11 Nov 2019 | Tax Boost For EV Company Cars, Lexus To Unveil First EV Soon and Rivian Proud Of...

Show #638



Good morning, good afternoon and good evening wherever you are in the world, welcome to EV News Daily for Monday 11th November 2019. It’s Martyn Lee here and I go through every EV story to save you time.



Thank you to MYEV.com for helping make this show, they’ve built the first marketplace specifically for Electric Vehicles. It’s a totally free marketplace that simplifies the buying and selling process, and help you learn about EVs along the way too.



LEXUS TO INTRODUCE ITS FIRST BEV MODEL AT THE GUANGZHOU AUTO SHOW

"Lexus announced that at the upcoming Guangzhou Auto Show (on November 22) it will unveil its first battery-electric vehicle." reports InsideEVs: "The Japanese brand (part of Toyota) starts with a BEV envisioned for the Chinese and European markets. "Specifically crafted to suit the needs of audiences in China and in Europe, this further advances the brand’s desire to offer a portfolio of electrified powertrain choices for diverse audiences worldwide." The introduction of a BEV was inevitable as the Chinese government requires automakers to collect (or buy) a certain amount of New Energy Vehicles credits."



https://insideevs.com/news/381518/lexus-first-bev-model-the-guangzhou/



NASA PLANS ELECTRIC TEST FLIGHTS BY END OF 2020

"NASA presented an early version of its X-57 Maxwell all-electric passenger aircraft. The electric aircraft is based on the Tecnam P2006T twin-engine propeller aircraft, in which the combustion engines have been replaced by 14 electric motors. The first test flight is scheduled for the end of 2020." according to Electrive: "Six smaller motors will be mounted along the leading edge of each wing to improve lift during take-off and landing. The lift propellers will only be activated when required and will be retracted during the flight itself. At the ends of each wing, there is then a larger electric motor for propulsion during the flight at travel height."



https://www.electrive.com/2019/11/11/nasa-plans-electric-test-flights-by-end-of-2020/



SKODA OCTAVIA IV IS THE SECOND SKODA MODEL TO BE AVAILABLE AS A PLUG-IN HYBRID

For the first time, there is a plug-in-hybrid variant, the SKODA OCTAVIA iV.



Following in the footsteps of the SUPERB iV, the OCTAVIA iV is the second SKODA model to be available as a plug-in hybrid.

This powertrain features a 1.4 TSI petrol engine delivering 115 kW (156 PS) and a 75-kW electric motor. Together, they produce a total power output of 150 kW.

With a capacity of 37 Ah providing 13 kWh, the high-voltage lithium-ion battery allows for an electric range of up to 55 km in the WLTP cycle.



TESLA UNVEILS MODEL 3 MADE-IN-CHINA WITH MEDIA TEST DRIVES

"Tesla has unveiled its first Model 3 made-in-China at Gigafactory 3 in Shanghai and started to give media test drives of the vehicle. Tesla has been expected to focus on Model 3 production at its Shanghai automotive factory, where it mulls producing as many as 3,000 vehicles per week next year, Teslarati reported recently." and picked up by News18.com



Electrek's Take: "As we previously reported, the start of production is going to be a major milestone since it’s going to be the first electric vehicle factory wholly-owned by a foreign automaker in China and Tesla’s second electric vehicle production factory. But beyond that for Tesla, it will open up a larger market for them in China with lower prices and better access to EV incentives."



https://electrek.co/2019/11/11/tesla-model-3-made-in-china-media-test-drives/



ALFA ROMEO SCALES BACK ELECTRIFICATION

"The Fiat-owned automaker needs to release electrified models to keep up with its German and Japanese rivals, to satisfy demand from buyers, and to remain on the right side of government regulations. While it originally announced plans to electrify six of seven nameplates, its updated product road map outlines two plug-ins out of four models" writes Autoblog: " the Tonale, which was previewed by an eponymous concept car at the 2019 Geneva auto show, and leaked online several weeks later. It will take Alfa Romeo into the plug-in hybrid segment for the first time. The other is a yet-unnamed entry-level soft-roader which will offer an electric powertrain. Both will also come with non-electrified drivetrains. The Giulia and the Stelvio are no longer in line to receive hybrid technology"



https://www.autoblog.com/2019/11/11/alfa-romeo-electrification-plans-reorganization/



GERMAN TAX ADVANTAGES FOR COMPANY CARS

"The German Bundestag today passed the law on further tax incentives for electromobility and changes to other tax regulations." says a translated article on cducsu.de: "If employees drive so-called zero-emission vehicles as company cars and the gross list price of the vehicle does not exceed 40,000 euros, employees will only have to pay 0.25% of the list price in the...