13 Dec 2021 | Rivian Wins ‘Truck Of The Year’

Episode 1308,   Dec 13, 2021, 01:00 PM

Today’s big EV stories:
• Rivian R1T 210kW peak DC charging, lack of heat pump
• Rivian nabs a coveted MotorTrend award for its debut EV pickup
• Tesla, Mercedes Take Opposite Approaches to Touchscreen Gameplay
• Mercedes EQS Recalled After 56-Inch Display Allowed TV While Driving
• Check Out This Tesla Model S With A Larger Charging Flap: For CCS?
• Tesla Full Self-Driving Beta Causes Accident With Model Y
• Volkswagen ID.4 GTX 2022 review – has VW built a Ford Mach-E GT?
• Ford ramps up its Mustang Mach-E output
• NIO reaches 700 swap stations goal ahead of schedule
• Vingroup Starts Construction On Ev Battery Manufacturing Factory
• GM's First Ultium Battery Gigafactory Appears Almost Completed
• Harley to take EV unit public via SPAC deal as valuations soar

Show #1308

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Good morning, good afternoon and good evening wherever you are in the world, welcome to EV News Daily for Monday 13th December. It’s Martyn Lee here and I go through every EV story so you don't have to.

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 RIVIAN R1T 210KW PEAK DC CHARGING, LACK OF HEAT PUMP

- US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) test documents have revealed a number of interesting tidbits about the 2022 Rivian R1T and R1S, including the vehicles’ peak DC charging rate and their absence of a heat pump.

- R1T and R1S have a peak DC charging rate of 210 KW, which is right in line with what the company quoted for its proprietary DC Adventure Network. Similar to Tesla Superchargers, the Adventure Network is designed specifically by Rivian for its vehicles, though the company has noted that the system could be opened to other EVs in the future.

- Rivian has been quite subtle about the Adventure Network’s full specs, though the company has noted that its fast chargers would offer over 200 kW output for the R1T and the R1S. This should allow the all-electric pickup truck and SUV to replenish up to 140 miles of range in 20 minutes. Rivian did state that further improvements down the line would likely improve the fast chargers to over 300 kW.

- Rivian’s EPA test documents also featured a specific section for the R1T and R1S’ heat pump, though a look at the filings itself reveals that the vehicles are not equipped with the component. Considering that heat pumps are known to increase the efficiency of electric vehicles in the cold, it would be quite interesting to see how the R1T and the R1S’ range could hold up in places with extremely cold temperatures.


RIVIAN NABS A COVETED MOTORTREND AWARD FOR ITS DEBUT EV PICKUP

- MotorTrend awarded its prestigious 2022 "Truck of the Year" to an upstart: the electric Rivian R1T, setting a high bar for rival Tesla’s upcoming Cybertruck.

- Rivian beat out finalists that other electric vehicles, including General Motor’s Hummer EV Pickup, to bag the prize with its very first model. The award goes beyond bragging rights. Rivian gains prestige and credibility at a key point when the upstart desperately needs to justify its $100 billion market cap.

- Tesla took home the title of 2013 MotorTrend Car of the Year with its landmark Model S. Yet its most recent model, the highly popular Model Y crossover, didn't even make it to the short-list for 2021 SUV of the Year after being named a contender.


TESLA, MERCEDES TAKE OPPOSITE APPROACHES TO TOUCHSCREEN GAMEPLAY

- Tesla runs counter to the traditional auto industry in a lot of ways, from the tweets of CEO Elon Musk to starting as an all-electric automaker in the early 2000s. The latest example of Tesla's different approach is the way it and Daimler have each responded to recent questions of safety and in-car entertainment.

- Specifically, both Tesla and Mercedes have permitted people to play video games on the car's touchscreen while the vehicle is in motion, although Mercedes considers it a mistake and is recalling vehicles to remedy the problem, while Tesla has not yet done that.

- Minimizing distracted driving has been at the forefront of the agenda for U.S. safety regulators for years now, even as cars get more connected and in-cabin screens multiply and continue to grow larger.

- As for Mercedes, the German automaker issued a recall for four models—the 2021 S580 and the 2022 EQS450, EQS 580, and S500—when it discovered that some of those vehicles on the road had been programmed with an "incorrect configuration" on Mercedes-Benz's back-end server and potentially on the MBUX infotainment system in these vehicles. The error allows "vehicle occupants to activate those functions [including TV and digital owner's manual, as well as the games] while the vehicle is driving."

- Tesla, on the other hand, has allowed video games to be played in some of its vehicles for years. That's fine when the car is parked, but this summer, an over-the-air software update allowed three video games to be played even while the car was in motion.


MERCEDES EQS RECALLED AFTER 56-INCH DISPLAY ALLOWED TV WHILE DRIVING

- Impacted models include the 2021 S580 and 2022 models of both vehicles made before Nov. 16—specifically the S500, EQS450, and EQS580, for a total of 227 vehicles.

- Mercedes investigated the issue after receiving a report of its occurrence in an "internal vehicle," presumably a company car or prototype. It subsequently determined "an incorrect configuration was available on Mercedes-Benz's backend server and might have been installed on vehicles in the field."

- The carmaker has updated the server implicated in the issue and states in the NHTSA document that no dealer service will be needed for affected vehicles, though it still notified dealers this week.


CHECK OUT THIS TESLA MODEL S WITH A LARGER CHARGING FLAP: FOR CCS?

- a Tesla Model S test car was seen with a surprisingly big charging flap within the rear light segment, which appears to be similar to the one in the Tesla Model 3/Model Y cars.

- As noted by Tesla_Adri (@tesla_adri), it might be a new, enlarged version of the charging flap that will be used to accommodate the CCS-compatible charging port in the refreshed Model S/Model X in Europe (and other markets).

- r, as the company launched the Model 3/Model Y in Europe with the CCS Combo 2-compatible inlet, it was obvious that a similar fate will befall also the Model S/X once the refreshed version enters the market. The older Model S/Model X was forced to use an adapter to charge at CCS 2 fast chargers.

- The refreshed Tesla Model S/Model X are expected to get a CCS Combo 2-compatible inlet in Europe and basically in most global markets (aside from North America, South Korea, China and some other countries). This bigger charging inlet for AC and DC charging requires more space:

- In other words, it's an expected and positive move for Tesla, which will offer unified and industrywide compatible solutions for charging (AC 1- and 3-phase, as well as DC). The European Supercharging network is already retrofitted with two types of plugs - the Type 2 (used for DC charging) and CCS2.


TESLA FULL SELF-DRIVING BETA CAUSES ACCIDENT WITH MODEL Y

- Over the weekend, video of an incident in what was reported to be a Tesla Model Y was posted to Youtube. The video, which was later removed from YouTube shows the crossover, which was reportedly running Tesla’s “Full Self Driving” level two driver assist system veers toward an oncoming car before the driver grabs the wheel to disengage “FSD” and leaves the road. The video was reposted on Twitter.

- The video begins with the Model Y rounding a long, gentle curve on a two-lane road. As another vehicle approaches the Tesla in the opposing lane, the Model Y straightens its steering to send the electric crossover on a path for a head-on collision. The driver reacts quickly to retake control from the Full Self-Driving Beta and pull their Model Y back to the right.

- The driver lost control of the Model Y, and the vehicle slid off the road. The crossover fell into and then launched out of a small ditch along the side of the road. The Tesla bounced over the terrain before coming to a stop near a home.


VOLKSWAGEN ID.4 GTX 2022 REVIEW – HAS VW BUILT A FORD MACH-E GT?

- The new Volkswagen ID.4 GTX is the first performance-biased model from VW’s EV push, topping the ID.4 range with its first application of a dual-motor set-up. To denote this new focus on performance, Volkswagen has introduced that new GTX badge, but while the connection to VW’s GTI will bring with it a higher level of scrutiny, the ID.4’s large SUV form suggests it’s not exactly a B-road brawler.

- The good news is that Volkswagen has given the GTX some decent mechanical changes to coincide with its sportier disposition, namely adding that second electric motor to the ID.4’s MEB platform. This second motor is mounted on the front axle, which together with the existing rear-mounted motor creates a total of 295bhp and 339lb ft of torque, giving the GTX a reasonable 6.2sec 0-62mph time and a top speed of 112mph.

- The battery pack is unchanged from that of other high-spec ID.4s with a 77kWh useable capacity (82kWh gross), giving a quoted WLTP range of 299 miles, or about 30 miles down on the most efficient single-motor variant with the same battery capacity.


FORD RAMPS UP ITS MUSTANG MACH-E OUTPUT


BREAKING: NIO REACHES 700 SWAP STATIONS GOAL AHEAD OF SCHEDULE


VINGROUP STARTS CONSTRUCTION ON EV BATTERY MANUFACTURING FACTORY


GM'S FIRST ULTIUM BATTERY GIGAFACTORY APPEARS ALMOST COMPLETED


HARLEY TO TAKE EV UNIT PUBLIC VIA SPAC DEAL AS VALUATIONS SOAR
 

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