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VW hopes to sell 10 million electric cars based on its new platform
Volkswagen has grand expectations for the platform underpinning its first purpose-built electric cars. The VW Auto Group plans to sell 10 million EVs based on its modular electric drive matrix (MEB) across all its brands during the "first wave." It hopes to have sold 150,000 electric cars in total by 2020, 100,000 of which will be 100,000 I.D. models produced in Germany.
Porsche unveils fast, low-cost 'pit stop' EV charging stations
Fast charging stations promise to end the long wait to top up electric cars, but the technology is expensive, bulky and a little intimidating. Thankfully, Porsche might have solved all three problems in one go. It just unveiled an "electric pit stop" whose design promises to make the company's 800V charging more accessible. Rather than load everything a charging station needs into a single cabinet, Porsche splits things into modular "FlexBoxes" that can offload some of the work and stay far from the customer -- you might only see the charging pole itself.
Tesla will perform most collision repairs 'in-house'
As mainstream as Tesla has become, its repair process is still far more drawn out than what you'd expect from a conventional. It's not unheard-of for owners to wait weeks or even months for a working vehicle after a crash. That's about to change, according to Elon Musk. Tesla now plans to conduct most collision-related repairs "in-house" instead of farming them out to third parties, which often have to order parts and often aren't very familiar with Tesla's lineup. There are already some repairs that finish within 24 hours, Musk added, with plans for same-day and even one-hour repairs.
Fire at Tesla's Gigafactory briefly disrupts production
Tesla just had to contend with another fire at one of its facilities. The electric car maker and county emergency staff have reported that a fire broke out in the Gigafactory in Nevada late on Saturday, leading to a halt in production as the company evacuated the building. The company thankfully faced no injuries and resumed operations early on Sunday, but it's not clear what damage was done or how much this might affect the plant's battery and motor output.
Tesla is ending its lifetime free Supercharging offer
Tesla's offer of free, unlimited Supercharger access was supposed to have ended in early 2017, but it's been on a form of life support since then. Unless you were buying a regular Model 3, you could get the no-cost charging by ordering your EV with a referral code from an existing owner. Now, however, even that exception appears to be coming to an end. Elon Musk has pointed out that the referral program is about to end. After September 16th, owners will only get to hand out $100 in Supercharging credit to Model S, Model X and Model 3 Performance buyers -- just enough for a few top-ups.
IKEA promises zero-emissions delivery in five cities by 2020
IKEA doesn't just want to take the pain out of assembling furniture... it wants to eliminate the environmental impact of receiving that furniture. The company recently pledged to offer emissions-free home delivery in five major inner cities (Amsterdam, Los Angeles, New York City, Paris and Shanghai) by 2020. Order an EKTORP sofa and an electric vehicle or a similarly Earth-friendly machine will roll up to your door. IKEA had already hoped to transition to zero-emissions delivery, but it's picking up the pace to set a "strong example" for urban transport.
Aston Martin offers peek at all-electric Rapide E sedan
Aston Martin is nearly ready to unveil its first purely electric road car after years of work. The company has provided an early look at the Rapide E, an EV edition of its high-performance luxury sedan. It's not providing complete visuals (just the powertrain and a peek at one of the wheel areas), but it is promising a machine that's both speedy and practical. Its dual motors will deliver the equivalent of 602HP and 701ft/lb of torque, translating to a 155MPH top speed, a sub-4.0-second 0-60MPH time and a 50-70MPH time of 1.5 seconds -- quick given that the Rapide isn't exactly a diminutive car. Its 65kWh battery should deliver a range over 200 miles (on the WLTP testing standard), and its support for 100kW "or higher" charging should top you up in less than an hour.
Tesla drops color options to speed up production
We hope you weren't dead set on getting a Tesla vehicle in Silver Metallic or Obsidian Black. Elon Musk has revealed that the company is taking both colors "off the menu" for all its cars in a bid to streamline manufacturing. They'll stick around for people who want the hues on "special request," but it'll cost you more than the $1,500 it does today.
Thieves could have cloned Tesla's Model S key fob
Tesla may be more security-conscious than many car manufacturers, but it's still vulnerable to the occasional glaring exploit. KU Leuven researchers have detailed a technique that let them bypass the encryption on Tesla's key fob for the Model S, making it trivial to clone the key, get inside and start the vehicle. They discovered that the fobs used an easy-to-crack 40-bit cipher to safeguard the codes. Once they got two codes from a specific fob, they only had to try using encryption keys until they discovered the one that unlocked the EV. From there, the researchers created a data table for code pairs that would let them find the encryption key for cloning any Model S fob.
Tesla offers 'immediate' Model 3 deliveries to boost sales numbers
Tesla is determined to burnish its Model 3 sales figures, and that means getting the EV into customers' hands as quickly as possible -- including through some unconventional methods. Electrek has learned that Tesla is emailing reservation holders promising "immediate delivery" of certain rear wheel drive Model 3s on a "first-come, first served basis." It's starting by pitching people with day one reservations, but it's widening the net on September 10th.
Tesla's Roadster prompts Koenigsegg to rethink its supercars
Did you suspect that supercar manufacturers would be nervous when Tesla vowed that its next-gen Roadster would deliver a "hardcore smackdown" to gas-powered performance cars? Your hunch was well-founded. In a chat with Top Gear, Koenigsegg's namesake founder Christian von Koenigsegg revealed that his company started reworking its engines just to remain competitive with the Roadster's vaunted 1.9-second 0-60MPH time. "This is embarrassing," he said.
Tesla reportedly missed its latest Model 3 production goal
When Tesla made over 5,000 Model 3s per week at the end of June, it had lofty ambitions for its future -- it was going to press for 6,000 per week by the end of August. So how'd it do? Not so well, if Electrek is accurate. Its source claims that Tesla made 4,300 Model 3 units in the last week of August, and that there hasn't been a week since June where the company produced more than 5,000 of the new machines. The automaker is reportedly still on track to hit its overall EV production goal for the quarter ending in September, but it might not be shouting its Model 3 numbers from the rooftops.
Tesla package will enable Track Mode for more Model 3 buyers
Tesla's Model 3 Performance is potentially a tuner's dream EV thanks to its upcoming Track Mode, but there's a problem: to get that Track Mode, you have to spring for a Performance Upgrade package on top of the Performance trim level. You won't have to worry if you had cold feet and bought 'just' the regular version, however. Tesla has confirmed that it's working on an after-the-fact Performance Upgrade package that should arrive around the same time as Track Mode itself. It's not clear how much this will cost, but it's likely higher than the $5,000 you'd pay to have it included at the factory.
Dyson's EV ambitions include 10 miles of test tracks
Dyson is most definitely serious about its plans to release an electric vehicle. The company has outlined its proposed second growth phase for its EV development facility at Hullavington Airfield, and the plans are more than a little ambitious. Its application would create more than 10 miles of test tracks around the former base, including specialized tracks for hill and off-roading tests. You'd also see more than 480,000 square feet of new new development space with room for 2,000-plus workers.
Mercedes teases production electric SUV ahead of September 4th reveal
Mercedes is nearly done with showing off concepts and prototypes for the EQC. The automaker has teased the production version of the electric SUV in a video that promises a full reveal at its September 4th event in Stockholm. While it's only the briefest peek, the clip makes clear that this won't be quite as futuristic as the concept you saw in t2016. The one-piece front section has been replaced with a more conventional arrangement that includes a grille -- unnecessary on an electric car, but likely there to appeal to a customer base that's likely looking for conventional styling cues.
The electric Mercedes-Benz EQ Silver Arrow is retro quick
There's no shortage of electric concept cars based on vehicles of the past. But that's doesn't mean I'm any less excited about the Mercedes-Benz EQ Silver Arrow. Based on the W 125 Benz from 1937, the single-seater concept car looks like its ready for a driver with goggles and leather helmet.
Audi's PB 18 E-Tron is a supercar spaceship
Ahead of the final unveiling of the E-Tron SUV, the automaker used the car festivities at Laguna Seca raceway to unveil its electric supercar, the PB 18. With over 600 horsepower and a center-positioned driver's seat, it's ready for the track. But also, your luggage.
VW's $4 billion connected car push includes its own operating system
VW knows it has to rethink its approach to technology if it's going to adapt to a world full of electric cars, autonomy and ridesharing services, and that extends to the very software that makes those vehicles tick. The automaker has committed €3.5 billion ($4.05 billion) through 2025 for a connected car push that not only moves the company toward a new role as a "mobility services provider," but will include the development of an in-house operating system, vw.OS, that will govern entire vehicles.
Tesla cars will play video with a future update
Tesla is planning to bring games to its electric cars' giant touchscreens, so why doesn't it have video playback while the car isn't moving -- something drivers have wanted for years? Don't worry, you'll get your wish soon. Elon Musk has responded to a question about the feature with a claim that video playback will be available with "version 10" of Tesla's car software. He didn't say what services would be available or when you could expect to see the update, but version 9 (with Atari games) is due to arrive by the end of August. You could be waiting a while, to put it bluntly.
Tesla's new Roadster will appear on 'Jay Leno's Garage' August 23rd
Tesla's new Roadster has been virtually impossible to see outside of its original launch event unless you've been fortunate enough to spot a prototype in the wild. You're about to get a better peek, though. CNBC is teasing a close look at the electric supercar with the August 23rd episode of Jay Leno's Garage, with Jay Leno talking to Tesla design chief Franz von Holzhausen about the upcoming machine. There's no guarantee you'll receive any profound insights from the TV segment (and its likely YouTube follow-up), but it's a rare chance to see the Roadster in action before its 2020 launch.