Tesla teases a new user interface for energy customers who own home solar products and Powerwalls in a new video.
The post Tesla teases new energy user interface appeared first on Electrek.
Source: Charge Forward
Arcimoto’s market capitalization recently crossed the $1 billion threshold, making the three-wheeled electric vehicle company the newest member of the unicorn club.
The post US-based ‘Tesla lite’ 3-wheeled electric vehicle startup passes $1B market cap appeared first on Electrek.
Source: Charge Forward
Valued at $50 billion or more?
Source: Electric Vehicle News
Elon Musk and Sandy Munro covered a lot of ground in their recent video chat, discussing a great number of advances and improvements to Tesla’s vehicles and manufacturing processes. Here’s just one tidbit that many may have overlooked: beginning with the upcoming Model S/X refresh, Tesla plans to abandon the century-old lead-acid battery technology in favor of a more modern lithium-ion unit.
It’s ironic, but as far as we know all of today’s production EVs contain lead-acid batteries, which power the 12-volt system that runs accessories such as the lights and audio system. (Interestingly, the 2017 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid went lead-acid-less.)
There are Li-ion 12 V automotive batteries commercially available from a variety of aftermarket suppliers, but they are specialty items intended for racing or other weight-sensitive/cost-insensitive applications.
As Jeffrey Jenkins explains in a highly technical exploration of DC-DC converters, 12 V lead-acid systems are still used in EVs because they are a commodity. And it’s very difficult to engineer a cheaper Li-ion solution.
However, during a discussion of pending innovations in Tesla’s wiring and electronics (around 38:00 in the video), Elon throws out this morsel: “With the new S/X we’re finally transitioning to a lithium-ion 12-volt [battery]. It’s got way more capacity, and the calendar and cycle life match that of the main pack. We should have done it before now, but it’s great that we’re doing it now. This is one of those inside-baseball victories that’s kind of a big deal.”
Why is it a big deal? Well, for one thing, lead-acid car batteries, at least the cheap ones, only tend to last a few years. A lot of EV owners don’t even realize their car has one until it fails and leaves them stranded. (“I thought these cars didn’t need any maintenance!”)
Lead-acid isn’t the only vestige of the past that’s ripe for an upgrade—the entire world of 12-volt auto electronics may be passing away soon. “What are we still doing at 12 volts?” Musk asks Sandy (cutting-edge vehicles are moving to 48-volt systems for their electronics). “Twelve volts is very much a vestigial voltage—it’s certainly low,” he continues, noting that even powered Ethernet uses 48-50 volts. “That’s really what the car’s low-voltage system should be at.”
Another future innovation: using the same wires for power and data (for the CAN bus, battery monitoring, etc), which will allow Tesla to eliminate a lot of point-to-point wiring.
Source: Munro Live
Source: Electric Vehicles Magazine
American automakers Rivian and Lucid Motors have both recently revealed locations in expanding their retail presence in the United States. Both electric vehicle manufacturers have large aspirations to compete with Tesla, although either has yet to deliver a consumer EV so far.
The announcements of retail and service spaces opening for for Rivian and Lucid, show how both automakers are looking to grow customer bases quickly. Furthermore, each company’s proposed list of future locations show how each is taking a similar distribution approach to emulate the current industry leader, Tesla.
The post Rivian and Lucid Motors both expand U.S. retail presence appeared first on Electrek.
Source: Charge Forward
Watch how Tesla FSD Beta avoids a dangerous group of skateboarders coming right at it.
Source: Electric Vehicle News
Ever since the November 13 Bolt EV Battery Recall announcement, eager Chevrolet Bolt owners have been waiting to hear about the progress of the recall. The temporary fix, which owners have been urged to go to the dealership to have applied for free, reduces the charge limit to 90%. (Well, 95% actually, more on that later.) GM and LG Engineers are diligently working to resolve the issue.
The post Bolt recall update provided by Chevy appeared first on Electrek.
Source: Charge Forward
Well, once you proceed forward, nothing can stop you if you’re on ice.
Source: Electric Vehicle News
Ultra-fast wireless charging system included.
Source: Electric Vehicle News
In the European electric car scene, things are getting competitive. The last 12 months have seen an explosion in a previously under-served segment of the market, electric SUVs.
The post Vauxhall Mokka-E First Drive – Robert spills the beans on the Mokka’s only shortcoming appeared first on Electrek.
Source: Charge Forward
