Hyundai Ioniq 6 price cut, Chevy Bolt EV fix, Equinox EV at $35k and 300 miles, The Week in Reverse

Which automaker accelerated EV battery plans this week, and which one slowed them?

Which world firm backed off on plans so as to add U.S. EVs attributable to collision restore prices?

That is our look again on the Week In Reverse—proper right here at Inexperienced Automobile Experiences—for the week ending November 3, 2023.

GM lately introduced a Chevrolet Equinox EV delay of “just some months,” and on Monday it confirmed the brand new timeline—in addition to a repositioning of the product. The bottom worth of round $30,000 is gone, however so is the smaller battery pack. The Equinox EV will begin at $34,995 in a mannequin providing about 300 miles of vary and arriving later in 2024—mannequin 12 months but to be introduced—whereas the launch 2024 Chevy Equinox EV arriving earlier in 2024 will begin at $48,995 in front-wheel-drive type, with an anticipated 319-mile EPA score. All variations qualify for the $7,500 EV tax credit score.

2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV

Ford has delayed one of its two EV battery plants to be positioned in Kentucky, citing lower-than-expected EV demand. Whereas the announcement doesn’t have an effect on the primary plant, attributable to begin making cells in 2025, or a battery plant at Blue Oval Metropolis in Tennessee, it means that Ford could also be reeling again targets on some EVs—together with, doubtlessly, its upcoming Venture T3 truck supposed for “extremely excessive quantity.”

Toyota gave a powerful indication on Tuesday that it plans to ramp up U.S. plug-in hybrid manufacturing—if not EV manufacturing itself—with $8 billion of new battery production investment in North Carolina. That brings the whole deliberate funding within the facility, which is because of focus initially on hybrid batteries, to $13.9 billion. 

Ford Mustang Mach-E at Tesla Supercharger

With the addition of Francis Power, Blink, and Pink E, Ford has expanded its Blue Oval Charging Network by 25%, to a complete of 106,000 chargers which are accessible by means of a unified interface that aggregates connectors on a variety of networks. It additionally confirmed that Tesla Supercharger V4 {hardware} will probably be added to the interface—timing nonetheless TBA.

Nissan is bullish by itself all-solid-state battery (ASSB) cells. It nonetheless sees the know-how as being a possible game-changer for making large electrical SUVs, pickups, and extra viable—maybe beginning round 2028. And if all goes as deliberate, its solid-state EV batteries won’t need cooling. 

Nissan Hyper Tourer idea

Hyundai is enjoying hardball with Tesla on worth cuts. Late final week it revealed a giant 2024 Hyundai Ioniq 6 price cut—of as much as $4,100. The deepest reductions apply to the bottom SE Customary Vary, now $38,615, whereas the 361-mile long-range SE begins at $43,565, representing a $3,050 worth lower.

The 2020-2022 Chevy Bolt EV battery recall has developed, and homeowners now face a brand new selection as a part of a class-action lawsuit settlement and GM’s battery recall effort affecting these automobiles. In the event that they set up diagnostic software program briefly limiting their automotive to 80% of the unique battery capability (and vary), they will get a $1,400 fee up entrance and would possibly nonetheless get a brand new battery pack if it’s faulty. 

Tesla at Hertz

Hertz hasn’t but taken supply of the 100,000 Tesla autos it introduced two years in the past—or the huge orders of GM or Polestar EVs it made as a part of a plan to impress its rental fleet. That’s due to high EV collision repair costs, the corporate mentioned. Tesla’s worth swings haven’t helped both. 

BMW is within the midst of a shift to its sixth-generation battery and propulsion tech—shifting to longer cylindrical batteries and a brand new chemistry of its personal—and with it the German automaker is claiming Tesla will no longer have the lead in vary or battery tech. 

In 2025, Subaru will begin adopting the Tesla NACS charge port for its American-market electrical autos. Additional, Subaru EVs will get Supercharger entry that very same 12 months with the supply of a CCS adapter for present fashions just like the Solterra, the corporate confirmed Wednesday. 

2025 Polestar 4

A life-cycle evaluation launched by Polestar means that the model’s Polestar 4 has a lower carbon footprint than its Polestar 2 hatchback. That counters standard steerage suggesting that SUVs have an even bigger footprint, and it suggests some large positive aspects in China-based inexperienced manufacturing and the effectivity of this upcoming EV.

In California, EV sales continue to rise in keeping with the newest report from the state’s sellers. EVs represented 22.3% of auto gross sales within the Golden State in Q3, larger than the earlier quarter and flying within the face of doomsday remarks from executives suggesting dwindling demand.

Massachusetts-based Factorial Power introduced final week the opening of a facility it claims would be the largest solid-state battery plant within the U.S. With help from Mercedes-Benz and Stellantis, amongst others, Factorial is pushing forward with check cells that would carry a 50% power density increase (and vary increase) to EVs. 

China’s Chery has revealed an EV idea impressed by tuna, for which it claims to have the world’s best aerodynamic efficiency—with a coefficient of drag of simply 0.168. 

Chery EV idea claiming 0.168 Cd (Weibo screencap)

And do electrical automobiles must have 4 wheels? The Shane EV concept, revealed lately by the creator of the Hoverboard, questions that—doubtlessly packing cabin area for 5 right into a automotive pushed by two in-wheel motors, large side-by-side wheels, and a system that balances and shifts its heart of gravity as wanted. The automotive can doubtlessly pivot way more simply than something on 4 wheels, and regenerative damping may improve effectivity.

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