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Tesla Discontinues 75 kWh Battery For Model S & Model X Effective January 13

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Published on January 10th, 2019 |

by Steve Hanley

Tesla Discontinues 75 kWh Battery For Model S & Model X Effective January 13

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January 10th, 2019 by Steve Hanley

Things are constantly changing at Tesla as the company juggles prices and content in its quest for sales and profitability. As of January 1, the company’s cars are no longer eligible for the full $7,500 federal EV tax credit. For the next 6 months, they will qualify for only half that — $3,750. In response, Tesla lowered prices on all of its cars by $2,000.

So, it seems counter intuitive that Tesla has now decided to discontinue the 75 kWh battery for its Model S sedan and Model X SUV as of January 13. The announcement came in a tweet from Elon Musk on Wednesday and gives customers only 5 more days to order a car with that battery. Raising the price of its large cars hardly seems like a strategic way to boost sales, so the company must have something else in mind to encourage demand.

The Verge reports that a Tesla spokesperson declined comment on the announcement, which means there is plenty of speculation about what the elimination of the 75 kWh battery means for the company going forward. In the short term, it means the base price of the Model S will jump from $76,000 to $94,000 come Monday. Similarly, the price of a Model X goes up from $82,000 to $97,000. This at a time when competing electric SUVs from Jaguar and Audi selling for $75,000 or less are already on the market or due to arrive shortly.

Has Tesla taken leave of its senses? Probably not, but in the absence of hard information, there is a lot of speculation. The staff here at CleanTechnica has been tossing around some of those questions while lazing beside our rooftop salt water pool at CT Central. Bear in mind, our thoughts, although informed by years of reporting on all things Tesla, may or may not be accurate. By Monday, Tesla may have made other announcements that add considerably to our understanding of the situation.

Are New Batteries Coming?
The Model S and Model X use 18650 battery cells produced by Panasonic. The Model 3 uses the newer 2170 battery cell made by Tesla at its Gigafactory 1 in Nevada. The Model 3 is currently offered with two battery sizes — a 75 kWh Long Range unit and a 62 kWh Mid Range option. Eventually a 50 kWh Standard Range model will be offered, but that option is not yet in production. When it is, the Mid Range choice will probably be eliminated.

Tesla has almost always offered a choice of batteries in its cars. How likely is it that its large vehicles will now go forward with only one battery available? That seems unlikely, but we’ll see.

When Tesla introduced the Model 3, there was no mention of battery size, no kWh to decipher. Elon Musk eventually responded that, indeed, most humans don’t think in kWh and it made more sense to just talk miles when communicating with the masses. Is Tesla going to do the same with the S & X now? The answer may be contained in a somewhat cryptic Twitter response by Elon Musk to Alistair Gray, who asked, “Are you moving away from battery sizing in a similar sense to how Model 3s are sold ie Long Range, Performance etc?” Musk’s answer was “Yes.”

More Questions Than Answers
There are a couple of moving pieces to the Tesla puzzle at the moment. The 2170 battery cells are believed to be more energy efficient and less costly to manufacture than the older 18650 cells. People have speculated for some time that eventually the newer cell design would find its way into the battery packs for the larger cars.

The Model S has been on sale since 2012, with no dramatic styling changes except for a new front end treatment (even though thousands of changes have been made through the years in a quiet manner). Rumors of a redesigned Model S have been swirling for years. Presumably, a new version of the Model S would be able to take advantage of the manufacturing lessons learned by Tesla since 2012, making it less costly to produce and therefore more profitable.

Battery prices have continued to fall every year and it is believed Tesla is already at or slightly below the $100 per kWh level with its latest 2170 cells. Could Tesla reduce the price of its large cars with the 100 kWh battery packs and add a 120 kWh or 125 kWh battery pack that uses 2170 cells as the new premium price offering? Such a large battery in a redesigned, more efficient chassis could push the range of the car closer to 400 miles. That would also better differentiate the Model S from the Model 3 (and the Model X from the coming Model Y).

Finally, Tesla is scheduled to begin rolling out its Version 3 Superchargers soon. Could the company have new battery packs and upgraded battery management systems that would allow its cars to obtain an 80% state of charge in 15 minutes or less?

We don’t know the answers, but will continue to share the latest Tesla news with our readers as soon as it is available. If you are interested in owning a Tesla but find the Model 3 a bit snug for your tastes, this may be the ideal time to order a Model S 75 at an affordable price. Is Tesla planning changes to that car? Almost certainly so. It is constantly making improvements to all its cars. As Elon says, the cars coming off the line today are the best Teslas ever made and the best time to buy a Tesla is now, as always.

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 take him. His motto is “Democracy is socialism.” You got a problem with that?

You can follow him on Google + and on Twitter.

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Clients can get involved in the assembly of their own e-Golf at Volkswagen Transparent Factory in Dresden

One of the three places where customers could get involved: joining the drive train to the body (“marriage”).

Follow your own vehicle during production
Four stations at which the driver can assemble the car (with instructions)
Arnd Meyer-Clasen, Head of Sales: “With us, not only are customers able to be there during the production of their car, but can now also get involved themselves.”

DRESDEN, 11-Jan-2019 — /EuropaWire/ — The opportunity to follow production can be booked when ordering the e-Golf from the dealer. Appointments can be made during the production time, i.e. Monday to Friday, 6:00 am to 10:00 pm. The special experience package costs EUR 390. In addition to following production, this includes inner-city transfers, a tour of the production and exhibition area, souvenir photos and a voucher of EUR 50 for a restaurant visit to the e-VITRUM.

Customers can now get a much closer look at their e-Golf during production. In the Transport Factory, you can accompany your future vehicle a part of the way along the production line. Under the expert guidance of the factory’s employees, the customer is able to actively get involved at four stations, e.g. when installing the dash panel. Other places where the customer can experience the assembly of their vehicle include joining the drive train to the body (“marriage”) and installing the front radiator grille. With the new possibility of accompanying production, the Volkswagen Transparent Factory in Dresden is expanding its range of services in respect of the electric mobility experience.

Arnd Meyer-Clasen, Head of Sales: “The Transparent Factory is the showcase of e-mobility of Volkswagen. In addition to test drives, configuration and delivery of the e-Golf, another highlight we now offer is the ability to follow production. With us, not only are customers able to be there during the production of their car, but can also get involved themselves. Electric mobility that you can touch: this experience is unique in the automotive world.”

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SOURCE: Volkswagen AG

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David Hall Honored as “2018 Inventor of the Year” by Intellectual Property Owners Education FoundationDecember 12, 2018|In Press Releases|By Albie Jarvis
Genius behind the Autonomous Vehicle revolution celebrated at Foundation Awards Dinner in Washington, D.C.

David Hall Honored as “2018 Inventor of the Year” by Intellectual Property Owners Education Foundation

The Intellectual Property Owners Education Foundation honored David Hall, chief executive officer and founder of Velodyne Lidar, Inc., as the 2018 Inventor of the Year at the Foundation’s awards dinner held at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. last night. Hall was recognized for creating the groundbreaking lidar sensor technology that is the essential component for fully autonomous vehicles and enables the most sophisticated advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). Each year, the Foundation recognizes outstanding inventors for their contributions to the economy and overall quality of life.

“Inventing is my passion and I like to imagine building something that nobody’s built before”Tweet this

“Inventing is my passion and I like to imagine building something that nobody’s built before,” Hall said. “I amuse myself by innovating. It’s what I do. What I’m looking for is the smile on someone else’s face when they use my product and get joy out of it. I invent for the love of inventing and it was an honor to be recognized by the Intellectual Property Owners Education Foundation. Intellectual property protection is imperative to fostering innovation and is a valuable asset to new technology.”

The idea of leveraging lidar technology for autonomous driving came to Hall after competing as one of the original entrants in the DARPA Grand Challenge. In 2005, he invented lidar to give autonomous vehicles real-time, 360-degree vision that then set the stage for revolutionizing the automobile industry. Velodyne Lidar is the industry leader, supplying virtually all of the top automakers and autonomous vehicle developers globally with the smartest, most powerful lidar sensors. In addition to their wide application in self-driving cars, Velodyne’s versatile lidar sensors are now utilized in myriad trailblazing applications, including unmanned aerial vehicles, mapping, industrial safety, security, and more.

Hall is a technology visionary whose more than 30 U.S. patents cover a variety of applications. He founded Velodyne Acoustics in 1983 as an audio company specializing in low-frequency sound and subwoofer technology. In 2011, he launched Velodyne Marine and debuted its first self-stabilizing craft, the Martini, at the 2013 Miami boat show. This prototype was the world’s first sea-faring vessel with an active suspension. More recently, at the US Chamber of Commerce’s inaugural LAUNCH event, Hall presented his vision of a magnet-based propulsion system that would revolutionize space exploration and settlement.

MEDIA PLEASE NOTE: To learn more about IPO and the Inventor of the Year Award, please contact Nyree Berry at IPO (202) 507-4514; nberry@ipo.org. To schedule an interview with David Hall or to request images, please contact Robin Carr at Landis Communications Inc. (415) 561-0888; velodyne@landispr.com.

About IPO and IPO Education Foundation

Intellectual Property Owners Association (IPO), established in 1972, is a 501(c)6 trade association for owners of patents, trademarks, copyrights and trade secrets. IPO serves all intellectual property owners in all industries and all fields of technology. IPO advocates for effective and affordable IP ownership rights and provides a wide array of services to members, including: supporting member interests relating to legislative and international issues; analyzing current IP issues; information and educational services and disseminating information to the public on the importance of intellectual property rights.

IPO has a related 501(c)3 foundation, the IPO Education Foundation. The IPO Education Foundation is devoted to educational and charitable activities designed to promote the value of intellectual property rights. IPO and the IPO Education Foundation share the same office location and IPO staff also support the Foundation.

About Velodyne Lidar, Inc.

Velodyne provides the smartest, most powerful lidar solutions for autonomy and driver assistance. Founded in 1983 and headquartered in San Jose, Calif., Velodyne is known worldwide for its portfolio of breakthrough lidar sensor technologies. In 2005, Velodyne’s Founder and CEO, David Hall, invented real-time surround view lidar systems, revolutionizing perception and autonomy in a variety of industries including automotive, new mobility, mapping, robotics, and security. Velodyne’s established high-performance product line includes the cost-effective VLP-16 Puck™, the versatile VLP-32 Ultra-Puck™, the perfect for L4-L5 autonomy VLS-128™, and the directional view Velarray™. For more information, please visit www.velodynelidar.com.