Electric vehicles – Page 9103 – I wish I had more to offer

Fiat Will Effectively Fund Tesla’s German Factory, Baird Says

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV’s deal to pool its fleet with Tesla Inc. to comply with stricter emissions rules in Europe is in effect funding the electric-car maker’s upcoming Germany factory, according to Robert W. Baird & Co.

@Tata-JLR: JAGUAR LAND ROVER REPORTS DECEMBER RETAIL SALES UP 1.3%

Jaguar Land Rover is the UK’s largest automotive manufacturer, built around two iconic British car brands: Land Rover, the world’s leading manufacturer of premium all-wheel-drive vehicles; and Jaguar, one of the world’s premier luxury sports saloon and sports car marques. At Jaguar Land Rover, we are driven by a desire to deliver class-leading vehicles, which… Continue reading @Tata-JLR: JAGUAR LAND ROVER REPORTS DECEMBER RETAIL SALES UP 1.3%

Siemens Mobility leads build-out of local charging network in West of England

Following the launch of local public charging network Revive, Siemens Mobility is working with Alfen and ENGIE EV Solutions (formerly ChargePoint Services) to deliver new charging hubs and more than 120 new EV connections across the West of England. Revive is a public charging network that will feature four dedicated charging hubs around Bristol, Bath,… Continue reading Siemens Mobility leads build-out of local charging network in West of England

Lebanon bans Ghosn from foreign travel

The statement said that Ghosn’s allegation of a conspiracy was “categorically false”, adding that prosecutors were seeking to bring him to justice in Japan. Beirut: Lebanon banned former auto tycoon Carlos Ghosn from travelling on Thursday after questioning him over an Interpol “red notice” of charges of financial misconduct in Japan, judicial sources said. The… Continue reading Lebanon bans Ghosn from foreign travel

BYD Delivers 100th All-Electric Truck In The U.S.

BYD in the U.S. was mostly focused on electric buses, and hundreds of those were already produced in Lancaster, California, but the electric truck branch is also expanding quite nicely. This month, the Chinese manufacturer announced delivery of its 100th all-electric truck in the country, which happens to be a second-generation BYD 8TT Class 8 electric… Continue reading BYD Delivers 100th All-Electric Truck In The U.S.

Smash & Smash — Tesla Model 3 Glass Holds Up To Hammer & Weighty SUV On Top (Videos)

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Published on January 5th, 2020 |

by Cynthia Shahan

Smash & Smash — Tesla Model 3 Glass Holds Up To Hammer & Weighty SUV On Top (Videos)

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January 5th, 2020 by Cynthia Shahan

All-glass roof of Tesla Model 3 — looking above. Photo by Cynthia Shahan | CleanTechnica

Smash — the following two glimpses into untimely road risks confirm my fears of highway travel. Yet, in both cases, they make me oh so relieved that two of my grandchildren travel in a Tesla Model 3, as well as my son and his wife.

The Tesla Model 3 is well known for its scores in safety examinations in the US, Europe, and Australia, as well as from insurance investigations, but there’s something about seeing how it holds up in the real world that adds confidence.

In the first instance below, the driver walks away, seemingly fine, after a disastrous, grave accident. It appears she even has no fear reaching inside her Tesla Model 3 for something while the Toyota SUV that just ran over the roof of her Model 3 bears down with massive weight on the glass roof. The car remains in place, resting soundly on the glass. Yes, despite such an extreme incident, the Model 3 driver walks away on foot, wholly alive, and there is no array of flying glass as one might have guessed from such an accident. The glass roof is actually still intact.

It seems likely she ordered another Tesla.

Now for another freak accident, and a reminder why it is wise to avoid construction areas if possible. In this case, no apparent construction site was nearby, but a hammer was lying on the road when another car ran over it, flipping it into the air and making it fly directly into the windshield of the Model 3.

Thanks to a recent Tesla software update — the “honk to record” update — the owner was able to record the entire hazardous incident.

One hopes that you will never face such an accident, but thanks to Tesla’s focus on safety and its ongoing software improvements, if you are driving a Tesla, there’s at least extra assurance that the Tesla will protect you and record the scenario for any legal or insurance disputes.

Haven’t had enough? X Auto reported in December 2018 on one more smash into the windshield of a Tesla. “While Roaming on the freeway, a Tesla Model X got struck by a steel shaft that came out of nowhere, says the owner — Autopilot (Tesla’s semi-autonomous driver assistance software) took over until the driver came back from the mental shock and was able to drive.”

Again, it is also a relief that Tesla’s semi-autonomous driver assistance software takes up the slack when a driver freezes from shock or injury. Autopilot may be a driver’s best friend.

The 2 Big Questions Regarding Volkswagen’s Future

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Published on January 9th, 2020 |

by Zachary Shahan

The 2 Big Questions Regarding Volkswagen’s Future

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January 9th, 2020 by Zachary Shahan

Volkswagen is launching into what could be a huge electric decade that reinvents and rejuvenates the large global automotive group. Yes, the Volkswagen ID.3 — which is sort of supposed to be the VW Beetle or Golf of this century — has some delays. Reinvention can be tough. I was not particularly hard on Tesla or concerned about Tesla as it went through “production hell,” and I don’t think a few Volkswagen ID hiccups are anything to freak out about — the long game is what’s important (as long as you can get to the long game).

What’s more important, in my opinion, is that Volkswagen Group is aiming to become the #1 producer of electric vehicles within the next handful of years. That may be a little more hyperbole than is warranted, but I think the intention is clear and solid. Volkswagen Group aims to produce 3 million electric vehicles a year by 2025 (many Tesla bulls expect Tesla to be producing more than that), and the Volkswagen brand alone is aiming for 1.5 million by 2025, and 1 million by 2023. Going from close to zero today, that’s a steep ramp. If it was a startup, it would be rivaling Tesla’s plans to date. (And, to be honest, electric vehicle enthusiasts might be much more excited about it.)

I get excited about Volkswagen’s plans. It is rolling out dozens of fully electric models, and they look attractive and compelling. They aren’t quite as compelling as Tesla vehicles in my book, but they are close enough and many normal consumers will prefer to buy their first electric vehicles from what some people claim is the largest automotive company in the world. Despite hiccups, it’s noteworthy that Volkswagen fully converted an old gasmobile factory to be an electric vehicle factory, is doing so with other factories around the world, and is investing in battery production startups and facilities. I don’t think Volkswagen moved its EV sales targets up by 2 years recently with an intention to miss them and fall on its face.

However, two questions repeatedly come to mind. To be clear, I have an open mind about these — I’m not bullish, but I’m also not too skeptical, as I don’t think I have enough information yet and am in “learning mode.”

Autonomy
The first topic is autonomy. Previously driving a 2015 Tesla Model S with first-generation Autopilot (hardware by Mobileye) and now driving a 2019 Tesla Model 3 with “Full Self Driving,” with a 2015 BMW i3 and plenty of rental cars in between, I have a hard time seeing any other automaker being close to what Tesla is doing. Volkswagen has some investments in this space, and it has a MOIA ride-sharing pilot running in Germany that currently uses human drivers but is supposed to utilize self-driving vehicles someday. (Visit the MOIA website and our MOIA archives for more info.)

Here’s a video from MOIA’s launch in April 2019:

Here’s a December 2016 video featuring the CEO of Volkswagen talking about the future of mobility:

Like all automakers, Volkswagen aims to be “a leader” in autonomy. It is certainly focusing more than ever before on software and appears to be going in the right direction, as a recent presentation from Chairman of the Board and Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess indicates.

That looks like a super smart shift for Volkswagen, and the German automaker should be able to build out a strong software sub-business.

However, its autonomy investments, capabilities, and potential are all rather obscure to me. Volkswagen indicates an investment in ARGO (which it’s cool to see has a solar roof on its headquarters). It’s just difficult to get any sense of how far off Level 4 autonomy is. True — it’s hard to guess how long it will take for any company (Tesla included) to get to Level 4 autonomy that isn’t geofenced, and it’s a highly controversial debate. But this is probably the most fundamental question regarding Volkswagen’s electric vehicle plans and its future. Any insight on this topic from within the walls of Volkswagen Group?

Osborne Effect
The second big topic or question I consistently have is about how the Osborne Effect will roll out within Volkswagen Group. As a refresher, the Osborne effect is when a company’s or industry’s sales slump (potentially to a fatal level) because consumers are awaiting a notably better product that is expected to be around the corner.

This is how it’s a significant matter with regards to Volkswagen: The company is really pushing electric vehicles now. It’s about to start shipping its first highly compelling and I think cost-competitive electric vehicles, models which I think are objectively superior to any of Volkswagen’s gasoline or diesel models in popular vehicle classes. It will take some time for consumers to become aware of these electric models and their benefits. It will take some time to warm up to the idea of going electric, charging a car instead of gassing it up, etc. However, at some point, a large portion of the public — and especially a large portion of Volkswagen’s target demographics — will understand that electric cars are better, have lower cost of ownership, and are “the future.” As the masses see them as “the near future” and are getting ready to go electric, they will forego new gasoline/diesel vehicle purchases.

Will that happen with a slow enough ramp for Volkswagen to carefully transition to e-mobility in a financially solvent way? Will its projected rise in EV sales and decline in fossil fuel vehicle sales fit the desired curves? Or will something like 25% off Volkswagen buyers go electric with a few years while another 25% or more sit on the sidelines and wait to go electric in the near future (but also not buy a fossil vehicle)?

Even assuming they don’t defect to Tesla or Nio, the transition to electric vehicles could present serious production and financial challenges. Some have argued — perhaps accurately — that there won’t be enough EV battery supply for more than 25% EV sales by 2025. Perhaps there will be a one-year wait for a new Volkswagen ID.3 or ID.4 (ID Crozz). If that’s the case, will consumers simply buy another gasoline car, or will they wait?

My hunch, from how other tech transitions have occurred, is that the S-curve will be steep, so steep that it won’t look like an S. If that’s how it rolls, what’s Volkswagen’s plan if it has demand for 3 million fossil vehicles in 2025 instead of 8 million? How much is it working to have the capability to produce 5 million electric vehicles in 2025 instead of 3 million? How will its finances look under such a scenario?

Any insight or forecasts on these matters is welcome. We will be doing what we can to learn more from Volkswagen execs about these complicated topics. They are the most fascinating of the coming decade, in my humble opinion.
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About the Author

Zachary Shahan is tryin' to help society help itself one word at a time. He spends most of his time here on CleanTechnica as its director and chief editor. He's also the CEO of Important Media. 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, Canada, and Curaçao.

Zach has long-term investments in Tesla [TSLA] — after years of covering solar and EVs, he simply has a lot of faith in this company and feels like it is a good cleantech company to invest in. But he offers no investment advice and does not recommend investing in Tesla or any other company.

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Tesla is going to have new head of its Advanced Battery Research in Canada

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SK Innovation plans second EV battery plant in U.S., expansion in Hungary

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