Zhang Yongwei said frankly that there are several unfavorable factors worthy of attention in 2023. First, in 2023, new energy vehicle purchase subsidies will be completely withdrawn, and consumers’ car purchase costs will rise. Second, the supply chain is highly uncertain, the price of upstream raw materials is rising, and the structural shortage of chips is still prominent. In 2022, the insufficient supply of chips will lead to a reduction in the production of more than 1 million vehicles, and a global reduction of 10 million vehicles. The chip shortage is expected to improve in 2023, but it will not be balanced immediately. Third, traditional car companies have been impacted, competition in the field of new energy vehicles has intensified, and some companies and products have been eliminated.

In terms of favorable factors, first of all, the national policy to promote consumption is exerting force, many places have introduced subsidy policies for car purchases, and the preferential policies for purchase tax continue. Secondly, electrification, intelligence, and networking technologies continue to advance, and the product experience of new energy vehicles is further improved. Third, the market supply capacity is enhanced. It is expected that more than 100 new energy vehicles will be launched in China in 2023, and the ability of auto companies to respond to diversified consumer demand will be improved.

Zhang Yongwei said that based on the above factors, he believes that the sales of new energy vehicles can achieve a growth of 30%-40% in 2023, and China is expected to become the first country in the world to enter the era of annual sales of new energy vehicles of tens of millions.

In terms of assisted driving, in 2021, the penetration rate of China’s L2-level assisted driving passenger car new car market will reach 23.5%, and the penetration rate will rise to 32.4% in the first half of 2022. It is expected that the penetration rate of L2-level and above intelligent networked vehicles will reach 80%.

The post China’s new energy vehicle market is expected to enter the era of tens of millions in 2023 appeared first on TechGoing.

As the days turn into months and new EVs are launched, the market for these vehicles is becoming even more clustered. Choosing what to get is oftentimes an issue for certain buyers new to the industry. Well, here at TechGoing, we have made a compilation of the best EVs under $50,000 that you can spend your money on today. 

Xpeng P7

This is an EV sedan from a notable Chinese manufacturer, and it comes with a 60.2kWh or 80.9kWh battery capacity. These battery packs are capable of running 480km and 530km respectively on a single charge. The vehicle also comes packed with lots of technology in terms of battery, infotainment system, and smart driving assistant.

The buyer gets the option to pick from either a two-wheel drive or a four-wheel drive, depending on their preference. The design of this vehicle is also very attractive, modern, and stylish, and will certainly turn heads on the road. As a bonus, buyers can also get the iconic wing door variant the Xpeng P7 offers. This vehicle starts at a retail price of $39,000 and is available for purchase in Asia and certain parts of Europe. Xpeng is working hard to make its vehicles available in more regions, and the coming months might bring the P7 sedan to other regions as well.

Polestar 2 (single motor)

This electric car from the Swedish manufacturer comes with a 75kWh battery capacity, offering 434km worth of range on a single charge. The Polestar 2 (single motor) is also beefy with specs both in and out with features such as its Pilot lite pack. In terms of its exterior and interior design, you can still see elements from its parent company, Volvo.

Only the single-motor variant of this electric car retails for under $50,000 with the other variants retailing above our set price point for this article. This is by far a very feature-packed and performance-oriented electric vehicle. The Polestar 2 starts at a retail price of $49,000 and increases up the range.

Tesla Model 3

This is by far one of the most popular EVs on the road today, and it comes with an 82kkWh battery capacity. The range on this vehicle is 506km on a single charge, more than we have on the Polestar 2. The design of the car is simple yet classy, and it also packs tons of technology to improve its overall user experience.

The Tesla Model 3 is widely available across the world, this is a result of the company’s popularity. This vehicle is now facing intense competition from other brands such as the ones in this article. But, the Tesla Model 3 still stands out from the crowd and has become the choice for many EV enthusiasts around the world. The retail price of this electric car starts at $48,000 for its rear-wheel drive.

Hyundai Ioniq 6

In terms of design, the Hyundai Ioniq 6 is by far the most eye-catching electric car on our list. It comes with a 77.4kWh battery capacity that offers a range of 547km on a single charge, the longest range on any EV this list holds. The exterior design of this vehicle might remind you of the beetle-shaped cars made popular in the 90s. The design team at Hyundai put in a lot of work to make this car look as outstanding as it does.

This vehicle is very popular in the media, but still gaining ground in the market as more buyers turn their attention it’s way. Certainly, this is the electric vehicle to go for if you are looking out to make a statement when you drive past. The retail price of this vehicle starts at $44,000 for the SE variant.

These are the best EVs under $50,000 that you can buy in 2022. Other honourable mentions include the Ford Mustang Mach-E, the Volkswagen ID4 (for those looking out to get an SUV), and the BYD Seal. Check out the article in this link to see the best electric trucks of 2022.

The post Best EVs under $50,000 in 2022 appeared first on TechGoing.

To achieve their aim (solving the problem of EV Battery combustion) the vehicle manufacturer put out two workable patents. The first packs each battery cell along with its sensors, which helps identify any abnormal temperature rise. Once any battery cell’s temperature goes above normal, the sensor triggers the overheating cell to switch off, hence preventing a fire outbreak.

Read also: Xpeng P7 catches fire after an external object broke its battery pack.

The second patent works together with the first patent and tackles any fire incident where an overheating cell can’t automatically turn off. Here, the vehicle’s control system detects any surge in the battery temperature, hence triggering an in-built fire extinguisher to cool off the battery. Both patents still rely on the battery cooling system to regulate the temperature and will only go off when the batteries overheat.

Currently, these patents are undergoing testing by various factories in other to determine any faults. Audi on its part will soon begin utilizing this new battery fire extinguisher technology on its next-generation electric vehicles. A few other EV manufacturers might as well make use of this technology on their vehicles once it goes into mass production

The post Audi EV battery fire extinguisher technology designed to keep EV drivers safe appeared first on TechGoing.

Swedish battery manufacturer Northvolt announced some time ago that it had signed a joint development agreement with Finnish forestry company Stora Enso to manufacture batteries using lignin-based hard carbon, sourced from renewable wood from Nordic forests.

The resulting batteries will be 100% recyclable.

Northvolt, the battery manufacturer, is a new energy company founded in 2016 by the Volkswagen Group, Siemens and other giants. It has not been around for long but has already become a star company in Europe.

In March this year, Northvolt officially announced that it would build a new super battery factory in Holstein, northern Germany, making it first outside Sweden, and two months later, Northvolt started shipping, becoming the first European company to supply power cells to car manufacturers.

This is clearly a job grab with Ningde Times, Panasonic and LG New Energy. Northvolt is reportedly planning to go public within two years and is currently valued at $12 billion. Northvolt aims to have a 25% market share in Europe by 2030, with an annual capacity of 150GWh or more deployed in Europe.

Northvolt has a greater focus on renewable energy and lower carbon emissions than traditional battery manufacturers. The partner, Stora Enso, is an integrated forest products company with a focus on forest products, paper and packaging paper.

The partnership, which aims to reduce the carbon footprint and production costs, has generated a lot of interest since it was announced.

01 、How to make batteries from wood?
New energy vehicles have suffered from high prices for raw materials for a long time.

At present, the main metal elements needed to make batteries in the electric vehicle market are lithium, cobalt and nickel. These metal elements on the one hand in the earth’s crust in limited resources, on the other hand, the mining and production cycle of these minerals is long. Combined with international factors, the prices of raw materials for batteries remain high.

This has led to tensions in the battery supply chain and rising prices for new vehicles, as in the case of the Zero T03 and smart Elite 1, which have just announced price increases due to high raw material prices.

Finding new renewable, resourceful and environmentally friendly alternatives has become a top priority for battery manufacturers.

Wood, a renewable energy source, has emerged as the best choice, and wood is the main source of lignin for the production of batteries.

Lignin is a complex group of organic polymers that are widely found in the cells of lignified plants. It is mainly located in the cell-to-cell space, the intercellular layer, which is also the site of the highest concentration of cell walls.

Lignin is particularly important in the formation of the cell wall, and its deposition – when lignified – increases the thickness of the ducts, improves their stiffness and toughness, and maintains the smooth transport of nutrient material in the ducts.

In addition, lignin enhances the mechanical support or compressive strength of the cells and promotes the formation of mechanical tissue. Lignin also enhances the adhesion of cells and is a natural and powerful adhesive.

Lignin is also found in the by-products of the paper industry. Previously, 95% of lignin was discharged directly into rivers as waste material in the form of ‘black liquor’ or concentrated and burned.

In recent years, however, several studies have shown that lignin can be used in the preparation of batteries.

Scientists in Poland and Sweden were the first to notice the oxidation of lignin in plants, combining it with a substance called polypyrrole to create multilayer polymer electrodes. The charge density of such electrodes can be comparable to or better than that of current lithium-ion batteries, up to 70-90 mAh/g.

As lignin is a by-product of the paper industry, it is cheap and widely available. Porous lignin-based carbon, prepared by simple and gentle chemical activation, has become a research hotspot in the fields of environmental purification, electrocatalysis and energy storage, especially as anode material for lithium-ion batteries.

02, What else can wood provide for batteries?
In fact, in the last decade, many scholars have applied lignin to battery preparation-related research.

For example, the use of renewable resources and paper industry waste sodium lignosulfonate – lignin modified by sulphonation into lignosulphonate – as a dopant and template, and finally the chemical oxidation of polypyrrole/graphene layered nanocomposites with a laminar structure. These composites can be assembled into supercapacitors.

Cellulose nanofibres from wood are also a good raw material for making solid electrolytes.

The electrolytes currently used in lithium batteries are commonly used because they contain volatile liquids that pose a risk of fire and may promote the formation of dendrites, which can affect the proper performance of the battery. Although some researchers have used solid electrolytes made from ceramic materials, the brittle nature of ceramic materials does not stand up well to the stresses of battery charging and discharging.

Last year, researchers at Brown University and the University of Maryland, USA, found an alternative from cellulose nanofibres in wood.

By combining copper with cellulose nanofibres, it was possible to demonstrate that the normally ion-insulating cellulose provided faster lithium ion transport in the polymer chain, the study said.

And polymer tubes made of wood combined with copper form a solid ionic conductor that is 10-100 times more conductive than other polymeric ionic conductors.

The researchers say the material is electrochemically stable and can accommodate lithium metal anodes and high-voltage cathodes, and can also be used as a binder to encapsulate ultra-thick cathodes in high-density batteries.

In addition, lignin can be used to prepare charcoal materials.

With their good electrical conductivity, charcoal materials can be used as electrode active materials in electrochemical applications such as fuel cells and have promising applications in the field of energy storage and conversion.

Industrial lignin is a low-cost and abundant source, as well as a high carbon content, making it a high-quality raw material for the preparation of carbon materials. 2021, researchers at Imperial College London, have prepared carbon from industrial waste by-product lignin to enable sodium-ion batteries to replace lithium-ion batteries.

The regulatory mechanism and natural structure of the grain pore membrane transport in trees has also given researchers innovative ideas.

In 2021, a research team from the Institute of Wood Industry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, in collaboration with several universities, achieved the first precise peeling of the thin polymeric layer (lamella) from the secondary cell wall of wood to optimise the performance of lithium metal batteries.

The separated lamella can be used as a solid electrolyte interface film to solve the problem of lithium-ion concentration regulation, which breaks the technical bottleneck limiting the life of lithium metal batteries and increasing the battery life by more than 75%.

3. How far away are wooden batteries from being promoted?
   Compared to traditional battery materials, the biggest advantage of wooden batteries is environmental protection.

Traditional button batteries and ordinary dry cell batteries contain mercury, and when discarded in the natural environment, the mercury will slowly seep into the groundwater and enter the human body through crops, damaging the internal organs of people.

One small button battery discarded in nature can contaminate 600,000 litres of water, the equivalent of a person’s lifetime water consumption. Rechargeable batteries also contain the harmful heavy metal cadmium, which leaches out in nature, passes through the land and water streams, and eventually harms the human body.

Wooden batteries, on the other hand, are made from raw materials that do not require the use of rare metals, which are in short supply. Organic fibres containing lignin are pure green products, non-toxic, non-hazardous and non-polluting for the natural environment.

Lignin is widely available and inexpensive. Previously the main source of lignin was the wastewater produced by the pulp and paper industry, hence the name paper black.

Pulp and paper production separates about 140 million tonnes of cellulose from plants every year, while about 50 million tonnes of lignin are obtained as a by-product. However, no more than 10% of the industrial lignin is effectively used. The remaining neglected industrial lignin is a huge “treasure” to be exploited.

Since 2015, the Stora Enso plant has reportedly been producing lignin industrially with an annual capacity of 50,000 tonnes, making Stora Enso the world’s largest producer of kraft lignin.

And the industrial roll-out of wood-based batteries is not too far away.

In 2021, Nippon Paper is collaborating with Tohoku University to create an accumulator using 3-nanometre diameter “cellulose nanofibres (CNF)” extracted from paper pulp, processed into a thin film and sandwiched by aluminium foil to form an electrode.

Nippon Paper says it plans to produce a prototype battery for small indoor drones by 2023, with the aim of using it in smartphones and small home appliances by 2030 and is also considering using it in pure electric vehicles.

As production technology advances and the performance of wooden batteries is optimised and improved, it will be possible to replace lithium-ion batteries with more environmentally friendly wooden batteries.

The post Can wood be used to make batteries? non-toxic and non-polluting. appeared first on TechGoing.

Global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions rebounded sharply last year as economic activity picked up after a strict embargo during the pandemic. Historic government stimulus and the rapid rollout of vaccines reignited the global economy and put it into overdrive.

The global economy grew by 5.9 percent as people returned to their daily lives. Meanwhile, pandemic-induced supply chain bottlenecks persisted, driving commodity prices higher and in turn pushing inflation to multi-decade highs.

Energy prices, such as natural gas and oil, rose the most due to limited production capacity and surging demand. Higher oil and natural gas prices have led to greater reliance on coal, a major source of CO2 emissions.

So far, 2022 is a year of transition as government leaders around the world work to reduce reliance on carbon-emitting fossil fuels. Renewable energy covers the first half of the growth in global electricity demand. In addition, electric vehicle sales are expected to account for 13 percent of total global light vehicle sales after doubling in 2021.

Despite the looming energy crisis, historic growth in electric vehicle deployment and renewable energy use is working to reduce global reliance on fossil fuels and cut CO2 emissions, according to a new IEA analysis.

The post Due to electric vehicles and clean energy, CO2 emissions are expected to be reduced by 2022 appeared first on TechGoing.

Hyundai Motor Group and LG New Energy secured a $710 million loan for a joint venture battery plant in Indonesia, which was first reported by the Korean media.

From the Korean media reports, the $710 million loan, provided by five international financial institutions, has a term of up to 10 years, and Hyundai Motor Group’s Hyundai Motor, Kia, Hyundai Mobis and LG New Energy, will provide debt guarantees for the loan in proportion to their shareholdings.

In addition to the three Hyundai Motor Group companies and LG New Energy, Seoul-based Korea Trade Insurance Corporation, which will also participate, will provide credit guarantees for the loan.

Hyundai Motor Group and LG New Energy have started construction of an electric vehicle battery joint venture plant in Indonesia last year, with a planned investment of $1.1 billion, to be built in the Karawang Industrial Park, near Jakarta and also near Hyundai Motor’s plant.

The joint venture battery plant between Hyundai Motor Group and LG New Energy in Indonesia is scheduled to go into full-scale production in the first half of 2024, with an initial annual capacity of 10 GWh, enough for the assembly of 150,000 electric vehicles, which will then be increased to a maximum of 30 GWh per year.

The post Hyundai and LG New Energy Receive funding for Indonesian Battery Plant appeared first on TechGoing.

A new survey by the research firm shows that California, where Tesla used to be based, has a much higher adoption rate of electric vehicles than any other state in the U.S., with data showing a 38.9 percent rate.

The research firm’s figures are based on the number of electric vehicles per 1,000 drivers. Second only to California in terms of EV adoption is Florida, but at 6.7 percent, the adoption rate is nowhere near that of California. Texas, where Tesla is now headquartered, has the 3rd highest adoption rate among U.S. states at 5.4%, while Washington and New York are 4th and 5th at 4.4% and 3.6%, respectively.

A large percentage of the electric vehicles sold in California are from Tesla. Even though Tesla has moved its headquarters to Austin, Texas, California is still an important market for them. Agency data shows that in the first quarter of this year, more than 40% of new electric cars registered in the U.S. market were in California. Tesla registered 42,800 new electric vehicles in California in the second quarter, an 80.7 percent increase from the previous year.

Tesla is currently at the forefront of the global electric vehicle sector, and their headquarters was located in Palo Alto, California for a long time and grew out of California until last year, when they announced their move to Austin, Texas, which was completed at the end of the year. The factory in Follymont, California, was also the only full vehicle factory under Tesla before the Shanghai mega-factory went into production, and this factory also has the most models in production under Tesla, with the Model S, Model X, Model 3 and Model Y all in production.

The post California’s EV adoption rate is nearly 40%, higher than other states in the U.S. appeared first on TechGoing.

The EV company’s plan to produce over 2,000,000 vehicles by the end of 2022 is one we need to watch out for. At the moment, the company can boast of up to 940,000 deliveries in 2021 alone. Jumping to about 2,000,000 this year is more than 100% of their current standing globally. In 2021 Tesla stood as the best-selling EV brand, but that is no longer the case for the company.

Read also: Ford’s new battery technology will help drive it to build 600,000 EVs per year globally.

This year BYD took the top spot as the best-selling EV brand in the first quarter of the year with Tesla following in second place. In comparison with its performance last year, BYD has more than doubled its sales globally. So, Elon Musk and his EV company need to brace up for fierce competition.

Elon seems to be optimistic about how the sales for his EV company will close in 2022. In his words, if things go according to plan, Tesla will exit 2022 with 2,000,000 vehicles from its production plants. Other car manufacturers also have goals for their production of electric vehicles. Of all hopes, that of Tesla’s 20 million vehicles per year by 2030 seems outrageous. If they can pull off the 2,000,000 vehicle target by the end of 2022 then we might then believe that their goal for the next eight years might be achievable.

The post Tesla plans to outwit the competition by manufacturing 2,000,000 EVs by the end of 2022 appeared first on TechGoing.

In total, the electric vehicle manufacturer will sell three of its EVs. The BYD Seal, a compact saloon, is on the list of vehicles to enter the Japanese automobile market next year. Following it are the BYD Yuan Plus, and BYD Dolphin, both of which are electric SUVs.

Read also: BYD clings to second place as the world’s largest EV battery manufacturer.

As we know the quality or performance of these vehicles isn’t one that prospective Japanese buyers should worry about. One reason is the quality and battery technology of these vehicles. Another solid reason is the company’s growth on a global scale finding itself in the list of top three best sellers.

Considering the current influx of automobile manufacturers into the EV space BYD will face serious competition. The likes of Japanese top-selling brands that are going electric like Toyota and Honda will possibly hinder BYDs quick growth. Once the Chinese company’s vehicles start selling in Japan next year it’d be amazing to see how they perform with sales.

The post BYD the Chinese EV manufacturer steps into the Japanese automobile market appeared first on TechGoing.

Recently, in order to further strengthen the management of illegal low-speed electric vehicles in Tianjin, the Tianjin Municipal Public Security Bureau, Tianjin Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology, Tianjin Municipal Market Supervision Commission, and Tianjin Municipal Transportation Commission jointly drafted the “Notice on Strengthening the Management of Illegal Low-speed Electric Vehicles (Draft for Comments”)” (hereinafter referred to as the “Notice”), and it is now open to the public for comments.

Organs and groups at all levels, enterprises and institutions, and individuals can put forward their views and suggestions, the consultation period from June 21, 2022 to July 21, 2022. The main content of the notice is as follows.

First, this “Notice” refers to the violation of low-speed electric vehicles are not licensed by the national motor vehicle product department production, not included in the “road motor vehicle manufacturers and product announcement”, the use of electric drive for passenger or cargo three-wheeled, four-wheeled vehicles (including elderly mobility scooters, etc.), belong to motor vehicles.

Second, prohibit the production and sale of illegal low-speed electric vehicles. In the city production, sales violations of low-speed electric vehicles, the market supervision department, industry and information technology departments in accordance with the “Tianjin Road Traffic Safety Provisions” related provisions.

Third, the use of illegal low-speed electric vehicles are prohibited to engage in passenger and freight transport operations.

Fourth, this “Notice” before the purchase of illegal low-speed electric vehicles set a transition period, transition period up to December 31, 2023. The transition period on the road should comply with the relevant provisions of the passage. Violation of the traffic regulations, the public security organs of the traffic management department will be dealt with according to law.

V. After the transition period (January 1, 2024 onwards), illegal low-speed electric vehicles are strictly prohibited on the road, strictly prohibited in the road and the square, public parking lots, and other places for public access parking. Violations on the road or parked, the public security organs of the traffic management department will be dealt with according to law.

Sixth, the postal courier, landscaping, and sanitation departments in charge of the industry violations of low-speed electric vehicles to strengthen the daily management, the transition period of driving, and operation to comply with the relevant provisions, after the transition period all replaced with legal vehicles.

Seven, the “notice” of the violation of low-speed electric vehicles does not include motorized wheelchair vehicles for the disabled and a “special equipment catalog” in the field (factory) of special motor vehicles.

The post Tianjin intends to ban the production and sale of illegal low-speed electric vehicles new regulations are now seeking comments from the community appeared first on TechGoing.