Battery Electric Vehicle News / Enjoying the Transportation Revolution

EVandPV

Shetland electric cars can now be fuelled purely by the power of the sea.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-56482777

Martyn1981

Just another story about police trying out BEV's, but I liked the points about being able to seperate gear between trunk/frunk, and the benefits of having cameras already fitted. I thought it odd they went for TM3's, not a larger BEV, but the article states they are testing them out, and will probably go with TMY's in the future.

Berea Police Force Goes Electric With Tesla Model 3s

This month, the Berea police department became the first in the state of Kentucky and one of the few in the nation to add electric vehicles to its fleet.

JKenH

Tesla cancels Full Self-Driving expansion ahead of major update

Don’t pick your nose while driving a Tesla - Big Brother is watching you. 

Last week, Musk confirmed that several Tesla owners had been removed from the beta test because it had been determined via an internal camera that they weren't paying proper attention when using the Full Self-Driving system.

https://www.foxnews.com/auto/tesla-cancels-full-self-driving-expansion-update

Edit: from one of the links in the article

Musk also apparently confirmed that the cars are using an internal camera to monitor driver awareness, something that hadn’t previously been widely revealed. 

https://www.foxnews.com/auto/tesla-fires-self-driving-testers-camera

Elon Musk explains reason for Tesla Model 3's mysterious cockpit camera

https://www.foxnews.com/auto/elon-musk-explains-reason-for-tesla-model-3s-mysterious-cockpit-camera

Martyn1981

Couple of articles on 'other' BEV's. I think these have been mentioned before, so more of an update.

CASE Announces Industry’s First Electric Backhoe-Loader, NY Utilities Take First Deliveries

“The backhoe loader is perfectly suited for electrification as the varied use cycles, from heavy to light work, provide an excellent opportunity to convert wasted diesel engine hours into zero consumption battery time — yet provide the operator with instantaneous torque response when needed,” says Eric Zieser, director — global compact equipment product line, CASE. “At low idle a diesel engine has reduced torque and requires time for the engine to ramp up to meet the load demands. Electric motors, on the other hand, have instantaneous torque and peak torque available at every operating speed.”

Rolls-Royce, Tecnam, & Widerøe To Deliver An All-Electric Passenger Aircraft In 2026

As I’ve covered previously, Rolls-Royce is pretty serious about electric aircraft. Now, it has announced plans to partner with Tecnam and Widerøe to deliver a working electric passenger aircraft in 2026.

“Electrification will help us deliver our ambition to enable the markets in which we operate to achieve net-zero carbon by 2050. This collaboration strengthens our existing relationships with Tecnam and Widerøe as we look to explore what is needed to deliver an all-electric passenger aircraft for the commuter market,” said Rob Watson, Director – Rolls-Royce Electrical. “It also demonstrates Rolls-Royce’s ambitions to be the leading supplier of all-electric and hybrid-electric propulsion and power systems across multiple aviation markets.”

Thought I'd mention something Elon said about electric flight that I hadn't thought off but is pretty obvious once pointed out, and probably occurred to most of you. He's mentioned before that he thinks affordable batteries need to reach an energy density of 400Wh/kg for electric flight to be widely viable / competitive. But then suggested that the gains become much greater after that point, perhaps 100% range increase from a further 20% improvement in battery density. This is because most energy is consumed in gaining height, not forward travel, so in this example no additional energy is consumed in reaching the same cruising height, so all of that 20% energy gain would be available for range increase ...... and so on.
Silly point, but made me think.

EVandPV

Scottish start-up ATAE unveils new pure-electric 4x4

https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/354642/scottish-start-atae-unveils-new-pure-electric-4x4

EricMears

EVandPV said:

Scottish start-up ATAE unveils new pure-electric 4x4

https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/354642/scottish-start-atae-unveils-new-pure-electric-4x4

That article seems pretty coy about price and it took a bit of googling to get even a hint. Although a quote on one page from 'Farmers Weekly' describes it as "affordable", the actual FW article suggests "a purchase cost pretty close to £50,000" - but then some Farmers tend to be richer than average.  FW's (exotic) alternatives are indeed £70k + 

Solarchaser

To be fair, 50k isn't bad for an off road 4wd.

EVandPV

https://youtu.be/C4nS_tSQiVQ

JKenH

Nissan Leaf prices cut for revised plug-in car grant 

Nissan latest manufacturer to reduce prices, ensuring Leaf is eligible for the discount 

Nissan have been heavily discounting the Leaf for some time and the price cuts were long overdue. 

https://www.carbuyer.co.uk/electric-cars/303175/nissan-leaf-prices-cut-for-revised-plug-in-car-grant

JKenH

Electric and hybrid vehicle sales reach new UK market share record

Tesla Model 3 takes no.4 spot overall with 30% of the BEV market in March.

https://www.businessgreen.com/news/4029431/electric-hybrid-vehicle-sales-reach-uk-market-share-record

http://www.smmt.co.uk/vehicle-data/car-registrations/