23 Jan 2022 | Sony Moves Forward With Electric Car Plans

Episode 1351,   Jan 23, 2022, 05:00 PM

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Today’s big EV stories:
• Honda's CEO Says Toyota's Hydrogen Cars Plan Is Flawed
• Sony seeks new partners for transformative EV project -executive
• Tesla starts construction on Santa Monica Supercharger
• Tesla Targeting First Giga Austin Model Y Deliveries By End Of Q1
• Maple Leaf 60S To Launch in February - With Battery Swap in 60 seconds
• Behind GM, Ford’s new EV strategy is old-time financing: Cash
• You answers to Question of the Week

Show #1351

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Good morning, good afternoon and good evening wherever you are in the world, welcome to EV News Daily for Sunday 23rd 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, mysteriously named, Patreon Producer N FROM CANADA

HONDA'S CEO SAYS TOYOTA'S HYDROGEN CARS PLAN IS FLAWED

- Toshihiro Mibe has said that Toyota's commitment and proposals towards hydrogen powertrains are flawed. He said that Honda had pursued the technology a decade ago and deemed it untenable for cars, but that hasn't resulted in the Japanese giant completely abandoning the technology.

- "We have conducted research into every possibility that's out there. As for hydrogen engines, we see some quite difficult technological challenges. So, about 10 years ago, we decided this would not become mainstream,"

- But Honda has a more balanced view of the situation - where Mibe believes for personal mobility the electric powertrains will be the way to go. However, when it comes to the future of aircraft, Honda Motors also has a jet engines subsidiary that is working on hydrogen.


SONY SEEKS NEW PARTNERS FOR TRANSFORMATIVE EV PROJECT

- Sony Group (6758.T) will likely add new technology partners to its electric vehicle (EV) project to help it forge a mobility business to transform cars from transportation machines to entertainment spaces, a Sony executive told Reuters.

- "We see the risk of ignoring EVs as greater than the challenge they pose," Izumi Kawanishi, the senior general manager who will manage a new Sony Mobility business, said in an interview. The coming transformation of cars was in some ways similar to how information technology turned phones into smartphones, he added.

- So far, Sony has built two EV "Vision" prototypes with a factory in Austria owned by Canadian auto parts maker Magna International (MG.TO), which also makes cars for firms including BMW , Mercedes Benz and Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) .

- Other members of its Europe-based project include German auto parts maker Bosch, French automotive technology company Valeo SE and Hungarian autonomous vehicle start-up AImotive.


TESLA STARTS CONSTRUCTION ON SANTA MONICA SUPERCHARGER

- Tesla has started construction on a new, much-needed giant Supercharger station in Santa Monica. The station was also supposed to include the automaker’s 1950s restaurant, but now it’s not clear if the diner is still in the plans.

- Last year, we reported on construction plans revealing that Tesla was planning a large, 62-stall Supercharger V3 station at the location. When the project was approved in April 2021, Musk again said that Tesla still was aiming to build a 1950s diner at the location.

- The reader noted that construction is happening fast. The location was only a dirt lot only a few weeks ago. The company has already poured concrete and installed quite a few Supercharger stalls.


TESLA TARGETING FIRST GIGA AUSTIN MODEL Y DELIVERIES BY END OF Q1

- Numerous Model Ys have started appearing in the lots around the partially-finished Tesla Giga Austin. According to reports Giga Austin has started test production of the Y, meaning first customer cars should be ready by the end of Q1 2022.

- Only a small number of Texas-built Model Ys will be ready this quarter, but it paves the way for a serious production ramp up through the rest of 2022. Crucially, Giga Austin Model Ys will be the first to feature Tesla's new structural battery pack and 4680 battery cells.


MAPLE LEAF 60S TO LAUNCH IN FEBRUARY - WITH BATTERY SWAP IN 60 SECONDS

- Maple Leaf is an EV brand under Geely. The car is made by a joint venture between Geely and Lifan. Geely is also Lifan’s largest shareholder. The Maple Leaf 60S is expected to be launched within February this year.

- the new car uses a permanent magnet synchronous motor, with a maximum power of 136 hp (100 kW)

- The 60S uses a battery pack made by Guoxuan Technology, good for an NEDC range of 415 kilometers. In addition, the 60S is “rechargeable and exchangeable.” This means that driver can charge the 60S in the standard (rechargeable). Meanwhile, the battery can be swapped (exchangeable). Two options for users: a 30-minute DC fast charging mode a 60-second battery swapping mode.

- Maple Leaf 60S is primarily a car for taxi and ride-hailing companies.


BEHIND GM, FORD’S NEW EV STRATEGY IS OLD-TIME FINANCING: CASH




QUESTION OF THE WEEK WITH EMOBILITYNORWAY.COM

What TV, Print or Digital advertising have you seen for EVs recently which you noticed, or thought was memorable?

BYRON DEITHRICK
I’m loving the New BMV adverts on T.V with Coldplay. Not a BMV fan but the adverts got my attention .

MAX MAHASZ
Hi I have recently seen bmw commercial with Coldplay song that i really like it 

NICK
I have not seen any ads for an EV; however, I have seen as from hertz that they now offer ev rentals

TOMAS
Hi Martyn,
Can't remember last time I bought a paper newspaper or watched TV, so it is all digital for me. Usually I just skip all ads but these two are on this week for me. First is Fisker and it Ocean, that I still don't trust having in mind his previous projects 🙂. 

The second is Toyota and its self charging hybrids 🙂 Though those ads were supposedly banned last year here in Norway, maybe doesn't apply to Instagram/FB. That raised my eyebrow since we all remember… there’s no such thing as a self-charging hybrid 🙂

ELIJAH N
I know it's not an advert, but it seems to me the best advert for the EV community is Tesla. They don't spend any money on advertising but I see them everywhere, and any time Elon Musk says anything, it gets reported far and wide. Even if it's not always positive, at least everyone knows Tesla. 

SHAZ MOODY
Year ago Tesla had a competition or initiative to create TV ad for them. Bjorn Nyland.

PETER
Opel MOkka tv ad, I remember it because I noticed the car, but they don't say anything about it. It's a bunch of young hipsters using it to on a night out partying

NEAL REYNOLDS
When I was looking out for the IONIQ 5 i remember an ad set in London, on empty streets, and the London Eye I don't think the car was even in it.

BECK IN OREGON
There was a Porshe Taycan ad which had it driving through a museum of all old 911's, and 928's, then it speeds off into a tunnel.

NEW QUESTION OF THE WEEK WITH EMOBILITYNORWAY.COM

Tom Moloughney’s Lucid Air 70mph range test yielded a real world highway range of 500 miles. That raises the bar by a huge amount and make the Lucid Air easily the longest range EV ever tested. But…do EV’s ever need a range of 500 miles?

Email me your answer now: hello@evnewsdaily.com

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Come and say hi on Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter just search EV News Daily, have a wonderful day, I’ll catch you tomorrow and remember…there’s no such thing as a self-charging hybrid.

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