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Nio unveils lower-cost ES6 electric SUV
Nio is already preparing to launch its second electric SUV mere months after releasing its first. The Chinese automaker has unveiled the ES6, a lower-priced SUV that will start at the equivalent of $52,000 -- a sizeable $14,000 less than the ES8. While Nio didn't outline all the differences, the new model won't exactly be a slouch. The starting model can reach 62MPH in a brisk 5.6 seconds, and should have a range of 255 miles on Europe's NEDC testing cycle thanks to a 70kWh battery (there's also an 84kWh option with a 298-mile range). Move up to the higher-end trims and you'll hit that 62MPH mark in 4.7 seconds, with ranges between 267 miles and 317 miles depending on your battery choice.
Tesla puts more cars on sale to maximize $7,500 EV tax credit
Tesla really, really wants to be sure buyers can make the most of the full $7,500 EV tax credit before it's cut in half for the company in 2019. Elon Musk has announced that the automaker is now selling "all" cars where the original customer can't take delivery before the end of 2018. If you're quick on the draw, you could get the full credit even if you're placing an order for the first time.
Lotus' first electric car might be a 1,000HP monster
Lotus won't be the first British car manufacturer to go electric, but it might make waves when it does. Autocar sources claim Lotus' first EV will be a 1,000BHP (about 1,013HP) hypercar costing about £2 million, or roughly $2.5 million. It'd compete with the likes of the Bugatti Chiron and McLaren P1 where current models like the Evora are aimed more at 'ordinary' sports cars.
Tesla tests Autopilot navigation for traffic lights and roundabouts
Tesla has teased that Navigate on Autopilot will gradually handle more and more driving responsibilities, but those aren't just fanciful long-term plans -- they're very much on the roadmap for the near future. In the midst of a public pitch for Navigate on Autopilot, Elon Musk mentioned that Tesla is currently testing "traffic lights, stop signs & roundabouts" in pre-release software. It's hard not to be a bit skeptical of Musk's claim that you'll soon travel to work with "no driver input at all," but this is promising if the very thought of entering a busy roundabout makes you nervous.
Electrify America installs California's first 350kW EV chargers
Californians now have access to some of the fastest electric vehicle chargers on the planet... even if people can't really use those chargers yet. VW's Electrify America has installed California's first publicly available 350kW EV chargers at Simon's San Francisco Premium Outlets in Livermore Valley, 40 miles from San Francisco proper. The shopping location now has two of the extra-fast stations in addition to eight new chargers that muster 'only' 150kW. If you plug in a compatible car, the 350kW units should deliver 200 miles of range in about 10 minutes -- enough to be sure you get home.
UK supermarket Tesco teams with VW to install 2,500 EV chargers
The UK's EV charging infrastructure is getting a huge boost courtesy of a new partnership between the country's biggest supermarket chain, Tesco, and Volkswagen. They're joining forces to install 2,500 charging bays at 600 Tesco stores by 2020. Customers will be able to charge their electric cars using a standard 7kW fast charger for free, or pay to use the 50kW charger. The charging bays will be installed by the UK's largest independent public charging network operator, Pod Point.
Volkswagen plans a North America factory to build EVs
Volkswagen is planning a new factory in North America to build electric vehicles for the market, and the automaker is exploring potential sites. Scott Keogh, the new Volkswagen Group of America CEO, said at the LA Auto Show that VW's existing plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee could fit the bill, as there's enough space, but the company won't necessarily pick that location.
BMW considers electric-only mode for hybrids in zero-emissions areas
BMW has a problem: with cities planning to either create zero-emissions zones or even ban gas-powered cars entirely, how does it keep its vehicles on the road? By turning them into ad hoc electric cars, apparently. In a conversation at the LA Auto Show, board member Klaus Froehlich told Reuters that BMW could make its hybrid cars run in an electric-only mode in polluted city centers where EVs might become the only option. The machines would use their connected technology and navigation to "automatically" disable conventional engines in these areas, Froehlich said.
Audi teases its E-Tron GT sedan
Audi has teased the E-Tron GT sedan, and confirmed that it will reveal the entire car tomorrow, November 28th, at the LA Auto Show, according to Bild. The E-Tron GT will be Audi's flagship EV and, as reported earlier this year, based on Porsche's Taycan (formerly Mission E) platform.
New York spurs EV sales with fast chargers and lower power rates
Federal electric car tax credits might disappear (if just due to strong sales), but that isn't preventing individual states from stepping up. New York has unveiled a string of programs that it hopes will incentivize EV purchases in the state. In addition to an existing Drive Clean Rebate knocking as much as $2,000 off EV purchases, the state is deploying as many as 200 150kW fast chargers in "more than two dozen" locations around major traffic corridors, JFK International Airport and five large cities outside of NYC (Albany, Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse and Yonkers). In theory, you can buy an EV knowing you'll always have enough battery life for an upstate jaunt.
British Columbia aims to end fossil fuel car sales by 2040
The efforts to phase out fossil fuel cars are spreading in North America. British Columbia Premier John Horgan said his government would introduce a bill in 2019 that would require sales of emissions-free "light-duty" cars and trucks in the Canadian province by 2040. The percentages would ramp up, starting with a 10 percent requirement by 2025 and climbing to 30 percent by 2030.
Will Tesla open up its Supercharger network in Europe?
Yesterday, Tesla announced that its mass-market Model 3 will use a Combined Charging System (CCS) port for slow and rapid charging in Europe. That's different from the modified Type 2 plug that has shipped on Model 3 cars in America and both the Model S and Model X worldwide. In addition, Tesla revealed that it will be retrofitting Superchargers in Europe with "dual charge" cables that support both the Model 3 and older vehicles. This is a pretty big deal.
Tesla, GM and Nissan will fight to maintain EV tax credits together
Tesla, GM and Nissan have teamed up on a new lobbying initiative to extend the $7,500 per vehicle tax credit for EVs. The "EV Drive Coalition" -- which also counts industry giant ABB and non-profit Plug In America as its members -- launched on Tuesday to spur lawmakers into passing reformative legislation that "works better for more consumers for a longer time frame."
BBC will broadcast every Formula E race this season
The BBC may have lost Formula 1 coverage years ago due to budget limits, but it's making up for that in style. The broadcaster has reached a deal to air every race of Formula E's 2018-2019 season in the UK, starting with the December 15th race in Saudi Arabia. In other words, it'll be very easy to follow the electric racing league if you live in the country. This is also important for exposure -- availability on a free-to-air TV network could introduce Formula E to people who otherwise wouldn't know it exists.
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.
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.
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.
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.