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Tesla raises prices, cuts options to simplify its EV lineup (updated)
Tesla has made good on its plan to cull options for its electric cars, and the changes are... mixed. Electrek has learned that Tesla has raised the prices of the Model S 75D and Model X 75D by $1,000 to $78,000 and $84,000 respectively, albeit with $500 price drops for their 100D counterparts (now $96,000 and $99,000). However, you now get the black Premium interior standard, with cream and white interiors costing $1,500 instead of the earlier $3,300. And it's what you don't see that may matter the most -- Tesla has scrapped a number of choices, including some drivers might like.
Volkswagen reportedly has $23,000 Tesla competitor in the works
Volkswagen, the German automaker that cheated diesel emissions tests, is aiming to release an all-electric car for $23,000 -- undercutting the Tesla Model 3 by nearly $12,000 -- sources have told Reuters. VW will convert three of its factories in Germany to produce the "MEB entry," with a production target of 200,000 vehicles. The MEB (modular electric drive matrix) platform is being used to develop VW's I.D. family of electric vehicles. And the company has high hopes for the new platform, with a goal of selling 10 million vehicles by the end of its "first wave." The I.D. Aero, a mid-size sedan, will also see a production target of 100,000 vehicles. A release date for the MEB entry was not disclosed, but the first I.D. vehicle should land in 2020. The German automaker will discuss all of this in a supervisory board meeting on November 16th.
Husqvarna's first electric motorcycle is the EE 5 mini dirt bike
Husqvarna may be a familiar name in the motorcycle world, but it hasn't done much to embrace electric motorcycles. It will soon, though -- it's launching its first e-motorbike in the form of the EE 5. The machine is ultimately a classic mini dirt bike with knobbed tires, durable forks and an exposed motor. The difference, of course, is the choice of powerplant -- it's using a 5kW (6.7HP) electric motor paired with a 907Wh battery. Husqvarna pitchis it as an "easy-to-use" machine that lets newcomers try offroading "with confidence."
Hyundai and Kia will outfit their cars with solar panels
Solar panels on cars aren't just reserved for luxury brands or experimental vehicles. Hyundai and Kia have laid out plans to equip "selected" cars with solar panels on their roofs or hoods. They'll help charge batteries for electric vehicles and hybrids, but they'll also be useful for combustion-only vehicles. You won't have to settle for solar panels blocking your view of the sky above, either.
Faraday Future co-founder reportedly resigns amid job furloughs (updated)
Faraday Future's struggles only appear to be getting worse. The Verge has obtained an email indicating that company co-founder Nick Sampson (above) has resigned, effective immediately. And he didn't mince words, according to the report. Faraday is "effectively insolvent" after the funding dispute with China's Evergrande, he said, and would "limp along" under the best of conditions. There were "insurmountable barriers" to overcoming the situation, Sampson added.
Chevrolet's electric Camaro race car packs an 800-volt battery
Chevrolet has introduced a new concept car designed for drag racing, and it's not an entirely new model: it's an electrified version of the COPO Camaro. Aptly called the eCOPO Camaro, it's based on the 2019 version of the Chevy classic and has an electric motor that can provide the equivalent of over 700 horsepower and 600 lb-ft of torque. Chevy believes it can reach a quarter mile in under 10 seconds. Its standout feature, however, is probably its 800-volt battery pack. That's twice the voltage of the battery packs in the Chevy Volt, the Chevy Bolt EV and Tesla's vehicles.
Tesla publishes the parts catalog for its electric cars
Unless you're changing tires, you generally can't fix a Tesla car yourself -- not when the brand has made it difficult just to get documentation, let alone parts. It's inching in the right direction, though. Tesla has published its parts catalog, detailing all the components for cars ranging from the original Roadster to the Model 3. You'll even see schematics showing how everything fits together.
Recommended Reading: Midterms have already been hacked
The midterms are already hacked. You just don't know it yet. Benjamin Wofford, Vox The concerns regarding voting processes in the US are nothing new, especially when it comes to vulnerabilities. Vox is the latest to take an in-depth look at the troubling issues surrounding voting systems ahead of the midterms on November 6th. And it's (still) not pretty, even after months of warnings from all sides.
Tesla faces intensifying FBI investigation over Model 3 production
Tesla's legal headaches aren't over just because of its settlement with the SEC. The Wall Street Journal has learned that the FBI is stepping up a criminal investigation into whether or not Tesla "misstated" its Model 3 production capabilities and misled investors as far back as early 2017. The company had acknowledged a "voluntary request" for documents from the Justice Department on September 18th, but it now appears that investigators are concentrating on the Model 3 and escalating their efforts. They recently asked for testimony from former Tesla staff in the case, for instance.
GM wants a national tax credit program for electric vehicles
A year since its pledge to go all-electric, General Motors wants its counterparts to follow suit. The automaker is calling on the US government to start a nationwide zero emissions vehicle (NZEV) program. Its ambitious plan -- submitted to the the Environmental Protection Agency and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on Friday -- would demand 25 percent of fleets to be composed of zero emissions vehicles by 2030.
Musk: Model Y prototype approved to go into production
On Tesla's earnings call after announcing its first quarterly profit, CEO Elon Musk chatted about the company's upcoming products. While claiming it has "the most exciting product roadmap of any company on Earth," Musk mentioned the Model Y crossover EV we've only seen hints of so far, and said "I recently approved the prototype to go into production."
Tesla raises the price of its most affordable Model 3
That slightly more affordable Model 3 is no longer quite as much of a deal as it was just days ago. Tesla has raised the price of the EV with rear-wheel drive and the Mid Range battery by $1,000, bringing the sticker to $46,000. The company didn't explain the move in a statement to Electrek, but it did say it "will honor" the original pricing for anyone whose order is in progress. This might not be a deal breaker in the price category, but it may come as an unwelcome surprise.
Tesla drops Model S and X interior options to simplify production
Tesla isn't just pulling exterior color options to keep its assembly lines humming. Elon Musk has announced that his company is removing "many" Model S and Model X interior configuration options after November 1st in order to "simplify production." He didn't say which features were getting the chop, but it's safe to presume that you'll want to order quickly if you demand an interior that's equipped just so.
Arcimoto is opening its first rental center for its three-wheeled EV
Arcimoto's three-wheeled Fun Utility Vehicle is a blast to drive, but there's a catch: given that the first orders haven't arrived, there hasn't been an easily accessible way to take one for a spin. You'll have an option in a few days, though. The company is opening its first rental location (plus customer experience center) at 543 Blair Boulevard in its hometown of Eugene, Oregon on October 27th. Pricing hasn't been set yet and will vary by location, but it's safe to say this will be considerably more affordable than committing $11,900 to buy the FUV outright.
Uber will introduce a 'clean air fee' to all London rides
Uber has been consistently vocal about its green aspirations. From electric scooters to its own EV charging networks, the company's eco-friendly ambitions reached a pinnacle last year when it announced its "Clean Air Plan" for the city of London. Now, it's revealed more about what this plan will look like.
VW's Electrify America to install EV chargers along the Ohio Turnpike
If electric cars are going to become a staple of American roads, they're going to need chargers near prominent routes. And VW's Electrify America is about to address that. The company has revealed plans to install the first EV charging stations along the Ohio Turnpike, a 241-mile toll road meant to speed up trips in the state's northern corridor. This deployment will be modest, with four-dispenser units at Genoa's Blue Heron and Wyandot Services Plazas as well as West Unity's Indian Meadow and Tiffin River Services Plazas. However, the chargers will be fast -- each unit will offer between 150kW to 350kW, so it might take just minutes to top up your next-generation EV.
Faraday Future confirms layoffs and wage cuts as struggles continue
The future of Faraday Future is starting to look bleak. The electric car startup has laid off part of its workforce and is slashed the wages of its employees by 20 percent, as first reported by The Verge and confirmed in a statement from a company spokesperson. The move comes as the company is in the middle of a standoff with the company's primary investor.
VW starts work on its first large-scale EV factory
VW's grandiose electric car plans just became more tangible. The automaker has started building its first group-wide, large-scale EV production factory in Anting, about 19 miles west of Shanghai. When it's up and running in 2020, the plant will build nothing but all-electric vehicles based on the company's MEB (Modular Electric Drive Kit) platform as well as the battery systems needed to power those vehicles. The first EV to roll off the line will be a VW-badged SUV (not necessarily the I.D. Crozz).
Audi delays E-Tron SUV by a month over software updates
Audi's E-Tron SUV has seemingly been in development for ages, but you're going to have to wait longer still to see it on the road. The automaker has delayed the electric SUV's arrival by four weeks due a "software development issue," a spokesman told Reuters. Changes to an unnamed piece of software required that Audi ask for new security clearance. It's not a dramatic delay given that the E-Tron wasn't supposed to hit dealerships until the second quarter of 2019, but it's not doing any favors to Audi or early adopters. However, it could have been worse.
Electric cars could store energy in their carbon fiber bodies
Electric cars typically need larger, denser batteries if they're going to meet the range expectations of people used to gas-powered vehicles, but available space and weight limit the size of that battery. Researchers might have a solution: turn the very body of the car into a battery. They've conducted a study showing that carbon fiber shells could serve as battery electrodes. The trick is to optimize the size and orientation of the fibers so there's a good balance between stiffness and the electrochemical traits needed to store energy.
