“I will do everything in my power to have California land this factory.”
The above statement was issued by California’s Senator Ted Gaines. The bidding war for the Gigafactory continues now that Tesla’s plans are becoming ever more concrete and the company seems responsive to its home state. bizjournals.com
“It’s the only one that can make at least two round trips between 10 Downing Street and Chequers without recharging.”
And Tesla strikes again but this time it is the company’s spokes person Simon Sproule trying to win over officials from the UK. The government had just issued plans to integrate more EVs into its fleets (we reported). autonews.com
Reading tip: Brad Berman has compared the battery packs of the BMW i3 and the Mercedes B-Class electric drive. While both models cost almost the same, the Mercedes boasts a bigger capacity while the BMW clearly is more energy efficient. plugincars.com
Video tip: British Autocar‘s Steve Sutcliffe tested the BMW i8 with right-hand steering. The 11-minute video shows Sutcliffe whizzing on the best roads one can find in Scotland. youtube.com
Skoda plug-in to come? The new Skoda Superb will be offered as a plug-in hybrid by 2016, AutoExpress reports. The insider information further specified that the Skoda will use the technology of the VW Passat, which would be a 154 hp gasoline engine coupled with a 75 kW electric drive. autoexpress.co.uk
QUANT e gets approval: The electric sports limousine has been approved by TÜV Süd in Munich for use on European roads. It uses NanoFlowcell technology by a small company of the same name, which is now working on the homologation for the series production. electriccarsreport.com, puregreencars.com
The BMW i8 is set to arrive on the British Isle this Saturday after its launch in Germany last month. In the UK, the hybrid sports car is priced from 94,845 pounds, including a 5,000-pound government grant. The i8’s petrol engine is made at the BMW Hams Hall facility in Birmingham. thegreencarwebsite.co.uk
REX to BEV ratio: George Betak from InsideEvs attempted to find out how many of the i3s sold in the U.S. come with the range extender. Based on serial numbers, he estimates a 3:2 ration between the i3 with range extender and without. But sales of the all-electric version are on the rise. insideevs.com
Nissan to electrify Puerto Rico: The Japanese apparently have begun selling the Leaf on the Caribbean island which is an unincorporated territory of the States. The Leaf is the first EV to be sold in Puerto Rico and will start at a price of 33,480 dollars. But thanks to a new law, all import tariffs will be reimbursed. elnuevodia.com (in Spanish) via hybridcars.com
Lexus NX 300h review: John Voelcker drove Toyota’s latest luxury offering in the U.S. and found it to be the “least hybrid-feeling hybrid” he has driven lately. According to Voelcker this has been achieved by effective noise suppression and giving the acceleration a more “natural feel.” greencarreports.com
Toyota sold 90,290 hybrids in Europe over the first six months of this year. A strong result as hybrids now count for 20% of the company’s sales in the old world. automotiveworld.com, evfleetworld.co.uk
StreetScooter upgrades made easy: Siemens and StreetScooter are currently testing a new electronic and software architecture as part of the RACE project funded by the the German Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy. The technology enables to retrofit new functionalities like electrical brakes in a plug-and-play approach. By the end of the year, the architecture will be implemented and tested in a StreetScooter delivery van. noodls.com, projekt-race.de (project homepage)
More range through optimisation: The European OpEneR (optimal energy consumption and recovery based on a system network) project presented its solutions to increase electric range. The researchers of the project partners such as Bosch and PSA optimised the interaction of various components such as the electric motor, regen braking, navigation and the surround sensors and reached promising results. greencarcongress.com, bosch-presse.de
Modular battery management: Fraunhofer IPA filed a patent for its concept of the “Intelligent Cell.” With that, each cell in a battery comes with an integrated circuit measuring the current state-of-charge. The modular battery management system makes costly maintenance obsolete as faulty cells can quickly be identified and replaced without having to exchange the whole battery pack. ipa.fraunhofer.de (in German)
Tesla challenged: Chinese Qihoo 360 Technology says it has hacked the Model S, enabling them to remotely control the car’s horn or locks, even while driving. The news comes ahead of the SyScan360 Conference where organisers offer 10,000 dollars for those able to hack the Tesla (we reported). They might have a winner already… forbes.com, transportevolved.com
– Feedback –
Most clicked link on Thursday was the The Weeks‘s quick roundup on various reviews of the BMW i8. theweek.co.uk
“If the car does not get sold, if the car does not get on the road, you don’t have a compliance car; you have a headache on your hands. What we want to get is the mainstream.”
Audi America President Scott Keogh is building a strong business case for the A3 e-tron, which he believes to be the “perfect bridge-product.” wardsauto.com
“It’s unlikely the whole industry will shift and change to a Tesla-type battery. Whatever value is there, I do not think it’s in their batteries.”
John O’Dell, senior analyst at Edmunds, is questioning the disruptive force of Tesla publishing its patents as the Californian batteries are pretty costly. Value for the Big 3 might lie however, in the charging technology and infrastructure. detroitnews.com
“As you are aware, the current electric drive has only been on the market since 2012. We will launch its successor by 2016.”
Smart’s head of Marketing Martin Hülder dampens expectations as he sets the electric version of the newly unveiled Smart generation in only two years time. motor-talk.de (interview in German)
Research tip: Consultig firm Roland Berger expect the market for “shared mobility” to grow annually by 35% until 2020. Biggest growth drivers will be car and bike sharing as well as taxi services. rolandberger.de (study as pdf)
Click tip: There must be an army of “Tesla-Fighters” out there if you look at this list of internet postings of cars being praised as Tesla competitors. teslamondo.com
New Smart debuts in Berlin: The Daimler subsidiary presented the 2016 models of the ForTwo and ForFour in Berlin last night. The ForTwo will be 10 centimetres wider than its predecessors and feature a number of new and improved safety systems, such as blind-spot monitoring. The event focused on the petrol-driven models. When the electric version will hit the road remains uncertain. greencarreports.com, autoblog.com (with video)
Details of the C-Class plug-in: The Mercedes C350 plug-in hybrid is set to enter the market by 2015 and will have a four-cylinder gasoline engine with 208 hp, complemented by a 50 kW electric motor. CO2 emissions are expected to be around 50 gram per kilometre. autocar.co.uk, greencarreports.com
New GM batteries: The 2015 Chevy Volt’s battery pack will get more capacity. Instead of 16.5 kWh, the upgraded battery will feature 17.1 kWh. Similar to the Chevrolet Spark EV (we reported), the updated battery pack will not affect range according to EPA ratings. hybridcars.com
Toyota free rider: The Yaris Hybrid is to be exempt from congestion charge in London. The Toyota is therefore the first non-plug-in hybrid to receive this rating thanks to its carbon emissions being below 75 g/km. The starting price for the new Yaris will remain the same, despite its extended extras. carbuyer.co.uk
Swiss cruise e-bike: The start up YouMo has launched its first pedelec. The cruise bike aims young people (YouMo means Young Mobility) and comes in four versions. The YouMo One costs 2,950 euros (3,990 dollars), while the top of the range s-pedelec with a 500 W rearwheel motor is 4,470 euros (6,050 dollars). technologicvehicles.com
Second-hand i8 review: The Week did a quick roundup on various reviews of BMW’s i8. The review features the first reactions from authors like Top Gear’s Jeremy Clarkson and his colleagues from AutoExpress, Daily Express and Autocar. theweek.co.uk
More than 35,000 EVs are currently (silently) cruising the streets of Norway. This means that theoretically every 142nd Norwegian owns an electric car. In terms of new sales, electric cars already hold a market share of impressive 14.5 percent. insideevs.com
Billion dollar chemistry deal: The U.S. chemistry industry just sealed what is said to be its “biggest deal” ever, as Albemarle bought Rockwood for 6.2 billion dollars. The latter is the biggest among four companies which currently control 90% of the world’s lithium market. Albemarle sees the potential of the automotive industry as being especially attractive and expects a steep demand increase around 2017. bloomberg.cm, bidnessetc.com
Hydrogen fuelling standard: SAE International published its first standard for safe and quick refuelling of FCEVs. The SAE J2601 harmonises the protocol for hydrogen fuelling stations worldwide for both 35 MPa and 70 MPa systems. greencarcongress.com
Future-safe LEV standard: The EnergyBus organisation has issued an update of its communication interface standard for e-bikes and other light electric vehicles. The new version of the CiA 454 open communications standard is a commitment to all future developments, which are supposed to be compatible with older types of for example the charge-lock plug. bike-eu.com
E-bus made in Finland: Manufactures of electric buses like French Safra or the Finnish VTT use drivetrains from Finnish Visedo. In a recent comparison organised by Veolia in Helsinki, these buses did stand out with impressive efficiency numbers, the company says. electricvehiclesresearch.com
– Feedback –
Most clicked link on Wednesday was Tesla’s decision to call its Model E the Model III. autoexpress.co.uk
“The Roadster had an old generation battery. We’ll upgrade it to a new generation battery pack and it should have a range of about 400 miles, which will allow you to drive from LA to San Francisco non-stop.”
Tesla CEO Elon Musk puts some concrete numbers behind the upcoming update of the Roadster (we reported). autoexpress.co.uk
“Within the next 10 to 15 years, everything is going to change in transportation. It’s going to be the biggest transformation of transport in a century – since the gasoline engine disrupted horses.”
Tony Seba, energy expert from Stanford University, sees the end of cars as we know them drawing very near. Already by 2030, autonomously driving vehicles might have become our preferred means of transport. nzherald.co.nz
“I am furious at any allegation that any public money was spent on the Supercharger network. Those sites have been paid for entirely by Tesla Motors — which continues to spend money in expanding the network.”
Diarmuid O’Connell, Tesla’s vice president of business development, firmly challenges a claim made by Hyundai. The Korean carmaker’s representative felt left alone by the U.S. government with regards to hydrogen technology. transportevolved.com
Video tip: Hyundai presents its Tucson Fuel Cell (aka ix35 Fuel Cell) in a short clip. The FCV is now being offered to carefully selected retail customers in the U.S. youtube.com
Reading tip: Markkus Rovito clearly evokes a sense of “history in the making” when looking at Phinergy, manufacturer of aluminium-air batteries. The Israeli start-up certainly made headlines and had U.S. president Obama’s undivided attention. chargedevs.com
Billions for batteries: BMW has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Samsung SDI to extend its supply of battery cells for BMW’s i-series and hybrids. As demand grows, the Korean company is to increase quantities as well as further the development of new, stronger cells. The deal is believed to be worth multiple billion euros. Meanwhile, BMW board member Klaus Draeger said BMW would be happy to share battery technology, i.e. with rival Mercedes. greencarcongress.com, automotive-business-review.com, hybridcars.com (sharing)
Model III: Tesla has just confirmed that its upcoming car for the masses, formerly known as the Model E, will be called Model III. Tesla had to drop the ‘E’ because of claims from Ford (we reported). The new EV will be available from 2017 and rival cars such as the BMW 3-Series. autoexpress.co.uk
Audi e-tron TDI: The carmaker plans to introduce a new plug-in hybrid by 2015, combining electric power with a V6 diesel engine. The so-called e-tron TDI system is said to deliver 275 kW and 700 Nm torque with an all-electric range of at least 50 kilometres and could first be implemented in the new Q7. automobilwoche.de (in German)
Spy shots C-Class Convertible: The Mercedes Cabriolet has been spotted with heavy camouflage but is confirmed to make it to market by the end of 2015. The new C-Class will also be offered as plug-in hybrid with an electric range of 50 kilometres (31 miles). motorauthority.com, auto-motor-und-sport.de (in German)
Smart sneak peak: Take a look at the new Smart ahead of its premiere in Berlin, Germany, tonight. Sketches of the new Fortwo have been released by Smart. While the exterior remains indeed sketchy, the interior image seem to resemble the inside design of the production car. carscoops.com
Mercedes launches B-Class ED: The Tesla-powered electric B-Class has officially entered the U.S. market this Tuesday – at least in some states. It is also its world premiere, since Damler has chosen the U.S. as the first market for the 2014 B-Class Electric Drive, which starts at 41,450 dollars and has a range of up to 104 miles. insideevs.com
An impressive 1,000,000 kilowatt-hours (1 GWh) have been delivered by Superchargers in June alone, says Tesla. That is enough power for 3.7 million electric miles, or for 7.5 trips to the moon and back. treehugger.com
BYD goes Brazil: The Chinese company plans to build its first facility in South America near Sao Paulo. There, BYD will produce electric buses with recyclable iron phosphate batteries. From 2015, the factory will see an annual output of up to 1,000 buses and employ 450 workers. businesswire.com, yahoo.com
Electric van for the USA: Zenith Motors just received the EPA Certificate of Conformity for its all-electric transporter. It utilises the ‘PowerPhase Pro 135’ system by UQM. Kentucky-based Zenith Motors claims that its electric shuttles were the first to receive this certificate in their class. wallstreet-online.de, zenith-motors.com
More efficient and cheaper catalyst: Researchers at Rutgers University have synthesised nitrogen-rich carbon nanotubes (NRCNTs) that can efficiently electrocatalyse the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), thus replacing platinum. They function well under acidic, neutral or basic media alike. greencarcongress.com
Get real: The American EPA has made a proposal requiring carmakers to prove their self-certified ratings to the EPA and test them under real life conditions – on the road. The initiative follows recent complaints and incidents at Ford, Hyundai and Kia where the carmaker’s false claims led to lowered MPG ratings. greencarreports.com, hybridcars.com
– Feedback –
Most clicked link on Tuesday were the video clips with Volkswagen’s E-Golf proving some of common EV myths wrong. youtube.com
“We believe the fuel companies that have been doing this for 100 years should invest in infrastructure. And we’ll do what we do best, which is build cars.”
Hyundai U.S. CEO Dave Zuchowski is talking about hydrogen infrastructure and fails to see why this would be a carmakers’ task alone. greencarreports.com
“If I was running BMW, GM or Ford, I think I’d be open to the idea of just buying the batteries from Tesla.”
Jeff Gundlach, founder of the investment firm DoubleLine Capital, advises Elon Musk to stop building EVs and to concentrate on battery production only instead. Knowing the Tesla CEO, he will most probably keep doing both. huffingtonpost.com
“If Mercedes called us, we would be happy to find a way with Samsung SDI to supply them with battery cells.”
Klaus Draeger, member of the board at BMW, is obviously keen on getting next-gen battery cells on the market fast and cheap and use economies of scale by joining forces with other EV makers. hybridcars.com
Video tip: Toyota turned the purpose of the Nürburgring upside down when it sent its Prius on a race to save. On its 20 minute and 59 seconds lap, the plug-in hybrid used only 0,34 l (698 mpg, imperial) while driving mostly electric. youtube.com via electriccarsreport.com
Reading tip: Almost like in the old times, one is tempted to say, when hearing about Naveen Rabelli who drove from Bangalore, India to London, UK in a Rikscha. Only this three-wheeled tuk-tuk was solar powered. timesofindia.indiatimes.com, greenoptimistic.com
CrossBlue made in Tennessee: Volkswagen confirmed that it will build a new mid-size crossover SUV, based on the CrossBlue concept, at its site in Chattanooga. The seven seater is likely to come with a plug-in hybrid drivetrain and thus compete with the upcoming plug-in SUVs from Volvo and Mitsubishi. forbes.com, transportevolved.com
China to promote EVs further: After scrapping the purchase tax for new energy vehicles (we reported), the Asian government now urges its officials to integrate electric and plug-in hybrids into their fleets. By 2016, 30% of all new vehicles sourced by the government are supposed to be (partially) electric. automotive-business-review.com, techtimes.com, reuters.com
New LaFerrari editions: The Italian carmaker confirmed its plans for launching a 1,050 hp racing version of its hybrid supercar by 2015. However, only 30 units of the FXX will be build. The LaFerrari Spider convertible is limited to 50 cars and is said to cost about 2.8 million dollars. autoguide.com, youtube.com (video of the LaFerrari FXX testing)
Tesla to stand alone: While the White House favours more consumer choice for fuel-efficient vehicles, it sees itself unable to regulate direct-to-consumer car sales. A petition had called on the Obama administration to preempt state laws preventing the Californian EV maker to sell through its concept stores (we reported) but this would be a matter for Congress, advisor Dan Utech said. thehill.com
Chargemaster recharged: A fresh injection of capital by investment company Beringea will help the British company to further strengthen its posision in its domestic market. Moreover, Chargemaster wants to use the three million pounds to expand to the continent. startups.co.uk, angelnews.co.uk
Kandi sold 4,114 electric vehicles in the second quarter of 2014. That is an increase of 238 percent compared to the first quarter in which the Chinese Geely subsidy sold 1,215 EVs. streetinsider.com
Buyers of the upcoming Prius IV will have the choice between a low-cost nickel-metal hydride or Li-ion battery for improved electric-only driving range. Furthermore, Toyota ponders to offer its hybrid flagship with AWD. The launch only recently was pushed back to December 2015. autonews.com
Characterised battery anodes: Scientists at Rice University and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory created a theoretical model able to predict the performance of carbon based anodes. The model is based on intrinsic characteristics of anode materials and how minor changes in the structure, chemistry and shape of an anode can influence the battery’s capacity, voltage and energy density. news.rice.edu via greencarcongress.com
– Feedback –
Most clicked link on Monday was the bad news of the unfortunate death of the Tesla thief who crashed the stolen Model S on July 4th. green.autoblog.com
“The batteries will be renewed. Everything will be revised. And I think we will come up with a fuel economy that will surprise everyone.”
Koei Saga, senior managing officer in charge of drivetrain R&D at Toyota, who broke the news of the two-battery option for the new Prius. autonews.com
“Before, it was the best man winning in the best car. Now, the viewers – the ones in the stands and the ones in front of their TVs – no longer understand. As it is now, we must do something. Otherwise Formula One has no chance.”
Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo is calling loudly for a reform of the Formula 1. In his opinion, the new rules have turned race drivers into “taxi drivers.” motorsport.com
Video tip: VW puts an end to EV “myths” such as low range, low speed, complicated charging and funny looks in a new video series featuring its very own e-Golf. youtube.com (low range), youtube.com (complicated), youtube.com (slow), youtube.com (ugly)
Click tip: The City of Chicago has launched a new section on its website designed to encourage people to drive electric and informs about available incentives and rebates. cityofchicago.org via evworld.com
Furtive eGT ready for serial production? The concept version has been around for nearly four years, and now French carmaker Exagon seems ready to put it on the streets. The EV is powered by two 300 kW electric motors and has a top range of 300 kilometres. Its price tag is estimated at 388,000 euros. The sports car will be presented in London this week. electric-vehiclenews.com, hybridcars.com (with video)
TRW take-over: German supplier ZF placed an preliminary offer for U.S. auto parts manufacturer TRW. The Michigan-based supplier of safety-related components such as airbags and seat belts, gets about 40% of its revenue from its business with Volkswagen. reuters.com, autonews.com
Thief dies after accident in stolen Tesla: He succumbed to his injuries after stealing a Model S at a dealership in LA. Not wearing a seat-belt, he took police on a fierce chase through West Hollywood and was taken to hospital after hitting another vehicle, a light pole and splitting the EV in half (we reported). green.autoblog.com
Custom design drive for e-bikes: Bicycle manufactures can now choose from different designs of the drive units by Bosch. New colours and a special off-road version are available, with a “naked bike” version even saving 0.2 kg of weight by reducing the the design cover. bosch-presse.de
Tesla to hire more veterans: It is not only a patriotic move, but returning military personal have often been trained in technical skills that are similar to those necessary to build electric vehicles. Moreover, they have excellent skills in discipline, leadership and communication. So far, 300 of the carmaker’s 6,000 employees are veterans, with another 600 involved in the hiring process. greencarreports.com, green.autoblog.com
Driving a respectable 700 kilometres from Oslo to Malmö, with a quick detour to Copenhagen and Gothenburg, the Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell has a new range record. The FCEV normally has a top range of less than 600 kilometres. The ‘test drive’ was conducted by Norwegian eco-pioneers Marius Bornstein and Arnt G. Hartvig. thegreencarwebsite.co.uk, puregreencars.com
Gears for efficiency: Schaeffler presented its latest concept vehicle STEP2 at the Silvretta electric car rally. Their converted electric Golf’s new two-speed transmission is said to use six percent less energy, than similar vehicles with a single-gear drivetrain. schaeffler.de
Silicon carbide converter: A consortium of British companies led by Prodrive developed a high-frequency DC-DC converter with a efficiency of 98.7%. The converter, which is currently fitted to a Tata Vista test vehicle, acts like a hub connecting high voltage battery, motor, a super-capacitor bank and 12-volts auxiliary system. hybridcars.com
Wearable mobility is what Acton classifies their RocketSkates as. These skates are not propelled by rockets but by small electric hub motors, allowing for a speed of up to 12 mph. Within just 24 hours, their Kickstarter campaign raised more than enough money to fund the project. interestingengineering.com, kickstarter.com
Time-saving repairs: The BMW i3 is a revolutionary car, also in terms of fixing it after an accident. Instead of just pounding out damaged parts, the CFRP panels need to be replaced completely. Because this takes less time, the i3 is not any more expensive to repair than a BMW 1 Series car. bmwblog.com
“The central government is investing huge resources into the battery industry to make China the world leader of battery technology.”
Charlie Paglee, CEO of Brannan Auto, visited The China International Battery Fair in China and was impressed by the country’s technological know-how and the resources and research they are investing in the future of batteries. green.autoblog.com
Click tip: EVs are selling well in the United States. Ahead of them all is the Nissan Leaf with 10,648 units sold in the first half of 2014. It is followed by Chevy Volt and Tesla Model S. Click here for a list of the top ten. ev.com
Video tip: Apparently, the BMW i3 is faster than on paper. According to official figures, it needs 7.2 seconds to go from zero to 100 kph. But in this video, it needs only seven. youtube.com
Hybrid Bugatti? Sources at the VW group, owner of the French supercar brand, confirmed that the successor of the Veyron could get a hybrid heart. According to Reuters, this is a request of Bugatti’s new chief executive Wolfgang Dürheimer, who also is CEO at Bentley. uk.reuters.com via hybridcars.com
Honda recalls hybrids: The company is recalling 175,356 Fit and Vezel Hybrids in Japan. The reason is a software problem which might cause the motor to accelerate unexpectedly. Eleven accidents have already been reported, though none of them heavy or deadly. puregreencars.com
Too much for too many: Cadillac’s luxus-loving Volt brother, the ELR, apparently cannot find enough buyers. Dealers in the USA are now offering discounts of up to 12,000 dollars for the (almost) 76,000-dollar model. transportevolved.com, greencarreports.com
BMW i8 review: Alex Kersten is nothing but in awe with the Bavarian hybrid’s appearance as well as performance. In his opinion, the “pin up car” makes you “feel special” when driving it, especially on the open and empty roads of Scotland. carthrottle.com
New British-built plug-in? Bristol Cars hatches plans for a new luxury sedan with four electric drives – one for each wheel. The 408,000-dollar machine will come with a range extender and aims to be proper competition to the likes of Rolls Royce. So far, it is only at concept stage and a market entry not to be expected before 2016. autoevolution.com
Exactly 87 miles per charge is what the electric Mercedes B-class with its drivetrain by Tesla gets in the EPA rating. Despite being less efficient than the Leaf or i3, the Mercedes is able to offer a greater range due to a bigger battery. greencarreports.com, transportevolved.com
Sensible cooperation: Fraunhofer IAO is collaborating with MIT’s SENSEable City Lab. A new research centre in Stuttgart called Ambient Mobility Lab will develop “future-ready mobility concepts” like autonomous driving, carsharing, and new drivetrains. The state of Baden-Württemberg is funding the project with 2.65 million euros. iao.fraunhofer.de
To electrify them all: E-motorcycle manufacturer Brammo and drivetrain specialist Team Industries plan to jointly offer solutions to electrify a range of vehicles like buses, boats, motorbikes, quads and others. All but cars basically, as they strive to tap the potential of rather new markets. startribune.com
Deepening fuel cell understanding: Researchers at Stanford, SLAC, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Sandia National Labs, analysed the hydrogen-oxygen reaction in a fuel cell and documented the process using a synchrotron. They expect their observation of the transfer of oxygen ions in the catalysts to lead to more efficient fuel cells. greencarcongress.com
– Feedback –
Most clicked link on Thursday was the video of Robb Holland, who learned to love Tesla on the Nürburgring. youtube.com
“I will do everything in my power to have California land this factory.”
“I will do everything in my power to have California land this factory.”
“It’s the only one that can make at least two round trips between 10 Downing Street and Chequers without recharging.”
QUANT e gets approval: The electric sports limousine has been approved by TÜV Süd in Munich for use on European roads. It uses NanoFlowcell technology by a small company of the same name, which is now working on the homologation for the series production.
StreetScooter upgrades made easy: Siemens and StreetScooter are currently testing a new electronic and software architecture as part of the RACE project funded by the the German Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy. The technology enables to retrofit new functionalities like electrical brakes in a plug-and-play approach. By the end of the year, the architecture will be implemented and tested in a StreetScooter delivery van.
“If the car does not get sold, if the car does not get on the road, you don’t have a compliance car; you have a headache on your hands. What we want to get is the mainstream.”
“It’s unlikely the whole industry will shift and change to a Tesla-type battery. Whatever value is there, I do not think it’s in their batteries.”
“As you are aware, the current electric drive has only been on the market since 2012. We will launch its successor by 2016.”
New Smart debuts in Berlin: The Daimler subsidiary presented the 2016 models of the ForTwo and ForFour in Berlin last night. The ForTwo will be 10 centimetres wider than its predecessors and feature a number of new and improved safety systems, such as blind-spot monitoring. The event focused on the petrol-driven models. When the electric version will hit the road remains uncertain.
“The Roadster had an old generation battery. We’ll upgrade it to a new generation battery pack and it should have a range of about 400 miles, which will allow you to drive from LA to San Francisco non-stop.”
“Within the next 10 to 15 years, everything is going to change in transportation. It’s going to be the biggest transformation of transport in a century – since the gasoline engine disrupted horses.”
“I am furious at any allegation that any public money was spent on the Supercharger network. Those sites have been paid for entirely by Tesla Motors — which continues to spend money in expanding the network.”
Billions for batteries: BMW has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Samsung SDI to extend its supply of battery cells for BMW’s i-series and hybrids. As demand grows, the Korean company is to increase quantities as well as further the development of new, stronger cells. The deal is believed to be worth multiple billion euros. Meanwhile, BMW board member Klaus Draeger said BMW would be happy to share battery technology, i.e. with rival Mercedes.
BYD goes Brazil: The Chinese company plans to build its first facility in South America near Sao Paulo. There, BYD will produce electric buses with recyclable iron phosphate batteries. From 2015, the factory will see an annual output of up to 1,000 buses and employ 450 workers.
“We believe the fuel companies that have been doing this for 100 years should invest in infrastructure. And we’ll do what we do best, which is build cars.”
“If I was running BMW, GM or Ford, I think I’d be open to the idea of just buying the batteries from Tesla.”
“If Mercedes called us, we would be happy to find a way with Samsung SDI to supply them with battery cells.”
CrossBlue made in Tennessee: Volkswagen confirmed that it will build a new mid-size crossover SUV, based on the CrossBlue concept, at its site in Chattanooga. The seven seater is likely to come with a plug-in hybrid drivetrain and thus compete with the upcoming plug-in SUVs from Volvo and Mitsubishi.
“The batteries will be renewed. Everything will be revised. And I think we will come up with a fuel economy that will surprise everyone.”
“Before, it was the best man winning in the best car. Now, the viewers – the ones in the stands and the ones in front of their TVs – no longer understand. As it is now, we must do something. Otherwise Formula One has no chance.”
Furtive eGT ready for serial production? The concept version has been around for nearly four years, and now French carmaker Exagon seems ready to put it on the streets. The EV is powered by two 300 kW electric motors and has a top range of 300 kilometres. Its price tag is estimated at 388,000 euros. The sports car will be presented in London this week.
Gears for efficiency: Schaeffler presented its latest concept vehicle STEP2 at the Silvretta electric car rally. Their converted electric Golf’s new two-speed transmission is said to use six percent less energy, than similar vehicles with a single-gear drivetrain.
“The central government is investing huge resources into the battery industry to make China the world leader of battery technology.”
Sensible cooperation: Fraunhofer IAO is collaborating with MIT’s SENSEable City Lab. A new research centre in Stuttgart called Ambient Mobility Lab will develop “future-ready mobility concepts” like autonomous driving, carsharing, and new drivetrains. The state of Baden-Württemberg is funding the project with 2.65 million euros.