Category: Trends (Page 7 of 10)

Nissan will spend 2 trillion yen (USD$17.59 billion) over five years to accelerate electrification to catch up with competitors

2021-11-30 / Robert Vinet

Nissan Leaf

This is the first time Japan’s No.3 automaker, one of the world’s first mass-market electric vehicle (EV) makers with its Leaf model more than a decade ago, is unveiling a comprehensive electrification plan.

Nissan will be spending twice as much as it did in the previous decade for a share of the EV market as rivals, including Toyota Motor Corp and newer entrants such as Tesla Inc, move ahead with their electric-car plans.

Nissan said on Monday it will launch 23 electrified vehicles by 2030, including 15 electric vehicles (EVs), and wants to reduce lithium-ion battery costs by 65% within eight years. It also plans to introduce potentially game-changing all solid-state batteries by March 2029.

Elsewhere » Nissan Media Release / Bloomberg

EV Trend » US about to charge up for an EV future

2021-11-26 / Robert Vinet

Matt Casale Director, Environment Campaigns, U.S. Public Interest Research Group »

Ten years ago, electric vehicles made up less than one quarter of one percent of total U.S. car sales. But after the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, we’re on track to install thousands of electric vehicle charging stations across the country.

This will be the first-ever U.S. investment in electric vehicle charging stations. Let me repeat that. For the first time ever in American history, the federal government would be funding the necessary charging infrastructure that we need to transition away from gas-powered cars.

Here’s why this matters:

In the U.S., transportation is the greatest contributor to climate warming emissions, and the majority of those emissions come from everyday cars and trucks. Personal vehicles also emit toxic air pollution which harms our health. That’s why PIRG has been working for years to increase adoption of clean, emissions-free electric vehicles (EVs) by calling for 100% of car sales to be fully electric by 2035 (or sooner). To get there, we need to do three things: make electric vehicles cheaper and easier for people to buy, strengthen emission standards and build out infrastructure to support electric cars.

The bipartisan infrastructure package puts one of those key pieces of the puzzle into place.

UK car manufacturing in October down 41.4%, while EV production rose 17.5%

2021-11-26 / Robert Vinet

30.9% of all cars made in the UK in October were either battery electric (BEV), plug-in (PHEV), or hybrid electric (HEV) models.
UK car manufacturing fell October 41.4% to 64,726 units produced.
Output for domestic and overseas markets declines, down 37.9% and 42.1%.

UK car production declined 41.4 percent in October 2021 as factories turned out 64,729 units, according to the latest figures released today by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

It was the fourth straight month of decline and the weakest October since 1956 as firms grappled with the global shortage of semiconductors which led to production stoppages. The weak output totals compared to last year are exacerbated by the closure of a UK car plant at the end of July, a deficit that will impact figures for a year.

EV Trend » UK auto dealers see surge of interest in EVs

2021-11-25 / Robert Vinet

John Kirwan / Motor Trade »

This month we saw The National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA) reveal that it has now accredited over 200 dealers on its Electric Vehicle Approved (EVA) scheme, which has been reopened. Volvo is one carmaker that wants its network fully accredited by the end of the year.

The scheme was developed in 2019 to encourage retailers to enhance their expertise in the electric vehicle sector and support consumer confidence. EVA certifies the efforts and investments that retailers are making in the EV sector to meet the consumer demand. Following the reopening of the scheme, retailers can now apply to receive their EVA badge of approval.

November also saw electric vehicle drivers from Europe and the UK on ‘The Electric Road to COP26’ visiting the Arnold Clark Innovation Centre in Glasgow before heading to the Cop26 UN Climate Change Conference. It was part of a tour of leading companies that are providing solutions to help combat climate change through their innovative work with electric vehicles and charging.

EV Trend » Spiking US gas prices are making EVs more attractive

2021-11-25 / Robert Vinet

VinFast CEO Michael Lohscheller introduces the new VF e35 EV at the AutoMobility LA Auto Show, Nov. 17, 2021, in Los Angeles. (Source » VOA)

Voice of America »

Persistently high prices for gasoline are frustrating many Americans and causing a political headache for the administration of President Joe Biden, but they also might be accelerating the process of transitioning the country to more widespread use of vehicles that run on renewable energy — particularly electricity.

Experts say that sales of electric vehicles, or EVs, tend to rise when fuel prices do, though they cautioned it’s difficult to draw a straight line from prices at the pump to car purchases.

“People buy electric cars for lots of reasons, so they’re not completely dependent on gas prices, but that’s certainly reinforcing it,” said Genevieve Cullen, president of the Electric Drive Transportation Association, a trade group representing manufacturers of electric vehicles.

An estimated 468,000 new EVs were sold in the U.S. from the beginning of the year through September, according to data collected by Atlas Public Policy, a group that tracks the market for EVs. That represents a 45% increase over the 323,000 EVs sold during the entirety of 2020.

Looking solely at the month of September 2021, U.S. consumers bought 57,000 new EVs. That was 63% more than the 35,000 sold in September of 2020, and a 90% increase over the 30,000 sold in September 2019.

Connecticut cities purchasing EVs for municipal fleets

2021-11-23 / Robert Vinet

Westport Police’s Tesla Model 3

Eliza Fawcett / Hartford Courant »

In Newtown, the local health department uses a Chevrolet Bolt to get to restaurant inspections. In New Haven, the mayor zips around the city in a Nissan LEAF. In Middletown, students are ferried to school on an electric bus. And in Westport, the police department is eagerly awaiting the delivery of its second Tesla.

Motivated by public interest in zero-emission vehicles and potential long-term cost savings, a small but growing number of Connecticut towns and cities are incorporating electric vehicles into their municipal fleets. Flush with federal funding from the American Rescue Plan Act, some municipalities say that now is the perfect time to make deep investments in electric-powered vehicles.

“Aside from the fact that it helps to reduce the carbon footprint, it’s good for the next generation coming along, it’s good for the environment — those are all plus things,” said Fred Hurley, Newtown’s director of public works. “But if you want to get very parochial about it, they don’t need servicing like other vehicles do. Their operating costs are much lower.”

Chinese manufacturers account for 45% of global EV sales

2021-11-23 / Robert Vinet

Felipe Munoz / Jato Dynamics »

According to data from JATO Dynamics, the global sales of pure electric passenger cars totaled 2.97 million units between January and September 2021. The total being 149% higher than the volume recorded over the same period last year.

The strong acceleration is remarkable when considering the timid growth of the overall market, at just +11%. The BEV market share jumped from 2.6% in 2020, to 5.8% through September – marking a significant increase.

Within this context, it is interesting to see the dominance of China as a market for BEVs and their respective brands. According to our data, Chinese car brands account for 45% of global sales, in contrast to the 15% market share they hold across the entire passenger car market (when including all fuel types). Demonstrating clearly that EVs boost the market share for China’s cars by 30 percentage points.

However, it’s important to consider that a large part of the success achieved by Chinese BEVs is due to domestic demand. Around 95% of the volume sold by these brands remained in China, with a particularly small amount of global penetration. Nonetheless, the strong sales are a clear indicator of what could be on the horizon if governments around the world continue to push the shift from ICE to BEVs.