Battery Electric Vehicle News / Enjoying the Transportation Revolution

Martyn1981

Grandad2b said:

Martyn1981 said:

Got a feeling this large BEV excavator has been mentioned before, but here's an article talking about how it's going through testing/trials.

Volvo CE Introduces Battery-Electric 23-Ton Excavator

According to Equipment World, “With its battery power, the (new Volvo CE 230 E) excavator is expected to achieve 60-70% reduction of energy running costs compared to the EC220. It is equipped with four 66-kilowatt lithium-ion battery packs that enable the operator to work four to five hours in general purpose applications. With a high-power fast charge on a lunch hour, the machine should last through a full eight hour shift.”

Edit - Just to say, I mention large BEV machinery, as there is already a choice of smaller BEV's, such as the JCB range, just as an example.

This is the kind of thing that very many people completely miss - the agricultural and construction sectors are difficult to power by battery. 
Frankly I see agriculture as very problematic - at times the machinery works 24h and other times it sits idle for months on end. Probably requires swappable batteries but the peak demand is huge. 
Battery powered construction equipment will gain acceptance more quickly but there's still the issue of getting a sufficiently chunky mains power supply to site.

Yep, I've thought swappable batts across a range of farming vehicles would be good, hopefully saves buying a pack for every new vehicle, once you have enough.

Also farms are often ideal places for PV install, such as barn/storage roofs. So maybe a pack charging whilst others are in use through the day.

This article is a couple of years old, but mentions swappable batts for this BEV tractor:

Solectrac launches new 70 HP, 60 kWh electric tractor for $75,000

There is also an option to add a swappable 60 kWh battery pack for another $18,000. Solectrac CEO Mani Iyer elaborates:

The e70N is yet another innovative electric tractor breakthrough from Solectrac, this time focused on commercial-level, heavy-duty farm and vineyard operations. This category of zero-emission electric tractors is in high demand as many farmers look to cut emissions and reduce noise pollution, but still require larger, more powerful vehicles with easy maneuverability. The e70N, with swappable battery pack technology, was designed to meet the needs of these customers. The unique and multi-faceted new model will position Solectrac to gain market share and compete very favorably with medium- and heavy-duty tractors in both agriculture and commercial tractor segments.

Martyn1981

Another article on a smaller auto market, but it caught my eye, as BYD are simply 'crushing it'. And second place (for this year so far, is Geely, another Chinese manufacturer whose brands include Volvo and Polestar.

BYD & Geely Continue To Lead The Way In Israel BEV Sales

BYD and Geely continue to lead the way in Israel’s BEV market. In April, BYD sold 1,377 units, most of which were the BYD Atto 3. The BYD Tang and the Han are now also available in Israel and they each registered some decent numbers there, with the Han getting close to 100 units and the Tang selling just over 150 units.

Geely kept its second place position, selling 527 units in April. It was followed by Hyundai, with 260 units. Mercedes-Benz was in fourth place, with 144 units, and Skoda was in fifth position, with 139 BEVs sold in April.

Martyn1981

OK, have to admit this - outside of China, BEV bus orders are typically quite small, so when I first read this title, my brain simply assumed that Quebec had ordered some BEV buses with the model name "1229". 

Big order, though the contract is for 339 with the option to add 890 more. But the BEV bus target is really impressive, with an incredible 2025 rule of all further purchases being electric only ..... Yep, 2025. 

Quebec & Montreal Order 1229 Electric Buses

Nova Bus is part of the Volvo Group which is owned by the Zhejiang Geely Holding Group. Geely also owns Volvo Cars and several other automotive companies. It is a leading North American manufacturer of transit buses. The base order is for 339 LFSe+ with 890 units to be included later. The LFSe+ is the 40-foot-long range battery-electric bus model from Nova Bus. The buses will be delivered over a 3-year period starting in 2025.

The Société de transport de Montréal (STM) will act as the coordinating agent for the contract in collaboration with the Association du transport urbain du Québec (ATUQ). This milestone reflects the Québec government’s commitment to electrify public transit with the goal of having 55% of buses on the road being electric by 2030 and every new bus purchase being 100% electric as of 2025. Several electrification plans have already been set in motion and Nova Bus is delighted to be the partner of choice in this transition, the company said in a press release.

Coastalwatch

It would seem it is not just Mart who is concerned at Toyota's direction and questionable lobbying tactics in recent years. Naturally the board have recommended rejecting the proposal when it comes before its AGM in June! 

Shareholders pressure Toyota to go electric

Toyota is getting pressure from shareholders to speed up its transition to electric cars and ensure greater transparency in its lobbying efforts.

As Reuters reports, a group of three asset managers who together hold $400 million worth of Toyota shares want Toyota to conduct a comprehensive, annual review of its climate-related lobbying.

“We’re concerned that Toyota is missing out on profits from soaring EV sales, jeopardising its valuable brand and cementing its global laggard status,” Anders Schelde of Danish pension fund AkademikerPension is quoted as saying.

https://www.electrive.com/2023/05/15/shareholders-pressure-toyota-to-go-electric/

JKenH

Coastalwatch said:

It would seem it is not just Mart who is concerned at Toyota's direction and questionable lobbying tactics in recent years. Naturally the board have recommended rejecting the proposal when it comes before its AGM in June! 

Shareholders pressure Toyota to go electric

Toyota is getting pressure from shareholders to speed up its transition to electric cars and ensure greater transparency in its lobbying efforts.

As Reuters reports, a group of three asset managers who together hold $400 million worth of Toyota shares want Toyota to conduct a comprehensive, annual review of its climate-related lobbying.

“We’re concerned that Toyota is missing out on profits from soaring EV sales, jeopardising its valuable brand and cementing its global laggard status,” Anders Schelde of Danish pension fund AkademikerPension is quoted as saying.

https://www.electrive.com/2023/05/15/shareholders-pressure-toyota-to-go-electric/

Just for context, what isn’t made clear in the article is that only about 2% of Toyota’s stockholders who are behind this, not Toyota’s shareholders as a whole. The reporter probably feels a big number like $400million is a bit more eye catching than 2% but that is journalism. I only mention this because I posted a story comparing Hybrids and EVs on the motoring thread which elicited the following comment from @Petriix

So, yes, it's totally fair for me to tell you that you should include caveats and nuance rather than making generalisations if you want to avoid misleading people. It's possibly lazy journalism or possibly an agenda, but whatever the cause, these articles are painting an inaccurate picture and, by sharing them without qualification, you're doing the same. 

For the record, I have no issue with @Coastalwatch posting the story as he did. It is just luck that this was the first post I read on the G&E board today and I wanted to point out how @Petriix’s comment could just as easily apply to this article and many many others,

It is good to hear alternative points of view even when they come from a tiny minority. Sometimes a minority’s take on things can be more valid than the consensus view.

Martyn1981

Coastalwatch said:

It would seem it is not just Mart who is concerned at Toyota's direction and questionable lobbying tactics in recent years. Naturally the board have recommended rejecting the proposal when it comes before its AGM in June! 

Shareholders pressure Toyota to go electric

Toyota is getting pressure from shareholders to speed up its transition to electric cars and ensure greater transparency in its lobbying efforts.

As Reuters reports, a group of three asset managers who together hold $400 million worth of Toyota shares want Toyota to conduct a comprehensive, annual review of its climate-related lobbying.

“We’re concerned that Toyota is missing out on profits from soaring EV sales, jeopardising its valuable brand and cementing its global laggard status,” Anders Schelde of Danish pension fund AkademikerPension is quoted as saying.

https://www.electrive.com/2023/05/15/shareholders-pressure-toyota-to-go-electric/

Yep, baby steps, but great to see that some of the shareholders are starting to get it. No idea if Toyota can pivot fast enough, nor spend enough (quickly enough) for the BEV transition, especially given their huge debt (greatest of any company in the World).

The raft of negative news lately, such as the environmental pushback against their anti-BEV campaigning around the World, plus them recently being caught rigging crash tests, and the A$1.3bn payout in fines in Aus for their diesel emissions, and falling sales in China (same for all legacy auto be it Japanese, European or American) .... must be stacking up, and could, maybe, hopefully, possibly .... keep changing minds on the board and the institutional shreholders. But it's happening woefully slowly.

I still think the Japanese auto companies could build great (and competitive) BEV's once they read the writing on the wall. Maybe they will spot the small, but growing demand for cheap BEV's in many developing countries in S. America, Africa and Asia, and realise that that market won't be an alternative for their HEV's and PHEV's in the future?

silverwhistle

I think why the news is useful is that it's a bit like the Emperor's new clothes, the difference between saying and thinking. How many others are concerned but haven't spoken out publically? At the very least it will set others pondering, and like other legacy industries no one will want to be caught up by the rush to get out of stranded assets.

We are obviously some way from that given Toyota's sheer size and oil tanker like inertia, and maybe the difference will really come when they sell their shares and invest in BEV manufacturers.

Coastalwatch

And I thought Brexit was supposed to open up a whole new world that UK industry could take advantage of.

So along with with dismal rollout of PV and heat pumps it would appear the future of the car industry is looking decidedly fragile too. It was only a couple of weeks ago that Unipart were warning of conditions which made it unviable to invest further in the UK.

Sorry it's not good news but alarm bells keep being sounded and all met with seemingly little interest from those elected to do something about it.

Vauxhall-maker warns Brexit may force it to close UK factory

Stellantis, which owns Vauxhall, Peugeot, Citroen and Fiat, had committed to making electric cars in the UK, but says that is under threat.

It said it can no longer meet Brexit trade rules on where parts are sourced.

The government is "determined" that the UK will remain competitive in car manufacturing, a spokesperson said.

"If the cost of electric vehicle manufacturing in the UK becomes uncompetitive and unsustainable, operations will close," Stellantis said.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-65612295

JKenH

Coastalwatch said:

And I thought Brexit was supposed to open up a whole new world that UK industry could take advantage of.

So along with with dismal rollout of PV and heat pumps it would appear the future of the car industry is looking decidedly fragile too. It was only a couple of weeks ago that Unipart were warning of conditions which made it unviable to invest further in the UK.

Sorry it's not good news but alarm bells keep being sounded and all met with seemingly little interest from those elected to do something about it.

Vauxhall-maker warns Brexit may force it to close UK factory

Stellantis, which owns Vauxhall, Peugeot, Citroen and Fiat, had committed to making electric cars in the UK, but says that is under threat.

It said it can no longer meet Brexit trade rules on where parts are sourced.

The government is "determined" that the UK will remain competitive in car manufacturing, a spokesperson said.

"If the cost of electric vehicle manufacturing in the UK becomes uncompetitive and unsustainable, operations will close," Stellantis said.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-65612295

This is concerning but there is a good chance that the talks currently under way will be successful and lead to a more satisfactory trade deal relative to cars. Why am I optimistic? Because this trade deal affects the European car industry as much, if not more than the British. We see so much in the EV press about companies like VW losing market share in China but, we forget, the UK is a bigger market for EU cars than China. The value of cars exported by the EU to the UK is 3x the value imported from us.  

In 2022, the United States was the main export destination of EU's cars (23 % of the total), ahead of the United Kingdom (17 %), China (15 %), South Korea, Switzerland (both 5 %), Japan and Türkiye (both 4 %). 

In 2002, exports of cars to the United Kingdom amounted to €27 billion, which after some fluctuations dropped to €19 billion in 2009 (Figure 5). After that, they increased to €41 billion in 2015 and 2016, but dropped to €27 billion in 2022. 

Imports from the United Kingdom were €9 billion in 2002, and remained between €8 billion and €12 billion until 2014. They increased to €16 billion in 2016 after which they gradually fell to €9 billion in 2022. 

Between 2002 and 2022, the EU had a trade surplus for cars with the United Kingdom which peaked at €26 billion in 2015. It dropped to €17 billion in 2022.

https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?oldid=328429#Car_exports_peaked_in_2022

What will also be of concern to the EU is the exodus of investment in battery gigafactories, leaving it short of batteries which would impact on its exports to the UK if the deal is not renegotiated.

More than two-thirds (68%) of lithium-ion battery production planned for Europe is at risk of being delayed, scaled down or cancelled, new analysisshows. Tesla in Berlin, Northvolt in northern Germany and Italvolt near Turin are among the projects that stand to lose the greatest volumes of their slated capacity as the companies weigh up investing in the US instead. Transport & Environment (T&E), which conducted the research, called for both EU-wide financial support to scale up battery production and faster approvals processes to capture projects at risk from American subsidies.

https://www.transportenvironment.org/discover/two-thirds-of-european-battery-production-at-risk-analysis/

Perhaps even more concerning to the EU car industry overall, though, is how to stop the inflow of cars with batteries subsidised by the US flooding Europe and destroying the indigenous car industry. 

European and Chinese car and battery makers are making plans to set up plants in the U.S. to take advantage of their big new “made in the USA” subsidies. They can then ship their vehicles to Europe to sell into its very large and generously subsidised company car market. This puts electric vehicle production in Europe at a serious disadvantage. As William Todts at T&E explains, the EU must respond, instead of effectively assisting the U.S. and China race ahead. It’s not enough for the EU to loosen state aid rules (allowing governments to match U.S. subsidies), and to propose faster permitting and aspirational production targets for green tech and critical minerals; they are not backed up by trade instruments or hard cash. Todts makes three recommendations. Exclude from EU subsidies any product that has already been subsidised elsewhere. Disqualify overly dominant players from public procurement and subsidies. And introduce targeted subsidies to the European battery supply chain. The goal is not to obstruct ambitious car and battery makers: the world sorely needs them. It’s to ensure intense but fair competition, prevent monopolies and retain Europe’s industrial base in the 21st century, says Todts.

https://energypost.eu/how-can-europe-stop-u-s-and-china-dominance-of-cars-and-batteries-without-being-protectionist/

This is how it works. Polestar, from 2024 is starting manufacturing in South Carolina, expressly to sell cars in US and Europe.

From the same article linked above:

U.S. subsidies are luring in carmakers

Polestar has excellent reasons for this. If it sources its batteries from US based battery makers – and they would be crazy not to – the Polestar 3’s massive 111kWh battery could get up to $5,000 in battery subsidies. This comes on top of cheap energy and other subsidies available to US-based manufacturers. According to Bloomberg at least $10.8 billion is being gifted to carmakers in “megadeals” designed to lure manufacturers to US states.

…while EU subsidies are easing car imports

After pocketing these subsidies, Polestar & co. can then ship their vehicles to Europe where they can be sold into the very large, and generously subsidised, European company car market.

This is not a time for Europe to be falling out with its closest trading partner. 

JKenH

Good news at last for the UK Auto industry. We really do need to think twice before buying Chinese cars or any Chinese tech for that matter - not only for the economy’s sake but also for the environment. 

Nissan Confirms Leaf Successor Will Be Made In UK From 2026

The successor to the Nissan Leaf will enter production at the automaker's factory in Sunderland, UK in 2026. 

https://insideevs.com/news/668121/nissan-confirms-leaf-successor-made-uk-from-2026/