Electric vehicles – Page 9190 – I wish I had more to offer

Electric Volvo XC40 gets bespoke Android infotainment

A sketch of the front of the car shows that, as with other EVs, the grille will be replaced by a covered front fascia, which Volvo says will be used to package the sensors for the ADAS. A rear sketch shows that, as with the plug-in hybrid XC40, the charging point will be located on… Continue reading Electric Volvo XC40 gets bespoke Android infotainment

Maruti Suzuki Ciaz completes 5 years, 2.7 lakh units sold

NEW DELHI: Over 2.7 lakh units of Maruti Suzuki Ciaz were sold in last five years, the car manufacturers said in a regulatory filing.Maruti Suzuki in a statement said that the top-end Alpha trim contributed to more than 54 per cent of the total sales for the sedan. The Nexa Blue colour variant contributed to… Continue reading Maruti Suzuki Ciaz completes 5 years, 2.7 lakh units sold

Consumer Reports calls Tesla automated parking ‘glitchy’

FILE PHOTO: A new Tesla Model 3 is shown at a delivery center on the last day of the company’s third quarter, in San Diego, California, September 30, 2019. REUTERS/Mike Blake (Reuters) – Tesla Inc’s (TSLA.O) Smart Summon automated parking system is “glitchy” and only works intermittently, influential U.S. magazine Consumer Reports has said, adding… Continue reading Consumer Reports calls Tesla automated parking ‘glitchy’

Tata Nexon EV gives India an affordable domestic-brand electric car

With global automakers turning their hungry eyes to the Indian market, domestic manufacturer Tata is hoping to establish itself as a serious competitor in the EV segment with its new Nexon.

The Nexon is the first Tata to employ the company's modernized EV powertrain tech, dubbed Ziptron. This packages a 130-hp electric motor and a liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery pack not yet detailed.

This level of sophistication is commonplace among current-generation electrics sold in most EV-friendly markets, but Tata will be the only Indian manufacturer offering a package like this for domestic consumption. Tata is, after all, the parent company of Jaguar Land Rover, and it likely has access to some of the engineering expertise that went into the Jaguar I-Pace, among several other EVs under development.

Tata says the Nexon will have a range of approximately 186 miles and offer what the company describes as “zippy” performance, fast charging capability and off-road durability. Tata also touts its adherence to the IP67 standard for water- and dust-proofing, which will be important for promoting it to rural customers.

“We are proud to announce that Nexon EV will be available for personal buyers in India from Q4 (Jan-Mar) FY19-20,” said Tata electric mobility president Shailesh Chandra in the company's announcement. “Powered by the cutting-edge Ziptron technology, Nexon EV promises to address the barriers that exist in the EV market today and will deliver a thrilling on-road performance, ensuring zero emission.”

When it debuts later this year, the Nexon will join Tata's smaller, less sophisticated Tigor EV and Mahindra's e-Verito (sold elsewhere as a Dacia). Mahindra also sold the small e2o EV in its home market from 2016 until earlier this year; it is no longer being produced.

The Nexon is expected to cost less than $25,000 in India. Its strongest competition will come from import nameplates, such as the Hyundai Kona Electric, and more competition will be joining the fray. Toyota plans to launch a range of EVs under the Suzuki brand starting in 2020.

Tesla Model Y Transformer, Easter Eggs, & Halloween Magic

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Published on October 9th, 2019 |

by Johnna Crider

Tesla Model Y Transformer, Easter Eggs, & Halloween Magic

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October 9th, 2019 by Johnna Crider

It’s October, which means that for most people that fall is in full swing. Leaves crunch underfoot as the scents of apples, cinnamon, and nutmeg mingle to warm our senses as the temperatures dip. I did say for most people. Those of us in the South are still experiencing higher than average temperatures, so we can only sip our pumpkin spice lattes and apple ciders wrapped up in thick blankets if we have the air conditioner on full blast.

October also means a really fun holiday where all the monsters come out and dazzle in their cute, creepy, sexy, scary, and hilarious glory. Monsters aren’t the only ones coming out, though — so are superheroes such as the Tesla Model Y Transformer. Simon Mahan’s son, Jonah, is ready for the North Texas Tesla Owner’s Frunk or Treat event (and the potential zombie apocalypse), and Jonah isn’t the only one.

As you can see, Halloween also isn’t just for humans and pets. Many Tesla owners are taking part in the fun tradition and are dressing up their Teslas. We already know what Jennifer Street is dressing her Model 3 as: Toothless from Dreamworks’ How To Train Your Dragon — and she even got a shoutout from Dreamworks on her Model 3’s costume!

Jennifer is also creating a lot of cute Halloween Tesla-inspired artwork that makes you want to gorge yourself on candy corn while drinking hot apple cider.

Jennifer is also taking part in the North Texas Tesla Owners’ Halloween Frunk or Treat event, and she’s not the only Tesla owner doing this. Although her Toothless Tesla has come along beautifully and isn’t quite finished, below is a quick photo of her progress. It should be finished by October 24th — just in time for Halloween.

The North Texas Tesla Owners group shared a couple of other fun Tesla costumes with me to share on CleanTechnica:

Spooky Summon
Many Tesla owners are also getting creative with Smart Summon as a Halloween prank, which CleanTechnica is officially coining Spooky Summon. I’m not sure what is creepier, seeing a Tesla with no driver or one with a skeleton driving.

Also, as Eli Burton from My Tesla Adventure discovered, Tesla has created a Halloween Easter egg and it had him just a bit confused. To activate this Easter egg, change your Tesla’s name to Patsy. A creepy ghostlike foot drops onto the screen and does what feet don’t normally do — it farts. Eli thought it could be an Addams Family reference, but I was also a bit baffled. I even did a Google search and probably confused’s Google’s AI, which was all too happy to give me links to farting foot porn.

A quick view of Eli’s YouTube comments reveals the answer — It’s not really a Halloween Easter egg, but a Monty Python Easter egg. Craig Hamnett explained, “Google ‘Monty Python Patsy’ — he’s a dumb character in the series. The foot is the ‘Foot of Cupid’ and is seen in the opening credits of Monty Python’s Flying Circus. Eric Idle was extremely involved with Monty Python and owns a Tesla.”

I’ve never seen Monty Python (please don’t scold me, y’all!), and it’s definitely on my to-do list, but I am more inclined toward Criminal Minds and CSI and that type of things. There’s just something about a good “whodunnit” that makes one feel thrills and excitement, especially as the good ultimately wins against the darkness of mankind.

About the Author

Johnna Crider Johnna Crider is a Baton Rouge artist, gem and mineral collector, and Tesla shareholder who believes in Elon Musk and Tesla. Elon Musk advised her in 2018 to “Believe in Good.”

Tesla is one of many good things to believe in. You can find Johnna on Twitter

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Bajaj Auto “seriously committed” to e-mobility, plans “exciting” products under Urbanite brand

Bajaj Auto, India's oldest two-wheeler manufacturer, is close to adding a new chapter to its journey with the entry into electric mobility, also seen as the future of the automobile industry.

The company says it has been working on some product propositions aimed to excite electric vehicle customers, a breed that is currently rare in India. Could Urbanite be a defining moment like Pulsar, the brand which established the erstwhile scooter maker as a formidable motorcycle maker? “Everything depends on how the customers respond to what we put in. Obviously, we will work our hardest to get out what we think would be very exciting for the customer, and I am very confident that when we do put out a product or a set of products, we will see a resonance from the marketplace,” Eric Vas, President of Bajaj Auto's Urbanite business unit, under which the OEM will offer personal electric vehicles, told Autocar Professional. Vas was speaking on the sidelines of the 59th annual session of the Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA) last month.

Vas said Bajaj Auto is “very committed” to electric mobility as it is going to be a “significant play” in the industry in the coming years. However, “timing is something which, frankly, I don't think any individual party can comment on right now. It depends on many parameters, including charging infrastructure which is a very big piece of course.”

In June this year, NITI Aayog, the central government's think-tank, had proposed that two-wheelers (below 150cc) sold from April 1, 2025 should be only electric powered. That, OEMs, who are already fighting the challenging BS VI emission deadline of April 1, 2020, felt was too stiff a timeline for the transition. Following a discussion between top executives of NITI Aayog and industry players, the policymakers asked OEMs to come up with a roadmap for electric mobility. A formal announcement of Bajaj Auto's entry into the electric mobility space may be made on Wednesday, 16th October.

Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari and NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant are expected to join Rajiv Bajaj, MD, Bajaj Auto, at the announcement.

Challenge and opportunity
Electric vehicles will have to have very strong value propositions to gain mass scale adoption, primarily because of the big price difference. For example, the current price of the largest selling scooter Honda Activa is around Rs 70,000 while that of an Ather 540, a new-age electric scooter is Rs 113,000. It’s a similar story for motorcycles. “Going by that reality, combustion engine vehicles are going to be around for quite some time. You do not know how fast the battery prices will fall. I believe EVs are going to be very important for us in the way forward,” Vas said in a panel discussion at the ACMA conference.

Vas' confidence also stems from the belief that there is a big set of customers who are sitting with a sense of ‘wokeness’, a term commonly referred to for being aware about developments in the world. “If you look at other brands that work around wokeness, they are very big and very substantial. I think the size of the market can surprise us and the price-point that people are prepared to pay for an electric product could also surprise us in a country like India,” said Vas during the discussion, while adding that it is impossible to put a figure to that potential market at this stage.

It is estimated that 50 percent of Indian use non-motorised transport to commute. That is a huge opportunity. Unless there's some major cost reduction in EV technology or disruption in EV concept, the opportunity is there for IC-engined two-wheelers to tap first. While that is also a positive for Bajaj Auto, it will bet on the growing number of people in wokeness to build its new business division before EVs become a choice of the masses. The Pune-based OEM that played a major role in writing the history of mobility on two wheels now wants to script a similar story again. 'Hamara Bajaj' wants to script a 'Hamara Kal'.

Tesla Buys Hibar Systems In Another Effort To Make Its Own Batteries

It seems that Maxwell and Jeff Dahn were only part of the strategy. Tesla is clearly pushing to produce its own batteries. The company has always tried to control all aspects of its production. After buying Maxwell Technologies and making a research partnership with Jeff Dahn for a 1-million miles battery, it has reportedly bought… Continue reading Tesla Buys Hibar Systems In Another Effort To Make Its Own Batteries

Groupe Renault creates RENAULT M.A.I. (Mobility as an Industry) to accelerate its development in new mobility services and build strategic partnerships

Boulogne-Billancourt – October 9th, 2019. To anticipate and support the deep changes in lifestyles and consumption patterns, Groupe Renault has been involved in new mobility services for the past four years by developing car services with or without drivers (Renault MOBILITY, Zity in Madrid, Moov’in.Paris, Marcel) and by making highly targeted acquisitions and equity investments… Continue reading Groupe Renault creates RENAULT M.A.I. (Mobility as an Industry) to accelerate its development in new mobility services and build strategic partnerships

Car Connectivity Consortium unveils new features for Digital Key specification

The Car Connectivity Consortium (CCC) announced that its Digital Key Release 2.0 specification, which leverages Near Field Communication (NFC) technology to enable compatible mobile devices such as smartphones to securely access vehicles, is planned for completion by the end of 2019. Release 2.0 introduces a new scalable architecture to support mass adoption, while reducing development… Continue reading Car Connectivity Consortium unveils new features for Digital Key specification

Tesla deploys a big Powerpack system in Nantucket to secure the island’s power

Tesla has deployed a large new Powerpack system in Nantucket to secure the island’s power, which relies on two underwater cables. Nantucket is a small island of about 11,000 permanent residents about 30 miles off the Massachusetts coast, but it’s also a very popular touristic location. During the summer, the population can rise to 50,000… Continue reading Tesla deploys a big Powerpack system in Nantucket to secure the island’s power