Manufacturers, Fleets, & OEMs

 

Fisker Inc.

 

Fisker To Enter India With Limited Edition Ocean EV — “Fisker will debut in the Indian market with a limited edition of its first electric SUV. The company will release 100 Ocean Extreme Vigyan Edition SUVs and expects to commence deliveries before the year’s end if all works out. Before any launch, there is homologation to pass, and Fisker expects to complete the process for India by September and commence deliveries in Q4 2023. The company says pricing will align with Europe, where the Fisker Ocean Extreme starts at 69,950 in Germany, for example. In India, prospective buyers must add import taxes and local logistics, which makes the Ocean likely a naturally limited edition. Still, Chairman and CEO Henrik Fisker said the company planned to grow the brand in India ‘rapidly over the coming years’. The Fisker Extreme Vigyan Edition is named after the company’s India subsidiary, established in Hyderabad in 2020.” [Electrive, 7/18/23 (=)]

 

Ford Motor Co.

 

Ford Takes $3.6 Billion Hit For Following The Tesla Playbook — “Tesla Inc.’s script for popularizing electric vehicles — ramp up production, leverage economies of scale to lower costs and make automobiles affordable enough for a mass market — reads a lot like the one Ford Motor Co. first drew up over a century ago. Following this game plan has paid dividends lately for Tesla. The stock has more than doubled this year, even as the carmaker has slashed prices. For Ford, taking a page out of this playbook just wiped away about $3.6 billion in market value in one day. The maker of the best-selling F-Series announced it’s going to triple the production rate for its first electric pickup, the F-150 Lightning, which it initially planned to sell for just shy of $40,000. Like Tesla, Ford jacked up prices during a prolonged period of parts shortages and battery raw-material inflation. Now that chips are more plentiful and the cost of battery inputs including lithium and nickel have eased, Ford is lopping thousands of dollars off what it’s charging customers.” [Bloomberg, 7/18/23 (=)]

 

Ford Stock Goes Down $3.6b In A Single Day After Lightning Price Cuts — “Ford lost a whopping $3.6 billion in market value in a single day after investors didn’t see the recent price cuts applied to the all-electric F-150 Lightning truck with good eyes, sending shares down 5.9 percent, the biggest drop in five months for the American car maker, Automotive News reports. The price cuts – which amount to almost $10,000 for the cheapest trim level of the Lightning – come after several increases that have been caused by the global chip shortage and the high cost of battery materials. However, now that the availability of computer chips is greater and the prices for raw materials like lithium and nickel have gone down, the Michigan-based automaker has slashed the price of its all-electric pickup, just ahead of the Tesla Cybertruck’s imminent commercial launch, which is expected to happen sometime in the third quarter, possibly in September.” [Inside EVs, 7/19/23 (=)]

 

Ford Tried To Be Tesla, And It Cost The Company Billions — “Ford tried really hard to be Tesla, and by most accounts, so far, it hasn’t quite worked. Ford attempted to copy Tesla’s script for selling electric vehicles, according to Bloomberg: ramp up production, leverage economies of scale to lower costs, and make vehicles affordable enough for a mass market. It’s a plan that has worked out really well for Tesla. The outlet reports that the company’s stock has more than doubled in 2023, even as it has cut the prices of its cars. Ford, on the other hand? Well, things haven’t gone so well. The Blue Oval did something similar, and it wiped out about $3.6 billion in market value in just one day. According to Bloomberg, Ford has announced it is going to triple the production rate of its F-150 Lightning electric pickup, which was initially supposed to sticker at around $40,000. Prices never really got close to that, though. The COVID-19 pandemic led to parts shortages and inflation issues that saw the F-150 Lightning get more expensive. Now, Ford is finally cutting Lightning prices by thousands of dollars in an attempt to maybe get costs back where they should be.” [Jalopnik, 7/18/23 (=)]

 

Geely

 

Northvolt And Volvo Pave The Way For Cell Factory In Gothenburg — “The Swedish Land and Environment Court has given Volvo Cars and Northvolt the go-ahead for their joint battery cell factory in Gothenburg, initially announced last year. The joint venture Novo Energy can thus start construction later this year. The factory, with a potential annual capacity of up to 50 GWh, is expected to be operational in 2026 and employ more than 3,000 people. For Northvolt, the Novo plant is the second battery cell production facility in Sweden. It already has one in Skellefteå. ‘This is a milestone for us. Now the work can really begin and we can start preparing the ground for Sweden’s second, and Gothenburg’s first, gigafactory for the green batteries of the future,’ says Adrian Clarke, CEO Novo Energy.” [Electrive, 7/18/23 (=)]

 

General Motor Corp.

 

GM Promises More Of Its Newer EVs Will Be Built In The 2nd Half After Slow Rollout — “General Motors vows to pick up the pace of production of its newer electric vehicles in the second half of the year as it works to get more battery modules needed to make those vehicles. The GMC Hummer EV pickup and SUV as well as the Cadillac Lyriqs, all of which use GM’s new Ultium propulsion system, have been trickling out of the factories despite GM saying their order banks were full. For the first half of this year, GM delivered 49 Hummer EV pickups, which are made at Factory Zero located on the border of Detroit and Hamtramck. That’s down from 371 Hummer pickups delivered in the first half of 2022. GM delivered 2,316 Lyriqs in the first half. The Lyriq has a starting price of $61,795, lower than the $98,400 starting price of the 2023 Hummer, so the Lyriq is meant to be a higher volume vehicle. The Lyriq is assembled in the Spring Hill Assembly plant in Tennessee. There’s no year-ago comparison because GM started building the Lyriq in the third quarter last year.” [Detroit Free Press, 7/18/23 (=)]

 

GM Vows To Ramp-Up New EV Production This Year Despite Battery Supply Crunch — “Despite a disappointing start for General Motors’ electric vehicle sales, the automaker is vowing to build more this year. GM says it’s overcoming battery supply chain issues and expects ‘a lot more EVs being built in the second half of this year.’ Ultium battery production hurdles After EV sales reached over 20K for the first time in a three-month period in Q1 2023, GM’s momentum slipped in the second quarter. GM sold 15,652 EVs in the second quarter, down over 20% from Q1. To make matters worse, nearly 14K were Chevy Bolt EV or EUV models, which the automaker is discontinuing later this year (although a next-gen Bolt EV is still in play). The slowdown comes as the automaker focuses on new electric models built on its Ultium EV platform. Although the flexible platform is designed to optimize production, GM is still working out the supply chain kinks.” [Electrek, 7/18/23 (=)]

 

GM Promises To Speed Up EV Production After Slow Rollout In First Half — “General Motors has had a rough first half of the year when it comes to the number of all-electric vehicles delivered throughout the United States. The big GMC Hummer EV pickup that debuted in 2021 saw just 49 units delivered, while 2,316 of the more affordable Cadillac Lyriq reached customers. However, the American automotive powerhouse is keen to make up for lost time and churn out many more new EVs in this second half of the year. The Detroit Free Press writes that GM is coming up to speed on battery capacity and building momentum, quoting the company’s North American President, Rory Harvey, who spoke during the unveiling of the 2024 Chevrolet Traverse. As per the source, Harvey admitted to a slow ramp-up for the Lyriq and Hummer EV, pointing to a single supply part issue that has to do with battery module availability. Both the Cadillac luxury SUV and GMC’s so-called supertruck are based on the firm’s Ultium platform and batteries for them are sourced from Ultium Cells LLC in Ohio, which is a joint venture with LG Energy Solution.” [Inside EVs, 7/19/23 (+)]

 

New GM Website Gives Employees A Peek Into UAW Negotiations — “In an effort to shed the secrecy surrounding past UAW contract talks, General Motors is a taking a different, more transparent approach to the process by launching a website to deliver the latest bargaining developments to the automaker’s salaried and hourly global workforce — as well as to the public. This comes as UAW President Shawn Fain has taken extra efforts to be transparent with members by doing regular live updates on Facebook and social media to outline the union’s goals in negotiations. GM’s website, called GMnegotiations2023.com, launched last month. ‘Negotiations are all about supporting our more than 50,000 manufacturing employees in the U.S. and the larger GM team,’ said David Barnas, GM spokesman. ‘Digital communication is how most people get their information, so this site is available to anyone interested in GM, both internally and externally.’” [Detroit Free Press, 7/19/23 (=)]

 

Cadillac Gears Up To Launch New Electric SUV In China — “Cadillac is preparing to launch its next electric model in China. The GM brand submitted a registration application for the electric SUV Optiq, which is positioned a class below Cadillac’s only other EV offered in China. Visually, the familiar Lyriq and the new Optiq are very similar, and both are also based on General Motors’ Ultium platform. Nevertheless, the differences will not be limited to a few centimetres difference in size. According to the registration application submitted to the Chinese authorities, Cadillac is initially planning two single-engine variants for the Optiq, with 150 kW and 180 kW output respectively. The Lyriq built for the Chinese market, on the other hand, is available as a long-range model with a 255 kW electric motor in the rear.” [Electrive, 7/18/23 (=)]

 

Lucid Group

 

Lucid (LCID) EVs Are Available For Lease For The First Time In Saudi Arabia — “American EV maker Lucid Motors (LCID) is expanding overseas. Lucid’s EVs are now available for lease for the first time in Saudi Arabia. First Lucid EVs available for lease in Saudi Arabia Lucid produced 2,173 electric cars in the second quarter of 2023, delivering 1,404. The numbers were disappointing, showing a downward trend in production and flat deliveries over the past two quarters. After its strongest quarter in Q4 2022, Lucid’s production has fallen over 37%, while deliveries are down 27%. On the positive side, Lucid did have an important update. The company announced it ‘began material shipments to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.’ Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) is Lucid’s largest shareholder. After injecting around $1.8 billion last month as part of a $3 billion stock sale, Saudi’s PIF owns roughly 60.5% of the EV maker’s common stock. The fund has invested around $9 billion in Lucid to date.” [Electrek, 7/18/23 (=)]

 

Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance

 

Nissan, Renault Ready To Announce New Alliance Deal In Days – Sources — “Nissan (7201.T) and Renault (RENA.PA) will make an announcement in the coming days on their restructured alliance and have finalised the deal, three people familiar with the matter said, capping 10 months of sometimes tense negotiations. The automakers announced a framework agreement in February and had aimed to finalise negotiations as early as March. Under the framework, the Japanese automaker would take as much as 15% of Renault’s new electric vehicle unit, Ampere, while Renault would reduce its 43% stake in Nissan. That timeline was extended when senior Nissan executives and some directors challenged detailed provisions of deal, citing the need to better protect Nissan’s intellectual property, Reuters has reported. The delay complicated Nissan’s drive to put its decades-long relationship with Renault onto a more equal footing. Nissan executives sought to rebalance the alliance built by former Chairman Carlos Ghosn after his ouster sent the automaker into turmoil.” [Reuters, 7/19/23 (=)]

 

The Nissan Skyline Will Become An Electric SUV: Report — “The Nissan Skyline is one of the oldest nameplates in the automotive world, dating back to 1957—before it was even a Nissan. The world’s changed a lot since then, and the Skyline with it. But soon, it could see its biggest, most controversial change yet: The Nissan Skyline could become an electric crossover SUV. So says Japanese outlet Best Car, which indicates development of the Skyline sedan has been ‘frozen.’ Instead, Nissan is reportedly developing its next generation of Skyline on the basis of the electric Ariya crossover (or its CMF-EV platform), with its debut planned for 2025. It will reportedly make more than 450 horsepower with multi-motor all-wheel drive, though whether it’ll be twin- or quad-motor was lost in translation.” [The Drive, 7/18/23 (=)]

 

Stellantis

 

Stellantis Builds A ‘Comprehensive Ecosystem’ To Avoid Key EV Supply Chain Risks — “On Tuesday, Stellantis announced it has entered into agreements worth over $11.2 billion (€10 billion) for semiconductors through 2030. The automaker says it has built a ‘comprehensive ecosystem’ to reduce the risk of running into EV supply chain shortages. The parent company behind RAM, Jeep, Dodge, Chrysler, Fiat, Alfa Romeo, and several others is investing in the future of the business. Semiconductors play a vital role in electric vehicles. They power everything from the EVs batteries to its powertrain components. Semiconductors can also make the vehicle safer and more intelligent. The average EV requires easily over 1,000 chips, with some upward of 5,000 or more. For this reason, shortages have plagued the EV industry over the past several years.” [Electrek, 7/18/23 (=)]

 

Stellantis Unveils Semiconductor Strategy — “Stellantis is adopting a diversified strategy for sourcing semiconductors for its future electric car platforms. The carmaker has already signed direct partnerships for the supply of semiconductors with a purchase value of more than ten billion euros by 2030 with several manufacturers. For its STLA platforms, the carmaker cooperates with strategic partners from the semiconductor industry, such as Infineon, NXP Semiconductors, Onsemi and Qualcomm. In addition, Stellantis is working with aiMotive and SiliconAuto to develop its own custom semiconductors in the future, according to the release.” [Electrive, 7/19/23 (=)]

 

Jeep Backtracks On EV Push In Europe With More Gasoline Avengers — “Jeep is backtracking on plans to sell its Avenger subcompact crossover as an all-electric model in Europe, adding gasoline versions for Germany, France, and the U.K., according to a report last week from Automotive News Europe. The Stellantis brand unveiled the Avenger at the 2022 Paris auto show last October as its first production-bound EV. At the time, though, Jeep said it planned to sell a gasoline version in Italy and Spain, where EV sales have been slower than other markets, according to the report. When European sales of the Avenger started in April, Jeep also added Poland (where the Avenger is built) as a market for the gasoline version. Jeep then decided in June to sell gasoline Avengers in France and Germany, adding the U.K. earlier this month, the report said. The decision is ‘pragmatic’ and won’t affect Jeep’s goal to sell only electric models in Europe by 2030, Eric Laforge, head of Jeep in Europe, said in an interview with Automotive News Europe.” [Green Car Reports, 7/18/23 (+)]

 

Tata Group

 

Jaguar Owner Tata Picks Britain For £4 Billion Battery Plant — “Tata Group plans to build a £4 billion ($5.2 billion) battery plant in the UK to supply electric vehicles made by Jaguar Land Rover Automotive Plc, in a win for Britain’s struggling car industry. JLR and Tata Motors Ltd. will be anchor customers for the plant capable of providing 40 gigawatt hours worth of batteries with supplies starting from 2026, according to a statement. The factory could supply roughly half a million vehicles per year depending on the size of the batteries. The decision marks a significant victory for the UK government, which fended off competition from Spain for the factory. Britain’s auto industry has been struggling to compete with generous incentive packages for green technology in the US and European Union.” [Bloomberg, 7/19/23 (=)]

 

India’s Tata Will Build A $5-Billion New Electric Car Battery Factory In The UK — “India’s Tata Sons plans to build a 4-billion-pound ($5.2 billion) electric car battery factory in the U.K., the conglomerate said Wednesday. The plant is expected to become one of Europe’s largest battery cell manufacturing sites when it begins production in 2026. Britain’s government said the new factory, the largest investment in the U.K. automotive industry in decades, will create 4,000 jobs directly and thousands more in supply chains. The plant is expected to produce about 40 gigawatt hours of battery cells every year, enough to provide half the U.K.’s electric vehicle batteries, Energy Security Secretary Grant Shapps said.” [Associated Press, 7/19/23 (=)]

 

Tata Group To Build Battery Factory In The UK — “The Tata Group will build its first battery cell factory outside India in the UK. The British government has now officially confirmed what had already become apparent. At the beginning of February, it was leaked that Tata Motors was looking for a location for its European battery cell factory in Spain and the UK. However, according to a BBC report, it had already become clear at the end of May that the UK site in Bridgwater in the southwestern English county of Somerset was to be the favourite.” [Electrive, 7/19/23 (=)]

 

Jaguar, Range Rover Owner Picks New EV Battery Site, Could Secure UK Auto Industry — “Tata Group, the parent company behind Jaguar and Range Rover, is set to announce a new EV battery plant in West England. According to a new report from Bloomberg, Tata has chosen a site in Somerset, West England. People familiar with the plans who wish to remain anonymous say the Indian conglomerate will outline them as soon as this week. Tata’s battery-cell division, Agratas, is building two factories, one in India and the other in Europe. Earlier this month, the company posted an opening for a UK-based battery factory position. Last month, Jaguar Land Rover told investors it would partner with Agratas to supply battery packs delivering EV range of up to 450 miles. JLR said the new batteries would have a much higher density than the current I-Pace, its only pure EV.” [Electrek, 7/18/23 (=)]

 

Tata To Build £4bn UK Battery Factory To Supply Jaguar Land Rover — “Tata Group on Wednesday announced plans to build a £4bn flagship battery factory in the UK to supply Jaguar Land Rover, in a big boost to a domestic car industry that is struggling to adapt to the era of electric vehicles. The Indian group, which owns JLR, confirmed on Wednesday it had chosen a UK site for the gigafactory, which will start supplying the British carmaker and Tata Motors from 2026. The gigafactory, earmarked for a site near Bridgwater in Somerset, south-west England, is expected to create 4,000 jobs directly and many thousands more indirectly. Tata said the investment was worth £4bn. Rishi Sunak, UK prime minister, hailed a development that would accelerate the sluggish transition of Britain’s car industry from petrol and diesel cars to electric vehicles.” [Financial Times, 7/19/23 (=)]

 

Jaguar Land Rover’s Owner To Build Battery Plant In England — “Tata, the India-based conglomerate, announced on Wednesday that it would build a 4 billion pound ($5.2 billion) battery plant in western England, a commitment sought by the auto industry and lawmakers hoping to stem fears of an exodus of car manufacturers from Britain. Tata owns Jaguar Land Rover, the Britain-based automaker, and the company’s factories in Britain would be important customers for the batteries. The government said the plant, which would create 4,000 jobs, could eventually produce almost half of the electric-car batteries needed by Britain by 2030. The announcement was made possible by a large package of subsidies offered by the government of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. It came as worries have grown in recent weeks that Britain’s car industry could be decimated by the ongoing shift to electric vehicles, coupled with the country’s exit from the European Union, the main export market for British-made cars.” [The New York Times, 7/19/23 (=)]

 

India's Tata Chooses UK For $5 Bln Jaguar Land Rover Gigafactory — “India’s Tata Group will build an electric vehicle battery plant in Britain to supply its Jaguar Land Rover factories, delivering a major boost for a car industry in need of domestic battery production to help secure its future. The announcement marks Britain’s biggest move in the car gigafactory space as it seeks to keep up with the United States and European Union in the race to develop green industries. Tata said on Wednesday it would build its first gigafactory outside of India with an investment of 4 billion pounds ($5.2 billion), creating up to 4,000 jobs and producing an initial output of 40 gigawatt hours. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s government has declined to say how much financial support it promised in order to secure the investment and fend off Spain, which had also lobbied to win the project. The BBC said the government would provide subsidies worth hundreds of millions of pounds to Tata.” [Reuters, 7/18/23 (=)]

 

Tata To Choose UK For New EV Battery Plant – Source — “India’s Tata is expected to announce on Wednesday that it has chosen to build an electric vehicle battery plant in Britain, a source familiar with the matter said, a win for the country’s automotive industry amid stiff global competition. Tata had been choosing between a site in Somerset, southwest England, and one in Spain to supply a new range of electric Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles. A government spokesperson declined to comment on ongoing commercial negotiations, while Tata declined to comment on the report. Bloomberg was first to report on Tuesday that the factory was set to be announced this week.” [Reuters, 7/18/23 (=)]

 

Tesla Inc.

 

Tesla Lays Out Steps To Building Europe's Biggest Car Plant — “Tesla (TSLA.O) has requested approval from German local authorities to make sweeping changes to its factory near Berlin, a key next step in its ambitious plan to expand the site into Europe’s biggest car plant. A day after Tesla sought to assuage local concerns with a question-and-answer session on the expansion, application documents published by the local environment ministry and water authority on Wednesday showed the long list of modifications Tesla plans to make at the plant. Ultimately Tesla wants to double capacity to 1 million cars per year and 100 gigawatt hours of battery production at a plant that would make even more cars than produced by Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) at its Wolfsburg headquarters.” [Reuters, 7/19/23 (=)]

 

Tesla Faces Citizen Grilling On Impact Of German Plant Expansion — “Tesla (TSLA.O) on Tuesday sought to assuage Brandenburg state residents’ concerns by holding a question-and-answer session on the EV maker’s planned expansion that would make its local plant the biggest car factory in the country. Tesla, which currently produces around 5,000 cars a week, hopes to double the plant’s production capacity to 1 million vehicles a year and add 50 gigawatt hours of battery production capacity, though it has not provided a timeline. Ramping up output at its first European production hub is crucial to Tesla’s goal of vanquishing market leader Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE), whose largest plant in Wolfsburg has capacity for 800,000 vehicles but last year produced only around 400,000. While Volkswagen still holds the highest EV market share in the region, Tesla is making its mark. Its Model Y was the best-selling car in Europe in the first quarter of the year.” [Reuters, 7/18/23 (=)]

 

Can Tesla’s Resurgence Stick? Are The Highs Getting A Little Too Lofty? — “Tesla’s resurgence has delighted its shareholders and fans, its longtime believers and recent converts. Last year’s dismal collapsing stock valuation and CEO Elon Musk’s embarrassing public displays are nearly forgotten as the Tesla brand now shines — it’s amazing what a series of positive media stories about the all-electric company’s innovations can do to generate company buzz. The question is, though, can the company sustain its current glow? Tesla’s Resurgence: Lookin’ Good Q2 sales spectacular: As our editor Zachary Shahan wrote, Tesla shattered Wall Street expectations with its Q2 2023 sales report. Tesla was the largest seller of EVs in the US, with more than 175,000 transacted, an increase of 34.8% quarter over quarter. Its Model Y SUV has become the world’s best-selling vehicle — not EV, but vehicle. Tesla outsold second place Chevrolet’s EVs 10 to one in the second quarter.” [CleanTechnica, 7/18/23 (=)]

 

Tesla CyberCanopy: Is It A New Tesla Product? — “Tesla plans to deploy something called a ‘CyberCanopy’ at a new Supercharger station. Is this a new Tesla product? Elon Musk has been promising that Tesla will power all Supercharger stations with solar and batteries for a long time, but the rollout has been significantly delayed. Back in 2016, Musk told me that Tesla was waiting for the new Supercharger V3 and Powerpack V2 to accelerate the deployment of solar and batteries at charging stations: In 2017, Musk even added that Tesla planned to add solar and batteries to all Supercharger stations and eventually disconnect most of them from the grid. But the new Supercharger and Powerpack came, yet Tesla has barely deployed any solar or batteries at its charging stations.” [Electrek, 7/18/23 (=)]

 

Toyota Motor Corp.

 

Toyota RAV4 Prime, Lexus NX PHEV Recall: Don't Charge In Cold Weather — “Certain 2021 and 2022 Toyota RAV4 Prime and 2022 Lexus NX 450h+ plug-in hybrids are being recalled, and in the meantime owners are being advised not to charge their vehicles in cold temperatures. The recall affects 43,442 vehicles built between Nov. 25, 2019, and May 27, 2022. Vehicles in this group could have a faulty current-rectifying module within their DC-DC converters that may have been damaged during production by a supplier. The damage could result in a short circuit, according to the NHTSA. If the module fails and a short circuit does occur, current from the 12-volt battery will continue to flow through the module, generating excessive heat that could damage components outside the DC-DC converter or create a fire risk, according to the NHTSA.” [Green Car Reports, 7/18/23 (=)]

 

Mazda Considers Building Electric Vehicles In New Mexico Plant — “The US Inflation Reduction Act, which offers generous incentives for manufacturers who are building EVs and batteries in North America, has forced many companies to rethink their electrification plans and shift their focus to North American manufacturing. Japanese automaker Mazda seems to be among these companies, even though its electrification journey is only just beginning. CEO Masahiro Moro recently said Mazda is considering localized production of electric vehicles in North America from around 2028. Mind you, Mazda leans more toward Mexico than the US as the destination of its future EV plant. Speaking to the media last week, Moro said North American production of EVs would likely begin in the 2028-2030 stage of a new mid-term business plan introduced in November.” [Inside EVs, 7/19/23 (=)]

 

VinGroup JSC

 

Vietnam EV Maker VinFast To Start Construction Of US Factory Next Week — “Vietnamese automaker VinFast said on Wednesday it would start construction of a $4 billion electric vehicle factory in North Carolina next week as part of its push to expand in the United States market. The unit of Vietnam’s largest conglomerate Vingroup (VIC.HM), which began operations in 2019, announced plans for the U.S. factory last year. It is targeting the start of production in 2025, a year later than its initial plan. ‘When it begins operations, the factory will be VinFast’s primary supplier of electric vehicles to the North American market,’ said Thuy Le, head of VinFast Auto. The project’s first phase includes a $2 billion investment in a factory capable of producing 150,000 vehicles a year. VinFast is one of several EV startups fighting to maintain a foothold as market leaders Tesla (TSLA.O) and China’s BYD (002594.SZ) engage in a price war at a time when growth in demand appears to be slowing in major markets.” [Reuters, 7/19/23 (=)]

 

Vietnamese EV Maker To Start US Plant Construction July 28 — “Vietnamese electric-vehicle maker VinFast said construction of its North Carolina factory will start July 28 as the company heads toward taking itself public in the US later this year. The plant, to be located in Chatham County’s Triangle Innovation Point, is expected to have an initial production capacity of 150,000 vehicles a year, VinFast said in a statement. The company said production at the facility will begin in 2025. VinFast, founded by Vietnam’s richest man Pham Nhat Vuong, plans to list in the US by merging with special purpose acquisition company Black Spade Acquisition Co. in the second half of the year. The deal would give VinFast an equity value of about $23 billion. The EV firm’s existing shareholders are set to own 99% of the company, leaving a tiny portion for SPAC investors who hold on through the deal. An equity valuation of $23 billion, or $27 billion including debt, would mean VinFast will trade at a premium to most peers including Rivian Automotive Inc. and Nikola Corp., according to Bloomberg Intelligence analysts Ken Foong and Siti Nur Fairuz Khalil.” [Bloomberg, 7/19/23 (=)]

 

Volkswagen Group

 

VW’s US Innovation Hub Just Revealed 4 EV Breakthroughs — “VW’s US Innovation Hub just announced four breakthroughs in electric mobility and sustainable transport – here’s what the research center has achieved. Volkswagen’s Innovation Hub opened in 2020 at the University of Tennessee (UT) Research Park at Cherokee Farm in Knoxville. The federally funded Oakridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is there too. VW collaborates with UT and ORNL scientists on its EV research. Here’s what the VW Innovation Hub has been up to:” [Electrek, 7/18/23 (=)]

 

VW Announces Research Progress In The USA — “Volkswagen reports progress in research at its US innovation centre in Tennessee. The German carmaker’s developers are working on increasing the range of electric vehicles via material improvement and further developing inductive charging there, among other things. The relevant research projects are taking place at the Knoxville Innovation Hub of the Volkswagen Group of America, which will open in 2020 and where the carmaker is cooperating with the University of Tennessee and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory of the US Department of Energy, among others. The focus in Knoxville is on applied materials science. Volkswagen has dubbed the entire region around the site ‘Materials Valley’ due to its high concentration of research institutions.” [Electrive, 7/19/23 (=)]

 

Volkswagen’s Innovation Hub Bolsters EV Performance & Sustainability — “What’s Happening Volkswagen Group of America’s (VWGoA) Knoxville Innovation Hub is leading the way in research breakthroughs, focusing on electric vehicle (EV) range enhancement and sustainable vehicle material recycling. They are pushing boundaries in the fields of applied materials science, including automotive lightweight composites, recyclable interior materials, and wireless EV charging. Why It Matters This cutting-edge research is an integral part of Volkswagen’s strategy to pioneer electric mobility and sustainable transportation innovation in America. The brand is leveraging a unique blend of academic research and industry-leading capabilities to create transformative automotive technologies. Pablo Di Si, President and CEO at VWGoA, emphasizes the company’s commitment to sourcing and fostering talent within the U.S to support this growth strategy.” [The EV Report, 7/19/23 (+)]

 

VW Of America Boosting Research In US For Electric Mobility And Sustainable Transportation — “Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (VWGoA) is boosting its automotive research in the United States to further accelerate electric mobility and sustainable transportation innovation. The company continues to center strategic areas of research in dedicated technology units across the country, as well as foster co-innovation with universities and federal research facilities. One key unit is located in Tennessee: Volkswagen’s Innovation Hub in Knoxville is driving applied materials science in collaboration with the University of Tennessee (UT) and Oakridge National Lab (ORNL). There, integrated teams are pushing breakthroughs in automotive lightweight composites, recyclable interior materials, and EV wireless charging.” [Green Car Congress, 7/19/23 (+)]

 

VW Develops EV Wireless Charging, Shows Range-Boosting Materials Research — “Volkswagen on Tuesday confirmed that it’s working on wireless charging—in its own patented coil and charging pad design, with silicon-carbide materials, aimed partly toward daily garage use. The project goes well beyond that, though—into charge rates that are currently on the speedy side of DC fast-charging territory. According to Volkswagen, their original attempt was in the form of an early 6.6-kw prototype, which would perform at charge rates comparable to home Level 2 (240-volt) systems. But in early trials in conjunction with a silicon carbide inverter, the system has performed up to 120 kw with a prototype. Further VW has a future goal of upping the system to 300 kw. So far, the commercialization of wireless charging has mostly looked toward home use. There are only a few high-power systems in use or development, and most of them are targeted toward use on larger commercial vehicles. One exception is a wireless charging taxi test in Norway from Momentum Dynamics (InductEV).” [Green Car Reports, 7/18/23 (+)]

 

VW Invests 300 Million Euros In Battery Assembly At Seat — “Seat will also build a battery assembly plant at its Martorell factory near Barcelona. As the Spanish Volkswagen brand officially announces, an additional 300 million euros will be invested to build said battery assembly plant on an area of 64,000 square metres at the Martorell plant. This means that in future battery packs for car production will also be manufactured in the Spanish vehicle plant. The cells are to come from the Volkswagen battery factory in Sagunt near Valencia, the construction of which started in March. According to the press release, battery assembly in Martorell will be adjacent to workshop 10, ‘where we will manufacture some of the Volkswagen Group’s electric cars, including the CUPRA Raval’. This is intended to optimise logistical processes and reduce the ecological footprint.” [Electrive, 7/18/23 (=)]

 

 

Electric Vehicles

 

Batteries & Charging

 

Number Of EV Charging Points In USA Nearly Doubled In 3 Years — “Whether it was 10 years ago or yesterday, the discussion of electric vehicle adoption always quickly turns to ‘But what about the charging stations?’ Of course, EV owners know that most charging is done at home, and if you have workplace charging, that can also cover nearly all of a person’s charging needs. What people are often thinking about are public charging stations to help you along on a road trip or public charging stations for people who don’t have home or workplace charging. The good news is that charging stations continue to get installed every day and there’s really not much to worry about — the market is responding and will continue to respond. A new chart from the US Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) shows that well. It shows that the number of EV charging ports in the US has nearly doubled in the past three years.” [CleanTechnica, 7/18/23 (+)]

 

Critical Minerals & Materials

 

Rio Tinto Produces Metals Critical To The REVolution — “Australian miners are global companies that are leading the search for critical minerals and materials to enable the green industrial revolution. At a local level, Queensland is encouraging miners to prepare for the time when coal is no longer their main product. But there is also a lot of movement on the international stage. Anglo Australian multinational mining and resources corporation Rio Tinto is a good example — not just mining, but developing alloys and processes to move industry forward. As part of its focus on future facing commodities, Rio is planning to increase its copper production to take advantage of the increase in demand as the manufacturing of electric vehicles increases, targeting one million tonnes of annual copper production within the next five years.” [CleanTechnica, 7/18/23 (+)]

 

Sales & Transition

 

Battle Over US EV Credits Heats Up With Carmakers Left Idling — “US policymakers, eager to foster the country’s own electric-car supply chain, mostly agree Chinese raw materials shouldn’t play a prominent role in tomorrow’s American-made EVs. But what about battery materials produced with Chinese capital in other nations? Does that count? That thorny question has emerged as a key hurdle as the US Treasury Department fleshes out the minute details in President Biden’s signature climate bill. Back in March, it released partial guidance on supply-chain requirements that lets some vehicles qualify for a $7,500 tax credit — but it hasn’t yet clarified how to classify so-called foreign entities of concern (FEOC), government-speak for businesses or groups owned or controlled by geopolitical foes like China and Russia. Starting next year, an EV can’t qualify for the tax credit if any of its battery components were manufactured or assembled by an FEOC. In 2025, an EV becomes ineligible if its battery contains critical minerals that were extracted, processed or recycled by an FEOC.” [Bloomberg, 7/18/23 (=)]

 

U.S. Power Demand To Fall Despite EVs, Gas Shift – Report — “U.S. electricity demand is likely to decline this year despite spiking sales of electric cars and heat pumps for buildings, according to a new report from the International Energy Agency. Published Wednesday morning, the IEA’s report found that U.S. electricity consumption will dip by 1.7 percent in 2023 due to a slowing economy and milder weather compared to the previous year. In 2024, power demand will grow by around 2 percent, which is less than the 2.6 percent rate in 2022, according to the IEA. The report assessed global power demand for this year and next. The numbers show that pro-electrification policies such as state subsidies for heat pumps have not yet unleashed a consistent stream of new U.S. power demand — although many modelers see that occurring in the coming years as electric vehicles and non-gas appliances grow. One 2018 analysis from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, for instance, found that electrification of cars, buildings and heavy industries could prompt U.S. power demand to grow 1.8 percent every year on average through 2050. That would involve bringing online more new electricity on an annual basis than the United States has ever done before, said NREL.” [E&E News, 7/19/23 (=)]

 

 

States & Local

 

Colorado

 

New Electric Vehicle Tax Credit Now In Effect In Colorado — “Colorado has a new state tax credit to incentivize the transition to electric vehicles. The credit went into effect on July 1, 2023. Shannon Young spoke with Carrie Atiyeh, Associate Director of Transportation Fuels and Technology at the Colorado Energy Office.” [KSUT-Radio, 7/18/23 (=)]

 

Maine

 

Environmentalists Want Maine To Get Gas Vehicles Off The Roads — “Maine environmental groups want the state to follow California in phasing out the sale of gas-powered cars and trucks and shifting to zero-emission vehicles. While Maine has joined other states in the past in adopting vehicle emissions standards that originated in California, Gov. Janet Mills said last year she was not in favor of ‘blindly’ following California’s 2035 mandate. Environmentalists are now trying to force the state’s hand through a little-known rulemaking process, and some transportation groups are criticizing the proposals. The National Resources Council of Maine collected the required 150 signatures from registered voters earlier this year to petition the Maine Department of Environmental Protection to adopt California’s zero- and low-emission vehicle regulations. Another California regulation proposed for Maine would aim to encourage the sale of more electric medium- and heavy-duty trucks.” [Bangor Daily News, 7/19/23 (+)]

 

Minnesota

 

Minnesota Agencies Say Xcel Is Stumbling On EV Charger Projects — “Two state agencies support Xcel Energy’s decision to suddenly withdraw a $330 million electric vehicle initiative after utility regulators shot down the company’s rate hike requests. Xcel hasn’t done a good enough job with its existing electric vehicle pilots to merit a big new program, say the Minnesota Department of Commerce and the state’s Attorney General’s Office. ‘Xcel has not shown itself to be capable of leading the electric vehicle transition,’ the AG’s Office said in a recent filing with the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC). In another recent filing, the Commerce Department said that ‘recent developments ... call into question [Xcel’s] aptitude at operating in the EV space.’ Both state departments represent ratepayers before the PUC. And both say Xcel is behind schedule on an already approved EV fast-charger initiative, and that it botched the rollout of commercial charging pilot programs in Minnesota.” [Star Tribune, 7/18/23 (=)]

 

New Jersey

 

Here's How 1 Man Is Charging 3 Electric Cars From His Jersey City Kitchen — “More and more New York and New Jersey residents are buying electric vehicles, but charging the car can be a challenge for owners who don’t have a garage or driveway. Instead, renters like Jersey City computer tech Sal Cameli are getting creative. Cameli, 51, charges his fleet of three electric cars from a wall outlet in the kitchen of his ground-floor apartment. He stretches a custom-made 34-foot cord through an air conditioner sleeve above his window, pulls it high above the sidewalk, yanks it down a street sign and plugs it into a cherry red Tesla, as well as a pair of decade-old Nissan Leafs. After a divorce forced Cameli to downsize from his suburban home, he had to develop a strategy to secure the coveted spots outside his apartment and charge his electric cars. He spaces them apart just so, and works with a neighbor to hold down the spots on alternate side parking days. ‘I have to. It’s the only way for me to charge,’ Cameli said last week, as he waited for a street sweeper to pass. ‘To charge out my window costs me $12. It’s very cheap.’” [Gothamist, 7/18/23 (=)]

 

 

International

 

Europe

 

Factbox: Companies Invest In EV Battery Factories In Europe — “Europe is seeking to lure electric vehicle (EV) battery makers to build factories in the region as the bloc - home to carmakers such as Volkswagen and Stellantis - tries to cut its dependency on Asia and win a green subsidy race with the United States. Below is an overview of factories in Europe, including annual capacity and production timelines where available.” [Reuters, 7/18/23 (=)]

 

EU Reaches Raw Materials Deal With Chile — “The EU has signed a raw materials agreement with Chile. Although the word ‘lithium’ does not appear in the accompanying EU communication, from a European perspective, the deal is likely to be primarily about securing lithium reserves. According to the official wording, both sides want to ‘deepen cooperation in the field of sustainable raw materials value chains that are necessary for the clean energy and digital transition of both partners.’ It also aims to build an industry for extracting and processing raw materials. The agreement was signed by EU Commissioner for Internal Market Thierry Breton and Chile’s Foreign Minister Alberto van Klaveren Stork.” [Electrive, 7/19/23 (=)]

 

France: Plug-In Car Sales Reached A New Record In June 2023 — “New passenger car registrations in France increased in June by 11.5 percent year-over-year to 190,848, taking the year-to-date total to 889,785 (up 15 percent year-over-year). Meanwhile, plug-in electric car sales significantly outpace the general market and reached a new record. According to L’Avere-France, last month 51,215 new passenger plug-in electric cars were registered in France (up 51 percent year-over-year), which represented 26.8 percent of the market (compared to 19.8 percent a year ago). Especially good news is that all-electric car sales increased by 52 percent year-over-year to 33,280, taking a 17.4 percent share (compared to 12.8 percent a year ago). That’s a solid 4.6 percent increase compared to 2022. Interestingly, plug-in hybrid car sales are also growing.” [Inside EVs, 7/18/23 (=)]

 

Germany: All-Electric Car Sales Exceeded 50,000 In June 2023 — “In June, new passenger car registrations in Germany increased by almost 25 percent year-over-year to 280,139. During the first six months of 2023, 1,396,870 new cars were registered (up 12.8 percent year-over-year). The plug-in electric car segment is also expanding - but it splits between BEVs, which are significantly outpacing the market, and PHEVs, which are falling like a rock. In June, the total plug-in electric car registrations amounted to 68,918 (up 18 percent year-over-year), which is 24.6 percent of the total volume (compared to 26 percent a year ago). Meanwhile, all-electric car registrations amounted to 52,988 (up 64 percent year-over-year), which was enough to capture 18.9 percent of the market (compared to 14.4 percent a year ago).” [Inside EVs, 7/18/23 (=)]

 

 

 

Responses to this email are not monitored

 

To be added to the CDP listserv to receive these clips and other postings, please contact Ariana Khan (akhan@partnershipproject.org)

 

For any other questions or comments, please contact Mitch Dunn

(mitch@beehivedc.com)