19 Jan 2022 | Winnebago e-RV Electric Camper, 125 Mile Range

Episode 1347,   Jan 19, 2022, 05:17 PM

Today’s big EV stories:
• Podcast Recommendation: How Volkswagen is reinventing itself as an EV company
• Ford Stock Active On $8.2 Billion Q4 Gain From Rivian Investment
• GM receives tax abatement for potential $1.3 billion Orion investment
• Lucid Air Dream Edition 0-60 mph, 1/4-mile performance gets real-world test
• Porsche Taycan selected as Formula E safety car for season 8
• Winnebago e-RV Electric Camper Van Concept Has 125 Miles of Range
• Tesla driver is charged in a deadly crash involving Autopilot
• Tesla Autopilot from reliable, Chinese study finds
• Volkswagen and Bosch set up JV to push European battery production
• Can Bentley crack the EV market?
• 10 key EV milestones to watch out for in 2022

Show #1347

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Good morning, good afternoon and good evening wherever you are in the world, welcome to EV News Daily for Wednesday 19th January. 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.

Welcome to a new Patreon Producer JOHN DYSON

PODCAST RECOMMENDATION: HOW VOLKSWAGEN IS REINVENTING ITSELF AS AN EV COMPANY

- How Volkswagen can reinvent itself as an EV company, with CEO Herbert Diess

- Volkswagen is one of the two biggest carmakers in the world — there’s a battle every year between VW and Toyota for the top spot; they both sell around 10 million cars a year.

- Herbert oversees a huge range of familiar car brands: VW, of course, but also Audi, Lamborghini, Porsche, and Bentley, as well as Skoda and Seat in Europe. A recent management shuffle also put him directly in charge of Volkswagen’s software subsidiary, which is called CARIAD, and, of course, he’s in charge of VW’s aggressive efforts to electrify its lineup and shift all its cars to being EVs.

- Herbert and I talked about all of that and the overall transition to EVs, including VW’s new EV microbus, which is very cool. We also talked about how a company like Volkswagen can move as quickly as smaller competitors like Tesla.


FORD STOCK ACTIVE ON $8.2 BILLION Q4 GAIN FROM RIVIAN INVESTMENT

- Ford shares were active in early Wednesday trading after the carmaker said late Tuesday that its early investment in Rivian Automotive would add around $8.2 billion to its fourth quarter bottom line.

- In an investor update ahead of its formal earnings release on February 3, Ford said gains from Rivian's November IPO would be booked as a special item over the three months ending in December. Ford invested $500 million in Rivian in 2019 -- building that to $1.2 billion in the following years -- and has a total stake of around 12% in the Irvine, California-based EV group.


GM RECEIVES TAX ABATEMENT FOR POTENTIAL $1.3 BILLION ORION INVESTMENT

- Orion Township officials on Tuesday approved a tax abatement for a proposed $1.3 billion investment by General Motors Co. to build electric vehicles at its Orion Assembly plant in Lake Orion.

- GM requested the maximum period permitted for the tax abatement: 12 years, plus three years during the construction phase for the investment, which is expected to lead to the creation or retention of 2,000 jobs, GM said in its tax abatement application, which The Detroit News previously obtained.

- Sources previously told The News GM plans to use the plant to build electric trucks based on its new Ultium battery-electric platform. The recalled Chevrolet Bolt EV and EUV are currently assembled there, but production is down through February as GM prioritizes battery module replacements for the recalled Bolts.

- How much GM will save from the abatement is not yet known

- GM is also looking to invest billions in Delta Township near Lansing for a battery cell manufacturing plant it's proposing to build there with battery partner LG Energy Solution. GM also applied to receive local and state tax breaks for that project.


LUCID AIR DREAM EDITION 0-60 MPH, 1/4-MILE PERFORMANCE GETS REAL-WORLD TEST

- Drag racing veteran and host of YouTube’s DragTimes channel Brooks Weisblat was able to test the Lucid Air Dream Edition Performance’s capabilities. The vehicle was owned by a longtime car enthusiast who currently owns a Tesla Model S Plaid, a Porsche Taycan Turbo S, and several other supercars. In a walkthrough of the vehicle, the Lucid owner highlighted several of the features he is fond of in the Air, such as its tactile controls, as well as some things he wishes were improved, such as its software and audio system.

- With Launch Mode enabled, the Air attacked the quarter-mile without hesitation. Ultimately, the first test of the Lucid Air Dream Edition Performance showed that the vehicle showcased a 0-60 mph time of 2.93 seconds and a quarter-mile time of 10.21 seconds. The vehicle’s trap speed was also very impressive at 143.37 mph.

- In its third test, for example, the all-electric luxury sedan’s 0-60 mph dropped to 2.88 seconds, which is closer to the 2.5 seconds estimated by Lucid.


PORSCHE TAYCAN SELECTED AS FORMULA E SAFETY CAR FOR SEASON 8

- The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship has selected the all-electric Porsche Taycan as its official Safety Car for season 8. The new SC is set to make its formal debut at the opening round of the Formula E season later this month in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia.

- “Formula E is delighted the Porsche Taycan Turbo S will serve as the championship’s Safety Car from Season 8,” says Jamie Reigle, CEO of Formula E. “The Porsche Taycan Turbo S is the pinnacle of high performance electrified vehicles and will light up Formula E city racetracks around the world.”

- Porsche Taycan SCs are fitted with highly visible light bars and the necessary toggles and switches in the cabin to operate them properly.

- Mechanically, however, the Formula E Porsche Taycan seems to be almost stock.


WINNEBAGO E-RV ELECTRIC CAMPER VAN CONCEPT HAS 125 MILES OF RANGE

- Recreational vehicles rounded the corner into the electric era today with the unveiling of the Winnebago e-RV concept at the Florida RV SuperShow. Using a Ford Transit van as the basis of the concept, Winnebago and its powertrain partner, Lightning eMotors, swapped in an an electric motor and an 86.0-kWh battery pack.

- While Winnebago did not release an estimated horsepower rating for the e-RV camper van concept, it did say that estimated driving range would be 125 miles per charge, which is significantly shorter than today's EV passenger vehicles. But the Winnebago has a bed, a kitchenette, and wet bath with a shower, all home-style amenities you won't find in a Tesla.

- For right now, the e-RV is merely a concept and Winnebago says that as battery technology evolves there's a potential for additional range. The e-RV concept has an onboard charger that is capable of juicing the battery at an owner's home, at public high-speed charging ports, or while plugged into shore power at a campground. According to Winnebago, the e-RV can charge up in about 45 minutes using a high-speed public charging station.


TESLA DRIVER IS CHARGED IN A DEADLY CRASH INVOLVING AUTOPILOT

- California prosecutors have filed two counts of vehicular manslaughter against the driver of a Tesla on Autopilot who ran a red light, slammed into another car and killed two people in 2019.

- The defendant appears to be the first person to be charged with a felony in the United States for a fatal crash involving a motorist who was using a partially automated driving system. Los Angeles County prosecutors filed the charges in October, but they came to light only last week.

- The criminal charges aren't the first involving an automated driving system, but they are the first to involve a widely used driver technology.

- In the Tesla crash, police said a Model S was moving at a high speed when it left a freeway and ran a red light in the Los Angeles suburb of Gardena and struck a Honda Civic

- NHTSA added that all state laws hold human drivers responsible for operation of their vehicles. Though automated systems can help drivers avoid crashes, the agency said, the technology must be used responsibly.


TESLA AUTOPILOT FAR FROM RELIABLE, CHINESE STUDY FINDS


VOLKSWAGEN AND BOSCH SET UP JV TO PUSH EUROPEAN BATTERY PRODUCTION


CAN BENTLEY CRACK THE EV MARKET?


10 KEY EV MILESTONES TO WATCH OUT FOR IN 2022

- The transition to electric vehicles represents one of the most significant shifts in the automotive industry’s history. Here are the 10 key milestones we expect to see in 2022.

1.       The EV pickup market will accelerate dramatically
2.       Tesla must meet Cybertruck or Semi production deadline
3.       Crunch time for Canoo and Arrival
4.       NIO launches semi-solid-state battery
5.       Production finally begins for 4680-format cells
6.       Rivian and Lucid enter production hell?
7.       Tesla’s Germany and Austin factories come online
8.       More interest in Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries
9.       The first confirmed EV based on a Foxconn platform
10.   Chinese EV exports to Europe will grow


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