This Week in EV News: Mercedes EQV, Hyundai 45 Concept, ID CROZZ Spy Shots, and More!

Hello everyone and welcome to another edition of our weekly round up, where we recount the EV news that we didn’t cover at length. Along with the EV news that we did not cover, we have a recap of all the news that we did cover in length at the bottom as well, in case you missed it.

Mercedes-Benz EQV Electric Minivan Unveiled

The next entry into Mercedes’ EQ-line of electric vehicles has been revealed. This time Mercedes is electrifying their minivan offering with the EQV. The concept EQV was shown at the Geneva Motor Show in March of this year, but now the public will be able to see the production-ready version of the vehicle at the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show in September. The important technical specs of the electric minivan are as follows:

• Range: Estimated 405 km (252 miles)
• Battery: 100 kwh (90 kWh usable)
• Output: 150 kW (204 hp)
• Top Speed: 160 km/h (99 mph)
• Charging Rate: 110 kW (10-80% charge in less than 45 min.)

While this electric minivan won’t be winning any races, you will get a decent amount of range out of it, provided that the official numbers will be close to the preliminary ones. The EQV will offer a lot of flexibility in its seating arrangement which can range from a 6-, 7-, or 8-seat configuration thanks to the space saving design of battery powered vehicles.

The installation of the battery in the space below the floor means that all of the space is available, with no impact on the interior of the vehicle. This means that the fully electric MPV from Mercedes-Benz also meets the highest standards in terms of functionality and variability and covers a large number of applications. In the private sphere, for example, families benefit from a multitude of seating configurations as well as a good conscience from producing zero local emissions. Six individual seats, on the other hand, turn the Mercedes-Benz EQV into a representative shuttle vehicle that meets all of the requirements for the high-quality transportation of people with a comfortable and particularly quiet driving experience. The flexible installation of individual or bench seats also allows the EQV to be converted into a 7- or even an 8-seater.

The EQV will basically remain unmatched in the electric minivan world as no other automaker besides Volkswagen’s ID. BUZZ has been announced by automakers. The Chrysler Portal was green lite for production in 2020 last year but we have not heard anything of it since.

Read More Via Mercedes-Benz

A report this week from Manager Magazin stated that Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess was interested in acquiring a sizable stake in Tesla. The publication quoted one of Diess’ top managers saying:

“Diess would go in right away if he could,”

However a statement was promptly made by a Volkswagen spokesperson who stated that:

“The speculation about buying a stake in Tesla made by Manager Magazin is without merit,”

While Volkswagen probably has enough cash to go through with an outright buyout, Diess would have to get permission from the board along with the Porsche and Piech families. While it is a very unlikely possibility that the two companies will become one, we shouldn’t put past the possibility of the two working together on projects in the future.
Read More Via Automotive News Europe

Hyundai recently released a teaser for an all-new electric concept that will hearken back to the company’s origins in the 1970s. The concept is dubbed the “45”, most likely to commemorate the 45 year anniversary of Hyundai’s first car, the Hyundai Pony. The press release notes that the car will “act as a symbolic milestone for Hyundai’s future EV design” as well as:

The new concept accentuates the forward-driven design direction while exploring the evolution of Hyundai’s ‘Sensuous Sportiness’ design language. ‘Sensuous’ stands for enhanced emotional values that customers can experience through design, and ‘Sportiness’ is determined to implement those values through innovative mobility solutions.

It is very unlikely that this model will make it into production, instead it will serve as a design study, so look for some of its features to be incorporated into future Hyundai’s. The concept will be fully unveiled on Septermber 10th during the Frankfurt Motor Show.
Read More Via Hyundai

Aside from the teaser picture above, we have not seen anything from Ford’s upcoming Mustang-inspired electric crossover. However, it seems like the wait might finally be coming to an end. According to The Detroit Bureau, Dave Pericak, director of enterprise product line management – Ford Icons, stated that the “public is expected to get its first peek at the new [Mustang-inspired] SUV in November.” If you happen to look at your calendar of events, you will notice that the Los Angeles Auto Show will be taking place from November 22 to December 1, making it the perfect place to have an unveiling that everyone is sure to see. Also while the statement makes it seem like we will only get a glimpse of the electric crossover, Ford has stated that it would reveal the electric utility at the end of this year with plans to go on sale in 2020 in their 2019 Outlook. Of course this is all conjecture, but do look out for official teasers to be coming from Ford in the coming months if this does prove to be true.
Read More Via The Detroit Bureau

In an effort to make EV charging less complicated, the two largest DC fast charging networks in the US: EVgo and Electrify America, have signed a new roaming agreement. This means that drivers will be able to charge at either EVgo or Electrify America chargers without any additional fees, while using their existing accounts. The agreement connects more than 3,000 DC fast chargers in over 1,000 stations, and that number will only grow as both companies continue to expand their respective infrastructures. This however is not an uncommon agreement as Electrify America has similar agreements with ChargePoint, Greenlots, Sema Connect and EV Connect. EVgo also has similar agreements with EV Connect and Sema Connect as well. These types of agreements hold major significance in helping EV adoption as no customer wants to mess around with having to set up different accounts and apps for each individual charging company, especially when they have been so accustomed to being able to refuel their gasoline-powered car at any gas station.
Read More Via EVgo

More Spy Shots of the VW ID.CROZZ

With the VW ID.3 nearing its official unveil date, we have started turning our attention towards the ID.CROZZ, tentatively known as the ID.4 or ID.4X until we have an official confirmation from Volkswagen. While you notice that the ID.4 does have a very similar shape to the ID.3, it seems to proportionally larger than the ID.3 in every regard. According to CarPix who provided the pictures, the size seems to be somewhere between a Tiguan and the Tiguan Allspace, but the ID.4 retains a longer wheelbase, allowing for a possibility to providing more interior room than the Tiguan. Considering that the ID.3 has not hit the streets yet, we won’t expect Volkswagen to provide any further information regarding the ID.4 for quite some time.
Read More Via InsideEVs

EV News You Missed:

• Drako Motors unveiled their 206 mph 4-door electric supercar.
• Electrify America has started a humorous advertisement campaign that looks to make EV ownership a normal thing.
• Harley Davidson has decided to diversify itself and tease upcoming electric bicycles.
• The Porsche Taycan will be fully revealed in a few weeks, here are some of the latest developments from Porsche regarding the electric car.
• While the upcoming 2020 Chevrolet Bolt will not receive a design refresh, it does get an improved range of 259 miles.