EV (electric vehicle) News and Discussion

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#2627714 29-Dec-2020 12:29

kingdragonfly: Caradvice.com.au: Tesla sued for wrongful death, door handles blamed

...The Model S’s flush door handles automatically pop out when the car’s key fob is detected nearby. If there’s an issue with the key’s battery, Tesla advises you to position your key near the base of the passenger-side windshield wiper and then press the front door handle.

There isn’t, however, a cable release to open the doors from the outside like there is inside the cabin....

...Automotive News also cited a Wired story from last year, where a former executive said Tesla CEO Elon Musk insisted on flush door handles even though it “was unanimous among the executive staff that the complex door handle idea was crazy”.

The executive was also quoted as saying the door handles “required incredibly complicated engineering, and it solved a problem that no one else thought was actually a problem. But no matter how forcefully executives objected, Musk wouldn’t yield”....

This story comes up from time to time and I've always wondered why there's never any mention of the windows. Surely the fire department would try the doors and if they couldn't quickly open it they'd smash the window and pull the guy through it or open the door from the inside. I would have thought that's a pretty common scenario with cars that self-lock

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kingdragonfly

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#2627722 29-Dec-2020 13:11

I'm sure the fire department would break the windows, but no amount of kicking or punching would do break the glass.

These are handy, but I wouldn't put it in the Tesla glovebox. To open the glovebox, you need the touchscreen: Controls...Glovebox...

https://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/SearchResults.aspx?cid=1243&searchType=&searchString=window+breaker

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#2627723 29-Dec-2020 13:21

I'm surprised he drives any car, just like the lock-picking lawyer would have locks on his doors.

If he drives a EV, then there's some hope for the typical Aussie.

Obraik

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#2627749 29-Dec-2020 13:33

kingdragonfly: I'm sure the fire department would break the windows, but no amount of kicking or punching would do break the glass.

These are handy, but I wouldn't put it in the Tesla glovebox. To open the glovebox, you need the touchscreen: Controls...Glovebox...

https://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/SearchResults.aspx?cid=1243&searchType=&searchString=window+breaker

In the Model S the glovebox actually has a physical button, although it does require 12v power.

It doesn't sound like there was anything preventing the guy getting out had he been conscious, the problem was that no one could get in because the car was locked. The point of the lawsuit is that the recessed handles are a fire risk because people outside couldn't get in to help him. However, they're recessed into the car because the car was locked and it wouldn't have made any difference if the car had "normal" handles - I also don't see how it's any different from every other modern car that locks its doors while you're driving as their door handles would also be useless in the same scenario. Rescuers should have broken the windows.

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#2627768 29-Dec-2020 14:00

True.

But Global NCAP, which evaluates a vehicle’s safety rating based on a number of different parameters, awards its 5-star rating (highest) to those vehicles which

do not have automatic door-locks as a feature
unless it automatically unlocks due to sensor readings

Very low-end cars from various manufacturers have been known to disable automatic door locks to get a higher safety rating.

gzt

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#2627804 29-Dec-2020 15:25

It's official. Japan government announces end of fossil fuel vehicles in 2035. No restriction on special purpose industrial vehicles including agricultural:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.wsj.com/amp/articles/japan-to-phase-out-gasoline-powered-cars-bucking-toyota-chief-11608887640

That's a virtual goodbye and game over for the fossil fuel passenger car. There's 45 GW offshore windpower for Japan in the same announcement.

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#2627808 29-Dec-2020 15:44

People make assumptions about Toyota. I would not underestimate them.

In other news, fiancee's i20 copped a direct rear ending from a M3P whilst she was waiting at a set of lights, the driver of which did not check on her or her car - and then legged it without swapping details.

Police report filed for a) doing a runner and b) I suspect if you are the type of person to just drive off after rear-ending someone, you are the type of person who would also be inclined to make up stuff on an insurance claim form if your car with an extremely expensive array of sensors are damaged because you yeeted into someone waiting at a set of lights.

Really though, if it wasn't for the emergency braking function that could have been a lot worse - so very impressed with the car but very unimpressed with the driver.

gzt

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#2627811 29-Dec-2020 15:55

Toyota announces cpod EV ultracompact Japan market only available to consumers 2022. The car is available today for business sales only:

Car and Driver:According to Toyota, the electric C+pod will have a WLTP range of 93 miles [150km] thanks to a 9.1-kWh battery pack. Its single 12-horsepower electric motor will push the tiny vehicle to a top speed of 37 mph [60kmh], so don’t expect to see it on the freeway anytime soon. It’s smaller than a Smart Fortwo and lines up more with the weird but enjoyable Renault Twizy.

Not much use outside Japan although the ultracompact class has a few enthusiasts in NZ.

gzt

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#2627821 29-Dec-2020 16:29

Battery pack price hits purchase parity with ICE vehicles for the first time:

The cost of making an lithium-ion battery packs for electric vehicles has for the first time fallen below the “magic number” needed to bring the price of EVs on par with that of internal combustion engine (ICE) cars, and will soon be an industry average by 2023.

New figures released by Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BloombergNEF) on Thursday (Australia time) show that for the first time, a battery pack price of $US100 per kilowatt hour ($A131/kWh) was reported in 2020.

As Bloomberg noted on Thursday, the threshold for EV upfront purchase price parity with ICE vehicles is about $US100/kWh.

https://thedriven.io/2020/12/18/electric-car-batteries-fall-below-magic-price-parity-point/

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#2627834 29-Dec-2020 16:35

GV27: People make assumptions about Toyota. I would not underestimate them.

Agree. Toyota is in an excellent position with existing market dominance and the new solid state battery tech breakthrough in range and charging time.

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#2627836 29-Dec-2020 16:41

gzt: It's official. Japan government announces end of fossil fuel vehicles in 2035. No restriction on special purpose industrial vehicles including agricultural:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.wsj.com/amp/articles/japan-to-phase-out-gasoline-powered-cars-bucking-toyota-chief-11608887640

That's a virtual goodbye and game over for the fossil fuel passenger car. There's 45 GW offshore windpower for Japan in the same announcement.

Need to read further than the headline. Hybrids (incl mild hybrids like the Suzuki Swift hybrid) are allowed.

Fossil fuels will be alive and kicking for decades yet in Japan. (But at least they use them fairly efficiently)

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#2627885 29-Dec-2020 17:04

Scott3: Need to read further than the headline. Hybrids (incl mild hybrids like the Suzuki Swift hybrid) are allowed.

Fossil fuels will be alive and kicking for decades yet in Japan. (But at least they use them fairly efficiently)

That's correct. I was so excited and my quick summary was inaccurate. It's still a big move for Japan and will have massive impact on exports both new and secondhand as replacement rolls around.

Obraik

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#2627919 29-Dec-2020 18:30

GV27:

People make assumptions about Toyota. I would not underestimate them.

In other news, fiancee's i20 copped a direct rear ending from a M3P whilst she was waiting at a set of lights, the driver of which did not check on her or her car - and then legged it without swapping details.

Police report filed for a) doing a runner and b) I suspect if you are the type of person to just drive off after rear-ending someone, you are the type of person who would also be inclined to make up stuff on an insurance claim form if your car with an extremely expensive array of sensors are damaged because you yeeted into someone waiting at a set of lights.

Really though, if it wasn't for the emergency braking function that could have been a lot worse - so very impressed with the car but very unimpressed with the driver.

It's going to be pretty difficult for them to explain to their insurance how they were not at fault in a nose to tail when they were the nose. If they're with the special Tesla insurance plan from Vero then Tesla may also provide the insurance company with diagnostic/video data from the accident.

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#2627974 29-Dec-2020 22:04

Scott3:

Need to read further than the headline. Hybrids (incl mild hybrids like the Suzuki Swift hybrid) are allowed.

Fossil fuels will be alive and kicking for decades yet in Japan. (But at least they use them fairly efficiently)

Whats the issue with hybrids? IMHO they rock

Obraik

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#2627975 29-Dec-2020 22:14

Plug in hybrids? Sure....they're quickly becoming irrelevant but they can at least drive on full EV power for most commutes and get their power from the (clean) grid.

Traditional hybrids mostly use petrol for much of the time they're driving, except for when they're crawling through a car park. All its electric power is generated from the petrol it consumes. They were a great starting point in the early 2000s but they're now a lazy way for car makers to pretend they have "green" stock (Toyota...). In the 2030s that will be even more rediculous.

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