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Ford will use VW platform to build an electric car for Europe

Ford and Volkswagen announced jointly on Friday that VW will share its MEB affordable electric car architecture with Ford, while VW will join Ford's Argo self-driving effort.

In addition to its own efforts to build electric cars, Ford will build a new electric car for the European market based on Volkswagen’s mass-market MEB platform. Ford CEO James Hackett says the car will be built at a Ford factory in Europe starting in 2023.

Volkswagen will provide the vehicle architecture—including batteries—for up to 600,000 examples of the car. The companies are continuing discussions to build a second MEB-based electric model for Ford of Europe with nearly as large a volume. And VW CEO Herbert Diess allowed that Ford EVs based on the platform could also come to the U.S., though none are currently planned.

Ford will also sell electric cars in Europe (and in the U.S. and elsewhere) based on its own platforms, including the Mustang-inspired Mach E SUV due out in 2021 and the electric F150 it has under development. The company also invested $500 million in EV pickup startup company Rivian in April, which Hackett says is designed to accelerate the automaker's knowledge base on EVs and should be seen separately from product development.

Ford crossover EV teaser photo

One of the biggest challenges in getting more consumers to buy electric cars is to bring prices down to make them more affordable even without tax credits.

Executives from both companies said that sharing the MEB platform is designed to do that. “We will see more collaboration [on electric cars] because the timing is not clear and the market penetration is not clear” said Diess. Sharing the MEB platform with other automakers will increase volume to spread development costs and make EVs “more affordable for consumers, and be better for the environment,” said VW CEO Herbert Diess.

Hackett called MEB, which stands for “modular electric architecture” “an impressive platform.”

VW MEB platform

“I’m very inspired by it, and our teams are excited to work with it,” he said. The MEB platform is one of the first dedicated electric-car platforms designed to be sold in all of the major car markets around the world.

The announcement expands on an earlier agreement between the companies to share development costs on commercial vans and self-driving cars announced in January. Global vehicles developed under that agreement will go on sale beginning in 2022.

As for the self-driving portion of the partnership, Volkswagen will join Ford in taking a $1 billion stake in Argo.AI, and will merge its Autonomous Intelligent Driving self-driving program into Argo. Argo is testing self-driving vehicles in five U.S. cities, including Miami, Detroit, and Washington, DC, in an effort to develop fully self-driving cars.

Union hack: British company offers electric classic Mini conversion

The Mini Cooper SE revealed last week and the planned electric Mini Rocketman city car represent a new push from the official owner of the Mini brand, BMW.

While neither of those models has arrived quite yet, the UK-based company electric bicycle company Swind has already started making a limited number of electric conversions of classic Minis for British customers.

The specs read like something of a cross between the Mini Cooper SE and the electric Rocketman: The classic Minis get a 24 kilowatt-hour battery (about 2/3 the size of the modern Cooper SE) that delivers a potentially similar 125 miles of electric range. An internal estimate from Mini pegged the upcoming Cooper SE at 114 miles on the EPA cycle.

It has 110-horsepower electric motor, which is significantly short of the Cooper SE's 181 horsepower, but in the smaller, lighter original Mini, the effect is only slightly slower acceleration of 0-60 mph in 9.2 seconds. Swind limits the top speed of the electric Mini to 80 mph, which is perhaps wise, since the chassis was never designed to go that fast with its original gas engine.

Classic Mini Cooper electric conversion by Swind
Classic Mini Cooper electric conversion by Swind
Classic Mini Cooper electric conversion by Swind

Swind installs the battery underneath the floor, which it says improves the classic Mini's balance. It's still nose-heavy, with 57 percent of its weight in the nose, versus 68 percent for the original. Taking out the gas tank even leaves 7 cubic-feet of trunk space.

The original Mini is even smaller than the Mini Rocketman concept, which was designed to be a city car to compete with the modern Smart. It's just over 120 inches feet long, 55 inches wide, and 53 inches tall. The tiny Rocketman is more than a foot longer and wider.

The updated cars will offer USB charge ports and heaters for the front seats, windshield and rear windows, and under-floor radiant heat. Buyers can opt to add a navigation system, power steering, air conditioning, and a full-length cloth sunroof in addition to performance upgrades and custom paint colors—but of course these conversions are lacking most modern safety features. Swind offers a one-year warranty.

The classic electric Mini conversion is the latest in a cottage industry of electric-car conversions in Britain, including Jaguar E-Types that the automaker has begun to sell, Porsche 911s, Aston Martins, and Morgan roadsters.

Swind started building the electric Minis in February and plans to make up to 100 of the Mini electric conversions in customers' choice of right- or left-hand drive.

The conversions cost 79,000 British pounds (almost $88,000). With new Mini Cooper SE prices expected to start around $30,000 before tax credits, you could buy three of them for about the price of a converted original.

Brake issue is pausing sales of popular Toyota hybrids overseas, not in US

A potential manufacturing fault relating to brake hardware has prompted Toyota to conduct an investigation that reaches around the globe.

The issue has led to a stop-sale in Australia and New Zealand, among other markets, and affects the hybrid versions of the Toyota RAV4, Camry, Prius, Corolla hatchback, Lexus ES300h, and Lexus UX250h.

Lexus UX 250h concept

While the issue does affect some U.S. models, according to Toyota Motor Sales, there's no such sales stop and all of the affected models continue to be delivered, Toyota Motor Sales confirmed to Green Car Reports.

In what the company called a “pre-delivery correction,” Toyota is holding specific lots of vehicles that may contain a potential manufacturing defect in a brake-system component that is not specific to hybrids and unrelated to Toyota’s hybrid system. The affected vehicles hadn’t yet been delivered but were already in distribution channels.

Toyota issued the following statement: “Toyota Australia has put a select number of vehicles on a temporary sales stop in order to conduct an investigation into those models. Toyota is similarly conducting an investigation of certain vehicles in various regions globally; the specific vehicles involved and details of the investigation varies by region. We are committed to the safety and security of our customers and will take any appropriate action following the conclusion of the investigation. As always, our goal is to provide a smooth flow of quality vehicles to meet customer demand.”

The company declined to comment further regarding the exact nature of the issue, the supplier, or the timeline.

VW holds battery suppliers tight amid anticipated shortages

Volkswagen is taking new measures to hold its battery suppliers close, as battery suppliers are reportedly still skeptical of whether consumers will buy electric cars in large numbers—and hesitant to make the large investments necessary.

So VW is partnering with battery suppliers to provide funding to build and expand battery factories.

Board member Stefan Sommer told Reuters, “We have not been able to build as many cars as we wanted to. Our supplier is not delivering the numbers that we need.”

“We have built up our own expertise, which we share with suppliers, which helps when we build a new plant. It gives us an early indication if there are teething problems,” he said.
If the company still doesn't find enough suppliers for all the batteries it needs, Sommer says it is prepared to build its own battery factories in China.

2020 Volkswagen ID Neo spy shots

The automaker is ground zero for a massive push into electric car production, and has plans to purchase $56 billion worth of batteries through 2028 on its way to building 22 million examples of up to 70 new electric models by 2028. That's far more ambitious—and represents a commitment to acquire far more batteries—than any other automaker in coming years.

The company has said that it will need 150 gigawatt-hours of battery supply in Europe by 2025 and another 150 gigawatt-hours in Asia, to say nothing of North America or the company's plans beyond 2025.

Yet a couple of supply hiccups have already interrupted the VW Group's electric-car plans. Last fall, a Belgian newspaper near the factory where VW's luxury division Audi builds the E-tron quattro, reported that production was delayed over a dispute with battery supplier LG Chem over pricing and supplies.

VW ID family

Then, in May, another battery supplier, Samsung, dramatically cut its supply agreement with VW over disagreements about timing. The dispute could interrupt plans for more than 200,000 electric VWs in Europe.

Volkswagen isn't the only automaker struggling to secure sufficient supplies of lithium-ion batteries for all the electric cars it plans to build. In May, Tesla's global supply manager for battery metals, Sarah Maryssael, told a conference of mining executives and Washington lawmakers that the company is preparing for global shortages of battery raw materials.

LG Chem looks for location for second US battery factory

With more automakers lining up to buy lots of batteries for electric cars, leading battery supplier LG Chem is planning to build a second battery factory in the U.S., according to a Reuters report citing three people familiar with the matter.

The company is considering sites in Kentucky and Tennessee among other locations.

LG Chem already operates a battery assembly facility in Holland, Michigan, which supplies batteries to GM for the Chevy Bolt EV. The new factory would supply Volvo, Fiat Chrysler, and potentially Hyundai and Volkswagen—plus additional batteries to GM.

LG already supplies batteries to Volkswagen in Europe and has been involved in disputes with the automaker over prices and supplies. Its Korean rival, SK Innovation, is building a new factory in Georgia to supply cells to Volkswagen, for locally produced MEB electric vehicles, and Mercedes-Benz, for its new EQC that is expected to go into production in Alabama next year.

SKI was sued by LG Chem in May, with LG alleging that SKI stole battery trade secrets by hiring several of its former employees, and seeking an injunction against SKI selling the batteries. The court has not yet ruled on the case.

Amid dramatic growth in electric-car production, automakers are starting to face supply shortages and price increases in EV batteries, and the U.S. has put raw materials for lithium batteries on the list of critical materials to develop more domestic production quickly.

Today, only one lithium mine is in operation in the U.S., in northern Nevada. Another has been granted exploratory permits in North Carolina.

On a trip to South Korea last month, President Trump applauded South Korean companies, including SKI, for investing in production in the U.S.

Tesla opens access to CHAdeMO chargers for Model 3 drivers

Tesla has been widely known for having the most convenient fast charging networks in the world of electric cars. It's been so successful that some have even referred to it as Tesla's “moat” against competition.

For Model 3 owners, however, who make up the bulk of Tesla drivers, it has been all they have access to.

This week, Tesla released a long-awaited adapter to allow Model 3 owners to plug their cars into CHAdeMO chargers on other networks, and Tesla fans—and especially Model 3 drivers—are celebrating.

Other charging networks have different business models, focusing on urban areas, for example, where most EV owners live, or on workplace charging. While Tesla Superchargers are widespread and focused on enabling owners to make long trips in their cars, they aren't always where some owners want them.

Some shopping malls, for example, may have EVgo, Blink, or ChargePoint chargers, but not Tesla Superchargers. New York state highway rest areas are contracted to install Greenlots chargers, but not all have Tesla Superchargers. Most of these other networks offer CHAdeMO as well as CCS Combo fast chargers.

Tesla Model 3 CHAdeMO adapter

While the CHAdeMO chargers aren't as fast as Tesla Superchargers, they can provide about 100 miles of charge to a Model 3 in a half hour. Chargers using the CHAdeMO standard, however, might never be able to charge as fast as some of the fastest chargers rolling out today, however, at up to 350 kilowatts, which use CCS Combo connectors.

Since most non-Tesla fast-charge stations now include cords for both CHAdeMO and CCS standards, having a CHAdeMO adapter will give Model 3 drivers access to most fast charging sites across the U.S.

Since Teslas were developed before most other automakers agreed on a standard for fast-charging, most Teslas use a unique, proprietary charge port. CHAdeMO is a standard developed earlier in Japan and shared by Nissan and Mitsubishi.

Since then, most U.S. and European automakers have agreed on the CCS Combo standard, and Model 3s sold in Europe come with a CCS charge port in place of the proprietary Tesla charge port.

The Tesla Model S and Model X, which use a different battery and on-board chargers, have long offered CHAdeMO adapters, but they don't work for the Model 3.

The new Model 3 CHAdeMO adapter is available on Tesla's website for $450.

No updates for Tesla Model S, Model X, says Musk

The Tesla Model S and Model X might never get the floating, center-mounted, horizontal instrument cluster from the newer Model 3, as had been widely reported based on patent and trademark drawings and insider reports.

On Monday night, Tesla CEO Elon Musk quashed the rumors on Twitter, his usual venue, in response to a question from a follower asking when to expect a refreshed Model X.

“There is no 'refreshed' Model X or Model S coming, only a series of minor ongoing changes,” Musk wrote.

In response to a followup question from the same user specifically about whether the Model X will get a new interior, Musk simply replied: “No.”

Tesla watchers had expected the company's higher-end cars to get the new interior, perhaps as a cost-saving measure for the company to commonize the interiors across all its models. The Model S and Model X have separate instrument clusters in front of the steering wheel that the Model 3 lacks, and have a vertical center touch screen, both of which require engineers to program separate display outputs for every new feature the company introduces.

2017 Tesla Model S

The Model S has been on the market for seven years, and the Model X for nearly four. Most other car companies replace popular models after five years and give them a significant update in year three. The announcement that they won't be updated has led some to wonder how long the company plans to keep building the Model S and Model X, especially as it struggles to find factory space to build new models such as the upcoming Model Y SUV, the second-generation Roadster, and the Tesla pickup.

Sales of the luxury models, which some investors have credited for still providing a large share of Tesla's profits, have dropped almost in half since production of the more affordable Model 3 has ramped up, but the company has maintained sales of about 60,000 of the two models a year, a healthy rate considering their luxury-car cost.

Toyota covers Prius Prime with solar panels to test mileage

While Toyota has been skeptical of electric cars, the carmaker is expressing optimism about technology that can supplement plugging in: solar.

Along with its battery partners NIDO and Sharp, Toyota is experimenting with a new Prius Prime in Japan (called the Prius PHV there), equipped with 860 watts of solar panels on the roof, hood, and rear hatch.

The car uses photovoltaic solar cells from Sharp that Toyota says are 34 percent efficient “plus.” Altogether, the company says that on an ideal sunny day, the solar panels could give the Prius PHV up to 27.6 miles of electric power per day.

That's a big jump from the current solar roof that Toyota offers on the Prius PHV in Japan, which delivers 180 watts of power from panels that are 23 percent efficient and maxes out at about 3.8 miles a day. It can only charge the batteries while the car is parked, while the test array will charge even while the car is driving.

The Prius PHV still uses its 9-kilowatt-hour battery which can be charged from the wall to deliver another roughly 25 miles of electric driving a day.

Sono Sion solar assisted electric car

The car follows in the mode of two other solar-assisted plug in hybrids being developed by startup companies in Europe: The Sono Sion, which the company claims will have up to 21 miles of solar range per day, is scheduled to go into production at the former Saab factory in Sweden late next year. The Lightyear One, born out of an effort to compete in the World Solar Challenge, is a Dutch startup effort aiming for limited production in 2021 that will also use onboard solar panels to boost its electric range.

The Toyota project is sponsored by the Japanese New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization, and Toyota plans to begin testing it on roads in Japan this month to gather data on efficiency and driving range. There are currently no production plans for the car.

Analysis finds hybrids make better use of scarce batteries than pure EVs

In the face of growing shortages of batteries and battery materials for electric cars, one respected analytics firm says those batteries would do more good for the environment put to use in more hybrid vehicles rather than fewer all-electric cars.

Per kilowatt-hour of battery capacity produced and installed in plug-in vehicles, hybrids deliver 14 times the benefit in emissions reductions that pure electric cars do, according to British analytics firm Emissions Analytics.

In European terms, the company measures the grams of carbon-dioxide saved per kilometer of driving, per kilowatt-hour of battery installed in the car.

The company considered 153 cars, including 59 conventional full hybrids, 7 mild hybrids, and 57 plug-in hybrids, and compared them to a theoretical electric car with a 60-kwh battery pack. It included vehicles in Europe and in the U.S., and showed even bigger benefits to drive on electricity in the U.S. than in Europe because gas cars in the U.S. are relatively less efficient than those in Europe.

The average mild hybrid across Europe and the U.S., with a battery pack of 400 watt-hours, saved almost 30 grams per kilometer of CO2 emissions, or about 74 g/km per kilowatt-hour of battery.

Full hybrids cut more CO2 emissions, but also had much bigger batteries averaging 1.3 kwh. Each kilowatt-hour of batteries installed accounted for a reduction of only about 51 grams per kilometer.

The metric is key in an era of scarce materials.

Emissions Analytics g/km/kwh chart

One of the biggest criticisms of plug-in hybrids is that they carry around a lot of extra weight (and use a lot of unnecessary materials in manufacturing) to include a gas engine and fuel tank that are seldom used.

The same argument can apply to the large batteries in long-range electric cars. The cars aren't driven any differently. On average, cars still get driven less than 30 miles a day. Allow some extra battery capacity for driving in cold weather, running the heater, and having some buffer left when a driver gets home, and they still normally use less than 30 or 40 kilowatt-hours a day. Yet many of today's electric cars have batteries twice that size or bigger to accommodate occasional trips.

Any bigger battery than that adds extra weight and accounts for extra material consumption that rarely gets used. Since manufacturers have been building internal combustion engines for more than 100 years, there's no shortage of supplies to make them. But there are increasing reports of shortages in the materials needed to make large lithium-ion batteries for cars.

The Emissions Analytics report shows that plug-in hybrids that rely mostly on batteries in their daily driving cycle—the Chevrolet Volt, for instance—saved the same amount of CO2 emissions as fully electric cars in their tests: 210 grams per kilometer. But they required much smaller batteries, just over one-sixth the size.

2018 Chevrolet Volt

The report comes just as several automakers, such as General Motors, Volkswagen, and BMW are reducing or eliminating their efforts to build plug-in hybrids and replacing them with more long-range battery-electric cars to compete with Tesla.

Given the urgency of the need to reduce CO2, to combat global warming, the report says, “paradoxically BEVs may not be the best way to achieve it. A major concern is that the push to pure battery electric vehicles (BEVs) will crowd out a more effective program of mass hybridization.”

BMW isn’t finished with internal combustion engines yet

Many automakers now see electric vehicles as the long-range future of the passenger vehicle.

What may actually say more though, in the language of corporate nuance, is that few companies have gone so far as to solidly declare that the end is nigh for internal combustion engines.

Among the examples that have been so bold: Volvo won’t develop a new generation of engines after its present one; and Volkswagen will develop its last generation of internal-combustion tech in 2026. Both brands might of course keep building the engines for a decade or more after freezing development.

Don’t count BMW in that group. BMW plans to keep investing in the engineering and development of internal combustion engines for a long time—with diesel engines expected to be part of the automaker’s global product line for at least 20 years and gasoline engines for at least 30 years.

2019 BMW M2 Competition

That reality check, from remarks made by Klaus Fröhlich, the company’s BMW Group board member in charge of development, to Automotive News, stands as a sharp reality check to what was otherwise the news from BMW’s NextGen event in Munich earlier this week: electricfication.
The event this week brought a series of sweeping electric-vehicle announcements that included a stepped-up plan to electrify its lineup and bring 25 new plug-in models by 2023.

BMW Concept iX3

Fröhlich, who called the shift to electrification “overhyped” and pointed to issues with battery raw materials, noted that even with the most optimistic assumption of electric vehicle adoption, at least 80 percent of its vehicles would still have an internal-combustion engine in 2025.

Beyond then, even, the lack of a charging infrastructure may slow the adoption of fully electric vehicles in Russia, the Middle East, and even Western China, Froelich said.

The continued development of IC engines by BMW runs counter to what many inside the industry have predicted. In 2017, for instance, Wolfgang Schaefer, the CFO of the supplier Continental, predicted that investment and engineering for engines would taper off between 2023 and 2025.

That said, there will be casualties as engine lineups get trimmed down. Some of BMW’s specialty diesel engines won’t be replaced. BMW’s gasoline V-12 used in Rolls-Royce products might not be around much longer either. And BMW is currently putting together a case to save something Americans hold near and dear: the V-8.