Daimler‘s New Battery Factory for Electric Vehicles Unveiled

31. May 2017 · Write a comment · Categories: New Technology, Transportation · Tags: , , , ,

The largest battery factory in Europe is being built by Daimler.

Daimler, one of the few major automakers developing all-electric vehicles, begins construction on a $562 million lithium-ion battery factory in Germany, officials unveiled a few days ago. The German automaker is planning to spend $11 billion on 10 new electric models that would be brought to the market by 2022.

Mercedes-Benz manufacturer Daimler is currently producing its own battery packs through its ACCUmotive subsidiary. A few months ago, they announced an important multi-million investment in a new battery plant in Kamenz, Germany, which will assemble lithium-ion battery packs for Mercedes and Maybach vehicles, as well as energy storage batteries.

The new production facility will be environmentally conscious. Mercedes says that the factory will be carbon-dioxide neutral. The facilities will be supplied with energy from a combined heat and power plant and solar power – a photovoltaic plant in combination with stationary battery storage units. By the end of 2020, the factory will have a total of over 1,000 employees and thus today’s number will be more than doubled.

The new production facility will stretch across 262,000 feet. It is scheduled to go into operation in mid-2018- just in time for Mercedes’ first all-electric vehicle- the new ‘EQ’ SUV. In addition, the German automaker has several other electric vehicle programs, like its all-electric Urban eTruck. Daimler is also currently building 1,500 all-electric Mercedes-Benz vans for Germany’s largest independent logistic firm, Hermes.

Last week, Daimler subsidiary Mercedes-Benz Energy has entered into a partnership with Vivint Solar to Solar to sell residential storage batteries along with solar panels in California.

Major battery factories are currently under construction in other European countries: Poland, Hungary, and Sweden. However, some of these factories are actually being built by Asian giants planning to move into Europe. There are also eight battery factories under construction in China.

Wildfires That Force Evacuations in Polk Co Investigated as Suspicious. Roads Reopen

23. April 2017 · Write a comment · Categories: Travel · Tags: , ,

Wildfires that spread across more than 600 acres in central Florida‘s Polk County were being investigated as suspicious, officials said. The Indian Lake Estates subdivision encompasses 800 homes and 8,000 lots. All of them were put under a mandatory evacuation due to the large wildfire The authorities suspect the fire may have been purposefully set, said a spokesman for the sheriff’s office.

The mandatory evacuation of the Indian Lake Estates community was lifted Saturday at 4 p.m.
The fire that burned at least 600 acres on Friday and destroyed one business, was 60 percent contained Saturday afternoon. Extremely dry conditions fueled the fire. More »

Tesla Recalls 53,000 Cars Over Parking Brake Issue

23. April 2017 · Write a comment · Categories: New Technology, Transportation · Tags: , , , ,

Tesla Inc has recalled nearly two-thirds of Model S and Model X vehicles made last year to fix a parking brake issue.
Following the biggest ever recall for the company, announced on Thursday, shares of the luxury electric car maker were down nearly 1 percent to settle at $302.77 in afternoon trading.
The vehicles affected are roughly 53,000 of Model S and Model X electric cars built between February and October of 2016. 31,000 of them were sold in the U.S. More »

The Tesla Model 3 to Have Just One Display

02. April 2017 · Write a comment · Categories: New Technology, Transportation, Travel · Tags: , , , , ,

Tesla bucks the tradition and the company is going to release the Model 3 with a single central display.
After almost a year of rumors and speculation, Elon Musk has confirmed that Model 3 will not feature a head-up display. That means everything, from navigation to music, will be on the one display.
There will not be a traditional gauge cluster behind the steering wheel, and no head-up display, either; no speedometer, fuel gauge, temperature gauges, rev counter, or even a clock in front of the driver. More »

BMW Will Pay Border Tax or Build His Cars in the USA, Says Trump

22. January 2017 · Write a comment · Categories: Transportation · Tags: , ,

President-elect Donald Trump has warned that German carmakers will pay a border tax of 35 per cent on cars imported to the U.S. market.
Trump said that in an interview with a Geman newspaper a few days ago. His words drew sharp criticism from Berlin and hit the carmakers’ shares.
In the interview, Trump criticized German automakers such as BMW, Volkswagen and Daimler for building factories in Mexico and importing the cars to the U.S. market. More »

The New Beast Will Debut on Inauguration Day

15. January 2017 · Write a comment · Categories: Transportation, Travel · Tags: , ,

800px-Cadillac-CTS-2014-gray_IAA2013_front-right-side_LWS2816Donald Trump’s Cadillac One, the upgraded presidential limousine, will make its debut at his inauguration on January 20.

A total of $15 million has been paid by General Motors to develop the vehicle.

Some of the pictures that went viral show that the presidential car also known as The Beast will have features much more impressive than some of the past ‘beasts’ used by Trump’s predecessors. More »

Tesla Announced Autopilot Upgrades for 1,000 Cars

03. January 2017 · Write a comment · Categories: New Technology, Transportation · Tags: , , , , ,

799px-Tesla_Model_S_Indoors_trimmedTesla Motors Inc. has announced the activation of Autopilot features for cars equipped with the “Hardware 2” camera and sensor set.
Tesla is now beginning to roll out upgraded software to customers with newer cars that launched in October. All Model S and Model X electric cars built since then are fitted with Hardware 2 that includes eight cameras, radar, 12 ultrasonic sensors and a new supercomputer. More »

Uber Pulls its Autonomous Cars from San Francisco Streets

25. December 2016 · Write a comment · Categories: New Technology, Transportation, Travel · Tags: , , , ,

2015_volvo_xc90_inscription_rlUber removed its self-driving cars from San Francisco streets on Wednesday bowing to the state’s DMV.
The ride-hailing company pulled its fleet of autonomous cars off San Francisco streets after California’s regulations revoked Uber’s vehicle registrations.
Hours after Uber launched a self-driving car service in its hometown last week, the state’s regulators threatened legal action. More »

Uber Continue Self-Driving Car Testing on SF Roads in Defiance of DMV

20. December 2016 · Write a comment · Categories: New Technology, Transportation, Travel · Tags: , , , , ,

2015_volvo_xc90_inscription_rlUber won’t stop self-driving car service in San Francisco, despite California regulators say it is illegal.
The legal fight started last Wednesday when any passenger in San Francisco requesting a ride from Uber, might have been picked up by an autonomous car. After receiving on his phone a notification in the Uber application, one could accept or cancel and then request a regular ride. More »

Hyperloop to Become Reality in Dubai

04. December 2016 · Write a comment · Categories: New Technology, Transportation, Travel · Tags: , , ,

800px-hyperloop-300x193-300x193Ultra-fast hyperloop train will travel from Dubai to Abu Dhabi in 12 minutes.
The futuristic Dubai has agreed a deal with Los Angeles-based startup Hyperloop One to study the potential for building a near-supersonic transport line linking it to Emirati capital Abu Dhabi. The announcement of the deal was made at the top of the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa. More »

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