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
With the nation’s network of public electric vehicle charging facilities still relatively thin, most EV owners charge their rides at home. This can be as easy to accomplish as plugging the car into a wall outlet or as complex as having solar panels installed to replenish an EV’s battery.
All EVs come with a means to be connected to the power grid. Technically speaking, the charging station that converts AC house current into DC electricity is built into the vehicle. Most models include a basic 110-volt charging unit that plugs into a standard electric outlet via a conventional three-prong plug.
This is called Level 1 charging, and assuming you already have basic electric service in your garage, it’s the cheapest way to go. Unfortunately, it’s also the slowest. Depending on the vehicle and its battery capacity, it can take anywhere from eight to nearly 24 hours to bring its power cells up to a full charge.
A better choice is to spend a few hundred dollars to have an electrician install a dedicated 240-volt circuit – like those used for an electric clothes dryer – to take advantage of what’s called Level 2 charging. This can replenish a depleted battery in around four hours. You’ll also need to purchase an external Level 2 charging unit, which is also called the electric vehicle service equipment (EVSE).
Level 2 charging systems come in two basic varieties, plug-in portable and wall-mounted units that are hard-wired directly to a home’s electric service. If you don’t have a closed garage and you’ll be charging the vehicle outside, local codes may require a fixed-mount unit. Otherwise a portable charger requires no professional installation, assuming you’ve added the 240-volt service line. This type can come in handy if you own two homes or will be staying with friends or family in another town and want to take the unit along for charging at your destination.
A good quality EVSE can cost between $300 and around $1,200. If you’re choosing a wall-mounted unit, expect to pay another several hundred dollars for installation, depending on local labor rates and permit costs.
If you’re buying an EV, make sure the power outlet or wall-mounted charging station will be located within close proximity to your vehicle’s connecting port. Charger cables usually run from around 15 to 25 feet in length, but that may not be sufficient or desirable if the car’s port is located on the opposite end of the garage from the available power source. You may have to have an electrician extend the service closer to your car’s charging port if that’s the case.
It’s possible to use solar power to charge an EV, usually via panels mounted to the garage roof, but this can cost upwards of $7,000 per installation. And that doesn’t include having a storage battery installed to capture power during daylight hours for overnight charging, which could double the cost.
Solar charging becomes more cost effective, however, if you’re tapping into a full-house power system. Sources suggest a properly sized whole-house solar system can pay for itself in around seven years, depending on the size of the installation, local labor rates, component costs, and other variables. The national average for a 6-kW home solar power system is reportedly close to $19,000. Fortunately there’s a 30 percent federal tax credit with no limit available to help offset the costs. Unfortunately, the solar-power credit is scheduled to drop to 26 percent in 2020, 22 percent in 2021, and will be discontinued altogether in 2022.
Popular brands of EVSEs include ClipperCreek (one of the first companies to get into the home changing business), Siemens, JuiceBox, AeroVironment, and ChargePoint, among others. An online search can help you find a unit that comes with the features and power output that meets both your needs and budget. To make matters easier, you can purchase either of three popular ClipperCreek charging units directly from MyEV.com. Coming in both portable and hard-wired configurations, they’re priced between $379 and $565. Each of our EV for sale listings features them under a “shop for chargers” tab, or can check them out via this link.
Experts suggest buying an EVSE that can produce at least 30 amps of power. Generally speaking this type of unit would be able to add around 30 miles of operating range to a given battery pack per hour. Some EVs can get along with fewer amps, but buying more capability than you may need today makes the installation “future proof” should you eventually trade in the vehicle for a model that can handle the added capacity. However, if you’re planning on using a 30-amp unit you may need to upgrade the line’s circuit breaker to one that’s rated for at least 40 amps.
As with many other types of electronic devices these days, you can buy a “smart” EV charging unit that includes Wi-Fi connectivity. While this adds cost and complexity to what’s otherwise a plug-and-play device, choosing a smart charger adds a layer of convenience. These units allow an owner to use his or her smartphone to monitor charging, and how much energy the vehicle is using to help gauge running costs. Some smart chargers can communicate with your power company to only charge at off-peak times for discounted rates, and even receive commands via Amazon’s Alexa virtual assistant.
Finally, only consider charging units that have been tested and certified for safety by an independent source like Underwriters Laboratory (UL). And if you’re having a charger installed outdoors, make sure it’s rated for that purpose.
Source: MYEV.com
Source: Electric Vehicle News
VDL Bus & Coach secured another significant electric bus order in Amsterdam, which once hinted at a plan to replace all diesel buses by 2025. The capital of the Netherlands already has a three-digit number of electric buses including a massive fleet for Schiphol Airport.
The latest order is for 31 VDL Citea Electric (9 Citeas SLF-120 Electric and 22 articulated Citeas SLFA-180 Electric) for BVG (the public transport company for Amsterdam), with the option for 69 more. VDL is also responsible to supply fast-charging stations. The project should be completed in 2020.
The SLF-120 has 31 seats and is equipped with a 216 kWh battery, while the longer SLFA-180 has 47 seats and is equipped with 288 kWh battery. Both types will recharge using roof pantograph at Sloterdijk station with seven parallel stalls and overnight using 31 lower-power chargers at GVB’s Garage West location. Only green electricity is to be used for charging.
“From 2020 the electric Citeas will be in service on lines 15, 22 and 36, all with start and end points at Sloterdijk station. They will replace part of the current diesel fleet. The series of 31 electric buses consists of 9 Citeas SLF-120 Electric and 22 articulated Citeas SLFA-180 Electric. Both types of vehicle have a similar design and meet the requirements set by GVB for efficient bus operation in the city centre.”
President and Chairman of the Board Willem van der Leegte of VDL Groep said:
VDL Citea SLF-120 Electric for GVB
“We are very proud that through the delivery of our electric public transport buses we will contribute to further CO2 reduction in the city and thus a cleaner Amsterdam. GVB’s ambitions to provide electric service are perfectly aligned with those of VDL to make a significant contribution to the electrification of bus transport in the Netherlands. It is, of course, especially pleasing to be supplying electric buses to our capital city. This renewed cooperation with GVB symbolizes the mutual trust between our organizations.”
Alexandra van Huffelen, managing director GVB, said:
“This is the first step towards making our bus fleet more sustainable. I am proud that our first 31 electric buses from VDL will now be arriving. As an urban transport operator, taking this step means we are contributing to cleaner air in Amsterdam and the reduction of our own CO2 emissions. In the coming years we will replace our entire bus fleet, some 200 vehicles, with zero emission buses that we can use to transport our passengers comfortably and cleanly.”
Source: Electric Vehicle News
Electric vehicles aren’t as good as gas-burners – when it comes to performance, comfort and total cost of ownership, they’re far better. However, one area in which EVs still fall short is refueling time. Even at a Tesla Supercharger, you can expect to wait much longer than the couple of minutes it takes to jerk some dinosaur juice into a legacy rattler.
*This article comes to us courtesy of EVANNEX (which also makes aftermarket Tesla accessories). Authored by Charles Morris. The opinions expressed in these articles are not necessarily our own at InsideEVs.
Source: Zapinamo
Chargers with much higher power levels are already being installed in the US and Europe, but they’ll be playing a game of catch-up as the battery capacities of next-gen EVs increase. Furthermore, faster charging means more power consumption, and that often means expensive upgrades to a location’s electrical supply. What if there were some way to charge a vehicle faster without drawing more juice from the local service?
That’s the vision of EVSE manufacturer Zapinamo. The Coventry-based firm has developed a new charging system that uses battery storage to “power boost” a domestic electric grid connection and reduce charging time.
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Youtube: Knowledge Transfer Network
According to Zapinamo, a typical home charger adds 4 miles of charge in 30 minutes, whereas the company’s new Hubz unit can add 50 miles in 30 minutes.
The Hubz product range is a modular system, designed to expand its capabilities as typical charging power levels increase.
The Hubz base unit can use a “community energy model” to distribute energy among several chargers.
The Streethubz unit is designed for commercial depots, where its energy storage capability can boost charging rates without the need for costly substation upgrades.
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Source: Zapinamo
The Parkhubz unit is ergonomically designed to fit into the corner of a parking spot, taking up a minimal amount of space.===Written by: Charles Morris. This article originally appeared in Charged.
*Editor’s Note: EVANNEX, which also sells aftermarket gear for Teslas, has kindly allowed us to share some of its content with our readers, free of charge. Our thanks go out to EVANNEX. Check out the site here.
Source: Electric Vehicle News
Awaiting the global sales results of the Hyundai Kona Electric, we take a look at the South Korean market, which in November brings us a new record of Kona Electric sales.
As it turns out, some 2,906 Kona Electric were sold (over 400 more than in October), which translates to more than 10,000 total sold since its introduction in May.
The sales increase in South Korea encourages us that on the global level Hyundai will set a new record, hopefully beyond 5,000 per month.
The Kona Electric accounted for more than half of total Kona sales (5,558) and 4.5% of total Hyundai car sales for the month of November in South Korea.
Source: Electric Vehicle News
Nissan confirmed its presence at the upcoming 2019 CES in January with several EVs. The display is entitled “See the Invisible” 60 kWh LEAF and there is a chance that we will finally see the LEAF e-Plus as Nissan lists a “New vehicle introduction”.
The Japanese manufacturer will present the latest LEAF Nismo RC, which recently debuted in Japan, and the IMx KURO concept unveiled at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show (as a second version of the IMx from 2017 Tokyo Motor Show). There will be Nissan Energy demonstrations and more.
Nissan’s CES display (6906), North Hall at the Las Vegas Convention Center will focus on Nissan Intelligent Mobility and includes:
- A new technology platform to “See the Invisible,” creating an entirely new driving experience through connected worlds
- The U.S. debut of the all-new, twin electric motor, all-wheel drive Nissan LEAF NISMO RC racing machine
- Nissan Energy demonstrations, including solutions that create a fully integrated electric vehicle ecosystem.
- A display of the IMx KURO concept crossover electric vehicle
- New vehicle introduction, displays and EV cafe
In January Infiniti intends to present a new electric crossover concept, however, that’s at the NAIAS in Detroit.
Source: Electric Vehicle News
