At the suggestion of Ohio Governor John Kasich, Tesla CEO Elon Musk says that he will consider buying a GM factory in Ohio as it’s shut down next year. more…
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Source: Charge Forward
DrivingElectric recently reviewed the Kia Niro EV. Not only does the publication provide a video recap of the review, but there’s also a written synopsis that’s linked below in the video description. We really appreciate the fact that the outlet offers us a review from a female reporter’s perspective — Vicky Parrott — since this is rare for sure. So, what does DrivingElectric think of the brand-new entrant?
While the Niro EV comes standard with a 64-kWh battery pack and lots of range, it also only comes in one fully loaded trim level. This means you get a ton of stuff, but you have no choice but to pay for it. Vicky says this crossover is one of few cars that will work to increase EV adoption for the masses. She’s happy with the Niro’s comfort, predictability, acceleration, and intuitive braking. Vicky says you can just go about your business as with any car and the e-Niro feels “normal.”
Pros
Cons
DrivingElectric concludes:
As an overall prospect, the e-Niro is currently the best electric family car going. It’s great to drive, comfortable to sit in, easy to live with as a family and – crucially – offers the sort of range that should finally put the dreaded range anxiety to bed. Of course, you get Kia’s famous seven-year/100,000-mile warranty as well. It’s electric motoring made even easier, and at an affordable price.
Kia e-Niro electric SUV review – DrivingElectric
Kia e-Niro review: https://www.drivingelectric.com/kia/n…
The Kia e-Niro is our favourite electric family car. It’s a great compact SUV with a 282-mile official electric range and an affordable price.
Rival review:
Hyundai Kona Electric review: https://www.drivingelectric.com/hyund…
KIA NIRO EV (e-NIRO)
Source: Electric Vehicle News
Formula E took a big leap for its fifth season of competition in 2018-19, as it introduced the new (halo-topped) Gen2 car into the world’s all-electric single-seater series.
Its first design was always going to be blighted with the ‘car swap’ stigma, but with new battery developments combating its range anxiety, this allows drivers and teams to race pretty much flat-out from start to finish.
With the enforced pitstop taking away a key strategic element, and a new brake-by-wire system in theory making the cars easier to drive, would the racing be as good as before? The evidence from the opening round in Saudi Arabia was a resounding ‘yes’.
The new ‘attack mode’ concept – with its origins firmly rooted in Mario Kart – allows drivers to get a power boost to aid overtaking, or claw into gaps by setting faster laptimes. And, if anything, the new braking system seemed to prompt more late-braking mistakes than ever.
The opening race was defined by technical infringements, however, as reigning champion Jean-Eric Vergne lost a nailed-on race win due to a drive-through penalty for gaining a power advantage during braking regeneration, exceeding the level specified by the FIA software implementation guide. It was perhaps the most 21st century motorsport penalty yet given (!) but rules are rules…
That problem also raised its head in qualifying, when the Audi (and customer Virgin) cars were also penalised for power spikes caused by a bump on the track, which their systems hadn’t accounted for due to restricted practice running by rain in the desert. But don’t expect these to be persistent problems, as teams are still getting to grips with their new cars in the street-course environment.
As things stand, it looks like the Gen2 era will last for some time to come, with the FIA contemplating an extension to its planned three-year cycle, which would mean that the Gen3 that follows – tipped for much higher performance married with pitstops to showcase ultra-fast charging – won’t appear until the 2022/23 season.
Teams will be allowed to develop their powertrains each season, with only the base chassis and battery staying the same in Gen2, and it will likely have a new bodywork kit makeover for the second half of its extended life.
Other recent developments from FE’s pipeline lie in the support race ranks. The new Jaguar i-PACE eTrophy one-make series also made its debut in Saudi Arabia, while an ‘Extreme SUV Series’ is planned for 2020 (the ambitious Roborace continues with its development behind the scenes).
Many new deals are also being reached off track – not least livestreaming of races on the BBC’s red button/website/iPlayer and YouTube in the UK – neatly filling a void of free-to-air motorsport, just as Formula 1 commits to its Sky Sports F1-only deal (apart from the British GP).
Couple that with a calendar that is more stable than ever – with megacities like Berlin, Paris, Mexico City, Hong Kong, Rome and New York on the roster – it seems a far cry from season one, when founder Alejandro Agag admits the series almost collapsed
As long as the automotive industry continues its electrification plans as promised, and the infrastructure is put in place to support it from a road car perspective, electric vehicles will continue their rise to prominence across the globe.
And as F1 struggles to define its long-term identity, the ever more manufacturer-laden Formula E (Mercedes and Porsche arrive next season) is perfectly positioned as the only motorsport show in town to support the shift to everyday electric.
Source: Electric Vehicle News
Renault announced today that it is taking a “significant stake’” in Chinese electric vehicle company JMEV. more…
The post Renault is taking a ‘significant stake’ in a Chinese electric vehicle company appeared first on Electrek.
Source: Charge Forward
FreightWaves Research Institute recently studied a whopping 500 companies to determine which will lead the way in the future of freight. Regardless of naysayers, it turns out that Tesla (with its upcoming all-electric Semi truck) and startup Nikola both secured a spot in the top 25.
According to an article by Teslarati:
From 500 companies, a panel of experts selected by the institute narrowed down the list to 25. These 25 companies represented the best that the freight and logistics industry has to offer, in terms of innovation, tech, and potential disruption.
The research company’s list is referred to as Freight.Tech25. It honors top companies in the segment, including J.B. Hunt, FedEx, UPS, Daimler, and Amazon. Surprisingly, while Amazon took the No. 1 spot, Tesla ranked No. 3, and the automaker hasn’t even launched its upcoming semi. Nikola grabbed the 24th position on the list, which is still highly impressive.
Vice President of NFI Industries fleet services James O’Leary talked up freight electrification in a recent speech. More specifically, he called it the “Tesla effect.” O’Leary shared (via Teslarati):
Nobody in North America was talking about electric vehicles until your local news outlets picked up the rollout of the Tesla Semi. That led basically to what we call the Tesla effect. Now shippers are asking their carriers where you are with electric vehicles.
In regards to Nikola, InsideEVs is excited to disclose that we’ll be able to see the company’s trucks firsthand at its official unveiling event in April 2019.
While it is nice getting in top 25, our company belief is that “If you ain’t first you’re last”. Thank you Ricky Bobby, we agree. Nikola will never be ok with 24th place. Our only goal is #emissionsgameover https://t.co/x9Mwz6Nvvy
— Nikola Motor Company (@nikolamotor) December 17, 2018
Do you think all-electric and/or hydrogen-powered semi trucks are the way of the future? Share your insight with us in the comment section below.
Source: Teslarati
Source: Electric Vehicle News
Mountain View-based light electric vehicle company Boosted just announced today that they have raised $60M in Series B financing. The company intends to use the funding to develop and produce new types of personal electric vehicles designed to be even more rugged and robust.
The post Boosted just raised $60M to make new ‘vehicle-grade’ light EVs appeared first on Electrek.
Source: Charge Forward
It might be time to keep your Tesla Model 3 locked up and out of sight. Otherwise, when you least expect it, your colleague may run off with it.
In all seriousness, most people that drive a Tesla (or most EVs) for the first time are beyond impressed. Yes, there are still issues being reported in terms of Tesla’s tech glitches, quality control, service center struggles, etc. However, despite naysayers and doubters, none of these concerns make the Model 3 a “bad” car. Moreover, the reported issues don’t really have any impact on the thrill you’ll get when you first drive the car. In fact, we can’t really remember at time that we’ve stumbled upon or reported on a first-drive review of a Tesla that said the experience was a drag.
YouTuber ThatWhiteTesla owns an all-wheel-drive Tesla Model 3. He recently invited a friend to give the EV a whirl. Needless to say, the Toyota Prius driver was blown away. Would anyone expect anything different? Driving an electric vehicle is one of the number one motivators that leads to adoption.
The moral of the story here is … folks, please encourage your friends, family, colleagues, and acquaintances to go for a drive in your electric car. Educate them and show them the way.
Have you been successful in converting someone? Please share your stories with us in the comment section below.
Prius Owner Drives Tesla Model 3 For The First Time
I take my Prius-driving colleague David out for a ride in my Tesla Model 3 Dual Motor. This is his first experience behind the wheel of a Tesla and using the infamous Enhanced Autopilot mode. Well… I’ll let his reaction to the Tesla Model 3 speak for itself! 
Highlights
1:16 – David floors it for the first time!
2:16 – David floors it…again!
3:05 – Experiencing the Tesla enhanced autopilot for the very first time!
4:00 – The Tesla Model 3 merges automatically in rush hour traffic.
Source: Electric Vehicle News
Almost a fifth of Brits want to make the switch to an electric car in 2019 as part of eco-friendly new year’s resolutions, a recent survey has discovered.
A study by the Go Ultra Low campaign, which aims to help motorists understand the implications of electric vehicles, found that 18 percent of the 2,000 people it quizzed wanted to buy an electric car in 2019.
With the average Briton driving 108 miles over the festive period, Go Ultra Low estimates that the nation will notch up a collective 5.6 billion vehicle miles during December. As a result, the organization says switching to zero-emission-capable vehicles, including electric and plug-in hybrid cars, would dramatically improve festive air quality and CO2 emissions.
The results came amid growing concern for the environment in consumers’ lifestyles, with more than a third (35 percent) of respondents worrying about the ecological impact of their Christmas plans and preparations, while a massive 84 percent said they planned to make “more sustainable choices” this Christmas.
Almost three-quarters (72 percent) of those questioned said they were worried about the amount of plastic packaging used over Christmas, while nearly two-thirds were concerned about the increase in household waste.
However, the amount of concern varied between the age groups. Among those aged 18-24, 43 percent said they were worried about their environmental impact, while just 29 percent of over-55s expressed the same concern.
Even so, there seemed to be a widespread desire to make more environmentally friendly lifestyle changes in 2019, with 42 percent pledging to use less plastic, while a third (33 percent) said they wanted to do more recycling.
Buying an electrified vehicle was the fifth most popular new year’s resolution, with buying fewer products in third and not using plastic straws coming in third and fourth after being favored by roughly a quarter of respondents (24 and 23 percent respectively).
Poppy Welch, Head of Go Ultra Low, said consumers who make good on their resolution to buy a low-emission vehicle would make “a big impact”.
“Many of us are becoming increasingly worried about our environmental impact, and trying to be sustainable at Christmas can end up causing stress,” she said. “There are lots of simple switches you can make to be greener, but one change that will make a big impact is choosing an electric car. With pure electric and plug-in hybrids able to emit zero tailpipe emissions, as well as low running and maintenance costs, the cars can help you go green not just at Christmas but all year round, and save money too.”
Source: Electric Vehicle News
That’s not the name for the snowy season that’s upon some of us. Rather, it’s the nickname for the location where Nokian Tyres conducts all winter-tire testing.
Nokian just released a video of winter tire testing on a Tesla Model S. Though the clip is short and sweet, it does provide us with a look at what proper tires can do.
Though the cold of winter impacts range, there’s often a larger negative impact from the snow on the ground. Of course, we can’t avoid what Mother Nature tosses our way. However, as drivers, we can prepare for the conditions.
One of the best additions to any car, regardless if its front-wheel, rear-wheel or all-wheel-drive, is a proper set of winter tires. These proper tires provide you with the ability to accelerate in the slick stuff. More importantly, stopping distances reduce dramatically in snow & ice with winter tires. And that’s important from a safety perspective.
Check out the brief clip above to see how the Tesla Model S with Nokian winter tires bites in with the conditions are slick.
Video description:
Our tires are tested on various different vehicles, including electric cars, to make sure they work for all drivers.
We do our winter tire testing in White Hell, our testing center situated in the heart of Lapland. The result is safe, reliable and comfortable product in all conditions.
The Ivalo Testing Center “White Hell” is where Nokian Tyres, the northernmost tire manufacturer in the world, tests its winter tires rigorously on snow, ice and slush. Experienced test drivers put the tires’ performance to the limit in uncompromising tests in order to find the best tires out of the good ones. If a tire works under the world’s most demanding conditions, it will work reliably everywhere.
Source: Electric Vehicle News
Paul Maric from Australia-based automotive publication Car Advice welcomed the opportunity to come to the states and get in the driver’s seat of an all-new Tesla Model 3 Performance. He drove the car from Los Angeles, California to Las Vegas, Nevada to get some solid time with it and utilize the Tesla Supercharger Network. After his time with the EV, he awarded it with a score of 8.8 out of 10.
Maric took the opportunity to work the Model 3 over and report on all the fine details. Interestingly, his first observation had nothing to do with the car itself, but rather the Supercharger Network. Australia doesn’t offer such a substantial network, so it was refreshing for Paul.
Pros
Cons
Ratings Breakdown
Maric has a significant amount to share in the video, as well as in his extensive written review, which is linked below. Check it all out and let us know your thoughts in the comment section.
2019 Tesla Model 3 Performance: Review and 0-100
The Tesla Model 3 is taking the USA by storm and it’ll hit Australia by mid-late 2019. Paul Maric jumps behind the wheel of the Model 3 Performance for a road trip from Los Angeles to Las Vegas to see how well an electric car performs in a market with dedicated EV infrastructure.
To read Paul’s entire story, visit CarAdvice.com.
Source: Electric Vehicle News
