Manufacturing – Page 12576 – I wish I had more to offer

Electric Renault Twingo Confirmed By Product Planning Boss

Renault Twingo Z.E. is now expected in 2020 according to Renault’s Executive Vice President, Product Planning and Programs. An all-electric Renault Twingo (a city car smaller than ZOE) has been expected for years and it seems that it will be finally introduced! This summer we saw a leaked calendar of new model launches by Renault,… Continue reading Electric Renault Twingo Confirmed By Product Planning Boss

Classic Morris marque returns with a futuristic commercial EV concept

When Morris introduced the J-type van in 1948, it took Europe by storm, becoming one of the most ubiquitous delivery vehicles east of the Atlantic Ocean. In 2019, the newly reconstituted Morris Commercial wants to do it again, only with a twist.

This is the Morris JE, and as its name suggests, it's a new take on the classic commercial van. This time around, it's an all-electric, lithium-powered, carbon-fiber-constructed, future-proofed technology showcase; but Morris Commercial promises that it will still pack all the charm of the vehicle that inspired it.

“The JE successfully takes the essence of the original, iconic design, and reimagines it as an all-new, sustainable vehicle for the 21st century,” says the new company. “With modern styling cues and cutting-edge technology, the company is committed to delivering products with outstanding design at their core and with sustainability firmly at the top of the agenda through its commitment to full electrification.”

In fact, Morris Commercial has taken the “big” little van concept to heart with this tribute. Not only is it small, sustainable and packaged ideally for cargo, it's also, the company claims, the least-heavy commercial vehicle of its type in existence. That's down to the aforementioned carbon-fiber body construction and what the company describes as a “lightweight” chassis.

“As a business we are committed to environmental sustainability and we are trailblazing a new approach to the production of appealing, fully electric commercial vehicles,” said Morris Commercial CEO and founder Qu Li.

The announcement goes on to call the JE “fun” and “funky,” which is all well and good, but we're not entirely certain how it will fit into the marketplace in terms of initial cost, let alone upkeep. Commercial vehicles need to take a beating, and a carbon-fiber body sounds like a magnet for repair woes.

We hope Morris Commercial finds its niche, even if it's just selling to mobile marketing and retail brands with deep pockets and green ambitions.

Crowdfunded Aptera super-efficiency EV will use in-wheel motors

Aptera, self-proclaimed builder of the world's most efficient passenger vehicle, is partnering with Elaphe Propulsion to bring in-wheel motor technology to its 1,000-mile electric two-seater.

If Aptera rings a bell but you can't quite place it, it was a company that was seeking funding to build a hyper-efficient, three-wheel electric car way back in 2009. The concept looked more like a college engineering project than a conventional automobile, and while the two may have had next to nothing in common, Aptera ended up folding in 2011, after it was unable to secure low-interest loans to keep the program going.

But it's back. Thanks to crowdfunding, the project has a fresh tailwind. In the intervening years, Aptera's original co-founders quietly bought up the IP associated with the original concept and moved forward with refining the design into something more production-ready. It still has the private-plane-on-wheels looks, but underlying tech is ready for prime time.

This latest partnership is the next step toward proving that out. With in-wheel motor technology, Aptera can bypass the need for a traditional steering rack and simply use power-vectoring directional control instead.

“Elaphe is a perfect match for Aptera,” said Elaphe CEO, Gorazd Lampič. “We provide the packaging versatility and turning needed to enable Aptera’s industry-best efficiencies.”

Aptera is not the first EV hopeful to jump on the motor-in-wheel bandwagon. NEVS, which is working on an autonomous taxi pod, recently purchased the company behind a similar motor setup and hopes to implement it in a way that allows for 360-degree steering for optimum maneuverability and versatility in urban environments.

Not all automakers agree about whether in-wheel motor technology has matured to the level of durability expected for production cars, but its adoption is expected to accelerate as demand for urban mobility solutions increases.

Groupe PSA ‘Booster Day’: imagining disruptive innovations to drive competitiveness in the Plant of the Future

For the fourth consecutive year, Groupe PSA organized a day dedicated to its Plant of the Future program 60 partners, including 25 start-ups, came together to tackle 24 challenges A key theme in 2019: carbon neutrality The fourth annual Booster Day, an event dedicated to Groupe PSA’s Plant of the Future, was held today in… Continue reading Groupe PSA ‘Booster Day’: imagining disruptive innovations to drive competitiveness in the Plant of the Future

Car parts firm to shut with 125 jobs to be lost

A car parts firm has announced it will close in 2021, with the loss of about 125 jobs. Hi-Lex Cable System Company makes door and window parts and cables for cars at its plant on Baglan energy park. Management at the firm, which supplies Honda, Audi and BMW among others, said it did not anticipate… Continue reading Car parts firm to shut with 125 jobs to be lost

Volvo aims to slash its CO2 output by 2025

Volvo is aiming to cut the lifecycle carbon footprint of every car it makes by 40 per cent within the next six years. The company claims it to be ‘one of the most ambitious plans in the automotive industry.’ The announcement follows Volvo’s commitment that by 2040 the firm will aim to become a climate-neutral… Continue reading Volvo aims to slash its CO2 output by 2025

Daimler India CV begins series production of BS VI powertrain

New 2019 Honda Jazz teased ahead of Tokyo debut

Honda has teased the new Jazz ahead of its launch at this year’s Tokyo Motor Show. Unlike previous iterations, which have sported upright MPV-like styling and conventional engines, this fourth-generation model will feature rugged mini-SUV styling and a hybrid powertrain in a bid to boost its appeal. The Japanese brand’s latest teaser image suggests the… Continue reading New 2019 Honda Jazz teased ahead of Tokyo debut

Tesla Model Y: “Limited Production” ≠ Customer Deliveries

Invest
Electric Cars
Electric Car Benefits
Electric Car Sales
Solar Energy Rocks
RSS
Advertise
Privacy Policy

Cars

Published on October 15th, 2019 |

by Zachary Shahan

Tesla Model Y: “Limited Production” ≠ Customer Deliveries

Twitter
LinkedIn
Facebook

October 15th, 2019 by Zachary Shahan

We published an article earlier today about leaked info we received from a historically reliable source inside Tesla who indicated there’s a target to start limited production of the Tesla Model Y in Tesla’s Fremont factory sometime around Q1 2020. Our main source has previously shared detailed information of various sorts that proved to be accurate, some of which we published and some of which we didn’t. Our source is not a top executive at Tesla, and we all know that Tesla is a nimble company that can change plans (or run into challenging bottlenecks) as the seasons change, so first and foremost I do think it’s wise to be cautious about leaked expectations for limited Model Y production anywhere from 3 months from now to 6 months from now.

More importantly, though — and the reason for this article — I think people should be cautious about conflating production (er, limited production) and customer deliveries. Even if production starts rolling at a slow pace in 3–6 months, customer deliveries may not start for another several months after that. We don’t have any insight into this matter.

In fact, even though Model Y production commencing in or near Q1 2020 may seem far in advance of Tesla’s stated plans to start shipping Model Y to customers in “fall 2020,” there may not be much (or any) discrepancy at all. This leaked information may simply mean that Tesla is on track with its stated Model Y development and production plans.

Of course, we know that some Model Ys are already in testing on the road:

However, Tesla has previously tested prototypes of new models several months before customer deliveries began.

Another contributor of ours, Maarten Vinkhuyzen, offered some useful comments on this topic underneath the article earlier today. His comments are based on previous Tesla announcements, how precise or careful the company has been about Model Y production statements, and his own deduction:

What was notable was that it was more careful this time around. Tesla talked about start of production, start of volume production, start of deliveries to public, all with different moments in time. That made me thinking.

The time line as I see it:

2020Q1
— start of the production line,
— end-to-end system testing,
— programming, configuring, debugging, and tuning.

2020Q2
— start of trial production,
— product QA, panel gaps, paint job, fit and finish,
— production of test vehicles for collision, safety, cold & hot climates, endurance.

2020Q3
— start building Model Y production line in Shanghai GF3
— start of production,
— vehicles for showroom and test-drives at USA dealers,
— first deliveries to employees.

2020Q4
— start of volume production,
— deliveries to employees Tesla and SpaceX,
— deliveries to first, preferred customers around Fremont.

2021Q1
— start of deliveries to public at large.

As you can see, Maarten’s forecast fits both the leaked information we received regarding “limited production” as well as Tesla’s official “fall 2020“* commencement of deliveries target. I don’t know enough about manufacturing to know if this timeline is realistic, but it looks logical to me.

The key summary note that I’ll repeat is: “limited production” ≠ customer deliveries. We did not receive information on when initial customer deliveries are expected, and we did not receive enough insight into what is underway or planned to know if Model Y development and production is moving along faster than initially expected. We also have not heard from Tesla on this matter despite reaching out for commentary on the topic.

We will update you if we learn more. In the meantime, it seems safe to say that 1) Tesla Model Y production is still on track (as Elon Musk has stated every time he’s been asked about it), 2) it seems clear that it will occur in Fremont, and 3) there’s a chance that it’s ahead of schedule — but our information does not prove that. If you hear more, feel free to drop us a note.

*h/t Fact Checking
Follow CleanTechnica on Google News.
It will make you happy & help you live in peace for the rest of your life.

About the Author

Zachary Shahan Zach is tryin' to help society help itself one word at a time. He spends most of his time here on CleanTechnica as its director and chief editor. He's also the CEO of Important Media. Zach is recognized globally as an electric vehicle, solar energy, and energy storage expert. He has presented about cleantech at conferences in India, the UAE, Ukraine, Poland, Germany, the Netherlands, the USA, Canada, and Curaçao.

Zach has long-term investments in Tesla [TSLA] — after years of covering solar and EVs, he simply has a lot of faith in this company and feels like it is a good cleantech company to invest in. But he offers no investment advice and does not recommend investing in Tesla or any other company.

Advertise with CleanTechnica to get your company in front of millions of monthly readers.

Schaeffler develops and manufactures key components for fuel cells

Home