Topic: Electric Vehicle News Thread

[EV Dan]

Good news for the Model 3 reservers: Gigafactory cell production is to begin this year.
(via insideevs)


June 21, 2016 2:20 am JST
Panasonic to jump-start US battery cell output for Tesla


OSAKA -- Panasonic will begin mass-producing components for electric-car batteries ahead of schedule at an American factory it is building with Tesla Motors, responding to brisk demand for a forthcoming sedan from the U.S. automaker.

The duo had initially said the lithium-ion-battery plant in the state of Nevada would be up and running sometime in fiscal 2016 -- a time frame taken to mean early 2017. The plant is now set to open this July, with power cell production to begin in November. Tesla is thought to have called on Panasonic to compress its timeline after receiving a large number of preorders for the Model 3 sedan, due out next year.

Investments to expand output will also be sped up. Panasonic was initially to pour up to $1.6 billion into the plant in eight installments. But this could change, as the company "would like to avoid delays in [Tesla's] auto production caused by an insufficient battery supply," an executive at the Japanese electronics maker said.

Panasonic is also growing electric-car operations in China, the world's largest market, by partnering with Beijing Automotive Group (BAIC) to make electric compressors for air conditioners. The automaker sold around 2.5 million new vehicles there in 2015, putting it at fifth place in the country's auto industry. BAIC's roots are in parts production, though it has made automobiles since 1958. The company now builds such vehicles as luxury cars in partnership with Germany's Daimler and South Korea's Hyundai Motor and is stepping up involvement in electric cars and other environmentally friendly autos.

Panasonic is leaning on its ties to BAIC in an effort to grow Chinese operations related to electric vehicles. Cooperation on other products is to be discussed going forward.

Sales from Panasonic's automotive operations came to around 1.3 trillion yen ($12.4 billion) in the year ended March 31. The plan is to lift the figure to 2 trillion in fiscal 2018, transforming electric vehicles into a key driver of earnings.

(Nikkei)

[rrocket]

Model S Autonomous mode buggy??

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2016/06/tesla-autopilot-hate-humans-just-guy/

[bye]

As Tesla documents, the autopilot mode is in beta, and specifically for highway driving situations.

While I applaud the risk taking science (I REALLY DO!), it was tested a bit outside of the instructions given on the dash screen when enabling the functionality, namely, to be used on highways.

Keep pushing, things are rapidly improving.

I like this video for a review on Tesla autonomous driving mode, in motorway scenario.
Very funny moments.  These guys are entertaining.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tP7VdxVY6UQ

[rrocket]

As Tesla documents, the autopilot mode is in beta, and specifically for highway driving situations.

While I applaud the risk taking science (I REALLY DO!), it was tested a bit outside of the instructions given on the dash screen when enabling the functionality, namely, to be used on highways.

Keep pushing, things are rapidly improving.

I like this video for a review on Tesla autonomous driving mode, in motorway scenario.
Very funny moments.  These guys are entertaining.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tP7VdxVY6UQ

If it's to be used only on highways, why have the minimum possible speed at 18MPH??

Should be 40+ if that's the case.

[bye]

If it's to be used only on highways, why have the minimum possible speed at 18MPH??
Should be 40+ if that's the case.

Potentially related to the fact they started with adaptive cruise control without auto-steering in late 2014, and then they added auto-steering in 2015 over the air (free to owners who paid for convenience features) and they allowed enabling it during slow bumper-bumper traffic in the original adaptive cruise option.

But yeah, not defending them too much here, but to their credit, Tesla will keep improving their system, and given they update the car constantly with new software over the air just like an iPad/etc, it will make it hard for other car vendors to catch up without adopting the same over the air update system as Tesla.

Our Tesla is the only car we've ever owned that keeps getting better as it ages.  Very interesting that no one else is doing that yet, but I have to expect the others will do this eventually too...

[makuribu]

Hydrogen cars are the future as soon as this technology becomes more affordable everyone will jump ship.  Battery cars will always limited. Take a while to charge and the process to make the battery and charge isn't that green.

The current Mirai is using a 1.6kWh Nickel metal hydride battery, which is not the cleanest in production either. As for charging, an H2 car will take 2-3x the energy to go the same distance as a similar EV:
http://www.autos.ca/forum/index.php?topic=90866.msg1203400#msg1203400

I think that chart is pretty optimistic. Compressing hydrogen to 10,000 psi, which is necessary to get energy density to the point where a FCV has a practical range, is about 70% efficient, not 90%. And you can't change the laws of thermodynamics. Unless you can breed a yeast that farts pure hydrogen while growing in a 10,000 psi vat of biomass waste, you're never going to produce hydrogen economically.

Platinum is still needed in large quantities for the catalyst in the PEM fuel cell. Like, more platinum than exists on the planet if you wanted to replace the American fleet of internal combustion engine cars with PEM FCVs. Unless you can develop a PEM catalyst from boring old iron or nickel, your fuel cell is going to cost way too much money.

The fuel cell vehicle is the car of the future.
And nuclear fusion is the clean, economical energy source of the future.
Just like they were 35 years ago.

As the sign behind the bar says, Free Beer! Ask tomorrow!

[rrocket]

Tesla settles lawsuit with lemon Model X

http://jalopnik.com/owner-dumps-tesla-model-x-over-quality-problems-1782709020

[Ex-airbalancer]

Tesla settles lawsuit with lemon Model X

http://jalopnik.com/owner-dumps-tesla-model-x-over-quality-problems-1782709020

Maybe you should call it a potato Model X , instead of a lemon ,at least it could make it own power

[EV Dan]

VW expects Diesel engines to be finished off by emission regulations.

Volkswagen places question mark over future of diesel technology

VW was plunged into its deepest-ever crisis when it was revealed that it had installed emissions-cheating software into 11 million diesel engines worldwide.

Tuesday June 21 2016

Volkswagen chief Matthias Mueller hinted in a newspaper interview that the embattled car giant could abandon diesel engine technology in the wake of the massive emissions-cheating scandal it is currently engulfed in.

"Against this background, we have to ask ourselves whether... we want to spend more money on the further development of diesel," Mueller told the business daily Handelsblatt, promising that VW would take a "fundamental" look at the issue.

Mueller pointed to tougher emissions legislation set to come into force in 2020.

"We have an inkling of what will follow in five or 10 years," he said.

"It's clear even today that treating exhaust gas fumes will become very costly and elaborate," he said.

At the same time, electric powered transport will become cheaper, Mueller added, while conceding that diesel technology remained very popular in Europe and in Germany.

VW was plunged into its deepest-ever crisis last September when it was revealed that it had installed emissions-cheating software into 11 million diesel engines worldwide.

http://www.nation.co.ke/business/VW-places-question-mark-over-future-of-diesel-technology/-/996/3260076/-/t1t0p0z/-/index.html  (via insideevs)

[wing]

I heard off the record that the US regulations for diesel now is ridiculous.

They won't actually tell the automakers how the test will be performed.

It really smells like a  gov conspiracy to force hybrid tech over diesel

[bye]

It really smells like a  gov conspiracy to force hybrid tech over diesel

Wow.  I hope da gubernment dont take 'way my diesels, whoop!

Meanwhile, the regulations already on the books will be a forcing function to make electrified (hybrid, plug-in, pure EV) drive trains ubiquitous by 2025.   

Judging by the Porsche 918, plug-in hybrids will be the kind of technology you should expect will make it's way down to regular cars.   

[rrocket]

It really smells like a  gov conspiracy to force hybrid tech over diesel

Wow.  I hope da gubernment dont take 'way my diesels, whoop!

Meanwhile, the regulations already on the books will be a forcing function to make electrified (hybrid, plug-in, pure EV) drive trains ubiquitous by 2025.   

Judging by the Porsche 918, plug-in hybrids will be the kind of technology you should expect will make it's way down to regular cars.

Hybrids already are ubiquitous.  Where have you been?   

[rrocket]

Not ready for prime time?

http://electrek.co/2016/06/30/tesla-autopilot-fata-crash-nhtsa-investigation/

[Fobroader]

It really smells like a  gov conspiracy to force hybrid tech over diesel

Wow.  I hope da gubernment dont take 'way my diesels, whoop!

Meanwhile, the regulations already on the books will be a forcing function to make electrified (hybrid, plug-in, pure EV) drive trains ubiquitous by 2025.   

Judging by the Porsche 918, plug-in hybrids will be the kind of technology you should expect will make it's way down to regular cars.

I can go down to Ford and Toyota and pick up a plug in hybrid. Actually, that Ford van hybrid thing is kind of cool.....not 918 cool, but its at least acceptable.

[EV Dan]

Not ready for prime time?

http://electrek.co/2016/06/30/tesla-autopilot-fata-crash-nhtsa-investigation/

A picture of that intersection here:
http://gas2.org/2016/06/30/first-autopilot-death-occurs-florida/
This sucks 

[X-Traction]

Not ready for prime time?

http://electrek.co/2016/06/30/tesla-autopilot-fata-crash-nhtsa-investigation/

Why interject this into the EV discussion?  Can we look forward to tire criticism if said tires were installed on a Leaf?

But while we're on the subject, had the truck also been equipped with similar technology, the crash would not have happened.

[Ex-airbalancer]

Not ready for prime time?

http://electrek.co/2016/06/30/tesla-autopilot-fata-crash-nhtsa-investigation/

Why interject this into the EV discussion?  Can we look forward to tire criticism if said tires were installed on a Leaf?

But while we're on the subject, had the truck also been equipped with similar technology, the crash would not have happened.

It was an EV 

How do you the crash would not have happen if the truck was on auto pilot?

[EV Dan]

I wonder if the truck's high ground clearance played a role in the autopilot's not seeing the obstacle.

[Ex-airbalancer]

It was writing about bright sun light effecting the sensors
So what happens when you drive into the sun at sun raise and sun set
I have a hard time seeing at that time of day

[EV Dan]

Also what would happen if there were air balloons, newspapers or similar stuff flying across the road. Would a "smart" car hit the brakes and be rear ended? I'd give it another 10 years at least for this tech to mature before I can trust my life to it.