25 May 2022 | Modified Nissan Ariya To Drive From North To South Pole

May 25, 2022, 01:30 PM

➤2022 report rates the US on EV readiness
➤Polestar invests in extreme fast charging battery company StoreDot
➤Vancouver Requires Gas Stations & Parking Lots Without EV Chargers To Pay $10,000 Per Year
➤Modified Nissan Ariya To Drive From North To South Pole In 2023
➤VW CEO Follows GM's Lead, Reiterating Goal To Overtake Tesla By 2025
➤Tesla Research Partner Publishes Details About 100-Year Battery
➤Swiss E-Bike Startup OPIUM To Launch Two Long-Range E-Bikes Soon
➤Stellantis and Samsung SDI to Invest Over $2.5 Billion in Joint Venture for EV Battery Production Plant in United States
➤Audi launches pre-sales of the Q4 e-tron in China

Show #1478

Good morning, good afternoon and good evening wherever you are in the world, welcome to EV News Daily, your trusted source of EV information. It’s Wednesday 25th May, and in case you missed it, Martyn is off on his holidays. I’m Blake Boland, and I’ve gone through every EV story today so that you don’t have to!

First up, let’s look at our headline story for the day.

Modified Nissan Ariya To Drive From North To South Pole In 2023

- British adventurer and Guinness World Record holder Chris Ramsey will become the first person in automotive history to drive Pole to Pole in an all electric vehicle in a bid to raise awareness of the climate crisis and the role that electric cars can play in reducing our carbon footprint.

- This will be the first time that any vehicle has driven from the Magnetic North Pole to the South Pole, and Ramsey believes it is the ideal way to highlight just what electric vehicles are capable of – even in the most extreme climates.

- After nearly four years of planning, the Pole to Pole Expedition is scheduled to start in March 2023, covering 17,000 miles across 14 countries as the team make their way from the Magnetic North to the finish line at the South Pole.

- In preparation for the brutal Arctic and Antarctic conditions, Ramsey’s expedition Nissan Ariya e-4ORCE will be modified and equipped by Arctic Trucks, a renowned specialist in polar vehicles. They will also provide logistical support and expertise to help plan a safe and accessible route through the most remote and hostile environments on Earth.




2022 report rates the US on EV readiness

- The transportation sector accounts for approximately 30% of carbon dioxide emissions in the US alone. As the United States and the rest of the world for that matter, continue to lean into the paradigm shift of BEV transportation, more and more countries, states, and their consumers must prepare. A new 2022 report from LeasePlan USA has measured a number of data factors and scored an EV readiness index for all of the US.

- The index was based upon five factors:
  • Favorable state legislation and incentives
  • Percentage of EVs on the road
  • Charger to vehicle ratio
  • Charger availability
  • Climate suitability for EVs 



Polestar invests in extreme fast charging battery company StoreDot

-Polestar makes first financial investment in another company; becomes shareholder in Israel-based extreme fast charging pioneer StoreDot

- StoreDot is pioneering the development of silicon-dominant extreme fast charging batteries for electric vehicles. The Israel-based company aims to produce batteries for EVs capable of charging up to 160 km of range in just five minutes, by 2024.

- As part of the strategic deal, Polestar is collaborating with StoreDot to explore adapting and applying their technology to proof-of-concept Polestar cars. Test cases already being  explored include customising StoreDot’s cell technology for Polestar cars, to enable faster charging and improved circularity.

- The new funding comes as part of StoreDot’s Series D investment round. Polestar is joining an impressive list of the company’s global investors and partners, including Daimler, BP, VinFast, Volvo, Ola Electric, Samsung, TDK and EVE Energy.



Vancouver Requires Gas Stations & Parking Lots Without EV Chargers To Pay $10,000 Per Year

- The Vancouver city council has approved a new $10,000 annual fee for gas stations and commercial parking lots that don’t install EV chargers by January 2025.

- In order to comply with the new rule, gas stations will have to install at least one DC fast charger with a minimum charging speed of 50kW. Parking lots will need to install four Level 2 chargers in order to meet the guidelines. Lots with fewer than 60 parking spaces will be exempt from the new fees.

- In a report to the city council, the city staff said, “There would be an incentive to invest in EV charging to avoid the higher annual license fees.” That report estimated it would take gas station and parking lot owners about 8 years to recoup their investment in EV charging equipment. Business owners cited lack of space, lack of available electricity supply, and limited demand for EV chargers as concerns.

- According to a city staff report supporting the initiative, it will cost about $135,000 for a gas station to install a DC fast charger. The report also estimates it will cost an average of $100,000 to install four Level 2 EV chargers. Once they are in compliance, the normal yearly business license fee will remain at $163 for parking lots and $263 for gas stations.




VW CEO Follows GM's Lead, Reiterating Goal To Overtake Tesla By 2025

- CNBC asked Diess why Tesla is so highly valued. More specifically, why are investors so willing to pay a massive premium for Tesla over other automakers. Diess explained that markets are "always about the future.” He added:

“Tesla currently is in the lead when it comes to EVs, probably also it is the most digital car company already and they have some advantages. We are still aiming at keeping up and probably overtaking by 2025 when it comes to sales.”



Tesla Research Partner Publishes Details About 100-Year Battery

- If you follow Tesla, you're probably aware of Jeff Dahn and his team of researchers at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada. Dahn is the man responsible for the talk about a "million-mile" EV battery, which sounds fascinating, though perhaps not that out of reach. However, more recently, the team with ties to Tesla published a new paper about an energy-dense EV battery that could last 100 years.

- Abstract or paper: ‘’NMC cells, particularly those balanced and charged to 3.8 V, show better coulombic efficiency, less capacity fade and higher energy density compared to LFP cells and are projected to yield lifetimes approaching a century at 25 °C.’’




Swiss E-Bike Startup OPIUM To Launch Two Long-Range E-Bikes Soon

- Swiss e-bike startup OPIUM is capitalizing on these technological advancements, and is set to release two new long-range electric bicycles this summer. Dubbed the 6.0 and 4.0, both e-bikes will have an impressive range of 340 kilometers, or around 211 miles.

- The e-bikes are expected to be open for pre-order this summer, with deliveries expected to commence come 2023. As for battery tech, both the 6.0 and 4.0 will come with a 1,670 Wh battery. The buyer will have the option to purchase a 470 Wh extender, which will be necessary in order to achieve the claimed 211-mile range. As for power, it's stronger than most off-the-shelf e-bikes, too, with an 850W brushless electric motor as standard. 

- To help riders keep tabs of their journeys, the OPIUM's e-bikes will come equipped with a digital display that shows trip data, route information, and other pertinent info such as battery charge.



Stellantis and Samsung SDI to Invest Over $2.5 Billion in Joint Venture for EV Battery Production Plant in United States

- Joint venture to build electric-vehicle battery plant in Kokomo, Indiana, U.S. to support Stellantis' North America electrification ambitions outlined in Dare Forward 2030 strategic plan.

- Targeted to start in 2025, the plant aims to have an initial annual production capacity of 23 gigawatt-hours (GWh), with an aim to increase to 33 GWh in the next few years. The total capacity would increase further as demand for Stellantis electric vehicles is expected to rise.

- At the Indiana factory, Samsung SDI will be apply its cutting-edge technology PRiMX to produce EV battery cells and modules for the North America market. Last year, Samsung launched its premium battery technology brand PRiMX as an industry first and unveiled the brand at CES 2022 in January.


Audi launches pre-sales of the Q4 e-tron in China

- The electric SUV, based on the Volkswagen Group’s MEB platform, will be offered in China at prices between 300,000 and 380,000 yuan (the equivalent of around 42,000 to 53,000 euros). Audi is also offering a special model limited to 520 for the market launch.

- The Ingolstadt company will only offer the Q4 in China in the Q4 40 e-tron and Q4 50 e-tron quattro variants. The 40 e-tron is powered by an electric motor in the rear with an output of 150 kW. The 50 e-tron quattro is a four-wheel drive with a maximum output of 220 kW. The top speed is also 160 km/h, just like in this country.
- However, there is a difference with the battery. In Europe, the chemical storage unit has a usable energy content of 76.6 kWh. For the Chinese market, on the other hand, it has a capacity of 79.7 kWh, which, according to Chinese standards, should allow a range of up to 605 kilometres. The battery cells with the NCM 811 chemistry come from CATL. There are also differences in the charging time from 5 to 80 per cent: the Q4 40 e-tron takes 29 minutes and the Q4 50 e-tron quattro 36 minutes for the European versions. In China, however, both variants need a full 41 minutes for the charging process.


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