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It's about time that someone implemented virtual mirrors. As the article mentions, there will be varying views, which to me means flexibility that doesn't exist with standard mirrors. Hopefully the screens will be large enough. Another plus imo is that the driver won't have to glance quite as far to the side as before.
2015 S550 Palladium/Deep Sea Blue, 2016 Tesla Model S 70D, 2015 Volvo XC70
Daimler says EVs on target after report of launch delays
BERLIN -- Daimler said planned launches of electrified vehicles including the new EQC crossover were on schedule following a report in Germany's Handelsblatt that they were facing delays because of battery shortages and other technical problems.
The German business daily on Monday said that Daimler's new EQC will not arrive at dealerships until June 2019, several months after originally planned.
But a spokesman at Daimler's Stuttgart headquarters said it has not yet specified a launch date for the EQC.
Handelsblatt also reported that a plug-in hybrid version of Mercedes' next S-class flagship model will not be available until 2021, a year after the combustion engine model is due to come to market, citing unnamed Daimler sources.
The Daimler spokesman told Reuters that development of a plug-in version of the new S class was going to plan.
"We are on target, there are no delays," he said.
Battery production could become a major issue for vehicle electrification as more automakers shift their model lineups to EVs and plug-in hybrids.
By 2022, Mercedes plans to offer an electrified version of every model it sells, with a total of at least 50 models for sale. Daimler’s Smart brand will stop offering cars with combustion engines altogether in 2020.
Jaguar has succeeded in not only creating the best electric car on sale but perhaps one of the most exciting cars you can buy. From the way it looks to the way it drives the I-Pace is a real game changer for Jaguar and electric cars overall. It’s not perfect: the ride could be softer and brakes more responsive but as a first attempt at an EV Jaguar has nailed it. Still thinking of ordering that Tesla?
2015 S550 Palladium/Deep Sea Blue, 2016 Tesla Model S 70D, 2015 Volvo XC70
Sometimes EV critics will say that EVs just mean burning more coal to power the EVs. An article yesterday offers yet more proof countering that thesis:
More than half of the power-generating capacity added around the world in recent years has been in renewable sources such as wind and solar, according to the International Energy Agency....
Once supported overwhelmingly by cash-back incentives, tax credits and other government incentives, wind- and solar-generation costs have fallen consistently for a decade, making renewable-power investment more competitive.
Renewable costs have fallen so far in the past few years that “wind and solar now represent the lowest-cost option for generating electricity,” said Francis O’Sullivan, research director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Energy Initiative.
...In 2017, the global average cost of electricity from onshore wind was $60 per megawatt hour and $100 for solar, toward the lower end of the $50 to $170 range for new fossil-fuel facilities in developed nations, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency.
Unlike the innovative I-Pace, whose short overhangs and elongated cabin take full advantage of its bespoke, aluminum-intensive skateboard platform and compact e-motors, the EQC’s proportions are similar to those of a regular internal-combustion-engine Mercedes.... [disappointing...suggests MB will not be taking advantage of the potentially increased total space (passenger and cargo) that would come with a more EV-centric design]
The EQC is extremely quiet, and it rides beautifully. There’s no hint of electric motor whine—Schult says the development engineers made a conscious decision to banish all noise from the powertrain—and road impacts are felt rather than heard. Combined with measured body motions and a remarkable lack of fore and aft pitch, the EQC feels as regal on the road as an S-Class.... [emphasis added]
quick and composed when driven with intent. And, unlike a Tesla, it had no problem with sustained full-power laps.
One interesting tidbit from the above article: "By 2040, more than half of all new car sales and a third of the planet's automobile fleet -- equal to 559 million vehicles -- will be electric, according to a global outlook published by Bloomberg NEF."
Sometimes EV critics will say that EVs just mean burning more coal to power the EVs. An article yesterday offers yet more proof countering that thesis:
More than half of the power-generating capacity added around the world in recent years has been in renewable sources such as wind and solar, according to the International Energy Agency....
Once supported overwhelmingly by cash-back incentives, tax credits and other government incentives, wind- and solar-generation costs have fallen consistently for a decade, making renewable-power investment more competitive.
Renewable costs have fallen so far in the past few years that “wind and solar now represent the lowest-cost option for generating electricity,” said Francis O’Sullivan, research director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Energy Initiative.
...In 2017, the global average cost of electricity from onshore wind was $60 per megawatt hour and $100 for solar, toward the lower end of the $50 to $170 range for new fossil-fuel facilities in developed nations, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency.
I am happy for Tesla's success. More interest in EV's will provide more choices moving forward. That said, those numbers don't mean much to me as they don't reflect existing model sales for Tesla; rather they represent production capacity fulfilling long-standing order logs that are 2 years old. Once the pipeline is filled, this will be interesting.
The biggest challenge moving forward, given the volume, will be service and parts support.
We are on the list for an EQC and Porsche Taycan...
2015 S550 Palladium/Deep Sea Blue, 2016 Tesla Model S 70D, 2015 Volvo XC70
Originally Posted by Wolfman
I am happy for Tesla's success. More interest in EV's will provide more choices moving forward. That said, those numbers don't mean much to me as they don't reflect existing model sales for Tesla; rather they represent production capacity fulfilling long-standing order logs that are 2 years old. Once the pipeline is filled, this will be interesting.
The biggest challenge moving forward, given the volume, will be service and parts support.
Totally agreed. In the US, they were fulfilling their backlog. My understanding though is that they haven't shipped yet to most of the rest of the world, so their worldwide production may continue to grow somewhat, as the US falls off in Q1; the US will also fall off as the federal tax credit for Teslas gets cut in half in 2019. Service and support were already a problem pre the Model 3; I hope we don't crash our Model S!
Originally Posted by Wolfman
We are on the list for an EQC and Porsche Taycan...
I am envious but am stuck with Teslas for EVs; I am now renting a condo in FL and am likely to rent serially in various buildings for some time to come, and some buildings won't have charging options, so I really really need Tesla's supercharger network. If it weren't for that, I'd have a Jag EV on order right now. Lack of good public charging imo is going to limit Tesla's competitors, with some potential custormers.
05-29-2018, 05:07 PM
