Briefly | 06 Mar 2023
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France's plugin electric vehicle (EV) market share reached 23.8% in February, with full electrics driving the growth, while traditional combustion-only powertrains declined to 49%. The Dacia Spring remains the best-selling full electric, followed by Tesla's Model Y and Peugeot e208.

Mazda North American Operations reported its best-ever February sales in the US, while the newly introduced Mazda MX-30 electric vehicle (EV) is not selling well in the US with only two sales in February.

A minority German political party, the Free Democratic Party (FDP), is attempting to block the EU regulation to ban internal combustion light vehicles by 2035. The FDP wants biofuel-powered vehicles to be exempt, hoping to support the German car industry, but the EU regulation is necessary to ensure the transition to fully electric vehicles.

General Motors (GM) has announced its partnership with Samsung SDI to build a joint venture plant in Michigan, USA, marking the company's second partnership with an automaker in North America. The plant will have an annual production capacity of 50 GWh.

Li Auto is building an 800 V high-voltage supercharging station in China, indicating preparations for a transition to pure electric vehicles. The company plans to accumulate 3,000 supercharging stations by 2025.

Tesla has reduced the price of new inventory Model 3 and Model Y vehicles in Europe by 1.5% to 7%, with savings varying across different countries. This likely comes as Tesla looks to increase its market share in the competitive European market, following similar strategies it has implemented in China.

Tesla will start selling the Carbon Ceramic Brake Kit for the Model S Plaid, enabling the sporty sedan to reach its advertised top speed of 200 mph. The kit will cost $20,000 and is expected to be released in limited quantities.

Tesla is recalling 3,470 Model Y cars due to an issue with seat bolts that could affect the seat belt system in a collision. Unlike previous recalls that could be resolved via over-the-air software updates, this recall requires a physical fix.

Our Next Energy has been selected by BHE Renewables to provide energy storage units to a solar-powered manufacturing hub in West Virginia worth $500 million. The EV battery startup will also build a factory on the site to assemble more battery storage systems.

EverCharge and PassKey are collaborating to develop a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) to supplement EverCharge’s EV charging stations. The BESS will be used to consolidate power during off-peak hours and deploy the energy via EV charging stations during periods of high demand.

Lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery technology, which is prevalent in China, is gaining ground in the US electric vehicle market as manufacturers look to embrace its cheaper cost and safety, despite holding less energy per pound than nickel-rich batteries. Our Next Energy will begin producing LFP batteries in Michigan this month, expanding next year after opening a new $1.6bn plant, and by 2027, it intends to supply enough LFP batteries for 200,000 EVs.

Incoming Toyota CEO Koji Sato is calling for big changes in the way Toyota does business after the company acknowledged that Tesla has leapfrogged them in battery-powered cars, inspiring Toyota to regroup and find better solutions. Toyota is already working on a new EV platform to go into production in 2026.

Greenpeace has lodged a complaint with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) accusing Toyota Australia of greenwashing, claiming the car manufacturer's claims about its environmental credentials are misleading. The complaint comes after an ACCC review found that 57% of 247 Australian companies reviewed had made "concerning" claims about their environmental credentials.

Xcel Energy's plan to install approximately 730 EV fast chargers in Minnesota, which would make it the largest utility-owned charging system in the country, has sparked opposition from various stakeholders, including the gas station and EV charging industries, the Minnesota Department of Commerce, and consumers. While Xcel hopes to jump-start the slow EV market in Minnesota, critics argue that Xcel's market power as a monopoly utility would crowd out private investment, ultimately slowing EV growth.

Over two-thirds of planned lithium-ion battery production in Europe is at risk of being delayed, scaled down or cancelled, due to American subsidies and slow permitting processes, warns a report by Transport & Environment. Without EU-wide financial support to scale up battery production, Europe will not be able to satisfy its battery demand in 2030 and will need to import from foreign rivals.

Electric vehicle charging infrastructure is vulnerable to cyberattacks, according to cybersecurity experts. There are concerns that the rush to create a comprehensive charging infrastructure could come at the expense of cybersecurity.