Jaguar Land Rover invests 500 million to build an electric vehicle factory, and Lucid sets a lap record at Nürburgring | Overseas Daily
"Top 3 news"
Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) invests in transforming Halewood plant to build a future electric vehicle production base
Key points:
Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has invested £500 million to create a future electric vehicle factory in Halewood. The Halewood plant was originally built in 1963 to produce the Ford Anglia and is now being transformed for the electric era. The £250 million construction project currently underway is equipped with numerous advanced technologies, such as a new electric vehicle manufacturing line and 750 autonomous robots, making it a "factory of the future". This investment is part of JLR's strategic commitment to electrify all its brands by 2030 and achieve a carbon net zero across its entire supply chain, products, and operations by 2039.
Jaguar Land Rover Halewood Plant (Source: ElectricCarsReport)
Opinions:
Jaguar Land Rover's huge investment in the Halewood plant is a significant move in the automotive industry's electric transformation wave. From the perspective of industry development, this investment by Jaguar Land Rover is necessary, but Jaguar Land Rover's electric transformation process is not smooth. As the European Union's environmental protection requirements become increasingly higher, the growth momentum of the electric vehicle market is favorable for Jaguar Land Rover. Jaguar Land Rover's active layout in electric vehicle production will help it gain an advantageous position in the future market competition. The £500 million investment will make the Halewood plant a "future factory" with advanced technologies, which is crucial for improving Jaguar Land Rover's production efficiency and product quality, and is beneficial for Jaguar Land Rover's cost reduction and efficiency increase in the future. The application of new technologies such as the new electric vehicle manufacturing line and autonomous robots will make the factory more modern and competitive in the electric era.
California's new law may require electric vehicles to have charging and discharging functions in the future
Key points:
The Governor of California, Gavin Newsom, has signed a document that may require electric vehicles to have charging and discharging functions in the future. Charging and discharging means that electric vehicles can not only obtain electricity from the power grid for charging but also output electricity in various forms. Widespread use of charging and discharging can bring huge benefits to efficiency, power grid resilience, and renewable energy generation. Currently, the California power grid has difficulties in high-temperature weather or when power generation is limited, and adding power grid energy storage and using electric vehicles as distributed energy storage devices may be a solution. However, currently, few automakers incorporate charging and discharging functions into their vehicles, and more policies are needed to promote this development.
Charging scene of California electric vehicles at home (Source: GM)
Opinions:
The law signed by the California governor requiring electric vehicles to have charging and discharging functions shows California's active exploration in responding to power grid challenges and promoting sustainable transportation development. This measure not only poses new requirements for the electric vehicle industry but also brings new possibilities for the future energy landscape. Despite the document requirements, this ecosystem is currently difficult to promote, and the California Energy Commission needs to wait until people are truly interested in the end-user use cases of vehicle-to-grid (V2G) interaction before taking action. In addition, the current insufficient investment by automakers in charging and discharging functions, as well as the need to improve consumers' awareness and acceptance of this function, may become challenges in promoting charging and discharging. However, with the promotion of the law and the continuous progress of technology, it is expected to gradually overcome these problems.
Lucid Air Sapphire may challenge the Nürburgring electric vehicle lap record
Key points:
Lucid's Air Sapphire may challenge the Nürburgring electric vehicle lap record set by the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT in March this year. The Air Sapphire prototype has been spotted lapping the Nürburgring track, and the video shows the driver preparing for a hot lap. Compared to the Taycan Turbo GT, the Nürburgring EV lap record holder, which comes with a dual-motor setup providing 1,019 horsepower and a Weissach package that adds aerodynamics, making it lighter and more aggressive in power delivery. Although the Air Sapphire is more powerful, it weighs over 440 pounds more and has narrower rear tires, making it less competitive in corners than the Taycan Turbo GT Weissach, but it may have an advantage on the straights. The current Nürburgring EV lap record is 7:07.55, and the Air Sapphire has a slim chance of challenging the record due to its weight limitations, but it is expected to be faster than the Tesla Model S Plaid. People are looking forward to Lucid bringing the Air Sapphire to the Nürburgring to test its performance.
Lucid Air Sapphire lapping at the Nürburgring (Source: Inside EVs)
Opinions:
The appearance of the Lucid Air Sapphire at the Nürburgring has attracted widespread attention. If it successfully challenges the Nürburgring Nordschleife electric vehicle lap record set by the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT, it will set a new benchmark in the electric vehicle performance field. This not only showcases Lucid's strength but also drives the competition and development of the entire electric vehicle industry in terms of performance. By conducting tests and challenges on a famous track like the Nürburgring, different car brands can demonstrate the high performance and reliability of their products and attract consumers' attention. However, the challenge also faces many difficulties. The relatively heavy body and narrower rear tires of the Air Sapphire may put it at a disadvantage in corners, which requires Lucid to make more efforts in technology and performance tuning.
"Big events"
Electrify Canada continues to expand, adds seventh province and strengthens Quebec region layout
Electrify Canada charging stations in Canada (Source: ElectricCarsReport)
Electrify Canada announced a network expansion, including the first-time establishment of charging stations in Nova Scotia and further expansion in Quebec. The seven new sites added in this expansion will add more than 40 next-generation chargers with a charging speed of up to 350kW. The sites are located near popular travel routes and close to shopping and dining areas. With the popularity of electric vehicles, Electrify Canada also plans to add larger sites, with Greenfield Park and Laval being its first eight-charger sites. The two new sites in Nova Scotia are close to the New Brunswick border and Halifax. The locations of the new charging stations in Quebec and Nova Scotia have been announced, and some have already opened. In addition, Electrify Canada has recently opened new charging stations in Alberta, British Columbia, New Brunswick, and Saskatchewan. Its network provides a seamless charging experience for vehicles with the corresponding functionality, allowing for plug-and-charge functionality for manufacturer-verified vehicles, as well as the ability to manage charging through a mobile application or pay with a credit card at the charging station.
Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe hopes NACS accelerates faster
Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe (Source: Inside EVs)
Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe spoke during New York City Climate Week and was interviewed by The New York Times climate reporter David Gelles. He praised Chinese electric vehicles, downplayed the delay of the NACS adapter, emphasized that electric vehicles are an inevitable trend, and that the United States should take the lead in the transformation. In addition, he refuted the politicization of electric vehicles and believes that this politicization stems from a lack of understanding of the battery supply chain and the scale of the challenges. He hopes that the acceleration of the electric vehicle NACS will be faster.
Tesla enables FSD on (some) Cybertrucks
Cybertruck (Source: Tesla)
Nearly ten months after the initial release of the Tesla Cybertruck, some Cybertrucks can finally use Tesla's supervised full self-driving software. On November 30, 2023, the Tesla Cybertruck was first delivered, but the highly anticipated full self-driving (FSD) software feature was missing. Previously, Tesla's models such as the Model 3 and Model Y could immediately use the modern version of Tesla Autopilot or FSD software when they were released, while the Cybertruck is very different from other Tesla vehicles and other vehicles on the road, so this important feature was missing in the initial release. Although Tesla sells FSD access to vehicle owners but it cannot be activated for the time being, now some Cybertrucks can finally use the software they have been looking forward to.
Mazda EZ-6 EV starts sales and is highly anticipated overseas
Mazda EZ-6 EV (Source: Electrek)
The Mazda EZ-6 EV and EREV versions of the vehicle have officially opened for orders in China. The starting price is less than $25,000, approximately equivalent to 160,000 yuan. The vehicle is jointly developed by Mazda and Changan Automobile. The EZ--6 is closer to production and is promised to be released later this year. At the time of the pre-sale, there are four extended-range EV or "EREV" versions (hybrid vehicles) and three all-electric BEV versions available for order.
"Cool products"
Rivian R3 and R3X
Rivian R3x (Source: caranddriver)
The smallest SUV from electric vehicle manufacturer Rivian to date will be the 2027 R3, which is a high-riding hatchback with thick tires and a certain ground clearance. Details are not yet clear, but at the R3's launch event, Rivian announced that it will share the same platform as the compact R2 SUV, and a performance-oriented R3X model will also be included in the product line. There may be single-motor, dual-motor, and tri-motor configurations as well as two different battery sizes. The largest battery is expected to provide a range of more than 300 miles.
Rivian R3x interior (Source: caranddriver)
The interior design is similar to other Rivian models, combining rugged and upscale elements. The front and rear seats of the R3 can also be flattened to accommodate car camping adventures. Rivian may open reservations closer to the R3's launch date, and an online deposit may be required to secure a place in the queue. When the R3 and R3X go on sale, they will compete with similarly sized electric SUVs such as the Kia EV6 and Volvo EX30.
Rivian R3x (Source: caranddriver)
Rivian has not yet announced the official battery specifications for the R3 and R3X, but it is speculated that there will be two different sizes of battery packs, standard and large, and the range will vary depending on the powertrain. Given that the slightly larger R2 is estimated to have a range of over 300 miles, the smaller R3 may slightly exceed this value. The R3's cabin is smaller than the R2's, and the shorter body length means that the cargo capacity may not be as large. However, the interior is similar, and the seats can be flattened like the R2 to accommodate long items for camping. The R3's launch model features a large glass roof, ribbed sport seats, and Rivian's signature mats. There are multiple storage compartments in the vehicle, two glove boxes in the dashboard, and a front trunk.