Manufacturing – Page 12594 – I wish I had more to offer

Vedanta launches primary foundry alloy for auto industry

Localisation of the raw material supply chain will help the Indian automotive industry. New Delhi: Vedanta Aluminium has announced the formal launch of its newest product line, Primary Foundry Alloy (PFA) for the Indian automotive industry. The company has unveiled the product at the 59th Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) annual convention 2019. The… Continue reading Vedanta launches primary foundry alloy for auto industry

VW CEO shifts strategy from empire building to efficiency

FRANKFURT (Reuters) – Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) has abandoned its decades-old obsession with empire building and no-expense-spared engineering to free up resources for the development and mass production of electric cars, its CEO Herbert Diess told Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Herbert Diess, CEO of German carmaker Volkswagen AG, gestures in front of an ID.3 pre-production prototype during the… Continue reading VW CEO shifts strategy from empire building to efficiency

Audi AI:Trail concept splices trail-ready with autonomous-ready

Earlier this week at the Frankfurt auto show, Audi revealed a strikingly different adventure-vehicle concept car that’s designed to show, according to the brand, “a comprehensive concept for sustainable mobility off the beaten track.”

The AI:Trail completes a quartet of concepts with similarly colon-punctuated names—the AI:Con, AI:Me, and AI:Race—that show how the German luxury brand can pull autonomous-driving modes and all-electric powertrains into vehicles for almost any kind of automotive lifestyle.

It’s an important issue to address. With just a few exceptions, the electric cars of the past decade conform into a surprisingly homogenous set. They’re far from representative of the real potential of going fully electric—that it allows a lot more flexibility for vehicles to be strikingly different and varied in design versus models with a combustion engine.

The AI:Trail has four electric motors—not in-wheel motors—summing to 435 horsepower and 738 pound-feet of torque, and what it calls “ample battery capacity” bringing a driving range of up to 311 miles based on the European WLTP cycle.

For on-road driving, the AI:Trail has level 4 automated driving capability—meaning that it has traditional controls but in specific conditions can take over responsibility from the driver.

Audi promises confident crawling up off-road trails, and its gearing of the motor systems was chosen to deliver strong wheel torque in off-roading. It underscores that its development “was not about achieving remarkably quick acceleration or hitting breathtaking speeds on the autobahn.”

The AI:Trail, with its huge 22-inch wheels and 33.5-inch big-sidewall tires, is limited to 81 mph. But it can ford up to 19 inches of water and has a ground clearance of 13.4 inches.

Green Car Reports walked around the concept at the show and found that Audi’s own released pictures didn’t entirely do the design justice, especially from the rear. The concept is exceptionally tall—5.5 feet overall—and the “one-box” passenger-cell design and especially sharp creasing around the cabin give it the look of a sci-fi truck brought to life. Its design looks influenced by lunar-rover designs, with a passenger pod over huge wheels.

The concept has a lot of glass around and overhead, allowing an impressive view out for off-roading. Retractable running boards help with access, while an optical-sensor system reads the surface and adjusts the tire pressure accordingly.

The driver interface consists of a yoke instead of a steering wheel, plus a minimal set of buttons. Interior materials include recycled textiles, reprocessed wool, and recycled leather. Second-row seats follow a hammock-like design that helps save weight.

With a mix of high-strength steel, aluminum, and carbon fiber, the AI:Trail weighs less than 3,900 pounds despite what Audi calls a high-capacity battery.

The headlights themselves are actually drones that can detach from the vehicle and go airborne, helping illuminate the way ahead of the vehicle when off-roading, or a surrounding area when parked. While that seems like a silly use of energy and effort, it’s exactly the kind of feature we’d expect to see in an innovation-focused concept vehicle—and it’s cool.

Perhaps the most puzzling piece to ponder now is how all of these concepts fit together into Audi’s future, which so far has been mostly in the form of electric versions of pre-existing formats (like the production E-tron SUV, the upcoming Q4 e-tron, and the e-tron GT sport sedan). The future, if this is any hint, could get a lot more interesting.

SAIC Volkswagen to expand production at Xinjiang plant

URUMQI, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) — SAIC Volkswagen's plant in China's far west Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region is scheduled to increase production by mass-producing an SUV model in mid-2020.
The SUV production line has been installed and is expected to start mass production of the Tharu SUV model in July next year, said Fu Xuejun, general manager of the SAIC Volkswagen (Xinjiang) Automotive Co., Ltd.
The Xinjiang subsidiary previously only produced the new Santana sedan model, with the output exceeding 20,000 units last year.
After the mass production of the SUV model, total production at the Xinjiang plant is expected to increase to 50,000 units.
The subsidiary, based in Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang, is SAIC Volkswagen's first production facility in western China and also Xinjiang's first passenger vehicle assembly plant.

The history: Porsche, the electrical pioneer

Ferdinand Porsche, later the founder of the company of the same name, was fascinated by electricity even as a teenager. As early as 1893, the 18-year-old installed an electric lighting system in his parents’ house. In the same year Porsche joined Vereinigte Elektrizitäts-AG Béla Egger in Vienna. After four years there, he progressed from mechanic… Continue reading The history: Porsche, the electrical pioneer

Volvo Trucks’ New River Valley plant 3D prints over 500 tools and fixtures

The North American branch of car manufacturer Volvo Trucks has 3D printed 500 manufacturing tools and fixtures, including a one-piece diffuser used in the paint atomizer cleaning process. Incorporating Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) technology, Volvo’s New River Valley (NRV) plant in Virginia, where all trucks for the North American market are produced, has enabled quicker production… Continue reading Volvo Trucks’ New River Valley plant 3D prints over 500 tools and fixtures

McLaren North America relocates corporate headquarters from New York to Coppell, Texas

12 Sep 2019 North American HQ moves from NY City to high tech facility in Texas industrial park Continued growth of brand in supercar market requires larger facility with greater storage and service capacity 27 strong retailer network to benefit from a more centrally based HQ and enhanced technical and customer service support McLaren North… Continue reading McLaren North America relocates corporate headquarters from New York to Coppell, Texas

Renault K-ZE electric crossover launches in China for just ~$9,000

Renault has unveiled the production version of its new K-ZE electric crossover, and in China, it starts at just ~$9,000. We reported on the Renault K-ZE when they unveiled the prototype last year. At the time, the only spec that they confirmed is the range, which they claim is 250 km (155 miles), but they… Continue reading Renault K-ZE electric crossover launches in China for just ~$9,000

Tesla starts its massive self-driving computer retrofit, but don’t hold your breath

Tesla is starting to retrofit Autopilot 2.0/2.5 computers in older Model S and Model X vehicles with its new self-driving computer in what stands to be a massive retrofit program. Earlier this year, Tesla launched its Full Self-Driving computer claiming that it is ‘objectively the best chip in the world’. They claimed a factor of 21… Continue reading Tesla starts its massive self-driving computer retrofit, but don’t hold your breath

Tesla Doubles Supercharging Referral Bonus To 2,000 Free Miles In Q3 Sales Push

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Published on September 10th, 2019 |

by Chris Boylan

Tesla Doubles Supercharging Referral Bonus To 2,000 Free Miles In Q3 Sales Push

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September 10th, 2019 by Chris Boylan

Tesla’s referral program has been an effective tool for the company to promote car sales. By using a referral code or link to order your new Tesla, both you (the buyer) and the referring owner get free Supercharging. Until today, that bonus was 1,000 miles of free Supercharging for buyer and referrer. But Tesla just announced that it is doubling that bonus to 2,000 free Supercharging miles for any Tesla car ordered on or after September 10, 2019 and delivered before October 1, 2019. Tesla has also extended this 2,000 mile Supercharging bonus to those who order a Tesla solar power system before October 1.

It looks like Tesla is hoping to goose car deliveries in the last month of the third quarter, so it’s offering this improved incentive to prospective new customers. Unlike previous referral bonuses which only required that the car be ordered by the deadline, this time, Tesla is requiring that the car be delivered by the deadline. So those who want to take advantage of this offer may need to select an available “inventory” model from their local Tesla showroom. Though, Tesla has tightened up its delivery rates lately, so it is possible that you could custom order a Tesla today and have it delivered with your exact specifications by the October 1 deadline.

If you are an existing Tesla owner, now may be a good time to share your referral code with friends and family. Better yet, take them for a test drive in your Tesla, and if you trust them, let them take the wheel. Nothing sells Tesla better than a Tesla. You can also use your own referral code if you’re buying a second (or fifth!) Tesla.

If you’re not yet a Tesla owner and are about to order one, contact a friend or family member who owns a Tesla and ask for their referral code. If you don’t know anyone with a Tesla, feel free to use my referral (below), so we can both benefit from the 2,000 miles for free charging.

Tesla Referral Link – Use This for a Supercharging bonus with purchase or lease of a Tesla Model 3, Model X, Model S or Tesla Solar Power System

Tesla has juiced up its referral program for the remainder of Q3, offering 2,000 free Supercharging miles with any new Tesla vehicle delivered by October 1, 2019.

If you order over the phone, you can use referral code “christopher55570.”

As a referring owner or new Tesla buyer, your free miles will show up in the “Loot box” in the Tesla mobile app. Miles earned in the Tesla Referral Program expire after six months. However, the expiration date is extended by an additional six months with each new referral (up to a maximum of 36 months from the most recent referral date). So you could theoretically get unlimited Supercharging for life as long as you refer a new Tesla buyer once every six months.

Tesla’s Supercharger network currently has over 14,000 charging stalls worldwide, with new charging stations added every month. You can get a quick top-off in 10–15 minutes or a full charge in about an hour. Charging rates vary per model and per charging station. Charging rate also depends on your battery’s current SOC (State of Charge) — the car charges much faster when the battery is close to empty and gradually slows as the battery nears its capacity.

If you map out a long-distance trip using Tesla’s onboard navigation, the car will include Supercharger stops along the way automatically, so you’ll never have to worry about running out of juice. You can also find current and planned Supercharger locations here on the Tesla website: www.tesla.com/supercharger

Supercharging your Tesla is like gassing up your car, only without the carbon guilt (or the smell). Photo by Chris Boylan.

Although Tesla didn’t specify details in the announcement, we expect the referral bonus to drop back to 1,000 free miles for cars delivered after October 1, 2019. Find out more about the Tesla Referral Program.

Follow me on Twitter @MrBoylan

About the Author

Chris Boylan is an EV and alternative fuel enthusiast who has been writing about technology since 2003.

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