The Weekly Round Up - EV News for March

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.

 

March 26th 

Chinese EV Battery Maker to Invest £1bn in New UK Gigafactory

EVE Energy, a Chinese battery manufacturer, is in talks to invest over £1 Billion to build a brand new gigafactory on the outskirts of Coventry.

 

The battery manufacturers employ over 28,000 employees worldwide and are discussing plans to construct a 5.7m sq ft factory as one of the main bases of the planned UK Centre for Electrification, in the West Midlands.

 

EVE’s interest in the project has been reported by sources with inside knowledge, and the factory would generate 6000 jobs in partnership with Coventry airport and the surrounding local councils.

 

According to The Sunday Times, EVE Energy is considering committing an initial £1.2bn, which would then be increased with the subsequent phases of the project, including expansion. This would put the factory as almost twice the size of Nissan’s electric battery factory in Sunderland.

 

The West Midlands is already the home to several car making facilities, such as those owned by Jaguar Land Rover, BMW, and Aston Martin. The UK’s largest battery research centre, the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre, is also located nearby.

 

A spoke person for the project said, “Based in Coventry, West Midlands Gigafactory is the only available site in the UK that sits within an investment zone and has planning permission for a large-scale battery manufacturing facility. We are in discussions with a number of global battery manufacturers, but these remain confidential.”

 

500 More EV Charge Points Ready To Be Switched On In Solihull

Around 500 electric vehicle charge points will be switch on in Solihull Council car parks by 2026, says the council.

 

The news comes following a contract awarded by Qwello, a pan-European charge point operator, to install new charge points in council ran car parks and on-street destinations.

 

Phase one will see the roll out of 150 charge points, installed over 9 locations including Solihull, Chelmsley Wood, and Balsall Common, with the first ones to go live this summer.

 

Ultra-rapid charge points will be supplied by InstaVolt, with 16 due to be installed during the first phase.

 

The scheme is in support of the Council’s Electric Vehicle Strategy, which hopes to encourage wider adoption of EVs, and tackle the barriers to ownership by providing the necessary infrastructure. The scheme also hopes to help reach targets for reducing carbon emissions.

 

The charging points will come at no cost to the council.

 

Councillor Andy Mackiewicz, Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Climate Change and Planning, said: “This is fantastic news for Solihull which will more than double the borough’s existing EV charging capacity.

 

“The awarding of this contract drives our ambition for Solihull to be at the forefront of electrification both regionally and nationally, and we are delighted to be working with leading suppliers Qwello and InstaVolt on this exciting scheme.”

 

Home EV Charger Grant Extended to Drivers Without Off-Street Parking

The Department for Transport has announced that their longstanding EV charge point grand is being extended to those who own a property with on-road parking.

 

Previously, the grant was limited to those who owned or rented a property with a dedicated off-street parking space. Now it will be extended to those who have access to ‘adequate’ on-street parking.

 

The EV Charge Point Grant provides drivers with up to 75% of the cost of buying and installing a home charger for their electric vehicles, with a maximum of £350.

 

You can apply for the grant on the gov.uk website, but you must be the primary owner of an EV or have one on order. If you rent, you will also need approval from your landlord and the local council. Landlords can also apply for the grant for any of their properties.

 

The extension comes as part of the government’s £381 million investment into the UK’s charging infrastructure.

 

Edmund King OBE, Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Forum chairman and AA boss, praised the latest news, saying: “[One]of the main reasons why many drivers are hesitant towards switching to EVs is the perception that there are not enough charging points.

 

“To give confidence to drivers now and for the future, we need to overcome these barriers, which will help unlock cleaner, greener motoring for all. Extending grants to those without off-street parking is a step in the right direction.”

 

 

March 19th 

Honda and Nissan Join Forces to Rival China

Although traditionally rivals, Japanese car manufacturers Honda and Nissan have joined forced to rival China’s electric vehicle technology.

 

The giants will work together to create brand new EV technology, including components and software. By combining their knowledge and resources, the project aims to cut costs while rivalling China’s electric vehicle sector.

 

Honda and Nissan are Japan’s second and third largest car makers respectively in Japan, behind Toyota. Although Nissan were an early adapter of EVs, with the world’s first mass-market electric car in the model of the Nissan Leaf, they have struggled to keep pace with Chinese manufacturers. China has the advantage of cheaper raw materials and labour, as well as a greater scale and larger potential customer base.

 

Makoto Uchida, Nissan’s chief executive, said: “Emerging players are very aggressive and are making inroads at incredible speed.

 

“We cannot win the competition as long as we stick to conventional wisdom and a traditional approach.”

 

Honda’s president, Toshihiro Mibe, added: “We are strapped for time and need to be speedy. In 2030, to be in a good position we need a decision now.

 

“The rise of emerging players is becoming faster and stronger. Companies that cannot respond to the changes will be wiped out.”

 

The agreement between the two companies is non-binding and does not involve any capital.

 

David Bailey, a professor of business economics at the Birmingham business school, said: “It’s two Japanese laggards playing catch up. This highlights the threat from China to western car companies, including those in Japan, and the advantages that China has in being able to produce cars at 25% to 30% lower in price.”

 

Huge Rise in Australian EV Sales, According to Industry Reports

A report published by The Electric Vehicle Council sees a 120% rise in electric vehicle sales in the past year in Australia.

 

There are 180,000 EVs on Australia’s roads, and 98,436 of them were purchased last year. The report also showed an increase of 75% for charging infrastructure locations in comparison to the previous year. This accounts for the 812 charging stations across the country.

 

Of the sales, 43% were in outer metropolitan areas, and 39% in inner metropolitan areas.

 

EVs now represent 1% of all light vehicles in Australia, meaning that while the sales record was broken, more needs to be done to meet the goal of zero emissions in 2050.

 

The council advocates for one million EVs on the road by 2027, but concerns about reaching this target is mostly down to the low supply of new EVs in the country.

 

The chief executive of the Electric Vehicle Council, Behyad Jafari, said: “To sustain this positive trajectory we need sensible reform. The federal government’s new vehicle efficiency standards are a crucial step that finally brings Australia into line with the rest of the developed world.

 

“EVs are no longer a novelty, they are a core part of everyday Australian lives. Hopefully the abundant benefits of switching to an EV will be embraced by millions more Australians as the decade progresses.”

 

Suffolk County Council receives £5.9 million for EV Charging Points

EV drivers in Suffolk will benefit from £5.9million worth of funding to install electric vehicle charging points around the county.

 

The investments comes from the government’s Local Electric Vehicle (LEVI) fund, with a total of 44 councils benefiting from a total of £185million in funding.

 

Five local authorities in the east of England will also benefit, with individual councils deciding on the most appropriate places.

 

Councillor Richard Rout, Suffolk County Council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for finance and environment, said: “The recent EV: Ready Report, which the county council commissioned on behalf of all local authorities in Suffolk, suggests a need for 2,000 standard chargers and 40 to 60 rapid charging stations in Suffolk by 2030, to meet the demand of the EV transition.

 

“Supporting Suffolk’s residents, businesses, and visitors to move to EVs goes beyond just using less petrol and diesel. It’s about improving Suffolk’s air quality and enabling us to live healthier lives and reducing the impacts of climate change which have once again been brought into sharp focus by the many storms and flooding events we’ve seen in recent months.”

 

Across Suffolk, the Plug In Suffolk campaign has installed 100 public charge points at 31 locations, with the cost of the charger installation and seven years of maintenance covered by the council.

 

To date, a total of 56,000 public charge points have now been installed across the UK.

 

 

March 12th 

EVs Will Be Cheaper to Produce Than ICEs by 2027

 According to research from Gartner, electric vehicles will be cheaper to manufacture than ICE vehicles in three years, due to improved manufacturing methods.

 

Gartner predicts that new innovations will push the prices of BEVs downwards. This will result in production costs dropping faster than battery costs, and also increase the cost of accident repairs by as much as 30%.

 

“They brought new innovations that simplify production costs such as centralized vehicle architecture or the introduction of gigacastings that help reduce manufacturing cost and assembly time, which legacy automakers had no choice to adopt to survive,” says Vice President of Gartner, Pedro Pacheco.

 

Due to increase in repair costs, it is predicted to lead to more expensive insurance premiums, or even the refusal of cover for certain EV models. Vehicles that suffer a collection may be prone to be listed as a write off, as the cost of the repair may be higher than the car’s value.

 

Gartner predicts that by 2027, 15% of EV companies founded in the last ten years will be acquired or bankrupt. “This does not mean the EV sector is crumbling. It is simply entering a new phase where companies with the best products and services will win over the remaining,” said Pacheco.

 

Kia EV9 Named UK Car Of The Year 2024

The Kia EV9 has been crowned the UK Car of the Year 2024.

 

The Car of the Year Awards happen annually and celebrate the best new vehicles available to buy brand new in the UK across eight different categories. 

 

The jury is made up of 30 journalists across the industry, and eligible winners much have been launched in the UK within the past twelve months.

 

In addition to winning the crowning title, the EV9 also won the ‘Large Crossover’ category. The EV was praised for its modern design, practicality, and impressive range of 349 miles.

 

“The uberpractical Kia EV9 could be the vehicle that gets more drivers out of their petrol or diesel car than any other model. Seven seats, loaded with technology, premium quality and enough miles from the battery to cure almost every case of range anxiety – plus it’s fantastic to drive, too,” said John Challen, co-chairman of Car of the Year Awards.

 

“The fact that nearly half of our judging panel chose the Kia as the UK Car of the Year 2024 is a massive vote of confidence in what is a seriously impressive and hugely appealing car.”

 

Paul Philpott, President, and CEO at Kia UK said: “It is a huge honour for Kia UK to be awarded a category win and the overall ‘Car of the Year’ accolade in this year’s UK Car of the Year Awards. We’re delighted that the judges agree just how impressive the EV9 is.

 

“This well-respected award also gives our 190-strong UK dealer network a boost, as it continues to support customers on their electrification journey and deliver them the UK’s best car.”

 

Protests in Germany Follow Tesla Factory Expansion Plans

Citizens of Grūnheide expressed their opinions about the expansion of the German Tesla factory.

 

More than 800 demonstrators took to the streets to express their anger towards the expansion plans, which would see the Grūnheide factory increase in size from 740 acres to 1160 acres, and the addition of a warehouse and freight depot.

 

Activists voiced their concerns about the expansion, worried about the deforestation required for the extension to take place. They are also worried about the impact on the local water supply, and the increase in road traffic in the area.

 

 More than 60% of voters in a local referendum voted against the expansion – though the vote was not legally binding.

 

The protests came days after the site had to halt production temporarily after a nearby pylon was set on fire. Far-left activists from the group "Vulkangruppe" (Volcano Group) have claimed responsibility for the arson and is currently under investigation by federal prosecutors.

 

 

March 5th 

Italy Has Plans For a Floating Solar Wind Farm in The Sea

A 540-megawatt (MW) hybrid solar-floating wind farm is going to be developed off Italy’s southern coast.

 

The project comes as a joint effort from Dutch-Norwegian offshore solar company SolarDuck, Italina developer New Developments and Arrow Capital, an Italian investment fund. The farm is said to be in the Gulf of Taranto, off the Calabrian coast of Corigliano-Rossano.

 

The wind farm will feature 420 MW of offshore wind and 120 MW of floating solar. This includes 28 floating wind turbines, but it is still unclear which company will be developing them. The project is expected to come online in 2028.

 

SolarDuck’s elevated platform technology allows panels to be deployed in significant wave heights, to maintain a safe working environment and avoid salt deposits.

 

SolarDuck CEO, Koen Burgers, says, “With the current momentum, we believe this is a unique opportunity for the offshore renewable energy industry to help shape a favourable regulatory framework and facilitate the scaling of OFPV.

 

“This is not just important for Italy, but also for other countries in the Mediterranean. Our collaboration with New Developments and Green Arrow Capital can also serve as a catalyst for OFPV in Italy.”

 

It is estimated that the OFPV farm will generate more than 160GWh of solar energy per year.

 

BEVs Made Up 12% of New Car Sales in Europe in January

199,000 plugin vehicles were registered in January in Europe, reports CleanTechnica.

 

The Tesla Model Y took the number one spot, with 11,425 registrations throughout January. 2,293 of these were in Germany, with the highest amount of Model Y registrations, followed by France with 1,477, and the Netherlands, with 1,141. The model’s success is likely attributed to recent price drops.

 

The Tesla Model 3 came in second place, with 6,479 registrations, and in third place, the Audi Q4 e-tron, with 4,979.

 

The numbers see an increased growth in BEV sales despite the drop in EV incentives across several markets. The BEV market was up 29%, and plugin hybrids grew by 23%. This means that 49% of all passenger vehicles sold in January in Europe were electrified to some degree.

 

 

Aston Martin Delays the Launch of its First BEV

Aston Martin’s highly anticipated launch of its first electric vehicle has been delayed by a year due to a ‘low consumer demand’.

 

According to Automotive News Europe, the British automakers Aston Martin have pushed their all-electric model back to 2026, which is a year later than scheduled.

 

The company have described their entry to the electric car market as ‘the worlds most thrilling and highly desirable electric performance cars’ and was working with Lucid to use their proprietary EV powertrain technology, including its high-performance twin motor unit, battery technology, and Wunderbox charging system.

 

Executive Chairman Lawrence Stroll said, ‘the consumer demand (for BEVs), certainly at an Aston Martin price point, is not what we thought it was going to be two years ago,’ as Aston Martin released its 2023 results.

 

Aston Martin has already spent £2 billion on pushing new technologies over the next five years, to shift from ICE to BEV technology. There is also a £350 million new product development investment on the cards for 2024.

 

Read More

The Weekly Round-Up: January

Bringing you all the latest EV news from around the world for the month of January.

 

The Weekly Round-Up: February

Bringing you all the latest EV news from around the world for the month of February.