Battery Electric Vehicle News / Enjoying the Transportation Revolution

JKenH

Grumpy_chap said:

Martyn1981 said:

Also surprised by the falling number of MHEV's, I'd assumed (there's your problem!) that ICEV's would start to move to MHEV's as a quick and cheap way to make things look a bit better. But clearly not.

It might be just me but, if you currently have an ICEV product line and know you need to go to an EV product line within 10 years tops, it would be a waste of investment capital to develop MHEV or PHEV products as an interim given the known short life-span.

Car manufacturers typically have a 6 or 7 year product cycle. As there are another 12 years or so before ICE sales are banned in Europe and even if EVs are taking 50% of sales by 2030 there is still considerable  scope to sell ICEVs. The demand is there; if you don’t make them someone else will. China is doing such a good job of making EVs that European manufacturers may struggle to compete with them - look at the MG4. BYD are now moving into Europe. It’s all changed in the last ten years; it could all change again in the next ten. Will the EU sit on its hands while China destroys their car manufacturers? 

Martyn1981

Grumpy_chap said:

Martyn1981 said:

Also surprised by the falling number of MHEV's, I'd assumed (there's your problem!) that ICEV's would start to move to MHEV's as a quick and cheap way to make things look a bit better. But clearly not.

It might be just me but, if you currently have an ICEV product line and know you need to go to an EV product line within 10 years tops, it would be a waste of investment capital to develop MHEV or PHEV products as an interim given the known short life-span.

Could be, I was just thinking it was a relatively cheap and easy way to improve their fleet CO2 figures to meet regulations.

Edit - I was kinda hoping that the ICE segment would all but disappear, replaced by MHEV's - wishfull thinking perhaps?

Martyn1981

Ok, range is tiny, but I'm impressed that an electric helicopter is possible, and in this example simulating the transfer of a transplant organ from one city to another, is at least an interesting concept. Maybe they need to remove the crew, and fly it from the ground like a drone, to save weight and improve range.

Electric Helicopter Makes Historic Flight

Electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft have been all the rage for a few years, but what about good old helicopters? Naturally, conventional helicopters are powered by fossil fuels, but they can be electric too. One converted electric helicopter is eager to go on an epic journey to show the potential there, and for now it has demonstrated that potential on a small scale on a record flight.

The helicopter was a third-generation e-R44 fully electric conversion of the popular Robinson R44 helicopter. It was reportedly the first electric helicopter to go from one city to another or from one airport to another. This electric helicopter flew along the Coachella Valley of California from Jacqueline Cochran Airport (KTRM) to Palm Springs International Airport (KPSP). That’s 24 miles (39 kilometers), which took 20 minutes to cover.

The pilots on this historic flight were Ric Webb, CEO of OC Helicopters, and Dr. Martine Rothblatt, CEO of United Therapeutics. They also loaded the helicopter with 50 pounds (23 kilograms) of faux storage in order to “simulate a transplant organ care system in the rear cabin,” as Vertical writes.

Martyn1981

More bad BEV news, and kinda fits in with the relatively* poor showing of Europe BEV sales in H1, and VWG's static numbers in the earlier article I posted.

Software has been VWG's Achilles Heel, and I believe the Trinity platform was the one on which they expected to be profitable, with the current platform more of a bridge from ICEV to BEV. Cashflow is the suggested reason for revising plans and timescales.

From a green and ethical side, we really need VWG to move fast, and succeed. I wish them the very best.

*Sales are increasing, but slower than growth elsewhere. Also Tesla Shanghai had Covid shutdowns during April, their export month.

Volkswagen's $2 bln Trinity electric vehicle plant in doubt

HAMBURG, Nov 17 (Reuters) - Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) Chief Executive Oliver Blume is reviewing whether to stick to a plan to build a new plant to assemble its Trinity electric vehicles (EV) or to use its existing Wolfsburg factory, a source told Reuters on Thursday.

Volkswagen, the world's second-biggest carmaker, had planned to start building the 2-billion-euro ($2.06 billion) factory in 2023 and produce its flagship electric sedan there from 2026, with a view to accelerating the manufacturing process.

Manager Magazine reported earlier on Wednesday that Blume was considering delaying production of the new model until 2030 and abandoning plans to launch it on the Scalable Systems Platform (SSP), which is intended eventually to replace all other platforms.

Volkswagen Delays Key EV Project as Tesla Challenge Stumbles

Chief Executive Officer Oliver Blume plans to push back the key Trinity battery car project from 2026 toward the end of the decade because new software won’t be ready in time, according to a person familiar with the matter. The company may also scrap plans for a €2 billion ($2.1 billion) EV factory in Germany, the person said, asking not to be named because the discussions are private.

The delays complicate Volkswagen’s bid to catch up with Tesla and lay bare the challenges of overhauling Europe’s biggest automaker, from retooling factories to fixing buggy software that has frustrated drivers of its electric cars.

Volkswagen “currently is taking the opportunity to look at all projects and investments and check them for viability,” the company said in an internal message to employees seen by Bloomberg. A spokesperson declined to comment further.

Martyn1981

Gonna need a bigger battery!

I know that some BEV mining trucks have been mentioned before, but I don't think one of the biggest monsters has been converted before. Not really much info / background, but still nice to see that the idea is developing.

Caterpillar (CAT) advances sustainable mining with first battery electric 793 large truck

The leading construction and mining equipment manufacturer, Caterpillar (CAT), is plowing ahead with plans to advance sustainable mining. Caterpillar successfully tested its first battery electric 793 large mining truck.

Caterpillar’s large 793 electric mining truck

Caterpillar held a demonstration yesterday showcasing the abilities of its massive 793 electric mining truck while announcing a “significant investment” to convert its Tuscan, Arizona, proving grounds into a sustainable testing and demo site for future electric products.

silverwhistle

Martyn1981 said:

Ok, range is tiny, but I'm impressed that an electric helicopter is possible,

Me too! A friend takes me for flights in a hired R44 and she'll be fascinated with this. Lots of questions too, how much contingency, how does it impact the A check, does it shorten start up, impact on vibration and so on? With that range, about Bournemouth airport to Southampton (or the two general hospitals) I'd be wanting to strip out as much weight as possible, and it shows how increasing battery efficiencies will have a significant impact.

Martyn1981

Hopefully BEV 2 + 3 wheelers will take over the market in Asia and Africa, before the market for larger vehicles gets big. A great learning exercise, and hopefully many countries will leap frog ICE cars (etc) before their market grows big.

Don’t Forget The 2-Wheel Electric Revolution

The summit season has kicked off big time in Southeast Asia, and green vehicles are in the spotlight. Local police are even riding electric motorcycles to escort delegates. You probably saw it on the news.

“Many companies are realising that electric two-wheelers will be first taken up in this part of the world,” Vivek Lath, a partner at McKinsey, said in an interview in Singapore on Friday. “It’s a segment that’s going to accelerate much faster.”

Southeast Asia’s cities are crowded, and smaller, more nimble vehicles make more sense. Add to that the pollution caused by poorly maintained two-stroke motorbikes and the switch to electric makes perfect sense. I’ve been to Bali too, and it’s evident battery-powered cars are still too expensive for the emerging middle classes in Southeast Asia — but most can afford an electric two-wheeler.

shinytop

Martyn1981 said:

Hopefully BEV 2 + 3 wheelers will take over the market in Asia and Africa, before the market for larger vehicles gets big. A great learning exercise, and hopefully many countries will leap frog ICE cars (etc) before their market grows big.

Don’t Forget The 2-Wheel Electric Revolution

The summit season has kicked off big time in Southeast Asia, and green vehicles are in the spotlight. Local police are even riding electric motorcycles to escort delegates. You probably saw it on the news.

“Many companies are realising that electric two-wheelers will be first taken up in this part of the world,” Vivek Lath, a partner at McKinsey, said in an interview in Singapore on Friday. “It’s a segment that’s going to accelerate much faster.”

Southeast Asia’s cities are crowded, and smaller, more nimble vehicles make more sense. Add to that the pollution caused by poorly maintained two-stroke motorbikes and the switch to electric makes perfect sense. I’ve been to Bali too, and it’s evident battery-powered cars are still too expensive for the emerging middle classes in Southeast Asia — but most can afford an electric two-wheeler.

Agree with this; the large BEVs we favour in Europe and the USA are not only unaffordable to many, they are completely unnecessary and impractical.  Charging infrastructure may be a problem though; although a BEV moped or tuk-tuk doesn't need a rapid charger, electricity supply can be a bit patchy in some places. 

orrery

shinytop said:

... electricity supply can be a bit patchy in some places. 

Funny, that's what I was thinking when I read the piece about Caterpillar earth moving truck above.

JKenH

Tesla Lowers Supercharger Rates in Several U.S. Regions After Doing the Same in Europe

https://www.autoevolution.com/news/tesla-lowers-supercharger-rates-in-several-us-regions-after-doing-the-same-in-europe-204798.html