19 May 2020 | Original Tesla Gigafactory Could Be About To Expand

Show #783

 

Good morning, good afternoon and good evening wherever you are in the world, welcome to EV News Daily for Tuesday 18th May 2020. It’s Martyn Lee here and I go through every EV story so you don't have to.

 

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TESLA GIGAFACTORY 1 COULD GROW AS PARTNER PANASONIC REPORTS MORE PROFITS

"Not only did Tesla pull a profit in the first quarter of 2020, but its battery partner Panasonic said on Monday its battery business recorded earnings in the black, too, for the second time. Now, Gigafactory 1, based in Nevada, could see an expansion." says Roadshow by CNET: "Panasonic Chief Financial Officer Hirokazu Umeda specifically said the company was "in discussions right now" to expand work at the facility. Although the company is no longer Tesla's exclusive battery provider (the company works with LG Chem in China), the partnership has blossomed in recent years and recorded two profitable quarters. Umeda mentioned demand is beyond the current capacity of 35 gigawatts per year."

 

And from that Reuters report, they say: "Umeda hinted that Panasonic has been developing new batteries with Tesla. “We will be working to improve materials and technologies throughout this financial year,” he said. The Tesla battery business provided a bright spot in Panasonic’s otherwise grim earnings, hit by plant closures and supply chain disruptions for its laptops, washing machines, automotive components and factory equipment. Panasonic has decided to exit solar cell production at Tesla’s New York plant this year. It also decided not to build a new battery plant for Tesla in China. The U.S. car maker has entered into partnerships with South Korea’s LG Chem Ltd (051910.KS) and China’s CATL"

 

https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/tesla-gigafactory-nevada-reopen-production-elon-musk

 

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-panasonic-results-idUSKBN22U0MF

 

ELECTRIC VEHICLE SALES TO FALL 18% IN 2020

"Sales of electric passenger vehicles are forecast to fall 18% in 2020, to 1.7 million worldwide – with the coronavirus crisis interrupting ten successive years of strong growth." according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance: "However, sales of combustion engine cars are set to drop even faster this year (by 23%), and the long-term electrification of transport is projected to accelerate in the years ahead.  BNEF’s analysis suggests that global sales of internal combustion engine, or ICE, cars peaked in 2017 and will continue their long-term decline after a temporary post-crisis recovery. For the first time, BNEF sees overall new passenger vehicle sales peaking in 2036 as changing global demographics, increasing urbanization and more shared mobility outweigh the effects of economic development – though the fleet size keeps growing. Electric models are seen accounting for 3% of global car sales in 2020, rising to 7% in 2023, at some 5.4 million units."

 

https://bnef.turtl.co/story/evo-2020/

 

AS COVID-19 HITS ELECTRIC VEHICLES, SOME THRIVE, OTHERS DIE

And quoting the BNEF report, Bloomberg today looked at which countries will drive EV adoption: "The pandemic ravaged economy is expected to give electric vehicles a boost in China, Europe and countries committed to sparking battery power via financial stimulus and infrastructure spending, In the U.S., electric vehicles sales will shrink to just 1.7% of the personal auto market in 2021. At the same time, the sector will swell to 8.1% of all sales in China, which accounts for the largest share of global EV sales, and 5% of those in Europe, the BNEF report says."

 

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-05-19/as-covid-19-hits-electric-vehicles-some-thrive-others-die?sref=W369vOBR

 

VW PARKS CARS WHEREVER THEY GO

In an article translated (Google translate!) from German: "Volkswagen , the largest automobile manufacturer in the world, they are currently mainly occupied with parking. The group has had difficulties with software development for quite some time - the electric car ID.3 is therefore pre-produced without a complete operating system, in the hope that the software will be added later when it is finally ready. In the meantime, thousands of ID.3s are parked as soulless cases, partly on the premises of the VW factory in Zwickau, as shown here, partly in a huge parking lot in Saxony, which VW does not like to show to the public. But now the car manufacturer could soon run out of space: Because not only does VW have software problems with the production of the ID.3, but recently also with the good old Golf. Delivery of the Golf 8 had to be stopped because the emergency assistant was not working.  Nevertheless, the company wants to continue producing the Golf 8 and simply, exactly, park thousands of cars somewhere until this pretty embarrassing software problem is solved."

 

https://www.sueddeutsche.de/wirtschaft/vw-golf-software-problem-1.4911260

 

2020 BMW X5 XDRIVE45E REVIEW – THE NEW BEST BUY

"Because the X5 is one of the best-selling cars it has on sale today and keeping the fleet’s CO2 emissions in check is a tricky ordeal. A hybrid will definitely help out with that, especially considering the tax systems in various countries around the world." says BMWBlog: "The new BMW X5 xDrive45e came with a host of improvements compared to its predecessor. t low speeds it does emit a hum to warn pedestrians, but it would still cause a couple of frowns from people as they probably had no idea BMW has an X5 hybrid.   Whereas the old hybrid X5 had a 9.2 kWh battery, the new one can store more than 2.5 times that, being rated for 24 kWh out of which you can use 21 kWh. So that’s a big hike, even though the physical size of the battery didn’t change that much. Keep the pedal glued to the floor and speed just keeps ticking up. This car picks up speed at an alarming rate. It may be a hybrid, 2.5-ton monster but it can move. 0-62 takes just 5.6 seconds and you’ll go all the way up to 250 km/h (155 mph) if you dare."

 

https://www.bmwblog.com/2020/05/18/2020-bmw-x5-xdrive45e-review/

 

HYUNDAI MOTOR’S EVS A POPULAR CHOICE IN POLICE FLEETS AROUND EUROPE

"A growing number of police forces around Europe are turning to Hyundai EVs to use in their fleets. Amid growing concerns about inner-city air pollution, zero-emission vehicles such as battery electric (BEV) and fuel cell electric (FCEV) vehicles present an attractive solution for police officers’ mobility needs." says Automotiveworld.com: "Hyundai’s best-selling all-electric SUV Kona Electric is a popular choice for police forces in countries like Switzerland, the Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom. A year ago, the police force of the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland added 13 Kona Electric models to their fleet – five as police cars and eight as civilian vehicles.  In the Netherlands, police forces in Amsterdam, East Netherlands and Central Netherlands are also testing Kona Electric’s suitability as a police cruiser. Its long driving range and fast charging make it an attractive choice for police use. Kona Electrics can be found in the police fleets in Valencia, Spain, in both the 39 kWh and 64 kWh editions. And in the U.K., Sussex Police and North Wales Police already have one Kona Electric each in their fleets. Additionally, Hampshire Police have ordered nine Kona Electric models for their fleet, which will be delivered early next month."

 

https://www.automotiveworld.com/news-releases/hyundai-motors-evs-a-popular-choice-in-police-fleets-around-europe/

 

KIA E-NIRO VS KIA SOUL EV

"Now, though, there's an all-new Soul EV, which uses the same 64kWh battery and 201bhp electric motor as its e-Niro sibling. And that raises an important question if you like the idea of a fully electric family SUV: which one is better?" asks WhatCar? "If the moment does take you, you can hustle both cars down a country road at a reasonable lick, but we’d describe their handling as tidy rather than fun. Of the two, it's the e-Niro that's more agile, because it leans less than the taller, marginally more top-heavy-feeling Soul, plus its steering reacts more naturally; the Soul's is quicker but not as progressively weighted, and that takes a bit of getting used to."

 

https://www.whatcar.com/news/kia-e-niro-vs-kia-soul-ev/n21450

 

MITSUBISHI EXTENDS 10,000 FREE ELECTRIC MILES OFFER ON OUTLANDER PHEV

"Mitsubishi Motors in the UK has extended its 10,000 Free Green Miles offer for Outlander PHEV buyers until September. Offered in partnership with OVO Energy, the incentive provides drivers of the plug-in hybrid SUV with 10,000 miles worth of free electricity." according to AM Online "Customers will receive a £20.40 credit in their OVO account each month, for 24 months. The deal also includes Polar Plus membership, so Outlander PHEV drivers can charge away from home for free."

 

https://www.am-online.com/news/car-manufacturer-news/2020/05/19/mitsubishi-offers-10-000-free-electric-miles-with-outlander-phev

 

WITH ELECTRIC VEHICLES, BRAND REPUTATION IS NOT A SURE THING

"When the topic turns to brand reputation and electric vehicles, the case seems easy enough. Zero emission cars make an important contribution to decarbonization, and that reflects nicely on the auto companies who produce them. However, even the simplest of brand calculations can take an unexpected turn when politics are involved." writes TriplePundit: "Officials in Alameda County, California, had been working with Tesla on a May 18 reopening plan for its Fremont facility, but Musk launched a ferocious attack on Twitter demanding an earlier opening. The result was a blinding blitz of free publicity, during which Musk restarted his factory in Fremont, California days before Ford and GM were set to open. If the idea was to re-assert Tesla’s image as a maverick bucking the entrenched industry tide and bureaucrats alike, Musk certainly succeeded on that score. Last week the president tweeted his approval of Musk’s tactics over the Fremont opening, writing that “California should let Tesla & @elonmusk open the plant, NOW. It can be done Fast & Safely!” If things continue in this vein, it seems that Musk may accomplish the seemingly impossible task of turning Trump voters into Tesla buyers."

 

https://www.triplepundit.com/story/2020/electric-vehicles-brand-reputation-not-sure-thing/120316

 

 

QUESTION OF THE WEEK

 

Should Dyson have continued to make a £150,000 EV, or should we only make EVs realistic? What’s wrong with making cars at a high price point?

 

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