Tag: Electric vehicles

All-wheel-drive Tesla Model 3 price hiked by $1,000

Tesla Model 3 bought [Photo by reader AH]
As Tesla continues to scramble to make the Model 3 profitable in time to begin making big debt payments in November, the company hiked the price of the all-wheel drive option on the car.

According to Tesla's online configurator, the price has increased from $5,000 to $6,000.

The change was first reported by Electrek on Monday.

Tesla factory screencap from SF Bay Area CBS video

Buyers interested in the all-wheel-drive Model 3 have been on a pricing roller coaster since the option was announced.

First, Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk announced that it would cost less than the all-wheel-drive option on the Model S: $5,000. When the company began building all-wheel drive versions of the Model 3 in May, the option cost exactly $5,000. Tesla lowered the price to $4,000 in June, and raised it back to $5,000 in August.

READ THIS: Elon Musk announces Tesla Model 3 AWD, performance Model 3 specs

On Wednesday, the company also eliminated two of the Model 3's seven color options, Obsidian Black and Metallic Silver, Musk announced in a Tweet. Buyers who want those colors can still special order them at extra cost.

Solid Black is the only color that doesn't cost extra. Other colors add $1,500 to $2,000 to the price of a Model 3.

As the company works to ramp up production to a steady 6,000 Model 3s per week, the paint shop has reportedly been a major and consistent bottleneck on the assembly line.

It has also been a major safety concern in the Tesla factory, with fires reportedly requiring responses from local emergency officials repeatedly early in the summer. Reducing the complexity of color selection can make a major difference in reducing that bottleneck.

So far, Tesla has still not announced when it will offer the short range Model 3 at the car's originally advertised $35,000 base price.

Aston Martin Rapide E details revealed beyond battery tech

Teaser for Aston Martin Rapide E due in 2019
Led by former Nissan Leaf product planner Andy Palmer, Aston Martin plans to launch a new lineup of electric cars under its Lagonda brand.

As a trial balloon, it will launch an electric version of its four-door sports sedan under the Aston Martin brand, the Rapide E.

Now the company has released more details about the car beyond its 800-volt battery pack.

DON'T MISS: Aston Martin may be first with 800-volt charging

The company announced yesterday that the Rapide E will use a 65-kwh battery pack to deliver a range of about 200 miles.

The battery pack will use more than 5,600 cylindrical 18650 cells arranged in a proprietary pack sitting where the gas-powered Rapide's V-12 engine, transmission, and gas tank usually sit.

Two electric motors driving the rear axle will provide 601 horsepower and more than 700 pound-feet of torque.

Aston Martin Rapide E battery development

Aston Martin estimates 0-60 mph acceleration in less than 4 seconds and a 50-70 mph passing acceleration sprint in 1.5 seconds.

The car was engineered to maintain full power through a hot lap of the 12.8-mile Nurburgring test track in Germany, Aston Martin says it can maintain this level of performance on the street in more than short bursts.

Aston Martin is targeting similar handling performance as the gas version of the Rapide with revised spring and shock rates.

CHECK OUT: Aston Martin Lagonda Vision Concept shows electric car future for luxury sedan

As it announced specs for the Rapide E, Aston Martin announced that it will dedicate a new factory in St. Athan, Wales, as its hub for electric-car development and production.

“As our first all-electric production model, Rapide E will fast-track our knowledge and help us ensure the character and high-performance capabilities of our future EV models and enhance the unique qualities found in all Aston Martins as we know them today,” said Aston CEO Palmer. “Rapide E will also serve as a critical step on our path to relaunching Lagonda as the world’s first zero-emission luxury marque.”

The company plans to build just 155 examples of the Rapide E before launching into full electric production with an electric SUV from Lagonda scheduled to arrive in 2021.

Chevy recalls some Bolt EVs, Volts over supplier brake issues

2018 Chevrolet Bolt EV
Chevrolet this week recalled three to four months worth of production Bolt EVs and Volt plug-in hybrids over a potential brake issue that could increase stopping distances of the small vehicles.

The recall affects 2018-2019 Chevrolet Bolt EV and 2018-2019 Volt models sold in the U.S. and Canada.

General Motors' filing with federal regulators doesn't specify the number of cars or say when owners should begin receiving mailed notices for the proposed fixes, and Chevrolet was unable to confirm those details immediately. Affected Bolt EVs were produced between March 27, 2018 and July 17, 2018 and affected Volts were produced between March 27, 2018 and June 20, 2018.

DON'T MISS: 2018 Chevy Bolts recalled to update battery software, prevent shutdowns

According to GM, rear brake pistons that were improperly chromed and tempered could leak and trap hydrogen gas in the brake lines and could lead to soft or spongy brake pedals.

The faulty brake systems could stretch braking distances of the affected models. Officials said drivers should notice the spongy brake pedal within 15 days of the vehicle's assembly. Dealers were instructed to bleed the brake system to relieve any trapped hydrogen gas.In its filing, GM said it was not aware of any crashes or injuries related to the defect.

CHECK OUT: 2019 Chevy Volt gets higher prices with more equipment

The defective brake pedals are part of a larger recall affecting Mercedes-Benz vehicles and could be related to a similar recall by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. German supplier ZF said it was aware of the issue, but in its filing GM said the supplier did not notify it that the issue could affect Chevy, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac vehicles.

GM issued the recall this week for more than 230,000 vehicles that also included Chevrolet Cruze, Equinox, Impala, and Malibu sedans and crossovers; GMC Terrain crossovers; Buick LaCrosse, and Cadillac XTS sedans.

ABB’s Terra HPC can add 124 miles of range in 8 minutes

Swiss electronics giant ABB will launch what it claims is the world’s fastest EV charger at the upcoming Cenex Low Carbon Vehicle Event at Millbrook, Bedfordshire, UK. The Terra HPC (High Power Charger) can add 124 miles to a vehicle’s range in only 8 minutes. The company initially developed it for Electrify America, which is… Continue reading ABB’s Terra HPC can add 124 miles of range in 8 minutes

Chinese electric car maker listing on NYSE says its cars are faster and cheaper than Tesla’s

Brendan McDermid | Reuters
Chinese electric vehicle start-up Nio Inc's first employee Tianshu LI, and company's leadership team celebrate at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) Opening Bell to commemorate the company's initial public offering (IPO) at the NYSE in New York, September 12, 2018.

Chinese electric car company Nio is listing shares on Tesla's home turf and wants to squeeze market share away from Elon Musk and the company in China.

Nio listed its shares Wednesday on the New York Stock Exchange, and wants to expand into Europe and the United States, the company's chief financial officer, Louis Hsieh, said.

It has not been an easy journey toward the initial public offering, Hsieh said, partly due to trade tensions between the U.S. and China. Shares of Nio were up slightly Wednesday afternoon.

Chinese electric car company Nio makes its Wall Street debut
2 Hours Ago | 03:40

Still, there is plenty of upside, Hsieh said.

“We're telling investors the opportunity in front of Nio is huge,” he said. “China is 60 percent of the global market and growing even this year 80 percent a year even though the auto market is down.”

In addition, Nio is the only premium electric vehicle in China besides Tesla, and Nio's seven-seat SUV is a better product at a cheaper price than the Tesla Model X, Hsieh said.

“Ours comes in at less than half the price, better features, a faster car,” he said.

Nio is also coming out with a model that will be comparable to the Tesla Model 3 at about two-thirds the price, and that will have longer range and quicker acceleration.
Tesla was not immediately available for comment.

WATCH: Nio's electric car half the price of Tesla Model X in China

Nio's all-electric car is half the price of a Tesla Model X in China
8:36 PM ET Mon, 18 Dec 2017 | 00:52

Chinese electric carmaker NIO recovers from bumpy U.S. debut

(Reuters) – Shares of Chinese electric carmaker NIO Inc (NIO.N) bounced back from a 15 percent plunge in their market debut on Wednesday, a day after the company’s IPO was priced at the lower end of the expected range. Bin Li, CEO of Chinese electric vehicle start-up NIO Inc., rings a ceremonial bell as NIO… Continue reading Chinese electric carmaker NIO recovers from bumpy U.S. debut

BMW i3 cars help stabilizing the electricity grid and can even earn their owners money.

San Francisco/ Munich. At theGovernor’s Global Climate Action Summit (12–14September 2018) in San Francisco, the BMW Groupand PG&E present the results of their ChargeForward project in favour of maximizing the use of electricity from renewable resources to charge electric cars. The main findings are:  Electric vehicles can help stabilizing the public grid and maximizing… Continue reading BMW i3 cars help stabilizing the electricity grid and can even earn their owners money.

Vision URBANETIC: On demand, efficient and sustainable

10.

September 2018

Copenhagen

Completely new mobility concept for on-demand, efficient, comfortable and sustainable mobility Autonomous driving platform that can be fitted as required with a cargo module for goods transportation or with a people-mover module Battery-electric drive for zero local emissions and virtually noiseless mobility Mobility concepts embedded within an intelligent, self-learning IT infrastructure for the continual analysis of transportation needs Supply and demand captured in real time and vehicle resources used to optimum effect Maximum economy, efficiency and flexibility for cities, mobility providers and users Copenhagen – Today Mercedes-Benz Vans presents its Vision URBANETIC, a revolutionary mobility concept that goes way beyond existing ideas on autonomous vehicles. Vision URBANETIC eliminates the separation between people moving and goods transport. It enables on-demand, sustainable and efficient movement of people and goods – and applies an innovative approach to fulfil the needs of cities, businesses from diverse sectors as well as city dwellers and travellers. The concept reduces traffic flows, relieves inner-city infrastructures and contributes to an improved quality of urban life.
As part of a holistic system solution, Vision URBANETIC addresses future urban challenges and offers innovative solutions. The visionary concept is based on a self-driving, electrically powered chassis that can take different switchable bodies for people moving or goods transport. As a ride-sharing vehicle, Vision URBANETIC can accommodate up to twelve passengers, while the cargo module can carry up to ten EPAL pallets. A load space 3.70 metres long fits into a total vehicle length of 5.14 metres. Plus, the concept incorporates an IT infrastructure that analyses in real time the supply and demand within a defined area. The result is a self-driving fleet, with routes planned flexibly and efficiently on the basis of current transportation needs. All of this makes Vision URBANETIC a groundbreaking concept for future urban mobility.
Thanks to full networking, the evaluation of local information – such as concerts and events – and intelligent control, the system not only analyses current needs, it can also learn from them. It is thus able to anticipate and react to future needs. This can optimise processes and help shorten waiting and delivery times and avoid traffic jams. For instance, the overall system can use the data captured by the vehicle control centre – which collates and analyses needs – to identify a crowd of people gathering in a certain area. It can send vehicles there to quickly and efficiently satisfy the increased demand. The system can thus react flexibly and is not based on rigid routes or fixed timetables.
Fully networked and part of a comprehensive ecosystem
Mercedes-Benz Vans is pursuing an ambitious target with its Vision URBANETIC. It envisages transporting more people and goods with fewer vehicles on a virtually unchanged roads infrastructure in order to relieve inner cities and, at the same time, fulfil continually growing mobility requirements and customer desires. This would ultimately facilitate an improved quality of urban life – with flexible and comfortable movement of people, efficient and sustainable transportation of goods, significantly lower noise and pollutant emissions and greater freedom in city planning.
As a fully networked vehicle, Vision URBANETIC is part of an ecosystem in which commercial and private mobility wishes are transmitted digitally. Vision URBANETIC collates these needs and fulfils them with a highly flexible fleet, facilitating a considerable improvement in the use of resources.
Two interchangeable modules for people and goods
To achieve this level of flexibility, Vision URBANETIC is equipped with different interchangeable bodies depending on purpose of use. As a ride-sharing vehicle with a people-mover body, Vision URBANETIC offers space for up to twelve passengers. The modules are switched either automatically or manually, with the automated process taking just a few minutes. The system is based on an autonomous driving platform onto which the respective bodies are fixed. It incorporates all the driving functions, meaning the autonomous chassis can also make its way to its next job location without a body attached. Absolute safety is guaranteed by redundant components for all relevant actions such as steering, braking and acceleration.
The cargo module serves as a classic goods transporter. Thanks to its variable load floor, it can be divided into two levels and transport up to ten EPAL palettes. The load space has a volume of 10 m3. Alternatively, the vehicle can be fitted with fully automated cargo-space systems and used as a mobile package station for last-mile deliveries. Multiple further use cases are also conceivable as the concept can be equipped with a wide array of bodies for other sectors and applications.
Greater freedom for interior design
Thanks to fully automated driverless operation, operating costs fall significantly with Vision URBANETIC. Plus, with the exception of charging times for the battery-electric drive and maintenance periods, each vehicle can be in use around the clock, 365 days a year. It means, for example, profitable operation of local public transport solutions which would not be commercially viable with a driver. Likewise, the concept provides an answer to an ever-increasing demand in areas such as the logistics sector – a lack of drivers. Companies are already finding it extremely difficult or impossible to fill vacancies. In light of this, a German trade magazine voted “Fahrermangel” (lack of drivers) the 2017 Logistics Word of the Year.
The absence of a driver’s cab also frees up space for interior design. Steering wheel, pedals, dashboard and the entire cockpit are things of the past. The space can instead be used for additional passengers or a higher goods volume.
On a factory site or roaming freely in the city
The system architecture of the autonomous Vision URBANETIC ensures continual route adaptation using real-time traffic information. The operator’s fleet management is also part of the IT system, with usage conceivable in restricted areas such as a factory site or airport as well as in road traffic.
Vision URBANETIC’s electric drive delivers zero-local-emissions mobility, thus making it the perfect vehicle for city centres and areas subject to legal access restrictions. The virtually noiseless electric drive also presents new options for late or night-time deliveries and thus offers major commercial potential.
Establish trust through active communication with the outside world
Many people still view autonomous vehicles with the certain degree of scepticism. To address this, Vision URBANETIC adopts a new approach, particularly with its people-mover body. The vehicle uses multiple cameras and sensor systems to observe its surroundings in their entirety and communicates actively with them. It uses the large-format display on the front of the vehicle to inform pedestrians crossing the street in front of it that it has noticed them.
Another highlight is digital shadowing around the side door. Several hundred light units display the contours of approaching individuals along the flanks, signalling to them that the Vision URBANETIC has noticed them.

Press Contact

Florian Hofmann

Product Communications Mercedes-Benz Vans, Van Technology Communications

florian.hofmann@daimler.com

Tel: +49 711 17-46643

Fax: +49 711 17-79071936

Andrea Eberhardt

Product Communications Mercedes-Benz Vans

andrea.eberhardt@daimler.com

Tel: +49 711 17-84020

Fax: +49 711 17-1779097330

Thomas Christian Rosenthal

Product Communications adVANce and Future Transportation

thomas_christian.rosenthal@daimler.com

Tel: +49 711 1740286

Fax: +49 711 1779029941

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