EVs

[Galaxy]

A utility in the German state of Baden Württemberg has completed a 16 month test in an apartment building to ascertain the grid impact.

This is the test object:



So basically a medium sized building.


The building has 85 parking spaces. For the test 58 of those were equipped with free 11kW charge stations (the remaining owners did no want to take part in the project), and were equipped with 24 eGolfs, and 21 BMW i3s, which were free for the duration of the test. 13 privately owned electric cars (not mentioned what they are ) were already present in the garage, and partook in the study. The participants were supplied with free electricity.

The Utility said that grid load was much lower then anticipated.

The biggest surprise for the utility was that the maximum number of e cars that charged simultaneously was 13, on average it was less then 5.

The highest draw on the grid was 98 kW.
During the 16 month, a load of 80kW was reached for 884 minutes, a load of 90 kW was reached for 91 minutes. Much lower then anticipated.
Peak load was between 18:00 - 20:30,
On average the fleet charged 241.4 kWh per day (which the installation in the garage could delivery in 2 hours), and an average charge cycled charged 17.3 kWh.
On average each car in the fleet was driven 1100km per month, and 13200 per year. They do point out that due to COVID and home office, this was lower then anticipated.

The final report is not out yet, but overall their initial assessment is that their grid would not be pushed to the limit as quickly as anticipated. One thing I would point out is that both the eGolf as well as the i3 are at the lower end of charging capacity, but one would assume that they know that. Still, I want to see them rerun the test with 58 Hummer EVs. 

They currently have another project running in a rural village, a road with 60 houses ending in a farmers field, with 5 houses having solar panels, and 15 heat pumps. This project is also getting a 66kWh battery as a buffer to test load management. 

[JWC]

I was just reading that Ford has applied for a patent to charge EVs while being flat towed behind another vehicle....I guess for the RV crowd?

[AutobahnSHO]

https://www.motorbiscuit.com/6-ford-mach-e-mustangs-die-at-norwegian-landmark-must-be-towed/

[Galaxy]

https://www.motorbiscuit.com/6-ford-mach-e-mustangs-die-at-norwegian-landmark-must-be-towed/

Wonder what it is about that road. There are other windy roads with lots of regen. 

[AutobahnSHO]

Wonder what it is about that road. There are other windy roads with lots of regen. 

Probably just the amount of Regen, and Mach E drivers haven't been to those other roads en masse

[JWC]

I guess they need dynamic braking.

[NomisR]

https://www.motorbiscuit.com/6-ford-mach-e-mustangs-die-at-norwegian-landmark-must-be-towed/

What's with OTA fix still requiring  you to go to the dealer?

[GoCougs]

I was just reading that Ford has applied for a patent to charge EVs while being flat towed behind another vehicle....I guess for the RV crowd?

Could be but that would significantly increase the drag (and fuel consumption of) on the RV, and probably cause braking issues too without a complicated EV brake controller.

You're probably aware but up until the early '60s or so US automatic transmissions had a rear fluid pump - meaning, you could push start it just as with a manual transmission vehicle. I'm guess this is an EV equivalent of that.

[CaminoRacer]

Yeah, tow charging only makes sense as a last resort, due to the increased drag of towing with regen.

[MrH]

It's probably like that diesel engine sketch from a long time ago, with the exhaust feeding the intake.

Infinite energy!

[AutobahnSHO]

Yeah, tow charging only makes sense as a last resort, due to the increased drag of towing with regen.

Unless you could (Smartly) program the brake controller with the regen and use it to slow the RV? Wouldn't be a ton but it would be "some".

[RomanChariot]

Unless you could (Smartly) program the brake controller with the regen and use it to slow the RV? Wouldn't be a ton but it would be "some".

It could be setup like most trailer brakes so that regen only kicks in when the RV brakes are applied and only enough to handle the braking force required for the EV. That would require some form of communication between the RV and EV.

[AutobahnSHO]

Yup- and safety that it doesn't overheat the EV..

[NomisR]

the theory works with Teslas.. i don't think it's recommended but people have tried it...

At 5 miles per gallon.. not very efficient..

https://youtu.be/nILM_DEdBqM

[AutobahnSHO]

the theory works with Teslas.. i don't think it's recommended but people have tried it...

At 5 miles per gallon.. not very efficient..

https://youtu.be/nILM_DEdBqM

Beyond dangerous and stupid, that car isn't rated to tow that much weight. And a tow strap at 70mph???!?!?!? 

[AutobahnSHO]

I wonder if long regen like this burns stuff out?

[Morris Minor]

Interesting WSJ article  - basically zero money is going into ICE development. The future is bright for software & electrical engineers. - not so bright for the traditional players & assembly line workers.

Gas Engines, and the People Behind Them, Are Cast Aside for Electric Vehicles
Transition not yet noticeable in showrooms, but industry resources have shifted. 'We're trying to make things change pretty quickly'

https://www.wsj.com/articles/gas-engines-cast-aside-electric-vehicles-job-losses-detroit-11627046285
(paywalled)

[CaminoRacer]

https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/us-says-nikola-founder-milton-indicted-misleading-investors-2021-07-29/

Nikola founder Trevor Milton indicted in US for misleading investors

[FoMoJo]

https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/us-says-nikola-founder-milton-indicted-misleading-investors-2021-07-29/

Nikola founder Trevor Milton indicted in US for misleading investors

An insult to the great Serb.

[AutobahnSHO]

Fake EVs anyone? https://www.marketwatch.com/story/nikola-electric-truck-prototypes-were-powered-by-hidden-wall-sockets-towed-into-position-and-rolled-down-hills-prosecutors-say-11627572394

[SJ_GTI]

Nikola being frauds seems like the least surprising news of 2021. 

[NomisR]

Rivian seems to still be in play though.. saw this a months ago

[MrH]

Rivian is the real deal. Lucid is a legitimate company that has a shot too. They should be launching soon. Faraday future is not a real company

[NomisR]

Rivian is the real deal. Lucid is a legitimate company that has a shot too. They should be launching soon. Faraday future is not a real company

c'mon, big things coming!!

[SJ_GTI]

I mean, just the fact that they named it "Nikola" was a huge red flag to anyone remotely paying attention. It would be like starting a car company and calling "Colonel Motors" or "Prussian Motor Werke" or something. 

[Morris Minor]

In terms of self driving, I think we'll end up with two main players: Tesla and Apple. Both will license their software services to other manufacturers. Tesla is way ahead at the moment: hundreds of thousands of cars in the fleet acting on triggers from the ML infrastructure.
But this is so perfect for Apple to come in too and follow their old MO -  suck a few gems out of the heterogeneous mess and make something useful and elegant.
I'm not sure about Waymo - I know they have stuff out there & operational - but I'm thinking they may lean to robotaxis in specific carefully mapped market locations.

[MrH]

In terms of self driving, I think we'll end up with two main players: Tesla and Apple. Both will license their software services to other manufacturers. Tesla is way ahead at the moment: hundreds of thousands of cars in the fleet acting on triggers from the ML infrastructure.
But this is so perfect for Apple to come in too and follow their old MO -  suck a few gems out of the heterogeneous mess and make something useful and elegant.
I'm not sure about Waymo - I know they have stuff out there & operational - but I'm thinking they may lean to robotaxis in specific carefully mapped market locations.

This has to be a troll post. There's zero way your son works in this industry and you think Tesla is ahead at all. It's light years behind everyone else. Elon even started walking it back last quarterly call.

[Morris Minor]

Tell me who else has the infrastructure & eyes out there.

[NomisR]

In terms of self driving, I think we'll end up with two main players: Tesla and Apple. Both will license their software services to other manufacturers. Tesla is way ahead at the moment: hundreds of thousands of cars in the fleet acting on triggers from the ML infrastructure.
But this is so perfect for Apple to come in too and follow their old MO -  suck a few gems out of the heterogeneous mess and make something useful and elegant.
I'm not sure about Waymo - I know they have stuff out there & operational - but I'm thinking they may lean to robotaxis in specific carefully mapped market locations.

I feel like Tesla's autopilot is overrated.  It's just a slightly more aggressive version of Lane Keep Assist and adaptive cruise control that most cars today has.  I was driving without my hands during our Yellowstone trip with out Honda Pilot.. the only think that annoyed me was the adaptive cruise control stops way too hard, but I've heard Acura's version does it way better. 

[MrH]

Tell me who else has the infrastructure & eyes out there.

There aren't countless terabytes of data being uploaded to some super computer like Tesla wants you to believe. You can see how much data is uploaded by each car. It is very little.

And what do you mean by infrastructure? Cars with terrible resolution cameras? The sensor suite isn't close to being sufficient. It's why every other player in the field is using LIDAR, vision, and radar. What Tesla is doing is grossly irresponsible. It's why Mobile Eye dropped them as a customer completely.

It's incredibly naive to think Tesla is anywhere close to actual autonomy. Go look at the number of disengagements per mile driven. Watch any video of anyone trying to latest "full self driving". Most can't go more than a couple miles before a disengagement. Compare that to the actual players in this field. You've been bamboozled.


https://youtu.be/jIRLuP2Gd3I