Perhaps an inkling of why the Koreans may be interested in AGY...

Perhaps an inkling of why the Koreans may be interested in AGY (excerpt from Weekend Australian new cars column 13/4/19):


Oh wait, here’s one: the new 2019 Kia Niro EV, a cheerful little car with a claimed range of up to 455km, quick-charging capacity and an inTina was sceptical. Why do we have to move? Because amid a global production bottleneck (in the UK alone, the 900 allocated have sold out and the next delivery has been delayed until 2020) Kia – part of the South Korean conglomerate Hyundai Motor Group – will be confining sales to nine states hewing to the California Air Resources Board’s mandates for zero-emission vehicles (plus four others), in order to reduce its regulatory costs in the US’s largest car market. Interior capacity of 1500 litres (with seats folded).The EX Premium test car boasted parking sensors, sunroof, heated/ventilated leather front seats, navigation and infotainment touch screen backing up a Harman Kardon audio system. Other e-menities include Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless phone charger, and multiple USB ports in the centre console with protective flip-caps, to keep liquids out. Our example also included the optional cold weather package, including battery warmer, heated steering wheel, and a high-efficiency heat pump to warm cabin air. Fantastic. Beautiful. Two side mirrors and everything. All we have to do is relocate to one of the 13 states in the US where it will be sold.The ultimate cause of the model’s scarcity globally is a shortage of batteries. The factory in South Korea can make about 10,000 Niro EVs annually. The game theory comes in spreading these cars around so that they minimise compliance costs across multiple markets.