Show #879
Good morning, good afternoon and good evening wherever you are in the world, welcome to EV News Daily for Monday 31st August 2020. It’s Martyn Lee here and I go through every EV story so you don’t have to.
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TESLA MODEL 3 WINS 1ST & 2ND AT PIKES PEAK
“The Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, brought to you by Gran Turismo, welcomed three Tesla Model 3s to the field on August 30. America’s Mountain was taken on by three unique Tesla racecars, driven by Blake Fuller, Josh Allen and Randy Pobst. Two of those cars took 1st and 2nd place.” says Tesmanian: “Blake Fuller, in a 2018 Tesla Model 3, won the race with a best time in this, the 98th running, with an unofficial time of 11: 02.802. Randy Pobst was the runner up in the 2020 Unplugged Performance Tesla Model 3 Ascen-R, with a second-best, unofficial time of 11: 04.131. During the first run of the second day of qualifying, Randy Pobst’s Model 3 was hit hard at speed. It seemed that he would not be able to take part in the race on August 30th. However, the car was significantly overhauled and still ultimately achieved 2nd place in the event.”
https://www.tesmanian.com/blogs/tesmanian-blog/tesla-model-3-wins-1st-2nd-place-in-exhibition-class-at-pikes-peak-2020
U.S. SUPPLY OF VW ID4 EXPECTED TO BE LIMITED
“Volkswagen of America CEO Scott Keogh told Automotive News Publisher Jason Stein in a podcast interview to be broadcast this week that ID4 supply is expected to be tight for U.S. dealers at least until production of the BEV begins in 2022 in Chattanooga.” says Automotive News: “Volkswagen will use a centralized online reservation system in North America to accept initial $100 refundable deposits from consumers either online or from a VW dealership to hold their place in line for an ID4, Movassaghi said last week. Later, customers will be asked to go into the dealership or continue online to deposit an additional $400 to confirm their order and lock in their configuration. Both deposits will be fully refundable until the car is delivered. The actual sales price will still be set by the local dealer and could differ from the sticker price, which has not been disclosed. Keogh suggested that the ID4’s sticker price would be “a tick over” $30,000, after available credits.”
Keogh said: “Right now, there are a lot more mouths to feed than there [are] vehicles. We’re going to continue to fight for every car. But we could probably use a few more.”
https://www.autonews.com/mobility-report/us-supply-vw-id4-expected-be-limited
TESLA ROLLS OUT SOFTWARE UPDATE TO LET ITS CARS’ CAMERAS SEE SPEED LIMIT SIGNS.
“Tesla is pushing a software update that will let its vehicles’ Autopilot system detect speed limit signs using their cameras. When the camera detects a speed limit sign, it will be displayed on the driver visualization in the car and used to set a speed limit warning, according to the software release notes.” reports The Verge: “The latest software update also adds to its traffic light and stop sign control features, and will sound a chime when your Tesla is sitting at a stoplight that turns green. It’s only intended as a notification so it’s up to the driver to decide whether and when to actually move the car forward.”
https://www.theverge.com/2020/8/30/21407438/tesla-software-speed-limit-self-driving-cars
ELECTRIC VEHICLES DESERVE A NEW EPA RANGE TEST
“There are a number of factors that make an EV’s EPA range unachievable in real-world driving at the highway speeds where range matters most. For starters, EVs can benefit from the EPA test’s speed fluctuations via regenerative braking, which puts energy back into the battery. Most gas-powered vehicles can’t do that.” says Car & Driver: “This is why gasoline-powered vehicles regularly beat their EPA highway figures in our real-world 75-mph highway test, yet no EV has even matched its EPA range. An Audi e-tron came closest, missing its label value by 7 percent. All of this means that if you want an EV that can repeatedly drive 200 miles on the highway between charges, you’ll need to look for one with an EPA range around 350 miles.”
https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a33825136/evs-deserve-a-new-epa-range-test/
THE SECRET ADJUSTMENT FACTOR TESLA USES TO GET ITS BIG EPA RANGE NUMBERS
“When it comes to EV range, Tesla appears untouchable. Despite pouring billions into electric-vehicle programs, established automakers have failed to make up much ground when it comes to the range game, and winning that game remains a crucial part of winning over buyers. So how does Tesla do it?” asks Car & Driver: “EVs are strapped to a dynamometer—essentially a treadmill for cars—and repeatedly run through a test regimen that ends only when the battery is depleted to the point that the vehicle can no longer maintain the required speed. the EPA allows automakers the option to run three additional drive cycles and use those results to earn a more favorable adjustment factor. Currently, only Tesla and Audi employ this strategy for their EVs, and Tesla scores the most advantageous results, with adjustments that range from 29.5 percent on the Model 3 Standard Range Plus to 24.4 percent on the Model Y Performance. If Tesla had used the standard adjustment factor of 30 percent, the Model Y Performance’s window-sticker range would drop to 292 miles. But because Tesla takes advantage of the EPA’s alternate methodology, the company can instead claim a 315-mile range.”
Read more: https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a33824052/adjustment-factor-tesla-uses-for-big-epa-range-numbers/
LIGHTNING SYSTEMS LOWERS PRICES OF ELECTRIC POWERTRAINS WHILE ADDING AND ENHANCING FEATURES
Commercial electric vehicle manufacturer Lightning Systems announced it is lowering the prices of its 2021 battery and fuel cell electric vehicles by 10 to 50% for Class 3 to Class 8 vehicles.
n addition to lower prices, zero-emission vehicles from Colorado’s Lightning Systems also will have new features, including:
– High-speed Level 2 charging
– Faster DC fast charging systems
– Enhanced telematics and new remote software management features for fleet managers and drivers
– In-cab display enhancements in all vehicles
– Improved range and payload capacity from higher energy density battery solutions
Lightning Systems’ electric commercial vehicles are built on familiar industry-leading chassis such as the Ford Transit 350HD, Ford E-450, Ford F-550 and Chevrolet 6500XD..
Lightning Systems lowers prices of electric powertrains while adding and enhancing features
GM ELECTRIC VEHICLES WILL HAVE CORVETTE-LEVEL ENGINEERING
“InsideEVs has learned that the Corvette Engineering team, which contains some of the top talent at the automaker, is being moved from Global Products Programs to the Autonomous and Electric Vehicles program team, which is led by Ken Morris. While this may seem like snoozy corporate machinations to some, it’s actually a pretty big deal.” says InsideEVs: “To start, though, this doesn’t mean that we should expect GM to announce an all-electric Corvette any time soon – the latest iteration of that storied model, the C8, just launched in July of last year and this generation could be expected to stay in production for maybe six or more years. The significance here is much deeper. Sure, we expect we’ll eventually see an all-electric Corvette, but what this move is intended to do is put the same high-performance DNA that can be found in the C8 into the company’s electric vehicles.”
https://insideevs.com/news/441210/gm-corvette-engineering-team-ev/
TOYOTA RAV4 PRIME’S MYSTERIOUS ALL-WHEEL DRIVE SYSTEM EXPLAINED
“The 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime is a plug-in hybrid-electric vehicle (PHEV) with an unusual all-wheel drive (AWD) system. Unlike a conventional system which would connect the front engine to a rear differential to drive the rear wheels, the RAV4 Prime’s system has a gas engine and electric motor up front to drive the front two wheels, and a separate rear electric motor to drive the rear two wheels. There is no mechanical connection between the front and rear drive systems.” writes Torqeu News: “In every possible drive mode configuration, the RAV4 Prime offers power to the rear wheels. The RAV4 Prime’s drivetrain can be configured for all-electric operation, a combination of electric and hybrid power called automatic, and also a hybrid-only mode for preserving battery range for later all-electric use. The rear electric motor can supply up to about 55 hp to the rear wheels based on the available traction and other factors. This setup makes the RAV4 Prime’s AWD system one that enables all-road and all-weather traction. In addition, the RAV4 Prime can be used on trails for some light off-road operation.”
https://www.torquenews.com/1083/2021-toyota-rav4-prime-s-all-wheel-drive-system-explained
PROTERRA INTRODUCES NEW CUSTOMIZABLE BATTERY PACK FOR OEMS
“Electric bus manufacturer Proterra expanded its battery pack offer for heavy-duty commercial vehicles (like school buses, coach buses, delivery vans, and other electric vehicles) by new, narrower H Series, which will fit into standard truck frame rails and increase packaging flexibility, compared to S Series.” according to InsideEVs: ” Depending on application, OEMs can customize and scale up the systems up to 6 MWh. In EV buses or trucks, usually a few hundred kWh is used. In the case of Bustech, from early 2021 the company will use a 450 kWh Proterra battery systems in 12.5 m ZDi meter transit buses, which should have range of up to 325 km (202 miles). At a high-power charging station, the battery will be recharged in two hours.”
https://insideevs.com/news/440822/proterra-new-customizable-battery-pack-oems/
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