Canada needs to boost charging infrastructure to encourage more people to buy EVs, study says


Naimul Karim
Mon, August 28, 2023

BRITAIN-TRANSPORT-AUTOMOBILE-ELECTRIC-VEHICLES

Canada needs to boost its charging infrastructure and tackle “range anxiety” to encourage more people to buy electric vehicles, according to an annual study conducted by global accounting firm Ernst & Young Global Ltd. (EY).

The study said 55 per cent of the 15,000 people surveyed in 20 countries were interested in buying EVs, which is a slight increase from 52 per cent last year. The interest level in Canada increased to 52 per cent, up from 46 per cent last year, but that is still behind the global average.

This “gap” between Canada and the world is closing, Jennifer Rogers, EY Canada’s National Automotive and Transportation Leader said, but the nation’s progress as far as EVs are concerned has been a “little bit slow,” which could primarily be because Canadians are still not confident enough to travel long distances in an EV — or range anxiety.

“There is a lot of talk about the critical minerals, the supply chain around electric vehicles, the manufacturing of them in Canada, but I still think there is a big lag in terms of the infrastructure side of things in order to really get consumers on board that move to EVs,” she said. “We won’t move fast enough without there being a noticeable impact in that area.”

Light-duty vehicles, such as passenger cars, SUVs and light trucks, account for about half of Canada’s emissions from the transportation sector, according to government data. To meet Canada’s goal of net-zero emissions by 2050, the government is forcing the car industry to only sell zero-emission vehicles, such as EVs, by 2035.

New zero-emission vehicles made up 8.6 per cent of all new motor vehicles registered in the first quarter of 2023, which is an increase of about one percentage point from the first quarter of 2022, but a decline from the fourth quarter when it was 9.6 per cent.

People are “anxious” about access to charging outside of their homes, Rogers said. “The public charging infrastructure is still relatively light within Canada.”

As an example, she said there are just three chargers for every 100 EVs in Ontario.

The situation may be worse for people who live in multi-storeyed apartments that don’t have access to chargers, she added. This could play a part in creating range anxiety.

In July, seven major automakers including General Motors Co., Bayerische Motoren Werke AG and Honda Motor Co. Ltd., said they were joining forces to build a large North American EV charging network. Rogers said such announcements help drive positive EV sentiment, but the government needs to ensure there’s a “continuous focus” on improving charging infrastructure.

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“I really think that’s going to help move the needle,” she said.

This is the first time since EY began conducting the annual survey in 2020 that high price of fuel was the top motivator for switching to EVs globally. It surpassed environmental concerns which topped the list last year.

• Email: nkarim@postmedia.com


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See inside a revolutionary flying car that will cost $789,000 and just started test flights

 

 

 

 

 

Tim Levin

Mon, August 28, 2023 at 3:00 a.m. MDT

I got to ride in the very first prototype of Aska's flying car. It looked nothing like this rendering of the final version.Aska

• Flying cars could finally be on the horizon.

• Aska, a California-based startup, is working on an electric aircraft that can drive on US roads.

• The Aska A5 is scheduled to land in 2026 with a price tag near $800,000.

Flying cars may be closer to reality than you think.

Northern California-based startup Aska is trying to finally deliver what humans have been dreaming about for decades: A car that can drive on the road and then, with the flip of a switch, take off into the sky, "Back to the Future" style.

Here's what it was like to ride in Aska's first prototype — and what the future may hold if the startup gets off the ground.

Meet the Aska A5, a bizarre-looking helicopter-car hybrid that could finally make the dream of flying cars a reality.

Aska's first flying-car prototype is definitely more aircraft than car. Tim Levin/Insider

The world has been collectively obsessed with the idea of cars that can drive and fly for decades, but they haven't taken off in any real way yet. Aska wants to change that.

The California-based startup has been working on developing its flying car since 2018.

Aska is targeting commuters who want to live farther from cities. Tim Levin/Insider

It recently finished its first prototype (pictured here), which I got to ride in and see for myself. My test ride lasted about 10 minutes, and we stuck to the ground.

Read more: I've reviewed 27 electric vehicles, including a $2 million supercar and a $20,000 3-wheeler. Here's what makes them all unique.

 

Its prototype recently won approval for flight testing by the Federal Aviation Administration, and Aska has done some hovering so far.

The A5 is only designed to travel 10 miles or less. Tim Levin/Insider

It's the second flying car startup to get FAA certification this year, after Alef Aeronautics.

The firm wants to revolutionize commuting and help customers live farther away from their offices in expensive cities like San Francisco, Aska CEO and cofounder Guy Kaplinsky told me during my test ride.

A rendering of the Aska A5 flying car.Aska

Aska says the A5 will be able to cruise at 150 mph and travel 250 miles between fueling stops. It's powered by electric motors and a range-extending gas generator.

The A5 will be able to take off and land vertically, like a drone or helicopter, as well as horizontally, like a regular plane.

Aska plans to offer a car-sharing service for commuters. Tim Levin/Insider

Its rear wing and propellers can rotate 90 degrees to switch between forward flight or vertical landings. Other companies are working on electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles (commonly called eVTOLs), but those flying taxis can't drive on the ground.

For driving on the road, the A5's wings fold inward, creating a more compact, roadworthy package.

The prototype is about as large as an F-350 pickup. The final car will be about 30% smaller. Tim Levin/Insider

But you should think of it as an aircraft that can drive, rather than a car that can fly. Aska is looking to get the A5 approved for local roads with slower speed limits at first.

Aska doesn't want to replace your car. It only envisions customers driving 10 miles or less, between their home or workplace and a takeoff location.

Aska's flying car will at first be able to drive on local roads with slower speed limits. Tim Levin/Insider

Still, it wants the A5 to be at least somewhat convenient on the road. The prototype is about the size of a huge Ford F-350 pickup truck, but Aska is targeting the footprint of a more modest F-150 for the final product. That should make it easier to park.

Read more: See inside a test Boeing 777X, which has flown more than 1,300 hours as the planemaker races to certify its new $442 million jet by 2025

The early prototype I saw was pretty bare-bones.

The prototype's interior was rough and not production-ready. Tim Levin/Insider

The cockpit was rough and the doors barely closed. But that's expected for such an early iteration.

It had little screens instead of side mirrors, six-point harnesses, and all sorts of screens.

The final version will seat four people and have a more refined, screen-heavy interior.

A rendering of the Aska A5 flying car.Aska

But Aska says that the production car won't be as luxurious as a high-end car like a Rolls-Royce. Luxury is heavy, and weight is the enemy of flight.

The Aska A5 can be yours for $789,000 to start. The company says it's on track to start deliveries in 2026.

A rendering of the Aska A5 flying car.Aska

If that's a little too steep for you, Aska is also planning a more affordable car-sharing service.

Read the original article on 

SpaceX-Backed Flying Car Startup Gets FAA Nod

By Felicity Bradstock - Mar 07, 2024,

• Alef Aeronautics, based in San Mateo, California, has seen an impressive number of pre-orders for its two-seater eVTOL vehicle, Model A, with plans to develop a four-seater sedan, Model Z, by 2035.
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• The company has received a Special Airworthiness Certificate from the FAA for its Model A, highlighting its innovative design and potential for commercial viability in personal and urban mobility.
• 
  
• Competitors like Joby Aviation and Lilium are also advancing in the eVTOL market, focusing on flying taxis and partnerships to facilitate urban air mobility, indicating a growing industry trend towards airborne personal transport.
• 
  

Pre-orders for a “flying car” have soared in recent months leading industry experts to question how close we are to small passenger vehicle flight. Alef Aeronautics, a company backed by Space-X, specialising in the production of flying cars, has achieved 2,850 pre-orders for its electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicle. The firm is backed by Tesla investor and venture capitalist Tim Draper, which has helped draw attention. Based in San Mateo, California, Alef Aeronautics is allowing customers to pre-order its two-seater flying car, the Alef Model A, online with a $150 deposit. Customers are allowed to withdraw the deposit at any time to cancel the pre-order. 

The car is expected to be priced at around $300,000 when it becomes commercially available, which gives the company an order value of over $850 million to date. Jim Dukhovny, Alef’s CEO, stated: “As of today we have a little bit more than 2,850 pre-orders with deposits down, which makes it the bestselling aircraft in history, more than Boeing, Airbus, Joby Aviation and most of the eVTOLs combined.”

Alef is also developing a four-passenger sedan called the Model Z. It is expected to become commercially available for the much lower price of $35,000, by 2035. It is just one of many start-ups developing flying car technology, but, over the last year, it has been recognised for the significant progress it has made. Alef’s Model A looks like a futuristic car. They use a mesh shell to cover rotors, allowing air to flow through the car. 

The company first unveiled a half-size model of the vehicle at the Mobile World Congress, catching the attention of consumers and automakers worldwide. Dukhovny believes the Model A will be the world’s first flying car, as most other vehicles under development resemble something similar to a jet or a drone, fitted with wings or rotors. The CEO explained, “I know that people have claimed the first flying car… But we always had the idea that it has to be a car, a physical car, a regular car, as you can see it’s an eVTOL, an electric car. a regular car, drive, park, look, everything as a car, and a vertical take-off.” 

The aim is for the car to be capable of being driven on the road, similarly to an electric vehicle (EV), at speeds of between 25 and 35 mph, as well as used to fly in any direction using its eight propellers, where it will reach speeds of up to 110 mph. As it is expected to weigh just 850 pounds, it can be classed as a small EV, making it more likely that the regulatory bodies will approve the car for flight by as early as 2025. 

While Alef gained greater fame following the Mobile World Congress, this is not the first we are hearing of the company. Alef initially started working on its concept car in 2015, producing the first prototype of the Model A in 2019. In July 2023, it was issued with a Special Airworthiness Certificate by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which allowed the company to fly its Model A in limited locations for exhibition, research and development. The vehicle falls under the categorisation of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM), which is used for technology such as air taxis and VTOL aircraft. 

However, several companies are hot on Alef’s tail, hoping to rapidly develop their own flying car technology for commercial release. The eVTOL producer Joby Aviation is constructing a manufacturing plant at Dayton International Airport in Ohio. The company hopes to begin producing up to 500 aircraft a year at Dayton, starting in 2025. Joby is focused on the flying taxi market, designing the tiltrotor eVTOL to carry a pilot and four passengers at speeds of 200 mph. The company has already announced a partnership with Delta Airlines and expects to launch in cities such as New York and Los Angeles by as early as 2025. 

The German start-up Lilium is developing an eVTOL to serve as an air taxi for up to five people, with a range of around 300 km and a top speed of 300 Kmh. In December, Lilium signed a memorandum of understanding with the air carrier Lufthansa to explore a strategic partnership on eVTOL aircraft operation in Europe. The two companies plan to explore ground and flight operations, future aircraft maintenance, as well as crewing and flight training. 

Klaus Roewe, the CEO of Lilium, stated, “We are delighted that the Lufthansa Group has decided to cooperate with us to jointly advance in the future of flying. The Lufthansa Group has been at the forefront of some of Europe’s most important aviation initiatives, especially in the area of environmental sustainability. We are thrilled to explore opportunities on bringing eVTOL flights to Lufthansa Group customers.”

How Japanese electric car makers took wrong turns while China plotted to rule the roads

Howard Mustoe
Wed, March 8, 2023 

Workers perform an inspection on a completed Haval F7 crossover sport utility vehicle (SUV) - Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg

When they were asked to jump-start the UK’s ailing car industry in the 1980s, Japanese car makers helped turn an industry marred by strikes and unpopular vehicles back into an export market for the UK, bringing faster and more efficient car building methods.

Toyota and Nissan still build thousands of cars in the UK, and brought some of the first hybrid and battery-powered cars to British motorists with the Prius and Leaf.

But now signs are emerging that the giant car makers are starting to struggle with the global push to electrification, particularly Toyota, which has long resisted the move.

As recently as December, executives at the company were wavering over the push to battery-powered cars, with Akio Toyoda, the company's president and grandson of its founder Kiichiro Toyoda insisting that a “silent majority” of car companies is concerned that electric vehicles will not alone be able to end reliance on fossil fuels.

Former president of Japanese automaker Toyota, Akio Toyoda - BEHROUZ MEHRI/AFP via Getty Images

Mr Toyoda steps aside at the end of this month in favour of Koji Sato.

Mr Sato has promised to jump-start the company’s electrification after the company spent years touting its hybrid Prius as the answer to decarbonisation, together with the long-term plan of using hydrogen, a strategy not matched by rival car companies.

Meanwhile, Nissan’s problems are more financial. Yesterday, its credit rating was cut to junk status by S&P Global, which said profits will come under pressure in another tough year for the carmaker.

Yet Japan’s car makers are still large and profitable. Nissan returned to profit last year with a surplus of 385bn yen (£2.37bn) after two years of losses. Toyota made a pre-tax profit of 3.99 trillion yen and Honda booked 1.07 trillion yen.

The country is number two in global rankings in car production and it has maintained its place since 2019.

But challenges from close neighbour China and other rising electric car makers are on the horizon.

Production dipped from 8.3m in 2019 to 6.6m in 2021, a loss of 21pc, much less than major European competitor Germany’s 34pc fall in the same period.

But at the same time, Chinese production held steady at 21m from 2019 to 2021, according to the latest figures gathered by the International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers.

And no Japanese car maker is in the top-20 electric car makers, a list topped by Tesla, relative newcomer BYD, which is Chinese, and Volkswagen, according to Bloomberg data.

Nissan’s Leaf is a popular car in the UK and when it was launched more than a decade ago, the company had much of the battery-powered market to itself.

A charging cable is attached to a Nissan Leaf electric car - REUTERS/Edgar Su/File Photo

In the fuel-efficient hybrid arena, Toyota’s Prius has dominated for more than 20 years. But the carmakers have not capitalised on this lead.

In the EV market in the UK, the Leaf was the fifth-best seller, beaten by the Volkswagen ID.3, the Kia e-Niro And Teslas Model 3 and Y.

Former Nissan boss and Leaf backer Carlos Ghosn told Bloomberg in January that the company “lost its early-mover advantage” in the technology, although he made the comments after dodging an arrest warrant in Japan over financial misconduct at the car firm, charges he denies from his hideout in Lebanon.

Early efforts at rival Toyota have not run entirely smoothly. Last year in the US, Toyota launched its first mainstream battery car in the US, the BZ4X SUV. Toyota has now fixed the problem, but early buyers were told to return their cars to dealers because the wheels could fall off.

The companies must avoid the kind of malaise they were key to ending in the 1980s, when Toyota, Honda and Nissan set up factories in the UK, says Prof David Bailey, a car industry expert at Birmingham University.

“Toyota got its strategy badly wrong in terms of hybrid short term, hydrogen long term. They're now having to reorientate pretty quickly towards pure EVs,” he said, while Nissan must reinvigorate its relationship with partner firm Renault to seize the day, he said.

Renault and Nissan formed an alliance in the wake of the French company’s rescue of its Japanese partner, with a view to sharing costs which never quite got going, says Bailey.

The pair recently renewed this arrangement, evening out the shareholdings they have in each other and promising closer cooperation.

But China looms as a challenger to the firms, with dozens of car brands eyeing Toyota, Honda and Nissan’s markets, including the UK.

Up to 30 new electric vehicle brands are eyeing up the UK car market, most of them Chinese, according to an industry report seen in January by The Telegraph.

They are particularly interested in the cheaper end of the market, preparing to sell mass market battery-powered cars to Britain. This is a field being vacated by many western incumbents as they pursue more affluent and profitable motorists.

Visitors look at BYD ATTO 3 electric cars on display at the EV Station on the first day of the Bangkok EV Expo 2023 - DIEGO AZUBEL/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

Companies like BYD and Ora, which already have agreements in place with UK dealers, will be joined by a raft of other car makers including Chery, Dongfeng and Haval, a pattern likely to be repeated elsewhere.

While China is still making more than 21m cars a year, domestic demand is stalling and the country’s access to lithium supply and processing means it can undercut the competition.

“China is going to set the global standard in terms of making cheap electric cars. So unless the Japanese industry, US industry, the European industry adapts quickly, I think that the mass car industry risks being wiped out by the Chinese in terms of cheap electric cars,” says Bailey.

Yet the advantages Nissan, Toyota and Honda brought to European and US car buyers 40 years ago should not be forgotten, says Bailey, especially in an era where if consumers are paying more for cars – which they are – they will demand durability as well as economy.

“That big trump card I think for all of them is quality,” says Bailey.

New electric brands like Tesla and Polestar have made exciting cars to drive, but their fast development has led to teething issues.

Last year, US data company JD Power said new vehicle quality fell 11pc in 2022, led by Polestar, while Tesla was seventh from the bottom when it came to problems per 100 vehicles.

Japanese car makers have time to catch up with them, if they seize the chance, said Bailey.

Mercedes enlists 'Avatar' director James Cameron to unveil new electric concept car inspired by the film that moves sideways and responds to a drivers’ touch at CES 2020

• Daimler-Benz rolled its idea of the future with a new Avatar-inspired car 
• Avatar director James Cameron joined the unveiling at CES on Monday 
• The car can move sideways and responds to a driver’s touch 
• A new type of organic battery is completely compostable 

By JAMES PERO FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

PUBLISHED: 04:11 EST, 7 January 2020 | UPDATED: 09:43 EST, 7 January 2020

Mercedes Benz is using equal parts star power and sustainable energy to fuel its latest show-stopping concept car, the Vizion AVTR.

In a keynote address at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on Monday, Daimler-Benz rolled out its bizarre new electric concept car which is inspired by the blockbuster movie, Avatar.

To help translate the idea behind the car’s design, Daimler-Benz enlisted the help of the movie’s director, James Cameron.

Cameron, who is working on sequels to the original movie, which was first released more than ten years ago in 2009, took the opportunity to highlight Avatar’s underpinning message of sustainability and how that message found its way into the vehicle.

Avatar-inspired concept vehicle scraps steering wheel

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Daimler announces the world premiere of the Mercedes-Benz Vision AVTR concept car at the Daimler Keynote along with a sneak peek of the new Avatar 2 movie (background image)

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Ola Kallenius, chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars, speaks next to the Mercedes-Benz Vision AVTR concept car during a keynote address at CES 2020

‘I sat at this car, at the control interface and it just felt alive, it breathes, it’s just organic,’ said Cameron.

The entirely electric car, a sleek and futuristic looking sedan, is capable of traveling autonomously and can even use its unique wheel design to slide sideways using ‘bionic flaps’ that are modeled after a reptile’s scales.

The so-called flaps all allow front and rear axles in the same or opposite direction, and give the VISION AVTR the ability to move sideways by about 30 degrees, in a type of "crab movement’ that also gives the concept vehicle an animal-like exterior.

The car, even takes some of its functional cues from the movie franchise, using what the company calls ‘biometric connection.’

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The Mercedes-Benz Vision AVTR concept car, inspired by the Avatar movies, is displayed after an unveiling at a Daimler keynote address during the 2020 CES in Las Vegas

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The Mercedes-Benz Vision AVTR concept car features ‘bionic flaps’ that are modeled after a reptile’s

Drivers activate the car, which doesn’t have a steering wheel, by placing their hand on a central control unit - an action meant to mimic an iconic detail from the Avatar films.

‘The [interior] comes to life and the vehicle recognizes the driver by his or her heartbeat and breathing,’ according to Daimler.

By lifting one’s hand, a menu selection is projected onto the palm through which the passenger can choose between different functions.

For example, real-time 3D graphics can be used to explore the fictional world of Pandora from different perspectives. A display module in the dashboard creates a visual connection between passengers and the outside world.

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Movie director James Cameron, second from right, who directed movies such as Avatar, talks about the Mercedes-Benz Vision AVTR concept car at the Daimler Keynote

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Director James Cameron and Ola Kallenius, chairman of the board of Daimler AG and Mercedes-Benz AG, stand by the Mercedes-Benz Vision AVTR concept car, inspired by the Avatar movies

The Vision AVTR also embodies the themes of the Avatar films by using a novel organic battery that doesn’t use any rare-earth metals

The materials of the battery are also compostable and completely recyclable which helps it to avoid reliance on fossil fuels.

Though the concept car will likely never see the road, Cameron said it’s not the product that matters, it’s what the car represents.

‘I was a little disappointed to find out I can’t order one, but apparently we’re a ways off from that,’ said Cameron to audience laughter.

‘Do you want to aspire for a future where cars like this are possible or do you want to be a bad steward?... You have to start with the gesture, you have to start with the idea.’

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Mercedes unveils Avatar-inspired concept car that moves sideways and responds to a drivers' touch