Tesla Will Export EVs and Establish Network of Superchargers in Malaysia
- Malaysia’s Minister of International Trade & Industry Tengku Zafrul tweeted on Wednesday that Tesla motor’s application to import battery-run EVs into Malaysia has been approved by the trade ministry.
- Tesla Inc will open its head office and showrooms for EVs in the Southeast Asian Country, however, the timeline has not been specified yet.
- The company will also establish service centers and a network of supercharging stations for its electric cars.
- Malaysia’s trade minister further said, “The U.S. firm’s presence in Malaysia is expected to create skilled and better-paying jobs for the Malaysians.”
- Elon Musk refused to comment on this matter immediately but it seems Tesla is banking on tax exemptions offered by countries and expanding vastly across geographies.
- Tesla’s rival BYD is also reportedly eyeing major global expansion, particularly in Southeast Asia.
Original Source: Twitter
Honda and LG Energy Solution Today held the Official Groundbreaking Ceremony for a New Joint Venture EV Battery Plant in Ohio
- Honda and LGES executives along with local and state officials today held the official groundbreaking ceremony for a new EV battery plant in Fayette County, near Jeffersonville, Ohio.
- The plant will have an expected annual production capacity of 40 GWh and will be spread over 2 million square feet in size. A new rendering of the EV battery plant has also been shared.
- The two companies have committed to invest $3.5 billion in the new joint venture facility and their overall investment is projected to reach $4.4 billion.
- The construction of the facility is planned to be completed by the end of 2024 in support of the start of mass production at the end of 2025. This plant will generate 2,200 jobs after entering production.
- The JV Company will produce pouch-type lithium-ion batteries to be used exclusively in Honda auto plants to produce EVs to be sold in North America.
- Honda also has announced plans to invest $700 million in its existing auto and powertrain plants in Ohio for the production of EVs that will utilize the batteries made at the new JV facility.
Original Source: Honda
The Rivian R1T Earns the J.D. Power Award for Most Satisfying Ownership Experience
- The Rivian R1T has been ranked the highest overall among all segments in the 2023 J.D. Power U.S. Electric Vehicle Experience (EVX) Ownership Study on premium and mass-market vehicles.
- The study measures owners’ satisfaction across 10 factors: styling, safety/technology, service experience, ease of charging at home, availability of public charging, the accuracy of stated range, battery range, driving enjoyment, quality and reliability, and cost of ownership.
- About 60 different 2022 and 2023 model-year battery electric (BEV) and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) vehicles were reviewed and more than 7,000 owners were surveyed from August to December 2022.
- The R1T also ranks highest among premium battery electric vehicles in seven of the 10 factors: driving enjoyment, vehicle quality and reliability, service experience, interior/exterior styling, cost of ownership, ease of charging at home, and accuracy of stated battery range.
- RJ Scaringe, Chief Executive Officer of Rivian said, “In order to electrify the world, it’s critical we redefine the entire customer experience to be more seamless and intuitive than ever before.”
Original Source: Rivian