Orders for Tesla’s Model 3 Surge Even Before Its Unveiling
The new electric vehicle is “the final step in the master plan, which is a mass market, affordable car,” said Tesla’s chief executive, Elon Musk.
Tesla Model 3 Orders Surge Even Before Its Unveiling
The new electric vehicle is “the final step in the master plan, which is a mass market, affordable car,” said Tesla’s chief executive, Elon Musk.
Video Review: Volvo’s XC90 T8 Is Another Step Up
The powerful, efficient and costly plug-in hybrid is targeted to draw buyers away from traditional luxury brands.
Driven | 2016 Volvo XC90 T8
The XC90 is a breakout machine, and this plug-in hybrid version has 400 horsepower and a ride that is controlled, comfortable and quiet.
Triborg Skateboard Is All-Terrain
Hybrid design combines motorcycle suspension with innovative electric skateboard frame. Continue reading →
At New York Auto Show, a Parade of New Models
Vehicle sales are running at a record pace, which means the car industry is willing to invest in new products and technology.
Low Gas Prices Create a Detour on the Road to Greater Fuel Economy
Automakers are expected to seek changes to mileage targets, which were set when gas prices were higher and fuel economy was more important to drivers.
Daily Report: At International CES, Look Away From Your Phone
Let’s recap a busy day at the International CES, where many of the most interesting announcements had nothing to do with smartphones or their apps.
Automakers Go Electric, Even if Gas Is Cheap
Low gas prices have meant healthy sales of trucks and S.U.V.s, but automakers are looking ahead to stricter fuel economy rules by showcasing electric and hybrid models.
Driven | 2016 Chevrolet Volt
The second-generation Volt adds refinement and efficiency. It now looks less like a mash-up of the Chevrolet Camaro and a science experiment and more like a Honda Civic.
From Tesla, a New Car Smell That Vegans Can Get Behind
Tesla, which has introduced synthetic leather interiors, is the latest automaker to join the industry’s push to project a more environmentally responsible image.
Video Review: Chevy Volt Impresses With Tech, Design and Driving Pleasure
The second-generation Chevy Volt, a plug-in hybrid available this spring, is more efficient than its predecessor, looks better and is about $1,000 less expensive. It’s also fun to drive.
Video Review: The BMW X5 xDrive40e, a Hybrid for the Future
The fuel savings may not offset the cost at today’s prices, but this well-engineered and smooth-driving S.U.V requires no other sacrifices of its owner.
Driven | 2016 BMW X5 xDrive40e
BMW’s big S.U.V. now is offered as a plug-in hybrid, with 14 miles of battery-only range and a 4-cylinder engine that pitches in, for a combined 308 horsepower.
Aston Martin and LeEco Plan to Develop Electric Car
Aston Martin has set up a venture with the Chinese consumer electronics group LeEco to jointly develop an electric vehicle.
VW Scandal Clouds Prospects for Other Diesel Makers at Geneva Motor Show
Automakers’ plans to use diesel to meet Europe’s tough carbon dioxide limits have been upended by Volkswagen’s admission that it cheated on emissions tests.
Morning Agenda: Suit Over Hate Mail Embroils Marvel Chief
Visium Hedge Fund Under Investigation | Wells Fargo Charged With Fraud
1896 Horseless Carriage Was a Hybrid Car
The 1896 Armstrong phaeton hybrid has a 6.5-liter boxer-twin gasoline engine and a flywheel that serves as an electric motor.
VW Push for All-Electric Rallycross Supercars
Volkswagen is considering the development of an all-electric rallycross supercar.
The German firm's head of technology Frank Welsch says the short, sharp format of rallycross events offers the perfect showcase for advances in electric car technology.
“I can certainly imagine a championship done with all-electric cars,” Welsch told Autocar. “The races are around six minutes long, which allows for short, intense bursts of competition and then charging.”
VW already competes in Red Bull Global Rallycross with factory Beetle GRCs and in FIA World Rallycross with Polo RXs. Both cars squeeze around 560 HP out of their tiny engines and reach 100km/h in just 2 seconds.
“Today these cars are super-powerful, have torque from hell and use all-wheel drive,” said Welsch. “Electric drivetrains could deliver that.”
Welsch went on to say that “If the championship moved that way it would be perfect for us.”
Are Friction Brakes Redundant on Electric Vehicles & Hybrids?
The Toyota Prius, the world's first mass-produced hybrid vehicle, went on sale in Japan in 1997. 18 years later with sales surpassing 8 million vehicles, we're starting to get a clear picture of how durable vehicles powered by electric powertrains are.
The humble Prius has proved so durable, with regular news of taxi operators surpassing 1 million km (the record stands at 1.5M km), there is even a thread on the priuschat website designated for Prius owners who have passed 299,999 miles (480,000 km).
Not only are most Prius achieving these distances on the original battery pack (dispelling that urban myth) but in many cases they are also still on the original factory fitted set of brake pads!! With a Prius able to use brake regeneration down to 10 km/h, industry standard hydro-mechanical friction brakes move from being a system made up of consumable parts to being a durable system that last the life of the vehicle.
Typical brake pad life expectancy on an ICE car is between 50-100,000 km with brake rotors needing replacement every 100-200,000 km so the increase in Prius pad life is in the 10x region.
If the relatively low powered 50 kw electric motor / generator in the Prius has made friction brakes 95% redundant, then vehicles like the BMW i3 with a much more powerful electric motor (125 kw) and aggressive speed variable brake regeneration capable of bringing the car to a complete stop, make friction brakes entirely a legacy system whose only function is to provide very low duty cycle safety functions such as Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS) and Electronic Stability Control (ESC).
Taxi operators running fleets of Nissan Leaf are also reporting high mileage on original brake pads and no doubt given enough time will also pass 500,000 km without a pad &/or rotor change. Leaf owners have the added benefit of not having an ICE to service (Prius ICE's reportedly consume excessive oil above 500,000 km) and with typical electric motor life measured in the 20-40,000 hour range, electric only powertrains could last in excess of 2 million kilometres of trouble free motoring, compared to a typical ICE car life expectancy of 320,000 km (200,000 miles).
The more brake regeneration becomes a standard in the automotive world, the more inevitable the elimination of the dead weight and costs associated with legacy friction brake systems seems. In order to allow electromagnetic braking to functionally replace all mandatory safety systems like ESC, each wheel requires an electric motor to drive / brake each wheel independently.
Technologies that we take for granted these days — like stability control and anti-lock brakes — paved the way for computer-controlled cars, and these long-established safety technologies are mandated by NHTSA etc. Automakers today agreed to make automatic emergency braking standard in US by 2022. Automatic braking, like lane keeping and dynamic cruise control, is considered a precursor to fully autonomous vehicles.
The convergence of vehicle electrification and self-driving cars will accelerate the need to consolidate all vehicle dynamic controls for propulsion and braking within a single system, i.e. Software Eats the Automotive Powertrain.
