Archive for the ‘Electrified Vehicles’ Category
Latest update called “far less competent than a human driver.”
by Paul A. Eisenstein on May.22, 2019
Consumer Reports criticized the performance of Tesla's latest version of Autopilot.
It has been a tough few weeks for Tesla, the California electric carmaker watching its stock plummet in the wake of a sales slowdown, mounting losses and a report from the National Transportation Safety Board blaming the company’s Autopilot system for a fatal crash last March. Now, Consumer Reports is adding to Tesla’s grief.
CEO Elon Musk has spotlighted Autopilot as one of Tesla’s crown jewels, boasting about its increasingly hands-free capabilities, the latest being the ability to change lanes automatically. But the non-profit publication isn’t convinced, warning in a news release that “the latest version … is far less competent than a human driver.”
Technology News!
“The system’s role should be to help the driver, but the way this technology is deployed it’s the other way around,” said Jake Fisher, Consumer Reports’ senior director of auto testing. “It’s incredibly nearsighted. It doesn’t appear to react to brake lights or turn signals, it can’t anticipate what other drivers will do, and as a result, you constantly have to be one step ahead of it.” (more…)
Tags: Autopilot "less competent than human driver", Consumer Reports criticizes Tesla's Autopilot, Consumer Reports reviews new Autopilot, Tesla Autopilot criticism, Tesla Autopilot system, Tesla slammed by Consumer Reports, TheDetroitBureau.com., autopilot news, paul a. eisenstein, tesla news, thedetroitbureau
Posted in Asia Pacific, Automakers, Automobiles, Autonomous Driving, Business, China, Driverless Vehicles, EVs, Electrified Vehicles, Europe, Executives, Markets, NAFTA, Personalities, South America, Technology, Tesla, U.S./North America | No Comments »
Shares head towards $200 for first time since 2016, as key analyst warns $10 is possible.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on May.21, 2019
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has plenty to worry about as investors turn bearish on its stock.
After sliding to its lowest level since December 2016 on five days of losses, Tesla stock fell to its lowest level in nearly 30 months, at just above $200 — and one key analyst, Morgan Stanley’s Adam Jonas, warns Tesla could see the stock plunge to just $10 a share.
Not much has gone right for the California automotive upstart in recent months, starting with word that first-quarter sales had fallen well short of expectations. Its unexpectedly deep, $702 million loss for the quarter didn’t help. And the situation only grew worse when CEO Elon Musk last week ordered a “hardcore” belt-tightening covering “literally every payment that leaves our bank account.” Then, the National Transportation Safety Board weighed in, blaming a fatal March 2018 crash on Tesla’s much-ballyhooed Autopilot system.
Breaking News!
Even where the automaker appeared to pull off a coup, topping substantially what it had expected to raise with last month’s combination of stock and debt offerings, Musk told employees in an e-mail, that the $2.7 billion Tesla brought in “actually only gives us about 10 months at the Q1 burn rate to achieve breakeven!”
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Tags: Tesla $10, Tesla 200, auto news, car news, elon musk, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, tesla loss, tesla news, tesla sales, tesla share, tesla stock, tesla trouble, thedetroitbureau
Posted in Automakers, Automobiles, Business, China, EVs, Earnings, Electrified Vehicles, Environment, Executives, Financials, Ford, GM, Investors, Luxury Vehicles, Markets, Monthly Results, Personalities, Regulatory, Sales, Sales, Technology, Tesla, Trends, U.S./North America | No Comments »
New architecture allows for future connected car tech.
by Michael Strong on May.21, 2019
GM's new digital vehicle platform can process 4.5 terabytes per hour and will debut on the 2020 Cadillac CT5 sedan.
General Motors is pushing to remain a leader in autonomous technology with new vehicles and mobility services; however, it’s latest development may be the most critical to ensure it remains at the front of the pack.
The company unveiled its new all-new digital platform architecture, designed with the needs of future, such as connected cars, autonomous electric vehicles and other technologies, in mind. Until now, GM has been loading up its previous gen architecture with new tech, despite the fact it is more than 20 years old and comes with limitations.
Product News!
The new architecture, which will underpin the 2020 Cadillac CT5 sedan and its Super Cruise semi-autonomous driving feature, should be available across nearly all GM product lines by 2023, the company says. (more…)
Tags: GM debuts new electronic architecture, GM new digital brain, GM unveils new vehicle architecture, GM's new digital brain, General Motors digital architecture, TheDetroitBureau.com., auto news, autonomous vehicle news, gm news, gm super cruise, michael strong, thedetroitbureau
Posted in Asia Pacific, Automakers, Automobiles, Autonomous Driving, Buick, Business, Cadillac, Chevrolet, China, Driverless Vehicles, EVs, Electrified Vehicles, Europe, Executives, GM, GMC, Infotainment, Markets, NAFTA, Personalities, Safety, Safety, Sales, Semi-autonomous Driving, South America, Technology, Technology, Trends, U.S./North America, V2V | No Comments »
Musk tells employees that cash burn rate is high.
by Michael Strong on May.20, 2019
Tesla's Elon Musk has ordered employees to rein in spending on virtually everything.
Just a few days after safety regulators revealed that Tesla’s Autopilot system was engaged during a fatal crash of a Model 3, Tesla’s stock has fallen 11% – including nearly 4% today – to the low $200 range.
Adding to the concerns of stock and bond investors in the California-based EV maker, CEO Elon Musk revealed the company’s first-quarter cash burn rate has put it in a precarious position.
News Now!
He told employees last Thursday he would increase cost-cutting and that $2.7 billion in capital the company recent raised would give Tesla just 10 months to break even at the rate it burned cash in the first quarter. (more…)
Tags: Tesla Autopilot crash investigation, Tesla NTSB investigation, Tesla investors worry, Tesla stock falling, Tesla stock falls below $200, TheDetroitBureau.com., auto news, michael strong, tesla news, tesla stock falls, thedetroitbureau
Posted in Automakers, Automobiles, Autonomous Driving, Business, EVs, Electrified Vehicles, Executives, Investors, Markets, Personalities, Sales, Technology, Tesla, U.S./North America | No Comments »
Genesis will drop Tau V-8 when new G80 debuts this autumn.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on May.20, 2019
The next version of the Genesis G80 will come to market without its familiar Tau V-8.
Way back in the late 1970s, when twin oil shocks and the then-new Corporate Average Fuel Economy mandate forced automakers to start focusing on energy efficiency, conventional wisdom had it that the V-8 would soon vanish. It didn’t quite work out that way and the engine of choice for many performance and heavy-duty vehicles has remained surprisingly robust.
But as global emissions and mileage regulations continue to tighten, the V-8 appears, once again, to be an endangered species, and the Hyundai Motor Group is the latest getting ready to throw in the towel.
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The Korean carmaker’s luxury brand Genesis plans to abandon its 5.0-liter Tau V-8 when it rolls out new versions of its two biggest sedans, according to the marque’s CEO. That phase-out will begin later this year with the launch of a new version of the G80.
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Tags: BMW, Cadillac, auto news, bmw v8, cadillac v8, car news, death of v8, genesis dropping v-8, genesis essentia, genesis g80, genesis g90, genesis rimac, hyundai rimac, mercedes, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, thedetroitbureau, volvo
Posted in Auto Shows, Automakers, Automobiles, BMW, Business, Cadillac, Concept Cars, Crossovers/CUVs, EVs, Electrified Vehicles, Environment, Ford, Fuel Economy, Genesis, Hybrids, Hyundai, Kia, Luxury Vehicles, Markets, Mercedes, New York, Pickups, Product Reveals, Regulatory, SUVs, Sales, Sedans, Super Cars, Technology, Trends | No Comments »
The “only way for Tesla to become financially sustainable.”
by Paul A. Eisenstein on May.17, 2019
Tesla's Elon Musk has ordered employees to rein in spending on virtually everything.
Tesla will need to engage in some “hardcore” cost-cutting, CEO Elon Musk told employees in an e-mail late Thursday, a move that comes in the wake of an unexpectedly severe first-quarter loss.
The automaker earlier this month was able to raise $2.7 billion through a combination of stock and debt offerings, but investors have become increasingly wary of the challenges that face the automaker – Tesla facing substantial debt repayments on top of the costs involved in the development of an array of new products and a new plant in China.
Breaking News!
The latest cash infusion, according to Musk, will only let it go for another 10 months without getting back into the black, he wrote, which “is why, going forward, all expenses of any kind anywhere in the world, including parts, salary, travel expenses, rent, literally every payment that leaves out bank account must (be) reviewed.”
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Tags: TheDetroitBureau.com., auto news, car news, elon musk, musk cost cutting, musk tesla, musk tesla cost-cutting, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, tesla cash, tesla loss, tesla news, tesla stock, tesla trouble
Posted in Automakers, Automobiles, Business, EVs, Earnings, Electrified Vehicles, Executives, Financials, Investors, Personalities, Sales, Sales, Technology, Tesla, Trends | No Comments »
Croatian company positions itself as a major supplier of electrification technology and components.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on May.14, 2019
Rimac founder and CEO Mate Rimac celebrates with Hyundai's Euisun Chung their new alliance.
Alliances and joint ventures are becoming as much the norm as the exception in today’s auto industry, but Hyundai Motor Group just entered a particularly strange-bedfellow sort of relationship, investing nearly $90 million in Rimac, the Croatian manufacturer of battery-electric supercars.
The Korean parent of the Hyundai and Kia brands will not only invest 80 million euros in Rimac Automobili but also establish a technology partnership that will put some high-performance electric vehicles in their future line-ups, as well.
Breaking News!
“Rimac is an innovative company with outstanding capabilities in high-performance electric vehicles,” said Euisun Chung, Executive Vice Chairman of Hyundai Motor Group. “Its startup roots and abundant experience collaborating with automakers combined with technological prowess makes Rimac the ideal partner for us. We look forward to collaborating with Rimac on our road to Clean Mobility.”
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Tags: BEV, Porsche Taycan, auto news, car news, concept two, electric hypercar, electric vehicle, hypercar, hyundai news, kia news, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, porsche news, rimac, rimac concept one, rimac electric, rimac hyundai, rimac kia, rimac porsche, thedetroitburea
Posted in Auto Shows, Automakers, Automobiles, Business, Concept Cars, EVs, Electrified Vehicles, Financials, Fuel Economy, Geneva, Hybrids, Hyundai, Investors, Kia, Luxury Vehicles, Motorsports, Muscle Cars, Porsche, Sales, Sales, Sports Cars, Super Cars, Technology, Trends, Volkswagen | No Comments »
Swedish developed system designed to be efficient and safe.
by Michael Strong on May.13, 2019
Why is this man smiling? Tesla CEO Elon Musk has a revolutionary new charging system named after him and he didn't even have to invent it.
The rocketing growth of new electric vehicles produced by automakers has producers of EV charging stations hustling to keep up; however, a new innovation may circumvent the need for the onslaught of stations.
The Swedish city of Lund is conducting a trial of a roadway that charges electric vehicles as they roll down the “tarmac.” Named “Elonroad,” after Tesla co-founder and CEO Elon Musk, the plans call for a 1 kilometer stretch of road to be a test bed for the new technology.
Electrifying News!
The purpose is to contribute to increasing knowledge about electricity routes as part of the future fossil-free transport system, says Elvag Syd, the company working with the Swedish Transport Administration, on the project. It´s the first electric road with ground level feeding system tested for buses in a city. The project is a test and demonstration project from 2019-2022. (more…)
Tags: EV charging in road, EV charging news, Elonroad charging for EVs, Elonroad test in Lund, Elvag Syd Elonroad, Swedes testing Elonroad EV charging, TheDetroitBureau.com., auto news, michael strong, thedetroitbureau
Posted in Automakers, Automobiles, Business, EVs, Electrified Vehicles, Environment, Europe, Executives, Markets, Personalities, Regulatory, Technology | 2 Comments »
Company credited with inventing the I.C. engine is helping to put it to rest, says environmental group.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on May.13, 2019
Mercedes revealed the U.S. version of its first long-range EV, the EQC Edition 1886, in NY last month.
The automaker that effectively brought the internal combustion engine to life appears ready to drive a nail into its coffin.
Daimler AG, the parent of the Mercedes-Benz and Smart brands says it expects plug-in hybrids and pure battery-electric vehicles, or BEVs, accounting for fully 50% of its sales by 2030, with a goal to go completely “carbon neutral” by 2039.
We Keep You Plugged In!
“One of the defining issues is how we address our CO2 footprint,” Ola Kallenius, Daimler’s next CEO, said during a conference in its headquarters city of Stuttgart on Monday morning.
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Tags: Ola Kallenius, auto news, battery car, car news, daimler ambition2039, daimler electric, daimler news, dieter zetsche, electric vehicle, mercedes electric mercedes battery, mercedes eqc edition 1886, mercedes news, mercedes-benz eqc, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, thedetroitbureau
Posted in Auto Shows, Automakers, Automobiles, BMW, Business, China, Concept Cars, Crossovers/CUVs, Daimler, Diesel, EVs, Electrified Vehicles, Environment, Europe, Executives, Financials, First Look, Fuel Cell, Fuel Economy, Hybrids, Luxury Vehicles, Markets, Mercedes, New York, Personalities, Product Reveals, Regulatory, SUVs, Sales, Sales, Sedans, Smart, Technology, Trends, U.S./North America, Volkswagen | No Comments »
“Top-of-the-line performance…and a true beauty,” promises CEO.
by Paul A. Eisenstein on May.10, 2019
The LaFerrari showed that hybrid power could deliver high levels of performance.
It’s been a while since Ferrari first dropped the hint that it would add a new hybrid to its line-up and now, according to CEO Louis Camilleri, we’ll be getting to see it before the end of this month.
The hybrid will be one of five new models coming from the Maranello-based manufacturer, said the chief executive, and there are some signs more than one of these products will rely on an electrified boost to performance. But that should surprise fewer and fewer Ferrari fans considering the broad push towards battery propulsion in the supercar and hypercar segments.
The Last Word!
We’re hearing plenty of rumors about the hybrid coming this month, including the comment Camilleri dropped during a conference call to discuss the brand’s first-quarter earnings. According to the chief executive, “It will be a top-of-the-line hybrid with supercar performance and a true beauty.”
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Tags: BEV, TheDetroitBureau.com., all-electric supercar, auto news, battery ferrari, battery supercar, car news, ev, farrari 488 pista, ferrari electric, ferrari hev, ferrari hybrid, paul a. eisenstein, paul eisenstein, pininfarina battista, thedetroitbureau
Posted in Auto Shows, Automakers, Automobiles, Business, Convertibles, Coupes, EVs, Electrified Vehicles, Environment, Ferrari, First Look, Frankfurt, Geneva, Hybrids, Lawsuits/Legal, Luxury Vehicles, Motorsports, Regulatory, Sales, Sports Cars, Super Cars, Technology, Trends | No Comments »
