1306: 12 Dec 2021 | Question Of The Week and Patreon Thanks - a podcast by EV News Daily

Show #1306

If you get any value from this podcast please consider supporting my work on Patreon. Plus all Patreon supporters get their own unique ad-free podcast feed.

Good morning, good afternoon and good evening wherever you are in the world, welcome to EV News Daily for Sunday 12th December. It’s Martyn Lee here and I go through every EV story so you don't have to.

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.

Which EV makers are on Santa’s naughty or nice lists – and tell me why!

IAN SEAR

In Santa's bad books I would put MG (SAIC), for not releasing their premium MG Marvel in the UK apparently because they want to keep MG as a budget brand in the UK. As an MG5 Owner I could also put them there for the ridiculous roof rack debacle where they advertised and sold a car with a roof rack, then told owners they cant use them before relenting and allowing a light load to be carried. I would also tick them off for their terrible entertainment and navigation system, with no app and slow interface. Finally, they recall my MG5 to fix the hardest regen braking mode not turning on the brake lights properly. The regen already is annoying in havin to turn it up to max every time you turn the car on and even then it's not a full one pedal driving. Bad MG.

In Santa's good books, I'd put MG (SAIC), for creating the best low cost EVs on the market, my top spec MG5 was "only" 22k brand new after dealer discount and Im still being offered that from carwow even now 9 months later! Really kept its value well. The car has done long runs, charged at over 70kw on some chargers, done trips to Somerset, gone on 20 plus tip runs to feed my DIY habit and been generally everything my old BMW3 series was but a little bit better. I also think SAIC deserve some credit for keeping a British brand alive, trying to keep some manufacturing in the UK at Longbridge (despite not much brand loyalty from us fickle Brits) and ceasing this in 2016 they still have a major R&D facility here. Hopefully one day MG manufacturing can return to the UK.

So, both a lump of Coal and a Sugar Mouse to MG.

PETE GORTON

Renatil Zoe: the year ends on a downer as Dacia Spring and Renault’s facelifted electric ZOE qualified for only one star and zero stars respectively, performing even worse than expected. The “new” ZOE, a facelift introduced in 2020, received several battery improvements but no added safety.  On the contrary, the seat-mounted side airbag which previously protected head and thorax has been replaced by a less effective thorax-only airbag, representing a degradation in occupant protection. 

MARK RICHARDS

General Motors is on my naughty list.  But not for the reason you expect.  They made big claims 3 years ago about having 25 EV models by 2025.  Yet, as of right now they have 0 EVs for sale.  ZERO.  I own Bolt and already got my battery replaced…they didn’t handle it well, but.  Even at the LA auto show, which was supposed to have an EV focus, GM had zero EVs and Hybrids on display.  How did they not even have a Bolt on the floor ?  Why wasn’t Cadillac there with the Lyriq and GMC with the Hummer?  It’s like they are not interested in EVs at all any more.

Also, Mary Barra taking credit for transforming the auto industry, when in reality it was Tesla was just embarrassing.  Bad for Biden and honestly, worse for her.  So yeah, GM is at the top of my list.  I could easily add Dodge and Chrysler, since they have basically nothing EV.  But they didn’t promise us a bunch of EVs, and then not deliver.  So yeah, disappointed in them, but not nearly as much as I am with GM.

ROBERT GRACE

for QOTW, nice Santa to Ford, Kia, Hyundai, and Lucid for their exciting new entries into the EV market. Naughty to Chevrolet for their abysmal handling of the Bolt battery failures and recall.

LINDA GREGOR IN SALT LAKE

I would like to put Elon Musk on my naughty list but Tesla on santa's nice list. I think the cars they're making compared to the rest of the industry are far better in terms of software and powertrain. But I would put Elon on the naughty list for carrying too much of the company on his own reputation. It will only take one serious unfortunate event, or heaven forbid the worst happens, and I really fear the Tesla would be left with no leadership or public image without him.

LUKE UGDEN

I would put President Biden on Santa's naughty list for saying GM had led the way electrifying the entire auto industry. No presents for the pres this year.

BENJAMIN COX

For me I would put Tesla on the naughty list. I have had a Model S on order in the UK since 2020 and now been informed it may not even arrive in 2022. How can a car take two years to arrive? Naughty Musky Musk.

CLIPPER FROM D.C.

Surely you have to put LG Chem on the naughty list for what they did with the Chevy Bolt batteries. Still no new production and a long road to replacing all the faulty ones. Maybe this even gets them a two-year ban on Santa's list.

PHILIP LEE

I would like to nomimate Ford for being on Santa's nice list. I haven't always been the biggest fan of companies like Ford because I feel they have been dragging their heels, and even talking EVs down until they were ready. But I think they did a wonderful job with the F-150 Lightning especially a $40k starting price. For many folk like me I don't want a truck that looks like something weird, I just want an American workhorse and I want it electric.

Has Covid-19 changed your electric car buying decisions in the last two years? Yes, no and why?

Email me a suggestion for a possible question and I might pick yours!  hello@evnewsdaily.com

It would mean a lot if you could take 2mins to leave a quick review on whichever platform you download the podcast.

And  if you have an Amazon Echo, download our Alexa Skill, search for EV News Daily and add it as a flash briefing.

Come and say hi on Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter just search EV News Daily, have a wonderful day, I’ll catch you tomorrow and remember…there’s no such thing as a self-charging hybrid.

PREMIUM PARTNERS

PHIL ROBERTS / ELECTRIC FUTURE

BRAD CROSBY

PORSCHE OF THE VILLAGE CINCINNATI

VOLVO CARS CINCINNATI EAST

NATIONAL CAR CHARGING ON THE US MAINLAND AND ALOHA CHARGE IN HAWAII

DEREK REILLY FROM THE EV REVIEW IRELAND YOUTUBE CHANNEL

RICHARD AT RSEV.CO.UK – FOR BUYING AND SELLING EVS IN THE UK

PARTNERS

DAVID AND LISA ALLEN

BOB BOOTHBY FROM MILLBROOK COTTAGES – 5* GOLD SELF CATERING COTTAGES

DARIN MCLESKEY FROM DENOVO REAL ESTATE

JUKKA KUKONEN FROM WWW.SHIFT2ELECTRIC.COM

RAJEEV NARAYAN

IAIN SEAR

MICHAEL LUMBLEY

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS

ADAM BREWTON

ADRIAN BOND

ALAN SHEDD

ALEX BANAHENE

ALEXANDER FRANK @ https://www.youtube.com/c/alexsuniverse42

ANDERS HOVE

ANDREA JEFFERSON

ANDY NANCARROW AND LILIAN KASS

ASEER KHALID

BÅRD FJUKSTAD

BILL CALHOUN

BLUNDERBUSS JONES

BRIAN OLEARY

BRIAN THOMPSON

BRUCE BOHANNAN

CHAD LANE

CHARLES HALL

CHRISTOPHER BARTH

COLIN HENNESSY AND CAMBSEV

CRAIG ROGERS

DAVID FINCH

DAVID PARTINGTON

DAVID PRESCOTT

DC EV

DON MCALLISTER / SCREENCASTSONLINE.COM

ED CORTEEN

EDDIE RAGASA

ERIC HANSEN

ERU KYEYUNE-NYOMBI

FREDRIK ROVIK

GENE RUBIN

GEORGE TORTAROLO

HEINRICH LIESNER

IAN GRIFFITHS

IAN (WATTIE) WATKINS

JACOB KUEHNE

JACK OAKLEY

JAMES STORR

JAVIER CARMELO DÍAZ PÉREZ

JIM MORRIS

JOHN SCHROEDER

JOHN VAN DEVOORT

JON AKA BEARDY MCBEARDFACE FROM KENT EVS

JON MANCHAK

JUAN GONZALEZ

KEVIN MEYERSON

LAURENCE D ALLEN

LEE BROWN

LUKE CULLEY

MARCEL WARD

MARTY YOUNG 

MIKE WINTER

NATHAN GORE-BROWN

NATHANIEL FREEDMAN

NEIL E ROBERTS FROM SUSSEX EVS

OHAD ASTON

PAUL STEPHENSON

PETE BREMY

PETE GLASS

PETE GORTON

PETER & DEE ROBERTS FROM OXON EVS

PHIL MOUCHET

PHILIP TRAUTMAN

RAYMOND ROWLEDGE

REALTORS CHOICE PHOTOGRAPHY

RENE KEEMIK

ROB FROM THE RSTHINKS EV CHANNEL ON YOUTUBE

ROBERT GRACE

RUPERT MITCHELL

SEIKI PAYNE

STEPHEN PENN

STEVE JOHN

THOMAS J. THIAS 

TODD OAKES

THE PLUGSEEKER’S EV YOUTUBE CHANNEL