Volkswagen, Daimler, China, Opel, Sweden, BYD, BMW.

30 EV by 2025: Volkswagen is on the charm offensive with chairman Matthias Müller promising 80 electrified models in less than ten years. This means that by 2025 every fourth car sold through the group could be all-electric, in VW’s world that means up to 3 million units a year. The so-called Roadmap E also earmarks over 50bn euros to procure the batteries needed to power the projected e-fleet (150 GW) and while VW remarks that this is the equivalent to 4 Gigafactories, it has not said anything about setting those up itself. Still Müller claims “we will lead the transformation” of the industry and that includes two entirely new electric platforms, upgrading plants, training the workforce, increasing charging infrastructure, and advancing battery technology and production together with partners.
electrive.net, volkswagen-media-services.com

Daimler pushes electrification: Mercedes wants to offer electric options for every car comes 2022, CEO Dieter Zetsche revealed in front of investors. This translates to more than 50 models and includes the ten all-electric cars Daimler recently brought forward (we reported). The CEO also confirmed what insiders long expected when he said that Smart will become an all-electric brand in Europe. In the States, the take over has been completed earlier this year reportedly. To make up for its lower margins on electric cars, Daimler plans to increase its savings.
reuters.com (line-up), reuters.com (savings)

ICE to go bust in China: The combustion engine’s days are numbered in the world’s largest car market. As if the upcoming EV sales quota would not be enough, Beijing is now looking to ban sales of conventional fuel cars entirely. The question is only when. The vice minister of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has not given a time line but predicted that “measures will certainly bring profound changes for our car industry’s development” – and those from abroad we may add.
reuters.com, bloomberg.com, electrek.co

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EVs are a matter of profitability indeed, at least for PSA CEO Carlos Tavares. After taking over Opel recently, previous plans to turn it into an all-electric brand were put on ice but now the new owner showed openness to the idea under one condition – they must be profitable.
europe.autonews.com

Sweden works with incentives rather than punishments and just renewed its e-mobility funding schemes. By 2018, an additional 5bn SEK (over 500m euros) will help environment and climate initiatives along. Buyers of electric cars may thus receive up to 6,000 euros through the government and the initiative also includes light electric vehicles for which one can claim up to 1,000 euros or 25% of the purchase price. Solar cells and charging infrastructure have made it onto the funding agenda as well.
government.se, taz.de (in German)

Get over the SUV hype: BYD wants to launch a couple of mini and compact EVs in China over the next two years as it sees demand increasing in towns and villages. So much so that BYD believes such smaller (and cheaper) electric cars will soon account for up to 75% of its EV sales.
caixinglobal.com

BMW operates on the opposite end of the scale with its Concept X7 iPerformance ready to debut at the IAA. The extra large SUV will have a plug-in hybrid drive that could be regarded as a cosmetic measure. A series version may plow the tarmac as soon as next year.
bmwgroup.com