Hello! Thank you for checking out this week’s EV North Newsletter!

Welcome to The EV North - a weekly newsletter that brings together some of the biggest EV news stories and delivers them to your inbox. There is a focus on Canada & North America but you’ll also find EV news from around the world!

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In this issue:

• Umicore Halts Construction of Cathode Material Factory in Canada.

• Hyundai Motor Group and Bell Canada Extend Exclusive Partnership to Enhance In-Car Infotainment Services.

• BYD Takes Initial Steps to Enter the Canadian Electric Vehicle Market.

• Audi Expands Electric Vehicle Lineup with A6 and S6 E-tron Sportback Variants.

• Amazon Expands Fleet with Rivian Electric Vans, Accelerates Electrification Efforts.

• Kia's Latest EV3 GT-Line Makes a Bold Statement on the Road.

• +more!

Canada

Umicore Halts Construction of Cathode Material Factory in Canada.

Belgium's Umicore, a leader in materials technology and recycling, has paused construction on its planned cathode material factory in Loyalist, Ontario. Originally slated to commence operations by late 2025, the company announced a reevaluation of its investment amidst shifting market dynamics.

A render of the preliminary conceptual design of the main entrance of Umicore battery materials gigafactory can be seen below:

Initially unveiled in mid-2022 with groundbreaking occurring last year, Umicore cited a significant downturn in demand for battery materials as the rationale behind suspending the $2.7 billion project. The facility was poised to produce cathode materials for approximately one million electric vehicles annually by the end of the decade, bolstered by substantial government subsidies. CBC reported federal contributions of up to $551 million and provincial support up to $425 million.

Acknowledging current overcapacity in existing facilities, Umicore now plans a comprehensive review of its battery materials strategy, with findings to be unveiled at its Capital Markets Day in early 2025. The company also aims to diversify its customer base and explore partnerships across its Battery Materials value chain.

BMW Group, was ready to procure cathode materials from the Ontario plant, with the intent to integrate them into their North American battery supply chain.

Are you on Reddit? Check out our subreddit at https://reddit.com/r/evcanada 

Hyundai Motor Group and Bell Canada Extend Exclusive Partnership to Enhance In-Car Infotainment Services.

Hyundai Motor Group and Bell Canada have announced a multi-year extension of their strategic partnership, aimed at revolutionizing in-car infotainment services for Canadian drivers. This expanded collaboration promises to elevate the in-vehicle experience with cutting-edge, data-centric features.

Under this enhanced partnership, Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis vehicles in Canada will benefit from Bell’s award-winning IoT connectivity. This integration will offer Canadian customers fast and reliable access to an array of in-car infotainment features, including potential advancements such as Wi-Fi hotspots, over-the-air software updates, music and video streaming, and casual gaming.

“Bell has been an invaluable partner for Hyundai Motor Group over the past seven years, delivering exceptional service and innovative solutions. We are excited to extend this partnership to introduce even more advanced in-car capabilities to Canadian consumers,” said Haeyoung Kwon, Vice President of Infotainment Development Center at Hyundai Motor Group.

The extended partnership will also focus on developing new features such as embedded Universal Integrated Circuit Cards (eUICC) for a more stable mobile environment, advanced navigation systems, feature on-demand services, enhanced voice recognition, and improved EV functionalities. These innovations ensure that Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis customers continue to enjoy state-of-the-art services in their vehicles.

“Bell is honored to collaborate with Hyundai Motor Group to transform the car ownership and driving experience for Canadians through our robust network. Our shared commitment to service excellence and technological innovation has been driving the future of vehicle mobility since 2017, and we look forward to advancing this journey together,” said Costa Pantazopoulos, VP Product at Bell.

The partnership extension was formalized on July 23 at Bell’s Toronto office, marking a significant milestone in the ongoing collaboration between Hyundai Motor Group and Bell Canada.

BYD Takes Initial Steps to Enter the Canadian Electric Vehicle Market.

BYD, the leading Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer, is making significant strides toward entering the Canadian market. According to public documents obtained by Automotive News Canada, BYD has engaged lobbyists to assist with its market entry strategy and key aspects such as the sale of passenger electric vehicles (EVs), establishing a new business presence, and navigating tariffs on EVs. Registrations have been made at the provincial and federal levels.

BYD’s efforts are being supported by Crestview Strategy, a prominent public affairs firm based in Toronto. Although BYD has not yet made an official announcement, industry sources suggest that the company has already initiated discussions with Canadian dealers about possibly establishing a local dealership network.

Joe McCabe of AutoForecast Solutions highlights BYD’s strategic approach, noting that the company might use Canada and Mexico as entry points into the larger US market. The immediate goal for BYD is to introduce passenger electric vehicles in Canada, aiming to capture market share—a priority over short-term profitability for Chinese automakers entering new markets.

Despite ongoing discussions about potential tariffs on Chinese-made EVs, McCabe views these tariffs as a challenge rather than a deterrent. The final decision on BYD’s Canadian launch will likely hinge on the outcomes of these tariff negotiations.

As BYD continues to explore its options, the Canadian tariff discussions will be crucial in determining the company’s next steps in the Canadian EV market.

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EV Around the World 🌏

Audi Expands Electric Vehicle Lineup with A6 and S6 E-tron Sportback Variants.

Audi is set to electrify its lineup with the launch of the new A6 E-tron and S6 E-tron Sportback models, marking a significant shift from its traditional SUVs to electric sedans and performance variants. These new additions to Audi’s E-tron series promise to bring the same level of sophistication and performance to the electric vehicle (EV) market.

The Audi A6 E-tron and its sportier sibling, the S6 E-tron, were first showcased as concepts at Auto Shanghai 2021. The production versions maintain a close resemblance to their concept counterparts. The A6 E-tron features sleek headlights with adaptive matrix LEDs (not available in the US due to regulatory restrictions) and a distinctive front grille with a fish scale-like pattern. The rear of the car is equipped with digital OLED panels that can function as a safety communication display.

For the US market, Audi will initially offer three versions: the A6 RWD Sportback, A6 AWD (Quattro) Sportback, and the high-performance S6 Sportback. Interestingly, the base model is the first rear-wheel-drive Audi sedan offered in almost a century.

Due to US regulations, these models will not include the slim virtual side view mirrors found on other international versions, which contribute to a low drag coefficient of 0.21. Audi claims the A6 E-tron can achieve a range of over 700 kilometers (approximately 435 miles) on a single charge, although EPA estimates may be lower.

The S6 E-tron stands out with impressive performance metrics, including a 0-60 mph acceleration time of just 3.7 seconds using launch control, which compares favorably with Tesla’s latest Model 3 Performance. The S6 E-tron boasts 543 horsepower and a top speed of 149 mph.

The Audi A6 E-tron is built on Volkswagen’s advanced 800-volt Premium Platform Electric (PPE) architecture, shared with the Audi Q6 E-tron and Porsche Macan EV. All A6 E-tron models come equipped with a 100 kWh battery pack (94.4 kWh usable) and support DC fast charging at 270 kW, allowing for a 10–80 percent charge in just 21 minutes.

The Audi A6 E-tron is scheduled to launch in Europe in September, with a US release date to be announced.

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Amazon Expands Fleet with Rivian Electric Vans, Accelerates Electrification Efforts.

Amazon now has over 15,000 electric delivery vans from Rivian in the United States as part of its commitment to sustainable logistics. The online retail giant originally placed an order for 100,000 electric vans from Rivian nearly five years ago. These vans began deployment in the US in 2022, with initial units also appearing on the roads in Germany.

Since the 2019 order, around 15,000 Rivian electric delivery vans have been delivered to Amazon in the US. The European rollout is progressing at a slower pace, with Amazon mentioning 300 Rivian electric vans for Germany announced a year ago. The deployment was initially focused on major cities like Munich, Berlin, and Düsseldorf. Amazon plans to invest over 1 billion euros in the next five years to further electrify and decarbonize its transport network, including last-mile delivery vans and electric trucks.

Amazon's substantial investment aims to foster innovation within the industry and expand public charging infrastructure, accelerating the reduction of emissions across the transportation sector. The company is targeting net-zero carbon emissions by 2040 and has partnered with Rivian since 2019 to deliver 100,000 electric delivery vehicles by 2030. The customized Rivian vans feature enhanced driver visibility, safety assistants, ventilated seats, automatic door locking, and an electrically operated bulkhead door that activates upon arrival at delivery locations.

In addition to its Rivian fleet, Amazon operates 15 other electric vehicle models worldwide, including delivery vans, e-cargo bikes, and e-rickshaws. To support this extensive electric fleet, Amazon has become the largest private operator of EV charging infrastructure in the US. According to a Bloomberg report, Amazon has installed over 17,000 chargers across approximately 120 warehouses in the US in just over two years. Notably, Amazon collaborates with Siemens for its charging infrastructure, with 309 Siemens chargers powering Rivian delivery vans at the Amazon depot in Maple Valley, Washington.

Kia's Latest EV3 GT-Line Makes a Bold Statement on the Road.

Unveiled in October as part of Kia's affordable EV lineup, the EV3 is a compact electric SUV that draws inspiration from the larger EV9, offering similar tech and features at a more budget-friendly price point.

Since opening orders in Korea, where the EV3 starts at $42,400 CAD, the model has garnered over 10,000 reservations in just 23 days. Kia’s Vice President, Jeong Won-Jeong, has hailed the EV3 as a “game changer” in its home market.

Built on Hyundai’s E-GMP platform, the EV3 is powered by Kia’s fourth-generation batteries. The Long Range variant, featuring an 81.4 kWh battery, offers up to 501 km (311 miles) of range. The Standard Range model, with a 58.3 kWh battery, provides up to 350 km (217 miles) of range.

The EV3’s fast-charging capability is another highlight, with a 10% to 80% charge taking just 31 minutes—12 minutes faster than the Niro EV, thanks to the advanced 400V system. Kia’s fourth-gen batteries are 25% more efficient and have a 22% higher energy density compared to previous models.

Kia EV3 Trim Options, Range, and Pricing:

Initially launched in Korea, the EV3 will make its European debut later this year, starting at just over $30,000 USD. It will compete with models like Volvo’s EX30 and BYD’s Atto 3.

Kia’s new European head anticipates that the EV3 will bolster the company’s market share in the region. Ahead of its European launch, Hyundai has released a video showcasing the EV3 GT-Line’s dynamic performance on Korean roads. The video highlights Kia’s bold “Digital Tiger Face” grille and sleek LED headlights, along with the new Star Map lighting feature seen in the EV9.

While Kia has yet to confirm, the EV3 is expected to launch in the US with anticipated prices ranging between $30,000 USD and $40,000 USD. Looking ahead, Kia will introduce the EV4, an electric sedan, next year. The EV4 was recently spotted undergoing tests—check out the video here.

QuickEV

• Tesla addresses 1.8M-vehicle hood latch “recall” with OTA update.

• [VIDEO] Rimac Nevera Destroy A Ferrari SF90.

• Tesla Model Y images leak.

• [VIDEO] Mercedes-AMG GT v Hyundai IONIQ 5 N: DRAG RACE.

• ChargePoint now has over 1 million locations globally.

• [VIDEO] EV DRAGE RACE: EV6 GT VS Ioniq 5 N.

• Tesla warns against wet towel on Supercharger cable.

EV Tweet of the Week