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VW wants to delete up to 7,000 jobs

Friday, 21/12/2018 11:00 o’clock If the production of electric cars could be raised at the VW locations Emden and Hanover a total of up to 7,000 jobs will be lost. However, this would only be possible if partial retirement arrangements were fully exploited, reported the news agency dpa, citing unspecified sources. Previously, the ” Frankfurter… Continue reading VW wants to delete up to 7,000 jobs

Rivian R1T pickup, R1S SUV ready for future 800V upgrade—possibly in 2022

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Rivian R1T electric pickup concept
The Michigan-based electric-vehicle hopeful Rivian claims that its upcoming R1T pickup and R1S sport-utility vehicle, both revealed last month around the LA Auto Show, will be able to recharge up to 200 miles of range in just 30 minutes—provided they’re connected to a DC fast charger capable of delivering 160 kw.

In the not-too-distant future, Rivian’s trucks may be revamped to effectively halve that charging time, when connected to the right charging hardware.

The claim brings to mind the Porsche Taycan (Mission E) and the closely related Audi e-tron GT. They’re two of the only other vehicles, as of yet, confirmed as having 800-volt architecture throughout.

DON’T MISS: Rivian R1S electric SUV goes family style with 7 seats, 410-mile range

While Rivian’s trucks are built around 400-volt components, they might be the first electric vehicles that have actually been designed from the start for an upgrade to 800 volts.

“To get to the 300-kw [charging] level that everyone wants to be at—of course us included—voltage levels have to go up to get the current levels down,” said Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe to Green Car Reports, in a long and far-reaching interview last month at the LA Auto Show. “So we’ve architected everything in the system to see higher voltages at the right time and therefore go to much higher levels of charging…but that won’t be at day one.”

Rivian R1T electric pickup concept

The leap to double the voltage can be accomplished, Scaringe outlined, by doubling the S count [the number of cells connected in series] and halving the P count [the number of cells connected in parallel]. “So we go from a peak of 450 volts to 900,” he said.

Rivian already has that double-voltage, peak 900-volt (nominal about 800V) battery pack in development, and it’s actually designed all the connectors and bus bars for production.

CHECK OUT: Electric upstart Rivian plans for dealers, but not to sell trucks

Rivian’s battery pack will have predictive modeling to pre-condition the pack (warm it or cool it) ahead of anticipated DC fast charging. According to a recent report by Teslarati, the battery is structured around modules that each contain 15 kilowatt-hours and 864 cells, in two layers, with denser packaging than in other electric models. The cells themselves are cylindrical 2170 cells—the same format as is used in the Tesla Model 3, but Rivian is anticipated to source them from LG Chem.

The cooling approach is different than what anyone else is using. Rivian’s two levels are separated by a 0.3-inch aluminum plate, with coolant running through it, part of a single cooling system. Most other packs contain the metal plate underneath—doubling as a heat sink and protection—but Rivian is instead opting for a carbon-fiber ballistic shield for the bottom of the pack.

Rivian R1T, R1S chassis

It’ll be some time before the battery pack goes to 800-volts, however, Scaringe underscores. “The reason for that is the supply base of all the high-voltage ‘stuff’ in the vehicle, the electric compressor, DC-DC converter, is all built up around a sub-450 world,” he said. “As the world builds out 800-volt capability, everything’s architected so very quickly we can switch over to 800 volts.”

Stepping up the voltage isn’t a matter of just swapping in a few components here or there. Relatively simple changes that need to be accommodated, such as the placement of connectors and the spacing of leads, need to be planned from the start.

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Future Tesla Autopilot chips may come from Samsung self-driving push

2017 Tesla Model S testing at Consumer Reports
The race to build self-driving cars is heating up, with Google (Waymo), Tesla, Uber, Lyft, Ford, GM (Cruise), and others all vying to build the first reliable self-driving system.

Now add Korean electronics giant Samsung to that list—with a twist. Its first client could be one of the major competitors in the business, Tesla.

Tesla once had a partner in developing self-driving software, Israel's Mobileye, when it first launched its Autopilot system to great fanfare in 2014.

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

After a widely reported fatal accident in Florida tied to the company's original Version 1 Autopilot system, which used the Mobileye hardware, Tesla has been on its own to develop the next-generation Autopilot 2 hardware.

In October, the company introduced new software that enabled full on-ramp to off-ramp self-driving in the system it calls Navigate on Autopilot, on existing Autopilot chips. CEO Elon Musk has since tweeted that with the upcoming faster chips, the system will be able to handle commuting from home to work without human intervention.

Industry sources told the Investors Business Times that Samsung has been on a hiring spree for electronics engineers with automotive experience.

CHECK OUT: Consumer Reports tests Tesla's Navigate on Autopilot

Musk announced in October that the company would roll out new, faster chips in the spring that will enable the company's long-promised Full Self-Driving Mode features, which many customers have pre-paid for. He tweeted that the new chip will be 50 to 200 times faster than the current hardware.

IBT sources say that Samsung has already begun assembling the chips expected to be rolled out to the Model 3 in March.

Central to Musk's plan to have Navigate on Autopilot work in more situations and on surface streets is having more drivers use the system and feed driving data back to Tesla's artificial intelligence servers. If a new chip is also on horizon, however, more data may not be enough.

READ MORE: Tesla drivers log 1 billion miles on Autopilot

Samsung has denied the rumors that it is forming a new self-driving car division.

The insiders noted that Samsung's practice is to line up a leading customer before launching new business lines.

With the Consumer Electronics Show on the horizon in Las Vegas early next month, it wouldn't be surprising to see the electronics giant introduce such a system there.

Green Car Reports reached out to Tesla for comment on this story, but had not heard back before publication.

Canada Man Drives On Sunshine With Solar & His Tesla Model 3

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Published on December 13th, 2018 |

by Kyle Field

Canada Man Drives On Sunshine With Solar & His Tesla Model 3

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December 13th, 2018 by Kyle Field

A man from Oliver in Canada is living the future today, powering his new Tesla Model 3 with a rooftop solar installation on his home.

Russell Work spoke to the folks at his local paper, the Oliver Chronicle, about his new Tesla Model 3 and how he has installed a Tesla solar system to power it. Russell made the switch to live a more sustainable life, powered by renewables. When he was finally ready to pull the trigger on his purchase, he opted for a cherry red All-Wheel Drive Tesla Model 3 Performance.

Not his Model 3. Not Canada.

“I told him it’s like pouring sunshine straight into his car,” installer Dave Malmberg of Argon Electrical & Solar Services said. “We’re going to see an increase in the very near future for these types of installations to power our cars. We’re just at the beginning (tip of the iceberg) of the EV and solar markets here in B.C. and Canada.”

Russell said that he believes Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk is a visionary who has assembled a crack team of engineers that built the Model 3 as the ideal electric vehicle, from the ground up. “What was interesting is he did not hire automotive engineers; he basically gave them a blank piece of paper and said, ‘Design me the best electric car that you can,’” Work said.

What’s great is that Work did not purchase his Model 3 Performance to save money, but to reduce his carbon footprint as a way to take action against catastrophic climate change — the top reason many people go electric. That sentiment carries through into his house as well. “We’ve made every effort possible in this house to reduce our energy footprint,” Work said.

He is clearly excited about his conversion to sustainable energy and transportation and it’s not just because it’s fun to drive. “So far we have saved the equivalent of 4,000 kilograms of CO2, and that is equivalent to 14 trees having been planted.”

The 29.3 kW solar installation on his roof was not cheap, at $23,000, but supplies enough power for his home and his electric car. At that rate, he expects that the system will take about 11 years to pay off completely, at which point the power it produces will effectively be free.

It is easy to read articles here on CleanTechnica and to forget that most of the solutions we cover can be purchased and used most places in the world today. You can order a Tesla vehicle and a Tesla solar system with energy storage today and be living a more renewably-powered life. Granted, a bike is cheaper and healthier, so if that works best for your lifestyle, jump on and get moving.

Change is coming, but it will come faster if we all do our part sooner rather than later.

If you enjoy the content here on CleanTechnica and are looking to purchase a new Tesla, feel free to use my referral link (here).

Related: Electric Car Drivers: Desires, Demands, & Dreams — New CleanTechnica Report

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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. Tesla referral code: http://ts.la/kyle623

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Volkswagen to write off Gett investment – Spiegel

Volkswagen logos are pictured during the media day of the Salao do Automovel International Auto Show in Sao Paulo, Brazil November 6, 2018. REUTERS/Paulo Whitaker BERLIN (Reuters) – German carmaker Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) will write off its investment in Gett after the Israel-based ride hailing app failed to gain ground on bigger rivals Uber [UBER.UL], Lyft… Continue reading Volkswagen to write off Gett investment – Spiegel

Ford recalling 874,000 pickup trucks in North America for fire risks

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Ford Motor Co (F.N) said Friday it is recalling 874,000 pickup trucks in North America with engine block heaters for fire risks. Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Nick Zieminski Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. Go to Source

Carlos Ghosn re-arrested in fresh twist

Former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn has been re-arrested on fresh charges, Japanese media report, dashing any hopes he could be released on bail. Mr Ghosn has spent the last month in prison, accused of misusing funds and hiding more than $40m (£31m) of income. But on Thursday a court rejected a request by the prosecution… Continue reading Carlos Ghosn re-arrested in fresh twist

Ford recalls 410,000 F-Series pickups for fire risk

Original Article

U.S. and Canadian unions go to battle with GM over jobs, plants

Original Article

Ford to recall 410K F-Series pickups for fire risk

Ford to recall 410K F-Series pickups for fire riskDetroit – Ford is recalling more than 874,000 F-Series pickups with engine block heaters in the U.S. and Canada because they can catch fire.
The recall covers certain F-150s from the 2015 through 2019 model years, as well as the 2017 through 2019 F-250, 350, 450 and 550.
The company says in documents posted Friday on the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website that water and contaminants can get into the heater cable and cause corrosion. That can cause electrical shorts and possible fires. Engine block heaters warm the engines so they can start and warm up faster in extreme cold temperatures.
The company says the risk of fire happens only when the block heater cable is plugged into an electrical outlet.
Ford has received three reports of fires in Canada, but none in the U.S. Minor property damage was reported in one incident, but there haven’t been any reports of injuries, Ford said in a statement.
Dealers will inspect and seal the cable or replace the heaters if needed. The recall is expected to start in the U.S. on Jan. 7.
F-Series pickups are the top-selling vehicle in the United States.
Read or Share this story: https://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/ford/2018/12/21/ford-recall-series-pickups-fire-risk/38778439/