Category Archives: Tesla

News and reviews of Tesla electric cars (including plug-in hybrids).

In Tesla’s shadow, Audi and Mercedes electric SUVs get no love

December 11, 2019Audi, Cybertruck, e-tron, Electric Cars, EQC EV, Mercedes, News, Reviews and Comment, Opinion, TeslaRepost

A couple of weeks ago, Mercedes-Benz quietly announced the price for its all-electric EQC sports-utility vehicle.

A $67,900 starting price for a luxurious, 200-mile, 402-horsepower luxury crossover is a good start for the EQC brand. But the announcement got completely lost in the shuffle in a week filled with buzz about Tesla’s bulletproof, stainless-steel Cybertruck. Even the deserved attention given to Ford’s Mustang-inspired electric SUV was cut short. So where does that leave the play-it-safe luxury electric SUVs from Mercedes-Benz, Audi, and BMW?

Mercedes-Benz EQC (Image: Mercedes-Benz)

As we reported a week ago, the $75,000 Audi e-tron has not been a big hit. Don’t get me wrong. Audi loyalists and traditional luxury car buyers appreciate the e-tron’s smooth, comfortable, and safe ride. But relatively low sales numbers suggest that the e-tron is not energy-efficient enough. And it doesn’t have enough range at 204 miles. Or it’s being produced in low numbers. Or there aren’t other stand-out attributes besides being a well-made automobile. Who knows?

But whatever the reason, the first of four all-electric e-tron variants did not stir a big response. Not when it’s facing competition for mindshare from the Cybertruck or an electric Mustang.

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Tesla Cybertruck revealed with sci-fi personality and lots of power

December 1, 2019Cybertruck, Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, TeslaRepost

Elon Musk’s crazy vision for an electric pickup truck is finally here.

Surrounded by iconic vehicles from Hollywood’s Sci-Fi history such as Blade Runner and Back to the Future, Tesla unveiled its interpretation of a sci-fi-themed electric pickup this evening in Southern California, and it’s called the Cybertruck. There’s something very different about this machine versus all those others, however. This isn’t science fiction – it’s fact. And it’s slated to hit dealerships sooner than you might expect.

There’s absolutely no mistaking this truck for anything else on the road. Its body is comprised of a steel alloy that Musk says is dent-resistant, scratch-resistant, and per a demo onsite at the reveal, sledgehammer proof as well. In fact, he also says the Cybertruck is bulletproof to 9mm shells, and the glass is also said to be strong, though not quite as strong as Musk apparently hoped, as the Cybertruck’s glass did shatter rather spectacularly on stage.

So yeah, the body is pretty strong, but what about stats? Musk tossed some serious numbers out for the unconventional pickup, not the least of which being 0-60 mph in just 2.9 seconds for the highest-performance all-wheel-drive model. That machine will also turn a quarter-mile in 10.8 seconds, and it’s said to “corner like it’s on rails.”

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BMW’s Tesla Model 3 Fears Are Already Happening

November 27, 2019Electric Cars, Model 3, News, Reviews and Comment, TeslaRepost

Model 3 owners are ditching BMWs.

Tesla’s production delays surrounding the Model 3 may have caused headaches for investors, anxious customers, and even CEO Elon Musk, but those days appear to be over. The era of the Model 3 is underway and the all-electric sedan continues to be a phenomenal success. A fascinating new study from Bloomberg has gone into depth about not only the EV sedan’s sales success but, equally important, who is buying them and what brand is suffering the most from the Model 3’s success.

One important fact: no other sedan in America is generating more revenue right now than the Model 3.

Costing around $50,000 on average, the Model 3 continues to significantly dent BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class sales by outselling them both. Bloomberg asked 5,000 Model 3 owners questions about their previous cars and, interestingly, whether or not they’d buy them again. Which makes and models did these Model 3 owners trade-in?

Examples include the Honda Accord and Civic, Toyota Camry, and the Mazda 3. But the greatest percentage of the Model’s total sales came from former BMW drivers, as the responses indicate. Tesla, amazingly, has succeeded in breaking so-called brand loyalties in a record period of time. Often times, brand loyalties are passed down from generation to generation. But thanks to continued hype, Musk constantly being in the news (for better or worse), and environmental concerns, drivers from various backgrounds and incomes want to try something new.

“I’ve owned three BMW 3 Series and was a diehard BMW fan,” one Model 3 owner responded. “The Tesla blows those cars away.” Not everyone can afford a BMW, but the Model 3 is still affordable enough for many mainstream buyers. “I’m not rich, I’m an ordinary man with an ordinary job. I am exactly the buyer Elon Musk hoped to attract,” another owner responded. Tesla does not even spend money on advertisements, relying instead on product events, social media, and referrals.

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Elon Musk says Brexit made him decide against Tesla electric car Gigafactory in UK

November 23, 2019Electric Cars, News, Reviews and Comment, TeslaRepost

‘Brexit made it too risky to put a Gigafactory in the UK’

Electric car pioneer Elon Musk has picked Germany for his new factory because of Brexit, embarrassing Boris Johnson as he prepares to pledge a “clean-energy revolution”.

The prime minister is due to make a televised speech at an electric-car plant in the West Midlands – but the visit risks being overshadowed by Mr Musk’s change of heart.

At an award ceremony in Germany, the entrepreneur announced: “We’ve decided to put the Tesla Gigafactory Europe in the Berlin area.”

And speaking to Auto Express, he blamed Brexit uncertainty for his decision to drop plans to build a research and development base in the UK, which will now also go to Germany.

“Brexit made it too risky to put a Gigafactory in the UK,” Mr Musk said, referring to Tesla’s new battery and electric vehicle plant.

Mr Johnson has claimed investors are ready to unleash development plans in the UK if his Brexit deal is passed – but is facing renewed criticism that it will be a hard Brexit that will deter companies.

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James May: Cars Have to go Electric, Whether You Like It or Not

November 20, 2019Electric Cars, Model S, News, Reviews and Comment, TeslaRepost

“I’m convinced that cars ought by right to be driven by electric motors”

WHILE JEREMY Clarkson has gone on record to say he will never, ever buy an electric car, his colleagues on The Grand Tour appear to be more open-minded about motoring minus petrol or diesel.

James May in particular has started to stand out as an especially big fan of zero emission vehicles. As well as owning an assortment of them, including Tesla Model S and leasing a Toyota Mirai hydrogen fuel-cell car (which is also powered by an electric motor), and testing a new electric superbike, he has gone on the record to say that today’s crop of EVs are “already as exciting as petrol-powered cars“.

In fact, writing in today’s Sunday Times, May goes as far to suggest cars will be considerably better once the motoring industry finally decides to ditch fossil fuels for good.

He writes: “We’ve known since we have had the word “car” that the electric motor (which, by the way, predates the internal combustion engine) makes more sense. It’s light, compact, smooth-running, famously reliable, has excellent power and torque characteristics, is easy to produce and is virtually maintenance-free. It’s a bit of a 19th-century no-brainer.”

If those comments weren’t enough for dyed-in-the-wool petrolheads to get rubbed up the wrong way, May adds that he’s convinced cars “ought by right to be driven by electric motors”.

Electric cars with the longest range

November 18, 2019Audi, e-tron, Electric Cars, EQC EV, Hyundai, I-PACE, Jaguar Land Rover, Kia, Kona Electric, Mercedes, Model 3, Model S, Model X, News, Reviews and Comment, Niro EV, Renault, Soul EV, Tesla, ZOERepost

EV range is a hot topic right now so we’ve listed the new electric cars with the longest range you can buy now…

The first question most people have when a new electric car comes out is how much range it has. ‘Range anxiety’ is a phrase often thrown around to describe the fear EV owners could face when driving their electric car with a level of remaining battery charge that may not get them to their destination. As a result, there’s a certain kudos attached to the electric cars with the longest range as well as a valuable competitive advantage manifested as electric car buyers are attracted to them. If you’re wondering which electric car has the longest range, you can find out below.

Manufacturers have quickly realised the importance of range to existing petrol or diesel car owners and now some electric cars can travel just as far on a single charge as an internal combustion engined (ICE) equivalent can manage on a full tank – all the while producing zero emissions at a cheaper running cost to the owner. The fact that most drivers will very rarely travel the kind of distances in a single day that would deplete a modern electric car’s battery is seen as less important than the need to reassure motorists considering the switch to the new technology.

There’s no doubt that the UK’s charging infrastructure still remains a stumbling block for electric cars and their owners. Charging points are increasing in number across the country and charging times are dropping but the chargers that there are are still often in use compounding the fact that recharging an EV is still noticeably slower than filling up a petrol or diesel vehicle.

With increasing investment from the Government and charging infrastructure providers to improve EV charging options coupled with the appeal of emission-free motoring and cheaper running costs than ICE vehicles, electric cars are more appealing than ever. Manufacturers too are in a race to develop enhanced batteries and electric car technology that will increase the range available in electric cars to the point that range anxiety will become a thing of the past.

Elon Musk’s Tesla Model 3 wins Car of the Year along with three other awards

November 7, 2019Electric Cars, Model 3, News, Reviews and Comment, TeslaRepost

Tesla’s smallest and cheapest car was the UK’s third best-selling model in August and was the first electric vehicle to make the top 10 best sellers

The new Tesla Model 3 has picked up four awards – including Car of the Year – in a string of major industry accolades for the new electric model.

Tesla’s smallest and cheapest car was the UK’s third best-selling model in August – the first time an electric vehicle (EV) has made the top 10 best sellers.

The battery-powered saloon is proving to be a critical success for Elon Musk’s American company.

It scooped prizes for Best Electric Car and Best Company Car, along with the Safety Award and overall Car of the Year top prize at the Parkers New Car Awards 2020.

Experts at Parkers, the UK’s biggest new car buying and advice website, were impressed with the Model 3, calling it “capable, likeable and extremely good to drive.”

You can now compare running costs for electric and petrol cars

November 4, 2019Electric Cars, Kia, Model 3, News, Reviews and Comment, Niro EV, Renault, Sales, Tesla, ZOERepost

The figure – dubbed ‘miles per pound’ (mpp) – reveals how much a car can travel for £1 of petrol, diesel or electricity.

Electric cars travel up to three times the distance of their petrol or diesel rivals for the same amount of money, according to research.

With interest in electric cars rising, many potential buyers are left confused by the way running costs are explained, with ‘miles per kWh’ difficult to compare to ‘miles per gallon’.

To help consumers, car reviews and advice website Parkers.co.uk has developed a way of showing how far your car will go on a single pound – regardless of what fuel it runs on.

The figure – dubbed ‘miles per pound’ (mpp) – reveals how much a car can travel for £1 of petrol, diesel or electricity.

The study found the Kia e-Niro First Edition and the Renault Zoe 65kW are the most efficient models on sale in the UK today, with the cars capable of travelling 33.1 miles per pound (mpp) of electricity.

This is more than three times as far as the most economical version of the Ford Fiesta (9.3mpp), the UK’s best-selling vehicle, when using official testing figures.

With the average UK motorist driving around 7,150 miles per year, they would spend just £216 over a 12 month period if they charged their Kia e-Niro or Renault Zoe from home.

The Tesla Model 3 Standard Range was the third most economical, covering 32.3mpp, while the Volkswagen e-Golf was fourth on 30.8mpp.

The best electric cars you can buy in 2019

November 2, 2019Electric Cars, Hyundai, I-PACE, Jaguar Land Rover, Kona Electric, Model 3, News, Reviews and Comment, TeslaRepost

Turn on, plug in and drop out of the fossil fuel race with the finest zero emissions passenger cars currently on offer

Traipse around one of the recent European motor shows and you’d be forgiven for thinking that most of the world’s most famous manufacturers don’t produce or sell an internal combustion engine any more.

The major players have spoken and the future of personal transportation looks distinctly battery powered, with Deloitte predicting worldwide sales of Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) will rocket from 4 million in 2020 to 21 million by 2030, whereas sales of traditional internal combustion engines will fall off a cliff.

There are political and ethical arguments around for instance, lithium mining for EV batteries but this isn’t quite the right place to get into it.

Zero emissions vehicles boast a number of benefits that can be enjoyed today. There are fewer moving parts, meaning lower maintenance costs, the tax breaks and Congestion Charge benefits are extremely generous, while those with regular short journeys could save bucket-loads of cash by turning their backs on the humble petrol station. And don’t be misled by those bemoaning the public charging network, because a quick scan of Zap Map reveals an abundance of locations to charge a vehicle – a number that is growing by the day.

On top of this, those who have already made the switch to electric often attest to the fact that installing a charging point at home often negates the need to use the public charging network. After all, when was the last time you drove more than 200-miles several times in a week?

Tesla owners weather PG&E’s power outage as gas stations across CA shut down

October 28, 2019Electric Cars, Energy and Climate Change, News, Reviews and Comment, Prepping and Collapse, TeslaRepost

Tensions are rising in up to 34 counties in California as residents begin feeling the effects of Pacific Gas and Electric Co’s decision to cut power to around 800,000 customers as a way to avoid potential wildfires in the area.

Amidst the chaos, Tesla owners who have installed rooftop solar and Powerwall 2 batteries are reporting that they are weathering the widespread power outage with no problems.

PG&E’s shutdown has received widespread criticism among CA residents and officials alike. In a statement to The San Francisco Chronicle, Rep. Jared Huffman described the power provider’s strategy as a “lousy set of choices.” Michael Wara, director of the climate and energy policy program at Stanford University, added that the widespread outage shows that the company cannot operate their system safely during challenging times. CHP officers have even started looking into an incident involving a PG&E vehicle in Colusa County that appeared to have been shot at by a disgruntled resident on Wednesday morning.

This is particularly prominent among gas stations in the state, many of which require power to function. Only a few gas stations remain operational in CA amid the power outage, resulting in long lines of vehicles as owners attempt to acquire fuel. Ali Alezzani, a manager of an Exxon station on San Pablo Avenue in El Cerrito, noted to the Chronicle that tensions are currently so high, some gas car owners almost got into fights while they were waiting for their turn at the pump. Videos taken of gas stations across the state hint at extremely long wait times as large numbers of car owners line up for a chance to acquire fuel.