Powerful cash injection for US high-carat startup: VW’s self-driving partner Aurora sank 90 million

All articles and backgrounds 03/02/2018 Powerful cash injection for US high-car startup VW’s self-driving partner Aurora sank $ 90 million DPA Aurora co-founder Chris Urmson receives $ 90 million from investors for his robotic car startup Just a year old and already a heavyweight in the field of autonomous driving: This lightning start has the… Continue reading Powerful cash injection for US high-carat startup: VW’s self-driving partner Aurora sank 90 million

Jaguar reveals first all-electric SUV

Jaguar has revealed the production version of its first all-electric SUV as luxury carmakers race to go green. The I-Pace can reach 60mph in 4.5 seconds and has a range of almost 300 miles on a fully charged battery. The vehicle is set to reach showrooms by July, potentially beating rival Audi’s all-electric e-tron that… Continue reading Jaguar reveals first all-electric SUV

Dyson electric car project to recruit 300 new engineers

Dyson wants to grow its EV programme workforce by 300 people in a bid to ramp up the pace of development before its first car reaches the market in 2019. The British brand, a leader in vacuum cleaners and hand dryers, already has 400 employees focused on the project, but is now “looking to fill an… Continue reading Dyson electric car project to recruit 300 new engineers

Aurora, Led by Google and Tesla Driverless Car Vets, Lands $90M

Aurora Innovation, a self-driving car startup whose founders have ties to Google, Tesla, and Uber, has raised $90 million in Series A funding co-led by Greylock Partners and Index Ventures. Along with the money, Greylock and Index are adding a member each to Aurora’s board of directors: Reid Hoffman, the co-founder of LinkedIn and partner… Continue reading Aurora, Led by Google and Tesla Driverless Car Vets, Lands $90M

China startup Nio hires eight banks for $2 bn US IPO

Other banks are Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Credit Suisse, Citigroup, Deutsche Bank, JPMorgan and UBS, said the people, declining to be identified as the deal details are not public. HONG KONG: Chinese electric vehicle startup Nio has hired eight banks including Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs to work on a planned US stock market… Continue reading China startup Nio hires eight banks for $2 bn US IPO

Hyundai’s Kona Electric SUV boasts a 292-mile range

Hyundai Hyundai’s newly bolstered EV strategy might be off to a good start. It just unveiled the Kona Electric, an adaptation of its crossover SUV that promises to combine both ample space with meaningful performance. The base edition’s 186-mile range and 9.3-second 0-62MPH time won’t raise eyebrows, but a long-range version can muster a 292-mile… Continue reading Hyundai’s Kona Electric SUV boasts a 292-mile range

Energy storage breakthrough could boost EV range and slash charge time

Bloomberg via Getty Images Electric cars could soon have as much range as petrol and diesel cars — and recharge in a matter of minutes — thanks to what researchers are calling a “breakthrough” in energy storage technology. Teams from Bristol University and Surrey University have created a new material for supercapacitors, which store electric… Continue reading Energy storage breakthrough could boost EV range and slash charge time

Tesla’s Model 3 Production Deadline Hangs on Shipping Equipment from Germany

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More on this:1 Roadster Starman Has Run-in with Russian Astronauts in Hilarious Spoof2 Tesla Semi Production to Reach 100,000 Units a Year3 Musk Talks Tesla Model Y Production Details4 Bankruptcy News: Is Tesla Going The Way of The Dodo?5 Falcon Heavy: Why Elon Musk's Insanity Matters
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Tesla's Model 3 Production Deadline Hangs on Shipping Equipment from Germany

13 Feb 2018, 13:00 UTC · by Vlad Mitrache
/ Home / News / Industry

4 photosThe Tesla Model 3 has had a rough start in life by any standards, and the fact all eyes were on it sure didn't make it any easier for anyone involved in the process.
Elon Musk admitted to suffering from a case of depression during the time his company was struggling to get out of what it had called “production hell,” but that was to be expected considering he neglected sleep to work side by side with the rest of the team.
The official stance now is that Tesla is out of the woods despite failing to meet its production deadlines after pushing them back several times. Right now it's gunning for 2,500 units a week by the end of the first quarter (that would be March 31) and double that by the end of the second quarter.
In the meantime, the company has just come off the worst quarter in its history regarding losses, which has forced the decision of postponing the launch of the base Model 3, the one with the 200-mile range and $35,000 entry price, until the end of the year. The slower than anticipated production is already hampering Tesla's income, so rolling out a vehicle with a much lower profit margin wouldn't be a wise choice.
Now, though, we hear the 2,500 units for the end of March target might be in danger as well. The Gigafactory plant in Reno where the battery cells and modules for the Model 3 are being built is missing a key component of its lineup if the goal is to be met.
The automated system for module production is currently sitting at its German subsidiary Grohmann Automation, some 5,350 miles and an ocean away from where it should be. The good news is everything is working, the bad news is it needs to be taken apart, transported, and put back together, all under the pressure of the end of Q1 deadline.
Here it is in Elon Musk's words, during his conference call with financial analysts: “That's got to be disassembled, brought over to the Gigafactory, and re-assembled and then brought into operation at the Gigafactory. It's not a question of whether it works or not. It's just a question of disassembly, transport, and reassembly,”

It looks like Tesla is playing it dangerously close once again, and it will be interesting to see the impact on its shares value if the deadlines aren't met for the umpteenth time. Because, as far as we know, there aren't any rocket launches planned just before March 31, right?

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Tesla’s new Workplace Charging program offers free charging stations to businesses

Tesla has several different infrastructure initiatives going on, including the Supercharger network, Urban Superchargers, and the Destination Charging network. Now the California trendsetter is adding another piece to the puzzle. Tesla’s new Workplace Charging program is similar to the Destination Charging network, in that it offers free charging stations to businesses, which agree to cover… Continue reading Tesla’s new Workplace Charging program offers free charging stations to businesses

Aston Martin boss: record profits show financial turnaround is complete

Aston Martin posted a profit of £87 million in 2017 – £250 million more than the £163 million loss the brand achieved in 2016. This was driven by a 58% upswing in global sales compared with 2016, with 5117 cars finding homes across the year. £876 million in revenue was raised – 48% up on 2016.… Continue reading Aston Martin boss: record profits show financial turnaround is complete