Author: Green Car Online News

One-step Plug&Charge coming to (Electrify) America

Chevrolet Bolt charging at Electrify America 350 kw charger at Home Depot in Chicopee, Mass.
It's easy to plug in an electric car. What trips up many new electric-car drivers is paying to charge.

At some charging stations, drivers pay by the kilowatt-hour. At others, they pay for the time they park their car in the space, or pay a base rate for parking plus a smaller amount for the charge. Some charging stations take credit cards. Others can only be activated with a special RFID tag associated with an account on a particular network.

Electrify America thinks it has a better way. It calls it Plug&Charge.

READ THIS: Blink charging network joins interoperability push

In partnership with European charging systems integrator Hubject, Electrify America is enabling Plug&Charge on all its public charging stations in the U.S.

It makes public chargers—both standard Level 2 chargers and Level 3 DC fast chargers—work like the home chargers that most electric-car drivers have in their garages: Just plug in the power cord and it starts charging.

Expanded communication between the car and the charger—already taking place for safety reasons—transmits payment information as well as details about the car, its battery, and such information as when the driver needs the car to be fully charged for a return trip.

DON'T MISS: California approves next Electrify America fast-charge rollout

The communications are based on an international standard known as ISO 15118, which is considered the first step in enabling vehicle-to-grid communication. V2G is expected to allow drivers to set parameters such as prices at which they want to charge and what sources of power they wish to purchase, for example, such as solar, all renewables, or any type of power. (This could work similarly to distributed energy suppliers in people's homes.)

Drivers store whatever payment information they plan to use, such as a credit card number in their car's communication system or link the car to a universal payment app.

CHECK OUT: ChargePoint users can now access networks in Canada, Europe

V2G is expected eventually to allow charged (and even partially charged) electric cars to return power to the power grid to help supply peak loads. This is expected to help reduce demand for power from electric utilities and help them become more efficient.

So far, few electric cars on the road today are compliant with ISO 15118, but more models are coming that will have this capability built in. More cars are coming, however, and Hubject, Electrify America, and other charging station operators want to be ready.

Electrify America says it will have 2,000 charging locations ready to work with Plug&Charge by the end of 2019.

What effect will lower tax credits on Tesla and GM plug-ins have? Twitter poll results

2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV electric cars outside dealership [photo: Patrick Reid]
For a bunch of electric-car owning acolytes, our readers are surprisingly sanguine about the reduction and eventual expiration of plug-in tax credits on electric-car sales.

We've reported extensively on the expiring tax credits, which will affect models from Tesla and GM in 2019. When Congress set up the tax credits in 2007, it scheduled them to sunset individually by automaker, after each automaker sold its first 200,000 plug-in cars.

DON'T MISS: Opinion: Expiring tax credits hurt U.S. automakers, favor imports

Tesla reached that milestone last July. General Motors hasn't specified exactly when it crossed the threshold, but it happened in the fourth quarter. After an automaker sells 200,000 plug-in cars, the $7,500 credits remain through the end of the quarter when it reaches the marker, and for the following quarter. After that the tax credit is cut in half for six months, in half again for another six months, and then disappears entirely. GM's cars get one more quarter of full credits before they begin winding down. Tesla's were cut in half Jan. 1.

Electric cars from every other automaker are still eligible for the full tax credit.

In our Twitter poll last week, we asked, “What effect will lower tax credits on Tesla and GM plug-ins have in the new year?”

Almost half our respondents, 46 percent, said they thought it would have “No effect.” Tesla buyers are a loyal bunch, and for the most part those who plunk $44,000 down on a car that can't be leased—or more for a Model S or X—can generally afford it with or without a tax credit.

The second largest group, 29 percent, said the lower tax credits will result in fewer Tesla sales. Even with a $2,000 price cut across the board, the reduction in the tax credits amounts to a $1,750 price increase for Teslas.

Relatively few readers thought the credit reduction, hitting only America's two largest electric-car makers, would result in more sales of imported electric cars in 2019. Only 15 percent chose “More import sales.”

READ THIS: Tesla Model 3 Mid Range misses $35,000 target by $9,000 even after price cut

Just 10 percent of our respondents thought that the three month window, until April 1, before tax credits on the Chevy Bolt EV and Volt begin winding down would result in a rush to Chevrolet dealerships to buy before the full tax credit gets reduced.

We're not sure what effect winding down the tax credits will have, but perhaps sales reports for the first and second quarters will show.

In the meantime, remember that our Twitter polls are not scientific, because our respondents are self-selected and our sample size is too small.

Tesla sales, VW tech, electric Harley-Davidson: Today’s Car News

Toyota Research Institute simulation of actual 3-car crash, to test Guardian active-safety system
With final sales reports out from the whole auto industry, we built some context around Tesla's end-of-the-year sales numbers. The Model 3 is setting the pace among luxury cars. Volkswagen buys wireless tech from Volvo. Harley-Davidson announces pricing and a date for buyers interested in purchasing its LiveWire electric motorcycle. And our readers are sanguine about falling electric-car tax credits in our latest Twitter poll. All this and more on Green Car Reports.

The Tesla Model 3 outsold every direct competitor and most competing brands in the fourth quarter. Annual numbers reflect the model's slow production ramp-up early in the year.

Volkswagen bought a wireless vehicle connectivity subsidiary from Volvo in an effort to bring over-the-air updates to its cars.

Harley-Davidson aims to win its freedom-loving bikers over to electric power with its new LiveWire electric motorcycle. The company has now revealed more specs, as well as when it will go on sale and how much it will cost.

Our Twitter followers weigh in on what effect they think the reduction in tax credits will have on GM and Tesla vehicles in 2019.

Toyota reveals its first self-driving vehicle technology at the CES show in Las Vegas. The company says it doesn't replace human control, however, only amplifies it.

Finally, just in time for the roll-out of the electric Audi e-tron quattro SUV, Audi announced it will end European delivery for its U.S. customers.

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Volkswagen buys wireless car service from Volvo

Volkswagen MOIA electric ride-pooling van
In automotive electronics news that doesn't come from this week's CES, Volkswagen announced late last month that it is buying wireless automotive technology from Volvo.

The technology is expected to enable VW's upcoming We car sharing program as well as to allow drivers to control some vehicle functions remotely, which could impact things such as charging for electric cars.

Automakers are scrambling to catch up with Tesla's ability to update cars remotely, and also to enable car-sharing services to compete with companies such as Uber, Lyft, and Google in launching self-driving shuttle and taxi services.

READ THIS: The Apple car to finally hit the road, only it's a VW Bus

The deal is worth $122 million, for Volvo's WirelessCar division, which was founded in 1999, which has been a subsidiary of Volvo since 2007.

Microsoft will also provide wireless services aimed at updating VW cars—and almost certainly first models from VW's luxury divisions, Audi and Porsche—over the airwaves.

DON'T MISS: VW updates I.D. Cargo Buzz with solar for LA Show

The companies plan to develop a secure platform to such updates that won't be vulnerable to the kind of attacks that hackers have demonstrated in principle.

Secure communications and the ability to send commands and updates to cars remotely will be necessary pieces for automated taxi services.

CHECK OUT: Electric car-sharing programs expanding in U.S.

For example, such a service could send updated maps with live construction detours to cars that might venture into areas with weak cellular service.

The sale is expected to be completed in the first half of 2019.

Leading the way: Tesla trounces luxury competitors in year-end sales tally

2017 Tesla Model 3
Now that Tesla has released its final sales numbers for the end of last year, we finally have a yardstick to measure the company’s sales success.

In the third quarter, Tesla made a point of noting that, with the Model 3 approaching full production, it became the fifth bestselling—non-SUV—car model in America.

On New Year’s Day, the company reported it delivered 63,150 Model 3s from October to December. That’s up 13 percent from 55,840 from July through September.

READ THIS: Tesla cuts prices $2,000, almost hit 250,000 vehicles in 2018

Taking Tesla's sales numbers at face value for the moment, the company says it sold more Model 3s in the third quarter than some entire brands, including some of its chief competitors, including Acura, Audi, Cadillac, and Infiniti.

Other rivals were also feeling the heat from Model 3 sales. In total Lexus sold 71,107 vehicles and BMW sold 85,949, according to sales numbers from Automotive News (subscription required.)

2018 Tesla Model S and 2018 Tesla Model X

Model 3 sales for Q4 weren’t that far behind entire affordable brands such as Mazda (65,203) and Volkswagen (87,836).

And that’s just one model from Tesla, versus other brands’ entire lineups.

It’s not a direct comparison, because Tesla’s numbers include Canadian sales, while those from other brands are only in the U.S. Still, in the third quarter, Tesla sold about 1,500 Model 3s in Canada, as it focused sales there to delay the expiration of its federal tax credit in the U.S. So the numbers aren’t far off.

Whole lineups

Counting the Model S and Model X (which are exported in greater proportion), the company sold 75,100 cars in the U.S. in Q4, according to Automotive News numbers, more than Lexus (71,107), Audi (55,903), Buick (51,627), Acura (44,451), Infiniti (44,031), Cadillac (41,462), Lincoln (28,307), or Volvo (24,224).

Only BMW and Mercedes sold more, at 95,710 and 101,047, respectively. Using Tesla’s own number of 90,700 sales for the quarter wouldn’t change that order, even though Tesla’s number includes sales of all three of its cars in Canada, and the Model S and Model X around the world.

Head-to-head

When it comes to direct competitors to the Model 3—upscale sedans costing $45,000 to $80,000—the Model 3 trounces all competitors, with the next closest models, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class and the Lexus ES coming in with about 18,000 and 14,000 sales respectively for the quarter. BMW sold 9,847 3-Series sedans, though it has sliced much of that market into niche products such as the 4-series.

DON'T MISS: Tesla Model 3 is fifth bestselling car in U.S., production still short of profitability goal

For the quarter, the Model 3 outsold such mainstays of American roads as the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Wrangler, the Subaru Forester and Outback, and the Honda Pilot. It almost conquered the Toyota Highlander, which had 63,812 sales, and wasn't far behind the Toyota Corolla (68,564) and the Honda Civic (70,724) for the quarter. With its slow production ramp-up early in the year, however, it couldn't approach those top-selling cars for the full year.

Annual sales

Tesla’s slow ramp-up to full Model 3 production was one of the major stories of the year, and the car didn’t start posting big sales numbers until Q3, so many of its sales look less impressive on an annual basis.

For the full year, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Lexus, and Audi—even Mazda and VW—sold more cars than Tesla. Many of those brands, though, sell full lineups of cars and SUVs in multiple sizes and formats (front-wheel drive/rear-wheel drive; sporty, luxurious, car- or truck-based, for example.) Tesla sells three models: two luxury cars and a crossover SUV.

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Tesla Model 3 price, Hyundai Nexo, used electrics, poll: Today’s Car News

2019 Hyundai Nexo, Topanga Canyon, CA, Oct 2018
For the first time, values on used electric cars have begun to recover. Hyundai delivered its first hydrogen fuel-cell Nexo to a customer in Southern California. And our readers tell us what their electric priorities are for 2019. All this and more on Green Car Reports.

Tesla Model 3 buyers look to be more price sensitive than those who have bought Teslas before. Even after a $2,000 price cut designed to offset the loss of half of the tax credit to the company's buyers this year, the base price on the Model 3 is still $9,000 more than the $35,000 car that many buyers have put down deposits for.

Hyundai delivered its first Nexo hydrogen fuel cell SUV to a buyer in Ventura, California—complete with three years worth of hydrogen fuel baked into the price.

A parachute may have deployed on free-falling values of used electric cars for the first time, giving hope that depreciation may soon not be one of the major concerns for electric-car buyers.

Results are in from our Twitter poll last week, which asked readers what they most hoped for in electric cars for 2019, new models from Tesla and Chevrolet, better access to charging, or lower costs.

Finally, Audi released a video taking viewers behind the scenes in the development of its new e-tron quattro electric SUV.

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Tesla Model 3 Mid Range misses $35,000 target by $9,000 even after price cut

Tesla Model 3 bought [Photo by reader AH]
To offset lower tax credits for its cars that started New Year's Day, Tesla dropped prices by $2,000 for every model on Wednesday. That doesn't quite make up for the $3,750 drop in federal tax credits, and it still doesn't get the company to its stated goal of selling the Model 3 for as low as $35,000.

According to independent delivery reports, Tesla actually added slightly to its stockpiled inventory of Model 3s in December, despite overlapping efforts to bring buyers in. That's led some observers to speculate that all the remaining customers in Tesla's order books are waiting to buy Standard Range Model 3s, which CEO Elon Musk has said since the car's conception will cost $35,000.

DON'T MISS: Tesla cuts prices $2,000, almost hit 250,000 vehicles in 2018

So far Tesla has never built a $35,000 Model 3. Musk has said the company needs “5 to 6 months” of full production of more expensive versions of the car to rebuild its tattered finances before it can begin selling Model 3s for that little.

Following Wednesday's $2,000 price drop, the cheapest Model 3 buyers can get costs $45,200, including a typical $1,200 destination charge.

If buyers earn the full $3,750 federal tax credit on the car (and don't qualify for any other state or local credits), they can bring home a base Mid Range Model 3 for an effective cost of $41,450—getting closer to the mythical $35,000 Tesla, but still a ways off.

READ MORE: Lower-cost Tesla Model 3: Does 260 miles, $46K before incentives split the difference? [Updated]

When he first introduced the car in 2015, Musk said the Model 3 would cost $35,000 before accounting for any tax credits—or, apparently, Tesla's usual practice on its pricing estimates of subtracting theoretical gas savings from the purchase price. As with other automakers, though, the $35,000 target price would not reflect the $1,200 delivery charge, so realistically, those buyers will pay at least $36.200.

All-in, the new price is still $9,000 more expensive than the car thousands of drivers are still waiting for.

Tesla introduced the cheaper Mid Range Model 3 in October in an effort to bring down prices for those buyers waiting for base Model 3s, then raised its price by $1,000 a few days later.

CHECK OUT: Tesla Model Y production to start Nov 2019 (also, Musk doesn't have time to shower): reports

All Model 3s produced so far also come with the Premium interior, including heated, 12-way power leather seats, GPS navigation, and a tinted glass roof. These features are expected to be deleted on the base $35,000 car, along with it having a shorter, 220-mile battery pack.

When the surprise 260-mile Mid Range Model 3 was introduced, Musk said it was cheaper alternative for the company to engineering the whole small battery for the $35,000 Model 3. The Mid Range uses the same pack architecture as the Long Range Model 3 without all its cells.

The lower federal tax credit may not be a big drag on Model 3 sales, as the company has just begun sales in Europe, where the car has not been sold before.

With cease-fire agreement, spark flickers toward Faraday’s Future

Faraday Future FF91 prototype
Like a prizefighter listening to counts of “eight” and “nine,” Chinese electric-car startup Faraday Future, has started groaning, sputtering, and trying to stand.

The company, which sputtered to a start building prototype electric luxury cars last year, then was abruptly knocked out when its new Chinese financial backer withheld funds in a contract dispute, has reached a new agreement with its benefactor, with each side agreeing to retire lawsuits against each other, and Faraday receiving the green light to seek new investment.

The company controls a leased factory in California and has several prototype vehicles, but furloughed most of its staff last year after it ran out of money in a power-control plot that looked cut from the script of a cheesy wrestling show.

READ THIS: Faraday Future loses final founding executive (Updated)

Along with that staff went all five of the company's founding executives, including Peter Savagian, a member of the original GM EV1 team, and Dag Reckhorn, the former head of Model S manufacturing at Tesla. The only founder left is the company's original financial backer, Jia Yueting, a collegial fellow known with affection within the company's ranks, but who sits at the center of many of its controversies.

In November, Faraday received permission from a Hong Kong court to seek up to $500 million in new investment as it worked to settle its differences with its primary backer, Evergrande Health group, a health insurance company in Hong Kong.

Evergrande agreed last June to invest up to $2 billion in Faraday Future, and the company went on a hiring spree and produced several prototypes at its new factory. In October, Evergrande announced it would withhold future payments on the funds after Faraday failed to meet certain contractual milestones.

CHECK OUT: Faraday Future sues investor claiming takeover “plot”

Faraday Future accused Evergrande of trying to bankrupt the company to steal its patents.

In the latest settlement, Evergrande and Faraday Future have agreed to drop those lawsuits and stop fighting for now, while Faraday seeks new funding.

What is less clear is where any new funding might come from for a company with a few roughly assembled prototypes and a leased factory, but no experienced executives to run it. Many of the furloughed factory workers may well still wish to come back to Faraday, but many others will have to be replaced by new workers who would have to be trained from scratch.

Which company will sell the first personal-use electric pickup? Take our Twitter poll

Rivian R1T electric pickup concept
If electric cars are going to take over from internal combustion machines, they will need to be offered in the most popular types of vehicles—and that means pickups.

Electric-car fans seem to be clamoring for electric pickups, and some startup automakers—along with Tesla—are starting to respond.

READ THIS: Rivian R1T all-electric pickup revealed: 400-mile range, 160-kw DC fast charging

At November's LA auto show, Michigan-based startup Rivian showed a concept version of its R1T electric pickup, which it says it plans to sell starting in 2021.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has said the company plans to design an electric pickup to follow its Model Y SUV, which was originally scheduled to go on sale in 2019. With production of the Model 3 just getting into full swing, though the company hasn't mentioned a start date for the Model Y recently.

Bollinger B2

Ford has confirmed it plans to build a hybrid version of its F-150 starting in 2020, and, speaking in October at the 100th anniversary of Ford's giant Rouge factory, chairman Bill Ford hinted that the company will eventually build an all-electric F-150 “when the time comes.”

CHECK OUT: Bollinger Motors announces B2 electric pickup alongside SUV

New York startup Bollinger Motors, which has shown a concept version of a heavy-duty SUV it plans to build, also showed a pickup design in October. Like Bollinger's SUVs, it would be a heavy-duty pickup, likely a one-ton, so heavier than most personal-use pickups, but designed more for off-roaders, hunters, or campers, rather than contractors. The company did not release a timeline.

With all these electric pickups in the works, we thought we'd ask our followers which one they think might arrive on the market first. Our official Twitter poll this week asks: “Which company will sell the first personal-use electric pickup?”

Those are the choices: Rivian, Tesla, Ford, or Bollinger.

Click on over to the poll to let us know which electric pickup you're most optimistic about. And remember that our Twitter polls are unscientific, because of low sample size and because our respondents are self-selected.