Discounts on Tesla, Lightyear 2, Ioniq 5 crab ride, Ram EV and charging robot: Reverse week
Which automaker’s range-extending EV is once again unlikely to appear in the United States?
Do heated seat belts really increase EV range?
Here’s our look back at the Reversal Week—right here at the Green Car Report—for the week ending January 13, 2023.
Just days after reporting some disappointing delivery figures, which showed demand was falling, Tesla cuts prices on all its models by thousands. The effect is most pronounced on the Model Y, which currently qualifies for a $7,500 EV tax credit and is actually $20,000 cheaper than it was yesterday morning.
Robotic Inductive Ram Charger for Future Ram EV
Stellantis Ram brand is planning an electric truck that extends the range, is not a plug-in hybrid, the company confirmed last week with the launch of a concept version of the battery-powered Ram EV. Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares also confirmed that the company is looking at hydrogen fuel cell technology for pickups and heavy-duty trucks in North America. Tavares tells Green Car Reports that ranged Ram EV is part of the demand “run faster than specified.”
We also took a closer look at Ram EV . induction charging robot exhibited last week at CES with the introduction of the electric truck concept. The Ram charger, confirmed to be in production but still in development, could make things easier for owners with multiple electric vehicles in their garage.
Mercedes-Benz electric vehicle charging network
Mercedes-Benz aims to have its own EV charging network later in the decade, with an initial focus on North America. Its goal is to have 400 locations in the US, with 2,500 350 kW connectors installed by 2027—mostly along highways and near Mercedes amenities and dealerships. And in what could be another sign that electric vehicles are becoming mainstream, Mercedes-Benz is said to have set give up its EQ badge for electric vehicles started in less than two years. There’s no word yet on whether this means they also plan to phase out the EQ sub-brand, the brand that was originally tasked with the overarching vision of bringing electric vehicles into mobility, charging, etc
Mercedes-Benz Vision EXX has run 1008 km
Lightyear has opened a waiting list for Lightyear 2 solar car worth $40,000 due in 2025, with the US as one of the first markets. The company uses an in-wheel motor in the Lightyear 0 and claims it has the most efficient production EV powertrain yet.
Mazda earlier this week revealed pricing for the MX-30 EV for the 2023 model year, but it essentially confirmed that MX-30 extends delayed or canceled shooting range for the United States — even leading to its published disclosure.
Vinfast Vietnam at CES reveals the first few steps specs for the VF 6 and its smaller VF 7 model, due to pre-order in March. It also confirmed that it has delivered the first VF 8 electric SUVs to customers in the US.
Hyundai Ioniq 5 with electronic corner modules
Also last week at CES, Hyundai’s Mobis mobile technology division showed off the next step for its electronic corner hardware—allowing Hyundai Ioniq 5 goes to the corner, rotate or pop a coin. While seeing it in the Ioniq 5 is an awe-inspiring thing, for now the company claims it’s for a purpose-built vehicle of future mobility services.
Supplier ZF has announced a heated seat belt. Why now? It has perfected a weaving process for bulk production, and it costs about the same as heated seats or a heated steering wheel. The timing is also right for electric vehicles, which can regain up to 15% of driving range by reducing the thermal load on the cabin.
ZF Heat Belt – heated seat belt for electric vehicles
Goodyear has shown fuel economy Tires made of 90% sustainable materials. Low rolling resistance rubber can save gas or increase EV range, and it uses 12 different tire components that are sourced sustainably or with minimal environmental impact.
Thanks to an agreement with battery supplier CATL, Chinese startup Neta Auto is able to build world’s first to use cell-to-chassis technology in an electric vehicle — something Tesla introduced on Battery Day 2020 but has yet to deliver.
Keeping up with the expected US EV adoption will require eight times the charger by 2030, according to a new study by S&P Global Mobility. Even taking into account home charging, we will need to quadruple public charging between 2022 and 2025.
GM and Ford are among the companies that have signed on to a pilot project to use EV groups as virtual power plants To keep the grid running smoothly, reducing the need to use so-called “peak” power plants often adds significantly to pollution problems.
Ford F-150 Lightning 2023
And sometimes the outlook sounds quite different with another view of the same data. According to the US Department of Energy, EV battery costs have continued to fall into 2022—by looking at the 2022 dollar constant (inflation included) and based on the usable energy in the battery packs.
_______________________________________
