Electric vehicles – Page 9303 – I wish I had more to offer

Nissan uses bidirectional charging tech to to power North American facilities

Bidirectional charging technology (vehicle-to-grid or vehicle-to-building) has the potential to help reduce utility costs by using EV batteries to store energy and release it at times of peak consumption. Now Nissan, in partnership with with Fermata Energy, a vehicle-to-grid systems company, has launched a pilot program that uses LEAFs equipped with bidirectional charging capability to… Continue reading Nissan uses bidirectional charging tech to to power North American facilities

Here’s why Kia Soul EV and Kia Niro EV both get big 64-kwh battery packs

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2020 Kia Soul EV
One key specification in the 2020 Kia Soul EV that was revealed at the LA Auto Show this week was a bit unexpected: its inclusion of a large, 64-kwh battery pack.

That leaves two vehicles—the Soul EV and the 2019 Kia Niro EV—with the same big battery. And both will be arriving at U.S. dealerships in the first quarter of 2019.

Based on earlier hints, we expected Kia to fit the more city-focused, lease-oriented Soul EV with the company’s 39-kwh pack. So we asked Kia why it decided to go big on battery for both of these high-utility hatchbacks.

Simply put, according to Kia, it’s what existing Soul EV drivers want. And the Soul EV and Niro EV don’t really compete with each other.

DON’T MISS: 2019 Kia Niro EV rated at 239 miles, on sale soon

“The plan all along was to maximize range, because that’s what our customers want,” said Steve Kosowski, the manager of long-range strategy and planning at Kia Motors America.

2020 Kia Soul EV

When, in late 2015, the company surveyed its customers about what range they wanted in a next vehicle, they were a bit surprised about how high the range they wanted was. “The median range was 208 miles,” said Kosowski. “So from this we learned that 200 miles is sort of a magical number.

CHECK OUT: 2020 Kia Soul EV has more punch, faster charging, and a lot more battery

The 39-kwh pack couldn’t meet that, so it was ruled out at that point in the development process. “It was very telling, we got a lot of very valuable information from that survey,” said Kosowski. “One of the engineers asked, why do you want to carry all this weight around if you only use a portion of the battery most of the time; but I think the industry has shown, and consumers have shown, that 200 is the new floor.”

That happens to be quite close to what Honda describes as the process in deciding why it didn’t need significantly more range in its Clarity Electric, versus its former Fit EV (by surveying owners). Honda settled on just 25.5 kwh and an EPA-rated 89 miles of range. So apparently not everyone agrees.

READ MORE: 2019 Kia Soul EV drops most affordable trim

Kia says that, despite the similarities, very few if any shoppers will consider both the Soul EV and the Niro EV. Soul EV customers want the car to be more vibrant and youthful—thus the brighter color palette—with the capability to take along a bike, surfboard, or dogs, Kosowski said, while Niro EV buyers are more understated and more likely to have kids.

2019 Kia Niro EV

The Niro is the flagship eco-car for Kia, so it will be the somewhat higher-priced, more premium offering in the lineup than the Soul EV.

At a current estimated cost, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists, of more than $200 per kilowatt-hour, including manufacturing costs and ancillary pieces like the pack case and cooling system, the 64-kwh battery pack could cost several thousand dollars more than the 39-kwh one, even when considering the economies of scale. But if more existing owners re-up for the new model because of it, and Kia is able to sell more Soul EVs rather than unload them via lease deals, the range bump may pay off handsomely.

ChargePoint CEO On Tesla Superchargers & The Future Of EV Charging

CHARGEPOINT CEO TALKS ABOUT TESLA SUPERCHARGERS AND THE FUTURE OF EV CHARGING [VIDEO] ChargePoint is one of the world’s largest EV charging networks, with over 57,000 public chargers in several countries. The company’s CEO, Pasquale Romano, has been involved with public charging since the days when only a handful of people knew such a thing… Continue reading ChargePoint CEO On Tesla Superchargers & The Future Of EV Charging

Volkswagen Group China, JAC and SEAT sign new deal, driving forward e-mobility in China

SEAT today signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Volkswagen Group China and Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Group Corp., Ltd (JAC). The agreement was signed by the Chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG Dr. Herbert Diess, JAC President An Jin and SEAT President Luca de Meo, in the presence of Chinese President Xi Jingping… Continue reading Volkswagen Group China, JAC and SEAT sign new deal, driving forward e-mobility in China

CMBlu and Schaeffler Cooperate in the Development and Industrialization of Organic Redox Flow Batteries as Large-scale Energy Storage Systems

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Top Automotive Industry News for Week of October 22 – October 28, 2018

Here is the most important news associated with the automotive industry
identified by the AEA for the week October 22, 2018 – October 28, 2018.

We hope it helps you stay up to speed on the key developments in our
industry:

-Automotive Manufacturing News-

Consumer Reports: Tesla's reliability tumbles to near the bottom in
latest survey

(USA Today)

Dyson vacuum cleaner company to build electric vehicle factory in
Singapore

(USA Today)

Eight Essential Questions For GM’s Mary Barra

(Forbes)

Feds defend voluntary robot car regulations

(The Detroit News)

Fiat Chrysler's Manley makes mark with $7B deal to sell Magneti Marelli

(Detroit Free Press)

Ford CEO says restructuring is 'a massive undertaking' that must be
'very thoughtfully orchestrated'

(CNBC)

Ford hires new China chief to tackle daunting turnaround task

(Reuters)

Ford seeks to allay dealers’ worries with ‘comeback story

(The Detroit News)

Ford shares jump after strong truck sales help third-quarter results
beat expectations

(CNBC)

Ford talks with VW to help reverse losses overseas

(The Detroit News)

GM Calls For National Electric Vehicle Policy, Says EVs Should Be 25%
Of All New Cars By 2030

(Forbes)

GM earnings: No. 1 U.S. auto maker needs to show it has a strategy to
boost ailing share price

(MarketWatch)

Here Are The Most- And Least-Reliable Rides On The Road For 2019

(Forbes)

Hyundai Motor posts big profit miss on U.S. recalls; shares dive

(Reuters)

Losing Money, Ford Shakes Up Struggling Chinese Operations, Appoints
New CEO

(The Detroit Bureau)

Report: FBI conducting criminal investigation into Tesla

(The Detroit News)

Smart brand might be doomed

(autoblog)

Tesla's Elon Musk made four big assertions — with asterisks

(LA Times)

Tesla Makes Good On Elon Musk’s Promise As Model 3 Drives $312 Million
Profit

(CNBC)

Tesla says has not received subpoena on Model 3 production

(Reuters)

The giant trucks Chevy, Ford, Ram really want to sell

(Detroit Free Press)

Which new technologies make vehicles unreliable?

(Detroit Free Press)

-Automotive Evolution News-

18 Automotive Startups and Their Chances of Survival

(Car and Driver)

Apple Files Patent Linked to AV Driving

(The Detroit Bureau)

Driverless Cars May Increase Cases Of Motion Sickness

(Forbes)

How Jaguar Land Rover Is Getting Ready For The 4th Industrial
Revolution: AI and Autonomous Cars

(Forbes)

GM’s multibillion-dollar driverless car gamble hits some bumps

(autoblog)

Tesla 'obviously' plans to take on Uber and Lyft, says CEO Elon Musk

(CNBC)

Waymo is testing what it should charge for its robotaxi service

(TechCrunch)

-Automotive Retail News-

Auto classified industry veterans roll out new dealer advertising
platform

(Auto Remarketing)

DAS Releases Dealer Social Media Study

(Auto Dealer Monthly)

Edmunds: Used-car sales this month look a lot like September's

(Auto Remarketing)

New Vehicle Sales Expected to Cool in October

(The Detroit Bureau)

Survey: Many Dealers Unaware of NCFC Tax Concerns

(Auto Dealer Monthly)

-Automotive Wholesale News-

Typical October wholesale price movements take hold

(Auto Remarketing)

Used Values Returning to Normal Levels

(Vehicle Remarketing)

-Automotive Enthusiast News-

30 fun and useful car gifts auto enthusiasts will love — according to a
car collector

(Business Insider)

-Automotive Servicing News-

AAA: Enhanced Safety Enhances Repair Costs

(Auto Dealer Monthly)

BMW expands recall to 1.6 million vehicles worldwide over fire risk

(USA Today)

Ford recalls 1.5 million Ford Focus cars that could stall with fuel
tank problem

(USA Today)

Mitsubishi, Dealer-FX launch digital service platform for dealers

(Auto Remarketing)

-General Business & Executive News-

Cox: Mobility Will Reduce Dealership Count

(Auto Dealer Monthly)

Rate hikes are already squeezing these businesses

(CNN)

TIME And Ally Financial Honor Auto Dealers

(PR Newswire)

-AEA Reminder-

Did we miss something? Let us know via our

. If you have specific important news going public soon that you would like
to share with your fellow AEA Members, submit your

PR Distribution Request >>

Have a great week,

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memberservices@automotiveexecutives.com

Automotive Executives Association

www.automotiveexecutives.com

Connected, flexible, autonomous: BMW Group expands use of innovative technologies in production logistics

Munich. The BMW Group is increasingly relying on innovations from the fields of digitalisation and Industry 4.0 in production logistics. This will ensure the company’s global production network continues to receive the parts it needs in a timely and reliable manner in the future. The focus is on applications such as logistics robots, autonomous transport… Continue reading Connected, flexible, autonomous: BMW Group expands use of innovative technologies in production logistics

Tesco plans free car charging points

Free charging for electric cars will be available for customers at some Tesco stores from next year. Tesco, in partnership with Volkswagen, is planning to install almost 2,500 charging bays at 627 stores by 2020. A standard 7kW charger will be available for free, but drivers will have to pay for a faster service. Customers… Continue reading Tesco plans free car charging points

Via Launches New Rideshare Service in Auckland

Published November 6, 2018 5:10 pm, Via NYC
Via Launches New Rideshare Service in Auckland
Via, in partnership with Auckland Transport and Go Bus, has launched AT Local, an innovative rideshare service providing first-and-last mile connectivity in Devonport.

Three electric vans and three electric cars will be dynamically routed around the Devonport peninsula, transporting passengers to-and-from the local Devonport, Bayswater and Stanley Bay ferry terminals. AT Local aims to make the first-and-last leg of public transport journey easier, giving the people of Devonport even more options to connect to and use local ferry services.

“We are thrilled to partner with Auckland Transport to launch the first ever 100 percent electric on-demand shared transportation service in New Zealand. Via’s technology integrates with local public transport making it possible for residents to conveniently get around without a private car,” said Daniel Ramot, Via CEO and co-founder. “App-based mobility services provide consumers with reduced wait times, shorter trip durations, and a more comfortable ride experience, all with the enhanced benefit of reducing congestion-causing single-occupancy vehicle trips. I firmly believe this service will thrive in Devonport and can be rolled out to other parts of Auckland.”

For more information on Via’s partnership with Auckland Transport and Go Bus, visit:

https://ourauckland.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/articles/news/2018/11/new-rideshare-service-in-devonport/

Quantum XYZ to Use SureFly Hybrid Electric Octocopters in Quest to be First Electric Air Taxi Service in Los Angeles

SureFly Personal Electric Octocopter designed for ease of operation and safety CINCINNATI, Nov. 29, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — Workhorse Group Inc. (NASDAQ:WKHS), an American technology company providing sustainable and cost-effective transportation solutions, announced today that Quantum XYZ Incorporated, a Los Angeles-based Urban VTOL air carrier service, has placed a pre-order for Workhorse SureFly Personal Electric Octocopters… Continue reading Quantum XYZ to Use SureFly Hybrid Electric Octocopters in Quest to be First Electric Air Taxi Service in Los Angeles