The Canadian Electric Vehicle thread

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

Except when most of what Amazon and Walmart sells is made in China.

It might be different with big ticket items like cars. Who knows what additional tariffs would be on those vehicles too.

Given that China has restated its going to keep pursuing Covid Zero, economic decoupling may come about as a result of economic forces rather than political ones. Who want to live with that kind of supplier uncertainty?

Chinese censors scrub internet after senior party official gives speech on timeline of zero-Covid in Beijing
By Yong Xiong, Wayne Chang and Hannah Ritchie, CNN
Updated 12:05 PM ET, Mon June 27, 2022

(CNN)Chinese censors scrambled to delete what appears to be a misleading quote by a senior Communist Party official published in state media Monday, which claimed the "zero-Covid" policy would remain in place in Beijing "for the next five years," in an effort to tame an online backlash.

Beijing Daily, the official Communist Party newspaper for the Chinese capital, earlier reported that the city's party chief, Cai Qi, said Monday that "for the next five years, Beijing will resolutely implement Covid-19 pandemic control measures and uphold the 'zero-Covid' policy to prevent imported cases from coming in and domestic cases from rebounding."

The reported reference by Cai, who is a close ally of Chinese President Xi Jinping, to "the next five years" sparked a huge backlash on Chinese social media. In response, Beijing Daily removed the line, describing it as an "editing error" while leaving his other remarks about pandemic controls intact....

...."I have to rethink whether I should continue to stay in Beijing in the long term," one user wrote on Weibo, China's Twitter-like platform.

"For the next five years...what is the point of being alive even," another user said.

Weibo has since banned the hashtag "for the next five years" from its platform...

https://www.cnn.com/2022/06/27/asia/...ntl/index.html

[Truenorth00]

Originally Posted by whatnext

Given that China has restated its going to keep pursuing Covid Zero, economic decoupling may come about as a result of economic forces rather than political ones. Who want to live with that kind of supplier uncertainty?

Those who have no other choice. Where's the battery supply chain to replace them?

Instead of engaging in denialism about climate change and the market viability of EVs, may be legacy automakers and Western governments should have been working on the battery supply chain. Primary going to take a decade to catch up to China now.

[homebucket]

Well that didn't take long.

Ford Issues Safety Compliance Recall For F-150 Lightning
The recall affects 2,666 vehicles in the U.S. and 220 in Canada
Jun 27, 2022 at 4:04pm ET
By: Tom Moloughney

Ford has announced the company is issuing a recall for certain 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning electric pickup trucks. The safety recall is specifically for vehicles with 20” or 22” all-season tires and is centered on the tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS).

The TPMS light may not illuminate properly which can lead to customers not being provided with adequate warning of a low tire pressure situation. Ford explains that the issue is because the recommended tire cold inflation pressure value in the Body Control Module (BCM) was incorrectly set to 35 psi rather than the correct inflation pressure of 42 psi. Therefore, the warning won't be issued until the tire pressure is lower than 35 psi, 7 lbs lower than the proper warning threshold.

...

Ford had this to say about how low tire pressure can adversely affect the drivability and safety of a vehicle:

"Low tire inflation pressure may lead to poor vehicle handling and a possible loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of crash. Ford encourages customers to check their tire pressure matches figures provided on the Tire and Loading Information label located inside the driver-side front door jamb."

https://insideevs.com/news/594697/fo...safety-recall/

[Djeffery]

Originally Posted by homebucket

Well that didn't take long.



https://insideevs.com/news/594697/fo...safety-recall/

So, not an EV issue then.

[homebucket]

Originally Posted by Djeffery

So, not and EV issue then.

No, but it makes you wonder what other issues (EV and non-EV) can be expected later.

[homebucket]

Originally Posted by thurmas

Also VW reporting they will overtake Tesla as worldwide leader in EV sales by 2024.

Looks like VW might need to push back that projection a bit.

Volkswagen Halts ID. Buzz Production
There is a problem with faulty batteries from a new supplier, according to the report.

Jun 27, 2022 at 7:09am ET
By: Mark Kane

Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles (part of the Volkswagen Group) has halted production of the Volkswagen ID. Buzz model in Hanover, Germany.

The surprising news comes just a few weeks after production started on June 2, 2022. According to media reports from Germany, the company has a problem with batteries.

Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung (via Electrive) reports that the company noted quality problems with the batteries for the ID. Buzz. According to the article, there are some faulty cells/modules from a new supplier, which forced the stoppage of production - "for initially one week."

The unofficial info says that battery performance falls short of the target, including voltage drops, which affect range.

The Volkswagen ID. Buzz is reportedly the only model that got the batteries from this particular new undisclosed supplier. There should be no issues with other MEB-based models, as they are equipped with batteries from other manufacturers.

“It is a new battery cell from a different supplier that is currently only used in the ID.Buzz,” the spokesperson said. “Therefore, only the production in Hanover is affected, but not other locations.”

The batteries from a new supplier were expected to be later used also in other MEB-based models. We guess that the issue might delay this plan.

https://insideevs.com/news/594444/vo...uction-halted/

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by homebucket

No, but it makes you wonder what other issues (EV and non-EV) can be expected later.

It's still a Ford...

[theman23]

Originally Posted by homebucket

No, but it makes you wonder what other issues (EV and non-EV) can be expected later.

Have you ever owned a car before? A faulty TPMS sensor is pretty insignificant as far as recalls go. No one is going to get hurt because their tire pressures were 35 psi.

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by theman23

Have you ever owned a car before? A faulty TPMS sensor is pretty insignificant as far as recalls go. No one is going to get hurt because their tire pressures were 35 psi.

Possibly, but with the towing and cargo specs of the F150 it might be a bigger safety issue.

[Truenorth00]

Canada is already at 8% EV market share. Just constrained by supply.
https://financialpost.com/commoditie...-electric-cars

[Wigs]

Originally Posted by goodgrowth

It took like 10-20 years for the South Korean car brands to build a decent reputation...and South Korea didn't have the pre-baked negative reputation that China does.

It would take a while before a Chinese brand got respect imo.

You must have never ridden in a late 80s, early 90s Hyundai Pony,
a Chevette equivalent if you will.
The initial reputation back then was garbage 30 years ago.

Contrast that to my Dad's 2022 Kia Sorento PHEV. It looks more modern with better looking fit/finish than an equivalent Toyota like a RAV4 Prime.

After being a Toyota guy for 20 years he's not looking back.
"Best car I've ever owned" so far he says

[Wigs]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

In a world of unlimited supply, I think Hyundai and Kia would definitely dominate. The bang for your buck is perfect for your typical car buyer.

What's less clear to me is how much margin they are making on these vehicles, same with VW. We know Tesla's cars are high margin, so there is room to compete on price if it comes to that.

Kia/Hyundai can easily compete because as a Huge conglomerate they control so many inputs.
Hyundai owns steel mills for example. They make the steel to their exact specifications and the strength/rigidity keeps increasing over time while weight decreasing.

A quick Google search pulled up their own marketing haha
https://www.hyundai.news/eu/articles...ar-safety.html

[SpongeG]

Originally Posted by Wigs

You must have never ridden in a late 80s, early 90s Hyundai Pony,
a Chevette equivalent if you will.
The initial reputation back then was garbage 30 years ago.

Contrast that to my Dad's 2022 Kia Sorento PHEV. It looks more modern with better looking fit/finish than an equivalent Toyota like a RAV4 Prime.

After being a Toyota guy for 20 years he's not looking back.
"Best car I've ever owned" so far he says

KIA has had a German car designer for a few years now and just poached one formerly with BMW.

Head Of Kia Design
OCT 26, 2020
BY JARED ROSENHOLTZ
INDUSTRY NEWS
/ 16 COMMENTS
He's responsible for some of BMW's coolest concepts.

South Korean automaker Kia has been on a tear these last few years, proving it can compete on a global stage with sharp designs and outstanding driving dynmaics. A key component of its success is a string of smart, strategic recent hires, many of whom have come from lauded European brands like BMW. Albert Bierman, previously instrumental to BMW's M performance brand, helped make the Kia Stinger into the great-driving car that it is. Kia's current Chief Designer, Karim Habib, spent his career prior to 2019 working for BMW, Daimler, and Infiniti.

Now, Kia has poached another great talent from BMW: Won Kyu Kang, now Vice President and Head of the Kia Design Innovation Group. Kang will work at Kia's design headquarters in Namyang, South Korea, and report to Chief Designer Karim Habib.

https://carbuzz.com/news/former-bmw-...-of-kia-design

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by homebucket

No, but it makes you wonder what other issues (EV and non-EV) can be expected later.

From your post above:

The TPMS light may not illuminate properly which can lead to customers not being provided with adequate warning of a low tire pressure situation. Ford explains that the issue is because the recommended tire cold inflation pressure value in the Body Control Module (BCM) was incorrectly set to 35 psi rather than the correct inflation pressure of 42 psi. Therefore, the warning won't be issued until the tire pressure is lower than 35 psi, 7 lbs lower than the proper warning threshold.

Meh... an issue easily solved by a software upload. Somebody programmed in the wrong trigger value. Little glitches like this happen often (hint: I'm sure Tesla has similar incidences).

The reality of the above issue is more like somebody will discover that their expensive tires have worn prematurely because they set the tire pressures too low. A tire being 7 psi below its optimum pressure will likely never cause the handling to change drastically enough to cause a crash, but auto companies have to cover themselves legally, so they have to make statements like: "Low tire inflation pressure may lead to poor vehicle handling and a possible loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of crash. Ford encourages customers to check their tire pressure matches figures provided on the Tire and Loading Information label located inside the driver-side front door jamb."

Regardless, not an EV-unique problem.

[Acajack]

Looks like I will be taking delivery of my first fully electric vehicle in August.

In a related question, any thoughts on what the price of gas is likely to be over the next 5 years or so?

As in what the "floor" will probably be.

[homebucket]

Originally Posted by OldDartmouthMark

From your post above:

Meh... an issue easily solved by a software upload. Somebody programmed in the wrong trigger value. Little glitches like this happen often (hint: I'm sure Tesla has similar incidences).

I think you might be missing the point.

[Truenorth00]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Looks like I will be taking delivery of my first fully electric vehicle in August.

Congratulations! What are you getting? And how did you decide on it (what were your car shopping priorities)?

Originally Posted by Acajack

In a related question, any thoughts on what the price of gas is likely to be over the next 5 years or so?

As in what the "floor" will probably be.

Given that the Clean Fuel Standard should add 6¢/L next year and 1¢/L every year through to 2030, along with an annual increase of 3.3¢/L from the carbon tax through to 2030, I don't think we'll see below $1.5/L (cross-Canada average for regular) again, short of a serious global recession that substantially tanks global oil demand sharply. And even with that, there are scenarios where oil prices remain elevated. If I had to guess on a 5 yr average, I would bet at somewhere around $1.7/L.

[WarrenC12]

In Vancouver I don't expect the average price (over say, a quarter or a year) to go below $2 again. We are at $2.07 today, the lowest in months.

[Truenorth00]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

In Vancouver I don't expect the average price (over say, a quarter or a year) to go below $2 again. We are at $2.07 today, the lowest in months.

For every $10/bbl oil goes down, gas should drop about 6-8¢/L. We're already down to $100/bbl on recession fears. I think it's very likely you guys will see sub-$2 this year. And the rest of Canada may be under $1.5 possibly. But wherever they end up, it's going to rebound after any recession.

[Tvisforme]

For those here who are pre-ordering electric vehicles with long-term wait periods, how does that work? Do you have a fixed price, are you buying a current-year vehicle, and what happens if there's a redesign (say from '22 to '23)? Are you locked in, or can you gt out if something else such as a new model or different manufacturer comes along?