The Weekly Round Up - EV News for July
Bringing you the EV news dominating the headlines in July.
Welcome to BookMyGarage’s EV Hub Weekly Round-Up, where we bring you the EV news that is dominating the headlines this week. With only the essential details about the week’s biggest news articles, we aim to keep you in the loop with all things EV.
July 30th
Mitsubishi and Honda-Nissan Join Forces
Several months after Nissan and Honda have partnered up to develop electric vehicles, it has been revealed that Mitsubishi will be joining the alliance to collaborate on EV and EV related software.
It has been reported that Mitsubishi have signed a non-disclosure agreement with Honda and Nissan and have started discussions.
Their plans are rumoured to be standardising in-vehicle software for upcoming EVs. Mitsubishi has expertise inn plug-in hybrids, which is thought to be valuable knowledge that can help improved technologies and software. Honda is thought to reciprocate with their knowledge in fuel cell technology.
The alliance is believed to help speed up development, while bringing down research and development costs.
The joining of these three Japanese automakers will mean competition for market dominators, China.
Gridserve Opens New Test Lab for EV Chargers
A new test lab for EV chargers has been opened by Gridserve in Swindon. The Gridserve Innovations and Operations Centre (GIOC) will feature a lineup of the latest EV chargers, designed to replicated real world scenarios.
The lab will help improve existing operations as well as enhancing charging experiences for EV drivers in the future.
Engineers at the site spend hours testing, from examining power cabinets and battery energy storage systems, to ensuring that software and firmware is up to scratch to identify network improvements.
The lab will cover testing for electric passenger cars to pioneering electric trucks as a part of the Electric Freightway programme, and pre-production prototypes.
Gridserve has said in an article on their site: “We know that reliability is key to customer confidence. People won’t make the switch if they’re concerned the charging infrastructure doesn’t work.
The GIOC helps us improve our existing operations, while enhancing the EV charging experience for all our customers in the future.”
Ultra-Fast EV Chargers Installed at Redbridge Council Depot
The twin charger will be accessible to the public and will allow EVs to charge at their maximum speed rate, with potential to add 100 miles worth of range in as little as ten minutes.
The chargers were funded through E.ON and Greater London Authority. They can be found at the front of the carpark at the Council’s Ley Street Depot. The carpark itself has also been altered to support EV charging, by making the charging bays larger to accommodate for larger commercial vehicles, specifically for local businesses that use electric fleets.
“This is another positive step forward in our on-going commitment to reduce carbon emissions and improve air quality in the borough, creating a healthier, cleaner and greener environment for our communities to enjoy,” said Cabinet Member for Environment and Sustainability Cllr Jo Blackman.
“We all have a role to play in tackling climate change. Using greener and more sustainable transport to get around our local area is one way in which we can cut air pollution and play our part in tackling the climate crisis.”
London’s Deputy Mayor for Transport, Seb Dance, said: “The new electric vehicle charging infrastructure will ensure Redbridge is at the forefront of the electric vehicle revolution, offering quick, accessible charging for local residents.”
The content for these articles were supplied by:
Autoindustriya.com
Forecourt Trader
Gridserve
GreenFleet.com
Links to these sources can be found in the body text.
July 23rd
Renault CEO Expresses Doubts over EV Transition Timeline
He states that if Renault want to meet their EV goals, they must focus on bringing costs down. This comes after a dip in global EV sales over the past six months.
The challenges to the industry come from regulatory uncertainty and competition from China, who have the monopoly on electric car battery manufacturing. The cost of living crisis is also impacting consumers ability to buy brand new vehicles.
In a press release published by Reuters, De Meo said: "We need a little more flexibility in the schedule. However, it would be a serious strategic error to purely and simply abandon the objective because of the current market slowdown."
Renault had a 19.7% increase in EV and Hybrid sales in 2023 and took the third place in Europe for electrified passenger cars. EVs accounted for 39.7% of the brand’s passenger car sales.
When asked about the manufacturers plans to shift 100% of its European car production to EVs, De Meo said: "The truth is we are not yet on the right trajectory to achieve 100% electric cars by 2035. That's the truth. If customers don't follow us, we're all responsible. We need to cut costs."
TotalEnergies and SSE Create New Major EV Charging Venture
The new brand, ‘Source’, will deploy up to 3000 high power charging points across the UK and Ireland, to help meet demand from EV and electric fleet owners to provide fast charging.
The charge points, which will be 150 kW or more, will be grouped in 300 EV Hubs and will target 20% of the market share. They will be built in prime locations in and around urban areas and powered by renewable energy provided by both SSE and TotalEnergies. Some are already under construction, with more in development.
“SSE is already playing a leading role in decarbonising the UK and Ireland’s power system including building the world’s largest offshore wind farm and transforming electricity networks. Now this agreement will help accelerate progress towards a decarbonised transport system too, ensuring the vehicles that keep the economy moving can do so in a more sustainable and efficient way,” says Neil Kirkby, Managing Director of Enterprise at SSE.
Mathieu Soulas, Senior Vice President New Mobilities at TotalEnergies, added: “TotalEnergies is proud to contribute to the development of electric mobility to decarbonize transportation in the UK and Ireland. This is a great opportunity to extend our network in Europe and stake out a key position as a reference high-power charging player. We want to offer our customers - passenger cars and fleet alike - a nationwide, ultra-fast and reliable charging service that allows them to travel efficiently with complete peace of mind. This development also contributes to our integrated power strategy in the UK, combining renewable and flexible power generation capacity, trading and marketing of low-carbon electricity available 24 hours a day.”
You can read the full press release on TotalEnergies website.
First Electric Ferrari Spotted Testing
According to a photographer in Maranello, Ferrari have been seen testing its first EV model.
The test car was spotted driving around the city streets surrounding Ferrari’s factory and features fake exhausts. The car was fitted with specialised Pirelli EV tyres, developed specifically for electric cars.
It is thought the model will be revealed before the end of 2025 and rumoured to have a price tag of $500,000.
Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna told Autocar that the prototypes have completed ‘over several thousand kilometres’ of testing, and that Ferrari EVs will be fitted with ‘sound signatures’.
The content for these articles were supplied by:
Investing.com
Reuters
Renault
TotalEnergies
Caranddriver.com
Autocar
Notebookcheck.net
Links to these sources can be found in the body text.
July 16th
Europe Revealed as Slowest Growing Region in H1 EV Sales Report
In the first half of 2024, just under seven million electric vehicles have been sold globally, growing by 20% compared to the same period last year.
BEV (Battery Electric Vehicles) sales account for 65% of global sales, with the remaining 35% being made up of plugin hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs).
China led the charge, selling 4.1 million units in H1. 1.5 million were sold in Europe – only a 1% growth compared to the same period last year.
Charles Lester, Lead EV Data Analyst at Rho Motion, said: “The global EV market can take comfort in the 20% growth shown in the first half of the year, but the regional disparities are quite remarkable. Europe’s 1% growth compared to China’s 30% needs swift course correction if targets are to be met in the Western region.
“The other surprising twist of the year is the resurgence of PHEVs which were going out of style towards the end of last year but are now back in favour and accounting for more than one in three electric vehicles sold. The overall picture is that 2024 is not going to see the ambitious growth some may have hoped for the industry and we have lowered our forecasts by 5% to 16.6 million electric cars sold this year.”
EV ‘Superhub’ Opens in Dundee
Scotland have opened their most powerful charging hub in Dundee.
The site is located off the Myrekirk roundabout on the Kingsway and contain 24 ultra-rapid charging bays. Eight of these chargers can provide 60 miles of driving range in just three minutes.
18 months ago, it was revealed that a quarter of Scotland’s publicly owned chargers were recording faults. Scottish ministers stated that ‘significant private investment’ would be required to see the growth continue.
Figures from Zapmap, leading EV charger mapping database company, show that there has been a 43% increase in the number of public chargers in the year to June 2024. Of the 1709 new chargers installed, 77% were privately funded, and the total number of chargers in Scotland is 5,663.
The new charging hub will have a total capacity of almost 2.5 megawatts, which is enough electricity to boil 1000 kettles at the same time, according to the BBC.
The hub was built by SSE, and say it plans to install as many as 300 new hubs across the UK and Ireland by the year 2030.
Scotland's transport secretary Fiona Hyslop says they are on target to install 6,000 chargers by 2026 and plan to have 24,000 charge points by 2030.
Lidl Becomes First UK Supermarket to Allow EV Charging Payments Through Rewards App
The payment option will be available over all 370 charging stations in the UK. Lidl began rolling out EV forecourts in 2017 and has invested over £15 million into their electric vehicle charging infrastructure since then.
Lidl chief development officer Richard Taylor said: “Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do at Lidl. I’m incredibly proud of the investment that we’ve made into our EV charging infrastructure over the years, going above and beyond the sector to give greater access to rapid charging.
“Since we opened our first store 30 years ago, Lidl has contributed to a shift in the way that people shop for their groceries, and this is the latest example of how we’re doing just that, so that we can further enhance our customers’ shopping experience.”
The content for these articles were supplied by:
CleanTechnica
BBC
Retail Week
Links to these sources can be found in the body text.
July 9th
EV Drivers to Pay Congestion Charge in London from 2025
Before, zero-emission vehicles had to pay just £10 a year to drive through Congestion Charge Zones. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan introduced an exemption in 2021, in attempts to drive the switch to EVs. From the Christmas Day, December 2025, EV drivers will have to pay the same fee as ICE vehicle drivers.
It is believed that the decision could impact up to 100,000 electric car owners.
A TfL spokesperson has defended the decision: ‘Ending the Cleaner Vehicle Discount from 25 December 2025 will maintain the effectiveness of the Congestion Charge, which is in place to manage traffic and congestion in the heart of London.’
Reported by Top Gear, James Court, CEO of the Electric Vehicle Association (EVA) England, said: ‘It’s hugely disappointing that the Mayor is removing this incentive, and is completely counter intuitive. As other cities are moving towards electric vehicles and the cleaner air that brings, London will be going in the other direction.’
Electric Forklifts In Operation at the Port of Los Angeles
The top handlers grab containers by the top instead of lifting from the bottom like a traditional forklift and are used to load heavy shipping containers onto train cars and truck trailers. They are manufactured by Yusen Terminals, and the first five prototypes have been delivered.
Reported by electrek, Executive Director at the Port of Los Angeles, Gene Seroka, said: ‘These all-electric cargo top handlers are the culmination of years of rigorous, real-world prototype testing and development here at our port. I commend Yusen Terminals for its vision and leadership. Our collective commitment to pursuing this technology has paid off, helping prove this equipment’s commercial viability.’
Each of the machines are fitted with huge 1 MW (Mega Watts) batteries which can operate for 18 hours between charges.
The handlers are also fitted with data loggers for tracking hours of operation, charging frequency, and energy usage.
The top loaders come as part of Los Angeles’ plans to reach zero emissions operations.
48% of Volvo Global Sales now Plugin Vehicles
Volvo have announced that 48% of the cars sold in June around the world were plugin cars.
This led to a growth of 41% in plugin vehicle sales, and 8% in in overall sales in June.
Part of the success has been attributed to the release of the Volvo Ex30, which has been a huge success thus far.
According to a press release from Volvo Cars Global Newsroom, Volvo Cars’ electrified models sales have increased 54% compared to the same period last year.
In America, total sales decreased 28% in June, however, sales of plugin hybrid models went up 75% compared to the same period the previous year. They have cited the decrease due to the widespread IT-related disturbances that affected thousands of dealerships across the industry in June.
In the release, chief commercial officer and deputy CEO for Volvo Cars, Björn Annwall, said: ‘“As June comes to a close, the sales figures for the month are proof of the successful steps we have taken toward our long-term strategic direction and the continued demand for our cars. I am particularly pleased by the continued strong sales performance of the EX30.”
The content for these articles were supplied by:
TimeOut
Transport for London
Electrek
Top Gear
CleanTechnica
Volvo Cars Global Newsroom
Links to these sources can be found in the body text.
July 2nd
Volkswagen Agrees to $5 Billion Investment in Rivian
Volkswagen will initially invest $1 Billion to form a partnership with Rivian, which will lead to the sharing of EV architecture and software. Rivian’s stock jumped up 33% on Wall Street when the announcement was made.
Rivian is currently amid steep losses as they try to increase production of electric trucks and EV SUVs.
Many EV start-ups have faced slow down in demand, due to high interest rates and dwindling cash, and traditional automakers have struggled to build battery-powered vehicles.
The partnership is thought to help Volkswagen accelerate their plans to develop software-defined vehicles, as Rivian will licence their existing intellectual property rights in the venture.
CEO and founder of Rivian, RJ Scaringe, told Reuters: “Since the earliest days of Rivian, we have been focused on developing highly differentiated technology, and it’s exciting that one of the world’s largest and most respected automotive companies has recognized this.”
Oliver Blume, CEO of Volkswagen Group, said: “Through our cooperation, we will bring the best solutions to our vehicles faster and at lower cost … We are strengthening our technology profile and our competitiveness.”
US EV Maker Fisker Files For Bankruptcy
Fisker have filed for bankruptcy following a funding deal with a large carmaker falling through.
They are the latest EV producer to fall victim to the struggles facing the electric vehicle sector. Issues such as supply chain problems, the Tesla-China price war, and weak demand are thought to be reasons for the fall.
Fisker’s Ocean SUV hit markets a year ago and failed to achieve its sales targets across Europe and the US. In 2023, 10,193 Oceans were produced, but only 4,929 were delivered to customers.
The company is also under investigation by the US auto safety regulator following complaints regarding the car’s braking system.
In March, the New York Stock Exchange said it was delisting the company’s shares, citing ‘abnormally low’ price levels.
The filing marks the second collapse of an automotive start-up by CEO Henrik Fisker – his first company, Fisker Automotive, filed for Chapter 11 protection in 2013. This company was responsible for the world’s first luxury plug-in hybrid.
Stellantis May Halt UK EV Production
Maria Grazia Davino, boss of Stellantis, said that the UK government’s current approach to the banning of ICE vehicles risk harming its UK business.
Decisions to close plants in Luton and Ellesmere Port could come in ‘less than a year’.
The UK government had originally pledged to ban ICE sales in 2030 but was delayed by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak by five years, to give consumers ‘more time’ to transition to electric vehicles.
In conversation with reporters, Davino said: “We have undertaken big investments in Ellesmere Port and in Luton, with more to come.
“But if this market becomes hostile to us, we will enter an evaluation for producing elsewhere”.
Competition from cheap Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers has caused worry to automakers across the globe. Demand seems to have decreased, causing further unease regarding meeting sales target.
“It means that you have to increase discounts to push the market that isn’t there. And this has a number of consequences for the business case”, Ms Davino said.
The content for these articles were supplied by:
The Guardian
Financial Times
BBC News
Links to these sources can be found in the body text.
Read More
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The Weekly Round Up - March
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