Tag: Tesla

Nio is providing a fully charged battery in 3 minutes for free, in China

The Chinese electric vehicle maker Nio, in a bid to win over new customers, is waiving the fees for something that could be a real selling point in the increasingly tight Chinese EV market: battery swapping.

The company had installed 80 battery swap stations in China in 2018 and now has well over 100 of them. It had planned to install 1,100 of them across China by 2020.

Nio has been charging about $25 for each battery swap, according to Automotive News, or about $130 for a monthly subscription, although the company included 12 free battery swaps a year for early reservation-holders and those who bought the Founders Edition version of its upscale ES8 electric SUV.

A full battery swap takes just three minutes, which gets owners a fully charged battery faster than the fastest-charging models on the market, including the Tesla Model 3 and upcoming Porsche Taycan.

The ES8’s 70-kwh liquid-cooled lithium-ion pack is otherwise good for gaining 62 miles in 10 minutes from a 50-kw fast charger.

Earlier in the decade a startup called Better Place tried to standardize and popularize the idea of battery swapping. But it found a host of barriers, including swapping stations that were expensive to build, battery packs that were heavy to move around, and resistance to standardization.

Tesla also tried battery swapping and had the process, provided to a number of owners at Harris Ranch, California, down to just 90 seconds. But after a limited pilot program the company abandoned the idea in favor of a stronger Supercharger network.

Tesla Supercharger V3 station – Las Vegas Strip

The offer comes, of course, just as Tesla is rapidly expanding its network of Superchargers in China and working toward production of the Model 3 in China by the end of the year. Tesla's Supercharger V3 hardware is capable of adding about 75 miles of range in just 4 minutes.

Nio also operates a charging network in China, and has been looking for a buyer for its power systems business in China. Amid lagging sales there it’s pulled back from ambitious U.S. plans as well—even though it trades on the New York Stock Exchange.

Will battery swapping give Nio enough of a boost in its home market to revive its international push?

Latest Tesla Software Update Improves Raven Driving Dynamics, More

It seems Tesla OTA updates are almost constant at this point. It comes as no surprise that automakers can update infotainment systems or other cabin electronics via software updates. We’ve become accustomed to this due to the widespread use of smartphones. However, most automakers require you to visit a dealership for such updates. Tesla has… Continue reading Latest Tesla Software Update Improves Raven Driving Dynamics, More

Audi e-tron 50 In Norway Priced 25% Lower Than e-tron 55

Audi e-tron 50 cost 25% less because it drives 25% less than e-tron 55. The price is on par with Tesla Model 3 Performance. Audi announced in Norway prices of the e-tron 50, a slimmed-down version of the e-tron 55 with only a 71 kWh battery instead of 95 kWh. As it turns out, the Launch… Continue reading Audi e-tron 50 In Norway Priced 25% Lower Than e-tron 55

Introducing Tesla Insurance

Starting today, we’re launching Tesla Insurance, a competitively priced insurance offering designed to provide Tesla owners with up to 20% lower rates, and in some cases as much as 30%. Tesla Insurance offers comprehensive coverage and claims management to support our customers in California, and it will expand to additional U.S. states in the future.… Continue reading Introducing Tesla Insurance

GM wins US grant to develop solid-state batteries

General Motors is the latest automaker reported to be working on solid-state lithium batteries, thanks to a $2 million grant from Uncle Sam.

The money is part of a larger grant to develop more fuel-efficient powertrains, CNET reported. The company is expected to use the rest of the money to develop a lighter-weight, more efficient engine for medium duty trucks, perhaps to replace the company's 6.2-liter V-8.

Solid-state lithium batteries replace the flammable liquid organic solvents such as ethylene carbonate as an electrolyte in conventional lithium batteries with a solid, ceramic electrolyte that isn't flammable. That allows engineers to cram more lithium atoms into the battery to give it more energy without increasing volatility, which could lead to lighter, batteries for electric cars with longer ranges.

VW Battery Packs

So far, complex manufacturing challenges, cost, and power output have held the batteries back.

Other automakers, including Volkswagen, Toyota, Honda, Nissan, and startup automaker Fisker are also racing to develop solid state batteries for electric cars.

GM is also working with Honda in a joint venture to develop future electric-car and fuel-cell technologies, including batteries.

Nio ES6 battery

John Goodenough, an engineering professor at the University of Texas, who co-invented the modern lithium-ion battery, announced a breakthrough in solid-state lithium batteries in 2017, but with long automotive development lead times, it has not yet seen the light of day.

Not all automakers or battery companies are optimistic about the prospects for solid-state batteries. Panasonic, Tesla's battery partner, has said it doesn't expect solid-state lithium batteries to be commercially viable for another 10 years, and Tesla recently bought ultracapacitor producer Maxwell Technologies. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has said ultracapacitors have more promise for electric cars than lithium-ion batteries.

U.S. to test mirrorless, camera-based systems in autos

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration plans to test how drivers could use cameras to replace traditional rearview mirrors in automobiles, a technology already allowed in other countries, the agency said on Tuesday. FILE PHOTO: An Audi 55 e-tron is seen ahead of the company’s annual news conference at its headquarters… Continue reading U.S. to test mirrorless, camera-based systems in autos

Tesla patents way to join solar roof tiles together for faster installation

Tesla is planning to ramp up installation of its new solar roof, but it needs to figure out a way to reduce installation time. Now a new patent shows a possible solution by producing and installing solar roof tiles in jointed groups. At Tesla’s 2019 shareholder’s meeting earlier this year, CEO Elon Musk said Tesla was… Continue reading Tesla patents way to join solar roof tiles together for faster installation

Volvo’s Polestar opens China factory to export to Europe, US

Polestar opened a factory Tuesday in the western city of Chengdu to produce the Polestar 1, a two-door, gasoline-electric hybrid coupe with a carbon-fiber body. BEIJING – Amid rising trade tension, Volvo’s electric brand, Polestar, is going ahead with plans to export its first Chinese-made model to the United States next year, the automaker’s CEO… Continue reading Volvo’s Polestar opens China factory to export to Europe, US

EVgo and Electrify America team up to make chargers more accessible

Finding a fast charger in the U.S. just got a lot easier for a lot of electric-car drivers.

Two of America's largest fast-charging networks announced an agreement Thursday to allow each other's users to charge at their charging sites without signing up for new memberships or payment plans.

Electrify America and EVgo agreed to a roaming partnership that will allow members of either service to charge at any EVgo or Electrify America charging station.

Each of the networks already has individual agreements with the nation's other largest networks, ChargePoint and Greenlots.

Electrify America DC fast chargers in Gulfport, Mississippi

Together they make up at least 42 percent of the DC fast chargers in the U.S. and 60 percent of the total fast-charging locations, according to data from the Department of Energy's Alternative Fuels Data Center. The others are split among Tesla (with 52 percent of the total fast chargers in 22 percent of locations), and six smaller networks.

That means that drivers of EVs other than Teslas are have a widespread network in many ways on par with Tesla's Superchargers that they can use to top off their batteries.

Unlike Tesla's Supercharger network, however, EVgo chargers are concentrated in and around cities—where EVgo points out that most EVs drive—rather than along highways between cities where the chargers could allow drivers to make longer trips between cities, as Tesla's Superchargers do.

Electrify America 350 kw chargers at Home Depot in Chicopee, Mass.

Electrify America, a division of Volkswagen, was founded under the settlement agreement over Volkswagen's diesel emissions cheating, and is required to install such highway charging stations. So far, however, it has only completed the first of four phases of a 10-year rollout plan.

Roaming “interoperability” agreements are becoming more common, making it easier for electric car-drivers to use a wider variety of chargers.

This has led to a spate of recent announcements—many using the “One-Step Plug & Charge” label—including between Greenlots and Electrify America and ChargePoint and Blink.

Polestar opens its own factory to build flagship plug-in hybrid

Volvo’s Polestar electric performance vehicle brand is, step by step, asserting itself as a standalone automaker. And two of the largest leaps yet were announced by the brand today.

One of them is that Polestar’s first production facility, in Chengdu, is now open and making the Polestar 1, a sleek high-performance plug-in hybrid sport coupe.

Polestar is planning to deliver a first-year allocation of 200 Polestar 1 vehicles for the North American market later this year at a pre-order price of $155,000. Polestar calls the 600-horsepower, carbon-fiber bodied 1 to be the most exclusive electrified vehicle to be manufactured in China.

Polestar production facility and customer experience center – Chengdu, China

The production facility itself is claimed to be one of the most environmentally responsible car factories in China, with a goal of achieving LEED Gold status for holistic sustainability and energy-saving practices. It includes an adjacent customer experience center, with a test track and covered atrium showcasing a panoramic view out over the factory floor.

“Here in Chengdu we are not only manufacturing a premium hybrid-electric performance car,” said Thomas Ingenlath, the CEO of Polestar. “We have also created an inspirational manufacturing environment, a great place to work and visit. It truly reflects the Polestar brand.”

The Polestar 2, a model that will directly rival the Tesla Model 3, will be made in Luqiao, China, beginning in early 2020. A related Polestar 3 will compare to the Tesla Model Y.

Polestar 2

The second big announcement accompanying the factory start is that Polestar has been given a World Manufacturing Identifier, which inserts space from both Volvo, with which it shares some engineering resources and strategic decisions, and Geely, its parent company.

Depending on how the political drama plays out surrounding potentially high tariffs placed on cars made in China, that space from Volvo might not entirely be a good thing. Volvo Cars has inaugurated a U.S. assembly plant in Charleston, South Carolina, that can produce up to 150,000 vehicles annually and will create about 4,000 jobs over several years.

Being treated as a separate automaker will however help Polestar with respect to the federal EV tax credit. Even after Volvo delivers 200,000 eligible plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles, Polestar buyers will still be able to claim the full $7,500.