IAA: Mercedes EQG, Megane E-Tech & Porsche Mission R | 07 Sep 2021

Episode 1204,   Sep 07, 2021, 12:00 AM

Today’s big EV stories:
• Renault Megane E-Tech Electric revealed
• 2021 Polestar 2 priced to impress as premium EV
• Skoda Enyaq iV Coupé to drop in 2022
• Skoda Enyaq Coupe iV and VW ID.5 Sportbacks
• Porsche’s new Mission R electric racecar concept is built to stream
• Nissan celebrates 250,000 EV sales across Europe
• Mercedes-Benz EQB Three-Row Electric Crossover Bows At IAA 2021
• 2024 Mercedes-Benz EQG: What We Know So Far
• Volkswagen's ID.Life is an urban EV that will enter production by 2025
• Lightweight Bosch charging cable eliminates 'power brick'

Show #1204.

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Good morning, good afternoon and good evening wherever you are in the world, welcome to EV News Daily for Tuesday 7th September. 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.

RENAULT MEGANE E-TECH ELECTRIC REVEALED

- Renault has revealed its next generation EV over a decade after democratising electric car technology with its Zoe, transferring the Megane nameplate onto a new and bespoke all-electric hatchback that will rival the Volkswagen ID.3 and Cupra Born.

- This decision to apply the Megane name to an all-new bespoke EV signals Renault’s commitment to the technology, diverging from its French counterparts Peugeot and Citroen by not engineering a single model capable of supporting both EV and ICE powertrains.

- With no combustion-engined Megane replacement in the pipeline, Renault’s looks a brave and dramatic move by comparison.

- the Megane E-Tech will utilise a single electric motor in two outputs, 128bhp and 218bhp, driven from one of two available battery packs of either 40kWh or 60kWh. With its most potent combination, the Megane will reach 62mph in 7.4sec

- The CMF-EV platform the new Megane sits on has been co-developed with Alliance partner Nissan, and incorporates the slimmest battery pack in the marketplace at just 110mm thick. This has allowed Renault’s designers to keep the body relatively low-slung in comparison to VW’s MEB platform

- from 186 miles at the lower end right up to 292 miles.


2021 POLESTAR 2 PRICED TO IMPRESS AS PREMIUM EV

- New versions of the Polestar 2 electric performance fastback have made their European public debut at the 2021 IAA in Munich. Announced earlier in 2021, the expanded Polestar 2 model range now offers three powertrains

- A key addition to the new versions is the optional heat pump. The heat pump reduces the need to use valuable battery capacity to prepare and sustain the cabin climate. The system uses ambient heat, as well as residual thermal energy from the drivetrain, to reduce energy requirements for climate control by as much as 50%. In colder weather and most effectively between 5-15 degrees Celsius, as much as a 10% improvement in range can be achieved.

- The heat pump is part of the Plus Pack, one of three curated optional equipment bundles that enhance the Polestar 2 experience. The Plus Pack also includes high-level premium equipment like the full-length panoramic glass roof, premium Harman Kardon audio system with 13 speakers, WeaveTech upholstery, Black Ash deco panels, fully-electric heated front seats with memory, heated rear seats, heated steering wheel and heated wiper nozzles.

- Variants and packsReference pricing based on German market (excluding incentive and handover) Long range Dual motorEUR 51,500Long range Single motorEUR 48,500Standard range Single motorEUR 45,500


SKODA ENYAQ IV COUPÉ TO DROP IN 2022

- A few months before the sales launch, Skoda has revealed more details about the Enyaq iV Coupé. However, the SUV coupé of the well-known MEB battery-electric car will only be launched in three of the five drive variants of its SUV brother.

- Specifically, these are the Enyaq Coupé iV 60, 80 and 80x. The 60 has a 58 kWh battery and a 132 kW electric motor. The 80 is the familiar version with the large 77 kWh battery and 150 kW rear-wheel drive, and the 80x is the 195 kW all-wheel-drive version with the 77 kWh battery. The Enyaq’s 50 drive and RS model will therefore not be offered on the SUV coupé at market launch.

- he 58 kWh battery can be charged with up to 120 kW with the current software, while the 77 kWh battery can currently be charged with a maximum of 125 kW – an update has been announced for the autumn, which is rumoured to enable up to 170 kW at corresponding DC charging stations.


SKODA ENYAQ COUPE IV AND VW ID.5 SPORTBACKS

- The electric launch cycles of many of the biggest brands serves as a welcome reminder of how important groups and platforms are.A perfect example of this is currently playing out with the Skoda Enyaq Coupe iV and the VW ID.5, both due for launch shortly.Both these electric models follow existing models - the Skoda Enyaq iV and the VW ID.4 as SUV versions - which now get a dropped back for pumped up coupe looks.

- Audi is a big fan of what it calls the sportback, offering that dropping roofline for more sporty looks on many models and - something we saw on the Audi e-tron and more recently with the Audi Q4 e-tron - which also comes in both styles.

- The ID.5 will only offer the larger 82kWh battery, again with a choice of motor powers, but the GTX that's being pushed will have dual motors, we suspect the same 220kW pairing on the ID.4 GTX.


PORSCHE’S NEW MISSION R ELECTRIC RACECAR CONCEPT IS BUILT TO STREAM

- Porsche is taking inspiration from the world of esports and livestreaming for its next racecar concept. The all-electric Porsche Mission R, first introduced at this weeks’ 2021 IAA Mobility conference in Munich, is what Porsche believes is “the future of customer motorsport.”

- nside there are mounted cameras for the driver’s helmet, a movable camera on the car’s A-pillar, and a backward-facing dashboard cam so fans can get up close and personal. Porsche claims the gaming rig-inspired steering wheel has built-in biometric sensors to track a driver’s vitals throughout, and the car also features a dedicated “Livestream button.”

- Porsche says the Mission R can go from zero to 100 km/h (around 62mph) in 2.5 seconds, with a max speed of over 300 km/h (around 186mph)


NISSAN CELEBRATES 250,000 EV SALES ACROSS EUROPE

- Nissan has achieved a quarter of a million fully electric vehicle sales in Europe – marking a new step in a decade of success for Nissan electric mobility.As the EV revolution continues to accelerate, Nissan celebrates the latest milestone in its commitment to advancing electric mobility, with the iconic LEAF achieving 208,000 sales and the highly versatile e-NV200 van securing 42,000 customers in Europe.

- the e-NV200 has upheld the same pioneering spirit of the LEAF, bringing the benefits of zero-emissions mobility to both businesses and private customers.Equipped with an efficient 40kWh powertrain, up to 4.2m3 of cargo capacity and offering low operating costs, the e-NV200 is a highly flexible tool for commercial users and has been the vehicle of choice for businesses across Europe.

- e-NV200 Evalia has also served the needs of everyday private customers, with a highly-adaptable interior and five- and seven-seater options available


MERCEDES-BENZ EQB THREE-ROW ELECTRIC CROSSOVER BOWS AT IAA 2021

- Seen for the first time at IAA Mobility 2021, the EQB wasn’t a big surprise because we knew it was coming and we had been covering it for months. Just like the EQA, which is the EV version of the GLA, the EQB is the pure-electric version of the GLB. And the difference between the two ICE models is the same for the EVs - the EQB is the slightly bigger and more rugged looking of the two, and the only to offer a third row of seats.

- the EQB is only available with two motors, in either EQB 300 or EQB 350 guises. They both draw from the same 66.5 kWh battery pack (shared with the EQA), they have the same maximum charging speed of 110 kW

- WLTP range of up to 419 km (260 miles).

- The EQB is expected to reach US dealers in 2022, but in Europe it should become available before the end of 2021.


2024 MERCEDES-BENZ EQG: WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR

- Over several decades the Mercedes-Benz G-class built a reputation as an all-conquering off-roader before becoming a six-figure status symbol for celebrities. Now, with the automotive landscape shifting away from gas-powered cars, the G-class is spawning the all-electric EQG.

- The EQG will be an all-new model for the Mercedes brand when it launches. We expect it to arrive for the 2024 model year, meaning it could go on sale in late 2023.

- We estimate that the price of the 2024 Mercedes EQG will be in the $120,000-range when it reaches dealerships. We’ll know more about the different EQG trims and their pricing closer to the electric off-roader’s on-sale date.

- The EQG is expected to be powered by four electric motors, one near each wheel, that will be individually controllable, which should improve on- and off-road driving performance.


VOLKSWAGEN'S ID.LIFE IS AN URBAN EV THAT WILL ENTER PRODUCTION BY 2025

- Volkswagen has added another piece to its EV puzzle with the launch of the ID.Life concept, a front-wheel drive EV aimed at city-dwellers, the company announced at IAA Mobility 2021 in Munich. The small crossover shares the MEB platform and battery with the ID.3, and VW plans to launch it in Europe (not the US) by 2025.

- The ID.Life is powered by a 231-horsepower motor and 57.0-kWh battery pack that's considerably larger than the 35-kWh battery on the Honda E city car. Like the rear-wheel-drive ID.3, also available only in Europe, it should go around 250 miles on a charge via Europe's generous WLTP cycle.


LIGHTWEIGHT BOSCH CHARGING CABLE ELIMINATES 'POWER BRICK'

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