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Despite concerns over a cooling EV market, Hyundai and Kia are “very bullish” as demand for their electric vehicles remains strong.

Over the past few months, I’m sure you’ve read headlines like “Automakers overestimated EV demand,” but some believe they are right on track. This includes Hyundai, Kia, and several others.

Senior executives from the Korean automakers told Reuters ahead of the LA Auto Show they are seeing strong demand for electric vehicles in the US.

“I am still very bullish on the battery electrics,” explained Jose Munoz, Hyundai’s global president, ahead of Friday’s event. Munoz pointed to doubling EV sales year-over-year as evidence.

Hyundai and Kia’s first dedicated EVs, the IONIQ 5 and EV6, both set US sales records in October. The strong EV demand propelled Hyundai, including Kia, to second in the US EV market behind only Tesla.

Hyundai claimed 4.8% of the US market through September, according to registration data reported from Automotive News.

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Hyundai IONIQ 5 (left) and IONIQ 6 (right) at Tesla Supercharger (Source: Hyundai)

Meanwhile, Kia accounted for 2.7% of the market for a combined 7.5%, or 64,000 EVs. Tesla is still in first by a wide margin (57.4%) while GM’s Chevy (5.9%) and Ford (5.5%) slipped.

Hyundai’s growth comes despite not qualifying for the $7,500 EV tax credit. Though the models do qualify through leasing.

In the first nine months of the year, electric vehicle registrations grew 61% to nearly 853,000. Electric vehicles crossed the 7% mark in total US sales in the first half of the year and are on pace to reach 1 million this year, according to BloombergNEF.

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12-month trailing EV sales *does not include plug-in hybrids (Source: BloombergNEF)

To put it in perspective, it took 10 years to sell one million EVs in the US, two years to reach the second million, and just over one year to hit the third.

Hyundai and Kia see strong US EV demand

Hyundai has plans to keep the momentum rolling despite delays from American automakers including Ford and GM.

“Based on what I see, I need more. If I had more capacity today, I could sell more cars,” Munoz said. Hyundai began construction on its first US EV and battery plant in Georgia last October. A year later, the company says 99.9% of the foundation work is complete.

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Construction of the Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America general assembly plant and paint shop on October 19, 2023 (Source: HMGMA)

Munoz added “Our investments in the battery electric plant in Savannah (Georgia) move on. So we’re pushing as much as we possibly can to get it ready by October next year.”

He said Hyundai is accelerating its investment and that “We are pulling ahead.” Once production begins, the $5.5 mega complex will enable Hyundai EVs to qualify for the tax credit, boosting its momentum further.

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2023 Hyundai IONIQ 5 (Source: Hyundai)

Hyundai followed Tesla last month in slashing lease prices on its most popular models. The IONIQ 5 and IONIQ 6 are offered at some of the cheapest rates since launching.

The automaker also extended its free EV charger promotion with the purchase or lease of select EVs through January 2, 2024. The deal is good on the 2023-2024 Hyundai IONIQ 5 and IONIQ 6, or a 2023 Kona electric.

Electrek’s Take

Although higher interest rates and inflation have stoked fear in some, Hyundai is charging ahead. The company is looking long term with its vision.

The EV market is at an all time high. Sales are about to cross the one million mark in the US. While GM and Ford are pushing back targets, Hyundai sees it as an opportunity.

EV sales will continue growing year-over-year and Hyundai aims to become a top three producer by 2030. Delaying investments now, would only set the automaker back further. Instead, Hyundai is doubling down and accelerating progress at its US electric vehicle plant.

Hyundai is attracting buyers with unique all-electric offerings designed from the ground up. Other EV makers like Rivian, are also seeing growth. The startup raised its production goal to 54,000 for the year after a big Q3 earnings.

Volvo is another automaker that expects the growth to continue. With new models like the EX30 (see our review), starting at around $35K, Volvo looks to stregthen its position in the EV market.

So is the EV market cooling? Or are automakers lowering expectations because newer, more competive models are hitting the market? Let us know what you guys think in the comments.

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You probably won’t believe which country leads the world in e-bike battery safety

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You probably won’t believe which country leads the world in e-bike battery safety

If you ask the average American which country is doing the most to improve e-bike battery safety, most people probably wouldn’t guess China. But that’s exactly where the world’s strongest, most comprehensive lithium-ion safety rules are coming from – and the latest round just went into effect today.

Beginning December 1, China has officially banned the sale of all e-bikes built to the older national standard, replacing them with a new, far stricter rule set known as GB 17761-2024. Under the announcement from the State Administration for Market Regulation, any e-bike sold in China from today forward must carry a valid CCC certification under this brand-new standard. Older certificates are now invalid, and retailers caught selling non-compliant bikes face enforcement from local regulators.

The new rules go far beyond what most countries require. They tighten fire-resistance requirements, restrict the amount of plastic allowed on an e-bike, cap total vehicle weight, and mandate improved electrical safety. The regulations also work hand-in-hand with a second standard, the already-implemented GB 43854-2024, which sets some of the toughest lithium-ion battery testing requirements in the world, including mandatory over-charge protection, thermal abuse tests, puncture tests, and a ban on repurposed or second-hand cells, a major cause of past fires.

Balancing safety and convenience for existing owners, Chinese regulators also built in consumer protections. Bikes that were already purchased and registered under the old rules won’t be forced off the road. And companies are required to support repairs and spare parts for at least the next five years. But unregistered “old-standard” bikes must have been formally plated already, or they’ll no longer be legal to operate.

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For a country often stereotyped as producing unsafe batteries, the reality is almost the opposite. China is now setting the global pace on e-bike safety – aggressively tightening standards, sharply reducing fire risks, and pushing manufacturers to meet levels of testing that most of Europe and the US still haven’t matched.

via: ITHOME

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Tesla Model 3/Y with Chinese LG batteries showing ‘catastrophic’ failure rates, repair shop warns

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Tesla Model 3/Y with Chinese LG batteries showing ‘catastrophic’ failure rates, repair shop warns

A prominent European EV repair specialist is sounding the alarm on Tesla Model 3 and Model Y vehicles equipped with LG battery cells manufactured in China, claiming they are seeing “catastrophic” failure rates and significantly shorter lifespans compared to Panasonic packs.

For years, the narrative around Tesla’s move to Chinese battery suppliers has been generally positive, with the LFP (Lithium Iron Phosphate) packs from CATL proving to be extremely durable.

However, Tesla also sources Nickel Manganese Cobalt (NMC) cells from LG Energy Solution’s Nanjing facility for its Long Range and Performance models in Europe and parts of Asia.

Now, EV Clinic, a Croatia-based independent research and repair facility known for diving deep into battery diagnostics, has issued a severe warning regarding these specific LG NCM811 packs.

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According to the firm, data from its repair center suggests a stark difference in quality between Tesla’s two main higher-energy-density packs: the US-made Panasonic NCA packs and the Chinese-made LG NCM packs.

“We are raising serious concerns about Tesla Model 3/Y LG NCM811 battery packs (LGES Nanjing), which exhibit very high failure rates and significantly shorter lifespans compared to Panasonic NCA packs (Made in USA).”

The shop claims that while Panasonic packs are generally repairable and can last up to 250,000 miles before cell failure, the LG equivalents are approaching end-of-life at around 150,000 miles.

More concerning is the nature of the failure. EV Clinic states that in over 90% of the cases they see with LG packs, cell-level repair is “impossible.”

The issue appears to be widespread degradation across the modules rather than a single bad cell bringing down the pack. They found that LG cells often show extremely high internal resistance.

“A failing Panasonic cell hits roughly 28 mΩ, which is the measurement for LG cells when brand new… Out of 46 cells, it’s common to find 15 cells over 100 mΩ ACIR, and the remaining 30 cells above 50 mΩ ACIR.”

The lab shared an example from a Tesla battery module:

Because the degradation is so uniform and severe, replacing a single faulty module is described as “operationally unsustainable,” as the remaining weakened cells are likely to fail in a cascade shortly after.

The situation has become so problematic for the shop that they announced they are introducing a “feasibility fee” just to check if these specific packs can be repaired, noting that they are “losing over €20,000 each month” attempting to fix packs that are effectively dead.

At this moment, during ongoing experimental testing with real customers experiencing LG failures, we are losing over €20,000 per month in operational time while investigating whether LG’s Chinese NCM811 systems can be sustainably repaired. At this stage, we can confidently say: the cells are, to put it mildly, catastrophic. Panasonic has mostly single-cell failures at 250,000km, and it is repairable, whereas LG has multiple-cell failures.

Their advice to owners with failed LG packs? Swap it for a used Panasonic pack or go to Tesla for a full replacement.

Electrek’s Take

This is a pretty damning report from a shop that is well-respected in the aftermarket repair community for actually tearing these things apart and attempting to fix them rather than just swapping them out.

We know that Tesla has been diversifying its battery supply chain aggressively, and for the most part, it has worked out well. The CATL LFP packs are tanks, heavy, but durable. But the NCM chemistry is trickier, and if these findings from EV Clinic hold up across a larger sample size, it could be a headache for Tesla, especially in Europe, where many of the China-made NCM packs end up.

It’s worth noting that this applies specifically to the LG NCM811 packs from Nanjing. Many US Tesla owners have Panasonic packs, which this report actually praises as highly durable and repairable.

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Cyber Monday Green Deals hub: e-bikes, EVs, power stations, tools, appliances, more

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Cyber Monday Green Deals hub: e-bikes, EVs, power stations, tools, appliances, more

Thanksgiving may be over, and the official Black Friday date may have passed, but that doesn’t mean savings have slowed down any, with us now having shifted over into Cyber Monday sales. Many of the previous Black Friday Green Deals we spotted up until today are continuing – some ending tonight with the holiday, while others are continuing on through the rest of the week. If you didn’t jump on these deals last week, you still have time to score the best prices of the year across e-bikes, EVs, power stations, tools, eco-friendly appliances, and much more. We’ve thrown all the best deals into this one-stop shopping hub for all your greener needs and will continue updating it throughout the week. Head below to browse all the best Cyber Monday Green Deals while they last.

Cyber Monday Green Deals

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Cyber Monday Appliance and Device Green Deals

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