10 Dec 2021 | VW Increase EV Investment…Again!

Episode 1304,   Dec 10, 2021, 01:00 AM

Today’s big EV stories:
• Volkswagen ramps up e-mobility spending to $59 bln by 2026
• Diess keeps job as VW increases EV spending to catch Tesla
• Skoda CEO Thomas Schäfer to become Volkswagen boss
• Volkswagen Will Have an ID. California: Electric Campervan, Anyone?
• New BMW i3 Sedan Makes Early Debut In China As Electric 3 Series
• Mercedes beats Tesla to 'Level 3' autonomy
• SVOLT to increase battery production capacity t0 600 GWh by 2025
• SVOLT Energy aims to become the biggest battery cell maker by 2025
• 2022 Jeep Wrangler Now Only Available as Plug-In Hybrid in Europe
• Ford Kuga diesel models axed
• Tesla Model S Plaid Can't Go 200 MPH. And You Wouldn't Want to
• Tesla doubles down on system to prevent gas cars ‘ICEing’ Superchargers
• Lucid Air production software gets tested, shows interesting quirks
• LG Energy Solution reviews $2b EV battery plant in Ontario
• Synthetic gasoline emits just as much pollution as regular gas

Show #1304

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Good morning, good afternoon and good evening wherever you are in the world, welcome to EV News Daily for Friday 10th December. It’s Martyn Lee here and I go through every EV story so you don't have to.

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VOLKSWAGEN RAMPS UP E-MOBILITY SPENDING TO $59 BLN BY 2026

- Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) on Thursday said it would ramp up spending for battery-powered electric vehicles by around 50% to 52 billion euros ($59 billion) by 2026 as part of the group's far-reaching transformation.

- The investment is part of Volkswagen's new revolving 5-year spending plan, which foresees total investments of 159 billion euros in the 2022-2026 period, compared with 150 billion for the 2021-2025 period.


DIESS KEEPS JOB AS VW INCREASES EV SPENDING TO CATCH TESLA

- VW Group's supervisory board presented its annual update to the company's five-year investment plan on Thursday, outlining investments of 159 billion euros ($180 billion), up from 150 billion euros last year, and electrifying more of VW's sites across Europe.

- "We are becoming a battery manufacturer, a charging infrastructure manager, software is playing a more dominant role ... we are developing new business activities with an unbelievable dimension for us," Diess said, adding the company expected to generate 20 billion euros of revenue by 2030 from its battery division alone.

- In a nod to worker representatives keen to keep a strong power base at home, VW confirmed a plan to add a new electric car factory near its global headquarters in Wolfsburg. The site will produce some 250,000 vehicles as part of the Trinity project.

- VW brand chief Ralf Brandstaetter will take over the group's China business from Diess on Aug. 1.

- Diess will add responsibility for the company's software unit Cariad


SKODA CEO THOMAS SCHÄFER TO BECOME VOLKSWAGEN BOSS

- Current Skoda boss Thomas Schäfer will switch over to head up Volkswagen next year as part of a major reshuffle of the Volkswagen Group management team.

- Schäfer only took over as Skoda chairman in August last year, having previously served as the head of the VW Group’s South African operation. He will take up his new role as Volkswagen’s chief operating officer from 1 April next year.

- While the moves announced by the supervisory board are significant, they are not as extensive as had been rumoured, including reports that Diess could be shifted from his post as chairman of the board.


VOLKSWAGEN WILL HAVE AN ID. CALIFORNIA: ELECTRIC CAMPERVAN, ANYONE?

- Volkswagen anticipated today the name of another car based on the electric van: ID. California.

- Volkswagen said that Hanover would make the ID. California

- American websites are already betting on an electric campervan, the shape in which the original VW Bus made its fame in the U.S. in the 1960s and, more specifically, in California. It will not be as roomy as modern campervans, but the possible 4.94 meters (194.5 inches) of length will make it one of the biggest MEB products around.

- Apart from being produced in Hanover, the ID. California and the ID. BUZZ AD (whatever AD means) will also be made in Chattanooga starting in 2022. Volkswagen’s primary market for the electric van and its derivatives will be the U.S.


NEW BMW I3 SEDAN MAKES EARLY DEBUT IN CHINA AS ELECTRIC 3 SERIES

- China is home to the world's largest automotive market, and as such, automakers are keen to have a plethora of new vehicles in the region available for buyers. Entering that market sometimes leads to unexpected new-vehicle reveals through China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and that seems to be the case here with the new BMW i3 sedan.

- This looks like a tweaked BMW 3 Series and is nothing like the small i3 hatchback we currently know. Nevertheless, photos clearly show an i3 badge on the rear, along with eDrive 35L branding. What does all of this mean?

- China's MIIT website also lists some statistics including a power output of 250 kilowatts. That translates to 335 horsepower, and this car is also the long-wheelbase version so that likely explains the 35L nomenclature. As for eDrive, that almost certainly denotes this particular model as rear-wheel-drive only instead of all-wheel drive.


MERCEDES BEATS TESLA TO 'LEVEL 3' AUTONOMY


SVOLT TO INCREASE BATTERY PRODUCTION CAPACITY T0 600 GWH BY 2025


SVOLT ENERGY AIMS TO BECOME THE BIGGEST BATTERY CELL MAKER BY 2025


2022 JEEP WRANGLER NOW ONLY AVAILABLE AS PLUG-IN HYBRID IN EUROPE


FORD KUGA DIESEL MODELS AXED
 

TESLA MODEL S PLAID CAN'T GO 200 MPH. AND YOU WOULDN'T WANT TO


TESLA DOUBLES DOWN ON SYSTEM TO PREVENT GAS CARS ‘ICEING’ SUPERCHARGERS


LUCID AIR PRODUCTION SOFTWARE GETS TESTED, SHOWS INTERESTING QUIRKS


LG ENERGY SOLUTION REVIEWS $2B EV BATTERY PLANT IN ONTARIO


SYNTHETIC GASOLINE EMITS JUST AS MUCH POLLUTION AS REGULAR GAS


GRIDSERVE TO ROLL OUT BIGGEST EV CHARGING UPGRADE IN UK HISTORY


GRIDSERVE LAYS CLAIM TO BIGGEST MOTORWAY EV CHARGING UPGRADE IN UK HISTORY | CURRENT NEWS


TRITIUM PLUGS INTO DC TO PRODUCE NEW EV FAST CHARGERS THAT WILL REDUCE COSTS


HUBJECT & DCS LAUNCH PLUG&CHARGE COOPERATION


CURRENT± PREDICTS: THE ENERGY TRANSITION IN 2022


THE TRICKY BUSINESS OF CHARGING ELECTRIC CARS



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11 Dec 2021 | Interview: The Business Of eMobility with Vitaly Golomb
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