15 Dec 2021 | Toyota’s EV U-Turn

Episode 1310,   Dec 15, 2021, 01:00 AM

Show #1310

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Good morning, good afternoon and good evening wherever you are in the world, welcome to EV News Daily for Wednesday 15th December. It’s Martyn Lee here and I go through every EV story so you don't have to.

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TOYOTA’S ELECTRIC VEHICLE PLANS ARE GETTING BIGGER AND MORE EXPENSIVE

- Toyota is ramping up its electric vehicle production schedule, vowing to release 30 electric vehicles by 2030 rather than just 15 EVs by 2025, as was previously promised. The Japanese automaker also vowed to sell 3.5 million battery EVs globally by 2030 and to transform Lexus into an EV-only brand by 2035.

- the company’s top executives, including billionaire CEO Akio Toyoda, have been on the record calling the trend toward electric vehicles “overhyped” in part because of emissions associated with power plants — which is a favorite talking point used by the oil and gas industry.

- But in an event Tuesday, Toyoda changed his tune, touting the need for the company to reduce tailpipe emissions by releasing more EVs.

- As part of the announcement, Toyota showed several dozen concept vehicles, including sedans, sports cars, crossovers, SUVs, pickup trucks, and even a couple of boxy shuttles. The company didn’t release many details about each vehicle but did note that a planned Lexus sports car would have a “cruising range” of 700 km (434 miles) and be able to accelerate from 0 to 60mph in under two seconds.


TOYOTA TEASES SLICK ELECTRIC SPORTS CARS IN MAJOR EV PREVIEW

- Toyota's upcoming offerings will live under its new "BZ" sub-brand, which stands for "Beyond Zero." We've already seen one proper production model under this new umbrella -- the BZ4X, which will spawn a unique Lexus variant, the RZ,


TOYOTA REVEALS ASTOUNDING LINEUP OF FUTURE ELECTRIC CARS FOR 'BEYOND ZERO' BRAND AND MORE

- They include a BZ small crossover, a BZ compact SUV, a BZ sedan and a BZ large SUV. It's clear these vehicles are concepts or design studies for now, with blacked-out windows to hide their lack of real interiors.

- another eight electric cars to fill out this line with some exciting potential cars. There are two commercial vehicles, called the Mid Box and Micro Box, and two more SUVs. One appears on the smaller side with the name "Small SUEV" and the other looks closer to the BZ compact SUV concept, though it just wears a "Crossover EV" name.

- Toyota showed what sure looks like a successor to the beloved FJ Cruiser called the Compact Cruiser EV concept. The boxy off-road SUV wears a familiar shade of blue to the departed Jeep Wrangler rival and even rocks similar design language to the previous SUV. There's also the Pickup EV, which looks a lot like today's Tacoma with minimal changes and -- are you ready for this? -- a sports car.


TOYOTA SHIFTS GEARS WITH MAJOR INVESTMENT IN ELECTRIC VEHICLES

- In November, Toyota declined to join a pledge signed by six major carmakers, including General Motors, and Ford Motor Co. to phase out fossil fuel cars by 2040. It argued that not all parts of the world would be ready to transition to green cars by then.

- In addition to battery EVs, Toyota also builds hydrogen fuel cell cars, and is developing internal combustion engines that run on hydrogen fuel, although it has not said when it might commercialize the technology.

- Toyota recently promised that it will be ready to sell only zero-emission cars in Europe by 2035


HERE’S HOW MUCH HYUNDAI’S COOL, NEW IONIQ 5 EV WILL COST

- The cheapest way to get an Ioniq 5 will be the 125 kW (168 hp) rear-wheel drive SE Standard Range model with the smaller 58 kWh battery pack. This will cost $39,700 before the IRS 30D tax credit and any local incentives. However, as is nearly always the case with a new car regardless of OEM, if you want the cheapest one, you need to be prepared to wait, as it will only become available in spring 2022.

- The cheapest long-range Ioniq 5 is the $43,650 RWD SE, then there's the $45,900 Ioniq 5 SEL, followed by $50,600 Ioniq 5 Limited.
If you prefer more power and don't mind charging slightly more often, that version of the Ioniq 5 SE starts at $47,150, with the AWD Ioniq 5 SEL at $49,900 and the AWD Ioniq 5 Limited at $54,500.


THE 'CHEAP' HYUNDAI IONIQ 5 UNDERCUTS ALMOST ALL EV CROSSOVERS/SUVS

- This entry-level version has 220 miles of EPA range, a 125 kW electric motor for rear-wheel-drive, and, most importantly, an MSRP of $39,700 (+$1,225 DST), which after deducting the $7,500 federal tax credit will turn into effectively $33,425. Once we checked the list of available EVs, it turns out that it's one of the least expensive electric crossovers/SUVs.

- An interesting thing is that the Hyundai Ioniq 5 SR undercuts the base Ford Mustang Mach-E on price (by $4,195), but is expected to deliver only a slightly lower range, despite the battery being much smaller. On the other hand, the Ford Mustang Mach-E should be much quicker. Hyundai Ioniq 5 will fast charge at a higher rate.

- Here is another surprise, the entry-level Hyundai Ioniq 5 is marginally less expensive than the Volkswagen ID.4 (we don't have prices for the 2022 model year yet). However, that's only because the ID.4 does not have its lower-spec trims on the market yet (like the 62 kWh battery version). It also has noticeably more range and power.

- he Hyundai Ioniq 5 SR is $200 less expensive than the base Kia Niro EV. And the EPA range is only slightly lower.

- The poor Chevrolet Bolt EUV is temporarily out of production, but even if it was being produced, it would not be eligible for the $7,500 federal tax credit. It means that after deducting the tax credit, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 SR would be, on paper, less expensive. Pretty surprising anomaly considering how much smaller the Bolt EUV is.


NEW 2022 CUPRA BORN ELECTRIC CAR: SPECS, DETAILS AND PRICES

- Cupra has announced pricing for the first version of its Born electric family hatchback to go on sale, as well as new trim level details. Prices will start from £33,735, though extra variants will be added to the range in time.

- Eventually, the Born range will consist of four models, however, the mid-range variant which uses 58kWh battery and 201bhp electric motor is the only one you can order for the time being. This particular version has a range of 263 miles, while 0-62mph takes 7.3 seconds.

- Prices start from £33,735 for the 58kWh/201bhp Born in V1 trim, with standard equipment including 18-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, a 12-inch central infotainment screen, reversing camera and safety systems like lane assist and tiredness recognition.


CONVENIENT, NETWORKED AND SUSTAINABLE: NEW SOLUTIONS FOR CHARGING ELECTRIC VOLKSWAGEN MODELS


LUCID MOTORS CEO SEES $25,000 ELECTRIC CARS IN 4 YEARS


YOU CAN PLAY SONIC THE HEDGEHOG IN TESLAS


ABB’S TERRA 360 ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGER MAKES MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA DEBUT 


ELECTRIC VEHICLES FOR MILITARY JUST A 'MATTER OF TIMELINE


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