Nobel Winner Says EVs Beat Hydrogen or Synthetic Fuels | 31 Aug 2021

Episode 1196,   Aug 31, 2021, 12:00 AM

Today’s big EV stories:
• All-electric Mercedes G-Wagen to appear in Munich
• US: Kia Introduces 2022 Niro EV, Raises Price
• Lithium-ion battery pioneer Akira Yoshino on future of electric vehicles
• 2022 Ford Focus spy photos reveal large Tesla-style touchscreen
• Lotus confirms four new electric cars including two SUVs by 2026
• Jay Leno Reviews 2022 Mercedes EQS
• Vauxhall’s electric Combo-e goes on sale
• EVs that sold the fastest and slowest in August
• Design competition launches to reimagine EV charging stations
• Ford planning Mach-E updates to extend range in 2022, 2023, and 2024

Show #1196.

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Good morning, good afternoon and good evening wherever you are in the world, welcome to EV News Daily for Tuesday 31st August. 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.

ALL-ELECTRIC MERCEDES G-WAGEN TO APPEAR IN MUNICH

- The electrification of Mercedes-Benz seems to be continuing apace, with those in the know telling us that an EV variant of the mighty G-Wagen – likely to be called the “EQG” – will appear at next month’s International Motor Show in Munich.

- Merc engineers and stylists will surely be working overtime to imbue the EQG with an appearance fit for the electric age but one not too far from the square-jawed face that’s so popular in Hollywood and other moneyed parts of the world.

- While the company will probably take a planer to some of its hard edges, it remains highly unlikely it’ll reinvent the classic two-box design, which isn’t fundamentally all that different than when the model first appeared over four decades ago.

- There are rumblings Mercedes will plug motors and batteries into the G’s current ladder frame rather than deploy a low-slung EV architecture for risk of ruining its off-road chops. This, of course, neatly ignores the fact that most G-Wagens only ever experience the likes of Rodeo Drive and Savile Row.


US: KIA INTRODUCES 2022 NIRO EV, RAISES PRICE

- Kia America announced today the 2022 model year Kia Niro EV, which was slightly refreshed and better equipped as standard.
On the outside, the Niro EV now has the new Kia badging on the front grille, the tailgate, steering wheel hub and wheel center caps. The biggest change is probably that the 10.25-inch touchscreen is now standard.

- the entry-level trim version is now $900 more expensive ($39,990 compared to $39,090 in 2021 MY):

EX: $39,990
EX Premium: $44,650

- The specs remain the same with a 64 kWh battery, an EPA range of 239 miles (385 km), and a 150 kW electric motor.


LITHIUM-ION BATTERY PIONEER AKIRA YOSHINO ON FUTURE OF ELECTRIC VEHICLES

- Professor Akira Yoshino, a co-winner of the 2019 Nobel Prize in chemistry for his work on lithium-ion batteries, can take credit for the upheaval in the automotive and technology industries.
Lithium-ion batteries have provided the first serious competition in a century to fossil fuels and combustion engines in the transportation industry.
Now an honorary fellow at Asahi Kasei, the Japanese chemical firm where he has worked for nearly 50 years, Prof Yoshino sees more disruption ahead as transportation and digital technology become one industry, sharing lithium battery technology.

- There are two major areas of innovation that would be the key. One would be new cathode materials and anode materials.  The second one would be the system where the electric vehicle is used. In other words, how people will be using the electric vehicles, and how they charge them and discharge them.

- With the fuel cell vehicle, there are challenges on the technology and the costs, but you can overcome them. If you think about the longer term, 2030 to 2050, autonomous shared vehicles are going to come about.

Hypothetically, an autonomous vehicle could be run by a petrol engine, it could be electric, it could be a fuel cell. It doesn't matter what the power source is. But it needs to replenish its energy somehow.
If the vehicle can't do that automatically without human intervention, the system is kind of meaningless. The same thing would be true for petrol or hydrogen.

- Right now, the auto industry is thinking about how to invest in the future of mobility. At the same time, the IT industry is also thinking about the future of mobility.

Somewhere, some time, with the auto industry and the IT industry, there will be some kind of convergence for the future of mobility.



2022 FORD FOCUS SPY PHOTOS REVEAL LARGE TESLA-STYLE TOUCHSCREEN

- The facelifted 2022 Ford Focus small car appears set for a major technology upgrade, with new spy photos pointing to the fitment of a supersized infotainment touchscreen inspired by Tesla.

- While the perspective of the image makes it difficult to confirm, it appears the Focus will be the latest Ford model to gain the brand's latest Sync 4 infotainment system housed within a Tesla-like portrait touchscreen, as employed in 15.5-inch guise in the latest Mustang Mach-E electric SUV

- Ford of Europe has committed to offering a plug-in hybrid or all-electric version of every vehicle it sells by mid-2026, a deadline that conveniently follows after the expected end of the current-generation Focus's life cycle – suggesting a hybrid or electric option isn't in the plan for the small car.


LOTUS CONFIRMS FOUR NEW ELECTRIC CARS INCLUDING TWO SUVS BY 2026

- A teaser image previews the future Lotus EV line-up, which will be made up of five models with the inclusion of the already revealed Evjia hypercar. Joining it from 2022 will be a large SUV codenamed Type 132, while 2023 will see the arrival of a similarly sized four-door coupe referred to as Type 133 and probably shaping up as a direct competitor for the Tesla Model S.

- A mid-size, ‘D-segment’ SUV known as Type 134 is slated for arrival in 2024, the size of the car suggesting it will be a rival for the BMW iX3.

- Three of these vehicles will use Lotus’ recently announced Premium Architecture - a fully electric car platform. It’s been developed by Geely owned Lotus for a global rollout of ‘lifestyle’ orientated cars, in this case, the two SUVs and the four-door coupe. Lotus has also confirmed that the Premium Architecture is electrified at 800v.

- The Lotus ‘lifestyle’ models will be built in China, at a new factory in Wuhan due to open later this year.


*AD*

JAY LENO REVIEWS 2022 MERCEDES EQS 

- While Jay Leno may not be the most thorough car reviewer, he does possess a unique perspective considering just how many vehicles he’s owned and driven throughout the years, from newer luxury cars and sports cars to all-time classics.

- Recently, he got to sample Mercedes’ 2022 EQS, which he drove around for a whole week in order to better understand what this car is all about. In a nutshell, he absolutely loved it.

- What impressed him the most about the EQS was the ease of use and how effortless it feels to drive. He even talked about how the lack of vibrations gives you a sensation of ultimate luxury.

- “It’s almost as if you’re watching a video of the outside world,”


VAUXHALL’S ELECTRIC COMBO-E GOES ON SALE

- Vauxhall’s latest electric van – the Combo-e – has gone on sale.Completing the firm’s line-up of electric commercial vehicles, the Combo-e is priced from £25,238 excluding VAT and including the government’s plug-in car grant. Due to hit showrooms later this year, the Combo-e brings an electric range of up to 171 miles from a single charge thanks to a 50kWh battery. The ability to charge at speeds of up to 100kW means that the Combo-e’s batteries can be taken from 0-80 per cent in as little as 30 minutes.

- business users can take advantage of the van’s zero per cent benefit-in-kind tax.

- The Combo-e can be specified as both a panel or crew van with the former available in two load lengths and two specifications – Dynamic and Sportive.


EVS THAT SOLD THE FASTEST AND SLOWEST IN AUGUST

- The Kia e-Niro was August’s fastest-selling used electric car while the Mercedes-Benz EQV was the slowest, new figures show.
Data compiled by Auto Trader exclusively for Car Dealer reveals the Korean electric SUV took on average 29 days to sell on UK dealer forecourts.
Meanwhile, the Mercedes-Benz EQV electric people-carrier took over five times longer at 150 days.

- Used car buyers aren’t snapping up one type of electric vehicle either, with increased demand seen across all sector types, from volume-selling EVs to premium EVs, too

- However, while buyer interest and demand for EVs is rising, the price disparity between ICEs (internal combustion engine cars) and pure-electric vehicles is still high.

- 1. Kia e-Niro

- 2. Tesla Model X
Average days to sell: 32

- 3. Vauxhall Corsa-e
Average days to sell: 33

- 4. Tesla Model 3
Average days to sell: 34

- 5. Nissan Leaf
Average days to sell: 36

- 6. Audi Q4 e-tron
Average days to sell: 36

- 7. Volvo XC40 Recharge
Average days to sell: 39

- 8. MG ZS EV
Average days to sell: 39

- 9. Volkswagen e-Golf
Average days to sell: 40

- 10. Volkswagen ID.3
verage days to sell: 40


DESIGN COMPETITION LAUNCHES TO REIMAGINE EV CHARGING STATIONS


FORD PLANNING MACH-E UPDATES TO EXTEND RANGE IN 2022, 2023, AND 2024


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