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Tesla Model X

Gas2 Week in Review: Tesla Is Tested — In Model 3 Production and In Person during a Middle East Roadtrip

Usually, the “Gas2 Week in Review” is a summary of recent, important stories in the media about zero emissions transportation. Tesla often is at the forefront of these stories. The CNBC report about Tesla employees who divulged problems with Model 3 battery production and quality control absolutely caused a media frenzy this week, including at our sister site, CleanTechnica.

The idea to summarize, synthesize, and interpret the big stories about green transportation in the “Gas2 Week in Review” makes sense as a general rule, especially about EVs. We are near to the moment in time when EVs will have both a range of 200-plus miles as well as a friendly price tag. ICEs (internal combustion engines) are to be a thing of the past in major countries by 2040 — the US as the embarrassing exception unless radical changes occur in the executive branch. Big corporations are coming to the realization that renewable energy is a business opportunity, and stalwarts of the fossil fuel industry like Shell are opening up, asking, “How will the world produce more and cleaner energy to power our homes and fuel our vehicles in coming decades while reducing CO2 emissions that cause climate change?”

I saw real evidence of the epiphanies that are taking place around clean transportation this week when I joined in with the Middle East 2018 Global EVRT (Electric Vehicle Road Trip). I had a chance to get up-close-and-personal with an EV fleet which, for 9 days, traveled across the UAE to Oman and back to demonstrate the possibilities of electric transportation. With the fleet comprised of 4-Tesla Model S’s, 1-Tesla Model X, 4 Chevy Bolts, and a BMWi3, I was both participant and observer, driving my first EV as well as collecting impressions how the Middle East is beginning to think differently about energy production and usage.

So allow this edition of the “Gas2 Week in Review” to digress from its usual weekly format, please, so that we can explore some of the excitement, curiosity, and questions that arise when a new people and place are exposed to EVs.

January 28, 2018 0 comment

MOIA Ride Sharing Van Breaks Cover In Berlin

written by Steve Hanley

Just one year ago, Volkswagen announced the creation of a new ride sharing division is calls MOIA (free lifetime subscription to Gas2 for anyone who knows the origin of that name). “We are still moving around our cities like we did 20 or 30 years ago,” said MOIA CEO OleHarms said. “We need to offer new forms of transportation and really improve the traffic situation.”

Credit: TechCrunch

This week, VW pulled the wraps off its first MOIA branded vehicle — an all electric six passenger vans based on the MEB chassis the company has developed for its upcoming line of I.D. branded EVs. One of those vehicles will be the Buzz, the 21st century version of the iconic VW Microbus of the ’60s. The MOIA people mover is halfway between the current Volkswagen T6 van and the Buzz.

MOIA expects to have up to 200 of these vehicles in operation in and around the city of Hamburg by the end of 2017. In fact, the first of them should hit the streets in January. The vehicles promise plenty of room for up to 6 passengers. Easy access is promised by a large sliding doors on the passenger side. Once inside, each person can adjust the ambient lighting to his or her taste. WiFi is included, as are charging ports for portable devices.

Luggage is carried in a dedicated area just inside the sliding door where the passenger seat would normally be. This eliminates the need to open and close the rear hatch at every stop. Interestingly, even though the vehicle is electric, it is does not feature autonomous operation — at least not yet. There is still a human driver on board and VW thinks its MOIA ride sharing service can still be profitable without full autonomy.

Harms is careful to point out the MOIA system is not intended to compete directly with existing public transportation systems. “We are operating with full respect of the public system. We don’t want to get below the public transport system because them we would take people who are already pooled in a bigger vessel into a smaller one.” He indicated at this time last year that fares for the MOIA service would be about the same as taking a bus.

Development of the MOIA van has been unusually quick in the car industry. The vehicle unveiled this week didn’t exist a year ago and incorporates suggestions made by customers using prototypes based on the T6 production van as recently as October of this year. Eventually, the vans can be customized to meet the needs of customers in individual cities.

The ride sharing component is based on a smartphone app that allows riders to book trips and pay for their rides online. A built-in carpooling algorithm makes it possible for groups on similar routes to maximize usage of the vehicles. The software permits the creation of virtual bus stops located 200 to 250 meters apart, minimizing the distance people need to walk to get to the vans or get to their destinations.

“By 2021 I definitely see a couple of cities worldwide operating autonomous fleets,” Harms says. He adds that MOIA’s biggest markets will be in Europe, China, and the US and that revenue from the system will be “in the region of a couple of billion” dollars in 2 to 4 years.

Also back in 2016, Elon Musk told the world that his engineers are working a high capacity urban transport based on the Tesla Model X chassis. Tesla is planning its own ride hailing and ride sharing service called the Tesla Network. Musk says the Model X can be reconfigured to accommodate from 10 to 12 passengers.

Some good guessing by @Jalopnik. The Tesla Minibus will be built on a Model X chassis. People density potential is surprisingly high.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 29, 2016

Is the MOIA people mover optimized for the job? Tell us what you like or don’t like about it in the comments section.

December 5, 2017 1 comment

Illinois Solar Energy Association Raffles Tesla Model X

written by Sponsored Content

Tesla has been leading the charge toward greener energy and transportation, from solar panels and battery storage to their now-diverse range of cars. The Model X is one of the very first all-electric SUVs, and also the winner of numerous awards, including the distinction of the American Automobile Association’s Top Green Vehicle overall for 2017. This year, you could win one of your own.

The Illinois Solar Energy Association (ISEA) has been holding a fundraising raffle to win a Tesla for four years. ISEA is a nonprofit dedicated to educating the public about solar energy, as well as advocating for renewable energy legislation in Illinois. They love how nicely electric vehicles dovetail with their mission – plug in an EV at a location powered by solar and that car will get you where you need to go without generating any harmful greenhouse gases!

Past winners share that same enthusiasm. The winner for 2015 explains his reasoning: “I entered the raffle because I wanted to support the solar industry in Illinois. It was a good cause and I figured it would come back to me in one way or another (less pollution, maybe a cool car).”

Once he did win, his test drive of the Model S proved to him that the car was everything it claimed to be. “I test drove the car and got to test the auto pilot software on the highway, which was amazing. The sales guy also let me drive home and give my wife and kids a ride. We put our two young girls in the rear facing child seats in the trunk area and took a spin. It is a great car, very quiet and very fun to drive.”

This will be ISEA’s first year raffling the Model X – they had previously only raffled the Model S. They are excited that the EV world is growing and are proud to offer this exciting opportunity.

You can enter now to win– the contest runs until December 7, 2017, but there are only a limited number of tickets for sale, and ALL the tickets need to be sold in order to give away the car (the winner will get cash if the car is not given away). The contest is open to US residents 18 years and older in the 48 contiguous states (sorry, Alaska and Hawaii!). Find further details and contest rules here.

Enter to Win a Tesla!

Why Should you Enter to Win?

We really like Tesla – the cars are safe, the company is making good on their social missions, and they are just so fun to drive. But we also know that they are out of the budget for many folks, so this contest gives you a chance to win one of the most coveted cars in the world for a low ticket prices ($100 for one ticket and $300 for four tickets). But this raffle is not just about the car – it’s also about supporting the solar and clean energy advocacy of ISEA, and organization that works hard to make Illinois a clean energy leader.

What does ISEA do?

ISEA is non-profit organization that represents over 400 clean energy advocates, including more than 100 businesses. As its mission is to educate and advocate for the widespread application of solar in Illinois; ISEA advocates for strong renewable energy policies at both the state and federal levels.

ISEA works to educate the public and the industry on solar energy policy. Their current project is coordinating policy updates for the Illinois Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS). This RPS requires increased energy production from renewable sources. Currently, Illinois has about 80 MW of solar installed throughout the state, but this new RPS means that solar installations will increase to 2,700 MW by 2030. These new solar projects will include traditional residential and commercial rooftop solar, but it will also introduce more community solar projects — 400 MW worth. Your funds from the Tesla raffle directly support ISEA’s work and helps to grown solar in the midwest.

This post is sponsored by ISEA; image from Tesla

October 28, 2017 3 comments

Software Update For Tesla Model S 75 and Model X 75 Boosts Performance By One Full Second

written by Steve Hanley

Recipients of the Tesla newsletter, such as Zachary Shahan, editor of CleanTechnica, were surprised today when Tesla announced a new over the air update that lowers the 0-60 time for both the Tesla Model S 75 and Model X 75 by one full second. Not only is that a significant performance increase, it proves the worth of Tesla’s ability to update is cars wirelessly. It’s like Chevrolet calling you up and telling you they swapped out that 327 V8 in your Chevelle SS for a 396 big block with solid lifter while you were sleeping. Cool beans!

A one second drop in acceleration times is astonishing. The company has not released any details about this miracle came to pass. If we hear more on that subject, we will be sure to pass the information along. Tesla recently deleted the rear wheel drive single motor Model S 75. All Model S and Model X cars are now equipped with dual motors.

Tesla wasn’t done, though. The announcement indicates that air suspension is now standard on both the Model S sedan and the Model X SUV. In addition to a softer, more controlled ride, the Tesla Smart Air Suspension automatically adjusts the height of the vehicle to adapt to conditions. Among other things, that means lowering the ride height at highway speeds to improve aerodynamic efficiency and greater range.

The latest update also adds automatic high beams to all cars in all markets, according to CNET. The feature was previously available only in certain areas. When the system does not detect any oncoming traffic, it activates the high beams to let the driver see further down the road, then switches them off automatically when a car approaches in the opposite lane. A small indicator light on the gauge cluster alerts drivers that the system has been activated. It is controlled from the “Lights” portion of the touchscreen controls to activate or deactivate the feature.

Chances are drivers will be more excited about the performance improvement than the automatic headlight upgrade but Tesla’s ability to keep all of its cars wirelessly over the internet remains one of the less talked about but valuable features that set Tesla apart from all other automakers.

August 18, 2017 3 comments

Tesla Model X Crashes, Falcon 9 Soars, Jonas Warns, Lyndon Leaves

written by Steve Hanley

Tesla, “the company that Twitter built,” had a banner day in the headlines yesterday. A Model X rented for a wedding was crashed into by a stolen car. Meanwhile, SpaceX launched its heaviest satellite yet. Adam Jonas, one of the biggest cheerleaders for Tesla stock on Wall Street lowered his sights a bit. And Elon Musk’s cousin, Lyndon Rive, says he will leave the company next month to pursue “other opportunities.”

The Model X Wedding Crasher

In California, a young man who identifies himself as Mr. Tran left his rehearsal dinner the night before his wedding driving a rented Tesla Model X. As he was making a left turn at an intersection, a stolen Honda Civic fleeing from the police crashed into him. The Civic was estimated to be travelling 65 mph at the time of the collision.

Tran, posting as QwiksilverA4 in an online forum, said, “At this point, it looked like the driver had no intention of slowing down, and I immediately thought that I was either going to get badly hurt or potentially die.” Instead, all 12 air bags in the Model X went off and the front of the Tesla, which Elon Musk has called “a giant impact-absorbing crumple zone,” performed its mission of protecting those inside the car perfectly.

After the crash, Tran kicked open the front door and exited the vehicle with only minor injuries. “The silver car was a mess, but the Model X only suffered a broken axel and bent wheel,” he wrote online. “I can’t thank Elon Musk, Tesla, and the team enough for what they do and want them to know that their car saved my life. Thank you for your time and I hope this message gets passed through to everyone, especially Elon.” Tran is an automation controls consultant for Tesla who works regularly with the company’s engineers. “Little did I know that one of these vehicles would end up saving my life in a potentially deadly auto accident,” he wrote.

Falcon 9 Launches Heaviest Payload

SpaceX on Monday, May 15, launched an Inmarsat-5 F4 communications satellite weighing 13,400 lbs into geosynchronous orbit 22,300 miles above the earth. The weight of the satellite combined with how high above the earth it had to be lifted meant there was not enough fuel left on board after the launch to fly the first stage of the Falcon 9 back to earth. This marked the fourth successful Falcon 9 launch for SpaceX in the past 6 months.

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May 16, 2017 4 comments

Tesla Model S Stripped of Top Safety Rating

written by Jo Borrás

It’s been more than six months since you could buy a brand-new Tesla Model S equipped with a functional automatic emergency braking (AEB) system — despite the fact that AEB has been touted as one of thE car’s active safety features the whole time. Tired of waiting, the long-term product testers at Consumer Reports have officially lowered their published safety ratings on new Tesla electric vehicles.

“When we purchased our latest test car, we were assured automatic emergency braking would be enabled by the end of 2016,” says Jake Fisher, director of Consumer Reports’ Auto Test Center in Colchester, Conn. “We’ve been waiting for this important safety feature- which is standard equipment on (many) much cheaper cars.”

Tesla earned some of the highest safety marks possible when the company first crash-tested its popular Model S sedan a few years ago, and has held the top spot in Consumer Reports’ safety ratings ever since. That is, until the ratings drop happened- now, the Model S is ranked third in its segment. Tesla’s Model X SUV/minivan/space egg fares even worse with the ratings drop. It’s new score of 56 (down from 58) puts it near the bottom of the luxury mid-size SUV segment.

Will Lower Safety Ratings Hurt Tesla?

The trouble for Tesla doesn’t end with lower consumer ratings, either. The long wait has driven some Tesla customers to file a lawsuit against the electric car maker, seeking compensation for the slow rollout of AEB and other technology. In response, Tesla called the claims “inaccurate and sensationalistic.” Tesla accused the plaintiffs of spreading “exactly the kind of misinformation that threatens to harm consumer safety,” … which, you know, is what you’d expect from a multi-billion dollar company trying to avoid liability for any accident claims that could have been prevented by, I don’t know, a feature like an autonomous emergency brake thing.

Do you know what I am saying?

For its part, though, Tesla insists it’s actually looking out for its customers by withholding promised safety features. “Automatic Emergency Braking and other safety features are a top priority, and we plan to introduce them as soon as they’re ready,” Tesla said in the statement earlier this week. “We believe it would be morally wrong and counterproductive to our goal of improving consumer safety to release features before they’re ready, and we believe our customers appreciate that.”

Obviously, some of them don’t — but what about you guys? Do you think Tesla has failed to take the AEB delays seriously enough, or is Consumer Reports making a big deal out of nothing? Let us know what you think of Tesla’s ratings takedown in the comments section at the bottom of the page.

Source | Images: Consumer Reports.

April 27, 2017 10 comments

Audi E-Tron Sportback Concept Is The Real Deal

written by Steve Hanley

Audi plans to have its its first all electric car, the E-Tron, in showrooms next year. That car is pretty much a conventional SUV in appearance, albeit one that has been enhanced with various ruffles and flourished inside and out. But Audi is looking further down the road than that. For Shanghai, it wanted to show off its E-Tron Sportback, a concept car that has a little more wow factor than the somewhat straightforward E-Tron.

Automobile styles go through periods when certain design idioms are popular. Over the past 5 years or so, stylist have crammed more and more creases — called character lines — onto the flanks of their cars. There is one car in showrooms right now that has no less than 5 separate character lines all fighting each other for attention. Right now, the rage in the automotive world is the long sloping rear roof line. The objective is to take a big, boxy SUV and make it look like a sexy two door sports car.

That shape is great for reducing aerodynamic drag but not so great for getting the stuff that an SUV is meant to carry into and out of the vehicle. The Tesla Model X is a prime example. Tesla calls it an SUV but it’s really a 5 door hatchback with tall suspension and a higher seating position. Still, customers like cars that are emotional and there is no question that the swoopy look is more exciting than the box on wheels approach.

The Audi E-Tron Sportback concept features that long, tapering roofline. It will follow closely on the heels of the original E-Tron Audi chairman Rupert Stadler told the press at the 2017 Shanghai auto show, with production versions arriving in showrooms in 2019. The concept closely resembles the Tesla Model X, except with more creases along its sides.

The spec sheet say it will have a liquid cooled 95 kWh battery and 311 miles of range, but that is in the highly optimistic European test cycle. Subtract about 20% to get to the EPA equivalent. The car will have three electric motors making 429 horsepower (496 in boost mode) and a projected 0 to 100 kph time of 4.5 seconds.

Audi says the E-Tron Sportback’s Shanghai debut is a nod to China being the world’s largest EV market. “There are already about 150,000 charging stations in the country, with another 100,000 due to come on stream by the end of 2017,” says Audi’s Dietmar Voggenreiter. “In the next five years we will be offering five E-Tron models in China, including purely battery-powered vehicles with ranges well in excess of 500 km.”

The concept uses tiny cameras instead of side view mirrors, an idea whose time has surely come. In addition to a gee whiz interior, it does innovative things with exterior lighting, as described in the Audi press release. “The concept car’s lighting technology is an innovation that is visible by both day and night. Digitally controlled Matrix LED units at the front and rear produce an excellent light yield. Minuscule Digital Matrix projectors literally make their mark on the road ahead, turning light into a versatile, dynamic channel of communication with the surroundings.”

April 21, 2017 3 comments

US Electric Car Drivers Have Logged Over 11 Billion Miles

written by Steve Hanley

Since the electric car era began in 2010 with the introduction of the Chevy Volt and Nissan LEAF, US electric car drivers have logged 11 billion miles according to Plugless, a website that promotes wireless charging. It also claims US EV drivers have accumulated more than 1 million hours of wireless charging. The Volt and LEAF are responsible for the majority of those miles but the Tesla Model S is catching up fast. Together, the three cars account for 76% of those miles.

Plugless estimates the Chevy Volt is responsible for about 3 billion miles, the Nissan LEAF just under 3 billion miles, and the Tesla Model S about 2.2 billion miles.

“While the Volt and LEAF total cumulative miles are essentially a dead heat, why is the Tesla Model S, with its longer range (which seems to account for a larger monthly e-miles driven) lagging? It’s just a matter of time. Volt and LEAF sales began a few years ahead of the Model S and this chart shows the Model S tracking at roughly the same curve just two years later,” says Plugless.

April 10, 2017 1 comment

Jaguar I-PACE Electric SUV Breaks Cover In London

written by Steve Hanley

The Jaguar I-PACE is scheduled for production in the second half of 2018, but the company has taken a page from the Tesla playbook by showing a prototype of the car driving through London’s Olympic Park recently.

What’s the best way to drum up interest in a new product? Show it to people and then tell them they can’t have it. By showing the Jaguar I-PACE know, the company is sending a message to people considering a Model X — Don’t buy that Tesla just yet. We have something even better on the way.

“The feedback on the I-PACE Concept has been fantastic,” says Ian Callum, design director at Jaguar. “With the I-PACE Concept we’ve torn up the rule book to create a vehicle with supercar inspired aesthetics, sports car performance and SUV space, in one electric package. It has surprised people and the enthusiasm for our first electric vehicle has been beyond all my expectations.”

“Driving the concept on the streets is really important for the design team. It’s very special to put the car outside and in the real world. You can see the true value of the I-PACE’s dramatic silhouette and powerful proportions when you see it on the road, against other cars. The I-PACE Concept represents the next generation of battery electric vehicle design. For me, the future of motoring has arrived.”

What about the good stuff? The Jaguar I-PACE will have a 90 kWh battery and an EPA range of about 220 miles. 0-60 will take 4 seconds. The best part is that an 80% charge is possible in just 90 minutes or a 100% charge in 2 hours using 50 kW DC fast charging.

March 15, 2017 7 comments

Tesla Model X Owner Sues Over Sudden Unintended Acceleration

written by Steve Hanley

Ji Chang Son took delivery of a new Tesla Model X in August of last year. About a month later, as Mr. Son was turning into his driveway at his home in Orange County, California, he says the car suddenly leaped forward at a high rate of speed, crashed through the back wall of his garage, and ended up in his living room. On December 30, attorneys representing Mr. Son filed a class action lawsuit in federal court in California. To qualify for class action status under federal law, the complaint must state that total damages for all the members of the class must exceed $5 million.

“The vehicle spontaneously began to accelerate at full power, jerking forward and crashing through the interior wall of the garage, destroying several wooden support beams in the wall and a steel sewer pipe, among other things, and coming to rest in Plaintiffs’ living room,” the lawsuit said according to Reuters. Tesla says it has examined the data from the car’s computer and determined the accelerator pedal was fully depressed at the time of the incident. A Tesla Model X is capable of accelerating to 60 mph in about 3 seconds, so things happen pretty fast when the unexpected happens.

Son’s attorneys claim the car’s Automatic Emergency Braking systems should prevent it from crashing into solid objects even if the driver accidentally presses the wrong pedal. But they deny their client did so in this instance. The bizarre part of the legal filing is a chart created by the plaintiff’s legal team claiming to show sudden unintended acceleration occurs at the rate of 64 times per 100,000 vehicles on the road — about 20 times more frequently than in other vehicles. That figure is highly speculative since there were only about 16,000 Model X vehicles on the road at the time of this incident.

If you follow the “where there’s smoke, there’s fire” theory, there have been 8 official reports of sudden unintended acceleration by a Tesla Model X filed by owners with the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration and some of them are eerily similar to Mr. Son’s experience — the car racing ahead and crashing while travelling at very low speeds. In fact, Tesla acknowledges that the Automatic Emergency Braking system will not function below 8 miles per hour and will disable itself if it thinks the driver is attempting to perform an emergency maneuver.

Tesla says the accelerator was fully depressed, but the car is capable of accelerating on its own under some circumstances. Does the computer know the difference between when a human foot is depressing the pedal and when the computer itself is instructing the car to accelerate? Perhaps by the time this litigation is concluded, we will know more on that subject.

January 2, 2017 9 comments

Faraday Future Activates New Website Prior To CES Reveal

written by Steve Hanley

Want to know what the first production car from Faraday Future will look like? The company activated a new front page for its website on December 13 that will show it to you — sort of. The image on the page starts with the car’s chassis. Its silhouette will be slowly filled in by a series of graphic dots over the next 20 days until it is completed at 6:00 pm on January 3. That’s when the actual car will be unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The website home page will turn into a live stream at that point, viewable on any digital device.

The dots you see on the company home page represent the particle imagery the car’s computer uses to create a three dimensional view of the environment around it based on input from Lidar and other sensors. The suggestion is the car will have advanced semi-autonomous capability when built and could be capable of full self driving operation when and if regulators approve the sale of such cars. So far, Michigan is the only state to do so.

There is a link at the bottom of the page that allows interested people to create an account with Faraday Future to receive e-mail updates about when and how to reserve a car. Of course, before Faraday Future sells a car, it must first build a car. Construction of its proposed factory in North Las Vegas has stopped amid reports that it owes the general contractor millions of dollars in past due payments, but the website says construction will resume soon. Very soon.

Dan Schwartz the treasurer of Nevada has gone on record saying that the company’s principal financial backer, Jia Yueting, has no money. “Could he get more money? My sources in China say the government there isn’t financing him. I wonder where and how they’re going to continue this project.”

Faraday has recently extended its contract with the city of Vallejo in California to study whether it should build a second smaller factory and “customer experience center” in a commercial development zone owned by the city. Will Faraday Future survive? It may all depend on how the reveal in Las Vegas goes. There is a good chance the event it meant as much to convince potential investors to open their wallets as it is to wow the public.

December 14, 2016 3 comments

NextEV Plans SUV To Take On Tesla Model X by 2019

written by Steve Hanley

A few weeks ago, NextEV unveiled its 1,342 horsepower NIO EP9 supercar that set the record for fastest lap by an electric car at the Nurburgring. “The idea wasn’t practicality but to bust records and look fantastic,” says David Hilton, the company’s senior director of design. The EP9 has a top speed of 194 mph and can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 2.7 seconds. That makes it the fastest and quickest electric car in the world, according to the company.

Now NextEV co-founder Jack Cheng says it will build an all electric SUV to challenge the Tesla Model X. It will have a 70 kWh battery for a range of 330 as measured by the European test cycle, Cheng said. He described the performance as being “as good as or better than the Tesla [Model X] but cheaper. It will be positioned at Audi and BMW but with a Toyota price,” Cheng told the press. U.S sales are scheduled to begin in late 2018 or early 2019.

The idea for NextEV originally came from William Li who made his fortune partly through an online portal providing up-to-date prices to car dealers in China. He plans to make a success of NIO by providing excellent customer service, something he said Tesla has failed to do in China. “I have a Tesla. It me took three months to install a charger at home,” he told journalists at the London launch. The SUV will be built in China in partnership with Chinese automaker JAC Motors.

December 3, 2016 7 comments

Rumor: BMW i5 Will Be An SUV Arriving In 2021

written by Steve Hanley

BMW has been in a quandary about how to move forward in the world of electric cars. It was fast out of the gate. It’s “i” division brought the i3 sedan and i8 sports car to market shortly after Tesla and Nissan debuted their electric cars, but things stalled since then. Sales have been less than BMW had hoped for. Unlike Tesla, which started building its proprietary Supercharger network right away, people who bought an i3 or i8 in 2013 found that charging them away from home was a complicated and often frustrating task.

After all the hype and hoopla about its “i” cars, BMW lost the plot. Stories appeared over the last several years about what the next car to wear the “i” badge would be like. Top company officials suggested it would be an all new sedan; others said it would be a modified version of the company’s 5 Series sedan. Rumors surfaced suggesting the next car would appear in 2018, 2019, 2020, or 2021. Clearly, economic realities have cooled BMW’s passion for electric cars and it has little idea how to proceed to the next level.

The i3 and i8 made extensive use of carbon fiber structural panels to save weight. BMW pioneered innovative new bonding techniques that made it possible to meld carbon fiber components with steel or aluminum. But carbon fiber is expensive. Just last week, the company admitted that it was cutting back on the amount of carbon fiber uses in its lower priced models to save costs.

Against this backdrop, the company has finally pulled a rabbit out of its hat. Last week, it announced that the next model from its “i” division will be an SUV known as the i5. And wonder of wonders, it will go on sale in 2021, fully 6 years after the Tesla Model X, the world’s first electric SUV. Since it typically takes 5 years to design a new car from the ground up and get it into production, the timing suggests that BMW didn’t even start planning its next “i” car until the Model X burst on the scene. So much for being an industry leader.

British automotive magazine Autoweek says sources tell it that BMW has settled on an SUV for the next “i” car. That’s only logical, since SUVs are what the majority of new car buyers around the world are clamoring for. Previously, the rumor mill said the next car would be a sedan somewhat larger than the i3 to be called the i4. Those plans, if they ever existed, are now toast.

Ian Robertson, BMW’s head of sales and marketing, says his company will wait until 2021 for its next major vehicle launch so it can take advantage of “the next big steps in electric motor, battery and autonomy.” He is putting a brave face on what has obviously been a dismal failure for his company.

“We are at the very early stages of “i”, but already we’re coming up to our 100,000th registration. Just as with M, there are opportunities that take time to build up, from i cars to i Performance products to i kit, such as an electric scooter. We conceived the i brand to work for the long term. The electric car market is emerging but we see enough to be confident that consumers are understanding what it is about. What’s more, 80% of i customers are new to BMW.”

The “i” cars have been more than worth the effort, he claims. “The beauty of those cars is that they give us a competency in the field of electric cars and lightweight technology — not just in people, but in manufacturing, too. We are way ahead in the manufacturing of lightweight carbon fiber, for instance.”

In fairness, the latest version of the i3 has seen a significant increase in sales since the company gave it more range by installing a more powerful battery earlier this year. But total sales are still far below what BMW had hoped for when it started this whole “i” division thing. At the rate Tesla is gobbling up market share with its electric cars, BMW had better hope it is still in business by the time the i5 is ready for prime time.

Source and image credit: Autocar

October 31, 2016 7 comments

Tesla Model X 60D Cut From Lineup: Also, I’m Back

written by Christopher DeMorro

Elon Musk says that Tesla doesn’t make slow cars, which is true. He also doesn’t make affordable cars, and with the removal of the Model X 60D from the lineup after just three months on sale, Elon’s electric automaker became just a little further out of reach for most people.

Also, I’m back to writing for Gas2. Whaaaa….?

The Model X 60D debuted this past summer with a MSRP of $74,000 and a driving range of 200 miles, or 37 miles less than the 75D model that came before. Both models use the same 75 kWh battery pack, but the 60D can only access 80% of the battery’s potential, thus the lower range and lower price. For $9,500 buyers could “unlock” the extra range, however, allowing them to save $2,000 compared to the cost of the 75D. Could it be that a few too many customers were abusing this loophole?

Maybe, although as CNET reports, it’s just as likely that the 60D was simply a slow seller. There’s also another excuse for the quick cancellation of the Model X 60D, and that’s the existence of the Model S 60. Aimed at the more frugal futurist, the cheapest Tesla in the lineup stickers for “just” $66,000. Factor in the $7,500 Federal tax rebate and you functionally have purchased a Tesla for $56,500 with a 210-mile driving range. From that perspective, the Model X 60D never really made much sense, and was perhaps an ill-conceived attempt to drum up sales.

That’s close to Elon’s original promise of building a $50,000 Model S, which he did in the form of the rare 40 kWh version. It, too, lasted just a few months before ending up on the chopping block. Doesn’t exactly bode well for the $35,000 version of the Model 3, does it?

It’s good to be back.

October 14, 2016 5 comments