HEVO, a US provider of inductive charging technology, announces cooperation with Stellantis. The merger of PSA and FCA wants to start charging Stellantis electric vehicles wirelessly. A demonstrator is underway.
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Stellantis is introducing EV certification for its US dealers and wants outlets to be ready by 2024, when many of the first all-electric vehicles become available to US customers. Stellantis plans to roll out 25 EVs in North America within the decade.
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According to a media report, Chrysler is working on an all-electric successor to the Chrysler 300. The first key data on the large electric sedan have also been mentioned – but neither the model itself nor the technical data have been confirmed at present.
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The US Federal Highway and Vehicle Safety Administration is moving to investigate LG Energy Solution’s faulty battery cells that led to fires in electric cars and plug-in hybrids. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration wants to ensure that all defective batteries have been recalled by car manufacturers.
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Chrysler is recalling 16,741 units of the 2017 and 2018 model year plug-in hybrid version of its Pacifica minivan in the US due to a potential fire risk that could occur even when the vehicle is not in use.
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US Stellantis brand Chrysler has unveiled its Airflow Concept at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2022, giving a glimpse of its electric future. Chrysler aims to launch its first BEV model by 2025 and offer an all-electric vehicle range by 2028.
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The new 14-brand car company Stellantis has given more details about its electrification plans. These include four platforms for electrified models and more battery factories.
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PSA and FCA have now completed their merger, paving the way for the creation of Stellantis. The new group’s ordinary shares will start trading on Euronext in Paris and Mercato Telematico Azionario in Milan on 18 January, and on the New York Stock Exchange on 19 January, each under the symbol “STLA”.
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Honda has joined the CO2 pool of Tesla and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) in the EU, according to an official document from the European Commission. The Honda e registrations appear insufficient to reduce Honda’s overall fleet emissions.
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Fiat Chrysler Automobiles will invest around 1.5 billion Canadian dollars in its plant in Windsor in the Canadian province of Ontario and will also produce electric cars and plug-in hybrids there from 2025. A few weeks ago, the Unifor union had negotiated a very similar deal with Ford.
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The planned merger of the car companies PSA and FCA under the name Stellantis will apparently be able to rely on three electric car platforms. In addition to the existing platforms eCMP and eVMP, according to a new report from Italy, a base developed by FCA will also trade for larger electric cars.
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The planned merger of the car companies PSA and FCA under the name Stellantis has apparently already led to a decision about sharing vehicle platforms: According to an article in the Spanish media, FCA is abandoning its developments for B-segment vehicles.
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Digital Charging Solutions (DCS) and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) have developed a joint public charging service. My Easy Charge gives customers of the FCA Group’s BEV and PHEV models access to over 130,000 charging points in 21 European countries.
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First carmakers announce closures of factories in Europe due to the Coronavirus crisis unfolding on the continent. PSA will lockdown all vehicle production plants in Europe by 27 March and the French carmaker is not the only one.
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Fiat Chrysler wants to set up a joint venture with Foxconn, known primarily as an iPhone contract manufacturer, for the production of electric cars for the Chinese market. Both groups confirmed the plan while details are still being negotiated.
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It is looking like Fiat Chrysler might buy the use of a Tesla technology for its brands’ electric cars. During a conversation with stock analysts, FCA boss Mike Manley revealed that his company was considering this option. It would not be the first partnership between the two companies.
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PSA and Fiat Chrysler have agreed on a merger. However, the details are still open, as the agreement is to be worked out in the coming weeks. It is also open what this means for electric mobility in the new company.
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Fiat Chrysler intends to test vehicle-to-grid technology with a fleet of 600 to 700 electric cars. The carmaker has now signed a letter of intent with the Italian energy supplier Terna.
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In order to meet the incoming EU emissions regulations, the U.S. manufacturer Fiat Chrysler is reportedly paying hundreds of millions of euros to Tesla, so that they can technically be calculated as “their” BEVs.
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Fiat Chrysler wants to phase out all diesel models over the next four years, according to a report by the Financial Times. This includes all passenger cars made by FCA labels Fiat, Chrysler, Maserati, Alfa Romeo and Jeep.
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Google subsidiary Waymo has won approval to open a commercial ride-hailing service with autonomous cars. No human driver will be on board when the fleet starts to pick up passengers in Phoenix, Arizona. It is the first such service in the USA.
Read moreVideo tip I: Watch Elon Musk meet TED curator Chris Anderson for a 40 minute Tête-à-Tête among futurists. Musk reflects on developments and his plans for Tesla as well as moving earth and Mars.
youtube.com
Video tip II: Flying pigs are another example of rather bizarre commercials for electrified cars. This time it is Chrysler, that spiced up its spot for the Pacifica Hybrid – somewhat.
youtube.com via insideevs.com
OMV acquires stake in Smatrics: The Austrian energy and petrol station group joins Smatrics with an interest of 40 percent. So far the charging infrastructure JV was owned by Verbund and Siemens. OMV intends to kick off the installation of Smatrics quick charging points at its petrol stations in Austria and Germany. Also, further expansion to Czech, Slovakia, Slovenia und Hungary shall be examined. Besides, OMV wants to evaluate common concepts in green hydrogen.
af.reuters.com, omv.com
PHEV of BMW’s 5er – soon also inductive: Just a few weeks after launching the newest generation of its 5 series, BMW brings the PHEV version of its business sedan on the roads. The 530e iPerformance comes with 252 PS and a 9.2 kWh battery to reach 50 km through electric power. Pricing starts at 52,600 euros. From next year on, BMW intends to optionally offer the PHEV model with an inductive battery charging system.
press.bmwgroup.com, welt.de (inductive system, in German)
Honda to produce EV with GAC: At the Shanghai Motor Show, Honda revealed its plans to enter the Chinese market with dedicated EV as soon as next year. Automobil Produktion reports, that the production process will be operated at a site of joint venture partner GAC. The same is planned with a PHEV version of Honda’s Accord in 2018 and two PHEV models created by the Honda/Dongfeng joint venture could follow a year after.
automobil-produktion.de (in German)
Chrysler’s electric minivan to go serial? According to Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne, their all-electric concept car presented at CES in Las Vegas could enter mass production within the next two years. The EV model is a semi-autonomous minivan with 400 km of range and 350 kW fast charging function. Apparently, also regarding to this model Chrysler counts on a cooperation with Google subsidiary Waymo which already today deploys Chrysler’s hybrid vans and just ordered 500 Pacifica hybrids (we reported).
freep.com
Sharing service with autonomous cars: Last year, Dutch start-up Amber presented its own concept EV specifically designed for its car sharing. Now the company introduced details about its plans, announcing the creation of a mobility service with autonomously driving cars – first in the Netherlands, later throughout Europe. First tests are scheduled for mid-2018 in Eindhoven with modified BMW i3 models, which will use bus lanes during the night. In the future, Amber intends to equip its own EVs with the necessary tech.
businesswire.com, nu.nl, ad.nl (both in Dutch)
Volvo kicks off XC60 production: The carmaker started the production lines for the crossover XC60 in its site in Torslanda, Sweden. Under the additional label T8 Twin Engine a PHEV version is to be build, too – just like it is the case with the top version of the bigger XC90.
greencarcongress.com, media.volvocars.com
StreetScooter expands enormously: Deutsche Post DHL is taking its EV manufacturing business yet another notch up as the delivery service will open a second factory to produce the StreetScooter. Annual capacity will thus double to 20,000 electric vans and at least 50 percent will be made for third parties. Prices for a StreetScooter start at 32,000 euros and DHL hopes to interest municipalities and/or partners and fleets across Europe. No more specific location other than North Rhine-Westphalia has been given for the new production site yet.
europe.autonews.com, postandparcel.info, dpdhl.com
E-tron Sportback Audi’s 2nd EV? 2018 will see the introduction of Audi’s first fully electric model. However, now another seems to be in the pipeline. Auto Motor und Sport believes the second EV is to be the e-tron Sportback, which could hit the shelves no later than 2019.
auto-motor-und-sport.de (in German)
Kia gears up for its third EV in the meantime as the Korean brand is looking to electrify its compact SUV Stonic. An electric variant may be here as early as next year and will utilise technology from the Hyundai Ioniq Electric allegedly. With a larger battery than its brother in tech, the Kia Stonic EV may get 300 km far. If it makes it to market in time, it would be Kia’s third all-electric model after the Soul and expected Niro.
cleantechnica.com, pushevs.com
Second-hand EVs: Mahindra ventures into the vintage market for electric cars as it authorises its subsidiary Mahindra First Choice Wheels (MFCWL) to open its platform for used EVs. It includes certification and warranty and enables clients to exchange, buy and sell pre-owned electric cars.
indiatimes.com
Ampera-e statistics: The European version of GM’s Bolt EV has made it onto our shores, at least on paper. First registrations of the electric Opel surfaced in Norway (13) and Germany (68) but were most likely logged in by dealers. Get ready to book your test ride. Deliveries officially start in May.
itanywhere.no (Norway), kba.de (Germany)
Talking about shipments: Chrysler is three months behind schedule for the Pacific plug-in hybrid. It will start shipping to U.S. dealerships only after Easter. Chrysler claims quality control for the delay.
insideevs.com
Renault Master electrification: The French are not only showing their new Kangoo Z.E. with 270 km range at the Brussels Motor Show, but also premiered the electric version of its transporter van Master. The latter will arrive at European dealers towards the end of the year and will be fitted with a 33-kWh battery pack that allows for a range of 200 km according to NEDC, even though 120 km are a more realistic estimate.
greencarcongress.com, automotiveworld.com, renault.com
Serial production plans: According to Detroit News, the in Las Vegas presented Chrysler Portal Concept (we reported) has a real shot of going into serial production. The paper quotes CEP Sergio Marchionne who says the electric van could hit the road in its current or slightly modified for “after 2018.”
detroitnews.com
Naming explained: Faraday Future explained the naming of its models. The FF 91 got its label, because the cars are named after size and price using the number 1 through 9. The 9 therefore stands for it being a top model, while the 1 indicated it being the first generation. Future cars could therefore be called FF 92, 81, 71, etc.
insideevs.com
Lowering emission targets: Just ahead of Donald Trump’s inauguration, the EPA confirmed greenhouse-gas emission targets for light utility vehicles through 2025. Despite bickering from manufactures, the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) goals for 2025 are 54.5 mpg. The EPA says manufactures have enough technology at their disposal to comply.
autoblog.com, greencarcongress.com
Cutting subsidies: The Chinese government wants to reduce subsidies for EVs through 2020, starting with a 20 percent cut this year. The country now also confirmed that electric or plug-in hybrid buses will receive no more than 300,000 yuan in aides (previously 600,000 yuan), while exact subsidies are based on the buses’ energy density and charging capacity. Trucks and specialty vehicles only get 150,000 yuan and local funding has been capped at 50 percent of state aide.
reuters.com
10-hr rule up for discussion: According to Reuters, the South Korean government is reconsidering its previous rule that EVs will only receive funding, if they can be charged in less than ten hours using a regular Schuko-connection. Especially Tesla would benefit, as its battery packs are too pick to comply.
reuters.com
FF unveils new “species”: Faraday Future took the wraps off its first series model, the FF 91, calling it a “new species” of electric mobility. The SUV is to hit the road in 2018 and comes with a 130-kWh battery back and 378-mile range, while the 783-kW motor pushes it from 0 to 60 mph in just 2.4 seconds. The FF 91 can be pre-ordered on the company website for 5,000 dollars down. According to FF, more than 64,000 models had already been reserved in the 36 hours after the presentation.
electriccarsreport.com, youtube.com (video of CES presentation), electrek.co (orders)
Next-gen Leaf: Renault-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn said at the CES that the Japanese carmaker is working on a new generation of the Nissan Leaf that will be equipped with the latest automated driving features. While he did not give any details about i.e. range, Nissan’s senior vice president Takao Asami confirmed that Nissan has already developed a 60-kWh variant, which it is not offering because battery prices are still too high.
autocar.co.uk, insideevs.com (Ghosn), autoblog.com (Asami)
Electric future: Toyota unveiled a futuristic and fully electric concept car in Las Vegas, fitted with winged doors. There are no details about the Concept-I’s drivetrain, however, as not the motor but the EV’s personal voice-commanded assistant Yui takes the spotlight in this case.
greencarcongress.com, insideevs.com (with video)
New electric Chrysler: The all-electric concept car that Fiat Chrysler presented at CES in Las Vegas is contrary to previous rumours not an electric variant of the Chrysler Pacifica, but an EV named Chrysler Portal Concept. It is a fully automated minivan that fits up to six people and features a 100-kWh battery pack that should last for up to 250 miles (400 km) of range.
greencarcongress.com, carscoops.com, autoblog.com
Investing in emobility: Ford announced that it will launch 13 at least partially electric series production models in the next five year. That includes a hybrid version of the F 150 pick-up truck and iconic Ford Mustang sports car (both scheduled for 2020). An all-electric SUV with 300-mile range will arrive in 2021. The carmaker is investing 700m dollars in its Flat Rock plant in Michigan, turning it into its centre for electric mobility and autonomous driving.
greencarcongress.com, electriccarsreport.com
E-Mobility Index: According to the newly published E-Mobility Index Q1 2017 by Roland Berger and the German Forschungsgesellschaft Kraftfahrtwesen Aachen (fka), Germany and France take the lead in terms of technological innovations – even for Japan and South Korea. China takes the crown in industry and the second spot in terms of market, just after France. Both countries are the only of the seven countries looked at, where the market share of electric mobility surpassed 1 percent in 2016.
rolandberger.com (press release), fka.de (complete Index)
Tesla missed its delivery estimates for 2016 just slightly. The carmaker delivered only 76,230 EVs instead of the planned 80,000 units this past year. Another 6,450 cars are still on route to their final destinations, but will be counted as part of January sales. Production numbers fell in the last quarter, apparently because of some kinks with the new autopilot hardware. Still, a total of 83,922 units rolled of Tesla’s production lines in 2016.
greencarcongress.com, electrek.co, insideevs.com
Intelligent charging success: To charge batteries with green excess energy is sensible and economically viable. This is the result of the BESIC research project conducted at Hamburg harbour for 3.5 years. There, ten electric HGV ran with surplus green energy. The key was to develop a smart battery management that ensured charging when environmentally and operationally necessary.
hafen-hamburg.de
Fiat and Google autonomous together: FCA delivered 100 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans equipped with self-driving tech to Waymo, formerly the Google car project. The move fits Fiat’s plan to reveal a fully electric vehicle based on the Chrysler Pacifica at the CES in Las Vegas.
greencarcongress.com, bloomberg.com
Interoperability validated: Wireless charging bench testing has been completed and proves the interoperability and validity of the SAE TIR J2954. For the first time, interoperability between the so-called Double D (DD) and Circular Topologies has been demonstrated between 3.7 to 7.7 kW.
greencarcongress.com
BMW i3 charges wirelessly at 7.2 kW: Evatran presents its inductive charging system for use with BMW’s electric car in the States. The 7.2 kW system translates to about 20 miles of range recharged per hour and applies to both the i3 and the range-extended version but costs 3,499 dollars.
insideevs.com
Electric Chrysler in Vegas? Insiders apparently told Bloomberg that Chrysler will show an all-electric car based on the Pacifica (which is already available as a PHEV) at the CES in Las Vegas in January. An electric Maserati sports car will also be on display – probably some form of the Alfieri scheduled to hit the road in 2020 (we reported).
bloomberg.com
Renault gives Kangoo more range: After giving its Zoe a battery upgrade, Renault will also increase the range of its Kangoo Van Z.E., fitting it with the same technology as the former EV. Technical details are expected to be released at the European Motor Show in Brussels in January, but given the 41 kWh battery pack, the Kangoo’s range is expected to double to 270 km on one charge.
greencarcongress.com, autovolt-magazine.com/, insideevs.com
Lexus shows LC production version: Lexus presented its LC Coupé, which will become available in the U.S. in spring and Europe in summer. With the LC 500h, the two-door car will also be offered as a hybrid variant. The hybrid powertrain will boast 354 hp, pushing the Lexus from 0 to 100 kph in less than five seconds.
greencarcongress.com, carscoops.com
France tackles pollution: French environmental minister Ségolène Royale wants to extend EV subsidies, offering the 10,000 euro scrappage fee not only to private, but also commercial drivers, such as i.e. taxis. Moreover, anyone purchasing an electric scooter from January 1st, 2017, will receive a 1,000 euro bonus.
rfi.fr
Smart renting: The Daimler brand kicked off its scheme “Smart ready to rent” in select French and German cities. It enables customers to rent the full Smart model range between one day and three months, essentially closing the gap between leasing a vehicle and its carsharing offer car2go. Electric variants will also be available from next year.
greencarcongress.com
ICE ban in the UK? Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is considering a proposal to ban sales of new petrol and diesel cars in the UK, meaning all new cars would be electric, hydrogen- or methane-fuelled. Approximately ten years after the ban were to be enacted, Britain could prohibit all combustion engine cars on its roads.
independent.co.uk
Siemens and Valeo form alliance: The recently announced Valeo Siemens eAutomotive GmbH, a 50:50 joint venture, has begun operations. The company will focus on high-voltage powertrains for all forms of electrified cars, including hybrids. Jointly developed electric motors, on-board chargers, inverters and power converters are said to give the companies a more favourable position in the market.
greencarcongress.com, siemens.com
Good-bye diesel cars: The mayors of Athens, Madrid, Mexico City, Paris pledged they would ban diesel cars from their streets by 2025. Athens even wants to go one step further and get rid of all cars in in city centre. Meanwhile, from February 15th, 2017, Beijing will prohibit all cars that don’t meet emission standards from entering the city during smog alarm. The move could affect all cars that are ten years or older – or roughly 8 percent of vehicles.
theguardian.com, c40.org (diesel), channelnewsasia.com (Beijing)
Tesla-fighter from China: NextEV, who just unveiled its 1 MW hypercar, is reportedly also working on a Model X competitor. The electric SUV will be built in China together with JAC and is said to hit the road late 2018 or early 2019. Thanks to a 70 kWh battery pack, range is estimated at 330 miles (530 km), but more importantly, NextEV says it will be “cheaper” than the Tesla.
autonews.com
Maven comes to Germany: Opel will introduce GM’s mobility service Maven to Germany next year. Called “Maven home,” it will also employ the Ampera-e. The EV will first be available for selected hotels, apartment complexes and student housing, and will later also be used in a more conventional e-carsharing scheme.
automobilwoche.de, autogazette.de (articles in German)
Tesla goes on sale in Spain: The Model S and Model X can now be ordered in Spain, with first deliveries scheduled for the first quarter of 2017. The EV pioneer is also stepping up its game in terms of chargers there, installing more Superchargers and Destination Chargers at hotels, etc.
electrek.co, elpais.com
The first Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid rolled off production lines at the Windsor plant in Ontario on December 1st. The first electrified minivan will be available from just under 42,000 dollars in the U.S., where it also qualifies for the 7,500 dollar tax credit. Electric range is rated at 30 miles.
greencarcongress.com, insideevs.com
Camouflaged Tesla-fighter: Lucid Motors (formerly Atieva) has released a first official image of its still camouflaged electric sedan Atvus. The EV is said to debut in some form at the Los Angeles Motor Show and boasts an output of 100 kW and 300+ km of range, going head to head with the Tesla Model S when it hits the road in 2018.
carscoops.com, electrek.co
Make some noise: The U.S. now requires all electric and hybrid vehicles produced after September 1st, 2019, to emit a warning sound when driving under 30 kph. As automakers will need to implement waterproof speakers to comply, they will be stuck with a 39m dollar bill per year. However, and more importantly, it will prevent some 2,400 injuries annually by warning pedestrians and bikers.
reuters.com, insideevs.com
Construction stop: Contractor AECOM told Jalopnik that it has stopped working on the Faraday Future plant in Nevada, apparently because of unpaid bills. But the company is certain to be able to continue early 2017. Meanwhile, LeEco, itself a FF investor, has collected 600m dollars – half of which have been earmarked for the automotive branch.
jalopnik.com (AECOM), forbes.com (LeEco)
Will Magna Steyr build the I-Pace? Jaguar just unveiled its first electric model, but the question about its production site remains. According to German Automobil Production, everything points to Magna Steyr in Austria. The company is already constructing two production halls for the Brits, where two models will roll off the lines from 2017.
automobil-produktion.de (in German)
Pacifica PHEV priced and tested: Chrysler will offer the new plug-in family van from 41,995 dollars in the U.S., where the car is eligible for 7,500 dollars in subsidies. Its 16 kWh battery pack allows for an all-electric range of 50 km, and following a short test drive – pricing and technology seem to be on point.
cnet.com, digitaltrends.com
CT6 PHEV arrives earls 2017: Chrysler will also kick off production of its CT6 premium sedan with plug-in technology. Here, too, the battery allows for 50 km of electric driving, while the car is propelled forward by a total of 250 kW. With a 75,095-dollar price tag, it will however have to compete with Tesla and co.
automotiveworld.com, detroitnews.com
