Tim Harper’s Post

For those who despise The Telegraph’s perspective on battery vehicles, let’s focus solely on the comments of Carlos Tavares, the head of carmaking giant Stellantis, whose brands include Vauxhall, Peugeot and Fiat. He warned that battery electric vehicles are unlikely to ever be universally popular among drivers. Mr Tavares said “we should move away from a dogmatic thinking where one size fits all. I don’t think this is going to work….What I would like to add is that the current [B]EVs can be a solution for some of our societies”. Mr Tavares also said “the 500kg of raw materials currently required to produce an EV battery pack isn’t sustainable and said a technological breakthrough was required to halve the weight of battery packs over the next decade”. Battery vehicle market share fell to 15.2pc of sales in the UK in March, down from 16.2pc a year earlier, SMMT figures showed. SMMT Chief Mike Hawes said the shrinking share showed the challenge of boosting [B]EV acceptance. Like many, I look forward to the day when SMMT and other trade bodies stop agonising over how best to enforce battery vehicles and instead listen to the vast majority of people who support Mr Tavares’ perspective and see battery vehicles as a niche solution rather than a silver bullet. #thefutureiseclectic

Automakers Offer £2 Billion in EV Discounts to Boost U.K. Zero-Emission Sales ⚡ Automakers are expected to offer over £2 billion in electric vehicle (EV) discounts this year to meet U.K. government targets, but may still fall short of mandates, says the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). Key points: Battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) made up 20.5% of September sales, with an estimated 18.5% share for the year. The 2024 target is 22%. The SMMT calls for halving VAT on new BEV purchases to 10% for three years to boost private sales. Fleet sector adoption shows tax incentives work, but private consumers need similar support. Automakers like Stellantis and Volkswagen warn that without government action, EV demand will falter, jeopardizing production and investment. The U.K. aims to end new gasoline and diesel car sales by 2030. The industry is navigating rising compliance costs and slashed subsidies while pushing to meet green goals. #EV #ElectricVehicles #Automotive #Sustainability #UKAutomotive #NetZero #CLMEurope

Sales of Volkswagen electric vehicles (EVs) in Europe have dropped by nearly a quarter due to rising inflation and energy prices as well as slowing demand. This decline coincides with the rollback of subsidies and ambitious targets for phasing out petrol and diesel cars. Cheaper Chinese EVs and European policy shifts have impacted sales, prompting leading carmakers to revise EV strategies and delay launches. #EV #VW #EuropeanMarket #PolicyShifts #CarManufacturing #LaunchDelay

Britain's car production fell by 7% year-on-year in April, falling for a second consecutive month, as manufacturers wound down existing models and more plants transitioned to EV production, industry data showed . Production of EVs has successively grown as giants like Nissan and Jaguar Land Rover-owner, Tata Motors have poured in billions in the country to ramp up EV plans as it attempts reach net zero by 2050. My report for Reuters https://lnkd.in/g63XqXUD.

Here is a sampling of my Automotive News Q&A with Mazda CEO Masahiro Moro. To what degree is Mazda adjusting its outlook for electric vehicle sales in 2030? There are a lot of moving factors. We have said 25 percent to 40 percent worldwide for battery-electric vehicles. But I would say battery EVs have slowed down.So, it is going to be a little downward compared to 25 percent.In the U.S., we’re watching what kind of policy the Trump administration will deploy. It’s hard to predict. But overall, battery EV penetration will be a little bit pushed back in terms of time frame. People may choose a different solution, like a hybrid or plug-in or a highly efficient internal combustion engine.I’m sure battery EVs will increase, but the pace of penetration will slow a little. Deployment could be pushed back a little. How might U.S. policy changes affect EV adoption? Battery EV sales have slowed in the last 12-18 months. So that pace is likely to continue. It depends on what kind of policy the new government will make. If incentives go down, then consumer demand will respond. Industry EV demand is to some extent man-made. If you pull the plug, that is the natural consequence. If demand declines, there are many companies that have engaged in EV industry growth. Those guys will be also in trouble. But we have taken a prudent approach as an intentional follower from the beginning because my viewpoint is very close to the market. Rather than government regulatory policy, I’m always looking at the customers and dealers. I want Mazda to secure the freedom of choice of the customer. The incoming Trump administration could enact 25 percent tariffs on products from Mexico where Mazda has a plant producing the CX-30 and Mazda 3. How would Mazda cope? The new administration is less than 90 days away. During that time, there will be lots of underground negotiations. So, we will have to wait and see. I don’t have a concrete plan, but my brain keeps thinking about it. Let’s see what he is looking for and how the Japanese government and other governments respond. Canada, Mexico, Colombia are taking the CX-50 from our plant in Alabama. Sales to the U.S. are about 80,000 units. If we are in a situation where we have to focus on the U.S., Alabama output will be allocated to the U.S. first.So, we have a number of levers to pull. What is Mazda’s approach to EV batteries? We have a very advanced research base for solid-state batteries.But what we have been doing is a next-generation lithium battery in-house. This is 100 percent Mazda battery development. We are targeting 2030.The characteristics are a breakthrough, both in high energy density and quick in-and-out. Such characteristics are useful in both plug-in hybrids and battery EVs. We can use it very flexibly in the future, because we don’t know which will be popular, plug-in hybrids or EVs.

“You will have a bloodbath” as legacy automakers struggle to absorb high EV investment and production costs, This quote from Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares in response to the Biden Administration finalizing negotiations with automakers regarding new rules to accelerate EV transition mandates. The administration proposal would require boosting US EV market share to 67% by 2032 from less than 8% in 2023. Automakers endorsed an earlier administration target to boost EVs to 50% of new vehicle sales by 2030. It would seem that the first rule of holes should be applied here. “If you find yourself in a hole, first stop digging.” The threat from the Chinese (BYD and others) and Tesla are doing more to push EVs then more government distortions and mandates ever could. Have a Great Day and enjoy the article. #electricvehicles #byd #tesla #ford #stellantis #generalmotors https://lnkd.in/gDpcWMcy