Original Article
Tag: VW
Audi E-tron recalled for battery seal, potential “thermal event”
Audi confirmed Monday that it is recalling 1,644 E-tron electric SUVs, including 544 vehicles that have been delivered to customers, due to an issue with the battery pack’s seal that it says could lead to “a short circuit or thermal event.”
Audi is not aware of any such shorts or thermal events, it says, insisting that the move to recall its first electric car was made “out of an abundance of caution.” According to Audi, there have only been five cases globally of the battery warning light illuminating that are related to this potential pack-seal issue.
The cause isn’t related to the cells or modules themselves in the Audi E-tron battery pack. Specifically, a defective grommet could leave a portion of the battery’s seal vulnerable to a breach, where moisture could enter the pack.
2019 Audi e-tron battery pack
Moisture entering the pack could lead to corrosion, and the increased chance of a short over time. It could also lead to the increased chances of a fire during a thermal runaway issue within the pack—the most likely after a severe collision.
Provided the yellow battery warning light on the instrument panel hasn’t signaled an issue, the vehicle is safe to continue driving until Audi is ready with a remedy for the affected vehicles—expected to arrive in August.
The warning light is something to take very seriously, however: “Should a yellow battery warning light appear, appropriate actions should be taken to stop and park the vehicle in the open, do not charge and contact roadside assistance to make arrangements to have the vehicle towed to the dealer for inspection/service without delay,” instructs Audi.
2019 Audi E-tron
Audi says that E-tron vehicles that are unaffected by the recall remain available for delivery, and their reservation system remains open. As of the time this was published, recall documents hadn't yet been posted by the federal government.
The company has been proactively reaching out to customers over the past week. If customers do see the warning light, or if they choose not to drive their vehicle affected by the recall, Audi will pick up their vehicle at a place of their choice and replace it with an unaffected E-tron whenever possible. Otherwise it will substitute in an ICE vehicle as well as an $800 cash card to help cover the higher fuel expenses and any additional expenses the owner may incur.
The “abundance of caution” statement speaks volumes about the approach for battery packs being taken by Audi, and by Volkswagen and the entire VW Group. While Audi may have already encountered issues with LG Chem in cell supply, it’s treating the battery pack, its energy and power management, and its cooling to be an entirely proprietary component designed and engineered in-house—a choice that’s likely given Audi an advantage in troubleshooting and fixing issues like this when they arise.
Audi recalls its electric SUV over battery fire risk
Audi today issued a voluntary recall in the U.S. for the E-Tron SUV due to the risk of battery fire. An Audi spokesperson told Bloomberg that no fires had been reported over the 1,644 E-Trons Audi has sold. According to the recall, Audi found moisture can seep into the battery cell through a wiring harness.… Continue reading Audi recalls its electric SUV over battery fire risk
JCT600 to open new Mitsubishi dealership in Bradford
JCT600 has appointed a new Mitsubishi Motors dealership in Bradford. The dealership will be fully open from 1 July, but a pop-up sales office is currently open for enquiries. Located at 99 Sticker Lane, the addition of a Mitsubishi Motors dealership will expand customer choice with a full range of cars, SUVs and pick-up trucks… Continue reading JCT600 to open new Mitsubishi dealership in Bradford
Tesla opens first 250-kw charging stations at Fremont factory
With Tesla's Supercharger fast charging network, Tesla vehicles can now be charged faster than any other currently available electric car.
That status comes courtesy of eight new Version 3 Superchargers that the company opened at its Fremont, California, factory, which can charge a Model 3 at up to 250 kilowatts. That can give the car, which is rated at 3.86 miles per kilowatt-hour (or 130 mpg equivalent, for a typical Long Range Model 3,) up to 180 miles of charge in as little as 15 minutes.
Of course, it comes with a few caveats, primarily that it only works for the Model 3, and only for drivers who are within range of those eight Superchargers in Fremont. The company opened the Superchargers to some Tesla drivers in its Early Access test program in March, but as of Friday it has enabled any Tesla driver to use them.
Tesla plans to begin rolling out the fast Version 3 Superchargers across the country.
Other Tesla models still get a faster charge on the new Version 3 Superchargers, just not as fast. With both lower charging speeds and lower efficiency ratings (fewer miles from the same number of kilowatt-hours), the Model S can refill about 130 miles in 15 minutes, and the Model X about 115. That's still faster than cars can recharge at standard (V2) Supercharger stations.
Tesla's goal, the company said in a blog post, is to reduce wait times at existing Supercharger stations by charging each car more quickly. (The company has also instituted new idle-time fees for cars that remain parked and plugged in at Superchargers once their batteries are full.)
Other networks include even faster chargers, such as Electrify America and EVgo, both of which have installed several 350-kw DC fast chargers on their networks. However, no other cars today are designed to accept such a fast charge. The fastest, so far, is the Audi E-tron quattro, which can charge at a maximum of 150 kilowatts.
The first new electric car that will be able to take advantage of the new 350-kilowatt speed will likely be the Porsche Taycan, which is due out at the end of the year. In the meantime, Model 3 owners can rejoice that their cars can charge faster than any other car on the road—as long as they're in Fremont.
Fiat Chrysler teams up with Amazon-backed driverless car start-up Aurora
Source: AuroraFiat Chrysler is joining forces with Silicon Valley-based technology upstart Aurora to build driverless cars.
The two companies said Monday they had signed an agreement that lays the groundwork for a “powerful partnership in self-driving commercial vehicles.”
The deal will enable Aurora to expand the scope of its self-driving software, the firm said, “allowing us to offer a variety of solutions to strategic customers in logistics, transit, and other use cases.”
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The news comes just under a week after the Italian-American automaker dropped its merger offer for French rival Renault.
The deal could have helped the two align their strategy on innovations like electric and self-driving cars, a space that has become a central battleground for major carmakers worldwide.
“As part of FCA's autonomous vehicle strategy we will continue to work with strategic partners in this space to address the needs of consumers in a rapidly changing industry,” Fiat Chrysler CEO Mike Manley said in a statement Monday.
“Aurora brings a unique skillset combined with advanced and purposeful technology that complements and enhances our philosophy on self-driving.”
Aurora is already partnered with household names in the industry like Volkswagen and Hyundai. The firm boasts talent from founders who all previously worked at tech giants including Alphabet, Tesla and Uber.
The Palo Alto, California-based company raised $530 million earlier this year, in a round that was backed by leading venture capital firm Sequoia and e-commerce titan Amazon.
The race toward full self-driving capability has become a heated one, with tech firms and automakers alike looking to make waves in the field.
Just last week, it was reported that Apple was looking to buy driverless shuttle service Drive.ai. The firm's autonomous driving division, known as Project Titan, underwent a big restructuring earlier this year, laying off over 200 employees.
Ultima RS Debuts With Up To 1,200 HP Of Track Conquering Power – Motor1 UK
10 June 2019 at 11:00 By: Chris Bruce You can load the cabin with amenities like air conditioning, rearview camera, and parking sensors. The Ultima RS is the new range-topping model from the boutique British automaker best known for the Ultima GTR. It debuts at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, but interested buyers can pre-order one… Continue reading Ultima RS Debuts With Up To 1,200 HP Of Track Conquering Power – Motor1 UK
Fiat Chrysler partners with Aurora to develop self-driving commercial vans
Aurora, the autonomous vehicle technology startup backed by Sequoia Capital and Amazon, has struck a deal with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles to develop self-driving commercial vehicles. The partnership will focus on integrating Aurora’s technology into FCA’s line of Ram Truck commercial vehicles, a portfolio that includes cargo vans and trucks. The deal could extend to FCA’s… Continue reading Fiat Chrysler partners with Aurora to develop self-driving commercial vans
Toyota Goes Electric Starting In 2020: Announces Massive EV Offensive
Toyota finally decided to go all-electric from 2020 on with a new BEV platform and six global BEV models including crossovers, SUVs and more. Toyota, after years of neglecting of all-electric cars, announced today a huge offensive with a new platform, global models of various type as well as ultra-compact and walking area BEVs. The new… Continue reading Toyota Goes Electric Starting In 2020: Announces Massive EV Offensive
Automakers lay out mpg concerns for Trump: Talk to California, please
Ten months after the U.S. EPA and DOT proposed easing federal fleet fuel economy standards for 2021-2026, there has been no formal submission of the plan. And more than a year after the EPA suggested that it might challenge California’s waiver to set stricter standards, it hasn’t confirmed one way or another whether it will do that.
As if a rapidly evolving tariff situation and trade war weren’t enough, the uncertainty over mileage standards has also led to a great deal of unease in the auto industry. Thursday, 17 automakers sent a letter to President Trump asking for some reassurance on the mileage standards—and spelling out exactly what they presently want: one national standard for vehicle fuel economy, in the form of a final rule that California can support.
Audi e-tron, on the Golden Gate Bridge
The letter thanks the President for supporting “a vibrant and competitive auto industry in the United States,” and notes the different market landscape versus in 2011, when the standards were last revamped. Examples include lower-than-expected fuel prices, a higher rate of SUV and pickup sales, and a lower-than-anticipated adoption rate of vehicles with alternative powertrains.
The automakers stressed that the final rule, which would cover model years 2021 to 2026, would need to include “flexibilities that promote advanced technology for the sake of long-term environmental gains and U.S. global competitiveness.”
“For these reasons, we support a unified standard that both achieves year-over-year improvements in fuel economy and facilitates the adoption of vehicles with alternative powertrains,” said the automakers. “We encourage both the federal government and California to resume discussions and to remain open to regulatory adjustments that provide the flexibility needed to meet future environmental goals and respond to consumer needs.”
Tesla didn't signed to the letter. Direct mentions of electric vehicles, electrification, hybrids, carbon reduction, or climate change were also notably missing from the letter, which was sent in CC to Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao, U.S. EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler, and National Economic Council Director Lawrence Kudlow.
Tesla factory, Fremont, California
Talks between the federal and California agencies, according to a joint statement from the EPA and Transportation Department, broke off in February as the California Air Resource Board “failed to put forward a productive alternative. CARB claims that talks never actually got to the depth of either discussing or negotiating policy.
The regulation proposal itself is overdue. What the EPA previously issued was just a notice of proposed rulemaking. The plan hasn’t yet been rolled out in any formal way, and Reuters noted that before it can even be published it needs to be submitted to the White House Office of Management and Budget for review.
The administration hasn’t yet rolled out the formal version of its plan, which was last reported to make a very small increase in fleet-wide fuel efficiency. Wheeler told Reuters in April that “our final regulation is not going to be the same as our proposal.”
Most automakers, who may have been eager to lobby for relaxed standards, have come to realize that a long fight with California isn’t in the interest of global competitiveness. And if the EPA decides to deny California of its waiver, the case could lead to an extended (read: years-long) state of unease as the case makes its way through the courts.
As the letter explained, a divided U.S. market “could prove as untenable as the current program.”
California Air Resources Board chair Mary Nichols (via Twitter)
CARB chairwoman Mary Nichols last month said that if it is denied its GHG waiver the state might get creative with fees, taxes, and perhaps even bans on certain types of vehicles and products.
Green Car Reports has reached out to CARB, which wasn’t officially looped in on the letter, and will update this piece when they provide a statement or reaction.
“Striking the proper balance will not be easy, but we know with your leadership it can happen,” the automakers swoon to Trump, in a conclusion to the letter. “We are eager to work with you to advance this outcome and strengthen our economy and technological leadership.”