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Stricter Emission Norms For Mass EV Adoption

Are Stricter Emission Norms Right to Push Mass EV Adoption?

Governments, in many parts of the globe, are planning to suggest stricter emission norms in a bid to push mass EV adoption. We are witnessing a historic transition to electric mobility as the sales surge with every passing year. Needless to mention, it is the case exclusively in some of the top countries in the world with regard to the market size of the automobile industry while most nations are still struggling to get to terms with this metamorphosis. You might also like: Here’s How Ferrari May Still Sell ICE Cars Post EU Ban of 2035 You might also like: 5 New EV Battery Technologies – Aluminium-ion to Niobium Stricter Emission Norms to Push EV Adoption? As per recent online reports, the EPA (Environment Protection Agency) in the USA is proposing stringent emission norms for the existing and upcoming ICE-powered vehicles so that the carmakers have no other option but to embrace electrification rapidly. Emission regulations across the world already get more demanding with each passing year. As a result, it becomes expensive to keep developing the existing diesel and petrol powertrains to abide by the requirements. We have seen diesel fizzle out just in the last couple of years due to this very reason from many global markets. The cost to upgrade diesel engines to meet the latest vehicular pollution limits was simply too high to make business sense. Hence, the companies started ditching the diesel powertrain altogether. But if governments across the world start imposing high demands from the existing IC engines, it will become difficult to keep upgrading the petrol engines so frequently too. Essentially, the government is forcing the hand of the car marques to voluntarily and swiftly adopt EVs. You might also like: Tesla to Make PMS Motor Without Rare Earth Elements Challenges with this While such measures have a positive aspect wherein the car marques will need to invest heavily in the development of EVs and charging infrastructure, we are not sure how the auto companies will react. The prices of EVs still continue to be high putting them out of the reach of a vast majority of the populace, the charging infrastructure is far from abundant in most parts of the world, range anxiety is still prevalent, a few fires have caused people to be a bit apprehensive about the safety, the use of rare earth elements and metals like cobalt poses serious environmental and human rights challenges, lack of battery recycling opportunities, increased use of semiconductors in EVs are some of the key challenges still associated with electric cars. Therefore, while the intention might be correct, governments across the world must first ensure that the general public is in a position to buy EVs on a large scale and the infrastructure is there to eliminate the issue of range anxiety. Most countries are on board with ambitious carbon-neutrality plans in the next couple of decades but there is still a lot of groundwork to be done to make it a reality.

Toyota CEO Koji Sato’s Shocking Statement on EVs Makes Sense

5 Comments / Featured / By LEC Team

Toyota recently underwent shuffling at the top level with Akio Toyoda, the grandson of the founder of the company appointing a new CEO and making a shocking statement regarding the future of EVs. Toyoda assumes the position of the Chairman at the largest carmaker on earth and the new CEO would be Koji Sato, who was the head of Toyota’s Lexus division since 2020. While the management might have undergone reshuffling, the company’s stance on EVs has not. You might also like: Here’s How Ferrari May Still Sell ICE Cars Post EU Ban of 2035 Former Toyota CEO on EVs Akio Toyoda made a rather unusual statement regarding the future of EVs recently in contrast to where the overall industry seems to be heading. He believes that the future of mobility will not be exclusively electric (BEV to be precise). In order words, BEVs are not the only solution to achieving the ambitious carbon-neutrality plans that most car marques have announced. Furthermore, mass adoption would take longer than what the media leads us to believe. That same ideology has been passed on to the new CEO, Koji Sato too. The company is of the opinion that while BEVs would be a prominent way to achieve eco-friendly mobility solutions, they would take longer than we are expecting. Also, it depends on various markets across the world due to the sheer lack of infrastructure which is likely to be a concern for a long time still. You might also like: Stella Vita Electric Camper Van – Self-Sustaining Mobile House Instead, in fact, future automobiles would be powered by many powertrains including BEVs, hybrids, hydrogen or e-fuels. Toyota has been betting big on hydrogen-powered vehicles for a long time now. Its Mirai is sold in the US for a few years. However, the sales have not been impressive at all. The reasons are quite simple. While it may just take a couple of mins to refuel and the range is decent too, the infrastructure around hydrogen stations is not that great. On top of that, developing it from the scratch needs massive investments too. Similarly, the initial prices of EVs and the lack of infrastructure in most parts of the world is what is concerning Toyota, preventing them to take the plunge full on. But it’s not like Toyota is completely estranged from EVs. On the contrary, it announced plans to roll out as many as 30 new BEV models globally by 2030 in passenger and commercial segments. This includes products from Lexus too. Most of these will be based on Toyota’s e-TNGA (Electric – Toyota New Global Architecture) platform. It is a modular architecture that could underpin vehicles of various sizes and drivetrain configurations (FWD, RWD & AWD). You might also like: Tesla to Make PMS Motor Without Rare Earth Elements You might also like: 5 New EV Battery Technologies – Aluminium-ion to Niobium Going Forward Assessing the official statements from the outgoing and the new CEO of Toyota, it is clear that the largest carmaker in the world is on its way to a zero-emission target but the methods it aims to adopt are diversified as opposed to streamlined. Toyota believes that there will be many alternatives to ICE-powered cars depending on various international markets. Ultimately, customers will have the option to choose what is best for them. Therefore, Toyota will keep working on all of the aforementioned technologies to power its future automobiles.

Here’s How Ferrari May Still Sell ICE Cars Post EU Ban of 2035

4 Comments / Featured / By LEC Team

EU was amidst passing the law that would ban the sales of new fossil-fuel-powered combustion engine vehicles after 2035 in a bid to achieve its goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050. However, Germany and Italy have raised objections to this law by urging the EU to exempt e-fuels from this ban. This includes e-fuels like e-hydrogen, e-methane, e-methanol or e-diesel. If that were to happen, we will still be able to experience the throaty growl from the legendary Ferrari engines post-2035. You may also like: 5 New EV Battery Technologies – Aluminium-ion to Niobium Carbon Neutral E-Fuels E-fuels are developed using carbon (airborne or from biomass) and synthesizing it with green hydrogen (produced from renewable sources). These could be e-hydrogen, e-methane or e-diesel. The aim of these fuels is to make the entire combustion process carbon neutral by emitting as much (ideally less) CO2 as used in the production of the fuel at the beginning. Therefore, at least in theory, a carbon-neutral vehicle is obtained without going electric or significantly changing the engines. You may also like: Stella Vita Electric Camper Van – Self-Sustaining Mobile House Which Carmakers are in Favour? Porsche has already invested heavily in this technology which is being developed by a wind-powered plant in Chile. It has used this fuel in one of its petrol-powered 911 sports cars to demonstrate the application. This company is backed by Porsche and produced 550 million litres per year already since 2021. Another company is Norsk e-Fuel from Norway which is set to commence production in 2024. Lamborghini has also supported the use of synthetic fuels as one way to keep the performance and sound of a combustion engine alive, which is a major reason why people opt for Lambos in the first place. Automobile ancillaries like Bosch, ZF and Mahle are already members of the eFuel Alliance, which is an industry lobby group. BMW has invested US$12.5 million in e-fuel startup Prometheus Fuels. Ferrari has already announced that it aims to electrify 80% of its portfolio by 2030 but this technology and amendment in the law could make them explore some new avenues. Talking at the Reuters Newsmaker event, Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna said, “The good news for us as a company … is that on top of electric cars, we’ll also be able to go on with our internal combustion engines ones.” He adds, “We don’t want to tell clients which car to use. We want to make three kinds of propulsion available for them — hybrid, electric and ICE — and they will choose.” You may also like: Why Electric Cars Catching Fire Must Concern You EU Ban 2035 Initially, all stakeholders had agreed to this ban by the EU on the sale of new fossil-fuel-powered ICE vehicles after 2035. However, the recent objections from major economies like Germany and Italy have raised concerns regarding this ban. But it must be mentioned that the ban may still be valid with an exemption for e-fuels. That is being contemplated upon and might soon be brought in with proper guidelines and policies.

Qualcomm Snapdragon Digital Chassis for Electric Cars

Qualcomm Plans to Dominate the Future of Electric Cars

2 Comments / Featured / By LEC Team

Qualcomm has always been a part of traditional ICE-powered, as well as modern electric cars. All new cars contain extensive use of electronic components. This includes semiconductor chips, ECUs, relays, etc. Essentially, all the mechanical operations in new cars have been substituted by electronic operations to enhance convenience. At CES 2023, Qualcomm introduced the Snapdragon Digital Chassis software-defined concept vehicle. It showcases the next generation of mobility and automotive solutions. You might also like: Why Electric Cars Catching Fire Must Concern You Qualcomm Snapdragon for Electric Cars There are 4 main components of the Qualcomm Snapdragon Digital Chassis that will cover almost all the areas of modern EVs – Cloud-Connected Platforms for Telematics, Connectivity, Digital Cockpit and Driver Assistance & Autonomy. Auto Connectivity – This includes functions related to overall connectivity in any modern car like 5G, LTE, C-V2X, WiFi, Bluetooth, MF-GNSS, DSDA and more. Cockpit Platform – This is perhaps the most practical one of the lot where the drivers will evidently experience certain changes some of which have already arrived in EVs from a select few car marques. This incorporates things like a configurable 3D Digital Cluster, E-Mirrors, 3D Navigation, Natural Language Processing, Streaming Multimedia, Premium Audio and Intelligent UI. Car-to-Cloud – This is perhaps the most compelling aspect of modern cars where most operations will be accessible via OTA (Over-the-Air) updates pertaining to Device Management, Global Connectivity, Integrated Analysis, Service, Diagnostics and more. Ride Platform – This is aimed at enhancing the ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) and Autonomous Driving (AD) functions using the low-power, high-performance SoC (System-on-Chips) for Simulation and Continuous Learning. All these functions sum up the entire processes of modern cars and a successful firm like Qualcomm is perfectly positioned to leverage its expertise and experience in this field. You might also like: Top Solid-State Battery Companies For EVs Automotive-IT Collaborations Qualcomm has already partnered with the giants of the automotive industry including GM, Jeep, Mercedes-Benz, Sony Honda Mobility, Cadillac, Stellantis Group (Peugeot, Fiat, Citroen, Dodge, Maserati and Chrysler) and more. The Digital Chassis envelopes the entire automotive software stack including parking sensors, radar for ADAS, smartphone apps, downloadable upgrades and more. Qualcomm has received support from BMW, Hyundai Motor Group, Nio and Volvo for the new platform. Additionally, LG Electronics has established technical collaboration with Magna which is a major global automotive parts supplier and assembles cars for companies like Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Jaguar and Fisker. Magna will develop a proof of concept for automated driver infotainment solutions for differentiated customer experiences. A more recent example of the Automotive-IT collaboration is the Sony Honda Mobility (SHM). In fact, its EV called Afeela was a major point of attraction at the CES 2023. This concept car even featured Fortnite and Spider-Man gameplay imagery on a digital display above its front bumper. The PS5 game ‘Horizon Forbidden West’ appeared on the rear seat displays of Afeela. Afeela will also use Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Digital Chassis system for ADAS, Autonomous Driving, Interfaces and Telematics. You might also like: Does the Future of EVs Rest on Sodium Ion Batteries? No Semiconductor Shortage Issue Finally, no one is unfamiliar with the severe semiconductor shortage issue that has been plaguing the global automotive industry for a while now. The current cars need a dozen different ECUs for various things like display, parking, driver monitoring, audio, speakers, windows, AC, etc. However, with the Digital Chassis, all these will get integrated into a common platform reducing the number of semiconductor chips, thereby, reducing the overall cost. With almost every aspect of EVs becoming electronic, the future would certainly require automotive companies to collaborate with the giants of the IT and Tech industries. Source

Why Electric Cars Catching Fire Must Concern You

2 Comments / Featured / By LEC Team

While industry experts and new car buyers are beginning to jump on the EV bandwagon, we must also acquaint ourselves with the issue of electric cars catching fire. Now, before we go any further, we must mention that this is not an EV-bashing blog or creating fear among potential buyers, but a rather factual piece of content which talks about why EV fires are different and worse than fire in ICE-powered vehicles. Also, for the record, USA Today shows data highlighting that the number of EVs catching fire out of 100,000 vehicles is just 25 compared to gas cars (1,530). So, EVs are clearly much safer when it comes to fire explosions. Furthermore, most fires occur when vehicles get crashed which may necessarily not be due to any defect in the battery or construction. With that out of the way, let us discuss the chemistry of an EV fire. You might also like: Does the Future of EVs Rest on Sodium Ion Batteries? Chemistry of Electric Cars Catching Fire When a traditional gas-powered vehicle gets engulfed in flames, standard procedures like putting water into the fire to cut the oxygen supply works adequately. Additionally, fire extinguishers can control the situation and people are aware of what to do in such situations. However, that is the most terrifying aspect of EVs catching fire. We know that most EV batteries use Lithium-ion chemistry with Nickel, Cobalt, Manganese metals and liquid electrolytes. Generally, the battery is sealed off securely and it is meant to stay that way even during unfortunate cases. However, if the battery catches fire once, most standard procedures won’t be effective in dousing it out. The reason behind that is simple. The EV battery components become the fuel themselves causing a thermal runaway. This is due to the electrolyte decomposing and releasing Oxygen among other toxic gases including Carbon Monoxide, Hydrogen Cyanide, Hydrofluoric Acid and Cobalt. You might also like: Top Solid-State Battery Companies For EVs You don’t need to get in contact with these gases to get affected negatively. Some of these gases could get absorbed by your skin. That is the reason why people have lost their lives in such fires. There have also been cases reported where the fire kept on going for hours despite being tried to control it using conventional water and fire extinguishers. Hence, if such a fire breaks out in a parking lot where multiple EVs are parked, we could have a serious problem on our hands. Since most people charge their EVs at their homes, this issue becomes more pertinent. Overnight charging is the most common and practical way of charging EVs across the world. In fact, some people, due to a lack of space around the house, end up installing charging equipment inside the house. In countries like Australia, solar charging and storage devices are quite common. But these must be away from the house, at least outside the building so that even if there are such terrible situations, lives are not at stake. That is the reason why EV fires are extremely perilous and we must be informed about such things. As mentioned previously, the chances of EVs catching fire are still a lot lesser compared to traditional gas-powered vehicles. Nevertheless, proper safety measures and procedures must be in place as EVs get more popular than ever. The concerned authorities must come up with safety protocols about what must be done in such situations so that people are able to deal with these scenarios in the best possible way.

Here’s Why You Won’t Get Full EV Tax Credit in 2023 in the USA

1 Comment / Featured / By LEC Team

The updated EV tax credit scheme has made the entire process rather complex. Earlier, if the company of the EV or PHEV (Plug-In Hybrid Vehicle) that you purchased had sold less than 200,000 EVs or PHEVs, you would have received the full $7,500 tax credit on the qualifying EVs. But now, there are many layers including income caps, price caps on eligible EVs, location of manufacturing of EV (US or outside) and source of battery components (US or outside). You won’t get the full amount if all of these criteria are not fulfilled. You might also like: Top 5 Mini EVs in 2023 – Future of Urban Mobility? Additionally, the amount of tax credit that you are eligible to get until the end of 2023 can be availed of at the time of filing the ITR (Income Tax Returns). But starting 2024, you will be able to apply the amount directly at the time of purchasing the EV, reducing the initial cost straightaway. This will allow car buyers to take lower credit through financial institutions, a great pull for a lot of new EV buyers. Under this act, the term used to describe EVs is “Clean Vehicles”. This means that EVs, PHEVs as well as Hydrogen cars will be eligible for the tax rebate/credit. This act will continue until 2032. You might also like: Electrify America Leads Non-Tesla DC Fast Charging Network with 800 Stations EV Tax Credit Depends on Many Factors You might also like: Factors on Which Energy Consumption of an EV Depends In conclusion, this new regulation will even allow the EV to re-attain the eligibility for the tax rebate who has previously lost it on account of the aforementioned rule where a 200,000 vehicle limit for a carmaker was applied. These companies were Tesla, GM and Toyota. Going forward, EVs from these three auto giants will also become eligible for the tax benefit yet again.

Top 5 Mini EVs in 2023 – Future of Urban Mobility?

7 Comments / Featured / By LEC Team

This blog post discusses the top 5 mini EVs that we could see in 2023 from various parts of the world. The main challenges with EVs at the moment include high initial costs, range anxiety and lack of adequate charging infrastructure. However, with mini urban electric cars, these aspects are addressed quite convincingly. Mini EVs are affordable, the range is not that big of an issue because one uses it just for a quick city trip and the charging infrastructure is not that relevant since most of these will be charged exclusively at home. Hence, they make an excellent case for enabling the future of urban mobility. Here are the top 5 mini EVs to look forward to in 2023. You might also like: Does The Aptera Solar Electric Car Really Have a 1,000 Miles Range? Top 5 Mini EVs in 2023 Microlino Microlino mini EV has been developed by the Italian carmaker. It comes powered by 3 Lithium-ion battery packs – 6 kWh, 10.5 kWh and 14 kWh offering a range of 95 km, 175 km and 230 km respectively. Its power and torque outputs stand at a decent 12.5 kW (16.76 hp) and 89 Nm with a top speed of 90 km/h. The 496-530 kg mini electric car takes 3-4 hours to charge fully. It is 2.52 m long and has a handy luggage compartment of 230 litres. City Transformer (CT-1) City Transformer describes itself as the EV tech disruptor from Israel. The CT-1 boasts a party trick of being a shape-shifting EV. It can reduce its width while travelling from 1.4 m to 1 m under 40 km/h in real-time. The flexible chassis enables the wheels to retract reducing the overall width to accommodate itself into tight urban parking spots when needed. The 590 kg EV has a range of 180 km and takes 30 mins to charge from 10% to 80% with a top speed of 90 km/h. It has a power output of 15 kW propelling it from 0-50 km/h in just 5 secs. The length of CT-1 is 2.5 m and it has a wheelbase of 1.8 m. You might also like: Microlino Urban Mini EV – Specs, Range, Price & More PMV Eas-E is Among the Top Mini EVs in 2023 PMV Electric is an Indian EV start-up that has developed the 2-seater Eas-E mini EV (quad-cycle). It comes with a 48 V Lithium-Ion-Phosphate battery that can be charged in less than 4 hours. There are options of choosing from three trims (as per range) – 120 km, 160 km and 200 km. The electric motor churns out 13 hp and 50 Nm of max power and torque and has a top speed of 70 km/h. The acceleration from 0-40 km/h takes less than 5 secs. The micro EV is 2.91 m long and has a wheelbase of 2.08 m. The ground clearance is a decent 170 mm. Opel Rocks-e German auto giant Opel has created an urban EV, Rocks-e. It is 2.41 m long and has a weight of just 471 kg. It comes with a 5.5 kWh battery pack that powers an electric motor to produce 12 hp of max power. The Rocks-e boasts a decent range of 75 km on a single charge and can be fully charged in around 4 hours. The 2-seater mini EV has door openings in opposite directions. You might also like: Abarth 500e Electric Hot Hatch – Specs, Range, Features & More Estrima Biro is Among the Top Mini EVs in 2023 Estrima is an Italian company that makes the Biro 2-seater 4-wheeled mini EV. It comes powered by two battery pack options offering 55 km and 100 km of range on a single charge. The Biro has a maximum power output of 3.3 kW and a top speed of 60 km/h if it has the Bolt set up. The mini EV is 1.74 m long, 1.03 m wide and 1.565 m high. It has a ground clearance of 190 mm. The main highlight of the Biro is its detachable battery pack enhancing the security and convenience of charging it at home or the workplace. These are some of the top mini EVs to watch out for in 2023.

Electrify America Charging Network in the USA

Electrify America Leads Non-Tesla DC Fast Charging Network with 800 Stations

4 Comments / Featured / By LEC Team

Electrify America charging network is the largest non-Tesla DC fast charging network in the USA. However, the greater concern is that only 13% of the public charging network in the USA is DC fast charging. The rest is Level 2 AC fast charging which takes hours to juice up the EV batteries. To be honest, highway and public charging stations must support DC fast charging because that is what the highway users need. They charge their electric cars using the slow, Level 1 and Level 2 chargers at home or parking lot of the office along with public places like shopping malls, food courts, etc. Despite the Government’s promise of rapidly developing the charging infrastructure across various states in the USA, the focus must be on installing DC chargers rather than Level 2 chargers which is the case at the moment. You may also like: Are Electric Car Chargers Universal – Types of Chargers EV Charging Network in the USA According to the data from the US Department of Energy, there are around 50,000 charging stations in the USA with 130,000 charging ports. Out of these, around 44,000 are Level 2 charging stations with over 100,000 charging ports. These have much slower charging capabilities compared to DC fast chargers. The number of DC fast charging stations out of the total is just 6,600 with around 28,000 charging ports. Interestingly, ChargePoint is the largest public charging network provider with about 27,000 charging stations and 50,000 charging ports out of the total 50,000. Most of these are Level 2. Then there is Tesla with around 6,000 stations and 28,000 charging ports followed by around 8,500 non-networked EV charging stations with almost 18,000 charging points. You may also like: Nio EC7 Has a CLTC Range of 920 km – Specs & More Electrify America Leads Non-Tesla DC Charging Network Race Electrify America is owned by the German auto giant, Volkswagen (VW). As per the US Department of Energy, Electrify America has about 800 DC fast charging stations with 3,600 fast-charging ports in the US. It is second to the proprietary 1,600 Supercharging stations by Tesla with 17,000 fast-charging ports. Note that in order to connect a non-Tesla EV to its charger, an additional connector is needed. However, currently, in North America, only Tesla vehicles can access the Supercharger network but the plan is to open it up to other EVs in the near future. Apart from these two prominent players in the DC charging network, EVgo also boats a decent 2,200 charging ports, while ChargePoint has about 1,800 DC fast-charging ports in the country. You may also like: 2023 Kia Niro EV Wind vs Wave – Price & Features Comparison Charging Network Speeds – Electrify America, Tesla, EVgo & ChargePoint Electrify America offers DC fast charging rates of up to 350 kW and its dense network allows non-Tesla EVs to go on a road trip almost anywhere in the country. Ford has partnered with Electrify America and every Mustang Mach-E owner gets 250 kWh of free DC fast charging at these charging stations. Tesla also offers charging speeds upto 250 kW at the Supercharging stations. Tennessee-based EVgo offers charging speeds ranging from 100 kW to 350 kW and General Motors (GM) has secured a deal with EVgo to install over 2,700 DC fast charging stations by 2025. It will have an average of 4 charging ports per station. Finally, the California-based ChargePoint has around 1,700 DC fast charging ports. Other notable players in the space include Shell-owned Greenlots (around 550 DC fast charging ports), Francis Energy (around 530 DC fast charging ports), EVConnect, EVCS and Blink, each with less than 250 DC Fast Charging ports. The Biden government is investing $5 billion over the next 5 years to enhance the national EV charging network in the country. Moreover, the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program offers over $1.5 billion in funding for states to construct EV charging networks.

Factors on Which Energy Consumption of an EV Depends

4 Comments / Featured / By LEC Team

With electric mobility taking its roots as the future solution, it becomes critical to acquaint ourselves with the factors on which the energy consumption of an EV depends. Now, everyone is concerned about the range of electric cars which is also the last remaining major issue with electric mobility in conjunction with charging infrastructure. But it looks like if EVs start offering really high range, people might get encouraged to take the plunge. For this blog post, we shall take into account the incredible feat achieved by the Mercedes VISION EQXX, where it was able to travel over 1,200 km on a single charge with an impressive energy consumption of just 8.3 kWh per 100 km. It completed this journey of 1,202 km from Stuttgart (Germany) to Silverstone (UK) in 14 hours and 30 minutes. You might also like: GAC Aion Hyper GT to be the Most Efficient Production Car Ever Key Figures for this Journey Value Distance Travelled 1,202 km Time Taken (over two days) 14 hours 30 minutes Drag Coefficient (Cd) 0.17 Energy Consumption 8.3 kWh per 100 km Weight (unladen) 1,755 kg Battery < 100 kWh Voltage > 900 V Key Values Energy Consumption of an EV Aerodynamics Now, it is not that difficult to understand that aerodynamics can greatly affect the energy consumption of an EV. In fact, that is the reason why the shapes of Formula 1 cars are so distinct. They focus on optimizing the body design to achieve the best aerodynamic efficiency. Essentially, it refers to how efficiently the body of the vehicle is able to cut through wind resulting in the lowest wind resistance. This becomes important with increased speeds. At high speeds. wind resistance poses the greatest hurdle to the acceleration of any vehicle. In the case of the Mercedes VISION EQXX, its body curves and a retractable rear diffuser aid the aerodynamics tremendously. This allows an overall value to be just 0.17 Cd, which will be the best on any production car when it officially launches beating its own kin, the EQS (which has a Cd value of 0.20 currently). Also, there are additional aero-shutters that open up below the front bumper further contributing to the aerodynamic efficiency at high speeds. You might also like: 2023 Hyundai KONA Electric vs 2023 Kia Niro EV – Specs, Range and Price Comparison Energy Consumption of an EV Depends on Wheels You might have noticed that the tyres of most EVs are very specifically designed. While it is an attempt to distinguish EVs from traditional ICE-powered cars, there is a deeper meaning hidden there as well. There is a way of making a car more aerodynamically efficient but that might make less aesthetic and practical sense. For instance, Mercedes says that they could bring the Cd value down to 0.16 if they cover the rear wheels. In fact, we see something like that on the Lightyear 0 solar EV. So, while that might theoretically be possible, EV makers also need to consider the fact that the final product must look like a car for them to actually sell as it might not go down too well with the potential customers for whom the looks and design play a key role. The EQXX has a Crr (Coefficient of Rolling Resistance for Tires of 0.0047). You might also like: Are Chargers at DC Fast Charging Stations Bad For EVs? Rolling Resistance and Weight Now, the total resistance to the motion of any vehicle takes into account the frontal area of the car, its weight, the rolling resistance of the tires, its velocity, air density and acceleration due to gravity. Out of these, automobile designers can vastly control the frontal area and the weight of the car. For this example, the frontal area of the EQXX is 2.12 m2 and its weight is 1,755 kg (3,869 lbs). In comparison, the weight of the EQS is around 2,500 kg. The frontal area of the Telsa Model 3 and Toyota Prius is 2.20 m2. The weight of the battery of the EQXX is just 495 kg compared to 537 kg for the 100 kWh battery of the Tesla Model S. Hence, Mercedes has improved on these aspects without compromising the shape of the vehicle too much. Energy Consumption of an EV Depends on Powertrain and Packaging Finally, energy consumption is a factor of the efficiency of the powertrain. While the aforementioned factors were a part of the design, the efficiency of the powertrain is what engineers are most engrossed in. That is where the EQXX shines. It has a cell-to-body construction and a passive cooling system for the battery. Note that the motor and inverter have active cooling. Mercedes also says that the powertrain efficiency during highway runs is around 95%. Also, the peak DC charging capacity is limited to 120 kW. Both these figures inform that the battery heating is not a problem which is why the engineers have decided to go with an air-cooled battery system rather than the more common liquid-cooled ones that we see in most cars. Hence, these are the most prominent factors that determine the overall efficiency and energy consumption rate of an EV. Mercedes VISION EQXX is an attempt to showcase just how far we can stretch the boundaries with the existing technology without making too many changes to the general aesthetics of a car. We are certain that more carmakers will pursue this method of making cars more efficient rather than slapping them with large batteries. We would love to hear your opinions about this.

2023 Hyundai KONA Electric vs 2023 Kia Niro EV Comparison

2023 Hyundai KONA Electric vs 2023 Kia Niro EV – Specs, Range and Price Comparison

3 Comments / Featured / By LEC Team

This post covers the comparison of the 2023 versions of the Hyundai KONA Electric and Kia Niro EV. Now, both these EVs are already established products across various international markets. These are converted models from ICE to electric. That helps keep the costs down compared to a fully electric car based on a dedicated electric platform. Each costing under $40,000 USD, we shall glance through the similarities and differences between the two. You might also like: Hyundai IONIQ 6 vs Kia EV6 – Specs, Price Comparison 2023 Hyundai KONA Electric vs 2023 Kia Niro EV – Specs Comparison In terms of powertrains, the KONA electric comes with a 64 kWh Lithium-ion polymer battery pack that powers an electric motor sending power to the front wheels. The total system output is a decent 201 hp and 290 lb-ft (393 Nm). It has a range of 258 miles (415 km) and charging to 80% using a 100 kW DC fast charger takes 47 mins. Acceleration from 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) takes 6.4 secs. On the other hand, the Niro EV comes powered by a 64.8 kWh Lithium-ion polymer battery that also powers the front wheels via an electric motor. The power and torque stand at 201 hp and 188 lb-ft (255 Nm) respectively. The driving range is 253 miles (407 km) and Level 3 DC fast charging takes 43 mins to get charged (up to 80%). Acceleration from 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) takes 7.1 secs. Specs Comparison KONA Electric Niro EV Drivetrain FWD FWD Battery 64 kWh 64.8 kWh Range 258 mi (415 km) 253 mi (407 km) Power 201 hp 201 hp Torque 290 lb-ft (393 Nm) 188 lb-ft (255 Nm) DC Fast Charging 47 mins (10-80%) 43 mins (10-80%) Acceleration (0-62 mph / 100 km/h) 6.4 secs 7.1 secs Specs Comparison You might also like: Cupra Born vs VW ID.3 – Which One Should You Pick? Dimensions Comparison When it comes to dimensions, the Niro EV has a significant advantage over the KONA Electric. The former is 4,420 mm long, 1,825 mm wide, 1,570 mm high and has a wheelbase of 2,720 mm. On the other hand, the KONA Electric is 4,205 mm long, 1,800 mm wide, 1,570 mm high and has a wheelbase of 2,600 mm. Dimensions Niro EV KONA Electric Length 4,420 mm 4,205 mm Width 1,825 mm 1,800 mm Height 1,570 mm 1,570 mm Wheelbase 2,720 mm 2,600 mm Boot Capacity 651 litres 544 litres Dimensions Comparison You might also like: 2023 Kia Niro EV Wind vs Wave – Price & Features Comparison Price Comparison The 2023 Hyundai KONA Electric is the more affordable of the two with the base variant starting at $33,550 USD while the starting price of the 2023 Kia Niro EV is $39,450 USD. The $5,900 price difference gets you more of a car in terms of dimensions, boot capacity and road presence.

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