Audi of America President Scott Keogh said that he hopes 25% of the brand’s US sales will consist of plug-in models by 2025. Given Americans’ love of SUVs, Audi’s e-tron quattro SUV, due out in 2018, is sure to be an important part of that equation. Audi has a number of innovative features planned for… Read more »
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Samsung supplies cylindrical 18650 cells to Chinese automaker
Samsung SDI will supply cylindrical 18650 format Li-ion battery cells for the new electric SUV iEV6S from , one of China’s top 10 domestic automakers. The battery pack for the iEV6S will use around 3,000 of Samsung’s 18650 cells. The two companies have signed an MOU for the supply of 50 million battery cells next… Read more »
Elon Musk personally interviewing software engineers for Autopilot program
If you need convincing that Tesla does things differently from other automakers, take a look at the latest set of tweets from CEO Elon Musk: Ramping up the Autopilot software team at Tesla to achieve generalized full autonomy. If interested, contact autopilot@teslamotors.com. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 20, 2015 Should mention that I… Read more »
BMW’s eRR electric sport motorcycle
BMW has said it plans to introduce a plug-in model in every one of its product segments, and that would seem to include two-wheeled vehicles as well. BMW Motorrad’s C evolution electric scooter uses the same battery modules as the BMW i3. Now BMW Motorrad is developing an electric “supersport” motorcycle, in collaboration with the… Read more »
Tesla says Model S reliability issues have been cut in half
Tesla responded quickly to Consumer Reports’ embarrassing statements about Model S’s mediocre reliability. In a public tweet, and again in a conference call with stock analysts, Elon Musk assured us that most of the early problems with the drive units have been fixed, and that the powertrains now rolling off the line are “excellent.” The… Read more »
Alcoa splits into two companies as auto industry demands more aluminum
Aluminum colossus Alcoa (NYSE:AA) has approved a plan to split into two independent, publicly-traded companies, referred to for now as the Upstream Company and the Value-Add Company. The transaction is to be completed in the second half of 2016. Global aluminum demand is expected to double between 2010 and 2020, driven partly by the light… Read more »
Tesla tweaks its battery chemistry: a closer look at silicon anode development
In mid-July, Tesla Motors made a trio of Model S update announcements. The new options included a 70 kWh rear-wheel-drive base model, an upgrade for the high-end battery pack from 85 to 90 kWh (providing about a 6% increase in range), and Ludicrous mode, which offers a 10% improvement in the car’s 0 to 60… Read more »
A closer look at torque ripple – minimizing its effects on electric machines
The Switched Reluctance Motor, or SRM, is often discussed as a prime choice for the next-generation EV traction motor. It is simple, robust, and arguably the least expensive of all motor types to manufacture. However, SRMs are notoriously difficult to control, and prone to emitting significant amounts of vibration and acoustic noise. The good news… Read more »
BYD sells 50 e6 EVs to San Diego ride-sharing fleet
San Diego-based ride-sharing service Opoli has agreed to buy 50 e6 EVs from China’s BYD Motors. The e6 electric crossover will join Opoli’s natural gas airport shuttles later this summer. Opoli, which launched its service in the San Diego area just a few weeks ago, is the first ride-share service permitted at the San Diego… Read more »
The 2016 Volvo XC90 T8 Twin Engine PHEV enters the US market with great promise
These days when most Americans think of Swedish engineering, they probably remember a frustrating experience with an Allen wrench and one too few pieces of particle board. But we didn’t always buy our Swedish creations under the same roof as our Swedish meatballs. Any American old enough to drink remembers a friend whose parents drove… Read more »