Electric Vehicles News & Discussions

[weatheriscool]

Volvo utili-wagon concept fast-charges toward 600-mile EV horizon
By C.C. Weiss
July 01, 2021
https://newatlas.com/automotive/volvo-c ... ic-future/

Volvo is laying out an ambitious calendar as it moves toward becoming an all-electric premium car brand by 2030. As previewed by the all-new Concept Recharge SUV(ish), the Swedish automaker's next generation of electric vehicles will push toward longer driving ranges, faster, bidirectional charging, and rapidly evolving tech. The Concept Recharge looks quite different from Polestar's future and certainly isn't the prettiest electric car to roll out of the Geely Group, but it represents a step toward giving drivers exactly the type of electric vehicle for which they clamor.

Volvo presented its plans at the Volvo Cars Tech Moment event in Gothenburg this week, focusing attention on how it will mold a new generation of smart, fast-updating electric vehicles that spend more time driving and less time plugged into the charger. The company intends for EVs to make up half its vehicle sales by the middle of this decade, ahead of it becoming a pure-electric brand by 2030.

[Yuli Ban]

An American Buys an E-Bike Every 52 Seconds

As Washington gears up to pour billions into getting Americans behind the wheel of electric cars, demand for electric bicycles is soaring — and advocates say that demand would be even stronger if U.S. cities were building bike infrastructure to match the revolutionary emerging mode.

In response to a recent revelation from the U.K. Bicycle Association that retailers in Great Britain had sold an e-bike roughly once every three minutes in 2020, advocates here crunched the numbers to reveal that 600,000 e-bikes were sold last year in the U.S. — a rate of about once every 52 seconds.

That’s a slower per-capita sales rate for the United States, but it still means that two-wheeled electric vehicles outsold four-wheeled ones more than two to one last year, despite federal (and many state) subsidies for the latter mode. Unlike e-bikes, many EVs are eligible for up to $7,500 in federal tax credits, in addition to enjoying robust publicly funded roadway infrastructure and all the other non-gasoline-related ways the U.S. incentivizes private car ownership.

I've seen several of these in my hometown, so I believe it. The perfect compromise between a motorcycle and bicycle. I actually want one myself.

[weatheriscool]

McMurtry Spéirling may be the fastest, loudest electric car ever built
By Loz Blain
July 13, 2021

British company McMurtry Automotive has gone to Goodwood to show off its new Spéirling, a miniature electric hypercar with a Gordon Murray-style fan system in the back capable of generating more than 500 kg (1,100 lb) of downforce at a standstill.

However exactly you're supposed to pronounce it, the Spéirling is a tiny little single-seater designed purely for track use – at least, to start with. Its full-carbon body is just 3.2 m (10.5 ft) long, 1.05 m (3.4 ft) high and 1.5 m (4.9 ft) wide, all the better to cut through air more efficiently.

https://newatlas.com/automotive/mcmurtr ... c-fan-car/

[Yuli Ban]

One of the biggest myths about EVs is busted in new study
Even EVs that plug into dirty grids emit fewer greenhouse gases than gas-powered cars

A new study lays to rest the tired argument that electric vehicles aren’t much cleaner than internal combustion vehicles. Over the life cycle of an EV — from digging up the materials needed to build it to eventually laying the car to rest — it will release fewer greenhouse gas emissions than a gas-powered car, the research found. That holds true globally, whether an EV plugs into a grid in Europe with a larger share of renewables, or a grid in India that still relies heavily on coal.

This shouldn’t come as a big surprise. Fossil fuels are driving the climate crisis. So governments from California to the European Union have proposed phasing out internal combustion engines by 2035. But there are still people who claim that EVs are only as clean as the grids they run on — and right now, fossil fuels still dominate when it comes to the energy mix in most places.

[weatheriscool]

GM issues 2nd Bolt recall; faulty batteries can cause fires
Source: AP

By TOM KRISHER

DETROIT (AP) — General Motors is recalling some older Chevrolet Bolts for a second time to fix persistent battery problems that can set the electric cars ablaze.

Until repairs are done, GM says owners should park the cars outdoors, limit charging to 90% of battery capacity, and not deplete batteries below 70 miles of range. The company says the Bolts should not be charged overnight, and should be parked outside immediately after they are charged.

The second recall comes after two Bolts that had been fixed under a previous recall caught fire, one in Vermont and the other in New Jersey. It covers about 69,000 Bolts worldwide from 2017, 2018 and part of the 2019 model year. All have batteries made by LG Chem in South Korea.

The recall is another bug in a growing global rollout of electric vehicles by all automakers to replace internal combustion vehicles to cut emissions and fight climate change. Ford, BMW and Hyundai all have recalled batteries recently. Also, the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board investigated a series of fires in Tesla vehicles and earlier this year said the high-voltage lithium-ion batteries pose safety risks to first responders after crashes.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/technology-b ... 2fc4bff53b

[weatheriscool]

41 Percent of Those Planning to Buy a Car May Go Electric, Study Finds
https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/325 ... tudy-finds
By Adrianna Nine on July 23, 2021 at 2:01 pm

A new study from Ernst & Young has revealed that out of those looking to buy their next car, 41 percent are interested in going electric. EY surveyed consumers from 13 major international markets (Australia, Canada, China, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Sweden, the UK, and the US) and found that the degree of interest varies by country—only 17 percent of Australian consumers are thinking of going electric, compared with 48 percent of those in China and 63 percent in Italy. But overall, the shift marks a significant 11 percent jump in EV interest from EY’s study last year.

“This represents a breakthrough moment in consumer attitudes that could hugely accelerate demand for EVs and alternative powertrain vehicles,” the study concluded. “Previously, many consumers expressed generalized concerns over sustainability, but those concerns did not translate into action when it came to buying their next car.”

[wjfox]

[raklian]

41 Percent of Those Planning to Buy a Car May Go Electric, Study Finds
https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/325 ... tudy-finds
By Adrianna Nine on July 23, 2021 at 2:01 pm

I already have a Tesla car. My wife is getting a Tesla as well. Thinking about buying a Tesla for my coming of age eldest when he starts driving.

Just doing the moral thing - moving the world away from use of fossil fuels.

[Yuli Ban]

Electric-Vehicle Sales Growth Outpaces Broader Auto Industry

The auto industry’s push into electric vehicles has gained traction this year with sales of these models growing at a faster clip than the broader U.S. car business.

While still a sliver of the overall market, sales of plug-in vehicles more than doubled in the first half of 2021 compared with last year, when the pandemic sapped sales. That far outpaced the 29% rise for total vehicle sales, according to research firm Wards Intelligence.

The biggest factor driving the gains was Tesla Inc.’s continued dominance in electrics. Tesla’s U.S. sales rose 78% through June this year, according to an estimate from research firm Motor Intelligence. The increase was helped by Tesla’s Model Y crossover SUV, which has quickly become the company’s top seller since being introduced last year. Tesla is scheduled to report second-quarter financial results Monday.

[weatheriscool]

US automakers pledge huge increase in electric vehicles
Source: AP

By TOM KRISHER and AAMER MADHANI

WASHINGTON (AP) — Declaring the U.S. must “move fast” to win the world’s carmaking future, President Joe Biden on Thursday announced a commitment from the auto industry to produce electric vehicles for as much as half of U.S. sales by the end of the decade.

Biden also wants automakers to raise gas mileage and cut tailpipe pollution between now and model year 2026. That would mark a significant step toward meeting his pledge to cut emissions and battle climate change as he pushes a history-making shift in the U.S. from internal combustion engines to battery-powered vehicles.

He urged that the components needed to make that sweeping change — from batteries to semiconductors — be made in the United States, too, aiming for both industry and union support for the environmental effort, with the promise of new jobs and billions in federal electric vehicle investments.

Pointing to electric vehicles parked on the White House South Lawn, the president declared them a “vision of the future that is now beginning to happen.”

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/technology-j ... 98c6652cea
7

[Yuli Ban]

41 Percent of Those Planning to Buy a Car May Go Electric, Study Finds
https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/325 ... tudy-finds
By Adrianna Nine on July 23, 2021 at 2:01 pm

I already have a Tesla car. My wife is getting a Tesla as well. Thinking about buying a Tesla for my coming of age eldest when he starts driving.

Just doing the moral thing - moving the world away from use of fossil fuels.

How much did it cost, if I may ask?

[raklian]

I already have a Tesla car. My wife is getting a Tesla as well. Thinking about buying a Tesla for my coming of age eldest when he starts driving.

Just doing the moral thing - moving the world away from use of fossil fuels.

How much did it cost, if I may ask?

I paid nearly $120,000 (including tax) in cash for the Model S Long Range. It's well worth it as I'm getting a huge return in spades. I've been using it for over a year and not one instance of needing maintenance of any sort. I average only $20 a month in electricity and average around 371 miles between recharges.

[Yuli Ban]

Model S, huh? On that note, have you tried out any FSD capabilities if they're available to you? It's my opinion that electric AVs are what will dominate the back-half of the decade, so it'd be interesting to see the primordial days of it in action.

[raklian]

Model S, huh? On that note, have you tried out any FSD capabilities if they're available to you? It's my opinion that electric AVs are what will dominate the back-half of the decade, so it'd be interesting to see the primordial days of it in action.

I don't have a monthly subscription to the FSD service although I paid $10,000 to include the FSD hardware. It costs $199 a month which I'm not exactly ready to shell out for a bleeding edge autonomy capability that is still being ironed out. I will test it out once most of the bugs are sorted out.

But it's not to say it doesn't come without the autopilot functionality (traffic aware cruise control, automatic steering/lane centering, etc.) which is the standard on this model anyway.

[wjfox]

DHL plans electric cargo planes from 2024

18th August 2021

DHL Express, the world's largest provider of express delivery services, will begin deploying electric cargo planes from 2024.

The courier giant – which operates in 220 countries and territories – has announced a collaboration with Eviation, a global manufacturer of all-electric aircraft based in the Seattle area. DHL has initially ordered 12 fully electric "Alice" eCargo planes from Eviation and will pursue the longer-term goal of decarbonising its entire cargo fleet.

https://www.futuretimeline.net/blog/202 ... planes.htm

[caltrek]

NASA is Testing Electric Air Taxis With Joby Aviation
by Andrew J. Haawkins
September 1, 2021

https://www.theverge.com/2021/9/1/22651 ... t-air-taxi

Introduction:

(The Verge) NASA kicked off test flights of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft — colloquially referred to as “flying cars” — with Joby Aviation, the Northern California company that recently went public. The test flights are part of a national campaign by NASA to observe these experimental aircraft in action and determine whether they are safe for passengers.

Joby, which was founded in 2009, is the first eVTOL company to participate in NASA’s Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) National Campaign. The test flights commenced Monday, August 30th, at the company’s airfield in Big Sur, California, and will run through September 10th, the agency said.

But NASA won’t just be a passive observer as Joby’s six-rotor aircraft whiz through the air. The space agency will be collecting “vehicle performance and acoustic data for use in modeling and simulation of future airspace concepts,” it said.

In other words, it will be closely monitoring the aircraft’s sound profile to see how well it compares to helicopters and other gas-powered vehicles. A major selling point for eVTOL companies is that these aircraft are noticeably less noisy than helicopters, and therefore better suited for flights over populated areas.

During the test flights, NASA says its team will “collect information about how the vehicle moves, how the vehicle sounds, and how the vehicle communicates with controllers.” The agency plans on conducting similar tests with additional eVTOL companies in the future.

caltrek's comment: It is quite fitting that these test flights are occurring in Big Sur. Landslides periodically result in parts of the Big Sur coast being cut off from land traffic. The costs of the need periodic repairs is so bad that I understand Caltrans (California Transportation Agency) is contemplating abandoning the maintenance of Highway 1, which serve Bir Sur. This, despite the heavy tourist traffic and tourist related businesses and parks in the area when the highway is open.

The nature of the coast is such that construction of harbors is also highly impractical. There are few, if any, sheltered areas where such ports could be established. There are also no landing strips that I know of in the area, so an eVTOL aircraft would be quite appropriate.

[wjfox]

England will be first country to require new homes to include EV chargers

Michelle Lewis
Sep. 10th 2021 9:43 am PT

The British government will introduce legislation in 2021 that will require all newly built homes and offices to feature electric vehicle chargers in England.

Specifically, all new homes and offices will have to feature “smart” charging devices that can automatically charge vehicles during off-peak periods. New office blocks will need to install a charge point for every five parking spaces.

The new law will make England the first country in the world to require all new homes to have EV chargers.

It will also boost confidence in helping those who transition from gas cars to overcome range anxiety, as so many homes in England don’t have off-street parking or garages.

The proposal is part of the movement to rapidly boost the number of chargers across England ahead of the UK’s 2030 ban of new fossil-fuel vehicles.

https://electrek.co/2021/09/10/england- ... -chargers/

[wjfox]

The world's first charging station for electric aviation

09/18/2021

Skycharge, developed by Green Motion and Pipistrel, has recently been approved by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) as the world's first OEM-independent electric aircraft charging station.

Pipistrel's Velis Electro aircraft had already become the first electric aircraft to receive a type certificate from EASA in June last year. The approval of Skycharge is another important milestone on the way to environmentally sustainable aviation.

Skycharge is based on Eaton's proprietary DC charging technology. The charging infrastructure for electric aircraft and eVTOL (electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing) aircraft offers exceptional conversion efficiency (over 96%), compactness and power density.

The charging station is available as a fixed version on a rack or mobile with wheels. The mobile version of Skycharge allows charging of electric aircraft (via GB/T charging plugs) and cars (via CCS or CHAdeMO plugs) without installation costs, as the charger can simply be plugged into an existing CEE socket. In addition, Skycharge is the first charging station for electric aircraft with smart grid functionalities, enabling V2G (vehicle-to-grid).

https://www.pveurope.eu/e-mobility/skyc ... c-aviation

[wjfox]

[wjfox]

UK electric car inquiries soar during fuel supply crisis

Sellers of plug-in vehicles say petrol shortages are driving people to adopt the new technology

Mon 27 Sep 2021 16.47 BST

As petrol stations in parts of the UK started running out of fuel on Friday, business at Martin Miller’s electric car dealership in Guildford, Surrey, started soaring.

After what ended up being his company EV Experts busiest day ever, interest does not appear to be dying down. This week the diary is booked up with test drives and the business is low on stock.

“People buy electric cars for environmental reasons, for cost-saving reasons and because the technology’s great,” he said. “But Friday was one of those moments where people said, ‘Do you know what, this is a sign that we need to go electric’.”

While scenes of chaos play out at petrol stations across the country amid shortages, for many electric vehicle (EV) dealers the fuel crisis has led to an unexpected surge in inquiries and sales.

EVA England, a non-profit representing new and prospective EV drivers, reports a rise in electric car inquiries and in interest at EV dealers, particularly in the last week.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment ... ply-crisis