Charged with Electric Vehicle News and Views
A huge James Bond car collection in Miami goes up for sale for $33 million; a Los Angeles museum opens an exhibition of old town cars. 
Tesla today announced that is has earned $46 million in the 2013 4th quarter, and sold 6,892 vehicles. In total, Tesla has sold 22,477 vehicles and has in roughly 2.5 billion in non-GAAP sales. $TSLA stock quickly jumped to a record high of $217 with the announcement that a new assembly line will be arriving. The company plans to have the new assembly line pump out 1,000 vehicles per week by 3rd quarter.
Tesla sales in China have really taken off, and CEO Elon Musk mentioned the company is having trouble meeting demand, with orders being pushed to spring.
Meanwhile, the CEO says demand for Model X reserverations is still high.
Source: Tesla Motors
Robert Llewellyn takes a zero carbon electric road trip through Wales in his Nissan Leaf.
Total distance travelled 418 miles (670 km), Total CO2 output. 0.0, Total fuel cost £0.00p
Chris Harris drives the new $1.2 million McLaren P1 at the Yas Marina Grand Prix circuit in Abu Dhabi UAE. Before taking to the track at night, Chris Harris chats with Chris Goodwin, the Chief Test Driver for McLaren Automotive to discuss the technology of McLaren's latest offering, perhaps the definition of the modern day hypercar.
Fair warning, the McLaren Chris Harris drives in this video is the XP7, the pre-production prototype for P1. The car has had a long life over the past 15 months, driving around the world and clocking over 40,000 hard miles.
Bloomberg's Matt Miller is at it again, making a career move out of shorting Tesla Motors.
We've seen Miller's tabloid style video reports on Tesla before. It could only be classed as 'light entertainment' at best!
AC Propulsion is well-known for providing its proprietary technology to the Tesla Roadster, which was developed by Tesla Motors to mass-produce AC Propulsion's tzero concept car. AC Propulsion also provided drivetrains and support for the BMW all-electric Mini E. The Company specializes in alternating current-based drivetrain systems for electric vehicles. The company produces electric vehicle drive systems featuring high performance, high efficiency induction motors and integrated high power battery charging.
"We are assembling a team and vehicle that combines the finest technology and design available," stated Steve Saleen, CEO, Saleen Automotive. "AC Propulsion is a proven leader and seminal thinker in electric car creation and we believe will greatly assist us in introducing a revolutionary vehicle to the market. I believe we have secured the very best partner possible for our powertrain and battery."
"AC Propulsion is excited to partner with automotive legend Steve Saleen for his new electric vehicle project," stated Paul Carosa, President, AC Propulsion. "Mr. Saleen is on the verge of creating a vehicle unlike any on the market today, a tremendous new entry in the fast growing electric car market that lives up to the Saleen name and reputation. We'll do our part to make it even better."
Meet the MTT-136, a self-contained battery powered electric tank track. Developed by Canadian Inventor Yvon Martel, the tank track has different attachments and can be used for towing, pushing and grading on virtually any terrain.
The specs claimed in the video are battery dependant, with recharging time varying from 15 minutes to eight hours and range is a similarly variable 45 to 210 kms. The device as shown in the video weighs 280 lbs (127 kg)
Recharging a Toyota plug-in hybrid or all-electric vehicle could in future be as simple as parking the car. Toyota has announced verification testing is to begin later this month of a new wireless battery charging system it has developed for vehicles that use an electric powertrain.
The new technology allows a vehicle to be charged simply by parking it in alignment with a coil set into the surface of the ground. This makes the process simpler and easier, dispensing with cables and connectors.
The Toyota charging system transmits electricity using magnetic resonance created by changes in magnetic field intensity between a transmitting coil in the ground and a receiving coil in the car. It is designed so that it can reduce any loss in power transmission efficiency caused by misalignment or height differences between the coils.
The system is being developed with a future market launch in mind. Measures have been taken to minimise any electromagnetic interference with nearby equipment, and the transmitting coil in the ground has been madde robust enough to withstand vehicles driving over it.
To help the driver align the car correctly, Toyota has developed a function for its Intelligent Parking Assist system that shows the position of the transmitting coil in a parking space.
The test programme involves three plug-in hybrid used by homes in Aichi prefecture in Japan. It will assess user satisfaction, the system’s ease of use, misalignment rates and charging behaviour, such as how often charging takes place and timer-based charging it used.
Toyota will use the test results to develop the technology further, with the ultimate aim of bringing the system to market. Toyota believes its commercialisation will help promote the use of electrified vehicles and mobility options that are smarter, easier to use and kinder to the environment.
| Charging method | Magnetic resonance |
| Frequency | 85kHz |
| Input voltage | AC 200V |
| Charging power | 2kW |
| Charging time | Approx. 90 minutes |
ABB has announced it will enter into a partnership with Shenzhen BYD Daimler New Technology Co to supply direct-current fast chargers over the next six years.
The announcement said the agreement will result in the world's largest fast-charging network for electric vehicles.
According to the two companies, the wall-mounted chargers will have a number of innovations designed for user convenience and safety including a mobile app that allows cloud-based remote monitoring and control of charging sessions.
First deliveries are expected by the middle of the year. The chargers will be sold through BYD-Daimler's Denza dealerships along with the vehicle.
The first Denza dealership will open in Beijing and more dealerships will be built up simultaneously in Shanghai and Shenzhen.
Established in 2010 between BYD Co, a leader in China's electric vehicle industry, and German automotive icon Daimler AG, BYD-Daimler was the first joint venture in China specializing in developing and producing new-energy vehicles.
The joint venture's Denza brand launched last year will have its world premiere at Beijing auto show in April. It is slated to go on sale later this year, according to an earlier announcement.
Ulrich Spiesshofer, CEO of ABB Group, said at a news conference in Stockholm that he is confident about the deal with BYD-Daimler.
"We are honored to be a partner in this venture with BYD-Daimler to move urban transportation forward in a more sustainable way. By combining car and fast charger sales, Denza is taking a bold step to address a key obstacle for potential electric car buyers," said Spiesshofer.
"ABB's electric vehicle charging solutions have been expanding rapidly worldwide as the underlying technology combines our key strengths in power electronics, software, service and power distribution."
The fully electric Denza is designed for journeys of more than 250 km and will be among the first long-range electric vehicles on the Chinese market.
Market research shows that consumers value long drive ranges but at the same time expect short charging times.
Denza will offer its customers the convenience of charging their cars in a short time at home, at the workplace or at compatible public places, according to BYD-Daimler.
"The Denza represents a significant step in sustainable transportation for the Chinese automotive market. It was vital that we have the right partner to support this innovative concept," said Arno Roehringer, COO of BYD-Daimler.
"ABB is the ideal technology partner for us as they have proven themselves with electric vehicle chargers in China as well as globally and - equally important - the service to install it," he added.
The Chinese government adopted a GBT standard for direct-current fast charging to encourage technical innovation and stimulate market acceptance of electric vehicles.
Analysts said that urban charging infrastructure is key to widespread acceptance of electric vehicles by consumers.
The GBT standard will give Chinese consumers the option of charging their vehicles at home or in public, with DC fast charging expected to be rolled out in the near future.
Experts say China's electric vehicle market could quickly gain momentum due to technology, market innovations, the GBT national fast-charging standard and favorable incentives.
ABB has worked on pilot projects with local automakers and utilities in China since 2010. In 2013 it began to build up a local electric vehicle organization to support growth including R&D, manufacturing, logistics and services.
The Golf is the most successful European car of all time. In launching the new e-Golf, Volkswagen is now bringing the bestseller onto the market as a full production electric vehicle as well. The especially agile and efficient compact car supplements the highly economic fleet of 3 Euro vehicles and boasts an extensive range of standard features. The e-Golf can be immediately recognised by its signature LED headlights and is available from €34,900.
In launching the e-Golf, Volkswagen is bringing its second electric vehicle onto the market inside six months. The agile and efficient e-Golf impresses with best-in-class qualities from the off, leading the way with low power consumption of 12.7 kWh/100 km. In addition to the environmental aspect, the practically silent and thus gliding e-Golf is also very inexpensive to run, as power costs are just €3.28 per 100 kilometres. Thanks to a particularly innovative overall technological system, improved aerodynamics (cw=0,281) and perfected rolling resistance, the new, all-electric Volkswagen is over 15 per cent more energy-efficient than the best steel-built direct competitor. Joining the e-up! and eco-up!, the e-Golf thus extends the Volkswagen brand's fleet of highly efficient 3 Euro vehicles.
The e-Golf is 'Das e-Auto' - it has the same handling, comfortable ride and generous amount of space that has seen the Golf so appreciated for decades by over 30 million car buyers. The e-Golf is in addition fitted with a very good range of standard features, including four doors, the high-end 'Discover Pro' radio/navigation system, heated windscreen, automatic climate control, parking heater and ventilation, leather steering wheel, aerodynamically optimised 'Astana' alloy wheels and, being used for the first time by Volkswagen, full LED headlights. Another especially economic and likewise standard feature are the LED daytime running lights, which by virtue of their signature C-shaped format immediately identify the e-Golf as a Volkswagen electric vehicle.
The electric engine delivers 85 kW / 115 PS and from a standing start develops maximum torque of 270 Nm. This deployment of power produces a superb driving performance: the e-Golf reaches a speed of 60 km/h within 4.2 seconds and after just 10.4 seconds the Volkswagen is up to 100 km/h. A fascinating factor here is the pull-away performance, which is extremely comfortable and totally free of any delay. Depending on the nature of the route, driving style and load, the range is between 130 and 190 kilometres. The new e-Golf is available in Germany now. Prices start from €34,900 (including the 8-year / 160,000-kilometre battery guarantee).
