Featured Threads Archive
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Touch Screens
Interesting article, on the dubious benefits of touch screens.
The Problem with Touch controls in the Automotive Industry - SlashGear -
Electric Corvette
Source: http://www.hybridcars.com/genovation-cars-announces-gxe-performance-car-debut-2018-ces/
Instead of a rasping V8 however, Genovation removed all the engine bits and replaced them with a twin-motor electric powertrain and a 60 Kilowatt-hours (kWh) battery pack....
Genovation says the GXE accelerates to 60 mph in less than 3 seconds and top speed now exceeds 220 mph. Battery and powertrain in the car that sounds like a jet airplane when running at speed is said to have been derived from Le Mans and Formula 1 technology.
The startup expects the GXE to have 130 miles of range. Unstated is what type of charging system is on board or recharge times. Also expect that range to suffer under extreme usage at a racetrack. The original prototype with 44-kWh battery had been designed to be capable of two full-tilt laps at the 12.9-mile Nurburgring. -
Variable sized magnets in motors
Source: http://www.hybridcars.com/gm-patents-electric-motor-multiple-magnet-lengths/
Effectively, the tabs will allow the stacks to accept either short or long magnets–the tab will support the shorter magnet halfway down the aperture or get pushed out of the way upon inserting a longer magnet. GM claims there will be at least a 25-percent difference in magnet lengths.
![[IMG]](proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hybridcars.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F01%2Fmagnets-3-696x935-e1515166133979.png&hash=0fb452ff2fbae42833dea88aca4b7ff9)
What this means is a common motor core whose expensive, permanent magnets can be sized for the vehicle. This increases the commonality of parts to reduce manufacturing costs yet right-size the motor(s) to the vehicle.
Bob Wilson -
Tokyo EV trucks
Source:
This has got to piss off Bob Lutz and amuse Musk.
Bob Wilson -
Dashboard summary December 2017
Another excellent report by Jeff Cobb's team: http://www.hybridcars.com/december-2017-dashboard/
model 12/15/17 11/15/17 10/15/17 09/15/17 1 Prius Liftback 5401 4787 4532 5722 2 RAV4 4846 4349 5012 5759 3 Model S 4800 1400 1100 4500 4 Transit Diesel 4333 3798 3602 4741 5 Fusion Hybrid 4169 3541 5087 6326 6 Model X 3400 1800 900 3400 7 Bolt EV 3227 2987 2781 2632 8 Camry Hybrid 2913 2703 1897 2090 9 Prius Prime 2420 1834 1626 1899 10 Niro Hybrid 2397 2235 1935 2554 11 Ram Pickup Diesel 2147 1417 1712 1137 12 Volt 1937 1702 1362 1453 13 Highlander Hybrid 1606 1393 1266 1500 14 Accord Hybrid 1160 1586 1832 2278 15 Model 3 1050 350 150 120 16 Optima Hybrid 1007 1404 705 396 17 C-Max Hybrid 980 939 1092 820 18 RX 400 / 450 h 967 753 675 835 19 Prius C 954 854 900 937 20 Clarity Plug In 898 21 Fusion Energi 875 731 741 763 22 X5 832 929 329 333 23 Ioniq Hybrid 829 939 870 1101 24 NX Hybrid 731 431 190 189 25 Prius V 707 674 652 728 26 5-Series Plug in 706 872 596 511... -
South Korea Choses CCS
Yep, they're going with Frankenplug.
South Korea to standardize on CCS fast-charging standard used by US, German makers -
New Cali Cars to be ZEV by 2040
In 2040, all new cars sold in California would be emission-free, bill says - San Francisco Chronicle
Will the Auto industry fight this tooth & nail? It'd seem highly likely, just as performing end runs by purchasing out of state, then moving vehicles to California. Already some folks beat the rules (illegally) on state auto sales taxes in this fashion by purchasing cars in low or zero sales tax states for the requisite time then later registering in the higher taxed state.
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Nissan LEAF Slide Confirms 225-Plus Mile Range, $35,000 Price Tag For 60-kWh 2019 Model
Nissan LEAF Slide Confirms 225-Plus Mile Range, $35,000 Price Tag For 60-kWh 2019 Model
The Bolt starts at $43,095 CAD so expect it to be around $43,000 CAD. -
Tesla Cannonball
Source: http://www.hybridcars.com/tesla-model-3-sets-new-cannonball-run-record-electric-vehicles/
They completed the journey in 50 hours, 16 minutes and 32 seconds.
. . .
Driving 2,860 miles straight through . . .
57 mph ~= 2860 / 50.25
Bob Wilson -
Ontario Canada adapt CARB Standards?
I noticed this interesting change taking effect on January 1 in Ontario Canada.
Perhaps that is why Prime will be available there soon.
From Ontario's minimum wage increase and other legal changes take effect Jan. 1 -
Wards eulogy
Source: http://wardsauto.com/engines/groundbreaking-prius-hybrid-evolves-over-20-years
The world’s best-selling hybrid car went on sale Dec. 10, 1997. Toyota sold only 323 of the bubble-shaped cars that year, enough for it to win the “Japan Car of the Year” award, although most models were not delivered until after the New Year.
Since its launch, Toyota has sold 4.3 million units. Cumulative hybrid sales by the automaker, including 36 other Toyota and Lexus models introduced over the past two decades, have grown to 11 million, including 1.5 million this year. Of these, 220,000 are Priuses.
No other hybrid model by any other automaker, including Toyota, is close. No other automaker is close.... -
Hyundai Ioniq plug-in starting at $24950
2018 Hyundai IONIQ Plug-In Hybrid Priced From $24,950
Wow, that's a fairly impressive price. 29 miles of electric, and 52 mpg. This is definitely a Prius Prime-challenger.
I also love that battery prices continue to fall, so it's slowly closing the gap vs traditional gas cars and non-plug in hybrids. So let's see what happens in by 2020.
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Where's our Tacoma Hybrid?
Musk has plans for an EV pickup truck.
Toyota could beat him to market with a Hybrid Tacoma. (I know, not an EV, but one step at a time.)
Tesla's Elon Musk sets his sights on a pickup truck - CBS News -
SAAB Is Back, Well Sorta
NEVS of China brought the SAAB 9-3 back, but with an electric drivetrain.
NEVS 9-3 Electric Enters Production -
Seminal paper on optically mapped, 3d space
The success of autonomous driving is limited by the sensors, typically optically based, that map what is seen in front of the car. Both distance, direction, and the calculated relative velocities are critical to guiding a car to avoid other moving and stationary objects. So this paper describes an improved approach:
http://web.media.mit.edu/~achoo/beat/Kadambi_beat_lowres.pdf
Radar works by timing a reflected signal but the problem is sensor time resolution, they are too slow to achieve more than centimeter resolution. This paper outlines how to 'heterodyne' the transmitted and reflected light to achieve millimeter resolution. Better still, it appears to mitigate the fog problem.
There is a big gap between lab and product but the math and physics laid out here is the roadmap to improved, autonomous driving sensors (and others.) Ones that may not require mechanical sweeping of the field.
Bob Wilson
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