Welcome to this latest eMobility Update with this week’s news: VW electric car production remains at a standstill ++ Porsche confirms electric 718 ++ Maserati to become an all-electric car brand by 2030.
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Charging stations for electric vehicles along the Russian M11 motorway stretching from Moscow to Saint Petersburg are currently out of order. The charging stations have been hacked by a Ukrainian company that supplies parts for the power dispensers.
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The Russian invasion of Ukraine has a devastating impact on the local population and is also affecting global supply chains. Missing parts are bringing assembly lines in Germany, the UK and the Czech Republic to a standstill.
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Australian mining company European Lithium is in the process of securing two promising lithium deposits in Ukraine, aiming to become the largest lithium supplier in Europe and an essential part of an integrated European battery supply chain.
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Ukraine is sticking to its strategy for imported electric vehicles and renewing a VAT exemption first approved by parliament in early 2018. President Volodymyr Zelensky signed legislation to this effect, meaning that VAT on the import of electric vehicles will no longer apply until the end of 2025.
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The South Korean company Caris and Yuzhmash of Ukraine have signed an agreement for the construction of 5,000 electric buses and 7,800 charging stations. The Ukrainian state space agency also played a part in the contract.
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An increasing number of manufacturers from Eastern Europe are venturing into the electric city bus business. Aleksandra Fedorska took a look at the projects of Ukrainian manufacturers for electrive.
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Tesla has completed a new supercharger corridor in Canada, which extends from Vancouver to Halifax. The expansion of Tesla’s own fast-charging network is to continue in 2020 – the company also plans to expand in Europe.
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The mobility company Uber has launched its service UberGreen in Kiev. In the Ukrainian capital, 200 electric cars of different makes are to take to the streets and the company expects 10,000 people using the service by the end of April. Yet in other cities, progress has been slow.
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The government of Ukraine extended their electric vehicle incentive in form of the VAT exemption for imported electric cars. The Ukrainian parliament approved a bill to prolong the tax exemption for 2018 until the end of 2022.
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Audi opens order books in Norway: The German carmaker surprises with the announcement to accept pre-orders for its electric SUV in Europe’s leading EV market. The e-Audi will roll off the lines from next year on. Norwegians who want to get registered for purchasing the EV have to pay 20,000 Norwegian Krones (2,150 euros) in advance, however in case of cancellation this down payment will be given back. It remains to be seen if this strategy to start in Norway will work for Audi as it did for GM with the Opel Ampera-e or Tesla.
audi.no (in Norwegian) via insideevs.com
30m euros for Rimac: Chinese battery manufacturer Camel Group will invest a total of 30m euros in the Croatian EV maker – 27m euros to boost the electric car business and 3m to promote Rimac’s electric bicycle unit Greyp Bikes. Camel and Rimac signed a framework agreement a few days ago but the Croatians are still in the process of collecting further offers of investment.
index.hr (in Croatian) via total-croatia-news.com
Impressions of Borgward’s BX7: First photos show the electric version of Borgward’s BX7 that will be produced in Bremen as planned. The traditional German brand has not yet revealed tech data, but the batteries will be delivered from LG Chem.
motor1.com
Yudo concept with wing doors: Shanghai’s Motor Show sees the third model created by China’s new EV brand Yudo. After the Pi 1 and Pi 3 the company unveiled its X-Pi, a concept car with wing doors that gives an outlook on how the fully electrified crossover planned for 2019 will look like. Yudo has a production licence for China and wants to open 110 dealerships still this year.
carnewschina.com
E-mobility investment: Several firms, among them EDF and Forsee Power, have founded NEoT Capital, an investment company specialised in electric mobility and renewable energies. The company intends to launch an investment programme called NEoT Green Mobility in the second quarter of 2017 and thus raise several hundred million euros to promote electric mobility within the next five years.
forseepower.com
Ukraine to remove taxes: The Ukrainian government intends to eliminate VAT and excise duties on the import of EVs, their components and charging stations from now until January 2023.
ukrinform.net
2,000 new chargers for the UK: British charging infrastructure provider Chargemaster has completed the takeover of Elektromotive and its subsidiary Charge Your Car (we reported). Chargemaster wants to also invest 15m pounds in 2,000 new EV chargers in the UK.
chargemasterplc.com
Electric commercial carsharing: The PSA Group is making 80 percent of Paris’ fleet of electric commercial vehicles available for the sharing service “VULe Partegés,” which is aimed primarily at business clients. The project kicks off with five stations with ten electric commercial transporters each.
businesswire.com, groupe-psa.com
Ukrainian police plugs in: As reported, the Ukrainian police is looking to electrify its fleet. Mitsubishi now says it will deliver no less than 635 Outlander PHEV in July.
greencarcongress.com, mitsubishi-motors.com
Diesel charge: Westminster wants to charge diesel cars an extra fee just for parking. During a trial period from April, drivers of diesel-powered cars and vans will have to pay 50 percent more than drivers of other vehicles. Westminster is the first council in the UK to introduce such a fee.
theguardian.com
Modernising Massachusetts’ grid: Utility Eversource wants to invest 400m dollars in the state, with 145m dollars earmarked for setting up energy storage and electric vehicle charging infrastructure. Specifically issues like workplace charging, multi-unit dwellings, fast-charging along highways, and charging in disadvantaged communities will be addressed.
utilitydive.com
Fuel cell taxis: The Société du Taxi Electrique Parisien (STEP) has received another batch of fuel cell taxis, taking delivery of 60 Hyundai ix35. The company had put its first five FCVs into service almost one year ago (we reported), and plans to increase its fleet to include several hundred FC vehicles in the next five years.
greencarcongress.com
E-Carsharing in London: The London boroughs of Hammersmith and Fulham have a new e-carsharing scheme in place. Blue City now offers five EVs for hire that can be booked for 30 minutes and left at any charger in any of London’s 20 boroughs signed up to Source London. The fleet will be extended to 25 vehicles in spring.
hammersmithtoday.co.uk
Ukraine borrows cash for e-mobility: The country has asked the European Investment Bank (EIB) for a 200m euro loan in order to invest in and modernise its transport infrastructure in 20 municipalities. The money will also be used to purchase electric buses.
eib.org
Montreal extends charging network: The Canadian city has commissioned 50 new charging points, after adding another 50 to its network in August. The city’s goal in to have a total of 1,000 place to plug-in by 2020.
greencarcongress.com
Heavy-duty e-truck at a discount: Orange EV announced that through the New York State Electric Vehicle Voucher Incentive Fund, it can now offer its T-Series pure electric terminal truck at a 150,000 dollar discount. Vouchers can be requested until the end of the year.
government-fleet.com, wasteadvantagemag.com
Crime and punishment: Utility Duke Energy has earmarked 1.5m dollars for charging stations in North Carolina. 1m will be reserved for cities and towns wanting to install chargers for cars, the rest for municipalities looking to set up charging for electric buses. The investment is part of a lawsuit settlement with the state, which accused the utility of illicit smokestack pollution.
washingtontimes.com, prnewswire.com
New charge to charge: After earning much criticism for its newly introduced flat rate at fast-chargers along Britain’s motorways, charge point operator Ecotricity has adjusted its rates. Originally asking 5 pounds per 20-minute charge, it will now cost EV drivers 6 pounds to plug-in for 30 minutes.
insideevs.com
Plugging in: Leeds City Council is adding 42 electric cars to its fleet. The newcomers will also replace existing hybrid and electric cars. The council will also allocate more parking stalls for EVs and offers free parking permits to drivers of ultra-low emission vehicles.
fleetnews.co.uk, yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk
Strong hybrids for police: Ukrainian police have ordered a total of 651 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV to replace its (very) old fleet and help the country comply with the Kyoto Protocol.
insideevs.com, censor.net.ua
20 percent EV: The Indian government wants to electrify 20 percent of its own fleet, as well encourage taxi drivers to invest in electric vehicles. Mahindra is probably already waiting by the phone.
cardekho.com
Electric driving in Shanghai: Some 1,700 EV charging points will be set up in the Shanghai district of Songjiang before the end of the year. It will also benefit the 100 EV strong carsharing scheme in the area.
shanghaidaily.com
Model X recalls: The Tesla Model X remains technically a compliant vehicle for North America, but stringent testing for the European release has revealed an issue with the third row seats. Tesla has issued a voluntary recall, and requests drivers not to use the rear seat until it can be replaced.
insidedevs.com, electrek.co
Model S update: Tesla has officially given the Model S a facelift. The front fascia and headlights will resemble that of the Model X, and the latter’s HEPA air filtration will also be made available. The charger will be upgraded from 40 to 48 amps, and two new interiors, figured ash wood and dark ash wood, will be offered. The basic Model S 70 will start at 71,500 dollars.
insidedevs.com, electrek.co
Diesel-free Austria: The environmental agency of Austria has suggested a ban on diesel and petrol vehicles, saying they will not be sold after 2020. Moreover, a tax may be put in place for fossil fuel vehicles that continue to stay on the road and the fuels are expected to be phased out entirely between 2030 and 2050.
derstandard.at (in German)
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Baden-Württemberg Pavilion shows success factor e-mobility: During the Hannover Messe / MobiliTec the Baden-Württemberg Pavilion and its 43 exhibitors showcase the diversity of the e-mobility landscape in the southwest of Germany. With “Automated. Connected. Electrified.” as its guiding theme, the whole spectrum – from development and production to road tests of partially automated electric vehicles – will be covered. Visit us in hall 27.
www.e-mobilbw.de (PDF)
1bn dollar start-up: EV start-up Faraday Future will soon celebrate the ground-breaking of its 1bn dollar plant in North Las Vegas, Nevada. The company is also working on an in-car connectivity platform and has patented a power inverter that they claim will manage electric power 20-30 percent better than their competitors’.
businessinsider.de
Ukraine’s first: Electric Marathon International has created Ukraine’s first electric car prototype, dubbed Synchronous. The unusual EV sports a panoramic window and also works with the unique Synchronous charging station. The Synchronous will be making a 3,000 km tour through ten countries from May to June.
electricmarathon.com
JAC EV: Three new electric cars from Chinese JAC are set to debut at the Beijing Auto Show, and first shots of the iEV7 are in. The sedan can cover 320 km on one charge and sports an interior eerily similar to the JAC A60. It is set to be launched in China in the fourth quarter.
electricmarathon.com
Chinese connected cars: Kandi wants to push connected EVs, setting up a strategic partnership with internet firm Alibaba, which will deliver Big Data analytics, as well as Uber, which will contribute its carsharing know-how, Geely and ZTE. According to Bloomberg, BYD will not be part of the initiative.
bloomberg.com
Geely electrifies: The Chinese manufacturer wants to offer most of its models with all-electric or hybrid drivetrains, in order meet the country’s ever stricter emission standards. More details on the plan will be announced on November 18th.
bloomberg.com
Takeover: U.S.-based manufacturer New Flyer, which also makes electric and hybrid buses, has acquired Motor Coach Industries International, the leading manufacturer if intercity buses in the U.S. and Canada. The deal is worth 455m dollars and has to be approved by the U.S. antitrust and Canadian Competition Act.
morningstar.com, prnewswire.com
Venom EV? Hennessey is talking electrification of the Venom GT supercar once batteries “become lighter and have more capacity,” John Hennessey told TopGear. Once that is achieved, the electric hybercar could boast 1,000 bhp.
topgear.com
First e-bus from Ukraine: The newly presented Electron E19101 has room for some 100 passengers and can go up to 200 km on one charge. Top speed is set at 70 kph. Blueprints also show that the bus will be equipped with air-conditioning and a kneeling function.
ukrinform.net
Cheaper Porsche: Porsche dropped the base price of the 2016 model year of the Panamera S E-Hybrid in Canada by 3,400 Canadian dollars (2,560 USD). The plug-in hybrid now starts at 106,000 CAD.
electriccarsreport.com, autoblog.com
Fully charged across China: Utility provider State Grid has erected fast-charging stations along the 745-mile route connecting Shanghai and Beijing. The initiative was jointly undertaken by the Chinese government, BAIC Motor, BYD, Dongfeng Nissan and BYD-Daimler. The charge stops have been tested last weekend with five electric cars going in both directions and will become fully operational shortly.
en.yibada.com, ecns.cn, english.cri.cn
Oz to get supercharged: Tesla announced to erect a total of 16 Supercharger stations between Melbourne and Brisbane with the first ten to be standing this year. Furthermore, the California EV maker intends to work with Australian hotels to install high powered wall units at their premises.
smh.com.au
French electrification: French waste management company SEPUR will replace all conventional vehicles at his 17 branches in the Paris region with electric cars. Alphabet France will deliver 61 of what is to become a fleet of 100 Renault Zoe and has already deployed the first 11 last month.
insideevs.com, fuelincluded.com
EV charge points in Ukraine: OKKO has equipped 34 of its 420 gas stations along motorways with charging stations from Austrian KEBA. Drivers of all types of EVs will be able to recharge free of charge.
interfax.com.ua
Jordan will use the power of the sun to promote EV uptake as the kingdom’s government intends to spend 120 million dollars on a network of 3,000 solar-powered EV charging stations. The first 11 will be located in the capital of Amman. Furthermore, import tariffs for electric cars will be waived.
greencarreports.com
