Author: Green Car Online News

Uber to bank London surcharge toward electric vehicles for its drivers

Follow Bengt

Add to circle

Uber electric car
Uber announced Tuesday that it will levy a surcharge for its ride-hailing passengers in London. The goal: to get 20,000 drivers to go all-electric by the end of 2021, on the way to make every car using its ride-hailing app an electric vehicle in the smog- and congestion-prone city by 2025.

The surcharge, which is part of the company’s clean-air strategy announced in 2017, will go into effect in early 2019. It’s potentially as much an environmental image move as it is a response to ever-tightening rules governing the vehicle types that can pass through central London.

DON’T MISS: Uber urges Portland drivers to lease electric cars

Beginning early next year, Uber will charge riders about 19 cents (15 pence) extra per mile. That money will go directly into a piggy bank for the support of drivers looking to upgrade to an electric vehicle.

Uber app

Based on the average London trip, that will amount to an extra 58 cents per trip. And through that surcharge Uber hopes to raise $260 million (200 million pounds) over several years.

Uber is offering a significant amount of upgrade money. Every driver will be eligible for assistance in moving to an EV, but the level of assistance will be based on how many miles they’ve driven on the app. It’s anticipating that will add up to about $3,900 (3,000 pounds) for two years of driving—40 hours a week—or $5,800 (4,500 pounds) for three years.

CHECK OUT: London's $27 entry charge for pre-2016 diesel cars to start April 2019

The program complements Uber’s own diesel-scrappage scheme that aims to get 1,000 pre-Euro 4 diesel models—older, dirtier ones—off London streets and highways.

So far in the U.S., Uber’s strategies to electrify have been a bit different. Through a pilot program it calls EV Champions, it’s paying drivers up to $20 per week for driving electric—and giving riders a feel-good alert. Whether it will incentivize electric vehicles more or less effectively than the London program remains to be seen.

Tesla teardown redux, smaller fast chargers, dirty battery manufacturing: Today’s Car News

Follow Bengt

Add to circle

Munro & Associates teardown of Tesla Model 3 [Autoline]
A much-publicized Tesla teardown from earlier in the year reveals some lessons and missed opportunities. Battery manufacturing happens to be in places with dirty power sources. And DC fast chargers have the potential to downsize. All this and more on Green Car Reports.

The teardown (disassembly) analysis of a Tesla Model 3 earlier this year reached some conclusions about building this mass-production electric sedan and why its ramp-up has been so difficult. It seems that Tesla chief executive offiicer Elon Musk agrees with some of the points made.

Mercedes-Benz will be looking at real-world use patterns of leased GLC F-Cell hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles as part of a new test trial in Germany.

A new DC fast-charger design can be mounted on a pole, with a small footprint like a Level 2 charger. With reduced installation costs, better efficiency, and the potential for scalability, is it the future of fast charging?

Battery manufacturing itself may have more associated air pollution than previously thought. The problem, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance, is that battery production is focused in parts of the world with dirty energy generation—including China, Thailand, Germany, and Poland.

Ford has become the first automaker to test autonomous vehicle technology in Washington, D.C.—a clear sales pitch to lawmakers.

And Jaguar looked to guide dogs for help in developing its pedestrian warning sound in the new I-Pace electric crossover.

Audi to pay $927 million fine over diesel scandal in Germany

2013 Audi TDI range
Audi agreed on Tuesday to pay a $928 million fine to put the diesel emissions-cheating scandal behind it in its home country, Germany.

The 800 million Euro fine to German authorities, consists of $923 million (795 million Euros) in profits the company made selling diesels that didn't comply with emissions standards plus the maximum fine of $5.8 million (5 million Euros), according to a Bloomberg report.

German authorities have been closing in on Audi in their investigation, arresting key executives, and releasing emails that allegedly show collusion between Audi and its competitors as well as Bosch, a supplier to all the German automakers.

READ THIS: Audi CEO arrested in Germany over diesel scandal

Much of the software that Volkswagen used to cheat emissions tests was reportedly developed at Audi, its upscale subsidiary.

The German fine comes on top of a $1 billion fine that parent-company Volkswagen agreed to pay in June.

In the U.S., where Volkswagen sold many times the number of diesels that Audi did, VW paid $25 billion to settle the diesel emissions cheating scandal.

CHECK OUT: German authorities uncover emissions-cheating collusion among diesel automakers

As part of the settlement, Audi admitted that it did not follow regulatory requirements.

The settlement has no effect on civil suits against the automaker over its diesel models or on criminal cases against its executives.

Audi executives warned investors that the fine will have a significant effect on its earnings this year.

Volkswagen MEB platform architecture

The fines come just as the Volkswagen Group is investing $40 billion in developing electric cars to replace the efficient-but-dirty diesels.

The company plans to introduce a range of 27 new electric cars by 2022, including a small hatchback, the ID, crossover SUV (ID Crozz), and an update to the classic Microbus (the ID Buzz,) Along with its subsidiaries, the company is developing at least three dedicated platforms for electric cars and investing in new solid-state battery technology.

Audi plans to introduce its first all-electric car, the e-tron SUV, in the U.S. next spring.

Tesla removes Full Self Driving option from website for all models

Follow Bengt

Add to circle

2018 Tesla Model 3
Friday marked exactly two years since Tesla announced that every one of its cars was being produced with the hardware needed for Full Self-Driving.

Friday was also the first full day that Tesla removed the option from its configurator—at the same time that it introduced a new $45k Model 3 Mid Range, effectively splitting the difference between the much-anticipated Model 3 Standard Range and the discontinued rear-wheel-drive Long Range.

DON’T MISS: Teslas to get new self-driving, Autopilot chip in spring 2019

CEO Elon Musk quickly confirmed the change Thursday, via Twitter, describing the Full Self-Driving feature as “available off menu for a week,” and describing it as “causing too much confusion.”

@elonmusk confirmation of Full Self Driving removal from configurator

Full Self-Driving has been a $3,000 option in addition to the Enhanced Autopilot option that costs $5,000 at the time of purchase or $6,000 later. The company declined to comment to Green Car Reports when asked for a tally of how many vehicles it has sold with the Full Self-Driving option.

All Tesla models currently come with the hardware needed for Full Self-Driving capability, with the exception of a new, faster Autopilot chip that is due in spring 2019 and is required to activate the capability. When the functionality is available it can be provided via an over-the-air update.

CHECK OUT: Tesla to roll out new version of Autopilot

The hardware suite includes 8 surround cameras that can see 820 feet, 12 updated ultrasonic sensors, forward-facing radar with enhanced processing, and an onboard computer with 40 times the processing power of the previous one. It does not include the lidar hardware that some other automakers deem essential for autonomous-vehicle features.

Tesla Autopilot sensor system

Tesla commented that the option was removed from its configurator simply to streamline the purchase process, and clarified that the removal doesn’t reflect any change in plans to enable it.

The feature itself may have been scaled back a bit from earlier ambition, though. “All you will need to do is get in and tell your car where to go,” said a description of the feature on Tesla’s site, which remains up today. “Your Tesla will figure out the optimal route, navigate urban streets (even without lane markings), manage complex intersections with traffic lights, stop signs and roundabouts, and handle densely packed freeways with cars moving at high speed.”

READ MORE: Consumer Reports ranks Tesla Autopilot second among self-driving systems

Don’t expect quite that level with the launch of the feature. In the meantime, “on-ramp to off-ramp” enhancements, among others, are being made part of Autopilot. And earlier in the week, Musk confirmed that a future version of the Summon feature, which allows the vehicle to park at low speed automatically, would use Autopilot’s cameras.

If the expanded capabilities of Full Self-Driving Mode are never fully approved by regulators, owners may have to be happy with a few added features. Tesla clearly lays out that risk: “Please note that Self-Driving functionality is dependent upon extensive software validation and regulatory approval, which may vary widely by jurisdiction.” In other words, make your investment in the future, but you might not see your return.

UPDATE: This represents a clarification of “on-ramp to off-ramp” functionality as part of Autopilot, not Full Self-Driving.

BMW sets up end-to-end battery recycling in Europe

Prototype production of battery modules for BMW Group’s fifth-generation electric powertrain
Teaming with a new Norwegian battery supplier and a Belgian recycling company, BMW is aiming to build a fully sustainable future battery supply chain.

The company announced on Monday that it formed a partnership with Northvolt, which is building Europe's largest battery factory for electric cars in Sweden.

At the same time BMW is working with Belgian materials processing company Umicore to develop battery reuse and recycling systems. Then end goal is to dismantle battery packs down to their cells and recycle the cell materials into new cells to be built by Northvolt.

DON'T MISS: BMW Vision iNext electric concept redefines German luxury flagship

In between, the spent battery packs may be used as grid or home storage until they have no useful life left, according of a report in Automotive News Europe (subscription required.) .

Besides its environmental advantages, the system could have several other advantages for BMW. It could bring down the price of new battery materials which have seen a dramatic increase since 2015. Automakers in Europe and other parts of the world are also responsible for ensuring the batteries they install are properly disposed at the end of their life. Reusing the harvested material could lower the company's bill for such disposal.

READ THIS: BMW will have 25 electric cars, plug-in hybrid models by 2025

The new agreement could also indicate that BMW will turn to Northvolt to supply batteries for its future electric cars, in place of the Samsung batteries it uses now.

Northvolt is planning to invest $4.6 billion to build a battery factory to rival Tesla's Gigafactory, capable of eventually producing up to 32 gigawatt-hours of batteries per year.

No timeline was given to develop BMW's end-to-end battery recycling system. Northvolt plans to begin producing as much as 8 gigawatt-hours worth of batteries in 2020 and to have its plant fully operational by about 2025.

ChargePoint users can now access networks in Canada, Europe

2014 BMW i3 REx fast-charging at Chargepoint site, June 2016 [photo: Tom Moloughney]
Plugging in an electric car should be as easy as making a call on a cell phone—only it isn't always.

Now a series of new agreements—similar to cell-phone roaming agreements that let users make calls on other networks—are beginning to make that easier.

The latest, announced Tuesday morning, is an agreement between ChargePoint, America's largest charging network, and FLO, the largest network in Canada.

DON'T MISS: ChargePoint commits to build charging stations for 2.5 million cars by 2025

The agreement will allow electric-car drivers with ChargePoint accounts to see FLO chargers in their ChargePoint apps when they're traveling in Canada and to plug in to any one of them using their ChargePoint account—and vice versa.

ChargePoint signed a similar agreement last Tuesday with EV Box, one of the leading providers of charging stations in Europe. The EV Box agreement will allow travelers renting an electric car on either continent to use their ChargePoint or EV Box account from the other. EV Box operates in 45 countries.

READ MORE: ChargePoint launches electric-car charging activated by smartphone (2017)

Such interoperability agreements depend on a common set of new charging standards used by networks, automakers, and charging station producers called Open Charge Point Interface.

It bundles billing, account, charger location and availability information, among other things into a common protocol communicated between the car, the charging station, the network, and its app to allow drivers simply to plug in and go.

Before drivers show up at a charger on any of the apps, they can see whether the charger is available, working, or in use, and the price to charge.

Behind the scenes

The announcements come on the heels of an announcement by Hubject, another company working behind the scenes to integrate the data streams of different chargers and charging networks and their apps into one common standard to enable agreements like those between ChargePoint, FLO, and EV Box.

Hubject has promoted such interoperability movements across Europe and in Israel, Japan, and Canada, and announced in June that it is setting up shop in the U.S., to bring such agreements to North America. The company works with EV Box and Ionity, a large fast-charging consortium supported by automakers in Europe. Its service includes integrating navigation directions to available charging stations within the network's apps.

The eventual goal, Hubject executives say, is for drivers not to even have to get out a credit card, but for payment to be handled automatically when the car is plugged in.

BMW recalls chargers for 2018, 2019 plug-in models

2018 BMW i3s
BMW issued a recall for the charge cords of virtually all the 2018 and 2019 plug-in vehicles it has built for sale in the U.S.

According to the recall notice on the NHTSA's website, capacitors in the charge cords could fail, resulting in a shock hazard or a fire.

DON'T MISS: Ford recalls Focus Electric, Fusion Energi, and C-Max Energi charge cords

The recall affects BMW's plug-in hybrid models. They include the 330e; 530e and 530e xDrive; 740Le xDrive iPerformance; X5 xDrive 40e; and the Mini Countryman S E All4. It also includes all 2018 BMW i3 hatchbacks, with and without the gasoline range extender, and all 2019 BMW i8 and i8 Roadster models.

In all, the recall covers 3,501 cars.

CHECK OUT: 2019 BMW i3 to get bigger battery with 153-mile range

Owners should expect to be notified beginning in mid-November to take their vehicles to a dealership, where the charge cord will be inspected. If dealers find damage they will replace the charge cord for free.

The recall notice on the NHTSA's website warns, “An electrical shock or fire can increase the risk of injury or death.”

The recall does not affect charging the cars with permanently installed home chargers, Level 2 chargers, or charge cords bought from third parties, only the cords BMW supplied with the cars.

British company resurrects classic MGB and Jaguar XKSS as electrics

RBW electric MG Roadster
First, it was the Porsche 911, then the Jaguar E-Type. Now it's the MGB.

Converting classic old cars into electrics has become the rage across Europe.

The latest comes from RBW Classic Electric Cars in the UK, which isn't taking classic MGBs and modifying them, but recreating new classic MGBs with electric powertrains.

READ MORE: Royal couple's electric Jaguar E-type Zero coupe will go into production

The bodies will come from British Motoring Heritage, which builds replacement parts and body shells for classic British cars.

The powertrain will come from Zytek Automotive, a division of automotive supplier Continental, which provides powertrains for everything from electric Smart cars to Formula E and LeMans racers.

According to third-party sources, the car will have 94 horsepower and will deliver 0-60 mph acceleration of about 8 seconds, and a top speed of 105 mph. Range is estimated at 155 miles.

RBW electric MG Roadster

Pictures show the car with LED headlights with signature rings, and a charge port offset to the side of the rear of the car where the classic MGB's fuel filler was.

RBW is accepting orders for 13 of the $110,000 the e-MGBs for 2019.

Buyers can order them in either left- or right-hand drive configuration.

CHECK OUT: Electric Jaguar E-Type whisks royal couple from Windsor Castle

In case three of the most iconic sports cars of the 1960s aren't enough, RBW has another trick up its sleeve.

It is developing an electric version of the Jaguar XKSS, a classic road-going version of the D-Type race car that won Le Mans three years in a row from 1955 to 1957, and made famous as one of actor Steve McQueen's favorite sports cars.

The RBW electric XKSS is reported to cost more than $197,000.