The Canadian Electric Vehicle thread

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by itom 987

I would be wary about Tesla's claim, we all were duped into believing that single use plastics were being recycled when they were in fact being shipped away to poor countries.

Remind me what happens with single use fossil fuels?

[theman23]

Originally Posted by DoubleK

This creates lots of well paying jobs where they are needed.... in the cities.

It's a good idea that needs further investigation.

Prohibitively expensive

Parts alone would probably cost $20k for a fairly low performance/low range vehicle. Add in shop labour at $130-150 an hour and you might as well buy a new BEV.

[DoubleK]

Originally Posted by theman23

Prohibitively expensive

So were flatscreen TVs when they first came out.

Everything is expensive at the outset, recall how much solar panels cost 10 years ago?

You have to start somewhere and this is a good place to start.

[Nouvellecosse]

I think the main issue with EV conversions is that it doesn't really do much to help increase production. The main limits on EV production are in terms of the batteries and electronic components like the microchips used to control the electronics. All of those things would still need to be produced, and if we're already producing them at max capacity, it means the conversions aren't really increasing the overall numbers of EVs but rather competing with new EVs for a limited number of components.

[WarrenC12]

EV conversions will never see the economies of scale required to make cars even somewhat affordable. Nevermind things like warranties.

[SpongeG]

this is old news now but of interest.

Tesla is expected to be first to use LG’s new NCMA nickel-based battery cells
Fred Lambert - Jun. 2nd 2021

Korean newspaper Business Korea reports:

“LG Chem will supply NCMA (nickel, cobalt, manganese, aluminum) cathode materials for electric vehicle batteries to Tesla in July. This marks the company’s first commercial production of NCMA cathode materials.”

The new batteries are reportedly going to be used in Tesla Model Y vehicles being produced at Gigafactory Shanghai:

“LG Energy Solution originally planned to use L&F’s NCMA cathode materials for the Model Y and LC Chem’s NCMA cathode materials for GM’s pickup truck Hammer. However, it changed the plan as LG Chem has successfully developed NCMA cathode materials that have the same nickel content as L&F products.”

Tesla is currently ramping up production of the Model Y electric SUV at Gigafactory Shanghai, which is expected to contribute significantly to the automaker’s growth during the second half of the year.

The automaker has also been getting closer to LG’s new separate business unit for battery production.

In September, shortly after Tesla held its “Battery Day” event, reports came out that Tesla is looking to acquire a stake in LG’s battery business.

Later, we also reported that LG Chem announced that it will produce a new battery cell with exactly the same specs as Tesla’s newly announced 4680 cell.

The Korean battery manufacturer also confirmed a plan to more than double battery production in China to support demand for Tesla‘s Model Y production at Gigafactory Shanghai.

https://electrek.co/2021/06/02/tesla...battery-cells/

-----

Apple Car to enter production with LG, Magna support, report says
The long-rumored EV from Apple may come to life with help from Magna International and an LG electric powertrain.

Sean Szymkowski
April 13, 2021

https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/a...ev-production/

[SpongeG]

VinFast wants to build a US battery plant, report says

The Vietnamese car company ready to sell cars in the US wants to make a substantial local investment here.

Sean Szymkowski
Jan. 6, 2022



VinFast is clearly on the move following reservations opening for its first two electric cars meant for sale in the US. According to the company's global CEO, Le Thi Thu Thuy, the carmaker wants to build a battery and battery cell factory locally in the US, too. The executive told Reuters in an interview published Thursday the decision comes as VinFast is moving to only sell electric cars by the end of this year.

VinFast wants to eventually make its own batteries, but the short-term plan will be to assemble batteries from its suppliers at first. The company also plans to fully assemble electric cars in the US by the end of 2024, if all goes according to the ambitious expansion plans.

...

https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/v...battery-plant/

[OldDartmouthMark]

Haven't checked or read through this thread in a while, so my apologies if this has already been posted. See the article I've linked to below about Mercedes new 1000-km-range EV concept.

I realize it's just a concept car, but there are a lot of things I like about it, the most of which is that rather than just trying to be an EV version of an ICE car, they are actually looking to optimize efficiency by reducing weight from using lightweight materials/structure design, focusing on aerodynamics, and not maxing out on horsepower ("only" 201 hp).

Of course none of this is cheap but I think it shows the direction that manufacturers will/should take moving into the future, once they get past the stumbling blocks of just getting EV product to market. Eventually one would expect some/most of this technology/philosophy to trickle down to the lower end products.

I like the styling, too!

https://www.motorauthority.com/news/...621-mile-range

Mercedes started development of the EQXX with the goal of rethinking every element of an electrically powered vehicle in order to maximize efficiency. The result, the automaker claims, is a car that can cover 1,000 kilometers (approximately 621 miles) of real-world driving on a single charge, or about 100 miles more than the current range king, the 520-mile Lucid Air Dream Edition Range.

The EQXX is a sedan that weighs approximately 3,858 pounds, has a wheelbase of 110 inches, generates a peak 201 hp, and runs on a 900-volt electrical system. The wheels are an aerodynamic design measuring 20 inches across and are wrapped in Bridgestone’s Turanza Eco tire.

Mercedes tapped all of its various divisions to help maximize the car's efficiency, including the Formula One team. This extends to the software used by the car. Other key efficiency areas include the design of the electric motors, the use of lightweight materials, and the optimization of aerodynamics.

In the case of aero, we're talking a coefficient of drag of about 0.17, thus beating the 0.20 Cd rating of the Mercedes EQS—which has the lowest rating for a production vehicle. And a single drive unit combining an electric motor, transmission and power electronics featuring a new generation of silicon carbides, helps transfer 95% of energy stored in the battery to the wheels.

[Truenorth00]

Originally Posted by OldDartmouthMark

Haven't checked or read through this thread in a while, so my apologies if this has already been posted. See the article I've linked to below about Mercedes new 1000-km-range EV concept.

I realize it's just a concept car, but there are a lot of things I like about it, the most of which is that rather than just trying to be an EV version of an ICE car, they are actually looking to optimize efficiency by reducing weight from using lightweight materials/structure design, focusing on aerodynamics, and not maxing out on horsepower ("only" 201 hp).

This runs counter to your desire for maintainability. For example, carbon fibre is light. But it ain't cheap. And might not be the most durable material for a road car.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by Truenorth00

This runs counter to your desire for maintainability. For example, carbon fibre is light. But it ain't cheap. And might not be the most durable material for a road car.

I said I like the fact that they are working to maximize efficiency out of an EV, not that I expect a $30,000 'everypersons' car to use carbon fibre.

Surely you can find something better to try to trip me up on than that...

What do you think of it? Do you like it? What are your thoughts on the 0.17 Cd? Do you think other manufacturers will follow suit and go back to striving for aerodynamic efficiency (which was actually a thing in the 1990s, before everyone went truck crazy)?

[Truenorth00]

Striving for aero improvements aren't really a reach of an idea. I'd be more impressed if they achieve that on the road. Concepts are a dime a dozen.

All that said, I'm a fan of the EQXX concept.

https://youtu.be/x2SvJ2vwNUs

[theman23]

Doesn’t the old GM EV1 stil hold the record for lowest drag coefficient? BEVs still have to work hard for every mile of range which is why a Kia crossover has a lower drag coefficient than a 911.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by Truenorth00

Striving for aero improvements aren't really a reach of an idea. I'd be more impressed if they achieve that on the road. Concepts are a dime a dozen.

All that said, I'm a fan of the EQXX concept.

https://youtu.be/x2SvJ2vwNUs

Right, hence my 1990s comment. Later, when trucks and SUVs became the 'in' vehicle, manufacturers tended to let aero take a back seat to make vehicles look more rugged. It's nice to see some focus on it again, even if it actually is old hat (FWIW, aero styling became commonplace in the 1930s, actually, but it was more about style than Cd).

Anyhow, I like it too. That's why I posted about it.

[homebucket]

I’d like the EQXX more if the rear didn’t look like the opening of a handheld vacuum.

[OldDartmouthMark]

Originally Posted by homebucket

I’d like the EQXX more if the rear didn’t look like the opening of a handheld vacuum.

Yeah, but if they put hydraulics on it to allow it to angle downward, you could plow your driveway as you back in. Think of the possibilities!

[whatnext]

For those considering buying a tesla, you might want to consider whether you want to further enrich their Douchebag In Chief:

Musk Lauds Vaccine Protest Convoy Barreling Toward Trudeau
Tesla chief executive tweets support for Canadian truckers

ByBrian Platt
January 27, 2022, 12:35 PM PST

Elon Musk voiced his support for a so-called “freedom convoy” of Canadian truckers and other activists on their way to Ottawa to protest the country’s vaccine mandates and other Covid-19 control measures.

“Canadian truckers rule,” the Tesla Inc. chief executive officer said Thursday in a tweet, a clear nod to a convoy that’s been picking up attention around the world. The truckers have drawn the praise of Donald Trump Jr. and been featured on Fox News in the U.S.

It’s unclear how many trucks will actually make it to the Canadian capital for the weekend protest, with the convoy slowed by winter weather conditions in Northern Ontario. Police reports from along its path suggest the number is in the hundreds, much lower than supporters’ claims of thousands of vehicles en route.

Musk’s dislike of vaccine mandates and other Covid restrictions is well documented. He told Time Magazine that while he and his eligible children are vaccinated, state-imposed requirements to get a jab represent an “erosion of freedom.”...

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...&sref=x4rjnz06

[homebucket]

Originally Posted by whatnext

For those considering buying a tesla, you might want to consider whether you want to further enrich their Douchebag In Chief:

Sorry not sorry, but people are going to continue to buy Teslas because they're still the best EVs currently available on the market. They could care less about what Musk tweets about. Besides, he's right about Canada and its idiotic lock downs like it's still March 2020. The rest of the world has moved on already.

[travis3000]

Originally Posted by homebucket

Sorry not sorry, but people are going to continue to buy Teslas because they're still the best EVs currently available on the market. They could care less about what Musk tweets about. Besides, he's right about Canada and its idiotic lock downs like it's still March 2020. The rest of the world has moved on already.

No they haven't. Restrictions and lockdowns exist in many countries right now.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by homebucket

Sorry not sorry, but people are going to continue to buy Teslas because they're still the best EVs currently available on the market. They could care less about what Musk tweets about. Besides, he's right about Canada and its idiotic lock downs like it's still March 2020. The rest of the world has moved on already.

The truckers aren't protesting lockdowns (are those even occurring outside of ON?) they're protesting vaccine mandates for crossing borders (supposedly).

Tesla is rapidly losing their advantage over other EVs. There's no reason to further enrich that arrogant prick.

[homebucket]

Well whatever the reason is, the point is consumers are going to keep buying Teslas regardless of how childish Musk acts. They’re not buying them to show their support for Musk. They’re buying them because in their minds Tesla is the best product for their needs.