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Just about everyone who follows the electric vehicle scene agrees that a lot more public charging stations need to be deployed over the next few years. Governments, electric utilities and private firms are rising to the challenge. President Biden’s EV plan includes $15 billion in new funding to install some 500,000 charging stations by 2030. Many other infrastructure initiatives are going forward around the world as we speak. Above: Electric cars charging (Flickr: Jakob Harter) But where should all those chargers be installed? This is a critical question, and there’s no single correct answer—but some wrong answers have already become clear. A few years ago, there was a wave of infrastructure installation around the US, as city governments and businesses took advantage of federal subsidies to build public chargers. Alas, most of these entities had no idea of the best places to build the charging stations, and they tended to install them wherever it was easy and cheap to do so, at places like city halls and schools. Hundreds of these too-early deployments sit unused today, and many have been abandoned or removed, providing talking points for anti-EV chatterers. To be fair, at that time there was little or no data available to guide policy-makers. Today, siting of public chargers is developing into a science. Planners working for Tesla’s Supercharger division, and major networks such as Electrify America and Europe’s IONIQ, carefully study traffic patterns, growth projections and the locations of amenities like restaurants and shopping before making decisions about where to locate new charging stations. When it comes to planning large-scale rollouts of public charging, there are basically two schools of thought, as a recent article in Autoweek explains. So far, most of the large network providers, including ChargePoint and Electrify America, have focused on putting chargers in areas that already have, or are expected to have, large concentrations of EVs. A glance at Tesla’s Supercharger map illustrates this strategy on a macro scale—Superchargers are thickly clustered in early-adopting regions such as California, Norway and China, but thin on the ground in many other parts of the world. Above: States like Florida are investing heavily in the buildout of electric vehicle charging stations (YouTube: NBC2 News) The other philosophy is to spread charging facilities in a more equitable fashion—if we want everyone to drive electric, then we need to make sure public charging is also available in rural areas, and in less-affluent communities. In California, for example public infrastructure programs typically require that a substantial amount of the funding be directed to disadvantaged and/or rural communities. The state of Michigan is considering both approaches as it builds out a statewide charging network. Mehrnaz Ghamami, an Assistant Professor at Michigan State University, led a team of researchers who developed a plan to optimize Michigan’s EV charging network. As she explained to Autoweek, the state told the team to plan chargers with “uniform distribution throughout the state, for equity purposes,” not just in areas where traffic or EV adoption are already high. The resulting maps show chargers distributed at roughly even intervals throughout the state, with clusters around major population centers. Ghamami says her team faced criticism from some who didn’t understand the reason for siting stations in more remote areas, but she explains that “the infrastructure needs to be there, and users need to be educated about these vehicles. The state wanted to build the chargers, and the demand will follow.” Across the pond, the city of London is pursuing more of a follow-the-traffic strategy as it builds out a charging network for taxis. Local government has mandated that the city’s iconic taxi fleet be electrified by 2033, and planners are using mapping data from current taxi trip patterns, combined with data on the capacity of local electrical grids, to design a charging network based around established travel patterns. The drawback to this, as Autoweek points out, is that parts of the city that don’t currently have high taxi traffic could end up with few or no charging stations. The art and science of siting charging stations has come a long way, but it’s still evolving, and there’s nothing that could be called a consensus. When Autoweek asked Ms. Ghamami what standard state governments and other policymakers could look to for guidance on designing charging networks, she said, “Nationwide? I don’t think there is one.” === Written by: Charles Morris; Source: Autoweek

When you own an electric vehicle, charging protocol is important. Sometimes, due to improper charging habits, a Tesla’s battery can have calibration issues. In turn, these calibration issues can result in battery degradation that might show up — even for a relatively new Tesla.  Above: Tesla Model 3 at 5% SoC (Source: Ian Pavelko / Twitter) In a prior extensive test, a Tesla Model 3 battery degraded only 2% after 50,000 miles (80,468 km) of use. But that’s not always the case. Some owners have experienced sudden range degradation only after driving the car for a few thousand miles. One such instance happened to YouTuber ‘It’s Kim Java’ back in 2018 when her Tesla Model 3 started showing 260 miles of range on a 100% state of charge (SoC) instead of the 310 miles it displayed earlier when it was new. Interestingly, she had only driven the car, at that point, for around 11,000 miles. To avoid the situation Kim experienced with her Model 3, the Tesla Battery Management System (BMS) should go through a reset. Tesla guru Ian Pavelko has compiled the following steps for a BMS reset. If you’ve been staying at home, doing mostly short-range trips, and keeping SoC in the middle zone to preserve your battery, it’s a good idea to do a BMS (Battery Management System) reset once in a while to ensure it’s accurate when you are on a long trip. Just drive until you’re down into the single-digit percentage range, let it sit for an hour while pinging periodically with the app or the door handle to keep it awake, charge it up to 100% and do the same thing, then be sure to drive it immediately. If your car has collected much dust as mine has recently and it’s been a long time (or never) since you’ve done this, when using up that last bit of battery on the discharge part, stay close to a charging outlet and pay close attention to how the power output decreases as you approach single-digit SOC. If it starts to get super lethargic, as it doesn’t want to climb past 50 mph (80 km/h), head to home or a nearby charger immediately at a very sedate pace, then continue the regime. Some Tesla owners have found that they need to do it twice in a row, but mine has always gone back to being spot-on after just one cycle. I suspect you’re not going low enough for the BMS to accurately read the bottom end, you really should shoot for 10% or a bit below. — Mad Hungarian (@IanPavelko) May 25, 2021 Twiiter: Ian Pavelko In addition, Tesla ‘tuber Sean Mitchell also suggested three key tips to keep in mind in order to maintain optimum health for your Tesla battery. Don’t regularly charge the car to 100% Don’t let the state of charge drop to lower than 10% on a regular basis Protect the battery pack from high temperatures. This includes regularly using the Supercharger stations. Fast charging warms the batteries faster too. As noted here, keeping the daily state-of-charge of your Tesla to around 90% really helps avoiding an imbalance of battery calibration. Just remember to set the max charging limit to 90%. To that end, be sure to check out the ‘how-to’ video below for a quick tutorial. Video Video: How to set the charging limit of your Tesla vehicle (YouTube: Tesletter) === Written by: Iqtidar Ali. An earlier version of this article was originally published on Tesla Oracle. 

With new technologies come new social norms concerning what is and is not considered polite behavior. No one knew what “netiquette” meant 25 years ago, but now it’s a required social skill for any well-bred person. Above: Tesla Model S charging at a residence (Source: Tesla) The rise of EVs will lead to a new set of rules for considerate behavior. A couple of these are already clear: ICEing (parking a filthy gas-burner in an EV charging spot) is obviously a sin, and ICE-holing (deliberately doing so, and possibly making rude remarks to any EV drivers in the vicinity) could lead to a road-rage incident. What about unplugging someone else’s EV if you need to use a public charger? The rules about this are still evolving, but most drivers would probably agree that it’s alright to do so if it’s obvious that the first vehicle has finished charging. There are a couple of fine points of EVtiquette that are specific to Tesla owners. At some Supercharger stations, adjacent charging points share an electrical connection, so if two Teslas are charging side-by-side, each will only get half the maximum power available. Therefore, tech-savvy Tesla owners may bristle if someone pulls up next to them when there are other empty spaces they could take. However, less technically-inclined drivers are likely to be unaware of this issue, so it would seem churlish to make a big deal of it. Now Floriane Laroche, writing in the Yorkshire Evening Post, has identified a new faux pas: “blagging [bumming] electricity while visiting someone else’s home.” A survey of 2,000 UK drivers conducted by Kia found that 61 percent of respondents would consider it rude for a guest to ask to plug in his or her EV. However, 56 percent would be too polite to say no if they were the hosts. Oh dear, it’s ever so awkward! Above: Home charging a Kia e-Niro (Source: Kia) Some 63 percent of respondents said that asking to plug in your EV at in at someone else’s house would be like asking if you could have some gasoline from a can in the garage. Etiquette expert William Hanson sees things differently. “With new technology comes new etiquette,” he told the Post. “Part of being a good host is sharing food, drink and your home comforts.  As society evolves this should now include e-charging, which is ultimately for the benefit of the planet. Guests do need to be mindful not to go over the top, of course. Try and limit charging time at someone else’s house and don’t take too much liberty.” Hanson offers a common-sense recommendation that Emily Post would surely have approved of: “While we get to grips with this new frontier, I advise guests not to ask their hosts unless they are offered. Hosts should be proactive, and generous, and offer their charger when they see a friend arrive in an electric car, especially if they have made a long journey and do not know the area. If any electricity is used, a guest should send a thank-you letter or gift, and of course be ready to offer their own charging point when their friend visits their own house.” Kia, which conducted the survey, offers a way to avoid the sticky social situation in the first place: its new Kia Charge service, which gives drivers access to around 17,000 charging points around the UK, via Kia’s charging app. === Written by: Charles Morris; Source: Yorkshire Evening Post

Tesla has been working with lithium-ion battery pioneer Jeff Dahn and his team of researchers at Canada’s Dalhousie University since 2016. The partnership has already resulted in a number of advances, which Tesla hopes will pave the way to the development of its vaunted million-mile battery pack. Above: Battery guru Jeff Dahn (Images: Tesla / Dalhousie University) Now Professor Dahn, along with his Dalhousie colleagues Chongyin Yang and Michael Metzger, have received a grant of $3.1 million from Tesla, and another, for $2.9 million, from Canada’s Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) to develop advanced batteries for EVs and grid energy storage. The goals of the project include lowering battery costs, increasing battery longevity and energy density, improving safety and increasing the content of sustainable materials in the batteries. Above: Jeff Dahn, Chongyin Yang, and Michael Metzger discuss their battery research efforts for Tesla (YouTube: Office of Research Services) “This will allow Chongyin, Michael and I to solve many remaining puzzles that will help improve battery lifetime and lower cost,” says Dr. Dahn. “The students trained in this program are finding, and will continue to find, immediate employment in the advanced battery sector locally and around the world. Tesla is a wonderful partner and a world leader in electric vehicle, solar and electrical energy storage products.” === This article originally appeared in Charged. Author: Charles Morris. Source: Dalhousie University via Electrek

It’s now time to start a major makeover of Tesla’s Gigafactory in Berlin as multiple buildings come to completion. To make its German car factory an attractive place to work, Tesla officially invited artists to submit their portfolios if they’d like to help cover Giga Berlin in graffiti art. Left: Artistic interpretation of Elon Musk; Right: Graffiti-style wrap on a Tesla Model X (Flickr: Eden, Janine, and Jim / Source: Kari Kallonen) Tesla made the announcement recently on Twitter, “If you want to help cover Giga Berlin in awesome graffiti art, send us your work at GigaBerlinArt@Tesla.com.” Since this is a huge plant and there are still several buildings to be constructed in the near and far future, Tesla is going to need an entire team of artists to complete this creative project.  Above: Tesla’s Model Y (Source: EVANNEX; Photo by Casey Murphy) Looking back, in the days of east and west Germany, the Berlin wall’s west side was once covered in political graffiti art. Now both the east and west sides have new graffiti art being painted from time to time. Berlin is still considered a graffiti capital of the world. So it’s likely that Tesla should receive plenty of portfolios for this upcoming art project as there’s a good supply of talented local artists at hand. Elon Musk announced this would be the case earlier this year when he noted that Giga Berlin will be filled with graffiti art. This unique art project should bring together Tesla’s German car plant with local artists — integrating emotion and character with a cool ‘saving-the-world’ work environment to make it more engaging. Above: Tesla Model S and Y parked in front of graffiti (Source: EV Clicks) Construction progress is rapid for Tesla’s German factory. As certain buildings are getting completed, some of the major contractors at Giga Berlin have started to leave the area. One of these was the Goldbeck Group from Germany. Jan-Hendrick Goldbeck, Managing Director of the Goldbeck Group wrote in his LinkedIn post, “After 10 months of hard work on all sides, we‘re done with our scope! Thanks so much to the Tesla team, Elon Musk and of course to all the Goldbeck team champions; partner companies fighting day and night to meet this challenge… [and] finishing this moonshot project.” Above: Tesla’s Model Y (Source: EVANNEX; Photo by Casey Murphy) Perhaps it’s high time for the graffiti artists to take over. We’ll be watching. === Written by: Iqtidar Ali. An earlier version of this article was originally published on Tesla Oracle.

I decided to move to South Florida from the Big Apple. It was 2011, and I just got married. I was also (soon after) blessed with a beautiful baby girl. My life was changing, fast. One day, at my parents house, my father called me into his office. He was amped. He pointed, enthusiastically, at the computer screen and said, “Check out this new car! I’m going to get one. It’s called a Tesla.”   Above: Roger takes delivery of his Tesla (Image: EVANNEX) A what? I said, “Isn’t that the new Maserati?” He shook his head, “No, it’s a Tesla Model S. And it’s electric.” Whoa. The sedan was certainly stunning. But an electric car? I wasn’t surprised. My father was always into new tech before others. When I was a kid, he bought an Apple Macintosh (serial number 000787) back in 1984. Fast forward: it was time for him to get his hands on another revolutionary product — a Tesla Model S (VIN number 000184) in 2012. My Dad had been participating in the Tesla forums and started a popular thread about designing the first-ever accessory, a DIY project mind you, for the Model S. It was a center console insert that he was building in his garage. Forum regulars pressed him to make one, commercially available, for their Tesla. My father asked me to put together a splash page on the web for those interested, a wait list of sorts. It grew, quickly, to a few hundred names. Above: Having owned each car, Roger discusses the differences between the Model S, 3, X, and Y and relays how he started designing aftermarket Tesla accessories (Source: Zachary Shahan via CleanTechnica) “Well, I guess I can’t just build only one in my garage… it looks like we’ll have to start a business here,” he told me. And so, in 2013, EVANNEX was born. Wait, a father-son business? Could something like this work? Could Tesla grow into anything beyond a niche automaker? I didn’t blink an eye — I took the plunge. My father rarely gets anything wrong. Rumor has it, according to my Grandmother, he got one wrong on his entire SAT test. Later, he got a PHD in mechanical engineering — graduating (ahem) summa cum laude. Above: Roger charging his new Model Y (Image: EVANNEX) So, sure enough, my Dad was right. Tesla took off. A few years later, we recruited my brother Mike. He moved his whole family from Los Angeles and also took the plunge. Let’s do it, we thought, a business built around the mission of Tesla. Risky? Sure. But, Tesla was gaining traction. And we, as a family, were in this together… Looking back, it’s been a wild ride. My father is, needless to say, the heart and soul of our business. And our lives. We can’t thank him enough for this amazing adventure. Above: Roger (middle) and his two sons Mike and Matt (Image: EVANNEX) Now, we all drive a Tesla. So does my wife. And my Mom even ferries her Model X to the office so she can help out too! We think it’s wonderful to work hard and build a family business. In addition, it’s pretty cool to be involved in a much larger Tesla family that’s growing, every day, all over the world. This Father’s Day, Dad, we just wanted to extend our overwhelming thanks, appreciation, and gratitude for everything you do… Lots of love, Matt and Mike.

Since the dawn of the modern electric vehicle era, conventional wisdom has been that the resale value of most EVs erodes quickly—that’s been a boon to lower-income buyers who want to go electric, but a frustration to early adopters who bought new. Above: Tesla Model 3 (Source: EVANNEX; Photo by Casey Murphy) For better or for worse, this is changing. The aftermath of the pandemic, combined with a global semiconductor shortage, has caused the prices of all used cars to skyrocket—demand for used cars is up 58% from last year—and EVs have been going along for the ride. A recent report from Recurrent reveals (via CarBuzz) that used EV prices in the US have been rising at an accelerating rate for the last few months—up 1% in March, 3% in April and 5% in May. Of course, Tesla has always bucked the trend of eroding EV equity. As we’ve often discussed in this space, Teslas tend to retain their resale value far better than other EVs (and better than comparable ICE vehicles). Many a frugal buyer has searched in vain for a good deal on a used Tesla, and finally decided it made more sense to buy new.  June report: There’s a good reason you can’t find a used #Tesla right now. https://t.co/w1tigmnN6W pic.twitter.com/PxI7TdjQkI — Recurrent (@RecurrentAuto) June 3, 2021 Twitter: Recurrent But somebody’s buying these mature Models, because Recurrent tells us that used Teslas are selling faster than any other EVs. The company’s latest report uses EV sales and inventory figures from the past 90 days to arrive at an estimate of used car turnover. It finds that Tesla is turning over 4.5 cars for each one listed. Model 3 is the hottest model—it’s been turning over 6.6 sales per vehicle in inventory. By comparison, Nissan and VW are turning over only about 2 EV sales per unit listed. The top selling used EV is the Chevy Volt. However, Tesla is the top-selling brand, as it has three models (S, X and 3) active in the used market. Recurrent predicts that a plethora of pre-owned Model 3s will be coming to the market soon. Three years ago, Model 3 was by far the best-selling EV in the US. Cars typically start hitting the used market after 3 or 4 years, partly because of the common 36-month lease, and Model 3 is just beginning to reach that sweet spot. “We’re expecting to see at least twice as many Model 3s hit the used market in Q3, with the used Model 3 surge only accelerating from there,” says Recurrent. In today’s topsy-turvy economy, it’s a sellers’ market for used cars (and houses, semiconductors, restaurant labor and a few other things). Will more Model 3s coming on the market cause prices to moderate? Maybe, but the odds are that used Teslas will continue to be coveted commodities. === Written by: Charles Morris; Source: Recurrent via CarBuzz

As electric vehicle sales soar, global battery suppliers are struggling to prepare for future demand. Tesla is very much aware of this impending battery bottleneck—over the past few years, it has diversified its supply chain, and lately, it’s been appealing to its suppliers to produce as much as possible.  Above: The CATL and Tesla alliance grows (Source: Tesla / CATL) One of those suppliers, Chinese battery manufacturer CATL, is planning a major new automotive battery plant in Shanghai as it sets “a blistering pace of expansion that will cement its lead as the world’s number-one supplier,” unnamed sources have told Reuters. No timeline has been revealed. Tesla appears to be very much a part of CATL’s growth strategy. The Chinese battery builder began supplying cells for the California carmaker’s Model 3 in China last year. With a new production facility near Tesla’s Shanghai Gigafactory, CATL will be in a position to rapidly expand the relationship. A senior source at CATL told Reuters that the company aims to provide half of the battery cells Tesla uses globally, both for vehicles and energy storage products. Above: An inside look at CATL (YouTube: New China TV) The new Shanghai plant is expected to have a capacity of 80 GWh per year, enough to power some 800,000 EVs. CATL is said to have around 69 GWh in current production capacity and another 77.5 GWh under construction. CATL is not the only battery maker that’s quickly ramping up production. LG Energy Solution has announced plans to invest more than $4.5 billion in its US battery production over the next four years. === This article originally appeared in Charged. Author: Charles Morris. Source: Reuters

Over the years, Tesla has won over many a skeptic by putting them in the driver’s seat and inviting them to take a drive. A recent article in The Guardian tells the story of Australian engineer-turned climate change activist Daniel Bleakley, who has made it his mission to convert some unlikely prospects—folks who work in the coal industry. Above: A look at the reactions of coal miners in Australia who got a chance to test drive a Tesla (Source: Coal Miners Driving Teslas) Bleakley grew up in Clermont in Queensland. The town is a major hub for several large coal mines in the region, and it’s not the sort of place you would expect to find a lot of EV fans—most residents drive heavy-duty pickup trucks (which they call utes), when they’re not driving giant coal-extraction machinery. Mr. Bleakley’s automotive tastes are a little more progressive—he owns a Tesla Model 3 Performance, and he loves to demonstrate its features, especially its three-second 0-60 time, to his neighbors. He started making videos of these impromptu test drives, and this grew into an entire YouTube channel called Coal Miners Driving Teslas. When people experience Tesla’s head-snapping acceleration for the first time, they tend to use colorful language. The Guardian warns that the videos are “heavily spiced with unbridled swearing.” One of Bleakley’s friends, “Clermont’s biggest car nut,” describes the takeoff as “like a rocket ship.” “I’ve known him since I was a kid. He owns these incredible high-performance V8s,” Bleakley says. “To see him drive the Tesla and love the car for me was really special. That was when I realized I was really onto something.”  Above: Compilation of coal miners driving a Tesla for the first time; Warning: reactions include plenty of profanity (YouTube: Guardian Australia) Bleakley hopes to accomplish more than just winning over a few petrol-heads. One of his guests at the wheel was Bob Katter, a Member of the Australian Parliament. Katter screams “Yee-haw!” as the Model 3’s instant torque pins him to his seat, and calls the ride “exciting and thrilling.” The independent MP says he’d like to see Australia develop its own EV and battery industry. Australia has fallen far behind other developed countries in the EV transition. Plug-in vehicles accounted for only 0.6% of new car sales in 2019, and little or no government support for EVs is available. In 2019, EVs became a bone of contention in the Australian federal election. Prime Minister Scott Morrison characterized EVs as a threat to Australians’ beloved SUVs, and accused his election opponent, who advocated more government support for EV adoption, of wanting to “end the weekend.” That seems to have set the tone for Australia’s EV policy, or lack thereof, ever since. Awareness of EVs is low, but Bleakley, who spent years working in the oil industry and mining industries, hopes to do his bit to change that—one Ludicrous takeoff at a time. “I thought [climate change] was a future problem,” he tells The Guardian. “But in the last few years I’ve realized it’s here and now, and we have to act.” He now devotes most of his time to environmental activism, and he sees the excitement of driving an EV as a good way to win converts for the cause. “Traditional activism is about saying stop, or saying no,” he says. “But this is saying, ‘Here’s an incredible space ship from the future and you can drive it.’ It’s a future we can all have if we choose it.” === Written by: Charles Morris; Source: The Guardian

The dream of an electric car future began to crystallize in 2010. That’s the year Tesla went public. Soon after, Tesla introduced its Model S sedan. By 2013, the company finished the year selling just 22,000 cars. Most industry observers predicted Elon Musk’s Silicon Valley startup would be the next DeLorean. Wall Street analysts widely predicted the company would go bankrupt.  Above: Tesla Model S (Source: EVANNEX; Photo by Casey Murphy) Fast forward to 2020. As the year came to a close, TheStreet praised Tesla’s “meteoric 731% rise year-to-date” to become one of the ten most valuable companies in the world. At the time, Tesla’s market cap grew higher than Volkswagen, Toyota, Daimler, BMW, GM, and Ford combined. A few weeks ago, a report from Money UK noted Tesla was the most “Googled” investment opportunity in the world, “ranking as the most searched for investment in 82 countries worldwide.” Tesla is at the vanguard of a paradigm shift unfolding in the automotive space. Just as the past 5-10 years surprised the majority of the market, the next 5-10 will shock everyone. EV adoption will accelerate far faster than anyone thought possible. Zachary Shahan, the editor of CleanTechnica told me, “On the one hand, such rapid growth seems hard to believe in an industry as large, complex, and slow-changing as the auto industry. On the other hand, tech transitions aren’t slow once a technology becomes cost-competitive. The fabled S-curve of tech adoption looks much more like a steep rise than an S.” Above: New tech adoption rates for popular technologies over time (Source: New York Times via CleanTechnica) He adds, “How many major companies have faced such moments of shock and disruption? Countless have, from Kodak to Blockbuster.” Most agree, electric vehicles (EVs) are poised to replace internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles over the next few decades. Traditional automakers, EV upstarts, and government initiatives all point to this future. According to Marketwatch, electric cars currently make up around 2% of global auto sales, and estimates for a future market share vary from a low-end forecast of 10% to 20% of cars sold by 2030 to as much as two-thirds of the market by that time. “The EV party is just beginning, buckle the seat belts,” Wedbush analyst Dan Ives said recently. TRADITIONAL AUTOMAKERS GO ELECTRIC On the heels of Tesla’s stunning success, traditional automakers have aggressive plans in place to transition to EVs. Above: A recent clip from Bloomberg Green showcases the direction of the auto industry moving forward (Source: Bloomberg Green) For example, three major automakers have recently made significant announcements touting an electric future. FORD. Ford just announced an electric version of their best-selling F-150 pickup truck. Bloomberg reported the company revealed plans to boost its investment into EVs to $30 billion and pledged that 40% of vehicles sold would be battery powered by the end of the decade.  GENERAL MOTORS. Autoweek reports that GM plans to invest most of its $27 billion in electrification efforts as “the automaker plans to offer 30 battery-electric models by the middle of this decade, aiming to offer 40% of its lineup as BEVs by the end of 2025.” VOLKSWAGEN. According to Reuters, Volkswagen is planning to invest a staggering $41.7 billion (35 billion euros) in EVs including an ambitious plan to build six European battery gigafactories by 2030. Meanwhile, many other auto brands including Mercedes, Hyundai, Audi, and Porsche are all pushing to fast-track plans for vehicle electrification as well. NEW EV COMPANIES ARE COMING TO MARKET At least $28 billion was invested in public and private electric vehicle companies in 2020, according to data from CB Insights and Dow Jones Market Data Group (via Marketwatch). While traditional automakers join the EV race, investors are funding EV startups in hopes to find the next Tesla. According to the Wall Street Journal, Rivian received 8.2 billion dollars from notable investors like Blackrock and Amazon. Lucid has received 7.4 billion dollars from other major investors including the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund. EV startups like Workhorse, Proterra, Bollinger, Fisker, and Canoo show promise (and significant funding) too. In addition, well-funded Chinese EV companies like NIO, Li Auto, X-Peng and Warren Buffet-backed BYD are also looking to enter the US auto market soon in order to compete globally in the EV space.  A BACKDROP OF GOVERNMENT SUPPORT All of this investment into EVs from traditional auto and new car companies is happening against a backdrop of strong government support for electrification. According to Barron’s, President Biden now has a bill coming out of the Senate Finance Committee that offers federal tax credits for EV buyers ranging from $7,500 – $12,500 which would be “a potential boon for American car makers, including General Motors, Ford, and, of course, Tesla.” In addition, many states in the US offer additional tax credits for buying an EV including CARB states offering up to a $2,500 tax credit which can be used in addition to a federal tax credit. In some cases, these combined tax credits could reduce the cost of buying an electric car by $15,000. Often, government support for EVs is actually more generous in other countries. And it goes beyond just tax credits and incentives. In fact, according to CleanTechnica, “there are 31 national and local governments that have announced bans on the sale of some forms of transportation powered by internal combustion engines.” And this list is always growing, see below. Above: A partial list of the national and local governments that have announced bans on the sale of some forms of transportation powered by internal combustion engines (Source: CleanTechnica via Charged Future) TESLA POISED FOR 50% ANNUAL GROWTH While traditional auto and EV upstarts look to challenge Tesla, Elon Musk and Team Tesla isn’t simply standing still. The company is making significant investments to build and expand its gigafactories in Nevada, Texas, Shanghai, and Berlin. Will Tesla’s bold investments result in accelerated growth? In Tesla’s Q1 Investor Update shareholder deck (on slide 10), the company forecasts: “Over a multi-year horizon, we expect to achieve 50% annual growth in vehicle deliveries.” In the immediate future, the forthcoming introduction of the Tesla Cybertruck—a vehicle that currently has an estimated 1 million pre-orders—will prove to be a bold entry into the lucrative pickup truck market. Following Cybertruck, Tesla plans to introduce its first mass-market car, the so-called “Model 2” (in 2024) with an estimated price point of $25,000. SO WHO WILL WIN THIS RACE? Tesla is certainly a good bet. But keep in mind, overall global EV sales should top 12.2 million by 2025, indicating annual growth of nearly 52% (compounded), according to IHS Markit. Everyone is getting in. So get the popcorn, it’s going to be fun to watch this race. This decade should mark a dramatic turning point for electric vehicles. The transition from outdated ICE technology to a battery-powered future will gain traction and accelerate. And with zero tailpipe emissions, we can all breathe a sigh of relief (and some cleaner air) as the auto industry embraces electrification.

One of the coolest things about the new Tesla Model S Plaid is its immensely powerful processing that can run AAA games like Cyberpunk 2077 in 60 fps. This gives a car, for the first time ever, PS5-level gaming capability. How is this possible? It turns out that there were some early clues (and salient details) provided a few weeks ago at Computex 2021. Above: AMD CEO revealing that the AMD RDNA-based GPU runs the gaming in the new 2021 Tesla Model S and Model X (Source: AMD / YouTube) At Computex 2021, AMD CEO Lisa Su revealed that the gaming capability in the new Tesla Model S and Model X will be powered by the AMD RDNA 2-based graphics processing unit (GPU). The supplier of the GPU behind the new Tesla Model S/X 10 teraflops of gaming power was unknown until AMD’s announcement. According to the AMD CEO, there are two AMD processors in the new Model S and Model X cars. The AMD Accelerated Processing Unit (APU) runs the normal operations of Tesla’s Media Control Unit (MCU / infotainment system) — like maps, vehicle display rendering, camera displays, music, and other basic touchscreen functions. As soon as the user starts gaming, the AMD RDNA 2 GPU kicks in to smoothly render next-gen games like the Witcher III Wild Hunt that Tesla has featured prominently in prior promotions. Xbox X|S and Playstation 5 are also powered by the AMD RDNA 2 GPU architecture — this makes next-gen Tesla in-car entertainment on par with the latest gaming consoles. Such a radical shift for in-car entertainment was (quite likely) not anticipated by traditional automakers. This could serve as another distinct edge for Tesla moving forward. According to the AMD RDNA 2 official web page, “AMD RDNA 2 architecture is the foundation for next-generation PC gaming graphics, the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S and X consoles. The groundbreaking RDNA architecture was first introduced at E3 2019, and since then has continuously evolved to spearhead the next generation of high-performance gaming. It’s the DNA that powers your games, the DNA that brings your games to life, the DNA that keeps evolving.”  At Computex 2021, AMD CEO Lisu Su revealed,”You might be surprised to learn the next place you’ll find RDNA 2 graphics. It’s actually on the road, in the electric vehicle market, [inside] the new Tesla Model S and Model X. So we have an embedded Ryzen APU powering the infotainment system of both cars, as well as a discreet RDNA 2-based GPU that kicks in when running AAA games, providing up to 10 teraflops of computing power.” “We’re thrilled to be working with Tesla to bring the power of Ryzen and Radeon to their newest flagship cars and looking forward to giving gamers a great new platform for AAA gaming,” the AMD CEO said. I’m sure those that just took delivery of the first Model S Plaid vehicles will agree. Videos Top Video: AMD RDNA™ 2 Architecture (YouTube: AMD); Bottom Video: Presentation by AMD CEO Lisa Su at Computex 2021 (reveals Tesla GPU at 11:22 in the video) (YouTube: AMD) === Written by: Iqtidar Ali. An earlier version of this article was originally published on Tesla Oracle.

Over the years, Elon Musk has disrupted entrenched players in the aerospace, energy, and automotive industries. He’s also had a hand in trying to reduce “soul-crushing traffic” and building a healthy symbiosis with AI. In short, he thinks big. Musk also has had a profound impact on the finance sector. And we’re not just talking about his early role in PayPal — Musk has evolved into a major figure on Wall Street.  Above: Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk (Flickr: Web Summit) In a recent video, Wall Street Journal reporter Caitlin Ostroff admits that Elon Musk can “move markets” based on his growing influence on the investment community at large. Most of Musk’s recent attention revolves around his Twitter account where 57 million followers track his every move. He’s been particularly active pontificating on a polarizing topic, cryptocurrencies. Wall Street Journal’s Akane Otani notes, “The Tesla chief executive’s often-cryptic messages have sent bitcoin’s price on a roller-coaster ride this year. Prices soared nearly 20% one January morning when he added ‘#bitcoin’ to his Twitter biography. They jumped 16% in a single day the following month after Tesla Inc. revealed it bought $1.5 billion worth of the cryptocurrency.” “Then, he tweeted earlier this month that Tesla would no longer accept bitcoin as payment for its vehicles. Investors widely blame the tweet for starting bitcoin’s most punishing selloff of the year… bitcoin prices have fallen some 50%, including roughly 40% since Mr. Musk’s May tweet,” Otani writes. Is this phenomenon just relegated to the Tesla CEO? Otani reminds us, “Mr. Musk isn’t alone in influencing markets through social media. Throughout the past year, public figures from investment managers to chief executives and celebrities have taken to platforms like Twitter, Reddit and audio-discussion app Clubhouse to voice their thoughts on everything from cryptocurrencies to ‘meme stocks.’ Some, like star portfolio manager Cathie Wood, have impressed followers with their market acumen.” Above: A look at Elon Musk’s influence on investors, especially surrounding the crypto markets (YouTube: Wall Street Journal) And looking back at the history of finance-related influencers reveals that this trend has always been pervasive on Wall Street. “Back in the 1960s, investors were enthralled with fund manager Gerald Tsai, whose knack for constructing market-beating mutual funds turned him into a star. Others remember avidly following the writings of Peter Lynch, whose Fidelity Magellan fund outperformed 99.5% of all other funds in his final five years of running it. And of course, there are few today who wouldn’t know of Warren Buffett (or, as his fans call him, the Oracle of Omaha),” Otani writes. In today’s day and age, it’s Elon Musk. “There’s a rebellious aspect that I think Musk himself really personifies, particularly when he takes to Twitter,” explains Peter Atwater, an adjunct lecturer of economics at The College of William & Mary. And over the years, short sellers have certainly felt the wrath of Elon Musk as they’ve tried to downplay Tesla’s impact in the auto sector. In his opening monologue on a recent episode of Saturday Night Live, Musk reminded everyone that his rebel posture on Twitter shouldn’t surprise anyone. “To anyone I’ve offended, I reinvented electric cars and I’m sending people to Mars in a rocket ship. Did you think I was also going to be a chill, normal dude?” he said. Regardless of Musk’s influence on crypto or meme stocks, one thing remains clear. He tirelessly works to build on Tesla’s success. If he can move markets with a few throw-away tweets in the evasive world of crypto — imagine what he can do with 100-hour work weeks pushing hard to create a sustainable future with electric cars and clean energy. === Source: Wall Street Journal; Video: Wall Street Journal

It has been less than a year since a Tesla Model Y and Ford Mustang Mach-E were spotted side-by-side at the Ford R&D Center in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. Now, as more and more customers are getting their hands on both these vehicles, some practicality comparisons can be measured and evaluated. Above: Tesla Model Y vs. Ford Mach-E luggage capacity comparison tests (Source: EV & Chill / YouTube) Shannon from YouTube channel EV & Chill bought a Ford Mach-E a few months ago. She wanted to demonstrate how capable the Model Y and Mach-E are in terms of luggage capacity. On paper, Model Y has 68 cu ft of total cargo capacity vs. Mach-E’s 59.6 cu ft. However, these numbers include the 2nd-row seats folded down, which does not happen in this test. Shannon’s luggage comparison test revolves around observing how many suitcases each vehicle can fit in its trunk and also in the frunk area of each vehicle. This test takes the everyday practical approach rather than calculating cargo spaces strictly with a measuring tape. Three extra-large, one large, and two carry-on suitcases are used for this luggage capacity comparison test between a Tesla Model Y and Ford Mach-E. This is a fairly good number of suitcases — especially when the second row seats are up. The tailgate of the Model Y was not able to close with 3 extra-large suitcases in the trunk. So by changing the configuration, Shannon was able to fit 2 extra-large, 2 carry-on, and 1 large suitcase in the trunk, by using the space in the sub-trunk (located under the removable cover) and she was able to fit an additional large suitcase inside — impressive. And let’s not forget the Model Y front trunk (frunk) here — it also fits 1 standard carry-on luggage bag easily and still has some space for some small items. In comparison, the trunk of the Mach-E also has ample space but has to be filled with 1 extra-large, 1 large, and 3 carry-on luggage suitcases. Putting in two extra-large suitcases does not allow any other bags to be added with them as the trunk lid is not able to close in this situation. The tailgate of Mach-E opens back up automatically when it is not able to close. If the divider of the Ford Mach-E frunk is removed, it also has the capacity to store a large suitcase — very nice! Video === Written by: Iqtidar Ali. An earlier version of this article was originally published on Tesla Oracle. Source: EV & Chill / YouTube.

Tesla’s Model 3 is the best-selling EV of all time—it has now sold over 800,000 units, surpassing the Nissan LEAF, which passed the 500,000 milestone in 2020. That’s all very well, you may say, but how do Model 3 sales stack up in terms of the overall global auto market? In fact, in 2020 Tesla’s star EV was the 16th best-selling car (fossil or electric) in the world—a pretty respectable showing for a 14-year-old company.  Above: Tesla’s Model 3 (Source: EVANNEX; Photo by Casey Murphy) According to data from Focus2Move (reported on by James Morris, writing in Forbes), Model 3 sold a total of 439,760 units in 2020. That’s over a third as many as the world’s top-selling car, the Toyota Corolla—again, not too shabby for a model that’s only been on sale in the US since 2018 (and considerably later in other markets). The list of the world’s Top 3 sellers won’t surprise anyone— the Toyota Corolla took the gold with 1,134,262 global sales in 2020, followed by the Toyota RAV4 and the Ford F Series of pickup trucks. However, as Mr. Morris points out, there are some interesting insights in store for those who dig deeper into the data. As every observant traveler knows, the mix of models on the road differs radically from one country to the next. Ford’s pickups may be #3 on the global stage, but at home the F-150 is the undisputed king of vehicle sales. In the land of wide-open spaces, if you ain’t drivin’ a truck, you ain’t country (in Europe, by contrast, pickup trucks are seldom seen, except in the vicinity of farms). The US is currently lagging far behind EV-leader Europe, but that might just change in a year or so, when Ford’s F-150 Lightning, along with a wave of other e-pickups, including Tesla’s Cybertruck, silently roar onto the market. Speaking of Europe, plug-in vehicle sales increased there by 147% in 2020, according to JATO Dynamics (137% according to EV-volumes), and since the beginning of 2021, sales growth has accelerated. The top-seller on the Continent in 2020 was the Renault Zoe (which isn’t sold in the US), which moved 99,261 units, followed by the pricier Tesla Model 3, in second place with 85,713 units. A completely different story is unfolding in the world’s largest auto market. Four Chinese EV models made the global top 10 in April, despite being available only in China. The Wuling Hongguang Mini EV (no relation to the MINI brand owned by BMW) came out of nowhere to steal the show—in April it outsold Tesla’s Model 3 by two to one, and it’s very close to usurping Model 3’s #1 spot on a year-to-date basis. Looking at April’s figures (courtesy of EV Sales), it’s apparent that the triumph of electric SUVs may be at hand. Unlike the pickup truck, the SUV is a global favorite, and two new electric models have rocketed out of the starting gate. Tesla’s Model Y outsold Model 3 on a global basis in April—and it isn’t even widely available in Europe yet. Meanwhile, VW’s ID.4 likewise pushed its non-SUV cousin, the ID.3, right out of the spotlight—it became Europe’s best-selling EV in April, and isn’t far behind Tesla in the global rankings. Several more highly-anticipated plug-in models, from both legacy brands and bold startups, are slated to hit global markets this year, and one thing seems certain: the list of the top 20 best-sellers is soon going to look a lot different, and a lot more electric. ===  Written by: Charles Morris; Sources: Forbes, EV-volumes, EV Sales

“The public tends to respond to precedents and superlatives,” Musk once said back in 2012, the year the original Tesla Model S was introduced. A decade later, Musk unveiled the first major overhaul of Tesla’s premium sedan and he was full of superlatives. This beast will be the world’s fastest, (likely) safest, and be equipped with the most powerful computing prowess of any vehicle… ever. Above: The all-new Tesla Model S Plaid (Source: Tesla) Why make a car so damn fast? Musk explained, “We’ve got to show that an electric car is the best car, hands down,” Musk said last night at the Model S Plaid launch event. “It’s got to be clear sustainable energy cars can be the fastest cars, the safest cars, [and] can be the most kick-ass cars in every way.” “This car crushes,” Musk emphasized as he alluded to the dominance it will soon showcase on the Autobahn in Germany. The Model S Plaid is powered by three motors that deliver (gulp) over 1,000 horsepower rocketing to 60 mph in under two seconds — a first for any production car. Oh, and it also races all the way up to 200 mph. In addition, the car’s technology also appears to be best-in-class. Musk claimed that the new Model S is “practically alien” compared to what’s out there from other automakers. Above: A 5-minute supercut of Elon Musk’s Model S Plaid reveal at the launch event last night (YouTube: The Verge) According to Sean O’Kane at The Verge, “The Model S Plaid has extremely powerful processing that can run AAA games [like Cyberpunk 2077] on the car’s screens at 60 frames per second, in addition to powering all of the other services Tesla allows, such as Netflix, Spotify. “Really, it’s like a home theater experience,” Musk said. And there’s more to the tech than just playing really cool video games. O’Kane reports, “the [new heat] pump improves cold-weather range by 30 percent and reduces the energy consumption of running the HVAC system by 50 percent. The radiator is also much bigger in order to help cool the battery pack during demanding drives. Tesla even developed new carbon-wrapped rotors in the electric motors that power the Plaid system in order to keep them from breaking apart at high RPM.” Inside, “the Model S now has a horizontal touchscreen like the one found in the Model 3 and Model Y, but with a bigger 17-inch version with smaller bezels. Unlike the Model 3 and Model Y, there’s a digital instrument cluster behind the steering wheel. A third screen is found behind the center console for rear passengers. Tesla showed off a new UI for the screens on Thursday night, which features drag-and-drop elements and other refinements.” And, of course, there’s that Formula One style “yoke” steering wheel. Combine the speed, best-ever aerodynamics (with a drag coefficient of 0.208), alien technology, and an expected 5-star safety rating and it looks like the new Model S Plaid could be a seriously fierce competitor. Life just got a whole lot harder for the engineers at companies like Lucid and Porsche. === Source: The Verge

Tesla has partnered with Netherlands-based charging network Fastned to build an enormous dual-branded charging station in Oxford. Above: Fastned station with Tesla Superchargers located on the bottom right of the design rendering (Source: Fastned) Fastned has deployed some 137 fast charging stations in several European countries. Early on, the network tried to appeal to Tesla drivers by adding Tesla CHAdeMO adapters to its stations. Now that Tesla uses the CCS standard in Europe, it’s even easier for Tesla drivers to use Fastned stations. Above: Another vantage point of Fastned station with Tesla Superchargers on top right of rendering (Source: Fastned) Energy Superhub Oxford is located on Oxford’s ring road, adjacent to the Redbridge Park and Ride facility. It’s due to open at the end of 2021, and will initially have up to 14 Fastned fast chargers and 12 Tesla Superchargers. Up to 10 MW of power will be available at the site, enough to support future expansion. This is only the first of a number of similar sites planned by Pivot Power across the UK. Above: A look at an existing Fastned charging station that also has Tesla Superchargers on-site (YouTube: Fastned) “Our mission is to accelerate the transition towards electric mobility by giving freedom to electric drivers. EV drivers experience this freedom when they know that fast and convenient charging is omnipresent,” said Fastned CEO Michiel Langezaal. “Energy Superhub Oxford is a great initiative by the City Council that supports us in working towards that goal. We need hundreds more, and will therefore continue to engage with landowners and partners such as Pivot Power across the UK. Big stations are the only way to provide charging capacity to the exponentially growing number of EVs coming to our roads.”  === This article originally appeared in Charged. Author: Charles Morris. Source: Electrek

With nearly 3 million subscribers on YouTube, the review team from AutoTopNL had a lot to say about the 2021 design refresh Tesla Model 3 ‘Performance’ variant. In short, they tested it rigorously. This particular vehicle was probably from one of the first batches of Model 3 Performance vehicles shipped to Europe earlier this year.  Above: Tesla Model 3 getting ready for the high-speed German Autobahn experience (Source: AutoTopNL / YouTube) In the review, Max from AutoTopNL first went through the facelift changes that Tesla made to the new Model 3 lineup — including the new headlights, chrome delete of the window trim and side-repeater camera housings, the newly designed matte black center console, and more. Many of these changes were actually first introduced with the launch of the Tesla Model Y in the United States last year. Describing the features of the new Model 3 Performance, Max mentions that the car has Brembo brakes, but the Tesla online configurator does not specifically mention this brand affiliation. Tesla refers to the red-colored brake caliper in the Model 3 Performance as “Performance Brakes,” and they also have a Tesla logo printed on them instead of the Italian Brembo branding. Above: Larger, stiffer calipers and lightweight two-piece discs for enhanced performance and thermal capacity (Source: Tesla) Max found the handling of the nimble Tesla Model 3 very useful and precise — even at high speeds. For serious performance, Tesla has its special ‘Track Mode’ capability. The latest software update contains Racing and Drifting presets to choose from. A Track Mode custom settings option is also available for experienced and professional drivers. “Model 3 Performance suspension and chassis is impressive,” explains Max from AutoTopNL. Last, AutoTopNL put the German Autobahn to the test (bottom video), in order to check out the top speed of the 2021 Tesla Model 3 Performance. Tesla increased the top speed of the Model 3 Performance from 155 mph (250 km/h) to 162 mph (261 km/h). Interestingly, in their video, the 2021 Model 3 Performance reached the top speed of 262 km/h — 1 km/h above the company’s official specs. Videos === Written by: Iqtidar Ali. An earlier version of this article was originally published on Tesla Oracle. Videos: AutoTopNL.

It has been over a year since the Cybertruck was formally unveiled and it still remains one of the most controversial production vehicles ever to hit the market. Its sci-fi, futuristic (albeit apocalyptic) looks have drawn questions whether the design might be far too radical to be successful.  Above: Tesla’s Cybertruck (Source: Tesla) Those fears were soon quelled when Musk tweeted out that Tesla had received about a quarter-million reservations for the Cybertruck within about 48 hours of opening pre-orders. Since then, the Tesla community has been using crowdsourced data to get an estimate regarding how many reservation holders there are for Tesla’s all-electric pickup truck.  One of the datasets that we’ve been watching since the reveal now estimates that there are over one million reservations for the Cybertruck. The tracker has over 18,000 entries and extrapolates the total reservations based on the reservation numbers given to reservation holders. This assumes serial numbering for the Cybertruck — Tesla has done it with their reservations in the past, so there is some precedence that it can work again. Of course, we have to keep in mind that a reservation for a Cybertruck only requires a refundable $100 deposit, so a reservation does not necessarily mean an order will go through. Still, it doesn’t look like Tesla will have many demand problems regarding the Cybertruck. Above: A look at some footage of Tesla’s Cybertruck driving on the streets of New York City (YouTube: Tesla Intelligence UK) Currently, the single motor option is by far the least popular option, no doubt in part to the increased waiting time to get it. The dual and tri-motor options however are very close in terms of take rate (at the time of this writing): Single-motor: 7.5%; Dual-motor: 48%; Tri-motor: 44.48%. Additionally, a whopping 74.4% of reservation holders have chosen to take the FSD package as well. And, most surprisingly, only about 27% of reservation holders are prior Tesla owners, meaning that the Cybertruck really extends its appeal to an audience outside the typical Tesla buyer. Despite the looks that so many observers were worried about, it looks like this beast attracts more folks than just those diehard Tesla fanboys out there. Tesla still plans to have the Cybertruck scheduled to start production by the end of this year. While the Texas Gigafactory is under construction, the Model Y portion of the factory will be ready before the Cybertruck portion. At this stage, we haven’t seen the Cybertruck in its fully production-ready state as Musk has noted that there have been some changes compared to what we initially saw at the unveiling. Even if Tesla does manage to make the electric truck this year, we can’t imagine that they will be made in meaningful numbers until next year. One thing’s for sure though, they are going to have to go through a heck of a backlog. ==An earlier version of this article appeared on EVBite. EVBite is an electric vehicle specific news site dedicated to keeping consumers up-to-date on any developments in the ever-expanding EV landscape.

Tesla spends $0 on traditional advertising. Tesla also decided to, recently, disband its corporate Public Relations department. So how does the company promote its cars? Fans. It’s individuals like Billy Crammer who help spread the word about the electric automaker. So much so, in fact, that Elon Musk recently liked (via Twitter) Crammer’s latest “commercial” promoting Tesla.  Above: Tesla CEO Elon Musk (Flickr: Steve Jurvetson) Elon Musk believes if a product is best-in-class, driven by constant innovation, and mission-oriented — spending money on R&D is a far better investment than paying for ads. He has applied this philosophy for years at Tesla and created one of the most loyal fanbases in automotive history. And it turns out that Tesla’s loyal customer base has resulted in free marketing and advertising for Tesla. Ranging from word-of-mouth testimonials, videos, and passionate interactions on social media — Tesla gets the plenty of buzz for free. This is one reason why Tesla is so popular globally. The Tesla community appears to be dedicated to bringing the electric vehicle revolution to the entire world. It’s no wonder the new “Tesla – Better, Faster, Stronger” faux-commercial has gained the attention of so many in the Tesla community. The commercial is the brainchild of Billy Crammer, a 22-year old Swedish superfan, who also moonlights as a video editor and has his own YouTube channel, Billster, with nearly 300,000 subscribers. Hey… if Elon Musk liked this TV commercial enough to show his love on Twitter — a sign of support to his 55 million followers — it just might be worth checking out. After all, if Tesla does advertise someday, maybe the young Crammer will get the gig. FAN-MADE TESLA TV COMMERCIAL === Written by: Iqtidar Ali. An earlier version of this article was originally published on Tesla Oracle. Source / YouTube: Billster.

Tesla’s innovative new chassis design is one step closer to series production. The first Model Y megacasting has come out of the enormous IDRA “gigapress” at Gigafactory Texas. Tesla will combine front and rear megacastings with its new structural battery pack to form the underbody of Model Y.  Source: Wikipedia via YouTube / Gabincal Current automobile chassis are made up of tens or hundreds of individual parts, which are made of many different materials, and must be joined together in several different ways—welds, bolts and adhesives. Tesla’s plan is to use two huge single castings for the front and rear underbody sections, and to connect them with a battery pack that serves as part of the body structure. This innovation reduces weight and greatly simplifies vehicle assembly. Source: Tesla Cast components are a staple of auto manufacturing, but the norm is to cast smaller parts, which are then assembled into larger structural elements. As Elon Musk tells the story, one day he was considering a die-cast toy car on his desk, and wondered what the practical size limit for a casting would be. After some research, he learned that there really is no size limit, and decided to fabricate the front and rear underbodies of a vehicle as two huge castings with huge machines made by IDRA GROUP. YouTube: Idra Group; Note: see video clip beginning at 5 min 50 sec More recently, casting expert Axel Turck released an image of the first front-end megacast underbody produced by Tesla. Linkedin: Axel Turck The part, which weighs 286 pounds, will be used in the production of Model Y at Gigafactory Texas, which is expected to start by the end of this year. === This article originally appeared in Charged. Author: Charles Morris. Source: Electrek

Tesla has been waging a war against various state governments for the right to sell its vehicles directly to customers for a decade now. Texas is one of the states that still forbids direct sales, so residents have had to resort to a workaround known as the “Texas two-step.” Texans can order a Tesla through the company’s web site, but no orders may be placed or processed within the state. The buyer must pay for the vehicle online, and can then pick it up at one of Tesla’s eight Texas service centers. Above: Tesla’s Model Y (Photo by: Craventure Media) Now that Tesla is building a massive Gigafactory in the state, a billion-dollar project that’s expected to create at least 5,000 jobs, will the state government reverse its direct-sales ban (as Nevada did when Tesla chose it for the site of Gigafactory 2)? Not this year. Texas’s state legislature meets only every other annum, and this year it will end its session without changing its auto dealer franchise laws. This apparently means that, once Tesla begins production at the Austin Gigafactory, any vehicles sold to Texans will have to be shipped out of the state, then shipped back in. Above: Tesla’s battle over direct sales in Texas has been going on for years, and continues to this day (YouTube: ReasonTV) That’s not the only legal roadblock that Tesla may face in the Lone Star State, which Elon Musk assumed was so business-friendly. The Texas legislature did find time this session to consider a new tax on EV owners that, at up to $400 per year, would have been the highest in the nation (this bill seems to have died, for now). Of course, Texas lawmakers also found time to sweep away gun licensing laws, attempt to restrict voting rights, and specify which bathrooms schoolchildren will be permitted to use. In March, State Representative Cody Harris [R-District 8] introduced a bill that would have crafted a narrow exception to the dealer franchise law, allowing Tesla to deliver EVs in the state. However, the bill died in the House Transportation Committee, so the direct-sale ban will remain in place. Unless something unexpected happens, the next chance to change the law will be two years from now, when the legislature meets again. ===  This article originally appeared in Charged. Author: Charles Morris. Source: The Drive

For those who’ve been considering buying an electric vehicle, but fear they will be forced to eat kale and granola, there’s good news. Now you can opt for a Slurpee and a microwaved burrito while topping up your battery pack. The ubiquitous American convenience store chain 7‑Eleven plans to deploy at least 500 DC fast charging stations at 250 selected stores in the US and Canada by the end of 2022. Left: A look at one of 7-Eleven’s new charging stations (Source: 7‑Eleven; Right: Tesla Model Y (Source: EVANNEX; Photo by Casey Murphy) The new charging stations will be owned and operated by 7‑Eleven, which already has 22 charging stations located at 14 stores in 4 states. No details of power levels or pricing have been revealed yet. In 2016, 7‑Eleven planned to achieve a 20% reduction in carbon emissions from its stores by 2027. In the event, this goal was reached in 2019, 8 years early, and the company has now pledged a 50% reduction by 2030. 7‑Eleven is purchasing 100% wind energy for over 800 stores in Texas and over 300 in Illinois. In Virginia, 150 stores are using hydropower, and 300 Florida stores are powered by solar energy. Above: Inside the new charging network being established by 7-Eleven (YouTube: Eliana Sheriff) “7‑Eleven has always been a leader in new ideas and technology,” said 7‑Eleven CEO Joe DePinto. “Adding 500 charging ports at 250 7‑Eleven stores will make EV charging more convenient and help accelerate broader adoption of EVs and alternative fuels. 7‑Eleven’s legacy is bringing convenience to the customer, and that continues to evolve—from ice on a dock in 1927 to electricity for your car today.” === This article originally appeared in Charged. Author: Charles Morris. Source: 7‑Eleven. Editor’s Note: 7‑Eleven isn’t the first to try this — others like Wawa have partnered with Tesla to include Superchargers at their locations.

There’s an intimate connection between electric vehicles and renewable energy, and that connection—both literally and symbolically—runs directly through the electrical grid. Intermittent energy sources such as solar and wind need grid-connected storage in order to be viable, and the most flexible and scalable type of storage is a battery, which just happens to be the core technology behind EVs. Thus, advances in battery technology, and expansion of battery manufacturing, have applications for two very different industries. Above: A look at the Tesla Model 3 parked at a home with the company’s solar roof and Powerall backup energy storage product as well (Source: Tesla) Tesla understood this early in the game—it launched Tesla Energy, a division that provides stationary storage batteries for residential (Powerwall), commercial (Powerpack) and utility-scale (Megapack) applications, in 2015. Elon Musk has said on several occasions that Tesla Energy could someday become bigger than Tesla’s automobile business. That hasn’t happened yet, but Tesla’s energy business has been scaling up quickly. On its Q4 2020 earnings call, the company said battery deployments increased by 83% in 2020, driven mainly by sales of the Megapack to utilities. And the potential for more expansion is enormous—Grand View Research estimates that grid-scale battery storage will become a $15 billion market by 2027. On Tesla’s 2021 Q1 earnings call, Musk predicted that the transition to electric cars will cause electricity demand to double, and the transition to electric heating systems for buildings will cause it to triple. “This is a prosperous future both for Tesla and for the utilities,” said he. A new video from CNBC offers an in-depth look at Tesla Energy. CNBC visited one of Tesla’s Megapack sites, an installation for Pacific Electric & Gas (PG&E) in Moss Landing, California, for a first-hand look at how smart energy storage systems like Tesla’s are enabling the rapid adoption of renewable energy. Above: A look at PG&E’s Tesla Megapack site in Moss Landing, California and why energy storage systems like this could be the future (YouTube: CNBC) Unlike electric cars, utility-scale energy storage is not something that has been discussed much in the popular press—except perhaps in Australia, which has suffered several embarrassing energy outages in recent years. A rapid expansion of solar power, enabled by massive battery farms provided by Tesla and others, is bringing the problem under control. The recent cold snap in Texas, which led to widespread power outages, brought energy storage to America’s nightly news. California has also had to deal with brownouts and other power problems of late, and CNBC explains why stationary storage is becoming necessary to keep the modern electrical grid up and running. Storage is not just about enabling renewable energy—it’s also an important tool for ensuring the reliability of the grid, smoothing out peaks in demand for power and preventing sudden surges that can overload local distribution systems. David Bissell, the CEO of the local utility on the Hawaiian island of Kauai, where Tesla built a massive storage system in 2017, tells CNBC that batteries are “amazing” at helping to balance energy supply and demand, because they can respond instantaneously to imbalances. “We had our best reliability ever last year,” he says. Tesla isn’t the only player in energy storage—venerable electronics giants such as Toshiba, Siemens, Panasonic, General Electric and ABB, as well as utilities such as NextEra Energy, are also claiming pieces of what’s shaping up as a large and lucrative pie. Demand for storage is being driven both from below and above—governments around the world are mandating energy storage as part of strategies to modernize electrical grids. China has made storage part of its plan to get 16.5% percent of its energy from solar and wind by 2025. California launched a major energy storage program in 2014. The Biden Administration’s energy plan calls for $100 billion of investment in upgrades to the grid, including storage. For companies that can move quickly to join the transformation of the world’s electrical grid, it looks like a prosperous future indeed.  === Written by: Charles Morris; Source: CNBC

Tesla, contrary to conventional corporate wisdom, refuses to offer the media access to a PR department. Such a department doesn’t exist. After dissolving the company’s PR team last year, Tesla became the first automaker to attempt such an audacious move. Elon Musk sees corporate PR as unnecessary. But what if he’s wrong? Above: A look at the Tesla Model S and Model X (Source: Tesla) Throughout the years, Tesla has been one of the most talked-about automakers. Elon boldly pushed through adversity and revolutionized the auto industry as we know it. Yet there remains a clear media bias that continually trumpets one of the most misleading automotive narratives to ever exist. Depending on your mainstream media source, with every Tesla “fact”, lies a lie beneath.  The company has battled through years of negative narratives, misleading statements, and blatant misinformation. There’s no question as to why Elon Musk feels the need to shun the media. And, for a lot of reasons, it’s well deserved. Clicks generate income and (sadly) everyone wants to read a story of failure over success. With massive change, you’ll often find haters. Bold moves and disruptive actions within an all-too-conservative, traditional auto industry have shined a light, that’s often too bright, on Tesla. Self-driving features, advanced software updates, and cloud-connected vehicles can just be too much for some to grasp. By no means is Tesla above criticism but PR is not just about a defense — it’s a voice. And sometimes it’s a voice of clarity that can combat the overwhelming amount of misguided and (often) misinformed journalists out there. So is Tesla wrong to turn its back on any PR efforts? Before answering that, let’s take a step back and answer the question: what exactly is PR? Strictly by definition, PR, or Public Relations is defined as followed: “the professional maintenance of a favorable public image by a company or other organization or a famous person.” In the world of media, PR teams are tasked with breaking stories to journalists. Also, PR staffers are tasked with clarifying situations, adding yet-to-be-heard facts, or simply verifying information as factual. Unusual crashes, software glitches and (yes) panel gaps often get blown way out of proportion by writers trying to take a shot at the company.  In a media environment that celebrates negativity, Elon recommends focusing on citizen journalism and respected, ethical writers who give Tesla a fair shake. Things like battery fires and drivers abusing Autopilot are often misreported — and not put in proper context. This hurts Tesla and, ultimately, the company’s mission to transition the world to electric cars and a green, more sustainable future. While the bulk of the problem lies in rampant media misinformation, if there’s no one on Tesla’s PR staff to correct the FUD (fear uncertainty, and doubt), the truth often gets buried in lies. Okay, Tesla does have its CEO, Elon Musk. And Elon Musk does have over 50 million Twitter followers and can refute the FUD. But not everyone is glued to Elon’s Twitter feed 24/7. And, he’s busy posting memes about dogecoin anyway. And, sure… Tesla publishes comprehensive safety reports defending themselves against damaging disinformation. But it’s simply not enough when the live feed of breaking news comes and goes as quick as it does nowadays. Is that the fault of poor journalism? Probably. But choosing to ignore it altogether only promotes the spread of said misinformation. If you don’t like what’s being said, it probably pays to say something. That said, this is not the view of Elon Musk. In his own words, Elon sees PR as “manipulating public opinion”. Okay, let’s play devil’s advocate here. With an active Tesla PR team perhaps the company can prevent some misinformation and better control the narrative. Without public relations, Tesla will continue to receive bad press built on assumptions and opinions over hard facts and evidence. Or not. Only time will tell. The media will always have bias. However, verified facts (courtesy of Tesla’s PR department) alongside a negative bias could help pivot the narrative… at least some of the time.  Granted, Tesla does not need PR right now. By no means is a PR department a requirement for a company that’s still selling more cars than they can physically build. But what’s the harm? Why not have your side of the story voiced and key facts shared with the media? Whether corporate communications — via PR — fix perceptions or not, trying is always better than not. ===An earlier version of this article appeared on EVBite. EVBite is an electric vehicle specific news site dedicated to keeping consumers up-to-date on any developments in the ever-expanding EV landscape.

The signs of a surge in electric vehicle adoption are everywhere. Tesla is reporting record demand as it pushes ahead with incredibly ambitious plans for new Gigafactories, new vehicles and new features. Legacy automakers are racing to catch up, announcing massive new investments and launching electric versions of their best-selling vehicles. In Europe’s most forward-looking markets, EVs are already outselling old-fashioned gas-burners. Above: Growth of the electric vehicle market, led by Tesla, provides a backdrop of trouble for the oil industry (Source: Theo Jones / Tesla) E-mobility and renewable energy are pulling the world towards a cleaner future. However, for the transition to take hold, there also needs to be a push away from fossil fuels, and we’re finally seeing signs that this is starting to happen. As The Guardian reports, within a 24-hour period that the oil industry is calling Black Wednesday, three giant oil companies were recently told to clean up their acts—not by sign-waving protesters, but by shareholders and a court of law. A court in The Hague ordered Royal Dutch Shell to greatly accelerate measures to reduce its climate emissions. Meanwhile, in the US, rebellions by large institutional shareholders imposed new emissions targets on Chevron and forced a boardroom reshuffle at ExxonMobil. Mark Lewis, Chief Sustainability Strategist at BNP Paribas Asset Management, summed up the latest events in a clever quip that invokes the image of the supertankers that have been polluting the oceans and the atmosphere for decades. “This week’s news has been not so much a shot across the bows as a direct hit to the hull of Big Oil. They will have to recognize now that no amount of patching up the hole will do—shareholders and society want the vessel completely overhauled.” The Dutch court ordered Shell to cut its emissions by 45% within the next 10 years. Oil industry analysts estimate that the ruling will force the multinational giant to slash its fossil fuel production by as much as a million barrels of oil and gas per day, erasing billions from its bottom line. “This aggressive shift would have meaningful cashflow implications for Shell,” said Biraj Borkhataria, an analyst at RBC Capital, adding that the expected cut in fossil fuel production could reduce Shell’s revenue by $6 billion per year. Of course, Shell plans to appeal the “disappointing” ruling, and the ensuing legal battles will surely last several years. However, even if the court’s ruling ends up being reversed or watered down, the damage to Shell’s corporate reputation could be immense. Basically, the company is simply being asked to honor the emissions targets set out in the Paris Climate Agreement. “If they truly believe their strategy aligns with Paris, then there should be no problem complying with the court’s demands,” says Jasper Teulings, the former General Counsel for Greenpeace International. “Shell’s decision to appeal is therefore irreconcilable. Therein lies the lie.” Furthermore, the decision sets a precedent that could unleash a wave of lawsuits against fossil fuel producers and other pillars of the fossil-fuel economy. Teulings predicts that other polluting industries will soon see “their days in court.” On the other side of the Atlantic, two oil giants took fire from an even more implacable authority: shareholders. Major institutional investors are increasingly coming around to the view that oil and gas, long considered a conservative investment, is in fact a very risky one—especially if firms remain in denial about the need for climate action. ExxonMobil shareholders, including investment giants BlackRock and Vanguard, voted to replace at least two of the firm’s board members with candidates put forward by Engine No 1, an activist hedge fund that pressures companies to support the transition to low-carbon energy. As CleanTechnica pointed out, the new directors, Gregory Goff and Kaisa Hietala, are not in any sense “climate activists,” as some of the credulous mainstream media have reported. They’re long-time oil industry insiders who have advocated an incremental approach to reducing emissions—but by all accounts, their views are at least slightly more progressive than those of the board members they’re replacing. Update: Once all the votes were counted, it turned out that a third candidate, Alexander A. Karsner, who, according to the New York Times, “has strong environmental credentials and is expected to pose more of a challenge to senior management,” was also elected to the board. Karsner and the folks behind Engine No 1 represent what Thomas Friedman calls “mean greens”—environmentalists who are willing to play hardball in order to change polluting industries. Chevron also felt the rising power of mean greens—at the company’s recent shareholder meeting, more than 60% of investors voted in favor of a climate resolution that would force the company to substantially reduce its emissions. The growing realization that climate change poses major financial risks, not just environmental ones, could prove to have a compounding effect. Credit rating agency Moody’s has warned that the credit risk of major oil producers is growing. Some analysts predict that the financial pressure will soon be felt by the banks that finance fossil fuel projects, and by the insurers that underwrite the risk, causing less capital to flow into oil-related ventures, and more into sustainable investments. The latest developments are cause for optimism among longtime climate campaigners such as Jasper Teulings. “Anyone who cares about the climate has felt times of panic, despair and helplessness. The ruling is a beacon of hope,” he told The Guardian. “Perhaps that’s the biggest impact—beyond the legal impact, and the concrete impact on carbon emissions, the ruling offers hope. It’s what we’ve been waiting for.” === Written by: Charles Morris; Source: The Guardian