MOTORING

Three-Wheeled Sondors Electric Car Costs Just $10,000

06 February 2019 From Paul Münzner Filed Under: 2019, Featured, MOTORING

Electric vehicle company SONDORS (USA) first made waves in 2015 when it released its affordable electric bike with the help of plenty of creativity and a successful crowdfunding campaign. Now, the company is looking to disrupt the automotive industry by producing and selling a cheap electric car independently.

Low Cost Means Bypassing Traditional Channels

SONDORS says it isn’t cutting corners on technology or materials in order to keep prices low. In fact, the company claims that it’s willing to source ideas and tech globally so that it gets and delivers nothing but the best.

Getting an affordable, reliable electric car to the masses, says SONDORS, is a matter of online marketing, supplier-based warranties, and bypassing the auto dealerships which form part of conventional vehicle sales and supply.

The Car Itself

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Autonomous bus service in Germany ioki from Deutsche Bahn AG

First Self-Driving Bus Service ioki Operating in Germany

The three-seater, three-wheeled car looks perfectly conventional from the front, with only the single wide back wheel to indicate that there’s anything unusual about the car.

SONDORS CEO, Storm Sondors, says he wants the interior to be fully customizable – the prototype boasts a sporty-looking black interior with red trim. It doesn’t yet have much in the way of electronics, but he envisions a centralized touchscreen dashboard control that synchs with smartphones and the SONDORS app.

The vehicle was unveiled for public viewing at the LA Auto Show where members of the public and motoring journalists were complimentary in their opinions on the car’s distinctive looks.

From a practical perspective, the little roadster is expected to come with 75, 150, and 200 mile battery pack options and is reported to accelerate from 0 to 60 in 5 to 8 seconds. Safety features like traction control and airbags will come as standard.

Electric is coming⚡️ There are now more than 3 million electric vehicles on the road globally, up from only 100,000 a few years ago. #ElectricCar #ElectricForEveryone
Source: International Energy Agency pic.twitter.com/Hn9NZsXWCF
— SONDORS Electric Car (@SONDORSeCar) 30 August 2018

On the downside, some commentators worry about both the aesthetics and safety of a three-wheeler with some expressing the concern that SONDORS chose this configuration because safety requirements for 3-wheelers may be less stringent than they are for regular cars. However, SONDORS says that it plans to “meet and exceed” the safety standards that are applied to four-wheeled vehicles.

Sondors Electric Car Almost Ready to Roll

SONDORS says it hopes that the first of its cars will be delivered during 2019 and has opened pre-ordering for members of the public who’d like to be among the first to get one. The company says that deposits paid are fully refundable and will not be used as operating capital.

As with its electric bike, SONDORS is relying on crowdfunding and crowdsourcing to get its project off the ground. The crowdfunding initiative is still open and the commencement of mass-production will depend on just when adequate funding has been secured.

Having secured its position as a maker of electric vehicles with its bike, SONDORS should find the road to success smoother as it strives to make cheap electric cars the smart choice for consumers. Storm Sondors has big ambitions and believes his vehicle has what it takes to be much more than just another concept car with a niche market.

UPS Tests Electric Vehicle Fleet in London and Paris

London and Paris go a step further in combating their air pollution

14 May 2018 From Paul Münzner Filed Under: 2018, Featured, MOTORING

London and Paris go a step further in combating air pollution. UPS, the well-known American multinational package delivery company, announced to receive and test a 35 electric delivery vehicle fleet in both capitals. It’s indeed not the first measure and very likely not the last one, whether in Paris or London. For instance, end of 2016 a new 51-strong fleet of all-electric buses went into operation in London.

150 miles with one battery charge

UPS’ new electric vehicles, partially made of lightweight composite, have an expected distance range of up to 150 miles per charged battery. In Camden, a borough in north-west London, UPS even built a charging station for an entire fleet of EVs. This measure came exactly at the right moment. Still, we have to be clear that these 35 electric vehicles are only a drop in the ocean. But if, however, more drops follow, we can hope that it will lead to a heavy rain.

“We’re excited to collaborate with UPS to create an affordable, modular, fully electric delivery vehicle designed to make deliveries in our busy cities clean and quiet,” said Denis Sverdlov, CEO of ARRIVAL. “With its unique, wrap-around front window the driver has a much wider field of view that improves not only the safety of the driver but also that of cyclists and pedestrians.”

Up to date, UPS operating more than 300 electric vehicles in Europe and the U.S.

According to UPS, more than $750 million were invested in clean vehicle technology beginning in 2009.

We’re continuously working toward sustainable fuel in our road fleets – read our new case study published through the Future of Fuels collaboration https://t.co/yoyX3EZkBx @BSRnews #actexpo pic.twitter.com/Ti3byTPAaI
— UPS (@UPS) 8. Mai 2018

“UPS is working with ARRIVAL here in the UK because their smart electric vehicles are helping to reduce dependency on fossil fuel. This is a pioneering collaboration that helps UPS develop new ways to reduce our emissions,” said Luke Wake, international director for automotive engineering in the advanced technology group at UPS. “UPS is marshaling its global scale to encourage innovation within the automotive industry. We are helping to drive demand for these disruptive technologies. The result is a safer and cleaner fleet for the communities in which we deliver.”

First Self-Driving Bus Service ioki Operating in Germany

‘We have just driven into a new era of fully-automated public transport’, says Dr. Richard Lutz, CEO of Deutsche Bahn

28 April 2018 From Paul Münzner Filed Under: 2018, Featured, MOTORING

We’ve been hearing about several up-and-coming trends in the vehicle industry for a long time. Ride-sharing is the “now” thing, as are emissions-cutting electric vehicles, and autonomous vehicles represent the future of motoring. That future has already arrived in the German spa town of Bad Birnbach with autonomous mini-buses taking to the roads.

The ride has all the characteristics of the new transport everyone’s been talking about. It’s an electric vehicle, it’s shareable, it’s environment and disabled-friendly, and it’s safe.

No Safety Scandals for Deutsche Bahn

Anyone who has been watching developments in autonomous cars with interest will know that there have been some nasty incidents involving autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicles. There was the autonomous Uber cab that killed a woman in Arizona, and Tesla took a blow to its safety record when its semi-autonomous vehicles failed to recognize hazards and crashed. Google’s autonomous car tests have also not been without incident.

Events such as these may have led us to believe that we’re still a long way away from customizable and safe autonomous transport. However, Deutsche Bahn, owners of the new public transport service working with its Frankfurt-based autonomous vehicle brand ioki, isn’t taking any chances.

Although the vehicle has no steering wheel or accelerator, an operator is ready to intervene in case the vehicle’s autonomous systems don’t work as they’re supposed to. That’s just for the present. Once the ioki buses have proved their mettle, the operator may well be dispensed with. It seems as if that time isn’t too far in the future.

A People-Friendly Solution for Public Transport

For now, ioki sees its buses as a supplement to public transport as we currently know it rather than a replacement. The company says that it’s providing a “last mile” solution, filling the gap where public transport ends and people’s transport needs begin.

The Bad Birnbach bus illustrates the concept, taking people the last 700 meters from the town center to the thermal springs that are the town’s biggest tourist attraction. But there’s more in store. Ioki has already built in the capacity to summon its vehicles using a mobile phone app, and that would allow people to call for a ride from any location. The vehicle would then take them to the nearest public transport stop.

Autonomous bus service in Germany ioki from Deutsche Bahn — Self-driving ioki bus (ioki – Deutsche Bahn AG)

Ioki Public Transport In Bad Birnbach, Germany

[osm_map_v3 map_center=”48.443009,12.9940911″ marker_latlon=”48.4341204,13.0865993″ height=”400″ mwz=”true” map_border=”none” zoom=”4″ type=”osm”] People in rural areas are underserved with public transport options too and may even own a vehicle just because they need to get from home to the train station or bus stop. Even when the car in question is environment-friendly, it places a financial burden on its owner and contributes to traffic congestion.

There’s also the question of helping the disabled with mobility solutions, and again, ioki thinks it has the answers they need.

Deutsche Bahn is eager to go the extra mile with its ioki brand and sees on-demand rides as part of the future it’s working towards. Bad Birnbach and its six-person mini-bus is likely to be nothing more than the first step towards a customizable public shuttle system that could eliminate the need for vehicle ownership altogether.

The Vehicles: More Than Just the Mini-Bus

The mini-bus that plies the streets of Bad Birnbach is a boxy little six-seater that looks like half a loaf of bread. It’s cute, and it’s compact, but it’s by no means the only option that Deutsche Bahn and ioki are developing.

@ioki_mobility setzt voll auf moderne, flexible und individuelle #Mobilität, um so die Mobilität von morgen voranzubringen. https://t.co/vjjaUkbqw3 pic.twitter.com/lL4nIVg93s
— Nahverkehrs-praxis (@NP_aktuell) 24 April 2018

The City of Hamburg plans to roll out driver-based shuttles from ioki this year. The rides will be on-demand and will connect smartphone users to the existing public transport system. Driverless bus trials are also planned for the city this year.

First field trials for an on-demand autonomous tuk-tuk service in Frankfurt are underway, with ioki employees as acting as the test clients. The current test fleet consists of 13 three-wheel mini-vehicles, and ioki has already developed the apps that will allow passengers to book and pay for rides.

App-Cantered Control for Passengers, Drivers and Service Operators

Apart from passengers using an app to order the ride-sharing service, drivers also get an app. This time it’s to help them navigate the most efficient route to collect their passengers while coordinating all the trip requests they receive.

Meanwhile, an operator-based software package allows administrators to get an overview of the fleet based on their roles with the transport operator. A marketer or customer service official can quickly see the analytics they need to make decisions, as can the operational controllers who plan and run the system.

The various apps and analytics software packages are currently being tested in practice, and by the time the system enjoys widespread adoption, it should be ready to handle just about anything that the real-life needs of all players can throw at it.

What it All Adds Up To

Clean electricity is an area in which Germany has become a worldwide leader. While some countries may still rely heavily on polluting coal-fired power stations and the hazards of nuclear energy, Germany has quietly been switching over to clean energy sources and renewable energy-sharing with its neighbors.

A private electric vehicle can already save a considerable amount of emissions. But with ride-sharing electric vehicles preparing to hit the mainstream in a big way, energy demands will be slashed. If ioki realizes its vision of making private vehicles redundant, the pressure on energy networks and the emissions from traditional vehicles will be substantially reduced.

Quieter roads and more pleasant urban environments will also become a reality. If an electric shuttle carries six people who would otherwise have used a private vehicle, there will be five fewer vehicles on the roads. Multiply that by the number of ride-sharing vehicles available, and the impact could be enormous.

Finally, people will be better off. Maintaining and running a private vehicle has costs, but people continue to buy vehicles out of necessity or a desire for convenience. With both need and ease of use out of the equation, more people will use ride-sharing vehicles and public transport, and while this has its own costs, they will be far lower than those of private vehicle ownership.

Oto Pod From Oiio Borrows The Engine And Moves Vertically

Only own the cabin without the engine

23 December 2017 From Paul Münzner Filed Under: Featured, MOTORING

Please don’t worry. The following article is not purely about electromobility or driverless cars again. This transparent transport cabin, called Oto, from architecture studio Oiio gives new thought-provoking impulses for an efficient urban transport system. Whether it is likely or not to become reality one day, this extraordinary inspiration promotes an unconventional concept for an efficient transport system in the urban realms.

Oiio Architecture - Driving Oto Pod with human being — Transparent cabin vision from Oiio (Oiio Architecture Studio)

According to Oiio, the low efficiency of cars in private hands cause a too high resource usage. The empty front passenger seat, trunk or the more often not used rear seats must always be transported, whether used or not. Due to Oiio, the question arises if it would make sense to split a car into its working components – the engine, the cabin, and the trunk.

“What if we were able to dissect a working car into working components which could be utilized according to given circumstances?” Oiio Architecture Studio

Dissecting a car into its components to improve the efficiency of cars in private hands? (Oiio Architecture Studio)

Oiio Architecture - components of oto pod — (Oiio Architecture Studio)

But who owns a car with the function to split it to use the needed parts. Of course, conventional cars don’t offer any option to only use the currently needed components. The driver is forced to use the whole package in any circumstance.

Oiio’s Oto Pod Borrows The Engine

But in the case of Oiio’s futuristic approach, it is only necessary to own a cabin. Centrally controlled artificial intelligence makes it possible to provide the shared engine in the case of a journey. Otherwise, it will transport other cabins if requested. Oto Pod can even be fixed to a track system moving the cabins horizontally but also vertically.

Oiio is located in New York, USA, and Athens, Greece.

Oiio Architecture - oto pod cabin — (Oiio Architecture Studio)

Oiio Architecture - oto pods parts — (Oiio Architecture Studio)

Oiio Architecture - Oto Pod artificial transport — (Oiio Architecture Studio)

(Oiio Architecture Studio)

Tesla Superchargers Soon Powering City Centers

First Urban Superchargers Soon Powering City of Chicago & Boston - And Further Will Follow

12 September 2017 From Paul Münzner Filed Under: Featured, MOTORING

Where to charge your Tesla in city centers apart from your home? According to the American electric carmaker based in Palo Alto, California, it will be possible to fill up with electricity not only along highways on popular driving routes in the near future. Its Supercharger network will soon be expanded into city centers. Tesla focuses on intensely frequented and easily accessible places like supermarkets, shopping centers and downtown districts to ensure a smooth charging process.

The Pricing Will Not Change

The design of the new urban charger stations differs from their predecessors. They are more space-efficient and deliver 72kW. Whether the Model S or Model X, repleneshing the battery can be finished during shoe shopping in the early saturday afternoon or a business meeting with a cup of coffee at Starbucks. Unfortunately, Tesla customers can’t charge within the usual time frame. It will take 45 to 50 minutes to fill Elon Musk’s e-car. Maybe one more cup of coffee compared to the familiar 30 minutes. The pricing will not change.

First Urban Superchargers Soon Powering City of Chicago & Boston

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Smooth-Running Charging Procedure

The built-in Trip Planner navigates you to your destination along Superchargers. This ensures to always be abundantly supplied with power. With Tesla, the charging process itself is a walk in the park. The smooth-running procedure with a Supercharger only involves parking, insertion of the plug and a few minutes of patience. The start will be indicated with a green light. It’s possible to check the ongoing process on the Tesla App or the instrument panel. Supercharger stations are open for charging around the clock.

Tesla Superchargers Soon Powering City Centers - Delaware USA — Tesla Supercharger station at the Delaware Welcome Center (By Jeff Cooper (jecoopr) [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons)

More Than Just Cars

Tesla is well-known for its innovative e-cars. However, the range of offerings goes beyond wide-ranging electrically powered vehicles. Solar Roof, Powerwall and Powerpack support green enthusiasts in renewable energy generation, storage, and consumption.