Electric vehicles – Page 9293 – I wish I had more to offer

Vimcar strengthens fleet management

The company Vimcar wants to expand and expand its fleet management. Since 2015 offers Vimcar a logbook that with simplicity and Cyber security wants to score. Now you want to expand the concept to entire fleets and thus reach more customers. Thanks to a dongle, the management of the logbook for self-employed people is very… Continue reading Vimcar strengthens fleet management

Musk lets one rip in Tesla software update

Musk lets one rip in Tesla software updateFor those of you consumed with curiosity about how Elon Musk spends his spare time — and isn’t that everybody? — here’s a clue. He just rolled out an update to the software in Tesla cars allowing them to make farting noises on demand.
Yes, you read that, or heard that, right.
Tesla, the company, didn’t issue an announcement of the technological improvement, but Musk himself did, via his preferred medium for making important corporate announcements, Twitter.
Underscoring his stature as CEO who enjoys a rude joke as much as the 8-year-old sitting a couple of desks over, Musk pointed out that one of the six noises from which drivers can choose is labeled “short shorts ripper,” which he called “a thank you to Tesla short sellers … haha.”
The new rollout fits nicely within Musk’s apparent attention deficit disorder. Tesla still faces multiple questions about its ability to sustain profitability, especially by selling cars (the profit it declared in its latest quarterly report was heavily dependent on the trading of government air pollution credits and other maneuvers not directly related to sales of vehicles); about the level of demand for its cars; and about its ability to meet demand on the production line.
There are also questions about Musk’s devotion to Job One at Tesla, which is rolling out a mass-market version of its Model 3 sedan. Keeping Musk focused plainly is a chore that the Tesla board has failed to master. Just Tuesday, Musk took time out for a press event focused on a 1.14-mile underground tunnel designed as a prototype of a subway-like system to beat surface traffic in Los Angeles.
The tunnel was widely panned, including by my colleague Laura Nelson, who wrote that the tunnel surface was so uneven that a ride in a specially outfitted Tesla inside the tunnel “felt like riding on a dirt road.” And hers was one of the kinder judgments. (An amusing take by Albert Burneko of Deadspin is here, but be warned: profanity.
More to the point, the tunnel was not even a Tesla project, but the product of the Boring Co., a privately owned enterprise backed by Musk.
Also an open question is how Musk is complying with a settlement he reached with the Securities and Exchange Commission in September, after the agency sued him for a misleading, if not flagrantly inaccurate, tweet in August stating that he had “secured funding” to take Tesla private at $420 per share, a huge premium to its price at the time. (And still — the stock closed at $315.38 Thursday.)
Among other things, the settlement requires Tesla to oversee Musk’s tweeting, er, “put in place additional controls and procedures to oversee Musk’s communications.” There’s no evidence as yet that any such arrangement has been made, and Musk hinted in a recent interview with “60 Minutes” that he considered control over his tweets to be an infringement of his 1st Amendment rights.
One of Tesla’s technological selling points is the company’s ability to upgrade the cars’ functionality via over-the-air software revisions. In the past, these have been used to refine their self-driving capabilities and to improve their braking functionality (after Consumer Reports found that the Model 3’s braking distances were much worse than “any other contemporary car”).
The latest update is nothing like that. As TechCrunch reported this week, the so-called Emissions Testing Mode (get it?) allows the driver to opt for any of five different fart noises in addition to the “short shorts ripper.” The sounds are activated by the turn signal, or by pressing a scroll wheel on the steering column.
The latter is another dig at Tesla short sellers, whom Musk often blames for downdrafts in Tesla’s share price, despite the counsel of experienced market experts that movements in the stock, especially movements down, reflect legitimate skepticism about the company’s performance or prospects.
In any event, as a colleague observes, it should go without saying that “the best way to blow off short sellers is to build a strong business. And hold your farts until you do.”
Read or Share this story: https://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/mobility/2018/12/26/musk-lets-one-rip-tesla-software-update/2391286002/

Tesla is working to ‘dramatically increase’ Superchargers within cities, European expansion, and more

As a late Christmas gift, Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced some expansions to the Supercharger network, including ‘dramatically increasing’ Superchargers within cities, a European expansion, and more. Last month, Musk announced another expansion of the Supercharger network in order to cover “95% to 100% of the population in all active markets.” He also said that the… Continue reading Tesla is working to ‘dramatically increase’ Superchargers within cities, European expansion, and more

Tesla’s Active Safety Features Prevent Accidents, Caught On DashCam

Electric Cars
Electric Car Benefits
Electric Car Sales
Solar Energy Rocks
RSS
Advertise
Privacy Policy

Autonomous Vehicles

Published on December 18th, 2018 |

by Kyle Field

Tesla’s Active Safety Features Prevent Accidents, Caught On DashCam

Twitter
Google+
LinkedIn
Pinterest
Facebook

December 18th, 2018 by Kyle Field

Accidents happen. It sucks. But with a Tesla, you have extra protection to help keep you out of one.

As you’ll see below, a collision in front of a Tesla caused the car’s automatic emergency braking system to kick in, keeping one bad accident from getting much worse. Thanks to Tesla’s recent dashcam update, the whole thing was caught by the TeslaCam.

The video serves as a poignant reminder about how quickly Tesla’s network of sensors is evolving and just how good it is at preventing accidents. The mainstream media might report on anything that remotely resembles a fire as if the company were approaching a cliff at high speed, but the near misses thanks to Tesla’s advanced hardware and software inevitably go unreported.

Thankfully, Tesla’s new dashcam feature is able to capture some of these near misses and the excerpts we get show just how good the system is at preventing accidents. In this case, a stopped car forced an unusual merge. That, combined with insufficient following distances for human drivers, resulted in a collision between the two cars ahead of the Tesla. The Tesla reacted almost instantaneously to the change and prevented a two-car accident from becoming a three-car pile-up (or worse).

Looking through the comments on the Reddit thread, you can see multiple accounts of similar stories from commenters. The most impressive part of the tech to me is that the system not only looks at the car in front of it, but is often able to see two cars ahead for potential slowing or dangerous behavior and then reacts to that.

One Redditor noted that, “A few weeks into having the car I was driving with AP on. My car braked hard for no apparent reason. A second later the car in front of my slammed on its breaks. It was a big SUV so I couldn’t see around it. Turns out there was a stopped car making a left in our lane and the driver in front of me wasn’t paying attention.”

That’s freaking cool and adds real value by avoiding what would otherwise be definite accidents. My family and I have thankfully not had any close calls that required the use of the AEB system, but I regularly get help from the early detection setting on the forward-collision warning system. With this setting, it beeps at me loudly when the vehicle in front of me is slowing down and I am still accelerating. The early setting gives me enough warning that I can start slowing down without having to slam on the brakes, which could lead to getting rear ended from the next driver in line.

These features work together in a car that Tesla’s third quarter safety data imply is 4 times safer than the average non-Tesla vehicle, according to data from the US NHTSA. With Enhanced Autopilot engaged, Tesla’s vehicles are seemingly 7 times safer than the average US driver. That’s impressive and meaningful. Even if the possibility of getting hurt isn’t threatening enough, being able to avoid the headaches associated with an accident might be worth upgrading.

If you enjoy the content here on CleanTechnica and are looking to purchase a new Tesla, feel free to use my referral link (here).

Source: YouTube via Reddit

Support CleanTechnica’s work by becoming a Member, Supporter, or Ambassador.
Or you can buy a cool t-shirt, cup, baby outfit, bag, or hoodie or make a one-time donation on PayPal to support CleanTechnica’s work.

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. Tesla referral code: http://ts.la/kyle623

Advertise with CleanTechnica to get your company in front of our readers.

CleanTechnica Clothing & Cups

Tesla CEO Elon Musk Tweets Superchargers Coming To 100% Of Europe In 2019

Electric Cars
Electric Car Benefits
Electric Car Sales
Solar Energy Rocks
RSS
Advertise
Privacy Policy

Cars

Published on December 26th, 2018 |

by Steve Hanley

Tesla CEO Elon Musk Tweets Superchargers Coming To 100% Of Europe In 2019

Twitter
Google+
LinkedIn
Pinterest
Facebook

December 26th, 2018 by Steve Hanley

On the day after Christmas, Elon Musk took to Twitter to spread good news about electric cars, the Tesla Model 3, and the Supercharger network. “Most people don’t know that the Tesla Supercharger network allows easy long distance travel throughout USA, most of Europe, Canada and China,” he tweeted.

Do you know any other company that gives people a list of its competitors? Cuz we searched our archives down in the basement of the CleanTechnica World Headquarters building and couldn’t find any. We keep all those important files right next to the climate-controlled room where we keep the Vueve Clicquot Yellow Label champagne we serve after our weekly squash match.

Now that the Model 3 is headed to Europe, interested buyers are curious what Tesla and Elon Musk have up their sleeve with regard to building out the Supercharger system on the Old Continent. Paul Kelly, who lives in Ireland and is expecting delivery of a new Model X in 2 weeks, asked Elon that question directly and got the following reply.

Europe? Tesla Has You Covered. Texas, Too.

Well, naturally, that got the faithful fired up. Alejandro Zuboff tweeted from Texas to ask about coverage in his state.

Jim Roger Johansen wanted to know if the coastal highway in northern Norway would have a Supercharger station soon and got a “Yep” back from Elon.

More Charging News
While most manufacturers are thinking about building charging networks for their electric cars — assuming they ever build any — Tesla is putting its money where its mouth is.

The takeaway is that Tesla is doing more than any other company in the world to make charging an EV simple and convenient. Yes, free Supercharging is a thing of the past or soon will be, but the company has said all along it does not intend to make charging a profit center. Even if folks wind up paying for the electricity they use, it will still cost about half as much as the gasoline needed to travel a given distance.

When it comes to electric cars, Tesla is King Of The Mountain. Everyone else is just playing Follow The Leader.

About the Author

Steve Hanley Steve writes about the interface between technology and sustainability from his home in Rhode Island and anywhere else the Singularity may take him. His motto is “Democracy is socialism.” You got a problem with that?

You can follow him on Google + and on Twitter.

Advertise with CleanTechnica to get your company in front of our readers.

CleanTechnica Clothing & Cups

Carlos Tavares: electric cars could be more problematic than people think – Autocar

The switch from combustion engined to electrified powertrains will bring greater societal issues than the car industry alone can either consider or address, PSA Group CEO Carlos Tavares has warned. Outlining his firm’s strategy to have half its cars electrified in some form by 2020, and to offer a fully electrified line up by 2025,… Continue reading Carlos Tavares: electric cars could be more problematic than people think – Autocar

Peugeot Returns to U.S. to Help People Get Around, but Not With Its Cars – The New York Times

PARIS — Nearly three decades ago, Peugeot abandoned the United States market, stung by years of dwindling sales that were punctuated by a dispiriting 4,291 cars sold in 1990. Two years ago, Peugeot’s parent, the big European carmaker PSA Group, announced its return to the cutthroat North American market. The move stunned some industry observers… Continue reading Peugeot Returns to U.S. to Help People Get Around, but Not With Its Cars – The New York Times

Why Filld shut down mobile fueling in Seattle as it wrestles with fire marshals across the country

(Filld Photo) A few months after launching a pilot in Seattle, mobile fueling startup Filld hit a roadblock. On July 25, the Seattle Fire Marshall ordered the company to stop mobile fueling and handling of flammable liquids, Filld’s core business. Filld stopped its on-demand gas service in Seattle and began negotiating with fire officials, one of… Continue reading Why Filld shut down mobile fueling in Seattle as it wrestles with fire marshals across the country

Greenlots and ChargePoint announce peer-to-peer roaming agreement

Charging networks Greenlots and ChargePoint have formed a roaming partnership that will enable charging across the two networks, giving users access to thousands of additional charging locations throughout North America at no additional cost. Beginning in mid-2019, customers will be able to charge on either the ChargePoint or Greenlots networks without the need to create… Continue reading Greenlots and ChargePoint announce peer-to-peer roaming agreement

Chargepoint partners with Greenlots to expand access for drivers

2018 Kia Niro Plug-In Hybrid charging at ChargePoint station, Santa Cruz, California, Dec 2017
Forget five-minute fill-ups. What seems to drive many electric car drivers crazy is making sure the charger they find has the right connector, how fast the charger is (in kilowatts), and whether they have the right credentials to activate it.

Without a single one of these parameters, you may not be able to charge. (With most charging done at home or at work, however, most electric-car drivers rarely have to visit public charging stations.)

Now the largest charging network, ChargePoint, has announced a roaming partnership with Greenlots, another of the oldest charging networks in the U.S. to allow subscribers to each network use each other's chargers.

READ THIS: ChargePoint users can now access networks in Canada, Europe

Such agreements are accelerating, with ChargePoint also announcing agreements with EV Box in Europe and FLO in Canada in October.

Third-party software integrators such as Hubject are also working to help networks cross-connect, sharing charging locations and use data on each other's apps, for example, and enabling roaming payments.

Charging executives from several networks and other service providers have said they expect the industry to consolidate in coming years, with fewer, larger networks. That could help simplify matters for electric cars drivers.

DON'T MISS: ChargePoint commits to build charging stations for 2.5 million cars by 2025

ChargePoint made a commitment at the Global Climate Action Summit in San Francisco in September to build charging spaces for up to 2.5 million electric cars globally.

Like ChargePoint, Greenlots works to help businesses and individuals install new chargers. The company is working with Electrify America to build out its new nationwide network of DC fast chargers for non-Tesla electric cars.

To match the utility of gasoline, electric cars will have to not only be able to go 300 miles on a charge, but also to charge faster. Agreements such as this one are among the first steps to making that happen.