New Answers To Common Electric Car Questions
Now that I’ve been driving an electric car (a Tesla Model S) around on a regular basis for a few weeks, I’m getting bored with the most common questions. Over and over again…
CleanTechnica Exclusive
Chevy Bolt Production — An Insider’s Viewpoint
Reports that Chevrolet is cutting production of the Bolt to reduce inventories may be overstated. We have heard from a worker at the factory who has a different perspective. Read on to learn more.
24 Hours With The New, Longer Range 2017 BMW i3 (CleanTechnica Exclusive)
This review summarizes my early learnings in my first day with the new longer range BMW i3. A comprehensive review will follow, but I have found that some of the most important and impactful learnings about a vehicle arise very early on in vehicle use, as that is generally the time in which prospective buyers will make their decisions.
My comments include the background of time I’ve spent with the vast majority of electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles available in the United States (including owning at various times the Nissan LEAF, Tesla Model S, and Mercedes B250e).
Is The BMW i3 A Good Buy With Tesla Model 3 On The Way? (#Electrifying…
The BMW i3 is one of those electric cars that doesn’t get enough love (in my personal opinion). It’s a stunning vehicle, “the most advanced vehicle on the planet,” according to respected engineering outfit Munro & Associates. It offers a totally awesome driving experience, premium interior that’s on another level, the best visibility in town, an insane turning radius, a superb parking package, adaptive cruise control, super strong regen braking (strongest in the industry last I heard), high-quality batteries, and the choice of a range extender.
Harman Kardon’s Bold Vision For The Future Of Autonomous Electric Vehicles (CleanTechnica Exclusive)
Harman flew me out to New York City to hang out for the weekend so they could give me a behind the scenes look at what they have been working on, all while we enjoyed the historic Formula E in Brooklyn. I spent the weekend with Harman’s top brass and grilled them about the company’s plans for the future. We dug into how Harman Kardon is positioning its brands and its strategic relationships with 34 automotive companies to succeed as the automotive industry undergoes the largest transition in its more than 100-year history.
Always Have 2–3 Options (For EV Charging)
Driving an electric car for a bit, I’ve learned what many an EV driver knows well: You should always have 3 — or at least 2 — charging options in mind. Also: Choose wisely. And get lucky.
Is General Motors Recreating The Saturn Disaster With The Chevy Bolt? (CleanTechnica Original)
Yesterday, we published a story about how Chevrolet will shut down the Orion Township assembly plant where it builds the Chevy Sonic and Chevy Bolt for a few extra weeks this summer. Most legacy manufacturers take a two week break from production each year to do plant maintenance and reconfigure the assembly line for next year’s models, but the Orion summer recess will be longer than normal to reduce excess inventories. The story got a lot of comments.
Formula E Has Built Itself Up As A Platform For Disruptive Innovators
Formula E CEO Alejandro Agag and team have defied the odds by starting up a completely new electric racing series from the ground up that is doing much more than just entertaining fans — it has crafted an entire ecosystem geared at catalyzing the shift from petroleum-powered transportation to electric-powered propulsion.
BYD Turns On Warp Speed (China Electric Car Sales Report)
The Chinese market had more than 43,000 new EVs zooming the streets last month. With the market growing below expectations, at 16% YoY, this performance from China feels like when LeBron James scores 28 points in an NBA Finals game — it would be a great score for anyone else, but people expect more from the star of the team.
Tesla Smart Navigation Is Brilliant (+ 3 Tips)
I recently used Tesla’s smart navigation system to drive from Wrocław (Poland) to Berlin (Germany) and back, and then I used it again a few days later on a long trip to the Polish boonies. Tesla doesn’t call it “smart navigation” — just sticking to the boring basic term “navigation” instead — but this beast is brilliant and performed much better than I expected. However, I learned something from these drives that I think anyone using this navigation option should know ahead of time. I’ll get to that in a minute.
