Tesla – Page 2724 – I wish I had more to offer

Aurora cofounder and CEO Chris Urmson on the company’s new investor, Amazon, and much more

You might not think of self-driving technologies and politics having much in common, but at least in one way, they overlap meaningfully: yesterday’s enemy can be tomorrow’s ally. Such was the message we gleaned Thursday night, at a small industry event in San Francisco, where we had the chance to sit down with Chris Urmson, the cofounder… Continue reading Aurora cofounder and CEO Chris Urmson on the company’s new investor, Amazon, and much more

Tesla Model 3 cost surprised Porsche and Audi after reverse-engineering

Tesla Model 3 is now entering the European market and it is making some automakers nervous. According to a new report, Porsche and Audi reverse-engineered Tesla’s new electric car and they were quite surprised by its cost. It’s somewhat common in the industry to purchase vehicles from competitor to see what they are up to,… Continue reading Tesla Model 3 cost surprised Porsche and Audi after reverse-engineering

Tesla & Mercedes Talking About Electric Van Collaboration

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Cars Published on February 8th, 2019 | by Steve Hanley
Tesla & Mercedes Talking About Electric Van CollaborationTwitterLinkedInFacebookFebruary 8th, 2019 by Steve Hanley

Tesla and Mercedes-Benz have a history together. In May of 2009, Mercedes bought a 9% stake in the fledgling Tesla Motors for $50 million. Two months later, it transferred 40% of its Tesla shares to the investment arm of the government of Abu Dhabi, according to CCN.com. Tesla provided battery and electric propulsion technology to Mercedes for its early electric Smart as well as electrified versions of its A Class and B Class cars. In 2014, Mercedes severed its relationship with Tesla and sold the remainder of its shares to an undisclosed buyer for $780 million.
No one can ever say definitively whether the investment by Mercedes in 2009 was the difference between Tesla surviving or not, but it certainly came at a crucial time for the Silicon Valley startup. Since then, Tesla has gone on to accomplish things in the world of electric cars that few outside of Elon Musk and his closest associates ever thought possible. Among other things, it has knocked the mighty Mercedes S-Class off its perch as the best selling large luxury car in the US and in Germany, something that must make Dieter Zetsche and the Daimler board of directors wince every month when the sales numbers are released.

The romance between Tesla and Mercedes may have soured some years ago, but business is business. Last fall, Mercedes CEO Dieter Zetsche indicated his company might be interested in working with Tesla again, and in November Elon tweeted, “Maybe interesting to work with Daimler/Mercedes on an electric Sprinter. That’s a great van. We will inquire.”
But Musk went on to say in a subsequent tweet, “Lot on our plate, so it’s either get van gliders (no battery, powertrain or compute tech) from Daimler & produce sooner or do all & produce later. Not a big difference to total vehicles produced either way. Priority list is Model Y, solar roof tiles, pickup, semi, Roadster.”
Be that as it may, CNBC reports that Zetsche told Bloomberg on February 7 there is a possibility of the two companies cooperating in some capacity on a planned electric version of the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van. “These talks are happening,” Zetsche said, but added the “outcome is open.”
Mercedes has just spent $500 million to expand its factory in South Carolina to build more Sprinter vans and has snagged an order for 20,000 of them from Amazon. The Sprinter is available in a dizzying array of chassis lengths, roof heights, powertrain options, and interior fitments in order to meet the requirements of delivery companies and tradespeople. In all, some 1,700 combinations are possible. Many of those vans are powered by diesel engines.

As much as Tesla is doing to electrify the private passenger car segment of the transportation sector, medium- and light-duty trucks are responsible for more emissions over the course of a year than passenger cars. Electrifying the Sprinter vans is already underway, but a link up with Tesla could accelerate that process. Zetsche also said Tesla might be interested in using electric Sprinter vans for its on the road service vehicles.
Does a collaboration between Tesla and Mercedes hint at other collaborations down the road? For instance, instead of designing and building its own pickup truck, might Tesla be able to push its goal of getting people out of trucks with gasoline and diesel engines faster by working with an established manufacturer that has factories already configured to build such vehicles in massive quantities?
Volkswagen and Ford are already planning to work together on developing pickup trucks and electric powertrain technology. Waymo is seeking a linkup with the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance for self-driving taxis in Japan (if the Alliance survives). There is a definite movement toward convergence in the world of automobile manufacturing. If Tesla is truly committed to weaning the world off of fossil fuels, it might be able to accomplish that goal more quickly by working with others than by charting its own course for building every type of vehicle under the sun.
On the other hand, Tesla could wind up being the sole surviving global manufacturer once all the consolidations and mergers take place. Time will tell.

About the AuthorSteve Hanley Steve writes about the interface between technology and sustainability from his home in Rhode Island and anywhere else the Singularity may lead him. His motto is, “Life is not measured by how many breaths we take but by the number of moments that take our breath away!” You can follow him on Google + and on Twitter.

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Fastned: Production Tesla Model 3 Charges At Up To 125 kW

4 H BY MARK KANE About 125 kW, this is what you can expect between 10% to almost 50% SOC in a Model 3. Fastned just released charging power results of the production Tesla Model 3, registered at one of its 175 kW stations. The chart reveals that the European Model 3, with CCS Combo… Continue reading Fastned: Production Tesla Model 3 Charges At Up To 125 kW

Exclusive: Tesla’s delivery team gutted in recent job cuts – sources

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – When Tesla Inc announced last month a second round of job cuts to rein in costs, one crucial department was particularly badly hit. The automaker more than halved the division that delivers its electric vehicles to North American customers, two of the laid-off workers said. FILE PHOTO: A Tesla logo is… Continue reading Exclusive: Tesla’s delivery team gutted in recent job cuts – sources

Electrify America adds city charging, fills in highways in second cycle

Electrify America DC fast chargers at San Francisco Premium Outlets, Livermore, California
Over the next 2-1/2 years, Electrify America plans to expand its network of DC fast chargers for electric cars to include more cities, as well as to finish more of its build-out along highways across the U.S.

Electrify America is a division of VW founded to use money from Volkswagen's diesel emissions settlement to build out a network of fast chargers to make it easier for consumers to own and get where they want to go in an electric car.

MUST READ: Electrify America maps out charging network to rival Tesla Superchargers

Under terms of the court-decreed settlement, Electrify America is required to spend $2 billion by 2026 to build a network of fast-chargers that will charge any type of electric car—not just Volkswagens or Teslas—including in areas where other commercial networks might struggle to profit on installing chargers. That is scheduled to include at least two coast-to-coast highway routes with charging stations no more than 80 miles apart to make it possible to drive cross-country in any type of modern electric car.

EA's investments are scheduled in four cycles, the first of which is due to be completed by June 30, and the second cycle to start July 1.

READ MORE: California approves next Electrify America fast-charge rollout

Much of the first cycle was spent planning and hiring to get the necessary resources in place to build the network. Last summer, EA sketched out its overall network plan, which includes charging stations along highways that include 150-kilowatt and 350-kw chargers at those 80-mile intervals; 50- and 150-kw Metro stations, which are designed to help give urban apartment and condominium dwellers access to electric cars and serve those coming in the city; and Metro Hub stations along major commuting routes in and out of cities and in major suburbs. Many of these are at shopping malls or near subway or commuter-rail stations.

Electrify America Cycle 2 charger map plan

The first cycle dealt mainly with installing the highway and metro hub stations. The second cycle, which EA just announced on Thursday, continues those efforts but puts more focus on building inner-city metro stations near existing apartment and condominium neighborhoods, to give residents there a way to charge if they want to buy electric cars.

READ THIS: Electrify America switches on the first 350-kw Fast Charging station in Chicopee, Mass.

It will also add nine new cities to the list for installation of metro stations and metro hubs. The new cities include Atlanta; Baltimore; Boulder, Colorado; Bremerton and Olympia, Washington; Bridgeport, Connecticut; Phoenix; Las Vegas; and Honolulu.

EA will also expand the number of chargers it installed in Cycle 1 in Boston; Chicago; Denver; Miami; New York City; Philadelphia; Portland, Oregon; Seattle; and Washington, DC.

CHECK OUT: Electrify America launches “Jetstones” ad campaign

The effort mirrors one that EA proposed for its Cycle 2 buildout in California, which also focused on installing home and public chargers in low-income areas.

The second cycle will also include two pilot sites for charging autonomous vehicle fleets and will include renewable electricity generation at some stations to help reduce carbon emissions and reduce the cost of charging.

#1 Safest, Quickest, Techiest, Sexiest, Best Car for €50,000 to €60,000 — #Tesla Model 3 Now Invading Europe

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Cars Published on February 8th, 2019 | by Zachary Shahan
#1 Safest, Quickest, Techiest, Sexiest, Best Car for €50,000 to €60,000 — #Tesla Model 3 Now Invading EuropeTwitterLinkedInFacebookFebruary 8th, 2019 by Zachary Shahan

Safest: The Tesla Model 3 received the best safety score ever from the US NHTSA.
Why buy a Volvo when you can get a Model 3? …

Quickest: Tesla performance is unmatched in mass-market vehicles. The Tesla Model 3 Performance can go from 0–60 mph (0–100 km/h) in 3.3 seconds. The Model 3 Long Range does that in 4.5 seconds. The Model 3 Mid Range accelerates to that speed in 5.6 seconds. No matter which Model 3 trim you pick, it’s the quickest car for the price, and it’s genuinely quicker than anything you really need (though, the acceleration can be useful in many situations — like merging into traffic, passing big trucks, etc.).
Why buy a BMW when you can get a Model 3? …

Techiest: There is absolutely nothing like the tech in a Tesla. It seems all other automobiles are a decade or two behind. I feel like I’m in another era when using the old-school knobs, switches, and Mario Bros navigation screens of non-Tesla vehicles. Going backward from a smartphone seems illogical. Going backward from the touchscreen and advanced software of a Tesla seems equally illogical.
Why buy an Audi when you can get a Model 3? …

Sexiest: Okay, this is purely a matter of taste. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But seriously — jaws dropped and mouths watered when the Tesla Model 3 was first shown. The lady in front of me in line at 6:30 am on March 31, 2016, to make a reservation was in line simply because the Model S was so beautiful, but too expensive. The Model 3 looks like the more attractive offspring of an Aston Martin, a Porsche, and a Model S, imho. This is the car. It is like a 21st century Model T — with attitude.
Why buy a Mercedes when you can buy a Model 3? …

Best: Add all of that up, throw in some wicked total cost of ownership numbers, count the benefits of the zero emissions, remind yourself of the convenience of home charging and destination charging, consider the Full Self Driving potential if you didn’t do so in the “Techiest” section, make some space in the frunk for a puppy once in a while, and tell yourself the Model 3 isn’t now the best car for the price on the market. I personally don’t think it’s possible to objectively consider another €50,000–60,000 car the best value choice. And I imagine hundreds of thousands of European buyers agree with me.
Why buy a Lexus when you can buy a Model 3? …

As you may have noticed, the Tesla Model 3 arrived in Europe yesterday. The invasion begins. …
Note: If you ordered a Model 3, Model S, or Model X before February 2 but didn’t use a referral code in order to get 6–9 months of free Supercharging, you can still use my referral code — http://ts.la/tomasz7234 — in order to get that bonus/discount.
Just send an email to buildmy3EMEA@tesla.com with the word “Referral” in the subject line. Put your name, contact information, reservation number (starts with RN), and the referral code you’d like to use in the body of the email (for example, tomasz7234 if you’re using mine).
And enjoy!

Oh, by the way, it’s 4:20 am in Florida. Wake-up time.

About the AuthorZachary Shahan Zach is tryin' to help society help itself (and other species). He spends most of his time here on CleanTechnica as its director and chief editor. He's also the president of Important Media and the director/founder of EV Obsession and Solar Love. 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, and Canada. Zach has long-term investments in TSLA, FSLR, SPWR, SEDG, & ABB — after years of covering solar and EVs, he simply has a lot of faith in these particular companies and feels like they are good cleantech companies to invest in. But he offers no professional investment advice and would rather not be responsible for you losing money, so don't jump to conclusions.

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Volvo Cars courts investors to raise cash for Polestar

The company is also ditching the industry’s traditional route to market via dealers. STOCKHOLM: Volvo Cars is talking to Chinese and U.S. tech investors as the company seeks external finance for its Polestar performance electric car brand, the Swedish company’s chief said on Thursday. Carmakers are seeking partnerships to cut the cost of building new… Continue reading Volvo Cars courts investors to raise cash for Polestar

UPDATE 2-Fiat Chrysler paid $77 mln in U.S. fuel economy penalties in 2018

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV told Reuters on Thursday it paid $77 million in U.S. civil penalties late last year for failing to meet 2016 model year fuel economy requirements, the first significant sign the industry is facing hurdles meeting rising emissions rules. FILE PHOTO: A Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) sign is seen… Continue reading UPDATE 2-Fiat Chrysler paid $77 mln in U.S. fuel economy penalties in 2018

Amazon just invested in self-driving car company Aurora

Leonard Ortiz | Digital First Media | Getty Images
Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon, speaks to a group of Amazon employees that are veterans during an Amazon Veterans Day celebration, to honor the Warriors@Amazon, a group of employees who have served in the military and their spouses, in an event outside a hanger at the Long Beach Airport in Long Beach on Monday, November 12, 2018. The event included the unveiling Amazon's 40th airplane named Valor in honor of the group. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz/Digital First Media/Orange County Register via Getty Images)

Self-driving car startup Aurora announced on Thursday that it has raised more than $530 million in funding, from investors including Amazon, Sequoia and the investment arm of energy giant Shell.

“This funding and partnership will accelerate our mission of delivering the benefits of self-driving technology safely, quickly, and broadly,” Aurora said. Aurora's management has a lot of experience in the automotive industry.

The company's CEO and co-founder Chris Urmson is the former CTO of self-driving cars at Alphabet, which owns the autonomous vehicle firm Waymo. Co-founder and chief product officer Sterling Anderson led the design and launch of the Tesla Model X, according to Aurora's website. Drew Bagnell, Aurora's chief technology officer and co-founder helped found Uber's Advanced Technology Center.

“We are always looking to invest in innovative, customer-obsessed companies, and Aurora is just that,” Amazon told CNBC in a statement. “Autonomous technology has the potential to help make the jobs of our employees and partners safer and more productive, whether it's in a fulfillment center or on the road, and we're excited about the possibilities.”

The Wall Street Journal said last year that Amazon has a team dedicated to building autonomous vehicle technology. Amazon also announced a partnership with Toyota last year that will help Amazon explore ways to use self-driving cars to deliver food. Earlier this week, CNBC reported that Amazon is already hauling cargo in self-driving trucks developed by Embark.

Rather than manufacturing its own vehicles, Aurora is working with incumbents like VW and Hyundai, as well as Byton in China, to develop self-driving cars. It competes with Waymo, other venture backed autonomous vehicle start-ups like Zoox, and self-driving companies that were acquired by Ford and GM, Argo.AI and Cruise, respectively.

Neither Amazon nor Aurora revealed just how much of the new funding round came from Amazon. The e-commerce titan's investment in Aurora follows its addition of risk language in its 10K filings, that Amazon views “transportation and logistics services” as competition.

Amazon's delivery costs exceeded $27 billion in 2018. Using advanced driver-assistive technology, or fully self-driving vehicles, could help it curb delivery costs.

-CNBC's Deirdre Bosa and Lora Kolodny contributed to this report.

Subscribe to CNBC on YouTube.

Amazon Echo is a key part of company's future, says NYT columnist
12:16 PM ET Fri, 1 Feb 2019 | 04:19