Category: Battery Electric Car

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Tesla launch 500 hp AWD 70 kWh Model S70D

Tesla Motors introduces the All-wheel drive Model S 70D. Uniting exceptional performance and drive experience features, the newest Model S offers great value at a compelling price. Starting at $102,400 RRP plus luxury car tax, on-road costs and stamp duty, Model S 70D includes dual motor all-wheel drive technology, a NEDC-rated 440 km of range, and a 0-100 time of 5.4 seconds.

In addition to dual motor, 70D comes standard with Autopilot Hardware, Navigation, and Supercharging. And, as with every Model S, 70D will run on the new software 6.2 and owners will continue to receive free over-the-air updates that will add additional functionality, enhanced performance, and improved user experience over time.

To make room for the 70D, Tesla is eliminating the 60, which had been its cheapest Model S since the sedan’s 2012 launch. Starting at $76,170 before any government incentives, the 70D will cost $5,000 more than a basic 60, though it includes use of Tesla's proprietary Superchargers, which was previously a $2,000 option.

Model S70D will be able to travel 440 km (275 miles) between charges and deliver 380 kw (514 hp) to all four wheels from two electric motors -- up from 375 km (233 miles) of range and 280 kw (380 hp) for today’s basic rear-drive Model S, called the 60.

Model S 70 D standard features include:

  • All-wheel drive Dual Motor
  • 70 kWh battery with NEDC-rated 440 km range
  • 0-100 km/h acceleration in 5.4 seconds
  • 225 km/h top speed
  • Autopilot Hardware
  • Navigation
  • Supercharging
  • Trip planner and range assurance
  • Lane departure warning
  • Parking sensors
  • Automatic emergency braking
  • Automatic Keyless Entry
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Tesla sells record 10,030 cars in Q1, up 55% year over year

Tesla Motors delivered a record 10,030 cars in the first quarter of 2015, a 55% increase compared with the number of deliveries in the first quarter of last year.

The company said going forward it will publish the number of new car deliveries within three days of quarter end as inaccurate sources of information have sometimes been used by others in publishing the number of vehicle deliveries.

The company expects to deliver about 55,000 cars globally in 2015, an increase of about 74 percent.

Tesla Motors is also set to offer upgrades including hands-free steering on its Model S sedan in three months, about a year ahead of other automakers.

Up to Thursday's close of $191, the stock had fallen 14.1 percent this year.

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Aston Martin To Build Electric Rapide by 2018

Aston Martin Chief Executive Andy Palmer says the company may build an electric version of its Rapide sports car in two to three years as a part of its plan to overhaul its lineup and add several new models.

Mr. Palmer said the company has launched a research project for the electric car and is speaking with electric-vehicle technology companies to partner with, though he declined to say which companies.

“We are looking at technologies around the world, including some pretty cool technologies coming from Silicon Valley,” he said. Tesla Motors Inc., based in Palo Alto, Calif., isn’t one of them, he said.

Mr. Palmer, who came to Aston Martin from Nissan Motor Co., where he was an executive vice president, said the company would be producing ultraluxury special editions of its current models in the short-term to generate buzz and revenue, ahead of the new models. Aston is planning a crossover vehicle as well as an executive large sedan to compete with Rolls-Royce.

Aston Martin recently revealed an all electric DBX Concept at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show.

Source: WSJ

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Electric vehicles account for over 20% of Norway’s new-car sales

Plug-in electric car sales in Norway continue at just above 20% (21.03%) with 2,235 registrations in February 2015. Battery only electric vehicles now account for 18% of national car sales.

The over-all #1 selling car in Norway for the second month running is the VW e-Golf with 839 units. Sales of the Volkswagen e-Golf in Feb were almost double the top selling fossil fuelled car, the Toyota RAV4 with 450 sales.

The e-Golf accounts for almost 40% of all EV sales in Norway YTD (1,718) selling 3x more than second place Nissan Leaf (556) and 4x more cars sold than the third placed Tesla Model S (392).

The e-Golf and GTE Plug-in variants now account for 70% of all Volkswagen sales in Norway.


PlNorwayFeb.YTD '15%'14Pl
1Volkswagen e-Golf8391.718395
2Nissan Leaf247556121
3Tesla Model S32139292
4Mitsu Outlander PHEV e)15038496
5Volkswagen e-Up! e)16033173
6BMW i312622754
7Audi A3 e-Tron134188421
8Kia Soul EV4513737
9Renault Zoe5413338
10
11		Mitsubishi I-Miev
Peugeot iOn		32
54		130
114		3
3		9
11
12Volvo V60 Plug-In2757114
13
14
15
16
17		Nissan e-NV200 / Evalia e)
Mercedes B-Class ED e)
BMW i8
Toyota Prius Plug-In
Opel Ampera 		20
20
4
2
53
22
10
5
2		1
0
0
0
0		15
N/A
20
17
21

TOTAL2.2354.459100


Source: EV Sales Bestsellingcarblog

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Automakers race to double the driving range of affordable electric cars

Global automakers are readying a new generation of mass-market electric cars with more than double the driving range of today’s Nissan Leaf, betting that technical breakthroughs by big battery suppliers such as LG Chem Ltd will jump-start demand and pull them abreast of Tesla Motors Inc.

At least four major automakers — General Motors, Ford, Nissan and Volkswagen — plan to race Tesla to be first to field affordable electric vehicles that will travel up to 320 km (200 miles) between charges.

That is more than twice as far as current lower-priced models such as the Nissan Leaf, which starts at $29,010. The new generation of electric cars is expected to be on the market within two to three years.

To get a Tesla Model S that delivers 265 miles (427 km) on a charge requires buying a version that starts at $81,000 before tax incentives. Most electric cars offered at more affordable prices can travel only about 75 to 85 miles (121 to 137 km) on a charge – less in cold weather or when drivers have the air conditioning on.

Automakers need to pump up electric vehicle demand significantly by 2018. This is when California and eight other states will begin to require the companies to meet much higher sales targets for so-called zero emission vehicles — in other words, electric cars — and federal rules on reducing fuel consumption and greenhouse gases become much stricter.

BATTERY BREAKTHROUGHS

Tesla Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk said last week that “200 miles is the minimum threshold” to alleviate consumer concerns over EV range. There is “a sweet spot around 250-350 miles that’s really ideal,” he said.

Musk has promised a more affordable Tesla, the Model 3, which will sell for around $35,000 and provide a driving range of 200 miles or more. That car is slated to begin production in mid-to-late 2017.

However, GM says it plans to field a 200-mile electric car, the Chevrolet Bolt, by late 2016.

The Bolt will use an advanced lithium-ion battery pack developed by Korea’s LG Chem, which also supplies batteries for the Chevrolet Volt hybrid. The newer batteries are said to have much higher energy density and provide much longer range between charges, thanks to breakthroughs in battery materials, design and chemistry, according to a source familiar with LG Chem’s technology.

"Several factors are at play that are landing at this 200-mile range" for a vehicle priced between $30,000 and $35,000, LG Chem Chief Executive Prabhakar Patil said in an interview. "We’ve been talking to several OEMs (automakers) regarding where our battery technology is and where it’s going."

LG Chem also supplies standard lithium-ion batteries to the Ford Focus Electric and may supply the longer-range batteries to a new compact EV that Ford is tentatively planning to introduce in late 2018 or early 2019, according to three suppliers familiar with the program.

Compared with the 2015 Focus Electric, which has a range between charges of 76 miles, the new compact electric model would have a range of at least 200 miles, the suppliers said.

Nissan and VW both have battery supply deals with LG Chem, and both are working on longer-range EVs for 2018 and beyond.

Nissan is planning to introduce a successor to the Leaf in early 2018, according to a source familiar with the program, and that model is expected to offer significantly greater range than the current Leaf, the best-selling electric car in the United States, which can go 84 miles (135 km) between charges.

The 2015 Leaf uses batteries made by a joint venture between Nissan and supplier NEC. It is not clear if the future model will shift to LG Chem, although Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn has identified LG Chem as a potential battery supplier.

VW plans to expand its current range of electrified vehicles, including a successor to the battery-powered e-Golf in 2018 with much longer range, according to two sources familiar with the program. The current e-Golf uses batteries made by Panasonic and has a range between charges of 83 miles.

Volkswagen plans to decide in the first half of this year whether new battery technology under development at U.S. startup QuantumScape Corp, which may expand an electric vehicle’s driving distance between recharges to as much as 700 kilometers (430 miles), is ready for use in its electric cars.

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Foxconn Partners with Tencent in Electric Car Business

Taiwan's Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd, better known as Foxconn, on Monday said it has partnered Chinese social networker Tencent Holdings Ltd to develop opportunities related to electric vehicles, marking the latest tech foray into "smart" cars.

Foxconn, WeChat operator Tencent and luxury car dealer China Harmony Auto Holding Ltd signed an agreement to work together in the Chinese city of Zhengzhou, Henan province, the contract manufacturer said without detailing specifics.

The partnership would put Tencent on a par with online peers Alibaba Group Holding Ltd and Baidu Inc, which have already moved into the nascent market for Internet-connected cars vie tie-ups with major auto makers.

Foxconn said the coalition would form a working team drawing on its manufacturing capabilities, Tencent's Internet platform and China Harmony Auto's dealership network, to explore commercial possibilities in smart electric vehicles.

Foxconn announced an investment of over $800M to build electric cars in China in 2014.

Foxconn, known more for assembling the bulk of Apple Inc's iPhones, already has experience with electric vehicles having manufactured the touch screens in some cars made by U.S. automaker Tesla Motors Inc.

The absence of a carmaker from its new partnership appears to put the group on a different tack to that of Alibaba or Baidu in targeting electric vehicles.

The Chinese government has recently redoubled efforts to promote electric vehicles, renewing tax breaks and setting aggressive emission standards.

Foxconn has manufacturing operations across China and has been working to diversify from the competitive, low-margin contract business. As part of that drive, it bought around 10 percent of Zhengzhou-based China Harmony Auto last year.

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Nissan LEAF Battery Reliability Outperforms Cynics [VIDEO]

Robert Llewellyn, from Red Dwarf & Fully Charged fame, debunks motoring journalists who when the Nissan Leaf was launched questioned it's battery reliability.

Of the 30,000 sold across Europe just 0.01% of batteries have been replaced since 2010. That makes the Nissan Leaf more reliable than a petrol or diesel engined car, according to industry averages.

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UK Highways Agency commissions study into wireless power on roads

The Highways Agency has commissioned the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) to undertake a feasibility study into the use of dynamic wireless power transfer (WPT) on Britain’s roads.

The Highways Angency wants to understand whether WPT can be used on motorways and major A roads, so it can prepare for and “potentially encourage” greater uptake of electric vehicles (EV).

Scheduled to report in spring this year, TRL will identify two near-market dynamic WPT technologies that could be suitable in future research and trials of the technology in the UK. The feasibility study will also consider “the requirements for integration with road infrastructure and maintenance, connection to the grid and requirements for provision of power and energy”.

In addition, TRL will look into approaches by vehicle manufacturers of integration into different classes of vehicle from cars to HGVs and busses, and investigate the viability of introducing the technology.

TRL said in a statement: “The purpose of the project is not to find an alternative to current plug-in charging infrastructure but rather to develop a comprehensive charging eco-system capable of delivering power to EVs via different methods. This is to facilitate greater and more flexible use of EVs in the UK, overcome range anxiety and allow switching to zero emission for vehicle types that have traditionally been accepted as not suitable for electrification, such as HGVs and coaches.”

Once the study is completed, TRL said it could be followed by a series of off-road “test track trials and accelerated pavement facility testing”.

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Next BMW i model not due until 2020

BMW R&D chief Klaus Froehlich says the company will launch a third BMW i car but it won’t arrive until at least 2020.

“We are still in the strategic research phase where we brainstorm,” BMW Group r&d chief Klaus Froehlich told Automotive News Europe. “Teams that start with a white sheet of paper. They talk with customers, hold workshops, then present their ideas and we decide.”

Froehlich disputed media reports that claimed the third model after the i3 and i8 would be a variant of the X5 premium large SUV. He said the mission of the i subbrand is to change the perception of how a low-emissions car should look and perform, therefore there are no plans to re-package an existing BMW Group model and call it an i model.

Also, he said the i subbrand is supposed to be a starting point for cutting-edge innovation that progressively moves down into the rest of the automaker’s lineup. Current examples include carbon fiber, which is a key part of the i3 and i8 and is moving into other BMWs, and the i8’s plug-in hybrid powertrain, which is being added to high-volume models such as X5, 3 series and 4 series.

BMW will focus on steadily improving the i3 and i8 during the six-plus years until the subbrand’s portfolio grows again.

“We have a minimum 20 percent battery density improvement every three years, thus over the i3 and i8’s life cycle, we will offer more performance, more range or a combination of the two,” Frohlich said.

When asked whether current i3 and i8 owners would be able to switch to the more powerful electrical powertrains Froehlich said: “I don’t think a retrofit makes sense. When better batteries are available, we could then offer models with a longer range or with the same range but at a lower price.”

BMW Ceo Norbert Reithofer, who approved the i project skunkworks that developed the lightweight, low-cost carbon-fiber composites and electric drivetrains for the i3 and i8, will step down in May to be be replaced by Harald Krüger, current head of production. Krüger is known to have a more pragmatic view of electric vehicles than Reithofer.

Also BMW's R&D Chief, Herbert Diess, who oversaw the launch of the i3 and i8, and was thought to be a potential successor for BMW's CEO role was recently poached by Volkswagen to become chairman of VW's passenger car brand.

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Porsche To Expand With New Electric Car to Challenge Tesla

Porsche AG may expand its growing lineup with a battery-powered vehicle to cater to demand for cleaner luxury vehicles and counter the rise of Tesla Motors Inc.

“Tesla has built an exceptional car,” Porsche chief Matthias Mueller said Friday at the brand’s annual press conference in Stuttgart, Germany. “They have a very pragmatic approach and set the standard, where we have to follow up now.”

The Volkswagen AG unit plans to roll out its seventh model line by 2020, but has yet to make a final decision on the car’s form. Porsche previously said it might expand the Panamera coupe line with a smaller version or a more spacious shooting brake variant. Porsche has also been considering a sports car between the 911, which costs $151,100 for the Turbo version, and the $845,000 918 Spyder hybrid supercar. The new sports car model would be designed to challenge autos made by Ferrari SpA.

Porsche plans to sell more than 200,000 vehicles for the first time this year, driven by demand for the $49,900 Macan compact sport-utility vehicle it introduced in April 2014. The increase comes amid a rising tide for most luxury-car makers, with Porsche, its sister brands Audi and Bentley, Daimler AG’s Mercedes-Benz and BMW AG all reporting fresh sales records last year.

Porsche’s deliveries rose 17 percent to 189,849 cars in 2014 and surged 34 percent in February to 14,836 cars. Demand for luxury autos is forecast to rise further this year thanks to growth in China and the U.S.

Smartphone on Wheels

The profit margin for the sports-car brand narrowed to 15.8 percent from 18 percent last year due to costs for adding the Macan to its lineup and revamping the best-selling Cayenne SUV. Even so, Porsche’s return on sales remained one of the highest among global automakers. Porsche also sells the Boxster roadster and the hard-top Cayman variant.

Porsche will focus its development efforts on engines and handling rather than push for the latest advances in in-car Internet and automated driving.

The brand’s customers “don’t want a smartphone on four wheels or the biggest touchscreen in the center console,” said Mueller. “At Porsche there’s no room for window dressing.”

For an electric car, which would help the brand comply with tightening environmental regulations, Porsche is targeting a range of more 500 kilometres (310 miles) before needing to recharge, which shouldn’t take longer than a normal stop on a motorway, he said.