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Plug-In Vehicle Sales Up To 3.1% In UK, 6.3% In December — But Look Around The Corner

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Published on January 7th, 2020 |

by Zachary Shahan

Plug-In Vehicle Sales Up To 3.1% In UK, 6.3% In December — But Look Around The Corner

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January 7th, 2020 by Zachary Shahan

The United Kingdom (not so united these days, but that’s another story) is becoming a hot electric vehicle market, but it gets very little attention in the EV world. I’m going to postulate that’s because people drive on the wrong side of the road there. (Just sayin’.)

No doubt about it, the UK electric vehicle market isn’t close to the Norwegian market or Dutch market in terms of plug-in vehicle (PEV) market share. However, it did surpass the 3% marker in 2019, and surpassed 6% in December. This puts the UK pretty high up globally in terms of PEV market share. However, this is nothing compared to what we’re going to see in 2020. I’ll get to that in a moment. But first, more stats.

In December, some key statistics included:

4,939 fully electric vehicles were registered, up 221% over December 2018.
4,480 plug-in hybrid electric vehicles were registered, up 22% over December 2018.
Fully electric vehicles (BEVs) had 3.3% market share.
Plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) had 3% market share.
Together, all PEVs had 6.3% market.

In 2019, some key stats included:

37,850 fully electric vehicles were registered, up 144% over December 2018.
34,734 plug-in hybrid electric vehicles were registered, down 18% compared to December 2018.
Fully electric vehicles (BEVs) had 1.6% market share.
Plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) had 1.5% market share.
Together, all PEVs had 3.1% market.

True, 1.6% market share, or even 3.1% market share, is not thrilling, but the market is warming up — those figures were 0.7% (BEV) and 2.5% (PEV) in 2018. Furthermore, for insight into what could be around the corner, we should actually look at 2019 in the Netherlands rather than 2019 in the UK.

The Netherlands saw an absolute explosion in BEV sales at the end of 2019. For the year as a whole, BEVs had 13.7% market share. In December, they had 53.9% market share. For 2019 as a whole, the Tesla Model 3 was the top selling automobile in the country — scoring approximately twice as many sales as the #2 Volkswagen Polo. The big incentive that pushed BEV sales over the edge in 2019 was a reduction in the tax administered on new company-provided vehicle sales (it’s more nuanced than that, but we can keep it simple this time).

As Maarten Vinkhuyzen and I have reported in recent months, the UK is getting the same kind of BEV policy in mid-2020. This tax break is for “company cars,” but unlike the US, where there are not that many company cars on the roads (as a proportion of all cars), company cars account for a gigantic chunk of European car markets. It’s very common for Brits to “get a car from their employer,” which they get to pick but has to stay within a designated budget. These company cars are taxed like income. However, that tax is being slashed from ~22% to 2% in the UK in the middle of this year. Bank of America Merrill Lynch conducted a study on BEV cost of ownership with this incentive and shared it with CleanTechnica. The findings were not that electric vehicles like the Tesla Model 3, Nissan LEAF, MG ZS EV, and Audi e-tron would be cost-competitive with their fossil-fueled competitors with this incentive. The findings were that the electric vehicles would often be significantly cheaper.

Maarten writes that the UK market for company cars is 4× larger than the Dutch market. Imagine the British public learning this year (if they don’t already know) that they’ll be able to get much more car for much less money. That’s a no-brainer, and it’s just around the corner in the UK.

Related: Bank of America Merrill Lynch: UK Tesla Model 3 & Other EV 3-Year Total Cost of Ownership Analysis Shows EVs Much Cheaper than Fossil Competitors

If you’d like to buy a Tesla Model 3, Model S, or Model X and get some free Supercharging miles, feel free to use my special, magical, unicorn-blessed referral code: https://ts.la/zachary63404. You can also get a $100 discount on Tesla solar with that code. There is currently no use for a referral code when putting down a reservation for a Cybertruck or Model Y.
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Zachary Shahan is tryin' to help society help itself one word at a time. He spends most of his time here on CleanTechnica as its director and chief editor. He's also the CEO of Important Media. Zach is recognized globally as an electric vehicle, solar energy, and energy storage expert. He has presented about cleantech at conferences in India, the UAE, Ukraine, Poland, Germany, the Netherlands, the USA, Canada, and Curaçao.

Zach has long-term investments in Tesla [TSLA] — after years of covering solar and EVs, he simply has a lot of faith in this company and feels like it is a good cleantech company to invest in. But he offers no investment advice and does not recommend investing in Tesla or any other company.

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Over 730,000 Tesla Vehicles with Autopilot 2 & 3 on the Road

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Published on January 5th, 2020 |

by Johnna Crider

Over 730,000 Tesla Vehicles with Autopilot 2 & 3 on the Road

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January 5th, 2020 by Johnna Crider

In a new report by MIT’s Lex Fridman, we learn that Tesla now has over 730,000 vehicles with Autopilot Hardware 2 and 3 on the world’s roads.

Hardware 2.0 was released in 2016, a bit more than a year after Autopilot was enabled on Tesla vehicles. In a graph that he shared on his website and Twitter, Fridman shows that there are 737,570 Tesla vehicles with Autopilot Hardware 2 or 3 installed.

There are 114,525 vehicles that still have Hardware 1, and 49,466 that do not have any Autopilot hardware at all. That totals up to a bit more than 900,000 Tesla vehicle deliveries. Let that sink in: Tesla has had almost a million vehicle deliveries! With Shanghai’s Gigafactory now active and Fremont pumping out more vehicles than ever, Tesla will surely surpass the million vehicle delivery milestone in 2020.

The report talks more about Autopilot miles. Fridman started with the number of Teslas that were delivered by quarter and then organized them by Autopilot hardware versions. After that, he estimated per-day deliveries dating back to 2008, shared here. Lastly, he totaled the number of miles driven in each vehicle under both manual and Autopilot control — you can see numbers here.

The numbers speak volumes when it comes to Autopilot and Tesla. Estimated Autopilot miles to date are just over 2 billion (2.2 billion). Estimated miles in every single Tesla vehicle are just under 20 billion miles (19.1 billion). Again, hitting 20 billion miles is another milestone sure to be achieved in 2020. Can you imagine? 20 billion miles will have been traveled in all of Tesla’s vehicles.

What do these billions of miles represent? They represent Tesla owners and the fact that demand hasn’t stopped growing, and most likely will not stop growing as Tesla continues to prosper. It’s really good news that Tesla has these “aspiring young robots perceiving, acting, and learning in the world under close human supervision,” as Fridman puts it. Tesla owners, in my opinion, should see Autopilot as a child that is learning and growing. Children always need adult supervision. Perhaps if we see it this way, there will be fewer people willing to use nag hacks or abuse the technology. Also, I fully agree with Fridman on the final sentence in his tweet: “Keep your eyes on the road!” Many drivers don’t do this often enough, or even fall asleep while driving, whether driving gas or electric cars. As Autopilot continues to improve, hopefully it will encourage owners of both Tesla and non-Tesla vehicles to drive in a safer manner. One can hope, at least.
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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.”

Tesla is one of many good things to believe in. You can find Johnna on Twitter

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Sony Shocks — Announces Electric Car

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Published on January 6th, 2020 |

by Zachary Shahan

Sony Shocks — Announces Electric Car

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January 6th, 2020 by Zachary Shahan

There have been rumors or expectations for years about Apple electric cars, Google electric cars, and Samsung electric cars outside of the Samsung–Renault partnership in South Korea. Though, I don’t recall any rumors about a Sony electric car. I guess Sony is good at keeping a secret, because it just unveiled an electric car concept at CES 2020 that has shocked the world.

The Sony Vision-S looks like a nice, full-size, premium-class sedan. However, specs and details are light so far — as in, there aren’t any. There’s a bit of an expectation that Sony isn’t actually aiming to produce the car, or any electric cars, and is just using this as a way to sell auto products/supplies to automakers. But I watched the presentation, and it sure seems like the president of Sony, Kenichiro Yoshida, is talking about producing whole electric cars. It sure seems like he’s saying Sony will produce the Vision-S. We’ll see.

Aside from showcasing the car’s panoramic entertainment system (reminiscent of what you find in NIO vehicles), immersive sound system, and extensive camera setup, Yoshida presents a list of big-name partners, with an extra special thanks to Magna Steyr (which is probably the company that actually developed the car, with a bit of guidance). Other partners include Benteler, Blackberry, Bosch, Continental, Elektrobit, Genetex, Nvidia, Qualcomm, and ZF Friedrichshafen.

There’s no doubt about it: the car is pretty, and Sony would be a fascinating addition to the electric car market, one that could really shake things up. Yoshida didn’t mention range or charging speed, but he did touch on one aspect of the car that is basically a nod to Tesla — over-the-air software updates. Sony is a tech company, and if it’s doing cars, it’s going to do them the tech way, the Tesla way.

We’ll see what comes of this Sony Vision-S electric car concept, but no matter what happens to it, I think we can say with certainty that electric vehicles have arrived. Also, it’s uplifting to see a tech giant roll out an electric car concept for the public rather than just secretly work on it behind close doors for years before killing the idea.

Here are some more screenshots from the official Sony Vision-S unveiling:

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EU Regulations Make Tesla Smart Summon “Nearly Useless”

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Published on December 31st, 2019 |

by Johnna Crider

EU Regulations Make Tesla Smart Summon “Nearly Useless”

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December 31st, 2019 by Johnna Crider

EU regulations are making Tesla’s Smart Summon nearly useless, for the time being. Stéphane Rodrigues shares a tweet with us in which he tests Smart Summon in Europe. He says in the tweet that it’s nearly useless, but it’s encouraging. Rodrigues tells me that due to EU regulatory laws, the smartphone must be less than 6 meters from the car and the total distance traveled can’t exceed 20 meters.

This means that you need to be really close to the car in order to summon it. So, in the case of a US Tesla owner who was locked out of the parking garage his Tesla was in, if he were in Europe, he wouldn’t have been able to summon his car out of the garage.

“I am very excited to have Smart Summon, but it is honestly useless for now,” Stephane tells me. “Autopilot is limited, too, in Europe. I think the laws will change soon. All the more if big German automakers develop the same kind of technology.”

In a Reddit discussion, some commented that there is a petition to change the EU regulations. Governments are supposed to protect the people via laws, but sometimes these laws end up being proven outdated or just plain dumb, while in other cases the laws are just and needed. Hopefully lawmakers around the world will come to their senses and realize that Smart Summon is a good thing and improve regulations on this topic. If you’re in the EU, sign this petition to push for that.

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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.”

Tesla is one of many good things to believe in. You can find Johnna on Twitter

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Volkswagen Increases 2023 & 2025 ID Production Targets

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Published on December 28th, 2019 |

by Zachary Shahan

Volkswagen Increases 2023 & 2025 ID Production Targets

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December 28th, 2019 by Zachary Shahan

Photo courtesy of Volkswagen

For 4 days, I had an article draft open titled “How many electric vehicles will Volkswagen sell in 2020?” A new press release from Volkswagen doesn’t answer that question, but it comes close. More importantly, it announces increased targets for Volkswagen electric vehicle production and sales.

Previously, Volkswagen announced an intention to produce and sell 1 million fully electric ID vehicles in 2025. The target year for that is now 2023, while the 2025 target has increased to 1½ million.

The EV Production Trio:
Zwickau–Chattanooga–Anting

Photo courtesy of Volkswagen

The Zwickau electric vehicle factory, which our own Steve Hanley visited in November as production of the ID.3 launched, is the cornerstone of much of this planned growth. While production of the ID.3 ramps up (or goes through “production hell” as the CEO of a certain electric automaker would phrase it), there isn’t much fun news to report. Such is the nature of auto manufacturing. However, the ID.3 should start reaching customers in Europe in the summer of 2020, and the ID. CROZZ (likely to be renamed the ID.4) will also start rolling off production lines in the Zwickau plant in 2020.

The CROZZ is a crossover (who would’ve thunk it?) and will probably outsell the ID.3 — even though the ID.3 looks to be more competitive than some of the world’s top selling cars. The ID CROZZ will be produced in factories in Chattanooga (Tennessee, USA) and Anting (China) as well as in the factory in Zwickau (Germany).

Photo courtesy of Volkswagen

Show Me The Money!
How Much Demand? How Many Annual Sales?
Even though no automaker other than Tesla has shown an ability to produce and sell hundreds of thousands of units of a single electric vehicle a year, it’s easy to imagine a few hundred thousand annual sales of the ID.3 and ID. CROZZ (each).

There were more than 730,000 Volkswagen Golf sales in 2018, and the ID.3 is basically seen as an electric replacement of the Golf. There were more than 810,000 sales of the Honda Civic in 2018, a car the ID.3 could compete with in key ways. It should offer better cost of ownership and performance for the money.

As noted above, the ID. CROZZ is expected to be even more popular, since it’s a crossover. Top gasoline competitors could be considered the Toyota RAV4, Nissan Rogue/X-Trail, and Honda CR-V, which had more than 807,000, 771,000, and 736,000 sales in 2018, respectively.

That said, we’re yet to see a traditional automaker stimulate as much consumer demand for electric vehicles as Tesla has stimulated, and it’s unclear how long it will take for a large wave of “early majority” tech adopters to pop up who are ready to transition to e-mobility but more comfortable with a traditional auto brand like Volkswagen or Audi to go electric.

Overall, I’m bullish on Volkswagen because it seems committed to electrifying its fleet relatively quickly, is putting a lot of money into it, and is rolling out extremely compelling electric vehicles. But I’ll be cautious about that bull stance until I see clear evidence hundreds of thousands of consumers a year are ready to buy electric Volkswagens. While the ID.3 has decent initial consumer interest, its preorders don’t come close to Tesla Model 3 reservations prior to customer deliveries. Fortunately for those of us eager to see figures previewing sales to some extent or another, in the news release the company just published, Volkswagen highlighted the preorder tally: “For the first time, Volkswagen also offered pre-booking for the ID.3. To date, over 37,000 customers have reserved an ID.3 and paid a pre-booking deposit.” The good news is: I expect Volkswagen to rely more on routine buying than massive preorders for its EVs. It doesn’t have the fanfare Tesla has, but it does have a considerable regular stream of monthly buyers through its many dealers worldwide. In other words, I don’t think you can create a simple equation comparing preorders and eventual consumer demand for Tesla versus Volkswagen EVs. (That said, if you can, Volkswagen’s 37,000 preorders indicate something like 10× fewer ID.3 sales a year than Model 3 sales a year, which would be a horrible disappointment.)

Photo courtesy of Volkswagen

Volkswagen isn’t shying away from bold statements, which I think is one important indication of a strong ID-brand sales push and eventual consumer demand. The German automaker reiterated yesterday that it intends to become the world’s #1 electric automaker:

“Over the next few years, Volkswagen intends to become the world market leader in e-mobility and is investing €33 billion in these efforts throughout the group by 2024, including €11 billion in the Volkswagen brand.”

Tens of billions of dollars aren’t going toward PR and vaporware. That money is for a serious EV offensive that could make Volkswagen the #1 EV producer among conventional automakers. (I don’t think 1 million EV sales in 2023 or 1.5 million sales in 2025 would beat Tesla.)

And remember, German Chancellor Angela Merkel was at the ceremony for the launch of ID.3 production, no small indicator of how serious Volkswagen is about its EV goals.

Photo courtesy of Volkswagen

I should note that it’s not clear how much demand Volkswagen expects for each of its initial EV models. The company is going to introduce several electric models across several brands. This is different from Tesla’s focus on two or three models in the next few years — the Tesla Model 3, the Model Y, and perhaps the Cybertruck. Volkswagen Group will have very similar or rebadged versions of VW electric vehicles available under the Audi, SEAT, and ŠKODA brands. The Volkswagen-branded models should do the heavy lifting, though, so it’s not surprising to see the ID.3, ID. CROZZ, and ID. VIZZION as the company’s first models to genuinely launch into the electrification revolution.

In Volkswagen’s latest news release highlighting its amped up targets, the company reminds us of the key specs explaining why the ID.3 should be a popular hit: “The ID.3 is based on Volkswagen’s Modular Electric Drive Toolkit (MEB) and offers ranges from 330 to 550 kilometers (WLTP). The basic version of the model will cost less than €30,000.”

Tesla vs. Volkswagen — Barcelona vs. Real Madrid? Is Anyone Else Going To Join The Competition?
Volkswagen’s plans to become the world’s largest EV producer aren’t for 2020 or even 2021. Tesla has the next couple of years (at least) on lockdown. Tesla aims to produce more than 360,000 EVs in Fremont this year, while Volkswagen will be in good shape if it does so in 2021. “From 2021, up to 330,000 EVs will leave the assembly line each year, making Zwickau the largest and most efficient EV factory in Europe,” Volkswagen writes. That would put it approximately two years behind Tesla, which I think almost anyone would say is not too shabby. Many top auto analysts consider other US automakers to be 5+ or even 10+ years behind Tesla.

While Tesla has just completed the first phase of its China Gigafactory and has announced a German Gigafactory, Volkswagen itself has aforementioned EV production plans in Tennessee and China. It would be nice to see another automaker announce major electric vehicle production plans in this big trio of regions: Asia, Europe, North America. Until then, it’s hard to consider anyone else as serious about EV revolution as these two automakers. (Yes, Nissan already produces the LEAF in Asia, the UK, and the USA, but the production volume is minor rather than major, and I’m unaware of any plans to ramp up to the latter.)

Tesla + Volkswagen,
Not Tesla vs. Volkswagen!
It’s easy and fun to pit companies against each other in sports terms when looking at a product market. The EV market is no exception. However, it could be framed quite differently. Even sticking to sports, we could consider Tesla to be Michael Jordan and Volkswagen Scottie Pippen. The fact is, the electric vehicle sales of both automakers will be eating into the sales of gasoline and diesel vehicles, transitioning the overall auto market to electricity. The VW ID.3 is expected to compete with different vehicles than the Model 3 competes with, and pull in different consumer groups. The ID. CROZZ, similarly, will attract buyers that the Tesla Model Y wouldn’t convert to electricity.

Together, we are stronger, and what’s most important for the EV market is for a large variety of compelling EV models to reach production and be ready for large sales volumes.

Many Tesla buyers wouldn’t consider a Volkswagen. Many Volkswagen buyers wouldn’t consider a Tesla. That’s a reality any industry players or followers should understand. Additionally, more models hitting the market and more attention on EVs will help “lift all boats.” Tesla product reveals and production launches will raise awareness and sales for Volkswagen models. Volkswagen product reveals and production launches will raise awareness and sales for Tesla models.

Batteries, Batteries, Batteries
I was thinking recently to write an article titled, “It’s The Batteries, Stupid,” a play on the very popular political phrase, “It’s the economy, stupid,” coined by Bill Clinton advisor James Carville in 1992. However, I just realized we published an article with that title in July. In any case, this is what many EV production and sales discussions come down to. Volkswagen doesn’t miss the beat on that in its planning or its PR. It writes, “Volkswagen has also laid foundations for the development, testing and production of battery cells. A battery cell factory with a capacity of 16 gigawatt-hours is to be developed in Salzgitter from 2020. The start of production is planned fo..

EVgo Adds Tesla Adapters To Its Fast Charging Stations In San Francisco

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Published on December 20th, 2019 |

by Kyle Field

EVgo Adds Tesla Adapters To Its Fast Charging Stations In San Francisco

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December 20th, 2019 by Kyle Field

Public fast charging network operator EVgo has rolled out the first Tesla connectors ever to be deployed on a non-Tesla fast charging network in the US. The new program will initially see Tesla charging adapters added to all of EVgo’s fast charging stations in the City of San Francisco with a broader rollout across the US following in 2020.

A Tesla Model 3 charging at an EVgo fast charging station equipped with the Tesla adapter. Image courtesy: EVgo

The integration of Tesla charging adapters to a fast charger is the first of its kind in the US, where the CCS1, CHAdeMO, and Tesla fast charging adapters have yet to coagulate into any sort of a unified fast charging standard. In the EU, on the other hand, the CCS2 DC fast charging standard has been adopted, allowing for interoperability between all makes and models from the get-go.

The addition of the Tesla adapter to EVgo’s stations speaks to the dominance of Tesla in the EV market in the US. There are other players, but Tesla continues to be the single force to be reckoned with. The Tesla Model 3 alone gobbled up 21% of the small and midsized premium vehicle segment and a staggering 77% of EV market share in the US. That dominance forces EV fast charging network operators to get on board or miss out on the ability to sell to the majority of EV drivers.

Charging at an EVgo station will pull in up to 90 miles of range in 30 minutes. Charging sessions are billed at a flat rate per minute, with no additional fees per session or to join a monthly charging program. EVgo partnered with Tesla to develop the adapters for its stations and will continue to do so as the program rollout continues.

EVgo plans to bring Tesla adapters to all its stations across the US, like this one in Baker, California, in 2020. Image credit: Kyle Field | CleanTechnica

Five of the first EVgo fast charging stations with the new Tesla adapters are at Whole Foods Market locations in San Francisco, California. Whole Foods has been an advocate for electric vehicles and has hosted EV chargers at many of its locations across the country.
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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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Johnny Appleseed Tesla Seedsters & The Tesla Market (& Stock Price) In 2013 — Tesla Inside Out

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Published on December 25th, 2019 |

by Zachary Shahan

Johnny Appleseed Tesla Seedsters & The Tesla Market (& Stock Price) In 2013 — Tesla Inside Out

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December 25th, 2019 by Zachary Shahan

In this episode of “Tesla Inside Out,” we talk about David’s role getting sent down to Florida (from New York) in 2013 as a kind of Johnny Appleseed character — part of Tesla’s “asset light” program — in order to respond to consumer interest and stimulate sales in the region.

Ironically, David was sharing this story with me on Johnny Appleseed Day!

Clearly, the approach worked well in this city and region. David chose Sarasota because of its location between major metro areas in Southwest Florida, and the city now has a 20-stall Supercharger station, a service center, and a lot of Tesla owners. It’s not Silicon Valley or Amsterdam, but it’s a pretty hot market. I wondered aloud how much this market’s relative maturity was due to David planting the flag here and the benefits of the local Tesla store (which is a couple of minutes from the Supercharger stall we were filming at). How much more consumer demand might there be in the US and worldwide if there were 100× more Johnny Appleseeds sent around the US and the world to open up new regions in such an active manner?

I then asked about FUD (fear, uncertainty, and doubt) issues at that time. There was indeed FUD, David noted as he chuckled, and as you know if you read our Tesla flashbacks posts, but he emphasized that 1) their sales process was very targeted at people who had already expressed interest in a Tesla, and 2) they found in their guerrilla marketing efforts (parking a car on the sidewalk and talking to strangers walking by, for example) that most people hadn’t heard of Tesla and all they needed was a test drive to get excited about it. Today, most people seem to have heard of Tesla, but much of what they’ve heard is negative messaging — a test drive is still all that’s really needed to fix that problem.

We changed location to get out of the brain-melting sun and David highlighted that back in the early days many buyers thought their Tesla would be a less-used, around-town car in the household. The Tesla sales staff would tell them right up front that they’d quickly start using the Tesla much more than they thought, and that was indeed the case for customer after customer. In fact, that raised a topic I’ve noticed for years on the Tesla Motors Club forums and David confirmed from his end — that many spouses end up “stealing” the buyers’ cars. The good news is this then leads to multi-Tesla households, something that was occasionally a thing back in 2013 but has increased significantly with the Model 3, and is expected to increase much further with the Model Y and Cybertruck. David shared a story of one such case with one of the earliest Tesla buyers in Florida.

Switching gears, David highlighted a story showing that back in those early days there would be a serious meeting at Tesla HQ just to consider where one single car should go for test drives. One car was such a major, important asset — and the company was so young and unknown — that it warranted that. It’s wild to consider that was the case just 7 years ago, but it was. Imagine Elon Musk, Jerome Guillen, and others debating today whether it’s worth it to send one car to a certain region for an event and test drives.

We took a scenic route around Wall St. in this episode to run through some of David’s memories and reflections on the Tesla [TSLA] stock price. He was awarded stock as an employee back when the price was $20 or so, and he joked that back then staff would say things like, “It could go to $50 one day!” Ah, how things have changed. Also, note that this interview was conducted 3 months ago, when the stock price was around $242. David was talking even then about how the stock looked great from his perspective when you take that relatively short history into account. Jumping to today, you can see the stock price increase got even much more dramatic, rising to a record and historically interesting $420 earlier this week and $425 yesterday. I noticed on Twitter David was still enjoying the ride:

We ended this episode with a short chat about how David and the team went about finding new customers in 2013 Florida. The methods varied, and the buyers varied, but there was clearly interest — and it’s not hard to sell the car once you get people to sit in it for a test drive or test ride.

You can listen to this podcast and future Tesla Inside Out episodes on your favorite podcasting platform. You can subscribe and listen to this podcast and other CleanTech Talk podcasts on: Anchor, Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Breaker, Google Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket, Podbean, Radio Public, SoundCloud, Spotify, or Stitcher.

If you’d like to buy a Tesla Model 3, Model S, or Model X and want 1,000 miles of free Supercharging, feel free to use my referral code: https://ts.la/zachary63404 — or use someone else’s if you have a friend or family member with a Tesla who has helped you more. The referral code can also be used for a $100 discount on Tesla solar.
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Sandy Munro Talks Tesla Cybertruck, Exoskeleton, SpaceX, Big 3, & More

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Published on December 19th, 2019 |

by Johnna Crider

Sandy Munro Talks Tesla Cybertruck, Exoskeleton, SpaceX, Big 3, & More

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December 19th, 2019 by Johnna Crider

In an interview with an advisor to some of the world’s top manufacturing executives, Sandy Munro, Sean Mitchell dives right in with this burning question: “Did you get one?” One, being a Cybertruck. This isn’t the only question Sean asked Sandy in the video, and Sandy, who was busy and didn’t see the live unveiling, confirmed that three of his guys at Munro did order a Tesla Cybertruck. Sandy explains that one of his guys told him to look at the pictures, and when he did he asked if they ordered one. The guy said yes, and Sandy said, “Okay, good.” That was it.

“I’m pretty keen on that look. It’s very masculine. To me, it looks like the ultimate in off-roading.”
—Sandy Murno.

Sandy also likes to go hunting and his Jeep isn’t quite like a Cybertruck would be, which answers Sean’s second question about stealth properties.

Body-on-Frame vs. Exoskeleton
Munro lists a few things that he likes about the Cybertruck, including the stainless steel exoskeleton. He compares the way the Model 3 is built with the Cybertruck and points out that the exoskeleton is definitely a good thing that will protect the inside or soft areas of the vehicle.

Sean Mitchell asked, “Why is the body-on-frame such a popular way to build trucks?” Body-on-frame refers to a type of auto construction method in which a separate body is attached to a rigid frame or chassis that carries the powertrain. This is the main method used to build pickup trucks and SUVs. Munro explains that the body-on-frame creates a ruggedness or toughness and points out how convenient it is. However, when it comes to high volumes, it becomes expensive.

One question that caught my interest was, “How can Tesla pull from SpaceX technology?” One reason this catches interest is because Tesla is pretty much the only automaker that has ties (meaning that Elon Musk is the CEO of both companies) to an aerospace company known for being on the cutting edge of aerospace technology.

Munro points out that NASA engineers that got laid off when Obama took over in 2008 didn’t “go sell shoes.” Elon Musk snatched up some of these “wicked smart” people. What Elon Musk does, is sees an opportunity, grabs it, and runs with it. “If you stack the deck with geniuses, you’re going to win.” Sean adds to the question by asking, in a material science aspect, is there some “cross-pollination there?” He points out that the exoskeleton appears to have been taken as an idea from SpaceX, and some of the materials are used to build a rocket. Has this ever been done before in the automotive industry?

“Not that I can think of,” Munro replies, while reminding us that he is making his own version of stainless steel.

Munro’s Thoughts on the Broken Windows

Munro also says that breaking the windows wasn’t a failure to him. Munro knows that it’s better than anything else and points out this is another one of Elon’s inventions.

“If I would have done that with a standard window with a ball that heavy made of steel, it would have gone right through and into the passenger seat.”
— Sandy Munro.

What are the Big 3 Talking about in Their Boardrooms Regarding the Cybertruck?
We all know the Big 3 (other US automakers) probably don’t like the Tesla Cybertruck — many people were scratching their heads while looking at it, thinking it might be a joke as it first rolled onto the stage that warm November night. Munro says he doesn’t know what they are saying but assumes that they don’t like it. (That makes sense — they are the competitors and their trucks have just been made a complete fool of by something new.)

Munro points out the big mistakes of these big three automakers. That mistake is their attitudes of “That’ll never go anywhere.”

Munro used to be at one of the OEMs and he attended quite a few board meetings. “It would be about a three-second conversation: ‘That’ll never go anywhere,’ and okay, fine, let’s go. And that’s how they lost the small car market, the luxury market, and now they are losing the pickup truck market.”

Sean Mitchell and Sandy Munro also cover other things, such as the magic behind a $40,000 Cybertruck, how well the Cybertruck would do in a crash, and the new manufacturing approach. You can view the full video here.

Prediction: Tesla Cybertruck Will Have 1 Million-Mile Battery
28,000 Tweets Helped Elon Musk Develop Tesla Cybertruck
Tesla Cybertruck: “Society can kiss my behind!”
Who Is *Actually* Going To Buy A Tesla Cybertruck?
The Tesla Cybertruck Isn’t A Pickup — It’s Much, Much More

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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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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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