Manufacturing, infra and adoption - what Electric Vehicle industry expects from Modi govt

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants Indians to adopt electric vehicles and cut dependency on petrol and diesel vehicles. The government has set a target that 30% of all vehicles sold in India by 2030 will be electric. But to meet this target, the government needs a comprehensive plan with a focus on manufacturing, research and development, and adoption.

Industry experts feel that the time has come for the government to push for the adoption of EVs as, according to an estimate, India will become the fourth largest market for EVs by 2040.

Also, any announcement in the sector in the budget will only give a further push to accomplish PM Modi's dream of making India a self-reliant country. Experts say that the upcoming budget is an opportunity to introduce measures that will see more EVs plying on the roads in the coming years.

The Union Budget 2021-22 is likely to see major announcements as industry players look for a corpus in setting up EV infrastructure such as charging stations. The development of infrastructure to charge vehicles is the biggest challenge for the adoption of electric vehicles in our country. But the US-based Tesla's entry into the Indian market has raised hopes that the government could announce a slew of measures.

According to Manish Bhatnagar, Managing Director, SKF India, 2021 could prove to be a pivotal year for the sector.

"There should be more clarity on the EV policy as well as the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme. Furthermore, we are hopeful about the much-awaited scrappage policy. Along with giving a boost to automobile sales, the policy will give enough importance to the fitness of a vehicle," he said.

Jeetendra Sharma, founder of Okinawa Autotech, said that 2021 can be a revolutionary year for the EV sector and urged the government to take steps to place India on the global EV map.

"The government should reconsider the taxation framework applicable on raw material and the final product. The raw materials currently attract 18% GST and tax on outward supplies currently stands at 5%. The government should reconsider this to help manufacturers in optimizing the cash flows," Sharma said.

Chetan Maini, Co-Founder, Vice Chairman at SUN Mobility with a focus on the EV industry, said that the primary expectation is the enablement of charging and battery swapping infrastructure in the country for electric vehicles at a faster rate with a firmer commitment from a policy standpoint by the government.

"We are looking forward to more clarity and information on the PLI scheme to support localization of the EV supply chain in the country to enable innovation. Accelerating investment from these companies would help benefit the EV industry. We are also expecting a reduction of GST on charging/swapping infrastructure services & EV batteries from 18% to 5%, in line with the current GST applicable on electric vehicles," Chetan said.

In 2020, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman didn't mention EV even for a single time in her speech. But the government allocated over Rs 600 crore for the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid) and Electric Vehicles in India programme (FAME-India). The government didn't provide any direct benefit to the stakeholders and focused on the scheme to boost EV demand.

Before that, the government had lowered the GST on EVs from 12% to 5% and given an additional income tax deduction of Rs 1.5 lakh on the interest paid on the loans to purchase such vehicles. In 2019, the government had also announced to invest in setting up an EV manufacturing hub. But most of these announcements are still on the papers.

Electric Cars Are Coming, and Fast. Is the Nation’s Grid Up to It?

 Major automakers are increasingly betting that millions of new cars and trucks over the next decade will be plugged into electrical outlets, not fueled up at gas stations. That raises a question: Is the nation’s power grid ready to handle this surge of new electric vehicles?

Today, fewer than 1 percent of cars on America’s roads are electric. But a seismic shift is underway.

General Motors said Thursday that it aims to stop selling new gasoline-powered cars and light trucks by 2035 and will pivot to battery-powered vehicles. California’s governor has set a goal of phasing out sales of new combustion engines statewide in just 15 years. Automakers like Tesla, Ford and Volkswagen plan to introduce dozens of new electric models in the years ahead, spurred on by plummeting battery prices and concerns about climate change.

That shift will have sweeping implications for the companies that produce and sell electricity and manage the grid. Analysts generally agree that it is entirely feasible to power many millions of new cars with electricity, but it will take careful planning.

For electric vehicles to go mainstream, charging will need to be widely accessible and convenient.

For now, most electric car owners plug in their vehicles at home and charge overnight, though this can require installing equipment that can cost up to $2,000. Many states and electric utilities already offer incentives to help defray the cost. And some groups have sought to update building codes to make new homes “charger ready,” though homebuilders have pushed back.

But there are also big challenges ahead.

While it’s fairly easy for anyone with a single-family home and a garage to install a charger, it can be far more difficult for people who live in large apartments or who rely on street parking to find a suitable outlet.

Some utilities, keen on selling more electricity, are looking to expand public charging options, and President Biden has set a goal of building 500,000 new public chargers by 2030. But financing this infrastructure is complicated, and will likely require public spending and coordination from governments.

One recent study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology used detailed modeling to see where it might make most sense to build all this infrastructure. New chargers on residential streets, as well as high-speed charging stations along highways, would go a long way to supporting an electric-vehicle boom.

Ford to start building electric Mustangs in China

 

Ford is to start building its iconic Mustang cars in China for the first time.

The US carmaker said its Mustang Mach-E will start being produced there later this year as it looks to tap into China's electric vehicle (EV) market.

Earlier this month, Tesla started delivering its Model Y to Chinese customers from its Shanghai factory.

Western brands are aggressively targeting China, where EV sales are expected to grow strongly.

Volkswagen said it would soon begin delivering vehicles produced at two newly-built Chinese factories dedicated to electric cars.

China is the world's biggest car market with more than 20m vehicles sold each year.

On Thursday, Germany's Daimler posted strong company results for 2020, off the back of a strong recovery in the global car market led by China.

Daimler boss Ola Källenius hailed the company's rebound in China as almost "too good to be true"

Ford is also hoping to capitalise on China's economic recovery and the Chinese government's push for more electric cars on its roads.

The new electric-powered Mustang is a sports utility vehicle (SUV), seen as a chance to reverse years of sluggish sales in China and connect with customers by producing them locally.

Mustang sports cars have so far only been available in China as costly imports.

Ford launched its first made-in-China Lincoln vehicles in March last year, but the brand remains a minor player in the Chinese market compared with its premium rivals.

In 2019, it launched "Ford China 2.0," a strategy that promised more products tailored to local tastes.

Back to the Future

On Thursday, California-based electric carmaker Faraday Future was given a major cash injection from a Chinese carmaker Geely and a group of state-owned companies.

Faraday Future (FF) was founded by failed Chinese tycoon Jia Yueting and touted as the next Tesla.

Around 30 institutional investors from China, US and Europe are investing $1bn (£730m) in the carmaker, with plans to publicly list its shares.

The venture will fund the production of the FF91, a luxury electric car that was originally unveiled in 2017.

Founder Jia Yueting filed for personal bankruptcy in 2019 and stepped down as chief executive of Faraday, named after British scientist Michael Faraday, who discovered electromagnetism.

Ovo to launch 'half-price' electric vehicle charging tariff

 Ovo Energy plans to launch an electric vehicle charging tariff, at half the usual price, to compete with typical off-peak rates even when electricity demand is at its highest.

The UK’s second-largest energy supplier will set the tariff at a flat rate of 6p per kilowatt-hour no matter what time of day their customers choose to charge their vehicle, in direct competition with suppliers which offer cut-price charging during set hours overnight.

The supplier hopes to rival the so-called “time of use” tariffs which offer customers ultra-low rates as long as they charge when demand for electricity is low, and avoid charging when renewable energy is scarce and prices are high.

Instead Ovo’s “type of use” tariff will be less than half the typical rate from rival suppliers – without limiting the times when customers can charge – by automatically charging vehicles when prices are low. When prices are high, energy could be drawn back into the grid from the batteries of electric vehicles sitting idle.

Rivals typically range between 14.3p per kilowatt-hour (KWh), offered by EDF Energy, and 19.5p/KWh offered by British Gas, according to data from Zapmap.

Ovo’s new tariff is broadly in line with rival off-peak rates, which range from 4.5p per KWh from EDF Energy to 10.44p/KWh from E.On, but typically require cars to charge after midnight and before 7.30am.

The energy company’s tech arm, Kaluza, has used algorithms to model electricity market patterns and customer behaviour to predict that it will have more than enough idle electric vehicles to help balance the energy grid even if some individual customers choose to charge or drive at these times.

Customers will be able to set when they require their vehicle to be fully charged, or override Kaluza’s software to charge at short-notice, without any impact to the rate they pay.

Marzia Zafar, head of strategy at Kaluza, said its software gives electric vehicle users “the energy they need, precisely when they need it, at the lowest environmental impact, and now at a guaranteed price that saves them money”.

Ovo expects customers on the new Drive Anytime tariff will be able to cut their EV charging bill by more than 60%, or £200 a year, without altering their behaviour.

“Electric vehicles and renewable energy are the perfect companions for a zero-carbon world, but we have got to demonstrate that they can be easier and cheaper, as well as greener,” Zafar said.

“Kaluza shields customers from the complexities of the energy transition, while at the same time driving it forward.”

Nissan speeds up electric vehicles rollout in China

  Nissan Motor is accelerating the rollout of electric vehicles in China under its main brand and its local, no-frills Venucia marque as it overhauls its strategy in the world's biggest auto market, four sources told Reuters.

Besides the focus on green vehicles, the plan involves using more locally made parts and technologies to reduce costs and help the struggling Japanese carmaker compete better with lower-cost Chinese firms and major global rivals, the sources said.

The China strategy is a key pillar of Nissan's turnaround, which involves focusing on producing profitable cars for China, Japan and the United States, rather than chasing all-out global growth as it did under disgraced former boss Carlos Ghosn.

"Before we were saying global, global, global, and China was just part of that strategy," one of the four people familiar with the plans told Reuters.

"With regionalisation now replacing globalisation, we have to improve the cost competitiveness of all the components and technologies that go into a car by going totally local," he said.

Both the Nissan board and the board of its China joint venture Dongfeng Motor Company have backed the plan and some elements of the new strategy will be unveiled at the Shanghai auto show in April, the sources said.

Nissan plans to launch three cars in China this year: the new all-electric Ariya crossover, a significant redesign of its X-Trail sport utility vehicle (SUV) and a hybrid Sylphy compact car using its e-Power technology, the sources said.

At least one new Nissan car will hit the Chinese market each year through 2025, with most either fully electric or hybrids equipped with autonomous and smart driving technology, the sources said. One is likely to be an e-Power X-Trail.

Two of the sources said the plan also involves turning Venucia more into a brand for affordable electric vehicles (EVs), though details are still being worked out. The idea is to price new Venucia EVs well below its current cheapest EV - the e30 mini car - which starts at 61,800 yuan ($9,540).

All four sources work for Nissan and spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorised to speak to reporters.

Nissan declined to comment on its future product strategy.

"China is a core market for Nissan and Nissan is getting prepared to launch a slew of technologies including e-Power technology to fulfil customers' aspirations," a Nissan spokesman said. He also confirmed the Ariya would be launched in 2021.

'China-Specific Cars'

Despite being one of the world's first automakers to fully embrace fully electric cars with its best-selling Leaf, Nissan has fallen behind Toyota and Honda, analysts said. Both launched a slew of new hybrids in China in 2019 and 2020 which has helped boost their sales.

"Nissan has nothing to show off in terms of green cars in China today," said Yale Zhang, head of consultancy Automotive Foresight in Shanghai. "That's hurting their image and, most importantly, sales."

Nissan's new China strategy is also a response to growing competition from price-competitive Chinese automakers such as Geely Automobile, GAC Motor, and BYD, two of the sources said.

One of the sources said a new focus on "China-specific" cars designed to appeal to local tastes underpinned Nissan's more decisive turn towards electrified models. That should mean bolder grilles, sharp-looking headlamps and tail lights as well as richer, softer and more sumptuous vehicle interiors.

Many local brands are now producing better-quality cars and that's putting pressure on Nissan's mainstream cars, as well as vehicles produced by other global automakers.

The most critical part of Nissan's China-specific strategy, however, is to make cars with more parts and technologies procured within the country to slash costs.

After posting its first loss in 11 years, Nissan is scrambling to slash its production capacity and models by about a fifth and to cut fixed costs by 300 billion yen ($2.9 billion) over three years.

Nissan expects to post a record operating loss of 340 billion yen in the year ending March 31.

Two of the sources said there wasn't necessarily a cost-cutting target for the China initiative.

However, Nissan is worried about the potential hit to profitability from increasingly stringent emissions and fuel-economy rules, as well as a likely rise in the cost of materials such as steel, other metals and semiconductors, they said.

Green-Car Credits

Under the new China plan, parts engineered and procured locally should go well beyond bumpers, seats and lamps to include more complex technologies such as sensors and electric power inverters, three of the sources said.

Batteries for Nissan's e-Power models, for example, will be locally developed and sourced from China's Sunwoda Electric Vehicle Battery Co.

Nissan's new plan is modest in terms of volume growth. It is simply aiming to outpace the overall Chinese market for cars and light commercial vehicles, which Nissan expects to grow by about 10% to 25 million vehicles by 2025, one source said.

Nissan's previous "Triple One" China plan aimed to boost annual sales to 2.6 million cars by 2022 but the Covid-19 pandemic derailed it. Nissan sold 1.46 million cars last year, down from 1.56 million in 2018 when that plan was unveiled.

While Nissan's performance in China last year was broadly in line with an overall 6% decline in passenger car sales due to the coronavirus, its Venucia brand fared particularly badly.

Established in 2012 to compete with local brands making cheap, gasoline-fueled cars, Venucia's sales peaked in 2017 at 143,206 before sliding to 79,000 last year. The plan is to relaunch Venucia more as a brand for affordable EVs though it won't be going fully electric for now, two sources said.

Carmakers in China need to make enough so-called New Energy Vehicles to win green-car credits which then offset negative points from their production of combustion engine vehicles.

Nissan looks set to fall short of credits so it would either have to buy them from rivals, or step up its EV production. As buying credits would eat into profitability, it is favouring the second strategy, one of the sources said.

Cheaper EVs made locally by global rivals such as General Motors through joint ventures have also proved to be a success story with customers, especially in big cities.

Launched in July, GM's tiny Wuling MINI EV has already become China's best selling electric vehicle, knocking Tesla's Model 3 sedan off its perch.

"We don't have enough electric cars in China. The new plan for Venucia is all about changing that more decisively," said one of the sources familiar with Nissan's plans

An American electric car maker explains why it took a different route than Elon Musk’s Tesla, Tata Motors or Mahindra

 A US-based carmaker Triton is gearing up to enter India with its electric sedan N4, the same year as Elon Musk, and the company’s founder and CEO, Himanshu Patel, got candid in an exclusive interview with Business Insider. 

“We’ve really talked through every component, like from the grid infrastructure to the conditions of the roads of India. We’re building the car based on every component of India’s infrastructure,” said Patel, who believes that the solar panel atop Triton’s cars give it the edge over its potential competitors in India.

The reason for Triton’s entry at this time is pretty evident. From, Elon Musk-led Tesla registering its Indian subsidiary in Bengaluru to Tatas planning a slew of EV launches in 2021 — everyone wants a bite of India’s booming EV industry. But Patel is confident because, according to him, “the Indian carmakers are just trying to make a very cheap price point to enter the market just like Tatas or any other manufacturers of India. I think that’s the wrong approach in my opinion.”

“In a majority of the cities people are sitting on an average four to five hours a day in traffic and you have extremely high heat during those times, what happens to your power consumption of your battery? It does chew it up because AC uses quite a bit of power. And, we use solar panel technology on the roof of our car to address that issue. I just think that you know a lot of those guys are not considering those things,” Patel said.

Triton is looking to invest around $650 million to $1 billion in setting up a manufacturing facility in India. The company is also in final stage discussion with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) to assist it in the manufacturing for its battery, as well as our electronic components. The company is also in talks with different state authorities to set up its facility in India. However, the CEO declined to name those. The company is looking to start manufacturing its first vehicle in 3-6 months from now and aims to roll out the first car by the end of this year.

The promise of long battery life

He further explained that the solar panel in their car could generate up to 1.3 kilowatts per hour, reducing the AC from 3 KW draw to 1.3 KW draw. “This offsets the losses of mileage or kilometers in India. By just doing this, we’re saving about close to 30% of the battery for being used during traffic times.”

The use of solar panels is not new to the EV industry, but it would be new for India. The Korean carmaker Hyundai has also used similar solar roofs in its Sonata Hybrid, which is expected to launch in February this year in India. The Sonata Hybrid is already available in the US and other global markets.

  But would solar panels be enough to feed the battery alone? 

Although the solar panel will reduce the battery’s load, it wouldn’t be enough for the car to operate on the solar panels alone. And, that is the pain point for the EV makers. The idea of going green looks promising, but the Indian EV infrastructure continues to be a big challenge for them. As of the latest data, India had 650 places where people could charge the EVs.

However, Patel revealed that they are in talks with many dealerships in major cities and other cities to set up their dealer facility to carry their EV fast chargers.

“And basically you know what our goal is to not only have multiple dealership outlets, but also, have satellite dealership outlets. So the satellite dealership outlets means that you have less infrastructure, but you have charging stations. We feel this is gonna be a very good starting point to get people to be able to get fast charging from ourselves as far as our building goals,” he said. Meanwhile, the company is also tying up with other charging companies in India cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Gujarat, Hyderabad and Karnataka.  

Electric Pickups Coming Soon Will Find Lots of Interested Customers

 It's no surprise that some of the hottest new electric vehicles are the upcoming barrage of pickup trucks. Certified fresh options from traditional automakers including Ford and GMC (through its revived Hummer brand) as well as startups like Tesla and Rivian will all be arriving in the next few years, and people have noticed.

Those are the results from a new survey of pickup shoppers conducted by Cox Automotive, which found that 40 percent of consumers who plan to buy a truck in the next two years are considering an electric option, and a solid half of those in the market for an EV pickup truck find the current selection of electric vehicles appealing.

"Our research shows new EV pickup trucks are leading more consumers to consider an EV product," said Vanessa Ton, senior manager at Cox Automotive, in a statement. "EV pickups are a catalyst for EV growth."

To be sure, Cox did not conduct a massive, anonymous survey to discover these results. Instead, Cox worked with MarketVision to administer an online survey in November and December that ended up getting opinions from 155 consumers who are in the market for a pickup truck, including 60 who were specifically shopping for an electric pickup truck.

Not all truck shoppers are interested in the same things. Price and driving performance were the top two considerations, but after that, things diverge slightly, Cox found. One big difference is where horsepower or new technology rank on the list of important features. "ICE buyers prioritize horsepower; shoppers interested in EVs care more about technology," Ton said. 

Specifically, horsepower matters for 77 percent of of fossil-fuel truck shoppers but only 58 percent of EV truck shoppers. For a truck that's "technologically advanced," the difference is about the same but in the other direction. Seventy-seven percent of EV truck shoppers think an advanced truck is something to consider while only 56 percent of ICE truck shoppers thought so. And, for the traditional OEMs who think Tesla or Rivian have a steep conquest hill to climb, "brand name" came in near the bottom of the list for buyers interested in EVs (45 percent) and ICE (55 percent) truck shoppers.

 That doesn't mean Ford will undoubtedly lose tons of customers because of the Cybertruck or the Rivian R1T. When Cox showed people pictures of trucks from the four companies surveyed—Ford, GMC, Rivian, and Tesla—but without any brand and model indications, 59 percent said they liked the Ford F-150 electric pickup truck, while only 19 percent said the same about the Tesla. Once the names were attached to the pictures, interest in the Cybertruck jumped to 32 percent, while Ford dropped to 45 percent. That still made the F-150 the truck people were most interested in—"perhaps indicating familiarity is attractive," Cox said—but it also shows the strength of the Tesla brand.

The road ahead for electric cars in India

 Last week, Elon Musk confirmed his India plans for Tesla with a two-word tweet. “As promised,” wrote the world’s richest man in a thread, linking to a blog that said Tesla cars will be expensive, but may eventually become more affordable for the Indian middle class when the company starts its own production. “At the moment, due to the high tariffs in India, Tesla cars will be expensive. Nevertheless, if the company has its own production, it will reduce the cost of cars to an acceptable level, which will make them more affordable. Thus, at some point, Tesla cars may become affordable for the middle class as well,” the brand says in one of the blogs.

The first launch expected from the company is its entry-level offering, the Model 3 sedan, which will be sold in India through the CBU (Completely Built Unit) route, thus demanding a higher price tag (starting at approximately Rs 60 lakh). The most affordable and best-selling product of the brand, Model 3 comes in three variants: standard range plus, long range and performance. But the brand hasn’t confirmed if it will bring its Autopilot autonomous driving assist to India, one of the biggest highlights of the brand.

Autopilot is an advanced driver assistance system, which does not turn a Tesla into an autonomous vehicle or allow the driver to abdicate responsibility. Instead, it reduces the driver’s overall workload.

Nonetheless, the much-hyped arrival of Tesla in the Indian market has raised eyebrows, as electric mobility in India is still a work in progress. Also, there are already many players in the electric vehicle market in India. Tata Motors’ brand of electric vehicles starts at Rs 15 lakh, Mahindra Electric sells eVerito cars that are battery-operated, and Morris Garage and Hyundai, too, sell battery-operated vehicles. Mercedes-Benz currently retails the EQC, an electric car that is not only the costliest but also the most advanced in India.

In fact, there are many upcoming electric cars in 2021 as well. Take, for instance, Mahindra XUV300 Electric, an all-electric version, which is powered by a 130hp electric motor with a 30kWh battery to deliver a range of over 300 km on a single charge. Or the BMW i3, which is expected to be a lighter vehicle in the segment and travel a distance of 128-150 km on a single charge. Tata Altroz EV will come with a 30kWh battery that will offer a range of around 300 km on a single charge. US-based Triton Electric Vehicles, too, plans to introduce its N4 sedan in India, starting at a price of Rs 35 lakh.

But can India easily achieve transition to e-mobility? The ministry of power has allowed the sale of electricity as a service for charging electric vehicles. The ministry of road transport highways has notified that there will be an exemption of official permit for battery-operated vehicles. But there is an increasing need to make ample charging stations available and this can lead to pressure on electricity generation. Plus, renewable energy resources should be coupled with charging stations for efficiency.

Okinawa Dual B2B electric two-wheeler launched in India

 Indian electric two-wheeler brand, Okinawa has updated its product portfolio with the launch of a new B2B electric two-wheeler, the Dual. The new Okinawa Dual has been priced at Rs 58,998, and it has been deployed for last-mile logistics.

The new Dual gets carriers at the front and the back, and it can be used to carry heavy items such as gas cylinders, heavy hardware equipment, water cans, etc. Okinawa will offer additional accessories such as a delivery box, stackable crates, cold storage boxes for medicines, etc. The feature list also includes a side footrest, hard mat design, phone holder, charging port, and water bottle carrier.

The new Okinawa Dual uses a 250Watt electric motor that boasts a claimed top speed of 25kmph. Being a low-speed electric vehicle, it doesn’t need registration or a driver's license. It tips the weighing scale at 75kg (kerb).

The electric motor draws power from a 48W 55Ah detachable Li-ion battery that can be charged to 80 per cent in 1.5 hours. A full charge can take four to five hours. Okinawa claims a range of 130km per charge. Buyers can also opt for a lower 48V 28Ah battery that can be charged to 80 per cent in 45 minutes and fully in about two to three hours. The smaller battery pack promises a range of 60km per charge.

The Okinawa Dual is backed by a three-year warranty on the battery, and a three-year or 30,000km (whichever is earlier) warranty on the Powertrain. The vehicle will be available in two colours – Fire Red and Sunshine Yellow.

Mercedes unveils electric compact SUV in bid to outdo Tesla

 

Daimler AG's Mercedes-Benz on Wednesday unveiled the EQA, a new electric compact SUV as part of plans to take on rival Tesla and offer more emission-free vehicles to consumers to meet targets in Europe and China.

The EQA, the first of several electric models Mercedes-Benz plans to launch this year, will initially have a range of 426 kilometres (265 miles), with a 500km model coming later, the premium brand carmaker said in a video presentation.

The SUV will go on sale in Europe on February 4 at what board of management Britta Seeger described as "very attractive price points".

Electric vehicle (EV) sales took off in Europe last year as carmakers scrambled to meet European Union CO2 emissions targets. Sales received a boost from subsidies included in economic stimulus measures rolled out in France and Germany, in particular.

Sales of fully electric and plug-in hybrid models rose 122% across the EU through the first three quarters of 2020.

Mercedes-Benz describes the EQA as an "urban entry model" and board member Seeger touted its "sustainability, versatility and fresh look".

Electric carmaker Tesla got a head start on traditional carmakers with their vast investments in fossil-fuel vehicles and has dominated global sales. The mass-market Tesla Model 3 is the world's best-selling EV, followed in distant second place by Renault's Zoe.

As well as emissions targets, carmakers face bans on fossil-fuel vehicles that come into effect as early as 2030 in some markets.

Audi to make electric cars with China's oldest carmaker FAW

 

FAW is China's third largest carmaker, and counts Hongqi - or Red Flag - limousines for China's communist party leaders among its products.

It has been trying to gain ground in the world's largest electric car market against domestic competitors like Geely and SAIC.

The new joint-venture factory will build fully-electric Audi models.

The $4.6bn facility is set to open in 2024 in Chungchun in China's Northeast, according to Audi. 

"This deepened partnership between Audi and FAW heralds a new era of electrification as the next 'golden decade' for Audi on the important Chinese market," said President of Audi China Werner Eichhorn, in a press release.

China is the single biggest market in the world for Audi, which sold more than 700,000 vehicles there in 2020.

The German luxury brand wants electric vehicles to make up one-third of its sales in China by 2025.

Audi and its owner Volkswagen will own a 60% stake in the joint venture, while FAW will own 40%

FAW already produces Audi models locally and has a longstanding relationship with Audi and its parent company Volkswagen.

The company was created as part of an industrialisation push by Chinese Communist Party Chairman Mao Zedong in the 1950s.

Its premium Hongqi models, which were originally created to transport diplomats and communist party officials, fell out of favour in the 1980s before being revived amid a national push to promote Chinese brands.

China's President Xi Jinping rode in a Hongqi limousine during a military parade to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II in 2015.

FAW sold more than 3 million units in 2020, including 200,000 of its premium Hongqi branded cars.

The company plans to electrify most of its Hongqi models by 2025.

Electric car shake-up

Audi's latest move comes amid a backdrop of increasing competition in China's electric car market.

According to the International Energy Agency, there were 7.2 million electric cars on the road globally by 2019, with 47% of them in China.

China's electric vehicle sales are tipped to reach 1.8 million units this year, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.

The FAW-Audi tie up will likely compete with BMW, which has its own electric vehicle joint-venture with Chinese sports utility vehicle maker Great Wall Motors. 

Tesla is also a major player, with its first Chinese-made electric vehicles rolling off the assembly line of the car maker's Shanghai gigafactory last year.

A number of local start-ups, like Nio, Aiways, XPeng, Li Auto and WM Motor are also vying for a slice of the Chinese market.

Increasingly, local electric car markers have also been looking to incorporate high tech features into their cars in an effort to become more competitive.

Many have partnered with China's big technology companies to manufacture smarter electric vehicles.

   Chinese media have reported that Alibaba and SAIC will work together under a new premium electric vehicle brand called Zhiji, which will feature new battery technology that will extend the car’s range.

Chinese search engine Baidu and iPhone maker Foxconn have also each announced partnerships with with Geely, which is China's largest private carmaker.

Ride hailing app Didi Chuxing also recently announced it would make electric vehicles designed for its services with automaker BYD.

New electric car battery can charge in five minutes

 A new electric car battery that can be fully charged in five minutes has been manufactured for the first time on a normal production line in China, based on designs by Israeli company StoreDot.

The breakthrough could address a significant concern for electric car drivers - the fear of running out of power during a journey, marooning the vehicle for a couple of hours while it charges.

"A five-minute charging lithium-ion battery was considered to be impossible," said StoreDot's chief executive, Dr Doron Myersdorf.

"But we are not releasing a lab prototype, we are releasing engineering samples from a mass production line. This demonstrates that it is feasible and commercially ready," Dr Myersdorf added.

The company produced 1,000 sample batteries with its manufacturing partner Eve Energy in China.

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These samples, which are compliant with Li-ion battery certifications, were manufactured on a normal construction line and will be used to showcase the company's technology to other companies.

So-called "range anxiety" is the "number one barrier to the adoption of electric vehicles", said Dr Myersdorf.

Fast charging lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries is a significant problem for electronics manufacturers and developers, and companies from Samsung to Daimler have invested in StoreDot.

The company's new batteries are designed differently to standard Li-ion ones, replacing the graphite with semiconductor nanoparticles based on germanium - though they hope to move to silicon in the future.

Because the speed of the charge is based on the battery rather than the charging point, StoreDot's invention could have a significant impact on the adoption of electric vehicles, which are facing a bottleneck in countries such as the UK that have limited charging stations.

There are more than 30,000 points currently in the UK in over 11,000 locations, and around 10,000 charge points were added in 2019 alone.

But research by Deloitte suggests the UK will need to spend £1.6bn on 28,000 more public points for the estimated seven million EVs that will be on the road by 2030.

In 2019, there were 37,850 BEVs (Battery Electric Vehicles) registered in the UK - up 144% on the previous year, however they still only account for 1.6% of the market.

Hybrid electric vehicles - combing an electric motor with a petrol or diesel engine - are currently more popular, making up 4.2% of the market share, but they are set to be phased out along with petrol and diesel cars by 2035.

Electric car battery that can recharge in 10 minutes and last for 250 miles on a single charge could help drivers combat 'range anxiety'.

 US experts have developed a new electric car battery that charges in just 10 minutes and lasts for 250 miles on a single charge. 

The EV batteries are made from lithium iron phosphate, which is known for its 'unsurpassed safety', and can quickly heat up and cool down – key to rapid charging and a long life.  

They quickly heat up to 140°F for charge and discharge and then cool down when the battery is not being used.

The system could tackle 'range anxiety' – drivers' fears that they don't have sufficient charge on their electric vehicle (EV) to get them to their destination.

Researchers say their battery should last more that 2 million miles in a lifetime and would be 'a well-rounded powertrain for mass-market EVs' if commercialised. 

'There is no more range anxiety and this battery is affordable,' said Chao-Yang Wang at Penn State University in the US.

'The very fast charge allows us to downsize the battery without incurring range anxiety.'

According to Wang, these batteries can produce a large amount of power upon heating – 40 kilowatt hours and 300 kilowatts of power. 

An EV with this battery could go from zero to 60 miles per hour in three seconds and would drive like a Porsche, he said.

'We developed a pretty clever battery for mass-market electric vehicles with cost parity with combustion engine vehicles,' said Wang. 

'This is how we are going to change the environment and not contribute to just the luxury cars. Let everyone afford electric vehicles.'  

Batteries have three main components – the anode, cathode and electrolyte.

The electrolyte is typically a chemical that separates the anode and cathode and moves the flow of electrical charge between the two.

Because lithium is a highly-reactive element it stores a large amount of energy.

Lithium-ion batteries use a liquid electrolyte – a flammable, carbon-based liquid.

But this liquid electrolyte is often flammable and has been blamed for lithium ion batteries bursting into flames when overheated, for example. 

Lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, a type of lithium ion battery, are an alternative.

They use lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) as the cathode material, are already used in EVs and are renowned for safety. 

This new battery is also lithium iron phosphate but is described as a 'thermally modulated LFP'. 

It uses a self-heating approach previously developed in Wang's lab, the Electrochemical Engine Center at Penn State.

The self-heating battery uses a thin nickel foil with one end attached to the negative terminal and the other extending outside the cell to create a third terminal. 

Once electrons flow it rapidly heats up the nickel foil through resistance heating and warm the inside of the battery. 

Once the battery's internal temperature is 140°F, the switch opens and the battery is ready for rapid charge or discharge.

Wang's team have also used low-cost materials for the battery's cathode and anode and a safe, low-voltage electrolyte. 

The cathode is thermally stable lithium iron phosphate, which does not contain any of the expensive and critical materials like cobalt. 

While the anode is made of very large particle graphite, a safe, light and inexpensive material.

Because of the self-heating, the researchers said they do not have to worry about uneven deposition of lithium on the anode, which can cause lithium spikes that are dangerous.

'This battery has reduced weight, volume and cost,' said Wang, who authored a paper on the findings that's been published in Nature Energy. 

'I am very happy that we finally found a battery that will benefit the mainstream consumer mass market.' 

Range anxiety is considered a major barrier to large scale adoption of all-electric vehicles – something the UK government wants to see in the next 10 years. 

It's banning the sale of petrol and diesel cars from 2030, in a bid to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions and achieve the government's net zero emissions target by 2050.

The petrol/diesel ban means the UK needs new and efficient charging methods fast to complement more EV charging ports around the country. 

In December, Britain's first forecourt only for EVs opened in Braintree, Essex, giving  drivers the chance to charge their vehicles. 

The service station features 36 EV charges and shops including a WHSmith, a Post Office, a gym and a wellness area for visitors to practice yoga for drivers to enjoy while their EVs are being charged. 

The EV forecourt is the first of a £1 billion nationwide network of 100 electric forecourts planned over the next five years. 

Meanwhile, the city of Coventry is working on a Scalextric-style system of wireless charging, which will potentially recharge EVs while they're in motion.   

Tata Nexon EV emerged as the bestselling electric car in India in 2020

 Tata Nexon sold 2,529 units in 2020 

- MG ZS EV and the Hyundai Kona EV take the second place and third place with 1,142 and 223 units respectively 

Tata Nexon EV has emerged as the bestselling electric vehicle in 2020. Backed by the Nexon brand name, safety, and modern styling, the Nexon EV has emerged as a popular choice in the Indian market. Interestingly, the Nexon EV is also the most affordable electric SUV in the Indian market. 

In terms of cumulative sales, 4,003 electric vehicle units were sold in the calendar year 2020. Introduced in January 2020, the Tata Motors sold 2,529 units of the Nexon EV in India, thereby claiming a market share of 63.2 per cent. 

MG ZS EV takes the second place with 1,142-unit sales, thereby holding a market share of 28.5 per cent. The ZS EV was introduced at the same time as the Nexon EV in January 2020. In an effort to strengthen its foothold in the segment, the company offered the eShield for the ZS EV, which provided free-of-charge five-year manufacturer warranty for unlimited kilometre on the car and eight years/150km warranty on the battery.

The Hyundai Kona, the first electric SUV in the country takes the third place with 223 unit sales in 2020, thereby holding a market share of 5.6 per cent. 

The second electric vehicle from Tata Motors, the Tigor EV has witnessed a sale of 100 units, followed by the Mahindra e-Verito electric with just nine unit sales in 2020.

Top 5 Electric Cars Launching This Year – Tata Altroz EV To Tesla Model 3

Check out our list of the top five electric vehicles, which are slated to launch during this year in the Indian market 

 Electrification is gaining pace in the automobile industry of India, with more and more carmakers jumping on that bandwagon. In 2021, there are plenty of electric vehicles scheduled to arrive in our market, ranging from entry-level affordable models to luxury EVs from carmakers like Audi and Jaguar. However, there are a few vehicles for which the anticipation is higher than others. Here, we have listed the top five EV that will be launching in India this year.

1. Tata Altroz EV 

Tata Motors is planning to launch a new electric car in the Indian market before the end of this year, the Altroz EV. It was first showcased at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show, and then at the 2020 Auto Expo. The specifications of the vehicle are a mystery at the moment, but speculations suggest that it will have a driving range of somewhere between 250 to 300 km.

2. Mahindra eKUV100 

The eKUV100 was showcased by Mahindra & Mahindra at the 2020 Auto Expo, back in February 2020. The manufacturer was originally aiming for a starting price of Rs. 8.25 lakh, inclusive of FAME II subsidies, and we expect the actual price to be just a little higher than that when the vehicle launches later this year. The eKUV100 will draw power from a 15.9 kWh battery pack, which is capable of delivering a claimed driving range of 147 km.

3. Mahindra eXUV300

 Mahindra also showcased the concept version of an XUV300-based EV, named ‘eXUV300’ at the Auto Expo 2020. The specifications of the vehicle haven’t been revealed yet, but the manufacturer previously stated that the production version of the eXUV300 will offer a driving range of around 370 km.

4. Hyundai Kona EV facelift 

Hyundai internationally unveiled the Kona EV facelift just a few months ago, and the vehicle is expected to launch in India by late-2021. Apart from a new design, the facelift model also offers more features over the outgoing version, like a standard 10.25-inch digital instrument display, heated seats (front and rear), etc. The lower variant of the 2021 Hyundai Kona EV gets a 39.2kWh battery, that delivers a driving range of 304 km while the top-spec model gets a 64 kWh battery, good for a range of 483 km.

5. Tesla Model 3 

Tesla is set to finally enter the Indian market this year, and its first offering is expected to be the Model 3. Tesla Model 3 gets three battery options – 50 kWh, 54 kWh, and 75 kWh – which offer a driving range of 354 km, 423 km, and 568 km, respectively (as tested by EPA).

Its price in India is expected to begin around the Rs. 55 lakh mark, and it will be positioned as a luxury vehicle.

4. Hyundai Kona EV facelift Hyundai internationally unveiled the Kona EV facelift just a few months ago, and the vehicle is expected to launch in India by late-2021. Apart from a new design, the facelift model also offers more features over the outgoing version, like a standard 10.25-inch digital instrument display, heated seats (front and rear), etc. The lower variant of the 2021 Hyundai Kona EV gets a 39.2kWh battery, that delivers a driving range of 304 km while the top-spec model gets a 64 kWh battery, good for a range of 483 km.

Read more at: https://gaadiwaadi.com/top-5-electric-cars-launching-this-year-tata-altroz-ev-to-tesla-model-3/  

1. Tata Altroz EV Tata Motors is planning to launch a new electric car in the Indian market before the end of this year, the Altroz EV. It was first showcased at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show, and then at the 2020 Auto Expo. The specifications of the vehicle are a mystery at the moment, but speculations suggest that it will have a driving range of somewhere between 250 to 300 km.

Read more at: https://gaadiwaadi.com/top-5-electric-cars-launching-this-year-tata-altroz-ev-to-tesla-model-3/  

1. Tata Altroz EV Tata Motors is planning to launch a new electric car in the Indian market before the end of this year, the Altroz EV. It was first showcased at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show, and then at the 2020 Auto Expo. The specifications of the vehicle are a mystery at the moment, but speculations suggest that it will have a driving range of somewhere between 250 to 300 km.

Read more at: https://gaadiwaadi.com/top-5-electric-cars-launching-this-year-tata-altroz-ev-to-tesla-model-3/  

Read more at: https://gaadiwaadi.com/top-5-electric-cars-launching-this-year-tata-altroz-ev-to-tesla-model-3/  

GM Canada announces tentative deal for $1 billion electric vehicle plant in Ontario

 GM Canada says it has reached a tentative deal with Unifor that if ratified will see it invest $1 billion to transform its CAMI plant in Ingersoll, Ont., to make commercial electric vehicles.

Unifor National President Jerry Dias says along with the significant investment the agreement will mean new products, new jobs and job security for workers.

Dias says in a statement that more details of the tentative deal will be presented to Unifor Local 88 members at an online ratification meeting scheduled for Sunday.

He says the results of the ratification vote are scheduled to be released on Monday.

Details of the agreement were not released Friday night.

A GM spokeswoman says in a statement that the plan is to build BrightDrop EV 600s -- an all-new GM business announced this week at the Consumer Electronics Show that will offer a cleaner way for delivery and logistics companies to move goods more efficiently.

Unifor said the contract, if ratified, will bring total investment negotiated by the union to nearly $6 billion after new agreements were ratified with General Motors, Ford and Fiat Chrysler in 2020 that included support from the federal and Ontario governments.

It said the Ford deal reached in September included $1.95 billion to bring battery electric vehicle production to Oakville and a new engine derivative to Windsor and the Fiat Chrysler agreement included more than $1.5 billion to build plug-in hybrid vehicles and battery electric vehicles.

Unifor said in November, General Motors agreed to a $1.3 billion dollar investment to bring 1,700 jobs to Oshawa plus more than $109 million to in-source new transmission work for the Corvette and support continued V8 engine production in St. Catharines.

Tata Motors Planning To Launch A Slew Of Affordable EVs In India

 Electrification of the automobile industry is slowly catching on in India, and Tata aims to be at the forefront of this change 

 Tata Motors recently revealed that it is planning to introduce a bunch of new electric vehicles in the Indian market. These upcoming EVs will expectedly be priced at a premium of around 15 to 20 per cent over equivalent petrol/diesel-powered vehicles, while still offering a driving range of at least 200 km on a full charge.  

Last year, Tata Motors had a particularly impressive sales run, registering near-consistent growth throughout 2020, while most other manufacturers were struggling to keep their sales figures up. This allowed Tata to climb up to the third position in the Indian market, behind Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai. Interestingly, the manufacturer led the sales chart in terms of EV sales, with 2,602 units of the Nexon EV sold in 2020.

Tata currently has only two electric cars in its lineup – Nexon EV and Tigor EV – but more are expected to join the range soon. The Altroz EV is slated to launch sometime during this year, and the company will also be unveiling the electric version of the upcoming HBX mini-SUV soon. altroz ev auto expo-2.

 We might also see EVs based on the Harrier and the new Safari sometime in the future, as the OMEGA platform already supports electrification. However, Tata’s focus is currently towards the affordable end of the market. The manufacturer stated that due to the practical benefits of driving an electric car, mainly the lower driving costs, EV sales volumes are slowly but steadily increasing. 

Shailesh Chandra, President of Tata Motors Passenger Vehicle division, was quoted saying: “Electrics remain central to our strategy. In our journey during the last three years, we have clearly established ourselves as frontrunners in the EV space.” Mahindra & Mahindra is yet to launch its promised EVs (showcased at the 2020 Auto Expo) in India, while Maruti Suzuki doesn’t have any electrified vehicle in its portfolio currently. Hyundai and MG have the Kona EV and ZS EV, respectively, but those are priced above Rs. 20 lakh. 

Meanwhile, Tata Nexon EV has a starting price of Rs. 13.99 lakh, and the Tigor EV of Rs. 9.58 lakh. The homegrown carmaker also offers an 8-year (or 1.6 lakh km) warranty on the battery and motor (on the Ziptron-based Nexon EV), which should be available on the brand’s future electric models as well. 

Tata currently has only two electric cars in its lineup – Nexon EV and Tigor EV – but more are expected to join the range soon. The Altroz EV is slated to launch sometime during this year, and the company will also be unveiling the electric version of the upcoming HBX mini-SUV soon. altroz ev auto expo-2 We might also see EVs based on the Harrier and the new Safari sometime in the future, as the OMEGA platform already supports electrification. However, Tata’s focus is currently towards the affordable end of the market. The manufacturer stated that due to the practical benefits of driving an electric car, mainly the lower driving costs, EV sales volumes are slowly but steadily increasing. Shailesh Chandra, President of Tata Motors Passenger Vehicle division, was quoted saying: “Electrics remain central to our strategy. In our journey during the last three years, we have clearly established ourselves as frontrunners in the EV space.” Mahindra & Mahindra is yet to launch its promised EVs (showcased at the 2020 Auto Expo) in India, while Maruti Suzuki doesn’t have any electrified vehicle in its portfolio currently. Hyundai and MG have the Kona EV and ZS EV, respectively, but those are priced above Rs. 20 lakh. Meanwhile, Tata Nexon EV has a starting price of Rs. 13.99 lakh, and the Tigor EV of Rs. 9.58 lakh. The homegrown carmaker also offers an 8-year (or 1.6 lakh km) warranty on the battery and motor (on the Ziptron-based Nexon EV), which should be available on the brand’s future electric models as well.

Read more at: https://gaadiwaadi.com/tata-motors-planning-to-launch-a-slew-of-affordable-evs-in-india/  

Tata currently has only two electric cars in its lineup – Nexon EV and Tigor EV – but more are expected to join the range soon. The Altroz EV is slated to launch sometime during this year, and the company will also be unveiling the electric version of the upcoming HBX mini-SUV soon.

Read more at: https://gaadiwaadi.com/tata-motors-planning-to-launch-a-slew-of-affordable-evs-in-india/  

Tata currently has only two electric cars in its lineup – Nexon EV and Tigor EV – but more are expected to join the range soon. The Altroz EV is slated to launch sometime during this year, and the company will also be unveiling the electric version of the upcoming HBX mini-SUV soon.

Read more at: https://gaadiwaadi.com/tata-motors-planning-to-launch-a-slew-of-affordable-evs-in-india/  

Tata currently has only two electric cars in its lineup – Nexon EV and Tigor EV – but more are expected to join the range soon. The Altroz EV is slated to launch sometime during this year, and the company will also be unveiling the electric version of the upcoming HBX mini-SUV soon.

Read more at: https://gaadiwaadi.com/tata-motors-planning-to-launch-a-slew-of-affordable-evs-in-india/  

Read more at: https://gaadiwaadi.com/tata-motors-planning-to-launch-a-slew-of-affordable-evs-in-india/  

Hyundai teases 1st all electric car IONIQ 5, arrives in Feb

 Hyundai Motor on Wednesday released a teaser for the IONIQ 5, the first all-electric model in its IONIQ dedicated BEV lineup brand that would debut in a virtual world premiere event in February.

IONIQ 5 will be the first vehicle mated with Hyundai Motor Group's Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP), an innovative system made exclusively for next-generation battery electric vehicles.

The IONIQ 5 midsize crossover vehicle comes with a battery that enables driving over 500 kms on a single charge and ultra-fast charging to 80 per cent capacity within 18 minutes.

"Beginning with IONIQ 5, our dedicated BEV lineup brand will redefine the relationship between people and their cars, establishing a new standard against which all BEV design experiences will be measured," said SangYup Lee, Senior Vice President and Head of Hyundai Global Design Centre.

IONIQ 5's signature design elements include Parametric Pixels, the smallest unit of digital imaging, as well as its eco-friendly Colour Material Finish (CMF) direction that connects the analogue with digital emotions, showcasing the IONIQ brand's timeless design value.

IONIQ 5's front end is adorned with arrays of pixel-inspired lights suggestive of the digital technology within.

The electric car is also the first Hyundai vehicle to feature a clamshell hood that spans the entire width of the car, thus minimising panel gaps and creating a clean and high-tech overall look.

Hyundai Motor has also released four teaser videos to spark curiosity about the new model, each presenting viewers with a sneak peek at IONIQ 5's core technologies, raising expectations for the company's dedicated BEV lineup brand and its first entry.

Triton set to enter Indian market with N4 electric sedan; price starts at Rs 35 lakh

 US-based Triton Electric Vehicle on Monday said it aims to introduce N4 sedan in India with price starting at Rs 35 lakh.

The electric sedan, which would be manufactured in the US, is going to be available in four different variants and a high-performance limited edition in the country, the company said in a statement.

Only 100 units of the limited edition version — N4-GT — would be produced, it added.

The N4 model comes powered by 75Kwh and 100 Kwh battery options giving the vehicle a range of up to 523 km and 696 km respectively, it added.

“The base model will be priced at Rs 35 lakh thus, showing the amount of market research that has been put by the company to cater the requirements of the Indian market,” Triton Electric Vehicle said.

The company added that it has commenced the pre-launch bookings of the model for the Indian customers on its website.

“As we are heading towards a new era of commitment towards our environment, EVs are going to make a definitive contribution in building a future ready society. We aim to make our sincere contribution towards ensuring a future ready society with environmentally friendly clean energy practices,” Triton Electric Vehicle Founder and CEO Himanshu B Patel said.

The company is also in advanced stage of deliberations with Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) and there would be a potential joint venture between the two companies for the manufacturing of batteries and electronics systems for energy storage system and EVs, he added.

Terming India one of the top three markets, the company noted that it has strong plans for expanding in the country.

The expansion will be in the area of setting up a manufacturing base as well as developing a strong customer base for various models of Triton Electric Vehicles, it added.

“Right now, we are seeking proactive partners who are willing to join us in our journey to capture the most lucrative EV market. We are open to establish local dealerships who are keen to enter into Triton EV retail with service and support to the customers,” Patel said.

Triton Electric Vehicle is a new subsidiary of Cherry Hill (New Jersey) based Triton Solar, a leader in solar panel and battery engineering.

Tesla China rival Nio ups competition with new electric sedan

 Nio is coming off a stellar 2020. In the early months of last year, the automaker looked to be running out of cash having spent heavily on marketing and splashy showrooms for its ES8 and ES6 electric SUVs. But in April, it received a $1 billion investment from entities led by the municipal government of Hefei and in July, a $1.5 billion credit line from Chinese banks.

Its New York-listed shares finished the year up 1,112% and the company has begun reporting gross positive margins, having delivered 43,728 vehicles in 2020.

Li, speaking in Shanghai prior to this weekend’s event, listed Nio’s main rivals as automakers like BMW AG, Mercedes-Benz or Audi AG. While Tesla “maintains its ambition to become a Volkswagen or Ford in electric-vehicle manufacturing, we will insist on producing premium cars," he said.

Notwithstanding, Nio’s new sedan will go head-to-head with Tesla’s best-selling Model 3, of which more than 120,000 were sold in China last year. The Palo Alto, California-based company also started selling its roomier China-made Model Y SUV on Jan. 1, which starts from 339,900 yuan. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has said the Model Y has the potential to outsell all other vehicles it makes.

In an interview after the launch in Chengdu, Li said he sees the ET7 more as a rival to Tesla’s Model S if comparisons are to be made.

Nio is working on another sedan, too. Its one-two sedan punch follows three SUV models since 2018.

There almost certainly will be room for them all. Car ownership in China lags other developing nations, with about 173 out of every 1,000 people having an automobile versus 433 in Malaysia and 373 in Russia. In the U.S. and Australia, it is 837 and 747, respectively, McKinsey & Co. data show.

Auto sales in Asia’s biggest economy rose for a fifth straight month in November, led by demand for EVs. China, a “linchpin of growth for the EV market," according to Wedbush analyst Dan Ives, is expected to maintain its world-leading position.

Maruti WagonR Electric Car Launch Plans Cancelled

 

Maruti Suzuki WagonR Electric has been one of the most spotted, yet to be launched EV on Indian roads. Test mules of WagonR Electric have been captured all across the country, including in hill stations like Kufri where Maruti would have been trying to do sub 0 temperature testing. 

 Launch of this electric car was expected to take place in 2020. But that did not happen, Covid19 pandemic was believed to be the reason. But now, a new report from Economic Times claims that the plan to launch WagonR electric in India has been shelved. This comes at a time when the test mules of WagonR electric or what was claimed to be XL5 EV, continues to be on test near company plant in Manesar. 

Techno Commercial Viability Issues 

The Maruti EV project had already faced multiple delays in the past. Though there is no update from Maruti Suzuki, ET’s sources have confirmed that the company has decided to halt the project due to “techno-commercial viability issues”. The WagonR Electric was going to have considerable number of imported components which would have led to increase in its costing. 

 With the increase in costs, Maruti wasn’t sure if the pricing of the product could be appropriate for it to become a big number churner. Most Maruti products manage good monthly sales of 3-4K units or more. Hence, Maruti didn’t want to bring in the WagonR EV if it would have been able to manage just triple digit sales. 

Maruti WagonR electric test mules Maruti WagonR electric test mules in Nov 2018 Interestingly, Toyota was also planning on an EV for India which would have been based on the Maruti EV, however with the discontinuation of WagonR EV, the Toyota’s project also will get shelved. As per earlier report, Maruti had plans to launch WagonR electric at Rs 12 lakhs. Interestingly, Tata launched an electric SUV at Rs 14 lakhs last year.

 Journey Till Now 

 Maruti had started the WagonR electric project in 2018 by commencing testing on 50 units of WagonR which were based on the model sold in Japan. Later in 2019, Maruti built new prototypes too which were based on the Indian WagonR and continued with testing. 

Way Ahead 

 While the WagonR project has been shelved, Maruti will still be looking forward to bringing in an electric car for the Indian market later in the future. We expect that the new Maruti EV for Indian market will now come around 2023 and it might land up being a cross-over or an SUV, considering the growing liking of Indian customers for those body types.

 In the meanwhile, Suzuki has set up a dedicated Lithium-ion battery plant in Gujarat which shall start operations around mid-2021. This plant will help Suzuki to plan on full-hybrid and EVs in the future, and additionally provide the cost-advantage through heavy localization of components.

Copyright (C) 'RUSH LANE' Read more at... https://www.rushlane.com/maruti-wagonr-electric-cancelled-launch-12389080.html .

How General Motors plans to overtake Tesla for the electric car crown

As chief executive Mary Barra announced the acceleration of General Motors’ rollout of 30 vehicle models in November, she said the carmaker was “committed to fighting for EV market share until we are number one in North America”.

 

She did not mention Tesla by name — and she did not have to. 

 

A decade ago, GM was the company to beat in the US in electric vehicles. In 2012, the year Tesla debuted the Model S, GM sold more than 23,000 Chevrolet Volts, nearly double that of its nearest competitor, the Toyota Prius, and representing 18 per cent of the total US electric vehicle market. But since Tesla began selling the Model 3 two years ago, it has smashed US sales records for electric vehicles — still just a sliver of the US vehicle market overall — and turned 112-year-old GM into an underdog. Tesla dominated the US EV market in 2019 with 58 per cent share, and some estimates have suggested its share rose to as much as 80 per cent in the first half of 2020. Ms Barra has said that GM will increase the amount it invests in electric vehicle development to $27bn and that the company will sell 1m electric vehicles in 2025. At that rate, analysts say the Detroit carmaker is unlikely to soon overtake its California competitor, which joined GM in the blue-chip S&P 500 last month. “Right now, on pure electric in the US, Tesla is dominant,” said David Whiston, a Morningstar analyst.

GM also must manage its traditional car and truck business, where it holds the largest share of the US market, to ensure it underwrites rather than undermines its electric vehicle push. 

 

“It’s like you’re operating on yourself,” said Adam Jonas, a Morgan Stanley analyst, who is bullish on Tesla. “It’s possible. It’s just the added challenge.” 

 Industry experts agree that at some point, the market for electric vehicles will become the entire vehicle market — the question is when. 

 Market research firm IDTechEx estimated EVs will constitute 20 per cent of the worldwide market by 2030, and up to 80 per cent by 2040. But Luke Gear, the firm’s senior technology analyst, said that the estimates were sure to be revised upwards, with Democrat Joe Biden set to take over the White House and European emissions fines set to kick in this year. 

 GM’s target of 1m vehicles and flood of new models is “stepping up the game”, Mr Gear said. GM’s Ultium battery allows for new models to be developed faster, and the company’s planned battery factory in Lordstown, Ohio — a joint venture with LG Chem — should make it possible to crank out enough batteries to meet Ms Barra’s production goals. 

 More vehicle models mean more choices for consumers, hastening wider EV adoption. Tesla has had some high-profile quality problems, like a roof that flew off a Model Y in California in October, the same day a new owner picked it up from the dealership. GM’s play means customers who want to buy an electric vehicle “won’t have to go with the 15-year-old start-up that has quality issues”, Mr Gear said. 

 For now, Tesla is still better at making its batteries cheaper than competitors, Mr Gear said. Cheaper batteries mean cheaper vehicles, making them an option for a wider pool of potential customers. 

 In 2019, the best-selling electric vehicle in the US was Tesla’s Model 3, which started at $38,000. The company sold nearly 155,000. By contrast, the second bestseller was Tesla’s Model X, a sport utility vehicle starting at $80,000, which sold 19,000. 

 Emmanuel Rosner, a Deutsche Bank analyst, estimated in a note that GM will reduce the cost of battery cells to approximately $100 per kilowatt hour in three years, and then to about $75 per kilowatt hour by 2025. Yet it would still trail Tesla’s mid-decade target of $50 per kilowatt hour. 

 “Price is going to be what determines who is the market leader, and Tesla looks set to win on price for the foreseeable future,” Mr Gear said.

 Tesla’s head start on electric vehicles is compounded by the huge difference between the two companies’ value. At $600bn, Tesla’s market capitalisation is now 10 times that of GM, giving it an advantage in raising capital, Mr Jonas said.

Moreover, as a pure-play electric vehicle company, Tesla is free of conflicts that could hamper GM, Mr Jonas said. All its capital expenditures go towards electric vehicles, and it may have an advantage in attracting engineering talent. 

 GM also could face future costs if the public and government begin to see the pollution emitted by internal combustion engines as a long-term liability, the kind that sparks regulation, legislation and litigation. That makes some investors think the automaker might still spin off its EV business, despite GM’s statements to the contrary. 

 “We are hearing investors starting to look at [internal combustion engine] cars like tobacco and asbestos,” Mr Jonas said.

 Analysts say GM is unlikely to realise an ambition to beat Tesla this decade, if at all. The company has “a long way to go” if it wants to pass Tesla in the North American electric vehicle market, Mr Whiston said. Yet Tesla has dominated in recent years partly because it has lacked competition. 

 “Once you get into cheaper EV spots, you can’t rely on Tesla fanatics to get you into the number one share position,” Mr Whiston said. Even if GM never controls a larger portion of the North American market than their upstart rival, if “they keep putting out tons of great products . . . and they take a ton of share from Tesla, are their EV efforts a failure then? I would say no.”

Electric cars hit record 54% of sales in Norway as VW overtakes Tesla

 Battery electric vehicles accounted for more than half of all cars sold in Norway last year, putting the country way out in front in efforts to kill off the internal combustion engine. And Tesla (TSLA) lost its sales crown to the Volkswagen Group.

Norway is using huge tax incentives to help ensure that every new passenger car and van sold in the country by the end of 2025 is a zero-emission vehicle. Record electric vehicle sales in 2020 means the country is now ahead of schedule, according to Oyvind Solberg Thorsen, CEO of the Norwegian Road Federation (OFV).

The market share of electric cars in Norway increased to 54% in 2020 from 42% the previous year, according to data published by OFV on Tuesday. When hybrid vehicles are included, the share of electrified vehicles hit 83% last year.

Petrol and diesel cars, which had a combined market share of 71% in 2015, now have just 17%.

Norway is the global leader in pushing polluting vehicles off the roads, and it appears to be gaining momentum, with battery electric vehicles accounting for two thirds of all sales during the month of December. Other countries are playing catch up. The United Kingdom said in November that it would ban the sale of new cars that run only on fossil fuels in 2030, five years earlier than previously planned.

Carmakers have sought to use Norway as a testing ground for their electric ambitions. Volkswagen's (VLKAF) luxury brand Audi was the market leader in 2020, according to OFV, selling 9,227 of its e-tron vehicles in the country. Tesla's (TSLA) Model 3, the 2019 leader, was pushed into second place with 7,770 sales. Volkswagen's ID.3 ranked third with 7,754 cars sold. 

Norway, which is the largest crude oil producer in western Europe, has been using tax breaks to increase sales of electric cars for decades. Oil revenue helped build the country's $1.3 trillion sovereign wealth fund, which is now embracing renewable energy and dumping oil and gas stocks.

The incentives make most electric vehicle models cheaper to buy than similar petrol models, according to the Norwegian Electric Vehicle Association. Buyers enjoy other incentives including use of bus lanes, and reduced fees on state ferries and toll roads.

The country has 10,000 publicly available charging points, according to the Norwegian Electric Vehicle Association.