Canoo- The Los Angeles based startup Canoo, has unveiled its first (EV) model which is expected to hit the road by 2021 according to Ulrich Kranz, the company's current leader and co-founder. The company aims to introduce a new business model by offering its customers a monthly subscription fee. Through an app on customer's phone they will provide services such as automatic vehicle registration, insurance management, maintenance and more. The aim is to provide ease of use, comfort and affordability, much like what Netflix has offered the film industry. Another unique feature of the new model is that it is a steer-by-wire vehicle with steering being conducted by electric signals only. The first car, which has room for seven passengers, has a range of 250 miles and can reach an 80% charge in less than 30 minutes. Kranz has not yet revealed the cost of its subscription service. Read more
Maserati- The Italian luxury vehicle manufacturer, Maserati, has confirmed that they have been electrifying their whole range including sport cars, saloons and crossovers. The Italian HQ will turn into an EV center of excellence, with all future Maseratis being made in Italy. They revealed that every new model will either be hybrid or fully electric and are committed to "extended range and ultra-fast charging capabilities". First hybrid Maserati will be the revised Ghibli saloon (expected by 2020), the first hybrid Maserati sports car will be the new junior GT based on Alfieri concept (expected by 2020) and the small SUV will be the Sub-Levante crossover to be expected by 2021 with both hybrid and electric options. They are also committed to offering Level 2 & 3 autonomous systems. Read more
Daimler - In a statement, the German multinational automotive corporation Daimler said it will not be developing any new internal combustion engines, gasoline or diesel from now on. Instead, they will be focused on developing only electric vehicles. Daimler expects that by 2030 half of their sold cars will be either electric or hybrid. This all depends, of course, on consumer demands which are expected to increase as cost of EVs come down, number of charging stations increases, charging time shortens etc. Read more
Volvo- Volvo has announced it will reveal its first electric car this October, the Volvo XC 40. Though no design has yet been published, the details it has disclosed are that its battery will be positioned in the EV's floor and that there will be two electric motors, one for each axle. Inline with their vision for safety, the new model's battery includes a safety cage to protect it in the event of a crash and other features such as active-safety architecture software using radars, cameras and ultrasonic sensors (a joint venture with Veoneer). Read more
Canada- Electrify Canada, a subsidiary of Volkswagen Canada, opened its first of 32 fast-charging stations in Halton Hills, Ontario. The station can recoup up to 320 km of range of a vehicle's battery in just 10 minutes. The station can charge a vehicle at up to 350 kilowatts. The company sees this as its first step toward making EVs more practical for consumers by building the necessary charging infrastructure. It plans to open the other 31 stations over the next year and are focused on building them off highway routes to enable long-distant electric driving. Read more
Mercedes Benz- By 2022, Mercedes- Benz plans to release at least 10 electric vehicles. Their focus will not be on range but on reliability and durability. Therefore, it will not be competing with Tesla Model X's 325-mile range. "We don't think it's necessary to go for, let's call it the last mile within the battery. I'd rather have something reliable, safe, and offer charging opportunities. Safety is number one within Mercedes, and safety also means reliability, quality, and long-term performance," said Jochen Hermann, Daimler's electric car boss. Read more
General Motors & Volkswagen- Within the next four years GM is hoping to introduce 20 fully electric cars and aim to sell 1 Million EVs annually. Unlike most automakers in the field (see Ford and Toyota) , GM and VW are not developing any new hybrid powertrain models, as they believe that hybrids are only a transitional period for the industry. Instead, they are focusing all their future investments on all-electric vehicles. VW Group of America President Scott Keogh said that "Our strong preference is to go all-in where the market is heading, as opposed to hybrids as a way to hedge our bets." However, one of the greatest obstacles to achieving these goals is the currently high price of the EV battery packs. Prices have already decreased from $1,000 per kWh, now down to $150 -$200 per kWh but still need to go below $100 for companies to be making a profitable EV. Read more
Maryland - RS Automotive, a 61 year old gasoline station in Takoma Park in Maryland, will be the first station in the U.S to have been transformed to an exclusively EV charging station. The station will enable four vehicles to charge simultaneously and reach 80% charge within 20-30 minutes. Currently, there are more than 20,700 registered EVs in the city and an electric taxi service which has increased the demand for more charging stations. The conversion of the station was jointly funded by the Electric Vehicle Institute and the Maryland Energy Administration, which provided a grant of $786,000. “This fully converted gas-to-electric charging station is a prime example of our administration’s commitment to the environment and transportation,” said Maryland Governor, Larry Hogan. Read more
