Kia has confirmed they will present the new Soul EV at the end of the month at the LA Auto Show and has released a teaser image. The new version of the Kia Soul will only be available as a battery electric vehicle in Europe.
Weiterlesen
The ride-hailing firm Grab is set to receive 250 million dollars in funding from Hyundai and Kia, who are aiming to establish a series of EV projects, beginning with Singapore, as well as the setup of an EV fast charging network.
Weiterlesen
The French government and major carmakers have agreed to subsidise the switch from fossil fuel powered cars to electric vehicles. The manufacturers will thus supplement France’s scrappage scheme so that it can be raised and extended in 2019.
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Kia plans to expand its range of electrified models on a global scale. Artur Martins, Kia’s head of marketing for Europe, confirmed that a PHEV version of the Ceed Kombi is expected in the second half of 2019 and Kia may bring their Korean fuel cell car soon to other markets as well.
Weiterlesen
Some things are so obvious it takes a while to actually take hold. So who do you think would be the best brand ambassador for the Kia e-Niro? Yes, indeed, Kia thought the same.
Weiterlesen
Kia has now officially presented the European version of their fully electric Niro in Paris. The market launch will begin in “select European markets” this year.
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Kia has received the official WLTP range data for the European version of the all-electric Niro, which will be called e-Niro. The crossover electric car will make its first apearance on the continent at the Paris Motor Show and hit the market shortly after.
Weiterlesen
Kia has started selling their Niro EV in South Korea. The European premiere will take place at the Paris Motor Show, and will be available before the end of the year.
Weiterlesen
Hyundai-Kia and the Volkswagen Group will work together on hydrogen fuel cells. Audi will lead the cooperation that includes all Volkswagen brands and Kia. In a first step they agreed to cross-license patents and on access to non-competitive parts.
Weiterlesen
Kia is planning to produce BEVs and PHEVs in their future factory in the Indian Anantapur into which they are investing 1.1 billion dollars. Meanwhile, Nissan announced their plan to sell the 2nd gen Leaf next year in India as well.
Weiterlesen
Kia wants to keep its Soul lineup exclusively electric in Europe. The decision was made against the backdrop of falling sales of the fossil-fuelled versions of their little car. A turbo Soul called the Final Edition marks the change.
Weiterlesen
Korea’s Kia will introduce their first 48V diesel mild-hybrid powertrain in the second half of 2018. The first model to utilise the compact system will be the Kia Sportage before the mild-hybrid will help along the Ceed as well from 2019.
Weiterlesen
At a South Korean fair, Kia has now presented the serial version of their fully electric Niro. The Kia Niro EV will be released in Korea in July, and will be introduced to the European market after the Paris Motor Show in October.
Weiterlesen
Kia America Technical Center, Inc. (HATCI) and Mojo Mobility have completed a three-year project to develop a wireless fast-charging system on a test fleet of Kia Soul EVs. The project claims 85% efficiency when charging with up to 10kW.
Weiterlesen
Kia is to launch the third generation of its Soul EV this year, this time riding on the new Kona/Niro platform and boasting more range than ever. An optional bigger battery pack shall bring the electric Korean as far as 500 kilometres on a charge.
Weiterlesen
Kia has announced that the third generation of their compact vehicle model Ceed will also be electrified but only partially so. In the coming year, the company plans to introduce a mild hybrid version of the car before adding a plug to the hybrid eventually.
Weiterlesen
Kia’s has put a prototype of its all-electric Niro on display in Las Vegas. The model’s 150 kW serial version shall hit the stores before the year’s end. According to the carmaker, it comes with a 64 kWh battery pack and reaches up to 382 km.
Weiterlesen
The Korean alliance announces a serious push of its electric car lineup with 14 new all-electric models to be expected by 2025. That is two cars per year strictly speaking.
Weiterlesen
The South Korean carmaker wants to serial produce its first FCEV by creating a follow-up model with fuel cell drivetrain of its SUV Sorento, according to Business Korea.
WeiterlesenAmong all the save-the-world apostles FleetCarma’s video campaign stands out and puts the fun back into the whole driving story. Tagged #EVsAreBetter they released a series of short clips pointing out the obvious and not so obvious advantages of electric cars. Gas butler anyone?
youtube.com (gas butler), youtube.com (all videos)
Aston Martin to limit RapidE: The British want to manufacture no more than 155 units of its all-electric RapidE from 2019. That is just one third of the amount announced initially. The reason is that Aston Martin quit its partnership (for this electric model) with Chinese company Le Eco due to the latter’s financial problems. Pre-orders with a down payment of 10 percent of the total 200,000 pounds shall be possible from August. The electric version of Aston Martin’s DBX is supposed to enter the market by 2019.
reuters.com
Pricing for Renault’s electric Kangoo: In Germany, net prices for the new Kangoo Z.E. with its 33 kWh battery start at 20,820 euros, the cheapest long version Kangoo Maxi is available for 22,820. For the first time, the French offer the battery for sale rather than lease only with its EV.
electrive.net
Seat to electrify its Cupra: The Spanish intend to create electric versions of its performance models called Cupra. So far, the Seat Leon is the only one existing as well in a Cupra version, but in 2018 an Ateca Cupra is to follow. Seat’s first EV model based on the MEB platform is due by 2019.
autoexpress.co.uk
No electrification of Kia’s Stonic: The Korean car manufacturer denies rumours claiming an electric twin of its compact crossover Stonic at launch. Marketing head Seo Bo-won stated that there won’t be a hybrid version neither. The explanation is that Kia seeks to delineate the Stonic from the Niro.
theinvestor.co.kr
BMW extends its U.S. factory: The Germans want to invest 600m dollars in Spartanburg, South Carolina and create 1,000 jobs over the next four years, BMW announced during its X3 model presentation. It seems likely, the planned X3 electric version will be made in Spartanburg from 2019, too.
motortrend.com, businessinsider.com
New electric bus for China: Shenzhen Wuzhoulong Motors has presented a 12 metre electric bus for the Chinese market. The Wuzhoulong F2 Felicity comes with a 250 kW drive from UQM and shall be particularly light and thus particularly energy-efficient.
greencarcongress.com, businesswire.com
Tesla’s China factory ready for realisation? The Californian EV maker is allegedly close to sign an agreement with the city of Shanghai in order to build a Tesla plant in the Lingang development zone. Bloomberg quotes insiders, stating the deal may be done before the week’s end. With the negotiations being private, it remains unclear, who may become Tesla’s joint venture partner required to be allowed to produce in China. Chinese internet giant Tencent only recently accumulated a 5 percent stake in Tesla but their role is likely to help with communications if anything. Once Tesla starts producing in China, the 25 percent import tax would become obsolete.
bloomberg.com
Hyundai gears up FCV: 3,600 units may be made of Hyundai’s new fuel cell serial model based on the FE Fuel Cell Concept presented at the Geneva Auto Salon. If insiders are right, that represents a significant increase compared to the predecessor ix35 Fuel Cell that sold less than 1,000 times to date. Hyundai’s motivation could be to surpass Toyota’s Mirai FCV, which has found almost 3,000 buyers.
businesskorea.co.kr
GAC with concrete strategy: Seven new EV and PHEV models are set for launch before the year’s end, says GAC, thus manifesting previous announcements. The Chinese company wants to electrify 20 percent of the total sales volume of 1m cars by 2020. It also set sight on entering the States by 2019.
greencarcongress.com
Mahindra doubles its investment into e-mobility as it earmarks up to 12bn rupees (167m euros) for its electric transport division. Mahindra Electric is then to provide electric propulsions to Mahindra and other OEMs. A new factory in Chakan to produce EVs and to install battery packs is underway as well.
timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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First photos of Kia Stonic: Ahead of its official debut at the IAA in September, pictures of Kia’s Stonic have appeared online. Like the recently unveiled Kona, the Korean compact crossover shall have an electric powered twin from launch.
carscoops.com, autodato.com
Phat market entry: 20 mph is the top speed of a new electric scooter supposed to go 30 to 50 miles on a single charge. Made by Arizona start-up Phat Scooters, the battery sits flush under the deck. Pre-orders are possible from this week onwards.
prnewswire.com, electric.phatscooters.com
In May an impressive 514,759 hybrid cars by Hyundai and Kia have been sold worldwide. Most popular was Hyundai’s Sonata Hybrid with 207,299 sales followed by Kia’s K5 hybrid also known as Optima (111,644) and lastly Kia’s Niro hybrid (87,992).
koreaherald.com
First Model Y teaser: At its Annual Shareholder Meeting, Tesla has allowed a first glance at its Model Y by publishing an image that hides more than it reveals as usual. Still, Elon Musk confirmed at this occasion that their up-coming compact crossover will not be based on the Model 3, but bear its own platform and that sales shall start by 2019. The EV maker expects demand for the Model Y to be even higher than for the Model 3.
electrek.co, teslarati.com
Luxury EV for luxury price: The Fisker Emotion is going to hit the stores in 2019 with prices starting at 129,900 US dollars. Pre-ordering will be possible from 30th of June. Besides these new details, the carmaker also unveiled new images. Technically, the luxury EV shall reach 640 km thanks to an innovative graphen-based energy storage system and is claimed to charge extraordinary fast through Fisker’s proprietary ‘UltraCharger’.
techcrunch.com, theverge.com, insideevs.com
Hyundai to increase EV production: The Koreans intend to increase the production of its Ioniq Electric from 1,200 to 1,800 cars monthly. Currently, clients have to wait 4 – 5 months. Half of the Ioniq production shall address the home market, half is to go abroad.
english.etnews.com
Outline of Kia’s Stonic: The Korean manufacturer has revealed first outlines of its compact crossover Stonic that is to be officially presented at the IAA and to hit the road before the year’s end. As reported, a fully electrified SUV version is part of the plan.
carscoops.com, europe.autonews.com
Climate deal between CA and China: Irrespective Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris Accord, representatives of California and China entered an agreement to work closer together for developing green tech. The MoU includes sectors like renewable energy as well as zero-emission vehicles, energy storage or grid modernisation.
greencarcongress.com
Climbing Tesla insurance rates: AAA wants to increase rates for Model S and Model X owners by up to 30 percent. The insurer detected higher claim frequencies and costlier claims compared to other vehicles. Tesla called the analysis “flawed”.
autonews.com, insideevs.com, greencarreports.com
Strategic transport partnership: Mercedes and courier Hermes have finalised their previous agreement to make deliveries emission free. Hermes wants to deploy 1,500 electric Mercedes Sprinters and Vitos, first in Stuttgart and Hamburg but later nationwide. At the signing ceremony, they further detailed the deal. It includes plans for infrastructure for logistic hotspots, where the batteries assembled in Daimler subsidiary Accumotive’s new facility will be charged. The electric drives have been specifically developed by Mercedes to electrify its van business, which will also receive another 150m euros over the next few years. daimler.com, electrive.net (in German)
Jeep offensive: The outdoor brand wants to offer hybrid versions of most of its eight models, FCA CEO Marchionne announced. The leap into electric terrain is to take place within the next 2-3 years, so it looks like the Yuntu PHEV, displayed in Shanghai, was more than just a concept to test the waters.
marketwatch.com
Lambo likes it large: The Urus SUV by Lamborghini will have 650 hp under the hood. A first production run will see an initial 1,000 units hitting the road next year but Lambo plans to scale up to 3,500 pieces annually. By 2019, the Urus will also come as PHEV variant featuring the same V8 engine.
autonews.com
Spyder up close: The upcoming roadster BMW i8 has been caught on camera and bared almost all, or at least parts of its convertible new side. The innards of the super hybrid are expected to be stronger comes 2018, when a 380 hp engine will be combined with a bigger battery pack.
carscoops.com
Korea gets Kia Niro PHEV: Kia has begun to serve its local market, where it launched the dedicated plug-in hybrid as planned. The Niro went on sale for 33m Won (about 27,000 euros). Europeans will have to wait until autumn for the PHEV and Kia has scheduled an all-electric version for 2018.
yonhapnews.co.kr
Changan too bets on domestic buyers and just announced an electric version of its compact SUVs CS15, that will launch in China later this year. The Changan CS15 EV entails 55 kW and has a said range of up 300 km.
carnewschina.com
4 in 5 victories of this year’s Formula E racing series went to Swiss Sébastien Buemi. The Renault pilot just scored again at the ePrix in Monaco, where he overtook Lucas di Grassi (Abt Schaeffler Audi Sport) and Nick Heidfeld (Mahindra Racing).
electricautosport.com, youtube.com (highlights)
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
Tesla with record-breaking quarter: The American EV maker has accumulated 25,000 sales in Q1 2017, that’s 69% above the first quarter of 2016 and the company’s best result ever. The Model S accounts for 13,450 sales, the Model X for 11,550. Furthermore, 4,650 EV’s are currently on the way to their new owners and to be reflected in the second quarter’s statistics. Taking those into account, Tesla claims to have set a new record in production: 25,418 EV’s rolled off the lines this quarter.
greencarcongress.com, electrek.co, marketwired.com
Kia to introduce FCV: The Korean carmaker intends to launch its first FCV within three years time. The fuel cell Kia is to use hydrogen technology from Hyundai, due to launch by 2018. The FE Fuel Cell Concept of Hyundai could be seen recently on display in Geneva.
autonews.com
Peugeot to spice up SUV 3008: By 2019 the French carmaker intends to launch a high performance hybrid version of its new SUV 3008. While not quite a GTi, the PHEV will benefit from AWD and 300 hp under the hood. In the same year, Peugeot wants to offer an all-electric version of its 208.
autoexpress.co.uk
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Baden-Württemberg Pavilion – Boosting Future Mobility 34 exhibitors will proudly present the accumulated know how of the German Southwest in the Baden-Württemberg Pavilion at the Hannover Messe from 24 to 28 April 2017 under the slogan “Boosting Future Mobility”. On more than 600 m² exhibition area, you will be able to get first-hand experience of the latest innovative products and key competences such as energy storage, charging infrastructure, precision components, subassemblies, novel test benches and mobility software. Come and visit us at hall 27.
e-mobilbw.de (PDF)
Hybrid SUV by Spyker: Dutch sports car maker Spyker is going hybrid with an SUV dubbed D8 Peking to Paris in memory of the firm’s participation in a rally of the same name in 1907. The luxury SUV is to couple a Koenigsegg V8 with an electric powertrain and may be shown in Geneva next year.
autocar.co.uk
Crazy race: Abt Audi Sports driver Lucas di Grassi’s first win of the season in the Mexico City ePrix was most memorable. The Formula E driver started from 18th position and even had to make an extra pit stop to change his rear wing before taking and keeping the lead.
electricautosport.com, electriccarsreport.com, youtube.com (highlights)
Home charging reloaded: Dutch EV-Box, which has recently been acquired by Engie, launched a new generation of EV charging devices. Elvi combines upgradable power capacity technology, smart interoperable stations as well as a modular design for installation and maintenance. It shall kick-off in both the States and Europe before the year’s end.
ev-box.com
GUL campaign grows: Hyundai Motor UK has joined the Go Ultra Low campaign. The Korean carmaker will add its ix35 FCV and Ioniq EV to the product lineup, which are officially campaigning for the use of plug-in and fuel cell vehicles on the Isles. Hyundai thus joins the likes of Audi, BMW, Kia, Nissan, Renault, Toyota and Volkswagen on the consortium.
am-online.com, businesscar.co.uk
Germany’s charging initiative is working at least for large utilities like E.On. Its regional subsidiaries have handed in applications for more than 700 charging points. Most requests for funding were submitted by Avacon, Bayernwerk, E.DIS and Hansewerk on behalf of municipalities.
upi.com, eon.com
Chargemaster’s Polar network is to take on all former Source East charge points with complimentary upgrades. Source East will go out of business by the end of the month (we reported).
fleetnews.co.uk
100 Soul EV order: Kia sold a whole bunch of its electric cars to one rental company on the Korean island of Udo. 100 Soul EV are on the way. To date, Kia sold 21,000 units worldwide since the Soul EV’s inception in 2014.
koreajoongangdaily.com
Breaking battery news: The 2018 Kia Soul EV is to get a new battery that can use full 30 kWh, up from 27 kWh. This increases the range to 250 km (NEDC) and new colours will be offered as well, documents leaked in Germany revealed. Europeans may order the Korean electric car immediately with deliveries set for June. Prices start from 29,490 euros before incentives, 600 euros more than before.
kia-world.net, electrek.co, auto-motor-und-sport.de (in German)
Risk reduction at Tesla: Ahead of the Model 3, the EV maker plans to raise 1.15bn dollars in equity and debt. CEO Elon Musk said he would invest 25m in shares himself, while the press release claims “risk reduction” as the reason behind this latest quest for money. 250m dollars will be in common stock and 750m in aggregate principal amount of convertible senior notes due in 2022.
electrek.co, greencarcongress.com, ir.tesla.com
Below Tesla is where Lucid Motor pricing positions its Air EV. The start-up just issued the base price for the Lucid Air luxury sedan – 52,500 dollars after federal incentives. Reservations can be made now with a 2,500 dollar deposit. The entry version comes with 294 kW and is just short of 400 km range (386km). Bigger battery packs will offer 500 – 640 km on one charge and up to 735 kW in the AWD variant of the Air. Naturally, the price of the top-of-the-line model will be above 100,000 dollars.
greencarcongress.com, insideevs.com
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Cayenne power hybrid: Porsche plans to spice up its next-gen Cayenne range with a Turbo S E-Hybrid variant, the same 680 hp drive the Panamera hybrid utilises reportedly. Menawhile, spy shots reveal the new 911, which will include a PHEV version, too.
motor1.com (Cayenne), carscoops.com (911)
UK pricing for the Toyota Yaris has just come out. The hybrid with reengineered powertrain will be yours from 15,995 GBP, 200 pounds less than the version it replaces.
carscoops.com
Fuel rules review confirmed: The Trump administration has taken the next step that may make it easier for firms to destroy the planet further. EPA has been charged to review its latest emission standards and decide on whether or not to modify them by April 1, 2018.
electrek.co, epa.gov
Meet Sedric, Volkswagen’s first truly driverless concept. The name stands for “self-driving car” and the electric vehicle is SAE level 5 autonomous and consequently comes without a steering wheel or pedals. Instead it bears a little garden in the front similar to Rinspeed’s Oasis study. If Sedric sees the sun, make it into serial production that is, it could serve car and ride sharing services.
greencarcongress.com, electriccarsreport.com, youtube.com (presentation in Geneva)
Kia got the whole hybrid family together in Geneva, where the Korean carmaker displays both the PHEV variants of the Niro and the Optima Sportswagon. Both shall hit the market early this autumn.
caradvice.com, 4-traders.com
Hyundai’s hydrogen concept: The FE Fuel Cell Concept is on display in Geneva. It comes equipped with Hyundai’s 4th gen H2 technology, that is said to be 20 percent lighter and 10% more efficient than the one used inside the ix35 Fuel Cell. The study could go as far as 800 km and elements of it may make it into Hyundai’s H2 SUV due in 2018.
carscoops.com, autocar.co.uk, hyundai.news
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Super-fast and extra-strong Zoe: Renault took its little EV and gave it a mighty makeover. The ZOE e-sport Concept boasts two electric drives that propel it with 460 hp from 0 – 100 in 3.2 seconds. The French’s involvement in the Formula 1 shows here and while the power Zoe will never see a regular road, “she” serves as proof of concept beautifully.
autocar.co.uk, carscoops.com, youtube.com
Bentley sportive in Geneva: The British surprise in Switzerland as they presented an electric sports car. The two-seater EXP 12 Speed 6e EV Concept is based on the 2015 EXP 10 Speed 6 hybrid study. This year, the EV is top less but details are scarce.
autocar.co.uk, autoexpress.co.uk, electriccarsreport.com
