Featured Threads Archive
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Center for Automotive Research report on product mix
Source: http://www.cargroup.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/The-Great-Divide-What-Consumers-Are-Buying-vs-The-Investments-Automake....pdf
The U.S. automotive industry is in a critical period. U.S. light vehicle sales are plateauing at a high level that includes a rich mix of pickup trucks, SUVs, and CUVs. Sales of these high-priced and high-margin vehicles are producing record profits that companies are pouring into new products, processes, and technologies. Some technological developments—including automated driver assist systems (ADAS); connected and automated vehicle technologies (CAV); and advanced powertrains—have the potential to transform not only the vehicle but also the entire automobile industry. Alone or in combination, these technologies can enable new mobility paradigms and business and revenue models that could... -
Basics of charging systems
Source: EV Success Driven by Battery and Charging Solutions | Electronic Design
Sponsored by: Texas Instruments. New charging methods and intelligent battery management help make electric vehicles practical.
All-electric vehicles (EVs) are available right now. So, what’s keeping you from buying one? Of course, the answer is travel range—the range of even the best of the EVs is around 200 miles on a full charge. That’s roughly half of what the typical internal-combustion-engine (ICE) vehicle can do. That limitation is going to put off potential EV buyers until something better comes along.
Better batteries are the ultimate answer to that problem, but it hasn’t happened, yet. For now, the real solution is more charging stations and faster and easier... -
Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV gets major powertrain updates, Geneva reveal
Key notes:
- 2.4 litre Atkinson cycle engine replacing the current 2.0 litre Otto cycle engine
- 10% boost to generator/motor output and battery capacity output
- +15% battery capacity
- Sport and Snow drive modes join normal and 4WD LOCK
Mitsubishi Outlander plug-in hybrid gets big powertrain improvements - Autoblog
Just as it's launched here, another midlife update is on its way. -
Punch Powertrain is acquiring power electronics expert Apojee
news | Punchpowertrain
Punch Powertrain acquires French Apojee
On January 22th, an agreement was reached regarding the strategic acquisition of the French company Apojee by Punch Powertrain. Apojee is an industry expert in the field of Power Electronics with customers in the German and French Automotive industry (both OEMs and Tier 1s), as well as in motorsports (inverters for Formula E and for Formula One). The company is located in Clermont-Ferrand (FR), with additional offices in Nice (FR) and Munich (DE), counting 50 employees in total.
Expanding R&D capacity and capability
With this acquisition Punch Powertrain is rapidly increasing its R&D capacity in the field of Power Electronics with expertise covering the entire chain from product conception to production support. This contributes to achieving the strategic objectives of Punch... -
Avoid these plugin hybrids
Source: Here's Why You Should Avoid These 14 Plug-In Hybrids
Prius Prime is not on this list.
Bob Wilson -
Evan Johnson, HyTech Power, and Hydrogen for the Masses
Article in Vox.com about another (apparently) heavy hitter who steps up to the challenge of Hydrogen.
And though HyTech Power, where Johnson serves as CTO, obviously seeks financial success, Johnson sees its products as something more: a way to use hydrogen to immediately reduce pollution while scaling up and driving down costs enough to enable more fundamental changes to the energy system.
HyTech Power may have solved hydrogen, one of the hardest problems in clean energy - Vox -
Less Than Half As Much To Drive
Owner of two, plugin hybrids, I can confirm my EV miles are half the cost of the current gas miles. When you add the 'free' charging, the ratio is almost 3-to-1 in favor of EV miles.
Source: Electric Vehicles Cost Less Than Half As Much To Drive
The average cost to operate an EV in the United States is $485 per year, while the average for a gasoline-powered vehicle is $1,117, according to the study by Michael Sivak and Brandon Schoettle of Michigan's Transportation Research Institute.
. . .
In the new Michigan study, Sivak and Schoettle found that fuel costs for both type of cars vary dramatically from state to state.
- In Hawaii, it costs $1,509 to fuel "a typical new gasoline vehicle" each year, and $1,106 to charge an EV.
- Gasoline...
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VW MicroBus Concept
Source:
Bob Wilson -
Unplugged Performance Dual Rate LOWERING Spring Set
Model 3 lowering springs....damn already looking for toys for a dream car...modders hmmmf!![[IMG]](proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2F%5BURL%3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fsmg.photobucket.com%2Fuser%2Fsubcode%2Fmedia%2FModel3%2520lowering%2520springs_zpsxfdqgrvv.png.html%5D%5BIMG%5Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fimg.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fv63%2Fsubcode%2FModel3%2520lowering%2520springs_zpsxfdqgrvv.png&hash=b9e493b9865efb19cbcbbc5eb1fe2c05)
[Vendor - Unplugged Performance Dual Rate LOWERING Spring Set | Tesla Motors Club
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NYT: To Power the Future, Carmakers Flip on 48-Volt Systems
To Power the Future, Carmakers Flip on 48-Volt Systems - The New York Times
tl;dr: 48v "mild hybrids" are going to become more common in the coming years. -
Aussies Virtual Power Plant
Source: Tesla is giving 50,000 Australian homes solar power | World Economic Forum
![[IMG]](proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.weforum.org%2Farticle%2Fimage%2Flarge_XDQqRgsOU5MnhApjmyi6jwjrAXMBVmooNj92BSSia7c.jpg&hash=5150fc527273d39d2d501f1d5aaba166)
The state government of South Australia announced Sunday that it had struck a deal with Tesla to install as many as 50,000 solar-power systems on homes, at no cost to residents.
The system would include both solar panels and Tesla Powerwall batteries, and would become part of a decentralized electric grid managed by software. The system would be funded in part by revenues from electricity, which would not belong to the owners of the homes where the systems were installed.
A pilot version of the program has already begun, and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation spoke to one early... -
Toyota Prius sales have tanked, 4 reasons why
Toyota Prius hybrid sales have tanked: here are 4 reasons why
In case you can't open the link or are just too lazy to read it, here's the 4 reasons:
1. Low gas prices.
2. Higher mpg overall in many vehicles compared to to a few years ago.
3. Non-plugin hybrids available in many shapes and forms from many automakers now, so Prius feels less special in this regard.
4. The polarizing design of the Gen 4 Prius. Some love it, some hate it.
So, what are your thoughts on it? -
London Black Cab TX
Looks like a great upgrade from my BMW i3-REx.
Bob Wilson -
Subaru PHEV coming later this year using Toyota Prius Prime tech
Interesting that they expect to mate the Prime tech with a boxter engine:
Subaru PHEV planned this year, using Toyota Prius Prime hybrid parts - Autoblog -
Nissan and Audi different electrification perspectives
Nissan and Audi: Different perspectives on electrification – similar goals | Norsk elbilforening
Albeit a bit inane I found the Norwegian interview a bit amusing given some former posturing I remember in the not distant past
Ah well
Enjoy -
Dashboard Summary January 2018
Once again, thanks to Jeff Cobb's team: http://www.hybridcars.com/january-2018-dashboard/
model 01/15/18 12/15/17 11/15/17 10/15/17 1 Prius Liftback 4011 5401 4787 4532 2 RAV4 3502 4846 4349 5012 3 Transit Diesel 2629 4333 3798 3602 4 Fusion Hybrid 2519 4169 3541 5087 5 Model 3 1900 1050 350 150 6 Niro Hybrid 1630 2397 2235 1935 7 Camry Hybrid 1621 2913 2703 1897 8 Ram Pickup Diesel 1517 2147 1417 1712 9 Prius Prime 1496 2420 1834 1626 10 Bolt EV 1177 3227 2987 2781 11 Highlander Hybrid 976 1606 1393 1266 12 Ioniq Hybrid 902 829 939 870 13 Model S 900 4800 1400 1100 14 Prius C 811 954 854 900 15 Volt 713 1937 1702 1362 16 C-Max Hybrid 709 980 939 1092 17 Model X 700 3400 1800 900 18 Fusion Energi 640 875 731 741 19 Prius V 625 707 674 652 20 Clarity Plug In 594 898 21 RX 400 / 450 h 583 967 753 675 22 Colorado Diesel 554 557 594 956 23 Optima Hybrid 492 1007 1404 705 24 Accord Hybrid 487 1160 1586 1832 25 Avalon Hybrid 477 446 329 375 26 NX Hybrid 458 731 431 190 27 Lacrosse... -
Bob Lutz And Autonomous Vehicles
He's back with his thoughts on autonomous vehicles.
http://www.autonews.com/article/20171105/INDUSTRY_REDESIGNED/171109944/industry-redesigned-bob-lutz
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