25 Oct 2018 | Nissan LEAF Approved For V2G, Zero Motorcycles Boost Range and LG Chem Invests In Future Battery Technology

Exxon Sued By N.Y. For Deceiving Investors On Climate | Prices Go Up, Down, And Sort Of Uppy Downy | Nissan Leaf Becomes First Car Approved To Feed Electricity Back Into The Grid | Lg Chem Invests In Enevate; Silicon-Dominant Li-Ion Battery Technology | 2019 Zero Motorcycles Boost Range And Power | Volvo Cars Tech Fund Invests In Electric Car Charging Company Freewire | Renault Twizy Assembly Moving To South Korea

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Good morning, good afternoon and good evening wherever you are in the world, welcome to EV News Daily for Thursday 25th October 2018. It’s Martyn Lee here and I’ve been through EV story today so you don’t have to.

 

Thank you to MYEV.com for helping make this show, they’ve built the first marketplace specifically for Electric Vehicles. It’s a totally free marketplace that simplifies the buying and selling process, and help you learn about EVs along the way too.

 

A quick note on when you're downloading this, Tesla are due to release their Q3 earnings any minute down as the market has closed but nothing so far, all those details will be on tomorrow's show.

 

EXXON SUED BY N.Y. FOR DECEIVING INVESTORS ON CLIMATE

• "A few months ago lawyers for Exxon Mobil Corp. stood before a judge and told New York’s attorney general to "put up or shut up" after investigating the company’s public disclosures about climate change, saying it should sue the company or move on. Today, New York chose the former." reports Bloomberg in an excellent article today which explains how significant this story is to Big Oil: "The state’s Attorney General Barbara Underwood sued the energy giant in state court in Manhattan, accusing it of misleading investors about how future regulations could impact the company’s finances. The suit culminated an almost three-year-long investigation that reached the highest levels of Exxon’s leadership."
• Their statement reads: ""Exxon built a facade to deceive investors into believing that the company was managing the risks of climate change regulation to its business when, in fact, it was intentionally and systematically underestimating or ignoring them, contrary to its public representations".

 

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-10-24/exxon-sued-by-n-y-for-misleading-investors-over-climate-change

 

PRICES GO UP, DOWN, AND SORT OF UPPY DOWNY

• Three stories about EV prices now. The Nissan LEAF could rise by 10% after the UK leaves the EU, the car which is made in Sunderland faces tariffs. The World Trade Organisations general rules on tariffs would mean a 10% surcharge on all cars traded both in and out of the UK.
• Every day 1,100 EU trucks cross the Channel to deliver to car and engine plants in the United Kingdom alone, for example. After Brexit, even short hold-ups at customs will cause massive logistical problems, disrupting the production process and generating significant costs.
• Meanwhile in Italy, the little Peugeot iOn gets a price cut, down to 18.900 Euros, which is a lot of money for the amount of car you get. Whilst we wait for the city cars which are the Citroen C1, Peugeot 108 and Toyota Aygo full BEVs, for now we have the Peugeot iOn and Citroen C-Zero.
• It's a 14.5kWh battery so whilst you go far, it doesn't cost much to fill!
• And finally yesterday I said Tesla just needs a bit of stability in terms of the design studio, and what you get. They are currently Apple Steve Jobs era, but they're in danger of becoming Apple Tim Cook era - too many products and options at a confusing array of price points.
• I'm glad they listened! Ha. Just days after launching the Mid Range Model 3, now they've added $1000 to the price. So that $45,000 becomes $46,000. Plus they've reduced the Long Range Model 3 but only the one with the Dual Motor powertrain by $1,000, so that goes from $54,000 to $53,000. This is clearly just adjusting their business to market demand which is smart, even if it leaves me confused. And also really stressed about the price changing weekly, like if I ordered my Model 3 today would it then get cheaper, leaving me taken advantage of?

 

NISSAN LEAF BECOMES FIRST CAR APPROVED TO FEED ELECTRICITY BACK INTO THE GRID

• "Nissan's Leaf became the first electric vehicle (EV) to secure regulatory approval as an energy backstop for Germany's electricity grid, the Japanese carmaker said on Tuesday, something it hopes will attract corporate fleet customers" reports the New York Times: "So-called vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology is a connection between the EV and the grid through which power can flow from the grid to the vehicle and vice-versa. That potentially enables car owners to sell energy to the network, while utilities could use electric cars as a backstop if demand rises. Nissan said it would initially target corporate clients with fleets of more than 60 electric vehicles, adding that services based on V2G technology would be offered in Germany from next year onwards."

 

https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2018/10/23/business/23reuters-autos-electricity-germany.html

 

LG CHEM INVESTS IN ENEVATE; SILICON-DOMINANT LI-ION BATTERY TECHNOLOGY

• Enevate Corporation, developer of a silicon-dominant composite anode material and high energy density batteries announced that LG Chem has participated in Enevate’s recent funding.
• Introduced in November 2017, Enevate’s HD-Energy Technology for EVs enables Lithium-ion (Li-ion) cells with up to 50% higher capacity than conventional graphite cells. The cells can be charged to 75% capacity in five minutes. They can also safely charge and discharge down to -40°C and capture more energy during regenerative braking, extending their range in cold climates.
• Enevate’s HD-Energy Technology is a self-standing, silicon-dominant composite anode with more than 70% silicon. The conductive, silicon-dominant composite film anode is essentially 100% active material that can store lithium and has a high electrical conductivity.
• Enevate offers a complete HD-Energy Technology and licensing package to enable global EV automotive and EV battery manufacturers to achieve production volume quickly and to drive adoption of next-generation features that take EVs to the next level.

 

2019 ZERO MOTORCYCLES BOOST RANGE AND POWER

• "Electric motorcycle maker Zero Motorcycles has announced its 2019 lineup, with more powerful base models, extended range, new battery technology features and new colors." according to Autoblog: "Starting with the top-of-the-line DSR dual-sport bike (70-horsepower, 116 pound-feet of torque), Zero adds a dual-sport windscreen, tank grips, hand guards and a 12-volt accessory socket. The aftermarket 6-kilowatt charge tank returns for 2019 and can charge the bike to 78 miles of range in an hour at standard Level 2 charging stations, six times faster than when using conventional 110-volt outlets. But now they're compatible with models from as far back as 2015. Range on the DSR is 163 miles in the city and 98 on the highway, with a top speed of 102 mph. Zero's two base models, the 7.2-kWh S and DS, boost power by 35 percent to 46 horsepower and offer 8-percent higher top speeds. Opt for the longer-range 14.4-kWh power pack found in the DSR to extend range in the DS by 10 percent to 204 miles in the city and 97 miles on the highway, or to the S for 223 miles and 112 miles, respectively."

 

VOLVO CARS TECH FUND INVESTS IN ELECTRIC CAR CHARGING COMPANY FREEWIRE

• "Volvo Cars has acquired a stake in mobile EV rapid charging company FreeWire Technologies via the Volvo Cars Tech Fund. BP’s venturing business invested $5 million in FreeWire earlier this year." comes news via Green Car Congress: "FreeWire is a San Francisco-based company that has been a pioneer in flexible fast-charging technology for electric cars. It specializes in both stationary and mobile fast charging technology, allowing electric car charging to be deployed quickly and widely. Freewire products currently offer Level 2 charging at 7.5 kW or DC fast charging at 50 kW. The L2 models recharge from a wall outlet; each unit is equipped with dual J1772 plugs and can charge 2 vehicles at once. The L3 fast chargers also recharge from a wall outlet; each model is compatible with CHAdeMO or Tesla standards. Freewire says it is developing a 120 kW fast charging solution that will add 480 miles of range in 1 hour. While Volvo Cars’ electrification strategy does not envision direct ownership of charging or service stations, the investment in FreeWire reinforces its overall commitment to supporting a widespread transition to electric mobility together with other partner."

 

https://www.greencarcongress.com/2018/10/20181024-freewire.html

 

RENAULT TWIZY ASSEMBLY MOVING TO SOUTH KOREA

• It doesn't sound like Domenick from InsideEVs is a fan of the little Reanult Twizy: "The Renault Twizy may have found its audience. A rare sight on North American shores — the low-speed version of the 2-seater had been available for lease in Canada — the funky quadricycle has had dismal sales since shortly after it began production."
• "The French automaker blames the poor sales figures on the lack of charging infrastructure, but guess what region has lots of charging points and, relatively, high Twizy sales? Yup, South Korea. So, instead of cancelling the program outright, the company will shift production to the Renault Samsung factory in Busan. Though historically 60 percent of Twizy production had been exported, more recently upwards of 90 percent had been funneled to Korea to meet demand."

 

https://insideevs.com/renault-twizy-assembly-south-korea/

 

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