New MG ZS EV, MG5 and Marvel R Debuts | 09 Oct 2021

Show #1239

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Good morning, good afternoon and good evening wherever you are in the world, welcome to EV News Daily for Saturday 9th October. It’s Martyn Lee here and I go through every EV story so you don't have to.

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In the first three quarters of the year, sales of hybrid and electric vehicles surged to a record 184,369 units (+142.7%). The Mercedes-Benz EQC sold 17,938 units and the EQA achieved a record 13,021 deliveries thanks to robust demand for zero-emission cars, particularly in Q3 when almost half of all EQ deliveries occurred. The EQS electric flagship went on sale in August.

Overall 61,652 plug-in hybrids and all-electric cars were sold in Q3 (+34.1%) of which 19,298 were electric-only vehicles (+38.0%).

"Mercedes-Benz will add about 300 jobs at its Alabama assembly plant by the end of this year as the luxury automaker gears up to build electric utility vehicles." reports Automotive News for subscribers: "The factory, in the town of Vance, employs 4,400 and is a production hub for the Mercedes GLS and GLE utility vehicles. Starting next year, it will produce battery-powered versions of the two popular vehicles. Mercedes is hiring for the assembly, body and paint shops, as well as the battery plant, where workers will assemble high-voltage EV battery systems."

EQS starts in Q2 and EQE in Q4.

Read more: https://www.autonews.com/manufacturing/mercedes-add-300-jobs-us-plant-preparation-ev-production

"General Motors has been in the news recently for battery fires related to its Chevrolet Bolt EV, but that hasn't slowed the automaker's electrified ambitions." says Tech Radar: "Speaking at the From Automaker to Platform Innovator event, GM President Mark Reuss confirmed the names of two upcoming Chevrolet EVs and the company has dropped hints on more electric offerings from Buick and other brands in its portfolio. At the event, Reuss mentioned two new EV SUVs by name, first confirming an electric version of the Chevrolet Equinox is on its way. Reuss noted that the Equinox EV will be a high-volume model with a starting price of around $30,000.  The other SUV on Chevy's EV list is the Blazer - a mid-size crossover SUV which has been around since 2019 and will now be blessed with a fully electric drivetrain."

Read more: https://www.techradar.com/news/chevrolet-blazer-is-the-unfortunately-named-next-step-for-chevys-electric-cars

"Jeff Bezos stood before a packed conference room in Washington, D.C., and declared war on climate change. It was September 2019. His secret weapon, tucked deep into a chart-heavy presentation, was a bug-eyed cargo truck built by a startup few people had heard of." says Bloomberg in the second of their Rivian series: "The order immediately separated the auto rookie from the parade of promising electric startups, providing backing, a big book of business and legitimacy. It also would soon start to draw in additional investment from major players, including Ford Motor Co."

Bloomberg adds: "On Friday, Rivian shared new details of the Amazon deal in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, revealing how closely its fate is tied to one of its biggest benefactors. The e-commerce giant will have exclusive rights to Rivian’s delivery vehicles for four years after receiving its first one, and it gets right of first refusal to buy the vans for two years after that. There’s a clear recognition inside Rivian and with its investors that the van for Amazon is a priority and the pickup a sideshow until production can be ramped up to meaningful volumes. The deal gives Rivian visibility and guaranteed revenue, along with a deadline. An all-hands-on-deck edict has been issued to get the project up to speed — for now, the R1T is taking a back seat."

As for the subscriptions their owners can take, Rivian say: “Rivian defines LTR (Lifetime Revenue) potential as the revenue it can generate from its Rivian vehicles throughout its lifetime (considered to be 10 years), if the owner, in this case, subscribes to everything possible. Level 3 driving capabilities account for $10,000, and a monthly subscription plan for infotainment, connectivity, diagnostics, and other services accounts for the other $5,500.”

Read more: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-10-06/how-amazon-pushed-rivian-s-van-into-the-fast-lane

On the charging network: "RAN sites will be exclusive for Rivian owners initially, with Rivian members receiving special rates."

InsideEVs says: "The upcoming Rivian Adventure Network (RAN) of DC fast chargers is promised to quickly expand to about 600 sites in the U.S. and Canada with a total of more than 3,500 DC fast chargers by the end of 2023 (see details here). According to Rivian, chargers will be exclusively available to R1T and R1S drivers, but only "initially". At a later point, the network will be opened to other EVs, which is a positive sign and good news for those who were afraid that Rivian's chargers will not be available to the public. Besides Rivian Adventure Network, the company will deploy also about 10,000 Rivian Waypoints charging points by 2023. Those are 11.5 kW AC charging points, envisioned for destination locations or places where drivers spend more time - shops, restaurants, hotels and parks. Those points will be available for all EV drivers."

Read more: https://insideevs.com/news/539566/rivian-adventure-network-charging/

"MG Motors unveiled the facelifted all-electric version of the ZS, featuring a grille-less look, new infotainment, and a larger battery pack option for an increased range. The MG ZS EV first appeared in 2018 and quickly became popular thanks to its competitive pricing. The facelifted model will reach dealerships this November with the intention of making the electric SUV even more attractive to European buyers." according to CarScoops: "ZS EV gets the new LED headlights and taillights of its ICE-powered sibling but adopts a different front bumper that distinguishes it further. The grille is fully covered with a new pattern while the side intakes are smaller giving the car a cleaner and more aerodynamic look.  Inside, the 10.1-inch touchscreen incorporates the new MG iSMART infotainment system with new features, remote control functions, and more connectivity options.  the most important change has to do with the new bigger 72 kWh battery pack offering a 273-mile (439 km) WLTP range. In 2022, MG will also offer a cheaper variant with a smaller 51 kWh battery pack offering a range of 198 miles (319 km)."

Pricing in November.  Autocar says the Long Range will start from €34,990 ($40,475)

Read more: https://www.carscoops.com/2021/10/refreshed-mg-zs-ev-debuts-with-a-grille-less-look-new-infotainment-and-a-bigger-battery/

"Unveiled in March, the MG Marvel R Electric flagship electric SUV has gone on sale in select European countries. Not in the UK, though, as the Chinese-owned British automaker has yet to announce details about a possible launch in its home market. Described as the largest and most luxurious MG, the Marvel R Electric is a C-segment SUV offering a choice of two powertrains and starting prices of €39,990 ($46,250) for the base RWD model and €47,990 ($55,500) for the range-topping AWD version." reports InsideEVs: "It offers two all-electric powertrains, one with rear-wheel drive and one with all-wheel drive.

Both feature the same 70 kWh battery which enables a WLTP range of 402 kilometers (250 miles) in the Comfort and Luxury RWD trim levels. These models feature two rear-mounted electric motors with a system output of 132 kW (177 hp). The AWD model, available exclusively in the range-topping Performance trim level, adds an electric motor to the front axle for a system output of 212 kW (284 hp). Customers will benefit from quick charging capability at a public charging point (AC) due to the standard 11 kW 3-phase on-board charger. The battery can also be charged at a fast-charging station (DC) with a capacity of up to 92 kW. All models are also fitted with a V2L (Vehicle-to-Load) system as standard, allowing the battery to supply energy to an external electrical system at a maximum load capacity of 2,500W. "

Read more: https://insideevs.com/news/539218/mg-marvelr-electric-onsale-europe/

"CEO Peter Rawlinson recently told Reuters that 577 units of the Lucid Air will be built in the remainder of 2021 before production ramps up to 20,000 and 50,000 vehicles in 2022 and 2023, respectively. The company has secured the US$4.4 billion needed by the end of next year through its IPO, but does not want to wait until then to raise further capital." says electrive.com: "Rawlinson explained that the capital raised so far “takes us to the end of 2022, so it doesn’t take us to Project Gravity.” Gravity is the name of the brand’s second electric vehicle."

Read more: https://www.electrive.com/2021/10/07/lucid-motors-on-track-for-2023-production-targets/

Read more: https://www.autoblog.com/2021/10/05/lucid-gravity-2023-launch-date/

Read more: https://www.media.volvocars.com/uk/en-gb/media/pressreleases/287197/volvo-cars-starts-production-of-c40-recharge-in-ghent-belgium

Read more: https://www.greencarreports.com/news/1133768_volvo-parent-geely-reveals-9-000-geometry-ev-for-china-bullish-on-battery-swapping

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