20.8 C
New York
Monday, August 4, 2025

Submit EV Event

Home Blog Page 11

Vermont’s clean energy transition faces unprecedented political threat

0
Clean cement startup Brimstone can make another key material: alumina

The bill would replace the state’s renewable energy requirements with a clean electricity standard that includes nuclear power. Advocates worry the change would shift money from solar and wind to nuclear projects. The bill would also reapportion efficiency funds — which now pay for a range of services including home energy assessments, commercial lighting support, and financing programs – to support weatherization, a narrower focus which advocates say would not have as much impact on greenhouse gas reductions as the broader array of options.

The bill would remove the Climate Council’s authority to direct policy, making its role merely advisory. The legislation would then create a separate body tasked with developing its own companion implementation strategy” to be delivered in December 2026, after the next legislative and gubernatorial elections.

This brilliant idea is Let’s roll back the things we have done, wait for an additional 18 months, then trust me, we’ll make some real progress at that point,’” Edgerly Walsh said.

To avoid Gov. Scott’s veto pen, Democrats seek budget-neutral solutions 

At the same time, Democrats — aware of Scott’s resistance to any clean energy action that comes with a price tag — have proposed just one major energy bill.

In terms of larger, more comprehensive actions, the path this biennium is extraordinarily difficult given Gov. Scott’s consistent opposition to anything of that kind,” Edgerly Walsh said.

Democrats’ proposal would expand the mission of the state’s energy-efficiency utility, Efficiency Vermont, to include a broader range of emission-reducing and cost-saving solutions, including fuel switching and electric vehicle adoption. The program currently has a very narrow mandate to reduce the consumption of electricity. Bill S.65 would direct the organization to prioritize reducing greenhouse gas emissions and authorize it to undertake programs beyond its traditional scope.

Johanna Miller, energy and climate program director for the Vermont Natural Resources Council, is hopeful, however, that Scott would not veto the measure, as it leverages existing money rather than adding cost.

The governor has made it clear that his veto pen comes out when there’s any cost implications,” she said.

The dynamics in the state have been building to this moment for some time. In addition to the cost-of-living concerns that are widespread nationally, Vermont last year dealt with a surge in property taxes to fund its schools.

Outside voices have started to creep into the state as well: In 2024, Americans for Prosperity, the conservative political action group founded by the billionaire Koch brothers, launched a campaign against the state’s Clean Heat Standard, a proposed measure that aimed to reduce emissions from heating sources. The organization’s mailers used distorted descriptions of the proposed plan to rally opposition. In the end, legislative leaders decided not to proceed with a vote to approve the standard.

These circumstances have left Democrats and environmental advocates girding for two years of staving off attacks on clean energy and energy-efficiency programs while struggling to make much progress.

I ultimately think we’re going to be able to hold the line,” Edgerly Walsh said. But it’s going to be a lot of hard work between now and the end of the session.”

Advertise on EV Magazine

Source link by Canary Media

Author Sarah Shemkus


#Vermonts #clean #energy #transition #faces #unprecedented #political #threat

- Advertisement -

Cartoonish Tesla crashes, Toyota battery deals, and new Chinese hotness

0
Cartoonish Tesla crashes, Toyota battery deals, and new Chinese hotness

ACME stock soars on today’s cartoonishly silly episode of Quick Charge, we watch Tesla Autopilot crash into a wall with a painting on it, make the Elon stans look silly when they point out shady behavior from their fearless leader, and toss out the notion that some franchise dealers might help the troubled EV brand make more sales in red states.

We also cover Toyota as it moves to position itself for global battery dominance by suppling batteries to more than 400,000 electrified Honda vehicles per year, plus an upgraded Xpeng G6 electric SUV that makes everything on this side of the Pacific look positively plebeian. All this and more, enjoy!

Prefer listening to your podcasts? Audio-only versions of Quick Charge are now available on Apple PodcastsSpotifyTuneIn, and our RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.

New episodes of Quick Charge are recorded, usually, Monday through Thursday (and sometimes Sunday). We’ll be posting bonus audio content from time to time as well, so be sure to follow and subscribe so you don’t miss a minute of Electrek’s high-voltage daily news.

Advertisement – scroll for more content

Got news? Let us know!
Drop us a line at tips@electrek.co. You can also rate us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or recommend us in Overcast to help more people discover the show.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.



Source link by Electrek

Author Jo Borrás


#Cartoonish #Tesla #crashes #Toyota #battery #deals #Chinese #hotness

- Advertisement -

Renault 5 Turbo 3E brings in-wheel motors to electric hot hatch

0
Renault 5 Turbo 3E brings in-wheel motors to electric hot hatch

Renault continues to look to the past with a performance version of its affordable electric hatchback.

Just as the electric Renault 5 E-Tech is inspired by the cult-classic original that launched in 1972, the limited-edition Renault 5 Turbo 3E pays homage to an extreme performance version of that hatch. Due to start deliveries in 2027, production will be limited to 1,980 units in reference to the original 5 Turbo’s launch year.

That first Renault 5 Turbo (and a later 5 Turbo 2 variant) were powered by a turbo-4 engine mounted in the middle of the car and powering the rear wheels, instead of the front-engine, front-wheel-drive configuration of the standard 5. This all-electric revival also makes the switch from front-wheel drive to rear-wheel drive, in this case with a pair of in-wheel motors delivering a combined 533 hp, mounted in 20-inch wheels.

Renault 5 Turbo 3E

Renault 5 Turbo 3E

A 70-kwh battery pack affords what Renault estimates as approximately 250 miles of range on the European WLTP testing cycle, which generally produces higher number than the EPA cycle, or “several hot laps” of a racetrack. An 800-volt electrical architecture allows for 350-kw DC fast charging and a 15-80% charge in around 15 minutes, according to Renault.

Carbon-fiber bodywork contributes to a relatively low (for an EV) curb weight of 3,395 pounds, allowing the 5 Turbo 3E to get from 0-62 mph in under 3.5 seconds and on a top speed of 168 mph, Renault estimates.

Like the original 5 Turbo, very little of the base car’s bodywork carries over. Renault moved the windshield back, extended the wheelbase, and have the 5 Turbo 3E swollen fenders that are dead ringers for those of the original 5 Turbo. Enhancing the retro aesthetic are available liveries like the black, white, and yellow combination shown here, inspired by a racing livery from the 1982 Tour de Corse rally.

Renault 5 Turbo 3E

Renault 5 Turbo 3E

Inside, bucket seats and six-point harnesses mingle with a 10.1-inch digital instrument cluster and and 10.3-inch central touchscreen, with more carbon-fiber components to help drive home this car’s sporty intent.

The 5 Turbo 3E isn’t the only performance version of the modern electric Renault 5. Renault’s sibling brand Alpine recently launched the A290, a 220-hp version of the electric hatch. While prices haven’t been announced, given its extensive reworking and limited production run, expect the Turbo 3E to be much more expensive, in sharp contrast to the base 5 E-Tech’s low price. And neither version will likely come to the U.S.

Homages like the Turbo 3E are in keeping with Renault’s strategy of emphasizing retro styling as it electrifies. In January, the automaker also unveiled a one-off test car inspired by record-setting prototypes from the last century. Dubbed Filante Record 2025, it will be used in range and efficiency record attempts later this year, Renault has said.


Advertise on EV Magazine
Source link by Green Car Reports
Author news@greencarreports.com (Stephen Edelstein)

#Renault #Turbo #brings #inwheel #motors #electric #hot #hatch
- Advertisement -

Flash Drive: 2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ

0
Trump wants to end the $7.5B bipartisan EV charger buildout. Can he?

Flagship Cadillac Electric SUV

The 2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ is the luxury brand’s flagship SUV. Clean Fleet Report recently had the opportunity get behind the wheel for a couple hours during media event in San Francisco. At first blush it would seem odd, if not mildly sadistic, to have journalists driving Cadillac’s largest vehicle through the streets of San Francisco, which are known for being tight, busy and at times a bit crazy.

Escalades in the rain

It proved to be a perfect place to showcase the Escalade IQ.

Driving Experience

2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ
The route we took

Departing downtown San Francisco, on a wind-driven rainy morning, we headed south along Highway 1 to Half Moon Bay, and then over the mountains to Woodside. This route clearly demonstrated the handling, ride and performance capabilities of the Escalade IQ as both a city and open road full-size SUV. In town, the four-wheel steering feature gave the 19-foot Escalade IQ the turning radius of a much smaller car. This technology is also found on the Chevrolet Silverado EV, GMC Hummer and Sierra EVs.

Four-wheel steering makes it possible to park and take tight corners with ease, while on the open road the rear wheels track in-line with the front wheels. The ride is smooth because of the air ride suspension and the Magnetic Ride Control. That will make livery companies happy as their clients will continue to be riding in Escalade comfort.

The acceleration was strong in either Normal or Velocity Max (AKA Sport) mode. As is typical of all electric vehicles, acceleration was linear and the torque was available at any speed. Without a transmission, there was no hunting for the right gear. Having no gasoline engine eliminated delays and hesitations that can come from the air-spark-fuel demand under hard acceleration. The Escalade IQ was pleasant to drive, taking sweeping corners easily with its 9,000-pound weight never giving a feeling of excess body roll.

2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ
A dominant dash

The interior has seating for either six or seven. Front seats are power, heated and ventilated, with lumbar and memory for the driver.

The most dominant feature of the Escalade IQ is the 55-inch curved diagonal display that stretches from pillar-to-pillar. The 8k resolution for the driver display and the 4k on a separate screen for the front passenger were both sharp and clear. This screen is where the navigation, vehicle controls and settings are located. Also part of the display is the 19, 36 or 40-speaker AKG audio system for FM radio and available SiriusXM. AM radio is not an option. The screen also handles the very cool looking and helpful Night Vision

Google is built-in with Google Assistant and Maps useable with voice recognition. Apple CarPlay or Android Auto are not available on the 2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ.

Design

The exterior remains loyal to the Escalade design DNA. Cadillac did not stray far as the best-selling luxury full-size SUV has a loyal following. Where the Escalade IQ diverges—the edges are a bit softer, which allows for a respectable 0.321 coefficient of drag rating.

We had the chance to speak with Kuyjin Shim, lead exterior designer for the Escalade IQ. We asked about the dimensions, especially about the hood length even though there no longer was a gasoline or diesel engine up-front.

“We had lots of freedom to utilize the space without there being an engine up there by designing the eTrunk that gives storage not just in the rear,” Shim said. “We gave it (Escalade IQ) a very different character and persona that is part of our next generation EV design language, giving customers a choice between the traditional Escalade design and this new one.”

Open sesame

The exterior features walk-up and walk-away, front and rear, choreographed lighting sequences and a panoramic fixed glass roof that is tinted and treated with UV-filtering. The 24-inch wheels and 35-inch tires gives the Escalade IQ a strong presence.

Power

Two electric motors (one front, one rear) drive all four wheels through the eAWD system with these Cadillac performance estimates.

  • 680 hp Normal Mode
  • 750 hp Velocity Max
  • 615 lb.-ft. of torque Normal Mode
  • 785 lb.-ft. of torque Velocity Max
2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ
Lots of glass up top

Range

460 all-electric miles

Battery and Charging

Lithium-ion with more than 200 kWh of useable battery energy

On-board charger: 7.7 kW standard; 19.2 kW optional

DC fast charger: 100 miles of range can be added in 10 minutes

Level 2, 240V

  • +14.8 miles per hour at 7.7 kW
  • +19.2 miles per hour at 19.2 kW

The variable regeneration, with one pedal driving, when coasting or braking, converts kinetic energy into electric energy and returns it to the battery, adding driving range.

For even more convenience, the Escalade IQ has bi-directional charging. Vehicle-to-Home (V2H), in a properly equipped home, use a charged IQ battery to deliver power to a home, becoming a generator in emergencies. The Escalade IQ also has power outlets that can charge e-bikes, tire pumps and outdoor equipment or run your office while traveling.

Driver Assistance

  • SuperCruise for hands-free driving. Demonstrated here.
  • Radar, cameras and ultrasonic sensing to monitor exterior conditions
2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ
Night vision

Safety

The Escalade IQ comes standard with advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), including adaptive cruise control, blind spot warning and steering assist, automatic emergency braking, front pedestrian braking, lane keep assist departure warning and forward collision alert.

As with all General Motors vehicles, the Escalade IQ is equipped with OnStar. A simple push of a button connects to a friendly representative to handle emergencies, directions and general assistance to make your driving experience safer and more enjoyable.

Pricing and Availability

The 2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ, built at the General Motors’ Factory Zero Detroit-Hamtramckassembly plant in Michigan, is on-sale in early 2025 with a starting price around $130,000, including destination charges.

Observations: 2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ

2025 Cadillac Ecalade IQ
The electric Escalade

General Motors is on a roll, announcing several battery electric vehicles being built on the dedicated Ultium EV Platform. So far, these are the GMC Hummer and Sierra, Chevrolet Blazer, Silverado and Equinox and Cadillac Lyriq,. Next up is the battery electric Cadillac Optiq and the Escalade IQL, a longer version of the Escalade IQ review here.

Our take, after seeing it up close at the reveal event and getting some time behind the wheel, is loyal Escalade owners will be open and even excited to swap their gasoline or diesel model for all-electric. The size, driving range, charging speed and Cadillac premium look, touch and feel will keep the Escalade as the best-selling luxury SUV.

Make sure to opt-in to the Clean Fleet Report newsletter (top right of page) to be notified of all new stories and vehicle reviews.

Story by John Faulkner. Photos by John Faulkner and Cadillac.

The post Flash Drive: 2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ first appeared on Clean Fleet Report.

Source link by Clean Fleet Report
Author John Faulkner

#Flash #Drive #Cadillac #Escalade
- Advertisement -

If Musk wants to sell Tesla cars to conservatives, Tesla needs stores and service in red states

0
If Musk wants to sell Tesla cars to conservatives, Tesla needs stores and service in red states

Elon Musk wants to sell Tesla cars to conservatives, but if that’s the strategy, the automaker should start with having stores and service centers in red states and rural areas.

It’s no secret that Elon Musk’s approval ratings with progressives have been plummeting over the last few years and even more so in the previous few months.

Since he has control over Tesla and he is the only official spokesperson since he let go of the PR department in 2020, the CEO is dragging the automaker along for the ride.

This is a problem for Tesla as Democrats are much more likely to buy electric vehicles than Republicans:

Advertisement – scroll for more content

Tesla’s sales have been crumbling over the last few months, and after the stock crashed 15% last Monday, President Trump held a controversial commercial for Tesla with Musk on the steps of the White House on Tuesday.

A day later, it was reported that Musk plans to give Trump another $100 million in political donations.

It was an apparent attempt to try to promote Tesla to Trump’s fans: conservatives.

Based on a Tesla inventory check and new order delivery timeline, we reported that the Trump ad appeared to have little to no impact on the demand for Tesla vehicles.

It could be that people see through Musk and Trump’s quid pro quo and, therefore, don’t value Trump’s “Tessler” endorsement seriously. Still, there’s also a more practical reason why Trump’s fans and conservatives generally don’t buy more Tesla vehicles: the locations of Tesla’s stores and service centers (hat tip to Ben).

Even if some Trump fans were interested in buying a Tesla after the White House commercial last week, they might have been turned off by the idea of having to drive several hours to a store or service center.

Tesla does not have stores or service centers in Alabama, Arkansas, North and South Dakota, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, or Wyoming.

In some cases, it’s not entirely Tesla’s fault, as some of these states have laws against Tesla’s direct sale models. They force automakers to go through third-party franchise dealerships. This is an abuse of old state laws aimed at protecting dealers against unfair competition from the automakers they represent.

Car dealer lobbies use their influence on state legislatures to use these laws to block Tesla, Rivian, Lucid, and other automakers who never had franchise dealerships from operating their own stores and service centers.

But on top of not having locations in several red states, Tesla also primarily has locations in urban areas, whereas conservatives disproportionally live in rural areas.

The automaker has several dead zones and doesn’t operate locations in smaller cities and towns where there are several Ford, GM, Toyota, and other car dealers:

While it certainly does happen, it’s hard to convince someone to buy a car if they have to drive several hours to pick it up and have it serviced.

Electrek’s Take

In short, it’s not only harder to convince conservatives, on average, to buy an electric vehicle, but Tesla is also not correctly set up to sell and service cars in conservative regions of the US.

Though, I think that’s a small part of the problem.

Cars are not supposed to be political.

Even if Tesla successfully converted a significant percentage of conservatives to electric vehicles, it wouldn’t stop the company’s brand destruction.

Tesla’s reputation amongst Democrats and independents has sharply decreased over the last few years, and especially over the last few months, and that’s thanks to Elon Musk alienating them.

It’s tough to be a successful consumer product company when you have alienated 50% or so of your market.

Tesla is basically becoming the MyPillow of Trump’s second term.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.


Advertise on EV Magazine
Source link by Electrek
Author Fred Lambert

#Musk #sell #Tesla #cars #conservatives #Tesla #stores #service #red #states
- Advertisement -

Electric BMW 3-Series arrives in 2026; undergoing cold-weather testing

0
Electric BMW 3-Series arrives in 2026; undergoing cold-weather testing

The second model in BMW’s Neue Klasse electric-vehicle line is now undergoing cold-weather testing ahead of a 2026 debut.

BMW started pre-production of the first Neue Klasse model, a compact crossover, in November, and on Friday confirmed that it will debut at the 2025 Munich auto show in September. BMW also confirmed the iX3 name for this model, recycling a name first used on an electric version of the X3 that was never sold in the U.S.

Two days prior to that announcement, BMW posted a video on Instagram of an electric sedan testing in Sweden. This second Neue Klasse model is expected to wear BMW 3-Series badging, and may even be called the i3, bringing back the name of an innovative electric hatchback that was BMW’s first attempt at a volume electric car.

The original i3, which debuted in 2013 and ended production in 2022, featured an unusual (for BMW, at least) tall-and-narrow shape and unorthodox engineering, including a body structure made in part from carbon fiber-reinforced plastic. More than 250,000 were made during the i3’s nine-year production run.

 

Prototype for electric BMW 3-Series based on Neue Klasse platform

The i3’s departure left BMW without a small, entry-level EV, something the automaker has wanted to rectify, development boss Frank Weber said in a 2023 interview. Weber said the i3 successor wouldn’t have the “polarizing design” of the original, though. Perhaps this Neue Klasse model, sporting a more conventional sedan shape and minimalist styling previewed by a 2023 concept car, is it.

Named after the family of models credited with saving BMW in the 1960s, the Neue Klasse represents a new phase in EV engineering for the automaker. BMW has been teasing technical details for some time, confirming an 800-volt electrical architecture, a switch to cylindrical battery cells and front induction motors, and a chassis-control unit dubbed Heart of Joy.





Source link by Green Car Reports

Author news@greencarreports.com (Stephen Edelstein)


#Electric #BMW #3Series #arrives #undergoing #coldweather #testing

- Advertisement -

London is getting 570 ‘flat and flush’ sidewalk EV chargers

0
London is getting 570 ‘flat and flush’ sidewalk EV chargers

EV drivers in the Borough of Camden in London will soon see a major boost in sidewalk chargers, thanks to a new partnership between Camden Council and Scottish charge point company Trojan Energy.

The council awarded Trojan Energy a contract to install over 570 on-street Level 2 EV chargers by 2026. The project kicks off with an initial rollout of 70 chargers in July 2025, with the rest coming as suitable locations are identified. This expansion builds on a successful trial from 2022, which received positive responses from local EV owners.

Photo: Trojan Energy

Trojan’s 22 kW chargers have a clever design—they sit “flat and flush” with sidewalks, meaning no bulky units cluttering up the pavement. Residents without driveways can easily “plug and play” using personal adapters, connecting their EVs to points linked via underground cables to a nearby cabinet. The chargers are grouped in clusters, increasing availability and convenience for drivers. Trojan launched an app last month that enables drivers to find chargers, check availability, and check charging history.

The sidewalk EV chargers won’t just help individual EV owners in the London borough; it’ll also support car-sharing programs, helping Camden reduce unnecessary car ownership and encourage more people to walk, bike, or take transit. Funding for the project comes from the UK government’s On-street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS).

Advertisement – scroll for more content

Councillor Adam Harrison, cabinet member for Planning and a Sustainable Camden (pictured above left) said, “By promoting active travel such as walking and cycling and facilitating this shift to electric vehicles with convenient charging points, we hope to improve air quality, reduce emissions, and support environmental resilience across the borough.” 

Read more: New York awards $60M to Revel to install 267 DC fast chargers


If you live in an area that has frequent natural disaster events, and are interested in making your home more resilient to power outages, consider going solar and adding a battery storage system. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. They have hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.

Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisers to help you every step of the way. Get started here. –trusted affiliate link*

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.



Source link by Electrek
Author Michelle Lewis

#London #flat #flush #sidewalk #chargers
- Advertisement -

Turing AI and “bulletproof” EV batteries arrive with 2025 Xpeng G6 SUV

0
Turing AI and “bulletproof” EV batteries arrive with 2025 Xpeng G6 SUV

The Xpeng G6 all-electric SUV has received a raft of 81 updates for the 2025 model year – and chief among these is a new, “bulletproof,” ultra-fast 5C charging “A.I. battery” that can go from 10 to 80% charge in just twelve minutes.

Sized and priced to put the best-selling Tesla Model Y firmly in its crosshairs, the Xpeng G6 SUV has been substantially upgraded for 2025 with three trim levels starting at “just” 176,800 yuan ($27,620, as I type this). Meaning that, despite the improved range, ADAS offerings, and charging speed, the 2025 model’s starting price is nearly 11% lower than last year’s already popular model.

For that money, G6 buyers will get the Xpeng-developed Turing AI intelligent driving system – an advanced ADAS system powered by the company’s 40-core “Turing chip” processor that promises to deliver the power of three high-performance chips in one.

The Turing chip is the basis for Xpeng’s Canghai neural network, which the company claims will eventually support full-scale L4 autonomous driving with enhanced safety features that have 33x the bandwidth, and 12x faster camera image processing than its main competitors, creating a foundation for full-scenario AI-enabled driving experiences that probably won’t smash your car into a Wile E. Coyote-style mural.

Advertisement – scroll for more content

Turing AI launch

Xpeng Turing chip launch; NOV2024.

The newsworthy specs don’t stop there, however. The new 2025 Xpeng G6 also offers the company’s new “bulletproof” 5C AI batteries.

For those of you not in the know, the “5C” there refers to “five cycles,” and basically means that the battery can go from 10 to 80% full five times in an hour. 60 minutes in an hour, 12 minutes to go from 10-80%, that’s 1/5th of an hour, so it’s 5 cycles … or: 5C. A 6C battery would do the trick in 10 minutes, a 4C in 15, etc.

As for what makes the Xpeng AI batteries “bulletproof,” the company claims the battery is wrapped in a sort of armor that can withstand more than 1,000 degrees C of heat, up to 80 tons of collision force in a side-impact scenario, and more than 2000 joules of impact from the bottom.

2025 Xpeng G6 available models

2025 Xpeng G6 in Dark Night Black trim; via Xpeng.
  • 625 Long-range Max Technology Edition: 176,800 yuan (~ $24,400)
  • 625 Long-range Max Ultimate Edition: 186,800 yuan (~ $25,800)
  • 725 Ultra-long-range Max Ultimate Edition: 198,800 yuan (~ $27,500)

The 625 models get 625 km of range on the CLTC (China Light-Duty Vehicle Test Cycle), which translates to about 275 miles of EPA range. The 725 model adds another 100 km (60 miles) of range. The AI batteries in all three models go from 3C to 5C charging speed and ship with the Turing AI self-driving system as standard equipment.

Other upgrades for 2025 include a 9-inch streaming rearview mirror, updates to the soft-touch rubber and plastic materials in the cabin, and Xpeng’s new “cloud-sense” seats that support heat, ventilation, and (up front) even massage.

Two new body colors have also been added to the G6′ pallette: Starry Purple and Cloud Beige (shown, below), bring the total of available colors to six.

Xpeng went to Weibo to announce that it took the redesigned 2025 G6 just seven minutes to log 5,000 firm orders, on its first day of availability.

Electrek’s Take

I don’t always agree with Ford CEO Chris Jim Farley, but he’s absolutely right about Chinese EVs setting the standard for range, performance, and technology. It seems like every new EV that emerges from China’s tech-forward car brands makes EVs from Ford and Tesla look the level-three generic offerings from whatever the automotive equivalent of Dollar Tree is.

The only problem with that analogy is that the American offerings often cost consumers twice as much. And, before you jump into the comments and write about government subsidies and federalized healthcare costs and other supposed Chinese advantages – remember that we could do those things, too, if we wanted.

What would our excuse be then?

SOURCE | IMAGES: Xpeng, via CarNewsChina; CNEVPost.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.


Advertise on EV Magazine
Source link by Electrek
Author Jo Borrás

#Turing #bulletproof #batteries #arrive #Xpeng #SUV
- Advertisement -

Tesla Autopilot drives into Wile E Coyote fake road wall in camera vs lidar test

0
Clean cement startup Brimstone can make another key material: alumina

Tesla Autopilot drove into Wile E. Coyote-style fake road wall in the middle of the road in a camera versus lidar test.

While most companies developing self-driving technologies have been using a mix of sensors (cameras, radar, lidar, and ultrasonic), Tesla insists on only using cameras.

The automaker removed radars from its vehicle lineup and even deactivated radars already installed in existing vehicles.

The strategy has yet to pay off as Tesla’s systems are still stuck at level 2 driver assist systems.

Advertisement – scroll for more content

CEO Elon Musk claims that Tesla’s advantage is that once it solves autonomy, it will be able to scale faster than competitors because its vision plus neural net system is designed to work like a human driver and, therefore, will be able to adapt to any road.

Critics have pushed back against those claims, especially since Musk mentioned Tesla achieving “level 5 autonomy”, which means “in any conditions,” and cameras have limitations on that front that are fixed by lidar sensors.

A new video by engineering Youtuber Mark Rober has provided a very interesting demonstration of that very problem:

In the video, Rober puts a Tesla Model Y on Autopilot against a vehicle using a lidar system in a series of tests in different conditions.

The Tesla on Autopilot managed to stop for a kid mannequin in the middle of the road when statics, moving, and blinded by lights, but it couldn’t stop in fog or heavy rain:

It’s not surprising that the lidar, a laser-based system, is capable of detecting better in heavy fog than a camera system.

The heavy rain was a bit more surprising, but to be fair, the level of rain was quite spectacular.

The last scenario of a Wile E. Coyote-style wall with a fake road painted on it was obviously not realistic, but it serves to illustrate the issue with cameras versus radar or lidar sensors: they rely on the perception of potential obstacles rather than hard data about potential obstacles.

In simple words, the lidar sensors didn’t care what was painted on the wall, they only cared that it was a wall, while cameras can be tricked.

Electrek’s Take

I think it’s clear that no Tesla vehicle currently available will be capable of level 5 autonomy as Elon claimed.

Level 4 is also questionable.

I think you can accomplish a lot with cameras, but I think it’s undeniable that adding radars and lidars can make systems safer.

In DMs with us during Tesla’s transition to vision only, Elon even admitted that “very high-resolution radars would be better than pure vision”, but he claimed that “such a radar does not exist”:

“A very high-resolution radar would be better than pure vision, but such a radar does not exist.”

When we pointed one out to him, he didn’t respond. Also, while they use light rather than radio waves, lidars are basically high-resolution radars, but the problem is that Musk has taken such a strong stance against them for so long that now that they have improved immensely and reduced in prices, he still can’t admit that he was wrong and use them.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.



Source link by Electrek
Author Fred Lambert

#Tesla #Autopilot #drives #Wile #Coyote #fake #road #wall #camera #lidar #test
- Advertisement -

Study: Trump killing EV tax credits would decimate US industries

0
Rivian aims for 155,000 of its $45,000 R2 electric SUVs in Illinois

If the Trump Administration eliminates the federal EV tax credit, it could have a devastating effect on U.S. manufacturing, a new study warns.

Produced by the REPEAT Project, a Princeton University group that analyzes environmental policy, the study found that killing the $7,500 tax credit would reduce EV demand, as well as endanger manufacturing jobs associated with making those vehicles and the batteries that power them.

“The report is also the only analysis I’m aware of to date that draws the connection to U.S. manufacturing as well,” Jesse D. Jenkins, an assistant professor at Princeton and the study’s project leader, told Electrek in an emailed statement.

2025 Cadillac Optiq

2025 Cadillac Optiq

Without the tax credit, researchers estimate that EV sales in the U.S. could decrease 30% by 2027 and nearly 40% by 2030. That might cut predicted EV market share from 18% to 13% in 2026 and from 40% to 24% in 2030, according to the study.

Such a slowdown could lead to 100% of planned expansions of U.S. EV assembly plants being canceled, and could make 29% to 72% of U.S. battery-manufacturing capacity redundant, according to the study. Factories that are idled—or never built in the first place—mean fewer jobs. And based on the distribution of current EV-related manufacturing projects, red states could be hit the hardest.

2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5

2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5

Analysts have viewed the tax credit as vital to continuing U.S. EV sales growth. It was among the trends that led S&P Global Mobility, in 2023, to predict that U.S. EV sales could more than double by 2030. But the Trump Administration is expected to target the credit, just as it’s targeted other Biden Administration policies related to charging infrastructure and emissions standards.

The potential loss of the tax credit, and other Trump policies, led J.D. Power to revise its EV market share retail forecast to be flat this year, at 9.1% of the U.S. retail market, but with resumed growth after this year to 26% of the market by 2030. Considering expected market growth among mass-market models outside EV-specific brands like Tesla, Rivian, and Lucid, that could still lead to 3% sales growth.



Source link by Green Car Reports
Author news@greencarreports.com (Stephen Edelstein)

#Study #Trump #killing #tax #credits #decimate #industries
- Advertisement -