Bradley writes about electric cars, autonomous vehicles, smart homes, and other tech that’s transforming society. He contributes to The New York Times, SAE International, Via Magazine, Popular Mechanics, MIT Technology Review, and others. https://twitter.com/bradberman
The J.D. Power 2020 Initial Quality Study (IQS), released today, places Tesla at the bottom of its quality rankings. It’s the first time that Tesla was profiled in J.D. Power’s influential study of quality.
The long-term plan for the EV community is ubiquitous, go-anywhere charging from coast to coast. Cross-country routes have been available for Tesla drives via the Supercharger network since about 2014. It’s now possible for other EV drivers – as Electrify America today announced that its open charging network features the first of two planned fast-charge, cross-country paths.
It’s widely assumed that charging an EV is a much less expensive way to power a car than pumping gas. But most studies take an overly simplistic approach. However, a team of researchers from the US Department of Energy labs took a comprehensive look at the multiple, interrelated factors. Their detailed assessment of EV charging costs was published this week in the journal Joule.
It’s been two years since Jaguar Land Rover introduced the I-Pace EV. Despite earning multiple design awards and decent sales in Europe, the electric Jaguar crossover has struggled in the US. The company also faced battery-supply issues. Joe Eberhardt, Jaguar Land Rover’s North American CEO, wants to use lessons from the I-Pace and apply it to new EVs, including the upcoming electric XJ sedan. But the path forward is not clear.
Calculating the number of miles of remaining EV range has been a challenge for many automakers. Ford now claims that its Intelligent Range feature has solved the problem, using crowdsourced data, weather, and a vehicle’s energy-consumption history.
After months of reports that Volkswagen was struggling with software problems, the company announced today that it will develop its own operating system and software platform. Christian Senger, chief executive of VW’s Car.Software organization, said the move would apply the innovation seen in smartphones to Volkswagen automobiles. But concerns about software on the ID.3 were not addressed.
The auto industry’s shift to electric vehicles and driver-assist technology go hand in hand. Recognizing these combined trends, Ford will use its all-electric Mach-E SUV as the first vehicle with Ford Co-Pilot 360 2.0. The main innovation is the system’s use of a driver-facing camera for enhanced safety.
The first undisguised images of the Volkswagen ID.4 electric crossover are spreading across the internet. The source is likely a Chinese car website. The photos of the production ID.4 reveal a compact crossover with clean lines that flow from the hood to the hatch.
Take note of Phil Popham’s words. The CEO of Lotus made it crystal clear this week that he believes that electric motors and batteries are the right technology for sports cars. Popham’s stance couldn’t be more different than what Ferrari executives believe: that EV technology is “not developed” enough for sports cars, much less a supercar.
BMW, the owner of the Mini brand, understands the vital importance of the Chinese auto market. And the Chinese government has aggressive goals for electric vehicles. So it’s not surprising that Mini will use a Chinese joint venture to produce two new SUVs: one all-electric and another powered by internal combustion.
Mary Barra, the chief executive of General Motors, took questions from car journalists today during a virtual “fireside chat,” held by the Automotive Press Association. Even though the writers represented mainstream auto outlets, many of the questions focused on GM’s EV plans.
When Ford unveiled the Mustang Mach-E, the company promised its new EV owners could access more than 12,000 places to charge, including many fast-charger locations. Today Ford announced that it’s enticing Mach-E buyers to give Electrify America stations a try by offering 250 kilowatt-hours of complimentary charging through the FordPass Rewards program.
My friend Jim loves his 2014 Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric. It only has 87 miles of range, but Jim estimates that about 70% of his family’s annual vehicle miles are on the B-Class Electric. That’s why it was so disappointing when last year the motor started whining so severely that the car was nearly undrivable. To add insult to injury, the local Mercedes-Benz dealership quoted $18,000 to get it fixed by replacing the entire powertrain.
Automobile magazine interviewed Cadillac design director Brian Smith about the style of the luxury brand’s upcoming EV portfolio. The 2016 Escala concept provides the best glimpse of the visual design for the Lyriq and Celestiq electric models.
New EVs continue to roll out in Europe. The newest entrant will be the Citroën e-C4 crossover, which gets unveiled on June 30.
Following preliminary agreements from last year, Ford and Volkswagen this week signed a far-reaching agreement to co-develop electric and self-driving vehicles. The alliance is seen as a way to share costs with new technologies and to take on competitors such as Tesla and General Motors.
Germany last week doubled its consumer subsidies of electric vehicles that cost up to €40,000. But a more powerful measure is in the works to help Germans transition to fuel-efficient vehicles: a high tax on vehicles that get less than about 28 miles per gallon.
A Tesla employee with knowledge of the situation told Electrek that four workers on the company’s main Model S/X assembly line tested positive for coronavirus today. The affected employees, who have the title of production associates, worked on the same part of the assembly line.
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When Toyota announced pricing for its new RAV4 plug-in hybrid in late May, the company’s press release pegged the “manufacturer-estimated” all-electric range at 42 miles. However, the Toyota RAV4 Prime consumer website lists 39 miles of all-electric range.
Internal-combustion vehicles made by Hyundai-Kia represented 8.9% of the global market in the first quarter of 2020. But the EVs it sells were 9.9% of the global electric-vehicle market. In other words, Hyundai could be the first legacy automaker that is now more competitive on EVs than with its gas- and diesel-powered cars.
Ford and Toyota are simultaneously this summer introducing plug-in hybrid options of their popular crossover SUVs: the Ford Escape and RAV4. The Ford Escape Plug-in Hybrid got an EPA rating of 100 MPGe, gaining an edge over the RAV4 Prime PHEV.
Russian President Vladimir Putin of Russia declared a state of emergency in a region of northern Siberia after a huge oil spill last week turned a river crimson. It is threatening significant damage to the Arctic region.
Tesla made about $354 million in Q1 2020 by selling regulatory credits. Fiat Chrysler and General Motors, among others, buy billions of dollars in CO2 credits a year to avoid paying fines. What if a similar credit system to get individuals to drive an electric car, or avoid driving altogether, were put in place? That’s what the Beijing Environmental Exchange launched today.
As part of Germany’s new increased electric-vehicle incentive package, the country will require gas stations to offer EV charging. Details about the plan are not yet known, such as the timeline and type of required chargers. But EV advocates quickly praised the move as a boost to electric-car adoption.
