Electric vehicles – Page 9201 – I wish I had more to offer

Proterra, the Tesla of electric buses, closes in on $1 billion valuation

Proterra has authorized shares to raise $75 million, a new round of funding that would push the electric bus maker’s valuation past $1 billion, TechCrunch has learned. The company authorized the sale of 10,857,762 shares at a price of $6.91 in a Series 8 round, according to a securities filing that was obtained by the… Continue reading Proterra, the Tesla of electric buses, closes in on $1 billion valuation

BMW to recall over 22,000 vehicles in Russia due to wiring problems, says watchdog

MOSCOW, August 9. /TASS/. BMW Russland Trading, Russian’s official dealer of BMW, will recall 22,286 cars in Russia of 5 and 6 series sold in the period between June 2003 and August 2010, the Federal Agency on Technical Regulating and Metrology said in a statement on Friday.
The risk of corrosion in threaded joints of the positive wire of battery is the reason of the recall. “That may lead to increased contact resistance in the joints, as well as various malfunctions, including start failure,” the statement said.
Moreover, in certain cases corrosion may lead to wiring melting, the agency warned.
Faulty attachments will be checked and updated in vehicles subjected to recall. All repair works will be carried out free of charge for vehicle owners.

Kalashnikov unveils electric car for taxi needs

MOSCOW, August 9. /TASS/. The Kalashnikov Group of Companies has presented the UV-4 electric car for the taxi market at the 7th International Eurasian Taxi Forum (MEFT) staged in Moscow, the Kalashnikov Media Company says on its website on Friday.
“The Kalashnikov Group of Companies has presented the UV-4 electric car for the taxi transportation market. The electric vehicle specimen was showed as part of the exhibition of the latest specimens of specialized taxi cars,” the company said.
The electric vehicle has a smooth ride and low fire and explosion hazard in case of an accident, the company reports. “It is intended for enterprises, where there is a need to travel a long distance over their territories, and for car-sharing companies,” it says.
The vehicle power is up to 50 kW. The maximum speed is 80 km per hour with endurance up to 150 km. The car weight is 650 kg. Width is 1.5 m, length – 3.4 m, and height – 1.7 m.

Skip scooters are returning to Washington, D.C. after battery fires

Following battery issues and a single-alarm fire caused by improperly disposed of batteries in Washington, D.C., Skip has been given the green light to resume operations in Washington, D.C. and the surrounding areas of Alexandria and Arlington. The plan is to redeploy the scooters in the coming weeks. In June, a battery on one of… Continue reading Skip scooters are returning to Washington, D.C. after battery fires

Sumitomo Electric’s SEVD-11U CHAdeMO Charges In Boost Mode

CHAdeMO charging standard with Boost Mode can easily exceed 120 kW of power, but where are the CHAdeMO cars that can accept such power? This summer, Sumitomo Electric’s SEVD-11U CHAdeMO connector assembly received the world’s first UL certification (UL 2251) to charge in Boost Mode, introduced by the CHAdeMO Association in standard specification 1.2 in… Continue reading Sumitomo Electric’s SEVD-11U CHAdeMO Charges In Boost Mode

Daimler and BAIC jointly set up 2nd life energy storage system in China

Tesla Granted New Patents For Curved & Textured Solar Roof Tile Manufacturing

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Published on August 9th, 2019 |

by Kyle Field

Tesla Granted New Patents For Curved & Textured Solar Roof Tile Manufacturing

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August 9th, 2019 by Kyle Field

Tesla was just granted a new series of patents that shed some light on the techniques it will use on its upcoming curved and flat solar roof tiles. These design techniques will presumably be employed as Tesla moves towards the first commercial version of Tuscan-style solar roof tiles, which are expected to move into mass production a bit later than the Tesla solar roof tiles that have just been installed on my roof.

Curved Solar Roof Tile Design
The first of the three new patents, US 2019 245 478 A1, details a few of Tesla’s strategies for implanting flat solar cells into the curved solar roof tiles that look like more traditional Spanish roof tiles. From the filing, we can see that Tesla is planning to actually embed the flat solar cells into the curved bell shape of the tiles. To do this, Tesla has developed a tile that is rounded on the exposed surface, but flat on the inside to accommodate flat strips of solar cells.

According to the filing, the tiles will be comprised of, “a transparent front cover having a first surface and a second surface, wherein the first surface comprises at least one portion that is convexly curved, wherein the second surface comprises a plurality of flat facets, and wherein the flat facets are arranged to follow the contour of the at least one convexly curved portion of the first surface.”

Taking this approach could allow Tesla to build solar cells into more surface area than would be possible on a flat roof made of solar roof tiles, but with the tradeoff that only a portion of the cells would be directly facing the sun at any point in time.

The filing discusses a curved solar roof tile design that supports both pre-wired solar modules as well as solar roof tiles that make the electrical connection to the home electrical circuit through a special connector with the adjoining panels (806 and 808 in the graphic below). Devising a system where solar roof tiles could effectively be installed as easily, quickly, and reliably as traditional roofing tiles could drastically lower the incremental cost to install a solar roof system.

The reliability of the methodology has to be a key concern for a solar roofing system that isn’t just bolted into an existing roof, but that must function as both a roof and an electrically connected solar system simultaneously for the life of the home.

Tesla Solar Roof Tile Manufacturing
Tesla’s ambitious move into building-integrated photovoltaics challenged the existing mindset that solar was something to be bolted onto the outside of homes, to live outside the envelope of the home. Instead, Tesla sought to recreate the aesthetic of traditional roofing tiles with four primary form factors: textured, smooth, Tuscan, and slate.

A new patent filing (US 2019 241 455 A1) from Tesla gives us some insights into how Tesla plans to produce some of these tiles, including a few options for different manufacturing techniques. The first technique details a stamping approach, where flat solar roof tiles are stamped between a flat bottom mold and a textured surface mold.

The technique could conceivably be used for rounded Tuscan tiles, and might even be the best approach for such a tile, given the round surface on top and the complex angled flat interior surfaces. It is easy to imagine this technique being used to produce one of Tesla’s slate solar roof tiles.

The second method shows a method where glass is pressed between two rolling surfaces, each with its own texture.

The patent filings come as Tesla puts the finishing touches on version 3 of its solar roof tiles. To date, only textured solar roof tiles have been installed on any customer homes. Tesla’s sales team told CleanTechnica reader jjn1056 that the Tuscan tiles might be available in December or January, but as with many things Tesla, that has to be taken for a grain of salt until they’re actually bolted down and on the roof.

All images from the patent filings as listed on PatentSwarm.

About the Author

Kyle Field I'm a tech geek passionately in search of actionable ways to reduce the negative impact my life has on the planet, save money and reduce stress. Live intentionally, make conscious decisions, love more, act responsibly, play. The more you know, the less you need. TSLA investor.

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Mahathir revives dream of Malaysian car brand, with help from Japan

Malaysia Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad revived his decades-long efforts to create a competitive homegrown car brand by picking a local company to spearhead the project.Dr Mahathir used a similar strategy before.The company has built prototypes of electric vehicles.

Valmet Automotive invests 7 million euros for battery test centre in Germany

Tesla Software V10: Everything We Know

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Published on August 7th, 2019 |

by Guest Contributor

Tesla Software V10: Everything We Know

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August 7th, 2019 by Guest Contributor

Originally published on EVANNEX.
By Denis Gurskiy, EV Bite

Tesla’s V10 software update was teased recently thanks to a flood of information flowing from Elon Musk’s Twitter feed. According to Musk, the timeframe for V10 “depends on how release to owners with early access goes, but hopefully wide release by end of August.” Early access members have been given an early August release date.

Cuphead is soon coming to Tesla via software update V10 (Source: Tesla)

In a separate response, Musk stated that Tesla’s V10 software update would come “maybe August, not more than a few months.”

Obviously, we have to remember that “Tesla Time” is a thing and just because Elon says he anticipates an update coming in a month or so, it does not necessarily mean that it will arrive anywhere near the allotted timeframe. Let’s not forget that Advanced Summon was supposed to be ready in “~6 weeks” almost 10 months ago. Regardless, it’s something that most Tesla owners have grown accustomed to, so I’m sure many are prepared to wait.

Tesla’s last major update, software update 9.0, introduced a lot of cool new features, including Navigate on Autopilot. That said, what might V10 bring to the table? Summarizing in a single tweet, V10 should include “several games & infotainment features, improved highway Autopilot, better traffic light & stop sign recognition & Smart Summon.”

If you want a closer look at everything mentioned so far, keep reading.

Netflix & YouTube Streaming
According to Musk, V10 will include an “ability to stream YouTube & Netflix when car is stopped coming to your Tesla soon! Has an amazingly immersive, cinematic feel due to the comfy seats & surround sound audio.”

Netflix could be coming to your Tesla (Source: Tesla, edited by Chanan Bos | CleanTechnica)

This should prove to be a useful feature when parked at a Supercharger and you’re looking to binge watch your favorite shows/videos. While the vertical orientation of the display in the Model S/X does not make it the most ideal for media consumption, it sure beats your phone. Musk would later go on to say that once Tesla gets regulatory approval for full self driving, they’ll enable video streaming to work even while the car is in motion.

In a followup tweet, Musk stated that “some” of the streaming services will require that the owner has a premium connectivity package. Tesla premium connectivity is included in all Model S and X vehicles. Model 3 owners with the premium interior could receive one year free while the partial premium interior does not. The package is expected to cost about $100 per year.

Improved Stop Sign & Traffic Light Recognition
Needless to say, the recognition of stop signs and traffic lights is an extremely important task necessary on the path to “full self-driving” (FSD). With the upcoming V10 software update, Tesla is introducing an improvement in Autopilot’s ability to recognize stop signs and traffic lights. As discussed in its most recent earnings letter, Tesla has been running this feature in “shadow mode” — carefully analyzing driving situations and comparing what the system would do to what the driver does in the real world.

In response to a question about whether Tesla’s FSD will require the recognition of traffic signs and stop signs, Musk stated that it “will recognize & read all signs for FSD. Focused on traffic lights & stop signs right now. Most are very easy. Difficulty is millions of corner cases.”

Smart Summon
Smart Summon will be great to showcase Tesla’s progress towards FSD, as the vehicle will actually be driving itself with no driver inside. For those who aren’t aware, Smart Summon allows you to summon your Tesla to your location within around 150 feet of where you parked. For instance, say you go to the supermarket and park your car. If want your Tesla to meet you at the curb on your way out, you simply go into the Tesla app and summon the car. In turn, your Tesla should successfully make its way to you. Here’s recent video footage of Smart Summon in action.

Examples of Smart Summon in action (YouTube: ALL Electric)

“Yeah, we’ve been working on curbs a *lot*. Concrete seams too. So glamorous,” Musk explained over Twitter. Once internal testing and validation demonstrates it’s ready, Tesla could make the Smart Summon feature available (via V10) for all Tesla owners. And it could easily turn out to be the most talked-about V10 feature even though it’s been readily available to early access members for a few months now.

Text Messages Read Aloud
As an added safety feature, Musk confirmed that Tesla’s upcoming V10 software update will add the option to have your text messages read aloud so that you don’t have to look at your phone while driving.

“Joe Mode”
Those who travel with children might appreciate another new feature planned for V10. Musk confirmed a feature known as “Joe Mode,” which will decrease the sound your Tesla makes when it executes an auto lane correction. This should help Tesla owners who don’t want warning sounds to wake up their sleeping kids. Keep in mind that Musk is “hoping” this makes it into V10 but it is not confirmed.

Cuphead & Other Unity-Based Games
Cuphead and other Unity-based games will finally make their way onto the Tesla display with the upcoming v10 software update. For those who don’t know, Cuphead is a fairly challenging platformer with a style of art that recalls a vintage cartoon look from the 1930s. Musk stated that Cuphead will be able to run at 60 frames per second to ensure as smooth a gaming experience as possible.

Cuphead is coming to your Tesla (YouTube:IGN)

While most were aware of Cuphead (along with the announcement of Fallout Shelter), a followup tweet piqued even more interest. First, for clarification, Cuphead was built with a game engine known as Unity. Unity is a very popular choice of engine for game developers and there happens to be a sizable number of games using it. In response to a question regarding the porting of more Unity-based games, Musk stated that the “Unity port is done, so [we’re] finessing the controls now. Mostly limited by local storage. Will allow additional game storage via USB. Whatever’s most fun!”

Emoji Support (maybe)
For those who want emojis in their Tesla, Musk stated that, while it’s currently not in this upcoming V10 software update, he’ll “try” to make it happen.

Minecraft & Roblox (whenever)
Ever the meme-master, Elon Musk knows what people want: Minecraft and Roblox. In a response to the Cuphead announcement asking for “minecraft rn elon,” Musk appealed to the masses by stating that, yes, they are working on Minecraft. And not only that, Roblox is being given priority as well.

Pretty soon there won’t be a reason to leave your Tesla at all.

About the Author

Guest Contributor is many, many people. We publish a number of guest posts from experts in a large variety of fields. This is our contributor account for those special people. 😀

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