07 Mar 2020 | Is BMW Scared of Model Y? iX3 NOT Coming To U.S.

Show #719

 

Good morning, good afternoon and good evening wherever you are in the world, welcome to EV News Daily for Saturday 7th March 2020. It’s Martyn Lee here and I go through every EV story to save you time.

 

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2021 AUDI E-TRON GT SPIED LOOKING JUST LIKE THE CONCEPT

"Despite having seen the concept over a year ago in L.A., and even driving it, it's a bit surprising that this is the first time one of our spy photographers has caught a glimpse of the Audi E-Tron GT." says Joel at Autoblog: "Just like the show car, this E-Tron GT is super low, from its nose to its roof.  Conventional pull-style door handles are fitted, rather than the hidden ones on the concept and the nearly flush ones on the E-Tron GT's cousin, the Porsche Taycan. The hood no longer has an extractor vent, though the shape is roughly intact. The front fascia looks smoothed over, too, with smaller grille openings. The wheels of course are a bit smaller, and they have a more flat and likely more aerodynamic design.  It will also feature the Taycan's 800-volt charging capability for extremely fast recharges."

 

https://www.autoblog.com/2020/03/04/2021-audi-etron-gt-spied/

 

TESLA TRACK MODE V2 RELEASE

"Tesla has started rolling out software 2020.8.1 that includes Track Mode V2 for Model 3, third-party charging stations, improvements to Model S and Model X regenerative braking, and a host of other features." reports Teslarati: "Track Mode V2 gives Model 3 owners the option of customizing settings for Handling Balance, Stability Assist, Regenerative Braking, among others. Tesla Raj, upon getting the latest software update, tested the Track Mode V2 on the Model 3 and switched the car to rear-wheel drive with no stability assist. Track Mode allows owners to create 20 profiles that perfectly suits their preferences and driving scenarios. Users can also customize the settings for a specific track. Track Mode V2 also allows you to monitor the status of the car’s motors, brakes, and tires. The latest firmware also allows one to see a real-time accelerometer via the G-meter. Likewise, the map now includes a Lap Timer. Model 3 owners can also save a video and other data of their driving sessions while on Track Mode."

 

From Tesla:

Only Model S and X

Introducing a new navigation system for your vehicle that provides improved routes, more accurate arrival times, and a more responsive instrument cluster view to better display upcoming maneuvers.

For China: This release also includes new maps on the touchscreen. You can now view the maps in satellite view and see nearby points of interest.

 

DRIVING VISUALIZATION IMPROVEMENTS

This has been added for more regions, previously just the US.

The driving visualization can now display additional objects which include stop lights, stop signs and select road markings.

 

THIRD-PARTY CHARGING STATIONS

Only vehicles in California.

Now you can find third-party charging options with your in-car navigation – select sites in the San Francisco Bay Area are available now with additional locations across the US coming soon.

 

REGEN

Only Model S and X

Regenerative braking force has been increased to improve the driving experience and increase how much energy is actively returned to the battery when slowing down.

 

https://www.teslarati.com/tesla-track-mode-v2-release-notes/

 

LUCID UNVEILS SALES & SERVICE MODEL

"Lucid Motors will open its first sales studio at its headquarters in Newark, California as part of its overarching direct-to-consumer sales plan. Lucid has plans for 9 studios initially, with many locations already under construction." reports Kyle at CleanTechnica: "The new showrooms will give Lucid direct access to consumers to truly convey the essence of the technology, innovation, and luxury the brand seeks to embody. The first 9 studios are slated to open in 2020, where customers will be able to get what is perhaps their first exposure to the Lucid brand in real life. The new studios will also serve as the home of Lucid’s first service centers. The company expects to leverage the integrated vehicle data system for over-the-air updates and remote diagnostics, and the physical locations will fill in the gaps for all other services required for Lucid’s vehicles."

 

https://cleantechnica.com/2020/03/06/lucid-unveils-sales-service-model-with-first-location-to-open-in-2020/

 

VW ID.3 SPECS

ID.3 Pure - 45kWh, 126 hp or 150 hp, 330 km WLTP, < €30k

 

ID.3 Pro - 58kWh, 146 hp or 204 hp, 420 km WLTP, ~ €35k, 100kW charging

 

ID.3 Pro S - 77kWh, 204 hp, 550 km WLTP, (Price TBC), 100kW charging

 

PLUG-IN EV CAR SALES MORE THAN DOUBLED IN UK IN FEBRUARY 2020

"Plug-in electric car sales in the UK increased in February by 117% year-over-year to 4,566 new registrations, exceeding conventional hybrids (4,154 and 71.9% increase)." reports InsideEVs: "As the overall number of new registrations went down by 2.9% to 79,594, the market share for plug-ins grew to an outstanding 5.74% (one per 17.4 new cars).

 

BEVs 2,508 (up 243% year-over-year) at market share of 3.2%

PHEVs: 2,058 (up 50% year-over-year) at market share of 2.6%

Total: 4,566 (up 117% year-over-year) at market share of 5.9%

 

In the comments: David Parker says: "As a Brit living in France I have to point out how far behind the Brits are so far this year. UK and France are pretty much the same population, same GDP, same size car markets. UK sales are up on 2019 but 6,500 BEV versus 20,400 BEV in first two months of the year in France..It’s all happening here folks!"

 

https://insideevs.com/news/402574/plugin-car-sales-uk-february-2020/

 

VOLVO OPENS BATTERY ASSEMBLY LINE AT BELGIAN FACTORY

"Volvo has inaugurated a new battery assembly line at its Belgian manufacturing plant in Ghent, Belgium." reports Carscooops: "Volvo says the updated Ghent factory will provide important lessons to the brand’s other manufacturing sites in terms of process optimization and efficiency. Volvo will source its batteries from CATL of China and South Korea’s LG Chem. The company’s first all-electric model was unveiled in October last year in the form of the XC40 Recharge. The SUV uses a pair of electric motors delivering a combined 402 hp and features a 78 kWh lithium-ion battery pack that provides more than 249 miles (400 km) of range on the WLTP cycle."

 

Meanwhile Automotive News Europe pointed out: "Ghent plant boss Stefan Fesser promised a "flawless launch" of battery system production at a new 5,000-square-meter facility, which is on the same campus as Volvo's vehicle assembly plant. Volvo's new model launch manager, Peter Durie, also said that there has been no indication that LG Chem would have any issues supplying the factory, which starts test production on Monday. The aim is to have the line ready for serial output in time for the XC40 Recharge's start of production."

 

https://www.carscoops.com/2020/03/volvo-opens-battery-assembly-line-at-belgian-factory/

 

https://europe.autonews.com/automakers/volvo-promises-flawless-launch-first-battery-line-despite-recent-cell-bottlenecks

 

LG CHEM ACQUIRES NEW FACILITY FOR MORE BATTERY PRODUCTION IN POLAND

"LG Chem, which operates a huge lithium-ion battery factory in Wroclaw, Poland, recently acquired a nearby Turkish television assembly plant."  says InsideEVs: "The 223,000 square-meter site was purchased for about $31.4 million Vestel according to media reports and will be re-purposed to support LG Chem's battery production for electric cars. LG Chem already operates several plants globally and is in progress of expanding them (or adding new ones) to keep pace with surging demand. "Currently, LG Chem has five battery plants in South Korea, China, the United States and Poland, with a combined capacity of 70 gigawatt-hours. The South Korean chemical giant plans to raise its capacity to 100 GWh, enough to supply batteries to 1.6 million electric vehicles, by the end of this year.""

 

https://insideevs.com/news/402035/lg-chem-acquired-new-facility-in-poland/

 

BMW IX3 NOT DUE FOR U.S.

"The BMW iX3, made by joint venture BMW Brilliance Automotive in Shenyang, China, features the fifth generation of BMW's eDrive technology, with the drive unit combining the electric motor, system electronics and transmission into a central housing, reducing its weight and footprint." write Automotive News: "BMW has iced plans to bring its first electric crossover to the U.S. for now. The BMW iX3 was scheduled to arrive in the first half of 2021. "At this time we do not have plans to bring the iX3 to the U.S. market," a spokesman confirmed to Automotive News, declining to elaborate on the reasons for the decision. Automakers face hefty fines in Europe next year if they fail to cut their fleet CO2 emissions to an average 95 grams per kilometer. As a result, the German automakers are recalibrating their EV ambitions in the U.S. — diverting production supply to markets that are more receptive to the new technology. Manufactured in China, the iX3 is powered by a 74-kWh lithium ion battery. That is smaller than the beefier batteries in luxury electric crossovers currently on U.S. roads. The BMW iX3 is tailored for the China market, where extended range is not a customer priority."

 

As for availability: "The iX3 is expected to make its market debut by the end of 2020, but since it’s being built in China, it will most likely reach European customers in 2021. It will first be available in Europe, where it will cost around €70,000." reports Motor1

 

https://www.autonews.com/sales/finicky-american-demand-changes-path-bmws-crossover-ev

 

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/production-spec-bmw-ix3-revealed-112000938.html

 

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