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Cross Country with Tesla Full Self Driving (Supervised)

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Cross Country with Tesla Full Self Driving (Supervised)

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My wife, our small dog, and our two large e-bikes recently made the 1500-mile trip from Utah to Northern Wisconsin in our Tesla Model 3 Long Range. It was our first cross-country trip with the new Version 12 of Tesla FSD (Supervised), V12.3.4.

Supercharging

The e-bikes on a tray-type bike rack in back drastically reduce our effective maximum range from about 250 miles to about 125 miles. Fortunately, Tesla’s marvelous Supercharger network still makes it a no-brainer and easy to manage. We stopped at six Superchargers in Wyoming on the 600-mile first day traveling from Lindon, Utah, to Custer, South Dakota. Only the 125-mile leg from the Supercharger in Rawlins to the Evansville (Casper) Supercharger required dropping our speed from our standard 75 mph to 65 mph to make it comfortably. The bikes also make backing up to the Superchargers difficult. It’s a little bit like the difficulty charging a Cybertruck. My wife needs to get out and help me back up just the right amount. Fortunately, 4 of the 6 Superchargers had drive-by chargers on one end (see Figure 1).

Figure 1: Drive-by stall. First Supercharger. Evanston, Wyoming. Photo by Fritz Hasler.

Also, there was at most one other Tesla charging at the Wyoming Superchargers, so I could park sideways, which also allowed me to position my car relative to a charger without help (see Figure 2).

Figure 2: Empty Tesla Superchargers. Rawlins, Wyoming. Photo by Fritz Hasler.

All of the chargers except one were within 100 feet of a very nice hotel/motel with access to the restrooms, as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3: T.J. Maxx Supercharger. Rock Springs, Wyoming. May 2, 2024. Photo by Fritz Hasler.

The other was a few hundred yards from my wife’s favorite store: a TJ Maxx (see Figure 3). I dropped her off there before I went to charge. Usually, by the time I had walked into the motel, taken my bathroom break, walked back and my wife had taken our dog for a walk, we had only 10–15 minutes of charging to do to resume our journey.

What about FSD V12 (Supervised) Driving Cross Country?

1) The super-accurate lane-keeping helped me do the 600-mile day at age 83+ years so that I could make the trip, including the last 100 miles in the dark, with little stress.

2) At our speed of 75 mph, we frequently needed to pass slower moving trucks. FSD would usually take us automatically into the lefthand lane, pass the truck, and then return to the righthand lane. However, it didn’t always work. It was usually quite aggressive finding a break in the traffic in order to move to the lefthand lane. However, it was a little slow returning to the righthand lane. When there was faster traffic coming behind us, if I didn’t intervene, the traffic would pass us on the right.

3) FSD monitors your attentiveness in two ways: A) You need to apply a small amount of torque to the steering wheel every 20 seconds or so, so it knows your hand is on the wheel. B) A camera just below the mirror is watching you. FSD knows if you are looking to the right at the main control video screen too long. It also knows if you are looking at your phone. If you fail to tug on the steering wheel, or look away from the road too long, you get a blue flashing signal on the top of the screen. If you continue to exhibit bad behavior, you get an audible signal.

Bad Behavior

If you exhibit bad behavior for just a few more seconds, you get what’s called a “Forced Disengagement.” That means that FSD will fail to work until you come to a stop, put the car in park, and start up again. If you get five “Forced Disengagements,” your access to FSD will be withdrawn for 7 days.

I’ve had FSD 12 now for several months and had managed to limit myself to two “Forced Disengagements.” However, on a long cross-country trip, it’s easy to lose concentration eventually, and by the end of our second day, I had managed to get three more “Forced Disengagements” and lost access to FSD. That meant that I lost access for the last 650 miles of our trip. I will need to wait 7 days to regain access to FSD and get a new set of five “Forced Disengagements.” I am scheduled to regain access to FSD on May 11 at 6:39 p.m.

My car has returned to old pre-FSD behavior where it will stop for stop signs and stop lights. Humorously, it will also again stop for green lights unless you manually signal it to proceed. Also, it will only proceed from stop lights automatically if you are following another car. I can still put my destination into the navigation and get my route on the map, but I had to reactivate the voice assist to get turning instructions. I did okay driving the complete east to west route on the busy freeways through the center of downtown Minneapolis/Saint Paul. However, we did have trouble getting to the Oakdale Supercharger where detour signage caused us to loop to the exit three times before we got it right. FSD may have helped us avoid this problem.

It was pretty interesting. I no longer have access to auto navigation and steering assist, but I still have smart cruise. It was a rude awakening to have to steer my car again manually. Unless I have total concentration, I am not nearly as accurate as FSD keeping myself in the center of the lane. However, with access to smart cruise, the last 650 miles of the trip were not too stressful.

When I left Utah, I had FSD (Supervised) V12.3.4, but I was notified that a new software version was ready to be downloaded. Unfortunately, you cannot download the software while Supercharging. Too bad — that would be a time when you are killing time anyway. Therefore, I waited until the evening of the first day at the Bavarian Inn at Custer South Dakota. The Bavarian Inn had two destination chargers; one was a Tesla Destination Charger that was already occupied by a Tesla Model S. Therefore, I pulled into the J1772 charger and used the adapter that I always carry with me. By the next morning, everything was covered with 3” of fresh snow, as shown in Figure 4.

Figure 4: L2 J1772 Charger. Bavarian Inn. Custer, South Dakota. Photo by Fritz hasler

But first I logged into the Bavarian Inn Wi-Fi and started the download of FSD (Supervised) V12.3.6. The release notes said that the upgrade would provide more accurate range estimates. It is supposed to take into account the age and condition of the battery. I’m not able to evaluate this and haven’t noticed any other changes.

My wife loves to spend an extra day in Custer, South Dakota, so we can drive through the Wildlife Loop and see the big bison herd, donkeys, pronghorn antelope, and ground hogs (see Figure 5).

Figure 5: Bison. Wildlife Loop, Custer State Park, South Dakota. May 3, 2024. Photo by Fritz Hasler.

I have observed the current version of FSD (Supervised) slow down just the right amount for speed bumps. However, it doesn’t recognize the flashing lights and slow to 20 mph for school zones. Doing so in school zones seems like an easy fix that I expect to see soon in future versions.

In northern Utah, we have the 12-lane I-15 freeway running the 93 miles from Spanish Fork through Provo and Salt Lake City to Ogden. There is an HOV (double occupancy) left lane running the whole distance. I’ve been driving an EV for over 10 years, so I have one of the limited number of single occupancy passes for the HOV lane. Bottom line: I always take the HOV lane when I am driving a considerable distance here on I-15. It means that I only need to worry about other cars on my right side and even then I am separated from them by a double white line. Also, in heavy traffic the HOV lane is usually the only lane still moving. However, FSD will always try to make me exit the HOV lane before I want it to. Formerly, if you slid the right-hand thumbwheel to the right or left, you would control the Smart Cruise following distance (1, 2, 3, 4, 5 car lengths). However, now a menu comes up with a button to reduce lane changes and a slider to set Chill, Assertive, or Aggressive lane changes. None of these options make much difference. FSD still tries to exit the HOV lane too early and the slider won’t stay where you set it.

Driving through Wyoming is a land of contrasts. We still see mile-long heavily laden “unit” coal trains pulled by 3 diesels with another diesel pushing at the end (see Figure 6).

Figure 6: Unit coal train in Wyoming. May 2, 2024. Photo by Fritz Hasler.

We also see an immense (multi-gigawatt) coal power plant.

Figure 7: Wind turbines on I-80 in Wyoming. May 2, 2024. Photo by Fritz Hasler.

On the other hand, we also saw hundreds of wind turbines like we see in Figure 7. But the most fascinating are the incredibly long wind turbine blades and tower sections en route on the interstate (see Figures 8–10).

Figure 8: Super-long wind turbine blade en route on I-80 in Wyoming. May 2, 2024. Photo by Fritz Hasler.
Figure 9: Tractor pulling turbine blade en route on I-80 in Wyoming. May 2, 2024. Photo by Fritz Hasler.
Figure 10: Wind turbine tower section highway transport. Courtesy of Titan Hydraulic Axis Trailers. Photo by Fritz Hasler.

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A one-of-a-kind secret Tesla Roadster R&D prototype is for sale

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A one-of-a-kind secret Tesla Roadster R&D prototype is for sale

You’ve perhaps heard of the original Tesla Roadster, the car that started Tesla and the EV revolution. Now, a Roadster you probably haven’t heard of is for sale – a one-of-a-kind prototype for a performance package that never saw the light of day.

Recently, we got an email tip about an original Tesla Roadster which the owners were about to put up for sale.

Normally, we wouldn’t write an article just because someone is trying to sell any old car, even a Roadster (that said, I’m thinking of selling mine). But this email stood out because it came from Jamison Cummings, Tesla’s Chief Technician from the Roadster days, and it was about a particularly special Roadster – and one which most people haven’t heard of.

The car, a Tesla Roadster Sport with VIN #1124, was originally bought from Tesla in 2012, then was damaged in an accident and reacquired by Tesla. Tesla’s VP of Service at the time, Joost de Vries, acquired the car and it was repaired and rebuilt under the supervision of Carl Medlock, who at the time was the manager of Tesla’s Seattle service location, and who now runs one of the only third-party Roadster repair shops in the US, Medlock and Sons (Medlock currently co-owns the car along with Cummings).

After being repaired internally by Tesla, de Vries had the idea to develop a performance package for Tesla Roadsters, with the goal of coming up with a way that service could be made profitable – a directive leadership had established for him. An after-purchase performance package would be a way to bring revenue in through service departments.

The project never ended up being released as an option to the public, but the Roadster in question, which was going to be called either “Roadster RR” or “Roadster E-Sport” still assembled a large list of custom cosmetic and performance modifications:

  • Tarox Italian Performance Brakes Front and Rear (only 1 of 3 cars known to be equipped with this system)
  • Custom ABS Flash engineered to work seamlessly with the Tarox Braking System, developed by Continental (also 1 of 3)
  • Hollinger Limited Slip Differential customized for EV torque (one of 2)
  • Custom Tuned Bilstein Performance Sport Suspension (sole unit)
  • Custom Roadster RR camber plates and handling package
  • Hand-laid raw carbon bodywork, making it the only raw carbon Roadster in existence

The most striking feature is that last one, with the entire body clear-coated rather than painted, making the fibers of the carbon fiber visible on all body panels except the bumpers (which are plastic). The Roadster has a carbon fiber body normally, but it’s usually painted, with the carbon fiber only visible on the roll bar (and possibly a few other parts of the body, depending on option kits).

The package was proposed to cost $30,000, and would include several performance upgrades. But the project never finished due to changes in leadership, so it was never offered to the public, and this ended up being the only prototype.

While there are other customized Roadsters out there, this one occupies the unique space of being “factory customized,” at least to some extent. While it didn’t originally come out of the factory like that, the work was done under Tesla’s purview after the fact, with the intent of being an official manufacturer upgrade package – though the project was also controversial within Tesla, as there were accusations of overspending and the package never ended up seeing the light of day.

The car went on to be owned by de Vries until it was bought by Cummings and Medlock in 2022. Since the battery had died, the car was given a new “Roadster 3.0” 80kWh pack, and has been driven less than 100 miles on the new battery. Otherwise, the car has around 31,600 miles total, most of which was applied before the rework was completed.

To find out more about this special Roadster, visit the car’s website (or see it displayed at The Shop in Seattle, sometime soon™). It is for sale right now, and interested buyers can find contact information on the website. Internal documentation about the project will be provided to the buyer.

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Musk: Tesla Supercharger network plans $500M expansion despite layoffs

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Musk: Tesla Supercharger network plans $500M expansion despite layoffs

Despite recent layoffs, the Tesla Supercharger network is due for an expansion, CEO Elon Musk claims.

Tesla will spend “well over” $500 million on the Supercharger network this year, Musk said Friday on X (formerly Twitter), the social media network he owns, adding that this investment will fund “thousands” of new chargers and is separate from any operating costs needed to simply keep the current network going. For perspective, there are currently 25,507 Tesla Supercharger ports in the U.S. and 2,264 station locations, according to the Energy Department’s Alternative Fuels Data Center.

Musk earlier this month fired nearly the entire Tesla Supercharger team, including Rebecca Tinucci, the executive who has accelerated growth of the network in recent years and helped convince nearly the entire U.S. EV market to switch to Tesla’s North American Charging Standard (NACS) connector. 

Ford led the way in adopting the Tesla charge port, in May 2023, at a time of great expansion for the Supercharger network—and nearly every other U.S. EV brand soon stepped up to confirm they’d also make the switch.

In the year since Ford’s announcement, NACS has also become an official standard—SAE J3400. That’s paving the way for more charging networks to add the NACS connector, including BP, which just this week said it is looking to purchase stranded Supercharger sites should Tesla contract the network.

EV advocates may be hoping for increased reliability from switching to NACS, given the Supercharger network’s solid reputation in that area. But reliability gains across the industry will take more than a Tesla connector. With about 100 charging station manufacturers and 500 combinations of cars and chargers, it’s a lot that needs to be cross-compatible. 

Ford EVs at Tesla Supercharger

Ford EVs at Tesla Supercharger

Musk has also suggested in the past that the Supercharger network might charge extra for slow-charging non-Tesla EVs. We’ll see if that’s something the automaker introduces at some point soon. 

There’s been little backstory about why the Supercharger division was nearly shuttered. Musk had recently actually praised the team as the key to its future. And he’s given no indication how the Supercharger network will continue to operate at its current level—let alone expand—after so many key personnel were dismissed.



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Biden rumored to announce quadrupling of tariffs on Chinese EVs, up to 100%

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Biden rumored to announce quadrupling of tariffs on Chinese EVs, up to 100%

The US government is reportedly set to announce wider tariffs on several categories of Chinese goods, including various green products like solar panels and batteries, medical goods, and in particular an increase of tariffs on Chinese EVs from 25% to 100%.

The rumors were first reported late Thursday that tariffs would be extended after a multi-year review of “section 301 tariffs” that had been implemented under the previous administration.

Then today, Wall Street Journal reported that these tariffs would not just be extended, but expanded, with tariffs on Chinese-made EVs quadrupling from previous levels.

Currently, all cars made in China are subject to a 25% tariff when imported to the US, on top of an additional 2.5% tariff that all foreign-made cars are subject to, totaling 27.5%. This large tariff has had the effect of excluding Chinese autos from the US market, as it’s easier to export to countries with lower tariffs first.

However, given Chinese EVs are incredibly affordable, even a 25% tariff might still result in competitive prices. For this reason, it has been considered inevitable by most observers that eventually Chinese EVs would make their way into being sold in the US.

It seems that Biden has also decided that the 25% tariff wouldn’t be enough to forestall the advance, and has decided to instead quadruple it to 100%, meaning that Chinese EVs will effectively sell for double the price they would otherwise if brought to the US. While this has not been announced yet and the White House has declined to comment, an announcement on the new tariffs is expected on Tuesday.

Tariffs have been called for by several entities in the US (and Europe), as Chinese EV manufacturing has rapidly ramped in recent years.

China was originally somewhat slow to adopt EVs – in 2015, EV market share was just .84%, similar to the US market share of .66% and well below California at 3.1% at the time. But in 2023, US market share had risen to a meager 7.6% and California to just 21.4%, whereas China’s EV market share was a whopping 37%, leapfrogging several other leading countries in the process (and it was just 5% in 2020, so the turn upwards has been very rapid over the last 3 years). It caught foreign manufacturers by surprise, leaving ICE car values plummeting in China as consumers are simply not interested.

Despite the massive swing upwards in Chinese EV interest, EV manufacturing has risen even more rapidly. This has left Chinese automakers with more than enough vehicles for the export market, and they have started exporting so many to Europe that they can’t find enough ships to carry them.

Those EVs haven’t made their way to the US yet, but most think that it’s inevitable that they will soon. But with these increased tariffs, that makes it a little less likely that US consumers will gain access to these cheap, high-tech Chinese EVs.

This isn’t the first move that Biden has made to limit the ability of the Chinese auto industry to operate in the US. The Inflation Reduction Act which updated the US EV tax credit included protectionist measures to disallow Chinese-sourced EVs from taking advantage of the credit. To qualify, EVs must be assembled in America and must have a certain percentage of components sourced in the US or US free trade countries, and can’t include parts from “foreign entities of concern” (though there are some ways around this).

The net effect of the regulation is that batteries sourced from China have a harder time getting access to US tax credits, thus reducing their competitiveness in the US market.

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GM demos its new Energy products by running a mansion off a Silverado EV

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GM demos its new Energy products by running a mansion off a Silverado EV

GM has a new suite of energy products that allow you to share power between your car and your home, and we got to see them in action.

GM invited us to a swanky house in Beverly Hills to demonstrate its new home energy products, including vehicle-to-home (V2H) backup power that allows you to power your house off of your EV battery.

These products include its new bidirectional EV charger, which it’s calling the GM Energy Powershift Charger ($1,699), and the GM Energy V2H Enablement Kit ($5,600) which comes with AC-DC inverter, Home Hub (the computer which manages loads through the house), and dark start battery (provides a small amount of power as the system starts up and shifts from home to vehicle power).

The systems can be bought separately or bundled together for $7,299. Installation is separate (and costs can vary widely), and GM has partnered with Qmerit, a national EV charging installation company, to make it easier for customers to find an installer.

GM set up its system and brought out two new Silverados to demonstrate both their vehicle-to-load (V2L) and V2H capabilities. One Silverado was connected to the outdoor speakers and screen running the presentation GM gave us on its products, and the other was connected to the house to show what happens when the V2H changes over from home to truck power.

To do so, GM flipped the main breaker for the house, then showed us the process of of the car taking over. It took around 35 seconds – much longer than other battery backup solutions, but quicker than sitting puzzled in the dark, stumbling to find a flashlight, going to the breaker box to flip switches uselessly and then concluding that you’ll be spending the rest of the night reading by candlelight.

But once the takeover happened, the whole party was being powered by the truck. The lights and music in the garage and throughout the house were powered by the truck, along with the kitchen where the hors d’oeuvres were being prepared.

The car is capable of putting out 9.6kW – enough to power most of your everyday needs, but not high simultaneous loads (i.e. don’t run the pool pump and the dryer at the same time as everything else), though all of this depends on how energy-hungry your house is. And the Silverado’s massive 200kWh battery pack can power an average American home for around 5-6 days. GM told us the system was powering about 60% of the 10,000 square-foot house the demonstration happened in.

GM says it is working to reduce the amount of time the switchover from grid to car power takes, but that it will inevitably be slower than home battery solutions (which can respond in only a couple seconds, or even less than a second) because those stay continually energized, whereas the car requires more communication and a wake-up process.

Speaking of home battery solutions, GM Energy also plans to sell one of those, though that unit won’t be for sale until later this year (same with solar integration, which will also come this year). Batteries will be available in 10, 17, and 35kWh packages. The systems are built with stacks of modular units, each 1.7kWh, so the packages come with either 6 or 10 stacked units.

The whole setup – see 6-unit, 10kWh modular battery bank on left

This battery backup solution will take “less than 5 seconds” to take over, though we think (or hope) that GM is being conservative with that. Competing home energy products like Tesla’s Powerwall can take over as quickly as around 200 milliseconds, and we’ve heard of others coming that might be even faster. But the battery wasn’t connected for the purposes of this demonstration.

GM wants to see this product rolled out in as many houses as possible, and in service of that, plans to have V2H support on all of it’s electric vehicles by 2026. It told us that these cars would all be capable of 9.6kW output, so you won’t need a 200kWh Silverado to power your house, you’ll also be able to do it with the $35k entry-level Equinox, or eventually with Chevy’s upcoming “Boltium” next-gen Bolt EV.

This is a contrast to most other EV makers – Hyundai and Kia have V2L on their vehicles, but only up to 1.8kW; Ford has its Intelligent Backup Power system, but only on the F-150 Lightning; Tesla has Powershare, but only on Cybertruck; Rivian wants to get around to offering bidirectional charging, but isn’t there yet – and so on. GM does seem more committed on this front than anyone else at this time.

Infographic detailing GM Energy’s Home and Commercial ecosystem. Graphic: GM

GM’s electric vehicles will be compatible with GM Energy’s products, though won’t be cross-compatible with other battery backup and bidirectional charging systems in the short term. Eventually there will be cross-compatibility, but first the ISO 15118 standard, which governs Plug & Charge & bi-directional/V2G communication, needs to be finalized, which is taking quite some time (read a little more about that here).

GM also plans to build a virtual power plant, as we’ve seen other energy services companies do, which aggregates the energy available from hundreds or thousands of customers and discharges it to the grid when needed. These can be quite lucrative for owners of battery backup systems, though GM hasn’t decided exactly how it will offer these products to its customers yet, and is exploring various financial possibilities to encourage usage.

That’s important, because the system isn’t cheap. As mentioned above, even without the battery, the whole thing costs $7,299 before installation (installation can be very costly – though that was an exceptional case). That’s quite steep just for the gimmick of being able to run your house off of your car, so offering incentives to make that more palatable will help increase uptake. It’s a bit more expensive than Ford’s competing V2H product, comparable to the cost of home generators, and cheaper than home battery backup systems.

But while it does seem a little gimmicky at first glance, the dream of widespread bidirectional power has been talked about among EV advocates for some time, and could solve a lot of energy issues.

2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV RST in a residential garage with GM Energy products. Photo: GM

Even just V2H (which allows powering a home, but not feeding energy back into the grid – that’s V2G) can reduce loads when the grid is most stressed, and reduce energy costs for a home by allowing energy arbitrage, charging a battery at times when power is cheap and then running the house off of the battery when power is expensive and dirty. It leads to lower energy bills, and can help grid resiliency by having distributed battery backup in a large percentage of homes.

It’s an exciting possibility, but to get there, we need to get a lot of batteries in homes. And whether they’re stacked on the floor in the garage or parked and plugged in inside of it, GM’s ready to sell you those batteries (*car sometimes included).

You can find out more about GM’s home Energy products at its GM Energy website. At first, availability is limited to California, Florida, Michigan, New York and Texas, but GM plans to expand beyond those boundaries over time.

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Hesai Technology looks to make next-gen vehicles safer and more reliable using its advanced LiDAR

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Hesai Technology looks to make next-gen vehicles safer and more reliable using its advanced LiDAR

As passenger mobility becomes electric and more technologically advanced, engineers have developed several components to make car travel easier, more efficient, and, most importantly, safer. One of those emerging technologies is LiDAR, which has several benefits for OEMs who integrate it. Hesai Technologies is one of the leading companies helping make that LiDAR-centric transition possible.

Hesai Technology is a global leader in LiDAR solutions

Hesai Technology ($HSAI) is three-dimensional light detection and ranging (LiDAR) specialist with offices all over the globe, including Shanghai, Palo Alto, and Stuttgart.

It currently employs over 1,000 personnel who help research, develop, and manufacture advanced LiDAR technologies for a number of applications, including Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) in passenger and commercial vehicles, autonomous driving vehicles, as well as last-mile delivery robots and Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs).

With over 500 granted patents and another 1000+ pending, Hesai puts a lot of time and effort into its LiDAR research and development, and the result is a growing portfolio of advanced safety sensors that can help pave the way for next-generation vehicles coming to market.

LiDAR remains a viable option for next-gen road safety

As advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and autonomous driving applications become more prevalent, the question of whether to use LiDAR sensors, vision cameras, or both is becoming hot topic of debate and an increasingly important one.

Many OEMs have shifted from LiDAR ADAS and self-driving applications to a camera-based vision approach, but environmental factors like lighting and weather conditions can cause confusion.

The automotive and robotics industries are racing against one another to advance from Level 2 autonomous driving (where the driver must keep their eyes on the road and hands on the wheel), to Level 3 and L4 autonomy, where the driver is no longer responsible for driving the vehicle. In these applications, Hesai Technology argues that LiDAR, like its ultra-thin long-range ET25 sensor, can make an effective difference while enhancing safety both on and off the road.

The camera conundrum

Cameras have been integral to the development of autonomous vehicles and ADAS vehicles, providing visual inputs like human eyes, and still exist as a viable option to an extent. They can provide valuable color information and visual cues such as traffic light status and road sign recognition.

Furthermore, opting to integrate only one kind of sensor, i.e., cameras, saves on production costs which can be passed along to consumers. 

However, cameras can struggle in challenging conditions. They rely heavily on lighting in a vehicle’s given environment, and their performance can be significantly affected in low light or direct sunlight scenarios, presenting potential safety hazards.

Furthermore, cameras capture two-dimensional images, making depth perception and accurate distance measurement more challenging. These potential limitations underscore the need for more robust perception technology that can provide more information about what’s truly happening in the surrounding environment.

Hesai LiDAR can help enhance safety

LiDAR, such as the AT512 from Hesai, uses laser pulses to scan the environment in three dimensions in real-time. This enables a vehicle’s onboard computer to understand its surroundings, offering a reliable and effective solution to the limitations presented when using camera technology alone. 

Hesai Lidar
Source: Hesai Technology

Hesai Technology’s LiDAR is unaffected by lighting conditions, ensuring consistent performance day and night, and in various weather conditions, including fog and heavy rain, where cameras can sometimes struggle. This independence from external light sources makes LiDAR an effective tool for self-driving vehicles, ADAS, and robots that require reliable and constant navigation capabilities.

Another advantage of LiDAR is its ability to detect objects with high precision and measure their distances accurately. This capability is crucial for vehicles operating on public roads at high speeds, which need to identify hazards, such as pedestrians, other vehicles, and obstacles, from a distance and react accordingly to avoid accidents.

Companies like Hesai have also made significant advances in how LiDAR can be integrated into vehicles, cost, and data security. For example, Hesai’s new ATX LiDAR can be integrated into headlights for a sleeker, subtle design. Moreover, significant advances in LiDAR technology and how it’s manufactured have made it much more affordable, allowing automotive and robotics manufacturers to incorporate the technology without major cost increases for consumers.

Hesai Lidar
Key specs of the ATX LiDAR / Source: Hesai Technology

Many people don’t know that as hardware, LiDAR is quite secure as it provides data to the vehicle or robot’s central computer for processing without any ability to store or transmit any data wirelessly because it lacks memory, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or cellular transmitters.

It also cannot collect biometric data, such as facial scans, because it’s a sensor, not a camera. Furthermore, the 3D maps LiDAR creates of the world around it are not detailed enough for said images.

Cloud Point imaging from the AT128 LiDAR / Source: Hesai Technology

Tech stacks that maximize safety

Although as a LiDAR technology developer, Hesai would argue it offers superior capabilities in object detection and environmental mapping, the company admits its sensors are most effective when used in conjunction with camera systems.

Camera technology has laid the groundwork for the development of autonomous systems, but LiDAR can help overcome the inherent limitations of cameras and ensure the unparalleled safety that consumers and regulators demand. Combined with vision cameras, Hesai’s LiDAR sensors, like the automotive-grade ultra-high resolution AT128 for instance, can offer vehicles a one-two punch in failsafe ADAS technology.

Hesai explains that the integration of LiDAR technology has already shown promising results in enhancing safety across various applications. In the automotive industry, LiDAR-equipped vehicles have demonstrated improved obstacle detection and collision avoidance capabilities, significantly reducing the risk of accidents. With LiDAR technology rapidly evolving, its integration into new applications is quickly becoming more widespread.

The future of autonomous driving is not just about leading the charge but doing so with the assurance that every possible measure for safety has been employed. As the industry moves forward, Hesai Technology strongly believes the combined use of LiDAR and camera systems will be pivotal in achieving the highest safety standards. 

You can learn more about Hesai Technology and all of its LiDAR products here.

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Podcast: Tesla Supercharger update, is battery swap going to be a thing?, Ford goes back on BEV, and more

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Podcast: Tesla Supercharger update, is battery swap going to be a thing?, Ford goes back on BEV, and more

On the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we discuss what’s happening with the Tesla Supercharger network, is battery swap going to be a thing?, Ford goes back on BEV, and more.

Sponsored by SplitVolt: The Splitvolt Splitter Switch automatically shares power from your existing 240V dryer socket with your Level 2 EV charger. Learn more here.

The show is live every Friday at 4 p.m. ET on Electrek’s YouTube channel.

As a reminder, we’ll have an accompanying post, like this one, on the site with an embedded link to the live stream. Head to the YouTube channel to get your questions and comments in.

After the show ends at around 5 p.m. ET, the video will be archived on YouTube and the audio on all your favorite podcast apps:

We now have a Patreon if you want to help us avoid more ads and invest more in our content. We have some awesome gifts for our Patreons and more coming.

Here are a few of the articles that we will discuss during the podcast:

Here’s the live stream for today’s episode starting at 4:00 p.m. ET (or the video after 5 p.m. ET):

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A customized version of Canoo’s electric delivery van for the USPS has been spotted in the wild

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A customized version of Canoo’s electric delivery van for the USPS has been spotted in the wild

Commercial EV startup Canoo looks to have delivered at least one electric delivery van to one of its newest customers, the United States Postal Service (USPS). The recently posted images show a customized Canoo LDV 190 donning USPS badging and a design slightly different from the original renderings.

Canoo remains an interesting EV startup that, for years, has straddled the line between genuine vehicle production and pure vapor. For every bump it has taken, the company has a knack for bouncing back with some form of encouraging news to keep its stock compliant.

For example, the startup announced a reverse stock split this past March as its share prices hit an all-time low. Less than two weeks later, however, its stock surged as its EV production facility in Oklahoma received approval as a Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ).

In recent years, Canoo has established several key customers, including Wal-Mart, Kingbee, and NASA. This past January, Canoo announced another notable name on its clientele list – the USPS. The petite deal included the purchase of six LDV 190 delivery vans from Canoo that are right-hand driving for USPS workers.

At the time, we reported the small order from Canoo, which provided further evidence that the USPS was still very focused on electrifying its fleet while still searching for the “perfect EV” to get it there. Recent images show that at least one LDV 190 has made its way to the postal service and is being tested as a potential option for future parcel deliveries.

Canoo USPS
Source: @oonac15 / X

USPS branded Canoo LDV spotted in Atlanta

The images above were posted by X user oonac15, who spotted the customized Canoo van in Atlanta. Right out of the gate, there are several noticeable differences in the real-life LDV 190 compared to the rendering posted when Canoo announced the initial purchase from the USPS.

Canoo USPS electric delivery van

For starters, the door handles have been revamped to a more traditional style instead of remaining flush within the door panel. We surmise this was a customization requested by USPS to ensure its drivers can enter the vehicles more easily and quickly, especially during months of inclement weather when ice could be an issue.

The van’s right side also includes a second window on the compartment door. It’s impossible to tell if this was Canoo’s plan for the USPS van all along, but it would appear custom, considering the original LDV 190 design does not include said window.

Two mirrors have been added to either side of the van’s rear, and new lighting mechanisms have been added on top of the LDV above the windshield. Canoo’s real-life version is also equipped with much nicer wheels than we are used to seeing on USPS trucks, but that design could certainly change should these vans start rolling out in mass quantities.

Neither Canoo nor USPS have shared any updates to the pilot project since announcing the initial purchase of the six LDV 190s, but the postal services appear to be testing them out. The van would admittedly look pretty damn cool delivering mail around the US, but perhaps its focus will be on packages? It seems kind of large for just mail. Hopefully, we will learn more soon.

Canoo is expected to share its Q1 2024 financial report on May 14 at 5 PM ET.

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Save $1,695 on Super73 RX Electric Motorbike at $2,000, Best Buy 3-day EV sale, Broil King pellet grill, and more deals

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Save $1,695 on Super73 RX Electric Motorbike at $2,000, Best Buy 3-day EV sale, Broil King pellet grill, and more deals

Its another day of Green Deals tailored for summer fun, headlined by the Super73 RX Electric Motorbike hitting a new $2,000 low. It is joined by Best Buy’s 3-day Mother’s Day sale that runs through the weekend and is taking up to $400 off a collection of EVs, like the Segway Max G2 Electric Kick Scooter for $900. Then there’s the Broil King Crown Pellet 500 Pellet Grill that just dropped to $632, the lowest price since 2022. Plus, more hangover Green Deals still alive and well.

Head below for other New Green Deals we’ve found today and, of course, Electrek’s best EV buying and leasing deals. Also, check out the new Electrek Tesla Shop for the best deals on Tesla accessories.

Super73 RX Electric Motorbike hits new $2,000 low

Best Buy is offering the Super73 RX Electric Motorbike for $1,999.99 shipped. Normally fetching $3,695, we’ve only seen one previous discount since the new year began – a repeat of 2023’s biggest price cut to $3,000 back in February. Today’s deal is a first that we haven’t seen in a while for this particular model – a brand new all-time low. It comes in as a massive 46% markdown that gives you a whopping $1,695 in savings and beats out our Black Friday and Christmas sale mentions. You’ll also find a more affordable option in the standard R model at $1,700, down from $3,295 for another new all-time low. You can learn more about it by heading below or reading through our feature.

Having basically originated the current moped-style/e-minibike craze that is becoming more and more popular throughout the US for the last handful of years, Super73’s RX motorbike combines the iconic stylings of the ’70s and ’80s with nice plump fat tires and a fully-electric heartbeat. Coming in a Carmine Red colorway, it is equipped with a 750W rear-hub motor paired alongside a 48V battery in order to reach 28 MPH top speeds for up to 40 miles when only using the throttle and up to 75 miles when using its pedal assistance. It fully recharges in just five to seven hours via a standard outlet, depending on conditions, and comes with a few exclusive features like fenders for both tires, and an LED headlight as well as an LED taillight. The big difference between it and its predecessor, the standard R model, is the lack of these extra features/add-ons.

Segway Max G2 Electric Kick Scooter being ridden on pavement within post for Super73 RX Electric Motorbike

Best Buy Mother’s Day sale takes up to $400 off EVs

Best Buy is having a 3-day Mother’s Day sale through the weekend, with several varying EVs benefitting from the discounts as well – up to $400 off, in fact. A standout amongst the bunch is the Segway Max G2 Electric Kick Scooter for $899.99 shipped. Normally fetching $1,300, it launched just last year at $800, which has remained the lowest price we’ve seen since, with very few minor discounts dropping up until today. This is a solid $400 off the going rate that lands it at the second-lowest price we have tracked, making this the best deal since its pre-order discount.

The Max G2 is the successor to the original Max scooter, with some notable upgrades that make it stand out from its predecessor – especially at this price. Equipped with a 450W motor (with 1,000W peak power that can handle up to 22% inclines) and a 551Wh battery, its speed has been increased to 22 MPH (over the Max’s 18 MPH speed), plus it has an extended mileage of 43 miles on a single charge – nearly twice the distance of the previous model. It sports Segway’s standard folding design for easier storage and transport, as well as four riding modes to choose from through the onboard LED display, with some saving power to extend travel ranges and others shrinking that range for the sake of speed and power. It’s also been given some notable features – including smart features – like self-sealing tires and Apple Find My for added peace of mind. Head below for more.

More Best Buy Mother’s Day EV discounts:

Broil King Crown Pellet 500 Pellet Grill hits lowest price of last 2 years at $632

Amazon is offering the Broil King Crown Pellet 500 Pellet Grill for $631.91 shipped. Regularly $1,199, but having spent the last three months keeping between $1,100 and $900, we’ve seen it go for much less in the past, though the $522 all-time low was last seen in 2022, with 2023 never seeing any price drop below $759. Today’s deal comes in as the lowest price we have tracked in the last two years, giving you a solid $567 markdown off the list price that beats our previous mention by $85 just in time for BBQ season. It even beats out Broil King’s website where it is discounted at a higher $1,099 rate.

You won’t need to worry about hooking up a gas line or running down to the nearest store to refill on your propane with this grill, which utilizes wood pellets that produce lower emissions than even charcoal. To start, you’ll have a temperature range of 200 degrees to 600 degrees Fahrenheit, which can be customized as you like through the LED digital control board or use its three quick-set temperature keys that let you smoke (225 degrees), roast (350 degrees), or grill (600 degrees). You’ll even get remote control settings through the companion app via your smartphone using Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, and it comes with temperature probes to make hitting your food’s ideal internal temperature far less stressful than just eyeing it. You’ll have plenty of room to work with too, as its 560 square-inches of cooking space can hold approximately 30 burgers at once – enough for everyone on your block and more than enough for family gatherings. Head below to learn more.

More wood pellet grill and smoker discounts:

Spring e-bike deals!

Greenworks 80V 730 CFM cordless electric leaf blower being used in yard to move leaves within post for Super73 RX electric motorbike

Other new Green Deals landing this week

The savings this week are also continuing to a collection of other markdowns. To the same tune as the offers above, these all help you take a more energy-conscious approach to your routine. Winter means you can lock in even better off-season price cuts on electric tools for the lawn while saving on EVs and tons of other gear.

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Infineon and Korea Shipbuilding develop ship electrification technology

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Infineon and Korea Shipbuilding develop ship electrification technology

Semiconductor firm Infineon Technologies and HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (KSOE) have signed a non-binding agreement to jointly develop applications for the electrification of marine engines and machinery using energy-efficient power semiconductor technology.

Infineon and HD KSOE will develop power solutions for propulsion drive technology, a key ship electrification component. Infineon will provide HD KSOE with technical assistance in semiconductor power modules and system solutions and share maritime semiconductor trends. HD KSOE aims to improve marine vessel propulsion drive technology dependability and performance, contributing to environmental sustainability through ship electrification.

“We are excited to work closely together with HD KSOE to contribute to a more sustainable marine engine ecosystem and drive the decarbonization of shipping,” said Peter Wawer, Division President at Infineon Technologies.

Source: Infineon Technologies





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#Infineon #Korea #Shipbuilding #develop #ship #electrification #technology

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