Manufacturing – Page 12581 – I wish I had more to offer

Dyson ends its electric car project

Sponsored Links Dyson Dyson is shutting down its electric car project. The company said while its automotive team had created a “fantastic” EV, the car was not “commercially viable.” It will continue to work on the solid-state battery tech it developed for the EV, however. In an email to Dyson employees obtained by the BBC,… Continue reading Dyson ends its electric car project

Dyson gives up making his electric car

James Dyson will not revolutionize the world of cars, and builders will always judge him high. The founder and boss of the group of household appliances announced Thursday in an email to employees of the group that he was putting an end to his project to build an electric car , launched two years ago.… Continue reading Dyson gives up making his electric car

Groupe Renault : Communication of Groupe Renault

PRESS RELEASE 2019/10/10Communication of Groupe RenaultBoulogne-Billancourt, October 10th, 2019 – The Board of Directors of Renault will meet tomorrow morning to discuss the corporate governance of the group. A press release will be issued after the conclusion of the meeting.***About Groupe RenaultGroupe Renault has manufactured cars since 1898. Today it is an international multi-brand group,… Continue reading Groupe Renault : Communication of Groupe Renault

Nissan: no-deal Brexit would jeopardise entire European business model

Brexit Imposition of WTO tariffs on exports could put Sunderland plant at risk, says chair Workers on the production line in Sunderland, where Nissan employs 6,000 people. Photograph: Christopher Thomond/The Guardian A no-deal Brexit would put Nissan’s entire European business model in jeopardy, the car manufacturer has said in its strongest warning yet over the… Continue reading Nissan: no-deal Brexit would jeopardise entire European business model

Sources: Lilium is looking to raise up to $500M for its electric flying taxis

“Flying cars” — airborne vehicles designed for urban and other short-distance commutes to replace conventional private automobiles — are (at best) still years away from being a reality, with significant safety, technology and business model hurdles to clear before they ever hit the sky. Now, sources tell us that one of more promising startups in… Continue reading Sources: Lilium is looking to raise up to $500M for its electric flying taxis

Tesla Gigafactory China: Mud, “Basically An Open Field,” Not Gonna Happen — Skeptical Claims Revisited

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Published on October 3rd, 2019 |

by Zachary Shahan

Tesla Gigafactory China: Mud, “Basically An Open Field,” Not Gonna Happen — Skeptical Claims Revisited

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October 3rd, 2019 by Zachary Shahan

We reported yesterday that Tesla was ending Model 3 Standard Range shipments from the US to China because it was starting to produce the base Model 3 trim in its new (and still under construction) Shanghai gigafactory, “Gigafactory 3.” It may surprise even Tesla optimists that the company was able to go from no construction at all to Model 3 production in such a rapid time, but it surely surprises Tesla skeptics the most. In fact, in light of the milestone, I thought I’d remind people of a handful of claims about Gigafactory 3 from just earlier in the year, a couple of quarters ago. Most of these were published within one month of Elon Musk joining a little ceremony for the Gigafactory 3 groundbreaking on January 7th, but note that skepticism about the factory has been common throughout the year.

In a January 7th article titled “Elon Musk Sees a Future in China for Tesla, and It’s Muddy,” the Bloomberg writer doesn’t say the plan is impossible or unrealistic, but he comes close, while writing about Elon Musk in an unflattering fashion throughout the article. If, at the end of the article, you got the impression that one should be skeptical of Tesla’s Gigafactory 3 plans and the future of Tesla, you would digested exactly the narrative he was pushing.

On January 14th, Forbes published an article titled “Not So Fast: Can Elon Musk Really Open Tesla’s China Gigafactory This Year?” The article, exuding an air of authoritative skepticism, started off like this: “Elon Musk rarely shies away from setting bold targets for Tesla, despite a mixed record for achieving them when promised. So it was in character when he announced the electric-car company’s first Chinese Gigafactory could be operational in about 11 months.

“‘We’re looking forward to hopefully having some initial production of the Model 3 towards the end of this year and achieving volume production next year,’ Musk said at the Shanghai groundbreaking January 7.

“He may be disappointed.

“There’s no precedent for building a large, modern auto-assembly plant and starting its production in under a year, manufacturing experts say. In fact, even Tesla’s official goal of ramping up to 3,000 Model 3 electric sedans per week at some point in 2020 won’t be easy.

“‘Unless he’s mastered some approach that I’m not aware of to do everything in a more effective and efficient way, that lead time to build is going to be really challenging,’ said Laurie Harbour, CEO of manufacturing consultant Harbour Results Inc. in Southfield, Michigan. ‘It definitely seems completely optimistic.'”

Optimistic? Or realistic?

After claiming that Tesla was not known for meetings its production goals (note that Tesla is on track to nail Elon Musk’s 2014 forecast for 2020 production and delivery goals), Business Insider writer and frequent Tesla critic Linette Lopez expressed great skepticism about Elon Musk’s plan to have Tesla producing the Model 3 at its Shanghai gigafactory by the end of 2019. “So far, the China plant is, um, basically an open field with some digging going on,” she said. “It’s harder and harder to believe that there will be Model 3s coming out of the Tesla China gigafactory by the end of the year.”

A February 8th article on GuruFocus by the president of Almington Capital — Merchant Bankers, short Tesla [TSLA] at the time, was titled “Tesla’s Shanghai Plans Don’t Add Up.” The article contained paragraphs like these: “Tesla has been talking about China for a number of years, but not much material came of all that talk. Then, in October, the company announced it had leased a plot of land in Shanghai’s Lingang area. The swampy land had found little interest among potential domestic anchor developers, which goes some way to explaining the slightly below-market $140 million price Tesla agreed to pay. …

“When Musk broke ground at Gigafactory 3, the plot was still nothing but a field with a temporary wall erected around it (and a worryingly muddy field at that). Tesla had claimed to be ramping up construction efforts even before the official groundbreaking, but there was little sign of construction activity, despite the convenient presence of heavy construction machinery at the event.

“Since then, updates have been somewhat scant. Some intrepid observers, however, have provided independent status reports via aerial drones. The most recent video footage of the site was recorded and released on Feb. 5. It shows little in the way of progress. There appears to be some poured concrete, yet there is virtually no visible work activity or sign of life around the place. That is certainly inconsistent with Tesla’s own extremely aggressive timetable.”

To be fair, there’s still mud on the site. But I think you get the point.

Is Elon Musk a magic maker? Or are people just too skeptical? Or have they simply been pushing an agenda, for one biased reason or another, that we can now see was completely disconnected from Tesla’s future in the physical world?

If you’d like to buy a Tesla — whether you believe it exists or is simply elaborate vaporware — and also get 1,000 miles of free Supercharging, feel free to use my referral code: https://ts.la/zachary63404.

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.

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ASI Drives Launches Mark 600, Poised to Replace Internal Combustion Engines

Mark 600 – Heavy Duty Fully Enclosed Transaxle

MONTGOMERYVILLE, PA, USA, 10-Oct-2019 — /EuropaWire/ — ASI Drives introduces the next generation of heavy-duty, fully enclosed transaxles with their Mark 600, set to markedly transform both indoor and outdoor material handling. An evolution of the industry-standard Mark 400, the company designed the new transaxle as a high-performance replacement for applications typically requiring internal combustion engines. The Mark 600 is part of ASI’s Viking Transaxle product line.

“The Mark 600 is possible thanks to recent improvements in battery and electronics technology,” explains John Cross, ASI Drives’ President and CTO. “When combined with our transaxle technology,” he goes on, “these improvements allowed us to develop a new transaxle capable of replacing the internal combustion engine in the outdoor material handling market.” Other markets include outdoor power equipment and floor care.

High-torque and High-speed Configurations

With a large 70 mm mount, the Mark 600 produces up to 270 Nm of torque at 60 RPM under high load in high-torque configurations. Under typical load, high-speed configurations produce 60 Nm of torque at 119 RPM. This makes it suitable for many applications, from motorized wheelbarrows, plane tuggers and trailer movers to personal scooters, large floor-cleaning machines and more.

The Benefits of Thoughtful Design and Engineering

Distinguishing features of the Mark 600 include: single-piece casting for precision gear alignment and quieter operation; bolt-on tube extensions for multiple widths without retooling; high-strength bevel gear differentials; available robust permanent magnet DC motors; easily replaceable motors and brushes; service intervals exceeding 2,000 hours.

Highly Customizable Feature Set

ASI can configure the Mark 600 to meet the demands of a variety of applications. Reduction ratios range from 24:1 to 36:1. Standard widths range from 237 mm to 596 mm, with custom widths available. Motor options include permanent magnet DC 4-pole and brushless AC and DC motors, available in 122 mm and up to 152 mm diameters, respectively. Voltages range from 12 V to 48 V DC. Axles can be hubs or custom.

To learn more about the about the Mark 600, visit asidrives.com/Mark600. To learn about other solutions by ASI, visit asidrives.com/offerings or call 215-661-1002.

About ASI Drives

Since 1986, ASI Drives has designed, engineered and manufactured industry-leading gear-drive systems and transaxles out of their facility in Montgomeryville, PA, USA. The firm’s products receive global recognition for their robust construction and worry-free dependability. ASI is a known and trusted partner to companies ranging from small, independent startups to large multinational firms.

Media contacts:

John Cross
209 Progress Drive Montgomeryville, PA 18936
Phone: 215-631-3716
Fax: 215-661-1009
asidrives.com

SOURCE: ASI DRIVES

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Hanergy Seeks Funding And Makes Some Clarifications On Its Solar K-Car

After our article, the company got in touch and prepared a new press release. When we first saw the news on the Hanergy Glory solar car, we could not help to be skeptical. The company said its vehicle did not require charging in power outlets. It could extract its daily energy needs solely from a… Continue reading Hanergy Seeks Funding And Makes Some Clarifications On Its Solar K-Car

Nissan to start building new Juke car at UK plant as Brexit looms

SUNDERLAND, England, Oct 10 (Reuters) – Nissan said it will begin making the next-generation Juke vehicle at Britain’s biggest car plant on Monday, just over two weeks before a possible no-deal Brexit which the industry has warned could bring production to a halt. Nissan decided in 2015, before the 2016 referendum was even held, to… Continue reading Nissan to start building new Juke car at UK plant as Brexit looms

ŠKODA AUTO in Vrchlabí: high-tech site at the foot of the Giant Mountains

Michael Oeljeklaus, ŠKODA AUTO Board Member for Production and Logistics, stressed, “The Vrchlabí plant plays a central, strategic role in component production for ŠKODA. It is here that we build DQ 200 dual-clutch transmissions which reliably do their work in millions of vehicles from various Group brands every day. In recent years, we have introduced numerous… Continue reading ŠKODA AUTO in Vrchlabí: high-tech site at the foot of the Giant Mountains