A major name in marine mobility is dipping its toe into all-electric motors – Mercury. The noted developer of marine technologies has launched its five initial outboards under its new Avator lineup of all-electric motors, and I got the chance to test each of them out in Charleston, South Carolina. Be sure to check out the video below to see just how quiet these electric motors truly are.
Swedish marine propulsion startup ZParq announced it has successfully completed a seed round led by cleantech investors, totaling 2.5 million euros ($2.68M). With the fresh funding, ZParq looks to bring its compact electric marine motors, powertrains, and other adjacent technologies to market to help decarbonize the segment.
EV drivetrain and power systems specialist Equipmake has unveiled a new product that strays quite a bit from its electric double-decker buses we’ve covered in the past. Today, the company unveiled the HPM-400 – an advanced high power, short duration electric motor designed for applications in space and the marine segment. This thing is small, but mighty. Check it out.
General Motors (GM) shared plans to invest nearly $154 million to renovate its Lockport Components plant in western New York to support stator module production. These key components for electric motors will eventually serve GM brand electric trucks and SUVs built upon the company’s Ultium Platform.
Scientists at the US Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory published research on how the supply chains of rare earth minerals respond to disruptions. This could include natural disasters, labor or trade disputes, construction delays – and pandemics.
The team found that mineral supply chain disruptions have long-range impacts that affect the costs and availability of electric vehicles.
Electric motors are the beating heart of any electric vehicle, and thanks to a startup in Belgium, your next EV’s motor could be stronger, smaller and more efficient. Magnax is hard at work developing new axial flux motors for use in EVs and other applications that require powerful yet lightweight motors. This could mean faster, lighter and generally more awesome electric cars and motorcycles, among other new developments. Expand Expanding Close
(Thanks to Zac Hall for images and video and checking out the back seats/CarPlay)
I have two electric cars at home – a plug-in Prius and a base model 2013 Tesla Model S. Yesterday, I drove the car that felt like their natural offspring: the compact crossover Chevy Bolt… Expand Expanding Close
Thunder Power unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show today two new electric vehicles equipped with a massive 125 kWh battery pack.
Thunder Power is a Taiwan-based power-tool maker established in 1987, which recently changed its focus to electric vehicles. Its first entries are a 4-door sedan (picture above), the Thunder Power Sedan, and a sport car, the Thunder Power Race (picture below). Expand Expanding Close
We don’t usually feature concept vehicles, generally opting to wait until they are ready for release to the general public. But a new e-bike from Expemotion has caught our eye and we had to share it with you. The E-Raw concept blends natural and man-made materials that results in a stunning two-wheeled creation. From the simple steel tube chassis to the wooden seat that wraps around the motorcycle acting as placeholder for a would-be gas tank, this bike is eye-popping.
It has a built-in spot on the dashboard for your smartphone and a red/white metal enclosure for the motor. Amongst all the prototypes that we have seen recently, the E-Raw is one of our favorites. No word on its release or future plans, but you can head over to Expemotion for more details.
Miliseconds later, it was toast, but the Tesla P85D did at least get off the line quicker than the insanely fast Porsche 918 Spyder which boasts a 2.3 second 0-60 time and sub-10 second quarter mile. Sure, that’s fast but can it seat 7 and have room for groceries too? No, it cannot.
Electric has that instant torque at 0RPMs which doesn’t seem to have a peer in the internal combustion world. The Spyder with its smaller body has a 600hp ICE and a 300HP electric engine driving its wheels.
The screenshot is above and the video follows of AUTO BILD TV’s race on Porsche’s home field. Feels like we’re seeing the last stand of internal combustion in supercars.
Yesterday, we unveiled the world’s first dual electric motor production car and announced that new safety and autopilot hardware is standard on every new Model S.
Conventional all wheel drive vehicles distribute power to the wheels from a single engine driving a complex mechanical transmission system. By contrast, Dual Motor Model S, which comes with either the 60 kWh or 85 kWh battery, has a motor on each axle, digitally and independently controlling torque to the front and rear wheels. The result is unparalleled control of traction, with instantaneous response to the motors giving drivers precisely controlled performance in all conditions. With its digital torque controls and low center of gravity, Dual Motor Model S has the most capable road holding and handling of any vehicle ever produced.
Where gasoline-powered all wheel drive cars sacrifice efficiency in return for all weather traction, Tesla’s Dual Motor propulsion system actually increases efficiency while delivering exceptional traction and control in slippery conditions. By precisely splitting the delivery of current from the battery to each motor, the Model S 85D and 60D actually gain an additional 10 miles of highway driving range compared to their rear motor Model S counterparts.
Consistent with our mission, we also wanted to demonstrate that an electric car can soundly beat gasoline cars on efficiency and pure performance. The Model S P85 already outperforms gasoline-powered cars in the same class with its ability to deliver 100 percent of peak torque from a standing start. We combined our new front drive unit and our P85 rear motor with the objective of outperforming one of the greatest supercars of all time, the McLaren F1. With P85D’s 0 to 60 mph performance of 3.2 seconds, we have succeeded.
The P85D combines the performance of the P85 rear motor with an additional 50 percent of torque available from our new front drive unit. The result is the fastest accelerating four-door production car of all time – while remaining one of the most efficient cars on the road. That’s a combination that can only be achieved by an electric car. Not only is the P85D a match for the McLaren F1, but it also doesn’t need a professional driver to achieve optimum performance. Just plant your foot and go.
Customers can order a Dual Motor Model S today. Deliveries of P85D begin in December for North America, to be followed 85D and 60D in February. Deliveries to Europe and Asia will follow in the months afterwards.
New Safety Features and Autopilot
The launch of Dual Motor Model S coincides with the introduction of a standard hardware package that will enable autopilot functionality. Every single Model S now rolling out of the factory includes a forward radar, 12 long range ultrasonic sensors positioned to sense 16 feet around the car in every direction at all speeds, a forward looking camera, and a high precision, digitally controlled electric assist braking system.
Building on this hardware with future software releases, we will deliver a range of active safety features, using digital control of motors, brakes, and steering to avoid collisions from the front, sides, or from leaving the road.
Model S will be able to steer to stay within a lane, change lanes with the simple tap of a turn signal, and manage speed by reading road signs and using active, traffic aware cruise control.
Our goal with the introduction of this new hardware and software is not to enable driverless cars, which are still years away from becoming a reality. Our system is called Autopilot because it’s similar to systems that pilots use to increase comfort and safety when conditions are clear. Tesla’s Autopilot is a way to relieve drivers of the most boring and potentially dangerous aspects of road travel – but the driver is still responsible for, and ultimately in control of, the car.
The Autopilot hardware opens up some exciting long term possibilities. Imagine having your car check your calendar in the morning (a feature introduced in Software v6.0), calculate travel time to your first appointment based on real time traffic data, automatically open the garage door with Homelink, carefully back out of a tight garage, and pull up to your door ready for your commute. Of course, it could also warm or cool your car to your preferences and select your favorite morning news stream.
The introduction of this hardware is just the first step for Autopilot in Model S. We will continue to develop new capabilities and deliver them through over-the-air software updates, keeping our customers at the forefront of driving technology.
Other Product Updates
Our commitment to continuous improvement extends to other features of Model S, and we have recently made several updates to the car, including:
Seat comfort improvements and taller headrests for whiplash protection
Improvements for a quieter cabin
Wider rear door opening
Electrically opening, self-closing charge port door on Dual Motor Model S
Increased visor size and larger vanity mirror
Parcel shelf and front trunk cargo net now standard
Air ionizer and carbon filter for cabin air purity
Updated steering column
Updates to Alcantara interior trim, such as wrapped roof bow and top pad
We don’t often talk about hybrids here but the BMW i8 does a solid job of being electric and has looks to die for. Unfortunately the $150K price tag may also cost a human life.
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