Today’s big EV stories:
• How early FSD adopters were left behind in limbo
• EV Cannonball Record Shattered by Duo in Rented Tesla Model S
• Tesla Model S Plaid Complete 0-100% Supercharging Analysis
• When Asked to Stop Lobbyist Efforts Against Electric Vehicles, Big Oil Stays Silent
• SK Innovation to develop all-solid-state batteries with US firm
• China claims title of having world's largest EV charging network
• 5 charts explaining the future of EV batteries
• Building Out EV Charging Infrastructure: Q&A With NYC’s Electric Vehicle Policy Director
Show #1262
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Good morning, good afternoon and good evening wherever you are in the world, welcome to EV News Daily for Sunday 31st October. It’s Martyn Lee here and I go through every EV story so you don't have to.
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HOW EARLY FSD ADOPTERS WERE LEFT BEHIND IN LIMBO
- Elon Musk, for his part, has assured FSD buyers that their vehicles would have the necessary hardware when Tesla achieves full autonomy. And to some degree, Musk has stayed true to his word. Owners of older vehicles that purchased FSD were provided a free upgrade to Hardware 3.0. Tesla, however, has introduced its MCU1 to MCU2 retrofit as a paid upgrade. Quite unsurprisingly, some early FSD adopters opted out of the optional infotainment system update. This has proven to be problematic.
- One prevalent theme among the early FSD adopters who contacted Teslarati with their stories was the lack of communication on Tesla’s part. This is something that has been reported by longtime Tesla owners for some time now. And while it is understandable that Tesla is juggling a lot of balls in the air as it expands its business to other countries and other segments, having a responsive communications team, or at least investing some of its funds into the creation of one, would definitely not hurt.
EV CANNONBALL RECORD SHATTERED BY DUO IN RENTED TESLA MODEL S
- Doing so required a Herculean effort. Levenson, founder of EV promotion and rental company The Kilowatts, planned the run as part of his broader mission to demonstrate the capability and excitement of modern EVs. He'd partially accomplished that back in 2017, but because he was an employee of Tesla at the time, he did it mostly on the down-low. Now, he can share his story
- His official record, set with friend and co-driver Josh Allen on October 22, 2021 in a 2021 Tesla Model S Long Range, would be 42 hours and 17 minutes. That beats the previous coast-to-coast electric vehicle record of 44 hours and 26—set in a Porsche Taycan—by over 2 hours.
- He'd usually arrive with less than 10 percent charge and leave with around 50 percent. Those took an average of 18 minutes across his 24 stops, a total of just over seven hours sitting still.
- Levenson swapped the wheels for the run, ditching the less efficient 21-inch wheels in favor of Tesla's more aerodynamic 19-inch "Tempest" ones.
TESLA MODEL S PLAID COMPLETE 0-100% SUPERCHARGING ANALYSIS
- Earlier in the week, we conducted the InsideEVs 70-mph range test on a 2021 Tesla Model S Plaid, in which the vehicle went 300 miles from 100% to 0% state of charge. Since we began and ended the range test at a supercharger, at the conclusion of the range test we had the opportunity to record a full 0% to 100% charging session on a V3 supercharger station.
- Upon plugging in, the Plaid immediately shot up to 147 kW and then gradually crept up to the 250 kW maximum charge rate. That happened after two and a half minutes when the Plaid was at 5% state of charge. It then held the 250 kW maximum charge rate for 7 minutes, and at that point, the state of charge was 33%.
- The new Model S will charge from 0 to 78% in 30 minutes, and it then takes another 30 minutes to add the final ~22%, further proving that if you really don't need the extra range, it's much better to unplug and move on after 20 to 30 minutes of charging.
- The Plaid reaches 80% SOC in 31.5 minutes and the charge rate is down to 70kW.
WHEN ASKED TO STOP LOBBYIST EFFORTS AGAINST ELECTRIC VEHICLES, BIG OIL STAYS SILENT
- The CEOs of BP, Chevron, ExxonMobil and Shell appeared before the Committee on Oversight and Reform on Thursday to answer questions about their alleged part in the spread of disinformation about the role of fossil fuels in global warming.
- Also in attendance was the president of the American Petroleum Institute (API), a nonprofit lobbying entity for the oil industry
- One of the API's recent efforts includes a campaign against electric vehicles.
- California Congressman Ro Khanna pressed Shell President Gretchen Watkins on whether she would agree to tell API President Mike Sommers to cease his agency's campaign against electric vehicles. Watkins stopped short of making that declaration, saying, "There are several places where we are not fully aligned with the API."
- The CEOs of BP, Exxon, and Chevron also declined to outright ask the API to pull its campaign funding. Khanna asked them if they would leave the API if it continued its lobbying against electric vehicles. They all remained silent.
- The API boasts revenue of over $238 million, according to its most recent tax filing. The Guardian reported in July that Shell gave the agency $10 million, noting that BP, Chevron and Exxon were also major contributors, despite their contribution sums remaining private.
SK INNOVATION TO DEVELOP ALL-SOLID-STATE BATTERIES WITH US FIRM
- SK Innovation Co., a South Korean battery maker, said Thursday it will develop and produce all-solid-state batteries with a US firm, in a bid to expand its foothold in the next-generation battery market.
- Under the joint venture deal with Solid Power, a Colorado-based solid-state battery developer, SK Innovation will invest $30 million to acquire a stake in the American company
- If the target energy density is achieved, it will mean higher performance by about 33 percent than that of lithium-ion batteries, the company said.
CHINESE ELECTRIC VEHICLE MAKER BYD LAUNCHES $1.8 BILLION RAISE
CHINA CLAIMS TITLE OF HAVING WORLD'S LARGEST EV CHARGING NETWORK
5 CHARTS EXPLAINING THE FUTURE OF EV BATTERIES
BUILDING OUT EV CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE: Q&A WITH NYC’S ELECTRIC VEHICLE POLICY DIRECTOR
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