07 Mar 2022 | Hyundai Kona Gets Another Refresh With CATL Batteries

Episode 1397,   Mar 07, 2022, 05:00 PM

On the podcast today:
• Volkswagen ID. Buzz: sustainable, with plenty of attention to detail | Volkswagen Newsroom
• Tesla becomes the target of Chevrolet National Dealer Council chairman’s EV goals – Teslarati
• Hyundai Motor launches 'Kona' electric vehicle with ‘LG and CATL battery' - ETNews
• 2nd Gen Hyundai Kona Spied, Another Look Inside - Korean Car Blog
• Analysis: Ukraine invasion sets back dream for cheaper EVs, for now | Reuters
• Tesla Model 3 Deliveries Delayed In China | Benzinga
• Electric Car Sales Rise Amid Record-High Gas Prices – NBC Bay Area
• Aston Martin inks deal to develop batteries with Britishvolt - CNBC
• VinFast joins forces with LeasePlan for Europe - electrive.com
• MG4 EV/CyberE - Everything we know as of March 2022 – Top Electric SUV
• Mercedes-Benz Trucks UK begins sales of the all-electric eActros | Mercedes-Benz Trucks Media Site
• Opel to Become Purely Electric in Record Time | Opel | Stellantis

Show #1397

Good morning, good afternoon and good evening wherever you are in the world, welcome to EV News Daily, you trusted source of information. It’s Monday 7th March, it’s Martyn Lee here and I go through every EV story so you don't have to.

Welcome to a new PATREON PRODUCER IAN HARRISON. If you get any value from this podcast please consider supporting my work on Patreon. Plus all Patreon supporters get their own unique ad-free podcast feed.

VOLKSWAGEN ID. BUZZ: SUSTAINABLE, WITH PLENTY OF ATTENTION TO DETAIL | VOLKSWAGEN NEWSROOM

- Compact on the outside, spacious on the inside: ID. Buzz and ID. Buzz Cargo – whether you choose the bus or cargo version, both models utilise the space extraordinarily well thanks to the space-saving MEB concept. The five-seater ID. Buzz provides space for 1,121 litres of luggage even with all passengers on board. The maximum storage volume of the ID. Buzz Cargo, equipped with a partition behind the first row of seats, also amounts to more than 3.9 m3.

- The ID. Buzz will be available in seven single colour options and four two-tone colour schemes. This combination of white and fresh colours is carried through to the interior, which incorporates style elements from the T1 generation and transfers them to the current era of electric mobility. The colours correspond to the exterior paintwork and are optionally reflected in the seat cushions, dash panel and door trim. Background lighting (optionally available with up to 30 colours) provides atmospheric accents

- Leather and other materials of animal origin do not feature at all and are replaced with substitute materials with similar properties and feel.


TESLA BECOMES THE TARGET OF CHEVROLET NATIONAL DEALER COUNCIL CHAIRMAN’S EV GOALS – TESLARATI

- Keith McCluskey, the Chevrolet National Dealer Council chairman, has his sights aimed high as the veteran automaker increases its efforts to break into the growing electric vehicle sector. Amidst parent company General Motors’ continued EV efforts, McCluskey maintained that Chevrolet dealers are looking to beat a formidable rival — Tesla.

- “We want to beat Tesla on EVs. We want to meet demand,” McCluskey said.

- Being General Motors’ high-volume brand, expectations are high that Chevrolet would be producing electric vehicles from numerous price points for consumers. This should be covered by not only the Silverado EV but vehicles like the electric Equinox and Blazer as well. The electric Equinox is expected to start at around $30,000, a price that should make it competitive against popular EVs in the market like the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y.


HYUNDAI MOTOR LAUNCHES 'KONA' ELECTRIC VEHICLE WITH ‘LG AND CATL BATTERY' - ETNEWS

- Hyundai Motor's battery electric vehicle (BEV) 'Kona Electric’ will be released next month with a completely different look from the previous time, which experienced a large-scale recall from a series of fire incidents

- Both the body design and battery system have been changed and significantly improved. LG Energy Solution was kept as the battery supplier, and added CATL from a Chinese company. Hyundai Motor considered the possibility of discontinuation at one point, but decided to refine its heat transfer system and aimed to compete head-to-head.

- On the 6th, Hyundai Motor will launch three fully transformed second-generation models of Kona in Korea next month

- The new Kona is larger in size compared to before

- CATL was added along with existing battery supplier, LG Energy Solution, in order to improve export competitiveness abroad including China. This is interpreted as a two-track strategy according to the sales region and driving performance specifications. Electric vehicles equipped with CATL batteries are likely to be sold in Korea and other countries.

- Although the form-factor of the CATL battery has not been confirmed, it is highly likely that a 'CTP (Cell to Pack)'-based lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery that directly connects the cell to the pack may be equipped instead of the conventional cell to module and pack method.


2ND GEN HYUNDAI KONA SPIED, ANOTHER LOOK INSIDE - KOREAN CAR BLOG

- A few days ago we showed you up the first look inside and out of the all new Hyundai Kona (Codenamed as SX2) slated for 2023, thanks to our colleagues at CarPIX. Today we have new pictures, this time taken in South Korea by our colleagues at WoopaTV who captured it inside of a parking lot and gives us another look of the interior.

- Its EV sibling is codenamed SX2e EV, with ‘e’ denoting Europe, according to some reports.


ANALYSIS: UKRAINE INVASION SETS BACK DREAM FOR CHEAPER EVS, FOR NOW | REUTERS

- Surging raw materials costs, made worse by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, could set back the dream of Tesla (TSLA.O) Chief Executive Elon Musk and other auto executives to roll out more affordable electric vehicles.

- Rising prices of nickel, lithium and other materials threaten to slow and even temporarily reverse the long-term trend of falling costs of batteries, the most expensive part of EVs, hampering the broader adoption of the technology, said Gregory Miller, an analyst at industry forecaster Benchmark Mineral Intelligence.

- The conflict in Ukraine has only raised the stakes, pushing nickel prices to an 11-year-high on fears that exports from leading producer Russia could be disrupted. Lithium prices also have increased, more than doubling since year end, as supply fell short of rising demand.

- The average EV sold for almost $63,000 in January in the United States, about 35% higher than the overall industry average for all vehicles of just over $46,000, according to research firm Cox Automotive.

- Rivian tried last week to push through a 20% price increase on its electric pickups and SUVs to offset higher parts costs, but retreated for those who had already placed orders when faced with a backlash that included possible sale cancellations.

- LG Energy Solution (373220.KS), a supplier to Tesla and General Motors Co (GM.N), said raw materials account for 70% or 80% of the cost of its batteries.


TESLA MODEL 3 DELIVERIES DELAYED IN CHINA | BENZINGA

- Deliveries for the Model 3 sedan and the Model 3 Performance are now expected to take place in an estimated 16 to 20 weeks, from an earlier 12 to 16 weeks. Tesla has kept prices unchanged, according to the report.

- The updated timeline means that customers who place their orders now will not get deliveries at least until the end of June.

- The entry-level Model Y’s wait period has been reduced by two weeks to 10 to 14 weeks, although the Model Y Long Range's delivery dates have been stretched by four weeks. The waiting period for the Model Y Performance remains unchanged.


ELECTRIC CAR SALES RISE AMID RECORD-HIGH GAS PRICES – NBC BAY AREA

ASTON MARTIN INKS DEAL TO DEVELOP BATTERIES WITH BRITISHVOLT - CNBC

VINFAST JOINS FORCES WITH LEASEPLAN FOR EUROPE - ELECTRIVE.COM

MG4 EV/CYBERE - EVERYTHING WE KNOW AS OF MARCH 2022 – TOP ELECTRIC SUV

MERCEDES-BENZ TRUCKS UK BEGINS SALES OF THE ALL-ELECTRIC EACTROS | MERCEDES-BENZ TRUCKS MEDIA SITE
 

OPEL TO BECOME PURELY ELECTRIC IN RECORD TIME | OPEL | STELLANTIS


QUESTION OF THE WEEK WITH EMOBILITYNORWAY.COM

Do you think rising fuel prices at the pumps will have a direct impact on EV sales?

Email me any feedback to: hello@evnewsdaily.com

It would mean a lot if you could take 2mins to leave a quick review on whichever platform you download the podcast.

And  if you have an Amazon Echo, download our Alexa Skill, search for EV News Daily and add it as a flash briefing.

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.

PREMIUM PARTNERS
PHIL ROBERTS / ELECTRIC FUTURE
BRAD CROSBY
PORSCHE OF THE VILLAGE CINCINNATI
AUDI CINCINNATI EAST
VOLVO CARS CINCINNATI EAST
NATIONAL CAR CHARGING ON THE US MAINLAND AND ALOHA CHARGE IN HAWAII
DEREK REILLY FROM THE EV REVIEW IRELAND YOUTUBE CHANNEL
RICHARD AT RSEV.CO.UK – FOR BUYING AND SELLING EVS IN THE UK