EV Daily | Tesla Semi Fire Causes Hazmat Incident; Uber Hires Ex-Tesla Exec; EU Cuts EV Tariffs for Tesla

【Tesla】

A Tesla Semi electric truck caught fire on a highway near the California-Nevada border, causing a hazardous materials incident due to the lithium-ion batteries involved. The fire lasted hours, and a hazardous material crew is recovering the truck for investigation. The incident may be scrutinized by authorities as there are only a few dozen Tesla Semi trucks on the road currently.

Uber has hired Tesla’s former head of charging, Rebecca Tinucci, who was fired by Elon Musk along with her team. Tinucci played a significant role in developing Tesla's extensive charging infrastructure. Uber aims to electrify its fleet by 2040 and will benefit from Tinucci's expertise.

Hyundai completed a teardown of Tesla's Cybertruck last month. Tesla's Cybertruck was the fifth top-selling EV in the US in May. Hyundai Motor, including Kia and Genesis, holds a 10% share of the US EV market.

Tesla is progressing on its new Megafactory in Shanghai, China, which will have a capacity of about 40 GWh. The factory is about 45% complete and is expected to start production in early 2025.

EU has reduced proposed tariffs on Chinese EV imports, with Tesla benefiting the most. The duty rate for Tesla is now 9%, down from the initial 20.8%. This adjustment will impact Tesla's competitive positioning in the European market.



【BYD】

EU has reduced proposed tariffs on Chinese EV imports. BYD's duty rate dropped slightly from 17.4% to 17%. This change will influence BYD's market strategy in Europe.



【Others】

Rivian has secured approval for a major plant expansion in Normal, IL, and is preparing for the production of its more affordable R2 vehicle, slated for early 2026. Rivian also gained approval for a massive plant expansion and plans to produce the R2 and other next-gen vehicles.

Lucid Group has introduced new Air lease options in Canada. The company surpassed its Q2 delivery targets for its Air sedan and plans to launch the Gravity SUV later this year. Lucid continues to scale operations and improve sales performance.

Polestar has begun deliveries of its Polestar 4 electric SUV Coupe in Europe, with prices starting at EUR 63,200. The Polestar 4 features a 15.4-inch infotainment system and up to 379 miles WLTP range. US deliveries are expected to start in the fourth quarter of 2024.

Stellantis is gearing up for a new EV offensive in the US with the launch of electric models from Jeep, Dodge, and Ram. Jeep's all-electric Wagoneer S and Dodge Charger Daytona EV are expected to hit the market by the end of 2024. Rivian's vice president of manufacturing, Tim Fallon, has joined Stellantis to spearhead this initiative.