electricvehicles

The +Tesla Motors Model S is too my eyes at least a much more attractive machine… 2

This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged electricvehicles EV Google+ infiniti nissan tesla on by (updated 4576 days ago)

The +Tesla Motors Model S is too my eyes at least a much more attractive machine than the new Infiniti. On the other hand, the extra range it offers comes at a significant price and +Infiniti will be using industry standard charging connectors rather than the proprietary setup that Tesla has opted for.

I'm still unconvinced about the long-term viability of both Tesla as a company and the battery technology they are using (packing thousands of lithium-cobalt-oxide cells into the pack). Despite my concerns about the durability Nissan's air-cooled battery, at least they offer an 8-year warranty and I'm reasonably confident the company will remain with us for a while.

#electricvehicles #ev #nissan #infiniti #tesla

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Did the Infiniti LE electric luxury sedan just become Tesla's worst nightmare?

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Infiniti LE Electric Luxury Sedan: Tesla's Worst Nightmare?
One of the surprise stars of the New York Auto Show media days this week was the Infiniti LE Concept. The design study for an electric four-door sedan is a close approximation of a car that will roll …

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The "hits" just keep on coming for the electric vehicle market, but unfortunately… 4

This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged codaautomotive electricvehicles EV Google+ on by (updated 4593 days ago)

The "hits" just keep on coming for the electric vehicle market, but unfortunately not in a good way. Yesterday, Azure Dynamics, a Canadian company that converts large vans to plug-in hybrids and the Ford Transit Connect to full battery electric drive, filed for bankruptcy protection. At the same time, A123 Systems announced a recall of several hundred battery packs, most of which are in Fisker Karmas.

Today we learn that Coda Automotive is abandoning plans for a battery factory in Columbus, OH. I spoke with Coda in 2009 about its electric car plans http://greenfuelsforecast.com/ArticleDetails.php?articleID=715

Like Bright Automotive, Coda's plans got derailed by the lack of approvals for its application for a loan from the DoE's advanced technology vehicle manufacturing program. For the time being, Coda will continue to get batteries from its supplier in China.

#electricvehicles #ev #codaautomotive

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Coda ditches plan to build car-battery factory in Columbus
Coda Automotive is abandoning plans to build a battery factory in Columbus, a decision that will mean the region will not be in line for more than 1,000 manufacturing jobs that would have been created…

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+Tesla Motors provides a public response to the battery killing controversy 10

This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged electricvehicles EV Google+ teslamotors on by (updated 4618 days ago)

tps://plus.google.com/110107458243955110887″ class=”proflink” oid=”110107458243955110887″>Tesla Motors provides a public response to the battery killing controversy.
While Tesla is correct in saying that the vast majority of Roadster owners have had no problems with their batteries, they also acknowledge having made changes to the way the battery management works on the upcoming Model S to at least make the potential for issues far less likely.

That said, you still need to keep a Roadster plugged in when it’s not in use for any length of time. While EVs generally require less maintenance than internal combustion vehicles, Tesla does exaggerate that requirement. As an owner, you no longer have to worry about constant oil changes, exhaust checks, or spark plug replacements

I’ve owned many cars over the past 25 years and I wouldn’t call oil changes every 3-6 months constant. Similarly, modern engines (anything in the last 10-15 years) can usually go 100,000 miles without changing spark plugs. On the other hand, I don’t have to keep a gas pump hooked up to my car if I park it for 2 weeks or 2 years.

https://plus.google.com/114133424228405038490/posts/BBd7bMTRQsi

#teslamotors #ev #electricvehicles

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New Tesla blog post: Plug It In http://www.teslamotors.com/blog/plug-it

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Plug It In | Blog | Tesla Motors
A single blogger is spreading a rumor about electric vehicles becoming inoperable. “Bricking” is an irrational fear based on limited information and a misunderstanding of Tesla’s battery system. Here …

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There are really two stories of varying importance behind the discussion in recent… 3

This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged electriccars electricvehicles EV Google+ lithiumion teslabrick teslamotors on by (updated 4617 days ago)

There are really two stories of varying importance behind the discussion in recent days of "bricking" Tesla Roadster batteries.

The whole brouhaha was instigated by what appears to be a customer that was understandably angry at having to pay $40,000 to replace a battery after parking his car for 6 weeks. When +Tesla Motors opted to open company-owned retail stores instead of franchised dealers http://aol.it/AeyDnI they were determined to handle customer relationships differently from other automakers.

Unfortunately for Max Drucker, it appears that Tesla still has a great deal to learn about dealing with customers and the media. Leaking emails between a customer and the company was totally the wrong thing to do on so many levels.

The more important part of this story however, is the fact that apparently the Roadster battery pack can be permanently disabled by leaving the car unplugged. When it comes to its battery design Tesla has followed a different path from other manufacturers. Tesla is unique in opting to use the same type of small 18650 type cells with metal oxide chemistry found in most laptop computer batteries. These cells have high energy capacity but they also have less thermal stability then the cell chemistry used by companies including Nissan, Ford, General Motors and Fisker. Only BMW, Daimler and later this year Toyota have released cars with this type of battery and those were mainly for test fleets.

Back in 2007, I was told by co-founder Martin Eberhard and former SVP Darryl Siry that in order to maximize the driving range, Tesla would use the full capacity of the cells. This approach leaves open the possibility of complete discharge. Again other automakers leave a buffer of unused capacity at the high and low range. This prevents complete depletion and also protects against overcharging both of which can damage cells.

Using a buffer cuts the potential range but also allows manufacturers to comfortably offer warranties of 8-10 years and 100,000-150,000 miles.

By all appearances, this is a technical issue that is unique to Tesla and perhaps its customers at Daimler and Toyota. It's not clear if the batteries supplied to Daimler for the Smart ED and to Toyota for the upcoming Rav4 EV use the same approach of utilizing the full capacity. The original MINI Es had batteries supplied by AC Propulsion and are now out of service and are being replaced by the ActiveE which uses a different type of battery supplied by SB LiMotive.

At the very least, Roadster owners (and potential customers of the upcoming Model S) need to be very careful with their batteries because this is a real issue for Tesla.

#teslamotors #teslabrick #electriccars #ev #electricvehicles #lithiumion

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Is Tesla 'Bricking' Story Just An Angry Owner's Warranty Claim?
And now perhaps it all becomes clear. The Tesla battery 'bricking' post that was today's electric-car news story and generated reams of coverage may simply be an attempt by an unhappy owner to get Tes…

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This is not a good sign for the Tesla Model S 6

This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged electricvehicles EV Google+ teslamotors on by (updated 4632 days ago)

I was one of the first handful of journalists to get to drive the Roadster back in January 2008 http://green.autoblog.com/2008/01/28/abg-first-drive-hitting-the-road-in-the-tesla-roadster/

While the car was a blast to drive, it exhibited a number of flaws which in combination with the economic collapse later that year, no doubt caused to fall well short of its sales targets.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has long had a contentious relationship with the media and it looks like he doesn't want to risk any bad reviews ahead of delivering cars to customers. Hopefully the Model S will live up to expectations, but I have a feeling a lot of people will be surprised at their actual out the door cost and range once they hit the streets.

#teslamotors #ev #electricvehicles

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Tesla not to let journalists test Model S before start of deliveries
Tesla Motors held its fourth quarter and full-year financial results conference call, as well as an extensive Q&A session last night with investors and journalists – revealing an aspect of the Mod…

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Tesla Motors revealed its third (second all-new since the original Roadster was developed… 2

This entry was posted in cars and tagged electricvehicles EV Google+ tesla teslamodelx on by (updated 4636 days ago)

Tesla Motors revealed its third (second all-new since the original Roadster was developed from the Lotus Elise) vehicle last night at a special event in California. The Model X is an good-looking but maybe not very practical all-electric crossover that is expected to the join the Model S sedan late in 2013. http://www.teslamotors.com/modelx

As CUVs go, the Model X is quite attractive and follows the design language that Franz von Holzhausen created for the Model S. The platform is based on the Model S and same sort of skateboard electric drive architecture pioneered a decade ago by its AUTOnomy concept http://www.adrianchernoff.com/pages/AUTOnomy.html

Despite the low-slung platform that gets all of the hardware out of the way, from the initial images I'm seeing of the Model X it seems to have some packaging issues. Like the Model S, the crossover has seven seats although the tiny child-size rear-facing jump seats of the sedan have been swapped for proper forward facing seats.

von Holzhausen has devised an interesting door arrangement for the X that uses conventional hinged front doors and gull-wings (which Tesla insists on calling Falcon wings, presumably in honor of the Falcon rocket produced by Musk's other company, SpaceX) for access to the second and third rows. This arrangement allows for a larger opening to access the third row without making the doors excessively wide when opened. However, judging from the position of the passengers in the second and third rows as seen in the photo below from Engadget, adults won't be very happy in the back for any length of time.

That's actually probably not that big of an issue since most mid-size crossovers have the same issue. Third row seats are usually best left to little ones and they will probably have an easier time getting in an out than they do in most others. While the gull-wings make for easy ingress-egress, I do see this becoming a manufacturing and quality nightmare. Plus being in that third row when the door opens on a rainy day probably won't be much fun.

The other big packaging issue I see is the front door openings. Take a look at those front door openings! They are virtually triangular with the windshield sloping back to meet the B-pillar. Taller drivers and passengers will definitely have to duck to get in and out without whacking their heads on the pillar. I have a feeling this is going to have change quite substantially in the two years before customer deliveries start in earnest.

I must say that I've long been skeptical of whether Tesla could survive in the long-term as an independent entity and I'm frankly surprised they have hung in as long as they have. I think it's the sheer force of will of Elon Musk that has kept them going and I hope they succeed. The success or failure of the Model S will be very telling about the company as a whole. Good Luck to everyone at Tesla.

#tesla #teslamodelx #ev #electricvehicles

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I honestly wish I could say that this was a surprise, but frankly I'm surprised… 1

This entry was posted in cars Uncategorized and tagged electricvehicles EV fisker fiskerautomotive Google+ phev on by (updated 4639 days ago)

I honestly wish I could say that this was a surprise, but frankly I'm surprised that Fisker actually got as far as it did. The 125+ years of the auto industry is riddled with far more failed brands than successful ones and jumping in at the technological bleeding edge is a great way to be among the latter group.
#fiskerautomotive #fisker #electricvehicles #ev #phev

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Some ugly news from Fisker: losing federal funds, laying off 66 and having to abort Project Nina.

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With federal loans blocked, Fisker halts work on Project Nina, lays off 66 workers
Fisker Automotive's bumpy 2011 appears to have given way to an even rockier 2012. A little more than a month after recalling 239 of

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Italian environment minister Corrado Clini has called out Fiat for failing to jump…

This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged electric electricvehicles Google+ rechargingthecar on by (updated 4644 days ago)

Italian environment minister Corrado Clini has called out Fiat for failing to jump on the electric vehicle bandwagon but I think this unwarranted.

However, given the general state of the Italian economy, what Fiat has done actually looks like a very reasonable business decision. While most consumers love to say "sure I'd like to buy an EV," that statement is usually followed by a caveat "as long as it doesn't cost more than $X,000 more."

The problem is that the cost differential between an EV and conventional equivalent is usually several times what people are willing to pay. We're still very early in the plug-in vehicle era and it remains to be seen just how truly successful these vehicles will be in the market. The people buying the Volt and Leaf still largely fall into the early-adopter crowd. Sales of both cars were in the 600+ range in January.

Rather than create a whole line of dedicated plug-in vehicles, Ford has gone a different route by designing new platforms with the flexibility to accommodate multiple powertrain configurations. http://fordfusionstory.com/mpg/

Given the need to re-engineer the entire Chrysler lineup in the wake of bankruptcy, Fiat clearly made a strategic decision that is now paying off with rising sales. Those same vehicles are coming to market with better fuel efficiency than the models they replace and this is a trend that will continue with other models as Chrysler aims to meet new CAFE standards.

Once it finishes addressing its near-term product needs, I wouldn't be surprised to eventually see Chrysler follow a similar path to Ford by incorporated new flexibility into future vehicles. That will give them the ability to quickly respond to shifting consumer demand. Ford is obviously in a better position today because both its compact (Focus) and new mid-size (Fusion) platforms already have this capability.

#rechargingthecar #electric #electricvehicles

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Italy Environment Minister:Fiat Missed Electric Car Opportunity – WSJ.com
Facebook; Twitter. MarketWatch · MarketWatch · Barron's · Barron's · SmartMoney · SmartMoney · AllThingsDigital · AllThingsDigital · FINS · FINS. More. BigCharts · Virtual Stock Exchange · Fin…

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By the end of 2011, the average age of the U.S 12

This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged automobile cars electricvehicles EVs Google+ on by (updated 4659 days ago)

vehicle fleet had hit 10.8 years, the oldest ever. That's bad news for plug-in vehicles.

The fleet has been getting steadily older for a number of reasons. First vehicles today are more durable than ever so they just plain last longer. Bodies are less susceptible to rust and with proper maintenance, it's not hard for engines to run 200,000 miles or more. That's means there is no need to dispose of a perfectly useful car or truck.

The second and more insidious reason is the economy. For the past two decades, real incomes for all but the very wealthy have been either stagnant or declining. That means it's harder for most middle and lower income people to actually buy a new car. Up until 2008, automakers got around this by using subsidized lease programs. The increased durability and reliability of cars meant their value at the end of a lease was higher and they brought in more dollars when re-sold.

Following the financial collapse, increased unemployment, tighter credit, more expensive gas, higher prices on new vehicles and other factors have made it nearly impossible for sales to climb back toward their peak of just a few years ago. Thankfully, that same improved durability and reliability has made it easier for many people to keep their existing cars on the road longer, especially after their loans are paid off.

An aging fleet is actually a multi-edged sword. For consumers it means that buying a new car is something that can more easily be put off for a time. For automakers, it means it's harder to grow sales and employ more workers. For the environment and fuel efficiency, it means older less efficient vehicles stay on the road longer before being retired while at the same time avoiding the life-cycle energy costs of manufacturing, delivering and disposal.

All of this also means that it it going to be extremely difficult for plug-in vehicles to gain any traction in the market place soon. The cost of batteries remains stubbornly high while energy capacity remains low. With less need to replace vehicles and less financial wherewithal to do so, I don't see electric vehicles getting beyond a small niche in the market any time soon.

#cars #automobile #EVs #electricvehicles

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Average age of U.S. light vehicles reaches record high, Polk says
DETROIT — The average age of light vehicles on U.S. roads keeps rising, reaching a record high of 10.8 years in 2011, according to an analysis released today by automotive research firm Polk. Polk&#3…

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It looks like slow production at California-based Fisker Automotive is having an…

This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged A123systems bev electricvehicles EV fisker Google+ on by (updated 4683 days ago)

It looks like slow production at California-based Fisker Automotive is having an impact here in Michigan.

No doubt the Republicans in congress will be jumping all over this news as A123 Systems laid off 125 people from its two battery manufacturing facilities in Romulus and Livonia this week. A123 received a $250 million grant from the Department of Energy in 2009 for advanced battery development.

While Fisker has reportedly begun production of the Karma plug-in hybrid luxury sports sedan, deliveries will be well below the planned 7,000 in 2011. Fisker claims it will ship 1,500 cars by the end of the year. It's not clear when production will hit anticipated levels but A123 isn't waiting to find out.

Fisker isn't A123's only customer but they may well be the biggest right now. A123 also has contracts to supply lithium ion batteries to medium duty truck maker Smith Electric Vehicles as well as General Motors for its upcoming Chevy Spark EV.

#EV #A123systems #electricvehicles #bev #fisker

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A123 Systems lays off 125 workers at Michigan battery plants
Battery maker A123 Systems, which has been celebrated as one of Michigan's biggest alternative energy successes, laid off 125 workers at its Livonia and Romulus …

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