Electric vehicles – Page 8560 – I wish I had more to offer

Audi A9 E-tron: electric luxury saloon due in 2024

The aim with Artemis is to emulate the inherent agility and speed of execution of rival electric start-up brands and leading motor racing teams. Duesmann said the new working group will be given a “large degree of freedom and will work globally”. Key contributors to Artemis will be Audi’s own InCampus technical hub and the… Continue reading Audi A9 E-tron: electric luxury saloon due in 2024

Tesla: Gigafactory Berlin in Grünheide should cost a billion euros

The US electric car makerTeslaplans construction costs of around EUR 1.065 billion for its first factory in Europe. This comes from an updated application for environmental approval, which was published on Thursday. The construction work is expected to last until March 2021. Production in Grünheide near Berlin, which is scheduled to start in July 2021,… Continue reading Tesla: Gigafactory Berlin in Grünheide should cost a billion euros

Tesla: Elon Musk’s electric car manufacturer defies corona crisis, deliveries increased in Q2

Inside, the Model 3 welcomes you with an almost Scandinavian, simple interior – and a giant screen that controls almost all vehicle functions. Tesla has saved on buttons and levers: to the left of the steering wheel is the turn signal lever, which also functions as a flasher and activates the windshield wipers. To the… Continue reading Tesla: Elon Musk’s electric car manufacturer defies corona crisis, deliveries increased in Q2

Jaguar Land Rover remains bullish on diesel powertrains

Jaguar Land Rover will continue to invest in diesel technology as it ramps up plans to electrify its model line-up and develop a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle. Product engineering boss Nick Rogers said, in light of the coronavirus pandemic: “We really believe that customers will be focused on being cleaner, safer and smarter than ever… Continue reading Jaguar Land Rover remains bullish on diesel powertrains

Tesla updates ridiculous warranty on problematic media unit and touchscreen

Tesla has updated its warranty for its already problematic media unit and touchscreen with a ridiculously shorter 2-year or 25,000-mile limit. As we previously reported, Tesla had a problem with the embedded Multi-Media-Card memory (eMMC) in its original MCU (the central media unit with a touchscreen). It is being overwritten to the point of failure… Continue reading Tesla updates ridiculous warranty on problematic media unit and touchscreen

My Interview With Peter Mertens, Former Board Member of Audi, Volkswagen Group, Volvo, & Jaguar Land Rover

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Published on July 4th, 2020 |

by Alex Voigt

My Interview With Peter Mertens, Former Board Member of Audi, Volkswagen Group, Volvo, & Jaguar Land Rover

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After my article “There Will Be Blood” was published here on CleanTechnica, Peter Mertens, the former Head of R&D at Audi and former Board Member of Audi, Volkswagen, Volvo, and Jaguar Land Rover, and now Board Member of Faurecia, Recogni and Chairman of the Advisory Board of Valens, reached out to me and asked if I am interested in an interview with him.

Peter Mertens. Image courtesy of Thomas Pirot, copyrighted.

When Peter left Audi in 2018 for health-related reasons, Herbert Diess, the CEO of Volkswagen Group, asked Peter to come back after recovery and offered more than his role as Head of R&D — which, in my personal interpretation, was the path to become a CEO within the Group. Peter decided against it, and instead in favor of the most important thing we have, our health.

I believe that all automotive managers have a story to tell about their version of the truth, and I want to give them a platform to do that. Not all are as free as Peter is, but many certainly would like to be. If you want to hear the truth, you need to go to the source and listen well. Peter is one of those sources who is now telling his truth, and I recorded this interview with him — uncut — to give you all the opportunity to hear it all.

A lot is written in the mainstream media and social media about how the entire industry could keep sleeping with literally open eyes while Tesla overtakes them, hands down. With a production target of just 500,000 vehicles in 2020, which is 5% of that of the Volkswagen Group, Tesla is valued now above $200 billion, and by market capitalization is today the largest automotive company in the world, having more than twice the market cap of Volkswagen.

I never thought anybody would be interested in my modest thoughts, and without having been asked for them, I would never have written a single article. The same is true for interviews in which I am now invited by senior automotive executives, which is a true honor for me.

Despite my articles in which I express my own and often strong opinion, my interviews are different. They are not about painting a positive or negative picture about someone or something by collecting available information, but about making a step from “painting as I imagine reality” to a photo that is nearer to reality.

My interviews are an attempt to search for answers you will not find anywhere else.

Decide yourself if they are useful. Here is my interview with Peter Mertens:

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About the Author

Alex Voigt Alex Voigt has been a supporter of the mission to transform the world to sustainable carbon free energy for 40 years. As an engineer, he is fascinated with the ability of humankind to develop a better future via the use of technology. With 30 years of experience in the stock market, he is invested in Tesla [TSLA], as well as some other tech companies, for the long term.

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Nikola’s CEO gives the biggest reason why businesses should buy the Nikola Two instead of Tesla’s Semi truck (NKLA)

Nikola says its Nikola Two hydrogen-powered semi truck will have 500-750 miles of range, compared to the 300-500 miles Tesla has said its Semi will be able to drive between charges. Battery-powered vehicles require a trade-off between range and storage capacity, Nikola CEO Mark Russell told Business Insider. More range means a bigger battery, and… Continue reading Nikola’s CEO gives the biggest reason why businesses should buy the Nikola Two instead of Tesla’s Semi truck (NKLA)

Daimler CEO sees ‘drastic’ pay cuts, deeper restructuring – ETAuto.com

Daimler’s restructuring plan, issued in November, called for cutting its workforce by more than 10,000 to slash 1.4 billion euros ($1.6 billion) off personnel spending by 2022. Daimler AG Chief Executive Officer Ola Kallenius said the maker of Mercedes-Benz cars and the industry as a whole face painful cutbacks to overcome the economic fallout of… Continue reading Daimler CEO sees ‘drastic’ pay cuts, deeper restructuring – ETAuto.com

IONITY Celebrates 250th Fast-Charging Station In Europe

IONITY, the European fast-charging network, founded in 2017 by BMW Group, Daimler AG, Ford Motor Company and the Volkswagen Group with Porsche AG, and joined by Hyundai Motor Group (Hyundai and Kia) in 2019, celebrates its 250th charging location. The company announced the news on July 3, 2020, about six months since the milestone of 200… Continue reading IONITY Celebrates 250th Fast-Charging Station In Europe

Fastned Acquires Fast-Charging Network MisterGreen

Fastned acquires fast charging network MisterGreen Amsterdam, 01 July 2020 | 17:40 Europe/Amsterdam Today Fastned announces it has taken over the fast charging company of MisterGreen. As a result Fastned has acquired the rights to operate fast charging stations at 16 high traffic service areas along national highways in the Netherlands. The locations are mostly… Continue reading Fastned Acquires Fast-Charging Network MisterGreen