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Tesla To Provide 93 MWh Grid-Scale Storage Battery For Electricity Co-Op In Alaska

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Published on December 18th, 2019 |

by Steve Hanley

Tesla To Provide 93 MWh Grid-Scale Storage Battery For Electricity Co-Op In Alaska

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December 18th, 2019 by Steve Hanley

Homer Electric Association is an energy cooperative that serves the needs of some 50,000 people living on the Kenai Peninsular south of Anchorage, Alaska. It announced this week that it has agreed to the purchase and installation of a 93 MWh battery energy storage system supplied by Tesla “to increase grid stability, electric power reliability and system efficiency for its members,” according to an online post on HEA’s website. Installation of the Tesla battery is expected to be completed by the fall of 2021. No information about the cost of the project is being released by HEA or Tesla at this time.

Soldatna Generating Plant. Credit: Homer Electric Association

The battery will be located at HEA’s Soldatna Generating Plant, a gas turbine facility with a capacity of 47 megawatts. It can normally power up in about 15 minutes to meet a surge in the demand for electricity but will be called upon to do so less frequently once the Tesla battery is in operation. 15 minutes is a pretty good response time for a turbine but a battery like the one Tesla is providing can react in milliseconds. That’s the difference between 20th and 21st century technology.

The new battery will allow HEA to meet its reliability requirements without having to burn additional fuel, resulting in greater system efficiencies, lower greenhouse gas production, and reduced power outages. But it will have an additional benefit as well. It will open the door for the co-op to include more solar or wind energy in its portfolio in the future. Without battery storage in place, the co-op’s thermal generation resources could be strained due to the intermittency of renewable energy.

HEA has a relatively modest renewable energy goal of 18% within the next few years. At the present time, it gets about 10% of its electricity from the Bradley Lake hydroelectric facility owned by the Alaska Energy Authority. It has recently committed to a new hydroelectric initiative known as the Battle Creek Diversion Project, which involves the installation of 9,100 feet of Steel Reinforced Poly Ethylene 6 feet in diameter. It will add about 36,160 MWh of electricity to HEA’s supply each year. Completion of that project is scheduled for the summer of next year.

It is encouraging that Alaska, which prides itself on its fossil fuel reserves, is beginning to look to battery storage and renewables to meet the demand for electricity in its future — further proof that lower costs are the best way to reduce reliance on fossil fuels for future energy needs.
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Steve Hanley Steve writes about the interface between technology and sustainability from his homes in Florida and Connecticut or anywhere else the Singularity may lead him. You can follow him on Twitter but not on any social media platforms run by evil overlords like Facebook.

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Mercedes EQC Deliveries Delayed Until 2021

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Published on December 15th, 2019 |

by Johnna Crider

Mercedes EQC Deliveries Delayed Until 2021

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December 15th, 2019 by Johnna Crider

Mercedes has announced they it will delay the US launch of its first electric vehicle, the EQC, which starts at $68,895. Those who call Tesla a “vaporware” company should take note. Mercedes was expected to bring the EQC to its US dealerships in the first quarter of 2020, but it looks like we will have to wait another whole year for one of those “Tesla killers.” The reason for the wait? Mercedes says demand is too high in Europe for the company to bring it to the US.

Demand may be high in Europe for the Mercedes EQC, but as Maarten Vinkhuyzen has explained for us before, automakers have a much easier time selling EVs in Europe due to both its stronger vehicle emission regulations (forcing automakers to start selling EVs in higher quantities or face fines) and a better dealership system (customers are accustomed to ordering their cars in advance rather than going onto a dealership lot and choosing from the options on hand). The need to increase a good flow of EV sales in Europe is only growing, too. The EU Parliament is now mandating a 37.5% cut in new vehicle emissions by 2030.

Naturally, people who are reservation holders of the EQC may cancel and decide to purchase a Tesla for either a similar or even a lower price. They may conclude that while they previously thought it was wiser and “safer” to go with a conventional automaker, Tesla is in fact leading the industry for a reason.

This delay means that Mercedes, which is owned by Daimler, may suffer some financial consequences as Tesla and other EV makers — such as Audi, BMW, and Jaguar — pass it up on the road to meeting US EV demands. Daimler just announced plans last month to cut thousands of jobs. Perhaps being late to the electric party was not a good idea.

The EQC was once termed a “Tesla killer,” which means an EV that would ultimately destroy Tesla. I used to think that term was very negative, but I’ve had second thoughts. It’s inspiring in a sense — it’s about this urge or need to destroy a competitor by making something better. It inherently compels automakers to make better EVs.

The irony is that, if a “Tesla killer” was to exist, it would be fulfilling Tesla’s mission. I don’t think that will happen for a very long time since Tesla is the star of the 21st century automotive industry and everyone else seems far behind. But it would be good if other automakers genuinely tried to make Tesla killers.
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Johnna Crider Johnna Crider is a Baton Rouge artist, gem and mineral collector, and Tesla shareholder who believes in Elon Musk and Tesla. Elon Musk advised her in 2018 to “Believe in Good.”

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Tesla Gigafactory 4 Third Phase — 750,000 Car Capacity

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Published on December 14th, 2019 |

by Johnna Crider

Tesla Gigafactory 4 Third Phase — 750,000 Car Capacity

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December 14th, 2019 by Johnna Crider

In a German article published by Lausitzer Rundschau, we learn that Tesla expects to reach a production capacity of 750,000 cars in the third phase of Tesla Gigafactory 4 (GF4) outside of Berlin. The article tells us that the Agriculture Minister, Axel Vogel, gave Tesla the green light when it comes to the amount of water that GF4 will need. Two key highlights from the article concern trees and water supply. Let’s dig into both.

The Trees
The article leads in with the fact that Tesla will have to cut down some trees in the area to build its factory, but Tesla also plans to plant three times as many trees to help balance that loss. (This is in addition to Elon Musk donating $1 million to Team Trees as a part of an initiative to help the Arbor Day Foundation plant 20 million trees in 2020.)

Added to that, Lausitzer Rundschau reports that the state forestry company that is selling the 300 hectares of forest in Grünheide to Tesla will be using the funds to purchase new forest areas.

Yes, cutting trees down is a bad thing, but in comparison to the logging going on for years in the Amazon, Tesla’s is just a small drop in that bucket. The factory will create something that will ultimately benefit us in the long run.

Water Supply
Although the Minister has given the green light when it comes to the issue of water for the GF4, the Strausberg-Erkner water association said that the necessary administrative requirements for the water supply haven’t been met yet by the Environment Ministry and the State Environment Agency. The Strausberg-Erkner water association is responsible for the area’s water supply as well as disposal and, once it is able, it will take over the supply for the first construction phase. The first construction phase is slated to have an annual production of 250,000 cars. The second phase will raise that to 500,000 cars, and the third phase is expected to bring the factory’s production capacity to 750,000 cars a year. Even though water can be supplied for the first phase, the association is still looking for solutions.

There is still a ways to go before GF4 is complete (after all, it was just announced), but as we have seen with GF3, we can be sure that Tesla will try to have it completed in record time as well.
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Johnna Crider Johnna Crider is a Baton Rouge artist, gem and mineral collector, and Tesla shareholder who believes in Elon Musk and Tesla. Elon Musk advised her in 2018 to “Believe in Good.”

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Colossal Dual-Motor & Tri-Motor Tesla Cybertruck Variants Coming 1 Year Sooner

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Published on December 9th, 2019 |

by Cynthia Shahan

Colossal Dual-Motor & Tri-Motor Tesla Cybertruck Variants Coming 1 Year Sooner

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December 9th, 2019 by Cynthia Shahan

Tesla’s Cybertruck order page was recently updated to change up expected production and delivery timelines. The start timelines for the Dual-Motor and Tri-Motor variants’ estimated production have been updated quite a bit. Presumably, the many preorders have influenced this time change.

Certainly, the preorders are steadily building up for all of the variants, but some must be getting much more interest than others.

Tesla.com shows Dual and Tri-Motor Cybertruck production start estimate to be now late 2021. Screenshot courtesy XAuto.

Iqtidar Ali points out that the new information came officially as the estimated production year changed on the configurator. There was no blizzard of social media announcements on this one, interestingly. Ali explains: “now instead of previously stated 2022, [the Dual- and Tri-Motor] variants will be coming late 2021, a whole year earlier.” The Single-Motor RWD option is scheduled to start production in 2022.

Historically, Tesla started production of longer-range, more-expensive variants of new models before gradually working down to the base variants. This is the norm across the industry, actually. However, Tesla surprised when the Cybertruck was revealed by indicating that the lowest-price, lowest-range base trim would be produced first. Apparently, though, Tesla has reconsidered and gone back to its previous system.

There are a lot of reasons people — even new drivers, younger generations — are looking into the Cybertruck. There’s style, what that may mean about someone’s self-image, the pure logic of the vehicle, sophisticated aerodynamics that one associates with a Bond vehicle, its high-tech offerings, and its potentially game-changing use as a self-driving vehicle.

The Tesla Model 3 is flooding streets in many regions. In only a few years, those Model 3s will be flowing alongside a new, high-tech, futuristic vehicle with colossal style, a vehicle which is still mysterious, but we learn more about almost every day.

Featured Image: Kyle Field | CleanTechnica
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Cynthia Shahan Cynthia Shahan started writing by doing research as a social cultural and sometimes medical anthropology thinker. She studied and practiced both Waldorf education, and Montessori education. Eventually becoming an organic farmer, licensed AP, and mother of four unconditionally loving spirits, teachers, and environmentally conscious beings born with spiritual insights and ethics beyond this world. (She was able to advance more in this way led by her children.)

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Wreckonize: An Idea To Improve The Safety Of Emergency Workers, + A Pitch To Elon Musk & Tesla

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Published on December 9th, 2019 |

by Johnna Crider

Wreckonize: An Idea To Improve The Safety Of Emergency Workers, + A Pitch To Elon Musk & Tesla

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December 9th, 2019 by Johnna Crider

I would like to share a story by Twitter user Wreckonize, who recently reached out to me. Before I dive into his story and idea, I will give you a bit of background information on him. He is a wreck operator (Wreck-Ops) who is concerned about the loss of lives of emergency personnel — ranging from police, firefighters, and paramedics to wrecker operators — due to drivers not paying attention and also not following road safety protocols. He’s survived all four times that he’s been struck by drivers not paying attention, but that’s a lot of strikes. He also told me that every day at least one or two people die in this field.

He shared a 17-minute and 20-second video with me that he made for Elon Musk in hopes that Elon would see it and maybe be a part of a solution that he has been working on. The video isn’t on YouTube so I am analyzing it here. You can also watch the video for yourself. The overall solution would be an app on your phone, or even in your Tesla, that would alert drivers in the area that there is some type of accident or event going on up ahead and you should utilize the four emergency protocols.

The 4 Emergency Protocols
Wrecokinoze points out that many people only know about one emergency protocol, despite there actually being four of them.

Slow down and move over to the right (left lane anomaly)
Slow down and move over to the left (right lane anomaly)
Slow down and move over to either left or right (center lane anomaly)
Slow down and stop

Sure, people see emergency personnel on the road and usually do slow down and move over, but there are those moments before the police are able to section off the area of an accident or establish a “Kill Zone” (an area that the emergency workers need to work in). Sometimes, before these Kill Zones are established, workers can get struck by passing vehicles. Having an app that would alert drivers ahead of time that there is something going on before they can even see it — and/or alerting smart vehicles from within the car — could prevent deaths.

“I’m coming to you with this because we’re getting killed,” he says in the video in which he is addressing Elon Musk. He then elaborates on the problem: People driving by these areas are not paying attention or somehow miscalculate the distance between their car and an emergency worker.

The problem isn’t without potential solutions. Wreckonize told me over the phone that, for a while, he had given up inventing, but Elon Musk has inspired him again. When he was younger, he made his own prototypes of electric cars, and was often ridiculed by his peers. Enter in Elon Musk, who despite ridicule is successful at inventing things that are “out there” or unusual or just too crazy to be real but end up being very real, practical, relevant to today’s needs, and superior to existing products or business as usual.

“Thanks to you and your inspiration, I started inventing again.”
— Wreckonize to Elon Musk

His idea in this case is an invention that will enable better communications about emergency situations. He has been working on his idea for a while and it’s a way for vehicles to recognize when another one has stalled or has had some type of issue. This idea is based on the resistance factor — if people had a proper resistance factor, they may realize that a lane is about to be shut down and that a person is stepping out of a vehicle.

“It’s about getting the message ahead of time”
— Wreckonize

As part of this pitch, Wreckonize told a story of how two Tesla vehicles were able to see the cones he’d set out while on a job and then easily avoided the defined kill zones. He says that not only did the Tesla vehicles slow down, but they moved over to the next lane to avoid the lane being shut down. When you have cars doing this, others behind them will “wreckonize” the “slow down and move over” protocol.

Often, these kill zones are not yet defined, and this is when it is the most dangerous for emergency workers. When people are driving 60 miles an hour on the highway and don’t see this area defined, they may not realize — or they may realize too late — that there is a kill zone ahead and they need to move over. Wreckonize’s idea is a communication system that tells drivers they are about to enter a kill zone and need to slow down, move over, or slow down and stop.

The proposed name comes from the idea of recognizing wreck operations going on in the roadway as well as other emergency personnel.
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Johnna Crider Johnna Crider is a Baton Rouge artist, gem and mineral collector, and Tesla shareholder who believes in Elon Musk and Tesla. Elon Musk advised her in 2018 to “Believe in Good.”

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Tesla, GM, & Other EV Companies Seek US Tax Credit Expansion

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Published on December 13th, 2019 |

by Johnna Crider

Tesla, GM, & Other EV Companies Seek US Tax Credit Expansion

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December 13th, 2019 by Johnna Crider

MarketWatch reports that Tesla, General Motors, and others in the electric vehicle ecosystem are seeking expansion of the US federal tax credit for EVs.

The tax credit currently starts phasing out when an automaker reaches 200,000 plug-in vehicle sales in the US (something Tesla achieved multiple quarters before any other automaker, and GM achieved second). Tesla buyers will no longer be eligible for any tax credits starting January 1, 2020, under the current system.

The proposal, under the Driving America Forward Act, raises the sales limit to 600,000 instead of 200,000 for each automaker, and the tax credit for buyers changed to $7,000. The Tesla tax credit phaseout under the current system was as follows:

The MarketWatch article shares with us that Tesla, GM, and other electric vehicle manufacturers “have a role in the scramble around a possible tax package with so-called ‘tax extenders,’ as they could score an expansion for a key EV credit. If Tesla and the other EV makers land this credit, it would be a win for anyone purchasing an EV.”

The Driving America Forward Act was introduced by Senator Debbie Stabenow [D-MI]. Some Republicans (known for ties to the oil industry), such as Senator John Barrasso of Wyoming, contend that “it’s time to pull the plug” on EV subsidies (despite over a century of subsidies for oil). He is pushing the Fairness for Every Driver Act instead.

This “fairness” act isn’t really all that fair toward EV drivers since it proposes a user fee on alternative fuel vehicles used in the United States. Why should people have to be punished for being early adopters of EVs and this leaders in cutting pollution and CO2 emissions? If this act was truly fair, it would charge a user fee for gasoline vehicles and perhaps some type of carbon tax that would fund initiatives that help clean up pollution not just in the air but also in rivers, oceans, and other areas that are commonly affected. Or the fund could help those with health problems caused by air pollution.

What do you think? Are you ready to call your senator to push for an EV tax credit expansion?
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Johnna Crider Johnna Crider is a Baton Rouge artist, gem and mineral collector, and Tesla shareholder who believes in Elon Musk and Tesla. Elon Musk advised her in 2018 to “Believe in Good.”

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2 Tesla Powerwalls + Solar Power + Tesla Model 3 = True Energy Freedom

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Batteries

Published on December 13th, 2019 |

by Jake Richardson

2 Tesla Powerwalls + Solar Power + Tesla Model 3 = True Energy Freedom

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December 13th, 2019 by Jake Richardson

Fully Charged just released another very informative video about sustainable living. They make many videos about electric vehicles and this one includes an EV, a Tesla Model 3, but it’s more about how Tesla’s Powerwalls operate when paired with a rooftop solar system. Robert Llewellyn, the founder of Fully Charged, explains that he received a free Founders Series Powerwall 2 for participating in the Tesla referral program.

Image courtesy: Tesla

Robert’s home has been equipped with:

5.5 kW rooftop photovoltaic solar system
2 Tesla Powerwalls with a total of 26.8 kWh of storage capacity
Tesla Backup Gateway 2
Zappi2 Smart EV charger

He charges his Tesla Model 3 at home the with Zappi.

To integrate the new Powerwall into his home electrical system, including working with the EV charger, he needed to have a his grid connection upgrade to 3-phase. With the upgraded grid connection and the new Powerwall, the automatic transfer switch in the Tesla Backup Gateway 2 disconnects the home from the grid in the event of an outage, so electricity from the batteries can be used to safely power the home.

As a homeowner and an electricity consumer, Robert makes a great point when he says he tries to be very careful about using power between 4 pm and 8 pm. This is the peak time when electricity is not only expensive, it’s the dirtiest. Being able to avoid consumption during these key hours provides a new kind of freedom for homeowners — freedom from high electricity costs and the dirtiest fossil fuels.

Homeowners with batteries can charge them at night when electricity rates are very low and then use the electricity during the peak cost period to save money. It’s also possible, in some cases, to send some of your stored or self-generated electricity back to the grid to receive a small payment or credit. In the future, this ability may impact the energy marketplace.

Editor’s Note: Tesla is using this very capability to provide aggregated grid services through its Virtual Powerplant (VPP) program in South Australia. The program has demonstrated the ability to save homeowners with rooftop solar and storage money while providing valuable grid services to the local utility.

Robert’s 5.5 kW rooftop solar system is not huge, but seems to meet his needs. Depending on their electricity consumption, other homeowners may prefer to install a 10 kW or larger system to generate enough electricity through every season of the year, especially if they are charging an EV at home.

Solar power systems can be expanded after the initial installation and with solar panels having never been more affordable, upgrading from a smaller system to a larger solar system may be worth considering for many homeowners.

Imagine how much you would save by being able to generate all of your own electricity, or most of it, right from your own roof. Never paying for gas or electricity ever again sounds pretty good, doesn’t it?

Installations like Roberts show that a fully electric future is no longer a future possibility, it is possible today. The future is now.
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Jake Richardson Hello, I have been writing online for some time, and enjoy the outdoors. If you like, you can follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JakeRsol

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Rumor: Tesla Gigafactory 4 Slated To Produce 500,000 Cars A Year & Employ 10,000

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Published on December 12th, 2019 |

by Steve Hanley

Rumor: Tesla Gigafactory 4 Slated To Produce 500,000 Cars A Year & Employ 10,000

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December 12th, 2019 by Steve Hanley

The following information is categorized as rumor because it has not been confirmed by Tesla, but German newspaper Bild (subscription required) is reporting that when fully completed, the new Tesla factory in Germany, known as either Gigafactory 4 or Gigafactory Berlin, will be capable of manufacturing up to half a million vehicles a year and employ as many as 10,000 workers. That information comes from the German Press Agency, according to the Bild report.

Credit: Tesla

Teslarati reports that annual production for both the existing factory in Fremont and Gigafactory 3 in Shanghai is expected to also be on the order of 500,000 cars per year for each facility, meaning until Tesla builds another factory somewhere, its global manufacturing capability will be 1.5 million vehicles.

The finished factory will cost $4.4 billion according to a report by Frankfurter Allgemeine and cover an area larger than 420 soccer fields, which can be up to 110 meters long and 73 meters wide. Bild claims to have seen the proposed building plans for the finished factory.

The factory, like the one in Shanghai, China, will be built in stages. It is unclear at this time whether Tesla has submitted plans for the entire factory to local authorities for approval or submitted only preliminary drawings for future expansion. We do know the initial stage of the factory is expected to employ 3,000 workers and begin production of the Model Y SUV sometime in early 2021. Production of the Model 3 sedan is expected to begin sometime later, perhaps after the second phase of the factory is completed.

The decision to build its newest factory in Germany came as a surprise to some. In an interview with Auto Express in November, Elon Musk said, “Brexit [uncertainty] made it too risky to put a Gigafactory in the UK,” something British voters might want to keep in mind as they head to the polls this week. Musk hinted in 2014 that he was considering a design and tech center in the UK, but those plans have also been shelved. That facility will now be built in Berlin.
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Tesla Begins Rolling Out Its Sexy New “Mini-Powerwall” Backup Gateway 2 Hardware

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Published on December 12th, 2019 |

by Kyle Field

Tesla Begins Rolling Out Its Sexy New “Mini-Powerwall” Backup Gateway 2 Hardware

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December 12th, 2019 by Kyle Field

Tesla has started rolling out its new Backup Gateway 2 hardware with its Powerwalls, resulting in a much cleaner look for the overall installation. Instead of installing its communication hardware in standard grey electrical enclosures, the new Gateways come packaged up in a beautiful new enclosure that mimics the look of the Tesla Powerwall 2s themselves.

Image courtesy: Fully Charged

We spied the new Backup Gateway 2 hardware in a new episode of Fully Charged as host Robert Llewellyn walked through the installation process of his new Tesla Founders Series Powerwall 2. Ironically, his signature edition came without Elon Musk’s signature (which it was supposed to include). I’m betting it’s because Elon is planning to make the trip out to the UK to chat with Robert and sign it in person, but time will tell whether that comes to pass or not. In the meantime, Robert signed it for Elon as a placeholder.

We discovered that Tesla would be updating the look of the Powerwall Gateways late last year when Tesla recalibrated its Powerwall product family, raising prices just over 10% at the same time. The new look raises the bar for the aesthetics on perhaps the most critical piece of hardware in the installation of a Powerwall. Check out the 3 minute video at the bottom of this article for a unique look at how to connect to the Backup Gateway.

That’s because the Powerwall Gateway is much more than just an LTE connection to the world — though, it does provide a communications link to the outside world. On the recent Powerwall installation at my new home, Tesla came out to commission the new system and one of the first steps after everything was bolted in and wired up was to get the communications set up. Unfortunately, our system did not come with the new Powerwall Gateway, but everything inside it is effectively the same and provides the same functionality.

The primary connection for the system to the world is an integrated cellular connection. The Gateway is also typically paired up to the home’s WiFi connection for a lower-cost, higher-bitrate connection to the internet. Finally, for folks with a nearby ethernet connection (remember those clunky old wired things?), the Tesla Powerwall Gateway offers an ethernet connection.

The old form factor of the Gateway had two antennas up top, one for cellular and one for WiFi to keep everything humming along nicely in today’s connected world. Those have since been integrated seamlessly into the new design. Our system was brought online with the cellular connection first, followed by the WiFi connection. We aren’t going to run ethernet to the garage (at least not yet), so we will just keep the system running on WiFi with a cellular backup for the time being.

Image courtesy: Tesla

Tesla’s new Gateway is more than just a data connection, though. Using that data connection, the Gateway serves as the brain for the Powerwalls, telling them what mode to operating in, sending data to and from the owner’s smartphone app, and triggering automatic overrides to standard protocols under special circumstances like in the event of an incoming storm. The Backup Gateway 2’s monitoring of energy usage is revenue grade, meaning it is accurate to within +/- 0.2%.

Finally, the Backup Gateway 2 provides critical safety functionality to the system as the automatic transfer switch. This switch monitors the incoming power from the grid, looking for any issue that would indicate unstable grid power. This could be a full disconnect of grid power, low voltage, fluctuations in the power, or something else. It’s Tesla’s way of putting its finger on the pulse of the grid. The incoming grid power into the house runs through the Backup Gateway 2 and, if an issue is detected, the relay in the automatic transfer switch flips, disconnecting grid power from the home.

When this happens, the Powerwalls are called on to power the now-isolated home and, after a few seconds, for the systems to cut over — everything in the home will then be powered off of the Powerwalls. On the grid side of things, the relay is a key to maintaining the safety of the power system. If the home was to remain connected to the grid when the Powerwalls started pumping power to the house (and the grid) when grid power was down, that power would feed out into the grid, potentially creating an unsafe condition for others working on the grid.

According to its product data sheet, the Backup Gateway 2 can support single-phase or three-phase 220 volt or 440 volt connections, making it an extremely useful piece of hardware.

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Kyle Field I'm a tech geek passionately in search of actionable ways to reduce the negative impact my life has on the planet, save money and reduce stress. Live intentionally, make conscious decisions, love more, act responsibly, play. The more you know, the less you need. TSLA investor.

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Tesla’s Competitive Advantage Under A Magnifying Glass — The Netherlands

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Published on December 12th, 2019 |

by Maarten Vinkhuyzen

Tesla’s Competitive Advantage Under A Magnifying Glass — The Netherlands

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December 12th, 2019 by Maarten Vinkhuyzen

It’s easy to ignore Tesla’s Dutch sales success as just a temporary fluke created by an incentive change. And it is, but that is not the interesting thing about it.

What’s interesting is how the other cars that are subject to the same change react, and how different that is from how Tesla’s vehicles react. It illustrates the competitive advantage of Tesla under a magnifying glass.

Dutch electric vehicle sales in the first 9 days of December:

Perhaps over 90% of these cars are company cars made available for private use as a “Benefit in Kind” to employees. With this kind of company-provided vehicle, the employees have a large amount of freedom to choose the car they like the best within a budget allocated to them. The incentive for electric vehicles is that they provide a lower addition to the person’s taxable income compared to gas burners. This incentive will be smaller next year, which will make the upfront cost competition with fossil fuel addicts more difficult.

Another challenge in 2020 is the start of new Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) regulations. Carmakers will be fined for every gram they exceed the 95 grams of CO2/km limit. They are all well above that line at the moment. The best way to lower the average is to sell more zero-emissions vehicles. Over a dozen new fully electric models will go onto the market as a result. These December sales, however, will be a lot harder to match in the new year.

All of these models are fighting for customers on equal terms. All can get the same incentives. All are subject to the same regulations. Some have large dealer networks, some have fewer sales locations. That is the biggest difference. As we can see, though, the one with the least sales locations sells the most. That is not logical.

There is no home turf advantage for any of them, like the Detroit Dwindling Three have in the USA or French and German carmakers have in their home countries. This is a pure beauty pageant comparing the cars and dealer networks on equal terms. With the whole industry trying to deliver as much as possible before the deadline, we have a unique opportunity to compare their popularity.

I can only speculate about why Tesla is winning so many more sales than the competition. According to José Pontes in his recent report on November sales in the Netherlands, there are a number of reasons. Some carmakers, like Volkswagen Group, are just not that interested in a few dozen extra sales. Others were late in realizing what was happening, like Renault and Nissan, or were just starting production of a refreshed model, also Renault and Nissan.

But this is not the real explanation I am looking for. Why is Tesla delivering about 10 times as many as the next guy?

Okay, it is a better product at a better price for many people. But is that it? (Personally, I am waiting for my Renault ZOE in two weeks.) The Tesla Model 3 is getting nearly three times as many sales as the rest combined, while almost everyone is pushing to get as many cars out the door as possible in this end-of-year rush. That is a big difference. Is it just the cool factor? All the hype, Twitter wars, fanboys, and media attention? Is it something else?

Perhaps only the Ford Model T has been this dominant.

Please share your experience.

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About the Author

Maarten Vinkhuyzen Grumpy old man. The best thing I did with my life was raising two kids. Only finished primary education, but when you don’t go to school, you have lots of time to read. I switched from accounting to software development and ended my career as system integrator and architect. My 2007 boss got two electric Lotus Elise cars to show policymakers the future direction of energy and transportation. And I have been looking to replace my diesel cars with electric vehicles ever since.

And putting my money where my mouth is, I have bought Tesla shares. Intend to keep them until I can trade them for a Tesla car.

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