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Breaking — Tesla Model S & X Refresh Production Test Run Is About To Start

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Published on April 21st, 2019 |

by Chanan Bos

Breaking — Tesla Model S & X Refresh Production Test Run Is About To Start

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April 21st, 2019 by Chanan Bos

As has been mentioned in previous articles, it has been rumored Tesla is about to refresh the Model S & X. While at this point we don’t know exactly what this refresh will include, we did just find out one very specific detail. Tesla has just shipped hundreds of new drive units from Gigafactory 1 as part of “Project Raven,” a source close to the project just informed CleanTechnica.

Does this mean that the Model S and X are about to get 2170 battery cells? Not at all, since that too would have to come from the Gigafactory and there is no evidence to suggest that. (In fact, word is: these batteries are a Model 3 bottleneck.) The new drive units are similar to those used in the Model 3 since they utilize permanent magnets. This translates into a gain in efficiency which will increase the range of the Model S and X. In addition to that, the new drivetrain is likely to be rated for a million miles just as the one for the Model 3 is, since this is an important goal for Tesla.

Many questions remain, like whether these new drive units will allow the new versions of the Model S/X to accelerate faster than the previous ones or whether Tesla will start giving people the option to choose between more range and higher acceleration. The Model S and X lines are highly manual compared to the Model 3 General Assembly 3 line. This could potentially mean offering more options, even if that goes contrary to Tesla’s long-standing effort to simplify production. Some might wonder whether reducing Model S and X options could have been a stepping stone to make the Model S and X refresh easier.

What else will this refresh potentially include? The refresh is likely to allow for higher Supercharger speeds that were recently made available via an update for the Model 3.

It is rumored that the Model S and X will get an interior very similar to the Model 3 and Y which would be a very logical step to help Tesla meet its autonomy goals for the “Tesla Autonomous Network.” A horizontal screen will help if people want to watch movies while the car drives people to where they need to get or even before full autonomy during Supercharger recharges. Who knows when exactly you will be able to browse the Netflix Supercharger subcategory of series with episodes around 20 minutes — but the sooner, the better! Unfortunately, there’s no way for us to know at this point whether the drivetrain refresh will also include the new interior or whether that refresh will happen at a later date (presuming it happens at all).

Is Tesla going to introduce an exterior refresh? Personally, I don’t think so since the current design is just absolutely amazing and it would require massive changes within the Fremont factory body and paint shop with little clear benefit.

For now, all we know is that the first few hundred drive units have been shipped from the Gigafactory, and our source indicated the S/X refresh was “imminent.” Because it’s a few hundred and not a few thousand units, though, it’s possible that this is just a test run and that it might still be months until Tesla announces the refresh. It’s hard to know how long any testing processes might take. In the meantime, we will keep our eyes peeled for any further updates or leaks.

About the Author

Chanan Bos Chanan grew up in a multicultural, multi-lingual environment that often gives him a unique perspective on a variety of topics. He is always in thought about big picture topics like AI, quantum physics, philosophy, Universal Basic Income, climate change, sci-fi concepts like the singularity, misinformation, and the list goes on. Currently, he is studying creative media & technology but already has diplomas in environmental sciences as well as business & management. His goal is to discourage linear thinking, bias, and confirmation bias whilst encouraging out-of-the-box thinking and helping people understand exponential progress. Chanan is very worried about his future and the future of humanity. That is why he has a tremendous admiration for Elon Musk and his companies, foremost because of their missions, philosophy, and intent to help humanity and its future. He sees Tesla as one of the few companies that can help us save ourselves from climate change.

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China’s EV Sales Grow 118% Year On Year & Fossil Sales Fall 13% — Q1 Charts!

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Published on April 10th, 2019 |

by Dr. Maximilian Holland

China’s EV Sales Grow 118% Year On Year & Fossil Sales Fall 13% — Q1 Charts!

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April 10th, 2019 by Dr. Maximilian Holland

The China passenger car association’s first quarter figures are in, and electric vehicle sales continue their rapid rise, up 118% year on year, to over 254,000. Meanwhile, fossil vehicle sales have fallen 13% year on year, to 4,823 thousand for the quarter.

Tesla Model 3 in Shanghai/Tesla.com

We know that China is full speed ahead on electric vehicles, and the first quarter 2019 figures don’t disappoint. Year-on-year growth of 118% is pretty impressive, even by Chinese standards. Here are the 2018–2019 Q1 sales of fossils and EVs compared in a chart:

click to zoom

Note that these figures are just for passenger vehicles (cars, SUVs, and MPVs). They exclude the electric buses that China is also famous for.

Fossil fuel sales continue to plummet. We saw recently that, in 2018, fossil fuel vehicle sales fell, not only in China, but also in Europe and the US. Current estimates for total global vehicle sales in 2019 are hovering around ~89 million units, down from ~95 million in 2018, according to LMC automotive.

Rapidly growing electric vehicle sales in all regions are of course a bright spot in an otherwise gloomy market, and are great news for reducing rates of pollution and climate emissions.

Let’s see how China’s EVs passenger vehicle sales so far this year compare to the sales figures of recent years:

click to zoom

Local automakers BYD and Geely are having a good year in EV sales, with shares of both companies currently buoyed by recent reports and outlook.

Tesla gained the most Q1 China EV sales of any non-local manufacturer, selling — by some back-of-the-napkin calculations (thanks Jose Pontes of EV Volumes and CleanTechnica) — likely around 10,500 Model 3s in February and March. Meanwhile, Tesla’s Shanghai Gigafactory, which will enable local production, is being built out very rapidly, with roofs already going up. Gigafactory 3, as it’s called, is expected reach the end of its major exterior construction phase in May.

Shanghai Gigafactory aerial photo by Wuwa Vision/YouTube

Ratings agency Fitch projects that China’s EV sales will have another good year in 2019 despite potential disruptions from the changes in the subsidy regime. Whilst it’s good that Fitch sees a strong outlook, rather than rely on rating agencies, take a look at our own extensive coverage of trends in the China EV market and make up your own mind. I’m still projecting 2 million EV sales in China in 2019. 😉

About the Author

Dr. Maximilian Holland Max is an anthropologist, social theorist and international political economist, trying to ask questions and encourage critical thinking about social and environmental justice, sustainability and the human condition. He has lived and worked in Europe and Asia, and is currently based in Barcelona.

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Tesla Fremont Factory Insights, Tesla Innovation, & Tesla Communications — CleanTech Talk with Ross Gerber, Part 2

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Published on April 14th, 2019 |

by Zachary Shahan

Tesla Fremont Factory Insights, Tesla Innovation, & Tesla Communications — CleanTech Talk with Ross Gerber, Part 2

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April 14th, 2019 by Zachary Shahan

For our hot new CleanTech Talk podcast interview series, I recently sat down with Ross Gerber, cofounder, president, and CEO of Gerber Kawasaki Wealth and Investment Management, to discuss Tesla innovation, Tesla’s vehicle and manufacturing platforms, the media, Tesla communications and marketing, and more.

The conversation was approximately one hour long, so to cut it down into more manageable portions, we’ve split it up into a few episodes. Listen to this and other episodes on your favorite podcast platform (options are listen below) or via this embedded player:

You can subscribe and listen to CleanTech Talk is on: Anchor, Breaker, Google Podcasts, iTunes, Overcast, Pocket, Radio Public, SoundCloud, and Stitcher.

In this portion of our CleanTech Talk podcast discussion with Ross, we discussed why AOL (the beginning of Ross’s investment life) worked out for him, why he missed early investment opportunities in Amazon and Google, and how all of those relate to Tesla. He highlighted the importance of Tesla’s global vehicle production platform, the company’s battery leadership, and Tesla’s (Elon’s) propensity for risk.

We also discussed our mutual takeaway from visiting the Tesla Fremont factory recently — that the atmosphere inside Tesla is much different from the perception of the company you get from the media. I wrote about that in a full article last month if you want to dive in further on that topic.

We also spent some time specifically focused on the simple topic of having a battery supply plan. Tesla long ago cemented its battery supply plan and that has been critical to mass production of the Model 3. On the contrary, just a few years ago, I got word from a Volkswagen Group company exec that the board hadn’t decided at that point whether to produce its own batteries in a similar way as Tesla or simply stick to procurement. That was a clear sign to me at the time that Volkswagen Group was still years behind and wasn’t yet in the process of catching up to Tesla.

We discussed the challenges of mass producing batteries, the limited battery supply any popular electric model is going to have if battery companies like LG Chem are conservatively averaging out the demand for dozens of electric models and not prepared for a spike in demand for one or two super compelling models, and also the automaker conspiracy to design ugly electric cars.

Ross highlighted the BMW i3 as an example. Not realizing I have a BMW i3, he used some especially harsh language to explain how much he hated it, which had me almost cracking up on the other side. 😀 I almost noted that I have the i3 and actually love it, but that would have been a tangent I didn’t want this podcast focused on and I totally understand why many people have the view of the i3 that Ross has. Indeed, I think BMW massively dropped the ball on the styling of the i3 and it would have done much better — especially in the US (it’s quite popular in Europe) — if BMW had tried to make it more conventionally appealing, like the stunningly beautiful BMW i8 (which is rather useless and lame due to its tiny battery but is a beautiful vehicle).

But getting back to the topic of the podcast, and Ross’s point, I brought up an old article I wrote that was a big hit and is one of my favorites of all time. The original article satirically highlighted 22 ways to delay the EV revolution, and then I expanded that to 50 ways. The sad thing is that those methods are basically as relevant today as they were in 2016.

Ross enthusiastically highlighted how different Tesla’s approach to cars is, something you can see at the factory as well as from owning a Tesla. Tesla vehicles are more like iPhones, platforms that you can continuously build off of, than traditional combustion engine vehicles.

That launched me into some of my top takeaways from CleanTechnica’s tour of the Tesla Fremont factory. At the factory, you see over and over again how intently Tesla is focused on rapid innovation and improvement. As one element of that, it has a unique system for tracking every single part in the car and the manufacturing process, so that when there is an issue, they can quickly go back, identify its origins, and fix the problem in order to speed up or improve production from there on out. There’s a clear directive, as well, to test out anything that has a 60% chance of improvement the production process. If it doesn’t work, revert. If it works, you’ve improved your manufacturing system. Those core elements of the production system help Tesla to achieve tremendous capital efficiency, something former Tesla CFO Deepak Ahuja highlighted on multiple conference calls. That’s the kind of mindset and corporate policy that helped a seat production line with a theoretical max capacity of 5,000 seats a week to reach a new max production capacity of 7,000 seats a week (theoretically, for now).

Then we somehow slid into a discussion of Tesla communications and marketing. As a communications person myself, and with Ross being a self-described communications person, I found this portion of the discussion particularly interesting. We talked about Tesla’s need to highlight more of the top-notch engineers who are making Tesla such a wonderful success, the need to frame the discussion better, and simply the need to take this aspect of the business a bit more seriously.

We took a short jump over the communications divide to pontificate on the media’s role in the matter, as well. Ross highlighted that most in the media almost certainly do have good intentions, but they are also easily manipulated. He quickly noted that’s been the case with Donald Trump, who has quite effectively used the media to his own benefit, and that Tesla’s opponents are doing the same thing via anti-Tesla FUD. Many in the media just far too easily fall for these tricks.

You can listen to or read about the first portion of this three-part interview here, and stay tuned for the third part, coming tomorrow.

Interested in buying a Tesla Model 3, Model S, or Model X? Need a referral code to get 1,000 miles of free Supercharging? Use ours: http://ts.la/tomasz7234 (or use someone else’s).

About the Author

Zachary Shahan Zach is tryin' to help society help itself (and other species). He spends most of his time here on CleanTechnica as its director and chief editor. He's also the president of Important Media and the director/founder of EV Obsession and Solar Love. 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, and Canada.

Zach has long-term investments in TSLA, FSLR, SPWR, SEDG, & ABB — after years of covering solar and EVs, he simply has a lot of faith in these particular companies and feels like they are good cleantech companies to invest in. But he offers no professional investment advice and would rather not be responsible for you losing money, so don't jump to conclusions.

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Tesla Will Use Model 3 Lease Returns For Its Own Autonomous Ride-Hailing Network

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Published on April 12th, 2019 |

by Kyle Field

Tesla Will Use Model 3 Lease Returns For Its Own Autonomous Ride-Hailing Network

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April 12th, 2019 by Kyle Field

Tesla broke the news on its blog today that it would be using lease returns from its new Tesla Model 3 lease program in “the Tesla ride-hailing network.” The blog post is the second confirmation that Tesla will actually own and operate its own fleet of fully autonomous ride-hailing vehicles, with the first note along these lines coming years ago on a quarterly Tesla conference call.

“Beginning today, customers in the U.S. will be able to lease Model 3 for a small down payment and competitive monthly payments. Customers can choose any Model 3 variant and select an annual mileage option of 10,000, 12,000, or 15,000 miles.

“Please note, customers who choose leasing over owning will not have the option to purchase their car at the end of the lease, because with full autonomy coming in the future via an over-the-air software update, we plan to use those vehicles in the Tesla ride-hailing network. Customers can visit tesla.com/3 now to lease a Model 3.”

Previous to today’s announcement, Tesla had spoken of its fully autonomous “Tesla Network” a few times but primarily did so in the context of allowing owners to add their vehicles to the fully autonomous network when their vehicles were not in use. From Tesla’s Master Plan, Part Deux:

“You will also be able to add your car to the Tesla shared fleet just by tapping a button on the Tesla phone app and have it generate income for you while you’re at work or on vacation, significantly offsetting and at times potentially exceeding the monthly loan or lease cost.”

The news today emphasizes that the reach of the Tesla Network will include a fleet of Tesla-owned and Tesla-operated vehicles running around town. The new business model will see Tesla running head first into a market dominated by Uber and Lyft, but without the overhead of a driver. Conversely, Tesla will be running a hybrid business model that will see Tesla-owned vehicles operating side by side with privately owned Teslas for customers’ business. The shift in tactics makes a lot of sense and could see Tesla becoming the first in the ride-hailing industry to actually turn a profit.

Waymo has been pushing forward in this direction and already has a pilot up and running in the greater Phoenix area, but is saddled with the full capital cost of having to develop its own autonomous vehicle solution. Its solution is being bolted onto Chrysler Pacificas that only add to the capital requirement. Tesla, on the other hand, will use its own vehicles, ones that have already had their most expensive depreciation paid for by lessees.

The Tesla Network is not a sure win for Tesla, but does signal that the company continues to ramp up its investment in its in-vehicle software solutions. Its Autopilot and Full Self Driving software packages form the foundation for a new company-owned ride-hailing network as well as a customer-owned ride-hailing network. As the vehicle manufacturer, it appears that gives Tesla a leg up on anyone else currently doing business in the space. That is, if Tesla can deliver on its promise of a “feature complete” Full Self Driving solution by the end of 2019 and a fully baked, “set it and forget it” Full Self Driving solution by the end of 2020.

About the Author

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 Demonstrates Its Agility With New Homelink Option For Model 3 Owners

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Published on April 8th, 2019 |

by Kyle Field

Tesla Demonstrates Its Agility With New Homelink Option For Model 3 Owners

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April 8th, 2019 by Kyle Field

Tesla pulled back the curtains on its plan to offer lower-trimmed vehicle owners the ability to purchase incremental hardware and software updates for their vehicles today. The company just added the option to purchase a software unlock to enable its Homelink automatic garage door opener on Standard Range and Standard Range Plus trims of the Model 3.

The new option will allow owners of the lower trims of the Model 3 to add the ability to open the garage door just as if the feature was installed at the factory. Tesla makes the otherwise boring process of opening the garage door beautiful with the addition of GPS integration that fires off the garage door opener within a user-defined distance from the door or gate. I have this setup for my father-in-law’s house and it works beautifully to first open the gate to their complex and a few minutes later to their garage door.

The option will set owners back $300 for the added convenience and requires a new RF module that will be shipped to a service center for installation. The RF modules themselves cost mere pennies, with the majority of the expense being the integration into the vehicle and the underlying software that makes for such an elegant solution.

The price includes the RF module itself and installation of the module at a Tesla Service Center. The installation adds the hardware to the vehicle and unlocks the new functionality in the vehicle’s software. Tesla notes that after purchase, the local service center will contact the owner to coordinate the installation of the new functionality into the vehicle.

More broadly, the simple addition of the automatic garage door opener signals that Tesla is doing everything it can to allow customers to add as many features as possible to as many cars as possible, and is making a profit on those options along the way. This particular piece of kit shows how Tesla’s expertise in software and hardware allow it to offer incremental options to customers, like this one, that would fall through the cracks with traditional automotive manufacturers.

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Judge Nathan Tells Musk And SEC: “Work It Out!”

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Published on April 5th, 2019 |

by Steve Hanley

Judge Nathan Tells Musk And SEC: “Work It Out!”

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April 5th, 2019 by Steve Hanley

Anybody who ever tried to guess what a judge was thinking is a damned fool, but as a general rule, when a judge sends both parties to a dispute away with an admonition to resolve their differences, it’s a sign the court thinks both are acting like spoiled children and it’s time for them to grow up.

That’s pretty much what federal district court judge Alison Nathan did on April 4 when Elon Musk and attorneys for the SEC appeared before her. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has filed a motion asking the court to hold Musk in contempt for two tweets on February 19. The first said Tesla would manufacture 500,000 cars in calendar year 2019. A short time later he clarified that by tweeting that the company would produce 400,000 in 2019 but would be on pace to make 500,000 a cars by the end of the year — would hit a weekly run rate that, extrapolated by 52 weeks, would equal 500,000.

The SEC took umbrage with the tweets, arguing that they deliberately violated an agreement the company, Musk, and the SEC came to last year after the infamous “taking Tesla private” tweet caused Tesla short sellers to get their BVDs in a bunch. Prior to his court appearance on April 4, Musk said the second tweet was “true, immaterial to shareholders, and in no way a violation of my agreement with the SEC.”

That agreement last year is what led to Musk stepping aside as chairman of the company, a position subsequently filled by Robyn Denholm. It also was supposed to make Musk more cautious when it came to publishing tweets that could affect the company’s stock price.

The thinking among courtroom observers is that if Judge Nathan agreed with the SEC, she would have sanctioned Musk and been done with it. That she didn’t suggests the judge found the SEC plaint less than persuasive.

In court, she told both sides, “Put your reasonableness pants on.” She then ordered both parties to meet with each other for at least one hour in the next two weeks to work out an agreement that will clarify the original order and resolve the pending motion to hold Musk in contempt. They are to file a joint report to the court by the end of the two-week cooling off period.

After the hearing, Musk issued a statement, saying, “We have always felt that we should be able to work through any disagreements directly with the SEC, rather than prematurely rushing to court. Today, that is exactly what Judge Nathan instructed.”

According to a report by CNBC, Musk was asked if the two sides would meet and resolve their dispute in the next two weeks. “Looks like it,” he told reporters with a smirk on his face before driving away in a Tesla Model S. If he was worried by what happened in court on Thursday, he certainly didn’t show it.

Musk Visits Gigafactory 2 in Buffalo
While he was in the area, Musk visited Tesla’s Gigafactory 2 in Buffalo, according to a report by the Buffalo News. What he did or said there is unknown, but so far as we know, this is the first time Musk has been to the factory. Perhaps he is taking a renewed interest in the SolarRoof that is supposed to go into production sometime this year.

About the Author

Steve Hanley Steve writes about the interface between technology and sustainability from his home in Rhode Island and anywhere else the Singularity may lead him. His motto is, “Life is not measured by how many breaths we take but by the number of moments that take our breath away!” You can follow him on Google + and on Twitter.

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The Tesla Model 3’s Norway Invasion — Model 3 Outsold ALL Pure-Fossil Cars In March

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Published on April 3rd, 2019 |

by Guest Contributor

The Tesla Model 3’s Norway Invasion — Model 3 Outsold ALL Pure-Fossil Cars In March

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April 3rd, 2019 by Guest Contributor

Editor’s note: Maximilian Holland already published a superb accounting of Tesla, especially Tesla Model 3, sales in Norway in March. Key highlights were:

31% of new car deliveries were Teslas.
That’s more than the 23% of deliveries that were pure-fossil vehicle sales (all models combined).
58% of deliveries were fully electric vehicle deliveries.

But there’s more fun to be had. In the article below from Iqtidar Ali, we get a few more notes regarding the sales records and some cool visuals (two pics and a video). Enjoy!

Originally posted on X Auto, via EVANNEX.
By Iqtidar Ali

Norway is the most forward-looking country in Europe when it comes to electric vehicle adoption — Tesla Model 3 registrations and breaking all records after shipments to the country started last month.

Tesla shipment unloads at the Port of Oslo, Norway (Image: Bjorn Nyland)

In the past few months, we’ve witnessed European Model 3 deliveries on the rise, the first-ever vehicle transport vessel containing Model 3s reached the Port of Zeebrugge, Belgium in the first week of February and the rest is history.

According to Bloomberg, “Teslas are flowing into Norway, the California-based company’s fourth-biggest market worldwide, as it steps up deliveries of the Model 3… With 5,315 new cars registered, Tesla’s Model 3 accounted for 29 percent of the new sales. That beat the previous record of 2,172 (held by the Nissan Leaf) by a wide margin.”

Tesla Model 3 is taking over the streets of Norway (Image: Norsk Ebilforening)

In fact, following these record registrations for the Tesla Model 3, “Electric vehicles accounted for more than half of Norway’s car sales in March, making history in the country.” To that end, “new registrations of electric vehicles climbed to 58 percent of the total, according to figures released on Monday by the Norwegian Road Federation.”

Bjørn Nyland, an EV evangelist from Norway also shared a video (see below) of the Glovis Courage vehicle transport ship docked at the Port of Oslo and unloading which looks like ~1,000 Tesla Model 3 cars plus a few hundred Model S and Model X cars as well.

Video of a Large Shipment of Tesla Model 3, Model S and Model X reach Port of Oslo, Norway (YouTube: Bjorn Nyland)

The way things are progressing for Tesla in China and Europe, Elon Musk’s target of 400,000+ deliveries in 2019 does not look all that unrealistic. After all, Musk reminded us at the company’s recent Model Y event, “11 years ago Tesla had only one car, today we have delivered over 550k+ electric vehicles” — and now, with Tesla Model 3 truly invading Europe, progress from here on out should be in ludicrous mode.

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Audi e-tron Gets Delivered To 1st Customers While Battery Production Bottleneck Rumored

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Published on March 28th, 2019 |

by Zachary Shahan

Audi e-tron Gets Delivered To 1st Customers While Battery Production Bottleneck Rumored

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March 28th, 2019 by Zachary Shahan

Given that the LG Chem battery factory that supplies the Audi e-tron is basically in my backyard, I guess this one falls in my lap.

The German outlet br.de (h/t electrive) recently reported that production bottlenecks for the e-tron’s batteries are slowing down vehicle production. My understanding from rummaging around the garbage bins (or something like that) is that Tesla isn’t the only company to run into innumerable production challenges (fires included). I’m not collecting data on e-tron battery production rates, and wouldn’t share that if I was if it put any sources at risk, but suffice it to say that, even for the big boys, mass production comes with challenges.

As with countless other electric vehicle fans, I’m curious about Audi e-tron production and sales rates. This is supposed to be a big entry into electrification from Audi, and as much as I might think it doesn’t compare to a Tesla Model X (or Model Y), it is a pretty attractive vehicle with neat features. More importantly, it is critical that Tesla not be the only company with high electric vehicle sales. We need other automakers to succeed with electric vehicles.

Word on the street is that, even with the battery bottleneck, the waiting line for delivery is only 5 months long. Yes, 5 months is not super convenient when you need a new car tomorrow, but it’s not that bad when compared to other popular electric vehicles at around launch (any Tesla model and a few other models). At the end of the year, I’m afraid the e-tron will see approximately as many sales as the Model S or Model X. That’s better than most electric cars or SUVs, but it’s not exactly market-shifting at this point.

Audi, somewhat surprisingly when you consider how much money it and the rest of Volkswagen Group spend hyping coming products, is only rather quietly announcing the commercial launch of the e-tron. A few days ago, there was an announcement about the first customer delivery in Germany, but it was only on the German Audi media site. The global site doesn’t have a peep about it.

The first Audi e-tron was apparently delivered to a Norbert Münch last Friday, March 22 (photo evidence above). Norbert has been driving Audi vehicles for a whopping 18 years, so I assume Audi considered him a trustworthy buyer to highlight as an electric Audi early adopter. (There’s no way he’s going to switch to a Model Y in a few years, right?) That said, he reportedly got the first e-tron because he had the first reservation in during the livestreamed launch from San Francisco. (Yes, San Francisco, not Ingolstadt, which made it easier for CleanTechnica to attend the event and provide an early, thorough rundown.)

“The sporty design coupled with the long range make the car a companion suitable for everyday use,” says Norbert. Indeed. It is a great looking electric crossover with long range and some cool features. Via our own Sebastian Blanco, this is one of my favorites: “In Europe, the e-tron Charging Service will simplify drivers’ daily lives by combining 220 different operators and a network of over 72,000 public charging stations into one account, one contract, and one card. E-tron buyers will be able to test out the service with a free trial period to see if it does make their charging lives easier.”

Perhaps we’ll find a way to get a word with Norbert or another early e-tron adopter for a full review from an owner’s perspective. And if Audi can get its production rolling, perhaps we’ll secure an extended test drive of the e-tron before too long on at least one side of the Atlantic.

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Tesla Hints At Semi Sales In China

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Published on March 21st, 2019 |

by Jennifer Sensiba

Tesla Hints At Semi Sales In China

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March 21st, 2019 by Jennifer Sensiba

During the recent unveiling of the Tesla Model Y, Elon Musk discussed the future Shanghai Gigafactory (Gigafactory 3). The Tesla Semi appears in renditions of the future factory. Was that just for illustration, or would the Tesla Semi be a good truck for the Chinese market?

The image above shows the Tesla Semis in the rendition of the Gigafactory. It took some zooming in and minor sharpening, but with their distinctive faces, the Semis are hard to mistake for other trucks. On the one hand, it could be possible that the Semis were included just for illustration and decoration, but the Chinese market might be a good fit for the Semi. It’s likely that Tesla would also sell the truck in that market. It certainly seems as though Tesla is planning to use the Semi for its own shipping needs. Indeed, Jerome Guillen, President of Automotive and head of the Semi program since the beginning, recently told CleanTechnica that Tesla was excited to use the truck first for company logistics.

Chinese Trucking Is Booming
Forbes explains just how powerful the industry is in China. It’s growing, and there are definitely growing pains. The market for medium- and heavy-duty trucks is over four times larger than in the United States. China’s economy is almost indescribably huge, and the inland areas being served by trucks is where much of the growth is.

This growth has, until recently, mostly been a local issue. Local truck builders serve local truckers, who make runs from their local area to and from larger manufacturing centers. The growth of e-commerce fuels growth in outlying areas, increasing the need for long-haul trucking. Now, Uber-like websites and apps are enabling independent truckers to find loads more effectively.

There is a broad variety of manufacturers with varying truck types available for sale.

The Chinese Government Is Responding To Environmental Issues
Look toward the edges of nearly any Chinese city, and you’ll find large parking lots filled with idling trucks, waiting for loads. The Chinese government is concerned about not only the congestion, but the emissions, which can be downright disgusting near larger lots.

In response, government officials are cracking down on overloaded trucks and requiring the purchase of newer, lower emission trucks to help reduce the issues. This may be a great opening for a Tesla Semi, but competition in that space will be stiff. BYD, already dominating the electric bus market inside and outside of China, is gearing up to be a big player.

It’s likely that the government will push for electrification of cargo trucking as part of its push to get rid of internal combustion sales entirely by 2040.

Lower Operating Costs Are Important
Despite arrests and crackdowns, Chinese truckers are protesting on and off. Driving trucks can be an incredibly difficult way to make a living in China. Work hours aren’t heavily regulated the way they are in the United States and other countries, and to make ends meet, some drivers are working for 24 hours and only sleeping for 4 hours. American semi trucks, with relatively large sleepers, are downright luxurious compared to the trucks Chinese drivers are using.

Between fuel costs, payments on trucks that had to be replaced, and stricter enforcement against overloading, truckers are taking home less and less. Many share small apartments with others in larger cities, and still don’t have enough to send home to cover the family’s bills.

A truck like the Tesla Semi could be a good fit here. Payments would be higher, but lower maintenance costs, lower fuel costs, and better safety systems could make a big difference. Enhanced Autopilot will not only help tired drivers stay in their lane and avoid collisions, but it would also safely bring the vehicle to a stop in the event a driver falls asleep completely.

Final Thoughts
While the Semi’s appearance in Musk’s slide might just be a fun illustration, the Chinese market is definitely a good fit for the Semi. It really boils down to whether Tesla wants to enter that market and whether the Chinese government will help support the transition.

About the Author

Jennifer Sensiba Jennifer Sensiba is a long time efficient vehicle enthusiast, writer, and photographer. She grew up around a transmission shop, and has been experimenting with vehicle efficiency since she was 16 and drove a Pontiac Fiero. She likes to explore the Southwest US with her partner, kids, and animals.

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Early Customer Basks In The Glow Of His New Tesla Solar Roof Tile Install

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Published on March 21st, 2019 |

by Kyle Field

Early Customer Basks In The Glow Of His New Tesla Solar Roof Tile Install

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March 21st, 2019 by Kyle Field

Another Tesla Solar Roof Tile customer (Blu_Beauties on Instagram and YouTube) has taken to the interwebs to show off his new system, and it gives us a view of what an installed retrofit system looks like. To date, installations of the sexy new Tesla Solar Roof Tiles have only trickled out, but Tesla CEO Elon Musk said at the Model Y unveiling last week that, “this is definitely going to be the year of the Solar Roof and Powerwall.”

This particular customer was able to cram an 18.5kW Solar Roof Tile system onto his roof, which he will use to power his Tesla Model X P100D and his home. Excess daytime solar generation will be stored on site in his cluster of three Tesla Powerwall 2s, with a storage capacity of 13.5kWh each. The Powerwalls will then be able to provide backup power in the event of a grid outage as well as providing nighttime power to his home after the sun goes to sleep.

The new customer video highlights a retrofit install, where the existing roof is removed and a new Tesla Solar Roof Tile roof is installed in its place. The installation of a solar roof tile roof is more complex than a traditional roof, with the Solar Roof Tiles arriving on site in blocks of 8 or 12 tiles that are then physically installed on the roof and wired up in succession.

Being made from glass, the solar roof tiles definitely aren’t your average roof covering. They aim to make use of the existing expense and effort to install a traditional roof to lower the cost of going solar. Installing a solar roof tile roof also eliminates the need to create new holes in an existing roof to mount traditional solar panels to the roof, which can be the cause for roof leaks years after the installation of the solar system.

I have been working with Tesla for a few months now to see if we can squeeze our home rebuild into the Tesla Solar Roof Tile program. We are rebuilding our home from the ground up after losing it in the Thomas Fire in December of 2017 and Tesla has not officially opened up Solar Roof Tile installations to new construction, which has been the only sticking point, but I’m not giving up yet.

I was initially skeptical of the return on investment, but after getting a few real quotes for normal roof installations from contractors and adding traditional solar onto the price, Tesla’s Solar Roof Tiles turned out to be fairly competitive. Either way, keep your eyes peeled for more scoops on Tesla’s Solar Roof Tiles and what should be an exciting year for Solar at Tesla.

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