigafactory in Sunderland - paving the way for thousands of the Japanese company's electric cars to be built in Britain every year.
 
 
RENAULT SIGNS EV BATTERY DEALS WITH ENVISION, VERKOR FOR FRENCH PLANTS
 
- Renault said it signed a memorandum of understanding with the French start-up Verkor to co-develop and then manufacture high-performance batteries, with a view to owning a more than 20 percent stake in Verkor.
- "The combination of these two partnerships with Renault ElectriCity will create nearly 4,500 direct jobs in France by 2030, while developing a robust battery manufacturing ecosystem in the heart of Europe," Renault said in a statement.
- Renault's electric vehicle production hub, with sites at Douai, Maubeuge and Ruitz, is expected to produce 400,000 cars a year and create 700 additional jobs in the region. With the French state as its most powerful shareholder, Renault has come under pressure to preserve jobs and keep EV technology in the country.
- The automaker currently buys batteries for its Zoe model from an LG Energy Solution factory in Poland, an arrangement that will carry over to the coming Megane EV lineup planned for next year, according to the statement.
- Renault is also still talking to Stellantis' battery joint venture with energy giant Total, called Automotive Cell Company, about a potential third battery tie-up for around 2027, according to its statement.
 
 
Renault confirms battery deals with AESC and Verkor - electrive.com
 
- Renault now officially confirms that Chinese battery manufacturer Envision AESC will build a battery factory at Renault’s Douai site in northern France
- a total capacity of 43 GWh is targeted by 2030, of which Renault is to purchase 24 GWh. The batteries from Douai are to be used in the future in the electric R5, among other vehicles.
- “Our battery strategy builds on Renault Group’s ten years of experience and investment in the electric mobility value chain,” expresses Luca de Meo, CEO of Renault Group. “The latest strategic partnerships with Envision AESC and Verkor greatly bolster our position as we ensure the Europe-based production of one million electric vehicles by 2030. This marks a major milestone as we strengthen our competitive edge, by rooting our Group in the underlying momentum of French industry and striving to reach our carbon neutrality objectives. The Group thus reaffirms its willingness to produce popular, affordable, and cost-effective electric cars in France.”
 
 
CHINA’S ENVISION TO BUILD RENAULT $2.4 BILLION BATTERY PLANT
 
- French President Emmanuel Macron is scheduled to unveil the agreements on Monday at Renault’s assembly plant in Douai, where the Envision battery plant -- the first in Europe for the company that also makes wind turbines -- will be located. Ahead of a national election next year, Macron is seeking to reap political advantage from the prospect that some 4,500 jobs could be created by 2030 at the EV hub situated in a region that has long suffered from industrial decline.
 
 
RIVIAN SHOWCASES R1T CAMP KITCHEN’S FEATURES IN NEW VIDEO
 
- Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe shared a video showcasing the R1T’s camp kitchen feature recently. The Rivian R1T modular camp kitchen seems to deliver as promised, with a full set of utensils and a makeshift kitchen sink to boot.
- The entire kitchen comes in three modules, stored in the electric pickup’s Gear Tunnel. The R1T camp kitchen includes an induction cooktop for at least two pots or pans and a removable sink with a hose reel to rinse off dirty dishes, utensils, food, and more.
- The sink seems to be attached to a water tank module. It does not have a drain but can be detached to throw out the water. The sink could also be used as a basket when removed from its module based on the video. The sink’s cover seems like it also functions as a cutting board.
- The R1T’s kitchen modules are easily detached from the Gear Tunnel shuttle, which is 65” long, 18.1” wide, and 20.3” in height. It includes features like LED lighting, a 12V outlet, a 110V outlet, and a safety release.
 
 
BRITAIN AIMS TO CAPTURE £8BN ELECTRIC CAR SPENDING SPREE
 
- Britain aims to seize on an imminent £8bn spending spree by international manufacturers to “catch the wave” of electric cars, Boris Johnson’s investment tsar has revealed.
The City grandee Lord Grimstone, who now leads the Government’s Office for Investment, told The Telegraph he is in discussions with a raft of potential investors in the UK to capitalise on an “auto-Renaissance”.
- Investment decisions are due from Japanese carmaker Nissan over a new gigafactory in Sunderland for electric car batteries. Stellantis, the owner of Vauxhall’s Ellesmere port, has held talks over making electric vehicles on the site.
The South Korean duo LG and Samsung are also reportedly in discussions over major gigafactory investments, while West Midlands carmaker JLR is looking to source batteries from a UK plant.
- Lord Grimstone said: “I think we are in the middle of what I call the “auto-Renaissance” because all the manufacturers have been caught out across Europe and the UK by the speed at which the customer - not the manufacturer, not the Government - is moving towards electric vehicles.
“Every single one of them I talk to - all of them - are changing their production schedules, bringing forward new models and reconfiguring their whole global footprint.
- “This is a huge opportunity for the UK. Out of this kind of massive change, you are either going to catch the wave, or if you don’t it is not going to be there for another 20 or 30 years.”
 
 
2023 AUDI E-TRON FACELIFT RUMOURED TO GET NEW BATTERY, MORE RANGE
 
- The automaker began delivering the E-Tron crossover in 2019, and that model is due for a mid-cycle refresh. However, instead of the usual design tweaks automakers make, Audi is rumoured to be updating the electrified powertrain, too.
- Not only will the E-Tron and E-Tron Sportback receive a new battery, which will increase its range, but the two will also receive improved electric motors that are more efficient. Autocar’s sources say that the E-Tron will deliver more than 373 miles of range for both variants. The current 95-kilowatt-hour battery delivers 249 miles of range in the UK.
 
 
VOLKSWAGEN IS #1 IN ELECTRIC VEHICLE SALES ACROSS THESE 10 EUROPEAN COUNTRIES
 
- Looking across the same 10 European countries as before — Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland — the clear brand leader is Volkswagen, with 18.3% of the pure electric vehicle sales across those 10 markets. That’s nearly one out of every five electric vehicles sold in those 10 countries.
- Tesla, still carried by just the top-selling Model 3, is #2, holding 10% of EV sales. Renault is not far behind, with 9.2% EV market share, but expect Tesla to grow its lead notably in June, and probably further through the end of 2021. Peugeot (7.7%) and Hyundai (6%) round out the top 5.
 
 
 
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