GM is planning to put a heat pump in every one of its Ultium EVs. CATL has launched its battery swapping venture for affordable EVs and apartment dwellers. And we drove the first of the pending EVs from Vinfast. This and more, here at Green Car Reports.
In a preview drive of the 2023 Vinfast VF 8, the first of two electric crossovers claimed to be bound for the U.S. before the end of 2022 from this Vietnamese brand, we found a lot of work to be done within the company’s aggressive delivery timeline.
GM this morning confirmed that a heat-pump-based thermal system will be going into every one of its Ultium-platform vehicles—including the already delivered GMC Hummer EV and soon-arriving Cadillac Lyriq, as well as future more mass-market models like the Chevrolet Trailblazer EV and Chevy Blazer EV. The tech, GM says, will result in a meaningful real-world boost to range, plus faster charging and quicker acceleration.
In China, the battery giant CATL has launched its own battery-swapping service, Evogo, revolving around proprietary battery modules likened to chocolate bars. With 30 stations already planned in the program’s launch city, it’s offered at speeds that compare with (or beat) fast-charging, but aimed at being an alternative for urban apartment dwellers who don’t have home charging. CATL says more automaker partners and more cities are coming.
And did Big Game EV ad spending from GM, BMW, Kia, and others this year also lead to a spike in Tesla orders? It appears not just so, but something Tesla boasted about in its quarterly update.
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