We’re not sure if Audi was directly inspired by the Sion announcement from Sono Motors back in July, but the German car manufacturer have just revealed that it too will be using solar panels to help power one of its future electric vehicles.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s great to see another electric model sort of announced, but it’s also a bit tiring to see that it’s again a super unrealistic concept and the production version won’t even be unveiled for another 2 years. What’s the point? Honestly, that’s not a rhetorical question — what is the point of fluffy press releases and unrealistic images and designs so far out?
Over lunch with Christina Lampe-Onnerud, CEO fo Cadenza Innovations, I learned more about the future of battery power for electric cars and grid storage applications than I thought possible.
Aston Martin — long an example of superb styling/design + compelling performance — isn’t playing games much longer, indicating that it is now ready to heavily move into the electric space. As the title indicates, it plans to go 100% hybrid by the middle of the 2020s. Hybrid, of course, is a jumping pad to a fully electric future. The goal is to be fully electric by the end of the 2020s.
The Tesla Powerwall is an intelligent 14kWh (13.5kWh usable) residential energy storage appliance that offers homeowners the ability to store power generated by an onsite solar system or from the grid for use as an emergency home battery backup. Despite its attraction as an emergency power device, Powerwall was designed from the ground up as a way for homeowners with onsite solar systems to extend the power they generate during daylight hours into the night.
Cummins has unveiled a prototype of the Class 7 electric truck it says will go into production in 2019. It has a 145 kWh battery and a range of 100 miles with a 22 ton load in tow.
The shuttle fleet at Zion National Park has added an electric bus from Proterra for a three month trial. If it passes the test, a transition from all LPG powered buses to electric buses will begin.
Our brains work in strange ways. We know consciously that climate change is real, yet so many humans continue to go about life as if it is happening somewhere else, like our actions are somehow disconnected from the massive impact humanity is having on the planet. Whether is it recycling, using reusable shopping bags, or biking to work, creating change in our lives for the greater good is difficult.
Nissan, Renault and Dongfeng have created a new joint venture that will design and build a small electric SUV that sells for $8,000 in China
It seems BMW doesn’t get have an i5 to throw at the Tesla Model 3, but it has rolled out a slightly sportier i3 for people who just needed a little nudge to go for the compact Bimmer.
The new BMW i3S adds some power, features slightly “sportier” styling, and has more of a pitbull stance.
