LEAF e-Plus will go further but consumes slightly more energy

When unveiling the LEAF e+ (e-Plus), Nissan said that the expected EPA range will be up to 226 miles (364 km) and here we have confirmation from the EPA.

Depending on selected trim (base S) or upper (SV/SL) the LEAF e+ with a 62 kWh battery will go:

• S: 226 miles (364 km) – up 76 miles (122 km) or 51% to LEAF
  
• SV/SL: 215 miles (346 km) – up 65 miles (105 km) or 43% to LEAF

The difference of 11 miles (18 km), hinted at in January, is a result of higher weight due to additional on-board equipment in the SV/SL trims.

As you can see, energy consumption of the LEAF e+ is higher than the standard LEAF (40 kWh) as again the weight took its toll (62 kWh battery is slightly heavier than 40 kWh).

• LEAF (40 kWh): 30 kWh/100 mi (18.7 kWh/100 km)
• LEAF e+ S (62 kWh): 31 kWh/100 mi (19,4 kWh/100 km) – up 3.7% to LEAF
• LEAF e+ SV/SL (62 kWh): 32 kWh/100 mi (20,1 kWh/100 km) – up 7.5% to LEAF

* the estimations for LEAF (40 kWh) don’t include differences in S/SV/SL trims.

Nissan LEAF EPA results (2018-2019 model years)

Nissan LEAF e+ specs (vs. LEAF 40 kWh)

• 62 kWh battery (+55% capacity over 40 kWh, 25% more energy dense lithium-ion cells, similar size)
• 288 lithium-ion cells (compared to 192 cells)
  
• battery limited warranty of 8 years/160,000 km (whichever occurs first) is standard
• 364 km (226 miles) of expected EPA range (up 50% from 243 km/151 miles)
• 385 km (239 miles) of WLTP range in Europe (vs. 285 km/177 miles)
• 458 km (285 miles) of WLTC Japan range in Japan (vs. 322 km/200 miles)
• 570 km (354 miles) of JC08 range in Japan (vs. 400 km/249 miles)
• 160 kW electric motor (up from 110 kW) and 250 lb-ft (340 Nm) (vs. 320 Nm in 40 kWh version)
• 70 kW (100 kW peak) fast charging using CHAdeMO (vs. less than 50 kW)

Source: Electric Vehicle News

NIO previews ES8 in Norway

In one of the latest videos, Bjørn Nyland had the opportunity to see in Norway the NIO ES8 all-electric 7-seat SUV, which in China is considered a Tesla rival. The presented walkthrough is also a great opportunity for us, as there are not many reviews of the ES8.

The ES8 looks huge in person. It’s a tall and wide SUV. There are two charging inlets – AC (Chinese GB/T) on the driver side and DC on the passenger side (the ES8 comes also with a battery swap feature). NIO doesn’t have frunk, but there is a very usable storage compartment between the front seats.

One thing that caught our attention is the cramped space in the third row, but according to Bjørn, he was unable to push forward the 2nd-row seats in the pre-production ES8 (we assume the production version would be fine).

The fit and finish seem premium, but still not on par with German counterparts. All in all, it’s an interesting car – as always – with strong and weak points.

NIO ES8 specs:

• 70 kWh battery (from CATL)
• 355 km (220 miles) of NEDC range or 500 km (310 miles) at 60 km/h (37 mph) or probably around 180 miles real world
• weight 2,460 kg
• 0-100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.4 seconds and 0-50 km/h (31 mph) in 2.2 seconds
• two 240 kW motors (480 kW total) for all-wheel drive, top speed stands at 180 km/h
• Braking 100-0 km/h can be done in just 33.8 m
• fast charging capability (in one hour)
• 3-minute battery swap stations (at least 1,100 stations are to be built by 2020 in China)

Source: Electric Vehicle News

Another day, another change in the Tesla shop

Tesla once again adjusted its offer on the go – this time changes concern the Model S and Model X. The standard battery versions disappeared from the design studio in less than a month since introduction.

We were guessing that those Standard S/X were equipped with 92 kWh batteries (or limited to 92 kWh) for 310 and 270 miles of range, respectively.

After all the price changes, changes with closing or not of the stores and the introduction of Standard battery version of Model 3, Tesla is probably too busy producing cars to afford to focus on the base Model S/X. Simplifying the process could be a reason, as now all three versions of S/X are ≈100 kWh battery versions.

The great news is that the prices for 100 kWh versions are now significantly lower (starts from the level of the previous Standard battery version).

The Performance S/X MSRP are now $13,000 less than a month ago, while the Long Range version (previously called Extended Range) is $8,000 lower (Model S) and $6,500 lower (Model X).

Deliveries in the U.S. are expected within one month:

• Model S Long Range (2019) – $85,000 and 335 miles (539 km) of EPA range
  
• Model S Performance (2019) – $99,000 and 315 miles (507 km) of EPA range
  
• Model S Performance LM (2019) – $119,000 and 315 miles (507 km) of EPA range
  
• Model X Long Range (2019) – $89,500 and 295 miles (475 km) of EPA range
  
• Model X Performance (2019) – $104,000 and 289 miles (465 km) of EPA range
  
• Model X Performance LM (2019) – $124,000 and 289 miles (465 km) of EPA range
  

* LM is $20,000 Ludicrous Mode upgrade for better acceleration

** MSRP prices requires to add $1,200 destination charge, $3,750 federal tax credit not included

Tesla Model S & Tesla Model X offer in U.S. – March 22, 2019

Source: Electric Vehicle News

It’s time to pay attention.

Amnesty International yesterday made its fiercest argument yet about the questionable ethics of EV batteries. “Electric vehicles are key to shifting the motor industry away from fossil fuels, but they are currently not as ethical as some retailers would like us to believe,” said Kumi Naidoo, secretary general of Amnesty International. He was speaking at the Nordic Electric Vehicle Summit in Oslo, Norway.

The primary concern is cobalt mined by child labor in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). More than 60 percent of the world’s cobalt comes from the DRC, which is one of the poorest countries in the world. More than 80 percent of its population does not have access to electricity.

Amnesty International reported in 2017 that the DRC has thousands of artisanal miners, including 40,000 children who are exploited in cobalt mines.

Cobalt is considered essential to EV batteries. The metal stops batteries from overheating and increases its longevity. With the rapid rise of electric vehicles, cobalt demand is expected to dramatically increase in the next decade – leading to higher prices and rising pressure to expand production.

There is a range in the estimates for growing cobalt demand. Bloomberg New Energy said demand could grow 47-fold by 2030. The price of cobalt has quadrupled in the past two years. With a growing number of countries expected to ban internal-combustion vehicles in the next decade, there will be a massive shift in the automotive supply chain from oil to batteries.

Tesla Takes the Lead

Tesla anticipated the cobalt shortage and related ethical issues years ago. Over the past six or so years, Tesla reduced the use of cobalt in its nickel-cobalt-aluminum battery formulation by about 60 percent. In June 2018, Tesla’s Elon Musk said that less than three percent of the Model 3’s batteries is made up of cobalt. He said the company’s next-generation batteries will use no cobalt, but the timeline was vague.

Tesla Model 3 battery pack

Musk is not alone. Henrik Fisker, the famed EV designer, said, “Electric vehicle automakers and battery manufacturers have a responsibility to ensure any materials we use in our batteries are sourced in an ethical way.

Substituting other battery materials for cobalt is possible but will likely be only a partial solution. “Zero cobalt is hard, low is possible, but zero is very tricky at this point,” Venkat Viswanathan, a professor at Carnegie Mellon, told the Financial Times.

A previous report from Amnesty International called out BYD, Mercedes-Benz, General Motors, Nissan, and Volkswagen for using battery suppliers, such as LG Chem, which source cobalt from the DRC. Tesla was spared by Amnesty International because Panasonic, its main battery supplier, sources cobalt from the Philippines rather than the DRC.

Electric vehicle automakers and battery manufacturers have a responsibility.

The problem of child labor used to source EV battery materials has been known for several years. However, I admit that I have mostly turned a blind eye. We EV drivers take the high road when it comes to climate, air pollution, and oil wars. And several major automakers boast about using vegan materials for EV interiors while dodging concerns about the EV-battery supply chain.

It’s time for us to pay attention – and put as much energy into studying the fraught supply chain for batteries as we do debating EV charging time and one-pedal driving. Of course, the ethics of all our high-tech devices, especially smartphones, are difficult to resolve. But the EV community has a strong voice and significant purchasing power. We can demand to know what an automaker is doing to reduce the use of cobalt – and make sure that battery materials are sourced without child labor – before making our next purchase.

Source: Electric Vehicle News

Profitability of electric cars will increase to match ICE

One the the fundamental things that could encourage manufacturers to develop and introduce electric cars are profits. Without vision of a profit, automakers are often reluctant to make risky – from their perspective – decisions.

Because it’s hard to make profits on plug-in electric cars, due to higher cost and low production scale, our attention was drawn by Volvo Cars, which expects that margins on electric cars will match margins on ICE cars by 2025.

2025 is far from just around the corner, but at least it seems that two-thirds of the road since 2010 (the introduction of the Nissan LEAF) is already behind us.

On the other hand, Volvo doesn’t know what the margins will be in 2025. It does not necessarily mean that manufacturers will be able to sell electric cars at a profit that they achieved with conventional cars in 2015.

“It’s very difficult to say if we’re going to have the same margins in 2025 as we had in 2015 … because electric cars are very expensive, Chief Executive Hakan Samuelsson told Reuters on the sidelines of a safety showcase by the company in Gothenburg.But I would be absolute sure we will have the same margins with electric cars as we will with conventional combustion cars in 2025.”

It’s obvious that a requirement of high investments in electrification, development of autonomous driving and other stuff like car sharing, combined with lower margins, will lead manufacturers around the world to deeper consolidation.

Source: Reuters

Source: Electric Vehicle News

Jaguar’s Mitch Evans believes ABB FIA Formula E should go “radical” in how it chooses to deploy attack mode in races.

Source: Electric Vehicle News