20 Jan 2022 | NIO Opens First Battery Swap Station Outside China

Episode 1348,   Jan 20, 2022, 05:00 PM

Today’s big EV stories:
• NIO opens their first Swapping Station outside of China
• VW plans to restart sales of e-Up
• Porsche introduces new Taycan Sports Turismo model in the UK
• Porsche Taycan Sport Turismo to launch for €86,495
• Blink Charging to supply EV chargers to General Motors dealerships
• Stellantis CEO Says Politicians, Not Automakers Pushing For EVs
• Valeo step into battery power: Hopes for a low-cost route to electric bikes
• Ikea Canada in big rollout of electric delivery trucks
• Yamaha Expands Portfolio of Gogoro-powered Vehicles
• Honda And V2X Suisse Consortium To Advance Vehicle-To-Grid
• Easelink bolts ahead with €8.3 million for its automated EV charging solution
• Utah could tax electric vehicle drivers for using state roads
• Over $12 million added to state's electric vehicle rebate program
• Thor Vision Vehicle Concept RV Is Both EV and Fuel-Cell Vehicle
• Airstream Unveils the eStream Electric Trailer Concept

Show #1348

If you get any value from this podcast please consider supporting my work on Patreon. Plus all Patreon supporters get their own unique ad-free podcast feed.

Good morning, good afternoon and good evening wherever you are in the world, welcome to EV News Daily for Thursday 20th January. 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.

Welcome to a new Patreon Executive Producer KESTER SANDBACH

NIO OPENS THEIR FIRST SWAPPING STATION OUTSIDE OF CHINA

- NIO did open their first Power Swap Station (PSS) outside of China at Lier close to Drammen in Norway today. Nio says that the station will make it possible to replace the battery in NIO's cars with a charged one in five minutes and is, therefore, an alternative to spending time charging the car. PSS is also part of NIO's investment in Battery as to Service (BaaS) and an essential part of NIO's goal of separating electric cars and batteries. You buy the car you want, and then rent or buy the battery suiting you best at the moment.

- The station will replace the battery in all NIO's models. The first NIO model to find its way to Norway is the big SUV ES8, launched here in the autumn of 2021.

- I think the combination of battery swapping and Battery as a Service is the most significant benefit of technology here in Norway. For everyday use, you can manage with a small battery in the car, and then it is possible the swap to a larger battery when going for longer journeys or in periods of more intense use of the car.

- Another benefit of battery swapping is to reduce the "battery anxiety" many experiences when going electric. Batteries are an expensive part of the car, 15-20 % of total cost, NIO says, and the development is going fast. By renting the battery, it is possible to reduce the risk and easily upgrade to a more modern battery as they develop.

- Many of the cars they sell today will be on the road in 15 years. Thanks to Battery Swap, they will always have the latest battery technology.


VW PLANS TO RESTART SALES OF E-UP

- Volkswagen plans to restart sales of the battery-powered version of its Up minicar to meet growing demand for affordable electric cars.

- VW stopped selling the e-Up in 2020 when government incentives to encourage EV purchases caused a surge in demand. The model was not designed for high volumes and selling it with discounts was not profitable, according to German press reports.

- "We had temporarily taken the e-Up off the market in 2020 because delivery times had risen dramatically due to high demand," VW said in an emailed statement to German IT news website Golem. "Now it has been decided to reintroduce the e-Up into the order program."

- The electric car rental company Nextmove said the e-Up in the "Style Plus" version is about to make a comeback with a list price of about 26,500 euros ($30,000) and a range of roughly 250 km (155 miles).

The final customer price would be around 17,000 euros after government incentives offered in Germany.


PORSCHE INTRODUCES NEW TAYCAN SPORTS TURISMO MODEL IN THE UK

- Porsche is adding to its Taycan range with the introduction of a new Sport Turismo in the UK – middle-ground between the standard model and estate Cross Turismo.

- This sportier version of the Cross Turismo retains the same practical estate-like body without increasing the car’s ride height or the addition of chunky wheelarch protection.

- Prices for the rear-wheel-drive Taycan Sport Turismo which costs from £73,650.

- The more powerful 4S will go on sale for £84,830, then £104,990 for the GTS.

- Above this is the £117,670 Turbo and, at the top of the range, the Turbo S flagship which brings all-wheel-drive and starts from £140,080.

- 0-60mph time of just 2.6 seconds before powering on to a top speed of 162mph


- The GTS Sport Turismo is to be launched at the end of February, the other versions – from the rear-wheel-drive to the Turbo S – will follow in mid-March.

- The version with the longest range is not the rear-wheel-drive model, but the Taycan 4S Sport Turismo. It is specified with a WLTP range of 498 kilometres. According to Porsche, this is possible thanks to some further developments in the drive system. In the “Normal” and “Range” driving modes, the front electric motor is almost completely disconnected and de-energised in the partial load range – and this more efficiently than before. Thermal management and charging functions have also been improved. All in all, the 4S can keep drag losses low compared to the rear-wheel-drive car, but recuperate more energy via the front axle during deceleration.


BLINK CHARGING TO SUPPLY EV CHARGERS TO GENERAL MOTORS DEALERSHIPS

- Blink Charging, an electric vehicle charger manufacturer, will be deploying EV chargers at General Motors dealerships across the U.S. and Canada, according to the company. The startup will be teaming up with facility solutions provider ABM to supply its new IQ 200 Level 2 chargers to GM.

- There are no target charging station amounts for this agreement, nor is there a date for widespread deployment, because the purchase and installation are on a dealer-by-dealer basis. So far, Blink has seen “nearly 1,000 orders from GM dealers totaling 1,505 EV chargers,” according to a spokesperson for the company.

- Blink’s IQ 200 chargers are designed for fleets and built with local load management that can allow for up to 20 chargers on a single shared circuit without overwhelming the power grid.


STELLANTIS CEO SAYS POLITICIANS, NOT AUTOMAKERS PUSHING FOR EVS

- According to Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares, the rush to electrification isn't coming from automakers but politicians.

- Automotive News reports that Tavares told a European media scrum that "the brutality" of Europe's ban 2035 ban on internal combustion engines could create "social risk." The deadline is forcing automakers to quickly transform their factories and supply chains in order to meet the new government regulations. He had previously promised not to shut down any European plants, but he also noted that Stellantis would "need to remain competitive" in the recent interview.

- Tavares also noted that there are better ways to reduce carbon emissions that are cheaper and faster than transitioning to electric vehicles. Tavares said that an EV would need to drive 43,000 miles (70,000 kilometers) to begin compensating for its carbon footprint. Light hybrid vehicles could significantly reduce carbon emissions while being cheaper for customers to buy and for automakers to design and manufacture.


VALEO STEP INTO BATTERY POWER: HOPES FOR A LOW-COST ROUTE TO ELECTRIC BIKES

- Valeo might not be a household name but they’re among the world’s biggest automotive parts suppliers with 187 production facilities and 67 R&D bases across 33 countries – so their intention to start supplying low-cost electric powertrains for motorcycles could lead to a host of affordable battery-powered bikes.

- The new powertrain comprises an air-cooled electric motor that’s good for 9.4kW (12.6bhp), mounted into compact package with a single-speed transmission and electronic control unit.

- It’s designed to work with 48V batteries, which are fast becoming something of a benchmark for small electric motorcycles.


IKEA CANADA IN BIG ROLLOUT OF ELECTRIC DELIVERY TRUCKS


YAMAHA EXPANDS PORTFOLIO OF GOGORO-POWERED VEHICLES
 

HONDA AND V2X SUISSE CONSORTIUM TO ADVANCE VEHICLE-TO-GRID


EASELINK BOLTS AHEAD WITH €8.3 MILLION FOR ITS AUTOMATED EV CHARGING SOLUTION
 

UTAH COULD TAX ELECTRIC VEHICLE DRIVERS FOR USING STATE ROADS


OVER $12 MILLION ADDED TO STATE'S ELECTRIC VEHICLE REBATE PROGRAM
 

THOR VISION VEHICLE CONCEPT RV IS BOTH EV AND FUEL-CELL VEHICLE


AIRSTREAM UNVEILS THE ESTREAM ELECTRIC TRAILER CONCEPT


QUESTION OF THE WEEK WITH EMOBILITYNORWAY.COM

What TV, Print or Digital advertising have you seen for EVs recently which you noticed, or thought was memorable?

Email me your answer now: hello@evnewsdaily.com

It would mean a lot if you could take 2mins to leave a quick review on whichever platform you download the podcast.

And  if you have an Amazon Echo, download our Alexa Skill, search for EV News Daily and add it as a flash briefing.

Come and say hi on Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter just search EV News Daily, have a wonderful day, I’ll catch you tomorrow and remember…there’s no such thing as a self-charging hybrid.

PREMIUM PARTNERS
PHIL ROBERTS / ELECTRIC FUTURE
BRAD CROSBY
PORSCHE OF THE VILLAGE CINCINNATI
VOLVO CARS CINCINNATI EAST
NATIONAL CAR CHARGING ON THE US MAINLAND AND ALOHA CHARGE IN HAWAII
DEREK REILLY FROM THE EV REVIEW IRELAND YOUTUBE CHANNEL
RICHARD AT RSEV.CO.UK – FOR BUYING AND SELLING EVS IN THE UK