New battery-electric vehicles that will released for the model years of 2018 and 2019 could possibly shift the attention of consumers away from Tesla. Audi, Hyundai and at least a couple new manufacturers finally matured enough to make their own all-electric cars in the crossover SUV bodies. This video can serve as a quick overview of current market situation. Some cars are already on sale in the USA, Canada, Europe, Asia and China, so we were able to add prices and final technical information about them, while some are waiting for their first public debuts (companies already confirmed their production, though). Short list of things this video presentation will teach you (information about the sourced used in making this video are in the end of the presentation; image by autoblog.com/2018/02/27/hyundai-kona-electric-suv-revealed): – Porsche Mission E Cross Turismo can finally set the company to the path of electrifying their whole lineup. The 600hp E Cross Turismo SUV will be good for urban and offroad driving thanks to rugged tires and 310 miles of range; – Jaguar I-Pace is slightly bigger than most of cars on the list. Despite this, it will still show great range and be slightly cheaper than Tesla’s SUV. – Hyundai Kona is the competitor for the domination among more affordable EV options. Hyundai are known for making cars with competitive pricing and good specifications, so Kona Electric is the first long-range option to Bolt EV. – Chevrolet Bolt EV is usually described as the uncool all-electric car. Customers, who are not chasing the hype could have the time of their lives driving this car: it has the range of over 200 miles and low price compared to most of the competition. – Nio ES8 is the cheaper alternative to Model X that was created for the Chinese market. The main selling point of this big SUV is its pricing. For the smaller amount of money, you get cars that are not less advanced than ones created by Elon Musk’s company. – Audi Etron is scheduled to start rolling out of the production lines in the second half of 2018. Consumers in Europe can already place their reservations for Audi’s first long-range SUV. – Tesla Model X: no list is complete without this product. Although everyone is chasing Elon Musk, in 99% of cases Tesla remains on top. Let’s see if anything changes for them this year.
Tag Archives: tesla model x
Tesla Reveals a Super Semi, 0-60 in Under 5 Seconds!
At an event in Los Angeles on November 16th, 2017, Tesla unveiled its new Semi electric truck, which is capable of traveling 800 kilometers (500 miles) on a single charge with a loaded trailer.
Powered by four independent Model 3 motors, the vehicle can go from 0-60 mph in just five seconds; it’ll take 20 seconds while paired with an 80,000 pound load. The idea with the Semi is to create a shipping solution that’s not only more environmentally friendly than a diesel truck, but also more economical to own and operate.
The interior features a central cockpit for greater visibility and two large displays for navigation and other controls on either side of the cabin. The shatter-proof windshield uses Tesla Armor Glass that the company says is far more durable than standard glass; that’s a big deal because a cracked windshield takes time to replace, and it’s illegal to drive with a damaged one in the US, which means downtime and money down the drain for trucking companies.
In addition, the Semi beams data to a mobile app that presents vital information about the vehicle, along with remote diagnostics, preventative maintenance, and fleet management information.
With the Semi, the big draw for logistics companies will likely be the lower cost of ownership. Tesla says that a diesel truck is 20 percent more expensive to run per mile, and that running an Autopilot-powered convoy of Semis is even more economical than transporting cargo by rail, while also being 10 times safer than having the vehicles manned by human drivers.
It’ll be interesting to see if that’s enough to convince shipping companies to make the switch to Tesla’s electric offering. The Semi will begin production in 2019, and you can reserve them now by wiring across $5,000 apiece.
SOURCE: TheNextWeb
Electric Car History Timeline
Tesla CEO Elon Musk demonstrates the falcon wing doors on the new Tesla Model X Crossover SUV during a launch event on September 29, 2015 in Fremont, California. After several production delays, Elon Musk officially launched the much anticipated Tesla Model X Crossover SUV.Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
The potential of electric cars is greater now than ever before.
Traditional automakers including General Motors, Volkswagen, Daimler AG, and others are all investing heavily in electric vehicles. And Tesla, of course, has built an entire business on battery-powered cars.
But electric automobiles are nothing new. They actually have a rich history in the US and, at one point, were even the dominant type of car.
Here’s a look at how battery-powered cars evolved over time.
The electric car burst onto the scene in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Photo of Thomas Edison with an electric car in 1913.National Museum of American History
In 1899 and 1900, electric vehicles outsold all other types of cars. In fact, 28 percent of all 4,192 cars produced in the US in 1900 were electric, according to the American Census. And the total value of electric cars sold was more than gasoline and steam powered cars combined that year.
It even had key advantages over gasoline- and steam-powered cars in the early 1900s. Yes, that’s right — cars once ran on steam.
1906 Wood’s Queen Victoria Electric Car.Wikimedia Commons/ Cycle and Automobile Trade Journal)
While the early electric cars were basically horseless carriages powered by batteries, they did have some perks.
For one, they didn’t have the smell, noise, or vibration that steam or gasoline cars had. The were also a lot easier to operate. Gasoline cars had to be manually cranked to start, and the vehicles required the driver to change gears while driving, which was very difficult.
Steam-powered cars didn’t require manual gear shifting, but they could take a while to start and had less range than electric cars.
But by 1935, electric cars were no longer popular. The internal-combustion engine had won and would rule the automotive world for decades.
Electric cars peaked in 1912.Wikimedia Commons
While electric car makers experienced some success into the 1920s, production peaked in 1912.
By this time, Henry Ford’s mass production of internal-combustion engines made gas-powered cars significantly cheaper than electric cars. For example, in 1912 an electric roadster priced at about $1,750, whereas a gas-powered car cost only $650.
Next-generation gasoline cars also packed a number of improvements, including an electric starter, that made them a lot easier to operate. By 1935, electric cars were sparse.
It wasn’t until the 1960s and 1970s that interest in electric cars began to grow again.
Participants at the First Symposium on Low Pollution Power Systems Development looking over the Esb “Sundancers”, an Experimental Electric Car in 1973.Wikimedia Commons/Frank Lodge
Much like today, concerns over pollution were partly responsible for the renewed interest in developing the technology for electric cars.
In 1970, the Clean Air Act was established, which required states to take control of their air quality and meet certain standards by deadlines. The OPEC oil embargo of 1973, which skyrocketed gasoline prices, also sparked interest in alternatives to fueled vehicles.
And by 1976 Congress took action and passed the Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Research, Development, and Demonstration Act, which authorized the Energy Department to support research and development in electric and hybrid vehicles.
Two companies led the way during the 1970s. The first was Sebring-Vanguard, which produced over 2,000 “CitiCars.”
In this 1974 file photo, this pyramid-shaped two passenger vehicle is a Sebring Vanguard, an electric car manufactured in Sebring, Fla.AP/File
These miniature commuter cars had a top speed of 44 mph, a normal cruise speed of 38 mph, and a range of 50 to 60 miles.
The Citicar and its variants remained the most-produced American electric car until 2011, when the Tesla Roadster surpassed it.
The other was Elcar Corporation.
One of the first Elcar vehicles.Flickr/Alden Jewell
The Elcar, also known as the Zagato Zele, was a small electric car produced by the Italian company Zagato. However, it was sold in the US by the Elcar Corporation.
The tiny vehicle could reach a speed of 45 mph, has a range of 60 miles when fully charged, and cost between $4,000 and $4,500.
Electric cars weren’t just a US phenomenon, though. Automakers around the world began investing more in the technology. BMW debuted its first electric car at the 1972 Summer Olympics.
BMW’s electric car, the 1602 E, had a range of 37 miles.YouTube/BMW
BMW’s 1602 E was developed in 1972 and was showcased at the Summer Olympics that year.
Twelve lead-acid starter batteries powered the vehicle, which featured a 42-horsepower electric motor. It could reach a top speed of 62 mph and had a range of 37 miles.
Although Olympics organizers used the 1602 E during the Munich games, the vehicle never went into production.
Many more electric cars debuted in the 1970s, but not many sold.
RT1 electric car prototype in Seattle, Washington around 1970.Flickr/Seattle Municipal Archives
Limitations in range and speed — and style — kept electric cars from being adopted on a mass scale, and their popularity declined in the 1980s.
By the 1990s, emissions regulations once again pushed automakers to revisit electric vehicles.
Workers at a General Motors plant in 1996 install the electric motor and drive train in one of the new electric vehicles.AP Photos/ Dale Atkins
The 1990 Clean Air Act Amendment and the 1992 Energy Policy Act helped spur investment again in electric vehicles.
The California Air Resources Board also passed new regulations that required automakers to make and sell a zero-emissions vehicle in order for them to market their cars in the state.
The most famous, or infamous, example from this period was GM’s EV1, which was leased through Saturn dealerships.
GM’s EV1 had an impressive range, but was not a profitable car for the company.The EV-1. Rick Rowen, Creative Commons.
Beginning in 1996, GM produced 1,117 units of its EV1. The car was only available to people in California, Arizona, and Georgia and it could not be bought, only leased.
The car boasted a range of about 100 miles on a single charge and could go from zero to 60 in just seven seconds.
While consumers responded positively to the EV1, it wasn’t a profitable business for GM and the company decided to recall all of the vehicles once leases had expired. The company then destroyed most of the vehicles, only keeping 40 models to donate to museums and other institutions.
The rise of the Toyota Prius also helped grow interest in fuel-efficient cars.
Toyota’s Prius quickly became a popular car.Toyota
The Prius was first produced in Japan in 1997, but then it became available worldwide in 2000.
The Prius was one of the first mass-produced hybrid-electric vehicles, and it quickly became a statement car.
In the first year of its global launch, the company sold some 50,000 Prius vehicles worldwide.
By January 2017, Toyota had sold more than 10 million hybrid vehicles — more than 6 million of which were in the Prius family.
And in 2006, news of Tesla’s plans for a battery powered car with a range of 200 miles per charge helped raise the profile of electric vehicles.
AP Photo/Remy de la Mauviniere
By 2011, the Tesla had launched its Roadster. But while the car had a range of over 240 miles per charge, it cost more than $100,000.
In 2010, Nissan began delivering its all-electric Leaf in the US.
Nissan’s Leaf was the most popular electric car until Tesla’s Model S came along.Nissan
Nissan’s Leaf has a range of 100 miles per charge and a more budget-conscious price of around $30,000.
The car is currently the bestselling electric highway-capable vehicle in the world. As of December of 2016, Nissan has sold more than 250,000 Leafs worldwide.
In June 2012, Tesla began delivery of its Model S, its second long-range electric car.
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Tesla’s first performance Model S, which had an 85-kilowatt hour battery, had an official EPA range of 265 miles per charge.
The company originally intended to deliver the Model S in 2011. However, the company didn’t begin deliveries until late mid-2012.
Tesla delivered the Model S to the first customers at an event at the Tesla factory in Fremont, California on June 22, 2012.
In October 2016, GM made a big push into the electric-car space with the launch of its Chevy Bolt, an all-electric car with a range of more than 200 miles per charge.
GM’s Chevy Bolt was the first mass-market EV with a range exceeding 200 miles per charge.Chevrolet
While GM has a long history with electric cars, the Bolt is its first all-electric car with a range of more than 200 miles.
The Chevy Bolt can go 238 miles between “fill-ups” and costs about $30,000, after a $7,500 federal tax credit. Top speed is 91 mph.
While charging, the car gains about 25 miles in range every hour. The car can fully charge in nine hours with a 240-volt unit.
Looking forward, Tesla has big plans to produce its first mass-market car, called the Model 3, by the end of this year.
Tesla’s Model 3 will compete with the Chevy Bolt.YouTube/Motor Trend
While Tesla has thus far focused on selling luxury high-end vehicles, it plans to begin producing its first budget electric car in 2017.
The Model 3 will feature a range of more than 200 miles and will price at $35,000 before tax incentives.
The company also plans on eventually launching an affordable crossover, dubbed the Model Y, and an electric truck.
In response, traditional automakers like Ford, Mercedes-Benz, and Volkswagen are ramping up investment in the space.
Volkswagen aims to make a production version of its all-electric ID concept car by 2020.AP/Michel Euler
During the next few years, we will see a number of electric cars come to market from older automakers.
Ford announced in January that it aims to offer 13 new electrified vehicles, including hybrids, within the next five years. One of the new vehicles it plans to launch will be a fully electric SUV with a range of at least 300 miles per charge.
Mercedes and Volvo both plan to launch an all-electric car in 2019, and Volkswagen has said it aims to have a production version of its all-electric ID Concept SUV ready by 2020.
Here’s a look at more electric cars coming by 2021.
This article is from Business Insider
Here’s Why the Tesla Model X Is an Awful Car
Doug DeMuro has some interesting opinions on the Tesla Model X. A few things he demonstrates about his rented Model X: how the “pigeon” wing doors operate under low ceilings, Tesla autopilot, utilizing interior space, and the electric SUV’s 257 mile range.
Upcoming electric cars that will conquer the market this year
In the past 5 years we’ve seen an increase in electric car manufacturing. Many international developers strongly believe that the future of the auto industry will depend on eco-friendly vehicles. Going green is no longer a luxury, and believe it or not, recent models of electric cars are no longer over-priced. In fact, some have pretty amazing built-ins and in-car technicals to surpass the efficiency and performance of conventional vehicles that run on gas. This year, the industry has spiked in eco-friendly cars; starting from the simplest all the way to the most groundbreaking. Here’s a quick guide with 5 “green” cars that will most like win you over.
Hyundai IONIQ
Toyota Prius, it’s time for you to move over! IONIQ is here to take your spot. Even though it’s too early to tell whether or not Hyundai’s IONIQ model will be better than the Prius, rumor has it that it will be a fair competitor. The hybrid auto market is on the roll, and as new technologies emerge, it’s tough for manufacturers to stay on top. Hyundai has always been an ambitious car maker, and even though we can’t know for sure how advanced and powerful IONIQ will be, we can state that the plug-in hybrid will create some sort of hype. Rumor has it that the new model will deliver an incredible driving experience; apparently, some of the built-in features will provide a driving experience no other eco vehicle is currently offering.
Nissan Leaf
Nissan’s Leaf model is the most popular type of electric car in the world. Nearly 200,000 models have been sold since the release. The manufacturers are still making upgrades, and this year’s variant looks and feels better than ever. The latest Leaf comes with a 30 kWh battery, which is enough to drive for 155 miles. Why are casual driver so in love with this electric vehicle? First, because it is affordable – $18,000 on average – on average, and second because it looks nice both on the inside and on the outside. Nissan Leaf is comfortable, relaxing to drive and quiet. It is an electric pioneer that drivers are quite fond of!
Tesla Model X
There’s something about Tesla that keeps us interested. The company’s recent Model X is quite the beauty. It can easily get to 60 mph in roughly 3.2 seconds, not to mention that it looks pretty awesome too. Some say that Tesla’s Model X will be the best electric car of the year. It features enough room to fit up to 7 individuals, and it completely redefined in-car design. Sleek, modern and high-tech on the inside, Model X has certainly piqued our interest. The manufacturers argue that it is also the fastest electric car in the world, as well as the most capable utility vehicles created thus far. Safety is Model X’s biggest trump card. Considering it packs floor-mounted battery meant to lower its gravity center, the risk of rolling is extremely low.
Chevrolet Bolt
Chevy Bolt may not benefit from Tesla’s technology, but it’s still an electric vehicle with great potential. In fact, rumor has it that the most is the most anticipated of the year. The model will be hitting the market pretty soon, and many buyers are excited to test it out especially because it comes at an affordable cost – on average, $30,000. The fully electric hatchback offers seating for 5 people, thus making it ideal for small families. The engine can handle a mileage of 200, and the quick charging (30 minutes for 90 miles) will surely appeal to potential customers.
BMW i3
BMW’s i3 model is a remarkable electric hatchback. Featuring a rather unusual exterior built, we cannot help but wonder who thought of the design. The structure is made of carbon fiber, and as for the electric powertrain, the i3 packs legendary driving dynamics. Due to a low gravity center, the cars can easily go from 0 to 60mph in roughly 6.5 seconds. In terms of charging, this urban beauty doesn’t take longer than 3 hours to reach its full potential.
Numerous other electric cars are preparing to enter the market. Some see promising, whereas others are just pure science fiction. We still hope for Porsche’s Mission E to emerge so that Tesla can have some real competition.
By Christopher Austin and Design911.co.uk!
On the Tesla Model X
It seems like Tesla comes out with a new all-electric model every week these days, with the first Model S vehicles hitting the streets last year, and now the introduction of their new Model X SUV.
The Tesla Model X is built on the Tesla Model S platform, which means the basic drivetrain is the same, with the battery, controller, and motor sitting in the same position. The basic Model X is rear wheel drive like the S, however, you now have the option to upgrade to front and rear wheel drive. Pictured below is the drivetrain for the optional all-wheel drive model.
The second front mounted motor enables all-weather, all-road capabilities, increases torque by 50%, and horsepower bumps from 362 to 410. When outfitted with AWD, the Model X Performance accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in less than 5 seconds, outperforming the fastest SUVs and many sports cars. The low profile drivetrain also allows for a “frunk,” or a trunk in the front, as well as plenty of passenger and cargo space.
The interior focuses your attention on a giant touchscreen unit in the center console. Critics say it is less responsive than your cutting edge tablet computer, but definitely navigable. It does make you wonder, when is big a little too big. Looks somewhat obnoxious to me.
Tesla claimed last year they would make the base model available for around $30,000 within 5 years, competitive with current not-even-luxury SUVs. This seems hardly believable right now. If you want to be an early adopter, you’ll pay maybe twice that. You can make your reservation on their website for a mere $5k, which shoots up to $40k for the rare Signature Model. The concept however, truly is revolutionary. An SUV with the acceleration of a supercar, the cargo space of a minivan, and hopefully at the price of a BMW X3 or X5 will surely find a market with dual income families with who want to one up the neighbors.