1403: 13 Mar 2022 | GMC Hummer EV Owners Already Selling For Huge Profits - a podcast by EV News Daily

Show #1403

Good morning, good afternoon and good evening wherever you are in the world, welcome to EV News Daily, you trusted source of information. It’s Sunday 13th March, it’s Martyn Lee here and I go through every EV story so you don't have to.

- The GMC Hummer EV may be an all-new offering, but plenty of people are willing to part with their hard-earned cash to experience the new electric pickup before anyone else. In fact, demand has been so strong that, in December, we already reported on 60,000 preorders.

- With all this crazy interest in the vehicle, it's no surprise that some early reservation holders are now looking to make a quick buck, but the scale of the markups we're seeing lately is just mindblowing.

- some people are offering up the Edition 1 for as much as $325,000. Keep in mind that, although an $80,000 version is coming as a base model, the Edition 1 is not much more expensive and is supposed to sell for around $105,000. That means that these new markups are reaching as much as triple the original asking price, which is arguably worse than what some supercar dealers will do.

- a quick Google search reveals that $300,000 resale prices are more common than not. Heck, The Drive cites Hummer Chat forum users selling reservation slots, which cost $100 direct from GM at release, for as much as $60,000, while the same forum has Edition 1s selling for upwards of $262k. For a truck not yet delivered. Insane seems too weak a word to describe this phenomenon.

Original Source : https://carbuzz.com/news/gmc-hummer-ev-flips-are-already-getting-out-of-hand

- American Battery Factory (ABF), a manufacturer incubated from Utah-based energy storage firm Lion Energy, announced plans to deploy a network of battery cell gigafactories to boost U.S. domestic energy storage supply

- ABF will produce lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries for storage suppliers and pack integrators that can be used for utility-scale storage, residential storage and even certain large mobile uses. The company will deploy smaller factories producing between 3 GW and 15 GW of battery cells, which can be installed in a manner of weeks to meet demand.

- According to AFB, the company’s batteries will perform at least 10,000 discharge cycles with a 20-30 year lifespan. The products will be designed for storage systems on the utility- and residential-scale level, as well as military uses and certain large electric vehicles like trucks, buses and trams.

Original Source : https://www.utilitydive.com/news/american-battery-factory-plans-battery-cell-gigafactories-to-support-us-s/620227/

- SAIC Motor plans to invest 300 billion yuan ($43 billion) in advanced technologies over the five years through 2025, the Chinese automaker's chairman told Nikkei.

- The spending focuses on new-energy vehicles -- which include electrics and plug-in hybrids -- as well as connected and smart cars, including autonomous driving tech, Chen Hong said. SAIC aims to lift sales of new-energy vehicles to more than 2.7 million units in 2025, a 270% increase from 2021.

- Q: What are the company's medium-term plans?A: Plans call for investing 300 billion yuan over the five years through 2025 in new-energy vehicles, connected cars and the smart segment. We will transform into a high-tech company oriented toward the customer.Sales of new-energy vehicles will be increased to more than 2.7 million units annually in 2025. Our company plans to raise the percentage of new-energy vehicles to overall sales to at least 32%.

- We aim to become China's top company in autonomous driving tech, reaching mass production of Level 4 vehicles.

Original Source : https://asia.nikkei.com/Editor-s-Picks/Interview/Chinese-automaker-SAIC-pours-43bn-into-advanced-tech-chairman

- At the Lehigh Valley Mall, on the outskirts of Allentown, Pennsylvania, Tony Saba is already feeling the impact of the rising cost of gas.

- “The price is going up to hell,” he said. “I cannot move like before. My car is in my garage. I can’t move it because I have no money.”

- Saba, a 70-year-old retiree, used to drive to the mall. He doesn’t go in any of the shops or restaurants – he just likes to sit in the comfy armchairs and chat with his friends.

- But the bus takes too long, and is too expensive. So he called a friend, who picked him up.

- “In the US we really saw an increase in automobile use in the post-world war two period, the baby boom generation. At that point in time, we had this new availability of relatively inexpensive mass-produced automobiles, this is the first time that people from middle income households can purchase a motor vehicle,” said Gregory Rowangould, the director of the Transportation Research Center at the University of Vermont and an associate professor in civil and environmental engineering.

- The construction and planning of these new suburbs rarely included viable bus or train options. Many new neighborhoods didn’t have walkable amenities either. Now, people needed cars to go shopping, or take their kids to the swimming pool, and certainly to get to work.

- It’s a legacy that has endured. Americans drive much, much more than other nationalities.

- In 2019 American motorists drove an average of 14,263 miles a year, according to the US Department of Transportation. That puts the US at the top of the list in terms of miles driven, and it isn’t even close. In the next highest country, Canada, people drove an average of 9,562 miles a year in 2018. The average car in the UK was driven for 7,134 miles in 2019.

- Meanwhile some experts have suggested the spike in prices could serve as a wake-up call for the public and politicians to move away from a reliance on oil, and towards greener transport methods.

- With gas prices unlikely to fall anytime soon, a shift away from America’s car dependency, and serious investment in public transport would not just benefit the environment, but also the millions of Americans who are struggling financially.

Original Source : https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/mar/13/us-car-vehicle-expenses-rise

- With electric vehicles (EVs) lining up on the horizon and zooming into the nearest local showroom, auto dealers are preparing today to serve the EV customer of tomorrow by investing in training, education, infrastructure and, most importantly, positioning themselves as EV retail experts and resources for these new buyers.

- The idea that dealerships don’t want to sell EVs is ridiculous, said NADA Academy Director Michael Hayes. “We’re selling a transportation solution that someone wants and meets their needs,” he said. “If I’m a dealer, I’m in the EV business. Every dealer, I truly believe, will sell EVs [and] wants to sell EVs, if that’s what our customers want.”

- So what can dealers do to make sure that customers know that? Chris Neff, EV Dealer Training Specialist with Plug In America suggested dealers attend drive events throughout the country, including National Drive Electric Week. “That’s where EV folks gather and share information and they’re always looking for dealers to come,” he said.

- Knowing a buyer’s lifestyle and motivation for buying an EV is a great opportunity for dealers to provide information that buyers will value, said Chris Potgeiter, Product Marketing Manager at automotiveMastermind. For example, if the EV buyer is a homeowner, a dealer might mention an in-home charging station. If the buyer is an apartment dweller, direct them to local charging stations near them. Maybe the buyer has expressed frustration over being a frequent visitor to the service department. A dealer can point out that an EV has fewer moving parts that could break and can offer a new level of reliability.

Original Source : https://blog.nada.org/2022/03/12/how-to-make-dealerships-the-no-1-resource-for-ev-buyers/

- Dealerships that want to go all-in on electrification are in a race—a race for load capacity, according to Sean Gouda, Executive Vice President, Future Energy.

- The main issue is utility upgrades are long-term capital projects that can take up to five years to complete. Distribution circuits have only so much capacity available. Utilities must install new lines, and upgrade transformers and substations. Coupled with the increase demand for electrification and the approaching fleet of EVs, dealers are facing potential electrical gridlock.

- Gouda also recommended that dealers who are installing EV infrastructure, such as transformers and panels, take a long-term view when it comes to planning. “Everything you build should have a modular capability to it. You want to future-proof these components and build the foundation to expand your business in EVs. Spend the money now … to electrify your business for five or even 10 years from now.”

Original Source : https://blog.nada.org/2022/03/11/dealers-get-in-line-to-get-electrified-says-e-mobility-expert/

BMW IX5 HYDROGEN - HOW DOES IT COMPARE TO A BATTERY-POWERED ELECTRIC VEHICLE?

 

Original Source : https://www.bmwblog.com/2022/03/13/bmw-ix5-hydrogen-video-review/

Original Source : https://cnevpost.com/2022/03/14/regulatory-filing-shows-what-byd-seal-looks-like/

Original Source : https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/how-ride-hailing-startups-with-ev-only-fleet-are-ushering-in-change-for-climate/articleshow/90189525.cms

Original Source : https://electrek.co/2022/03/13/segway-unveils-new-30-mph-seated-electric-scooter-for-the-international-market/

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