Will China Make EVs Cheaper For All Of Us? | 10 Aug 2021

Episode 1174,   Aug 10, 2021, 12:00 AM

Today’s big EV stories:
• Hyundai and UL ally to give EV batteries a second life
• Tesla makes HEPA filter standard on Model Y
• Tesla Says Fires Are 11x Less Likely Compared To The Average
• Tesla CEO Elon Musk earned $11bn last year
• Miami's $120 Million 'Future-Proof' Car Dealership Refines the Luxury Buying Experience
• Kia Soul EV Boardmasters Edition Is a Surfer’s Dream Machine
• Ford takes charge of its battery supply chain
• Magna's Proprietary 'eBeam' Axle Tech
• NHS develops electric ambulances with Ford
• Electric vehicle chargepoints set to become next great British emblem
• Wolfeboro PD adds Tesla to its fleet of cruisers
• Why BYD Blade battery is ahead of competition

Show #1174.

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Good morning, good afternoon and good evening wherever you are in the world, welcome to EV News Daily for Tuesday 10th August. It’s  Martyn Lee here and I go through every EV story 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.

HYUNDAI AND UL ALLY TO GIVE EV BATTERIES A SECOND LIFE

- Global safety science leader UL and Hyundai Motor Co. signed a memorandum of understanding to help further the safe deployment and use of second-life battery energy storage systems

- Second-life batteries often consist of electric vehicle batteries that no longer meet the requirements of automotive applications, but are still worthwhile additions as grid-connected energy storage devices.

- In 2018, UL participated in developing UL 1974, the Standard for Evaluation for Repurposing Batteries, a bi-national standard of the United States and Canada.

- Improvements in lithium extraction, battery efficiency upgrades, lithium battery recycling, and battery reuse all present market opportunities as the world shifts the way it uses energy.


TESLA MAKES HEPA FILTER STANDARD ON MODEL Y ELECTRIC SUV

- Tesla has made its Hepa filter with “bioweapon defense mode” standard on new Model Y electric SUVs produced at Fremont Factory.

- the filter in the Model X is about 10 times larger than a normal car filter, and it is “100 times more effective than premium automotive filters,” as it removes “at least 99.97% of fine particulate matter and gaseous pollutants, as well as bacteria, viruses, pollen and mold spores.”

- Over the last month, Tesla has transitioned the Model Y produced in Fremont Factory to the new bigger filter.


TESLA SAYS FIRES ARE 11X LESS LIKELY COMPARED TO THE AVERAGE

- While articles covering a fire involving a Tesla Inc TSLA vehicle seem to be common, news of non-electric vehicles burning is rare, although there were an estimated 212,500 vehicle fires in 2018 alone, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).

- Tesla is releasing new data in its 2020 impact report, showing fires in its vehicles are 11x less likely than other vehicles in the U.S. Tesla points out that while vehicle fires in the media often point to EVs, the reasoning may be the rarity of an electric vehicle fire, rather than the prevalence.

- Tesla's data shows there was one Tesla fire every 205 million miles from 2012 to 2020. This is compared with data from the NFPA showing on average there is a vehicle fire every 19 million miles.


TESLA CEO ELON MUSK EARNED $11BN LAST YEAR

- Elon Musk is the most highly compensated chief executive in the world, according to Forbes’ calculations. The platform calculates that he was paid $11 billion in 2020 all in Tesla stock options awarded to him as part of the compensation plan he signed with the electric carmaker in 2018.

- Musk is entitled to options that will allow him to buy a total of 101.2 million Tesla shares at a split-adjusted price of $70 per share. What is more, the compensation is divided into 12 tranches.

- The first four tranches of Musk’s options awards vested in 2020, as Tesla hit various market capitalization and operational milestones and its stock increased sevenfold, boosting Musk’s fortune astronomically

- Musk must hold the newly awarded Tesla shares for five years, according to filings. So while he has the right to exercise a total of 33.77 million options from his 2020 awards, he can’t immediately turn around and sell those shares


MIAMI'S $120 MILLION 'FUTURE-PROOF' CAR DEALERSHIP REFINES THE LUXURY BUYING EXPERIENCE

- Warren Henry Auto Group is betting big on its future, having constructed a $120 million dealership in North Miami, Florida.

- The company's story stretches back to 1976 when Larry Zinn's father Warren opened his first car dealership.

- The new North Dade dealership site is the equivalent of 19 acres of concrete across seven stories. It allows for more of the company's inventory to be kept in a climate controlled environmen

- Zinn calls the new space "future proof" saying that it's been wired for 400 electric vehicle chargers across multiple floors.

- Today, 90 percent of buyers shop online before arriving at the Group's retail outlets.


KIA SOUL EV BOARDMASTERS EDITION IS A SURFER’S DREAM MACHINE

- Automakers often destroy pre-production prototypes after they've reached the end of the development process, but Kia's U.K. division recently saved a Kia Soul EV prototype that was destined for the crusher. After it avoided an untimely death, this Soul was transformed into this custom, lifted surf-mobile for Boardmasters 2021, a surfing and music festival on the Cornish Coast in England.

- the Boardmasters Edition retains the production car’s powertrain, with a 64.0-kWh battery

- sits on new 16-inch white steel wheels shod in 265/75 R16 Maxxis Bighorn tires, which required redesigned wheel arches.

- Along with off-road tires, the Boardmasters Edition gains a modified suspension with a 3.0-inch lift, as well as a 4.3-inch wider track at the front and 4.5-inch wider track at the rear. There is also steel roof rack that holds a pair of Tahe Bic Malibu surfboards

- The Soul EV Boardmasters Edition will be on display throughout the festival from August 11 to 15.


FORD TAKES CHARGE OF ITS BATTERY SUPPLY CHAIN

- Today China, South Korea and Japan dominate battery cell manufacturing, while raw minerals are sourced from several primary locations including Chile, China, Africa, as well as the US, Canada and Australia for some materials.

- According to the Ultima Media report, there are surges in demand for lithium batteries around the world; along with regional spikes that are hard to forecast, there is the threat of demand outstripping the supply of crucial minerals, such as nickel, cobalt and lithium.

- Ford recognises that recent raw material price increases are an indication of demand outpacing supply and it calls on government and private enterprise support to secure the battery chain.


MAGNA'S PROPRIETARY 'EBEAM' AXLE TECH


NHS DEVELOPS ELECTRIC AMBULANCES WITH FORD


ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGEPOINTS SET TO BECOME NEXT GREAT BRITISH EMBLEM
 

WOLFEBORO PD ADDS TESLA TO ITS FLEET OF CRUISERS


WHY BYD BLADE BATTERY IS AHEAD OF COMPETITION

- Currently the LFP (LiFePO4) cobalt-free chemistry allows to build EV batteries that are extremely safe, durable, simple, affordable and with good performance.
Since – unlike NCM or NCA – LFP battery cells are extremely safe and won’t burn or explode even if punctured, the battery packs don’t require much safety equipment and can adopt a simple CTP (cell-to-pack) format becoming module-less.

- Everbright Securities analyzed the cost of several battery packs made with LFP cells from different companies and you’ll see why BYD is ahead of competition.

- Cost of LFP (LiFePO4) battery packs

Average with modules: 650 yuan (85 euros) per kWh
CATL with CTP: 570 yuan (75 euros) per kWh
BYD with CTP: 420 yuan (55 euros) per kWh

- Everbright Securities estimates that SIBs (sodium-ion batteries) are 30 % cheaper to produce than LIBs (lithium-ion batteries), dropping the cost per kWh below 40 euros.

- Remember when the auto industry told us that when the kWh cost of battery packs reached 100 USD (85 euros) electric cars would achieve price parity with their gas-counterparts?
Automakers that don’t plan to soon start using cobalt-free battery cells in CTP packs aren’t serious about mass producing affordable electric cars. The technology is right there in front of them.

- With a good 60 kWh LFP battery costing around 3.300 euros today there is no good reason why we still allow automakers to profit from ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) cars that poison our air.



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