28 Feb 2020 | Tesla Model 3 Is Declared UK Car Of The Year
Tesla Model 3 Is Declared UK Car Of The Year | Citroën’s Tiny, Two-Seat Ami EV Will Costs $22 A Month | Microlino Bubble Car-Inspired EV Reboots At Geneva Auto Show | Nissan Leaf E+ Gets Limited Entry-Level Model | All-New Volkswagen Golf GTE Plug-In Hybrid Unveiled | Production Launch Of The A-Class Plug-In Hybrid | Electrify America Invests In Envision Solar Infrastructure | Panasonic Pulls Out Of Tesla Solar Plant In New York
Show #711
Good morning, good afternoon and good evening wherever you are in the world, welcome to EV News Daily for Friday 28th February 2020. It’s Martyn Lee here and I go through every EV story to save you time.
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TESLA MODEL 3 IS DECLARED UK CAR OF THE YEAR
Tesla’s Model 3 has been crowned UK Car of the Year 2020, making it back-to-back wins for electric vehicles at the awards following the Jaguar I-PACE’s victory in 2019. After emerging triumphant as Best Executive car when the category winners were announced on 12th February, the Tesla battled it out against eight other new cars for the overall title. Three of these cars were EVs and the popularity of another one of the trio – the Kia e-Niro – ensured the closest-ever winning margin in the history of the UK Car of the Year Awards.
The 29-strong panel of judges who deliberated the UK Car of the Year Awards was understandably quick to commend the efforts of Tesla. Top Gear’s Tom Ford said: “Clean, crisp and technological inside, the Model 3 drives and performs like we think EVs should. Makes others in the sector feel stuffy and awkward.” Auto Trader’s Rory Reid added the Tesla was “the most important car in a generation because it sets the standard for what electric cars should be: affordable, aspirational, fun and very cool”.
Instead of being restricted to their own category in the Awards, EVs compete directly against internal combustion engined-vehicles. Three of the nine finalists from the nine vehicle segment categories were electric models and the panel gave their approval to the latest developments in technology, with 21 of the 29 votes going to battery-powered vehicles. The Kia e-Niro pushed the Model 3 all the way to finish just one point behind the Tesla, while the third of the EV trio – the Porsche Taycan – finished in joint third space.
http://ukcoty.co.uk/uncategorized/tesla-model-3-wins-uk-car-of-the-year-2020/
CITROËN’S TINY, TWO-SEAT AMI EV WILL COSTS $22 A MONTH
"After World War II, French automaker Citroën launched cheap and simple cars to gets its home country moving again. Citroën is now applying that same philosophy to electric cars with the launch of a small two-seat EV that drivers can rent for the equivalent of $22 a month." writes DigitalTrends: "The Ami has a top speed of 28 mph, and a 5.5-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack that provides 43 miles of range (as measured on the European testing cycle). A full recharge from the 220-volt home outlets typical in Europe takes 3 hours, according to Citroën. Technically, it’s a “quadricycle,” according to Citroën. That means it can be driven without a license, by people as young as 14 in France and 16 in other European countries, according to the automaker. Citroën will offer the Ami as a long-term rental for an initial payment of 2,644 euros ($2,907 U.S.), and 19.99 euros ($21.98) a month after that. "
https://www.digitaltrends.com/cars/citron-ami-electric-car-available-for-long-term-rental-in-europe/
MICROLINO BUBBLE CAR-INSPIRED EV REBOOTS AT GENEVA AUTO SHOW
"The original Micro Mobility Systems (MMS) Microlino electric vehicle never made it to series production, but the car is already getting a second generation. Set to debut at the 2020 Geneva Motor Show, the Microlino 2.0 will feature a new design, more space, better driving dynamics, and a safer structure. With about 17,000 reservations in hand, MMS is now planning production to begin in 2021." says Autoblog: "As for power and efficiency, the Microlino 2.0 claims to have a "stronger and more efficient e-motor," though no specs were provided. The old model made 15 horsepower and 74 lb-ft of torque and had two batteries options: an 8-kWh battery provided up to 77 miles of range or a 14.4-kWh battery provided up to 124 miles."
https://www.autoblog.com/2020/02/27/updated-microlino-ev-bubble-car-debuts/
NISSAN LEAF E+ GETS LIMITED ENTRY-LEVEL MODEL
"New to the line-up is the Nissan Leaf e+ N-Tec, of which just 1,000 examples will be offered. This trim is priced at £32,795 (including the £3,500 government plug-in car grant) which represents a £3,100 saving on the range-topping Leaf e+ Tekna." writes TheCarExpert: "This comes at the compromise of equipment but retains the larger 62kWh powertrain offered by the Leaf e+, which Nissan claims can deliver up to 239 miles of range between charges. For comparison, the standard 40kWh powertrain delivers a claimed 168 miles. Goodies added for no cost over the standard Leaf includes LED fog flights, semi-autonomous ProPilot features, an electronic parking brake and a metallic blue front splitter."
https://www.thecarexpert.co.uk/nissan-leaf-e-gets-limited-entry-level-model/
ALL-NEW VOLKSWAGEN GOLF GTE PLUG-IN HYBRID UNVEILED
The plug-in hybrid drive of the Golf GTE essentially consists of a 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol engine, the hybrid module with an electric motor and a new lithium-ion battery. Compared with its predecessor, the all-electric range has increased significantly to now around 60 km. Volkswagen’s engineers have achieved the increase in range by improving the Golf’s aerodynamics and managing to increase the energy content of the battery by 50% to 13 kWh. It can be driven at speeds of up to 130 km/h in all-electric mode.
When the battery is sufficiently charged, the Golf GTE always starts in all-electric E-MODE. The drive switches to Hybrid mode if the energy capacity of the battery drops below a certain level or if the speed rises above 130 km/h.
PRODUCTION LAUNCH OF THE A-CLASS PLUG-IN HYBRID
"Mercedes-Benz has started production of the plug-in hybrid versions of the A-Class at its compact car plant in Rastatt. However, Mercedes does not specify when the vehicles will be delivered to customers." reports electrive; "The PHEV versions will be assembled on the same line as the conventional internal combustion models. This will allow Mercedes to better utilize production capacity. Since Mercedes installs a larger battery of 15.6 kWh than in most other compact PHEVs, the drive battery mounted under the rear seat “blocks” the usual path for the exhaust system towards the rear. The exhaust is located centrally under the car floor, the rear silencer was packed into the center tunnel. In addition, the fuel tank was moved into the installation space of the axles. According to Daimler, this means that the A 250 e has “only slight restrictions on the boot volume compared to its non-hybrid sister models”. DC direct current charging reduces the charging time from 10 to 80 per cent to 25 minutes. Assuming a net capacity of 14 kWh, this results in a charging capacity of around 24 kW."
ELECTRIFY AMERICA INVESTS IN ENVISION SOLAR INFRASTRUCTURE
Electrify America is investing $2 million in solar-powered electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in rural California that are not tied to the electrical grid.
The investment will expand access to sustainable EV charging to drivers in rural areas, including the Central, Coachella, and Imperial Valleys.
Electrify America is sourcing the chargers from Envision Solar, a San Diego-based sustainable technology company. The EV ARC 2020 is a transportable, solar-powered electric vehicle-charging infrastructure product. Each standalone station is equipped with a 4.28-kilowatt (kW) sun-tracking solar array, 32kWh of on-board battery storage, and two Electrify America Level 2 EV chargers capable of charging speeds up to 6kW. This combination allows for two customers to charge their vehicles at the same time using 100 percent renewable electricity – regardless of weather or time of day.
PANASONIC PULLS OUT OF TESLA SOLAR PLANT IN NEW YORK
"Panasonic will exit solar cell production at Tesla's New York plant, the latest sign of strain in a partnership where Panasonic's status as the U.S. electric vehicle (EV) maker's exclusive battery supplier is ending." writes Autoblog: "Tesla has informed New York that Panasonic's withdrawal "has no bearing on Tesla's current operations", the state said in a statement. Panasonic said in a statement on Wednesday that it would cease production by the end of May and exit the factory by the end of September. Panasonic said it would continue its automotive battery joint venture with Tesla in the U.S. state of Nevada, which just reported its first quarterly profit after years of production problems and delays. In the solar business, low demand from Tesla has left Panasonic sending most of the cells it makes in Buffalo to overseas clients, instead of selling them to Tesla for its trademark Solar Roof — cells designed to resemble regular roof tiles — as initially intended."
https://www.autoblog.com/2020/02/26/panasonic-pulls-out-tesla-solar-new-york/
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