04 May 2022 | VW EVs ‘basically sold out’ in the US & Europe

May 04, 2022, 11:05 AM

On the podcast today:
• VW’s 2022 supply of EVs is ‘basically sold out’ in the US and Europe
• Volkswagen sold ~99k EVs out of 1.9M in Q1
• CARIAD Selects Qualcomm's Snapdragon Ride Platform
• Ford Motor April U.S. Vehicle Sales Down 10.5%; Electric Vehicle Sales Up 139%
• Mustang Mach-E Gets Boost
• 2023 Polestar 2 Pricing Increases, Updated EPA Range Announced
• 2022 BMW i4 M50 Called An Electric M3 Rival By Doug DeMuro
• Osprey to expand UK network with DC chargers from Tritium
• Auckland Harbour Goes Electric
• Offshore construction begins on Dogger Bank offshore wind farm

Show #1455

Good morning, good afternoon and good evening wherever you are in the world, welcome to EV News Daily, you trusted source of EV information. It’s Wednesday 4th May, it’s Martyn Lee here and I go through every EV story so you don't have to.

VW’S 2022 SUPPLY OF EVS IS ‘BASICALLY SOLD OUT’ IN THE US AND EUROPE

- Volkswagen’s CEO, Herbert Diess, says that the company is “basically sold out on electric vehicles in Europe and in the United States” for the year, according to a report from the Financial Times. This means that anyone hoping to get an EV from VW, Audi, or any of the group’s other brands may have to wait until 2023, as the company tries to navigate the chip shortage and production issues from COVID shutdowns in China.

- According to the report, VW expects its backlog of orders to keep growing. It currently has plenty of people on the list waiting to get an EV and expects to add more throughout the year.

- According to the Financial Times, VW sold just under 100,000 electric cars in Q1 2022. Tesla, according to its latest earnings, sold around 310,000 in the same time period.

- When Diess spoke to The Verge earlier this year, he said that the company is trying to grow its presence in America. In his Decoder interview, he said that he expected the company’s growth in the States to “mostly come from EVs,” though he did admit the company would likely see supply constraints throughout 2022.


VOLKSWAGEN SOLD ~99K EVS OUT OF 1.9M IN Q1

- Volkswagen recently released its January-March 2022 interim report, reporting 1.9 million vehicle sales and deliveries in the first quarter. VW’s all-electric vehicle sales and deliveries made up 5.2% of total deliveries, amounting to 99,064 EVs.

- Volkswagen is specifically interested in growing in the United States with plans to build a dedicated battery cell production factory in the country. The German automaker announced a $1.7 billion commitment to boosting its BEV product lineup, R&D, and manufacturing in North America.

- The legacy automaker aims to achieve 10% market share in North America by 2030 as it bolsters expansion in global growth markets. Battery-electric vehicles are central to its goals. VW plans to have more than 25 electric vehicles in its BEV portfolio by the end of the decade.


CARIAD SELECTS QUALCOMM'S SNAPDRAGON RIDE PLATFORM

- Volkswagen Group's software unit CARIAD announced on Tuesday that it has selected Qualcomm Technologies to supply system-on-chips (SoCs) for its vehicle software platform designed to deliver up to SAE level-4 autonomous driving capabilities.

- Volkswagen believes that a vehicle's software and hardware must be perfectly matched in order to achieve the best possible performance and efficiency of central computer systems in the long term.

- Qualcomm's Snapdragon Ride platform was first announced at CES in Jan 2020. Since its unveiling, it has gained momentum with global automakers and Tier 1 suppliers worldwide for its robust capabilities. It's also being adopted by BMW.

- In March, Volkswagen announced the addition of anonymous "swarm data" from other Volkswagen vehicles to help its advanced driver assist systems make better decisions over time, such as performing automatic lane changes. The addition of swarm data marks the next step towards vehicle systems that support fully-automated driving, according to Volkswagen.

- Among its features, it can automatically keep the vehicle in the center of the lane, but can also adapt to an individual's driving style, including driving further to the left or right of the lane instead of exactly in the middle.


FORD MOTOR APRIL U.S. VEHICLE SALES DOWN 10.5%; ELECTRIC VEHICLE SALES UP 139%

- Ford Motor Company (F) posted total U.S. vehicle sales of 176,965 units for the month of April, a decline of 10.5% from a year ago. Retail sales were down 12.3%, for the month. Trucks sales were down 17.8% to 79,768. SUVs were up 2.7% to 92,809. Sales of Ford electric vehicles increased 139 percent over last year on the strength of Mustang Mach-E and E-Transit sales.


MUSTANG MACH-E GETS BOOST

- Ford’s Mustang Mach-E receives a boost in braked towing capacity to 1,000 kg for extended range models in both rear wheel drive and all-wheel drive

- The Mustang Mach-E also received updates to reduce the charging time between 80-90 per cent capacity from 52 minutes to 15 minutes, a recalibration of the one-pedal driving feature for even smoother performance at lower speeds and enhancements to driver comfort.

- Now on sale in Europe for over one year, the Mustang Mach-E continues to win fans. Around 88 per cent of customers to-date have moved from other car brands to Ford to experience the fun-to-drive characteristics, bold styling and driving range of the vehicle.

Existing owners can also benefit from many of the recent upgrades through software or homologation updates, with future over-the-air updates planned to keep the Mustang Mach-E continuously improving.


2023 POLESTAR 2 PRICING INCREASES, UPDATED EPA RANGE ANNOUNCED

- Polestar has announced the US pricing of the 2023 Polestar 2, along with other updates that go with the new model year. As far as the numbers go, there's an increase – though it's important to note that the company has also given the fastback EV substantial updates, including an increase in vehicle range.

- The 2023 Polestar 2 Single Motor now starts at $48,400 – a $1,200 increase from before. The Dual Motor variant now starts at $51,900. Both prices are before the applicable $1,400 destination charge and Federal Tax Credit valued at $7,500.

- Polestar 2 Dual Motor gets a bump, with a preliminary estimated 260-mile US EPA range. This increase is thanks to software improvements, implementing an 11-mile increase from the 2022 model year. The 2023 Polestar 2 Single Motor model is still rated at 270 miles by EPA.

- The US-spec Polestar 2 will have an upgraded heat pump designed for better cold-weather performance, new design options across the interior and exterior of the car, and a more advanced air quality sensor.

- There's a new performance software upgrade for the Performance Pack for the 2023 model year. The upgrade adds 68 horsepower and 15 lb-ft of torque to the car. The Performance Pack is only available for the dual-motor variant, but will also be available to purchase as a separate software upgrade for both existing and future dual-motor cars, with and without the Performance Pack.


2022 BMW I4 M50 CALLED AN ELECTRIC M3 RIVAL BY DOUG DEMURO


OSPREY TO EXPAND UK NETWORK WITH DC CHARGERS FROM TRITIUM
 

AUCKLAND HARBOUR GOES ELECTRIC


OFFSHORE CONSTRUCTION BEGINS ON DOGGER BANK OFFSHORE WIND FARM


QUESTION OF THE WEEK WITH EMOBILITYNORWAY.COM

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