Tesla deletes its blog post stating all cars have self-driving hardware

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August 24, 2024

Tesla deletes its blog post stating all cars have self-driving hardware

Tesla has cleaned up its website’s blog section, deleting all posts prior to 2019. This includes the post titled “All Tesla Cars Being Produced Now Have Full Self-Driving Hardware,” which was originally published October 19, 2016.

Prior to yesterday, Tesla’s website contained a backlog of blog posts reaching back to the beginning of the company. This includes famous entries like “The Secret Tesla Motors Master Plan (just between you and me),” and one that I really like to use to explain the basics of EV efficiency, “Roadster Efficiency and Range.”

Those articles are all missing from the website as of now. They can be found through archive.org, but everything prior to 2019 seems to have been deleted from Tesla’s servers.

It’s a shame, because a lot of the history of Tesla can be seen through those blog posts. While the data is still available, it’s harder to get to it when you have to look for it off-site.

But perhaps the most interesting missing article is the one mentioned above, “All Tesla Cars Being Produced Now Have Full Self-Driving Hardware.”

Tesla originally made this bold statement back in 2016, leading purchasers to think that autonomy was just around the corner, and that hardware upgrades wouldn’t be required to get us there. That statement remained on the website until yesterday, giving Tesla’s tacit approval to the concept that current Tesla vehicles still fall under the same promise – that if you buy a Tesla right now, it will eventually be able to drive itself.

Tesla has been talking about autonomous driving for years now, selling various levels of driver aids branded as “Autopilot” or “Full Self-Driving.” Cars have been through various iterations of capability, with different software and hardware updates on the path towards higher levels of autonomy.

So far, none of these systems are truly autonomous and able to drive themselves unsupervised by a human driver. Tesla is now calling its system “FSD (Supervised)” to drive home the point that the cars are not yet driving themselves.

Those required hardware upgrades have been a nagging issue when it comes to FSD.

Tesla has offered free upgrades to newer hardware to owners who purchased FSD, but when it started offering its FSD subscription service, it started charging owners $1,500 for hardware they already bought. After we reported on this, Tesla reduced the price to $1,000 – which is still $1,000 more than owners should have to pay for hardware they already paid for. Tesla, and its self-described “free speech absolutist” CEO Elon Musk, both retaliated against Electrek for our report on this matter.

The question has been asked in court as well, with some owners managing to get the paid-for upgrade they are entitled to or a full refund of their costs in small claims court. There are further cases working their way through the court system alleging Tesla has engaged in false advertising with its FSD claims.

With Tesla now moving on to further iterations of hardware, the question remains open about which vehicles will get the upgrades they already paid for, if those upgrades are found to be necessary for functional FSD. The cost of these upgrades could be significant, but given that every Tesla owner who has purchased a vehicle between 2016 and now was given the expectation that it has all the hardware for FSD, it would only be right that Tesla provide that hardware which it claimed all along that those vehicles were built and sold with.

As of now, all we know is that the blog post is gone, along with all the others prior to 2019. Tesla has not made any statement updating its promise that all Tesla cars produced since October 2016 come with self-driving hardware, whether to confirm that they still do or to say that the company has changed its mind for cars going forward.

We’d reach out for official comment, but Tesla doesn’t have anyone to reach out to – so, good luck figuring out what it is you’re buying.

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Source link by Electrek
Author Jameson Dow

#Tesla #deletes #blog #post #stating #cars #selfdriving #hardware

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Electric NASCAR race cars could feature sustainable bodywork

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August 24, 2024

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Electric NASCAR race cars could feature sustainable bodywork

NASCAR is considering an electric racing series
A prototype electric SUV race car was revealed in July
The electric NASCAR race car prototype’s body panels were made from plants

NASCAR surprised attendees at its July Chicago Street Race with an electric SUV prototype race car, but the powertrain and body style weren’t the prototypes only unusual features.

The NASCAR EV Prototype also featured bodywork from Swiss firm Bcomp that incorporates flax, which Bcomp claims is a sustainable alternative to the carbon fiber used throughout motorsports today, with an overall carbon footprint 85% smaller with a similar level of stiffness.

NASCAR electric race car prototype (image via Bcomp)

That stiffness is thanks in part to an inner structure inspired by the vein structure of leaves, Bcomp said in a blog post. The flax fibers used in this material—which takes the form of a fabric that can be layered and molded into shape like carbon fiber or fiberglass—is grown in Europe without competing with food crops, according to the company’s website.

In April 2023 NASCAR committed to its first long-term carbon emissions goal and “the beginning of a new era in sustainability for America’s top motorsport.” That included a goal to cut its carbon footprint to zero across its core operations by 2035.

NASCAR electric race car prototype (image via Bcomp)

Flax-based bodywork could make a small contribution toward that goal with less shock than switching from the current race cars—which feature loud, thirsty V-8 engines—to something like the electric SUV prototype. The prototype has all-wheel drive and three six-phase motors—one in front, two in back—potentially producing more than 1,300 hp. A 78-kwh battery pack, along with regenerative braking, make the SUV “ideal for road courses and short oval tracks,” NASCAR previously said.

The SUV body style of the prototype is nearly a big a change as its electric motors, but is more in line with automaker’s current lineups. NASCAR is not giving a timeline of when it might introduce electric race cars, but if it did it is easy to imagine the prototype being reskinned as a Ford Mustang Mach-E, Chevrolet Blazer EV, or Toyota bZ4X in keeping with NASCAR’s current practice of racing cars branded as ones fans can buy.

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

#Electric #NASCAR #race #cars #feature #sustainable #bodywork

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The US govt is fixing and upgrading 4,500 EV charging ports

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August 24, 2024

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The US govt is fixing and upgrading 4,500 EV charging ports

The US Joint Office of Energy and Transportation has broken ground on a $150 million grant project to repair and upgrade 4,500 EV charging ports.

The Joint Office broke ground on its first Electric Vehicle Charger Reliability and Accessibility (EVC-RAA) program-funded project yesterday – an inoperable charging station in Washington, DC.

The repaired station will be able to charge four vehicles simultaneously using either CCS or NACS connectors at speeds of 150 kW, an upgrade from its previous 50 kW capacity. Located near a convenience store, a riverfront park, trails, and a Capital Bikeshare station, the station is well-positioned to serve both residents and visitors.

Gabe Klein, executive director of the Joint Office, emphasized the importance of reliable charging infrastructure, stating, “These upgraded chargers offer faster speeds, serve more drivers, and are part of projects creating jobs across the country.”

The nearly $150 million in EVC-RAA grants will be used to repair around 4,500 existing, publicly accessible EV charging ports across the US. The effort to fix and upgrade existing EV chargers comes at a time when, according to the US Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuels Data Center, approximately 5% of public charging ports are temporarily unavailable.

The EVC-RAA is funded by the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program, created as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, to help states build convenient, safe, and dependable EV charging infrastructure. The Joint Office is working with all 50 states, Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico to ensure the success of the NEVI program.

The initiative aligns with the Biden-Harris administration’s goal to install 500,000 public EV chargers by 2030, aiming to make EVs a practical option for more Americans.

Read more: Love’s is deploying a lot of EV charging stations across the US

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Source link by Electrek
Author Michelle Lewis

#govt #fixing #upgrading #charging #ports

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Chemical firm Chemours opens Battery Innovation Center to develop EV battery tech

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August 23, 2024

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Chemical firm Chemours opens Battery Innovation Center to develop EV battery tech

Industrial chemicals firm Chemours, the maker of such well-known products as Freon and Teflon, is also a player in battery technology. Now the company has opened a new laboratory facility, the Chemours Battery Innovation Center (CBIC) at its Discovery Hub in Newark, Delaware.

The CBIC will support the testing and scaling of Chemours’s next-generation EV battery technologies. There the company will work with customers and partners to scale production of more sustainable, cost-effective, energy-efficient and high-performing batteries for electrified vehicles.

“The Chemours Battery Innovation Center is a state-of-the-art lab and investment in the long-term potential of improving the sustainability footprint and performance of hybrid and electric vehicle batteries,” said Chemours CEO Denise Dignam. “We are committed to supporting the electrification of the automotive industry through collaboration and putting our team’s deep technical expertise to work.”

“Our Teflon fluoropolymer binders are vital in developing solvent-free battery electrode manufacturing, which unlocks the path for more cost-effective and energy-efficient vehicles,” said Gerardo Familiar, President of Advanced Performance Materials at Chemours. “Through the Chemours Battery Innovation Center, we can enable the adoption and scalability of this novel dry electrode coating technology.”

Source: Chemours

Source link by Charged EVs

Author Charles Morris

#Chemical #firm #Chemours #opens #Battery #Innovation #Center #develop #battery #tech

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Chart: Almost all new US power plants are carbon-free

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August 23, 2024

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The climate law is helping bring solar to more apartment buildings

Wind projects made up 12 percent of new additions during the same period. Nuclear power contributed another 5 percent of the new capacity additions, thanks to the completion of the 1.1 GW Vogtle 4 reactor in April. Just 400 megawatts of new fossil gas went online in the first six months of 2024.

If developers follow through with their construction plans for the second half of this year, the clean energy bonanza will only accelerate.

By the end of 2024, the country is expected to have installed a total of 37 GW of utility-scale solar and 15 GW of battery storage capacity, per EIA data — both around double the previous record-high installation figures for each technology.

That blistering growth forecast is a welcome development. Power sector emissions are not falling fast enough in the U.S., and in fact are currently forecast to tick up by 1 percent this year. The only way to solve that problem is to build staggering amounts of clean energy, swiftly.

A report earlier this year tried to quantify just how much new clean energy the U.S. had to build this year to get power sector emissions on track. The report’s conclusion? At least 60 GW. Right now, per EIA data, the country is on track to build exactly that much carbon-free power this year — 60 GW.

Source link by Canary Media

Author Dan McCarthy

#Chart #power #plants #carbonfree

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2024 GMC Sierra EV Denali Edition 1 arrives at dealers

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August 23, 2024

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2024 GMC Sierra EV Denali Edition 1 arrives at dealers

GMC now has two electric trucks in production
The 2024 GMC Sierra EV will be a low-volume model for at least a year
The limited-edition launch version of the Sierra EV costs $99,495

The 2024 GMC Sierra EV Denali Edition 1 is now being delivered to customers, General Motors announced Wednesday. But it will be some time before other versions of the electric pickup reach dealerships.

The limited-edition launch version of the Sierra EV arrives with a starting price of $99,495 with a $1,995 destination fee—a few thousand less than the price suggested when the Sierra EV was first previewed by Green Car Reports in 2022. The launch model’s 440-mile EPA range is also about 10% more than originally suggested.

Bearing GMC’s top-luxury Denali badge, the Edition 1 features adaptive air suspension, rear-wheel steering, and the CrabWalk feature from the GMC Hummer EV. The latter distinguishes the GMC from the top-trim 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV RST. Like their internal-combustion counterparts, the Sierra EV and Silverado EV are essentially twins, with the main differences coming down to styling and some feature content.

2024 GMC Sierra EV Denali Edition 1

Edition 1 models have a dual-motor powertrain producing up to 754 hp and 785 lb-ft of torque, enabling 0-60 mph acceleration in 4.5 seconds and a maximum towing capacity of 10,000 lbs that’s slightly higher than the 9,500 pounds originally suggested. A midgate pass-through—pioneered by GM in the 2000s—allows the truck to swallow items up to 11 feet long. A front trunk is included as well.

With a dual-layer battery pack expected to be the same 205 kwh as top trims of the Hummer EV, the Sierra EV can take full advantage of 350-kw, 800-volt charging connectors, according to GMC, allowing up to 100 miles of range in 10 minutes. Bidirectional charging at up to 10.2 kw allows the Sierra EV to serve as a mobile power source.

The truck rides on massive 24-inch wheels and features a generously-sized 16.8-inch infotainment touchscreen. The Super Cruise highway driving-assistance system, which can be used while towing a trailer, is also available. GM expects 750,000 of compatible U.S. and Canadian roads to be available by the end of 2025.

2024 GMC Sierra EV Denali Edition 1

The Sierra EV was announced in 2021 and at that time was confirmed for a 2023 market arrival. GMC has suggested all along that it might not be “high-volume entry” electric truck that GM CEO Mary Barra stressed in describing the Silverado EV, so work-truck variants like those offered for the Chevy likely aren’t planned. GMC has said that an AT4 off-road model is on the way, as well as an entry-level Elevation model priced around $50,000.

These other versions likely won’t arrive right away, though. Large-scale production of the Sierra EV and Silverado EV at GM’s Orion Assembly plant in Michigan has been postponed until mid-2026—the latest in multiple delays of the production ramp-up of these trucks and other GM Ultium EVs.

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

#GMC #Sierra #Denali #Edition #arrives #dealers

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Ford scraps its three-row electric SUV, opening the door for these rivals to dominate

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August 23, 2024

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Ford scraps its three-row electric SUV, opening the door for these rivals to dominate

While Ford is canceling plans to launch its three-row electric SUV, overseas brands like Kia, Hyundai, and Volvo are looking to take advantage. By scrapping its larger SUV, Ford opened the door for rivals to take control of the segment.

The “personal bullet train,” as Doug Field, Ford’s head of EVs, called the three-row electric SUV, is no longer part of the plans.

Ford announced a drastic shake-up to its EV strategy on Wednesday, including canceling plans for its first three-row electric SUV. The American automaker will instead focus on a new family of hybrid models.

“The reality is that the market changed,” Marin Gjaja, Ford’s COO, told Reuters on Thursday. Following Ford’s investor day last year, share prices rallied when the model was announced.

However, with pushed-back EV initiatives and growing losses in the second quarter, Ford’s stock is down nearly 20% over the past month as investors question its direction.

Gjaja said Ford’s strategy shift shows the automaker is making moves to produce profitable EVs. Ford also announced it will delay the launch of its next-gen pickup. “Project T3” until the second half of 2027, two years later than expected.

Ford is focusing on its low-cost EV platform. The first model to launch on it will be a more affordable mid-size electric truck in 2027. It will also introduce a “digitally advanced” electric van in 2026. But will it be enough to fend off overseas rivals?

Ford cancels three-row electric SUV while rivals step in

By scrapping its larger electric SUV, Ford is opening the door for overseas rivals to take over the segment.

After launching in the US late last year, Kia has sold nearly 11,500 EV9s through July, its first three-row electric SUV.

Starting under $55,000, Kia calls the EV9’s price tag a “wake-up call” for the industry. The EV9 was the sixteenth top-selling EV in the US in Q2, topping Kia’s Niro and the Nissan Ariya.

Hyundai, Kia’s sister company, also plans to launch a three-row EV SUV. The IONIQ 9, as it’s expected to be called, will be revealed later this year. Hyundai’s larger electric SUV has been spotted testing in the US several times ahead of its debut (see a video of it here).

Hyundai-three-row-electric-SUV — Hyundai IONIQ 9 (SEVEN) electric SUV concept (Source: Hyundai)

Hyundai Motor Group, including Kia and Genesis, already topped Ford in the second quarter, accounting for 10% of the US electric vehicle market.

Ford was third with 7.4% of the market, followed by GM at 6.3%, according to data from Motor Intelligence.

Volvo is another brand that’s targeting the three-row electric SUV market. The Swedish automaker expects big results from its upcoming EX90, which is scheduled to hit US dealerships later this year.

Volvo-three-row-electric-SUV — Volvo EX90 (Source: Volvo)

Volvo and Kia are both building electric SUVs in the US as they look to grab a piece of the market.

Rival GM is also planning to begin building its three-row Cadillac Escalade IQ SUV. Meanwhile, after upgrading its Normal, IL plant in April, Rivian expects R1S output to pick up in the second half of the year. Rivian’s R1S was already the sixth top-selling EV in the US in Q2.

Will affordable electric cars be Ford’s savior? Or will it be too little too late by then? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

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Source link by Electrek
Author Peter Johnson

#Ford #scraps #threerow #electric #SUV #opening #door #rivals #dominate

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Paraclete Energy achieves cost-effective silicon anode materials

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August 23, 2024

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Paraclete Energy achieves cost-effective silicon anode materials

Paraclete Energy, a producer of silicon-based anode materials for the EV and battery markets, has reached a cost of $35/kWh for its SILO Silicon anode materials—below the typical cost of $53/kWh for lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries using graphite anodes.

Paraclete Energy’s silicon anode materials offer specific energy of over 520 Wh/kg, exceeding traditional graphite anodes, according to the company. This allows batteries to deliver more energy for longer periods of time.

Paraclete Energy’s distributed manufacturing model enables the production of anode materials near or at customers’ sites, increasing their production efficiency and reducing costs.

“The recent decline in LFP battery prices underscores the industry’s commitment to affordability and sustainability,” said Jeff Norris, CEO of Paraclete Energy. “Our SILO Silicon anode technology serves as a proxy for cost-effective and high-performance energy storage for the rapid adoption of electric vehicles and renewable energy solutions.”

Source: Paraclete Energy

Source link by Charged EVs
Author Nicole Willing

#Paraclete #Energy #achieves #costeffective #silicon #anode #materials

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Fisker Ocean recalled due to regen brake issue

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August 23, 2024

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Fisker Ocean recalled due to regen brake issue

The Fisker Ocean has been recalled once again, this time for an issue that could lead to an unexpected reduction in regenerative braking.

The recall includes 7,745 Ocean electric SUVs from model years 2023 and 2024 (the only two in which the Ocean was sold before Fisker filed for bankruptcy). Software issues in these vehicles may reduce regenerative braking while decelerating over bumps, according to the NHTSA.

2023 Fisker Ocean

Drivers still have access to friction brakes, and “normal operation” resets after 740 milliseconds, according to recall documents. However, drivers may have to press the brake pedal unexpectedly due to the reduced regen. Fisker is aware of one injury related to this issue.

Fisker will release an over-the-air software update to address the issue. It plans to mail owner notification letters Oct. 14, 2024, but in the meantime owners can contact Fisker customer service at 1-844-347-5371. Fisker’s reference number for this recall is TSB10062408.

2023 Fisker Ocean

This is the fifth recall of the Ocean during its brief production run, although only three recalls apply to both 2023 and 2024 models. That includes a recall of 8,204 vehicles in the U.S. to address sticking door handles that could prevent the doors from opening. Assembly and some development work was contracted out to Magna, which built the Ocean at its facility in Graz, Austria, alongside the also discontinued Jaguar I-Pace.

Production was slow to ramp up and, once it did, slow sales left Fisker vulnerable. In July, the bankrupt automaker asked the judge overseeing its Chapter 11 proceedings for permission to sell leftover cars to a leasing company for $14,000 each. In a postmortem drive, Green Car Reports found that the Ocean was frozen in beta, with a stylish design but tech features left incomplete by software updates that may never come.

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

#Fisker #Ocean #recalled #due #regen #brake #issue

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Aptera receives bodies in carbon delivery, multiple production intent solar EV builds to follow

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August 22, 2024

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Aptera receives bodies in carbon delivery, multiple production intent solar EV builds to follow

According to a recent post from Aptera Motors co-CEO Steve Fambro, the solar EV startup has received a delivery of bodies in carbon (BinCs) from Italy. According to Fambro, the BinCs will be cleaned up and soon become Aptera’s next three production-intent solar EV builds.

Solar EV startup Aptera Motors continues to push forward toward its holy grail of scaled production and is another step closer in the process. After announcing it would end its crowdfunding campaigns, which garnered $135 million from over $17,000 investors, Aptera announced a partnership with financial group US Capital Global.

US Capital is leading a new investment round that includes up to $60 million in convertible notes of Aptera Motors Corp.

According to US Capital’s Aptera investor presentation, the $60 million will provide the startup with enough cash to build 10-12 validation prototypes, complete crash testing, and then manufacture 10-15 production intent vehicles that will be sold. Aptera has been teasing its production-intent builds for some time now, especially the PI-2, which, according to a company update from March 2024, is expected to feature Aptera’s production components.

In a recent post to X, Aptera CEO Steve Fambro shared a similar update alongside some images seen below.

Aptera on the cusp of production intent builds 2 through 4

Fambro posted the most recent BinC images seen above alongside the following progress update:

Two large boxes arrived from Italy today containing BinCs for PI-2 thru PI-4. Going to be trimmed shortly and then construction will begin!

As you can see in the image on the left, three BinCs have been delivered safely to Aptera’s Carlsbad headquarters and will lay the groundwork for production intent (PI) builds 2, 3, and 4.

This is welcomed progress as Aptera remains on track according to its previously shared timelines. If and when the $60 million convertible note round is successful, Aptera could have enough cash to hit a start of (very limited) production in 2025 before ramping up to 20,000 solar EV builds per year after that.

As is always the case with Aptera, more capital will be required to truly reach its production goals, but this is a welcomed step that moves us closer to taking a spin in a production intent solar EV, and those thousands of loyal investors are getting closer to possibly getting a bonafide production model someday.

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Source link by Electrek
Author Scooter Doll

#Aptera #receives #bodies #carbon #delivery #multiple #production #intent #solar #builds #follow

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