29 Mar 2022 | GM Reveal Big Reservation Number for Hummer Pickup & SUV

Episode 1411,   Mar 29, 2022, 04:00 PM

On the podcast today:
• Report: Porsche is working on a 911 sports car powered by solid-state batteries
• GM looks to increase Hummer EV production as reservations top 65,000
• Tesla Model S Plaid spotted being benchmarked by General Motors
• Tesla Price Increases Mean No More California Clean Vehicle Rebates for Buyers
• Stellantis confirms Fiat New 500 EV production will remain in Italy
• VW Commercial Vehicles announces plans for further BEV models
• Tata Motors says 20% rise in battery cell costs increasing short-term pressure
• NIU MQiGT EVO, the company's fastest electric scooter yet, hits the road
• UK's largest free electric vehicle charging network opens its 500th location
• 1,000 zero emission buses to be deployed in UK thanks to £200 million grants
• ZEBRA standard track: £198m for 943 zero-emission buses

Show #1419

Good morning, good afternoon and good evening wherever you are in the world, welcome to EV News Daily, you trusted source of EV information. It’s Tuesday 29th March, it’s Martyn Lee here and I go through every EV story so you don't have to.

REPORT: PORSCHE IS WORKING ON A 911 SPORTS CAR POWERED BY SOLID-STATE BATTERIES

- An electric Porsche 911 powered by solid-state batteries is in the works, according to a recent report from German publication Manager Magazin

- We do know that Porsche parent Volkswagen has been longtime investor in solid-state battery firm QuantumScape, though. VW previously said it sees solid-state tech arriving later in the decade capable of getting an 80% charge in as little as 12 minutes. Perhaps that's the tech it's testing on the 911.


GM LOOKS TO INCREASE HUMMER EV PRODUCTION AS RESERVATIONS TOP 65,000

- General Motors has received more than 65,000 reservations for its electric GMC Hummer pickups and SUVs, as the automaker attempts to expedite production of the vehicles to meet demand.

- The reservations number is higher than the automaker’s initial expectations, according to Duncan Aldred, global vice president of GMC. The number of people converting their reservations into orders to buy the Hummer pickup, about 95%, is also higher than expected, he said.

- “Production’s actually slightly ahead of plan and we’re putting things in place now to actually expedite that as well, so we can deliver these reservations quicker than we originally thought,” he told CNBC here during a media event. “We’re seeing momentum building.”

- The Hummer EV pickup is for sale, but new orders would not likely be fulfilled until 2024 due to the number of current reservations

- Reservations for the electric Hummers have largely been for the pickup because it was launched first, but newer reservations have been more evenly split between the truck and SUV, according to Megan Hart, assistant marketing manager for Hummer.

- March has been the best month for reservations aside from when the vehicles were unveiled, Aldred said. GMC started advertising for the Hummer EV pickup late last month

- Due to the price of the vehicle, volumes are lower than other trucks, but it’s still profitable, Aldred said.


TESLA MODEL S PLAID SPOTTED BEING BENCHMARKED BY GENERAL MOTORS

- A Tesla Model S Plaid has been spotted being benchmarked by General Motors. This suggests that the veteran American automaker is getting pretty serious in its modern electric vehicle program.

- Images of the flagship Tesla sedan as it was being benchmarked by GM were shared by motoring outlet GM Authority.


GM Benchmarking Tesla Model S Plaid

- To rival the Tesla Model S Plaid, General Motors will likely develop some competition with a new Cadillac product. This upcoming Caddy will likely be one of the luxury marque’s new “low-roof entries,” which is one of several new Cadillac EV models outlined late in 2020. The other Cadillac EVs include an electrified variant of the popular Cadillac Escalade SUV, two new electrified crossovers, and the new Cadillac Celestiq halo sedan.


TESLA PRICE INCREASES MEAN NO MORE CALIFORNIA CLEAN VEHICLE REBATES FOR BUYERS 

- Tesla hasn't been eligible for the federal EV tax credit for a few years now, and while that initially seemed like it could affect sales for the brands by making its already expensive cars even more so, things more or less rolled on like the change never happened.

- Fast-forward to 2022: Tesla's latest round of price increases means that, as CarsDirect reported Thursday, Tesla currently has no models eligible for California's Clean Vehicle Rebate Project, which is worth around $2,000 to consumers.

- The threshold for cars is $45,000, and the cap for SUVs and crossovers is $60,000. You can't currently put a Model 3 in your driveway for less than $48,440, including destination fees, and a base-spec Model Y will run you $64,440 (and not get delivered until 2023).


STELLANTIS CONFIRMS FIAT NEW 500 EV PRODUCTION WILL REMAIN IN ITALY

- The successor to the Fiat New 500 small electric car will continue to be built at the Mirafiori factory complex in Turin, Stellantis confirmed, in announcing new model allocations.

- In addition, the factory -- the group’s oldest in Italy, dating to 1939 -- will also get two new Maserati models, Stellantis Chairman John Elkann and CEO Carlos Tavares said in a meeting with local officials on Monday.

- The New 500, launched in late 2020, was the seventh best-selling full-electric car in Europe in 2021, with 44,371 sales, according to figures from Dataforce

- Supplier sources told Automotive News Europe that Stellantis is aiming to build 90,000 New 500s this year, with production increasing to 120,000 in 2023 and requiring a third shift.


VW COMMERCIAL VEHICLES ANNOUNCES PLANS FOR FURTHER BEV MODELS

- VW Commercial Vehicles is aiming for a sales share of battery-electric vehicles of more than 55 per cent in Europe by 2030. Not only the currently announced model series such as the ID. Buzz and the e-Crafter, but also new models with electric drive.

- Final preparations are underway at the Hanover plant for series production of the new ID. Buzz. This includes the qualification of more than 5,000 employees for the construction of electric vehicles.

- At the same time, the first conversion measures for future fully electric premium vehicles of the Audi and Bentley brands have already begun. A new production hall is being built in the heart of the factory for this purpose.

- “We will start series production of the ID. Buzz Cargo”, as announced by Lars Krause, board member for sales at VW Commercial Vehicles. The five-seater version will follow at the end of May. Production of 12,000 to 15,000 units is planned for 2022, followed by 50,000 to 60,000 vehicles in 2023.

- Beyond the ID.Buzz and the electric version of the Crafter delivery van, the Amarok pick-up, which is being continued together with Ford, could be a candidate – the model is to be presented in the summer of 2022. More details on a possible electric version of the pickup have not yet been determined, however. The electric camper-mobile ID. California will come after 2025.


TATA MOTORS SAYS 20% RISE IN BATTERY CELL COSTS INCREASING SHORT-TERM PRESSURE

NIU MQIGT EVO, THE COMPANY'S FASTEST ELECTRIC SCOOTER YET, HITS THE ROAD

UK'S LARGEST FREE ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING NETWORK OPENS ITS 500TH LOCATION

1,000 ZERO EMISSION BUSES TO BE DEPLOYED IN UK THANKS TO £200 MILLION GRANTS 


ZEBRA STANDARD TRACK: £198M FOR 943 ZERO-EMISSION BUSES


QUESTION OF THE WEEK WITH EMOBILITYNORWAY.COM

Mirror.co.uk: “An electric car owner has warned other EV drivers they can be fined for charging their vehicle in supermarket car parks. Electric vehicle owner Max Wilkinson - who is also a Cheltenham Councillor - recently bought a four-year-old hybrid Mini Countryman. He went home - but returned two hours later by which time the hybrid Mini was about half-charged. A week later Max received a penalty notice saying he'd been fined £90. Mr Wilkinson has paid the fine and doesn’t dispute it. But he does think it doesn’t quite make sense to restrict car charging to 90 minutes as well.

- He said: “It seems illogical that quite a lot of EV and hybrid owners won’t be allowed to spend enough time in the car park to get a full charge.”

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