Tesla Model X Hitting Showrooms This Month, Our Autonomous Future… (EV & Clean Transport News & Views)
I’ve apparently been collected extra stories to share for a few weeks. Scroll on down if you want some more EV and clean transport reading. To kick things off, here’s one looking forward to the new year:
11–13 Electric Cars To Light Up The Market In 2016
Between the electric car models that are just arriving on the US market and the ones that will likely hit the market by the end of 2016, we have an exciting year ahead. Below are 11 electric cars that I think will light up 2016 (or 13 if you count cars in a particular way).
Tesla Motors
Model X Hitting Showrooms In January?
The Tesla Model X SUV will begin hitting the company’s showrooms throughout the US towards the beginning of January, according to some recent reports.
Mark Templeton Shares His Thoughts On The Model X (After Owning It For A Few Months)
The CEO of Citrix Systems, Mark Templeton, was one of the lucky ones to have taken delivery of his Tesla Model X SUV at the Model X launch event at the end of September — more than 2 months ago, as of the time of writing this.
Tesla Firmware Update Bringing Spotify To European, Australian, & Hong Kong Owners
Tesla Model S (and Model X, I suppose) owners throughout Europe, Australia, and Hong Kong, will be given access to Spotify Premium following a new firmware update, according to recent reports.
Tesla HQ Running Out of Room for Employee Parking
Success brings its own set of new problems to be solved. There are so many people working at Tesla headquarters these days that the company has set up a valet parking service, according to Business Insider. Tesla currently has 14,000 total employees with 1,600 open positions to fill, and over the next 4 years, Tesla plans to add another 4,500 new employees just in California alone.
As indicated, it’s a wiki for FAQ regarding the Tesla Model X.
This excellent resource deserves it’s own thread. Although it obviously suffers from the same selection bias as any other nonrandom voluntary data set, the numbers are substantial enough to provide real information. Anyone who has reserved a MX is encouraged to register, then update their information through the order and delivery process.
Although the Tesla Model X all-electric SUV was first unveiled in prototype form way back in February 2012, and limited customer deliveries began in September of this year, the car is still shrouded in mystery. With somewhere between 20,000 and 30,000 pre-orders for the vehicle, the Model X is arguably the most highly anticipated SUV of the decade. And yet you still can’t go to the Tesla web site to find out pricing details or a comprehensive description of the various options and configurations that are available.
Model X Emergency Response Guide
I’m new to the forum (but long time lurker). Doing a random search on Google I find this document that I think was never mentioned: https://www.teslamotors.com/sites/de…onse_Guide.pdf
It contains lot’s of new informations (to me at least 🙂 )
In Light of Model X Options, Did the Shareholder “Vegan Uprising” Succeed?
While browsing YouTube for elusive new Model X videos, I got this “recommended” video, hilariously titled: “Elon Musk faces the Vegan Uprising at Tesla shareholder meeting (6.9.15).”
Is There Really a Difference? 2015 vs 2013
Took delivery of my 2015 P90D last week. Love the car, but also loved my 2013. Aside from the performance, is there really a difference worth the upgrade? It’s a decision I struggled with for 8 months before finally pulling the trigger. The auto pilot software was what finally put me over the edge. Beyond that and Next Gen seats, can’t say there’s really much of a difference. I got the same joy out of my 2013 as I do the 2015. The 2015 allows me to show off its muscle to friends. Is that worth another $33,000?? That’s for each individual to decide. The next gen seats are certainly nicer, but not quite as big of a difference as I expected. The Auto Pilot feature so far has done more of scaring the crap out of me than it has been a useful tool. Jury is still out on that one. Assuming it will get better with time. Overall, absolutely love my new car, but at the same time, I loved my 2013 too.
2013 85 vs. New 70D Observations
We’ve had our S85 for about 2.5 years and have loved every minute of it. My wife is not a car person at all, but with the Tesla it’s a different story. We live in New England and the while the rear wheel drive isn’t bad in the snow, we shy away from taking it to the mountains and on occasion we find ourselves having to dig a path through the snow to get up our driveway. So, this weekend we decided to take a look at the 70D and take it for a spin. I had not driven any AWD version yet, nor had I experienced AP. AWD is a different experience… less of a push feel and more of a launch feel… if that makes sense. And, the AP and additional safety features were very cool and helped with selling the idea of trading to the wife.
I’ve owned Porsches, plenty of BMWs and my new Tesla replaced my Merc SLK… I cannot get rid of the Tesla grin… I am incapable of putting words to describe my feeling, just incredible.
Tesla Officially Linked to “Better, Stronger, Faster.”
SpaceX’s immaculate reception last night gives Tesla Motors (and Tesla Energy) a brand boost that Big Auto would love to have, but never will. They’ve tried for decades to associate their cars with rockets and aircraft, especially during the space-happy 1950s and 60s. Space-age design, space-age materials, jet-inspired fins, turbine taillights, cockpit ergonomics. Well, now we have a car company that actually does share engineering DNA with flying things, since the CEO is a real-life rocketeer who is taking us where no man has gone before.
Is Tesla Underestimating Model 3 Demand?
The 500k number comes from Tesla’s ability to produce cars given the restraints of the NUMMI factory and Gigafactory 1 at fully operational. But what if after the March reveal, preorders exceed expectations? What if preorders hit 500k in a few months? Or even higher? Once the Model 3 goes into production, it would take years to clear the backlog. Would Tesla really stand idly by?
30 Reasons Why Tesla Model S is Such a Great Car
My friend asked me yesterday “Why have your ordered Tesla?”. Well, I didn’t have much time, so I said “Because it’s best car in the world.” And since he knew nothing on how true my statement was, I did this short list of major reasons why it is so and emailed it to him. Let me know if you think I’ve missed some that should be in top 30.
Tesla Model S Burns While Charging
On New Year’s Day, a Tesla Model S in Norway caught fire while charging and was totally destroyed. There is no known cause for the incident but Tesla is investigating and promises a full report soon.
I Upgraded to Ludicrous and got Launch Mode!!! Is it worth it? Here is my review.
This last thursday I picked up my newly retrofitted P85DL which also came with the new software upgrade offering “Launch Mode.” First off to help put some context to my opinion towards the “is it worth it” debate, I was looking at this decision from a mostly impractical view. A.) the performance it gets you is way cheaper than what you’d have to pay to make any ice to improve it that much, B.) it gets my P85D back up to the king of the hill status and C.) I have always wanted a sub 3 second 0-60 car and a sub 11 second quarter mile car and I am done with ICE so here we are.
Cruising down the Florida Turnpike on cruise control is probably what the “beta” version of our software was programed for? I drove 3+ hours and the software made almost no mistakes with the exception of wanting to “exit out” a few times driving in the right lane. The car steered to follow the right lane indicator and wanted to exit out to the right. I have now learned to “guide the car” through exit areas and the autopilot is getting more adaptive. Nevertheless, the car basically drove itself for 220 miles, and in my book, this is very impressive.
Why I Think Tesla is Unlikely to Fail
Speculation and predictions of Tesla’s demise are rampant. Some people here as well as a number of “experts” in the auto media believe that the mainstream car makers are on the verge of killing Tesla with their own BEV. Tesla may still fail, their success is not guaranteed, but I don’t believe any failure will be for the reasons the experts believe.
What Will The TSLA Share Price Be At Closing December 30th 2016?
I think we have a very exciting year ahead of us, due to many reasons:
– Model X ramp-up
– Tesla becomes cash flow positive
– Model 3 reveal
– Tesla Energy ramp-up
– Gigafactory cell production
– Oil price recovery?
And I think TSLA will do very well this year as a result. I would be surprised if we don’t see the share price go over 300 this year, so I’m betting on 318.27 USD per share at closing on Friday the 30th of December. 
Other Electric Cars/Carmakers
111.9 Miles EV Range Recorded In 2016 Chevy Volt
Happy New Year everyone! A 2016 Chevrolet Volt driven by Wayne Gerdes in Southern California returned 111.9 miles on a single charge and he said under ideal circumstances 125 miles is possible.
Saab Reborn As EV Manufacturer (Again)
Saab, the former Swedish car maker, is now NEVS and has been awarded a $12 billion contract to build 225.000 electric cars. It plans to launch 5 new models.
City Of Leipzig, Germany Takes Delivery Of 50 BMW i3s
The city of Leipzig in Germany recently took delivery of a new 50-strong fleet of BMW i3s, to be used by city council and municipal waterworks employees, amongst others, according to a recent press release.
BMW EV Infrastructure Discussions from the LA Auto Show: Part 2
On a recent trip to Vermont I stopped at Prestige BMW in New Jersey on both legs of the journey. They recently installed two 24 kW DC Fast Charge stations that are accessible 24/7 and free to use. A robust DC Fast charge infrastructure is crucial for mass EV adoption.
2015 Mercedes-Benz S550e Plug-In Hybrid: Quick Drive
The Mercedes-Benz S550e Plug-In Hybrid is packed with some of the best safety technology and creature comforts you can get in any new car today, regardless of price. It also moves smartly, with an advanced plug-in hybrid system that lets you plug in overnight—or even for a few hours—and then drive for a dozen or so miles before transitioning into an especially smooth gasoline-electric hybrid.
Mercedes: Hybrid Models Reduce Lifecycle Energy Use 42%
Mercedes says its GLE 500 e plug-in hybrid SUV is 42% more energy efficient than its conventional cousin over its lifetime, even though it requires more energy to build.
XALT Energy to Supply Li-ion Packs to Efficient Drivetrains for PHEVs
XALT Energy and Efficient Drivetrains (EDI) announced a tentative agreement through which XALT will supply EDI with its NMC graphite Lithium-ion battery energy storage packs for use in EDI’s PHEV PowerDrive and electric power export solutions.
Will Chevrolet Ever Build an Electric Corvette?
Chevrolet has trademarked the names Corvette E-Ray and E-Ray. Does that mean an electric Corvette is planned? Maybe, if only to compete with Porsche.
Other EV Stuff
China Researchers Discover That Li-ion Battery Cycling Can Control Magnetization
Researchers at Tsinghua University, with colleagues from the University of Science and Technology Beijing, have discovered that the multi-reversible magnetization of ferromagnetic material can be controlled via the lithiation/delithiation reaction in a Li-ion battery by varying the discharge–charge potential at room temperature. This phenomenon couples magnetism and electrochemistry, and enables precise quantitative magnetization manipulation using an electrochemical method. An open-access paper on their discovery is published in the ACS journal Nano Letters.
In a new report, Electric Vehicle Market Forecasts, Navigant research projects that under its base scenario, global sales of light duty electrified vehicles (i.e., vehicles that use electricity for traction, including hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and battery-electrics) will grow from 2.6 million vehicle sales in 2015 to more than 6.0 million in 2024.
As discussed in this article by Ambrose Evans-Pritchard in the Telegraph, the “OPEC Oil Outlook” recently published assumes that neither global warming regulation nor electric vehicles will influence oil demand much until 2040.
Popularity of Electric Vehicles Threatens Viability of Bay Area’s Express Lanes
The California DMV announced that the maximum of 85,000 Green Clean Air Vehicle Decals had been issued to plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, denying new Volt and plug-in Prius owners the coveted sticker allowing them free access to HOV and HOT lanes.
Bill Nye The Science Guy Makes A Huge Plug For Electric Cars
I don’t know which channel my daughter in law was streaming onto their projector, but just before they dropped the ball in Times Square, Bill Nye the Science Guy told the world that he hopes in 2031 that we can reach 80% electric cars on the road. He said once you drive an electric vehicle you will never go back… How true, how true.
Mexico City Added To Formula E Calendar
The fifth race of the second Formula E season will be held March 12 in Mexico City at the historic Autodromo Hermano Rodriguez before moving to Long Beach.
The German Federal Government plan to have one million electric cars on its roads by 2020 has failed, according to the analysis of international management consulting firm Bain & Company. By the end of 2015, there will be a total of about 50,000 electric cars and plug-in hybrids on the roads in Germany (about 75% below plan); nevertheless, structural transformation towards electromobility is continuing, according to the firm.
Environmental Groups Push Back Against Musk Volkswagen Plan
Environmental groups have sent a letter to CARB urging the Volkswagen be punished to the full extent of the law for selling diesel powered cars it knew did not conform to state emissions regulations.
Norway’s EV Purchasing Spree Is Climate Friendly, Researchers Say (Duh.)
If every other passenger car in Norway is plugged into the electric network by 2020, Europe will have to produce more electricity – mainly from coal-fired power plants – to meet the demand. But it will be a plus for the climate nonetheless.
Our Autonomous Driving Future, Transportation Planning For EVs (EV Obsession Videos)
Aside from my own presentation, which I’ll share soon, there are a couple more EV Transportation & Technology Summit presentations that I recorded and wanted to share. I don’t have much to say about them, so I’ll just drop the videos below.
Other EV Stuff
4 Keys To Stopping Global Warming
COP21 was arguably one of the most epic meetings in the history of humanity. In a spirit of mutual cooperation, the international community agreed to finally begin to turn away from a fossil fuel-powered economy toward a clean, sustainable future. While it may be important to make general commitments to cut CO2 and methane emissions, and to keep under a certain temperature increase, what it comes down to in the end is making practical changes in how we live our lives and run our societies.
A study of EV charging behavior by a team at Trinity College Dublin has found that, from the household data available, EV users prefer to carry out the majority of their charging at home in the evening—the period of highest demand on the electrical grid indicating that incentivization may be required to shift charging away from this peak grid demand period.
EV-Box — EV Charging Solutions Company Entering Belgium & Luxembourg
The Dutch electric vehicle charging solutions company EV-Box will now be entering the markets of the nearby countries of Belgium and Luxembourg, according to a recent email sent to EV Obsession.
EV Charging Facility In Norway Powered By Solar Panels
A new solar powered EV charging station in the city of Vestby, Norway will produce 16,000 kWh of electricity annually, enough to go 47,000 miles in a Tesla.
Autonomous Driving
Our Autonomous Driving Future, Transportation Planning For EVs (EV Obsession Videos)
Aside from my own presentation, which I’ll share soon, there are a couple more EV Transportation & Technology Summit presentations that I recorded and wanted to share. I don’t have much to say about them, so I’ll just drop the videos below.
Can Autopilot Survive Sue-Happy USA?
Tesla faces headwinds from rivals. You’ve read it ad nauseum. But it you’re American, then Tesla could face headwinds from you. American motorists fall into two categories: current plaintiffs and future plaintiffs. We like to sue. In fact, we sue better than we drive. And we’re about to give ourselves more excuses to sue. Autonomous driving could start a litigation beat-down for any company that dares pioneer it.
How Will Autonomous Technology Change The Cars We Drive?
Autonomous technology will be the hot topic in the world of automobiles in 2016, as all carmakers rush to bring self-driving cars to market.
Other
2015’s Most Underreported Story: What Exxon Knew
Oil giant Exxon was studying climate change impacts in the 1970s and 80s, and their projections from 35 years ago accurately portray what is happening now. Knowing what they knew, they chose to continue business as usual. Now this astounding article in the LA Times.
Car-Free Movement Gaining Steam in Europe and Elsewhere
Athlyn Cathcart-Keays of The Guardian-Cities chronicles the advancement of the international urban car-free movement as well as auto regulations that focus on air pollution. The most recent city to join the growing list is Oslo, Norway.
TIGER Program Receives $500 Million in Funding from Congress
On December 18, Congress passed a bill to fund the government for fiscal year 2016. This particular bill includes $500 million in funding for the tremendously popular TIGER discretionary grant program, the same funding level as fiscal year 2015. The TIGER program helps communities build a broad range of innovative transportation projects, including improvements for people on bikes.
Now Arriving on All Chicago Subway Lines: Wireless Internet
Chicago, with funding from the four major wireless carriers, has achieved a major amenity for transit users: 4G internet service along 22 miles of subway tracks in the CTA system.
‘Transit-Oriented Communities’: A New Agenda For L.A. Metro
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) is implementing a new vision for “transit-oriented communities.”
Chinese Green Group Sues VW Over Diesel-Emission Cheating Software
As a result of the “defeat device” software it installed in diesel cars, Volkswagen faces multiple criminal investigations in Europe. And it will likely face criminal penalties in the U.S., along with hundreds of civil suits from angered owners. Now, it seems the company may also be in legal trouble in China over potential diesel-emissions cheating.
COP21: Shows the End of Fossil Fuels is Near, We Must Speed Its Coming
The wheel of climate action turns slowly, but in Paris it has turned. There’s much in this deal that frustrates and disappoints me, but it still puts the fossil fuel industry squarely on the wrong side of history.
Have a tip for CleanTechnica? Want to advertise? Want to suggest a guest for our CleanTech Talk podcast? Contact us here.
Latest CleanTechnica.TV Video
CleanTechnica uses affiliate links. See our policy here.
