Tesla – Page 2640 – I wish I had more to offer

An autonomous robot EV charger is coming to San Francisco

Electrify America will pilot the tech designed for fleets Kirsten Korosec 7 hours Electric-vehicle chargers today are designed for human drivers. Electrify America and San Francisco-based startup Stable are preparing for the day when humans are no longer behind the wheel. Electrify America, the entity set up by Volkswagen as part of its settlement with… Continue reading An autonomous robot EV charger is coming to San Francisco

Jaguar I-PACE Dealer Inventory In U.S. Hits 6-Month Supply

Jaguar I-PACE dealer inventory in the U.S. is now comparable to about six months of sales The Jaguar I-PACE sales both in the U.S. and globally regularly averages above 10% of overall sales of the brand, but many wonder about the long-term demand. During the first six months of this year, Jaguar sold some 9,077 I-PACE, including… Continue reading Jaguar I-PACE Dealer Inventory In U.S. Hits 6-Month Supply

Lucid Begins Work On Factory In Arizona – CleanTechnica

Cars Published on July 19th, 2019 | by Steve Hanley July 19th, 2019 by Steve Hanley Lucid is one company that would be happy to eat the lunch of the major manufacturers who can’t be bothered to make electric cars. This week, it finally broke ground on its factory in Casa Grande, Arizona. David Salguero… Continue reading Lucid Begins Work On Factory In Arizona – CleanTechnica

Tesla Will Pay Shanghai $323 Million In Taxes Due To Gigafactory 3

You have to be pretty confident in success to accept such a bill… Anyone in doubt if Tesla is one of the big guys in the automotive industry’s neighborhood or not can check its deal with the Shanghai government for Gigafactory 3. Tesla has simply agreed to pay 2.23 billion renminbi – $323 million –… Continue reading Tesla Will Pay Shanghai $323 Million In Taxes Due To Gigafactory 3

Fresco Reverie Electric Sedan Is Norway’s Answer To EV Invasion

The company expects to present the electric sedan by 2021. Norway is the country that loves EVs the most so far. Not in terms of volumes, which are relatively low, but in what relates to market share. Norway also never had a major automaker, but that may change soon if Fresco Motors manages to materialize… Continue reading Fresco Reverie Electric Sedan Is Norway’s Answer To EV Invasion

Tesla Ramping Up Production Of V3 Solar Roof Tiles To 1,000 Systems/Week By End Of 2019

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Published on July 30th, 2019 |

by Kyle Field

Tesla Ramping Up Production Of V3 Solar Roof Tiles To 1,000 Systems/Week By End Of 2019

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July 30th, 2019 by Kyle Field

Image credit: Tesla

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has confirmed on Twitter that the company is working to ramp up the production of its solar roof tiles to a rate of 1000 per week by the end of the year. Rollout of the solar roof tiles has been slower than the company expected back when they were first revealed in a 2016 event at the Universal Studios backlot in Southern California.

We still don’t know much about version 3 of Tesla’s solar roof tiles, but there are a number of areas the company could improve them to drive higher adoption, lower cost, or better payouts. The early builds of the solar roof tiles had relatively low efficiencies at ~18%. Improving this to a higher percentage using better solar cells could see this number climbing as high as 23%, which would generate more power and result in faster payouts for homeowners if all other factors remained the same (like purchase price).

Musk originally showed off four versions of the solar roof tiles, but to date, only the textured solar roof tiles have been installed on the homes of customers. Building out the three remaining configurations of the product in the smooth, slate, and tuscan finishes would open up the product to new customers living in homes that are better suited to one of the other finishes.

Since that time, Tesla moved production out of the initial development space and into its Gigafactory 2 in Buffalo, New York, and started down what turned out to be a long road of product development. The ultimate goal was to reimagine both the roofing business and the solar business and nail the sweet spot between the two with a solar roof tile that installed faster than a traditional roof, was far more durable than your average roof, and churned out solar.

The early images and videos of the roof tiles showed them looking more like LEGO blocks, with the solar roof tiles delivered and installed in pre-wired blocks of three. LEGOs are quick and easy to put together and Musk and his team at Tesla aspired to do the same with an easy-to-install, long-lasting, solar-generating Tesla-branded glass roof.

Image credit: Tesla

Later in the process, we learned that Tesla had been refining the design of its solar roof tiles, with a new version 3 of the roof tiles that could be the mass-market build. This new announcement comes just weeks after the announcement of version 3 of the solar roof tiles and shows a renewed focus from the company on the non-battery side of Tesla Energy.

Installations of the earlier versions of the solar roof have trickled out of the company, but have failed to truly deliver on the promise of Tesla’s early solar roof tile vision of a solar roof tile for the masses. On the cost front, views into early installations of the solar roof show a favorable payout compared to the cost to install a traditional roof and solar panel-based system. (That’s a link to a full, real-world analysis conducted for a new home.)

Tesla Solar Roof Tile production at the Gigafactory 2 in Buffalo. Image credit: Tesla

Prospects for Tesla’s solar roof continue to look favorable, as the cost of the roof tiles themselves will continue to fall as Tesla ramps up production. Looking beyond the current low production volumes to a future where Tesla is producing 1,000 systems per week, an inevitable installation and permitting hell awaits. There is truly no rest for the team at Tesla as it continues to push to create new markets, new vehicles, and new products in its quest to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy.

If you’re in the market for a Tesla, feel free to use my Tesla Referral code for your purchase: http://ts.la/kyle623. Doing so gives the buyer (that would be you) and me 1,000 miles of free Supercharging credit and allows us to cover Tesla even better in the future.

About the Author

Kyle Field I'm a tech geek passionately in search of actionable ways to reduce the negative impact my life has on the planet, save money and reduce stress. Live intentionally, make conscious decisions, love more, act responsibly, play. The more you know, the less you need. TSLA investor.

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Ex-Daimler Boss Says A Car’s Engine Is Not A Differentiator Anymore – Motor1.com

Mercedes is now using Renault engines in some models. Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche stepped down earlier this year, departing after more than 40 years at the company, 13 of which were at Daimler’s helm. In a wide-ranging post-employment interview with Top Gear, Zetsche makes a bold assertion that’ll undoubtedly ruffle the feathers of enthusiasts –… Continue reading Ex-Daimler Boss Says A Car’s Engine Is Not A Differentiator Anymore – Motor1.com

German auto supplier Eisenmann files for insolvency

FRANKFURT (Reuters) – German auto supplier Eisenmann, which supplied Tesla (TSLA.O) in 2015 with a new paint shop at its Freemont plant in California, filed for insolvency late on Monday, in a sign of the growing economic problems crushing profits in the auto sector. Eisenmann, which has 3,000 employees and generated annual revenues of 723… Continue reading German auto supplier Eisenmann files for insolvency

GM Cruise delays the launch of autonomous ride-share, adds to test fleet

General Motors Cruise test vehiclesSource: General MotorsCruise, the subsidiary of General Motors developing self-driving vehicles and services, said Wednesday it is postponing a plan to launch an autonomous ride-share service by the end of 2019.
It is the latest indication automakers and tech firms are finding it tougher than expected to put self-driving cars on the roads for public use.
Cruise CEO Dan Ammann announced the delay in launching an autonomous ride-share program through a post on Medium. “Our first deployment needs to be done right and we will only deploy when we can demonstrate that we will have a net positive impact on safety on our roads,” he said. The company has tabbed San Francisco as the location for the service when it eventually starts.
Before that happens, Cruise will be put more test vehicles on the road in San Francisco to better understand and solve the challenges of navigating busy city streets. Right now, Cruise has a fleet of 180 specially designed all-electric GM cars, modified with lidar sensors, cameras and radar logging thousands of miles every day, all with a safety driver ready to take control of the car if a complex or dangerous situation arises.
Since late 2017, Ammann and General Motors have said they plan to have an autonomous ride-share service on the road by the end of 2019. That optimism is one reason why the Softbank Vision Fund, Honda and others have invested more than $7.25 billion into Cruise, pushing its valuation to $19 billion last May, according to company figures.
The appeal of robotaxis is the potential to generate large profits by eliminating the driver, the biggest cost facing Uber, Lyft and other ride-hailing companies. In previous briefings with reporters, Cruise has estimated the cost to operate an autonomous ride-share program in San Francisco could be as low as $1.50 per mile, 40% below the cost of similar services operated by a human driver.
While investors may be optimistic about the potential profits of robotaxis driving passengers around a city, those who track the industry are not surprised Cruise is tapping the brakes on its plans. “The closer you get to ground zero and putting an autonomous vehicle or vehicles on the road, the difference between where the technology is now and where it needs to be cannot be ignored,” said Mike Ramsey, automotive analyst for Gartner Research. “The right thing to do is to not put a product out on the road too soon.”
Late last year, Waymo, Alphabet's autonomous vehicle division, launched its own commercial ride-share service in metropolitan Phoenix. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has promised to have “a million robotaxis” on the road by the end of 2020, capitalizing on Tesla's autopilot technology.
“I feel very confident predicting autonomous robotaxis for Tesla next year,” Musk told analysts in May. He later admitted his timing for plans is sometimes wrong.
For Cruise, the focus now is expanding the number of miles its test fleet is driving.
“Having our cars running many more miles on the road will further accelerate our rate of learning and safety validation,” said Ammann. “It will also give us crucial operational learnings from running a larger scale fleet and a larger scale ride service, which we currently operate for our employees.”

An Interview with Atlis Motor Vehicle CEO Mark Hanchett and Lead Designer Ross Compton – Core77.com

Electric vehicles, you’ve heard they’re going to be everywhere soon. That’s a realistic forecast for dealer lots at least, as most manufacturers are ready or close to introducing new all-electric models. Watch out for VW’s launch of the ID hatchback later in 2019, the first EV of an 8 model lineup. Porsche is close to… Continue reading An Interview with Atlis Motor Vehicle CEO Mark Hanchett and Lead Designer Ross Compton – Core77.com