Buy An Electric Car. Fight Terrorism.

Politics

Published on April 30th, 2016 | by Steve Hanley

Despite all the drivel and blather today about building walls around America and barring transmissions from public restrooms, a few people are saying things that are actually relevant to the future of the nation. If you have been paying attention over the last 20 years or so, you may be aware that Saudi Arabia has played a major role in the rise of Islamic terrorism.

Basically, the Saudi ruling class has been stuffing all those petrodollars into their own bank accounts for generations while distributing very little to the rest of the Saudi population. Any notion that the country's natural resources belong to all the people rather than a privileged few would be greeted with hoots of derision from the Saudi ruling class.

Naturally, this attitude has led to unrest. Saudi leaders years ago struck an unholy alliance with the nation's religious leaders. That led to the rise of a virulent version of Islam known as Wahabbism — the extremist view at the core of radical Islam. Former CIA director James Woolsey, who served under four presidents, says:

"With a little over one percent of the world's people, the Saudis exercise control over about 90 percent of the world's Islamic institutions. So in the West Bank or in Lahore in Pakistan, they teach little eight-year-old boys to hate Shiite Muslims, Jews, and homosexuals. They cross states to oppress women and try to make them dedicated enough to become suicide bombers.

"If you wonder who is paying for that type of education in those places, next time you pull into a gas station, before you get out to charge your gas, do what I try to remember to do — move your rearview mirror a couple of inches so you are looking into your own eyes. Now you know who is paying for those little Pakistani boys to learn how to become suicide bombers. So, to put it mildly, we have some very serious malevolent problems with oil."

Woolsey is on the board of directors at Plug In America, one of the largest EV advocacy groups in the nation. On its website, PIA touts national security as one of the reasons to drive electric cars. "Our addiction to oil has huge national security implications. The U.S. imports around $1 billion of foreign oil every day with 2/3 used for transportation. Every time you fill up your car, you are sending a check to foreign countries to pay for their oil. Why not send your money to the local electric utility or your neighborhood solar installer instead?"

Some may quibble with that statement. Is the choice really between funding terrorism or slowly suffocating ourselves with emissions from coal power generating plants? And rooftop solar is getting push back from traditional utility companies. Just last month, the Nevada Public Utilities Commission approved a monthly assessment for all customers with rooftop solar systems. In response, SolarCity shuttered its Nevada offices and laid off hundreds of workers.

An article by Business Insider last month had this to say. "The sooner we wean ourselves from oil, not just the Persian Gulf variety but oil in general, and the sooner we electrify transport, the sooner we can extricate ourselves from religious holy and civil wars that we do not understand and have no business getting involved in."

For the last word in this discussion, listen to what Diarmuid O'Connell. head of business development for Tesla Motors, has to say. O'Connell's resumé includes time as chief of staff for political military affairs at the U.S. State Department. He says during that time, climate change was not really his highest concern. "[It] wasn't really on my radar screen. It was a much more pragmatic view of what American foreign policy would look like in the absence of dependence on foreign oil coming from troubled areas of the world."

In his book entitled The Promise of Electric Vehicles, he concludes with these thoughts. "If you don't believe there is anything wrong with the monopoly that oil has on our transportation sector, if you don't believe that we spend at least $75 billion in our national defense budget every year on securing access to foreign sources of oil and associated supply routes… then there is nothing that can be said in support of Electric Vehicles. If, however, you believe in the power of American innovation to fundamentally change and improve our individual lives and our larger societal interests, then there is no question the time is right to step up and support the development of a viable EV market."

The conclusion? The sooner we transition away from fossil fuels, the better — not only for the environment but also for the fight against terrorism.

Source: EV Annex  Photo Credit: Inside EVs

Tags: Diarmuid O'Connell, ISiS, James Woolsey, Saudi Arabia, terrorism, Tesla Motors

About the Author

Steve Hanley I have been a car nut since the days when Rob Walker and Henry N. Manney, III graced the pages of Road & Track. Today, I use my trusty Miata for TSD rallies and occasional track days at Lime Rock and Watkins Glen. If it moves on wheels, I'm interested in it. Please follow me on Google + and Twitter.

Source: Buy An Electric Car. Fight Terrorism.

Electric cars to become 'hallmark' of VW's portfolio

Volkswagen's emissions test cheating scandal could cost it much more than the $18 billion earmarked so far and it might have to sell assets to foot the bill, the German carmaker said on Thursday.

The chief executive of Volkswagen said on Thursday (April 28) that he personally apologised to President Barack Obama this week for cheating on vehicle emissions tests, speaking up for its American workforce as the German carmaker negotiates penalties with United States officials.

Matthias Mueller, chief executive officer of Volkswagen AG, reacts during a news conference to announce the company's fourth quarter earnings at the automaker's headquarters in Wolfsburg, Germany, on Thursday, April 28, 2016.

"I used the opportunity to personally apologise to him for our behaviour", Mr Mueller said during a news conference in Wolfsburg on Thursday.

"The Volkswagen group is robust enough to withstand this financial burden", Chief Executive Matthias Müller.

The cash being held back would first be transformed into preference shares and only then paid out in full in 2018 if the price of the shares on the stock exchange had risen by at least 25 percent by the end of the three-year period, VW explained.

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Overall, the company subtracted 16.2 billion euros from last year's profits to cover the expenses of the scandal.

While the shift to an electrified portfolio is a sign of progress for the German auto maker, Mueller noted that, for the immediate future, redemptive efforts to fix rigged vehicles would be the "most important task until the very last vehicle has been put in order".

VW Group incurred an operating loss of 4.1 billion euros (4.65 billion dollars) previous year, while the overall earnings before tax in 2015 came to a negative 1.3 euros. The request follows a USA class-action lawsuit alleging some of its cars violated emissions standards, which the company has said is "baseless". This will be done through an independent company that Volkswagen will set up as soon as it can.

Muller also reiterated one of Volkswagen's newest talking points: the company's emerging focus on electric vehicles. The company has admitted using engine software that disable d emissions controls when vehicles were not being tested.

Europe's biggest carmaker said that although it had made provisions for 2015, uncertainty about the ultimate cost of legal risks and criminal and administrative proceedings could mean that further financial liabilities would emerge.

"Although unit sales declined by around 2%, revenue saw a 5% increase, growing to €213.3 billion".

Source: Electric cars to become 'hallmark' of VW's portfolio

Electric vehicle firm pays back wages to three workers after city investigation

An electric vehicle company that snagged government money to help open its Los Angeles headquarters broke city rules by underpaying three of its workers, a city investigation found.

Build Your Dreams, known as BYD, has since repaid more than $1,300 in back wages and health benefits to the three workers to come into compliance with the city rules, according to city officials.

Labor activists said last year that they believed that BYD had failed to pay a "living wage" to employees downtown. L.A. currently requires city contractors to pay their workers at least $12.42 an hour without health benefits.

Jobs to Move America, a coalition of labor and community groups, said the company fell under those rules because Los Angeles had agreed to provide $1.6 million in federal funding to help the Chinese-owned firm open its Figueroa Street offices.

When the allegations first arose, BYD defended its pay levels and argued that labor activists were targeting the company because it was locked in a dispute over the possible unionizing of workers at its Lancaster and L.A. facilities.

The company also said it was exempt from the living wage rules, pointing out that a Community Development Department staffer had designated the agreement as a construction contract that wouldn't be subject to the requirements.

But a different city department that oversees such agreements — the Bureau of Contract Administration — disagreed and launched an investigation.

It focused on the period between August and late December of last year, when the company was "fully informed" that it fell under the wage rules, bureau spokeswoman Elena Stern said.

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Micheal Austin, BYD America vice president, said the company promptly paid the employees once the city det ermined what was owed. Two of the workers were summer interns who had left the company and a third was a recent hire whose pay had since increased, Austin said.

The company was also required to update its rules to provide paid and unpaid days off to its part-time employees, according to Stern. Austin said that now "there are no outstanding questions or concerns."

The city review "showed that there were only three instances where BYD employees had been paid below the living wage," Austin said.

Jobs to Move America Executive Director Madeline Janis said the coalition was "glad to see that BYD has accepted its responsibility to provide their workers in downtown with a living wage and paid sick leave."

"When taxpayers give a huge corporation like BYD nearly $2 million to create jobs, we have a right to expect — at a minimum — that the company follow the law," Janis said in a written statement.

Mayor Eric Garcetti also said he was pleased that the matter was resolved. "Our Living Wage Ordinance is only as good as employers' compliance with the law," he said.

The company has battled accusations that it underpaid workers in the past: Three years ago, the California labor commissioner alleged that BYD had failed to pay the minimum wage to several Chinese nationals working in California.

But those wage citations were dropped after the state commissioner said additional documents showed that money distributed in China appeared to meet the pay requirements.

Twitter: @LATimesemily

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Source: Electric vehicle firm pays back wages to three workers after city investigation

Chinese Tech Firms Charge Into Electric Cars

Updated April 29, 2016 6:23 a.m. ET

In a four-story Bauhaus-style building west of Shanghai, nearly 500 engineers are working to put what they hope will be China's answer to a Tesla Motors Inc. TSLA -0.72 % electric car on the road.

Their company, NextEV, currently doesn't have anything to sell. It plans to unveil its first electric car in 2017.

"Our goal is to build a high-end, high-performance electric car for half the price of a Tesla car," said Li Bin, co-founder and chairman of NextEV.

Counting Chinese Internet giant Tencent Holdings Ltd. TCEHY -1.07 % as an investor, NextEV is part of an increasingly crowded industry as the world's biggest auto market welcomes a wave of new entrants—China's deep-pocketed Internet giants. Concerned that conventional auto makers don't have what it takes to innovate, Beijing has used generous subsidies to encourage tech firms to lead the way as it struggles to cut pollution and reduce its dependence on imported energy.

As well as attracting Internet companies, these auto startups have been backed by private equity, forged partnerships with Silicon Valley firms and hired talent from the global auto industry.

China's industrial regulator amended rules in June last year to allow nonautomotive companies to invest in the electric car industry. "The auto industry is on the cusp of revolutionary change," said a senior executive at a state-owned auto maker, who declined to be named because he wasn't cleared to speak to media. "Beijing hopes that the Internet companies will bring innovation to the industry," he said.

Created by Internet entrepreneurs including the founder of Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com Inc., JD 0.97 % NextEV is one of nearly a dozen Chinese auto startups that have begun operation over the past 12 months.

Elsewhere, the country's biggest search-engine operator, Baidu.com, BIDU 4.70 % is working on a self-driving car, which it says will hit the road in five years.

Sport-utility vehicles are currently the bright spot in a cooling Chinese auto market, but electric vehicles dominated this year's Beijing auto show. Tech and entertainment company LeEco, which is better known for its smartphones, televisions and video streaming, showcased a concept self-driving electric supercar. Features include back seats that adjust to passengers' bodies and a steering wheel that disappears in self-driving mode. It isn't clear when the car will go into production.

LeEco Chief Executive Jia Yueting envisions a business model for his web-connected cars that would price them in a similar way to smartphones or televisions, with customers paying not so much for the hardware but for content such as TV shows, movies and other services. He sees his cars eventually being free of charge. "We are creating a new ecosystem for future mobility rather than just making a car, " he said.

Turning these ambitions into reality will be tested by increasing competition and doubts about the sustainability of China's subsidy-fueled boom in electric vehicles, particularly following a recent government probe into several suspected instances of subsidy fraud.

But startups say the game has changed. NextEV has struck a deal with a state-run company to help build its car. "I don't think it's difficult to build an affordable, high-end electric car, " said Mr. Li. "Electric wheel motors and battery packs aren't that complicated compared with internal-combustion engines."

NextEV has hired more than 700 employees globally since it was formed in November 2014 and has four research centers. Its notable hires include Martin Leach, a former chief executive of Maserati, and Padmasree Warrior, former chief technology officer at Cisco Systems Inc. CSCO -1.93 %

It has received investment from Sequoia Capital, Hillhouse Capital Group and Tencent and raised about half of the $1 billion it is targeting, said Mr. Li, adding that the remaining $500 million will be raised by the end of this year.

Elsewhere, Future Mobility, Foxconn Technology Group 2354 -2.06 % 's joint venture with Tencent, has hired executives from BMW AG BMW -2.24 % 's i-series electric vehicle development team. LeEco has ties with California-based electric car maker Atieva and startup Faraday Future, and cooperates with state-run auto maker BAIC Motor Corp. 1958 3.48 %

Electric vehicles in China are exempt from certain restrictions facing their gasoline-fueled counterparts. In Beijing for example, a consumer can buy an electric car and drive any day of the week, instead of being banned one day a week for a gasoline car.

But while sales of electric and hybrid cars and buses quadrupled in 2015 from the previous year to 331,000 vehicles, it is a tiny tally in a market where total vehicle sales exceeded 24 million. The surge was largely due to China's generous subsidies for electric vehicle ownership—the future of which remain uncertain.

Such huge government spending isn't sustainable given China's slowing economy and issues with deteriorating local government debt, some analysts say. Beijing has also made it clear that it would reduce subsidies for electric vehicles over time.

Hou Yankun, head of China equity and Asian auto research at UBS, estimates that in 2015 China's central and local governments spent a total of 90 billion yuan, or $14 billion, in the sector, including direct cash subsidies for electric vehicle makers and construction on public charging stations. Cash subsidies account for more than 40% of an electric car's tag price, much higher than the 10% to 15% ratio in other markets, he said.

NextEV's Mr. Li said he isn't under pressure to make fast money. "Our investors have never set the timetable about when to make a profit," he said.

—Rose Yu

Source: Chinese Tech Firms Charge Into Electric Cars

A big funder behind secretive car startup Faraday Future is in talks to buy Yahoo's old land

Thomson ReutersJia Yueting, co-founder and head of Le Holdings Co Ltd, poses for a photo in front of a logo of his company in Beijing See Also The company working with Faraday Future drives its own new electric car onstage 'We plan to succeed': Electric-car startup Faraday Future officially breaks ground on its $1 billion factory Tesla is opening another plant for Model 3 production and it will probably be in China

LeEco, the company partnered with the startup electric-car maker Faraday Future, is apparently in talks to scoop up a giant piece real estate from Yahoo, the Silicon Valley Business Journal reported.

The land is about three miles from LeEco's newly-opened US headquarters in San Jose. The lot is approved for up to 3 million square feet of research and development space

According to the Business Journal, Yahoo intended to use the lot as a second campus. The beleaguered internet giant originally bought the property for $106 million in 2006.

The deal, if it goes through, suggests that LeEco is serious about its expansion in the US. The company, formerly known LeTV, has already established itself as a massive media conglomerate in Beijing. The move to the US follows a number of Chinese tech giants who have taken up residence in Silicon Valley — ostensibly to tap the region's wealth of tech talent.

NextEV, another Chinese electric-car startup, has an office just steps away from LeEco.

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Source: A big funder behind secretive car startup Faraday Future is in talks to buy Yahoo's old land

FIA president Jean Todt: 'We need to increase the use of electric cars'

Parisian motorists must choose their lines with all the dexterity of the Formula E drivers who raced around the city's chic seventh arrondissement in April's inaugural Paris ePrix.

Surveying the petrol-fueled melee from the FIA headquarters in the Place de la Concorde is the president of motorsport's governing body, Jean Todt.

It was the former rally driver's daily view from his office window that offered him a vision for the future of motor racing -- the world's first championship for electric cars.

"We talk a lot about pollution, CO2, climate change, and we have to take that into consideration when we discuss regulations for ongoing championships," Todt told CNN.

"I thought it was important to create a specific series that could be adapted to the needs of the cities because we need to increase the use of electric cars in our cities.

"That's why it was a great combination to find the biggest cities in the world, who are climbing on to the use of electric cars, and to implement a single-seater category with electric power."

Lower emissions and running costs make electric vehicles (EVs) -- which have a range of between 100 (62m) and 480 km (298m) according to the International Energy Agency's Global EV Outlook report -- perfect for city living. There were 665,000 passenger EVs on the road worldwide in 2014, with numbers rising all the time. After dedicated work, Todt's vision for an electric championship to help market EVs was realized with the inaugural Formula E race in the Chinese captial Beijing -- a city with regularly reported "unhealthy" levels of pollution partly blamed on gas-guzzling cars -- in September 2014.

Formula E is now into its second season and its success has seen metropolises Mexico City and Paris join the calendar in 2016.

"We have iconic cities and iconic locations within the cities," added Todt, who toured the globe as team principal of the Ferrari F1 team from 1994 to 2007. "Paris is now part of that.

"It's hard to believe we can host a race in Paris in this location. The track is just 50 meters from the National Assembly, it's one of the city's best locations. In Formula E, we have the names of cities but also the locations inside the cities."

The chance to race on city center street circuits, in contrast to purpose-built Formula One tracks which are often located beyond city limits, is also exciting for the drivers.

"There's no doubt about it, the atmosphere, the people, the amount of celebrities, the scenery... nothing could be better than being over here racing," the sport's defending champion Nelson Piquet Jr told CNN.

"The sky's the limit and I'm sure we will be racing in all the major cities around the world, it's just going to blow."

Racing electric cars in city centers may have the ultimate goal of promoting "greener" transport and tackling pollution, but bringing racing into the cities has hidden hedonistic benefits.

Some of the drivers, and other members of the traveling Formula E community, went off to enjoy cabaret at the famous Moulin Rouge over the ePrix weekend in Paris.

The appeal of combining a day's motor racing with a trip to a major city also extends to Formula E's fans.

"What could be better than Paris and London?" Diane Bird, who has traveled to several races to watch her son DS Virgin Racing driver Sam, told CNN. "Long Beach was quite nice too!"

"What I like about Formula E in particular is that the race are in the city," said Fabian Kuttenkeuler from Munich, one of 20,000 fans said to have come to the Paris ePrix.

"I haven't been to Paris for a while. I was hoping for better weather but we did an evening river cruise on the Seine. Lovely. I love the French food."

The arrival of a race amid the grandeur of Paris was seen as a major coup for Formula E. The DNA of motorsport is embedded in France, as the first motor race was held there in the 1890s, and staging an electric race on the streets of Paris is a signal of approval for the sport's newest series.

Rumors swirled in Paris that Hong Kong, New York and Montreal were all serious contenders to join Formula E in 2017 and beyond.

Formula E's quest to race within the world's greatest city limits looks boundless.

Which city would you like to see added to Formula E's global calendar? Get in touch on CNN Sport's Facebook page!
Source: FIA president Jean Todt: 'We need to increase the use of electric cars'

Behold the Vicious, Cutthroat World of Electric Car Department Staffing

 Added on April 27, 2016  Daniel Susco  automakers , electric cars , scalping , staff No Comments Behold the Vicious, Cutthroat World of Electric Car Department Staffing Decrease Font Size Increase Font Size Text Size Print This Page Send by Email

It seems that, lately, every automaker wants to get one hand in on the electric revolution, whether they produce a wholly-electric vehicle, a plug-in hybrid, or a conventional hybrid. Many are trying to build what was at first referred to as "Tesla-fighters," electric vehicles seeking to match or surpass the capabilities and cool factor of Tesla's tiny collection of long-range, super-fast electric cars. Others are simply trying to make hybrids to help cover themselves against increasingly-stringent fleet fuel economy requirements with so-called "compliance cars" (and so they can brag on their websites about "astounding fuel economy"). Some are even shooting for all at of these at once.

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Whatever the reason, that logically means that every automaker that wants to build an electric car needs to hire a team of specialized engineers, and this is apparently a more difficult proposition that it seems on the surface. Underneath the veneer of shining, chrome, zero-emission mobility, it seems that there is a cutthroat struggle to find and keep what experienced electric car engineers there are.

BMW, for example, according to Quartz, the automaker's entire core electric development team has left the company for Future Mobility, a Chinese startup partly owned by iPhone producer Foxconn. In fact, China appears to be a hotbed of electric car investment (and talent scalping), such as Jia Yueting, CEO of Chinese electronics producer LeEco, who had his company produce the LeSee, an autonomous electric car, while also being a major backer of two electric vehicle startups in California, Atieva and Faraday Futures. Faraday Futures recently recruited a former senior exec of Tesla named Dag Reckhorn to run its new, huge factory in Nevada.

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In addition, you have companies such as Apple who continue to hire away experienced EV car employees (Apple has been hiring people away from Tesla for a while now).

A former senior executive at General Motors named Tony Posawatz summed the situation up concisely to Quartz, saying, "Talent and experience with advanced technology including vehicle electrification is scarce and highly valued."

In such a competitive environment as car sales, it seems that companies are more than willing to scalp other companies' electric teams—it may be the way that they can get their competitive edge.

News Source: Quartz

Daniel SuscoEditor

Daniel Susco is a native of the Dayton-Cincinnati area, and has written on a multitude of subjects. He can discuss Shakespeare, expound on Classical Mythology, and even make witty jokes about Pliny the Elder (More like "Pliny the Rounder," right?). In his free time, Daniel enjoys reading, cooking, woodworking, and long walks on the beach (just kidding – sunburn is no joke). See more articles by Daniel.

Source: Behold the Vicious, Cutthroat World of Electric Car Department Staffing

Westport electric car rally rolls Sunday

Published 8:23 am, Wednesday, April 27, 2016

WESTPORT — The fourth annual rally organized by the Westport Electric Car Club takes place Sunday.

The 35- to 40-mile event starts at noon at the Saugatuck Railroad Station. Driver check-in takes place at 11 a.m. at the waiting room on the New Haven-bound side of the station, which will be open at 10 a.m. for a continental breakfast.

The public is invited to view the EVs either at the pre-rally staging or at the finish line in Wilton. Among the electric vehicles scheduled to participate this year will be a Tesla Model X, Gen 2 Chevy Volt and Cadillac ELR.

The rally is for plug-in vehicles — fully electric, extended-range electric vehicle or plug-in hybrid. Participants do not have to be a club member or a resident of Westport. The entry form can be downloaded from the website, www.westportelectriccarclub.com, and the entry fee is $50 per vehicle.

The course details will remain secret until provided to the drivers when the check in for the rally, according to the event's organizers.

Drivers are required to have a navigator, according to club officials, because the directions are considered too complicated to be handled by a driver alone. The club will help find a navigator for any driver who needs one.

The event is a rally, not a race, the club's publicity stresses. The competition is based on coming as close as possible to the official mileage as determined by the rally-master, as long as the mileage is not below the official course length.

Prizes will be awarded to the winner and two runners-up. The rally officially concludes at 3 p.m., with winners will be announced at 3:15.

Source: Westport electric car rally rolls Sunday

Vacuum cleaner brand Dyson developing electric cars

Dyson has been revealed as a recipient of a UK government funding to develop electric cars. Yes, Dyson, the company known for its bagless vacuum cleaners, bladeless fans and the hand dryer you use in the mall's toilet.

According to The Guardian, the UK company previously refused to rule out rumours it was building an EV. When Dyson CEO Max Conze was asked last year if the company was working on an electric car, he replied: "We are ruling nothing out. Like our friends in Cupertino [Apple] we are also unhealthily obsessive when it comes to taking apart our products to make them better."

But last week, the government unwittingly disclosed that Dyson is working on one. "The government is funding Dyson to develop a new battery electric vehicle at their headquarters in Malmesbury, Wiltshire. This will secure £174m (RM993m) of investment in the area, creating over 500 jobs, mostly in engineering," said the National Infrastructure Delivery Plan.

Asked by the UK broadsheet if the company was developing an electric car, a Dyson spokesman said: "We never comment on products that are in development." An answer from the Office for Low Emissions Vehicles, which encourages the roll-out of electric vehicles as a way to cut air emissions, is pending.

The report adds that Dyson recently announced 20% higher profits in 2015, driven by strong growth in China. The company said it plans to invest £1bn in battery technology over the next five years. Last October, Dyson bought solid-state battery company, Sakti3, for $90m (RM352m), which 68-year old founder Sir James Dyson said had "developed a breakthrough in battery technology."

Also, many of Dyson's appliances utilise small, light and efficient electric motors developed over 10 years, which may be useful in developing a new electric car. In 2014, Dyson pledged that his company, which now has over 1,000 engineers, would spend £1.5bn on R&D to create future products, aiming to launch 100 new electrical products by 2018. Dyson has a base in Malaysia.

Source: Vacuum cleaner brand Dyson developing electric cars

Elon Musk says Tesla’s next car will be even cheaper than the Model 3

When it's finally released in late 2017, Tesla's new Model 3 will be a tremendous accomplishment. The car offers features and performance that are on par with similar models from premium car brands, but it bakes them into an all-electric vehicle with a range of at least 200 miles per charge. And incredibly, the Model 3 will start at just $35,000 before tax incentives that will be available to many early buyers.

If all goes according to plan, the Tesla Model 3 will be a complete game-changer... but just wait until Tesla unveils the "Model 4."

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No, there wasn't a huge Tesla event that you somehow missed and no, the Model 4 doesn't yet exist. We don't even know that the company's fourth-generation electric car will be called the Model 4. But in a recent talk, Tesla CEO Elon Musk already started speaking about his company's next-generation vehicle and he had some pretty fascinating things to say about it.

Namely, the next-gen Tesla will be even more affordable than the upcoming new Model 3.

As noted by Evannex, Musk spoke late last week at the Future Transport Solutions conference in Oslo, Norway. The visionary CEO discussed a number of things during his talk, but one area was of particular interest. During the Model 3 event, Musk discussed how Tesla's master plan has always been to make affordable electric vehicles, noting that the pricey Roadster, Model S and Model X were essentially created to fund more affordable EVs. The Model 3 is the next step in Tesla's plan, but the company's upcoming fourth vehicle will push things even further.

"I'm super-excited about being able to produce a car that most people can afford," Musk said of the new Model 3. "And there will be future cars that are even more affordable down the road. But, with something like the Model 3, it's designed such that roughly half the people will be able to afford the car. Then, with fourth generation and smaller cars, we'll ultimately be in the position where everyone will be able to afford the car."

The full video of Musk's talk is embedded below, and the part where he discusses Tesla's future fourth-generation car begins just after the 12-minute mark.

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Source: Elon Musk says Tesla's next car will be even cheaper than the Model 3

Volvo To Debut First All-Electric Car In 2019

Swedish automaker Volvo has announced an ambitious new plan to sell at least one million electrified vehicles by 2020, in a fresh push to become a leader in the transition to zero-emission travel.

The Swedish company plans to achieve this aim by offering at least two hybrid versions of every model in its range and releasing its first all-electric auto in 2019.

"It is a deliberately ambitious target", President and CEO Hakan Samuelsson said in a statement. In a recent press release, Volvo CEO Håkan Samuelsson admits the move is as challenging as it sounds, however the company aims to be one of the leading manufacturers of electric vehicles in the world, and not just Tesla.

In a highly anticipated attempt to match Tesla's unstoppable rise in the EV category, Volvo said that an electric auto with a 325-mile range would be unveiled by the company in about 3 years from now.

This announcement is five years in the making. The strategy has numerous commitments th at puts sustainability at the core of the company's future business operations. It is being referred to as omtanke, meaning "consideration or caring".

"Sustainability is nothing new or something that sits outside our operations, it is something that forms an integral part of everything we do".

The target is based on the cumulative number of electric and hybrid cars sold between now and 2025, Volvo said.

The SPA architecture will used in Volvo's larger 90 series and 60 series cars, while a global range of smaller 40 series cars will have the CMA.

The company is also developing a new pair of platforms, which the company claims can interchangeably work on combining hybrids and EVs.

The Volvo Cars website contains the full Sustainability Report for viewing.

Celtics' Evan Turner: Comes up clutch in Game 4 comeback victoryHe could pull up for a preposterous 3-pointer that misses everything and still, later, swish Boston back into the game . The next match up, Game 5, may be the most pivotal contest in the series, as the Celtics now need win in Atlanta .

Source: Volvo To Debut First All-Electric Car In 2019

City Council considers electric vehicle charging stations on public property

City councilors will considering whether to let New Orleans residents install electric vehicle charging stations next to curbs.

It's a move that would be a boon for drivers of such vehicles who live in homes without off-street parking.

Images: Chevrolet introduces its first all-electric car

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Image: Chevrolet

The New Orleans Advocate reports no decision has been made, but council members appeared receptive as a three-member panel pitched electric car charging solutions last week during a meeting of the council's Public Works, Sanitation and Environment Committee.

According to PlugShare, a locator service for electric vehicle chargers, New Orleans has at least 13 charging stations that have been installed by businesses and at least eight that have been installed by residents, though the latter figure includes only drivers who have signed up with PlugShare.

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Source: City Council considers electric vehicle charging stations on public property

Why Electric Cars Ruled The Roads 100 Years Ago

American inventor and physicist Thomas Edison (1847 - 1931) with his first electric car, the Edison Baker. He is holding one of the batteries used to power the vehicle. (Photo by General Photographic Agency/Getty Images)

Sure, the long wait for the Tesla Model 3 may extend into 2019. And sure, electric vehicles may be the future. But despite growing interest today, the concept of electric vehicles is just a resuscitation of a long-dormant method of commuting—one that first materialized in the 1800s.

Happy Sunday! Welcome to Holy Shift, where we highlight big innovations in the auto and racing industries each week—whether they be necessary or simply for comfort.

If there ever was a perfect application for the phase "ahead of its time," the idea of an electric car is probably it. That's not to say the cars weren't popular 100 years ago—in fact, the U.S. Department of Energy cites electric cars as making up about a third of all vehicles on the road in 1900. In 1911, the New York Times even called existing electric vehicles "ideal."

But, by 1935, electric cars were nearly nonexistent. It took decades for that to change.

Let's start at the beginning. Attempts at electric vehicles came as early as the 1830s, with some of them being successful—according to PBS, the first practical electric vehicle was a small locomotive built by American Thomas Davenport in 1835.

As for full-size automobiles, the first practical one in the U.S. came by the hands of William Morrison in 1890. The Department of Energy describes it more as an "electric wagon," able to hold six people and with a top speed of 14 mph.

Automakers got in on the electric trends soon after. The Pope Manufacturing Company of Connecticut became the first large-scale manufacturer of electric automobiles in 1897, per PBS, and Thomas Edison even began a project to create a more powerful and longer lasting battery for electric cars within the next two years. Edison eventually gave up on the project a decade later, according to PBS.

In 1898, engineer Ferdinand Porsche joined the electric market. Decades before the founding of the automaker with his namesake in 1931, Porsche developed an electric vehicle known as the "Lohner Porsche." He also came out with a hybrid concept in 1900, combining his electric setup with a combustion engine and calling it the "Semper Vivus."

Via the NYT

To underscore the popularity of electric transportation at the time, there also happened to be a fleet of more than 60 electric taxis in New York City around the turn of the 20th century. A 1911 New York Times article described how electric cars were popular among women in particular, because "early gasoline cars required more strength to crank than most women possess." (Thank goodness we as a society have evolved in more than just the automotive industry, right?)

But the first decade of the 1900s was the peak of electric cars—at least, for a long time to come. Henry Ford introduced the concept of mass production of cars onto the market, drastically reducing the price of gasoline-powered vehicles by around 1912. For comparison, a gasoline car during that year cost $650, while an electric roadster sold for nearly three times the price at $1,750.

Car price alone wasn't the only factor contributing to the original demise of the electric vehicle, though. From the U.S. Department of Energy's website:

By the 1920s, the U.S. had a better system of roads connecting cities, and Americans wanted to get out and explore. With the discovery of Texas crude oil, gas became cheap and readily available for rural Americans, and filling stations began popping up across the country. In comparison, very few Americans outside of cities had electricity at that time.

The electric car had its advantages, despite all of the factors working against its success—according to Tech Insider, gasoline- and steam-powered cars produced much more noxious smells, vibrations and road noise. In addition, the electric cars were easier to operate than gasoline cars and had a longer range than those powered by steam.

But in the end, electricity lost out to affordability and simplicity. The era of the electric car ended, with the 1930s onward seeing fewer and fewer on the road.

http://jalopnik.com/5870808/how-a-...

A Henney Kilowatt. Photo via Wikimedia Commons

An attempt came in 1959 to bring the electric vehicle back onto the scene, when the Henney Kilowatt came about. Per Business Insider, the 1959 model could run 40 miles on a charge and had a top speed of 40 mph. Those numbers both rose to 60 for the 1960 model of the car, but it just wasn't enough—of the 100 total Kilowatts produced during its two years in production, only 47 sold.

But the idea never died out completely. According to PBS, the U.S. Congress introduced early bills in 1966 that recommended using electric cars as a method to reduce air pollution. At the time of the bills, a Gallop poll found 33 million Americans to be interested in electric vehicles.

According to the Department of Energy, rising gas prices and more frequent shortages led to a movement concerned with lowering U.S. dependence on oil from foreign countries and finding more domestic fuel sources. Electric cars began to rise again, but more in the realm of interest rather than practicality. Most, at the time, had a range of around 40 miles and speeds typically topped off at 45 mph.

As the interest in electric cars remained just that—an interest—about 20 years passed. The late 1990s were when the current push for electric vehicles entered the scene, with the first mass-produced hybrid electric car, the Toyota Prius, coming on the market in Japan in 1997. The Prius went global in 2000.

Tesla Motors came around just a few years later in 2006, and the market for electric cars is so large now that giving them all a mention would likely drive you to stop reading from fatigue.

But despite the advances of electric cars and the designs now in the works that will feature logos from the likes of Porsche, Bentley, Audi and others, electric cars still only make up a small percentage of those on the road. There's still room for the industry to grow, but with 253,000 Tesla Model 3 orders in the two days after its debut, the future looks bright—although lately, super-cheap gas prices have put a huge damper on hybrid and EV sales compared to years past. Industry observers worry that trend could stunt EV development yet again.

Whether we're in for another demise of the electric car remains to be seen, but it looks as if the era of charging cars is here for the long run this time around.

If you have suggestions for future innovations to be featured on Holy Shift—in street cars, the racing industry or whatever you'd like—feel free to send an email to the address below or leave them in the comments section. The topic range is broad, so don't hesitate with your ideas.

Source: Why Electric Cars Ruled The Roads 100 Years Ago

Elon Musk To Launch Self-Driving Buses With Tesla Mobility Service? Affordable All-Electric Vehicles May Make Way For Public Transportation

Elon Musk hinted Tesla could be developing self-driving buses. While addressing a transportation conference in Norway, the man behind all-electric cars and private space exploration company SpaceX casually referred to a new direction the company is exploring, one that will ease the "high-density urban transport problem."

Tesla Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk, who routinely involves himself and his numerous cutting-edge technology companies into projects that appear like science fiction but are perfectly in the realm of reality, let it (deliberately?) slip the news about a project his engineers are working on.

Musk clearly indicated he is working on a self-driving vehicle that would soon address traffic woes in congested cities.

Speaking at the conference, Musk said, "We have an idea for something which is not exactly a bus but would solve the density problem for inner city situations. I very much agree with solving the high-density urban transport problem. Autonomous vehicles are key."

Despite the shroud of secrecy, Musk added that the vehicle would offer better service than the city buses because his creations wouldn't just drop people off at designated bus stops but instead would take them all the way to their destinations,

"There's a new type of car or vehicle that would be great for that and that'll actually take people to their final destination and not just the bus stop I don't want to talk too much about it. I have to be careful what I say."

While he did not specifically mention it, he clearly hinted Tesla is working on a platform that could soon replace buses and other modes of public transportation. Given the fact that Tesla is already deeply involved with autonomous driving cars, which are increasingly getting better at intelligently navigating through urban traffic, it only makes sense the company is now planning to ferry a lot of urban commuters in a platform with a large chassis that doesn't rely on human drivers.

Perhaps Elon Musk is envisioning a hybrid autonomous bus service that also assimilates the features inherent to radio-taxi services like Uber. If Musk is referring to a fleet of buses that drop people off to their destination, the public transportation industry could be in for a major overhaul, but for Musk, it could simply be the next step of evolution for his technologies.

Musk and Tesla are already deep into personal transportation. While the earlier all-electric Tesla models were perceptually expensive, the Tesla Model 3 has proved that a clean mode of transportation could be a common feature on the road and not just meant for the rich. Musk's Tesla Motors Inc. has disrupted the transport industry with smarter software-packed electric cars and this month received 400,000 pre-orders for its latest product, a less costly model dubbed Model 3 aimed at the mass market, reported Bloomberg.

Besides the cars, Musk also proposed cities take a good, hard look at "Hyperloop," a series of long cylindrical tubes that can ferry humans at mind-boggling speeds, reported the Daily Mail. The technology, though very much in its infancy and conceptualization stage, could transport people at 745 mph (1,200 km/h), sending people across the length and breadth of the country in half the time a commercial jetliner takes. Astonishingly, a ticket for travelling between LA a San Francisco, which incidentally would take only 30 minutes, could be as low as $20. Passengers would sit in vacuum sealed tubes (to minimize drag) and be hurdled across vast distances using magnets.

Musk has previously talked about building car tunnels as a way to solve traffic congestion.

"I think this is really a very simple and obvious idea, and I wish more people would do it, which is build more tunnels. Tunnels are great; it's just a hole in the ground. It's not that hard, but if you had tunnels in cities, you'd massively alleviate congestion and you could have tunnels of all differently levels. ou could probably have 30 layers of tunnels and completely fix the congestion problem in high density cities. So I strongly recommend tunnels."

Self-driving buses aren't a new concept, reported the Huffington Post. Several developed countries have begun experimenting with autonomous vehicles, many of which even run on electricity. In fact, the Dutch city of Wageningen recently demonstrated its first all-electric driverless shuttle bus, which confidently navigated a public road.

If Elon Musk is developing all-electric self-driving buses, he has a lot of references to draw inspiration.

[Photo by Eric Piermont/Getty Images]

Source: Elon Musk To Launch Self-Driving Buses With Tesla Mobility Service? Affordable All-Electric Vehicles May Make Way For Public Transportation

Electric revolution is just around the corner and Tesla is in driving seat

Published 24/04/2016 | 02:30

You have to love Elon Musk, the billionaire co-founder of PayPal and CEO of Tesla - the brash upstart Californian company that is shaking the car business to its very core. From an initial investment of $6.3m (€5.58m) in 2004, Musk has managed not only to produce the fastest and most desirable electric car in the world but is on the way to transforming the electric car to something both cool and commercially viable.

The driving force behind Musk is the belief that the fossil-fuel era is over; the combustion engine represents 19th-century technology that has outlived its usefulness. However, the motor industry, he argues, has too much invested in survival at this stage to admit its limits and imminent demise so the role of Tesla is not only as a pioneer but also to enlighten and to pave the way for other carmakers to embrace electric cars, a commitment he clearly demonstrated in 2014 by making Tesla's technology open source, so other car companies can use it to build their own electric vehicles.

By 2020, Tesla plans to deliver 500,000 cars - it's an ambitious one, given only seven years ago the company launched its first production car, the Tesla Roadster. The 2-door sports car didn't change the world - at the time the company could only produce a mere 500 units a year and less than 2,500 units were sold worldwide but it captured the very essence of what Tesla was about; making electric cars that were fast, desirable and with game-changing range capacities. Production of the roadster though wasn't without its problems - costs escalated as the Roadster proved more expensive and took longer to produce than originally planned; in addition, the early shipments often had quality issues.

But Musk was on the way to mass production, or what he dubbed his 'four-part trilogy', the blue print for how Tesla could hope to compete in a billion dollar industry.

The Roadster was followed in 2012 by the Model S, a full-sized, five-door saloon that would be Tesla's first flagship product. Musk has always maintained the Model S is a car you will buy for its driving dynamics, the green credentials are just a bonus. I recently had the opportunity to find out if this was actually true, and yes, the Model S is an incredibly impressive car. It is comfortable, practical and insanely fast. The top of the range Model S P90D goes from zero to 100km/h in 2.8 seconds, so it will keep pace with a Lamborghini Huracan and a Koenigsegg Agera R, and only a handful of cars including the Ferrari LaFerrari and the Bugatti Veyron are faster.

Behind the wheel it feels even quicker than the figures suggest as it is pure, straight-line acceleration.

Next up was the hotly anticipated SUV, the Tesla Model X and it did not disappoint. With "falcon-wing" doors that open up and a windshield that stretches from the front of the car almost to the very back it was simply stunning.

With a range of 400km, a top speed of 250km/h and a 0-100 km/h time of 3.8 seconds, it could also carry seven people. But from the beginning the Model X made headlines for all the wrong reasons. It was billed as the safest, fastest and most capable SUV in history but a faulty hinge - that could cause the third row of seats to collapse in the event of a crash forced Tesla to issue a voluntary recall of 2,700 cars. On March 31 this year, Elon Musk unveiled the Model 3 to the world as the most affordable Tesla. With a promise of a 350 km range and a $35,000 price tag there was an astonishing response to the launch of the new car.

Close to 400,000 customers have ordered the Model 3. Technical details are yet to be confirmed but the car will seat five people and, like the Model S, will have a boot in the front and at the back.

Buyers will also get free access to Tesla's supercharger network of charging stations. There are even plans to make it available here, as Ireland has been added to the order page for those who want to buy it.

So the reality of an affordable electric car with real range capacity is almost here. Well not quite, the Model 3 doesn't exist yet.

Musk is confident that deliveries could start by the end of 2017 but meeting deadlines isn't Tesla's forte, particularly when there is currently no final production version of the Model 3. There are other challenges in the meantime that Musk must deal with, the Model X is still suffering quality problems, and before an affordable mass-produced car can be rolled out Tesla must first complete its Gigafactory, a giant battery manufacturing centre in Nevada that is key to lowering the overall cost of the battery pack.

It is Elon Musk's moment of truth. The loyal, affluent, green-minded fans of Tesla are not the target market for the Model 3. Musk needs to convince the average American that buying an electric car is the future.

Musk is betting everything on the Model 3, if the schedule falls too far behind or the product fails to excite it could well spell the end for Tesla. It remains to be seen whether the Model 3 will deliver and usher in a new, EV-dominated car era or if the electric car dream is finally consigned to history.

Sunday Independent

Source: Electric revolution is just around the corner and Tesla is in driving seat

Tesla is Not Afraid of New Apple Car; What about Mercedes?

Forget the iPhone 8, is Apple's next product going to be an electric car? Rumors certainly suggest so after the company has hired an ex-Tesla engineer to handle the task. Despite the possible competition, Elon Musk has his eyes set on something bigger. Meanwhile, Mercedes is just getting into the game.

LET'S HOPE APPLE CAR BATTERY LASTS LONGER THAN IPHONE

Apple isn't the best at keeping a secret, and their electric car project is no exception. According to leaked media reports, the company has acquired  ex-engineer Chris Porritt from Tesla and also opened an R&D office in Germany. Germany, as you may know, is home to some of the world's most luxurious car manufacturers like Mercedes. The reports also suggest that Apple is aiming for a street date of 2019 or 2020, however, the electric car will not be self-driving contrary to popular belief. Elon Musk is hardly concerned that his former employees are going to Apple. In fact, he refers to the company as a 'Tesla-graveyard'. Besides, Musk has some bigger goals to focus on.

TESLA GOING MASS TRANSIT

After helping a sliver of the world go green, Elon Musk is turning his attention towards the issue of overpopulation. No, he won't be killing babies but he does have an idea for a new type of mobility system. Vehicle density is a major issue for cities. Even with all the Tesla's in the world, it won't change the fact that they are there, and taking up space. Musk says he has an idea that's not exactly a bus or a train, but will somehow solve the problem of density in crowded cities. He was rather vague on what kind of vehicle it would be, but he hinted that it would be autonomous. This technology would be a big help in places like Europe, where Mercedes seeks to get in the market for electric cars.

MERCEDES PLAYING CATCH UP

Mercedes doesn't often play catch up, but when they do, expect them to take it seriously. In lieu of all the electric car hype these days, Mercedes announced four electric car models of their own to come out in the near future. Rumors suggest that the design will target Tesla's design and functionality directly, albeit a bit more luxurious and German. With Apple making a move in the region, it's not too unlikely to  see the two team up in order to take down Musk's empire.

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Source: Tesla is Not Afraid of New Apple Car; What about Mercedes?

Eakay Electric Auto seeks expansion for its rental business

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Source: Eakay Electric Auto seeks expansion for its rental business

Tesla's Electric Car 'Model 3' Breaks Sales Records

Telsa has received a lot of praise after it unveiled the Model 3 sedan but many of its customers who are still waiting to receive their Model X are making their disappointment public. The company, however, claims that it is still on track to meet its target of 80,000 to 90,000 units delivered within 2016.

Including the Model S, Tesla delivered a total of 14,820 cars during the period, almost 50% more than the first quarter of 2015.

"There's a 15-inch landscape touchscreen inside - an interesting change from the 17-inch portrait touchscreen in the Model S and X", The Verge reported of Tesla Model 3's specs.

Tesla took more than 276,000 orders for the Model 3 since it started accepting deposits of $1,000 from interested buyers.

The electric carmaker's latest sedan is the auto that it hopes will make a mark on the mainstream market, and if sales figures at all reflect the amount of interest in pre-orders then Tesla could be onto a victor.

Deutsche Bank said it would not be surprised if Tesla's backlog reached 500,000 by the time the Model 3 entered production in 2017.

Tesla blames its own "hubris" in "adding far too much new technology to the Model X in version 1", as a main reason for the delays, as well as insufficient supplier validation, and lack of ability to manufacture the parts in question itself.

Tesla noted that the shortages from its suppliers had a negative impact on its first quarter deliveries, with the issues lasting much longer than anticipated over the months of January and February. CEO Elon Musk tweeted Saturday that the company would need to build a plant in Europe to keep up with demand.

The basic model will sell for $35,000 (£24,423) - less than half the cost of Tesla's previous models - and has a range of at least 215 miles per charge. Despite being just a prototype model at present moment, Tesla is already taking in pre-orders for the vehicle and they have bagged more than 230,000 signatures. These are the only sales results analysts have to go on, as Tesla doesn't release monthly results as other auto companies do.

The new Independence Day: Resurgence trailer is packed with alien destructionUsing recovered alien technology, the nations of Earth have collaborated on an vast defense program to protect the planet. Twenty years after Earth was left reeling from one invasion, the saucers are here to terrorise a new generation.

Source: Tesla's Electric Car 'Model 3' Breaks Sales Records

Electric-car startup Faraday Future could introduce its first production concept cars very soon

Screenshot via Faraday Future

Since the company made its public debut at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Faraday Future has made a point of building its profile quickly.

So far, the California-based startup has bought 900 acres of land in the Nevada desert for its billion-dollar factory, hired executives from Tesla, BMW, GM, SpaceX and others, and obtained its first of more than 100 pending US patents.

To date, one of the remaining unknowns is Faraday's future cars.

Up until now, the company revealed little about the vehicles being developed, only saying that test mules — automotive mock-ups that house its proprietary technology — are undergoing a broad range of testing.

The company recently teased an image of a potential concept.

Faraday FutureA teaser image of what may be Faraday Future's forthcoming production vehicle.

The cars are coming. At the ceremonial groundbreaking for its factory last week, Nick Sampson, Faraday Future's SVP of research and development and engineering, told Business Insider "We're testing both mechanical and software systems, and before the end of this year, we'll have full prototypes that represent our production cars."

Faraday followed up on its blog Thursday with a status update.

"Some people call a mule a 'hacked-up car,'" Matt Lubbers, Faraday's Brakes and Chassis Control engineer said. "They may not look like a production vehicle, but they certainly run like one."

Lubbers touts Faraday's strategy of testing multiple Faraday technologies in one mule.

"The powertrain, the suspension, the electrical architecture, the battery, the control system, they're all here ... this car is FF to its core."

You can watch the teaser here: SEE ALSO: 'We plan to succeed': Electric-car startup Faraday Future officially breaks ground on its $1 billion factory NOW WATCH: This factory is the key to Tesla's future Loading video...
Source: Electric-car startup Faraday Future could introduce its first production concept cars very soon

LeEco LeSEE electric car unveiled in Beijing

LeEco has decided it wants a piece of the proverbial pie by unveiling its own all-electric car at an event in Beijing. Previously, the company tied up with Aston Martin to help develop their all-electric RapidE, as well as funding Faraday Future with their 320kmph concept electric supercar, the FFZERO1. Formerly known by the name LeTV, the Chinese manufacturer is famous for its recent booming success in the smartphone territory. Founded in 2004, the technology company now has ventures in multiple areas like internet TV, video production,... Read More
Source: LeEco LeSEE electric car unveiled in Beijing

Rumor: Apple sets up shop in Berlin, picks Magna to build the electric 'iCar'

Apple car conceived by children's book author Richard Scarry

Enlarge Photo

The rumors began to circulate in February 2015: Apple is building an electric car.

Since then, numerous signs have suggested that the rumor is true, and Apple has done nothing to disabuse anyone of the idea.

Until recently, all indications were that the mysterious car would be developed in California, but a new report says that Apple has set up a shop in Germany, too.

The news comes via the media outlet Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, which cites a number of "informed sources" (according to Google Translate, anyway). The site claims that Apple has recruited 15 to 20 men and women from the German auto industry who are familiar not only with engineering and sales, but also with software and hardware.

Those men and women are described as progressive thinkers--younger individuals open to new ways of doing business that might be anathema to the conservative heads of major car companies. The group is allegedly working at a German outpost of Apple's not-so-quietly-kept "Project Titan", located in the center of Berlin.

Their task, however, doesn't appear to involve building the car itself, or even testing it. Rather, the group's goals include evaluating the German market in terms of regulatory practices, distribution partners, and competitors in the field of electric and autonomous cars.

While Apple's focus on Germany rather than, say, other countries in Europe or Asia seems interesting, two items in the anonymously sourced story are especially noteworthy:

Apple has picked the supplier Magna to build the so-called iCar. Magna hasn't commented on the rumor.

Those tidbits, combined with news that Apple has poached yet another Tesla employee--this time, former vice president of vehicle engineering Chris Porritt--make it abundantly clear that Apple is working on something auto-related, and it's likely much, much bigger than CarPlay. 

Source: Rumor: Apple sets up shop in Berlin, picks Magna to build the electric 'iCar'

Mahindra launches e2o electric car in London

Mahindra & Mahindra has launched its innovative e2o electric city car in London. Designed specifically for easy urban commuting, and featuring a host of connected technologies, the Mahindra e2o will be available in two trim levels.

The entry-level e2o City is priced at £12,995, while the higher-spec TechX version retails at £15,995 and includes a touchscreen infotainment centre with reversing camera, telematics, Revive remote emergency recharging, leather seats, alloy wheels and a rapid charging port.

"I am very proud to announce that the e2o is now available in the UK and this marks a true milestone for the Mahindra Group," said Anand Mahindra, chairman, Mahindra group. "I invite people to come and test drive the Mahindra e2o 'ElectriCity Car' and help drive a positive change to the air quality in their cities. Sustainability is at the heart of Mahindra's business practices and with the introduction of the e2o to the UK market, we are offering a product that perfectly encapsulates our corporate philosophy."

Features:

e2o Remote smartphone app - allows users to remotely control key functions of their e2o including the ability to pre-heat/cool the car, start and stop charging, route plan and search for nearby charging stations.

Remote Charging Scheduler - a clever app that allows users to schedule charging of their e2o at a time when electricity costs are at their cheapest rate

Revive - remote emergency charging feature to grant the driver up to 8 miles worth of range if the battery is depleted.

Telematics - on-board sensors send a data 'heartbeat' to Mahindra enabling remote health monitoring and customer alerts.

Blaupunkt touchscreen infotainment centre (TechX model only) - Satellite navigation with 'range remaining' maps featuring charge point locations. Bluetooth, Wi-Fi hotspot connection, USB, SD card, DAB radio and a built-in reversing camera.

The e2o's tall-boy design offers superior visibility for a compact city car and comfortably seats four adults. It is equipped with dual SRS airbags, Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and a Regenerative Braking System (RBS) that harnesses energy during braking to extend the car's range while travelling.

Source: Mahindra launches e2o electric car in London

SK Innovation considers electric car battery factory in China

SEOUL: SK Innovation Co Ltd on Wednesday said it is considering building electric vehicle batteries in China, joining the race by South Korean firms to build capacity in the world's top EV market.

The owner South Korea's biggest oil refiner also said it continued to look to acquire new unconventional assets such as U.S shale fields.

A decision on a China plant would be made this year, it said. SK Innovation already runs an electric vehicle battery joint venture with China's Beijing Automotive Group and Beijing Electronics.

Rival South Korean battery makers LG Chem and Samsung SDI started production in China last year, as the country promotes electric vehicles to cut smog.

SK Innovation also said that for its petrochemical business it would invest more in non-commodity products and the China market by forming joint ventures with global partners.

"We will seize good opportunities and grow our business," Chief Executive Chung Chul-khil said in a statement, noting that U.S. shale firms have suffered from low oil prices and oversupply. ($1 = 1,129.8000 won) (Reporting by Rebecca Jang and Hyunjoo Jin; Editing by Stephen Coates)

Source: SK Innovation considers electric car battery factory in China

Ford Not Interested In Competing With Bolt Or Model 3 – Won’t Offer A 200-Mile Electric Car

Ford Focus Electric

Report: Ford Has No Interest In Making A 200-mile Electric Car

Kevin Layden, Ford's director of electrification programs and engineering, stated that when the 2017 Ford Focus comes out this Fall with its 100 miles of range, that vehicle will meet the needs of most commuters, so there's no reason for Ford to produce a 200-mile electric car.

As Layden stated:

"I think right now with the launch of the Focus Electric at 100 miles, it is going to satisfy a big chunk of the population. It's going to be really affordable and a step up from where we are now."

The original Ford Focus EV had only 76 miles of range, so a bump to 100 is an improvement, but only slightly.   The 100 mile range also lags the 107 miles available today in the last model year of the first generation Nissan LEAF – the Ford's closest competitor.

We'd also like to note that today's Focus Electric is one of the oldest, and most commercially unsuccessful national EV offerings in the US.  Today's model has sold between 53 and 198 units per month in 45 of the past 46 months.  With just one of those months edging past the 200 level ever (historical monthly sales available on our sales scorecard).

With that in mind, could Ford really just be lying in the weeds, trying to promote the "car they have today" over the car they are working to bring to market? (ala Nissan's scant LEAF 2.0 details)   Given the all-electric Ford's dismal sales history, one would think the company has few (if any) future sales to protect; maybe it has more to do with saving image then?

Quoting Automotive News:

"Speaking on the sidelines of the SAE World Congress last week here, Layden said keeping the car's range at 100 miles will help rein in weight and cost. The lower range enables the use of a smaller, lighter and less expensive battery pack, Layden said."

If Ford insists on not making a 200-mile electric car (or at least in a timely fashion), then General Motors with the Chevrolet Bolt, Tesla with the Model 3 and Nissan with it's not-yet-announced long-range LEAF, will have control of the long-range, affordable electric segment. Regardless, it looks like Ford is willing to sit this one out, which is a poor choice for sure.

There was talk one year ago of Ford developing a 200-mile electric car, but apparently that was just a rumor.

Source: Automotive News

Source: Ford Not Interested In Competing With Bolt Or Model 3 – Won't Offer A 200-Mile Electric Car

Electric car excitement remains limited in Maryland

For Tom Blanks, driving an electric car came down to pure mathematics.

Blanks, of Rodgers Forge, converted the miles per gallon and kilowatt hours per charge (the measure of electric fuel efficiency) of each option he was considering into a simpler statistic: dollars per mile. With only a short commute downtown from Towson, he leased a Nissan Leaf.

Next year, he'll buy a Tesla.

Known for its electric luxury cars, Tesla garnered a lot of attention after unveiling the more affordable Model 3, which will be out next year. Customers have pre-ordered nearly 400,000 of the cars, but consumers — in Maryland and around the country — have been reluctant to wade too deep into the nascent electric car market, concerned about their price and range.

"When I did the spreadsheets, I showed the savings in gasoline paid for my lease payment," Blanks said. "It made the car almost a wash by trading in my old commuter car."

Sales of plug-in electric cars account for only 1 percent of the U.S. market. In Maryland, only 2,282 electric cars were registered in the state as of December, while more than 350,000 new and 690,000 old vehicles were sold statewide last year, according to the Motor Vehicle Administration.

Sales of the Nissan Leaf and Tesla Model S outstrip other electric vehicles in Maryland, accounting for about 70 percent of the electrics registered in the state as of December 2015, according to the MVA. But many automakers — including BMW, Dodge, Chevy, Ford, Mitsubishi and Volkswagen — offer cars in the category, which doesn't include hybrid vehicles, which run on both gas and electric power.

Despite hefty tax breaks subsidizing them, most of the electric vehicles on the market today have been too expensive and underperforming to be feasible for the average consumer, said George Hoffer, an automotive economist at the University of Richmond.

Instead, he said, most models have been little more than "a toy to show how green you are."

"The electric car — with the exception of the Tesla, which is kind of a toy — has been a flop to date," Hoffer said. "And rightfully so. They haven't had the range. They've been overpriced."

Plus, gas prices have been low, charging stations remain few and far between compared with their gas station counterparts, and the cars aren't yet a viable transportation option for people with longer commutes and long-distance needs, he said.

That might not be the case for long, though.

Next-generation models, Hoffer said, are expected to far outpace the current ones in terms of how many miles they can get per charge, without much of an impact on price. Charging stations, including thousands of rapid-charge sites Tesla plans to open, are becoming more common.

"For lots of people, the new electric cars, the ones that are coming in the next year, have some viability," he said. "The price point is roughly staying about the same, but you're clearly getting much more car."

Oliver Hong, internet manager at Leckner Nissan of Ellicott City, said customer interest in electric cars is sporadic. He once went a month without leasing a Leaf, then leased five in one week, he said.

Most customers usually lease the compact Nissans, which retail for between $29,000 and nearly $37,000.

Those customers who do want to go electric have usually shopped around and driven other companies' versions for comparison, Hong said. They're generally knowledgeable — and particular — about what they're looking for.

"Most customers will do their research, but [electric vehicle] customers really do their research," Hong said. "They come in with a clipboard, knowing more than I do. A lot of them are repeat customers who owned an EV or hybrid already."

Shayne Wilson, in sales and leasing at O'Donnell Honda on U.S. 40, said under a pilot program, a handful of electric cars were sent to area dealerships in 2013 and 2014.

O'Donnell got about 15 blue Honda Fit EVs under the program, he said. They were for lease only, not for sale, he said, because "the electrics are so new." Honda ended up killing the EV model of the Fit for its 2015 model year but said it remained committed to "electromotive technology."

Electric vehicles still face an uphill battle, especially on the technology and infrastructure fronts, said Alex Vinogradsky, another O'Donnell Honda salesman.

Someone commuting to Washington from Columbia, he pointed out, would have to carefully plan their daily route to make sure they had enough power to make the trip there and back: "What if you get stuck in traffic on [Interstate] 495?"

"An electric vehicle right now makes sense in huge metropolitan areas," he said, where the charging stations are most concentrated and drivers aren't driving very far.

Baltimore was ranked among the top-10 friendliest cities in the nation for electric vehicles by Smart Grid Consumer Collaborative, which cited the relative abundance of charging stations. The city has installed them near City Hall and in municipal garages.

Tesla apparently likes the market. The company, which bucks auto industry retail norms by selling directly to the consumer instead of through dealerships, plans to open an Owings Mills location in an old dealership on Reisterstown Road soon, according to its website.

The company did not respond to requests for an interview or to say when it might open on Owings Mills.

Blanks, who has a relatively short commute to his job at the energy giant Exelon in the Inner Harbor, said he still uses his family's minivan for long trips with his wife and three children. But he envisions a time in the not-so-distant future when they can visit family in North Carolina without using a drop of gas.

He has pre-ordered the Tesla Model 3, set to come out in late 2017, when his lease on the Nissan is up. The car starts at $35,000.

Tesla expects to have built thousands of additional "supercharging stations" by then to increase their vehicles' range, he said.

"If I want to make a trip down to North Carolina, the charging infrastructure will exist," he said.

Source: Electric car excitement remains limited in Maryland

The Apple Car is reportedly being developed in a secret Berlin lab

Business Insider

Apple could be developing the Apple Car in a secret Berlin lab, according to a report from Frankfurter Allgemeine.

The German publication said on Monday that it had "learned from informed sources that Apple is running a secret laboratory for the development of an automobile — and this in the middle of Berlin." The laboratory is reportedly home to 15 to 20 staff with backgrounds in engineering, software, hardware, and sales.

Apple could also be looking at building the vehicle — widely referred to as either the Apple Car or the iCar — in Vienna, Austria, according to Frankfurter Allgemeine. In order to build the car in Vienna, Apple will reportedly team up with vehicle-engineering and contract-manufacturing firm Magna.

Apple has never admitted that it is working on an electric car, but the company has recruited dozens of automotive experts from companies like Ford and Mercedes-Benz, according to The Financial Times. 

The Apple Car, which may or may not be self-driving, is being developed under the code name "Titan," according to The Wall Street Journal. There may be hundreds of of people working on the project, including former Ford engineer Steve Zadesky, who helped build the iPhone. There's also Johann Jungwirth, who was Mercedes Benz's R&D chief before being hired by Apple in September 2014.

Google Maps/Skitch

Apple CEO Tim Cook visited BMW's German headquarters in 2014, according to a Reuters report in January, which also stated that senior Apple executives went on a tour of BMW's Leipzig factory to learn how it manufactures the i3 electric car.

Apple is hoping to start shipping the Apple car in 2019, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal in September 2015.

Silicon Valley heavyweights like Google and Uber are carrying out their own research into autonomous cars, as are many of the traditional car manufacturers, including BMW, Daimler, and Volkswagen.

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Source: The Apple Car is reportedly being developed in a secret Berlin lab

Mahindra to drive electric car into other European markets

LONDON: Having launched its electric car 'e2o' in the UK, Indian auto major Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) is now keen to drive into other advanced European markets including Sweden and Norway as part of its business expansion plans for this new vehicle segment.

The company is bullish on advanced countries in terms of electric vehicle markets on account of affordability and other issues. To cash in on opportunities available, e2o was launched just two months after rolling out GenZe electric scooter in California (USA).

"When you look at countries which are going to be early adopters, those are countries which are more advanced because the affordability is the key issue given battery costs are high at this stage. So by definition, electric cars will be more affordable in affluent economies," Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra told PTI.

"Secondly, concerns over climate change and the regulation concerning climate change is also much more stringent in the Western co untries. So by that logic, the markets in the West and affluent countries will move faster towards electric vehicle than the Indian market," he said.

Thus, M&M is looking at northern European markets including the Netherlands for launching its electric vehicle offering.

"Once we see traction here (in the UK) we certainly want to expand the market to other European countries. Some of the priority markets are the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden," he said.

M&M recently launched 'e2o' in the UK market priced up to 15,995 pounds (over Rs 15 lakh) designed specifically for urban commuting.

"Electric vehicle is exempt from congestion surcharge and road tax that immediately provides a competitive advantage which offsets some of the cost disadvantages in India and that is why the UK was the right place to foray into Europe," he said.

The entry-level e2o City is priced at 12,995 pounds, while the higher-spec TechX version would retail at 15,995 pounds and inc ludes a host of features like touchscreen infotainment centre with reversing camera, telematics, leather seats, alloy wheels and a rapid charging port.

The interesting part is that the e2o involves a complete online buying bypassing dealership network. At 12,995 ponds, it is competitively priced vis-a-vis models such as the Nissan Leaf.

The new vehicle is an innovative combination of advancements in automotive, electronics and information technology paired with minimal running costs and zero tailpipe emissions, he said.

"This makes it the ideal urban runabout or second car for the two-and-a-half-million UK households that can charge the car at home in a driveway or garage," he added.

Source: Mahindra to drive electric car into other European markets