Category: News Site

Mahindra-backed self-drive Zoomcar in merger talks with rival Drivezy

Self-drive car rental company Zoomcar and car and bike rental startup Drivezy are in preliminary talks for an equal merger, three people aware of the matter said. Zoomcar, which was started by American duo Greg Moran and David Back in 2013 in Bengaluru, is now backed by Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd (M&M). Drivezy, launched as JustRide… Continue reading Mahindra-backed self-drive Zoomcar in merger talks with rival Drivezy

Uber’s biggest rival in Europe says it has profitable quarters because it doesn’t set cash on fire

Remember Taxify? This was the Estonian ride-hailing startup that built up market share by focusing markets where Uber didn’t have much of a presence, namely eastern Europe and Africa. It then expanded to London in a blaze of glory in 2017, vowing to break Uber’s monopoly. The startup immediately fell afoul of the UK capital’s… Continue reading Uber’s biggest rival in Europe says it has profitable quarters because it doesn’t set cash on fire

Uber rival Bolt returns to London 21 months after a TfL investigation shut it down

Bolt, the Uber rival formerly known as Taxify, is taking a significant step this week in its effort to build out its transportation-on-demand business across the biggest cities in Europe and Africa, which currently covers 25 million users in 30 countries and 100 cities: it’s finally opening for business again in London, the biggest ride-hailing… Continue reading Uber rival Bolt returns to London 21 months after a TfL investigation shut it down

Uber’s European rival Bolt enters London market, again

FILE PHOTO: A Bolt (formerly known as Taxify) sign is seen on the taxi car in Riga, Latvia April 9, 2019. REUTERS/Ints Kalnins TALLINN (Reuters) – Estonia’s Bolt, which until early 2019 was called Taxify, will on Tuesday re-enter the competitive London taxi market, promising cheaper rides to passengers and a better cut to drivers… Continue reading Uber’s European rival Bolt enters London market, again

Audi and Jaguar are recalling their Tesla rivals after realizing their batteries were at risk of catching fire

Audi and Jaguar are recalling their electric SUVs due to potential safety issues. The recall of Audi’s e-tron comes about a month after the automaker began delivering the vehicle to customers. An Audi representative said the recall is due to a potential problem with a seal that could allow water into the battery compartment, which… Continue reading Audi and Jaguar are recalling their Tesla rivals after realizing their batteries were at risk of catching fire

Audi E-tron recalled for battery seal, potential “thermal event”

Audi confirmed Monday that it is recalling 1,644 E-tron electric SUVs, including 544 vehicles that have been delivered to customers, due to an issue with the battery pack’s seal that it says could lead to “a short circuit or thermal event.”

Audi is not aware of any such shorts or thermal events, it says, insisting that the move to recall its first electric car was made “out of an abundance of caution.” According to Audi, there have only been five cases globally of the battery warning light illuminating that are related to this potential pack-seal issue.

The cause isn’t related to the cells or modules themselves in the Audi E-tron battery pack. Specifically, a defective grommet could leave a portion of the battery’s seal vulnerable to a breach, where moisture could enter the pack.

2019 Audi e-tron battery pack

Moisture entering the pack could lead to corrosion, and the increased chance of a short over time. It could also lead to the increased chances of a fire during a thermal runaway issue within the pack—the most likely after a severe collision.

Provided the yellow battery warning light on the instrument panel hasn’t signaled an issue, the vehicle is safe to continue driving until Audi is ready with a remedy for the affected vehicles—expected to arrive in August.

The warning light is something to take very seriously, however: “Should a yellow battery warning light appear, appropriate actions should be taken to stop and park the vehicle in the open, do not charge and contact roadside assistance to make arrangements to have the vehicle towed to the dealer for inspection/service without delay,” instructs Audi.

2019 Audi E-tron

Audi says that E-tron vehicles that are unaffected by the recall remain available for delivery, and their reservation system remains open. As of the time this was published, recall documents hadn't yet been posted by the federal government.

The company has been proactively reaching out to customers over the past week. If customers do see the warning light, or if they choose not to drive their vehicle affected by the recall, Audi will pick up their vehicle at a place of their choice and replace it with an unaffected E-tron whenever possible. Otherwise it will substitute in an ICE vehicle as well as an $800 cash card to help cover the higher fuel expenses and any additional expenses the owner may incur.

The “abundance of caution” statement speaks volumes about the approach for battery packs being taken by Audi, and by Volkswagen and the entire VW Group. While Audi may have already encountered issues with LG Chem in cell supply, it’s treating the battery pack, its energy and power management, and its cooling to be an entirely proprietary component designed and engineered in-house—a choice that’s likely given Audi an advantage in troubleshooting and fixing issues like this when they arise.

Audi recalls its electric SUV over battery fire risk

Audi today issued a voluntary recall in the U.S. for the E-Tron SUV due to the risk of battery fire. An Audi spokesperson told Bloomberg that no fires had been reported over the 1,644 E-Trons Audi has sold. According to the recall, Audi found moisture can seep into the battery cell through a wiring harness.… Continue reading Audi recalls its electric SUV over battery fire risk