My parents rented a Tesla for a trip from Charlotte, NC to Columbia, SC last week. They charged for free at the hotel overnight and spent exactly $0 on charging during their trip. Where you at ICE owners?
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“The most important investment you can make is in yourself.”
-Warren Buffett
Quiz
The vehicle pictured above is a:
- Kia EV6
- Kia EV7
- Kia EV8
- Kia EV9
EV Headlines
Porsche's electrification strategy is to have 80% of its portfolio be electric by 2030 and includes an:
- Electric Macan
- Electric 718
- Electric Cayenne
- A secret electric SUV above the Cayenne
Porsche has also set ambitious sustainability targets, with the goal of achieving a net carbon-neutral value chain for its vehicles by 2030. Future BEV models will have a net carbon-neutral use phase, based on an expected total mileage of 200,000 kilometers per vehicle.
In Other EV News
- The RZ 450e has been introduced by Lexus, its first globally available, all-electric vehicle. The RZ is priced starting at $59,650 MSRP. Additionally, Lexus aims to offer 100% BEVs globally by 2035 to contribute to a carbon-neutral society.
- (Update)Mississippi Governor signs bill banning direct in-person sales of EVs. Hmmmm….
- A Tesla Model S Plaid with the company's new Carbon Ceramic Brake Kit was tested on a track and set a record for street-legal cars on non-semi-slick tires with a time of 1:33.610.
- A tweak? Rivian and Amazon have reportedly been engaging in discussions with regard to a potential adjustment of the exclusivity clause in their agreement concerning electric delivery vans.
- Genesis has launched a new advertising campaign called "Keep Beginning" to introduce its first-ever Electrified GV70 to a new generation of consumers. The campaign features visual artist Ricardo Rivera, designer Charlotte McCurdy, fashion designer Phillip Lim, and sustainable surfboard innovator Ry Harris. The "Keep Beginning" campaign aims to inspire people to seek out their own new beginnings and always keep looking to the future.
Ned’s Corner
Me, to the car rental guys: "Don't worry, I work in the charging business, it doesn't need to be fully charged when I pick it up"
I rolled into the charge lab at actual 0%, setting a new PR for low SOC on arrival, after climbing one of Cincy's steepest hills at 17mph. Apologies to the bro in the lifted RAM truck who didn't quite make it past before the right lane ended.
I didn't think it would be on low battery alarm when I picked it up! It had 16mi range and it was 14mi to the charge lab, plus that killer hill. The state of EV charging infrastructure in the US car rental business is miserable. They're just plugging the trickle cord into the wall and tripping breakers.
About Ned
Ned is an EV professional with experience with chargers from 1 to 500kW and EVs ranging from unicycles to buses and class 8 trucks. An EV owner since 2014, he is currently a Technical Solutions Manager with Electrada. He develops and refines charging solutions for fleets using his engineering experience to drive for high uptime, reliability, and efficiency.
Autonomous Snapshots
How about a GM and ChatGPT collab? It may happen as GM is exploring the use of ChatGPT in its future vehicles. According to GM Vice President Scott Miller, "ChatGPT is going to be in everything," adding that the automaker is exploring using the technology in its upcoming cars.
While GM has not been specific about the functionality ChatGPT could add to its vehicles, the limited examples provided suggest promising outcomes such as improving voice commands. GM must be on to something because Elon Musk is working on a competitor to ChatGPT…
In Other AV News
- Level 4 autonomous driving will be legal in Japan next month. SoftBank has started conducting field tests to achieve fully automated autonomous driving operations. The tests aim to verify driving route design, AI remote monitoring, and other tasks to realize a sustainable autonomous driving service in Japan.
- Chinese robotaxi operator WeRide.ai has confidentially filed to go public in the United States and is seeking to raise up to $500 million.
- Swiss supermarket chain, Migros, has launched a trial of its autonomous delivery service, called Migronomous. The self-driving electric van, developed in partnership with start-up Loxo and Schindler, is currently delivering groceries.
- Ottawa-based software company, Sensor Cortek, is using artificial neural network models to improve autonomous vehicle safety in snowy conditions. The company uses LiDAR sensors, radar, cameras, and advanced GPS systems to collect data on drives in snowy conditions on its private track.