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Tesla's Model 3 leads it to another profitable quarter
Sometimes it's best to come out and say things won't be as good as they were last quarter. That's what Tesla CEO Elon Musk did on January 18th and today's fourth-quarter results are pretty much on par with that post from two weeks ago.
VW may open its electric car platform to competitors
Volkswagen's bid to widen the reach of its electric car platform might extend well beyond Ford trucks and vans. Company strategy head Michael Jost told Der Tagesspiegel in an interview that the company wanted to make its MEB platform a standard outside of VW Group cars. It was already in "advanced discussions" with some competitors, he added. While he didn't name those brands, Ford is already exploring further team-ups.
Electrify America's high-powered EV charging stations are back online
Electrify America has restored its full network of electric vehicle charging stations after a partial outage. It took most of its high-powered (150 kW and 350 kW) chargers offline Friday after supplier Huber+Suhner identified a "safety issue" linked to liquid-cooled charging cables.
Porsche Taycan owners will get three years of free charging
Porsche announced today that owners of its upcoming electric vehicle, the Taycan, will get three years of free charging at Electrify America charging stations across the United States. The promotion will provide an unlimited number of 30-minute long charges. Electrify America operates more than 300 highway charging stations in 42 states and 184 stations in 17 metro areas across the country.
Aston Martin's first electric sedan quietly rolls into view
Earlier this week, Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer tweeted out a very important moment for his company: the first time its Rapide E prototype drove off under its own power. It's the company's first electric car, designed under a mandate to "retain and enhance the feel, character and delivery of the V12-engined Rapide S." It will do that with a groundbreaking 800V battery system compatible with DC fast chargers, as well as twin electric motors driving all four wheels with the equivalent of 602HP to a projected top speed of 155 MPH. You can watch it slowly roll across the parking lot in a video below, giving a look at the car beyond design drawings, concept models and sneak peeks. You might miss the roar of a petrol-powered V12, but even then, at least there's a parking lot full of Aston Martins in view as well. Palmer also referred to "another piece of Aston Martin history" that was made on the 21st, but so far has not revealed what that is. The Rapide E is supposed to go on sale in the fourth quarter of this year, so we should see more of it in motion soon.
Electrify America shuts down most of its high-powered EV chargers
Volkswagen-backed Electrify America has been busy building up an infrastructure of 150kW and 350kW-capable electric vehicle charging sites, even before there are any production cars on the road to use them. However, now it has had to take most of them offline at the advice of Huber+Suhner, the supplier of its charging cables. According to Electrify America CEO Giovanni Palazzo "Out of an abundance of caution, Electrify America is shutting down all of our stations that use the HUBER+SUHNER high-powered cables until we can confirm that they can be operated safely. We are confident that HUBER+SUHNER will investigate and resolve this issue as quickly as possible."
Volkswagen will produce its own car batteries and mobile EV chargers
Volkswagen's been trying to claw back its credibility with an ambitious commitment to EVs ever since its $18.2 billion dollar emissions scandal. Its lofty production goals aside, the German manufacturer's latest green move could see it kickstart Europe's car battery industry. In back-to-back announcements, VW said today that it will start building car batteries -- as well as recycling old cells -- and mobile EV charging stations (which are heading to the streets of its hometown of Wolfsburg in the first half of this year). VW is promising to pump $870 million (£754 million) into the venture by 2020.
Honda will show off a new EV prototype in March
When Honda first revealed the Urban EV in September 2017, the car's cute retro design generated a ton of interest. It wasn't the final design, though it seems we won't have to wait too long to find out exactly what the vehicle will look like when it goes on sale. The Japanese manufacturer has released a sketch of the new prototype model it says will be shown off at the Geneva Motor Show in March.
Porsche claims its EV factory will be as green as the cars it builds
Porsche wants production for the Taycan to be as ecologically responsible as the electric car itself. The automaker has revealed that the Taycan factory under construction at Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen will use nitrogen oxide-absorbing facades on some parts of the building, reducing the plant's pollution. The surfaces are relatively simple constructions made from aluminum coated in titanium dioxide, but the results so far appear to be strong. In a test on a 126 square meter (roughly 1,356 square feet) area, it absorbed nitrogen oxide as well as ten trees.
Tesla makes a small cut to its controversial Supercharger price hike
Tesla is reducing its Supercharger price hike by 10 percent amid a torrent of negative feedback. Last week, the EV-maker raised the per kWh rates for its fast charging stations by about 33 percent in numerous markets. As Electrek pointed out, prices hit 32 cents per kWh in areas in downtown NYC and 36 cents per kWh in some California locations.
Toyota and Panasonic may team up to make EV batteries
Toyota and Panasonic have explored electric car batteries before, but they're now poised to get particularly cozy. Nikkei sources claim the two will set up a joint venture for manufacturing EV batteries sometime in 2020. Reportedly, they intend to reduce the costs of the power packs through sheer economies of scale, and would supply both Toyota's Daihatsu brand as well as outside companies like Mazda and Subaru. They're also hoping to court Honda as it dives into EVs, according to the sources.
Ducati confirms plans for an electric motorcycle
Ducati has hinted at a desire to make electric motorcycles before, but it's committing in a more substantial way. Company chief Claudio Domenicali told guests at a Spanish event that the "future is electric" and the company was "not far from starting production" on its own two-wheeled EV. Regional Managing Director Eduoard Lotthé had hinted at plans in 2017, but this is about as official as it gets.
Tesla hikes Supercharger prices worldwide to reflect changing costs
Tesla's efforts to improve its bottom line go beyond layoffs and disappearing perks. Electrek has learned that Tesla is raising Supercharger rates around the world, with per kWh rates climbing about 33 percent in numerous markets. While it's still less expensive than gas (even the 36 cents per kWh in some California locations is modest), it's not quite the savings it represented in the past. According to Tesla, this is really a matter of adapting to financial realities.
Tesla’s Navigate on Autopilot was my CES road trip companion
I love a good road trip. I've spent hundreds of thousands of miles in cars during my life, and the best times were when I knew it would be hours or even days before I reached my destination. Typically a friend (or friends) or family members would accompany me, but on a few occasions, it was just me, my music collection -- and scenery screaming past me at 70 miles per hour.
VW and Ford may work together on EVs and autonomous vehicles
In the latest instance of major automakers teaming up, Volkswagen and Ford will work together on commercial vans and pickups, and they could start selling such vehicles by 2022. The companies are also exploring potential collaboration on electric vehicles, self-driving cars and transportation services.
VW will build its US electric cars in Tennessee
Volkswagen just made a major commitment to electric car production in the US. The company has revealed that it will open its first dedicated EV factory for North America at its existing facility in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Production won't start until 2022, but VW claimed the new plant will create 1,000 jobs. The first vehicle out of the gate will be the ID Crozz SUV, which will go on sale in the country in 2020 -- in other words, those initial models will likely come from outside the country.
Nissan's IMs concept sedan EV includes a 'Premier' rear seat
While Nissan already sells a relatively popular electric vehicle, the Leaf, it's still imagining concepts that wrap more appealing shells around a zero-emission drivetrain. Enter its latest "Intelligent Mobility" concept car: the IMs. Following the IDs and IMx models we've seen at events in years past, this one tries to create a whole new kind of car with the "elevated sports sedan." In a world where SUVs and crossovers are eating into car sales, maybe that makes sense, but this almost-a-crossover not only rides high on 22-inch aluminum alloy wheels and an air suspension that adjusts to the terrain, but it can go with dual electric motors capable of 483 HP and 590 lb-ft of torque.
Cadillac drops teaser pics of its first electric vehicle
Shortly after GM revealed Cadillac will take the lead in its electrification push, the brand has given us a peek at its first-ever electric car. Following a couple of hybrid attempts, the new vehicle doesn't come with a name or any details, but from the looks we'd expect a Model X-fighting luxury crossover. The most important part may be what's under the skin, as this shows off the "BEV3" platform that GM plans to use for a number of electric cars going forward. Cadillac president Steve Carlisle said: "The architectural design will allow the battery packs to fit into the vehicle like ice cubes in an ice cube tray, you can put in as much water as you want to make as many cubes as you need -- the tray still takes up the same space in the freezer." The point of the design is flexibility, so that any kind of vehicle can have a unique design without reducing range. The drive units are similarly targeted for flexibility, with front-, rear- and all-wheel-drive configurations supported.
GM will make Cadillac its 'lead' electric vehicle brand
While Chevrolet launched the Volt plug-in hybrid and pure-electric Bolt, Cadillac has taken a backseat in GM's electric vehicle push. Now as it attempts to find profits in that segment, the company's electrification plans will put luxury first. In an update for investors released on Friday (PDF), the company said: Cadillac will be GM's lead electric vehicle brand and will introduce the first model from the company's all-new battery electric vehicle architecture, GM's foundation for an advanced family of profitable EVs. The flexible platform will provide a broad array of body styles and will be offered in front-wheel, rear-wheel and all-wheel configurations. Its most critical components — including the battery cells — are being designed for maximum usability across all programs. The battery system will also be adjustable, based on vehicle and customer requirements. For a few years Cadillac sold an ELR hybrid coupe that was criticized for being overpriced at $75,0000 -- $35,000 more than the Volt that shared its powertrain. Its follow-up CT6 Plug-In Hybrid hasn't fared much better. The "flexible platform" referred to is called BEV3, a replacement for BEV2 (Battery Electric Vehicle 2), which the Bolt is based on. It appears that the next phase of its plans will roll out with a more carefully-considered plan and an eye toward growing sales in China. Other areas it's focusing on include commercializing autonomous vehicles (see its efforts with Cruise) and pushing trucks in North America.
Tesla will stop selling Model S and X cars with 75kWh batteries
Tesla isn't done streamlining its electric car lineup. Elon Musk has announced that his company will stop taking orders for the 75kWh versions of the Model S and Model X after January 13th. He didn't directly explain the move, but said "yes" when a Twitter user asked if Tesla was moving away from its longstanding use of battery capacity numbers to denote variants.