Congress

 

Never Gonna Give You Up. According to Politico, “The nation’s largest autoworker union isn’t abandoning its fight for an expanded EV tax credit for union-made vehicles, despite Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) throwing more cold water on President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better bill, H.R. 5376 (117), this week. In a message to members on Thursday, UAW President Ray Curry cited the expanded tax credits as one of its key priorities for 2022 — and said members will back pro-union candidates in the November elections. ‘We are fighting for the Stabenow-Kildee Amendment which seeks to ensure that key consumer rebates for EVs are tied to good paying union auto jobs domestically,’ Curry wrote. ‘We know how important it is to have a strong voice in government and we will be working hard through our CAP Department and CAP members leading up to the midterm elections this fall to elect labor friendly representatives.’” [Politico, 1/7/22 (=)]

 

International

 

Tesla Model 3 Was 2nd Best Selling Car (Of Any Kind) In UK In 2021. According to Clean Technica, “Although the passenger car market in the UK as a whole was much lower in 2021 than it was in 2019, EV sales rose dramatically in 2021. In December 2021, 36,041 new plug-in vehicles were registered (27,705 BEVs), reflecting a 33% increase from December of 2020. Looking at the whole year, the UK achieved 18.6% plugin vehicle market share (11.6% BEV share) in 2021, versus 10.7% market share (6.6% BEV share) in 2020. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) pointed out that 2021 was the most successful year in history for electric vehicle uptake. More new battery electric vehicles were registered in 2021 than over the previous five years combined. Despite this, SMMT CEO Makes Hawes said that 2021 has been ‘another desperately disappointing year’ for the industry and noted that the pandemic, tougher trading arrangements for manufactures, accelerating technology shifts, and the global semiconductor shortage were all ‘decimating supply.’” [Clean Technica, 1/6/22 (=)]

 

Shell Turning London Petrol Station Into EV Hub. According to Clean Technica, “Shell is continuing its transition into cleantech. True, it is only inches into the transition at this point, but each step (or inch) is interesting and seems worth highlighting. As many now know, Shell bought a major EV charging company, New Motion, in October 2017, and then also bought Greenlots in January 2019. Shell’s EV network is now called Shell Recharge. In late 2019, Shell announced that it was going to transform a petrol (gas) station into a 100% EV charging station hub in Fulham, West London, UK. Now, Shell has a webpage up indicating that it is getting ready to open this initial EV charging hub. Shell words it well and provides good context, so I’ll quote extensively from that page here: ‘The number of pure-electric vehicles on UK roads is steadily increasing. According to the UK Government, in early 2010 there were around 9,000 ultra-low emissions vehicles, or ULEVs, in the UK. By early 2020, ten years later, this number had risen to 317,000. That is an increase of over 3,000%.” [Clean Technica, 1/6/22 (=)]

 

Auto Manufacturers

 

General Motors

 

General Motors Is “Leading” The World In EVs — 26 EVs Sold In Q4. According to Clean Technica, “General Motors, the company that President Biden claimed is ‘leading the world’ in electric vehicles, has successfully redefined the term, ‘leading.’ The company announced that its total sales for Q4 2021 were 440,745 vehicles, down 43%. Of those 440,745 vehicles, only 26 were EVs. If this is leading the market, I hate to think what President Biden thinks failure is. GM noted that it’s Chevrolet Bolt EV sales dropped 99.63% to 25 units, and that it sold one Hummer EV pickup. Steve Carlisle, GM Executive Vice President and President at GM North America, spoke of how GM’s focus was more on high-demand products. ‘All year we focused on delivering as many of our high demand, capacity-constrained products as possible and the strategy worked. Our dealers and our engineering, supply chain, manufacturing and brand teams moved mountains to satisfy as many customers as possible in 2021, despite record low inventories caused by semiconductor supply chain issues during the third and fourth quarters.’” [Clean Technica, 1/6/22 (=)]

 

Chevrolet Previews Electric Equinox & Blazer At CES 2022. According to Clean Technica, “Yesterday’s big news centered on the introduction of the all new Chevy Silverado EV at CES 2022. I admit I was somewhat underwhelmed by the news that yet another 4+ ton ground-pounder is being unleashed in America, but a comment on that story alerted me to the fact that CEO Mary Barra also announced the coming of two other electric vehicles — an Equinox EV and a Blazer EV — in 2023. The Blazer is slated for production first, with the Equinox arriving later in the year. One item of interest here is that Chevy is sticking with model names that are familiar to its customers rather than creating an all-new electric car brand as some manufacturers are doing. ‘As our most popular vehicle brand, Chevy will be front and center in our mission to provide EVs for everyone,’ Barra said on Wednesday. ‘We’re at the tipping point of electrification and we are expecting this to be a massive year for Chevrolet’s EV future.’ She said the Blazer will be ‘priced right and will offer a high level of refinement and options.’” [Clean Technica, 1/6/22 (=)]

 

2024 Chevy Equinox EV: $30,000 Electric SUV Confirmed For 2023 Arrival. According to Green Car Reports, “General Motors confirmed Wednesday that a fully electric version of its Equinox compact SUV will arrive in fall 2023, starting around $30,000. The automaker released the first pictures of the Equinox EV, which looks quite curvier than the company’s current mass-market gasoline crossovers. It could rival the Ford Mustang Mach-E, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Volkswagen ID.4, and perhaps Tesla Model Y, at a price that far undercuts all of them. GM also confirmed that an electric Blazer—no, not the vintage e-Blazer conversion it showed about a year ago, but a modern mid-size SUV—is still on the way. And the Blazer EV arrives first, in spring 2023. Both models will leverage the company’s Ultium platform, incorporating propulsion systems, software, and more. The Ultium family includes battery packs ranging from 50 kwh to about 200 kwh, with motor combinations ranging from 235 hp to 1,000 hp. GM has said that applications such as this would offer front- or all-wheel drive.” [Green Car Reports, 1/6/22 (=)]

 

With Only 25 Bolts And One Hummer Delivered In Q4, GM Cedes #2 US EV Maker Podium Space To Ford. According to Electrek, “After sharing its quarterly deliveries to cap off 2021, General Motors revealed just how rough of a Q4 it had in terms of EV deliveries. While the legacy automaker has recently unveiled several new and exciting EVs to come, GM’s current EV output is quite nominal, opening the door for rival Ford to carry its electrified momentum to become the #2 EV automaker in the US behind Tesla. Both Ford and GM are household names in the global automotive industry, especially on US soil where both automakers are headquartered. In fact, they were two of the top three automakers in the world by market share at one point in their lengthy history. As most of the major automakers make their transition to zero emission EVs, Ford and GM, alongside Stellantis, announced a joint goal of having 40–50% of all vehicle sales be electric by 2030. Ford began its true EV production journey in 2018, when it announced 16 BEVs to come. The company gained a lot of notoriety by electrifying the famed Mustang as the Mach-E , which has quickly become a hot seller around the globe. It will soon be joined by the highly anticipated Ford F-150 Lightning, which already has over 200,000 reservations and has just recently received a doubling of its production capacity to 150,000 units by 2023.” [Electrek, 1/6/22 (=)]

 

Rivian

 

Rivian Stock Skids As Legacy Automakers Rev Up EV Targets. According to Reuters, “Rivian Automotive Inc’s (RIVN.O) stock briefly tumbled below its IPO price on Thursday in a selloff along with other electric vehicle makers as the race for market share intensifies and legacy companies ramp up their own production. Rivian fell as low as $75.13, below its November initial public offering price of $78 for the first time. The stock pared losses and ended down about 3% at $87.33. Competing EV makers Tesla Inc (TSLA.O), Lordstown Motor (RIDE.O) and Fisker (FSR.N) fell between 2.1% and 3.3%, with high-flying growth stocks under pressure from expectations the U.S. Federal Reserve could raise interest sooner than previously thought. ‘Rivian investors need to keep near-term expectations managed,’ Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas cautioned in a note to clients. ‘Tesla has shown us the extremely difficult path to ramping EV manufacturing. You can’t have the reward without the pain.’” [Reuters, 1/6/22 (=)]

 

Rivian Plunges Below IPO Price On Mounting EV Competition. According to The Detroit News, “Rivian Automotive Inc., the electric pickup maker backed by Amazon.com Inc., briefly tumbled below its November IPO price as the industry darling faces growing competition in the EV market. The move extends a drop from Wednesday, the biggest since mid-November, after Amazon announced a deal with Stellantis NV to buy electric delivery vans. While Rivian and Amazon said their partnership is unchanged, the deal follows the startup’s own plan to build E-vans for the e-commerce giant and could increase competition for future Amazon orders. Irvine, California-based Rivian is a leading member in a large pack of EV startups chasing market incumbent Tesla. The company has been closely followed and its products highly anticipated, in part because of the investment and backing from Amazon, which has an order for 100,000 delivery vans due by the end of the decade.” [The Detroit News, 1/6/22 (=)]

 

Sony

 

Sony Launches EV Company, Unveils SUV Prototype. According to Politico, “Japanese electronics giant Sony Group Corp. is entering the electric vehicle race, making it the latest technology company to chase a slice of the increasingly hot market. Sony this week announced the launch of a new electric car company, Sony Mobility Inc. Speaking at a consumer electronics conference in Las Vegas, Sony President and CEO Kenichiro Yoshida announced the venture and unveiled a new zero-emissions vehicle prototype called the Vision-S, a sleek crossover SUV. ‘With our imaging and sensing, cloud, 5G, and entertainment technologies combined with our content mastery, we believe Sony is well positioned as a creative entertainment company to redefine mobility,’ he said. Sony, one of the first companies to commercialize use of the lithium-ion battery, debuted its first EV concept to positive reviews in 2020. The company began test driving it in Europe and then running safety and user experience verification tests, according to a press release. The company has said its EVs could include autonomous driving capabilities. Sony expects travelers using self-driving cars will want the kind of entertainment technology the electronics company has historically produced, like its PlayStation 5 gaming console.” [Politico, 1/7/22 (=)]

 

Analysis: Jumping On EV Wagon Represents Risky Ride For Tech Pioneer Sony. According to Reuters, “From personal music players to games consoles, Sony Group (6758.T) has often gambled in order to be a pioneer, but a leap into electric cars could take the risks to a new level for the Japanese consumer tech giant. While investors were wowed when Chief Executive Kenichiro Yoshida this week told a Las Vegas tech fair the company was setting up Sony Mobility, its stock fell 7% on Thursday as they contemplated the challenge of actually delivering EVs packed with sensors, consumer electronics and entertainment offerings. The primary goal of Sony-branded cars, analysts say, is to create an autonomous connected vehicle for services such as car sharing and ride hailing, which could eventually outstrip automobile sales. read more Research firm MarketsandMarkets estimates that the ‘mobility as a service’ market could balloon to $40 billion by 2030 from around $3 billion last year. But analysts point out that Sony would likely have to invest heavily in plant and equipment to bring its prototype Vision-S EV, first unveiled in Las Vegas two years ago, to market in sufficient numbers to compete effectively. ‘It’s going to be a tough business to succeed in,’ Takaki Nakanishi, automotive analyst at the Nakanishi Research Institute in Tokyo, said of Kenichiro’s announcement.” [Reuters, 1/6/22 (=)]

 

Stellantis

 

Stellantis Stock 'Is Very Cheap' Ahead Of 8 EV Launches, CEO Says. According to The Detroit News, “Stock in the maker of Jeep SUVs and Ram pickup trucks ‘is very cheap,’ its CEO said on Wednesday as Stellantis NV prepares to launch eight new battery-electric vehicles over the next 18 months. Stellantis shares on the New York Stock Exchange closed at $20.36, up 0.34%. Shares closed up roughly 4% earlier in both Milan at $20.90 (18.43 euro) and Paris at $20.87 (18.40 euro). Stellantis NV CEO Carlos Tavares shares about how the automaker is executing on its electrification and software commitments during a presentation at the CES technology trade show in Las Vegas. Investors are looking for evidence the merger of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV and French automaker Groupe PSA — a union not even one year old — can deliver on electrification and software commitments. Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares emphasized during a virtual conversation with Morgan Stanley and from a stage at the CES technology trade show in Las Vegas that the automaker is executing with 33 plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles on sale worldwide today and 50 more coming to market within the next five years. ‘The first part in terms of electrification and zero emission mobility, it’s a competitive game,’ Tavares said. ‘My role as the CEO of this company is to make sure that our customers will benefit from the most competitive — meaning safe, clean and affordable — mobility solutions of the industry. That’s the competitive part of it, and I feel very comfortable. Because as you know, I am a competitor.’” [The Detroit News, 1/6/22 (=)]

 

Volkswagen

 

VW Electric Microbus Revival Due For March 2022 Reveal, 2023 Deliveries. According to Green Car Reports, “Volkswagen plans to reveal its ID.Buzz electric Microbus in production form on March 9, CEO Herbert Diess revealed Thursday via Twitter. The long-anticipated electric van is expected to follow closely on the prototype version teased in November—and due for U.S. customer deliveries in 2023. At that time, a camouflaged ID.Buzz was shown briefly by Klaus Zellmer, head of marketing and sales for the VW brand globally, during a livestream reveal of the ID.5 crossover. Zellmer didn’t have much to say about the ID.Buzz, only noting that there’s more coming on the much-teased EV next year, and in today’s teaser Diess didn’t reveal anything more. The camouflage scheme very closely follows the theme applied to its ID.4 in prototype form—and the production form varied little from that. So it’s likely a good indication of what the production ID.Buzz will look like.” [Green Car Reports, 1/6/22 (=)]

 

Volkswagen Is Finally Launching The ID. Buzz! According to Clean Technica, “There are a few electric vehicles that have been teased for so long that they’ve practically become jokes among EV enthusiasts. There’s the Tesla Semi and the Tesla Roadster 2 (unveiled more than 4 years ago). There’s the Apple electric car (though, that’s been more of a case of rumors than teases). There are various others with lower profile. And then there’s … the Volkswagen ID. Buzz. The Buzz takes the cake in this category. It’s an interesting situation for several reasons. For one, the original Volkswagen hippie bus is one of the most iconic vehicles ever. Heck, I know many will argue with me, but I think it may well be the most iconic vehicle model in history. Such a claim will always be controversial, but I know many will also agree with me and that they hold a special place for the bus in their hearts. The hippie bus/van is a key symbol or a huge era in human history, one that was very well loved and often romanticized. (It was before my time, but I’m somehow nostalgic for this bus and era myself — oddly.) So, without a doubt, a new, futuristic, and electric version of the VW hippie bus was bound to attract interest, and it did. But then Volkswagen dragged it out, dragged it out, dragged it out, and dragged it out. At long last, though, it appears that Volkswagen is going to launch the ID. Buzz on March 9. So implies Volkswagen Group CEO Herbert Diess.” [Clean Technica, 1/6/22 (=)]

 

Electric Vehicles

 

USPS Finalizes Review Of Vehicle Plan With Small EV Purchase Pledge. According to InsideEPA, “The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) is completing its environmental review of a proposal that would allow it to overhaul its fleet of delivery vehicles with mostly conventional powertrains, a move that is underscoring the stalled progress of Democrats’ budget legislation that would offer major funding for electric vehicles (EV) at the agency. The final environmental impact statement (EIS) for the USPS procurement plan -- which could allow the agency to finalize the plan in the coming weeks -- offers a case study about the potential fallout of continued Senate delays in approving the legislation, even as lawmakers suggest climate change provisions are not the main barrier to passage. The agency’s National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review is also showcasing interagency tensions over the procurement plan, which EV backers have touted as a major opportunity to boost deployment of the vehicles. A notice scheduled to be published in the Jan. 7 Federal Register announces the availability of the final EIS, in which USPS defends its current plan that up to 90 percent of its procurement of ‘next generation’ purpose-built delivery vehicles would be powered by internal combustion engines, while pledging to buy only 10 percent battery electric vehicles (BEVs).” [InsideEPA, 1/6/22 (=)]

 

U.S. Hybrid Electric Car Sales Hit Record Highs. According to Reuters, “Pure electric cars are making all the headlines, but their gasoline-electric hybrid rivals quietly achieved record sales in the United States last year, industry data showed. While the likes of Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) and Ford Motor Co (F.N) pushed for electric vehicle sales, Asian automakers boosted hybrid vehicle line-ups, as many customers still shun EVs due to higher prices, limited driving range or lack of charging stations. U.S. sales of hybrid vehicle sales jumped 76% to 801,550 vehicles last year, accounting for 5% of U.S. light vehicle sales, according to data from analytics firm Wards Intelligence. Sales of EVs also jumped 83% to 434,879, but represented a meager 3% of the market. Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T) posted record hybrid car sales for the U.S. market, helping the Japanese automaker overtake General Motors Co (GM.N) as the top-selling U.S. automaker. read more Toyota boosted sales of its hybrids, plug-ins and fuel cells by 73% to 583,697, with most of them coming from hybrid. GM sold fewer than 25,000 electric vehicles, as it recalled Bolt EVs due to battery fire risks.” [Reuters, 1/6/22 (=)]

 

The Road Ahead: How Legacy Auto Brands Will Level The EV Playing Field In 2022. According to Utility Dive, “Whatever shadow the omicron variant is casting over the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) this week, one area is clearly generating hype: The chance to show off what’s new when it comes to electric vehicles (EVs). The sprawling Las Vegas gathering, typically centered on the tech world, has drawn exhibitors spanning General Motors, BMW, Hyundai, Stellantis and Daimler. Some of them, like General Motors, have shifted to a virtual format due to COVID-19, but the announcements remain substantial. Mercedes Benz yesterday revealed a sporty Vision EQXX concept car focused on long-range travel, while General Motors’ Chevrolet brand plans to showcase an electric iteration of its Silverado pickup Wednesday. A CES agenda loaded with EV presentations speaks to broader industry efforts to close the gap with Tesla, which wields an impressive head start and has reset consumer expectations around sustainable offerings despite minimal traditional marketing. After years of playing catch-up, legacy original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) now see an opportunity to put themselves on the leading edge of the industry at a time when the mass appeal of EVs is nearing an inflection point. Actually meeting the opportunity in the quickly evolving EV space could require some outside-the-box marketing to navigate, including rolls of the dice in the metaverse. ‘Not a single OEM that I talk to says, ‘We want to match what’s in the market,’ said Brian Irwin, Accenture North America’s managing director of automotive and mobility leader. ‘Everybody wants to leapfrog. They’re being much more aggressive in EVs and they have expectations of market leadership in and of themselves.” [Utility Dive, 1/5/22 (=)]

 

69% Of Americans Don't Want Hybrid Or Electric For Their Next Car. According to Axios, “Most consumers, especially in the U.S., plan to stick with internal combustion tech for their next vehicles, a wide-ranging new survey shows. Driving the news: Deloitte’s annual survey of consumer auto views breaks down preferences by country, showing regional differences but overall that traditional vehicles and to a lesser extent hybrids are the strong favorites. ‘Consumers who said they are not considering an EV as their next vehicle cited range anxiety and a lack of public charging infrastructure as their biggest concerns,’ the survey notes. Why it matters: EV sales are growing quickly, but the extremely high market penetration sought by many regulators and activists will require major shifts in public confidence.” [Axios, 1/6/22 (=)]

 

Vehicle Infrastructure

 

Equity Must Be Central To Transportation Electrification. According to Clean Technica, “This week Senator Joe Manchin (D-Coal) issued remarks on the Build Back Better Act that renewed hope in its passage in 2022. ‘I think that the climate thing is one that we probably can come to agreement much easier than anything else,’ Manchin told reporters. The $555 billion Act contains clean energy tax incentives that are necessary to meet President Joe Biden’s target of cutting greenhouse gas emissions this decade by at least 50% from 2005 levels. Transportation electrification is central to those goals. It is critical that US power brokers focus policy decisions and investment opportunities on creating EV charging infrastructure that makes driving EVs practical for people from all walks of life. If the US is going to authentically transition its transportation sector to electric, everyone — regardless of socioeconomic status or geographic region — must be able to comfortably rely on charging systems in place. Equity must be central to transportation electrification.” [Clean Technica, 1/6/22 (+)]

 

American Households Might Use EVs As Backup Power With This Bidirectional Charger. According to Green Car Reports, “At the 2022 Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Wallbox Industries will unveil its second-generation bidirectional home charging station for the North American market. Like its predecessor, the Wallbox Quasar 2 can draw power from an EV’s battery pack, allowing the car to serve as an emergency backup power source for homes. Bidirectional charging effectively turns electric cars into energy-storage units, giving homeowners more flexibility in energy use, Wallbox said in a press release. Homeowners can also schedule charging sessions when electricity rates are low, store that power in their EV, and discharge it to power their homes when electricity rates are higher. Those with home solar installations can also store excess energy in an EV and use it during peak-rate periods, the company claims. The Quasar 2 provides up to 11.5 kilowatts of power, and is compatible with the Combined Charging Standard (CCS) used by most new EVs. It connects to a dedicated app via WiFi, Bluetooth, a 4G data connection, or Ethernet. The previous Quasar was only compatible with the Nissan Leaf—and the Nissan Leaf in the United States doesn’t officially support bidirectional charging, even though it’s part of the EV’s CHAdeMO interface. However, several automakers have announced bidirectional charging as a built-in feature for new EVs. Volkswagen recently said that its EVs will support bidirectional charging as soon as later in 2022. The Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6 will also support the tech, as their shared E-GMP platform was designed with bidirectional charging in mind.” [Green Car Reports, 1/6/22 (=)]

 

 

Please do not respond to this email.

If you have questions or comments please contact mitch@beehivedc.com