Electrify America to phase out CHAdeMO | 29 July 2021

Episode 1160,   Jul 29, 2021, 12:00 AM

Today’s big EV stories:
• Electrify America to phase out CHAdeMO In 2022
• Tesla Battery Supplier CATL Debuts Cheaper Sodium-Ion Batteries
• Ford quickly reaches 120,000 orders for its Tesla Cybertruck rival
• Biden plan would tighten mileage for new cars over the next four years
• LG and Magna form electric powertrain joint venture to target EV market
• Tesla launches major shift in retail strategy
• Mercedes EQS SUV Spied With Production Lights, Maybach Concept Coming Soon
• Analysis: Tesla hikes electric car prices in U.S.; holds line in China
• Tesla AI Day scheduled for August 19, confirms Musk
• Kelley Blue Book Names Best Affordable Used Hybrids, Electric Vehicles for 2021

Show #1160.

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Good morning, good afternoon and good evening wherever you are in the world, welcome to EV News Daily for Thursday 29th July. 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.

 ELECTRIFY AMERICA TO PHASE OUT CHADEMO IN 2022

- buried deep on page 46 of Electrify America's Cycle 3 ZEV National Investment Plan (the EA National Investment Plan is used for the entire US except California) the company explains it will no longer install CHAdeMO connectors on its charging stations, beginning in January of 2022

- Our sources at Electrify America tell us that overall, only 5% of all energy dispensed on the Electrify America network is from CHAdeMO connectors.

- Since a CCS adapter is now available, Tesla owners no longer need to use a CHAdeMO adapter to charge on DC Fast charge stations. It's rumored that soon Tesla will also be releasing its own CCS adapter for the North American market.

- owners of CHAdeMO-equipped vehicles will still have the existing 800+ Electrify America charging stations that have CHAdeMO connectors, plus the many hundreds of CHAdeMO stations currently in service in the US on other EV charging networks like Blink, EVgo, ChargePoint, and more.


TESLA BATTERY SUPPLIER CATL DEBUTS CHEAPER SODIUM-ION BATTERIES

- Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd. unveiled a sodium-ion battery Thursday, a type of lower-density cell that uses cheaper raw materials than batteries made from lithium-ion metals.

- Fujian-based company also launched a battery-pack solution that can integrate sodium-ion cells and lithium-ion cells into one case, compensating for the energy-density shortage of the former while preserving its advantages.

- “Sodium-ion batteries have unique advantages in low-temperature performance, fast charging and environmental adaptability,” CATL Chairman Zeng Yuqun said. “Moreover, they’re compatible and complementary with lithium-ion batteries. Diversified technical routes are an important guarantee for the long-term development of the industry.”

- Notwithstanding, CATL said that through breakthroughs in R&D, its first-generation sodium-ion batteries have reached 160 watt-hours/kilogram, a measure of energy density of energy, and should exceed 200 Wh/kg in coming generations.


FORD QUICKLY REACHES 120,000 ORDERS FOR ITS TESLA CYBERTRUCK RIVAL

- The interest appears to be building for Ford's first-ever all-electric F-150 dubbed the Lightning.Ford (F) has amassed 120,000 orders for the Lightning, CEO Jim Farley told investors on an earnings call Wednesday evening. About 75% of the orders are from those people new to the Ford brand, Farley said.

- "I would say what we've learned so far [from Lightning orders] is that the customers are largely new to Ford, but they aren't new to the segment. These are customers who really like these silhouetted vehicles. What is really interesting for me is some would portray the full-size truck industry as kind of a conservative customer. It's not what we're seeing. In this very large order bank for F-150 Lightning, they're new to BEV [battery electric vehicle], and they are excited to move to BEV. More than half of them are pickup truck customers,"


BIDEN PLAN WOULD TIGHTEN MILEAGE FOR NEW CARS OVER THE NEXT FOUR YEARS

- The Biden administration has drafted emissions rules for new cars that would reverse a rollback in regulations brought in under Donald Trump, the Washington Post reports. It notes that the measures are set to resemble a 2019 pact between the state of California and five car makers that mandates a 3.7% annual increase in fuel economy through to 2026.

- Bloomberg notes that activists had previously pressed Biden for emissions curbs that at least matched the 5% reduction he helped broker as Obama’s vice president, rather than adopting the “more modest” Californian target in the short term.


LG AND MAGNA FORM ELECTRIC POWERTRAIN JOINT VENTURE TO TARGET EV MARKET

- LG Electronics and Magna International have officially signed a transaction agreement to establish the pair's joint venture that was first announced in December last year.The new company, called LG Magna e-Powertrain, will be based in Incheon, South Korea, and have an initial workforce of more than 1,000 people.

- The pair are hoping the joint venture will combine Magna's strength in electric powertrain systems and LG's expertise in components, such as e-motors and inverters, to expand their presence in the global electric car market. The joint venture will manufacture e-motors, inverters, and on-board chargers. It will also supply components related to e-drive systems.


TESLA LAUNCHES MAJOR SHIFT IN RETAIL STRATEGY

- Tesla (TSLA) is currently implementing a major shift in its retail strategy, according to sources familiar with the matter. The automaker will move away from showrooms in fancy malls, and instead it will focus on cheaper locations, remote managing of test drive fleet, and delivery centers.

- In 2018, the automaker announced a focus on high foot-traffic retail locations in high-end malls.
A year later, CEO Elon Musk surprised everyone, including his own employees, when he announced that Tesla would be closing most retail stores, laying off retail employees, and focusing entirely on online orders.

- The new strategy will see Tesla letting go of most of its high-rent locations in malls and shopping districts in favor of delivery centers.

- But Tesla still plans to expand its physical presence.  However, instead of expensive spaces in malls and shopping districts, the automaker is looking to rent spaces in mall parking lots, warehouses, and other locations to manage test drive fleets and delivery centers.

- Tesla employees working remotely will be able to guide buyers to go on test drives using vehicles from those locations, unlocking cars remotely, and letting them drive the cars.


MERCEDES EQS SUV SPIED WITH PRODUCTION LIGHTS, MAYBACH CONCEPT COMING SOON

- Our spies have caught the Mercedes EQS SUV on numerous occasions, but this is our first opportunity to check out the large electric vehicle with its final headlights and taillights. A

- the SUV version was caught undergoing testing in Germany ahead of its confirmed 2022 world premiere.

- It will be built in the United States at the Tuscaloosa plant from 2022 along with the smaller EQE SUV. These two dedicated EVs will join the EQA, EQB, and EQC – all three based on platforms originally intended for ICE – in the company's all-electric SUV portfolio. The highlight of Mercedes' electric efforts will be the Vision EQXX, a concept car coming in 2022 with the promise to cover 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) between charges.


ANALYSIS: TESLA HIKES ELECTRIC CAR PRICES IN U.S.; HOLDS LINE IN CHINA

- Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) showed signs of divergent strategies in the world's two biggest automotive markets, raising prices to boost profit margins in the United States while keeping prices steady in China and hoping to grow sales there.

- Tesla raised prices for the most affordable versions of Model 3 and Model Y about a dozen times this year in the United States, according to data tracked by Reuters. At the same time, Tesla recently introduced an affordable Model Y version in China, where it refrained from price hikes.

- Tesla raised prices for Model Y Long Range at least six times in the United States this year, bumping by $5,500 to $53,990.


TESLA AI DAY SCHEDULED FOR AUGUST 19, CONFIRMS MUSK

- Tesla’s upcoming AI day would be held this coming August 19, 2021. The announcement was shared by Tesla CEO Elon Musk in a recent post on Twitter.

Musk did not share details about the upcoming event, though previous tweets about Tesla’s AI Day suggest that the company would be going over the progress it has made in software and hardware, both in terms of training and inference. The CEO also previously mentioned that AI Day’s primary purpose is recruitment.

- It would then be interesting to see how Tesla approaches its AI Day. With such a specialized topic and considering the company’s experience in the subject, there is a fair chance that discussions and updates on the company’s AI efforts may be lost in translation once more.


KELLEY BLUE BOOK NAMES BEST AFFORDABLE USED HYBRIDS, ELECTRIC VEHICLES FOR 2021

- To help car shoppers considering an affordable used hybrid or electric vehicle, the experts at Kelley Blue Book recently published the 10 Best Used Hybrids and EVs Under $20,000 and the 10 Best Used Hybrids and EVs Under $15,000.

- 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV

- 2018 Nissan Leaf

- 2017 Chevrolet Volt

- 2019 Kia Niro Hybrid

 m
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